Monthly Archives: October 2011

Pomegranate & Persimmon Smoothie – Vegan & G/F

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Pomegranate & Persimmon Smoothie – Vegan & G/F
 
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I’ve peeled all my fruit, easier to digest
Author:
Recipe type: Smoothie
Serves: 4

Ingredients
  • 1 Pomegranate – seeds only
  • 1 Permission
  • 1 Passionfruit
  • 1 Plum
  • 1 Apple
  • 6 sm frozen Strawberries
  • 8 frozen Blueberries
  • 1 large frozen Banana
  • 8 ice cubes
  • water
  • non diary milk, like almond milk
  • 2 Tbs Hemp seeds
  • 1 Tbs Chia seeds
  • 1 Tbs Maca
  • 1 Tbs Mesquite
  • ½ tsp Spirulina
  • ½ tsp Chlorella
  • 1 Tbs Coconut Maca
  • 4 dates
  • ⅛ tsp Stevia powder

Instructions
  1. Place all ingredients in a blender and blend for a few minutes until smooth. I’d blend for 3-5minutes. Add milk and water to the consistancy of your liking. I like mine pretty thick.

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Vegan Cafe Review – InSpiral in Camden, London

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Last week i was in Camden as i normally am at least twice a week, and i decided to go into InSpiral Cafe, which is a vegan eco Cafe, bar and music venue. I love going to this cafe. I got there around 5pm and it was pretty full. Buzzing with the vegan conscious Camden crowd. It sits right along Camden Lock with a lovely view of the lock and the surrounding markets.

I was going to have one of their yummy Hemp seed Latte’s but then spotted their Mango Lassi. I just couldn’t resist one of those. I’ve had them before and they are delicious. I also couldn’t resist a round coconut ball. A bit on the dry side, but I love coconut. So you can’t go too wrong there.

They have a great selection of Vegan ice cream, made from cashew nuts. They also do an amazing selection of raw salads and much much more. Definitely worth a visit if you’re in Camden.

The lady behind the counter who served me, with the teased up blond hair was really helpful and friendly.

I can’t wait to go back there again.

InSpiral is at 250 Camden High St, London, www.inspiralled.net

Parsnip & Carrot Chips – Vegan & G/F

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A great alternative to the common potato chip, much tastier and healthier! A fantastic snack or an accompaniment to any meal. Quick & easy to prepare.

Parsnip & Carrot Chips
 
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Author:
Recipe type: snacks & vegetables
Serves: 2

Ingredients
  • 4 Parsnips – peeled, chopped and sliced into long cubed strips
  • 4 Carrots – peeled, chopped and sliced into long cubed strips
  • Cracked Pepper
  • Rock Salt
  • Olive oil
  • Mixed Spice – (cinnamon, coriander seed, caraway, nutmeg, ginger, cloves)

Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius
  2. Place all vegetables in a bowl, or two bowls if one is too small
  3. Spray Olive Oil and toss, or use 1 Tbs between both bowls. You can add more if you want, but I like my chips low fat.
  4. Add Salt, Pepper & Mixed Spice and toss well.
  5. Spread Parsnips & Carrots on a non-stick baking tray or sheet. I prefer the sheet as they just slide off. Make sure there is only one layer of vegetables. If you have more than one layer, then use two non-stick baking trays.
  6. Place one tray at the top and one at the bottom shelf in the oven. You may need to turn trays round half way thru if your chips colour faster from the back of the tray.
  7. Bake for approx 25-30min.
  8. You want the chips to be crispy on the edges.
  9. You can also use swede in this recipe

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This post was submitted to ‘Fat Tuesday: October 25, 2011′ @ http://realfoodforager.com and ‘Slightly Indulgent Tuesday; 10/25/11 ‘ @ http://simplysugarandglutenfree.com and also to ‘November 2011 SOS Kitchen Challenge: Parsnips’ @ http://www.affairsofliving.com

Roasted Cauliflower, Chickpea & Pine nut Soup – G/F & Vegan

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Cauliflower, Chickpea & Pinenut Soup
 
