From sauce to soup--using leftovers

I have to admitt I'm not much for eating leftovers and neither is my little girl, James on the other hand is easy he can eat the same thing everyday and leftover he's good with. Well I'm very proud of my self because I came up with a way to use up leftover lentil bolognese sauce and remaking it into a soup. I made it more substantial by adding spinach and grated carrot. It was a perfect lunch after a challenging yoga class.

From sauce to lentil soup

1/2 cup lentil bolognese sauce

2/3 cup water

1/2 cup spinach leafs

1/2 cup grated carrot

1 tsp chili powder

Salt & pepper to taste

Blend everything in a pot and heat for about 3 minutes or until spinach had wilted a bit.

Green detox and eye opener juice

This is my new way to begin the day and way to get me going for yoga in the morning. I've been craving grape fruit juice for some time now and lucky me the California grape fruits are juicy and sweet. Don't let the color fool you, it's yummy. Grape fruits are rich in vitamin C, folate, fiber and potassium. If you are trying to lose some extra pounds then grape fruit is great because it contains a flavonoid compound which prevents the body to absorb fatty acids.

I made it a green super food with swiss chard which is packed with antioxidants and chlorophyll and spirulina which is a fresh water alga powder rich in protein as well as containing powerful combination of minerals such as iron, calcium and magnesium and vitamins. Usually this is all I need to practice a 90 minute heated class.

Green power juice

1 cup freshly squeezed grape fruit juice

1 large leaf of swiss chard, stem removed and chopped

1 tbs spirulina powder

Place everything in a blender and blend until no lumps.

Pasta and Lentil bolognese sauce

We love lentils in this family and thank God for that because not only are they inexpensive, yummy but also packed with nutrition. Lentils are easy to digest and was actually the first protein I feed Bella. Lentil contains fiber, iron, vitamin B1, folate and is loaded with protein. I made this pasta sauce with red lentils which I served with quinoa pasta and glass of home strawberry lemonade to help us absorb the iron.

Lentil bolognese sauce

1 cup red lentils, rinsed well

2/3 cup water

1 vegan bullion cube

1 small yellow onion, chopped and diced

1 large garlic clove, grated

2/3 can crushed tomatoes with Italian herbs

1/4 cup ketchup

1/4 cup vegan cream such as coconut or mimic

1 tbs oregano

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp smoked paprika

salt to taste

Cheese to sprinkle over dish before serving

Place lentils, water, onion and garlic in a pot and bring to a boil on high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer until lentils are done (about 10 minutes). Add remaining ingredients except the cheese and blend well. Simmer for 5 minutes. Pour sauce over pasta of your choice and sprinkle grated cheese over before serving.

Ginger bread scones to start off weekend

I made these scones for our Saturday breakfast and it ended up being a sweet beginning of our weekend. We ate them warm with butter and my clementine jam. Our breakfast on the weekends are special and it's when we really take our time, eating in bed in our pyjamas while cuddling. Afterward we worked off the calories with a 7 miles bike ride and all I can say after that is ouch my poor bum :(

Ginger bread scones

2 cup spelt flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbs honey

1 tbs pumpkin spice powder

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 cup Earth Balance margarine, room temperature

1 cup So delicious coconut kefir

Preheat oven for 400F

Blend all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Blend all the wet ones together and then blend both together. Just mix everything together but don't over work the dough. Roll the scones and place on parchment paper on a cookie sheet. bake for about 12 minutes. Let them rest for a few minutes before eating.

Asian BBQ marinade

Like I said in previous post, we've been having such beautiful weather here in San Diego, sunny and warm but not too hot. We been loving spending time outdoors so BBQ made sense for lunch and dinner. I've tried a lot of marinades but this one is my favorite. I marinated portabella mushrooms for me and quorn files for my wonderful family. Later in the evening I used left over marinade for some tofu I made for dinner and it too tasted very nice with this particular marinate. According to my hubby, the mushroom and tofu tasted the best.

