Category: Health

  • Steamed broccoli & noodles + soto

    Steamed broccoli & noodles + soto

    Does this dish look dull to you? Let me tell you why i still find it exciting. One: it’s sat in a bowl that was given to me by two very dear friends that same night. Two: it’s a perfect starting point for one of the best dishes ever: soto.

    Soto
    Soto is a simple Indonesian stock which you combine in a plate with all kinds of condiments: leafy vegetables, curried vegetables, sambal (chili paste), egg, sprouts, fried onions and peanuts… It’s salad buffet meets soup bowl: super colorful and fragrant and tasty!

    Fulfilling, beautiful & easy
    So we had a great and fulfilling dinner. We sat on the floor (practicing for Thailand?) and put a spoonful of everything on our plates: noodles, broccoli, fried tofu, spicy cumin carrot julienne, potato, plus the above mentioned: egg, fried onions, etc… and then poured the stock over it.

    The result is warm, spicy, crunchy and either very light or nice and filling; everyone can just take what their tummy feels like. Ideal for a family dinner or party.

    I loved it so much, that i wondered why i don’t make this more often. It’s even also a great way to do something beautiful with leftovers (an ongoing quest in my household).

    Recipe for steamed broccoli with noodles, as a basis for soto

    For real soto, of course you make your own fresh stock. In a very quick version of soto that i love to make, i use one of those little packs of vegetable noodle soup. I know! Shameless.

    Add the seasoning to (almost) twice the amount of water that it says on the label and bring it to a boil. Steam broccoli florets in the same pan, using a steam basket or a colander or sieve. The soup shall be light (although tasty) and the broccoli cooked but still firm and bright green. Remember to catch the soup while you drain the noodles.

    Sprinkle the broccoli florets with sesame seeds, some (garlic) oil and any other seasoning that you love and serve with the noodles.

    Very nice with an egg, fried onions and a teaspoon (or more..) of sambal.

  • Fiery Chocolate Love Cake

    Fiery Chocolate Love Cake

    I was watching a movie last night: Chocolat. I saw it years ago, had always remembered it but probably hadn’t realized how much the film has affected my life.

    Here’s how it goes: Vianne is a French lady, a nomad whose South American mother used to perform sacred cacao rituals. Together with her daughter, she sets up a chocolatérie in a quiet and seemingly unwelcoming French village. She meets with fear and resistance in the villagers.

    Through her medicine bonbons though, and with help of her creativity, wisdom, warmheartedness and chocolate drinks, she ignites curiosity in the people and becomes a refuge for those who are open for connection and hungry for love.

    (Ahw, i love this story. There’s romance in it, too, but really the lovingly original shop, her open home, the medicinal delis and the eccentric clientele already have me all soft and happy inside.)

    A beautiful message in the priest’s sermon at the end of the movie:

    Here’s what I think: I think we can’t go around measuring our goodness by what we don’t do, by what we deny ourselves, what we resist, and who we exclude.

    I think we’ve got to measure goodness by what we embrace, what we create and who we include.

    Recipe for Fiery RAWR Chocolate Cake

    So here i’m going to include YOU into my most recent love adventure with chocolate cake. It’s in three layers plus topping of chocolate sprinkles. It’s VERY nice and tasty, it will melt on your tongue and heighten your senses, boosting your love life.

    Extra tip
    Stock up on granola, raw cacao, extra virgin coconut oil, lemon, ripe avocados, vanilla extract, dates or honey, and cashews. If you have those, all you need is fresh fruits and you’ll have raw cakes to die for in no-time, always.

    Ditch the scale
    I’m really sorry if you need exact measures; i can’t give them. I hardly measure, i just splash around with foods. A standard-sized bag or jug of each ingredient will definitely do for one cake.

    Also, make sure your coconut oil and honey are nice and soft so that you can easily add them to your blender.

    For the crunchy bottom:
    Take any crunchy granola (cereal-nut mixture, with or without coconut flakes – have it just the way you like it) and mix it in a blender or herb chopper with cacao, honey, a good twist of salt and a few tablespoons of coconut oil. Spread out and put in the fridge. The bottom can be quite salty, it’s nice when the salt is in the crunch layer and not so much in the main filling.

