Orange, Grapefruit, Pomegranate Salad with mint and basil

Simple, delicious, vibrant salad to be enjoyed in solitude or shared with others.

This salad is as simple as it can be, but the flavours are fantastic.

Simple slice the orange and grapefruit, and add the pomegranate seeds.

Chop the Basil and Mint together to create an interesting aromatic and top the fruit with them. Mix well and enjoy!

Mushroom, corn tacos

Tacos – a wonderfully messy and nourishing indulgence, made vegan.

This is one recipe that you can assemble with leftovers from the week.m

The most important thing is to season every layer properly. First, cook the mushrooms with chopped onions and salt. I like to cook them to the point they are golden and crispy.

Then cook the spinach with chopped onion and garlic, ones cooked make a cashew sauce and mix it in the spinach.

Cook the corn in the oven. If you have it available, buy the corn raw, wash it and spread it with a mix of olive oil, garlic granules, lime juice and salt.  Bake until golden.

Make the beans prior, if you can’t you can use from a jar, but rinse them first and then season and heat them with chopped onion, and little bit of salt.

Raw Red onion in lime juice is a perfect addition of crunch and acidity to your tacos, and of course, chopped coriander.

Assemble your tacos with all the toppings and enjoy!

 

Cilantro, avocado sauce

This silky, unctuous, creamy sauce can be used in pasta dishes, as a dip, or as a salad dressing.

 

You simply have to blend all the ingredients together, adjusting the quantity of water depending on the thickness of the sauce you need.

 

 

Shortbread Scones

Scones are made for autumn days. The trick to good scones is not to overmix them.

Pre heat oven at 200ºC

Mix all dry ingredients. Once well mixed, add the oil tbsp by tbsp and mix well with a fork.

In a different bowl mix all wet ingredients and whisk well. Start adding them to the dry ingredients slowly, at the same time you mix the dough. You might not use the whole quantity of the liquid. You are looking for a humid dough, but now sticky or runny.

If it’s too wet, add 1 tbsp of oat flour. If it’s too dry continue to add more of the liquids’ mix.

Once you are happy with your dough’s consistency, put it on a clean surface.  Sprinkle some flour on the surface before adding the dough and start spreading the dough to until you have a dough with 3 cm in height.

With a glass or a round cookie cutter, cut the dough and add the circles to an oven tray, previously greased.

With a cooking brush, paint a little bit more of olive or coconut oil on top and sprinkle some of the sugar.

Bake for 15-20 minutes until the dough is golden. After those 15 minutes have passed, crank the oven up to 230ºC for 3-5 more minutes, checking them the whole time so they don’t burn.

Let cool, cut in half and enjoy with butter, clotted cream, jam, ghee, yoghurt, or any other spread you fancy.

Sushi

How to Make Sushi Rolls and Perfect Sushi Rice .

 

First, start with SHORT GRAIN SUSHI RICE, but if we pay attention to the shape of the grain, we can also choose other varieties, perhaps risotto rice such as “Roma”.

Wash the rice with COLD WATER to remove any residual starch. Keep going until the water is clear.

Soak rice for 15 minutes.

Follow the rice to water ratio, which is always 1:2.

Traditional sushi has Sharizu (or vinegar seasoning) which is made with 9 parts Rice vinegar, 4 parts cane sugar, and 1 part sea salt. Cook it for 2-3 minutes in medium heat. And is added when the rice is cooked.  First mix the rice so it cools down, then add the seasoning (1 oz per every cup of rice).

Cover the rice with a damp towel. It will keep it moist and ready.

A GREAT TIP: discard the bottom layer of rice, as it is almost always dry.

HOW TO MAKE SUSHI ROLLS:

First, the nori has two sides: Smooth and Rough. The rough side will always go facing up.

Then, the rolls have three parts:

  1. Nori on the outside
  2. Rice  on the inside
  3. Fillings in the center

There are traditional rolls made with fresh fish and world-adapted options prepared with ingredients from each country to make fusions that are very interesting. How do you prepare your sushi?

  • Mexican: The use of chipotle, spicy mayonnaise, cream cheese, different chilis, jícama…
  • Italian: Prosciutto, basil, tomato, mozzarella…
  • Thai: ginger, mango, coriander, peanuts
  • Moroccan: couscous, aubergine, tahini, hummus, harissa…
  • Bahamian: Decadent Conch Sauce atop a crab stack + cream cheese roll
  • Brazilian: Salmon, cream cheese and passionfruit

Vegan Creamy Spinach Sauce

A One-pot wonder. A vibrant, fresh and exciting bowl of pasta. Perfect for these summer days.

 

Place a medium saucepan over medium heat, and add a drizzle of olive oil. Add the garlic and onion, and cook, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the spinach and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring throughout, until wilted, about 2 minutes.

Add the spinach mixture to a high-speed blender with the the avocado,  lemon  juice, extra virgin olive oil and water, and blend until smooth and creamy. Season with salt to taste.

IT can be topped with pomegranate seeds, toasted almonds, toasted hazelnuts, crunchy chicpkeas, fresh coriander…

CREATIVE IDEAS TO USE THIS SAUCE:

  1. Over a bowl of rice with green beans.
  2. Mix with the pasta of your choice.
  3. It can be turned into a soup by adding vegetable stock.
  4. If you leave it thicker it can be used as a dip for your crisps or fresh veggies.
  5. Used as a salsa in a “Huevos Rancheros” type of breakfast.
  6. Poured over roasted chicken or turkey.