Asian marinade

3 tbs ketchup

3 tbs Bragg's liquid amino's

1 tsp ginger

2 garlic cloves, grated

lime peel for one lime, grated

2 tbs brown sugar

1 tbs canola oil

Blend everything in a large bowl and marinate whatever you want for at least 2 hours in fridge.

Strawberry and spinach salad

A couple of years ago I ate an amazing salad with strawberries and spinach at Whole Foods and ever since I've been dreaming off it. Today I made it to eat for lunch with marinaded portabella mushrooms. It was just one of those gorgeous days here in San Diego when you wanted to stay outside all day which we pretty much did. The mushrooms were marinated and BBQ. I will post recipe for those tomorrow. The salad is very light and sprinkles with some basil oil, salt, pepper and vinegar to complement the strawberries.

Strawberry and spinach salad

1 cup fresh strawberries, sliced

1/2 cup Dr. cow's tree nut cheese, aged cashew or soy feta, cubed

2 cup baby spinach leaves

1/2 cup roasted walnuts, chopped

2 tbs basil oil (recipe below)

1 1/2 tbs raspberry vinegar

salt & fresh black pepper to taste

Place everything in big bowl. Don't toss salad until your ready to serve.

Basil oil:

1/2 cup virgin olive oil

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped

Place everything in blender and process for a few seconds. Don't over do it.

Muesli

Since I now have discovered coconut yogurt I need something nice and crunchy to sprinkle over it and it's my home made muesli. The measurements are not exact and you can pretty much add or remove with your own imagination. I love banana chips and cinnamon so it was a given it had to be added.

Muesli

2 cups Whole wheat flakes

1 cup Banana chips

1/2 cup Dried cherries

1 tbs Cinnamon

1/4 cup Wheat germs

1/4 cup Sesame seeds

1 tbs Canola oil

1 tbs Maple syrup

Preheat oven to 450F

In a bowl blend everything except the cherries and bananas. Place on a parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Bake for about 10-15 minutes. Let it cool completely on cookie sheet before placing in a large jar with lid.

Carob waffles for waffle day!

Today is waffle day in Sweden where I'm from and since you can take the girl out of Sweden but not Sweden out of the girl I made waffles for my family. This my first time making vegan waffles and I'm very pleased with the result. They are the soft kind of waffles instead of the Belgian crispy kind. In Sweden waffles are usually a dessert so I made these which can be either a fancy breakfast or yummy dessert. For me they were a nice snack served with maple syrup with my afternoon tea.

Carob waffles

1/2 cup cold water

3/4 cup non-dairy cream (I used mimic unsweetened but you can use So coconut cream)

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup spelt flour

2 tbs wheat germs

1 1/2 tbs Earth Balance margarine, melted

1 pinch of salt

1 1/2 carob powder

Blend water and cream together and add flour little at the time. Whisk to remove any lumps. Add remaining ingredients and blend but don't over work the batter. Let rest in fridge for an hour. Use a well heated waffle maker that's been wiped with a little canola oil.

Sun dried tomato baguettes

I discovered I had no more bread in my freezer so I set out to bake bread and this time I made sun dried tomato baguettes which are perfect with a salad or soup. I like my dough to rise for a long time so I usually prepare the dough in the evening and let it rise all night and bake it in the morning.

Sun dried tomato baguettes

1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, diced

2 cup water

2 tbs olive oil

1 tbs maple syrup

1 tsp salt

1/4 package active yeast

1 1/2 cup white all purpose flour

2 cup spelt flour (save some for kneeling)

2 tbs milk for brushing

Soak tomatoes in the water for at least 2 hours. Heat water and tomato until just barely finger warm. Mix flour (make sure to save some) , salt and yeast in a large bowl and kitchen aid and ass water mix, oil and maple syrup and blend really well. Work dough for about 5 minutes. Sprinkle flour over and place a towel over dough and place in a draft free area to rise over night.

