By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Laurinda_Erasmus]Laurinda Erasmus
In Italy, when visitors drop in at one's house in the afternoon they are welcomed with a glass of Vin Santo and sweet biscuits that resemble biscotti but which are smaller. This makes it easier to dip them into the wine glass. However for people who do not drink alcohol, this is a recipe of delicious sugar-free Cantucci served with pure apple juice simmered with raisins. It still tastes wickedly sweet, but is more wholesome and a lovely treat to have with guests.
Ingredients
apple nectar:
3 cups good quality, clear apple juice (preferably home-juiced)
� cup raisins
2 tbsp apple syrup
'Cantucci:'
2 tbsp wholemeal spelt flour
2 tbsp water
2 tbsp ground linseeds (flaxseeds)
1 cup wholemeal spelt flour
2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
4 tbsp apple syrup
2 tbsp soy milk
2 tsp vanilla-infused grape-seed oil / walnut oil
2 tsp almond butter
1 tsp almond essence
2 tbsp natural almonds
Method:
1. For the apple nectar: Simmer 1� cups of the apple juice with the raisins and apple syrup for 5 minutes. Cool completely. Strain off the raisins and add the reduced apple juice to the remaining 1� cups of apple juice. Refrigerate.
2. Make the starter dough: stir the 2 tbsp of spelt flour and 2 tbsp of water together. Leave for a day on the kitchen counter covered with a damp piece of absorbent kitchen towel. Stir a few times.
3. When ready to bake, pre-heat the oven to 190�C (370�F). Line a baking sheet with non-stick baking parchment.
4. Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl.
5. Mix the liquid ingredients together in a cup. Add the starter, mix and pour into the dry ingredients. Fold the ingredients together to incorporate as much air as possible.
6. Pat the dough into a log. Make a shallow cut in the centre down the length of the log. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes.
7. Remove from the oven and cool completely. Lower the oven's temperature to 150�C (300�F).
8. Cut the log into 1.5 cm thick slices. Dry the 'Cantucci' in the oven for 15-20 minutes. Cool on wire racks.
9. To serve, place the 'Cantucci' on a serving plate. Pour a glass of apple nectar for each person in which to dip the 'Cantucci'.
Serves 4.
Cook's tip:
Resting the cooled log in the refrigerator overnight makes it easier to cut into slices.
Laurinda Erasmus is a vegan chef and author of a vegan recipe book, called Benessere well-being: vegan & sugar-free eating for a healthy life-style, by Quinoa Publishing. The book has over 520 recipes, each with a colour photograph, taken by the author herself. The book won a gold medal at the Living Now Book Awards in New York, USA. She is passionate about the vast possibilities of creating plant-based meals, the increased wellness and energy through plant nutrition and making a smaller impact on our precious ecosystem. Through her book and vegan classes, she shows healthy and fun ways of how to bring more plant-based meals into one's diet. She also travels extensively, always collecting new recipes and re-writing them as vegan dishes. She shares her tips for vegan travellers with accompanied vegan travel recipes on her blogsite http://veganwellbeing.wordpress.com and to view her vegan recipe book see [http://www.veganwellbeing.net]http://www.veganwellbeing.net.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Vegan-(Sugar-Free)-Cantucci-Dipped-in-Apple-Nectar&id=6440607] Vegan (Sugar-Free) Cantucci Dipped in Apple Nectar
Friday, March 30, 2012
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Vegan Greek Almond-Orange Biscuits
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Laurinda_Erasmus]Laurinda Erasmus
After making another batch of creamy almond milk, I had about a cup of left-over almond pulp. I usually dry this out (in the sun; an oven set at its lowest temperature; or the dehydrator) to make my own almond flour, but I decided to use the almond pulp in something straight away. (The almond pulp will last in a container in the refrigerator for 3 days. The pulp and also the milk made with the nuts, will last even 4 or 5 days if one slips the peels off the nuts. This should be easy to do once the nuts were soaked overnight. If the peels still do not slip off, strain the nuts, and pour boiling water over, wait 1 minute and drain. The nuts haven't spoiled and are still considered raw.) By intuitively mixing and adding a few of my favourite ingredients together, I came up with these crunchy, almond biscuits. Anyone who hasn't tasted raw biscuits yet, will not believe these weren't baked in the oven!
The biscuits below are raw, sugar-free and gluten-free. If you prefer the biscuits sweeter, you can always add some more syrup. Since the dough will be wetter in such a case, you just need to dehydrate the biscuits for a little longer. Any biscuits that also loose their crunchiness can be made nice and brittle again by popping them back into the dehydrator or low oven.
Ingredients
10 Tbsp wet almond pulp *
8 Tbsp yellow flaxseeds
12 ml sun-dried or dehydrated orange zest
4 Tbsp buckwheat seeds, untoasted
1 small red apple, unpeeled
3 Tbsp liquid sweetener: maple or apple syrup or raw honey
4 Tbsp almond milk
1 tsp vanilla powder or ground cinnamon
1 tsp almond essence
Method
Place the almond pulp in a mixing bowl.
Grind the flaxseeds and orange zest to a powder. Add to the mixing bowl.
Crush the buckwheat seeds until coarsely ground with a mortar and pestle. Add to the mixing bowl.
Place the rest of the ingredients in a liquidizer and blend until smooth. Pour into the mixing bowl and stir well.
Transfer the dough to a dehydrator tray lined with a Paraflexx sheet. Using an off-set spatula that you dip in water now and then, spread the mixture to cover the sheet in a thin layer. Make wavy patterns on the dough with a large pronged fork.