What other ways do you imagine you could use this sauce with?

Roasted Cauliflower Guacamole tacos

Roasted-crunchy cauliflower is mouthwatering, it is sexy and playful.

The idea behind this dish is to mix a now-classic with an old-time favourite: Mexican tacos.

Adding mashed avocado, even guacamole, crunchy chickpeas, fresh cilantro and a dollop of fresh cream or even greek yoghurt ( unsweetened, of course), to the fantastic roasted cauliflower is an epic meal that you will love to make. It is exciting to make and to eat.

You can either cut the cauliflower in steaks and then break apart, or do it as I like it, cut the florets into tiny florets, so the beautiful rub enters all of the cauliflower.

I like making a rub with turmeric, ground cumin, extra virgin olive oil, salt, and a squeeze of lime juice, you can even add a drizzle of maple syrup to the mix to make it exciting.

Roast in the oven at 200ºC for 20-30 minutes, until golden and crispy.

Asparagus Soup

Asparagus seem to be the celebration of the new season.

Cook the onion, leek, and garlic. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until translucent.  Add the chopped asparagus and cook for a further 3 minutes, until the asparagus begins to soften.

Add the water or broth,  chopped cilantro and lemon juice. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, until the asparagus is very tender.

Ladle the soup into a blender and blend until smooth. Alternatively, you can use an immersion blender for this.

Pour the soup back into the pot and bring to simmer. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Chocolate & Hazelnut Granola Bar

Sweet chocolate granola is even better with a crunchy twist

 

Preheat your oven at 180ºC. Blend the oats and hazelnuts until you get a flour. Add the dates, maple syrup and almond milk, and mix again.

If it’s too liquid add more oats until it resembles cookie dough.

Spread the mix on an oven tray with a silicone mat and bake for 15 minutes. Cut into bars and let cool.

Vegan and Gluten-Free Strawberry Galettes

A delicious, classic French dessert made vegan and gluten-free.

1. Make the Crust: In a medium bowl or standing mixer, beat olive oil, maple syrup, vanilla, and yogurt until creamed together and slightly fluffy. Add in tapioca flour, oat flour, and baking powder and fold together. Form into a ball and set dough aside on parchment lined baking sheet.

2. Make the filling: Use the same bowl to make the filling. Gently fold all filling ingredients together until berries are well coated.

3. Roll out Dough: Preheat oven to 200C. On parchment paper, press dough ball into a rectangle using the palms of your hands/fingers. Flour your rolling pin and roll out dough into a oval/rectangle. Thickness should be about 0.5cm. Dough might crack on edges while rolling, just pinch together sides of dough when needed.

4. Assemble Galette: Transfer the parchment paper with the rolled out crust onto a baking tray.  Place astrwberries in the center of the dough, leaving a 5cm border. Fold the edges up and over the filling, overlapping slightly (pinch together dough at bottom if it cracks when folding over). Optional: Lightly brush with almond milk and sprinkle with coconut sugar.

5. Bake Galette: Bake galette at 200 C. for 25-30 minutes until golden and strawberries are slightly bubbling. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

Ricotta, Tomato and Basil Toast

A very cheap,  and cheerful appetizer. Simple ingredients, fantastic flavour.

 

Toast the desired slices of bread.
Spread the Ricotta on the toast.

Slice the cherry tomatoes into 4 or 6 pieces, add them on top of the Ricotta, and sprinkle some basil leaves on top.

Season with Maldon salt and add a drizzle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Finish your toast with a few drops of lemon juice on top.

 

Vegan, Dairy and Gluten-Free Mango Curd Tarts

Heavenly, and vibrant dessert that will excite you beyond imagination.

FOR THE CURD:

Place the coconut cream in a small saucepan
In a small bowl add lemon juice and arrowroot starch whisk thoroughly until dissolved.
Then add to coconut cream mixture and stir.
Lastly, add the honey. Start with 1 tbsp and whisk until well combined. Add the second tbsp if needed.
Place saucepan over medium heat and bring to a low bubble – not boil – whisking often. Once it starts bubbling and getting thick, reduce heat to medium-low and continue cooking until a visible ribbon forms when spooning a bit of the curd across the top. It should be thick and kind of jiggly in texture. Stir constantly to ensure the curd isn’t sticking to the bottom or sides of the pan.
Remove from heat and taste and adjust seasonings as needed, adding more lemon juice for acidity, or honey for sweetness.
Let rest for 15 minutes, then whisk once more and transfer to a glass bowl or jar. Cover with plastic wrap, making sure the plastic wrap touches the curd – otherwise a film may form.
Refrigerate for 5-6 hours, or overnight, or until completely chilled and set.
Once the crust for the pies has cooled down add the curd on top and refrigerate for 10 more minutes.

FOR THE CRUST:

Add the almond flour and coconut oil to a food processor and pulse until you have fine crumbs. Add the maple syrup and mix well, if needed water until the dough sticks together when pressed between fingers.

Place the dough in the pie dishes and press evenly to the bottom and up the sides.

Place in the oven at 200ºC for 15 minutes.

Let cool completely before adding the curd.