Half way through the Orthodox lent and why I am doing it

It is that time of the year when Orthodox Christian people reflect about their life through eating simple plant based food for six weeks before Easter. But wait, that's difficult ?! - were my daughter's words ..

What I didn't tell her is that the "eating bit" as a matter of fact is easy. The difficult bit is the spiritual site of it. We reflect by staying calm, being thankful and grateful, forgive, pray and more ....

Don't forget who you are and where you from - that's why I am doing it ....💧💛💦💛

I make my simple food looking good as well as being tasty by adding colours and textures, it works ....

This dish is perfect for quick and easy lunch or snack. It can be eaten hot or cold.

Ingredients:

120g fine polenta

550 - 600 ml water

salt and pepper 

8 to 10 black olives, chopped

4 to 5 sundried tomatoes, chopped (optional )

2 spring onions, chopped

1 fresh sliced tomato

dry oregano 

fresh parsley

olive oil

Cook the polenta in the water that you added a splash of olive oil and salt.

While still warm add the veggies and pour into an ovenproof dish ( oiled ).

Top it up with sliced tomatoes and season with oregano, salt, pepper and some more olive oil.

Grill for 5 minutes on high temperature or oven bake on 200 C for 10 - 15 minutes.

This salad is made by leftovers with added some fresh ingredients to keep me happy and healthy..

I used cooked brown rice

cooked brown lentils

handful of chickpeas

I place those three ingredients into a small steamer for 5 minutes.

When food plated, I then add fresh spinach, chili, purple cabbage, avocado and my favorite condiment  Gomashio ...

Best vegan carrot cake

You can find the recipe on my blog, here is the link.

How ever, I added a coconut cream on the top as well as some seeds.

To make the coconut cream simply whisk the cream of one coconut milk ( discard the water, use it later in a smoothie ) 2 Tbsp maple syrup or powder sugar and 1 tsp vanilla extract.

This is the seeds that I used to top up the cake.....

Feta & cheese multigrain muffins

These multigrain muffins are from my late childhood when my sister got interested in baking. 

The original recipe is called  "Lepcinja so spanak" which means "spinach breads".

The ingredients are very much what we would have in our kitchen / larder all the time.

Now days I live in England but I still have corn meal and feta cheese at any time :) 

Ingredients:

150g white spelt flour

150g wholemeal wheat flour

150g corn meal

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

200g feta cheese, crumbled

250 ml yogurt

mixed with 125 ml water

4 Tbsp oil

2 large eggs or 3 medium size 

2 to 3 handful fresh spinach

sesame seeds 

soft butter for greasing the muffin tin

Mix the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl.

Pour in the wet ingredients followed by the cheese. 

Mix everything and fold in the spinach leafs.

Grease the muffin tin and sprinkle generously the sesame seeds.

Spoon in the mixture and bake for 25 minutes on 190 C.

I love them sliced, toasted and served with soup. 

Best eaten warm. 

Freeze any left, defrost and take them with you for a picnic ....

The soup on the photo it's been a hit this winter, it is called 

`cheesy` vegan broccoli soup, you will find the recipe here

Eat your greens for lunch

Hi blog readers, check this out..
Greens for lunch - yes please !!
Looks complicated ?? it's not ..
Takes 20 - 30 minutes for preparation, keep everything in fridge ready to be used when needed .

Most of it can be packed in a lunch box ready to go...
 👋👋

you will need:

- spinach, frozen or fresh ;

- edamame beans, frozen ; 

- chopped avocado ; 

- fresh tomatoes ; 

- rocket salad leaves ;

- olives ;

- fresh red peppers ; 

- grated carrots and beetroot ; 

- eggs, boiled or scrambled ; 

- any roast veggies, I love butternut squash ;

- green wraps ; 

- bread ;

- seeds ;

- olive oil ; 

I have scrambled some eggs for this wraps, I added tomatoes, avocado and rocket salad leaves as well as some crunchy sliced red onion ....

Edamame beans on toast , oh my ...

