WHAT'S COOKING...?
Cooking is a passion I share with my better half, and our kitchen is therefore by definition one of the most important rooms in the house. We designed it in such a way that there’s ample space for Cook to work as well as a comfortable seating corner for Onlooker to sit and sip a glass of chilled wine while Cook is waving the magic wand... whether it’s I who’s doing the cooking and hubs is looking on, or vice versa; the important thing is that we can enjoy the process together whenever possible.
Since hubs and I are vegans, we’ve been asked many times by friends and acquaintances: “What exactly do you guys eat? ... You know...you’re vegans!” Even while I write this I’m chuckling to myself, because each time that question is raised it sounds as if we are aliens from a distant planet somewhere in Outer Space!
So, how about blowing the lid off that mystery and letting you in on our culinary secrets?
Let’s open the door to our kitchen, come sit down with me and let me share with you some recipes, tips and general information about what foods we eat, and why we eat them. As I go along I will post pictures (my own creations, I hasten to add) and you’ll also be shown photographs of what we have when we eat out.
Breakfast
Lemons - one of the best fruits to help balance the body's acid-alkaline ratio...
Undoubtedly the most important meal to set you up for the day!
However, unlike “normal” breakfasts we opt for “fruity” breakfasts: in other words, we only consume fruit during the course of the morning, starting off with a glass of freshly squeezed lemon juice ( half a lemon per person), topped up with non-fizz mineral water at room temperature. Without going into technicalities, lemons have active ingredients to help shift your body’s pH value from acid to alkaline, despite being sour in taste. When your bodily fluids, i.e. blood, urine, saliva and sweat are acid they will be the ideal environment for illnesses, ranging from a common cold to the Heavy Stuff... cancer et all! (I’m not talking about illnesses here that are due to genetic problems, etc.) Lemons also contain an important phyto-chemical called “limonene”; in other words, limonene is a plant-based substance, one of the good guys that fights AND prevents cancer.
On a side note: the pH value of most people in our so-called developed society is in fact acid!
Ever wondered why so many people are ill when they reach middle age, that’s if they make it that far? Acid body pH...!
However, unlike “normal” breakfasts we opt for “fruity” breakfasts: in other words, we only consume fruit during the course of the morning, starting off with a glass of freshly squeezed lemon juice ( half a lemon per person), topped up with non-fizz mineral water at room temperature. Without going into technicalities, lemons have active ingredients to help shift your body’s pH value from acid to alkaline, despite being sour in taste. When your bodily fluids, i.e. blood, urine, saliva and sweat are acid they will be the ideal environment for illnesses, ranging from a common cold to the Heavy Stuff... cancer et all! (I’m not talking about illnesses here that are due to genetic problems, etc.) Lemons also contain an important phyto-chemical called “limonene”; in other words, limonene is a plant-based substance, one of the good guys that fights AND prevents cancer.
On a side note: the pH value of most people in our so-called developed society is in fact acid!
Ever wondered why so many people are ill when they reach middle age, that’s if they make it that far? Acid body pH...!
It's smoothie-time!
only fresh ingredients for our smoothies!
Back to our “normal” day: while the lemon juice is working its way down into our metabolism, the first of our two morning “smoothies” is prepared. This is made up of fresh fruits which we mix in a blender rather than process in the juice extractor. The reason for this is that the blended version contains natural fibres, an absolute must to help intestinal transit.
Here’s a sample of one of our year-round smoothies:
1 orange, peeled and cut into chunks
1-2 one-inch thick slice(s) of fresh pineapple (including the core! Because of the bromelain content in the stem which is a great digestive aid, among other things.)
1 apple (or pear, or a couple of kiwis, or peach, or a handful of strawberries, ...)
½ inch slice of ginger, peeled and chopped
1 teaspoon of ground turmeric (again a good guy to help in many ways, a major intestinal “cleanser” and anti-cancer spice that works hand in hand with ginger)
Juice of 1 freshly squeezed orange topped up with mineral water. (200ml glas)
(IMPORTANT NOTE: contrary to common belief: always drink, better still, sip fresh orange juice in moderation, i.e. never more than one 200ml glass in one session and not more than 2 per day, preferably diluted with mineral water. Fresh orange juice, although “good” for you, can be tricky in that when drunk either in large quantities or too fast it causes an immediate drop in your white blood cell count!