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A deliciously creamy soup
Author:
Recipe type: Soup
Serves: 4

Ingredients
  • 1 Cauliflower – chopped into bite size pieces
  • 2 Carrots – chopped 5mm slices
  • 1 Large Spanish onion – but into wedges
  • 1 Leek – sliced into 5cm chunks
  • 4 Tbs Chickpeas (canned or freshly boiled)
  • 20g Pine nuts
  • 2 Tbs Nutritional Yeast (optional)
  • 5 Cups Vegetables Stock
  • 2 tsp Dijon Mustard
  • 6 cloves of garlic – (skins left on)
  • 1 Cup Rice milk – or any other non diary milk
  • Cracked pepper
  • Rock salt

Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 170 degrees Celsius
  2. Place all the vegetables including garlic on a non stick baking tray
  3. Bake the vegetables for 30min (placed in the centre of the oven)
  4. Place pine nuts on a non stick tray and bake at the same time for 5-10min on the top shelf
  5. Put aside a few toasted pine nuts and chickpeas for the garnish
  6. When vegetables are done, peel the garlic
  7. Place half the vegetables in a food processor with half the stock, milk, nutritional yeast, chickpeas & Mustard. Blend until smooth.
  8. Pour in a large pot.
  9. Do the same for the remaining ingredients, and add to pot.
  10. Bring soup to boil, and season with Salt and Pepper
  11. Serve garnished with some toasted pine nuts and chickpeas. I also like to add some herbs, whether it be finely chopped coriander, parsley or chives.

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This post was submitted to ‘Traditional Tuesdays – Nutritious and Delicious! ~ October 25, 2011′ @ http://wholenewmom.com

Roast Vegetables & Chickpeas with Harissa, toasted Pine nuts, drizzled with a sweet Tahini Dressing – G/F & Vegan

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Roast Vegetables & Chickpeas with Harissa, toasted Pine nuts & drizzled with a sweet Tahini dressing
 
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A delicious vegetable dish, served either as a side dish or a main.
Author:
Recipe type: Vegetables
Serves: 4

Ingredients
  • ½ sm pumpkin (pumpkin as wide as your hand) – cut into ½ cm wedges
  • ¼ Butternut squash – cubed rectangular
  • 1 sweet potato – cubed rectangular
  • 1 broccoli – cut into bite size pieces
  • 4 large cherry tomatoes
  • ½ can rinsed chickpeas
  • 8 sm round shallots – peeled & halved lengthwise
  • 6 garlic (with skins still left on)
  • 1 Tbs toasted pinenuts
  • 1 tsp Tahini
  • 1 Tbs Braggs or Soy sauce
  • 1 Tbs Agave Nectar or Honey or Maple Syrup
  • 1-2 Tbs Harissa spice
  • Water
  • Olive oil
  • Rock Salt
  • Cracked pepper

Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius
  2. Place pinenuts in the oven for 10min. Checking and tossing them ½ way thru.
  3. Place broccoli in one bowl, the squash, pumpkin, sweet potato in another bowl and the shallots, tomatoes in a third bowl.
  4. Spray Olive oil on vegetables or pour. I wouldn’t use more than 1-2 Tbs in total.
  5. Sprinkle the Harissa over the vegetables and toss until all veg are coated.
  6. Place vegetables on 3 separate oven trays.
  7. Place the broccoli, tomatoes & garlic on the top shelf and bake for 20min.
  8. Place the shallots, squash, sweet potato and pumpkin on the middle shelf and bake for 20min, then pour the chickpeas over the veg and bake for a further 10min and move to the top shelf.
  9. To make the dressing, add the Tahini, Braggs, honey or Agave and water in a glass bowl. Whisk mixture. Add enough water to make approx 150-200ml of dressing.
  10. Place all roasted veg in a large bowl; make sure you peel the garlic.
  11. Drizzle the roasted veg with the dressing. Use your hands or a very large plastic spoon to gently toss the veg.
  12. Sprinkle the toasted pinenuts on top.