Place the tray in the dehydrator and dry for 2 hours at 115 F (46 C). Set the temperature down to 105 F (41 C) and dehydrate for 8 hours until the biscuits are dry.
Store in a tightly sealed cookie jar (preferable a see-through one that everyone in the household can see your effort!)
Extra ideas: use additionally to the above recipe a tablespoon of ground pistachios (which still ties in with the Greek theme); or use orange zest, and for a spice try ground ginger, ground star aniseed or even a pinch of curry for an altogether different flavour. You can also use the pulp of other nuts - cashew or even brazil nut will be equally delicious.
Laurinda Erasmus is a vegan chef and author of a vegan recipe book, called Benessere well-being: vegan & sugar-free eating for a healthy life-style, by Quinoa Publishing. The book has over 520 recipes, each with a colour photograph, taken by the author herself. The book won a gold medal at the Living Now Book Awards in New York, USA. She is passionate about the vast possibilities of creating plant-based meals, the increased wellness and energy through plant nutrition and making a smaller impact on our precious ecosystem. Through her book and vegan classes, she shows healthy and fun ways of how to bring more plant-based meals into one's diet. She also travels extensively, always collecting new recipes and re-writing them as vegan dishes. She shares her tips for vegan travellers accompanied by vegan travel recipes on her blogsite http://veganwellbeing.wordpress.com and to view her vegan recipe book see [http://www.veganwellbeing.net]http://www.veganwellbeing.net.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Vegan-Greek-Almond-Orange-Biscuits&id=6440561] Vegan Greek Almond-Orange Biscuits
After making another batch of creamy almond milk, I had about a cup of left-over almond pulp. I usually dry this out (in the sun; an oven set at its lowest temperature; or the dehydrator) to make my own almond flour, but I decided to use the almond pulp in something straight away. (The almond pulp will last in a container in the refrigerator for 3 days. The pulp and also the milk made with the nuts, will last even 4 or 5 days if one slips the peels off the nuts. This should be easy to do once the nuts were soaked overnight. If the peels still do not slip off, strain the nuts, and pour boiling water over, wait 1 minute and drain. The nuts haven't spoiled and are still considered raw.) By intuitively mixing and adding a few of my favourite ingredients together, I came up with these crunchy, almond biscuits. Anyone who hasn't tasted raw biscuits yet, will not believe these weren't baked in the oven!
The biscuits below are raw, sugar-free and gluten-free. If you prefer the biscuits sweeter, you can always add some more syrup. Since the dough will be wetter in such a case, you just need to dehydrate the biscuits for a little longer. Any biscuits that also loose their crunchiness can be made nice and brittle again by popping them back into the dehydrator or low oven.
Ingredients
10 Tbsp wet almond pulp *
8 Tbsp yellow flaxseeds
12 ml sun-dried or dehydrated orange zest
4 Tbsp buckwheat seeds, untoasted
1 small red apple, unpeeled
3 Tbsp liquid sweetener: maple or apple syrup or raw honey
4 Tbsp almond milk
1 tsp vanilla powder or ground cinnamon
1 tsp almond essence
Method
Place the almond pulp in a mixing bowl.
Grind the flaxseeds and orange zest to a powder. Add to the mixing bowl.
Crush the buckwheat seeds until coarsely ground with a mortar and pestle. Add to the mixing bowl.
Place the rest of the ingredients in a liquidizer and blend until smooth. Pour into the mixing bowl and stir well.
Transfer the dough to a dehydrator tray lined with a Paraflexx sheet. Using an off-set spatula that you dip in water now and then, spread the mixture to cover the sheet in a thin layer. Make wavy patterns on the dough with a large pronged fork.
Place the tray in the dehydrator and dry for 2 hours at 115 F (46 C). Set the temperature down to 105 F (41 C) and dehydrate for 8 hours until the biscuits are dry.
Store in a tightly sealed cookie jar (preferable a see-through one that everyone in the household can see your effort!)
Extra ideas: use additionally to the above recipe a tablespoon of ground pistachios (which still ties in with the Greek theme); or use orange zest, and for a spice try ground ginger, ground star aniseed or even a pinch of curry for an altogether different flavour. You can also use the pulp of other nuts - cashew or even brazil nut will be equally delicious.
Laurinda Erasmus is a vegan chef and author of a vegan recipe book, called Benessere well-being: vegan & sugar-free eating for a healthy life-style, by Quinoa Publishing. The book has over 520 recipes, each with a colour photograph, taken by the author herself. The book won a gold medal at the Living Now Book Awards in New York, USA. She is passionate about the vast possibilities of creating plant-based meals, the increased wellness and energy through plant nutrition and making a smaller impact on our precious ecosystem. Through her book and vegan classes, she shows healthy and fun ways of how to bring more plant-based meals into one's diet. She also travels extensively, always collecting new recipes and re-writing them as vegan dishes. She shares her tips for vegan travellers accompanied by vegan travel recipes on her blogsite http://veganwellbeing.wordpress.com and to view her vegan recipe book see [http://www.veganwellbeing.net]http://www.veganwellbeing.net.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Vegan-Greek-Almond-Orange-Biscuits&id=6440561] Vegan Greek Almond-Orange Biscuits
Monday, March 26, 2012
Vegan Cheesecake - Baked New York Style
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Laurinda_Erasmus]Laurinda Erasmus
Baking without eggs, butter (or margarine) and sugar can sometimes be a real challenge. However, tofu makes a great substitute for heavy, set cream and tapioca flour binds the ingredients together the way eggs would. Sugar can be replaced with a fruit syrup, or sometimes just fruit pulp which in most cases would be sweet enough.