Here’s a sample of one of our year-round smoothies:
1 orange, peeled and cut into chunks
1-2 one-inch thick slice(s) of fresh pineapple (including the core! Because of the bromelain content in the stem which is a great digestive aid, among other things.)
1 apple (or pear, or a couple of kiwis, or peach, or a handful of strawberries, ...)
½ inch slice of ginger, peeled and chopped
1 teaspoon of ground turmeric (again a good guy to help in many ways, a major intestinal “cleanser” and anti-cancer spice that works hand in hand with ginger)
Juice of 1 freshly squeezed orange topped up with mineral water. (200ml glas)
(IMPORTANT NOTE: contrary to common belief: always drink, better still, sip fresh orange juice in moderation, i.e. never more than one 200ml glass in one session and not more than 2 per day, preferably diluted with mineral water. Fresh orange juice, although “good” for you, can be tricky in that when drunk either in large quantities or too fast it causes an immediate drop in your white blood cell count!
An alternative fruit salad...
... add a few kalamata olives into the fruit salad for that extra kick!
Alternatively, have some fresh fruit, if you're not in a "smoothie" mood, or if the blender has packed up, or -as is sometimes the case in our neck of the woods- there's a power cut!
If it’s untreated bio-fruit, just wash and eat! If it’s not: wash your fruit -and veg, for that matter- in a bowl of water in which you add ½ cup of white vinegar. This will help neutralize the fertilizers and chemicals. When travelling: peel your fruit! I personally still peel my apples -washed or not- although a lot of the goodness sits immediately under the peel... so, BIO is actually recommended. In this picture you'll see that I have added some Kalamata olives to spice up the mixture... go on, give it a try! You'll be surprised by the tastiness of the combination...
Eat any fruit you like, but NEVER mix bananas OR melons with other fruit (watermelon is an exception because it does not contain the same family of enzymes that are the active ingredients in other types of melon which “fight” with other fruits AND food.)
Melons should ALWAYS be eaten separately! As should bananas; however, the latter can be combined with other ingredients, as I will show you later on ...
If it’s untreated bio-fruit, just wash and eat! If it’s not: wash your fruit -and veg, for that matter- in a bowl of water in which you add ½ cup of white vinegar. This will help neutralize the fertilizers and chemicals. When travelling: peel your fruit! I personally still peel my apples -washed or not- although a lot of the goodness sits immediately under the peel... so, BIO is actually recommended. In this picture you'll see that I have added some Kalamata olives to spice up the mixture... go on, give it a try! You'll be surprised by the tastiness of the combination...
Eat any fruit you like, but NEVER mix bananas OR melons with other fruit (watermelon is an exception because it does not contain the same family of enzymes that are the active ingredients in other types of melon which “fight” with other fruits AND food.)
Melons should ALWAYS be eaten separately! As should bananas; however, the latter can be combined with other ingredients, as I will show you later on ...
Not ALWAYS fruit only...
...for breakfast, for lunch or a tasty snack...super-yummy!
The only time we digress from our fruit-only-rule-for-breakfast is when we are travelling. Although we'll still have the lemon drink to start off with (and, yes, I do pack a wooden lemon squeezer!) we will also enjoy the breakfast room and simply adjust our intake to what our chosen lifestyle allows us to eat. And if it’s not on the menu we check with management – we’ve still to come across the first “conscientious objector”; so far, everyone has been most obliging in catering to our tastes, wherever we’ve travelled. Just ask! I should in all fairness add that there have been strange looks cast at our table and staff have at times questioned our sanity, until they subsequently admitted trying out our unusual combinations in the privacy of their own home!
Here is a picture of what we devoured this morning at the breakfast table.