    For the main filling:
    Follow this recipe for heavenly chocolate but as this is a fiery love cake, substitute the lemon rind for chili flakes and black pepper:

    Combine 2 ripe avocado’s, 1 cup honey or more, 1 cup liquid coconut oil or more, 80-100 gr raw cacao, a few pinches of salt, 1 ts vanilla & freshly ground chili flakes and 4 season peppercorns in a blender. Don’t hesitate to add more of anything :). All ingredients are essential, don’t skip any. The consistency should be a thick cream while in the blender. When cooled in the fridge, it will be fudgy.

    Add the filling on top of the bottom layer in your cake form and put back in the fridge.

    For the topping:
    Blend a handful of cashews with water until creamy, then add raw cacao, lemon rind and honey. You may want to make add some lemon juice for added freshness, just try how it goes with your version of fiery heavenly filling.

    Add the topping and sprinkle with chocolate or chili flakes.

    Endulge.

  • Carrot coconut cashew soup

    Carrot coconut cashew soup

    Enjoy this one raw or cooked. The cashews and coconut cream (santen) make for a delicious creaminess. I’d advise to prepare the soup a few hours or up to a day before serving. The ingredients need some time to get settled before they start being all aromatic.

    A high speed blender would come in very handy now that i’m enjoying raw soups more and more, but alas… the universe has yet to supply me with one ;). A normal blender works fine, too, but then the raw soup will be a bit grainy. Although of course passing it through a sieve always helps, i didn’t make that effort this time.

    Recipe for Carrot Coconut Cashew Soup
    Blend a handful of cashews with a cup of water until you have a nice velvety cream.Then add in the blender:

    • one big carrot, in blender-friendly chunks
    • a slice of pumpkin (5 cm in width)
    • a tiny garlic clove
    • a piece of ginger
    • grated rind of one lemon or a stalk of lemongrass
    • 3 tablespoons of santen (coconut cream)
    • a piece of apple, or two dates, or honey to taste, for sweetness
    • a teaspoon or tablespoon of curry paste
    • salt & pepper
    • for hot soup: a few dried kaffer lime leafs
    • Water as needed for a smooth blend

    Kaffer lime leafs is one of those things that make your dishes taste like ‘the real thing’. It’s one of those ‘secret’ ingredients and does the trick every time. You get them at Asian food stores. Buy dried leafs; the frozen ones have lost all their taste in my experience.

    This is nice with a spoonful of turmeric cream (check it out!), if you have it. Also, try adding some acai or raw cacao powder, it gives a nice little extra layer that lifts up all ingredients.

    I just realized this…
    By the way! Using the same ingredients, you can make a very nice curry. Cut up the carrot and pumpkin and combine the other ingredients except the cashews into a sauce. Fry the veggies in coconut oil, add the sauce and simmer everything for some time with the cashews.

    Next day you can blend the leftovers into this soup.

    Wow, now i feel like doing it all over again ;).

  • Lemon ginger juice

    Lemon ginger juice

    Drool alert! Here’s a quickie for everyone out there who owns a juicer: juice 10 lemons and 1-2 hand-sized pieces of ginger. Leave the lemon rind on (if it tastes bitter, find other lemons).

    The lemon juice is almost milky, bright yellow and gives a really refreshing kick. It’s so strong people ask me wether it’s concentrate (it’s not). Pure lemon power! Leave the rind on to also reap the benefits of the lemon essential oil; the scent alone is calming and brings life to your cells.

    Add a few drops or a few spoons to hot or cold water: both drinks are delicious and very wholesome. Or, even better: have one pure shot in the morning and forget all about coffee.

    I found a very cute pinkie-tall little jug (photo) in the second hand store that’s perfect for serving as most people will only add a few drops to their water.

    At Boom Festival, i brought a 1.5 liter bottle that lasted all week, making me many friends as well ;).

    In India, we would enjoy this drink in sparkling water stirred with salt: the lemon or lime soda.

  • Mushroom foraging

    Mushroom foraging

    Connecting with nature
    Have you ever foraged your own dinner? Have you gone into the fields or woods to collect plants or mushrooms for food? How did you like doing that? Let me tell you how i felt when i went out into the forest with my friend Ton last week (thank you Ton for being my mushroom teacher!):

    I felt joyful, I felt grateful. I felt in awe with and humbled by nature’s beauty, variety and potency. I felt very much connected and alive.

