New Venture and Vegan Tiramisu

I'm busy, busy busy. Book is coming along, its hard work but I'm absolutely in love with creating new recipes.

Finally settling in our new home, making friends and not feeling like an alien whenever I go out.

I have also established a new partnership with the amazing "All about Vegan food " site . www.allaboutveganfood.com

You can find my new recipes on there.

Started working on a new book, something completely different than what I'm used to write, but its very close to my heart.

New Year, new challenges, new beginnings.

This evening enjoy this lovely Tiramisu style dessert.



VEGAN TIRAMISU

Tiramisu style dessert

Ingredients:

For the sponge cake

1. Chickpea water ( drained from one can or one jar)
2. 2 tbs of self raising flour ( or for gluten free use tapioca )
3. 3 drops of vanilla essence

For the filling

1. 1 cup of cashews (soaked overnight)

2. 2 tbs of fine coconut flakes (soaked with cashews)

3. 1/2 can of coconut milk

4. 2 large tbs of maple syrup

5. 1 tbs of agar flakes

6. 1 cup of water ( cold )

For decoration

1. 1 tbs of grated vegan dark chocolate 

For soaking

1/2 cup of good quality espresso coffee (cooled down)

Pre prep:

Soak cashews and coconut flakes

Equipment

1. Round cookie cutter
2. blender
3. 1 porcelain ramekin ( lined with cling film)
4. very fine sieve of cheesecloth
5. saucepan
6. mixer
7. flat baking tray lined with baking parchment

Preparation time 30 -45 min 

 Setting time : 2h

How to make it:

Sponge cake:

Preheat the oven to 180 C

In a large bowl whip chickpea water until foamy and stiff . Add vanilla and sprinkle flour. Fold the flour in. Line the flat baking tray with parchment paper. Pour the cake mix and let it spread naturally. Put in the oven and bake for 20 min or until golden brown. This sponge cake will be flat, and should be crispy on the top, just like the traditional sponge fingers covered in sugar. Keep an eye on your cake as vegan baking is not the same as ordinary baking.  Once the cake is ready, remove from the oven and let it cool down. 

Filling:

In a saucepan heat up coconut milk and maple syrup. Bring to boil and put on very low heat, this should take about 15 min . It will turn into a caramel mass . You will need to stir it constantly, once its ready set aside. 

In a blender put together drained cashews with drained coconut flakes. Add 1 cup of water. Blend until smooth . Using the cheese cloth or the fine sieve separate the pulp from the nutty cream. You should have approx. 1/2 cup of creamy substance. 

Put your coconut caramel back on low heat. Add the nutty cream and mix together until completely combined and smooth. Once it has boiled , sprinkle the agar powder and mix vigorously. Take of the heat. 

Using your round cookie cutter cut out 3 circles from your sponge cake. Prepare the ramekin, line it with cling film for easy removal. Soak each sponge circle in the espresso coffee. Put the first circle in the ramekin, then add 2 tbs of your creamy mixture. Add another spongy circle. Continue to assembly until you run out of your ingredients. 

Transfer to the fridge for setting. This will approximately take 2 h but its best to do it for 4 up hours. 

Once its ready remove from a ramekin and sprinkle with grated chocolate or sprinkle with cocoa powder. 

Enjoy!!

The cover

So I' working on the book cover. Its hard to decide as its the most important part of the book. The cover must be sharp, easy and spot on. It must be able to project the inside of the book and make the "wow" impression for people wanting to read it.

I' so excited as this is HUGE deal for me. Please life, don't let me screw this one up...

I was being a good wife and I made pancakes for my husband for his breakfast on Friday. Here is the recipe.

CHIA and COCONUT pancakes

What do you need:

200ml of almond milk ( or any milk you want)

200ml of coconut milk

2 tbs of chia seeds ( soaked in 100 ml of water)

1 cup of almond flour

1 cup of all purpose flour

100 ml of coconut oil

1 tsp of baking powder

1 tbs of apple cider vinegar

How to make it:

In a large bowl mix together flours and milks. Add soaked chia and oil. 

In a small bowl combine baking powder and vinegar. Add to other mixture, gently mix together until you end up with smooth batter. 

The oil mixed in the batter will make the pancake non stick to the frying pan. So no extra oil required. 

Enjoy them golden brown, stacked up with fruit and drizzled with strawberry compote. 

Here we go again

Right so again I had a long break.

A lot has happened since my last post.

1. I have moved countries, wow actually I have moved continents.

2. I have been offered a publishing deal for a Vegan cookbook.

3. I have been reunited with my husband and we are finally a family as a whole.

4. I have made new friends and said goodbye to people who were the most important to me for past few years.

5. I have finally slowed down, made peace with myself and I'm starting fresh. New beginnings .

I'm hoping to write more frequently, to make my recipes more approachable, easier to follow and my pictures more professional.

It's now or never.

To follow my own dreams ...

Vegan junk food?

There is no such a thing as vegan junk food.

Because even if its "junk" style its still billion times better than processed , awful stuff you would eat in a fast food.

