Tag: avocado

  • Vegan sushi salad bowl

    Vegan sushi salad bowl

    Not sure I am even really allowed to use the word sushi here, as it has not so much to do with highly skillful processing of raw fish but all the more with combining the other usual ingredients of sushi into a delicious salad.

    Combine pieces of avocado with pieces of raw bell pepper (and/or other veg you have lying around, such as carrot, spring onions or lettuce, the more the merrier). Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and dulse (seaweed) flakes, then dress with sesame oil, salty soy sauce (I use Kikkoman) and maybe some rice vinegar to your liking.

    Enjoy ?

  • Bell pepper, apple & mint salad with avocado

    Bell pepper, apple & mint salad with avocado

    Light and fresh ?

    Slice bell pepper, cucumber and avocado, chop apple and thinly cut mint leaves.

    Combine everything and top with thin shallot rings, if you like that. My love preferred it without and removed them :).

    Dressing: olive oil and lemon juice, salt and pepper. Keep it simple!

  • Spicy Salad with Wasabi, Onion and Black Pepper

    Spicy Salad with Wasabi, Onion and Black Pepper

    Isn’t it amazing how the body seems to instinctively know what it needs?

    This salad has lots of avocado, and also raw onion and wasabi peanuts. That’s not something I usually eat, but as it turns out wasabi and onion help open up the sinuses! And that’s something I could really use yesterday.

    Wasabi’s strong effect on the nose, together with the raw onion and black pepper, will help you smell and breathe again and the spicy kick will definitely boost your energy levels :). Also, I’ve read that wasabi helps fight infections in the mouth, throat and nasal cavities.

    Recipe for Spicy Salad with Wasabi, Onion and Black Pepper

    It’s so simple: just toss together two handfuls of chards (or any other green leafy vegetable), 1 or 2 avocados (in chunks), 1 small raw onion and a good handful of wasabi peanuts (get them in the Asian store). I also added tomato chunks and cranberries because that’s what I had in store. It would also be great to add cucumber, sesame and soy beans or green peas.

    Create a salad dressing out of olive oil, a few drops of sesame oil, salty soy sauce, a spoonful of sake and a teaspoon of honey. Or just sprinkle with olive oil and freshly ground black pepper if you like to keep it very simple – yet tasteful.

  • Super Green Salad with Avocado, Sprouts and Nuts

    Super Green Salad with Avocado, Sprouts and Nuts

    I’m really happy to have a naturally healthy taste for food. Sometimes I’ll hear people say: “Wow, I could just die to have a hamburger right now!” That’s not me. Nothing about the juices of dead animals exploding in my mouth from in between two rubbery buns really excites me in a pleasant way. Sorry if that just grossed you out ;).

    Craving snacks

    However, I do quite often crave sugary or fatty foods, such as candy or crisps. But I’ve also noticed that when I indulge in eating those for a somewhat extended period of time, my energy levels go down, I move less, eat more of the quick-fix stuff and my immune systems grows weak.  That’s why I made a list of wholefood snacks which are healthier alternatives that I like to eat. Here’s a few examples:

    Sweet wholefood snacks:

    Dates, figs, cranberries, dried mangos, tomatoes with honey (try it!), smoothies, coconut with bananapulp, yoghurt with muesli and fruits, tahin with a squeeze of lemon and honey, chiaseeds with coconut milk and mint, bliss balls, homemade heavenly raw chocolate.

    Savory wholefood snacks:

    Olives, cherry tomatoes, soybeans (edamame) with seasalt, freshly roasted nuts with pepper & salt, gado-gado (steamed veggies with peanut sauce), raw veggies with hummus or egg salad.

    Bell’s Palsy: healed!

    I had to remind myself of this list when I came down with Bell’s Palsy (a partial facial paralysis) about 6 or 7 weeks ago. I’m very happy to report that the symptoms have (almost) completely gone! The whole experience has given me some very valuable lessons and insights, though, and I may write some more about that in the future. For now, I’ll just quickly share a few basics that I have since implemented back into my life:

    Eat healthy foods, go out for a walk every day and just relax.

    That’s it. Go easy on yourself. Don’t stress. Keep moving, lightly. And treat yourself to nice salads :).

    Salads like this one and the ones I’ve been posting lately will help build your immune system and energy levels by providing lots of essential nutrients. So go on, treat yourself to a healthy plate full of crunchy goodness.

    Here’s an article by Health & Fitness Shops listing 13 health benefits of avocado specifically.

    Recipe for Super Green Salad with Avocado, Sprouts and Nuts

    1 big handful of rocket
    1 big handful of baby spinach (or any other green leafy veg)
    1 handful of sprouts (homemade or bought in the store)
    1 avocado (in chunks)
    1 handful of nuts (my favorites are pistachios, almonds and pecans)
    Olive oil, to taste
    Salt & pepper, to taste

    Just toss everything together and enjoy. To increase the volume, you could add thinly sliced cabbage. Also great to use as a veg tortilla wrap stuffing. Super nice with sour creme/crème fraiche!

  • 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

  • Avocado and halloumi salad

    Avocado and halloumi salad

    As we all know, India is the holy land of curries (spiced everything dishes) and dhals (spiced lentil dishes). Little did i expect my first recipe after India to be about… simple avocado and Greek grilled cheese.

    🙂

    Back to basic

    Truth is, all the amazing curries, thalis, dhals and breads i ate while in India, have in the end of my stay ignited an enormous craving for raw and almost bland food.

    And so once i discovered that our favorite beach restaurant served a simple salad of carrot, cabbage and cheese, i couldn’t get enough.

