Vegan & GF sage walnut pesto pasta with roasted butternut pumpkin cubes!

This evening, I made this stunning & appetizing vegan & gluten-free pasta dish! I never made sage & walnut pesto before, let alone vegan so I invented this stunning vegan pesto. I used GF penne pasta to make it GF too. I felt I was lacking something so I added roasted sage & butternut pumpkin cubes! Check it out, my friends! It is easy to prepare, make & is great for entertaining too! I made this dinner from scratch in 35 minutes! You don’t miss the cheese in this pesto! I also used some great & tasty organic walnut oil as my secret ingredient!

You taste a lemony twist in this stunning roasted walnuts & sage pesto & the oven-roasted butternut pumpkin bits are more sweeter & this combo is a perfect match! Yummy too!

A divine & tasty vegan sage & roasted walnut pesto pasta with sage-roasted butternut pumpkin bits!

The Vegan sage & roasted walnuts pesto before stirring it into the hot GF penne!

Ready to attack!

Recipe: For about 1 cup & a bit more

Ingredients:

** For the vegan sage & roasted walnut pesto:

1 cup walnut pieces, toasted  (in a dry non-stick pan for about 5 minutes on low fire, just to toast them & you can smell their lovely aroma. Watch the nuts carefully, you don’t want to burn them! )

1/3 cup of  sage leaves, firmly pressed into it

1 fat clove of garlic, peeled & finely cut up

2 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice

2/4 cups of organic walnut oil = 1/4 cup + 1/4 cup of walnut oil!!

10 grins of black pepper, finely milled

1 teaspoon of Maldon sea salt flakes, crushed

** For the rest: pasta & roasted sage & butternut pumpkin bits:

250 gr Gluten-free & vegan penne pasta ( You need this penne or another form of pasta because the pesto will get into the pasta tubes & that’s what you want!

306 gr butternut pumpkin: peeled, threads & pits removed, cut into bite-sized cubes

a fruity olive oil/ I used Carbonell, my favourite fruity EVOO ( Spanish ):  3 to 4 tablespoons

5 sage leaves, cleaned & torn into pieces

black pepper, finely milled: 10 grins

1 teaspoon of Maldon sea salt flakes: crushed

Method:

1. First make your pesto. Take a food processor or your Vitamix. I used my Vitamix, of course! Place the toasted walnuts, sage leaves, cut up garlic, lemon juice, black pepper & the sea salt, in this order into your machine. Add 1/4 cup of the walnut oil & mix, using the tamper in the fitting lid, until it is to your liking, on full speed & full power. I love nearly all mixed up. I added another 1/4 cup of walnut oil to make my pesto more smooth & lovely! So , in total I used 2/4 cups! Taste! It has to taste fantastic. You can taste the roasted walnuts, the sage & the lemony fresh twist.

2. Preheat your oven to 200°C ( 400 F ). I always use a fan oven. Adjust your oven to the right temperature, for 10 minutes. Boil water to cook your pasta. Take a large oven baking dish, non-stick too. Place all of your bite-sized butternut cubes in it, in 1 layer. Add black pepper, sea salt flakes & torn sage leaves. Add 3 to 4 tablespoons of that fruity EVOO. With clean hands, mingle everything well together. Wash your hands. Place in the middle of the hot oven & roast for about 15 to 20 minutes, depending, until roasted & cooked through. Check the oven often to prevent burning. Lower the temperature if you need to. My dish was ready after 17 minutes. Turn oven off. In the meantime, you have cooked your pasta according to the packet instructions.

3. Drain pasta well. Spoon the pesto into a lovely little pot. Serve cooked pasta into 2 lovely pasta plates. Spoon 3 to 4 teaspoons of the sage & walnut pesto in the middle of each pasta. Mix well with a spoon so that the pesto is well into the penne-tubes. Now, scatter the sage-roasted butternut cubes all over your pasta plate. Enjoy instantly with a loved one! MMM!

My organic walnut oil!

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You might like:

1. Roasted pumpkin, chorizo & thyme soup, served with a savoury home-made feta & pumpkin bread!

2. Fusilli with butternut pumpkin, smoked bacon & a cheesy sauce!

3. Sophie’s festive stuffed pumpkin!

4. Vegan spiced oven-roasted veggies!

5. Sophie’s vegetarian butternut pumpkin , quinoa & red bean chili!

Vegan chocolate bars reviews & vegan raw cold-processed coconut nectar sweetened nibs review! Ooh yeah!