In the morning preheat oven for 450F. Place dough on a baking area sprinkled with some flour and begin kneading dough for 5 minutes. Divide dough in two pieces. Roll each piece into a long baguette. Place on a cookie sheet with parchment paper and take each end on baguette and twist on two different direction very carefully. Brush each piece with milk and bake for 10 minutes. Brush each bread with milk again and bake for another 10 minutes. Cool breads on wire rack.

Nut and carob cookies

What is a chai latte without something sweet and crunchy to enjoy it with? These cookies are perfect delicate and very addictive. They contain Brazil nuts with is a good source of magnesium and selenium and eating nuts will increase all over health so I love to incorporate in my diet as much as possible, even in my cookies. It's a great combination of flavors from the nuts combined with carob.

Brazil nuts and carob cookies

3 ounces earth balance margarine

1/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 tbs carob powder

1 tbs non-daily milk (I used oat milk)

1/2 cup Brazil nuts, grounded in to a meal (Use blender or food processor)

1/2 cup spelt flour

1/4 cup vegan semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 400F

Whip margarine and sugar fluffy. Add remaining ingredients and blend until a dough. Roll 2 inch long roll and place on parchment paper on cookie sheet. Use back of a fork to flatten the each roll. Bake for 10-15 minutes. Let cookies cool on a wire rack.

Chai latte

I don't drink very much caffeinated drinks but I do like my afternoon teas. Now I have a new favorite, chai latte made from scratch. I love the sweet and spicy taste and I get a little kick without any caffeine. Ginger and fennel is good for the digestive system and the other spices are warming.

Chai latte

1/2 cup water

4 cloves

1 cinnamon stick

1/2 vanilla bean

5 black pepper corn

1/4 tsp fennel seeds

1/4 tsp ginger powder

1/2 tbs honey

1 cup milk (I used oat milk)

Place spices in water and bring to a boil on high heat. reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Add honey and milk and heat. Strain and drink immediately.

Zucchini and bean bake

I have zucchini and tomatoes growing in my garden and along with kidney beans from fridge and a piece of cheese this dish was created. It ended up being a very nice lunch served with cooked quinoa. There is no need to add any liquid because the water from the tomato and zucchini is all you need to make this dish.

Zucchini and bean bake

1 zucchini, sliced

1 large tomato, sliced

1/2 cup kidney beans, cooked or canned

1/2 cup grated cheese

1 tsp dried oregano

Black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to F400

Place sliced zucchini and tomatoes in the bottom of baking dish. Add beans on top and sprinkle cheese and, pepper and oregano all over. Bake for 15 minutes.

More marinade in Palm Springs

We're in Palm Springs on a family reunion which we do every year. We love Palm Springs and the fact it's so close, only about 2 hour drive. We usually make our own food so today Bella wanted BBQ. I then had to come up with a fast marinate of whatever I happened to have with us. I marinated seitan files in it and it was nice. Next time however I will skip the fennel seeds I think that was not appreciated by Bella.

I just had to get these purple carrots since I never tried them before, yum!

The berries were so colorful and ended up in a berry smoothie

When ever we go somewhere we try to figure out where the nearest organic farmers market is. I love to see what each one has to offer since each region, city or country has their own specialty. I loved the one in Palm Springs at Baristo rd which ended up being located only five minutes from out condo. It was small but had many good and fun things. One thing I found was purple carrots which I never seen before. It tasted kind of like a beet but much milder. Bella loved it which is unusual because she is not crazy for carrots. I made a simple salad with spring greens, yellow pepper, cocktail tomatoes, grated purple carrots and cubed soy feta cheese. It was divine.

Marinade

1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce

1/4 cup Bragg's liquid amino's

2 tbs agave nectar

1/4 cup ketchup

1 tbs canola oil

salt & pepper to taste

Blend everything together and marinate protein in it for at least 2 hours or if possible, over night in fridge.

Corn flakes candy

These candies or cookies is from my childhood and I have not had them since. I have no idea what made me think of them but I suddenly had craving fro them and decided to make some. It's kind a in between a cookie and candy with a little gooey caramel and crispy corn flakes. They are super easy to make with a few ingredients.