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This post was submitted to ‘Traditional Tuesdays – Nutritious and Delicious! ~ October 18, 2011′ @ http://wholenewmom.com/

The sweet Tahini dressing

Cashew Cream – Vegan & G/F

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Cashew Cream
 
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This recipe was slightly adapted from pure2raw’s Twisted Pumpkin Pie recipe and Creamy Cashew Cream recipe. www.pure2raw.com
Recipe type: Dessert

Ingredients
  • ½ C soaked cashews
  • 1 Tbs Coconut Mana or Coconut butter/cream
  • 1 Tbs Agave Nectar
  • 1 Tbs vanilla or vanilla bean paste or 2 vanilla pods scraped
  • 1 Tbs sunflower Lecithin (I used soya Lecithin, although this is optional)
  • 2 Tbs Irish Moss (depending on the final consistency)
  • ½ tsp Stevia white powder
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • Water
  • Rice Milk (or any other non diary milk)

Instructions
  1. Soak your cashews in filtered water for approx ½ an hour. Rinse well.
  2. Place all ingredients in a small hand held food processor or a blender.
  3. Blend until smooth and creamy, for at least 3min. Adding water and Rice milk in equal parts to reach desired consistency.
  4. Top your Raw Pumpkin Puddings with this Cashew Cream
  5. Cover ramekins with cling film and put in refrigerator. Will last for a week at least. The longer there in the fridge the more enhanced the flavour becomes.
  6. You can use this cream to top muffins, cupcakes & cakes. You can even use it to layer raw cakes.
  7. It’s simply delicious!

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This post was submitted to ‘Slightly Indulgent Tuesday; 10/18/11′ @ http://simplysugarandglutenfree.com

Soaking cashews in filtered water

The Vanilla pods gave the cream the scattered seed look.

Raw Pumpkin Pudding with Cashew Cream – Vegan & G/F

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Raw Pumpkin Pudding with Cashew Cream
 
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This recipe was slightly adapted from pure2raw’s Twisted Pumpkin Pie recipe and Creamy Cashew Cream recipe. www.pure2raw.com
Recipe type: Dessert

Ingredients
  • 1 C Butternut Squash and Pumpkin puree (see details on making your own below)
  • 2 dates, pitted
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp either vanilla or vanilla bean paste or 2 vanilla pods scraped out
  • ⅛ tsp ground ginger
  • ⅛ tsp ground nutmeg or freshly grated nutmeg
  • ½ tsp stevia – the white powder form
  • ½ tsp wattleseed (this is a seed found in Australia that i was lucky to get a hold of and grinded to powder. It has a slight coffee and cocoa aroma, if you dont have this then omit it)
  • 1½ frozen bananas
  • Rice Milk (or any other milk alternative)
  • water
  • 1-2 Tbs of Irish Moss

Instructions
  1. Making your own Pumpkin/Squash Puree:-
  2. To make your own Pumpkin/Squash puree simply peel and cut them into ½cm wedges. Place on a non stick baking pan or baking paper. Do not season or spray/toss with oil. You can use oil but this is just unnecessary added fat. Roast on 200 degree Celsius for about 25min on the middle to bottom shelf. You don’t want them to take too much colour or burn. You just want them soft enough to be able to puree.
  3. Once the Pumpkin puree has cooled to room temperature, put all the ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Add the Irish Moss a bit at a time to gauge the consistency desired. Add water and the Rice Milk in equal parts also depending on the consistency desired.
  4. Portion Pumpkin Pudding into ramekins. Fill ¾ up to top of rim.
  5. You’ll see in the picture above ive sprinkled some almond flour blended with some dates.
  6. Please see my next post ‘Cashew Cream’ for the topping!

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This post was submitted to ‘Slightly Indulgent Tuesday; 10/18/11′ @ http://simplysugarandglutenfree.com

 

What is Irish Moss? and how to prepare it.

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What is Irish Moss?

Irish Moss, also named Sea moss, is basically a seaweed which has many health benefits but most interestingly can act as a thickener in food. That is it can take the place of gelatine. It’s completely tasteless although Irish Moss does tend to smell like the ocean. This fortunately, does not transfer to your food. Since Irish Moss acts like gelatine, you can use it as a nut replacement or in a variety of other raw recipes for e.g. raw cakes, raw cheesecakes, puddings, soups, raw cream or dips and more.

