Easter chocolate lollipops

Tahini toasts with hemp and blueberries smoothie - a healthy snack

    The last days of 2014 are becoming increasingly distant but its memories   persist vivid in my mind. 

It is so good to break routine, to visit places that we don’t know or haven’t visit for a while, to find other environments, different rhythms and especially to taste other flavors...

  If on one hand all the pervasive atmosphere of the places where I was is clear in my memory with different flavors, on the other, it reinforced the desire to return to my kitchen and to my comfort food!

   Last weekend was spent in a kind of  "sleep mode", at home, listening to the rain and to some relaxing music. We had a wonderful leisure time, joking, telling stories around the table, and particularly tasting some appetizing food: I put together some of the ingredients I most appreciate: blueberries and tahini!

      Someone once told me that whoever gets lost for a good chocolate, also gets lost for a good portion of tahini ... I don’t know if you share the same opinion or not, but, for me, these two flavors are perfect! I confess that my days would be much more gray without chocolate and a good portion of tahini!

     Spreading a whole wheat bread with this sesame paste which has been seasoned with soy sauce and lemon, garnishing the bread with tomato slices and having a hemp and blueberries smoothie, is one way of finding irresistible arguments to enlarge the pleasure to stay at the table with the family and / or friends and forget time ...

Wanna try?

Smoothie:

 ½ cup of shelled hemp seeds

1.75 l water

1 cup full of blueberries

3 dates

Toasts: 

Whole wheat bread

3 tbsp tahini

1 tbsp soy sauce

4 tbsp water (the measure depends on the quality of tahin and on desired consistency)

1 tsp lemon juice

cherry tomatoes

chives

Smothie:

Place the water and seeds in a blender and grind well.

Pass through a sieve cloth.

Wash the blueberries and add the milk. Put back into the blender, add the dates and process.

Toasts:

Wash and cut the tomatoes into slices.

Chop the chives.

Toast bread slices.

Mix the soy sauce with the tahini, add the lemon and gradually add the water  stirring constantly, until the desired consistency.

Spread the bread with tahini, garnish with lemon slices and sprinkle with chives.

Bon appétit!

© veggie delicious food, January 2014

Happy 2015!

  Last  December my blog project veggie delicious food completed its second year.

 These last two years have been overwhelming. I found several interesting blogs and I started to be more disciplined in the kitchen, taking notes of the recipes I cook – that was also one of the reasons this blog was born…

  The inspiration to create new recipes has been growing even more as I let myself flow by the inevitable influences of other blogs and other publications on healthy eating.

   The end of 2014 was marked by a short break in the blog, in order to relax and reflect a bit.

   This moment of pause, was also associated with a travel that broke the cycle of the last 12 years, in which the end-of-year was always celebrated at home. We prepared a surprise travel for our daughter and went to London to visit some relatives.

 Very cold days were waiting for us but they were fulfilled with warm hearts! It is so gratifying when people we like share our vibration. On our arrival there was a reservation for having the last dinner of the year at a restaurant that received a prize from the Vegetarian Society in 2010. In addition there was also a list of suggestions of interesting places to visit, where chocolate and "health stores" could not be forgotten.

  There was also time to review Camden Town and once again visit Inspiral – a vegan and raw restaurant which is highly recommended! - www.inspiral.co

Of course there was also time to buy some healthy products and books!

Aloe Vera Juice

Date Syrup and chocolate

Himalayan salt for special relaxing baths 

Aloe Vera vegan soap

Vegan cookbook by Isa Chandra

Now, with new energy, the blog is back ...

© veggie delicious food, January 2014

My daughter's birthday party

   Special days fill our souls, especially if they are full of beautiful moments.

   Last weekend we celebrated our daughter’s birthday.

   A generous group of our friends was present and a significant number of kids as well: lots of girls but boys, we had only 3! - where are you babes?

   Many hours of the day and the night before, were invested in the kitchen to prepare a snack that was deliberately designed to fulfill the  appetite of a group of children where the only vegetarian was the birthday girl ....

   Although it was a challenge, with some effort, I was able to prepare an appealing menu and without anyone noticing the lack of animal products.

  The sausage rolls that I usually prepare make the delights of young and older!

   The menu was varied, but some experiences that result from my constant desire to improvise every new recipe, were excluded because they were completely ruined!

   From those that went to the party table (and they were many!), I suggest the chocolate lollypops and the sausage puff rolls, the first, taking some time to prepare but beautiful and delicious, and the second, quick and appetizing!

Sausage puff rolls:

puff pastry

tofu or soy sausages

Cut each sausage in the desired size or use it in full size.

Roll out the puff pastry and cut into long thin strips.

Wrap each sausage or piece of sausage with a strip and bake until crispy.

Chocolate lollypops:

dark chocolate

 food confettis, nuts, grated coconut, almonds, pistachios

wooden food stiks

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler.

Place a sheet of parchment paper on a plane surface.

Fill a dessert spoon with melted chocolate and place on baking paper, drawing a circle. Repeat the process leaving space between each circle.

Let stand for 10 minutes.

Place a new layer of chocolate on each circle.

Let stand 5 minutes and then place a stick in each circle. Press slightly.

Let stand for 5 minutes and pour new layer.

Wait 5 minutes and garnish with the ingredients you like.

Bon appétit!

© veggie delicious food, December  2014

"Caldo Verde" - Portuguese traditional kale soup

     The idea of this soup came after a conversation with a friend. We both have concerns about a balanced diet and one which is in harmony with the season.

