Passion fruit muffin with crumble

Our wonderful and beautiful Maria keeps bringing me passion fruits from her garden saying "no one likes them in her family". Wow I love them and love using them in desserts. Today I made these passion fruit muffins with a crumbles on top. Of they are soooooooo good. I added grated zucchini to make them moist.

3 1/2 ounce butter, melted and then cooled

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup zucchini, grated very fine

1/2 cup passion fruit juice (I strained the passion fruit meat and seeds)

1/4 cup milk (I used vanilla flavored oat milk)

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to F450

Blend everything together to a smooth and creamy batter. Fill baking cups 3/4 cup full. Place crumble on top and bake for about 15 minutes. Them them cool completely before serving.

Crumble:

1 ounce butter

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Blend together until lumpy.

Acorn squash soup

Now is the season for squash and there are so many to choose from. At home we eat a lot of squash all year round but I love it when acorn and butternut squash is at their best like now. These two squashes are perfect to feed children because not only are they loaded with great nutrition such as fiber, vitamin A and C as well as B6 but they are also slight sweet tasting. I made this very simple soup but very taste and appreciated by Bella. I top each soup with some acorn squash chips making it just a little more fun. We ate it with my pizza rolls but some garlic bread would also be great.

1 tbs canola oil

3 large sage leafs, diced

1 small yellow onion, diced

3 cup acorn squash, cubed

1 cup water

2/3 cup almond milk

salt to taste

Heat oil in a soup pot and satay sage and onions until glossy but not brown. Add squash and satay for 2 minutes. Add water and simmer until squash is soft. Add milk and puree soup in blender or food processor. Heat soup and add salt to taste. Serve with a few chips on top.

Acorn chips

1 cup thin shaved acorn squash ( I used a cheese slices)

3 tbs olive oil

2 tsp sea weed salt

1 tsp black pepper

Turn oven to high broil.

Blend oil, salt and pepper in a bowl. Mix in squash and coat them well. Grill until lightly browned and crispy.

San Francisco weekend

We decided to take one last trip before I can't fly anymore. We wanted to go somewhere pretty close which also featured great culinary experince so we ended up in San Francisco again. The weather was amazing with highs in the 80th.

One night we went to Fleur de Lys which is a french restaurant owned by Top Chef master and judge Huber Keller. Me and James both really admire him. We already been to his Burger Bar in Las Vegas and they feature the best lentil burger ever. It even got top marks from our friends who are hard core meat eaters. At Fleur de Lys I was happy to see great options for vegetarians such as; vegetable ragout, roasted fennel barigoule and roasted chestnut fondant. We had Bella with us and she was the only child in there but she was treated like royalty and got so much attention. When we were ready to leave, the hostess told us the chef really wanted to meet Bella and us. Boy were we surprised when Hubert Keller himself showed up. Sure I was honored the chef wanted to meet us but that it was THE chef we had no idea. He was as amazingly kind and warm hearted as he seems on Top Chef and even walked us to our car and waved bye bye to Bella as we drove away, She absolutely loved him and now walking around saying "I meet Hubert and he is the best chef in the world!!!!".

The day after we had lunch at one of our favorite vegetarian restaurant Greens. It's has an amazing view of the bay and Golden Gate bridge as well a huge variety of foods. It was a great weekend and we ate so well but now I'm happy to be home and cooking again.

The madness of 270 cups cakes

Yesterday I made 270 cups cakes for our friend Annie's wedding. She is allergic to gluten and wheat so I made them not only vegan but also free from wheat and gluten. Annie wanted passion fruit and key lime and the third I decided to make chocolate with a white chocolate frosting for all those chocolate lovers out there. I was surprised to hear that passion fruit was the favorite at the wedding. The task of making these were a interesting one and I had many misshapes in the process. I realized it's a lot of pressure baking for someones wedding and I never would have volunteered unless it was Annie who is cool as a cucumber. Never the less I wanted them to be prefect for a very special day when she finally married her soul mate Tony and united 4 children and one more one the way. Congratulations Annie and Tony!!!!

The beautiful bride Annie

The cup cakes before everyone jumped in and started eating them. I love the eatable flowers on top

It took two days to bake and frost these bad boys and I still can't stand the smell of the frosting :)

Quinoa soup

The Syren family home is a sick one with both Bella and James suffering from a cold. James even stayed home yesterday working since didn't want to share the cold with his co-workers. I was home baking cupcakes for our friend Annie's wedding so we had lunch together. I made a very healing and warming quinoa soup and served it with an avocado sandwich. The soup was loaded with ginger and vegetables to help James get over his cold soon. Don't get discouraged from the long list of spices, it all adds up to an amazing soup for big or small tummies.

