Kiwi poppy seed dressing

When we lived in Encinitas one of our favorite places to eat was a place called Honey's. They the best salad called a Vogue Salad. The salad in it's self was pretty simple; greens, tomato, different spouts, red peppers, cucumbers and sunflower seeds. What makes the salad special is the kiwi-poppy seeds dressing. I made my own version of it and it turned out really well. 

 Kiwi poppy seeds dressing, serves 4

2 tbs raspberry vinegar

2 tbs olive oil

1 tbs honey

1/4 tsp poppy seeds

1/4 kiwi

Place everything in a blender and mix.

Collard greens salad with pickled onions

I found this recipe in a old Yoga Journal and it has become one of our favourites. The key is the "pickled" onions in the salad and my husband said after eating it " love raw onions, fried onions and now I also like pickle onions".  We try to eat a lot of dark leafy vegetables and collard greens and nice and have some resistant in them, but the salad can also be made with Swiss chard or kale. They are widely considered to be health food and collards are a good source of vitamin C and soluble fiber and contains multiple nutrients with potent anti-cancer properties.

Collard green salad Serves 4

4 cups collard greens cut into smaller pieces

1 cup sliced shitakii mushrooms

1 cup red onions sliced thinly

1/2 cup raw apple cider vinegar

1 cup hot water

2 tbs walnut r hazel nut oil

2 tbs raspberry vinegar

2 tsp sea salt

Fresh grounded black pepper.

Place onions in a bowl with cider vinegar and water and let sit for 10 minutes. Place greens and mushrooms in a salad bowl and add salt. Begin massaging the greens until you feel liquid coming from the greens. remove onions from water and squeeze out excess water. Add to greens. Add oil, vinegar and pepper and blend and enjoy immediate.

Look what my garden did

Our garden is very fertile and grows many kinds of vegetables and fruits for us. So far I have harvested potatoes, beets, fennel and now also carrots. There is something about going out to your own garden and pulling up food from the ground. It all taste so much better than from the store. I love that here in San Diego we can pretty much grow things all year long. So have all ready planted new things to be harvested during the summer. 

My cravings....

I love my many, many cups of tea all day long and now they are complimented by sandwiches with Tartex pate and pickles, mmmmmm. It's a vegan pate made with nutritional yeast and it comes in many delicious flavors. I prefer natural flavour. I buy them at Vegan essentials.

My daily treat, a crisp bread with Tartex and pickles

Date frozen yogurt

Nothing taste as good as frozen treat on a hot day like the ones we're having here in San Diego now. When we got married we received a ice cream maker and besides my husband it was the best thing I got ever. I have used it so much over the years, having fun making up good creations (and sometimes not so good).  This time I made frozen yogurt with medjool dates to cut the sugar and to add a really nice flavor. I like Medjool dates the best because they are large and moist dates. These dates provide fiber, potassium and magnesium that help defend against heart disease and cancer.

Date frozen yogurt, serves two

I cup plain  low-fat yogurt (or soy)

1/2 cup vanilla hemp milk (or soy)

2 Medjool dates

1 tbs agva nectar or maple syrup

1/2 tsp cardamon

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Blend everything well in a blender. Pour yogurt mix into ice cream machine and let run until desired consistency. Enjoy with some toasted chopped nuts.

The art of spouting

I've gotten into spouting and boy is it fun to watch my little seeds and pulses develop tails. Right now I'm spouting lentils and quinoa. I use a spout jar to make it easy and just place some seeds, grains or beans in the jar and let soak.  Here you can find information on how to sprout various things. You need to wash the sprouts a couple times a day. Most sprouts in just a day or two. The lentil spouts are yummy and I added them as nice spice and protein in a  Gazpacho. Sprouts is considered a Super foods because of it's highly nutrients levels. Sprouts contains high levels or highly active antioxidants that prevents DNA destruction and protects us from the ongoing effects of again. 

Sweet & Sour sauce

Some days when inspiration is on vacation and I have absolutely no idea what to feed my family I simply steam some vegetables and rice and add some sort of protein (e.g quorn, tofu, beans etc) and add sweet & sour sauce. It's a very nice sauce and it's so easy and fast to make. 

Sweet & Sour sauce. Serves 4

1,5 cups water

2 tbs ketchup

1 tbs maple syrup

1 tbs apple cider vinegar

1 garlic clove pressed

1 tsp grated ginger

2 tbs soy sauce

2 tsp corn starch

Mix everything in a pot and bring to a boil. Boil for about 2 minutes and strain sauce. Add sauce to whatever you think sound good. 