We both shared a ripe avocado pear (which we had brought in ourselves, to be honest) and I turned my half into a guacamole-dip with extra kick, adding lots of chili, a couple of twists of the coriander and pepper corn mill, some sea salt (by the way: sea salt has an alkaline effect on the body, whereas normal iodized table salt is..., yes: acid-forming!), a few squeezes of a particularly juicy lemon, a dash of extra-virgin olive oil and some parsley. I decided to forego the garlic because I have a dental appointment later this afternoon...! A slice of toasted wholemeal bread, spread with this yummy dip and then topped with some freshly cleaned and sliced raw mushrooms, which I had just tossed into a mixture of olive oil, lemon, sea salt and chili (raw mushrooms: alkaline - cooked mushrooms: acid!), and left to stand for a few minutes while preparing the guacamole. As a finishing touch I sprinkled some freshly chopped parsley and spring onions over the lot and then simply dug in... Heaven! Hubs loves his food simple while I tend to mix-'n-match things. He scooped a spoonful of avocado out and spread it on his toasted bread, squeezed some lemon juice on it, added some chopped parsley and spring onions, and voilà, his idea of breakfast-paradise! He prefers to eat his mushrooms separately, just with a twist of salt and lemon... Two happy bunnies!
Here is a picture of what we devoured this morning at the breakfast table.
We both shared a ripe avocado pear (which we had brought in ourselves, to be honest) and I turned my half into a guacamole-dip with extra kick, adding lots of chili, a couple of twists of the coriander and pepper corn mill, some sea salt (by the way: sea salt has an alkaline effect on the body, whereas normal iodized table salt is..., yes: acid-forming!), a few squeezes of a particularly juicy lemon, a dash of extra-virgin olive oil and some parsley. I decided to forego the garlic because I have a dental appointment later this afternoon...! A slice of toasted wholemeal bread, spread with this yummy dip and then topped with some freshly cleaned and sliced raw mushrooms, which I had just tossed into a mixture of olive oil, lemon, sea salt and chili (raw mushrooms: alkaline - cooked mushrooms: acid!), and left to stand for a few minutes while preparing the guacamole. As a finishing touch I sprinkled some freshly chopped parsley and spring onions over the lot and then simply dug in... Heaven! Hubs loves his food simple while I tend to mix-'n-match things. He scooped a spoonful of avocado out and spread it on his toasted bread, squeezed some lemon juice on it, added some chopped parsley and spring onions, and voilà, his idea of breakfast-paradise! He prefers to eat his mushrooms separately, just with a twist of salt and lemon... Two happy bunnies!
Time for the mid-morning smoothie
The Nutty Banana Picker-Upper!
I'd say that one of the most rewarding benefits of retirement is probably the fact that we're more or less masters of our own time!
Pray, tell me, who can claim that in today's world?
The art, of course, lies in How To Use That Time to make it as rewarding as possible. And I'm not talking money-making here, although that would be a welcome additional bonus...!
Hubs and I think primarily about our physical well-being in order to maximize enjoyment from day-to-day life and events, and one of the things to help us along is our mid-morning Nutty Banana Picker-Upper. (I made that name one up, btw, as I'm hammering the keyboard here!)
Did you know that bananas are one of the most complete and healthy foods you can eat?
Without wanting to bore the pants off you, bananas rank as Number-Four-Most-Important-Staple-Food in the developing world.
They are a fantastic source of vitamins: Vit A, Vit B1 (thiamine), Vit B2 (riboflavin), Vit B3 (Niacin), Vit B5 (Pantothenic acid), Vit B6 (pyridoxine), Vit B9 (folic acid), Vit C, Vit E and Vit K, as well as important minerals, with potassium being Top-of-the-Pops, alongside phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, sodium, iron, selenium, manganese, copper and zinc.
They are a nutritious and pretty much instant source of energy (the B-Vits!) and provide a good supply of dietary fibre.
So, let me not make you wait any longer and share with you hubs's recipe for this most delicious AND nutritious smoothie.
The Nutty Banana Picker-Upper
For 2 people (you could make it 4 smaller portions, but we consider this to be our food, so we pig-out!)
2 ripe bananas
5 heaped table spoons of steel-cut oats
1 heaped table spoon of linseed (either ground or whole, whole being preferable)
1 heaped table spoon of lecithin granules
8- 12 almonds (I love the almonds in the mix... so I'm rather generous...)