Corn flake candy

3 ounces Earth Balance margarine

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/2 cup sugar

3 tbs cocoa powder

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 cup corn flakes

Place margarine, syrup, sugar and cocoa powder in a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and boil for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and add extract and corn flakes and blend well. Spread on a parchment paper or drop spoonfuls of mix in paper baking cups. Place in fridge for one hour.

Hummus with taco flavors

Hummus one of my favorite thing to put on a sandwich. It's tasty, it's creamy and good for you, what's not to like? Hummus sandwich is often my lunch with a nice green salad on the side. I made this hummus with taco flavors and it was amazing.

Taco hummus

1 cup cooked chickpeas

2 tbs olive oil

1/2 tbs taco spice

salt to taste

Place everything in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.

BBQ days are back!

Finally we got warm weather again so BBQ is back in order. I love cooking on a grill and eating outside. This time we had kabobs with lots of colors and a sweet and slightly sour marinade.

Kabobs

1 seitan sausage or tofu, cut into smaller coins

1 yellow pepper

1 red pepper

10 cocktail tomatoes

10 small white mushrooms, stems remove

1 large yellow or green zucchini

Marinate:

2 tbs mango chutney

2 tbs canola oil

1 tbs Bragg's liquid amino's or light soy sauce

1 tbs apple cider vinegar

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

salt & pepper to taste

Blend everything together for the marinate in a large bowl and marinate items for the kabobs in fridge for at least one hour. Stick the items on kabobs spears and BBQ on low heat, turning about every 3 minutes so they wont burn. Any left over marinate can be poured over after removed from BBQ.

Pineapple crumble

I usually try to buy local and organic food all the time but when I found an organic pineapple from Costa Rica I could not help myself knowing how much Bella loves it. It was so sweet and juicy and we ate most of it just like it was but I saved some and made this pineapple crumble.

Pineapple crumble

1 cup pineapple, diced

2 tbs margarine

1/2 cup spelt flour

1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

1 tbs agave nectar

1/2 tsp ginger powder

Preheat oven for 450F

Place pineapple in a baking dish. Use a food processor, a fork or fingers to blend everything else into a crumbly mix. Sprinkle over pineapple. Bake for 10 minutes. Enjoy with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped soyatoo or rice whip.

Crazy for blueberries smoothie

Here is the recipe for my blueberry smoothies I treated my family to this weekend. It's a very easy and fun recipe. I added cashew butter for protein and chia seeds for some extra omega 3, calcium and antioxidants. Chia seeds contains more omega 3 than salmon I like to use coconut water as base for its natural electrolyte properties but made it with almond milk for my daughter so she will get all her vitamins and calcium.

I get a lot of questions about what I feed Bella. Since she is lactose intolerant I feed her either almond milk or oat milk which she really likes. Both a fortified but I still give her a multi-vitamin to be 100% sure.

Blueberries is a super food, loaded with vitamin A,C and E as well as beta carotene. They are most known for being rich in antioxidants which helps stop the production of free radicals that damages our cells and immune system.

Blueberry smoothie

1 cup almond milk or coconut water

1/2 banana

1/2 cup fresh blueberries

1 tbs cashew or almond butter

1 tsp chia seeds (optional)

Place everything except the chia seeds in a blender and blend until there are no lumps. Sprinkle chia seeds on top of smoothie and drink right away.

Morning blueberry bread

I love making bread for my family on weekend mornings. I will prepare the dough the night before. Let it rise over night and make buns early in the morning. There is nothing better my loved ones love more than to wake up to the smell of warm bread. I saw a recipe for blueberry bread on a blog and that inspired me to make a full blueberry breakfast with this bread and blueberry smoothies to drink with the bread.

