Sophie’s smoked salmon & green olives salad!

A delightful Sophie’s salad!

Today, I was home alone & had some leftovers in the fridge ( cold cooked quinoa, 1/2 can of drained & rinsed red beans, a handful of rocket leaves ( arugula) that I had to use up. So, I made this tasty salad with smoked salmon & green herby olives with garlic & red pepper. I bought the green olives like that in my local shop. It was divine & so simple to make, but all the flavours here worked really well together! I loved it & so will you,…

Delectable! MMM!

Recipe: For 1 big plate

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons of cooked, cold quinoa

handful of resh rocket leaves ( arugula), torn into 2

1/2 can of cold red beans: rinsed & drained well

4 thinner slices of smoked salmon

juice of 1/2 lime

some black pepper, finely milled

a pinch or 2 of Maldon sea salt

a fruity evoo: 1/2 to 1 tablespoon

17 Spanish pitted green olives with garlic, herbs & red paprika pieces,  (Delhaize brand )

Method:

1. Take a big deeper plate & ad quinoa, red beans & rocket leaves. Mix together with a spoon. Snuggle your 4 smoked salmon pieces over & in your salad, so that it looks nice. Pour 1/2 lime juice all over your salad & over your fish. Scatter 17 pitted green olives with garlic & red paprika pieces over your salad. Ad 5 grins of finely milled black pepper & 2 pinches of sea salt over the top of your salad & fish. Now, drizzle about 1/2 to 1 tablespoon all over your tasty looking salad! Tuck in, instantly & enjoy yourself doing that! x Happy Eating!

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You might like:

1. Sophie’s smoked salmon & veggies sald with a honey mustard dressing!

2. Duo of fresh fava bean spread open smoked salmon sandwich & sort of guacamole open smoked salmon sandwich topped with home grown garden cress!

3. Sophie’s smoked salmon & fresh sheep’s ricotta wraps!

Vegan gyros, red quinoa, veggies & lemony chickpeas!

Yesterday evening, I made this fabulous, easy to prepare vegan gyros, red quinoa, mixed veggies & lemony chickpeas dish! It was a wonderful & very powerful nutritious dinner!

Easy does it here,…;) Enjoy!

All Vegan deliciousness!

Recipe: For 2 persons

Ingredients:

* For the red quinoa:

80 gr red quinoa, rinsed well = 1 volume

2 volumes of boiling water

Herbamare salt ( is vegan & Gluten-Free )

* For the lemony chickpeas & vegan gyros:

1 can of chickpeas, well rinsed & drained

fresh lemon juice: 1 to 2 tablespoons

black pepper

Maldon sea salt

1 green paprika, cleaned, pits & white parts removed, cut into smaller strips

a fruity evoo

1 packet of Wheaty 200 gr vegan gyros: ( These vegan gyros are packed in their sauce. This product does not has any soy  in it. Wheaty is based on wheat protein!!! ) , ( Ingredients are: water, wheat protein* (30%), high oleic sunflower oil*, yeast extract, spices*, onion*, thickening agent locust bean gum*, rock salt.
* = certified organic )

Wheaty Vegan gyros!

* For the other veggies:

2 medium young courgettes, cleaned, cut into smaller rings & cut into 2

1 red paprika, cleaned, pits & white parts removed, cut into smaller strips

1 red onion, peeled & cut into wedges

black pepper

Maldon sea salt

dried Provençal herbs

a fruity EVOO ( Extra Virgin Olive Oil )

Method:

1. Cook your red quinoa in boiling water until tender & cooked through. I added some Herbamare to the red quinoa. It took me 13 minutes.It said so on the package. Drain well & keep warm. In the meantime, take a large non-stick pan & heat up on medium high. Pour drizzles of that fruity extra virgin olive oil in your hot pan & swirl around. When hot, add red onion & red paprika strips & fry until tender. Add some sea salt & 5 grins of finely milled black pepper. Stir often. When ready & cooked through, add these to the red quinoa & stir around. In the same pan, add a bit more olive oil, if you need to & add courgettes. Add some Provençal herbs, sea salt & a bit of black pepper & fry until browned on all sides & al dente. Put them together with the red quinoa & veggies! In the same pan, pour that fruity evoo & when hot, fry your vegan gyros for a few minutes per side until browned. I also added finely milled black pepper on the vegan gyros. When nearly ready, put them on one side of the pan & on the other you add the green paprika strips & chickpeas. Fry them until the paprika is just al dente. Season them with 5 to 8 grins of black pepper & some dried Provençal herbs , but NO SALT HERE! The vegan gyros are already a bit too salty, so you don’t want the veggies & chickpeas to be that way!! 

Just before serving, pour 1 to 2 tablespoons of lemon juice all over the chickpeas in your pan, the chickpeas need that extra kick to bring out their fully flavour !!!

Plate up instantly & enjoy with a loved one! MMM,…!

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You might like:

1. A quick tasty vegan lunch!

Vegan Gluten-free refreshing breakfast smoothies!