I love edamame or soya beans . They are full of proteins and very tasty.

I placed the beans into a small frying pan, add olive oil and chopped garlic and toss everything for 2 - 3 minutes until the beans are defrosted. Perfect on warm toast with extra greens on the top.....

Wilted spinach on toast or on sandwich topped with whatever you like...

It goes really well with cooked rice ( fill up a glass jar with cooked grain and wilted spinach topped with fresh veggies ) 

don't forget to season with olive oil

add some seeds for a crunch ...

Roasted butternut squash goes really well with cooked greens or added in your favorite salad ...

Caramelized onion hummus with seeded flatbreads

Happy New Year 2018 !!!
Christmas is over so as the eating chocolate, drinking prosecco and long sleep in the mornings....
I am going to kick start this January with this delicious hummus inspired by

 15 minutes vegan

and those beautiful organic homemade flatbreads ....

For the hummus you will need: 

2 onions, sliced

1 tin of chickpeas or 300g cooked 

1 clove garlic

2 Tbsp tahini 

juice of one lemon

generous drizzle of good olive oil

salt

Heat some olive oil in a pan, add the onion and slow cook until caramelizes.

Tip the chickpeas into a bowl. Cover with boiling water and allow to sit while the onion is cooking.

Tip drained chickpeas into a blender, half the onion, tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and garlic and blend until smooth.

Serve the hummus with the rest of the onions...

For the flatbreads I used:

400g organic seeded brown flour

about 250 ml water

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp salt 

1 Tbsp sesame seeds

Simply mix the ingredients, form a dough and leave it to rest for a few hours or even overnight.

When you need the flatbreads, heat a non-stick pan , dust a surface with flour, tip the dough on it and divide the dough into 10 - 12 balls.

Roll each ball flat and place them on the hot pan 2 or 3 at the time.

Cook the breads 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until nicely coloured.

I like to brush the flatbread with olive oil before serving.

 Any leftover ? you can freeze them ( never happened to me though ) 

note: the breads have a nice texture, more on a chewy side rather then soft 

  

here are some photos of my Christmas baking that I never had time to publish it:

Gingerbreads

Boozy homemade mincemeat 

Stollen

Spelt & rye flour focaccia

Winter baking rocks in my kitchen 🍞

This focaccia tastes like heaven especially if you are onion-crazy 😁 

Ingredients:

200g spelt white flour
100g rye flour
1 tsp dry active yeast
1/2 cup cooked grains*
200 - 220 ml lukewarm water
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp olive oil
half onion
fresh rosemary
extra olive oil for drizzling 

Place the flours into a mixing bowl, add the rest of the ingredients to form a soft dough.
Leave the dough to rest for an hour covering the bowl with clean tea towel.
Shape the dough into a square or rectangle and place it onto your baking tray that you covered with baking paper.
Top the dough with rings of onion, drizzle some more olive oil and season with some more salt.
Few sprigs of rosemary here and there and your dough is ready to be baked.
Bake for 15 - 20 minutes on 210 C .

* I have been using my leftover cooked grains mixing it up into the dough . 
Cooked barley, farro or spelt grain works the best.

Soft polenta and spinach

This is my favorite "fast food" meal for one. When the days are crazy, when I have cooked spaghetti bolognese for my family or when I simply fancy something nourishing comfort food - this is what I make in no time ...  

you will need:

50g polenta

200ml water

salt

3 cubes frozen spinach 

1/4 avocado

olive oil

First, put the frozen spinach into a small pot, heat the pot and put the lid on. The spinach will defrost in 5 minutes. 

Now the spinach is ready, I place the spinach in a plate and use the same cooking pot to cook the polenta. Do not wash the pot, let the small bits of spinach blend with your polenta.

Pour the water into the pot, heat the pot, before it boils, add the polenta, stir until boils.

Place the lid on and cook the polenta on a low heat stirring every now and then for about 5 minutes.

Season with salt and drizzle olive oil generously.... 

