Friday, October 28, 2016

Vegan tomyam soup


vegan tomyam soup

ingredients

Shallots
green birdseye chillies
galangal
lemongrass
kaffir lime leaves
lime
oyster mushrooms
chokos
bambooshoots
cherry tomatoes
cilantro
seasalt
coconut cream

preparation 

Cut shallots and chillies fine. Galangal in chunks, lemongrass crushed, lime leaves roughly cut.
Sauté shallots & chillies in a bit of coconut oil till shallots are glazed. Add water and the lemongrass, galangal and lime leaves. Bring to a boil and simmer.

Prepare the vegetables while the stock is simmering. I used oyster mushrooms, chokos & bambooshoots, but you can do your own mix of veggies.
Add the vegetables to the stock, bring to boil again and let it simmer. Taste once in a while.

When it is about done, add the juice of the lime and I also added some halved cherry tomatoes to give it some colour and flavour.

Add sea salt and coconut cream at the end, heat and stir and it's ready to eat!
Serve with some cilantro.



You can serve this with rice and have it for lunch or serve it as an appetizer. 

Vegetables can be varied - depending on what you have in the fridge! But make sure you use veggies that are quite firm and don't get mushy. The bambooshoots give the dish texture and crunch, the mushrooms I left them whole as it has a nice meaty texture and looks pretty! The chokos is good as it stays firm and absorbs the flavours of the spices and herbs. 

Sunday, October 16, 2016

Mediterranean style couscous

 
This is a healthy kind of fast food. 

Ingredients:
Couscous
vegetables: Capsicum, eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, garlic, shallots, mushrooms ( or whatever you have in the fridge that goes well together)
olive oil
sea salt
black pepper
(fresh) herbs: e.g. rosemary & basil
nuts (up to your preference)
seeds (up to your preference)
blue berries 

Preparation:
Prepare the couscous as per the packaging (soak in boiled water for 5 minutes and fluff up with fork). Capsicum, eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, garlic, shallots, mushrooms, or whatever you have in the fridge that goes well together. Clean and cut the vegetables, fry in the frying pan with a bit of olive oil, add a dash of sea salt, some ground black pepper, add some Italian herbs for flavour (I love rosemary and basil) and stir fry till the veggies are cooked but not mushy. 

Serving:
Serve on a plate with the cooked couscous. I cut up some mixed nuts, added some chia seeds, hemp seeds and fresh blueberries and fresh basil (basil & blueberries are a perfect match). Sprinkle all those over it and voila you have a healthy, tasty, fast meal! 

I make this in many varieties depending on what is in my fridge that day. Instead of couscous you can use quinoa as well.

Kale with Tahini Lemon dressing



Simple side dish of sautéed kale with a tahini lemon dressing. Very tasty and healthy! 

ingredients:
kale
tahini
lemon
seasalt
cayenne pepper
garlic
olive oil

preparation:
Clean and cut the kale and massage olive oil into it. Sauté in the frying pan for about 5 minutes, add a bit of water if you like. Can add a bit of garlic too. 

Dressing: 
mix tahini with lemon juice (taste to see how much), add a bit of water if it is too thick. A pinch of salt and a dash of cayenne pepper for flavour. 

Sprinkle the dressing over the kale. Kale goes well with potatoes or sweet potatoes. 


Monday, October 3, 2016

Rainbow Salad



My friends call this my rainbow salad as it has all the colours of the rainbow in it (more or less).


ingredients:

different types of lettuce (I used a mix of red and green coral salad in this one)
cherry tomatoes (halved)
yellow capsicum (for the colour!) sliced
avocado (sliced)
strawberries (sliced)
blueberries
walnuts (broken into smaller pieces)
fresh basil leaves (torn into smaller pieces)

of course you can vary the ingredients to your taste!


dressing:

balsamic vinegar
extra virgin olive oil (use a good one, not the one for cooking)
drizzle of honey
finely shredded young ginger
finely shredded basil leaves
pinch of sea salt (I use pink himalayan salt from the grinder)

preparation:

arrange all the ingredients nicely in a salad bowl.
prepare the dressing, and sprinkle it evenly over the salad - so that it keeps it nice looks and the guests who will be eating all get some of the dressing when they serve themselves.


Mushroom soup (vegan)





Ingredients (serves 8-10):

2 packs of mini portobello mushrooms
1 pack of assorted mushrooms 
1 pack of raw cashew nuts
black pepper (freshly ground)
sea salt (I use freshly ground pink Himalayan salt)
2 stalks of rosemary
olive oil
1/2 cup wheat flour
(You could also add garlic and shallots)

Preparation:

Soak cashews overnight in water at room temperature (around 8-12 hours).
Drain the cashews, put in a mixing jar add a cup of fresh water and use the stick blender to blend it to a creamy liquid.
Cut the mushrooms, keep the smaller ones from the mixed mushroom pack aside. Simmer the rest of the mushrooms in a bit of water till the mushrooms shrink and you get a fragrant broth. Take off the heat.
In a stock pot, heat a bit of olive oil and slowly add the flour to make a roux. Then add the mushroom stock to it and add more water if you need to get a smooth consistency. Add the mushrooms to it and use the stick blender to mash up the mushrooms. Add the seasoning and let it simmer for a while. Finally add the cashew cream and the smaller mushrooms that were kept aside earlier. Let it simmer for a few more minutes and it's ready to serve!

Babaganoush



Ingredients:

2 large eggplants
30g tahini
1 lemon
olive oil
cumin powder
pinch of sea salt
clove of garlic (optional)


Preparation:

Half the eggplants lengthwise and coat the flesh with a bit of olive oil - and a sprinkle of salt. Put face down in an oven dish and prick in the skin with a fork to create some holes. put in the oven. Grill them in the oven for about 30 minutes.
When done take them out of the oven and turn them over. The flesh should now be soft and juicy. Scoop out the flesh and put in a bowl. Mash it up with a fork, add the tahini and juice of half a lemon and cumin powder (and minced garlic). Ready to serve! You can add parsley for garnishing if you like.


Serving suggestion:



HUMMUS Recipe



Ingredients:
1 can of chickpeas (or fresh ones that you soak overnight)
60g tahini
1 lemon
olive oil
cumin powder
pinch of sea salt
paprika powder
clove of garlic (optional)

Preparation:

Drain the chickpeas and remove the outer layer - it easily comes off.
Mix tahini and juice of 1 lemon in the blender, add a bit of water to make it a smooth paste.
Add the cumin powder, salt, garlic and a dash of (extra virgin) olive oil to the paste and add half of the chickpeas. Blend till smooth. Add a bit of water if it stays too firm. Add the rest of the chickpeas and again water to get it the right consistency. I like mine a bit firm, but if you like it smoother, add more water and/or olive oil to the mixture.
Serve in a bowl with some paprika power on top for garnishing.


Serving suggestion: