Recipe: Vegan bolognese sauce

Today I'll show you how to do bolognese sauce the vegan way :). I found this recipe when I was searching for more exciting ways to use tofu and it was love at frirst try. So, here it is ...

Ingredients:
- 1 leek, chopped
- 2 medium sized carrots, peeled, chopped
- 150 g of tofu
- 1 table spoon of tomato paste
- 3-4 dl of tomato sauce (I used pureed tomatoes that we keep in our freezer)
- salt to taste
- 1/2 tea spoon of curry powder
- pinch of red chili powder
- 2 table spoons of olive oil

Instructions:

1. Pour olive oil into preheated pan. Transfer chopped leek and carrots in it as well. Lower the heat and cook for about 2 minutes, so both vegetables become softer.

2. Place tofu in a food processor and process until minced (it should look like minced meet). Transfer it into a pan with vegetables. Stir.

3. Now add tomato paste and seasoning. Stir again. Add tomato sauce and place pan cover on top. Let it cook for at least 45 minutes (to 1 hour) on low-medium heat. Make sure you stir it occasionally while cooking. If tomato sauce evaporates, add some water. Serve with gluten-free pasta.

I served it with corn pasta, because that's what I had and wanted to eat, but it would be delicious combined with quinoa, amaranth, brown riceor even on its own.

Instead of leek use onion, instead of carrots use portobello mushroom, or use any kind of vegetables you prefer.

More recipes will be available in my cook book (it's in its last finishing touches :)).

Bon appetite :)

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Recipe: Baked carrot with avocado sauce

Yes, another recipe and I believe you don't mind ;)
I was watching Jaime Oliver yesterday and he was making baked vegetables, using olive oil, salt, pepper and different kind of herbs for each kind of vegetable. I don't remember what he used for carrot (maybe rosemary), so I used oregano instead. As you can see on picture, I baked eggplant and mushrooms, too, because I had little piece of eggplant and 2 mushrooms left in a fridge and they needed to be used :). And I combined baked vegetables with avocado "sauce", which is a great mayo substitute.

Ingredients:
- 4 medium sized carrots, halved
- eggplant & mushrooms (optional), chopped into smaller pieces
- salt, pepper
- oregano
- olive oil
- avocado, halved, deseeded
- apple cider vinegar
- powdered garlic

 
1. Put carrots into a baking sheet, add 1 table spoon of olive oil, salt, pepper and oregano. Toss them, so they are covered with oil and spices. Do the same with eggplant and mushrooms.
2. Put the baking sheet in a pre-heated oven on 180˙C for 30-40 minutes (it depends on how baked you want them to be. Bare in mind that smaller pieces (eggplant and mushrooms) will be baked sooner. Make sure you don't burn them).
3. Meanwhile prepare an avocado sauce. Scoop out the avocado into a food processor, add 2 tea spoons of apple cider vinegar, salt and garlic to taste. Process until avocado becomes creamy and all ingredients are well combined.
4. Serve. ;)

If you're using bigger carrots, quarter them. You can also use any kind of other vegetable you prefer.

Tell me how you like this recipe if you try it out! Maybe even for Christmas dinner or lunch? ;)

Merry almost Christmas!

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Recipe: Oatmeal pancakes with chocolate cream

Sometimes the easiest recipes are the best. Sometimes you just need to combine two recipes into one and they make a perfect couple. Sometimes you need to experiment in kitchen - I rephrase that - you need to experiment in kitchen always. I showed you recipes for both dishes, but let's combine them today :) ...

Recipe for oatmeal cookies HERE.
Recipe for avocado mousse/pudding: HERE.
Ingredients:
50 g oatmeal
1 banana
1 tea spoon of coconut oil/butter
1/2 avocado, deseeded, scooped out
1 table spoon of cocoa powder (unsweetened)
2 table spoon of maple syrup
dash of cinnamon
raspberries

Preparation:
1. Mash a banana, add oatmeal. Mash both ingredients together until well combined.
2. Put a tea spoon of coconut oil/butter in a hot pan. Form little pancakes/cookies with a dough you just created and fry them on both sides until slightly golden. Transfer on to the plate and set aside.
3. Put avocado in a food processor and process. Add maple syrup, cocoa and cinnamon. Process again until well combined.
4. Spread chocolate cream over the pancakes and garnish with raspberries on top. Serve. :)

See. Super easy and delicious.