This recipe will appear on VegHog blog as a contribution for eat your greens

Four plant based favorite bites

🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂
Oaty biscuits with pumpkin seeds

Seeded coconut flapjacks

Sauerkraut on rye bread 
Guacamole with sweet potato

To make these biscuits you will need:

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 cup porridge oats, ground in a food processor

1/2 tsp salt

1 Tbsp baking powder

1/2 cup melted coconut oil, refine or extra virgin

approximately 1/2 cup nondairy milk or water

pumpkin seeds for topping

Combine the dry ingredients with the melted oil, mixing with a fork until the mixture is well combine.

Add the milk a little at a time, just enough to bring the mixture together.

Gather the dough into a sausage shape, wrap it with plastic wrap and leave it in the fridge for hour or more.

When you are ready to bake, unwrap the dough, using a sharp knife cut ten round biscuit and place them on a baking tray.

Sprinkle some pumpkin seeds pressing them down lightly onto the biscuit.

Bake for 10 - 12 minutes on 190 C 

For the flapjacks you will need:

170g porridge oats

130g spelt flour

50g shredded coconut

30 - 40 g sunflower seeds

100g brown sugar

2Tbsp honey

150g coconut oil

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl.

Melt the coconut oil and honey in a small pan over a low heat or in the microwave.

Mix everything together, then tip into a tray 20cm X 20cm and press firmly.

Bake for 15 - 20 minutes on 180 C. 

This is my homemade sauerkraut and my homemade bread The recipes are on my blog, you can find them following the links here and here !!!

Ah, how much I love this, I can eat it every day if chance given !!

Simply cut peeled sweet potato, brush with some olive oil, sprinkle some salt and bake for 20 minutes.

In a meanwhile make your own guacamole or use one from shop.!!! 

Sausage pizza wreath

Pizza like no other, just watch it disappear every time you serve to children or adults 🍕🍴🍅 

You will need:

serve 4-5

1 pack of pizza dough from shop ( never tried though ) 

or

make your own dough using:

300g flour, I used white wheat mixed with wholemeal spelt

5g quick yeast

1 tsp salt

200 - 300 ml luke warm water

1 Tbsp olive oil

************************************

2 or 3 vegetarian sausages torn into pieces, I used Linda Mccartney's red onion and rosemary

1 small mozzarella ball, 125 g 

50 - 100g any yellow cheese, grated

*************************************

tomato sauce for dipping 

Make a dough from the ingredients above, cover it with tea towel and let it prove for 45 minutes.

Roll the dough into a round shape.

Using a sharp make a few cuts in the middle.

Assemble the cheese and sausages and fold.

Bake for 12 minutes on 220 C .

Cut the pizza ring before serving. 

I served it with green salad and baked beans, it was enough for five of us.

Flax seeds breads - kifla

For some reason I always want to have some sort of homemade bread rolls. These are so nutritious, easy to make and very tasty. I love to make a double batch so I can freeze some as well ....

Ingredients:

20g flax seeds

300 ml water

********************

300g white flour

200g whole wheat flour

1 pack of quick action yeast or 7g

100 ml milk or water

1 tsp salt

2 Tbsp olive oil

Place the seeds and the water into a small cooking pan, bring it to a boil and cook it for 5 min.

Cool the emulsion right down and add it to the flour and the rest of the ingredients.

Form a dough.

Knead the dough for 5 - 10 minutes.

Place the dough into a glass or plastic bowl, cover with clean tea towel and leave it to rest for 1 1/2 hour.

Punch down the dough and divide into 12.

Roll each portion using a rolling pin to get a flat bread.

Roll it in one direction and cut the edges using a knife.

Now you can decide whether you want them straight or curved or both :) like mine.

Arrange the breads on a baking tray, brush them with water and immediately sprinkle some seeds of your choice. I used caraway as well as freshly ground maldon salt.

Cover with the tea towel again and leave to prove in a warm place for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 200 C .

Bake the breads for 15 - 20 minutes.