Vegan & Gluten-free!

This morning, I made these yummy drinkable breakfasts! I wanted to use gluten-free oats in here too, to make it more filling. This is what I made in a few minutes using my beloved Vitamix!

One smoothy really fills you up!

Recipe: For about 6 cups = 1500 ml

Ingredients:

2 cups of soy milk

2 medium ripe bananas, peeled & cut into chunks

2 cups of hulled, cut up strawberries

1 cup of medium Gluten-free whole oats

2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons black chia seeds

10 dried apricots

1 cup of ice

If needed: some powdered coconut sugar to sweeten

Method:

1. Take your Vitamix container & place every ingredient in this order in it. Place the fitting lid on with the tamper in it. Blend on full power speed for about 1 to 2 minutes, using the tamper to push the ingredients down into the running blades. Turn all power off & taste. It has to taste well. You must taste the bananas & strawberries. If it is not sweet enough for you, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of coconut sugar. Pour into lovely smoothy glasses & enjoy instantly with a loved one! Happy Drinking!

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You might like:

1. Vegan & GF mango clementine smoothies with black chia seeds

2. Vegan & GF cashew, chocolate & pumpkin spread chia smoothies

Home-made refreshing ginger ale: version 1!

Home-made refreshing ginger ale, version 1!

My husband Peter made this home-made refreshing ginger ale, version 1! He made this 2 days ago, when the weather was really hot in our garden. We needed something refreshing to cool down a bit & this is what he invented! Yummy, I say! All hail to Peter! This home-made ginger ale is a tasty drinkable food gift and a great appetizer drink too!

MMM! Vegan & Gluten-Free!

Recipe: For a whole lot of ginger ale

Ingredients:

5 cm of freshly peeled ginger, grated finely with a ginger peeler/ if you do not have that, grate very finely

2 liter of water

juice of 1/2 lime

4 tablespoons of pure maple syrup

Method:

1. Bring your 2 liters of water to the boil. When boiling, ad grated ginger, lime juice & leave to boil for about 30 seconds to 1 minute.Turn the heat off & place fitting lid on. Let it infuse for about 15 minutes, off the heat.

2. Now, pour your hot liquid through a fine sieve above another clean large pot. Now, ad 4 tablespoons of maple syrup & stir to dissolve into the hot liquid. Pour ginger ale into a fitting bottle or fitting bottles & screw the lids on. Place into the fridge to cool off completely.

3. When you are ready to drink your ginger ales, shake the bottle or bottles well up & down before pouring them out, to shake the sediment off the bottom of your bottle so that your leftover ginger bits are equally divided in your drink. Pour into 2 x 330 ml glasses until 3/4 full, add into each glass 4 to 5 ice-cube rounds & top of with a fresh sprig of mint! Enjoy instantly with a loved one! Yummy! You can taste the lovely ginger in your throat & the mint & ice makes it all so refreshing!!! Yummy! Thanks Peter!

You might like:

1. Home-made limoncello!

Home-made limoncello, lovely wrapped!

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Vegan rhubarb, strawberry & dried apricot crisp, with a GF option!!!

DIVINE! VEGAN!

Today, I made this tasty, divine & vegan rhubarb, strawberry & dried apricot crumble! I just made enough for 2 persons, with each 1 big part! My husband Peter & I both loved it! We enjoyed it thoroughly! All of the flavours go so well together & I didn’t use any vegan butter nor flour!

Yummy! Yummy Yummy!

Recipe: For 2 persons, each a big part

Ingredients:

* For the filling:

250 gr fresh rhubarb, washed & cleaned, pad dry on kitchen paper, cut into 1 cm pieces

125 gr fresh juicy strawberries, cleaned & hulled, each cut into 2 or 4

65 gr dried apricots, cut up into smaller pieces

2 tablespoons of pure maple syrup

25 ml of 100% pomegranate pure unsweetened juice

* For the crisp:

50 gr whole smaller oats ( This will be Gluten-free if you use GF oats!! )

2 tablespoons of soy oil

2 tablespoons of pure maple syrup

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 190° C ( 375 F ) for 10 minutes. I always use a fan oven. Adjust your oven to the right temperature if needed.

2. Prepare your filling. Take a larger bowl & ad rhubarb, strawberry & dried apricot pieces. Mix. Add maple syrup. Mix it through the fruit. Now, take your fitted oven dish & place your mapled fruit mix in it, equally divided. Pour your pomegranate juice all over the fruit. Now, make your crisp topping. Grab a medium bowl & ad oats, soy oil & maple syrup. With 1 clean hand, mix everything so until it sticks well together. With the same hand, put your crisp topping all over your maple fruit mix. Place it well on top of the fruit mix, to cover the fruit completely! Place in the center of the hot oven & bake for about 25 minutes. You will see when your crisp is ready, when the crispy topping has been browned well & the house will smell amazing! Test with a small pin to see if the fruit has cooked well until ready. Place on the table & wait for about 5 to 7 minutes before attacking it! MMM,…!