Before I became vegan, I made my usual baked cheesecake recipe fairly often and got used (of course) to that taste. However, when I re-wrote the recipe with healthier vegan alternatives, my family and I could not believe how exactly similar in taste and texture it was. The tofu creates the same slightly dry, crumbly baked result as the traditional version, but still with the same creamy mouth-feel, sweetness and lemon flavour. I now sometimes make use of the same basic recipe, but change it into a chocolate or even strawberry version. Have fun experimenting!
Pastry base:
5 tbsp finely ground toasted, unsalted cashew nuts
1 tbsp whole meal spelt flour / oat flour / buckwheat flour
2 tsp vanilla-infused grape-seed oil / walnut oil
1 tsp light agave syrup
Filling:
1 cup soy milk
2 tsp lemon juice / orange juice / apple cider vinegar
1 lemon, juice
2 cups firm tofu, drained and patted (very) dry, chopped
1 tbsp vanilla-infused grape-seed oil / walnut oil
6 tbsp light agave syrup
2 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 tbsp tapioca flour
20 ml corn starch
Pre-heat the oven to 180�C (360�F).
Make the pastry by combining all the ingredients in a small bowl. It will be a firm, heavy mixture. Line the bottom of a 1 L round pie dish with the pastry and then oil the sides (or use a silicone baking dish). Press the pastry down firmly. Leave to rest in the refrigerator.
Thicken the soy milk by stirring in the juice (or vinegar). It will thicken immediately. Set aside.
If you have a food processor, fit the juicing part and squeeze out the lemon juice; or use a fork. Change to the plastic S-blade. Add the tofu, oil, syrup, zest and vanilla essence. Process until floppy. Sprinkle over the flours and pour over the thickened soy milk. Process until completely smooth. Pour the tofu mixture into the baking dish onto the pastry.
Place on a shelf just below the middle in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, uncovered. Reduce the temperature to 160�C (320�F)and bake a further 15 minutes. Lightly drape a sheet of tin foil over the top if the cheesecake browns too much.
Remove from the oven and cool completely. The filling will become firmer.
Decorate with lemon and lime zest. Cut into slices, or lift the cake from the mould before cutting.
Serves 8.
Cook's tip:
A cheesecake forms large cracks when the outside of the batter has firmed into a thin skin and the inner filling continues to expand with the heat. One can decrease this effect by placing a bowl of water on a lower shelf to create steam in the oven. The cracks can always be concealed by serving the cheesecake with slices of fruit on top. Or, simply don't worry about it - it still tastes delicious!
Laurinda Erasmus is a vegan chef and author of a vegan recipe book, called Benessere well-being: vegan & sugar-free eating for a healthy life-style, by Quinoa Publishing. The book has over 520 recipes, each with a colour photograph, taken by the author herself. The book won a gold medal at the Living Now Book Awards in New York, USA. She is passionate about the vast possibilities of creating plant-based meals, the increased wellness and energy through plant nutrition and making a smaller impact on our precious ecosystem. Through her book and vegan classes, she shows healthy and fun ways of how to bring more plant-based meals into one's diet. She also travels extensively, always collecting new recipes and re-writing them as vegan dishes. See her tips for vegan travellers and vegan travel recipes on her blogsite [http://veganwellbeing.wordpress.com]http://veganwellbeing.wordpress.com. http://www.veganwellbeing.net
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Vegan-Cheesecake---Baked-New-York-Style&id=6437236] Vegan Cheesecake - Baked New York Style
Baking without eggs, butter (or margarine) and sugar can sometimes be a real challenge. However, tofu makes a great substitute for heavy, set cream and tapioca flour binds the ingredients together the way eggs would. Sugar can be replaced with a fruit syrup, or sometimes just fruit pulp which in most cases would be sweet enough.
Before I became vegan, I made my usual baked cheesecake recipe fairly often and got used (of course) to that taste. However, when I re-wrote the recipe with healthier vegan alternatives, my family and I could not believe how exactly similar in taste and texture it was. The tofu creates the same slightly dry, crumbly baked result as the traditional version, but still with the same creamy mouth-feel, sweetness and lemon flavour. I now sometimes make use of the same basic recipe, but change it into a chocolate or even strawberry version. Have fun experimenting!
Pastry base:
5 tbsp finely ground toasted, unsalted cashew nuts
1 tbsp whole meal spelt flour / oat flour / buckwheat flour
2 tsp vanilla-infused grape-seed oil / walnut oil
1 tsp light agave syrup
Filling:
1 cup soy milk
2 tsp lemon juice / orange juice / apple cider vinegar
1 lemon, juice
2 cups firm tofu, drained and patted (very) dry, chopped
1 tbsp vanilla-infused grape-seed oil / walnut oil
6 tbsp light agave syrup
2 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 tbsp tapioca flour
20 ml corn starch
Pre-heat the oven to 180�C (360�F).
Make the pastry by combining all the ingredients in a small bowl. It will be a firm, heavy mixture. Line the bottom of a 1 L round pie dish with the pastry and then oil the sides (or use a silicone baking dish). Press the pastry down firmly. Leave to rest in the refrigerator.
Thicken the soy milk by stirring in the juice (or vinegar). It will thicken immediately. Set aside.
If you have a food processor, fit the juicing part and squeeze out the lemon juice; or use a fork. Change to the plastic S-blade. Add the tofu, oil, syrup, zest and vanilla essence. Process until floppy. Sprinkle over the flours and pour over the thickened soy milk. Process until completely smooth. Pour the tofu mixture into the baking dish onto the pastry.
Place on a shelf just below the middle in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, uncovered. Reduce the temperature to 160�C (320�F)and bake a further 15 minutes. Lightly drape a sheet of tin foil over the top if the cheesecake browns too much.
