Baked bean loaf with salad and baked potatoes

Hi there :) Today I am sharing with you a very easy recipe for a bean loaf. You can combine it with really any veggies on the side. This time I made some baked sweet potatoes (everyone's favorite :P), some lettuce, kohlrabi, sprouts, dried tomatoes and caramelized onions...or well, sort of ;-).
These onions were a bi-product of a coughing syrup made out of onions. This method is super effective against coughing and it is all natural :) The onions are well known for their antibiotic and anti-inflammatory properties. The syrup tastes better than it sounds, so give it a try next time someone gets ill in your family. I describe how to make the syrup in the Method section below. 

What will you need:

For the bean loaf:
- 2 cans of any type of beans (use fresh beans whenever you can)
- 1 zucchini
- 4 carrots
- 1/2 white onion
- spice mix
- a bit of chili
- salt, pepper
- 2 tbsp ground flax-seed with 6 tbsp water
- 1/2 cup of finely cur oats 
- a bit of water, if needed
- a small amount of coconut oil to coat the baking pan 






For the salad:
- 1 head of lettuce of your choice
- 2-3 sweet potatoes
- 1 kohlrabi
- sprouts of any kind
- 2-3 dried tomatoes in olive oil

For the caramelized onion
- 1 yellow onion
- 2 tbsp raw cane sugar
- tiny bit of oil

Method:
Bean loaf:

1. Rinse and drain the beans from the can. I normally cook my own beans, but when I forget to pre-soak them, or I am under time pressure, I use canned beans. Please make sure, that you wash the beans under running water, as the cans contain BPA, which you don't want to eat..
2. Prepare the egg replacer: mix 2 tbsp of ground flax-seed with 6 tbsp water and set aside for a couple of minutes, until the flax-seed soaks up the water.
3. Wash the zucchini, peal and wash the carrots, peal the onion and put everything  into a food processor with an S-blade. Start to mix using the "Pulse" functionality. If the dough gets too dry, add some water. If it gets over sticky, add some more oats.
4. Place the dough into an ovenproof pan, coated with a bit of coconut oil. 
5. Bake on 200° for about 25-30 minutes, or until the bean loaf starts separating from the side of the pan and it becomes golden brown.

 Salad: 

1. Wash the lettuce, divide the leaves and make smaller pieces using your hands.
2. Peel and slice the kohlrabi. Cut the dried tomatoes into smaller pieces. 
3. Bake the sweet potatoes at the same time as the bean loaf on a separate tray :) I describe how to make the sweet potatoes in this recipe.      
4. Add some sprouts of any kind :)

 Caramelized onion

1. Peel and slice one yellow onion (it can as well be red). Place it into a small bowl and add the sugar on top. Wait until the next day (6-8 hours). The onion will release a sweet nectar, which is amazing against coughing! You can leave the onion for 1-2 days.
2. Instead of throwing the onion out, take a bit of oil and saute the onion in a pan until it gets translucent. voila.. you have caramelized onions :-) At least a version of them:) 

Place everything on a plate, arranging the ingredients like a rainbow with many different colors :) The more attractive your food looks, the better it will taste :) 

 

Enjoy <3

Tempeh bowl

This Tempeh bowl was a result of mix & match of the leftovers from the fridge :) There were some leftover cooked potatoes, some salad, Swiss chard from the garden, and a package of Tempeh. The potatoes needed a bit of refreshment, therefore they were baked in the oven... and for the rest, check out the recipe below :)

What will you need:
Serves 3-4

- 1 package of Tempeh (usually comes in 200 grams)
- 1 kg of potato
- 1 tbsp of Provence herb mix 
- 4-5 Swiss chard leaves
- 1 head of summer salad 
- salt and pepper according to taste
- 1 tbsp coconut oil 
- some olive oil, if you bake the potatoes
- 1 onion
- 1 clove of garlic

Method:

1. Wash and cook the potatoes until soft without removing the skin. I usually eat potatoes only cooked in slightly salted water. The potatoes were from a day before already cooked, so we decided to bake them. For baking, preheat the oven to 200° and lay the potatoes onto a baking paper in a baking pan. Slightly sprinkle with olive oil, add the herb mix evenly distributed, and bake until skin becomes brown and crispy, around 30 minutes (depends on the oven). Add slices of onion, if you like.
2. To prepare the Tempeh, cut it into slim pieces. Preheat 1tbsp of coconut oil in a pan and sauté the Tempeh 2-3 minutes on both sides,  until it becomes golden brown.
3. To prepare the Swiss chard, wash and cut it into 2-3 cm pieces. Together with the garlic add it to a pan with a little bit of water and simmer for a few minutes. 
4. Wash the summer salad and separate the leaves into smaller pieces with your hands.
5. Assemble the dish on your plate by adding a portion of potatoes, Swiss chard, salad and Tempeh. We added a leftover of guacamole, for which I will make a separate recipe :)
   Enjoy :)

Spring radish salad

Hello there ... I am back :) It has been a really long time since I have posted anything, but I had a few good reasons...I spent one amazing month in India, studying yoga and I recently got married too! :) So many new things are happening, for which I am deeply greatful for. 
I am back in my "real" life now and starting with recipes again :) 
For a starter, let's have an easy spring salad, shall we? :)

Here is what you will need:
For the salad:
- 1 head of Romain lettuce
- a bunch of mixed salad leaves
- 5 -7 radishes, cubed
- 10 - 12 cocktail tomatoes
- 1 can of kidney beans

For the dressing:
- 1 tbsp of tahini
- 1 tbsp tamari
- juice of 1/2 lime, freshly squeezed
- 1/2 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tbsp sparkling mineral water 

1. Wash everything for the salad. Cut the radishes into small cubes and cut the tomatoes to halves.
2. Open the can of beans (this time I didn't have soaked beans, so I just used a canned one), make sure that you rinse the beans very before using.
3. Toss everything together in a big salad bowl.
4. In a small mixing bowl mix all ingredients for the dressing together. Pour it over the salad mixture and massage the dressing into the salad with your hands. It's great to feel your food, while you are preparing it:)
5. Smile and enjoy:)

Mango avocado salad

This salad is absolutely on the top of the list of my favorite salads! I love it and make it at least once a week :) It is super easy to make, satisfying as a separate dish or as a starter. I hope you will start making this salad too, it really worth to give it a try ;)

Serves: 2-3

What will you need:
Salad:
- 2 avocados
- 1 ripe mango
- 3 cups of mixed salad
- 2 tbsp sunflower seeds

Dressing:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp hemp seed oil (if you don't have, use another oil, which you like)
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- salt, pepper
- 1/2 freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice  

1. Cut the avocados and mango into small cubes. 
2. Wash and drain the salad.
3. Toast the sunflower seeds on a nonstick pan until golden brown.
4. Mix all ingredients for the dressing and massage it into the salad.
5. Serve and enjoy :)

Easy mixed salad

I had this salad the other night for dinner. It takes about 5 minutes to prepare :)  I bought the salad mix on the market, yumi yumi, so delicious :)

We shared this portion within 2 people.

What will you need:
salad mix: 
- 3-4 cups of mixed salad
- 1 medium avocado
- 2 medium tomatoes
- 2 tbsp sunflower seeds
- 1 cup of whole, green olives

dressing:
- 1 tbsp hemp seed oil
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp sweet mustard
- 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
- 1.5 tbsp homemade hummus (optional)
- salt and pepper

1. Toast the sunflower seeds in a pan on medium heat, until they become golden brown. Remove from heat.
2. Wash all veggies, cut the tomatoes and avocados. Mix all ingredients for the salad mix and add the toasted sunflower seeds.
3. Mix everything together for the dressing in a small bowl and pour it over the salad mix. Massage the dressing in the salad (I like to do this step with my hands :)

Enjoy :)

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 :)