A fabulous vegan crisp!

You might like:

1. Vegan rhubarb, pear & chocolate chip crumbles! 

2. Strawberry & rhubarb GF & vegan cardamom crumble!

3. Spiced rhubarb, coconut pear crumble!

4. Vegan rhubarb spelt speculaas crumble!

5. Rhubarb & ginger orange crumble, served in hot Devon custard!

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Sophie’s seasonal salad, with a vegan & GF avocado, coriander & orange dressing! ( Vegan option too! )

Divine & seasonal!

Yesterday, I made this fabulous & amazing seasonal salad. You can make it totally vegan if you leave out the smoked herring! Yeah! This salad has everything you want in a salad. It is crunchy, tasty, a bit bitter & a bit sweeter with a deliciously avocado, orange juice & fresh coriander leaves yoghurt dressing. It goes so well with the fresh orange slices, the crunchy toasted pine nuts  & everything else! I used unsweetened soy yoghurt in the tasty avocado coriander dressing! I used 2 ingredients from my garden in here,…

This salad is great for a dinner party in the Summer when you eat on the terrace or in your garden, on a Sunny evening! Check these beauties out! Enjoy!

Yummy! Yummy! Yummy!
Perfect for entertaining!

It looks like real mayo with herbs, doesn’t it??? Don’t let the looks deceive you,…!

Recipe: For 2 persons

Ingredients:

250 gr smaller witloof ( Belgian endive ), cleaned, hard bottom cut off & hard, bitter inner part cut out, leaves used like that. They are like little boats. See pic above! Prepare them just 10 minutes before serving, because they can go brown a bit after cutting!

4 teaspoons dark raisins

2 fresh oranges, peeled & sliced horizontally into bigger slices ( pits & white parts removed ! ) You needd 3 ticker parts per plate/ keep the rest for later use!

18 young Swiss chard leaves, with multicoloured stems,  I used them from my garden, cleaned, the stems cut up into smaller pieces with scissors

1/3 cup toasted pine nuts/ How to roast them? Take a fitting non-stick pan & heat up on low. Place your pine nuts in here, in 1 layer in it. After a few minutes, the nuts begin to get brownish in colour & will get fragrant. Turn the heat onto lower but don’t let the nuts burn,…Turn them over & they must be brownish on both sides! Turn the heat off. Now, you have toasted pine nuts!

80 gr of smoked herring fillets: take the skin off, you don’t want to eat that, cut into smaller bite-sided pieces

1/2 handful of fresh garden cress ( tuinkers ), I used home-grown!

* For the avocado-yoghurt-coriander-orange dressing: ( Vegan & Gluten-free ):

1 ripe avocado, peeled & big stone removed, flesh scooped out with a large spoon

juice of 1/2 lime

50 ml fresh orange juice ( justly squeezed )

150 ml of unsweetened soy yoghurt

25 gr of fresh cleaned coriander ( cilantro ) leaves, stalks & leaves used here, torn into smaller pieces

Black pepper

Maldon sea salt

Method:

1. Take your food processor  & add avocado flesh, pour your lime juice over here, not more than that!!! Add fresh coriander, orange juice, soy yoghurt & 5 grins of black pepper & 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt. Mix or pulse on low-speed until you will get a consistency like above. Taste! It has to taste fabulous! You must taste the yoghurt, the coriander & the orange juice in here! The avocado makes it all smooth & luscious! I added 10 grins of black pepper & another 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt. Pulse again. You want to see green spots all over & in your sauce. Taste again! Yummy, not? I poured my sauce into a serving sauce pot & placed cling film over it & put it in the fridge to stiff up a bit, like 15 to 30 minutes, to cool off a bit & to be a bit more thick!!!

2. After your dressing has been in the fridge, plate it all up. Take 2 white large plates & place your witloof boats, on top of each plate, in a row, see picture above! On the lower half, place your Swiss Chard leaves, in half a bow, see picture above! Then scatter your 4 teaspoons of raisins over the top of the witloof, onto each plate 2 teaspoons. Divide your toasted pine nuts all over each plate, all over the salad. Place garden cress, evenly divided, onto each plate , in the middle. Place your 3 orange slices, onto each plate, in the middle & on each side. Scatter the raw Swiss chard stem pieces, over the top of your witloof, onto each plate. It already looks very colourful, hey? Now, scatter your smoked herring pieces all over your salad, but not too much. Smoked herring can be over powering, so you must not add too much! 80 gr in total, 40 gr onto each plate is enough!!! Finally, take your sauce out of the fridge & mingle everything well with a spoon, ladle your dressing, over the bottom half of your plate, onto the Swiss chard leaves & enjoy instantly, with a loved one, in your garden, on the terrace! Afterwards, I added more sauce! Happy eating! xxx

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You might like:

1. Vegan, GF grilled raddichio, red witloof in a pink grapefruit maple dressing, topped with toasted walnut crumble, pink grapefruit parts & smoked tempeh!

2. Vegan warm 3 bean salad with chickpeas & cumin!

3. Sophie’s Summer salad with roasted plums, sheep’s feta, pine nuts & a plum dressing!

4. Sophie’s smoked salmon & mixed veggies salad with a mustard-honey dressing!

Vegan quinoa, veggies stuffed paprika, served with a vegan soy veggie burger! ( Gluten-Free too!)

A delightful vegan dinner!

Yesterday evening, I made this tasty dinner for 2. My husband Peter & I loved it so much! I know you will love it too.

Vegan & Gluten-free deliciousness, healthy too!

Recipe: For 2 persons, with seconds:

Ingredients:

2 Vegan & Gluten-Free soy & veggies burgers

2 big red paprika ( red bell peppers ), cleaned this way that the tops are sliced horizontally & the green stalk cut out. The top of each paprika cut into smaller pieces. The white parts & the seeds cut out or taken out with clean hands so that you end up with 2 empty cavities of your red paprika, ( to fill them later )

butternut pumpkin: 1/2 to 1/3 part of it, peeled, seeds & threads removed & cut into smaller bite-sized chunks

1 big red onion, peeled & cut finely

1 fat clove of garlic, peeled & cut finely

2 big carrots, peeled & cut up into thicker rings but not too thick!

Maldon sea salt

Black pepper

dried oregano

a fruity EVOO

100 gr quinoa = 1 volume, rinsed well under cold running water, excess water shaken off

2 volumes of boiling water

dried couscous spices: 1/4 teaspoon + 1/4 teaspoon

Method:

1. First, boil your red paprika in a fitting pot so that they are completely under water. Also, add the carrot rounds. Season with some dried oregano to taste & some black pepper. Cook until tender. It took me 13 minutes. Check the carrots too. You want the carrots to be al dente because they will be fried in some olive oil later, for extra crunch! When ready, strain the water well off. Keep warm.

2. In the meantime, cook your quinoa in your 2 volumes of boiling water. Season the water with 1/4 teaspoon couscous spices. My quinoa took me 12 minutes of cooking. Drain well & taste! If you need a bit sea salt, you do that but not too much, you want the quinoa to be a bit spiced up & not bland! I added & bit sea salt & black pepper too! Keep warm.

3. Fry your onion, garlic, red paprika pieces with your carrots in some fruity EVOO in a large pan. Season with dried oregano, sea salt & black pepper. Fry until browned on all sides & cooked through. Add to the quinoa. Stir well. In another pan, on the same time, fry your pumpkin pieces in some fruity evoo until browned on all sides & cooked through. It took me about 10 to 12 minutes on medium fire. I seasoned with dried oregano, sea salt & black pepper. When done, pour your pumpkin bites, on a plate loaded with kitchen paper to drain off the excess of oil. After that, add to the quinoa-veggies mix. Stir carefully. Taste! It has to taste fabulous! I added 1/4 teaspoon couscous spices. You need that! Fill your 2 red paprika with the quinoa-veggies stuffing, all equally divided.

4. In the meantime, fry your soy veggies burgers in some hot evoo for a few minutes until browned on all sides & warmed. Serve instantly with a loved one! Enjoy!

MMM!

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A cook book review & wholewheat minted bulghur with saffron, raisins, pine nuts, served with courgettes & whiting!

A divine & tasty healthy dinner! Yummm!

Yesterday evening, I made this tasty & easy to prepare dinner. From beginning to ending, It took me 30 minutes. It was a wonderful combo of spices & saffron, combined with whole-wheat bulgur & fresh mint. I served it with sautéed green young courgettes ( zucchini ) & oven roasted whiting fillets.

The whole-wheat bulgur recipe is a recipe from a new book that I bought recently. It is called in Dutch:Veggie for starters! It is made by Miki Duerinck & Kristin Leybaert!

The rest of the recipe is my own invention! Recently, I am trying to eat more whole grains & different grains, tofu combinations & more veggies too. This book was exactly wat I was searching for! This book in only in Dutch!

whole-wheat bulgur with saffron, pine nuts, onion, mint, cinnamon & coriander!

This is the front cover of the book:

A tasty & very stylish easy to use cook book!

Above picture from their website!

These women are very well-known in Belgium. They had a vegetarian restaurant in Gent, Flanders for a very long time. They sold their famous restaurant & began on a new journey together. They have a business called in Dutch: De Vegetarische Kook studio & give workshops & have a tiny restaurant too. This isn’t their 1st book! I think it is their 4th book already! I also have another book from them.

