Apple pie smoothie

Versiunea in limba romana: Apple pie smoothie 

I loved the idea of an effortless apple pie, cuddled in one glass, flavored with cinnamon and allspice.  No baking, no time consumed in the kitchen... Actually, I found this delicious ideea while browsing Andreea's (The Hobby) facebook postings, with details here and I adapted it a little. How could I resist this temptation, when these days I feel time is running out so fast and I wish the day had 48 hours... At least 48 hours... Besides, last evening I received the perfect honey vanilla cream, from  Kzarinne, ecological and delicious. Super happy! So, this morning I prepared the perfect breakfast, an apple pie smoothie. An autumn breakfast.... Have a beautiful autumn!   ♥

100 g raw cashews + 320 ml cold water
300 g apple sauce
1 tsp cinnamon + 1/4 tsp allspice (ground)
4 tsp  vanilla honey cream - Kzarinne
a pinch of sea salt

Mix well cashews and water, using a blender, then add the rest of the ingredients and keep blitzing until you get a smooth silky delicious smoothie. Serve right away.

So flavored and vegan. A delicious breakfast or a dessert ready in no time. Enjoy!

Basil flavored ricotta stuffed fleur de courgette

Versiunea in limba romana: Flori de dovlecei cu ricotta si busuioc, 2 variante delicioase

Delicate, orange yellow, sunny courgette flowers... Oh, the joy! I adore this cute delicious flowers. A couple of days ago I found these beauties again in shops in Bucharest. The happiness!  Fleurs de courgette...

My first thought was to prepare them tempura style, but I quickly found out that I had no all purpose flour and mineral water. All kinds of flours in my cupboard, faro, rice, oat, millet, kamut, chickpeas, but no all purpose, plain white flour... And I wanted those flowers so badly! With no desire to go to the market, kids almost back from school, I had to act quickly and have lunch ready by the time they come home. Think, think, think... Brainstorming... What if? Let's try ricotta and fresh basil from my garden. The courgette flowers stuffed with basil flavored ricotta were amazing. I baked some and deep fried the others in bread crumbs, with some spicy fresh tomatoes salsa as a dipping sauce. Loved both, but my all time favorites were... What do you think? Enjoy! 

250 g ricotta cheese
6-7 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 garlic cloves, thinly cut
2 tbsp olive oil
1 egg
salt and pepper freshly grounded
aprox 18 courgette flowers
60 - 70 g flour (I used kamut flour, but all purpose flour is OK)
2 eggs + 2-3 tbsp milk, mixed well
7-8 slices of golden toast Mulino bianco, transformed in rough bread crumbs

Salsa: 3 - 4 fresh tomatoes  + peperoncino, depending on your taste + 2 garlic cloves + 1 tbsp olive oil
salt, freshly ground pepper

 Mix ricotta, basil, garlic, olive oil and egg, until you obtain a cream. Wash carefully the courgette flowers in cold water, then gently dry them on kitchen paper. Remove the pistil of the flower. Carefully fill the flowers with the ricotta cream, using a little teaspoon. 

Now we have two options, just try the one you like best... Or both of them, just like me :)

a. Heat the oven at 180 degrees Celsius. Put the stuffed flowers in a ceramic, heat resistant tray, with one tablespoon of olive oil and a dot of butter, sprinkle with fleur de sel and fresh pepper. Bake for 20 minutes. Simple and delicious.

 

b. Prepare salsa: blitz fresh tomatoes, garlic, peperoncino and olive oil in a blender.

 

Next steps to be done with each flower, one by one: take one flower, dust it in flour, wash it carefully and quickly in the egg & milk mixture, then  cover it in bread crumbs. Repeat with each one.

 

Heat very well the oil (as for deep frying) in a pan (you can use sun flower oil, or maybe canola or peanut oil for healthier choices). When oil is heated, deep fry the flowers, just a few at a time, until breadcrumbs become golden. Take them out of the pan and pet dry on kitchen paper. Repeat with the rest of the flowers. Serve them hot, dipping the flowers in the spicy fresh tomato salsa. Deliciously basil flavored flowers... I love them!