Recently, I bought a bag of raw unsweetened cacao nibs! Nearly every vegan blog talked about it. I tried & tested it & it wasn’t my thing at all: too bitter!

So, I read a while ago, that there are also coconut palm nectar sweetened raw cacao nibs. Yeah, raw! I thought I should try them. A few day ago, I went to a superb organic shop in the center of Antwerp & found these raw & organic coconut nectar sweetened cacao nibs.

Big Tree farm’s coconut nectar raw sweetened cacao nibs!
269 gr.

They are truly raw, cold-processed cacao sweet nibs. They are from the brand: Big Tree farms. They say on their website:

We take our truly raw cacao nibs and dip them in our coconut flower blossom nectar, which makes food that is like no other snack you have ever had!  Take our unsweetened nibs and dip them in coconut flower blossom nectar and what do you get?  Yup… the best snack in the world.   (I completely agree )

• Coconut Flower Blossom Nectar Sweetened – mm slightly sweetened.
• Truly Raw!
• Never been heated above 118 F / 46 C° – PROMISE!
• Super high in Antioxidants!
• Super high in anandamide, the bliss chemical= This natural chemical makes the body feel blissful, excited & alert too,..Just like falling in love!
• Mild flavor makes it easy eating in anything.
• Simply THE BEST Truly Raw Cacao Beans for snacking.
• is organic too!

This is chocolate at its best.  It doesn’t melt, easily portable, tastes amazing, energy boosting, your heart is happy, your blood is happy, your brain is happy, your soul is happy.  ( I totally agree here too; ) 

I know they are so right! I am testing out new recipes on how to use them best!  Recipes are coming later on,…;) Check out my blog often!

This box of 269 gr costed me: 9.95 €

Vegan ombar chocolate bars:

In this lovely organic food shop in the center of Antwerp, Natuurhuis, I also bought 2 vegan chocolate bars that are sweetened with coconut sugar!  They each costed me: 2.80€. By know, you know that coconut sugar is my favourite sugar to use! I tried these 2 varieties:

1. Ombar dark raw chocolate infused with cranberries & mandarin!

MMM!

Ingredients:

Organic ingredients: cocoa mass*, coconut sugar*, coconut butter*, freeze-dried cranberry powder* (6%), cocoa butter*, vacuum-dried mandarin powder* (3%). *certified organic./ at least 60% cacao solids.

Conclusion:

 This bar of 38 gr is a great & tasty deep dark raw chocolate bar. The taste of mandarin & cranberry is lovely & mild. This is a vegan chocolate raw bar! The bar size is great to have in your purse, to snack on, from time to time. This bar has 100% natural ingredients. Price: 2.80 € .My husband is a true dark chocolate lover & he loved this lovely dark raw chocolate so it is Peter approved!!!

MMM,..Won’t you have a big bite?

2. Ombar dark raw chocolate infused with probiotic & strawberry !

Probiotic Strawberry? This sounds a bit weird, hey? Dark 60% Ecuadorian raw chocolate, infused with delicious freeze-dried strawberry powder and enriched with probiotic healthy bacteria. Ooh yeah!

Yummy Vegan raw chocolate bar with strawberries & probiotics too!

Ingredients:

cocoa mass*, coconut sugar*, coconut butter*, freeze-dried strawberry powder* (6%), cocoa butter*, bifidobacterium lactic (0.35%). *certified organic./ at least 60% cacao solids.

Conclusion:

This chocolate bar of 38 gr is also another grand & pretty tasty dark raw chocolate bar. This bar is also vegan! This bar was my favourite one. It is all about the flavours! You can really taste the strawberries in here! And you end up with a deep, warm dark chocolate flavour! Price: 2.80 €. So good! Yummy yum, Sophie approved here!

Yummy yum! Don’t you want a piece?

3. Vegan , hand-moulded & organic Rhokost chocolate: cashew chocolate

Raw & vegan dark chocolate cashew bar!

This is a vegan, organic & hand-moulded chocolate bar with cashews! I bought this online through a raw living sunfoodliving-webshop , here in Belgium. This bar is 70 gr & is from German origin. This has no soya in it. It is also vegan & gluten-free! This chocolate is made from un-roasted, raw & organic cacao beans. This chocolate & his ingredients are produced below 42°C in order to keep their nutrients.