This book is divided into the following sections: Appetizers, Soups, Main Dishes, Sides, Creating tasty dishes using seeds & nuts, Discovering legumes, peas & pods, All different kinds of soy bean derivations, How to re-invent meat the vegetarian way, Pasta dishes, Sauces, Tapenades & Veggie patés & Desserts! Examples of some titles are : Creamy parsnip soup with pear & coconut milk, Witloof tart with oyster mushrooms, Empanadas with spiced sweet potatoes, Italian nut balls with olives & sun-dried tomatoes, Oatmeal lentil cookies with mint, Seitan Cordon bleu & parsnips, Lasagne with leeks & pumpkin, Green quinoa salad, Lentil salad with mushrooms, Wok with witloof & ginger, Cucumber & tarragon dressing, Aioli of silken tofu, Spiced carrot paté, Bread pudding with pumpkin, White chocolate red berries tart with speculaas! Now, those  titles are mouth-watering, no?

I have made 2 dishes of this fantastic & wonderful book & I love it! My husband agrees here with me! There are amazing & very inventive recipes in the book & you can combine them beautifully together,…It really works!  I also made this tasty dish, found on page 75. It is called: Wokked tofu with Spring veggies. It is spicy marinated tofu with wokked Spring veggies but I served it with Gluten-Free 100% brown rice noodles instead of Thai rice!

A delightful Vegan & GF dish!

The spicy tofu marinade!

100% GF Brown rice noodles!

 75 % of the recipes are vegan & 50% are vegetarian! There are 194 amazing recipes in this lovely cook book! It is all about discovering new flavours & how to combine them beautifully into a new dish, each time, each chapter. This book is top-notch!

The recipe: For 2 persons

Ingredients:

* For the whole-wheat bulgur, my adapted version:

1/2 big white onion, peeled & cut into pieces

a fruity olive oil

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground coriander seed

25 gr pine nuts

100 gr whole-wheat bulgur

1 part of ground saffron

1 + 1/2 tablespoons of fresh mint, finely chopped

1 + 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

black pepper

Maldon sea salt

* For the sautéed green courgettes:

2 smaller green young courgettes,cleaned & cut into thicker rings & then each ring into 4

black pepper

sea salt

fruity olive oil

* For the oven roasted whiting fillets:

2 fresh large whiting filets, cleaned & pad dry on kitchen paper

fruity olive oil, the same as above

1 slice of an unwaxed lemon

black pepper

sea salt

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 200° C ( 400 F ) for 10 minutes. In the meantime, take a medium cookpot, add some fruity olive oil & heat up on medium high. When hot, add onion, cinnamon, coriander & pine nuts, stirring often. After a few minutes, add saffron, ww bulgur, pepper & some sea salt. Stir often. Fry for a few minutes. Add some olive oil extra, if you need to. Pour 400 ml of boiling water to the bulgur combo & cook bulgur on lower heat until al dente & soft, with the lid on. Stir often. Nearly all the water will be cooked off. Taste! Of the heat, add mint, raisins & lemon juice & retaste. Add some black pepper & sea salt, if you need to.

2. When the oven is hot, place your 2 whiting fillets in a non-stick oven dish & brush the tops with that same oil & some black pepper & sea salt, according to your taste but not too much sea salt! Place on top of the fish, in the middle, 1 slice of the unwaxed lemon. Place into hot oven & roast for about 10 to 15 minutes. When ready, check if the fish is just cooked through. Turn oven off.

3. In the meantime, while the bulgur & fish are cooking, heat a pan on higher heat & pour a few drizzles of fruity oil in it. When hot, add courgettes & fry until browned & cooked through, on both sides! Season with sea salt & black pepper. When ready, pour the courgettes onto a plate with a double layer of kitchen paper, to dip off the excess of oil. Serve instantly with a loved one, see plate above!

Enjoy!!!

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Oven roasted salmon on a bed of spiced oven roasted veggies, with quinoa!

A delightful dinner!
Roasted salmon on a bed of spiced veggies!

Yesterday evening, I made this delightful dinner for two.

There are many lovely ingredients in this fabulous dinner! FOR THE VEGGIES: DRIED OREGANO–SEA SALT–SPICED CURRY POWDER–FRUITY OLIVE OIL–BLACK PEPPER. FOR THE SALMON PIECES: DRIED OREGANO–SEA SALT–BLACK PEPPER!!! I served it with quinoa cooked in VEGGIE BROTH & seasoned with: DRIED COUSCOUS HERBS, BLACK PEPPER!

Yummy!

Recipe: For 2 persons

Ingredients:

* For the quinoa:

1 volume of quinoa: 150 gr quinoa, measured in a big mug, rinsed thoroughly under running water

2 volumes of water, in the same the big mug, where you measured your quinoa in

1/2 cube of vegetable broth or 1/4 cube if you want!

1/4 teaspoon dried couscous spices / Mine has a combo of cinnamon, coriander, black pepper, ginger, cloves & cayenne pepper in them!/

5 grins of finely milled black pepper

* For the oven roasted salmon pieces:

2 x 125 gr of organic salmon pieces, with skin on one side, cleaned

Maldon sea salt

black pepper, finely milled

1/2 heaped teaspoon of dried oregano

* For the spiced oven roasted veggies: 

3/4 butternut pumpkin, peeled, seeds & threads removed, cut into bite-sized pieces, all even-sized

3 smaller red onions, peeled & cut into bigger wedges

1 big yellow paprika ( bell pepper ), seeds & white parts removed, cut into smaller strips

3 tablespoons of a fruity olive oil

8 grins of finely milled black pepper

1/2 teaspoon of Maldon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano

1 teaspoon hot curry powder/ I used Sharwoods

Sharwoods hot curry powder!

