Easy winter soup

I made this soup on one of those days where I needed a quick and warming dinner, which was still healthy and satisfying. I found some veggies in the fridge and some chickpeas from preparing hummus the day before: and here is the result :)
I sprinkle black sesame seeds on almost all soups, as they are filled with iron, Calcium, Vitamin B6 and Magnesium. These seeds are a well consumed to prevent hair fall and even prevent aging :-) Worth to give them a go :) 

What will you need:
- 1/2 head of a bigger cauliflower
- 1 kohlrabi
- 2 sweet potatoes
- 4-5 stalks of celery
- 1 cup of cooked chickpea
- 1 heaping tbsp of home made vegetable stock
- salt and pepper
- pinch of chili
- black sesame seeds

Method:

1. Wash and cut all the veggies and put them in a pot. Add the vegetable stock, chili, salt and pepper.
2. Pour water into the pot, so it covers all ingredients, and bring it to boil.  Once the water is boiling reduce the heat to medium and cook the veggies until they become soft (please check with a fork :)
3. Once the veggies are soft, add the cooked chickpeas and bring everything to boil once again.
4. Serve hot and sprinkle with black sesame seeds. 

Enjoy :) 

Cauliflower-chickpea-potato curry ala Lili

I have already made many different versions of this curry. The one on the top picture is from the summer and the one below is from yesterday. This time I used much more chickpeas, no tomatoes and it turned out very tasty :) The soup tastes as well somehow better during the winter times. It is very warming and somehow satisfying to munch on it, while looking outside the window on the snow. You can imagine it right? Nice and cozy place, spicy soup is warming you up from the inside :) I love these times during winter.
I call this recipe "ala Lili", because I can't really call it an Indian curry :) I leave that up to my Indian friends :)
The ingredients seems like a lot at a first glance, but actually this soup is very easy to make and takes the same time until your chickpeas are cooked in a pressure cook.
You could add some fresh cilantro on the top just before serving. I didn't have them at home.

So let's start, shall we? 

here is what you will need:

 
- 1 small head of cauliflower
- 1 kg potatoes
- 1 cup of dried chickpeas
- 100 ml tomato sauce 
- 2 tomatoes (optional)
- 1 purple onion
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1 heaping tbsp coconut oil (un-melted)
- 1 tablespoon mom's vegetable broth
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 heaping tbsp curry powder
- a pinch of chili
- 1/4 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1/ tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp black sesame seeds
- water previously boiled 

Method:

1. Soak the chickpeas overnight (10-12 hours) in at least 3-4x more water (they will soak up the water very fast).
   The next morning discard the water from the chickpeas and rinse them with fresh water
2. Put the chickpeas in a pressure cooker and cook for about 15-20 minutes (3x less time as stated on the package).
3. Meanwhile, wash and cut the cauliflower and potatoes (and tomatoes, if used) into smaller cubes and set them aside.
4. In a  big pot heat up the coconut oil and add the onion. Add the garlic by pressing it through a garlic press. Saute for about 5 minutes, until onions get a bit translucent.
5. Add the curry powder and mix it with the onion and garlic. Cook for half a minute, then add the cauliflower and potatoes (and tomatoes, if used). Mix everything well together. This should take another half a minute or so.
6. Add the tomato sauce to the pan with a little bit of boiling water. Mix in the salt, pepper, vegetable broth, chili, turmeric and coriander. Bring the water to boil for a moment, then turn the heat to medium.
7. By this time the chickpeas should be cooked. Remove them from the pressure cooker and rinse them with water. Add the chickpeas to the pot with all other ingredients. Pour in as much hot water, so that the veggies are sticking out a little bit. 
8. Cook for about 20 minutes on medium heat, covered.
9. Serve hot alone, or with flatbread :) Sprinkle on top some black sesame seeds.

Enjoy :)

Gluten-free broccoli-cabbage-millet bowl

I have made this colorful nourishing bowl today for lunch. Hmmmmm, it was tasting amazing :) If you prepare this recipe, please use a good quality tahini, as some of them can be very bitter. I didn't know this, until a friend of mine Vanessa explained to me, that not all Tahinis are the same. I trust her, because she is really an expert ;) So I bought a different brand, and wow, I discovered a whole new world of taste :) Thank you Vanessa :):)

So here is the recipe, which serves 3-4 people.