The raw cashew chocolate is in a special plastic cover

Special raw chocolate with cashews!

Ingredients:

cacao butter, cacao powder, cashew nuts, agave syrup, lucuma powder & coconut powder. All ingredients are organic too.

Conclusion:

This is a more darker & not sweet chocolate bar at all! If you love that: that’s great! My husband loved it too. I didn’t love it that much. It is too bitter for me. You know, normally I am a milk chocolate lover. I loved the 2 raw chocolate bars above, much more! This is a dark chocolate bar, for the cashew lover! It costed me: 4.95 €

Keep it in a dry  dark place below 22°C, but not in the fridge.

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You might like:

1. Vegan pear, apple & soy milk & coconut sugar sweetened cacao nibs smoothies! Yeah!

Vegan pear & cashew cheese spread! Yeah!

Sorry my friends, it has been way too long, since my last post on September the 5th 2012. I had a good excuse, though! My husband Peter & I planned our trip to go to Berlin, Germany, for 7 nights. Ooh yeah, baby! But we booked everything & we will be staying in a 3 star Design hotel near Checkpoint Charlie, in the historic area of this wonderful city! I also will be testing some good vegan cafés, restaurants because the city has a grand & large vegan scene! It is all about the culture, historic buildings, all kinds of food, curry wurst, lovely shops, Brandenburg Tor, etc!

A part of the old Berlin wall!

Have any of you any good tips about foods, restaurants, exciting things to do? I welcome all of your suggestions! xxx

Now, back to some good food, I say!

Yesterday, I invented this great & tasty pear & cashew cheese spread! Yeah! It is vegan, dairy-free & gluten-free too! You know last times, I have made these other stunning vegan cashew cheeses, like this arugula cashew cheese spread & this tasty one aka cashew strawberry yoghurt, but all so tasty & well-flavoured, all invented by me, moi!

Don’t you want a lovely pot with this tasty vegan pear & cashew cheese spread???

An excellent & tasty food gift!!

Recipe: For 3 cups 

Ingredients:

2 heaped cups + 1/3 cup of raw & unroasted cashews, soaked for 1 night in clear water, well-rinsed & well-drained

2 cups  + 1/3 cup of ripe pears, peeled, cored & cut into smaller chunks

1 teaspoon of lemon juice

5 tablespoons maple syrup, grade B / I used 5 tablespoons because my pears weren’t super ripe. Or less, according to your taste. But you must taste the cashews & the pears too!

Method:

1. Place all of your ingredients in this order into your Vitamix or power-blender. Place the tamper into your fitting lid & press the power on, go from low-speed, from 1 to 10 & push onto higher power. Use the tamper & push all the ingredients into the blades & blend until it is to your  liking. I blended it for about 1 to 2 minutes. I checked the consistency & tasted it. It was ready. Turn the high power off, turn the lower speed from 10 to 1 & turn the power off. Taste! Mine tasted fabulous!! It is a bit sweeter but not too sweet.  But I had to place my creation in some lovely jam pots with fitting lids & placed them in the fridge to cool off & to stiffen up a bit. After 1 night into the fridge, they were ready to use & to eat up! This vegan pear & cashew cheese spread isn’t that thick but it is so tasty! If the pots are in the fridge for a longer time, you must stir into the spread with a smaller spoon so that the maple syrup is well incorporated into the mix. Yummy Yum!

How to use?

1. It is great to eat like that, with a lovely spoon, straight from the jar!

2. It is excellent as a lovely cheese spread on some toast or on a lovely sandwich!

3. It is great too, as a lovely spread onto pancakes!

4. Lovely to pour over your morning muesli!

5. Pour it over vegan ice-cream!

Enjoy, my lovely ones!

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You might like:

1. Vegan cashew, chocolate & pumpkin spread!

2. Vegan strawberry cashew yoghurt, aka spread!

3. Vegan cashew rocket ( arugula) spread!

Yummy Yum: Vegan goodness!

Vegan strawberry cashew cheese spread aka strawberry cashew yoghurt, I think! Yeah!

Tasty vegan strawberry cashew cheese !!
MMM,…!!

MMM,…How can you resist? Luscious, sweet strawberry cashew cheese spread!