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 200° C (400 F ) for about 10 minutes. Take a large non-stick oven dish & place all of your veggies in 1 layer in it. Pour your spices & oil all over them. With clean hands, mingle everything well together. Take your 2 salmon pieces & divide your 1/2 heaped teaspoon oregano, all over the 2 pieces of salmon, also on the sides. Season with a bit of sea salt & about 3 grins of black pepper onto each salmon piece. Now, place your salmon on top of the veggies, neatly besides each other. Place into the hot oven & bake for about 25 -30 minutes in total. The first 15 minutes, bake on 200°C ( 400 F ) & then, the last 15 minutes on 225°C (437 F ). Check veggies often to prevent burning. Turn the veggies over if you need to, for an equal bake.

2. In the meantime, rinse your uncooked quinoa well with running water. Drain off. Bring 2 volumes of water to the boil & add 1/2 cube of vegetable stock. Whisk it well. Simmer your quinoa, stirring often until cooked through, quinoa has puffed up & nearly all the water is gone. Checkto taste. My quinoa took me 12 minutes of cooking. It said so on the package. Drain well to shake the excess of water off! Put back into the hot pot & add 1/4 teaspoon couscous herbs & 5 grins of finely milled black pepper. Mix well with a spoon. Taste! It has to taste fab! Keep warm.

3. Now, plate up. Take your plate & place your veggies on it. Lay your quinoa besides it, but not too much because quinoa really fills you up! Place your oven roasted salmon, in front of that & enjoy instantly with your loved one! Enjoy xxx! The fish is lovely roasted, the oregano goes so well with the fish & you find it also back into your roasted veggies & the hot curry powder gives it a bit of a kick!

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You might like:

1. Roasted salmon with green asparagus, a minted pea mash & potato croquettes!

2. Oven baked salmon with white asparagus & oven baked potato wedges!

Vegan dark mystical drinks!

Can you guess what kind of drinks these are & what also the ingredients are ???

Hello folks! I thought this title would intrigue you all,…Can you guess what kind of beverages these are & what also are the ingredients??? I have to say that all ingredients are vegan & if you use 1 ingredient, the same one as I used, but in a GF version, it is GF too! These are also some kind of nuts in here,…Is the suspense killing you yet?

Okay, without further ado,…I present you these beauties:

Vegan delicousness!

= Vegan cinnamon, blueberry, banana, hazelnut , oat & rice milk smoothies! No, no, there isn’t any red wine in here, nore red grape juice!

Recipe: For 1250 ml = 5 cups of deliciousness!

Ingredients:

100 gr oats ( to make it Gluten-Free, use GF oats!!! )

300 gr organic frozen blueberries

16 raw hazelnuts

1 teaspoon of cinnamon

500 ml rice milk

1 very ripe banana, peeled & cut into chunks

Method:

1. Take your Vitamix & place your ingredients in this order in it. Place fitting lid on & the tamper too. Mix on full speed for about 1 minute or 2, using the tamper to push the ingredients into the running blades. Turn power lower & then off. Taste! It has to taste fabulous. You must taste the blueberries & the hints of cinnamon. The banana makes it a bit more creamy & filling & so will the oats! Pour the smoothies in lovely smoothy glasses, plastic or not. Enjoy instantly with a loved one!

These are very powerful & nutritious vegan smoothies! I drank 2 for lunch! Ideal as a tasty snack, breakfast, lunch or when you need a break,..Drink one or 2 of these,…I know that you will love it too! xxx

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Vegan, Gluten-free strawberry puddings! Yes!

Divine, healthy Vegan & GF strawberry pudding!

This afternoon, I made these glorious strawberry puddings. These are very easy to make, all in my beloved Vitamix! You can even eat them as a tasty healthy breakfast, just not only as a lovely dessert.

Just look at them,…don’t you want at least 2 of them?

Pure vegan & Gluten-Free deliciousness!

Recipe: For 3 cups = 750 ml tasty desserts=4 desserts!