Remove from the oven and cool completely. The filling will become firmer.
Decorate with lemon and lime zest. Cut into slices, or lift the cake from the mould before cutting.
Serves 8.
Cook's tip:
A cheesecake forms large cracks when the outside of the batter has firmed into a thin skin and the inner filling continues to expand with the heat. One can decrease this effect by placing a bowl of water on a lower shelf to create steam in the oven. The cracks can always be concealed by serving the cheesecake with slices of fruit on top. Or, simply don't worry about it - it still tastes delicious!
Laurinda Erasmus is a vegan chef and author of a vegan recipe book, called Benessere well-being: vegan & sugar-free eating for a healthy life-style, by Quinoa Publishing. The book has over 520 recipes, each with a colour photograph, taken by the author herself. The book won a gold medal at the Living Now Book Awards in New York, USA. She is passionate about the vast possibilities of creating plant-based meals, the increased wellness and energy through plant nutrition and making a smaller impact on our precious ecosystem. Through her book and vegan classes, she shows healthy and fun ways of how to bring more plant-based meals into one's diet. She also travels extensively, always collecting new recipes and re-writing them as vegan dishes. See her tips for vegan travellers and vegan travel recipes on her blogsite [http://veganwellbeing.wordpress.com]http://veganwellbeing.wordpress.com. http://www.veganwellbeing.net
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Vegan-Cheesecake---Baked-New-York-Style&id=6437236] Vegan Cheesecake - Baked New York Style
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Walnut and Paprika Vegan Sausages
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Laurinda_Erasmus]Laurinda Erasmus
These delightfully easy meat-free sausages that I often make for our family will quickly become a favourite in your household! I sometimes make a large batch and either freeze them, or take them with on holiday so that I always have something in the refrigerator for family meals when the others want to BBQ. Although the chopped nuts give the sausages a nice crunch and texture, the grated carrot will do the same if you want to use any left-over nut pulp after making your own home-made nut milk. The nut sausages will simply have a more refined texture, but for a chunkier feel you can always add a tablespoon or so of extra texture in the form of sunflower seeds.
Thyme, paprika and turmeric combine with tart tamarind and finely grated vegetables to impart a wonderful aroma to these nutty sausages. The dried prunes and tahini paste help to bind the ingredients together, while the walnuts and quinoa provide a good measure of protein. The sausages have a nice crispy coating of psyllium husks and oat bran.
� cup walnuts
� cup finely grated carrot
� cup finely grated baby marrow (zucchini)
2 fresh garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
5 dried prunes, cut into tiny pieces
1 tsp paprika powder
� tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp quinoa flour
2 tsp tamarind pulp
1 tbsp tahini paste
2 tsp soy sauce
coating:
2 tbsp each psyllium husks and fine oat bran
4 tbsp rice bran oil, for frying
Method
Lightly toast the walnuts in the oven until fragrant. Crush the nuts to medium fine with a pestle and mortar.
Place the nuts with the grated carrot and baby marrow in a mixing bowl. Stir in the garlic, thyme and prunes and mix well.
Stir in the spices and flour, again mixing well.
Add the tamarind pulp, tahini paste and soy sauce. Stir this well into the walnut mixture.
Mix the psyllium husks and oat bran on a plate and spread out.
With wet hands, shape the walnut mixture into long patties, squeezing slightly as you shape. It is a wet mixture.
Then roll the sausages in the psyllium husk and oat bran mixture to coat. Rest the sausages in the refrigerator, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
Heat the oil in a pan and fry the sausages, turning them to brown on all sides. Drain on absorbent kitchen paper.
Makes 5 sausages.
Cook's tip:
If quinoa flour is not available, use the same amount of cooked quinoa grains. Alternatively, use chickpea flour (both of which are high protein sources). You can also use oat bran instead of the psyllium husks to roll the sausages in, which will give them a more rough look but will impart a wonderfully nutty taste.
You can also give these sausages a more of a Thai flavour by using the same nuts, but for spices and herbs, use finely grated fresh ginger and turmeric, chopped garlic, coarsely ground coriander seeds and finely snipped Kaffir lime leaves and fresh coriander leaves. Make a brown jasmine rice dish to accompany the sausages, perhaps flavoured with star anise.
To give the sausages a French flavour, use the same nuts, but add lots more herbs, such as tarragon and sage with finely grated green apple and add chopped pitted green olives.
Laurinda Erasmus is a vegan chef and author of a vegan recipe book, called Benessere well-being: vegan & sugar-free eating for a healthy life-style, by Quinoa Publishing. The book has over 520 recipes, each with a colour photograph, taken by the author herself. The book won a gold medal at the Living Now Book Awards in New York, USA. She is passionate about the vast possibilities of creating plant-based meals, the increased wellness and energy through plant nutrition and making a smaller impact on our precious ecosystem. Through her book and vegan classes, she shows healthy and fun ways of how to bring more plant-based meals into one's diet. She also travels extensively, always collecting new recipes and re-writing them as vegan dishes. She shares her tips for vegan travellers accompanied by vegan travel recipes on her blogsite http://veganwellbeing.wordpress.com and to view her vegan recipe book, see [http://www.veganwellbeing.net]http://www.veganwellbeing.net.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Walnut-and-Paprika-Vegan-Sausages&id=6442218] Walnut and Paprika Vegan Sausages
These delightfully easy meat-free sausages that I often make for our family will quickly become a favourite in your household! I sometimes make a large batch and either freeze them, or take them with on holiday so that I always have something in the refrigerator for family meals when the others want to BBQ. Although the chopped nuts give the sausages a nice crunch and texture, the grated carrot will do the same if you want to use any left-over nut pulp after making your own home-made nut milk. The nut sausages will simply have a more refined texture, but for a chunkier feel you can always add a tablespoon or so of extra texture in the form of sunflower seeds.