The mistake that turn kid friendly

I'm always trying to come up with healthy but yummy snacks for Isabella (and for us). Ever since I got a dehydrator I've been having fun trying making living food. The definition of living food is plant-based foods in their original, un-heated (uncooked) state are considered raw and alive. Raw food may include fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, spouts, grains and legumes in sprouted form, seaweed, and fresh juices. These live foods contains a wide range of vital life force nutrients (ie vitamins, minerals, amino acids, oxygen) and live enzymes. Their nutritional properties are essential to the proper maintenance of human bodily function. I found this recipe for raw pancakes and decided to try it. Unfortunately I kept the pancakes in the dehydrator too long over night so they turned crispy. I tried them and they were delicious so I gave one to Isabella who happily munched it right up. So now these are my super healthy, raw kids cookies. The best part of it? They are super easy and contains no preservatives or sugar. I loved them with a cup of tea. If you don't have a dehydrator but have a hot air oven you "cook" them in that instead.

Banana & coconut cookies

1 large banana 

4 tbs shredded coconut

1 tsp cinnamonn

Place banana in blender and blend until puree. Add coconut and cinnamon and blend well.  Use a spoon to drop spoonfuls of mix on a wax paper in dehydrator or cookie sheet for oven. Use spoon or fingers to flatten cookie to thin. Place in dehydrator on 105F until crispy. Flip once. It took me about 8 hours.

The goodness of coconut

When we were in Cambodia couple of years ago our guide treated us to a young coconut with a straw and we had our first taste of coconut juice and we were hooked. Here in San Diego you can find young coconut every where. Actually this is Isabella's treat when we go to the farmers market and she loves them because of their sweetness. I love the taste of the juice and meat in my smoothies because it reminds me a Pina Colada and since I don't drink this is the closes I get to one. Coconuts has great health benefits. Coconut fruits are rich in protein. The meat is very good in destroying intestinal parasites, that we might contract from eating infected food. The water/juice is good for kidney and urinary bladder problems. 

Pina Colada smoothie, virgin off course. Serves one

Juice and meat from one young coconut

1 cup pineapple chunks

1 Banana

Blend everything in a blender and enjoy right away.

Pure goodness is...

When someone spend a lot of time cooking a special meal for you. My friend Andrea cooked a very special lunch for me, James and Isabella on Saturday. It was a challenge I'm sure with all of our dietary needs but she handled it like a pro and created one of the most amazing lunches ever. I will have to get the recipe for her but she served  us lentils in a spicy sauce,  sweet potatoes, mushrooms and collared greens mix and we ate that with barley. I was worried about Isabella since sometimes when goes through a face when she does not like anything. Well I had nothing to worry about, she took one bite and smiled at Andrea declaring "I like". The bonus was when she send us home with the leftovers. Thank you Andrea!!

Nougat for a special person

Let me just begin by saying Happy Birthday or Grattis pa fodelsedagen!!! to my friend Jessica who also happens to be my most loyal reader I believe.

OK I don't if this really belongs here where I try to opt for healthy food since this is a candy oh my it's very very bad for you. it has all the good stuff such as butter, white flour, sugar and more sugar. Well what can I say, I still do have a sweet tooth but this was actually not for us, I made it for Jessica, who birthday party was yesterday. Now that is my story and I'm sticking to it. I have confess that there were some licking of the bowl going on, mostly James. And there were some eating on the not perfect pieces (OK mostly me). The good part of this recipe? It's super easy to make and you do get addicted real fast. 

Nougat

125g butter

3 cups sugar

1 cup water

Blend in a pot and bring to boil for about 2 minutes. Add:

3 cups flour

2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup coco powder

Blend really well until  smooth and little more water if needed to make it very smooth. Place it on a well oiled casserole dish and place in fridge until harden so you can cut into small pieces

Cranberry chutney

The one food I get most request for recipe is my Cranberry chutney. It's such easy thing to make and takes almost no time so I love making this and giving it away as gift when my imagination is on vacation. Cranberries are terrific food but again a food many don't use or eat besides on Thanks Giving. I love juicing cranberries and blend them with beet juice. I also love eating dried cranberries. Cranberries contains a lot of antioxidants, specially the dried ones. Fresh cranberries has a antibacterial components so it a great fruit to eat/drink if you have a urinary tract infection. My chutney is nice addition to pretty much everything, pan fried tofu, seitan or bean patties. To make it easy for everyone here is my recipe so enjoy.

Cranberry chutney, makes one large jar

I bag fresh cranberries

1 cup water

1 cup brown sugar

cranberries

3 cloves grounded 

1 tsp ginger powder or use fresh

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup peeled and chopped apple

1 cup raisins

Place everything in a pot and bring to boil. Boil for 5 minutes or to you hear the cranberries pop. Be careful since they can pop on you. Take cranberries of the stove and let sit until completely cool. Pour into clean glass jars. Enjoy!!!

