Lemon Avocado Sweet Potato Vegan Cake

This recipe was inspired by this https://paleoglutenfree.com/recipes/best-paleo-avocado-chocolate-cake/.  I'm not going to pretend I invented this, as I didn't, but I've made my own version with lemon and it tastes amazing.  My husband even liked it, even knowing there was no butter or flour in the cake!!

So here is my recipe

for the cake

1 large sweet potato ground in food processor (raw)
2 tablespoons ground flax seeds  mixed with 1/2 cup water wait for 10 minutes before using, it needs to be the same consistency as eggs (never buy it ground, its rancid, grind it yourself)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 heaped tablespoons of sugar (coconut preferred)
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup coconut oil
pinch of salt
grated rind of 1 lemon

Frosting

1 cup steamed orange sweet potato
1/2 avocado
juice of 1 lemon
7 medjool dates

Oil a cake pan with coconut oil and place a teaspoon of coconut flour in the cake tin and swish it around to cover all the oil.  Blitz the sweet potato in the food processor until fine.  Place in the blender.  Add the ground flax seeds (eggs) coconut flour, sugar,baking soda/powder, coconut oil, salt and most of the lemon rind (save a little for garnish).  Blend until smooth.  Once its all smooth, pour it into the pan and cook on 350 for about 20 minutes.
When its fully cooked it will crack a little on top.  Remove from oven and allow to cool.
Frosting
To make the frosting steam 1 cup of orange sweet potatoes.  Then add into the food processor with 1/2 avocado and dates and lemon juice.  Blend for a while, until its very smooth.  Once the cake is cooled, put the icing on with a butter knife or spatula.  Garnish with remaining lemon zest and eat it!!

Sweet Potatoes are very nourishing and are a good source of vitamin A through beta carotene, they are also high in magnesium, phosphorus and calcium, they are also a great source of potassium and fiber.

FAVA BEANS WITH CUCUMBER BROWN RICE AND RED PEPPER

Hi Everyone,  Here is another simple fava recipe for those of you who love favas like I do.  This one is different from the last one as it has brown rice mixed into it as well as dressing.  Here in Portugal we have been having gorgeous summer weather (even tho it's still spring).  So many things in the garden are just going crazy!  I love to work in my garden and I especially love being able to eat from the garden.  As we are meant to! So here is the recipe.

Dressing

3 T toasted sesame oil

2 T brown rice vinegar

2 T tamari or shoyu

2 cloves garlic

1/2 t grated ginger

1/2 t honey

Place this dressing a medium size bowl  and mix in all the ingredients below.

1/2 kg favas peeled, blanched for 2 minutes and shelled

2 cups cooked brown rice

1/3 cucumber sliced and cut into quarters

1/2  red pepper cut into small pieces

2 T coriander chopped for garnish

Serve cold and enjoy on a warm spring or summer day for lunch or dinner, as a side dish or a main.

Red peppers are very high in vitamin C, B6, K1 and potassium, they also contains vitamin A, vitamin E and folate.  They are so delicious and full of vitamins and minerals.

FAVA BEAN AND RED PEPPER SALAD

Hi Everyone,  Spring is truly sprung here in Portugal.  I am already eating nespera (loquats) and also I just harvested my first fava beans.  They taste amazing.  Here is a new recipe I created with my first of the year.  They are SO delicious and nourishing.  I just ate rather a lot with some gorgeous roasted potatoes.  And my husband liked it too!  So without further ado........

FAVA BEAN AND RED PEPPER SALAD

1 kilo fresh fava beans to shell, blanch and peel

1 red bell pepper

1/2 a cucumber sliced then quartered, semi peeled

10 or more slices of daikon radish julienned

2 cloves garlic crushed and chopped

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1/4 teaspoon grain mustard

chopped coriander to your taste

Shell then blanch the favas by making a large pot of boiling water and dropping in the shelled beans.  cook for 1.5 minutes.  Drain and place into an ice water bath.  This way they will remain a lovely bright green colour.  Drain again and peel.  Add the fava beans to all the other ingredients up until the garlic.  Place garlic in small bowl with both vinegars, then add the mustard and stir, then add the olive oil and whisk.  Place this onto the veggies and beans.  Mix well and serve with some roasted herbed potatoes.

Fava beans are wonderful for our health.  They contain many vitamins and minerals including a high level of protein and fiber.  They are high in potassium, calcium, manganese and folate.

Sugar free Courgette/Zuchinni Bread

Hey Everyone,  I have decided that after being sick for ten days and not eating anything for five days that I need to quit sugar.  What I noticed after not eating for five days was that I could put rings on my fingers that I couldn't wear for at least a year because the joints in my fingers were slightly swollen, but after not eating for 5 days I could get them on and off really easily.  This showed me that sugar was creating inflammation in my body,  which most of us probably already know, however, having first hand experience was very interesting and inspiring.
I have decided to create some sugar free breads (that would normally use lots of sugar).  I had read that using apple sauce was a good substitute for sugar.    So I made some apple sauce and went for it!  So I have to say that I was very pleased with the result.  So here is my recipe for sugar free courgette bread.

3/4 cup (175ml) oil (I used olive oil but you can use melted butter also)

1 cup (250 grams) apple sauce

2 tablespoons maple syrup, honey or brown rice syrup

2 eggs

1 large courgette/zuchinni grated

1 1/2 cups walnuts chopped

3 cups wholewheat flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

Set the oven to 160C or 325 degrees, oil two loaf pans and set aside.  Place the oil, apple sauce, maple syrup in food processor and blend.  Add the eggs, blend again then add the courgette and walnuts , blend again briefly, then mix the flour and baking soda and powder together in a separate bowl, then add to the mixture in the food processor and pulse a few times.  When its all well combined place half the mixture in oiled loaf pan and the other half in another oiled loaf pan.  Cook for about 30 minutes.  It may take longer.  Mine took 30 minutes, but my oven seems to cook things faster than most.  So yours might take a little longer.  Enjoy!!!  I was very happy with how it turned out and really didn't miss the sweetness as it was a little sweet and that worked just fine for me and my man.....he loved it!!