Thyme, paprika and turmeric combine with tart tamarind and finely grated vegetables to impart a wonderful aroma to these nutty sausages. The dried prunes and tahini paste help to bind the ingredients together, while the walnuts and quinoa provide a good measure of protein. The sausages have a nice crispy coating of psyllium husks and oat bran.
� cup walnuts
� cup finely grated carrot
� cup finely grated baby marrow (zucchini)
2 fresh garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
5 dried prunes, cut into tiny pieces
1 tsp paprika powder
� tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp quinoa flour
2 tsp tamarind pulp
1 tbsp tahini paste
2 tsp soy sauce
coating:
2 tbsp each psyllium husks and fine oat bran
4 tbsp rice bran oil, for frying
Method
Lightly toast the walnuts in the oven until fragrant. Crush the nuts to medium fine with a pestle and mortar.
Place the nuts with the grated carrot and baby marrow in a mixing bowl. Stir in the garlic, thyme and prunes and mix well.
Stir in the spices and flour, again mixing well.
Add the tamarind pulp, tahini paste and soy sauce. Stir this well into the walnut mixture.
Mix the psyllium husks and oat bran on a plate and spread out.
With wet hands, shape the walnut mixture into long patties, squeezing slightly as you shape. It is a wet mixture.
Then roll the sausages in the psyllium husk and oat bran mixture to coat. Rest the sausages in the refrigerator, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
Heat the oil in a pan and fry the sausages, turning them to brown on all sides. Drain on absorbent kitchen paper.
Makes 5 sausages.
Cook's tip:
If quinoa flour is not available, use the same amount of cooked quinoa grains. Alternatively, use chickpea flour (both of which are high protein sources). You can also use oat bran instead of the psyllium husks to roll the sausages in, which will give them a more rough look but will impart a wonderfully nutty taste.
You can also give these sausages a more of a Thai flavour by using the same nuts, but for spices and herbs, use finely grated fresh ginger and turmeric, chopped garlic, coarsely ground coriander seeds and finely snipped Kaffir lime leaves and fresh coriander leaves. Make a brown jasmine rice dish to accompany the sausages, perhaps flavoured with star anise.
To give the sausages a French flavour, use the same nuts, but add lots more herbs, such as tarragon and sage with finely grated green apple and add chopped pitted green olives.
Laurinda Erasmus is a vegan chef and author of a vegan recipe book, called Benessere well-being: vegan & sugar-free eating for a healthy life-style, by Quinoa Publishing. The book has over 520 recipes, each with a colour photograph, taken by the author herself. The book won a gold medal at the Living Now Book Awards in New York, USA. She is passionate about the vast possibilities of creating plant-based meals, the increased wellness and energy through plant nutrition and making a smaller impact on our precious ecosystem. Through her book and vegan classes, she shows healthy and fun ways of how to bring more plant-based meals into one's diet. She also travels extensively, always collecting new recipes and re-writing them as vegan dishes. She shares her tips for vegan travellers accompanied by vegan travel recipes on her blogsite http://veganwellbeing.wordpress.com and to view her vegan recipe book, see [http://www.veganwellbeing.net]http://www.veganwellbeing.net.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Walnut-and-Paprika-Vegan-Sausages&id=6442218] Walnut and Paprika Vegan Sausages
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Chestnut Vegan Cake With Cherry Salsa
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Laurinda_Erasmus]Laurinda Erasmus
This is a slight variation on the traditional Italian chestnut cake which is made with olive oil and rosemary. Using chestnut flour and adding carob to the ingredients, make this cake tastes like an incredibly rich chocolate cake. Keep in mind that when mixing chestnut flour, the batter might seem very runny. The chestnut flour will very quickly absorb the liquids ingredients. Chestnuts are traditionally dried out in Italy above the hot kitchen on thin slats for 8 months which make the nuts incredibly dry. They are then ground into a fine powdery flour.
The dried cherries in the recipe go very well with the earthy flavours of the chestnut, carob, walnuts and vanilla, while the fresh cherries in the salsa give the cake a fresh fruity finish. The fruit part of the recipe can be changed to pineapple (dried and fresh); apricots and even prunes with fresh plums for the salsa.
20 dried cherries, halved / � cup dried cranberries
4 tbsp good quality dark red grape juice
1� cups (240 g) chestnut flour
1 tbsp corn starch
3 tbsp vegan carob chips
1 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
� cup walnuts, chopped, toasted in the oven, then ground finely
1 tbsp hazelnut / macadamia nut butter
2 tsp + 5 tsp walnut oil
2 - 3 tbsp maple syrup, warmed
1� cups apple juice
12 walnut halves
1� cups chopped fresh black cherries
Pre-heat the oven to a hot 220�C (430�F). Brush a heatproof ceramic pie dish (square or round) with walnut oil, or use a silicone baking dish.
Soak the dried cherries or cranberries in the grape juice for an hour, or preferably overnight.
Place the chestnut flour, corn starch, carob chips, baking soda and salt in a bowl and stir to mix. Add the fine walnuts.
Add the nut butter and 2 tsp of walnut oil and the apple juice to the flour and stir until combined. This is a runny, cream-like dough.
Drain the dried fruit and discard the soaking liquid (or drink it). Stir the dried fruit into the batter. Pour the batter into the baking dish. Place the walnut halves on the cake and pour the remaining 5 tsp of walnut oil over the batter.
