3 deliciously colored raw vegan tart

Versiunea in limba romana: 3 tarte raw vegan, delicios colorate

My curiosity for raw food started when I discovered  Ina's blog, my raw muse :). Beautiful delicate pictures, delicious recipes, life style. I kept on saying I will try, but I kept on finding excuses: I need more ingredients, I need seeds, I need a germinator, I need a Vitamix... No more excuses! I have to start... So I started my raw food play :) And I loved to play ♥ This dessert is very easy to prepare. The chocolate was absolutely delicious, perfect for a strong chocolate craving... The avocado strawberries tart was incredibly fresh, perfect for a hot summer day. As I had 3 tart shells/pans of cca 15 cm, I played with the colors and textures. Loved the raw play :) 

I'm not saying I'll go stricly raw vegan starting today, as overnight changes are not my thing, but raw vegan food will become increasingly present in my family meals. What the future will bring, we shall see... I'll keep you posted on my raw food play  :)

Today I'll prepare almonds milk for the kids. A raw, delicious, flavored almonds milk. Then we'll just play with some raw almond cookies... I love to play raw with the kids, in the kitchen :) 

PS: Before starting to prepare the tart shell, I tasted the soaked almonds. Not a good idea, as these almonds are soooooo good, that I almost had none left for the tart :) Delicious! Just in case, soak a couple more, for unpredicted cravings :)

Raw tart shell

75 g coconut flakes, dry, unsweetened + 100 g almonds, soaked in cold water over night, then strained and mixed in the blender + 80 ml coconut oil 

Mix all ingredients, then press the dough in the tart pan; refrigerate for minimum 4 hours.

Black and white - raw chocolate tart

The above mentioned tart dough.
65 g good quality cocoa + 60 ml coconut oil + 120 ml agave syrup + 1/2 tsp lecithin 

Slowly heat the coconut oil (over bainmarie), then remove from fire. Mix the cocoa, coconut oil,  lecithin and agave syrup. Pour the cream over the very cold tart dough and refrigerate for minimum 1 hour.

White, red, green - Avocado & strawberries tart

Above mentioned tart dough.
1 avocado, ripe, without brown spots +  4 tsp fresh lemon juice +  4 tsp agave syrup + 1/2 tsp lecithin
250 g strawberries +  4 dates, soaked in warm water for 10 minutes + 1 tsp lecithin + 1/2 lgt  lemon juice

In a blender, mix the avocado, lemon juice, agave syrup and lecithin. Separately, mix the strawberries, lemon juice, dates and lecithin. Pour the creams over the chilled tart dough and create the pattern you like. Refrigerate for a couple of hours.

White Black Green Red

Just play with all the above creams. Yummi raw ♥

Lime, poppyseeds & blackberries cake with cream cheese frosting

Versiunea in limba romana: Prajitura cu limeta, mac si mure & cream cheese frosting 

I love poppyseeds! I love poppyseeds cakes and I keep thinking of a dessert we had some time ago in Germany, in Garmish. A kind of pie filled with an enormous quantity of poppyseeds. Crazy... It was winter, snow capped mountains, hours and hours of walking to the lodge... We would have skied, if we knew how :) The path was so beautiful, the mountains so magnificent and dramatic, the lodge so perfect and cozy, that instantly everything, including the dessert, was forever in my heart, in the favorite memories "folder". I remember my kid's red noses and their happy little eyes... Probably the hypnotic effect of the poppy seeds was exactly what we needesd after such a trip :) Anyway, winter is far away... At list, that's my hope. Spring is here. Blackberries. Strawberries. Raspberries. Sun. Green. Blue. Yellow. Gold. Light...

A wonderful cake for a beautiful day! Easy to prepare & so delicious, with a well deserved festive touch from the cream cheese frosting... What to celebrate? Spring! Spring is here...

85 g unsalted butter, at room temperature + 245 g sugar + zest of 2 lime + 50 g poppyseeds
170 ml milk
235 g flour + 2 tsp baking powder + a little salt
3 egg whites, mixed until it becomes a dense foam
150 g blackberries, mashes (with the fork)

Cream cheese frosting
130 g Philadelphia cream cheese, very cold
50 g unsalted butter, at room temperature + 250-300 g confectioner's sugar

Heat the oven to 170 degrees C. Prepare a round cake tray (removable bottom), with butter and baking paper. Mix well the butter, sugar, lime zest and poppy seeds. Slowly add the milk, mixing (the consistence is not homogenous yet). In another bowl mix flour, baking powder and salt, then add the poppyseeds cream, in three steps, mixing well each time. With a silicone spatula scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, making sure there are no solid parts left. Add the mashed blackberries, mix slowly. Add the egg whites foam and mix carefully.

Pour the batter in the prepared tray and cook in the heated oven for 30 minutes. Let the cake cool in the tray. Prepare the cream cheese frosting: mix well with the mixer the butter and sugar, until you obtain a fluffy foam; add the cream cheese and mix for aprox 5 minutes; do not over mix.

When the cake is cold, put the cake in the plate you like and put the frosting on top. Lovely ♥

I love matcha ice cream

 Versiunea in limba romana: inghetata de matcha/ceai verde

What is Matcha?

A premium Japanese green tea, from the region of Uji Tawara. This region assures the perfect environment for the matcha plants: fog, hills, temperature etc. It is used in the tea ceremony, but also for cakes and  shakes. It is said to be the heart of the Japanese tea ritual for centuries.  Uji Tawara area is well known for it's famous teas:  shincha, gyokuro and sencha. 

 

Advantages

♥ a cup of matcha equals 10 cups of green tea (nutritional value)

♥ rich in antioxidants, fibers and chlorophyll 

♥ no sugar 

♥ contains L-teanine, a relaxing amino acid

♥ contains caffeine, as any green tea 

♥ while drinking matcha, we also consume the plant's leaves, not just an infusion. 

Matcha releases 4-6 hours of "calm" energy in our body.

How is it produced?

Just a few days before the spring harvest, farmers cover the plants with bamboo sheets, reducing the sun reaching the plant. This process is increasing the level of chlorophyll in the leaves. These become dark green, the distinct matcha color. After the harvest, leaves are boiled in vapors and air dried. Later these are sorted and rough parts removed: tencha. Tencha becomes matcha after grinding. Matcha produced from very young leaves has the most intense color and finest texture. 

Type of Matcha

Kama Matcha: Koicha (thick): the richest in amino - acid, complex taste, strong flavor; made of more than 30 years old plants. 

Morning Matcha: Usucha (thin): recommended for beginers; produced from plants younger than 30 years.
Gotcha Matcha: perfect for cakes, smoothies, latte, sauces, etc.
During the tea ritual, Koicha is boiled in less water than Usucha, as Koicha has a softer and sweeter taste.

Why matcha is more expensive than other green teas?

- Japan is a small country; they export only 1 % of the tea production, the rest is for intern consumption;
- the fabrication process is special; a good quality matcha is almost entirely produced manually;
- time between 2 harvesting is long
- a normal grinding stone makes only 40 grams of matcha per hour. 

Info souces: matchasource.com si japanesegreenteaonline.com

Green tea ice cream

I tried matcha ice cream in Japanese restaurants and I just loved it. I knew that David Lebovitz's recipe would be fail proof. No disappointment :). I was so anxious to try it with my freshly bought matcha. Delightful!

250 ml whole fat milk + 150 g sugar + a little salt
500 ml cream + 4 tbsp matcha
6 egg yolks

Slowly heat the milk, sugar and salt, until sugar disolves and milk is warm. Do not boil.  In another bowl mix cream and matcha powder. In another bowl mix egg yolks, pour the warm milk over it, mixing continuously, then pour it right back in the pan, mixing with a silicone spatula, until it thickens. Sieve the eggyolk mixture, and pour it over the matcha & cream. Mix well, until you get a homogenous cream. Cool it over ice and refrigerate it. Prepare it in the ice cream machine, according to producers instructions.  
So refreshing...

Courgette & eggplant tian with beetroot hummus

Versiunea in limba romana: Tian de dovlecei si vinete, cu hummus de sfecla

Delicious and vegan? Absolutely. Besides, it looks so beautiful. Very easy to prepare, healthy, wonderful  ♥ The courgette & eggplant tian can be served simple, but I find it delightful with a beetroot hummus, so colorful and yummi. Enjoy!

PS: The beetroot hummus is also delicious as a dipping sauce for fresh vegetables as carrots, celery etc.