Blueberry buns

2 cups vanilla coconut kefir

2 tbs maple syrup

1 tsp salt

2 tbs blueberry jam

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/4 wheat germs

1/2 package active dry yeast

2 cups spelt flour (maybe more if dough seems too sticky)

1 cup all-purpose white flour+more to sprinkle over dough and to use to kneel dough with

Blend kefi, jam and maple syrup in a large bowl or if using a kitchen aid. Blend all dry ingredients together and add gradually to the wet ones. Work dough for a few minutes and when you have slightly sticky dough sprinkle some flour on top and place a bowl in a draft free and warm place covered with a towel over night (about 8-9 hours). In the morning preheat oven for 500F. Remove dough from bowl on to a surface dusted with flour. Kneel the dough, adding more flour if it sticks, for 5 minutes. Make rolls and place on parchment paper on cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Enjoy warm!!!!

Greek scented bean patties

Here is the recipe for my Greek bean patties which we ate with my tzatziki. I had two leftover and I made a sandwich with of them with home baked walnuts sour dough bread, Dijon mustard and my new found favorite, sauerkrauts. It was such amazing sandwich and very satisfying. Sauerkraut is fermented cabbage which is live and raw. The fermentation process gives it a high nutritional value of vitamin B, C and contains good bacterias such as probiotics. It's a low glycemic index food.

Greek pattie, golden baked and ready to eat

Left over sandwich not to shabby either

Greek bean patties

12 ounces cooked chickpeas

1 tbs fresh mint, chopped

1 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp oregano

1 tbs bragg's liquid amino's or light soy sauce

1/4 cup grated cheese

1/2 yellow onion, diced

1 tbs egg replacement powder

salt & pepper to taste

2 tbs olive oil

Place onion and beans in food processor or blender and blend. Add remaining ingredients except the oil and blend until a smooth dough. Place in fridge for at least one hour. Preheat oven for F450. Make patties from bean dough and place on parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Brush each patty with the oil. Bake for about 10-15 minutes and flip once. Bake for another 5 minute.

Tzatziki

We ate Greek inspired food for dinner last night. I made Greek bean patties, lemon rice and tzatziki. I'm so happy since So coconut came out with plain yogurt so me and everyone else who is vegan but can't eat soy once again can enjoy yogurt. Coconut yogurt is a little bit sweeter than regular or soy yogurt but I added lemon juice to make it more of that acid taste. My husband who never was a big a fan of yogurts loves coconut yogurt for the sweeter reason. I will post the recipe for the patties tomorrow.

Tzatziki

1 1/2 cup plain coconut yogurt, strained for one hour in a coffee filter

2/3 cup cucumber, seeds removed and cut into smaller pieces

2 tbs lemon juice

1 garlic clove, grated or diced very fine

1 1/2 tbs fresh dill weeds or 1 tbs dried

salt and pepper to taste

Sprinkle so salt over the cucumber pieces and let sit for 1 hour before watching them to remove some of the fluids. Blend everything together in a bowl. Ready!!!

Chocolate covered chocolate caramels

This candy is chocolate on chocolate which is thrilling my chocolate loving husband. For this recipe you will need a candy thermometer on hand to get the right texture of candy.

Chocolate covered caramels

100 g earth balance margarine

1 cup mimic cream (unsweetened)

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup muscovado sugar

1/2 cup corn syrup

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbs cocoa powder

100g semi-sweet chocolate chips

Combine everything except chocolate chips in a medium size pot. Bring to a boil on medium heat and place thermometer in mix until temperature reaches 250F. Remove from heat and pour on a parchment paper clad baking dish. Place in a cool place. When candy is completely cool cut into small squares. Melt chocolate chips in a pot and dip each piece of caramel into the chocolate and then place them on a parchment paper. Place in fridge to cool.

Creamy arugula pesto

My husband loves pesto but after he became lactose intolerant he has not eaten it. I never liked pesto but now I have changed my mind after I made this creamy arugula pesto. Best of all is that it's completely dairy free so now my hubby can enjoy it again.

Arugula pesto sauce

1 1/2 cup arugula

1 large garlic clove

1/2 cup pine nuts

2 tbs olive oil

1/4 cup non-dairy and unsweetened cream such as mimic cream

1/3 cup grated non-dairy cheese such as daiya cheese

salt & pepper to taste

Place everything in a food processor or blender and process until desired consistency. Do not heat pesto but rather toss it with pasta of your choice. I used quinoa spirals.