Bake in the oven on the middle shelf for 25 - 27 minutes until firm. It is normal for the cake to crack all over the surface. Place a sheet of tin foil over the cake for the last 10 minutes if it is becoming too dark.
Remove the cake from the oven. Pour the warm maple syrup over the cake so that it can be absorbed.
For the salsa: Blend � cup of the cherries in a liquidizer to a pur�e. Stir in the rest of the cherries.
Serve the cake warm, or at room temperature. Cut the cake into slices or squares and serve with the cherry salsa on the side.
Makes enough for 8 generous portions.
Hint: By changing the dried fruit and fruit juice in the recipe, one achieves a completely different taste to this versatile cake recipe. Try for instance chopped fresh pineapple with cinnamon and coconut milk; or white grape juice with halved black grapes and vanilla powder.
Laurinda Erasmus is a vegan chef and author of a vegan recipe book, called Benessere well-being: vegan & sugar-free eating for a healthy life-style, by Quinoa Publishing. The book has over 520 recipes, each with a colour photograph, taken by the author herself. The book won a gold medal at the Living Now Book Awards in New York, USA. She is passionate about the vast possibilities of creating plant-based meals, the increased wellness and energy through plant nutrition and making a smaller impact on our precious ecosystem. Through her book and vegan classes, she shows healthy and fun ways of how to bring more plant-based meals into one's diet. She also travels extensively, always collecting new recipes and re-writing them as vegan dishes. She shares her tips for vegan travellers accompanied by vegan travel recipes on her blogsite http://veganwellbeing.wordpress.com and to view her vegan recipe book see [http://www.veganwellbeing.net]http://www.veganwellbeing.net.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Chestnut-Vegan-Cake-With-Cherry-Salsa&id=6442204] Chestnut Vegan Cake With Cherry Salsa
This is a slight variation on the traditional Italian chestnut cake which is made with olive oil and rosemary. Using chestnut flour and adding carob to the ingredients, make this cake tastes like an incredibly rich chocolate cake. Keep in mind that when mixing chestnut flour, the batter might seem very runny. The chestnut flour will very quickly absorb the liquids ingredients. Chestnuts are traditionally dried out in Italy above the hot kitchen on thin slats for 8 months which make the nuts incredibly dry. They are then ground into a fine powdery flour.
The dried cherries in the recipe go very well with the earthy flavours of the chestnut, carob, walnuts and vanilla, while the fresh cherries in the salsa give the cake a fresh fruity finish. The fruit part of the recipe can be changed to pineapple (dried and fresh); apricots and even prunes with fresh plums for the salsa.
20 dried cherries, halved / � cup dried cranberries
4 tbsp good quality dark red grape juice
1� cups (240 g) chestnut flour
1 tbsp corn starch
3 tbsp vegan carob chips
1 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
� cup walnuts, chopped, toasted in the oven, then ground finely
1 tbsp hazelnut / macadamia nut butter
2 tsp + 5 tsp walnut oil
2 - 3 tbsp maple syrup, warmed
1� cups apple juice
12 walnut halves
1� cups chopped fresh black cherries
Pre-heat the oven to a hot 220�C (430�F). Brush a heatproof ceramic pie dish (square or round) with walnut oil, or use a silicone baking dish.
Soak the dried cherries or cranberries in the grape juice for an hour, or preferably overnight.
Place the chestnut flour, corn starch, carob chips, baking soda and salt in a bowl and stir to mix. Add the fine walnuts.
Add the nut butter and 2 tsp of walnut oil and the apple juice to the flour and stir until combined. This is a runny, cream-like dough.
Drain the dried fruit and discard the soaking liquid (or drink it). Stir the dried fruit into the batter. Pour the batter into the baking dish. Place the walnut halves on the cake and pour the remaining 5 tsp of walnut oil over the batter.
Bake in the oven on the middle shelf for 25 - 27 minutes until firm. It is normal for the cake to crack all over the surface. Place a sheet of tin foil over the cake for the last 10 minutes if it is becoming too dark.
Remove the cake from the oven. Pour the warm maple syrup over the cake so that it can be absorbed.
For the salsa: Blend � cup of the cherries in a liquidizer to a pur�e. Stir in the rest of the cherries.
Serve the cake warm, or at room temperature. Cut the cake into slices or squares and serve with the cherry salsa on the side.
Makes enough for 8 generous portions.
Hint: By changing the dried fruit and fruit juice in the recipe, one achieves a completely different taste to this versatile cake recipe. Try for instance chopped fresh pineapple with cinnamon and coconut milk; or white grape juice with halved black grapes and vanilla powder.
Laurinda Erasmus is a vegan chef and author of a vegan recipe book, called Benessere well-being: vegan & sugar-free eating for a healthy life-style, by Quinoa Publishing. The book has over 520 recipes, each with a colour photograph, taken by the author herself. The book won a gold medal at the Living Now Book Awards in New York, USA. She is passionate about the vast possibilities of creating plant-based meals, the increased wellness and energy through plant nutrition and making a smaller impact on our precious ecosystem. Through her book and vegan classes, she shows healthy and fun ways of how to bring more plant-based meals into one's diet. She also travels extensively, always collecting new recipes and re-writing them as vegan dishes. She shares her tips for vegan travellers accompanied by vegan travel recipes on her blogsite http://veganwellbeing.wordpress.com and to view her vegan recipe book see [http://www.veganwellbeing.net]http://www.veganwellbeing.net.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Chestnut-Vegan-Cake-With-Cherry-Salsa&id=6442204] Chestnut Vegan Cake With Cherry Salsa
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Vegan Nut Cheese
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Laurinda_Erasmus]Laurinda Erasmus
These nut cheese recipes are extremely easy to do, with the advantage of having the same health benefits as dairy cheese with the added probiotics. They can be made to stay a soft, spreading-type or shaped into hard blocks which can be sliced. The most effective way of doing this is to use a dehydrator, but one can also leave the shapes uncovered in the refrigerator and after a day or so a rind will development on the outside.