Let me know what you think, if you tried it. Have a lovely day.

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Recipe: Stuffed apples + exciting announcement :)

Made this recipe few days ago and I loved it so much, I decided to share it with you. 

Ingredients:
- 2 apples
- handful of walnuts (or any kind of nuts)
- handful of raisins
- lemon (zest & juice)
- cinnamon
- coconut sugar (you can substitute it with honey or maple syrup or stevia)
- coconut butter

 
1. Scoop out both apples, so they get in a bowl like shape :). Set aside.
2. Put walnuts in a plastic bag and beat them with hard object until they form into smaller pieces. Chopping or grinding them in a food processor will do too, but I prefer beating them ;). Transfer them into a bowl.
3. Add raisins, dash of cinnamon, little bit of lemon zest, 2 tea spoons of coconut sugar and 1 tea spoon of lemon juice. Mix all ingredients together until well combined.

4. Fill the apples with the mixture you just did. Put 1/2 tea spoon of coconut butter on both filled apples. This will spread over them and add creaminess.
5. Transfer the apples on cookie sheet and put it in a preheated oven for 10 minutes on 175˙C. Serve and eat them while still warm :)

I love surprises, but I'm bad at keeping them secret for too long! And today's announcement is that I'm writing a cook book! Yes, my very own cook book. All recipes are healthy, vegan and gluten-free, but I also give you options how to make them vegetarian. And it will be an e-book, so it'll be easily accessible.
I have told that I'm writing a book to some people, but never really announce it out loud, so here it is :).

Tell me if you tried out the recipe and how you liked it :)

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Recipe: I scream Ice cream!

There's one food I can't say no to: ice cream! But all ice creams that you get in grocery stores are full of nasty ingredients that our body doesn't need. I am also slightly dairy intolerant, makes my stomach hurt, so big company ice creams are a total no no for me. Today I'll show you how to prepare super simple and inexpesive ice cream. Nutritous, delicious and guilt free!

Ingredients:
- frozen strawberries (I think I used 12 of them ;))
- one frozen banana (I suggest you slice it and put in a plastic container before putting it into freezer)
- 1 tsp of peanut butter

Preparation:

I suggest you use strong food processor/blender for this recipe. I put frozen banana in food processor first and processed it. I added strawberries and processed again.

At the end I added one teaspoon of peanut butter and mix one last time, so everything is well combined.

If you are allergic to peanuts, you can add other nut butter, and if you're allergic to nuts, you can use one scoop of protein powder or coconut flour or flakes. I always try to incorporate some sort of protein source when I eat fruits. Fruits are carbohydrates full of natural sugars and protein helps to stabilize your blood sugar. Also, you'll feel fuller for longer time.

Let me know if you tried this recipe out and how you liked it ;)

Recipe: 2 INGREDIENT COOKIES

I love simplicity. I always prepare the simplest recipes, because I don't like the mess that is left after and I don't like it to be time consuming. I have more important stuff to do in that time :)

Anyhow, today I'll show you how to make sugar-free, super fast and simple 2 ingredient cookies. But if you feel "fancier" you could make them in to 4 ingredient cookies ;)

Ingredients:
- oatmeal (I used around 120 g of oatmeal, but 100 g would be enough too)
- 2 bananas
- raisins (optional)
- cinnamon (optional)

Preheat your oven to 175˙C. Mash both bananas. You could use your hands or fork, I prefer using my hands :).

Then you add oatmeal and mix them well together.

If you feel fancy, add raisins to taste and about half of a teaspoon of cinnamon, mix again. You can also use almonds or any other nuts. Be creative ;)

 

I used a teaspoon to form the cookies directly in to a cookie sheet and kinda pressed them down a little as seen in the picture above. Continue until you run out of mixture then place your cookies in the oven.

Bake them for about 15 minutes. You can eat them right away, but they are also good the next day or day after ... if there's anything left ;)

Enjoy your cookies and let me know how you like them :)

Bon apetit!