Every now and then I make a vegan version of "junk" hahah. last night my very yummy Vegan big burgers.



Zucchini , mushroom and chickpea burgers. 

What you need ( makes 3 burgers)

1 medium zucchini (grated)
3 medium chestnut mushrooms (grated)
half of can of chickpeas (drained)
3 spoons of all purpose flour
1 spoon of vegan bouillon
3 tbs of water


3 wholegrain buns ( cut open)
a bunch of salad leaves
1 large onion ( cut in rings)
2 gherkins ( sliced)
1 large tomato
3 tbs of vegan ketchup or any other sauce


For the burgers:

Put grated zucchini , mushrooms in a bowl. Mix together with bouillon. In a meantime, bend together chickpeas and water, to create a paste. Add to mushrooms and zucchini. Mix well until combined. Add flour, mix again. Divide the mixture in 3, using your hands make 3 medium patties. Shallow fry on some coconut oil or olive oil. 

Once cooked until golden brown, set aside.  Add some more oil and fry the onion rings, once golden brown set aside. Brown the bread ( I used the frying pan but oven or toaster is fine).

The assemble. 

Bun, sauce,burger, salad,sauce, gherkins,tomato and then bun. 

Enjoy!

Summer is here?

The sun is back!!!

Amazing! Its all we needed!! Sun is out, birds are singing. Our favourite season is back!

Picnics in the park, splash park trips, visiting the woods. Possibilities are endless when the weather is great. 

We like using local produce to make our food. 

So tonight a recipe for one of our favourite summer soups. 

Broccoli Cream with extra veg and vegan dumplings

What you need:

1 broccoli
2 medium white potatoes
2 medium carrots 
1/2 cup of frozen peas
1 bunch of fresh dill
2 spoons of vegan bouillon 
2 pints of water approx.

for the dumplings:

1 cup of semolina
1cup of flour
1cup of water
salt


Chop all your veg, set aside 1/3 of veg, the rest bring to boil in water and bouillon . Cook for about 45 min, or when very soft. Cool, then using an electric blender blend. If too think then add some water, bring to boil again, add extra veg and shimmer until veg is softened. 

To make the dumplings, mix together, water, flour and semolina with some salt. With your hands mould little balls of mixture, and put in your soup. Shimmer further until cooked through. 

Its a very filling soup and its great  for dinner or lunch. 

Enjoy

Lunch on!!!

I love food. I honestly love eating , and I love making it too.

But I also love it to be quick, tasty and real.

Quick is the most important part, as with work, two kids and being alone is pretty hectic.

Today I cooked the simplest dish, but I was amazingly tasty!

Noodle bowl!

What you need:

1 bunch of broccoli florets ( 1 cup)

3 large mushrooms ( sliced)

3 larde handfuls of fresh spinach ( use frozen if no fresh)

1 chopped garlic clove

chopped flat leaf parsley

1 handful of noodles (egg free Chinese noodles)

3 spoons of dark vegan soy sauce

2 spoons of olive oil

1. Put water in a large pan, bring to boil.

2. In a frying pan, heat up olive oil, throw in the chopped garlic, then broccoli, mushrooms and the spinach last. Shimmer for 10 min. Add soy sauce. 

3. Put a handful of noodles , boil according to instructions on the packet. Mine took 5 min

4. Drain noodles, then rinse under cold water. 

5. Put noodles in the frying pan and mix well , shimmer for further 5 min. 

Once cooked, transfer to a pan and sprinkle with chopped parsley. 

Enjoy!!!

I love quick fixes when it comes to my food. So watch this space and more is coming!!

Natural Beauty

I have a a go at making my own cosmetics tonight!!!

it was so much fun!!!

I cannot believe I have not done it before !!!

my skin is very sensitive and I have a strict routine when it comes to my face lol, i scrub and i rub and i pat and i smooth and do a lot of crazy stuff to my skin!

but I always struggle to buy a good cream to put on my face and body. And simply I terrified of the companies put in high street cosmetics. When you find a vegan friendly, cruelty free and paragon free cosmetics they cost heaven and earth :(

So making my own was a bit of a hit and miss and I tried a few times before I was completely happy with the outcome.

I also made the coffee body scrub. Which was fantastic and refreshing but it is very very messy!!!

Tea tree moisturiser:

3 spoons of coconut oil
4 spoons of shea butter
2 spoons of olive oil
5 drops of tea tree oil

In a bowl whip shea butter until frothy, add coconut oil, whip again, add olive oil slowly while whipping. Then add tea tree oil.  Whip for another 2 min.  And its ready. I keep mine in a glass container and in the refrigerator. Its great on your body and your face. Little goes a long way!



Coffee Body Scrub

1 cup of good quality fair trade ground coffee
1 cup of brown sugar
4 spoons of good quality organic olive oil

In a bowl mix all ingredients until fully combined.

The scrub is very intense, its messy so I suggest to use it under a shower rather than a bath. It will leave your skin feeling rejuvenated and smooth. Its an amazing body polish. 



So from now on, no more buying moisturisers or scrubs. I'm completely hooked on this now, soother is more to come!!!