Grilled date sugar and coconut bananas

This is probably the easiest dessert you can make and all you need is a couple of bananas, sugar and either, cream, yogurt or ice cream to serve it with. I used date sugar to make it a little bit healthier but you can use pretty much any other sweetener such as honey, sugar or maple syrup. I also served the bananas with a lemon and honey scented coconut yogurt.

Grilled bananas

2 large bananas peeled and sliced

2 tbs date sugar (or other sweetener)

2 tbs dried coconut flakes

Yogurt:

1 cup plain coconut yogurt

1 tbs grated lemon peel

1 tbs honey

Preheat oven for 400F

Place banana slices in a baking dish. Sprinkle sugar and coconut evenly over the bananas. Bake in oven for 10 minutes or until they are slightly browned. While bananas are baking, blend yogurt, peep and honey together.

Apple scented bean soup

I can't believe I'm gonna say it but I'm soooo tired for rain. I don't mind rain during night or even weekday's but not weekend when we want to have family outdoor fun. In the spirit of cold and rainy evening, we had another soup for dinner served with freshly baked bread. I guess it's kind of bean soup for the soul :) I added some apple juice to the soup with made it have a slight sweet surprise. The soup is a clear soup however, I did puree it for Bella making it much easier for her to eat.

Apple scented soup

1 tbs compound butter or use regular margarine

1/2 cup leeks, chopped

1 large red potato, peeled and cut into smaller pieces

1/2 fennel, chopped

1 cup green beans

1 cup garbanzo beans

1/2 cup apple juice

1/2 bullion cube

1 1/2 water

salt & pepper to taste

Melt butter in a soup pot and fry leeks on medium heat for 1 minutes, add potatoes, fennel and green beans and fry for another 1 minute. Add bullion, water, apple juice simmer for 20 minutes or until vegetables are soft. Add garbanzo beans and spices.

Healthiest chocolate cake

No added fat or sugar but added dates and beans makes this probably one of the most healthy chocolate cake but don't worry, it does not skimp on flavor. It's all sweet, ooey, gooey and very chocolaty cake. I'm planning to serve this at a family reunion in Palm Springs but I've learned my lesson and never tell them there are healthy stuff in them or they will never try them. I baked them in silicon molds so I didn't have to add oil or butter to mold. Bella and James loved them. I served them with a chocolate sauce and chopped roasted hazelnuts. Mmmmmm. My husband raved about these on our family blog so I had to rush posting the recipe but at first I had no picture but now I've added one.

Chocolate cake

8 medjool dates, pitted and soaked for 2 hours

1/2 plain coconut yogurt

1/2 black beans

1/2 semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted

2 tsp vanilla sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 tbs cocoa powder

1/2 cup coconut cream

Preheat oven for 350F

Blend dates, yogurt and beans to a pure. Add melted chocolate chips and blend well. Add remaining ingredients and pour into a mold, one large on or a couple smaller ones. Bake for about 20 minutes.

Pizza tricolore

Ever since we got a pizza stone for Christmas I been thinking about fun pizza's to bake on it. At California Pizza kitchen they have a pizza with salad on top of it which is my favorite so I re-made it, my version off course. I added pizza sauce, cheese and much more interesting salad of arugula, avocado and roasted bell peppers. All I can say is Yum!!! It was a perfect Friday evening dinner and this pizza is so beautiful with all the colors. I made one small part of the pizza for Bella who is not so keen on tomato sauce and made it cheese and bell pepper pizza instead and added her salad on the side. To roast bell peppers, just place sliced peppers strips in a baking dish in a 450F oven for 5 minutes.