Today, I made these invented strawberry cashew cheeses spread! You know from my last post, that I made vegan rucola (arugula ) savoury cashew cheese  spread &  it was a huge success! Now, I wanted something sweet. If you fancy something more sweet on your daily bread & you want something that is vegan, dairy-free & gluten-free, you must check this easy peasy recipe out! It has only 3 ingredients!! Oh yes, baby!

MMMM,…!
Tasty vegan strawberry cashew cheese spread aka yoghurt!

Recipe: For about 3 cups, aka nearly 750 ml

Ingredients:

1 cup of raw & unroasted cashews, soaked in water for 1 night, well-rinsed & well-drained / Now, they are softer, healthier &  easier to digest

2 heaped cups of sliced strawberries

4 tablespoons of Maple syrup

Method:

1. Take your Vitamix & place  your ingredients in this order into your Vitamix. If you don’t have a powerful blender, use a good mixer. Place the tamper into your fitting lid & press the power on, go from low-speed, from 1 to 10 & push onto higher power. Use the tamper & push all the ingredients into the blades & blend until it is to your  liking. I blended it for about 1 minute. I checked the consistency & tasted it. I turned the power back on from low-speed, from 1 to 10 & then on high & blended for about 20 seconds more. Turn the high power off, turn the lower speed from 10 to 1 & turn the power off. Taste! Mine tasted fabulous!! It is a bit sweeter but not too sweet. You can really taste the strawberries & the creamy cashews. Pour into lovely jam pots & turn their lids on. Decorate nicely & place into the fridge to cool off & to firm up a bit. 4 hours is ideal. If you leave this in the fridge for about 12 hours, it will be more thick, like a thicker yoghurt! Enjoy, my lovely ones! If you want it to be more like a cream cheese, I think you must add more soaked cashews.

How to use?

1. Smear on some slice of bread

2. Eat as a lovely dessert

3. Pour into ice-popsicles & place in the freezer for a delicious treat

4. Pour over home-made vegan pancakes

5. Eat it like a yoghurt, it is that thick after being in the fridge for 1 night!

6. Pour it over vegan ice-cream

7. Eat it like that, with a spoon, straight from the jar !!!

What ideas, will you come up with? How would you like to eat this yummy invention?

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You might like:

1. Vegan rucola( arugula) cashew cheese spread

2. Vegan pear & cashew cheese spread! Yeah!

3. Home-made cashew milk into my Vitamix & refreshing cashew vanilla & strawberry smoothies

4. Vegan cashew, chocolate & pumpkin spread!

Vegan rucola ( arugula ) cashew cheese spread! yeah!

MMM,…home-made Vegan rucola (arugula) cashew cheese spread!

Yummy vegan rucola cashew cheese spread!

Recipe: For about 400 ml of Rucola cashew cheese spread

Ingredients:

1 cup of raw & unroasted cashews, soaked in water for 1 night, well-rinsed & well-drained / Now, they are softer, healthier &  easier to digest

1 teaspoon of dried garlic

1 teaspoon of Maldon sea salt flakes

1 teaspoon of lemon juice

18 grins of finely grinned black pepper

2 fat spring onions, cleaned & green & white parts used, cut into rings

1 cup + 1/4 cup of roughly chopped fresh rucola, ( arugula) ( rocket leaves ) pushed into the 1 cup + 1/4 cup

Method:

1. Place everything in this order into your Vitamix. If you don’t have a powerful blender, use a good mixer. Place the tamper into your Vitamix lid & press the power on, go from low-speed from 1 to 10 & push on higher power. Use the tamper & push all the ingredients into the blades & blend until it is to your  liking. I blended it for about 1 minute. I checked the consistency & turned the power back on from low-speed, from 1 to 10 & then on high & blended for about 20 seconds more. Turn the high power off, turn the lower speed from 10 to 1 & turn the power off. Taste! Mine tasted fabulous!

2. Place all of your rucola cashew cheese spread into a lovely bowl with fitting lid & place into the fridge or use it instantly on some good bread. It is also great as a healthy dip on some crackers.

Note: This cheese will firm up a lot after being in the fridge for at least 4 hours. After 1 night in the fridge, it has stiffen up quite a bit, like a cream cheese! You can taste the flavours even more! Happy eating!

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

All of the ingredients into my Vitamix before blending!