Various types of nuts can be used (and interchanged), but for the most convincing results use nuts that will mimic the taste of dairy cheese. Use for instance peeled almonds for making feta-style; sweeter cashew nuts or earthy tasting walnuts for making swiss-style; a mix of pine-nuts and brazils for making parmesan or pecorino style nut cheese and macadamia nuts with its higher oil content for making hard cheddar types (add a pinch of curry and turmeric powders to your nut pulp). Seeds, such as sunflower with sesame, or pumpkin seeds on their own also make delicious nut cheeses. Dehydrate the shaped nut blocks or domes until just a rind forms (and the mixture is still semi-soft inside), or dry out further until almost crumbly, depending on the type you're making.
Start by soaking nuts in water. To make things interesting, use two different types of nuts to give a layer effect. Use � cup of raw walnuts and a � cup raw macadamia nuts and soak them separately overnight in two bowls in enough water to cover them.
The next day, drain the water off and rinse the nuts. Keeping them separate, place the nuts in a strong blender or food processor fitted with the steel S-blade. Add � cup filtered water and � tsp probiotic powder (this would be for each batch of nuts). Blend until smooth and thick.
Pour the two thick mixtures into 2 muslin cloths or nut milk bags that sit in sieves over bowls to catch the water (whey). Twist the muslin cloths or nut milk bags to remove excess water.
Place a heavy object, like a clean river stone on each of the squeezed nut mixtures. Cover the two bowls with a tea cloth and place somewhere warm (but not in the sun) for 48 hours. In this time, good bacteria will ferment the nut cheese and at the end of 2 days the mixtures will have a faint sour smell.
Transfer the two nut mixtures to two mixing bowls. Add 1 - 2 tbsp of savoury yeast flakes and � tsp of salt to each bowl. Stir in any other flavourings of your choice, such as: chopped olives, fresh herbs, spices or even finely grated fresh vegetables, onion, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes or dried onion and garlic granules or chili flakes. Stir well.
Press the mixture into a container to make a nice shape and then tip it out. This is now ready to eat (a soft nut cheese) and can be sliced. You can also dehydrate the nut cheese for a few hours in order for the nut cheese to form a rind; alternatively if you don't have a dehydrator you can simply unmould the nut cheese onto a plate and leave it uncovered in the refrigerator. After two days the nut cheese would have formed a rind as well.
Keep for 10 days in the refrigerator.
Laurinda Erasmus is a vegan chef and author of a vegan recipe book, called Benessere well-being: vegan & sugar-free eating for a healthy life-style, by Quinoa Publishing. The book has over 520 recipes, each with a colour photograph, taken by the author herself. The book won a gold medal at the Living Now Book Awards in New York, USA. She is passionate about the vast possibilities of creating plant-based meals, the increased wellness and energy through plant nutrition and making a smaller impact on our precious ecosystem. Through her book and vegan classes, she shows healthy and fun ways of how to bring more plant-based meals into one's diet. She also travels extensively, always collecting new recipes and re-writing them as vegan dishes. She shares her tips for vegan travellers and with vegan travel recipes on her blogsite http://veganwellbeing.wordpress.com and her book can be viewed at http://www.veganwellbeing.net
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Vegan-Nut-Cheese&id=6437785] Vegan Nut Cheese
These nut cheese recipes are extremely easy to do, with the advantage of having the same health benefits as dairy cheese with the added probiotics. They can be made to stay a soft, spreading-type or shaped into hard blocks which can be sliced. The most effective way of doing this is to use a dehydrator, but one can also leave the shapes uncovered in the refrigerator and after a day or so a rind will development on the outside.
Various types of nuts can be used (and interchanged), but for the most convincing results use nuts that will mimic the taste of dairy cheese. Use for instance peeled almonds for making feta-style; sweeter cashew nuts or earthy tasting walnuts for making swiss-style; a mix of pine-nuts and brazils for making parmesan or pecorino style nut cheese and macadamia nuts with its higher oil content for making hard cheddar types (add a pinch of curry and turmeric powders to your nut pulp). Seeds, such as sunflower with sesame, or pumpkin seeds on their own also make delicious nut cheeses. Dehydrate the shaped nut blocks or domes until just a rind forms (and the mixture is still semi-soft inside), or dry out further until almost crumbly, depending on the type you're making.
Start by soaking nuts in water. To make things interesting, use two different types of nuts to give a layer effect. Use � cup of raw walnuts and a � cup raw macadamia nuts and soak them separately overnight in two bowls in enough water to cover them.
The next day, drain the water off and rinse the nuts. Keeping them separate, place the nuts in a strong blender or food processor fitted with the steel S-blade. Add � cup filtered water and � tsp probiotic powder (this would be for each batch of nuts). Blend until smooth and thick.
Pour the two thick mixtures into 2 muslin cloths or nut milk bags that sit in sieves over bowls to catch the water (whey). Twist the muslin cloths or nut milk bags to remove excess water.
Place a heavy object, like a clean river stone on each of the squeezed nut mixtures. Cover the two bowls with a tea cloth and place somewhere warm (but not in the sun) for 48 hours. In this time, good bacteria will ferment the nut cheese and at the end of 2 days the mixtures will have a faint sour smell.