    The whole experience of walking, paying attention, determining, respectfully choosing, cleaning and carrying the yield is just delightful.

    Dangerous
    Have you learned that foraging mushrooms is dangerous? That it’s easy to mistake the edible for the poisonous and get ill? I was taught the same, and… it’s true! If you eat the wrong kind, you might die. And yes, the deadly kind are in your area too, (possibly) cuddled in between the healthy ones.

    So… let’s not touch any wild mushrooms ever, ok?

    Hm. Not ok.
    Crossing the street is dangerous, too. Diving and mountain climbing are dangerous, and still many of us do it. Riding a bicycle is dangerous. Building a hut is dangerous. But all of these are also very practical, exhilarating, or even spiritual experiences.

    Dangerous is not bad per se. It just requires a mindful approach. So before you do it, you want to learn how to do it. By asking for guidance, by practicing and double-checking, by taking the next step when you know you are ready. Step by step, you become skilled.

    Why would you?
    Well… have you ever eaten wild mushrooms? The taste is amazing! Nutty, peppery, earthy or fruity aromas. Chewy, velvety, meaty structures… wow. That really doesn’t compare to anything you find in a store. Markets may be better already, but still.

    Moreover, there’s nothing like foraging your own food before eating it. In fact, it’s one of the things that can make people live for a long, long time!

    The broccoli-shaped food in the picture? That’s a mushroom! Because of its shape, it holds fluids very well so it’s juicy like broccoli florets, and the flesh resembles chicken meat! It’s delicious and i love it.

    You decide
    As grownups, we have learned to give up control in certain areas of our lives. Collecting and preparing food are good examples. Now there isn’t anything wrong with outsourcing what you don’t fancy doing yourself.

    BUT if the experience of collecting your own food appeals to you, then let’s not believe anyone who says it is too dangerous for us to do it ourselves. If you are willing to learn, you can.

    Find yourself a teacher. Find good information from a trusted source. Do not trust a recipe website, amateur forum or random Youtube channel to tell you which mushrooms to pick and which to leave. Check who authored trusted guides, buy the books and find their online info.

    Let this girl be your example
    The girl in the video is almost four years old. To some it may be shocking that she is playing with mushrooms. I find it beautiful. She is learning what her natural habitat has to offer: both the threats and the treats. (It’s in Dutch, that’s irrelevant. The language of play and learning is universal 😉 ).

    Whoever told you you can’t do what she is doing? I’m not saying you have to. But you can.

    Recipe wild mushrooms

    Heat some olive oil and fry the sliced mushrooms. Add salt and pepper. I like to keep it basic to enjoy the pure rich taste. Mushrooms will give a great umami (= hearty) taste to plain (leafy) vegetables or pasta. Also nice as topping for a soup and a brilliant addition to risotto.

    Let’s be loving foragers
    Please take respectfully, and no more than you need and will use. Also be careful not to damage plants or trees. Do find out which kinds are plentiful and which need to be protected.

  • Springrolls met rauwe groenten en dip

    Springrolls met rauwe groenten en dip

    Ik wou dat ik de tijd had genomen om een foto te maken die meer recht deed aan de knisperige, verse, nootachtige, zacht-en-toch-knapperige bite van deze schatjes.

    De waarheid is dat ik deze spring rolls niet echt zelf heb gemaakt; ik heb gewoon alle ingredienten op tafel gezet en liet mensen hun gang gaan met het vullen van de rijstpapiervellen. Dus om een leuke foto te maken, moest ik hun creaties van hun bord grissen en omhoog houden in de laatste zonnestralen van de dag… afijn. Je ziet het wel voor je. De foto hierboven is het beste dat ik voor elkaar kon krijgen ;).

    Nou zal ik het kort houden en meteen duiken in de geheimen van spring rolls rollen. Het idee is: alles kan. Ik vind het vooral leuk om twee of meer groenten te combineren met wat groene blaadjes, sesamzaad, sprouts en avocado en ze dan in soja- of chilisaus te dippen.

    raw-salads-stuffing-springrolls-pixlrVoor deze (bijna) rauwe, veganistische spring rolls, maakte ik drie kleurrijke groentecombinaties:

    • Courgette met tijm
    • Wortel met hennep en zwart mosterzaad,
    • Pastinaak met geroosterd sesamzaad

    We hadden ook drie verschillende dips: pittige chili, tahin (= sesampasta) met olijfolie en citroen, en sojasaus.

