Split yellow pea stew

My mom has visited me and she brought these healthy split yellow peas from Slovakia, so we made a tasty stew out of it :)

These yellow peas are very healthy, high in Vitamin A and B. They are as well a great source of plant based protein. The contain a high, 25grams of protein in 100grams. Perfect for non-meat eaters, and a tasty choice for meat eaters as well :) 

What will you need:
- 500 grams split yellow peas, soaked overnight

- 1 tsp black pepper

- 1 heaped tsp fresh marjoram or dried
- 1 tbsp veggie bujon
- 0.5 l of unsweetened oat milk (or rice milk) 
- 4 tbsp chickpea flour
- Salt according to taste
- water

Place the yellow peas into a big pan. Add water, so it is 2-3cm above the peas. Add 1 tsp of black pepper, salt, 1 tbsp veggie bujon (I used my mom's self made bujon), and salt. Cook for about an hour stirring frequently, as the peas burn quickly to the bottom. When the water evaporates, fill it with more cooking water. You should be getting a thick soup, like the one in the picture. When the peas are cooked, mix the oat milk with 4 tbsp chickpea flour. Make a smooth paste and add it to the soup. Add the marjoram too and bring the soup to boil for a few seconds. Voalaaa, the soup is done :) The soup is slightly spicy from the peas and the black pepper.


Top with toasted walnuts and sunflower seeds. Serve with garlic toasts. The garlic toasts are easy to make: toast a bread and rub a pealed garlic onto the warm bread. Yumiiii, I love the bread and garlic combo, which is just a perfect companion to this soup ;)

Enjoy :)

Raw horseradish spread

We have found this horseradish spread, which everyone loves in the family and it kinda became our obsession to buy it every time we get the chance. The spread is the one in the picture below. Do you know it? Have you tried it out? ;)

One day we didn't have the spread at home and the obsession kicked in... So I decided to make my own version using some of the ingredients listed in the back of the original spread. The result was pretty similar to the store bought one, not exactly the same... BUT everyone was happy from the lovely spread I mixed up :) 

This spread is super easy to make and all you will need is a food processor. This portion gives two glasses (size as in the picture below) full of spread. 

What will you need: 

- approximately 100 grams of sunflower seeds, soaked for a couple of hours in filtered water

- 3 tsp of horseradish- from a can, which is not as strong as using the fresh one

- 1 tsp of apple cider vinegar

- 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice 

- 1/2 tsp coconut sugar (or raw brown sugar) 

- salt and pepper

- water as needed (approximately 3 tbsp)

I couldn't find fresh horseradish in the market, so I used a canned one. You can use a fresh horseradish as well. When doing so, make sure to use the amount accordingly, as it is much stronger than the canned version. Place all ingredients, excluding the water, in food processor and process until a creamy paste is formed. Add water gradually as needed. Pour into glasses with a sealed top and store in the fridge. 

Serve as a spread on bread, as a dip for veggies, or use it into a salad dressing. 

Enjoy :)

Red lentil (dhal) curry with brown rice

 This is an Indian inspired dish. I am not an expert in Indian cooking, however I just love the spices, and I mix them up from recipes I find:) If you have any suggestions how to improve the Indian inspired recipes, please let me know :)

This is an easy dish, as usual, which is ready in 30minutes.

This is what you will need: 

- 500g dry red lentil
- 400ml coconut milk
- 2 tbsp of cold-pressed sunflower seed oil  (you can use coconut oil or olive oil)
- 1 smaller yellow bell pepper
- 1 smaller red bell pepper
- 1 small red onion
- 2 cups of dry brown rice
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp cardamon
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 2 tsp garam masala mix
- salt and pepper according to taste

Start with preparing the rice according the instructions on the package. Usually un-soaked brown rice takes about 40-45 min to prepare. Tip: soaking the rice for a night will reduce the cooking time to half. 
While the rice is cooking, cut the onion and bell peppers into small cubes. Start with heating the 2tbsp sunflower seed oil, add onion and sauté until glassy, about 5 minutes. Add the cumin and cardamon powder, and sautè for 30 seconds. Add 1/2 tsp turmeric powder and the bell peppers. Add the red lentils and mix in the garam masala. Simmer for about a minute. Add coconut milk. If you need, add a bit of water, just until it covers the red lentils. Cook for 20 minutes on medium heat. Add salt and pepper according to taste and 1/2 tsp turmeric powder. Bring to boil and tralallalalalal. The dhal curry is ready:) Serve on a bed of rice. 
Ladies, the portion of rice is only 1 cup for us, and 2 cups for men :) The portion in the picture is for the gentlemen ;)

