Tag: vegan

  • Cabbage and bean curry salad with apple

    Cabbage and bean curry salad with apple

    Recipe for cabbage and bean curry salad with apple

    Combine about 1 spoonful per person of (vegan) mayonnaise with a good dash or two of curry powder and a squeeze of lemon juice.

    Take whole leaves from the cabbage, cut them lengthways, stack the lengths and now thinly cut so you get thin (scruffy) juliennes.

    (By using whole leaves, you can keep the rest of the cabbage for longer than if you would just start cutting away, damaging the whole vegetable. Cool, right?)

    Combine the cabbage julienne with the curry mayo.

    Add in freshly cut apple, sliced celery stalk, cooked beans, mixed nuts (or use your favorite, walnut is great in this salad) and raisins.

    If you like spicy, add some finely chopped fresh ginger. Add salt and lemon juice to taste.

    Serve topped with toasted (black or white, I used black) sesame and pumpkin seeds.

  • Almost-raw quinoa salad with rhubarb

    Almost-raw quinoa salad with rhubarb

    A deliciously fresh, tangy quinoa salad, light and filling.

    We’re used to eating rhubarb sweetened, boiled even to soften it up. But this celery like pink stalk can also be eaten raw and then it has a nice bite and nicely sour, tangy taste, perfect to complement more earthy flavors!

    A beautiful Summer dish (which is when you’ll find rhubarb on the markets), perfect for vegans because it contains proteins and healthy fats from different sources: green peas, pumpkin seeds and quinoa.

    The lemon zest goes together so nicely with the peas and olive oil, wow! You’ll want to remember that combo.

    While you’re preparing green peas, make some extra and watch out for my green peas ‘hummus’ recipe, coming soon ;).

    1. Rinse and prepare 1 cup of quinoa following the instructions on the packaging.
    2. Steam half a cup of green peas until nicely creamy with a gentle bite.
    3. Toast a handful pumpkin seeds in a pan until fragrant.
    4. In a bowl, mix two teaspoons of lemon zest with a good gulp of extra virgin olive oil and a spoonful of nut oil, such as walnut or pumpkin seed oil and a teaspoon of honey.
    5. Finely cut beetroot, fennel and rhubarb totalling one half to 1 cup.
    6. Mix everything together. Let sit for some minutes to let the flavours combine. Add salt, lemon juice and pepper to taste.
    7. Serve on a bed of velvety green leafs lettuce and sprinkle with more olive oil.

    Enjoy <3

    PS: If you like rhubarb, try my rhubarb smoothie or breakfast bowl recipe!

  • Rhubarb breakfast bowl & ‘very veggie’ smoothie

    Rhubarb breakfast bowl & ‘very veggie’ smoothie

    I like my smoothies creamy yet light and ‘very veggie’. My love Jan prefers his filling, nutty and just a hint sweeter than I do.

    We both often gladly compromise. Other days, we’ll create the very fruity/veggie base, pour half in a glass (for me) and then mix in some more nuts, seeds and dates to create his favorite.

    Thus, we both get what we need to get us going in the morning <3.

    Cut and put in the blender to create a creamy yet very veggie smoothie:

    • 1 big apple
    • 1 orange
    • 1 inch piece of rhubarb
    • 1 small raw beetroot
    • 2 spoons of fresh fennel (the vegetable, not the seeds)
    • 1 handful of pumpkin or sunflower seeds, or both
    • 2 spoons of flax seeds
    • 1 big spoon of avocado, for creaminess (can be replaced with cashew nuts)
    • 1 inch piece of fresh turmeric, or a spoonful of turmeric powder
    • dash of black pepper (necessary to make the curcumin in turmeric bio-available!)
    • 2 dates
    • dash (or two) of cinnamon
    • water

    Or, the create a breakfast bowl: double the amounts of nuts, seeds, avocado and dates. It’s nice to keep the breakfast bowl grainy by not blending the last addition of nuts etc, all the way. Top off with some more seeds and raisins.

    If you like the concept of the breakfast bowl (a perfect bowl of mixed nuts, fruits and veggies, which I love sooo much better than yoghurt and cereal), read this post, where I feature the favorite recipe of my friend and inspirator of this lifestyle dish: Simone van Putten.

  • The amazing green breakfast bowl – by Simone

    The amazing green breakfast bowl – by Simone

    I don’t mean to be all frantic about green smoothies, but this one actually changed my days. The simple concept of creating a breakfast (or in my case: lunch) bowl out of a smoothie is now a part of my daily routine. My friend Simone van Putten (a yoga teacher, mother of Jara, and generally shiny beautiful creative being) introduced it to me.

    I had just returned from Brazil, where people love eating ‘acai’: a not too sweet ice cream made from the famous superfood berries, topped with banana, granola and (for those who want) condensed milk.

    Simone pulled two big green bowls from her fridge, looked at them and laughed: “well, this is actually like green acai!”

    It was amazing: the looks of the dish really did remind me of acai (except, well, deep green in stead of purple red) and it just tasted so nice!

    It’s the perfect combo between a green smoothie and a acai: a breakfast bowl made of fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, dates… topped with banana and granola, or cacao nibs, or anything else you might fancy to kickstart your morning.

    Simone, thank you for inspiring my morning routine in this way <3.

    The pictures in this article’s image are taken from a Simone’s beautifully crafted, handmade recipe book.

  • Oven roasted veggies

    Oven roasted veggies

    Simply delicious. The tomatoes are what makes this dish amazing. They will release some of their fluid, which then blends with the olive oil and gently caramelizes the veggies beneath them. Plus they look stunning. Easy-peasy. Give it a try!

