Happy Christmas everyone! I hope you are having a wonderful time ! I am finally at home in Germany, looking forward to a few days of fun with family and friends and most importantly some delicious food ! I already got to sample lots of… Read more
All posts filed under “Autmun-Winter”
Quick figs & seed mix topped with coconut yogurt & cinnamon
Back at school, the weeks are whizzing by and we are in the full blow of autumn. Haven’t we been blessed with the most gorgeous days ? Now is the time to celebrate seasonal fruit and vegetables and the wealth of variety they bring to… Read more
Turmeric & honey porridge with papaya & pomegranate
This year is already flying, I cannot believe we are in mid January! I have been surrounded by books and scientific papers over the past two weeks, so I have been keeping a low profile. Yesterday I finally submitted my work. One of the things… Read more
Turmeric porridge with pomegranate and papaya – serves 1-2
1 cup of rolled organic oats
1-2 cups of water or rice milk (alternative milks: coconut, almond, soy, dairy, hemp or just water)
1/2 tsp of turmeric, 1/4 tsp of cinnamon & a pinch of ginger (optional)
1 tsp of honey or maple syrup
1 tsp of chia seeds
1 hand full of pomegranate
1 hand full of papaya including seeds ( seeds are optional)
1 tbsp of shelled hemp seeds ( pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds or chopped almonds, pecan or macadamia)
Porridge is really easily made with water or a variety of milks that are available in the shops now. I love rice milk it gives the porridge a nice creamy taste and texture and with some added fruits and nuts or seeds you are set for the morning. When not using turmeric, I love adding cinnamon, which gives a delicious warming flavor and keeps the blood sugar levels stable, so even less food cravings in combination with oats.
Method:
Place the oats, chia seeds and milk in a pot, add turmeric and honey and cook under medium heat until the the porridge has a nice creamy texture, adding more oats if its too liquid or more milk if its getting too thick. Keep stirring with a wooden spoon to make sure the porridge doesn’t stick to the pan. Chia seeds soak up a lot of liquid, so keep that in mind if you are using them, you might need to add some extra rice milk to get a nice creamy texture. Serve topped with pomegranate and papaya and sprinkle with hempseeds or your favourite nuts & seeds. Enjoy !!
Chestnut & sprouted chickpea hummus
The weeks running up to Christmas have been a bit hectic, work, Christmas parties and lunches got the better of me, so here comes a ‘Christmassy’ hummus recipe just on time for the holidays. Chestnut hummus is easy to make and a great way to use… Read more
Chestnut & sprouted chickpea hummus- serves 4
1/2 cup of sprouted chickpeas or canned, if you don’t have time to sprout them
2 cup of roasted & shelled chestnuts
4 tbsp + 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil to garnish
1 clove of garlic
2-3 TBS tahini
1/2 cup of water
2 cup of roasted & shelled chestnuts
4 tbsp + 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil to garnish
1 clove of garlic
2-3 TBS tahini
1/2 cup of water
Juice of 1/2 fresh lemon
1/2 tsp Himalayan salt
Sprouting chickpeas: soak 1 cups of dried chickpeas over night, drain and rinse in the morning. Leave in the bowl with no added water and repeat the rinsing process morning and evening, so they keep moist all the time, until they have sprouted. You will start to see little tails growing after the first day or two, on day 3 or 4 they should be ready. They not only make a delicious hummus, they are also a great addition to soups and salads or just eating as a snack. Once sprouted they keep in the fridge for about 3 days.
Fro dry roasting the chestnuts pre-heat the oven at 200 degrees C/gas mark 7. To prepare the nuts for baking, using a sharp small kitchen knife, carefully cut a little cross into the peel on the flat side, that way it will be easier to peel them later as the peel opens up during the roasting process. Lay out on baking paper in baking tray and bake for 20-25 minutes. Shake the tray a few times during the process, so the nuts cook evenly. Remove the peel when they are still warm as the peel won´t come off as easy once they are cool. They are super delicious to eat just baked, so you have to be careful not to eat them all during the peeling process.
Put all ingredients in the food processor and blend until you get a smooth paste. Chestnuts are the only nuts that do not contain a lot of oil, so if the paste is a bit stiff, carefully add some more olive oil and water until the hummus has your preferred consistency. Season for taste with extra salt and cumin if needed. Serve with warm multi-seed bread and a drizzle of olive oil. Avocado, pumpkin seed oil and a pinch of salt works really well too. Chestnut hummus and pomegranate also make a very good combination. Enjoy!!