    However, no worries! There will also be curries. Only a bit later.

    Contactgrill

    Lately, i’ve been raving over my new contactgrill (bought secondhand, unblemished, for only 5 euros). This recipe is an example of why: just toss some raw veggies in a bowl, top with nuts and seeds and olive oil and serve with shortly grilled halloumi cheese (or zucchini slices, or seitan strips). Looks great, very healthy and ready within only a few minutes. Minutes!

    Halloumi

    Halloumi is a Greek cheese that can be grilled and still remains its bite and form. It is quite salty so it’s a perfect companion for otherwise unsalted foods – be sure not to add more salt. It combines great with sweet foods such as raisins, pomegranate seeds and honey.

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    Recipe for Avocado and halloumi salad

    For one person:

    • Halloumi cheese, three 5 mm slices
    • Cabbage (green, white, red or chinese), two handfuls
    • Raisins or mulberries, 1 small handful
    • Avocado, one half
    • Hemp seeds and cashew nuts
    • Pepper
    • Olive oil

    Heat the halloumi slices on the contactgrill or in a pan. Meanwhile, cut the veggies and toss together. Sprinkle with olive oil, add some pepper. Place the lightly browned halloumi slices on top, add a few more drops of olive oil and some nuts and seeds.

    Great with sprouts as well, and just use any veggies in your shrink![/fusion_highlight]

    Enjoy this tasty, healthy quickie. I love it!

    And now, for the Dutchies…

    Recept Salade met avocado en halloumi

    Per persoon:

    • Halloumi, 3 plakken van 5 mm
    • Kool (groen, wit, rood of chinese), twee handen vol dunne reepjes
    • Rozijnen of moerbeien, een handje
    • Avocado, half
    • Hennepzaad en cashewnoten
    • Peper
    • Olive oil

    Verhit de halloumi op een grillijzer of in de pan. Snijd intussen de groenten en hussel samen. Besprenkel met olijfolie en maal peper erboven. Leg de nu gebruinde halloumiplakken op de salade en druppel er nog wat meer olijfolie bij. Top af met noten en zaden.

    Ook super met sprouts, en qua groenten kun je natuurlijk lekker varieren met wat je toevallig in je koelkast vindt.

    Enjoy![/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

  • Heavenly chocolate

    Heavenly chocolate

    This chocolate just makes me want to shout THANK YOU to the whole universe.

    Recipe for 6-12 portions of heavenly chocolate

    6 if it’s just the chocolate. 12 if you’re dipping or joining with fresh fruits, cakes etc.).

    Combine

    • 2 ripe avocado’s
    • 1 cup honey or more
    • 1 cup liquid coconut oil or more
    • 80-100 gr raw cocoa
    • a few pinches of salt
    • 1 ts vanilla
    • grated rind of 1 lemon

    in a blender. Don’t hesitate to add more of anything :).

    All ingredients are essential, don’t skip any. The consistency should be creamy while in the blender. When cooled in the fridge, it will be fudgy.

    I absolutely love this chocolate goddess goodness flavor magic <3. Go have some, it’ll make your day.

  • Basics of juicing: avocado-apple-kiwi juice

    Basics of juicing: avocado-apple-kiwi juice

    My best kitchen purchase ever: a juicer. A bought it a year ago and have been using it about every two days. Superhealthy and really, really delicious. Friends love it, too.

    Here are some good-to-knows, tips and tricks:

    How does a juicer work:
    This is how the juicer works: vegetables and fruits are grated into pulp. The pulp is being centrifuged and thus pushed outward against the walls with very fine holes. Only the juice and finest pulp goes through. The result: superfresh, naturally cloudy juice. Best is to choose a machine that fits whole apples in the shaft.

    The above is for high-speed juicers. If you want to retain even more nutrients in your juice, choose a mechanically driven slow juicer.

    What do you need for juicing?
    For fruit juices, use apples or pears as a basis. Jason Vale (Philips’ marketing puppet juice chef): apple-sandwich. Start with an apple, stuff in anything else you lie in your juice and then end with an apple again. It works for me! I always have apples, pears, kiwifruits, carrots, lemons, ginger, mint, beetroot and leafy greens lying around so i always have my favorite juice ingredients at hand.

    Don’t peel your veggies!
    Apples, pears, carrots, beets, cucumbers, zucchinis, and even lemons and pineapples (well, be a bit careful with those): don’t peel! That would be a waste of vitamins ánd time! They can all go inside the juicer without peeling.

    Juicing oranges
    Oranges and clementines do need to be peeled (but not lemons and limes), because the rind holds bitter oils which will spoil your juice.

    Juicing bananas
    Veggies and fruits with a lot of starch, are not suitable for the juicer. The filter would get clogged with pulp. Ideally, use a blender or hand mixer to blend banana, avocado, papaya, mango, prunes etc into the juice.

    Superfast juicing process
    I’ll let mr. Vale do the talking:

    Recipe for Apple-kiwifruit-avocado juice:
    Juice 3-4 apples and 1-2 kiwis. Blend the juice with one half avocado. The avocado creates a deliciously light, luffy, creamy texture. It’s like ice cream, everybody loves it!

    (Update, 4+ years later: I still love juicers, nothing beats the taste of fresh juice! But I found with all those juices, I was drinking a LOT of sugar and missing most of the fibres. And although I often used the pulp to make something different, it felt like a pity to leave so much of the fruit and veg unused. Long story short… I’m back to smoothies, using the blender. Simply add water or any kind of juice to chunks of whole fruits and vegs in the blender and you can basically drink your daily dose.)