Pizza tricolore

Dough:

1 1/2 cup warm water

3 tbs olive oil

2 cup semolina flour (maybe more if dough feels too sticky)

1 cup spelt flour

1/4 package active yeast

1 tsp salt

Blend flour, salt and yeast together in a large bowl. Blend warm water and 2 tbs of the oil and then add to flour mix. Work the dough really well for about 10 minutes because you need to make the dough very elastic. It helps if you have a kitchen aid to do the work for you. Rub remaining oil around the dough and place dough in bowl under plastic wrap. Let the dough rise for 4 hours in a warm and draft free place. Remove from bowl and kneel and work dough for 5 minutes on a flat surface. Divide dough in half and use a rolling pin to roll out to a thin round piece. Place on a pizza mold and roll up edges. Add pizza sauce and cheese and bake in a a 500F preheated oven for about 10 minutes. Remove from oven Add remaining ingredients and serve immediately.

Pizza sauce:

1 small yellow onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 can crushed tomatoes with garlic and basil

1/4 cup ketchup

2 tbs miso

1/2 tbs dried oregano

1/2 tbs dried rosemary

2 tbs balsamic vinegar

2 tbs brown sugar

salt & pepper to taste

Place everything except herbs in a large pot and simmer for about 1 hour on low heat. Remove from heat and process soup in a food processor until smooth. Return to pot and bring to a boil and add herbs. Reduce heat and simmer for another 20 minutes.

Love by chocolate fondue

My little girl loves chocolate just like her dad and I don't mind giving her that as long as it's good quality chocolate. This dessert is great for adults or kids who loves dipping and chocolate. It's a very easy version of a chocolate fondue and best of it is that you don't need a fondue pot you can just serve it in either individual bowls or one large on. I served it with fresh cut fruits, specially strawberries works well but you can also jazz it up by serving cakes, crackers or other yummy and fun stuff great with chocolate.

Chocolate fondue

1/2 cup coconut cream (or substitute with other cream)

2 tbs maple syrup

1 tbs coconut butter or use 1 tbs unsalted butter

1 cup non-dairy chocolate (Use white, dark or milk chocolate)

Heat cream in a small sauce pot on medium heat, remove from heat and add chocolate and stir until completely melted and smooth. Add syrup and butter and blend well. Serve slightly warm.

sunny yoga kitchen up and running again with a amazing marinate

So after a couple of days of stomach flu me and Bella have finally left the bed, gotten out of pyjamas and are now eating food again. Boy are we hungry after a diet of water, pedialyte and apple sauce. Last night Bella begged me for avocado and when I said it might not the best thing on her tummy right now she replied "But mom I feel better now, pleeeeease". I finally gave in a she was happy as a a clam and kept every bite down. Today however, daddy (James) came home sick and is now resting and fighting the nausea. Poor things. Me and Bella are preparing our which will be seitan marinated in an amazing chutney sauce. Like I said before, I love sweet & sour combination and this is not very sour so it's kids friendly too. To marinate, I blend sauce and place in a zip lock bag along with whatever protein you're marinating; seitan, quorn or tofu for a couple of hours. I do think it would be great with garbanzo bean but then I might place everything a glass jar and marinate over night. This also makes a great sauce and then you can add 1/4 cup mimic or coconut cream.

Chutney marinate

1/2 cup mango chutney

1 tbs canola oil

1/2 vegan bouillon cube, dissolved in 1/3 water

2 tbs apple cider vinegar

Salt & pepper to taste

Blend everything together.

The apple didn't work:(

And that is all I have to say about that Alabama! Ok not really but the is the price I pay for being the parent who Bella is glued to when she is sick. Now James is caring for both of us and I feel so bad because he is so busy at work and tax season.

Sick house and hoping an apple a day will make it go away:(

We had planned to go out for dinner last night after James and Bella went to Sea world and I for a massage. I got a text saying "Come home, stomach flu is here". It turns out Bella started to feel sick just after they arrived at Sea World and vomited once there and once when they got home. She continued all evening, night and morning. Let me tell you, there is nothing like watching you poor baby vomit all over you, herself and the bed to make you loose your appetite. All I've eaten is an apple and I hope it's true what they say about apples keeping the doctor away. Bella keeps asking me for food and I have to keep it away which break my heart. I've given her small sips of coconut water which is naturally high in electrolytes. I hope she gets better soon and that me and James both ducked this nasty bug.