1 courgette + 1 eggplant + 5-6 onions (cut in rounds, 5 mm thickness)
6-7 fresh thyme
5-6 garlic cloves, thinly cut
3 - 4 tbsp olive oil + 2 tbsp water
Beetroot hummus:  1 big beetroot (baked) + 2 garlic cloves + 3-4 tbsp tahina (sesame paste) + 1 or 2 lime (juice) + olive oil  

Preheat the oven to 160 degrees Celsius. Place the eggplant, courgette and onion rounds in an oven tray, creating a beautiful pattern. From place to place, put the garlic between the vegetable rounds.

Sprinkle with thyme leaves, fleur de sel, freshly ground pepper. Pour olive oil, trying to cover as much of the vegetables, as possible. Better yet, you can brush the olive oil over the vegetables. Pour two tablespoons of water in the tray. Bake for aprox 1 hour. 

To preapare the beetroot, wash it, pat dry on absorbant paper and boil it for 1 hour in water, or bake it for about 1 hour, wrapped in aluminum foil, in the oven - 200 degrees Celsius. Let it cool a bit, peel it, cut it in little cubes. Mix the beetroot, tahina, garlic, lime juice and olive oil in a blender (until you get the desired consistency). Season with salt and fresh pepper.

Put the hummus in the plates, then parts of the tian over it. Delicious...

Power seeds pie: sesame, quinoa & hemp

Versiunea in limba romana: Placinta cu susan, quinoa si seminte de canepa

Better said: seeds pie :). I have this idea from my friend Andreea GK (thanks, honey) and I transformed it according to my taste. I adore sesame, these cute healthy little seeds  ♥ I have a passion for power foods and lately I've discovered that sesame is full of calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphohorus, vitamin B1, zinc, fibers, sesamin & sesamolin. Quinoa is also a power food I love ( see my post Healthy breakfast - raspberry quinoa breakfast and Quinoa with chickpeas and dry fruits). Recently I've discovered another power seed: hemp.  2 tablespoons of hemp seeds  equals the daily necessary amount of Omega 3 & Omega 6. As I really dislike taking pills as suplements, this was great news to me. Calm, beautiful skin, lower cholesterol + delicious dessert = love. Enjoy!

 

 

1 pie dough (defrosted)
4 - 5 tbsp melted butter
450 g sesame seeds +  4 lg quinoa + 6 tbsp hemp seeds + 250 g grounded almonds + 1 tbsp  grounded cinnamon + 1/2 tsp grounded cloves + 250-300 ml honey (I don't like it too sweet) + zest of one orange

Cut the defrosted pie dough in 2 pieces, brush it with butter, put one piece in an oven tray. Preheat the oven to 160 degrees C.

Wash the quinoa seeds thoroughly, then let drain really well. Heat a pan and put the seeds in it, stirring often, until golden. Mix quinoa, sesame, hemp seeds, almonds, orange zest, spices and honey. Put this mixture in the tray and cover with the second dough piece. Brush with butter. Bake for aprox 50 minutes. When sesame pie is done, let cool, then sieve some confectioner's sugar on top. Enjoy!

Coriander & lemongrass vongole soup

Versiunea in limba romana: Supa de vongole cu lemongrass si coriandru verde

A  lemongrass clam/vongole soup, very easy to prepare and absolutely delicious. I love coriander and a touch of lemongrass. The only time consuming part was cleaning the clams :). If you want, you can easily add some spaghetti and transform it in a pasta dish full of flavor.

2 kg clams/vongole + tbsp olive oil
1 good hand of green coriander + 2 garlic cloves + the juice of 1 lime + 1 tbsp olive oil
100 ml dry white wine
500 ml boiling water + 1 stick of fresh lemongrass, cut into 1 cm long pieces

Wash thorough the clams (using a brush,  under running cold water). Discard any shells already opened. Heat the oil, add the clams, put a lid on. After 1 minute pour over the wine and cover again, turn the heat to high and wait for 4-5 minutes, until the shells open. Shake the recipient from time to time.
Remove the clams from the pot, sieve the wine sauce.
Mix in a blender the green coriander, garlic, lime juice & olive oil until you have a thick paste.
Bring to boil the water, the wine sauce and the lemongrass. Let it boil for 5 - 7 minutes, then add the coriander cream and remove from the heat.