Here are some of the nutrients contained in zuchinni/courgettes. Zuchinni/courgette is rich in minerals and vitamins.  It is very high in potassium and phosphorus.  It also contains good amounts of magnesium (which many people are deficient in).  Courgette/zuchinni also contain plenty of calcium, vitamin C and fiber and the vitamins B6, A, E and K, sodium, zinc and iron.  So you can see its quite a powerhouse of nutrients and also tasted great.

What to cook when vegans and meat eaters are coming for dinner?

I haven't thought to do a post like this before, but recently had to cook for a variety of requirements, and that made me think of this.  I know that for some, cooking just one meal for people can be stressful, but then to have to figure out a vegan option along with a meat dish is even more stressful.  So here is an idea for what you can do to make a simple, easy dinner.

Dinner for 2 vegans and 4 meat eaters

Menu

Ginger Marinated Tofu or Chicken Breast
see recipe below menu

Brown Basmati Coconut Rice
http://nutritiousdeliciousfoods.blogspot.com/search?q=brown++rice
in this recipe substitute the butter for coconut oil if vegan

Red Cabbage Pear Carrot Cucumber and Walnut Salad
http://nutritiousdeliciousfoods.blogspot.com/search?q=salad
Omit feta cheese for vegans

Carob Brazil Nut Fudge
http://nutritiousdeliciousfoods.blogspot.com/search?q=divine+carob+treat

Instructions

Do the night before the dinner.

In separate bowls, soak all items below overnight in water completely covering everything.  Cover with a clothe or lid.

 1.5 cups brown basmati rice.

 2 apricots for carob fudge

1.5 cups Brazil nuts for carob fudge

then

Make a main dish of tofu and one of chicken breast, use the same marinade for both of them.

Tamari Ginger Garlic Marinade

2 tablespoons peeled and grated ginger
2 cloves crushed chopped garlic
1/2 cup tamari (shoyu and soy are substitutes)
4 tablespoons mirin (rice wine, you can substitute 1+ tablespoon sugar)
2 tablespoons rice vinegar

Mix all ingredients together and measure out half of the liquid and put in medium sized baking tray and the other half in a bowl.

Cut 250g tofu into small squares and put into the baking tray with marinade, turn each piece over to make sure all tofu has been covered.

Use four boneless skinless chicken breasts. Cut each breast of chicken in half by placing the palm of your hand lightly on top of the chicken breast and slice it in half thru the middle so you have eight thin breast slices. put them in a bowl with the other half of the marinade.

Leave both in the fridge to marinate for a minimum of 1 hour and if possible overnight (for best flavour)

Set oven to 325 degrees or 162 C.

After marinading, add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil to both dishes and mix.

Transfer the chicken to a pyrex dish. Cook for 30 - 40 minutes.

Cook tofu in same tray it marinated in.

Cook the tofu between 20 and 35 minutes, depending on the texture you like, less time means its softer and more time can make it a bit crispy.

Remove both from the oven and place on separate plates. Garnish with a tablespoon or two of toasted black sesame seeds and sliced green onions (use white and green part of the onion)

Serve with recipes featured above and have a lovely stress free simple dinner.

Red Lentil Dal

Hey Everyone,  I just had a wonderful new year being the chef at a yoga retreat on the Silver Coast in Portugal.  I had such a lovely time.  All the women were lovely.  It was so good to see how some  chose to spend bringing in the new year, nurturing themselves and their bodies.  I made my mung dal recipe there and many people really loved it.  So I am now inspired to share my red lentil dal recipe with you all.



RED LENTIL DAL

serves 4

1 tablespoon ghee (you can use butter, but ghee is best)

1 teaspoon mustard seeds black or brown

1 large pinch asafoetida

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

10 - 15 curry leaves fresh if possible, but dried are ok

1 cup red lentils soaked for 1 hour or more

3 cups water

1 medium onion chopped

1 clove garlic chopped

1 hot pepper (your favourite chili, or not) chopped and seeded

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon coriander

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

2 small carrots peeled and sliced

1 small potato cut into small chunks

1 cup small florets cauliflower

1 or 2 teaspoon good quality salt

cilantro/coriander garnish

Place a medium sized pot on the stove.  Drain and rinse the lentils.  Put them in the pot and add 3 cups of water.  Place on high heat until it boils, about 3- 5 minutes.  Then turn it down to simmer.  Skim off any of the foamy stuff from the lentils every now and then. While the lentils are cooking, prepare the onion and spices. Heat a large high sided pan and add the ghee.  Once it's melted add the asafoetida, mustard seeds, cumin seeds and curry leaves, cook for a minute or two then add the onion, hot pepper and garlic.  Cook until the onions are soft, about 10 minutes.  Then add the cumin, coriander and turmeric.  Cook for 2 minutes and then add the vegetables stir and cook on low heat for 10 minutes.  While this is cooking check the lentils.  They should be soft by now.  If they are not, continue cooking until they are.  Add the lentils to the spice and vegetable mixture.  Mix well, add the salt, mix again and add a little water if the mixture is too thick.  Serve with white or brown basmati or homemade chapatis.

Lentils are really good for the body.  They are full of fiber and very high in molybdenum, folate, copper, phosphorus and iron. They also taste amazing.