Ingredients:

300 gr drained silken tofu

300 gr fresh juicy strawberries, cleaned, hulled & cut into 2

2 teaspoons gluten-free vanilla extract/ I use home-made

4 tablespoons unsweetened almond flakes

2 tablespoons flaxseed

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons powdered coconut sugar

To garnish: unsweetened almond flakes

Method:

1. Take your beloved Vitamix & add every ingredient in this order in your Vitamix. Don’t add the coconut sugar yet. Place the fitting lid & the tamper in it too. Mix on full speed for about 1 minutes or so, using the tamper to push the ingredients into the running blades. Turn power lower & then off. Taste! The puddings will be a bit thicker, this is what you want because of the flaxseed. If it is sweet enough or to your liking, stop here & pour the pudding into lovely pudding glasses, if not, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of coconut sugar & blend again on full speed for about 30 seconds, using the tamper. Lower power & turn off. Taste! It was to my liking. I poured it into fancy dessert glasses & added onto each top about 1/2 heaped teaspoon of slivered almonds. Place into the fridge to stiff up a bit, for at least 2 hours! Enjoy with a loved one! MMM,…!

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4. Vegan, GF carob cashew mousses with strawberries!

Vegan,Gluten-Free creamy green asparagus pasta!

You must mingle the sauce with & into the Gf pasta tubes,..Yummm!

This evening, I made this tasty & fabulous Vegan & Gluten-Free green asparagus silken tofu sauce & served it with remaining smaller cooked, cooled off & fried green asparagus. It is a divine pasta dinner. I use 100% whole buckwheat pasta tubes, to make the dinner Gluten-Free as well. Just look at that glorious appetizing sauce!!!!   

A divine healthy green asparagus silken tofu sauce!                                                

Recipe: For 3 persons, with a lot of hunger

Ingredients:

* For the green asparagus silken tofu sauce:

2 big fat spring onions, washed, cleaned, pad dry on kitchen paper, cut into smaller rings

black pepper

Maldon sea salt

190 gr of silken tofu, excess water drained off

200 gr of smaller thinner green asparagus spears, rough 1 cm cut off & I didn’t peel them because their skin was fresh & not tough/ 15 spears kept apart

1 bunch thick green asparagus, ( about 15 ), rough end: 2 to 3 cm cut off & peeled for 3/4 with a vegetable peeler, like this:

green thicker asparagus, peeled for 3/4!

* For the GF pasta:

350 gr 100% GF buckwheat pasta tubes / I used Castagno bio

a fruity extra virgin olive oil

sea salt

* For the 15 fried green asparagus( to top your pasta )

15 reserved, kept apart, thin green asparagus ( cooked with the rest )

sunflower oil

black pepper

Maldon sea salt

Method:

1. Cook your asparagus in 2 different & fitting cooking pots in some salted water until al dente. I cooked all of my thin asparagus for 3 to 5 minutes & drained them well.Keep warm. The bigger asparagus took me 6 to 8 minutes. Drain well too.

2. Cook your pasta according to your packet instructions in a lot of hot salted water. I also added 2 drizzles of a fruity evoo. Drain well & keep warm. In the meantime, fry spring onion rings in some sunflower oil & season with black pepper & Maldon sea salt. Set aside.

3. Make your green asparagus silken tofu sauce. Take a food processor & add cooked thicker green asparagus, rest of the cooked thinner green asparagus, but keep 15 of them apart to fry in a few minutes. Add silken tofu, fried spring onion pieces, 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt & 15 grins of black pepper. Mix or blitz until the sauce is white with dots of green in them. I like my sauce, a bit thinner but not too thin. See picture above & below.You don’t want large chunks in your sauce but still, something like this:

A divine healthy green asparagus silken tofu sauce!

Taste your sauce. We are not going to heat up your silken tofu in this sauce but your sauce will be warmish because of the just cooked asparagus & the fried spring onions. Taste again. Add some seasoning if you need to. You still must taste a soft creamy sauce & then, at the back of your mouth, the lovely aromas of the green asparagus & then a kick of the black pepper & some sea salt too, but not too much! Add it & pulse again. Pour the sauce into a lovely saucer, like above & just before serving, mix well with a spoon, for a nice sauce consistency! Just before serving, heat up 3 pasta plates.

4. End, with frying your reserved 15 thin asparagus in some hot sunflower oil, season with black pepper & sea salt. Fry until crisp  & bit browned on both sides. Now, plate up instantly! Take your pasta bowl & ad cooked GF pasta.Top with 2 to 3 big spoonfuls of that lovely creamy asparagus silken tofu sauce & place 5 crisp green asparagus on top, onto each plate. Do the same with the 2 other plates.

You must mingle the sauce into the hot pasta tubes, for extra yummyness!!! Happy eating! MMM,…I assure you this will be a huge hit!

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Vegan, Gluten-Free strawberry, melon cashew smoothies!

Tasty vegan & Gluten-Free srawberry, cashew & melon smoothies!!!

This morning, I made these easy, tasty vegan & gluten-free strawberry, melon cashew smoothies! It was our drinkable breakfast!

I used 2 smaller Cavaillon melons in my smoothies!

Recipe: For 2 persons, each 2 smoothies = 5 cups =1250 ml!