    En in plaats van avocado te gebruiken (wat echt absoluut wel heel erg fantastisch is om cremigheid mee aan de spring roolls toe te voegen), hebben we van deze genoten met een kant-en-klaar gekochte linzenspread die ik wat kruidiger en romiger gemaakt heb.

    Ten slotte zat er ook al genoeg avocado in de avocado lemon pie die we als dessert zouden eten…

    Courgette met tijm

    Rasp de courgette of snijd ‘m met een juliennesnijder. Voeg een beetje zout toe en laat 20 minuten uitlekken. Het zout trekt het overtollige vocht uit de courgette. Je kunt het vocht opvangen en gebruiken in een soep of saus.

    Voeg tijm aan de courgette toe naar smaak, liefst vers maar gedroogd kan ook.

    Wortel met hennep- en mosterdzaad

    Rasp de wortel of snijd met een juliennesnijder. Verhit intussen langzaam het mosterdzaad in een eetlepel kokos- of olijfolie. De zaadjes zijn klaar wanneer ze geuren en enthousiast poppen (wat dat ook moge betekenen – pas gewoon op dat ze niet verbranden en je ontwikkelt er vanzelf gevoel voor).

    Voeg hennep- en mosterdzaadjes samen met de olie toe aan de wortelrasp. Meng.

    Pastinaak met sesamzaad

    Rasp de pastinaak of snijd met een juliennesnijder. Voeg wat olijfolie toe en het sesamzaad. Die van mij waren al geroosterd. Vers roosteren is nog lekkerder.. Als je roostert is dit gerecht niet rauw meer, dus als je dat belangrijk vindt: niet doen ;). Geldt ook voor de mosterzaadjes hierboven, trouwens.

    Rijspapiervellen

    Wel elk vel in heet water voor 10-20 seconden. Neem uit, leg op bord, vul met gewenste vulling, zorg in ieder geval voor iets cremigs en iets knapperigs. Het geeft een leuk effect als je sesam- of mosterdzaadjes door het vel heen ziet schijnen. Rol op terwijl je ook in ieder geval één zijkant naar binnen vouwt, zodat de saus niet alle kanten op druipt.

    Eten met je handen en dubbel-dippen zijn toegestaan!

  • Turmeric Coconut Cream

    Turmeric Coconut Cream

    This recipe is for Turmeric Coconut Cream, which has concentrated flavors and a large amount of turmeric. It serves as a basis for turmeric milk: warm one or two teaspoons with a cup of (rice/nut/coconut) milk and you’re set. You could also add the cream to your tea, or porridge, or raw pie filling, or even a curry. Be creative!

    Medicine

    Turmeric has many health benefits, according to ancient cultures as well as modern-day scientific research.

    Check out this article if you want a starting point to know more: http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/science-confirms-turmeric-effective-14-drugs. Please let me know if you find a better, more objective overview (i didn’t put in the time).

    How to get the most out of turmeric

    The miracles happen in petri dishes mainly; when you eat turmeric, its effect is more subtle although still amazing. Science is now catching up with ancient knowledge and finding ways to increase the effectiveness of turmeric/curcumin.

    As old cuisines have intuitively known and implemented, there’s some things we can do to reap as much benefit from it as possible: when preparing…

    – combine with some fat,
    – add black pepper
    – don’t cook or heat for too long

    All are taken care of in this recipe!

    Recipe for Turmeric Coconut Cream

    • 1 cup thick coconut milk of good quality (or use santen)
    • 2 heaping tablespoons of ground kurkuma (about 20 gr)
    • 4 cardamom pods or a few pinches of cardamom
    • 1 cinnamon stick
    • 2 star anise
    • 1 clove
    • some ground black pepper
    • a few tablespoons of raw honey or agave syrup

    In stead of the above fresh spices, you may want to use one of these ready-made spice mixes: Chinese 5 Spices or the Indian Chai or Garam Masala. In any case, be sure to add black pepper! Add a tiny pinch or drop of vanilla (essence) to bring out all these flavors even better.