How to prepare Irish Moss.

Take a handful of Irish Moss, place it in a plastic bowl and rinse it many many times until all the sea grit has been washed away. Use your fingers to get into all the seaweed. This could take up to twenty times of rinsing. The smell never really goes away, but don’t despair. Rinse until the water runs clear and there’s no more sea grit.

Once your satisfied all sea grit has been washed away, submerge the Irish Moss in filtered water. I allowed enough water for the Irish Moss to expand at least 3-4 times. Cover with cling film. Leave at room temperature for at least 3-4 hours. Then transfer to fridge where you can leave it overnight or for 24 – 48 hours depending on how fast your Moss expands.

By the next morning your Irish Moss should have expanded at least 2-4 times. This all depends on how fresh your Irish Moss is. Rinse the Irish Moss.

Pop the Irish Moss in a blender with some water. Keep on adding water to reach desired consistency. The consistency should be gel-like or creamy.

Now there will probably be too much Irish Moss for you to use in one go. So I portioned them off in resealable plastic bags and placed them in the freezer. I also placed some in ice cube trays that were then wrapped in plastic resealable bags and froze these as well. The thicker the Irish Moss the less you’ll need in your cooking. When using in cooking, use a bit at a time to gauge the consistency desired.

Irish Moss in its bought form.

The Irish Moss the next morning. Its expanded into a durable rubbery seaweed.

The Irish Moss after its been blended

I’ve used Irish Moss in a Raw Pumpkin pudding dessert topped with Cashew Cream. Which i will be posting next.

Multi fruit Smoothie Explosion

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Multi fruit Smoothie Explosion
 
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This fruit smoothie may have allot of ingredients, but let me tell you its well worth it. It’s a taste explosion! I peeled my fresh fruit as I have IBS and peeling the fruit makes digestion easier. The texture of the smoothie is smooth and creamy.
Recipe type: Smoothie
Serves: 2

Ingredients
  • 1 frozen Banana
  • 3 frozen Strawberries
  • 8 frozen Blueberries
  • ½ peach (peeled)
  • 1 sm hard plum (peeled)
  • 1 sm apple (peeled)
  • 1 fig (peeled)
  • 8 ice cubes
  • 1 tsp Coconut Mana
  • 2 Dates
  • ½ T Chia Seeds
  • 1 Tbs Hemp seeds
  • ½ tsp Hemp seed powder
  • ½ tsp Spirulina
  • 1 tsp Chlorella
  • 2 tsp Mesquite
  • ⅛ tsp vanilla
  • ⅛ tsp cinnamon
  • ⅛ tsp stevia powder
  • Almond milk – as much as you like depending on the consistancy your after
  • water – as much as you like depending on the consistancy your after

Instructions
  1. Pop everything in a blender and blend for at least 3min. The longer you blend the creamer the smoothie gets. Its the fig that gives it that extra punch.

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This post was submitted to ‘Wellness Weekend October 6-10, 2011′ @ http://www.dietdessertndogs.com/

Gordon Ramsay’s new Gastropub – Bread Street Kitchen

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Gordon Ramsay’s latest Gastro pub opened up last week. I didn’t go on the opening night unfortunately. Apparently Chef Ramsay himself was there greeting all the guests. I did however go for lunch on Sunday. It was quieter than I’d expected it to be. Sunday was a gloriously warm day here in London. 28degrees! For October this is practically unheard of.

Service was very friendly and professional. The food was impeccable although slightly on the pricey side for what you get. I ordered the ‘Steamed Sea bass with smoked aubergine puree, accompanied with Castelluccio lentils,roasted pumpkin and savoy cabbage. I also ordered a side order of roasted cauliflower tossed tossed with almonds and parsley. The food was delicious.

The venue was bright and airy situated on the 1st floor of the ‘New Change’.

Address is One New Change, 10 Bread Street, London, EC4M 9AB