All posts filed under: Vegan

Strawberry and Avocado Smoothie

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Who doesn’t like smoothies? Here is a very yummy one for you, packed with healthy fats. I could eat avocados all day, every day. Literally. I could add them to anything. You might want to check out my Raw Avocado Cake if you’re also an addict. But that is not why I add it to smoothies. Adding avocado to smoothies is not uncommon, but if you have not tried it yet – do it. It’s magic. Almost. It makes smoothie creamy and will satisfy and keep you going for hours. All you need for this particular one, to make a single glass is: 8-10 large strawberries 1/2 of ripe avocado 1 Tbs Chia seeds Fresh mango cubes (optional) Put strawberries, avocado, chia seeds in a blender and blend until smooth and silky. Voilà! That’s all it takes. I sliced up some fresh mango to add on top.  You can add or not add, anything you like. Enjoy your smoothie! Santa Xx

Make your own energy bars

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These bars are so easy to make and they taste soooo good. Do it, do it, do it! You’ll be surprised. I often have a sweet tooth and I am such a cookie monster, so this is my solution. You can improvise – you can add almost anything you like and have fun with it! That is what I do at least. Also, you don’t have to stick to any hard measures  – add a bit of that and a bit of this, and see what its like, you can’t go wrong. I will try and put some measures down for these particular bars – let’s call them – Coconut/Oat/Chia seed bars…. First, turn your oven on at 300 C and mix the following: About a cup of chopped, soft dates ( you can blend them if you like)  1 and 1/2 cup of oats 1/2 cup shredded coconut About 4 tbsp chia seeds A tsp of cinnamon About 6 tbsp agave syrup I know its a lot of “abouts” but seriously, just throw that all together, and syrup – just add just enough for the …

Carrot Cake

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I have been perfecting this traditional treat for a while, and I no longer mess with it. Its moist, its sweet, its spicy..mmmh! but I have to admit, I do use eggs for this one. I usually make this cake for a crowd (and its such a pleaser) and everyone has been okay with eggs. So use this recipe, if you still consume eggs, and want the cake to be fluffy and airy. I might try egg substitutes soon, so i’ll keep you posted.  But here goes: Turn on your oven to 180 C or 350 degrees F. In one bowl measure out and mix these dry ingedients: 190g baking flour 1 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 1 and 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp ground ginger 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg In a separate bowl measure and mix the following: 200 g pure cane sugar 60 g granulated sugar 240 ml vegetable oil 1 tsp vanilla extract 3 large eggs After having measured all the ingredients, gradually start folding the 1st …

Gluten-free sweet potato brownies

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what? Sweet potato?! yes, and you wouldn’t be able to tell if I didn’t spill it out. It was my amazing friend Ashleigh’s birthday last week, so we had some cake times! Amazing ones! Since she is gluten intolerant I had to look for some gluten-free options and I found this recipe at a great blog called – gluten-free-vegan girl. And guess what. At the lovely celebration that we did in Dolores Park, nobody was even close to guessing that these brownies had sweet potato in them, or that they were sooooo guilt-free. So here goes. You’ll need: 3 cups peeled, chopped, cooked and cooled sweet potato 3 cups dates, pitted 1 cup unsweetened plant-based milk 3/4 cup high-quality unsweetened cacao powder 3/4 cup chopped sugar-free vegan dark chocolate * 3/4 cup brown rice flour 1/4 cup potato starch (or cornstarch) 4 heaped tbsp all-natural peanut butter (any kind of nut butter will do) 1 1/2 tsp vanilla essence 1/2 tsp maldon salt 1/2 tsp baking powder 1. Preheat oven to 175 degrees Celsius/350 degrees Fahrenheit. …

Quinoa Chopped Salad

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I have been running around the city like a crazy lady these days. Busy, busy, busy. That definitely has impacted my food choices – not the best ones (Guilty)…. But I am ready to go back on track and today I’m loving the taste of clean eating again. This salad not only tastes great, but will make you feel happy with yourself for being good to your body. Believe me. So get chopping. These proportions will serve 4. 1 cup cooked and cooled quinoa  – whichever you prefer – black, white, red 1/2 cup chopped seedless cucumber 2 celery ribs, chopped 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped 1 jalapeño, seeds and ribs removed, chopped 1 apple, cored and chopped 1 cup red or black grapes, halved 1/2 cup almonds 1/4 cup chopped basil 1/4 cup chopped mint 1 garlic clove, finely grated (or 1/2 clove, minced) juice of 1 lemon sea salt In a large bowl, combine quinoa with veggies, apples, grapes and almonds. Toss to combine, then add herbs, garlic, lemon juice, and a couple …