 Put the clams in plates, pour the soup on top and serve immediately.

Simplu si delicios ♥

Beetroot & tahini cream

Reteta in limba romana: Crema de sfecla & tahini

I love beetroot... I love to "play" with it in the kitchen. Hypnotic effect of it's beautiful color? Is it  addictive? :) My beetroot risotto was amazingly delicious and I can't forget the  surprized/happy face  of my boys when they saw the dark carmin red risotto in their plate :). I have a permanent stock of beetroot in my kitchen, delivered every week by a  bio vegetables Romanian producer.   I wash it, cook it, peel it, and then store it in the refrigerator. This way, I can prepare in minutes any delicious beetroot combination: salad with spinach, salad with wild garlic and sunflower seeds, hummus & courgette tian, or with yoghurt, garlic and dill. Why not, maybe some beetroot brownies... 

Besides, beetroot is a power food. One more reason to like it...

♥ rich in calcium, iron, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin B 9

♥ good source of fibers, manganese, potassium

♥ contains  phosphorus, magnesium, vitamin B6

♥ it's beautiful color comes from the betacyanin, a powerful antioxidant.  

♥ believed to impove cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, help preventing heart desease, etc.

My kids love yoghurt beetroot salad. That's how I came up with the idea for this delicious cream. Served cold, with fresh dill. Perfect for a warm, sunny summer day ♥

1 medium beetroot
1 tbsp tahina (sesame paste) + 1-2 tbsp fresh lemon juice + 1 garlic clove + 250 g of  Greek yoghurt + 1 tbsp olive oil 
salt, fresh peper
Optional: dill, finely cut

Wash thoroughly the beetroot and pat dry on absorbant paper. To cook it, either boil it for 1 hour in a lot of water, making sure you add more boiling water if the liquid level decreases, or  wrap it in aluminum foil and  roast it in the heated oven, 1 hour, at 200 degrees C. Peel the cooked beet, cut it in small pieces. Mix all ingredients in the blender. Season with salt and fresh pepper. Serve cold, with fresh dill.

aprox 2 servings.

Avocado frosting brownies

Versiunea in limba romana: Brownies cu frosting din avocado 

While browsing a beautiful blog, Joy the baker, an intriguing cake recipe got my attention: chocolate cake with avocado cream. Wow... My first reaction? Skeptical. After thinking over and over again about it, an unbelievable desire to try this combination won me over :) My imagination started "working" and I decided that the only way to get rid of this obsession is to actually start cooking. The result: avocado frosting brownies. Perfect combination. Imagine dark chocolate  (>75% cocoa) and creamy, slightly lemony avocado. Not too sweet, as I'm not a big fan of sugary frostings. My favourite brownies! Ok, let's say equally good as my lovely  mascarpone brownies ♥ Enjoy!

200 g dark chocolate (minimum 75% cocoa), cut in small pieces + 200 g unsalted butter, diced
180 g sugar + 3 big eggs, room temperature + 1 tsp vanilla essence
80 g flour, sieved
50 g walnuts, cut in small pieces
1 avocado + 1 tbsp lemon juice (fresh) + 3-4 tbsp confectioner's sugar

Heat the oven at 180 degrees Celsius. Prepare  a cake ... with butter and baking paper (20x20cm).
Melt the chocolate over bain-marie, mixing from time to time. When chocolate is liquid, remove from heat and add the butter, mixing untill it melts, too. Don't let the chocolate to be in direct contact with the hot water vapors.

In another bowl, mix sugar, vanilla and eggs, untill you get a fluffy cream. Add the flour, little at a time and mix. Add the walnuts and mix. Add the chocolate mixture and mix with a silicon spatula. Pour the batter in the tray and bake it in the oven for 20 minutes.

In the mean time prepare the frosting. Take the avocado, ripe, but not brown, mash it, then add the lemon juice and mix it well. Start adding the sugar, little at a a time, mixing well. I did not use to much sugar, as I'm a big fan of not too sweet frostings, but feel free to adapt it to your taste.

Take the brownies out of the oven and force cool the cake: put the hot tray in a bigger tray with cold water and ice cubes. Let it cool down this way, then cut it. 

Serve the brownies with the avocado frosting. Keep both the brownies and the frosting in refrigerator. I love cold brownies...