    • Pick your favorite vegetables and cut them in robust chunks. I used zucchini/courgette, eggplant/aubergine, turnip, carrot, and bell pepper.
    • Always add shallots and roughly chopped garlic, then drizzle generously with olive oil.
    • Mix until all the veggies are shiny and put in the oven (270 C).
    • After 10 minutes, stir the veggies, then add the tomatoes on top (leave the stalk on).
    • Drizzle with a bit more oil and let sit for about 30 more minutes or until everything looks like in the picture :).
    • For the last 5 minutes, add some capers and sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds or pine nuts and just before serving, add pepper, salt and fresh basil.
  • Tahini Olive Dip for Raw Veggies

    Tahini Olive Dip for Raw Veggies

    This is a perfect dip to go with raw vegetables such as peppers, celery or carrots. Just delicious. Friend Alani shared the recipe with me back in 2013 already… wow. Thanks man!

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  • Grilled Zucchini with Rosemary and Garlic

    Grilled Zucchini with Rosemary and Garlic

    [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_text]Hi loves!

    Being on the road, I like to work with whatever little means I have to still cook up something great. One of the secrets: OLIVE OIL. Olive oil is magic. It will turn any vegetable, pasta or piece of bread into a delicious bite. Especially if you add freshly ground black pepper and a pinch of salt.

    Another secret: fresh herbs. Especially rosemary. Rosemary always makes everyone go ‘Ooooooh wow… yummy!’ so I got some on the market before we left to enjoy even while being on the road :). It gives off a lovely scent in the van as well!

    In a separate container, I keep some olive oil with coarsely cut rosemary and garlic. The oil becomes strongly aromatic after you let it sit for a day or two. This oil is what makes the grilled zucchini a winner.

    Take your zucchini and cut it in pieces. Doesn’t matter so much how, just do whatever fits your pan and mouth ;). I also like to slice the whole zucchini in half lengthwise, then carve in a diamond pattern.

    Sprinkle with salt and let sit for 20 minutes or so. This will bring out the access water. Then carefully squeeze and discard the fluid. Now drizzle (lots of) olive oil on the zucchini, a few tablespoons per half.

    You can now either fry them (pan) or wrap them in aluminum foil and roast (grill). 20 minutes should do it, but just check. I like them ‘done’ all the way through, a bit soggy almost. Combine with nuts, lettuce or crispy bread for crunch.

    Enjoy!

    Photocredit: Jeremy Keith – Flickr: Grilled zucchini, CC BY 2.0.[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

  • Sweet & sour curry rice

    Sweet & sour curry rice

    This was one of those moments when all leftovers matched up to a perfect dish. Should work with a variety of veg and curry pastes, but be sure to add the pineapple (for sweetness) and tomatoes (for tartiness).

    In our case, we had a piece of courgette, some canned pineapple, a few tomatoes, some sliced pieces of fennel and a handful of nuts & raisins.

    We added 5 spoonfuls of penang curry from Thailand, tasted it and took out 3 again for it would have been way to hot otherwise :D. The real stuff from Thailand is definitely different from the ‘real stuff’ in our tokos here in Europe..

    Anyway, you can’t really go wrong with this dish.. just fry the fruit & veg in the curry paste until they have a nice bite. This is one of those creations that taste even better the next day, so it doesn’t hurt to make a bit more than you need.

    The fluid from the tomatoes and pineapple will make it nice and saucy. Add small cups of water if it dries out too fast. The curry should be shiny when you serve, not dry.

    Even better if you can add some onion, garlic and ginger. That will spice it up bigtime, and I’m a big lover of spice.

    As always… enjoy!

    <3

  • Firming Coffee Scrub with Coconut, Cinnamon and Cacao (DIY)

    Firming Coffee Scrub with Coconut, Cinnamon and Cacao (DIY)

    Sometimes, my kitchen efforts extend into the bathroom. Like with this heavenly chocolate, which turns out to be a great facial mask if you leave out the salt!

    And have you ever wondered what to do with used coffee grounds? Here’s a great one: use them for an authentic homemade facial and body scrub.

    The internet says the coffee has remarkable skin firming, anti-cellulite properties, and if the internet says it, it’s true. I did a tiny bit of research and now choose to believe it, too. As I wisely spend zero time checking my wrinkles and bumps in the mirror anymore, I honestly couldn’t tell you if it really works & I suggest you find out for yourself ;).

    One thing I know is this scrub does scrub and it smells great, too, especially if you like spicy coffee scents with a hint of chocolate. The base of this scrub is coconut and almond oil. Simply add freshly used coffee grounds, fine sugar, cinnamon and raw cacao powder and hop in the shower.

    The scrub will leave your skin richly nourished in coconut and almond oil. Ideal for scruffy winter times, just like the scent. Another great option is to use your favorite shower gel in stead of the oils and mix that with the coffee, sugar & spice, which would make it more of a cleansing scrub and less of a nourishing one.

    It can serve as a nice little present as well. One friend already wrote to let me know she loved it :).

    DIY recipe for Firming Coffee Scrub with Coconut, Cinnamon and Cacao

    Makes a little over 1 cup. Ready in 3 minutes.

    1/6 cup of coconut oil
    1/6 cup of almond oil
    1/3 cup of coffee grounds
    1/3 cup of fine sugar
    1 tablespoon of raw cacao
    1 tablespoon of cinnamon

    If you are in a cold climate like me right now, start by melting the coconut oil and then add in the almond oil to warm slightly. Don’t overheat, just melt.

    Meantime, mix up the coffee, sugar, cacao and cinnamon. Then, simply stir in the oils and combine thoroughly. Smell it, even taste it, and maybe play with the ingredients to adjust to your desired scent and consistency.

    That’s it, you’re good to go!

  • 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!