Sons & Daughters

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Couple of weeks ago I was almost on a holiday without actually leaving to anywhere. My dad was visiting me here in San Francisco. And let me tell you, not only was I ecstatic that he was here, but I also felt utterly lucky with the amazing food we got to taste during the week. One of the first questions my dad asked me upon his arrival was –  have you made some good restaurant reservations for the week?  Being a foodie runs in my family. Great conversations need to be carried out over great meals. Thus in this post I’d like to share some beautiful food we had at restaurant called Sons & Daughters on Bush Street. On the night of our dinner both of us agreed that the restaurant would have been as successful in case, if it was called – Fathers & Daughters. The restaurant describes itself as “influenced by the seasons, unique elements of their farm, and the surrounding bay area. The approach to the food is thoughtful, delicate, and displays clarity …

Get your lunch box right

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Nobody likes soggy salad. That’s a fact. However its often the reality for those who take their salad in a lunch box and who add their sauce at home. It’s waste of effort to bother making  a lunch box and carrying it with you, if it’s going to be all mushy by the time you eat it. And I personally don’t want to carry an extra little box/jar for my sauce with a fear that it is going to leak. So here is just a quick tip. Layer your salad ingredients starting with wet ingredients at the bottom and dry goods on the top. That means that your sauce goes right at the bottom, and your leaves on the top and everything else you crave in your salad in between. It’s that easy. And once you get to eating your salad, don’t worry – you’ll still be able to access all your layers and mix them around a bit, making sure that that top layer gets some of your delicious sauce as well. I hope …

Raw Avocado Cake

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Doesn’t this look pretty? hihi This is one of my own favourites I have ever made –  Raw Avocado Cake. I usually improvise with every ingredient,depending where I am making it and what form I will be using, but here i’ll try and put it in some measures. So for the base you’ll need 70g almond flour 90-100g pecan nuts 130g dates agave syrup 1/2 tea spoon sea salt optional – little coconut scobs/crumbs from a packet Almond flour is just fancy way of saying that almonds are crushed till dust, till flour. Times, when I haven’t found it in stores, so I just used powerful mixer/blnder in which i crushed almonds till dust or very fine by myself. Sooo….First,break down all the nuts. Crush, as small as you can. Probably in a mixer, smoothie maker, with blender or simply by putting them in a bag and crush with something heavy. Add chopped dates and then add agave syrup by feeling. Your goal is to make the mass nice and sticky so that everything mixes well, …

Pea and Mint Soup

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This soup is smooth (well…mine could be smoother. need to work on that) delicate and decadent and can be eaten warm or chilled. Perfect for early spring lunch. I’m trying to adapt American measures, so here goes: 2tbsp coconut or olive oil 1/2 cup minced shallots 2 cloves garlic, minced 4 cups green peas, fresh blanched or thawed frozen 1 quart Vegetable Broth 1/4 cup chopped mint salt, pepper as needed grated zest and juice of 1 lemon 1. In a large pot heat the oil. Add shallots and garlic and sauté until tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the peas, broth and mint. Season with salt and pepper. 2. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer until peas are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. 3. Process the soup in a food processor or use hand blender and blend until smooth. Transfer the mixture back to the pot if necessary. Season once more with salt and pepper and squeeze in the lemon zest to taste. Keep …

Quick aubergine

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During the day, I barely find time to cook. Unfortunately. But if I do have the time to squeeze in lunch at home – I keep it very simple. If you’re also a busy bee running around, but still want to throw something warm together  – this one is for you. olive oil half an aubergine, diced ( you can cook the whole and save for later) half and onion, chopped 3 tomatoes, chopped chilli flakes 1 garlic clove, crushed (optional)  – if you have someone to meet later, you might want to skip this) brown sugar, salt, pepper, parsley 1. Heat the oil in a medium pan. Sauté chopped onion for a minute. Add chill flakes and diced aubergine. Let it get tender, soft, and brown slightly, but not fall apart, 10 minutes. 2. Add chopped tomatoes. Let them fall apart and dissolve completely util forming a sauce, 3-4 minutes. At this point you can add garlic if you wish so. Add salt, pepper by taste, as well as, half a spoon of brown …