Healthy snack for kids....small and big

We have a rule when it comes to our child, only feed her things that have nutrition in it. Now we know she will eventually eat candy etc. but as long as we can keep that away we believe is good. So I try hard to find snacks and goodies that does not contain a lot of crap. I found  raw carob snacks called brownie snacks. Me and James absolutely fell in love with them and so did Isabella too. So today I decided to try to make my own and they came out really well. They contain no sugar but yet they are so sweet because of the raisins.

The finish product

Isabella thinks they are yummy.

Carob snacks, makes about 10 balls

1/2 cup blanched almonds

1/2 cup raisins (soaked for 10 minutes and then drained.

1 tbs Tahini (sesame paste)

2 tbs carob powder

1/2 cup shredded coconut

Place everything except the coconut in a food processor or in a bowl and use a hand held mixer and blend everything until smooth. Roll dough into small balls and roll them into the coconut and coat them. Place in fridge until ready to serve. 

Sweet & Sour vegetables

This is one of my emergency dishes. It's a dish I cook when I have lack of inspiration or I'm in a hurry. It's one of my families favorites and you can use any kind of vegetable you happen to have at home. The sauce is super easy and any leftover freezes really well. Oh yeah it's also a very good dish. 

Sweet $ Sour vegetables serves 2

1 zucchini cut into small pieces

2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into pieces

2 cup mung bean sprouts

1 tbs canola oil

1 tsp Chili pepper

salt & pepper to taste

Heat oil in a wok and add chili pepper, let sizzle a second or two. Place a vegetables and cook until they all  are soft.

Sauce

3 cups water

3 tsp corn or potato  starch

2 tbs ketchup

1 tbs apple cider vinegar

2 tbs agva nectar or honey

1 garlic clove grated

1 tsp ginger (fresh or powder)

Place everything in a pot and bring to boil. Simmer for about 1 minute

Sunny quinoa sallad

The hot and sunny weather continues here in San Diego making my garden go wild. Yesterday I harvested potatoes, beets, strawberries and fennel. My fennel is growing faster than I can eat it. I am the only one in this family eating fennel but I do love it. Many people just simply don't know how to use fennel in cooking. It's delicious in a potato-fennel soup. I used it today for lunch in a salad with quinoa, arugula (from our garden), orange and fennel. It was so yummy and enjoyed it sitting with a good book in the garden. Fennel is packed with powerful antioxidants that helps fight free radicals in the body. It contains very good source of dietary fiber, vitamin C, foliate, potassium and calcium, iron and magnesium. Well isn't that a good reason alone to eat fennel or what?

Saffron infused salad Serves one

• I cup cooked quinoa with on pinch of saffron
  
• 1 cup arugula
  
• 1 orange , peeled and chopped
  
• 1/2 cup fennel, cleaned and chopped
  
• 1 Tbsp raw apple cider vinegar
  
• 1 Tsp Flax seeds oil
  
• salt & pepper to your own liking

Blend everything together for the salad. Blend everything for the dressing and pour it over salad.

I got a little present.....

My friend Jessica's mom send her oatly cream from Sweden and she gave them to me because she does not use them. I did a little happy dance since I love Oatly cream. This a complete vegan cream made from oats. You can cook and bake with it. It's does not have any bitter aftertaste. I love it and I hate the fact that the only place you can find it is in Sweden. When ever I go (once a year) I bring as many as I can home. It's just a great ingredients for a family like us who have two lactose intolerant and one who can eat soy.  So thank you. thank you, THANK YOU Bibbi! I also happens to know Jessica will benefit from my new fortune because I can make potatoes au gratin and Flying Jacob now which she loves.

Black bean & chipotle burgers

I was craving fast food today but vegetarian style and this what I ended up with. I usually don't eat canned beans but I've had this canned back beans forever so I decided to finally use it up. Black beans goes so well with spices such as chipotle. 

Bean burgers  4 burgers

I can black beans

1 cup zucchini

1 yellow onion

2 garlic cloves

1 cup cooked brown rice

1 tsp chipotle paste

1/4 cup ketchup

1/2 cup flour or garbanzo bean flour

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 4ooF

Chop onion, cut zucchini into small pieces, grate garlic and fry everything in some canola oil for about 2 minutes. Ad mix to beans, rice, chipotle, ketchup and spices and blend in a food processer until well blended. Place bean mix into a bowl and add flour and blend well. Shape beans into 4 medium burgers or 2 big ones. Place burgers on oiled cookie sheet and place in oven for 10 minutes.