Transfer the two nut mixtures to two mixing bowls. Add 1 - 2 tbsp of savoury yeast flakes and � tsp of salt to each bowl. Stir in any other flavourings of your choice, such as: chopped olives, fresh herbs, spices or even finely grated fresh vegetables, onion, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes or dried onion and garlic granules or chili flakes. Stir well.
Press the mixture into a container to make a nice shape and then tip it out. This is now ready to eat (a soft nut cheese) and can be sliced. You can also dehydrate the nut cheese for a few hours in order for the nut cheese to form a rind; alternatively if you don't have a dehydrator you can simply unmould the nut cheese onto a plate and leave it uncovered in the refrigerator. After two days the nut cheese would have formed a rind as well.
Keep for 10 days in the refrigerator.
Laurinda Erasmus is a vegan chef and author of a vegan recipe book, called Benessere well-being: vegan & sugar-free eating for a healthy life-style, by Quinoa Publishing. The book has over 520 recipes, each with a colour photograph, taken by the author herself. The book won a gold medal at the Living Now Book Awards in New York, USA. She is passionate about the vast possibilities of creating plant-based meals, the increased wellness and energy through plant nutrition and making a smaller impact on our precious ecosystem. Through her book and vegan classes, she shows healthy and fun ways of how to bring more plant-based meals into one's diet. She also travels extensively, always collecting new recipes and re-writing them as vegan dishes. She shares her tips for vegan travellers and with vegan travel recipes on her blogsite http://veganwellbeing.wordpress.com and her book can be viewed at http://www.veganwellbeing.net
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Vegan-Nut-Cheese&id=6437785] Vegan Nut Cheese
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Eating Raw Foods To Lose Weight and Live Better
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Calvin_H_Johnson]Calvin H Johnson
More and more people are hearing about the many health benefits of eating raw foods. Raw foods are foods that have not been cooked and are natural, some examples are fruits, vegetables, meats, nuts, and other delicious foods. While this may seem like it is limiting your eating options, there are several great foods that taste great and are great for you. If you are interested in losing weight and living much better, than eating all natural foods should be considered.
The first benefit to eating whole grown foods is the natural energy you get throughout the day. Before eating only raw foods, I would need to drink a couple of coffee in the morning or I could not function at all and would drink several cups throughout the day. However, by eating many fruits, vegetables, and meats the natural sugar and energy keeps me satisfied and more alert and awake then I ever had. Also, you will never feel bloated after eating raw foods and everything you consume will be converted into energy and be used to power your body. You should treat your body like a engine and you must use the right fuel.
Another benefit to enjoying natural foods is the most popular and that is losing weight. You body was not meant to consume so many preservatives that are in popular food and eating only foods that are natural is the way are body were supposed to be used. I have tried many different exercise and weight loss routines and healthy foods and exercising once a day works wonders. Another great benefit is that you will start seeing weight loss immediately as long as you stick to only eating raw foods. This can not be stressed enough, the raw foods weight loss system will only work if you only eat all healthy foods! So many people try to cheat by eating fast food and this can be detrimental to the process.
The third benefit to eating all natural foods is how easy your digestion system works once consuming natural foods. If you have had stomach and digestion issues in the past, eating healthy foods will clear this up and make it much easier to go to the bathroom.
While many people may be skeptical, I challenge you to partake on the eating healthy foods diet for 30 days and see how it works. You will not only have more energy, but lose a ton of weight and also have a much healthier digestion system.
For more information on the [http://rawfoodsdietweightloss.com]raw foods diet weight loss program please visit our website at [http://rawfoodsdietweightloss.com]http://rawfoodsdietweightloss.com.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Eating-Raw-Foods-To-Lose-Weight-and-Live-Better&id=6425456] Eating Raw Foods To Lose Weight and Live Better
More and more people are hearing about the many health benefits of eating raw foods. Raw foods are foods that have not been cooked and are natural, some examples are fruits, vegetables, meats, nuts, and other delicious foods. While this may seem like it is limiting your eating options, there are several great foods that taste great and are great for you. If you are interested in losing weight and living much better, than eating all natural foods should be considered.
The first benefit to eating whole grown foods is the natural energy you get throughout the day. Before eating only raw foods, I would need to drink a couple of coffee in the morning or I could not function at all and would drink several cups throughout the day. However, by eating many fruits, vegetables, and meats the natural sugar and energy keeps me satisfied and more alert and awake then I ever had. Also, you will never feel bloated after eating raw foods and everything you consume will be converted into energy and be used to power your body. You should treat your body like a engine and you must use the right fuel.
Another benefit to enjoying natural foods is the most popular and that is losing weight. You body was not meant to consume so many preservatives that are in popular food and eating only foods that are natural is the way are body were supposed to be used. I have tried many different exercise and weight loss routines and healthy foods and exercising once a day works wonders. Another great benefit is that you will start seeing weight loss immediately as long as you stick to only eating raw foods. This can not be stressed enough, the raw foods weight loss system will only work if you only eat all healthy foods! So many people try to cheat by eating fast food and this can be detrimental to the process.
The third benefit to eating all natural foods is how easy your digestion system works once consuming natural foods. If you have had stomach and digestion issues in the past, eating healthy foods will clear this up and make it much easier to go to the bathroom.
While many people may be skeptical, I challenge you to partake on the eating healthy foods diet for 30 days and see how it works. You will not only have more energy, but lose a ton of weight and also have a much healthier digestion system.
For more information on the [http://rawfoodsdietweightloss.com]raw foods diet weight loss program please visit our website at [http://rawfoodsdietweightloss.com]http://rawfoodsdietweightloss.com.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Eating-Raw-Foods-To-Lose-Weight-and-Live-Better&id=6425456] Eating Raw Foods To Lose Weight and Live Better
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