P.S: Enter my giveaway HERE :)

Recipe: QUINOA WITH VEGGIES

I haven't posted a recipe in a while ... and I have a feeling that I say this in every recipe post. Oops :)

Anyways, today we are cooking with quinoa. I love quinoa, because it's so versatile, you can eat it salty (with veg, like I'm showing you today) or sweet (for example: cooked in soy milk with apple and cinnamon).

Last time I showed you how to make quinoa pancakes, if you haven't seen this recipe yet, make sure you check it out here.
Now, let's start with the recipe :)

Ingredients:

- quinoa
- olive oil
- chickpeas (I used already cooked chickpeas in a jar, but you can cook them yourself or you can skip them :))
- salt
- mixed vegetables (I chopped one onion, zucchini, broccoli, two carrots)
- water

Preparation:

Pour some olive oil in a hot pan. Put all the veggies in it and cook them on medium heat. I cooked them until they became slightly soft then I added quinoa. How much quinoa will you use, depends on how much you eat and how many people you're cooking for :). I used slightly less than half of the packaging and it was cooked for 2 + we had leftovers for dinner.

Add water - I usually eyeball it, but all veggies and quinoa should be covered in water, add pinch of salt. Cook on medium heat until all water evaporates (it should take about 20 minutes).

 

Rinse chickpeas with water and add them to quinoa, stir so it's all well mixed. You can add other herbs to taste and serve.

I served it with some iceberg salad with chickpeas and mozzarella cheese.

Bon apetit!

And thank you, dear friend, who took these pictures for me ;)

Recipe: QUINOA PANCAKES

I'm trying to eat gluten-free for a month or so now. And I'm doing pretty well, I must say :). Finding gluten-free flour can be challenging in Slovenia, I've been searching for coconut, almond, quinoa ... flour, but no luck. I found a recipe how to make a quinoa flour at home and so I made my first quinoa pancakes and I've been obsessed with them ever since :).

Ingredients:
- 2 cup quinoa flour (recipe how to make it here) - we don't use "cup" measurments here, but I take one random cup and measure it out (today I used 90 grams of flour)
- you need the same amount of water
- pinch of salt
- baking powder (for 2 cup measurement use 4 tsp, I used around 2)
- olive oil (around 2 tsp)

Firstly, mix all dry ingredients together.

Then add water and oil and whisk them all together until well combined. Add water if it's too thick, add flour if it's too liquidy, but if you followed the instructions, it should be ok.

If you use 2 cup measurement (2 cups of quinoa flour and 2 cups of water), it should make around 10-12 pancakes. Pancakes should be smaller and thicker, because consistency of pancake won't allow you to make them bigger and slimmer.

Today I made them too big and they fell apart. But no biggy, they are still good tasting!

Put little bit of olive oil in a pan and use spoon to take mixture and create little pancakes. Flip them around when slightly brown.

They should be slightly brown on both sides.

Et voila, you (successfully) made your first quinoa pancakes. I like to eat them immediately, still slightly warm. You can also store them and use them instead of bread and I always love pre-planned meals :). They can be served with veggies or with fruit, can be perfect breakfast, snack, lunch and dinner option, so versatile! :)

Today I had them with spinach, red chicory and hummus. I ate 2 of them, they are quite filling!

If you try them out, tell me, how did you like them and how did you serve them? :)

Oh, and here are some other options:
1st picture: with spinach and portobello mashrooms and little bit of mustard;
2nd picture: half of banana, homemade chocolate and tea (made this for my mother for Mother's day, I'm such a good daughter ;)).

 

Bon apetit!

Recipe: GREEN SMOOTHIE

Oh, I love green smoothies in the morning. Why? Because I get so much energy from this vitamin bomb. The best part is that you can arrange it your taste and likings. Today, I will show you my favourite combination, but keep in mind that you can add any fruit or green vegetable. I will tell you some other options at the end of this post.

