Pak choi and beans noodles

A fast meal full of flavour!

Serves 2:
Olive oil (1 tbsp)
Noodles (200g) 
Red Beans (100g - cooked and drained)
Pak choi (150g - chopped) 
Fresh herbs (1 tbsp - finely chopped) 
Garlic (1 tsp - minced)
Salt and pepper (to taste)

1) Bring a saucepan of water to the boil and cook the noodles for 3 minutes. Drain, refresh in cold water, and reserve. 
2) Heat the olive oil in a wok over a moderate heat until hot. Stir-fry the pak choi and garlic for 3 minutes, stirring all the time. Add the beans, noodles and fresh herbs to wok, stirring well. Season to taste.
3) Serve warm and enjoy!

King kanel

When the Portuguese Christmas "king cake" meets the Swedish kanelbulle, the result is just... delicious!

Makes 1 cake:

For the dough:
Margarine (vegan, non-hydrogenated - 80g) 
Vegetable milk (300 ml)
Fresh yeast (25g)
Muscovado sugar (50g)
Flour (500g)

For the filling:
Dried fruits and nuts (200 g)
Orange jam (sugar free)

For the top:
Vegetable milk
Muscovado sugar

1) In a small saucepan, melt the margarine over medium-low heat. Pour in the milk and heat gently to about 37C.
2) In a large mixing bowl, combine the yeast with a little of the warm milk-margarine mixture and a sprinkle of the sugar. Let sit for 5-10 minutes.
3) Add the remaining milk mixture, sugar  and about 2/3 of the flour mixture. Mix until you have a smooth, soft dough, adding more flour as necessary if it’s too sticky.
4) The dough is ready when it comes away from the sides of the bowl.
5) Cover and let it rest for 30 minutes.
6) Knead the dough in the bowl and then turn onto a floured work surface and knead in the rest of the flour, for a couple of minutes. Gentle add in the dried fruits and nuts.
7) Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface into a thin, large rectangle. Spread with jam. Roll up tightly along the longer edge and slice into even pieces.
8) Place each piece, sliced side up, and shape a circle. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes.
9) Preheat oven to 225C.
10) Brush the tops with milk, and sprinkle with sugar.
11) Bake on the center rack of the oven for 8-10 minutes.
12) Cool and enjoy!

Pumpkin dreams

Vegan version of the Portuguese traditional Christmas light and fluffy doughnut like pastries that melt in your mouth!Yummy!

 Serves: 6-8

Pumpkin puree (280 g)
All purpose flour (140 g)
Fresh yeast (5 g)
Orange (juice from 1 orange)
Coconut sugar (25 g)

Coconut sugar and cinnamon for topping
Oil to fry

1) Add the pumpkin, juice, yeast and sugar and mash it (whit your hands) until reaches a smooth and even consistency.
2)  Add the flour and mix it in well. Let it rest for 1 hour.
3) Use a tablespoon and begin to knead the dough into balls for frying. If the dough does not have a strong enough consistency, add some more flour and knead it in accordingly.
4) Pour a 5 cm layer of oil into a frying pan and begin frying the balls. Usually it takes about 1-2 minutes on both sides until they are golden brown.
5) Once they are all done and fried, cover the fried cakes with sugar and cinnamon.
6) Enjoy!

Mashed roots with white beans "cebolada"

And the Autumn arrived :)

Serves 4:

For the mashed roots:

Turnip (400g)
Sweet Potatoes (400g)
Carrots (100g)
Non-hydrogenated margarine (50g)
Rice milk (50 ml - warm)
Salt
Nutmeg

1) Peel the turnip, sweet potatoes and carrots and cook them in water until tender.
2) Drain the roots, and then place them back in the pan.
3) Mash everything with the margarine, the rice milk, salt and nutmeg.

For the beans "cebolada":

White beans (400g - cooked)
Tomato (500g - peeled, seeded and chopped or 300g tomato purée)
Onions (300g - thinly sliced)
Bay Leaves (2)
Olive oil (2 tbsp)
Salt
Pepper

1) For the tomato sauce, heat the olive oil (1 tbsp) in the frying pan, add the onion and gently fry until softened but not coloured.

2) Add the tomato and simmer for 5 minutes. Season to taste. Add the cooked beans and cook for 5 more minutes.

Enjoy!

Pasta with kantareller

I love their flavour since the first time I tasted them... they are wild, golden and earthy... delicious!

Serves 2:
Fusilli (gluten free - 200g)
Kantareller (Chanterelle - 200g)
Soy cream (200ml)
Olive oil
Pepper
Salt

1) Cook the fusilli "al dente", drain and reserve.
2) In a saucepan cook the mushrooms with a drizzle of olive oil until soft.
3) Add the soy cream cream and simmer for 2 minutes. Season to taste.
4) Pour the sauce over the pasta and toss to coat.

Cocoa cake with blueberries

First experience with aquafaba...  it really works ;)

Makes 1 cake:
All-purpose flour (1 cup) 
Coconut flour (1/2 cup)
Baking powder (2 tsp)
Extra virgin olive oil (2 tbsp)
Cocoa powder (3 tbsp)
Coconut sugar (1/2 cup) 
Aquafaba (1 cup) 
Cider vinegar (1 tbsp)

1) Preheat the oven to 180° C (350° F).
2) Line a small cake pan.
3) Mix together all ingredients, except the vinegar and the aquafaba, in a large bowl. 
4) Add the vinegar and mix until combined.
5) Gently fold the aquafaba into the cake mix.
6) Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan, bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a tooth pick comes out clean.
7) Cover with blueberry jam and fresh blueberries.

Homemade aquafaba:
Liquid from 1 can of organic chickpeas - whip the chickpea liquid until it forms firm peaks.  

Veggies "à Brás"

A new version of an old portuguese classic...

Serves 2:
Potatoes (200g - peeled and cut into fine julienne)
Carrots (150g -  peeled and cut into fine julienne)
Zucchini (150g -  peeled and cut into fine julienne)
Mushrooms (100g - sliced)
Leek (100g - sliced)
Tofu (50g - cut into julienne)
Red Onion (1 - sliced)
Parsley (finely chopped)
Olive Oil (3 tbsp)
Salt
Black Pepper

1) Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and fry the potatoes and carrots until crisp and golden. Transfer to a serving dish.
2) Add the remaining olive oil, leek, mushrooms, red onion, zucchini, tofu and cook over a gentle heat for five minutes, or until softened and beginning to caramelise.
3) Mix the potatoes and carrots with the leek mixture in the frying pan and heat.
4) Sprinkle with parsley, salt and pepper.
5) Serve with a green salad.

Vegan Coconut Scones

Easy and fast... in just 30 minutes you have this delicious and fluffy scones ready...

Makes 6:
Flour (250g)
Baking powder (2 tsp)
Coconut sugar (20 g)
Coconut milk (200 ml - caned)

1) Preheat the oven to 220ºC.
2) Prepare a baking tray.
3) Put the self-raising flour (250g) into a large bowl.
4) Add the sugar and coconut milk and gently rub until it comes together in a ball.
5) Lightly flour a work surface, lay out the dough and pat it flat, with your hands, to a thickness of about 2 cm.
6)  Divide it into 6 scones. Place them onto the prepared baking tray.
7) Pop into the oven for 15 minutes until the are cooked (Tapp them on the bottom to see if they sound hollow).

Caramel pears

It tastes delicious!

Serves 2:
Pears (2 - ripe, peeled and cubed)
Coconut oil (1 tbsp)
Coconut sugar (1 tbsp)
Cinnamon (1 tsp)

1) Put the coconut oil and pears in a small pan.
2) Add the coconut sugar and cinnamon.
3) Simmer in low heat until the pears are soft and the sugar melted.
4) Enjoy warm, room temperature or cold .... as you wish :)

Chia Balance Smoothie

Superb flavor, delicious and energizing!

Mix 1 balance smoothie sachet with 200 ml of water, add 2 tbsp of chia seeds and leave in the fridge for a couple of hours. Serve with a tbsp of vegan yogurt and a splash of agave nectar.... Yummy!

Stuffed Eggplant 2.0

A vegan version of an old recipe :)

Serves 2:
Eggplant (1)
Bread (2 slices crumb)
Tomato (2– diced)
Soy cream (50 ml)
Garlic (1 clove - crushed)
Olive oil

1) Cut the eggplants in half and scoop out the pulp, leaving a shell about 1 cm thick. Take care not to break through the skin of the eggplant. 
2) In a frying pan, place the eggplant pulp, garlic and little olive oil, cook for 5 minutes over medium heat.
3) Add the bread crumbs and diced tomato and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add the soy cream.
4) Fill the eggplant shells with this mixture.
5) Bake in the oven (grill), 180C for 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Sweet Pinwheels

Made from crispy puff pastry, filled with your favorite jam... and ready in 15 minutes :)

Makes 28 small pinwheels:
Vegan puff pastry (400g)
Peach jam (sugar free -1/2 cup)
Cashew butter (1/2 cup)
Coconut sugar (1 teaspoon)
Cinnamon (1 teaspoon)

1) Preheat oven to 200C.
2) Unwrap the puff pastry onto a floured surface and divide in two.
3) In one, spread the peach jam and and roll up the puff pastry as tightly as possible without losing jam on the sides.
4) In the other, spread the cashew butter, top with coconut sugar and cinnamon and roll up the puff pastry, as you did with the other half.
5) Now, cut your logs with a sharped knife into 1 cm thick rolls.
6) Place rolls cut side up on to a prepared baking sheet.
7) Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Enjoy!

Cabbage and carrot red rice

Serves 2:
Red rice (150g)
Carrot (100g - sliced)
Cabbage (100g - shredded)
Water (400 ml)
Tomato passata (2 tbsp)
Olive oil (1)
Salt

1) In a frying pan with a drizzle of olive oil and the cabbage and carrot and cook until the cabbage is tender. Reserve.
2) In a saucepan, add the rice and water, cook for 15 minutes.
3) Add the tomato passata stirring occasionally.
4) When the rice is almost cooked, add the cabbage and carrot and if necessary add more water. Season to taste. Cook over low heat for another 3 minutes.