You might like:

1. Home-made cashew milk in my Vitamix & vegan refreshing vanilla cashew & strawberry smoothies

2. Vegan refreshing cashew, strawberry, carob & rice milk smoothies

3. Vegan strawberry cashew cheese spread aka strawberry cashew yoghurt! 

4. Vegan pear & cashew cheese spread! Yeah!

5. Vegan cashew, chocolate & pumpkin spread!

Two Home-made cashew milks

A few day ago, I made 2 different cashew milks. Firstly, I made a RAW, not soaked & strained cashew milk,  sweetened with fresh pitted medjool dates. Secondly, I used soaked cashews in water, than drained & rinsed well & used to make cashew milk ( unsweetened ) this time.

What is cashew milk?

This is a non-dairy, gluten-free milk, obtained from raw or soaked nuts, drained & rinsed well too, 4 cups of water are added. You can add whatever you want with it. You can add vanilla extract, cacao powder or another sweetener like maple syrup or agave syrup. 

Mostly, people on the internet use 1 cup of nuts & 4 cups of filtered water. You can add more water if you like but I love using 4 cups of water because you will end up with a lovely white cashew milk, just like a milk consistency.

Most of the time, they tell you to soak your nuts at night or at least 8 to 12 hours in water in the fridge. Why? The nuts become less raw & they are easily digested in the stomach. When these nuts are soaked, then well-drained & rinsed, they become more useful to use in raw vegan cheesecakes, in baked desserts, in muffins or in bread. Or you can make your own vegan cheese or spread.

You can make nut milk from every nut or a mix of nuts that you like & love. I am experimenting with them now. More recipes to come!

What do you need?

a good power blender, food processor or mixer

a large pot to keep the strained milk in when you used your nut milk bag

a fine nut milk bag or a cheesecloth

a clean bottle with a fitting lid

How to enjoy?

1. This is a fine drink on its own

2. Pour over cereals or muesli

3. Add a bit of it to your yoghurt : lovely!

4. Make a dessert with it.

5. Make smoothies with it

6. Use it in tea or coffee

7. This is also great used in cakes, muffins & in breads for a more added nut flavour

8. You can use the sweetened pulp in muffins, cakes, into breads like in banana breads / More recipes on this later/ I am testing recipes on the moment.

Here are the 2 recipes & enjoy!

1/ Raw date sweetened cashew milk recipe: For about 1 filled bottle = 3 + 1/2 cups

Ingredients:

1 cup raw cashews

1/4 cup pitted Medjool dates, cut into pieces ( that are 4 big Medjool dates )

4 cups of  filtered water

Method:

1. Take a good blender or mixer & add cashews, dates pieces & a bit of the water & blend until it all comes together. Add more water until it all is beautifully joint & is finely mixed. I use the 4 cups of water in here! Taste! Yum!

It tastes a bit sweet but isn’t too sweet for me!

If you want a more sweeter cashew milk, just add another 1/4 cup of cut Medjool dates to the mix & blend again. Add a bit to more water if you need to. Then, I strained the cashew milk using my nut milk bag. I placed my nut bag into a larger pot. Than, poured the liquid mix into the bag. Close the bag with the added string & squeeze  & squeeze until all the juice is out of your nut milk bag & until you end up with only the pulp in the bag & all the liquid into the pot. I had 3 + 1/ cups, not the 4 whole cups. Pour the cashew milk in a clean bottle with fitting lid & enjoy instantly or place into the fridge. After being in the fridge, you will see separation of the liquid into the bottle. Just shake the bottle well, before using the cashew milk. See pictures below for more explanation:

Mixing the cashews, dates & water all up, adding water bit by bit!

Placing the nut milk bag in place & pouring the cashew milk mix into it!

The nut milk bag is closed with the string & starting to squeeze the bag for straining!

squeezing & straining more!

straining more & more!

The more dried sweetened cashew pulp .The left sweetened cashew pulp! yummy too! Keep it in a box with lid on in the fridge for later use.

A delightful raw date sweetened cashew milk: home-made too!

2/ Soaked cashew milk ( white in colour) & NOT sweetened= You will end up with a full bottle = 5 cups!

Ingredients:

1 cup of cashews, soaked in water for about 8 to 12 hours/ Mine were soaked 1 night

4 cups of filtered water

Method:

1. First, drain your soaked cashews well & rinse them well too. Discard the water.

2. Take a good power blender & add the soaked cashews & the 4 cups of water. Blend well untill it is all beautifully joined together. Scrape the sides of the blender if you need to & blend again & again.