2 table spoons of the following mix: (I prepare this in advance and keep it in a sealed container)
cranberries, sunflower seeds, raisins/sultanas, pumpkin seeds, pine nuts
1 large glass of mineral water (330ml approx)
Blend for a couple of minutes, until smooth. Drink immediately!
You can also sprinkle in some cinnamon or pure cocoa for variety... after all: variety is the spice of life, no...?
Make sure you use real pure cocoa, the unsweetened stuff, as opposed to the chocolate drink powder mixes that are commonly available, which really should be avoided...
2 ripe bananas
5 heaped table spoons of steel-cut oats
1 heaped table spoon of linseed (either ground or whole, whole being preferable)
1 heaped table spoon of lecithin granules
8- 12 almonds (I love the almonds in the mix... so I'm rather generous...)
2 table spoons of the following mix: (I prepare this in advance and keep it in a sealed container)
cranberries, sunflower seeds, raisins/sultanas, pumpkin seeds, pine nuts
1 large glass of mineral water (330ml approx)
Blend for a couple of minutes, until smooth. Drink immediately!
You can also sprinkle in some cinnamon or pure cocoa for variety... after all: variety is the spice of life, no...?
Make sure you use real pure cocoa, the unsweetened stuff, as opposed to the chocolate drink powder mixes that are commonly available, which really should be avoided...
Lunch
Soups
Our lunches always - well, 320 days out of the year at least - start with a soup, come winter or summer. Sounds pretty mad, doesn't it? Well, we're used to being called mad, nothing new there. However, I will let you in on the family secret: in summer, we eat our soups C O L D ! Yes, we do indeed... Weird, no...?
Let me first introduce you to one of my favourite recipes. Those among you who are my friends on Facebook will already have been introduced to our yummy Heart-warming Lentil Hotch-Potch. If you have, forgive me, I just have to include it here on my site too... It's one of the most nourishing and delicious soups in our repertoire.
Let me first introduce you to one of my favourite recipes. Those among you who are my friends on Facebook will already have been introduced to our yummy Heart-warming Lentil Hotch-Potch. If you have, forgive me, I just have to include it here on my site too... It's one of the most nourishing and delicious soups in our repertoire.
My Heart-warming Lentil Hotchpotch...
This is a real yummy winter dish -I promise it warms the cockles of your heart.
In fact, it's more of what in Germany is termed "Eintopf"... a "Hotch-Potch" - meatless in this case! ;-)
Ingredients
1/2 kg of lentils (the large ones cook fastest, no need to soak; but check instructions...)
1-2 table spoons of extra virgin oilive oil
2 large onions (white or red)
1 leek
2 carrots
2 large potatoes (or equivalent)
1 red + 1 green pepper
5-6 cloves of garlic
1 - 2 tomatoes (or alternatively, a tin of chopped tomatoes)
greens of a celeriac (I use the equivalent of about 4 table spoons chopped up)
2 organic stock cubes (MSG-free; mono-sodium-glutamate free!)
sea salt
chili pepper (in mill)
turmeric
sweet paprika
mixed dried herbs (to your taste; I use celery, parsley, fennugreek, oregano..)
2-3 bay leaves
some fresh parsley
2-2.5 l of boiled water (I boil 2 kettles full...)
In fact, it's more of what in Germany is termed "Eintopf"... a "Hotch-Potch" - meatless in this case! ;-)
Ingredients
1/2 kg of lentils (the large ones cook fastest, no need to soak; but check instructions...)
1-2 table spoons of extra virgin oilive oil
2 large onions (white or red)
1 leek
2 carrots
2 large potatoes (or equivalent)
1 red + 1 green pepper
5-6 cloves of garlic
1 - 2 tomatoes (or alternatively, a tin of chopped tomatoes)
greens of a celeriac (I use the equivalent of about 4 table spoons chopped up)
2 organic stock cubes (MSG-free; mono-sodium-glutamate free!)
sea salt
chili pepper (in mill)
turmeric
sweet paprika
mixed dried herbs (to your taste; I use celery, parsley, fennugreek, oregano..)