Enjoy!

Goji, cashews & chocolate cereal bars - a vegan delight

Versiunea in limba romana: Batoane  cu cereale & goji - mic dejun ciocolatos, vegan
Happy vegan friday! A surprise breakfast for my chocolate loving elder son. He loved it. My little kid didn't even want to hear about it, being upset that I did not prepare something fruity especially for him, no trace of chocolate. As if the cinnamon spiced muffins I prepared yesterday were not especially made for him... OK, I'll repair my mistake...
These cereal bars were delicious, very chocolaty and filled with goodies: cashews, goji, raisins, seeds, rolled oats, no milk at all. Vegan. Raw vegan. 
I have to say that my perfect, dream breakfast is a french crusty baguette with brie cheese and jambon blanc, preferably served in the sun, watching the sea, but the chocolate surprise for my son was super yum.  It's true that I eat it as a coffee cake, not as breakfast, but I loved it. Perfect for my chocolate cravings.  Not to mention that I skipped the oven, a blessing in this hot weather.
Cereal chocolate bars... A guilty pleasure hidden in a  scrumptious breakfast  ♥

70 g cocoa powder, the best quality you can find
70 ml coconut oil, heated just a little bit, on bain marie (slightly warm, not hot)
120 ml agave syrup
1 lgt lecithin powder
1 small red beetroot, raw, well washed, peeled and chopped
2 tbsp goji
4 tbsp raw cashews
4 tbsp golden raisins
4 tbsp sun flower seeds, raw
6 tbsp rolled oats (without any honey, simple)

Prepare a tray (10 x 10 cm) with baking paper. Put the beetroot in the blender and blitz until pureed. Add cocoa, coconut oil, agave syrup, lecithin, mix well. Transfer the chocolate cream to a bowl and add gojji, cashews, golden raisins, sun flower seeds and rolled oats, mixing carefully. Pour the mixture in the prepared tray and refrigerate until next day.

By now, the chocolate should set enough to be easily cut.  Serve it cold and keep refrigerated until serving.

 

Yummi :)

Cinnamon flavored apple & cashews muffins

Versiunea in limba romana: Briose cu mere si caju, aromate cu scortisoara 

 

Happy first day of autumn! ♥ Well, I'm not looking forward for rain, clouds and cold weather... Thanks God, it seems September will be quite warm and we will slowly  start feeling real fall weather. But I am looking forward for all the goodies autumn brings us: apples, plums, raisins, quinces, leeks, pumpkin, cabbage, pickles, baked cakes, cinnamon flavors, holidays... Farmer markets are filled with lots and lots of vegetables and fruits, beautifull, juicy, tasty... All the goodies I have to prepare for winter...

Apples and cashew muffins, cinnamon flavored, lovely and delicious, freshly baked for the first day of fall. Enjoy! ♥

300 g flour (sifted) + 1 tbsp baking powder + 2 tsp cinnamon + 1 tsp grounded allspice
150 g brown sugar
2 big apples, peeled, cored and chopped 
125 g cashews, chopped
125 g butter, unsalted (melted and cooled) + 2 eggs + 185 ml milk

Thin slices of apples, half a lemon, brown sugar 

Heat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Prepare a muffin tray. Lightly "brush" the thin slices of apples with the cut side of the lemon, then sprinkle with brown sugar. Set aside while preparing the muffins.

Mix flour, baking powder, cinnamon and allspice. Add sugar, cashews and apples. Mix well.  In another recipient mix milk, eggs and butter. Pour the liquids over the solid mixture and mix slowly, with a wooden or a silicon spatula, avoiding overmixing. Pour the batter in the muffins tray, decorate with the apple slices and bake for 20 minutes.

Let the muffins cool on a wired rack. These muffins are delicious, tender and flavored, a celebration of fall. 

Recipe for aprox 24 muffins.