3. Than, do the same method as above. See pictures! Place a nut milk bag over a large fitting pot & pour the liquid mix into it & directly close the bag with the string. Squeeze & squeeze until all the liquid is out of the nut milk bag. Strain again & you will end up with a beautiful white unsweetened home-made cashew milk: a thing of beauty!!!

4. Pour the cashew milk into a clean bottle & put the lid on. Now, it is ready. Keep the cashew pulp & place it into a fitting pot with lid. Place into the fridge for later use.

Home-made cashew milk will keep in the fridge for about 5 to 6 days. When your bottle has been a while in the fridge, you will see separation of the finer cashew parts & the milk. Just shake the bottle well before using it! Enjoy!

How to enjoy?

1. This is a fine drink on its own

2. Pour over cereals or muesli

3. Add a bit of it to your yoghurt : lovely!

4. Make a dessert with it.

5. Make smoothies with it

6. Use it in tea or coffee

7. This is also great used in cakes, muffins & in breads for a more added nut flavour

8. You can use the pulp in muffins, cakes, into breads like in banana breads / More recipes on this later/ I am testing recipes on the moment.

You can make a vegan cheese with the pulp. More recipes on this later/ I am testing recipes on the moment.

A creamy home-made cashew milk! Pure & white!

A delightful non-dairy drink! A thing of beauty is a joy for ever!

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You might like:

1. Home-made vegan cashew milk in my Vitamix & vegan refreshing vanilla cashew & strawberry smoothies!!!

2. Two home-made vegan almond milks!!!

3. Vegan refreshing cashew, strawberry, carob & rice milk smoothies!!!

4. Vegan cashew, cherry & carob smoothies!!!

5. Using the leftover cashew pulp, if you don’t leave the pulp into your cashew milk: Vegan pear & cashew nut pulp  spelt muffins!!!

Sophie’s chilled melon & cucumber soup with a radish & minted topping

A divine cold cucumber & melon soup topped with a lovely minted radish topping! Yum!

I am back from a few days away. But in August, I will be going on a longer vacation. I will be 3 weeks with my loved ones.
This is an easy yet so satisfying chilled summer’s soup! It is all made in a blender. Then it is cooled into the fridge for a few hours.
You have a lovely cucumber & melon soup topped with a radish & mint topping.
It tastes special & apart! Make it & you will see,…!!!
You can even serve it in little cocktail glasses for a party!

Print me!

Recipe: For 3 persons
Ingredients:
** For the soup:
sheep’s Greek yoghurt: 210 gr ( I can’t tolerate normal cow’s Greek yoghurt!) otherwise use normal Greek yoghurt
1 large cucumber: cleaned, tops & ends removed, skin kept on & seeds removed, cut into little chunks
1 small clove of garlic, peeled & diced finely
Maldon sea salt flakes: 1/2 teaspoon
150 gr of peeled & deseeded Cavaillon melon, cut into chunks
** For the mint & radishes topping:
4 longer pink & white radishes, cleaned & cut into thinner rings
2 teaspoons of white wine vinegar
3 gr of fresh & cleaned mint leaves, cut finely
freshly grinned black pepper
a bit of Maldon sea salt flakes, grinned

Method:
1. Take your blender & place the cucumber pieces, the garlic pieces, the sheep’s yoghurt & the sea salt in it. Blitz a few times until completely smooth. Pour it all into a plastic container with fitting lid.
2. Place the melon chunks into the blender. Blitz until completely smooth. Pour this into the cucumber yoghurt mix. Mix with a spoon. Taste. It tastes yum! Place into the fridge for about 2 to 3 hours.
3. Now, about 20 minutes before eating the cold soup, make the mint & radish topping. Take a jam pot with fitting lid. Add the chopped radishes & add the chopped mint. Now, add 2 teaspoons of white wine vinegar. Add a few grinds of black pepper & some Maldon sea salt.
Screw the lid one & shake the jam pot a few times up & down. Unscrew the lid &taste. It has to taste fab!
4. Now, serve the soup in soup bowls & laddle a bit of the radishes & mint topping in the center of the soup. Savour it right away & enjoy it!

Tasty minted radishes topping! Yum!