    Slowly heat the thick coconut milk with the spices in a pan. Do not boil. Simmer until the spices give off their taste and the milk has reached the consistency of a rather smooth cream.

    Let it cool down a bit. The cream will set. Then stir in the honey and turmeric. We don’t heat the honey because it would lose its antibacterial power (same reason why we buy real, raw honey and not the cheap one).

    Have you tasted it? It will taste creamy, powdery, spicy, sweet, earthy and delicious. (If it tastes sour, your coconut milk is crappy.)

    Pour or spoon the cream into a clean jar. Sigh… ahhh. I drink turmeric milk every morning and night now. Perfect bedtime drink!

  • Vegan Spring Rolls

    Vegan Spring Rolls

    I wish i had taken the time to make a photo that did more justice to the crispy, fresh, nutty, soft-yet-crunchy bite of these darlings.

    The truth is i didn’t realy make these spring rolls myself; i just put all the ingredients on the table and had people have their own way with stuffing the Vietnamese rice paper sheets. So in order take a nice picture, i had to grab their creations from their plates and hold them up into the last sun rays of the day… well. You get the picture. The above is the best i could come up with ;).

    Now i’ll keep this short and dive straight into the secrets of rolling spring rolls. The idea is: anything goes. I especially like combining two or more vegetables with some green leafs, sesame seeds, sprouts and avocado and then dip them in soy or sweet chili sauce.

    raw-salads-stuffing-springrolls-pixlrFor these (almost) raw vegan spring rolls, i made three colorful vegetable combinations:

    • Zucchini with thyme
    • Carrot with hemp and black mustard seeds
    • Turnip with roasted sesame seeds

    We also had three dip varieties: spicy chili, tahin (= sesame paste) with olive oil and lemon, and soy sauce.

    And instead of using avocado (which is really definitely very great for adding creaminess to spring rolls), we enjoyed these with a store-bought lentil sauce that i spiced up a bit.

    After all, there was already enough avocado going on inside the avocado lemon pie we’d have for dessert..

    Zucchini with thyme

    Grate the zucchini or cut it using a julienne cutter. Add a little bit of salt and leave to drain for 20 minutes. The salt will draw the excess water from the zucchini. You may want to catch the fluid and add it to a sauce or soup.

    Add thyme to the zucchini to taste, preferably fresh but dried is also ok.

    Carrot with hemp and mustard seeds

    Grate the carrot or cut it using a julienne cutter. Meanwhile, slowly heat the mustard seeds in a tablespoon of coconut or olive oil. The seeds are ready when they pop rather enthusiastically (whatever that means – just be careful not to burn them and you’ll develop a feeling for it).

    Add hemp and mustard seeds including the oil to the carrot. Stir.

    Turnip with sesame seeds

    Grate the carrot or cut it using a julienne cutter. Add a little bit of olive oil and the sesame seeds. Mine were ready-roasted. Freshly roasted is even more tasty. Roasting obviously makes this dish non-raw, so if raw is a must for you, don’t roast ;). Same goes for the mustard seeds above, by the way.

    Rice paper sheets

    Soak each sheet in hot water for 10-20 seconds. Take out, spread on plate, fill with desired filling, make sure it has both creaminess and crunch. It’s a nice effect when you see little black sesame or mustard seeds shining through. Roll up while also folding at least one side in, so that sauce inside will not spill all over the place.

    Eating with hands and double dipping are allowed.

     

  • Raw Avocado Lemon Pie

    Raw Avocado Lemon Pie

    Alive
    Last week i found myself dancing, swimming and chilling out in Portugal, at the bi-annual Boom Festival. It was like a fairy tale, a soothing and hope inspiring experience of what life on earth will be like if we all just respect and love each other and find our space to play and relax into the wonder and abundance of nature’s gifts.

    I felt so alive, brimming with energy and joyful jumpiness while all my senses were heightened – pure natural bliss induced by this environment that brings out the best in people.

    It’s in this place that i had the avocado lemon pie. It was so delicious. I got another piece and shared it with friends. Next day, i got yet another piece to share again. Everybody must know how good this tastes.

