Plantain soup with Sishuan pepper

       Today I’m writing about one of the soups I have been eating during this special period of my diet: a plantain soup and one magic ingredient – Sishuan pepper.

       I have recently eaten a plantain soup at the restaurant The Food Temple, in Lisbon- The Food Temple -  and I loved it! The following days were devoted to trying to reach the taste I had experienced.

    Each chef gives his own interpretation to every recipe but the result obtained with my soup was just delicious!

    My final touch was to add a few grains of Sishuan pepper that my friend Catarina brought from China - Stepping Out of Babylon | Travel Blog : a hot and fragrant flavor pepper , filled with a strong and stimulating aroma. It activated  some of my tongue’s nerve fibers  which were completely unknown to me! 

   Plantains are a super fruit, rich in natural sugars, fiber and potassium. A nutritious and very energetic fruit which is low in fat. This type of bananas is not yet well known here in Portugal -large and green, less sweet than other varieties and not to be eaten eaten raw.

Ingredients:

(serves 4)

3 big plantains 

1.5 l  home made vegetable stock ​​(approximately)

1 tsp curry powder

1 tsp garam masala

1 medium sized onion

3 tbsp olive oil

salt to taste

Sishuan pepper to taste  (you can buy it in chinese supermarkets)

Wash the plantains and put them in the pressure cooker. Cook between 25 to 30 minutes, depending on how green the plantains are.

Meanwhile, chop the onion and sauté in olive oil.

Remove the pressure from the pressure cooker. Peel the plantains and cut them to small pieces.

Add the plantains to the onion and add the curry powder. Mix it well and add the vegetable stock. 

Blend, season with salt and cook for 10 minutes.

Add the garam masala and taste.

If necessary, add more vegetable stock, depending on the consistency you want the soup to have.

Serve and garnish with Sishuan pepper.

Bon appétit!

© veggie delicious food, July  2014

Blueberry, banana and chia energetic smoothie + Ice cream

   The hot summer afternoons drive us to an inviting atmosphere where we can enjoy light and natural meals, raw, if possible.

    I have been also following my body call for light meals based on liquids. So, I have been  on a daily routine of juices and smoothies and a warm soup at the end of the day.

    I always start the day with a green juice as it produces a very nice effect and it is an excellent detox to waken the body and the mind as well.  It provides a large amount of vitamins (when we drink or eat raw foods all of their natural properties are kept), strengthening the balance sometimes difficult to get through the day, especially because most of times the day runs fast...

    My second day juice has been, a carrot and parsley one. Carrot and parsley when juiced together assume a medicinal effect, nearly a magic potion rich in minerals such as calcium, phosphorus and iron, vitamins A and C. A diuretic juice which is healing, rejuvenating and which stimulates the proper functioning of the immune, nervous and cardiovascular systems. And we even get a natural tanned skin (ideal for this time of the year) as carrots are rich in beta-carotene.

At lunchtime I have an energetic drink with vegetable milk, fruits and seeds. At night, a creamy soup lightly heated ...

    The recipe I’m posting today is one of the raw energetic drinks that I’ve been drinking and which satisfies me for several hours. And to please the entire family, I also prepared an ice-cream variation.

    I used organic, healthy and natural ingredients,  raw, to keep all their natural properties. Eating and drinking healthy make us lighter and happier!

Ingredients:

(you get about 750 ml)

200g of blueberries

2 overnight frozen bananas  

200 ml coconut milk + 2 tbsp of chia seeds

200 ml coconut milk

The night before:

1.  Peel the bananas and froze them.

2. Place 200 ml  coconut milk in a bowl, add chia seeds, wrap well and leave it  in the fridge overnight.

The next day:

Wash the blueberries and place them in a food processor. 

Cut up the frozen bananas, add to the blueberries and add also the 200 ml coconut milk. Grind all .

Pour the mixture into a large bowl and add the coconut chia milk that you left in the refrigerator overnight.  Mix it all very gently.

Drink it or put into ice cream forms and freeze to eat when you want ...

Bon appétit!

© veggie delicious food, July  2014

Plum jam

  

   After one year without posting any recipes in English, I’m back!

   Sorry for the last months... When you're not a native speaker, it is not always easy...

   Today’s theme is about jams. After many years without particularly appreciating this kind of sweet I decided to give myself a chance and try to cook a  fresh fruit jam wich would be low in sugar.

   During these last two weeks I have been offered two baskets of plums that I have been using in juices, smoothies and for the sweet I’m posting the recipe today. A  plum jam with a slightly spicy flavor and low in sugar.

   Plums are powerful antioxidants, rich in phyto nutrients, calcium, iron, potassium and vitamins, among them vitamins C, A and B2.

   For the spicy flavor, I used fresh ginger root whose medicinal values ​​are highly recognized for its richness in antioxidants and their anti-inflammatory properties.

   To sweeten, my heart went  for one of the healthiest sweeteners – coconut sugar, a one hundred natural product, which is not processed. Compared to the other brands of sugar, coconut sugar, has a much lower glycemic value and it is high in potassium, magnesium, zinc and iron. This sugar is much more expensive than the other brands but if you consume it with wise, you will be investing in our health, right?

Ingredients:

(for about 500ml)

600 gr plums peeled and pitted

250 gr coconut sugar

1 full tsp fresh grated ginger

Clean the plums, remove the skin and the pit. 

Put them in a pot  over medium heat.

Add the sugar, let it dissolve and add the fresh ginger.

Reduce the volum to minimum and simmer for 30 minutes (or until it has reached the thickness you desire), stirring frequently.

Let it set up and serve with toasts, crepes, cakes or or cookies of your preference. You can also use it for decorating cakes, puddings or cheesecakes.

Pour jam into prepared jars, fill them and refrigerate.

Bon appétit!

© veggie delicious food, July  2014