You might like:
1. Cold raw courgettes, mint, pine nuts & garlic almond soup
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Sophie’s Chilled Melon & Cucumber Soup With A Radish & Minted Topping

Sophie’s fresh sheep’s ricotta & strawberries sandwich

A divine, tasty soft ricotta & strawberries filled bagna!

tasty juicy strawberries!

I love this easy yet so tasty fresh sheep’s ricotta

& strawberry sandwich. This morning, I went to the Sunday’s international multi – cultural market near the South station, ( Midi ) in Brussels. It was a long time ago, I went over there,…it was fun!

There were fresh strawberries at my Italian grocery store. I bought a whole crate for only 5 euros. MMM,…

Print me!

Recipe: For 1 bagna

Ingredients:

1 soft bagna, nearly all the way sliced open but not the way so that one end of the top still holds on the bottom

a bit of minarine

a few tablespoons of fresh sheep’s ricotta

2 large ripe strawberries, cleaned, hulled & cut into thicker slices

Method:

1. Take your open bagna & smear the 2 sides in with a bit of minarine.

2. Now, smear the 2 insides of the bagna in with a few tablespoons of fresh sheep’s ricotta. You can choose how much you like. I like to smear them not evenly but rough!

2. Arrange your sliced strawberry slices on top of the ricotta bottom of your bagna.

3. Lay the smeared ricotta top of the bagna on top of the strawberries & enjoy!

** Variations:

1. This is also lovely with the addition of grinds of fresh black pepper

2. This is also lovely with fresh rocket leaves & with a bit of good aged balsamic vinegar

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

You might like:

1. My favourite ricotta sandwich

2. Sophie’s smoked salmon & ricotta wraps

Sophie’s Fresh Sheep’s Ricotta & Strawberries Sandwich

Sophie’s quinoa, banana & pecan smoothie

A yummy banana, kefir & quinoa breakfast smoothy!

I love making drinkable breakfasts, don’t you? Sometimes, we can be a bit lazy.

This is what I made.

Print me!

Recipe: For 2 persons, each 1 large glass

Ingredients:

500 ml of unsweetened kefir

1 ripe large banana, peeled & cut into chunks

2 tablespoons of finely chopped pecans

4 tablespoons of medium-sized quinoa flakes

a few drizzles of agave syrup or brown rice syrup

1 tablespoon of vanilla extract ( I use home-made )

Method:

1. Put every ingredient, except the agave syrup or brown rice syrup in a bowl & mix everything together or put into a blender. Mix finely.

2. If necessary, add a few drizzles of agave / brown rice syrup into the bowl & mix well.

3. Pour into 2 breakfast glasses & serve.

Enjoy

A delightful combination!

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You might like:

1. Energizing & good-for-you smoothies & juices

2. A healthy & tasty banana shake

3. Strawberry & quinoa smoothy with flax-seed & vanilla

4. A strawberry smoothy

5. Sophie’s breakfast smoothy

6. Wake-up smoothy

Sophie’s Quinoa, Banana & Pecan Smoothie

Raw courgettes, mint, pine nuts & garlic almond soup

Divine, hey?

I love making this sort of divine soup. This isn’t exactly a soup. It has no stock. The vegetables & nuts are mixed together with unsweetened almond milk. Everything is put in the blender. Easy does it!

 

Printable recipe here!

 

Recipe: For 4 persons, 1 part
Ingredients:
1 + 1/2 courgettes, cleaned, with peel still on, seeds cut out, cut up into chunks
2 fat cloves of fresh garlic, peeled & finely cut up
20 gr of pine nuts
3 tablespoons of fresh mint, cleaned & pad dry with kitchen paper, no stalks!
400 ml of unsweetened almond milk
grinds of black pepper
Maldon sea salt

 

Method:
1. Place every ingredient into the blender except the sea salt & the pepper.
2. Blend until completely smooth.
3. Pour into 1 container. Taste. Add a lot of grinds of black pepper & Maldon sea salt according to your taste. It has to taste fab & punchy! Add a bit more seasoning if necessary.
4. Place in the fridge in the container to cool down, because it is more yummy if the soup is really cold.
5. Take out of the fridge when you are ready to eat the soup!

This is yummy when it is hot outside!

 

You might like:
1. Chilled melon, cucumber soup topped with minted  radish topping

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