1/2 cup yellow onion, diced

1 tbs olive oil

1/2 cup carrots coins

1/2 cup rutabaga, peeled and cubed

1/2 cup quinoa grains, rinsed

1 cup water

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp fennel seeds

2 tsp tsp grated ginger

1 tsp coriander

1 tsp turmeric

Black pepper to taste

Herb salt to taste

1/2 cup zucchini, cubed

1 cup arugula

1/2 cup So delicious plain yogurt

Heat oil on medium heat in a soup pot, fry onions for 1 minute. Add all spices as well as rutabaga and carrot. Fry for another minutes. Add quinoa and water. Simmer for 10-15 minutes or until quinoa and vegetables are almost done. Add zucchini and simmer until done. Add arugula and yogurt. Remove from heat and do not boil yogurt.

Bella's lunch

I got lot of questions on what I pack for Bella's lunch the three days she is in school. Here is examples from her menu;

• Avocado sandwich (sprouted whole wheat bread with mashed avocado)

Cooked edamame, fresh orange pepper cut into smaller pieces

Apple slices

Water

• Carrot pancake

cooked sweet peas and red peppers

cantaloupe cubes

water

• Hummus sandwich

Green pepper and carrots coins

Cantaloupe pieces

water

• Almond butter sandwich

Cooked sweet peas and red peppers

plum

water

Fall casserole

This ended up being an amazing dinner with so many beautiful and colorful vegetables as well as flavors. It was all hiding under a layer of cheese and I always say that vegetables and beans covered by cheese can fool anyone to appreciate vegetarian food, even the pickiest eater. Now I'm lucky to have the two of the least picky eaters joining me for dinner; James and Bella who liked the food very much. We ate a piece of home baked sour dough bread with it but it would be great with rice, barley or millet.

1 tbs oil

1/ cup yellow onion, diced

1 garlic clove, grated

1 carrot, peeled and sliced

1 can of roasted diced tomatoes

1 tbs brown sugar

1/4 cup ketchup

1 cup cauliflower, cut into smaller pieces

1 zucchini, cubed

1 cup green cabbage, diced

1 tbs yellow curry powder

2 tsp chili pepper

1 bouillon cube

1/2 cup plain coconut creamer

1 cup mung beans, cooked

1 cup grated cheese

Heat oil in a stew pot and satay onion and garlic for 1 minute. Add carrot, cauliflower, curry powder, chili powder, crumbles bouillon cube, sugar, ketchup and canned tomatoes. Simmer on low heat until vegetables are almost soft. Add zucchini and cabbage. Preheat oven to F450. Mix the stew with beans and creamer in a baking dish. Sprinkle cheese in an even layer all over. Bake until cheese is melted and slightly browned.

Garbanzo bean curry

This curry is mild and perfect for kids. I like to add some more spices for me and James after I've removed Bella's portion. You can add all kindsof vegetables to the curry but I used zucchini, potatoand tomato for this one.

1 tbs canola oil

1/2 tsp red curry paste (add more after removing kids portion for spicy dish)

1 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, grated

1/2 cup potatoes, peeled and cubed

1/4 cup water

1 large zucchini, cubed

2 large tomatoes, cubed

2/3 cup coconut milk

Bragg's liquid amino's to taste

Heat oil in a large pot on medium heat and place cumin seeds and let them sizzle for 30 seconds. Add onion and garlic and fry for 1 minute. Add potatoes and fry for another minutes. Add tomatoes, curry paste and water and simmer until potatoes are almost done. add zucchini and coconut milk. Simmer until vegetables are soft. Add bragg's and serve.

Family pizza night

Bella requested pizza for friday night dinner so that's what we had. Making your own pizza is fun because kids can help out, it's cheap and healthier than takeout pizza. It's also very easy to make your own. I used sour dough culture in this pizza crust but it can be done without. Here is a great link to making your own sour dough starter. I also make my own pizza sauce which by the way, also is very easy. The crust we make is a thin crust and everyone can choose what he or she wants on their pizza Bella likes tomato and cheese, James likes faux pepperoni and caramelized onions while I like arugula and veggies on mine.

Bella loves making her own pizza!

My pizza baking on our pizza stone, the best investment ever

James's pizza with soy pepperoni and onions

Thin pizza crust:

1 packet active dry yeast

2 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1/4 cup olive oil 1 tbs

1 cup warm water + 1/2 cup sour dough culture add another 1/2 cup warm water

3 1/2 cup all-purpose white flour

Blend all wet ingredients except for 1 tbs olive oil in a large bowl. Add yeast and blend. Add flour and work to a very nice shiny dough. Rub the 1 tbs olive oil over the dough. Let it rest for 1 hour under a towel. remove dough from bowel and kneel and punch any air out of the dough. Use a rolling pin to make a thin or crust. We bake our pizzas on a pizza stone but you can also make it on a cookie sheet. Place tomato sauce, cheese and whatever your fancy on the pizza. Bake in oven preheated to F500 (it has to be a hot oven to bake crispy crust).

Pizza sauce:

1 tbs olive oil

2 garlic cloves, grated

1 tbs white balsamic vinegar

1 can diced tomatoes

1 tbs dried oregano

2 tbs chili sauce

Salt to taste

Black pepper to taste

Heat oil on medium heat in a sauce pan. fry the garlic for 1 minute, don't let it brown. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 5 minutes. Place in blender or food processor and blend to smooth sauce. Done!!

Lentil patties

These patties were the easiest patties I made in a very long time and the fact that they tasted absolutely wonderful was a plus. Left overs ended up on a lunch sandwich with some mustard, mayo and tomatoes. Next time I will make extra to put in the freezer for those day's when time or inspiration is lacking. We ate these with a pineapple slaw and broccoli.

1 1/2 cup green lentils, cooked

1 1/2 cup whole millet, cooked

Herb salt to taste

Black pepper to taste

1 tbs egg replacer powder or 1 tbs corn starch

1 tbs olive oil + more for frying

Place lentils, millet, salt and pepper in a food processor and blend until blended. Add oil and replacer and blend until it's dryer dough. It should be not too dry or too wet. If too wet add more egg replacer powder and if it's too dry add a little more oil. Shape with wet hands to small patties. Fry in oil in a frying pan on medium heat until browned.

Crème Nignon

I never eat or serve canned or soups from mix since it's so easy to make your own, it's healthier and cheaper. Today for lunch I made this French sweet pea soup which can be served hot or cold. I served mine hot since I like warm soups. It took me about 15 minutes to make and all you really need is peas, onion, vegetable stock and a little cream. I ate my soup with a slice of spelt bread with tartex. The soup has a slight sweet undertone so it's quit appreciated by kids and is a good way to get them to eat protein and green vegetables.

2 tsp canola oil

1/4 cup yellow onion, diced

1 cup green peas (fresh or frozen

1 cup vegetable stock

2 tbs cream ( I used So Delicious coconut plain coffee creamer.

Salt & pepper to taste

Milk foam (optional)

Heat oil on medium heat in a soup pot. satay onions for 1 minutes. Add peas and keep cooking for 1 minutes. Add stock and simmer for 10 minutes. Mix soup in blender or food processor until creamy. Add cream, salt & pepper. If you want a really velvet soup you can strain it to remove any peels. To make to the foam, heat 2 tbs of milk and whisk until a foam is created. Use a spoon to take the foam and carefully place on top of soup.

Big nutritional lunch for a small tummy

Today was Bella's first day of school! She is attending the Waldorf school 10 minutes from our house. We love the school because their focus is on the individual child, art, wholesome, organic and nutritional food. Everyday they cook a wholesome grain (the kids help out) and eat together.

I have to send a packed lunch with Bella for the day's she is in school which at this time is Mon-Tue-fri from 8:15 to 1pm. They don't use microwaves so I had to come up with food suitable to be eaten cold. I made; avocado sandwich, cut into a half moon shape, edamame, orange pepper, cantaloupe and a bottle of water. Edamame is a soy bean packed with protein, omega fatty acid, folic acid , dietary fibers and vitamin K.

I have to admit that when she and James drove off I started crying because I suddenly remember holding her for the very first time and now she is a big girl going off to school. Darn those pregnancy hormones :)

Mint chocolate cookie ice cream

My adventure in ice cream making continues and when Sheena came for a visit I knew there had to be an ice cream dessert. I think this is the most amazing ice cream I ever made and Sheena could not believe it was vegan.

1 cup oat milk, cold

1 cup sugar

2 cup mimic cream, unsweetened, cold

1 tbs canola oil

1 cup chocolate mint cookies, crumbled

Mix oat milk and sugar and whisk until sugar is completely dissolved. Mix in the cream and oil. Place in a ice cream maker for about 1 hour. Right before it's too thick, add the cookie crumbs and let them blend in well.

Samosas with red currant chutney

Here is the recipe for the samosas we ate yesterday. We ate them with a red currant chutney to dip them in. Traditional samosas are made with a dough but I used whole wheat filo dough and has a mix of potatoes and peas. I was out of peas and used kale instead.

Samosas

1 tbs olive oil

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp cumin powder

1/2 cup yellow onion, diced

2 cup cooked potatoes, peeled and diced

1 cup kale, chopped fine

Salt & pepper to taste

filo dough sheets, defrosted

oil to brush each sheet with

Preheat oven to F400

Heat oil in frying pan on medium heat and ass coriander and cumin and let me sizzle for 1 minute. Add onion and cook for 1 minute. Add potatoes and cook for another minute. Add kale and cook until wilted.

Brush each sheet with oil and place a couple tablespoonful of filling on each corner. Fold into small packages. Continue until all filling is gone (about 6 sheets). Place packages on a cookie sheet and brush outside with oil. Bake for about 15 mi

nutes or until they are golden.

Red currant chutney

3/4 cup red currants

1 tsb red chili, diced fine

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup water

Place everything in a pot and bring to boil. Cook without a lid until it's syrupy jam (About 15-20 minutes). let it cool before serving.

Roasted tomato soup

Today I had two very special lunch guest all away from London. Sheena and her beautiful little girl Amelie came for a visit and lunch. I was so delighted when Amelie happily ate all the food I served after her mom told me she is a picky eater. I made a small buffet of salad, samosas served with a red currant chutney, chapati, fresh cut veggies and a roasted tomato soup. For dessert we had mint cookie ice cream. I will try to post the recipes for all the goodies but to start with here is the recipe for a very mild tomato soup, perfect for kids. I personal think this soup would go well with a grilled cheese sandwich.

Roasted tomato soup

3 cup cherry tomatoes

2 tbs olive oil

2 tsp sea salt

2 garlic cloves, skin removed

1/2 bouillon cube

1 1/2 cup water

1 tbs white balsamic vinegar (can be skipped)

2 tbs ketchup

1/2 cup So delicious plain coconut cream

1 tbs fresh parsley, chopped

Preheat oven to F400

Place tomatoes, garlic, salt and olive oil in baking dish. Bake for 10--15 minutes or until the skins begin to blister or crack. Place the tomatoes and garlic in a pot and add water, bouillon, vinegar. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Place in a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Add cream and ketchup, blend well. Sprinkle parsley before serving.

Filo packages with mushroom filling

I hope you all had a wonderful labor day weekend. I've been so tired every night lately. Part is that I'm working a lot right now and off course part is because I'm 22+ weeks pregnant.

Our meal often has been finding things in the fridge or freezer and using my inspiration to make something good and healthy. I've had whole wheat filo dough in the freezer for a while so I decided it was time to use them. The filling was a very simple mushroom, arugula, zucchini and onion. Bella and James both really liked it so it was a hit. I love when it's that easy! It felt like I could be a perfect fall meal which is perfect because yesterday and today felt like a crisp fall day.

Filo packages

whole wheat filo dough, defrosted

3 tbs canola oil

1 medium zucchini, diced

1 small yellow onion, peeled and diced

2 cups mushrooms ( I used oyster and chanterelles) chopped

1 cup arugula

Salt & pepper to taste

Sweet & spicy chili sauce to dip in (optional)

Preheat oven to F400

heat 1 tbs oil in a frying pan on medium heat and fry onions for 30 seconds. Add zucchini and mushrooms and fry 2 minutes. Add arugula, salt and pepper. Brush each sheet on filo with oil and add a few spoonfuls on filling on each. Fold edges in and carefully roll or fold into a packages. Brush outside with oil. Repeat until all filling is gone (makes about 4 packages depending on how much filling you want on each. Place on parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Cook for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Eat with a mixed salad and dipping sauce.

Ice cream, lots of ice cream

My ice cream maker broke after 13 years!!! It was a wedding gift to us and I can't believe it lasted that long considering how much I use it. My husband researched the best ice cream maker on the market and found one for $700 which everyone loves. OK I said I love him for wanting to spend that much money on me but oh my god NOOOOO!. Well yesterday we decided to go to Good News discount kitchen store and buy a new one. Well there they had many different ones as well as the $700 which my husband had found but it was on sale for $260.

So yes I now have a new ice cream machine which I love so much and already I made two kinds of ice cream; passion fruit sorbet and butter pecan. I received some pa

ssion fruits from a friend of ours and didn't know what to do with them since they were too tart for Bella and James. As a sorbet it was quit appreciated. I did strain and remove the seeds only because I knew Bella would be suspicious of them but the sorbet can be made either way. The butter pecan was just so amazing good that my husband told me he could not believe it was vegan.

Passion fruit sorbet

3/4 cup water

1 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla sugar or 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

15 large passion fruits, cut in half and meat scraped out

Bring to a boil on medium heat the sugar and water. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Set a side and let it cool completely. Blend sugar syrup, vanilla and passion fruit well. Place in ice cream maker until stiff (about 40 minutes). If the sorbet seems loose, place in a air tight container in freezer for an hour before serving.

Butter pecan ice cream

1 cup oat milk, cold

3/4 cup sugar

2 cup Soyatoo soy whip, cold

1-2 tsp vanilla extract or sugar to taste

1 cup raw pecans, chopped

1/2 cup butter

1 tbs brown sugar

Melt butter in a sauce pan and add sugar and pecans. Simmer for 2 minutes, drain and cool pecans completely. Mix oat milk and sugar and whisk until sugar in dissolved. Add cream and vanilla and mix until it's a creamy mix. Place in a ice cream maker for about 1 hour. Right before the ice cream stiffens, add pecans. If harder consistency is desired, place in a air tight container and in freezer for 1-2 hours before serving.

Breakfast bread

This recipe my friend Jessica found on a blog and made it and treated me. I loved them so much I made my own but changed the recipe quit a bit, adding fiber and making them vegan. They are suppose to be kind of flat and round. They taste so great with rice cheese and my homemade plum jam.

Breakfast bread

1 1/2 cup almond milk

1 cup rolled oats

100g Earth balance margarine

1 cup oat milk

1/4 cup light syrup

1 package active dry yeast

3 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 cup spelt flour

Place oat and almond milk in a small pot and bring to a boil. Simmer until a thick oatmeal. remove from heat and set a side to cool down. Melt margarine in a sauce pot. A oat milk and syrup and heat to finger warm. Mix flours and yeast in a large bowl or use a kitchen aid. Add margarine/milk mix and blend well. Add cooled down oat meal and blend. If dough seems sticky, add more flour. Place bowl in a warm place and let it rise for 30 minutes, covered under a kitchen towel. Place dough on a surface, sprinkled with flour. Kneel the dough well for a few minutes. Divide dough into 16 pieces and roll the to a ball. Use hand to flatten and then a rolling pin to roll out to a thin and round cake. Place on a cookie sheet and rest under a towel for 45 minutes. Preheat oven to F440. Prick each cake a couple of times with a fork. Bake for 8-12 minutes, depending on how big or thin the breads are. They should be golden. Place them on a cooling rack to cool down.

Broccoli pasta sauce

James has been out of town for a couple of days and thank god my friend Jessica has been here helping me out so I can get dinner on the table at a reasonable hour. Yesterday I made a broccoli pasta sauce which was very simple and healthy. I used a recipe from Vegan Italiano. I made some changes as usual.

Broccoli pasta sauce

12 ounces quinoa spaghetti

2 tbs olive oil

3 cups broccoli

2 garlic cloves, sliced

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 cup vegetable broth

Salt & pepper to taste

1/4 cup sour cream

1/2 cup grated cheese

Bring a large stockpot filled with salted water to a boil over high heat. Add broccoli and reduce heat to low. Cook broccoli until almost done, about 2 minutes. Remove broccoli without discarding the water. Place them in a bowl with ice water. Drain and coarsely chop.

Bring water to a boil again and add pasta and cook according to directions. Drain.

In a large deep-sided skillet heat the oil on medium heat. Cook sliced garlic for one minute. Add broccoli and red pepper, cook stirring for 2 minutes. Add broth and simmer for covered for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add sour cream, salt and pepper. Toss with pasta and sprinkle cheese over before serving.