 
Ingredients:
- spinach (you need something to make it green :))
- blueberries (great anti-oxidant food)
- kiwi (vitamin C!; I don't even bother peeling it, just wash it really well)
- half of banana (gives nice sweet taste, you don't need any sweeteners)
- coconut water (about 1dcl, you won't even feel the taste of it)
- almonds (optional)
- and the magic ingredient: CHIA SEEDS (around 1 tsp)

Chia seeds are amzing because they have more omega 3 than salmon, more anti-oxidants than blue berries, more calcium than milk, more iron than spinach ... It's high in protein, fiber, healthy fats, recommended for fat and weight loss. The best part is that they don't have a taste and you can add them in smoothies, soups, salads, desserts, you can also use them instead of eggs. I highly recommend them for vegeterians and vegans, because I know it's hard to get your protein source in every meal. Just add chia seed ;). Anyway, I think they deserve whole post for themselves. Oh, and they are gluten free as well!! :)

Making smoothie is easy peasy: I put all ingredients (without almonds) in blender and blend until it's blended :D. At the end I put some almonds (around 8) to give it a little crunch ;). I wait for about 5 minutes, so chia seeds enlarge a little. I "cheat" sometimes and make my smoothie the night before and keep it in fridge.

You can use regular water instead of coconut water, or use lemon or orange juice ... I don't recommend using any kind of milk, this smoothie should be refreshing and pure, not like a milk shake or sth. If you want more creaminess and richer taste, add some avocado - it's neutral taste, you won't taste it.

Sometime I add hemp seeds or hemp protein (great source of protein and heathy fats as well) instead of chia seeds. You can also add maca powder (great for increasing your energy levels and figthing PMS ;)) and psyllium husk (high in fiber and really detoxifying).

You can use grapes, mango, pineapple, apple, strawberries ... and I promise you won't even feel spinach taste. If you don't have or like spinach, add kale or green salad ...

The benefits of green smoothie:
Leafy greens are one of the most nutritious foods, prevent cancer, purify your blood, improves liver and kidney function, strengthens immune system, lifts you spirit, gives you energy, can help you with better looking skin, nails and hair ... Greens are a great source of potassium, magnesium, iron, phosphorous, vitamins A, C, E and K. If you can get, buy organic, if not don't stress over it, it's better to eat non organic than no greens at all.

I feel like this is one long informational post and not a recipe :D
Enjoy your green smoothie and share your recipes with me ;)

Recipe: Cabbage roll-ups/wraps

Yesterday I mentioned on my Twitter what I ate for dinner and some of you asked me for the recipe because you need more ideas for healthy meals. So, here it is: my famous (or not so famous :P) vegan cabbage roll-ups, wrap-ups, wrap or however you'd like to call them.

Like I said, it's healthy, super easy to prepare, it takes around 15 minutes and I've been preparing it at least 2 times a week, it always tasted different and you can improvise a lot. :)

Ingredients:
- cabbage head,
- mixed veggies (I used: aubergine/eggplant, onion, garlic, carrot, brussels sprouts, green pepper)
- beans,
- salt & pepper (any other spices according to your taste),
- extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil.

Preparation:

Firstly, you put whole cabbage head (is this correct? :P) in a bowl, boil water and pour it in a bowl with cabbage in it. It should be completely covered. You leave it for about 10 minutes, this will make leafs softer so you can unwrap them without breaking (although I still manage to break them sometimes ^^).

Meanwhile you can prepare your filling. Chop all vegetables and put them in a pan with heated olive oil (or coconut oil). I left only carrot and use a skin peeler to get really thin slices and I add them at the end. Add salt, pepper and any other spices. Mix few times while cooking. Like I said, I add thin slices of carrot last 5 minutes (or less) of cooking and in last minute I add beans (1/3 of can). Mix again.

Drain you cabbage head, let is cool a little (you can pour cool water over it) and carefully peel some leafs. It depends on how your cabbage head is big/small, if it's bigger, use only one leaf, if it's smaller use two or three leafs (for one person).
You put leafs on a plate and fill them with veggies. I eat wraps with my hands just like a sandwich. Veggies will probably fall out of your wrap and you will have dirts hands, so I don't recommend eatting that on a first date :P.

Other options:
You can even just boil your veggies or fill them with a salad. Instead of beans you can use other lean proteins, such as: white meat, salmon, eggs, tofu, quinoa ... I like using beans, because I am a vegetarian and I always have beans at home. Sometimes I even add avocado and tomatoes.

Tell me how it turns out if you try it!

Enjoy your meal! Bon apetit!