What will you need
- 1 1/2 cup dried millet
- 500 grams broccoli
- 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas
- 1/2 head of smaller red cabbage
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds 
- 1 medium onion
- 1 tsp coconut oil
- salt and pepper
 
For the dressing: 
- 1/4 cup lemon juice

- 1/4 cup Tahini (high quality)

- 1 tbsp maple syrup

- 1 tbsp water
- 1 tbs Tamari (gluten-free soy sauce)

1. Cook the millet according to instructions on the package. I add as well my mom's vegetable broth, which gives it an even finer taste.
2. In a saucepan heat the coconut oil on medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until translucent. 
3. Add the broccoli, cabbage and chickpeas and sauté for about 3 minutes. Add salt and pepper.
4. Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl combine all ingredients for the dressing. 
5. Add the dressing to the saucepan with vegetable mix and cook for more 2 minutes. Turn off the heat.
6. Add the cooked millet and combine well.
7. Serve hot and sprinkle with sesame seeds 

Enjoy :)

Chickpea-avocado curry spread

I make something out of chickpeas almost every week. I soak a whole pack in water for a night, cook them the next day and think about different ways to use them up :) This time I came up with a combination of chickpea and avocado spread, which was inspired from a spread I had in a restaurant before :) 
Here comes the result: 

What will you need:

- 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas
- 1 medium avocado
- 2 small or 1 medium tomato
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1 heaping tsp curry powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- a bit of cayenne pepper (according to taste)
- salt and pepper, according to taste 

Place all ingredients to food processor and process until a smooth paste is formed. Serve with bread,  sweet potato chips, on faltbread or next to a salad :)

Enjoyyy :) 

Chickpea salad

You can make this healthy, colorful salad for dinner or lunch, or anytime you feel like it :). It is ready in a few minutes, and will leave you full and energized without making you feeling heavy for the afternoon or evening :) Perfect..isn't it? 

What will you need:
Salad:   
- 2 handfuls of Romain lettuce
- 1 handful of  Arugula sprouts
- about 10 cherry tomatoes
- 1 handful of sliced red cabbage 
- 2 handfuls of cooked chickpeas
- 1/2 of a spring onion
- about 5-6 pieces of green beans, steamed for a few minutes

Dressing:
- 1tsp tahini
- 1tsp tamari sauce
- juice of 1/2 lime
- 1/2 tsp maple syrup
- salt and pepper according to taste 

Mix all ingredients in a big salad bowl. Mix all ingredients for a dressing in a separate smaller bowl. Pour the dressing over the salad and massage it all over every little piece with your clean hands.

Enjoy this healthy, colorful delight :) 

Sweet potato falafel with raw cashew-tahini dressing

The idea for the falafel using sweet potatoes came from this recipe:

http://thelittlegreenhouse.net/sweet-potato-falafels-with-tahini-sauce/

I found it very interesting to use sweet potatoes in falafel, so i have experimented a bit, modified the recipe and also made up a cashew-tahini dressing. In my opinion the dressing fits perfectly to the sweet-spicy taste of the falafels :) Try it and let me know how you liked this combination :)
This dish is perfect for lunch or dinner, served on a bed of salad. You can as well serve it with rice or flatbread. It is completely gluten- free and tastes really delicious. I love sweet potatoes in every form, but together with the Indian spices it's a perfect harmony of tastes:)

What will you need:
For the falafel: 
- 2 medium sweet potatoes

- 1 1/2 cup cooked chickpeas

- 1/4 tsp coriander

- 1 tsp turmeric

- 2 tsp cumin

- 1/4 tsp hot Hungarian paprika (or cayenne pepper)

- 1/2 tsp white pepper

- 1 1/2 tsp salt (according to type of salt)

- 2 cloves of garlic

- 1 handful of fresh parsley

- 2 tbsp chickpea flour

- juice of 1/2 lemon

- 1/2 tsp baking soda

For the Raw cashew tahini dressing:

- 1 cup of cashew nuts, soaked overnight

- 2 tsp Tahini

- juice of 1/2 lemon 

- 1/2 tsp paprika (or cayenne pepper)

- 1/2 cup and a bit more water 

- black pepper

- salt, according to taste

Preparation:

1. Soak the chickpeas overnight. Next day rinse them and cook in pressure cooker or in a cooking pan, according to instructions on the package.
2. Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
3. Start with steaming the sweet potatoes with the skin on for 20-25 minutes. Make a fork test to see, if they are soft in the middle too. When ready, peel the skin off and place the potatoes to the food processor. 
4. Place all other ingredients to the food processor as well and process until a the mixture is a bit chunky. 
5. Make smaller balls from the chickpea-sweet potato mix (around 4-5 cm diameter) and place them on a baking paper. Slightly press the top. When your hands become too sticky, just use a bit of water to form the balls.  
6. Bake for 35 minutes in 180 degrees. When done, leave the falafels for 10-15 minutes on the baking paper, so the they don't stick to it:) 
7. To make the raw cashew-tahini dressing, first rinse the soaked cashew nuts and wash them. Place all ingredients to a high speed blender (or food processor) and blend until very smooth and creamy. Adjust salt and pepper. 
8. Serve with flatbread, rice or simply on a bed of salad:)

Enjoyy:))

Spicy hummus

Hummus is a popular food dip in the Middle East and North Africa. The name "hummus" is Arabic and it means "chickpeas". Traditionally hummus is made from cooked, mashed chickpeas blended with tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and garlic.

We really like hummus for its creamy taste, nutrition and various ways of serving. It can be used as a dip for veggies, appetizer, scooped on flat-bread or  served with falafel and salads.

There are as well various health benefits of adding hummus to your diet. These are the few of them (source: http://www.whfoods.com): 

Chickpeas (garbanzo beans): 

• high in protein: chickpeas contain 19grams of protein out of 100 grams, which makes them a perfect plant based source of protein
• high in iron: which is especially good for pregnant or lactating women
• high in dietary fiber (12.5grams in one cup) and have a low glycemic index (GI). The low GI value of 28 – 32 means that the carbohydrate is broken down and digested slowly, which keeps us feeling full longer. This makes chickpeas a perfect food for weight loss and help stabilize blood sugar levels 
• high in folate and magnesium, which may lower the risk of heart attack
• high in antioxidants, such as vitamin C, B6, vitamin E, beta-carotene, manganeze and phytonutrients. The antioxidants help reduce the risk of heart disease, especially coronary heart disease. 

 
Tahini (sesame seed paste):

• is an excellent source of copper, which reduces the pain and swelling of rheumatoid arthritis
• a very good source of manganese
• high in protein: 18grams of protein in 100grams
• and a good source of magnesium, which supports vascular and respiratory health
• one of the best sources of calcium (with hulls remaining), which help prevent colon cancer, osteoporosis, PMS and migraine
• phosphorus,vitamin B6, iron, zinc (for bone health) and selenium
• rich in phytosterols, which help to reduce the blood levels of cholesterol

These are some of the health benefits of eating hummus next to it's delicious taste.  A must try, I would say ;)
We took the original recipe and added some spices. The result was more than we expected: a creamy, nutty, delicious spicy dip...

What will you need:
- 500 grams of cooked chickpeas

- 5 tbsp olive oil

- 2 tbsp Tahini (sesame seed paste)

- 1 1/2 lemon juice

- 6 big cloves of garlic

- 1/2 tsp white pepper

- 1/2 tsp black pepper

- 1/2 tsp cumin powder

- 1 1/2 tsp chili sauce

- 1 tsp Provencal herbs

- 1 tbsp salt

Place all ingredients in the food processor and process till a creamy paste is formed. Adjust salt and spices according to taste. 

Enjoy :)

Summer zucchini cauliflower soup

The zucchini season has started, so I picked up a few in the garden. I am a beginner veggie gardener, that's why zucchinis and me are best friends :D They survive any weather condition and  don't need any special care, what is great for me :) It's amazing to see that from one tiny seed plenty of these tasty and healthy plants are growing all summer long. 
I prepared this summer soup from them, very easy and ready in 20 minutes. All you will need is a hand mixer and a pot :)  Feel free to change the veggies in the recipes according to what you have at home. This amount serves 7-8. 

What will you need:
- 1/2 of a medium yellow zucchini
- 1/2 of a bigger green zucchini 

- 1 tbsp of sunflower seed oil (cold pressed)

- 1 medium sweet potato
- 1 medium red onion

- 3 carrots

- 1 medium cauliflower

- 2 tsp of home made vegetable bujon (or one cube of store bought)

- 1/2 tsp of white pepper

- 1/4 tsp spicy paprika (or cayenne pepper)

- salt, according to taste
- 2 cups of cooked chickpeas
- 100ml oat cream (optional)


Start with peeling and cutting up the veggies. Heat the oil in a bigger pot and sauté the onion until it becomes "glassy", for about 6 minutes. Add all the other vegetables and the bujon. Add water so that it just covers the veggies. Bring the water to boil, then cook on medium heat for about 15 minutes. Add the oat cream, if you like the soup a bit more creamier. Add the spices and bring the soup to boil for a couple of seconds. Add the chickpeas for extra protein :) That's all.. The soup is ready:) Serve with fresh parsley, toasted spelt bread or fresh sprouts.

Enjoy :)