2-3 bay leaves
some fresh parsley
2-2.5 l of boiled water (I boil 2 kettles full...)
Only fresh ingredients...
Preparation
Wash the lentils and set aside in a sieve
Wash the vegetables and pat dry.
Chop up onions finely
Dice potatoes and slice or dice carrots (1/4 inch - if they're too thick, I dice; "slim" ones are sliced)
Cut leek in 1/2 inch slices
Dice the red + green pepper
If using fresh tomato: chop tomato or grate it into a bowl as if you were to grate a hard cheese, set aside
Peel garlic and slice
Cut up the stock cubes in small slices
Chop some fresh parsley
Boil water (either in kettle or in separate saucepan)
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan.
Add the finely chopped onion and sweat gently, stirring occasionally.
Reduce heat to medium.
Add the leeks and garlic, stir for a couple of minutes.
Add potatoes, carrots, red & green peppers and stir thorougly to get all vegetables mixed.
Add the chopped or grated tomato (Alternatively: add 1 tin of chopped tomato) and stir for another minute.
Add the boiled water (about 2 liters for starters), stir, increase the heat and then add:
the sliced stock cubes
3 heaped teaspoons of sweet paprika
2 heaped teaspoons of turmeric
1-2 level teaspoons of ground chili flakes (I like mine "hot-hot"..)
2-3 bayleaves
1-2 heaped teaspoon of mixed herbs
stir thoroughly and bring to the boil
When all's happily boiling, add the lentils, the chopped celeriac leaves and stir.
Reduce heat and simmer for about 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Check the consistency of the lentils after 30 mins, they should be tender.
When done, take out 2 large ladles full of the soup and blend (blender, food processor, or handheld mixer)
Return this mixture into the hotchpotch, taste and season if necessary (seasalt, chili, pepper...)
Before serving, stir in the chopped parsley.
We personally squeeze half a lemon into our hotchpotch - tastes gorgeous!
Enjoy and Bon Appetit...
Wash the lentils and set aside in a sieve
Wash the vegetables and pat dry.
Chop up onions finely
Dice potatoes and slice or dice carrots (1/4 inch - if they're too thick, I dice; "slim" ones are sliced)
Cut leek in 1/2 inch slices
Dice the red + green pepper
If using fresh tomato: chop tomato or grate it into a bowl as if you were to grate a hard cheese, set aside
Peel garlic and slice
Cut up the stock cubes in small slices
Chop some fresh parsley
Boil water (either in kettle or in separate saucepan)
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan.
Add the finely chopped onion and sweat gently, stirring occasionally.
Reduce heat to medium.
Add the leeks and garlic, stir for a couple of minutes.
Add potatoes, carrots, red & green peppers and stir thorougly to get all vegetables mixed.
Add the chopped or grated tomato (Alternatively: add 1 tin of chopped tomato) and stir for another minute.
Add the boiled water (about 2 liters for starters), stir, increase the heat and then add:
the sliced stock cubes
3 heaped teaspoons of sweet paprika
2 heaped teaspoons of turmeric
1-2 level teaspoons of ground chili flakes (I like mine "hot-hot"..)
2-3 bayleaves
1-2 heaped teaspoon of mixed herbs
stir thoroughly and bring to the boil
When all's happily boiling, add the lentils, the chopped celeriac leaves and stir.
Reduce heat and simmer for about 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Check the consistency of the lentils after 30 mins, they should be tender.
When done, take out 2 large ladles full of the soup and blend (blender, food processor, or handheld mixer)
Return this mixture into the hotchpotch, taste and season if necessary (seasalt, chili, pepper...)
Before serving, stir in the chopped parsley.
We personally squeeze half a lemon into our hotchpotch - tastes gorgeous!
Enjoy and Bon Appetit...
.. Dig in...!