    Raw pie
    I loooooove raw pies. Although they’re just as packed with calories as the oven baked butter-flour cakes i grew up with, raw pies also carry an amazing taste and feeling of nutrient-rich freshness. Now, usually, i don’t let any opportunity pass to add copious amounts of raw cacao powder, but this time… i’m giving space to the taste of summer pleasures featuring fruits and flowers!

    This pie holds fresh coconut*, slices of peach, avocado and lemon, and is kept in shape using coconut fat, which is solid at room temperature.

    * not the super-young fresh green coconut but the type that we find in western stores, where you need to break the brown fibery shell open with a hammer or axe to find the 1-2 cm thick white coconut coating inside.

    Back home
    Yesterday i had a go at creating my own version of this tangy, creamy, crispy pie. It turned out blissfully tasty, especially if you’re like me and you like the combo of sweet, sour and a hint of salt combined with all kinds of fruity tones. I had kept the avocado-lemon filling quite zesty, so it could use some extra honey dripped on top just before serving or, as my half-indonesian brother-in-law suggested, some gula jawa (palm sugar) flakes – and indeed this goes perfectly with the coconut that is also inside!

    Recipe for Raw (Vegan) Avocado Lemon Pie

    Don’t worry if you don’t have a cake form; a soup bowl will work just as well. These measurements are for a cake of about 12 cm wide and 6 cm high and serve 8.

    Crust

    • 1 handful of coconut (semi-fresh is best, bust desiccated will also work)
    • 1 handful of unsalted cashews
    • 2 tablespoons of coconut oil (liquid so gently heat to just above room temperature)
    • 2 soft dates or figs, or use one tablespoon of marmelade
    • pinch of salt
    • pinch of vanilla or some drops of vanilla essence

    Soak a handful of raw, unsalted cashews in water.
    Open the coconut (here’s how – for Dutchies), take out some flesh and cut in small pieces until you have a handful. I left the brown skin on, it was fine like that but for a more delicate/pure taste you could peel the coconut pieces until purely white.

    In a food processor, combine the cashews and coconut and chop until fine and crumbly. Now add coconut oil, vanilla, salt and dates or marmelade and combine into a dough.

    Spread it out in the middle of a plate into a cake bottom layer. Make sure the soup bowl (if using) fits tightly around it. Put in fridge to cool and harden.

    Fruit layer & filling

    • 1 peach or other fruit
    • 1.5 large avocado
    • 1.5-2 lemons, juice and rind (use grater to grate yellow lemon rind)
    • 0.5 cup of extra virgin coconut oil (not the unscented kind)
    • 0.5 cup honey or agave syrup
    • tiny pinch of salt

    In a clean food processor or blender, combine the avocado, lemon juice and rind, honey or agave syrup, coconut oil and pinch of salt until smooth. Taste and adjust the ingredients to taste. Make it just a bit sweeter than you might feel like as cooling will make the sweetness less prominent.

    Take crust from the fridge, add a single layer of fruit slices and spoon all the avocado mixture on top. Cover with the soup bowl again and put back in the fridge for an hour or two or longer if you want.

    Decoration

    Take the pie from the fridge, gently lift the soup bowl and top the pie and plate with fresh fruit slices, chocolate flakes or (as shown in picture) colorful dried and/or fresh flower buds. I used lavender and dried calendula (marigold). Drip with honey, agave syrup or gula jawa (palm sugar) flakes for added sweetness.

    And… enjoy <3

  • Raw fruity tomato soup

    Raw fruity tomato soup

    If you think this soup looks pale, you’re right. It did! However i’m sure it will give you a healthy blush, for it’s packed with vitamins and fibers.

    One could say this is a gazpacho… yes, let’s call it that. But with a surprising fruity twist!

    Now i’ll be quick and get this recipe out. After all, it only takes one minute to make. The blogpost should hardly take longer.

    Recipe for Fruity raw tomato soup

    In a blender, combine:

    • 3 tomatoes
    • 1 baby cucumber (or 2-3 inches of a normal one), leave rind on
    • 2 prunes
    • one quarter of a small apple
    • one half of a little garlic glove
    • one small handful of sunflower seeds

    Blend until smooth and serve. My vegetables came from the fridge and so the soup was at perfect temperature. Should be fresh but not very cold.

    This a nice and quick starter for a summer evening dinner. Some green herbs would have been nice. Mint or basil and parsley, probably.  That’s for next time. I love these little experiments.