Ingredients:

8 fresh thick large strawberries, cleaned & hulled

2 juicy ripe smaller Cavaillon melons, They need to smell amazing from the outside, peeled, seeds +green parts removed, cut into larger chunks + juice squeezed out

1 heaped cup of raw soaked cashews /(How to soak raw unsalted cashews?) You take 1 heaped cup of  raw, unsalted cashews & place them in a fitting bowl. You add clean water to cover them completely & mix well with a spoon. You place a fitting lid on & put it into the fridge for overnight or for at least 6 hours! After that, the nuts are more soft & have a softer taste. You drain them well under running water & rinse off the excess of water. Do not use the soak water!!!! Now, they are easier to digest, healthier & creamier for you too. Use them now! /

1 cup of soy milk = 250 ml

If you need to, to sweeten: 1 to 2 tablespoons of powdered coconut sugar/ I used 1 tablespoon

Method:

1.Take your Vitamix & place every ingredient in this order in it, except the powdered coconut sugar. Blend on full power for about 1 to 2 minutes using the tamper in your fitting lid. Push the ingredients into the blades, up & down. Taste! If it is sweet enough, don’t add the coconut sugar. I added 1 tablespoon of it & blended it again on full speed. Stop & taste & pour into lovely smoothy cups & enjoy instantly with your loved one! You don’t taste the strawberries but you do taste the sweeter Cavaillon melon! My husband & I drank each 2 smoothies for our breakfast!

MMMMMMMMMMMM!  If you liked this post, SUBSCRIBE to Sophie’s Foodie Files: It is free!   RSS – Posts

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Vegan cookies review & a garden update!

Organic vegan 8-grain cranberry cookies & organic vegan 8-grain chocolate cookies!

Yesterday, I was searching for awesome vegan store-bought cookies. Here in Belgium, mostly, you can find vegan cookies in a good food health shop. We don’t have specialized vegan food shops over here,…I can only dream about vegan bakeries, big sigh! But these cookies mustn’t be overloaded with bad sugars & bad ingredients. They must look good & appetizing too. In most food health shops, you can find a few vegan cookies, if you look very hard but they look & taste terribly & we don’t want that, do we? What I want in a vegan cookie, is the same value & quality that I want in creating my own vegan cookies. Maybe you do too?

You know that I love to use whole grain, different flours & especially spelt flours, don’t you? I found these beautiful cookies! Check them out!

These organic & vegan cookies with chocolate or with cranberry, are made by Billy’s farm Organic. This is an organic Dutch farm from Drachten, Friesland in The Netherlands.

They make all sorts of yummy organic cookies & all of them are vegan! On top of that, their cookies don’t have any beet or cane sugar in them.

The cookies are sweetened with cereal sirups or with fruit. A lot of the cookies have different grains in them.

Here is their website in English:  Billy’s Farm Organic

Review 1 : Billy’s Farm Organic 8-grain cookies with chocolate!

Vegan organic 8-grain cookies with chocolate, great for a breakfast on the go!

Tasty with a lovely cup of mint tea!

Ingredients are:

The ingredients of these tasty cookies!

Verdict:

These cookies are individually wrapped. Each cookie is 20 gr & 1 whole package of these cookies weights, 160 gr. This package has 8 sachets so 8 cookies in them. It costed me 2.50 € in the Bioplanet.

I love this crunchy, tasty vegan cookie. It is firm in your hand & crumbly in your mouth,…Just the way I like it. It is also a really filling cookie. If you eat 2 of them, it is a great breakfast, it is that filling for me! A breakfast on the go to! The only downside is that there must be more chocolate into each cookie!  Use: It is tasty on its own or dipped into a hot vegan chocolate or with a lovely vegan café latte. I drank it with an organic caffeine free mint tea! See picture above!

Review 2: Billy’s Farm Organic 8-grain cookies with cranberries!

Vegan organic 8-grain cookies with cranberry, wrapped individually!

Crunchy & tasty vegan 8-grain cranberry cookie!

Ingredients are:

Verdict:

These cookies are individually wrapped. Each cookie is 20 gr & 1 whole package of these cookies weights, 160 gr. This package has 8 sachets so 8 cookies in them. It costed me 2.50 € in the Bioplanet.

I love this crunchy, tasty vegan cookie. It is firm in your hand & crumbly in your mouth,…Just the way I like it. It is also a really filling cookie. If you eat 2 of them, it is a great breakfast, it is that filling for me! A breakfast on the go to! The only downside is that there must be more cranberry into each cookie!  Use: It is tasty on its own or enjoyed with a good organic not so sweet cranberry tea!

The 1st garden update of this year: What’s happening in my garden?

The last of the Springs blossoms!

The last of the lovely pink blossoms of our Japanese cherry tree!

My home-grown pumpkin plant!

The pink blossoms of our neighbours cherry tree!

Home grown rhubarb!

Home grown Swiss Chard leaves!

One of the many beautiful White Peony rose!

Mixed Asian salad leaves!

I still have to buy 1 or 2 courgettes ( zucchini ) plants because my seeds didn’t grow at all, this year! I also have to buy an aubergine ( eggplant ) & a cherry tomato plant.

So, I hope you enjoyed the reviews & the garden tour!

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