Another member of the pulses family which is most versatile and nourishing is the humble chickpea, also known as Garbanzo beans. They're thought to be one of the oldest cultivated legumes in the world and their origins have been traced to eastern Asia from where they traversed many lands finally coming to rest along the mediterannean basin. The chickpea is a basic staple food in the Middle East as well as Iran. Chickpeas are an inexpensive and extremely versatile legume to add to your diet, vegan or non-vegan! They are a terrific source of plant protein and if you combine them with wholegrain brown rice they provide you a complete protein source covering all nine essential amino acids. Chickpeas are a healthy and low-calorie food and should not be missing from your diet plan.
Staying with soups for a moment, let me share with you a recipe that uses chickpeas and which was given to me by my good friend Gill. Hubs and I both like spicy foods, so we're rather generous with the chili - of course, you adjust it to suit your taste! Also, this recipe can be made to suit the non-vegan palate by adding some crème fraiche at the end of the preparation process to make it even creamier. We're quite happy with the non-creamy version, though!
Chickpea, chili and coriander soup
Ingredients:
225g chickpeas (left to soak overnight -minimum 8 hrs!- in 2x their volume of cold water)
2 small red chilies, halved, deseed and chop finely
1 tablespoon of coriander seeds
10g of fresh coriander leaves (separate the leaves from stalks; keep leaves aside for garnish)
1 tablespoon of cumin seeds
3 tablespoons of olive oil (for non-vegans: 50g of butter)
6 fat garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
1 teaspoon of ground turmeric
Grated zest of one organic lemon, plus 2-3 tablespoons of lemon juice, to serve
For non-vegans: 200 ml of crème fraiche (as a vegan I do not use this)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Garnish:
1 mild, fat red or green chili, deseeded and cut into very thin, whispery shreds
Coriander leaves that you kept aside
Large saucepan (minimum 3.5 litres)
225g chickpeas (left to soak overnight -minimum 8 hrs!- in 2x their volume of cold water)
2 small red chilies, halved, deseed and chop finely
1 tablespoon of coriander seeds
10g of fresh coriander leaves (separate the leaves from stalks; keep leaves aside for garnish)
1 tablespoon of cumin seeds
3 tablespoons of olive oil (for non-vegans: 50g of butter)
6 fat garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
1 teaspoon of ground turmeric
Grated zest of one organic lemon, plus 2-3 tablespoons of lemon juice, to serve
For non-vegans: 200 ml of crème fraiche (as a vegan I do not use this)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Garnish:
1 mild, fat red or green chili, deseeded and cut into very thin, whispery shreds
Coriander leaves that you kept aside
Large saucepan (minimum 3.5 litres)
Breaking with my 'only-my-pics' policy I uploaded this picture of a chickpea soup to serve as an eye-pleaser until I get my camera back from repair...!
Preparation:
Drain the chickpeas (in a colander) and rinse with cold tap water.
Place them in the saucepan with 1.75 litres of boiling water.
Bring up to simmering point, put a lid on and cook very gently for about 1 hour (they have to be tender and squashy)
While you’re cooking the chickpeas, prepare the following:
Dry-roast the coriander and cumin seeds in a small pre-heated frying pan for 2-3 minutes, then crush in a pestle and mortar.
Gently heat the oil in that frying pan, add the crushed spices, together with the chopped garlic and chillies and cook over a low heat for about 5 minutes. (non-vegans: melt the butter and proceed as with the oil, adding the spices, etc)
Add the turmeric, stir and gently heat the mix before removing from the heat.
When the chickpeas are tender, drain them in a colander placed over a bowl sufficiently large to collect the cooking water.
Put the chickpeas in a blender, together with a couple of ladles of cooking water, and puree them until smooth.
Add the lemon zest, coriander stalks and the cooked spices from the frying pan, along with another ladle of the cooking water.
Blend once more until fine and smooth.
Transfer the mixture back into the saucepan together with the rest of the cooking water. Bring it up to a simmer, stir and season to taste with salt and black pepper, then leave to simmer for another 30 minutes
For non-vegans: Before serving, add half the crème fraiche and lemon juice, taste to check the seasoning and serve in hot soup bowls.
Add the rest of the crème fraiche with a swirl into each bowl and garnish with the shredded chilli and coriander leaves.
Bon appétit!