Enjoy :)

Raspberry avocado pudding

I loveeee avocados..you can use them to make sooo many tasty things: smoothies, salads, spreads and desserts too! At the beginning I was very skeptical to use this green fruit to make desserts, but now I'm converted ... and everyone who tries the desserts as well ;). This pudding takes about 5minutes to make and its a delicious, healthy replacement of the conventional puddings. Fast, nutritious and satisfying.

What you will need:

- 4 dates

- 2 heaping tsp of pure cocoa powder

- 2 ripe avocados

- 1.5 cup frozen raspberries (or fresh raspberries, or any other berries you like)

Place all ingredients to the food processor and blend until a smooth, creamy paste is formed. Divide the pudding into three cups and place them into the fridge. If the berries were not frozen, you can place the pudding into the freezer for half an hour. 
Top with berries, serve and enjoyyy :)

Raw Espresso cake

We have hosted a party at our place and I have came across this attractive espresso cake. I thought to myself to surprise my colleagues and introduce them to the amazing world of raw desserts with this yummy cake.. I have to say..the cake was gone in no time and I have only received very positive feedback on this goodness ;) 

Hint: using espresso powder is optional, however I find the cake tasting really special with the hint of the coffee taste. Try it out, I think you will not regret :)
I have used the recipe unmodified from this page:http://www.thesweetlifeonline.com/2014/03/07/the-oh-she-glows-cookbook-review-and-giveaway/

This is the copy of the recipe:

What will you need:

For the crust:

- 3/4 cup raw hazelnuts
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 1/4 tsp fine-grain sea salt
- 1/2 cup gluten-free oat flour
- 1 cup gluten-free rolled oats

Chocolate Filling
- 1 1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked
- 3/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/2 cup coconut oil
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips, melted 
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp fine-grain sea salt
- 1/2 tsp espresso powder (optional)

Topping
- banana and rasperries

How to make the cake:
Preheat the oven to 350F. Lightly grease a pie dish with coconut oil.
In a food processor, process the hazelnuts until smooth and have a consistency of a sand. Add the oil, maple syrup, salt, and oat flour and process again until the dough comes together. Finally, add the rolled oats and pulse until the oats are chopped but still have some texture to them. The dough should stick together slightly when pressed between your fingers, but it shouldn't be super-sticky either. If it's too dry, try adding 1 tsp water or processing a bit longer.
Put the dough evenly into the pie dish. Press from the middle to the outer sides to evenly distribute the dough. Bake the crust, uncovered, for 10 -13 minutes, until lightly golden. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool on a rack for 15 - 20 minutes. 
You can as well leave the crust raw and just freeze it, as I did ;)


To make the Filling
Drain and rinse the cashews. In a high-speed blender, combine the soaked cashews, maple syrup, oil, coconut powder, melted chocolate, vanilla, salt, and espresso powder (if using) and blend on high until the filling is completely smooth. If the dough is not becoming smooth, you can add a spoon of almond milk or water.
Pour the filling into the prepared crust. Smooth out the top evenly. Garnish with banana and raspberries.
Place the pie dish on an even surface in the freezer, uncovered. Freeze for a couple of hours, and then cover the dish with foil and freeze overnight, or for a minimum of 4 to 6 hours, until the pie sets.
Remove the pie from the freezer and let it sit on the counter for 10 minutes before slicing. This pie is meant to be served frozen. 

enjoyyy :)

Mini blueberry raw cupcakes

This time I have prepared not 1, but 2 new recipes of raw cupcakes for you :) These cupcakes are easy to make and are very refreshing on hot summer days. The portion is small, so invite your friends over for a little cupcake party:) They will be for sure happy to taste these healthy cuties with you:D 

Ingredients:

Cupcakes with blueberry "cheese" filling:

For the Crust

- 7-8 medjool dates 
- about 1/4 of a cup of coconut shred* (leftover shred after making coconut milk)

- 10 almonds, soaked overnight

- 4 dried prunes
- 1 tbsp coconut oil

For the blueberry "cheese" filling:
- 1 cup cashews, soaked for at least 3-4 hours
- approximately 50ml lukewarm water

- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp of vanilla 
- 1 tbsp maple syrup (if you like it sweeter, you can add more maple syrup and less water)

*The ingredient list calls for a coconut shred, after making coconut milk. I will explain how to make nut milks in another post :)
 
Preparation:
Start with the crust: place almonds in the food processor until coarse meal is formed. Add the rest and blend until the dough is sticky, but not too watery. When ready, place a handful of the mixture in the middle of each muffin tray. Press the dough with your fingers to the sides, creating a smooth coat around the tray with a hole in the middle. Place the crust to the freezer for about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, place the cashews, lemon juice, vanilla and maple syrup to the food processor. Start processing and add a desirable amount of water until a smooth puree is formed.  Pour the cashew "cheese" mix into crust till the top of the tray. Add a few blueberries, pressing some into the cashew mixture. 
Freeze the cupcakes for 3-4 hours until set.

Coconut blueberry ice cream cupcakes
For the crust:

- 1 cup coconut shred after coconut milk

- 1 tbsp maple syrup

- 1 tbsp white almond creme 

- 1 tbps coconut milk

- 1 tbps coconut oil

For the Blueberry ice cream

- 1 cup frozen blueberries
- 1 tbps coconut oil, melted

- 3 tbsp coconut milk

- 2 tbsp maple syrup

Preparation: 
Blend all ingredients for the crust in the food processor for a few minutes, until a sticky layer is formed. You can add more maple syrup and discard the coconut milk to have a sweeter crust. Place the mixture in the muffin trays filling till the middle. 
To make the blueberry ice cream, blend all ingredients in the food processor until creamy. Pour the ice cream on the crust and freeze for 3-4hours, until set.

Before serving, remove both types of cupcakes from the freezer and set on the counter top for about 15-20 minutes.The cupcakes stay fresh when frozen for a week.

Enjoy and share with your friends :)  

Baked potatoes with soya tzatziki dressing

Hi there :) Today I have an easy dinner or lunch recipe idea for you, which takes only half an hour to prepare, that is all it takes to make a healthy and nutritious meal for the whole family. 
The recipe is inspired from one of Attila Hildmann's vegan cooking books, with more modifications.

What will you need: 

For the Tzatziki dressing with a twist:

- 500 grams of fermented soya yogurt

- 1 tbsp of olive oil

- 1/2 zucchini

- 1/4 red onion

- 1 tsp of spicy paprika powder

- Salt, pepper according to taste

- 2 big cloves of garlic

- 1 tbsp of white vinegar

For the potatoes:  
- 1kg mixed white and sweet potatoes

- 3 tbsp of olive oil for 1kg of potatoes

- 2.5 tbsp rosemary (fresh, if available)

- Salt, according to taste 

Preparation: 
Start with the potatoes. Preheat the oven to 200°. Combine olive oil, rosemary (or other herbs you like), salt and pepper in a small bowl. Wash the potatoes and cut them into 8 wedges.  Rub the potatoes with the olive oil mixture and place them on a baking tray. Bake on a circulating heat for about 25mins.

While the potatoes are baking, go ahead and prepare the tzatziki dressing. I use fermented soya yogurt in this recipe, with no added sugar. I find that many soya yogurts available in the grocery stores have tons of sugars added to them. Try to find one with no added sugars on a fermented soya base. The flavor of this yogurt resembles the fine quark taste, which fits the tzatziki dressing very well. 
Cut the zucchini into very slim slices lengthwise. You can use the potato peeler to make the slicing easier :)  Cut the slim zucchini slices to half and place them into a mixing bowl. Press the garlic cloves through the garlic presser and add them together with the remaining ingredients into the mixing bowl. Mix all ingredients well with the soya yogurt.

Serve the potatoes hot, with salad and veggies on the side. Pour the tzatziki sauce over the potatoes and your veggies.

Enjoy :)