   In these cold days, I often prepare soups and when my friend mentioned a typical Portuguese kale soup – “Caldo Verde” - (which I love!) but made with cauliflower instead of the traditional potatoes, I was curious…

    During my usual visit to the Saturday market, cauliflower was the first item in my grocery shopping list and, the second, was kale, which I usually buy from Maria José - Quinta do Poial - Organic Farming.

    I do not know how my friend prepares her “Caldo Verde” but mine was creamy and very tasty. A delight! Even my daughter, who does not like cauliflower, approved it!

ingredients:

(serves 6)

500 g white cauliflower without leaves

250 gr kale finely chopped

1 medium onion

2 garlic cloves

2 tbsp olive oil

6 cups vegetable broth (from kale)

olive oil to season

salt

Wash and finely chop kale leaves.

Cook in salted water. Reserve.

Steamed the cauliflower.

Chop the onion and brown in olive oil.

Add the garlic and brown as well.

Add the cauliflower to the onion and garlic. Wrap.

Add the 6 cups (the amount may vary slightly) of vegetable broth.

Process the soup until creamy.

Add the kale and rectify the seasoning.

Cook for 2 or 3 minutes.

Serve seasoned with olive oil and add some slices of good bread. I served it with our typical “pão de mafra”.

© veggie delicious food, December  2014

Roasted quinoa and seitan croquettes with flavor and rich potatoes

    Visiting  certain places for periods that include meals is not always easy as most of times there are no vegetarian restaurants and nothing suitable to eat at  local restaurants.

    My own experience advises me not to  create expectations. In these cases, it is best to simplify and be ready for what it comes. Therefore, the ideal is to leave the house with a tasty home prepared snack that satisfies us.

    This is what I did yesterday, I hope you can enjoy the recipe as much as I did! I prepared roasted quinoa and seitan croquettes with flavor and rich potatoes!

 ingredients:

(yields 22 croquettes)

1 cup dark quinoa

250 gr of seitan + 3 garlic cloves + 2 tbsp of olive oil + pinch of salt + 2 tbsp soy sauce

1 + ½ cup almond paste (obtained from almond milk- recipe here: Almond milk )

1/3 cup of flax seeds

1/3 cup black and gold sesame seeds

1  chopped onion

1  chopped tomato

¼ cup chopped parsley and coriander

2 tbsp soy sauce

or the amount necessary

Wash and cook the quinoa according to directions on the package. Allow it to cool.

For the seitan:

Sauté the garlic cloves in olive oil and add the finely chopped seitan.

Season it with a pinch of salt and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes.

Add the 2 tbsp of soy sauce, mix well and let it cook for 2 minutes. Allow it to cool.

Place the seeds in a food processor, or in a coffee grinder and grind it.

For the croquettes:

In a large bowl ,place the quinoa, add the seitan and mix well.

Add the almond paste and the seeds and wrap again.

Add the chopped onion, tomato and herbs. Mix everything and season with 2 tbsp of soy sauce or other seasonings to your taste.

Preheat oven to 180º degrees.

Mold the croquettes and put them on a baking tray in the oven.

Bake for 30 minutes.

For the potatoes:

Wash and cut potatoes into thick sticks.

Cook in abundant salted water. When cooked al-dente, drain and place in a serving dish that  you can put in the oven.

Grind black sesame seeds, flaxseeds, sunflower seeds or other to your taste.

Add 1 tbsp olive oil to the  seeds and mix with the potatoes. Check the seasoning and place in oven until crispy.

Bon appétit!

© veggie delicious food, November  2014

Yellow cauliflower soup with shitaké and pink pepper

     Autumn  gray colors bring us some melancholy and invite us to  be with ourselves and to contemplate  landscapes, especially on rainy days. During this time of the year, it feels so good  to comfort ourselves with warm food ,  as  roasted chestnuts and comforting soups.  It just warms our soul.

   Last  weekend there was time to do a bit of everything, even to go for a small walk to contemplate the colors of Autumn. Coming home and enjoy a delicious yellow cauliflower and shitaké mushroom soup, satisfies any final Autumn walk.

     During this time of the year colored varieties of cauliflower begin to appear in the street markets, mainly yellow and purple. 

Cauliflower gives a creamy consistency to the soup and a very distinctive flavor as well. I particularly like to cook cauliflower soup with no more vegetables to keep the flavor of this cruciferous intact. To enrich the nutritional value of the soup, I added at the end, a medicinal mushroom, the shitaké.

     Shitaké mushroom is rich in proteins, it has 9 amino acids and it helps to strengthen the immune system, which is very important in these cold and rainy days.

Ingredients:

(serves 3)

1 onion

2  garlic cloves

2 tbsp olive oil

1 cauliflower

5 cups cabbage broth

salt to taste

200 gr shitake mushrooms + 2 tbsp olive oil

pink pepper

Wash the cauliflower and separate the leaves from the flowers.

Reserve 400g  flowers for the soup.

Place the leaves in a pan with water and let boil for 5 minutes. Reserve.

Cut the onion into small pieces and sauté in olive oil.

Add the garlic cloves (chopped) and cook for 1 minute.

Add the cauliflower flowers, mix well.

Add 5 cups broth cabbage and season with salt.

Cook in medium heat until soft.

Meanwhile:

 Clean the mushrooms, cut into strips and sauté in olive oil. Reserve.

Grind the soup until you get a creamy consistency.

Garnish the soup with strips of pink mushrooms and freshly ground pepper.

Bon appétit!

© veggie delicious food, November  2014