Pumpkin & Coconut Soup
The winter season is soup season ! I just love having a warming soup after a walk on Hampstead Heath on a cold winter’s day or after coming home from work, having frozen my feet off. And pumpkin soup is always a winner. I love… Read more
Pumpkin & Coconut Soup – Serves 3-4
1 medium sized Tom Fox pumpkin ( or any variety you can find) peeled & cubed
3-4 carrots ( peeled & slices)
2 shallots ( diced)
3-4 cm of ginger
1/2 small orange ( grated skin )
Vegetable stock ( enough to cover the pumpkin cubes & carrots well)
1 tbsp of coconut oil
1 can of coconut milk/cream
1 small dried chili or 1/2-1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp of turmeric
1 tsp of cumin powder
1cm vanilla pod ( optional)
Himalayan salt & pepper
Pumpkin seed oil ( optional)
Method:
Cut the pumpkin alongside the marks, so you ‘ll end up with pumpkin slices. Once sliced, it will be a lot easier to cut away the skin. If you can find a Hokkaido pumpkin you won’t need to peel off the skin, as it is edible. Remove the seeds but don’t throw them away as you can roast them in the oven and use as a nutritious garnish for the soup, add to a salad or nibble on as a snack. Just dry them off a bit, add some olive oil so they are lightly coated, season with ground cumin, Ras el Hanut or some Himalayan salt, spread on baking paper and bake at 180 degrees until crisp, keep turning during the process so they crisp up evenly.
Set the pumpkin cubes aside and peel and slice carrots and ginger, then also set aside. Heat the coconut oil in a pot add diced shallots, turmeric, cumin and ginger and sweat for a couple of minutes, taking the pot off the hob as the oil gets really hot and might burn the spices. Now add pumpkin and carrots and cook for a few minutes, keep stirring before adding the stock and the dried chili or chili powder. If you have some fresh vanilla pods you can add 2cm to the cooking process. Simmer until pumpkin and carrots are tender, this will only take about 15-20 minutes.
Whilst the soup is simmering, start preparing the orange and the coconut cream. Grate the skin of half of a small orange and set a side. Once the vegetables are tender, you can start blending the soup, adding some of the orange peel and the coconut milk during the process, keep on checking for taste, so you don’t add too much as it is always a bit tricky to correct. A hand blender will work fine but a food processor or proper blender make the soup a lot smoother. Once blended add salt and pepper for taste. To top you can add some toasted pumpkin seeds and or a drizzle of pumpkin seed oil, super yummy!
Kale and the crispy version of it
Although Kale is available throughout the year, it is best and most nutritious during the winter months and in early spring. Here are some facts and ideas of what to do with the first leaves of the season. A member of the cabbage family, kale… Read more
One of my favorites are kale crisps, they are easily made at home and so much cheaper and better than from the shop. All you need is: 1 bag of kale , 1-2 tbsp of olive oil and 1/2 tsp Himalayan salt.
Pre-heat the oven at around 80-110 degrees; wash and dry off the leaves, tear them into smaller pieces if needed, sprinkle and massage the olive oil into the dry leaves, add Himalayan salt and mix well. Put some baking paper on a baking tray, spread out the leaves and bake until crisp. It usually takes around 15-25 minutes, but please keep an eye as the kale leaves easily burn. The safest way is to open the oven door now and again, to check on them and let the accumulating steam escape. Enjoy ! If you have a dehydrator, even better & healthier, but it takes a lot longer to make them.
For different flavors add chilli flakes, cayenne pepper or nutritional yeast ( this adds a cheesy flavor). Another delicious variation is to massage the kale with a miso -tamari paste. For one bag of kale (170g) take 1 tbsp of sesame oil, with half a tbsp of miso paste ( I love the Clear Spring barley or brown rice miso paste) , 1 tsp of sesame seed, 1 tsp of Tamari ( or soy) sauce, 1 tsp of Tahini, half a tsp of very finely chopped ginger ( or crushed with a garlic press – saves a lot of time) and mix well. Massage the paste into the leaves, make sure it is distributed well, so that every leaf gets a good coating- spread the kale on baking paper and bake as described above.