Nut Butter Banana Popsicles

Best dessert for summer, undoubtedly.

I used a nut butter mix and coconut milk, instead of almond milk (I think that gives more creaminess). For a vegan option, you just have to use maple instead of honey.

To store them, wrap popsicles individually in parchment paper and put in a closed container. This way they are easy to pick and don’t stick to each other!

From The Detoxinista

Recipe: http://detoxinista.com /2013/05/peanut-butter-banana-ice-pops/

Vegan Ricotta

You might be wondering why I make so much cheese… I can’t help it, I always have too much nut pulp around!

This is a mix for dozens of recipes I found online. I just defined what better worked for me and these were my final notes:

Ingredients:

- 1 cup nut milk pulp (I used almond)
- 1 TBS Nutritional Yeast

- ½ cup water
- 2 tsp agar
- 3 TBS olive oil
- ½ tsp salt

- ½ tsp garlic powder

Directions:

Mix already all ingredients into a small bowl (except agar and water). Pour into blender cup. Set aside.

First dissolve agar in water and bring to a boil. Then let it simmer whisking constantly for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat, pour agar into blender where the other ingredients are. Blend until smooth. Pour into a recipient greased with olive oil and put in fridge to cool.

It got hard enough to be shaped and sliced, and at the same time soft enough to be used as a spread.

Quinoa Tabbouleh with a Twist

Traditional tabbouleh is not gluten-free because it normally calls for bulghur wheat. You can then use the quinoa type of your preference and enjoy this delicious dish!

There are zillions of recipes online for you to try. I made my own version adding some Almond Pulp Cheese with Herbs and Sun-dried Tomatoes.

Ingredients:

1 cup cooked quinoa (I used a mix of white, red, and black)

½ teaspoon Himalayan salt

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 garlic clove, minced

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper

½ Japanese cucumber, chopped

6 cherry tomatoes, cut into 4

Fresh cilantro leaves, to taste

Gersal, to sprinkle

Almond Pulp Cheese with Herbs and Sun-dried Tomatoes, to taste

Avocado Vanilla Cheesecake

I had a small avocado around and looked for some quick fix for it. Delicious!

The topping looks like tomato, but it’s just gojis blended with dates ;)

From Paradise Grove Avocados 

Recipe: https://paradisegroveavocados.com/blog/tag/raw-dessert/

Easy Coconut Breakfast Cake

Baking with coconut flour is not easy, I think I am still scared to play with it. It seems that there is no real strict ratio for taking a recipe with normal flour and recreating it with coconut flour. 

I would recommend looking for sites that have more experience than me on that, like Coconut Flour Recipes, from where I got this one.

I baked this mild and delicious cake for breakfast. Although the original says "bread” I would rather say it’s more like a cake – and that’s why I didn’t use the same name as the original on the link below.

My substitution:

I used 1/2 cup coconut oil (instead of clarified butter)

Your kitchen will be filled the scent of coconut… so good! It was perfect with a mix of cinnamon, ghee and honey spreaded on top…

From Coconut Flour Recipes

Recipe: http://www.coconutflourrecipes.org/easy-coconut-bread.html

Detox Vegetable Curry

Sweet potato-based curry... incredibly good. Can we ever go wrong with curry??? I LOVE Indian food! A great way to get rid of a bunch of bio frozen vegetables that were clogging my freezer!

(The Detoxinista has super recipes!)

NOT THE PRETTIEST PICTURE, BUT THE TASTE IS AWESOME

Serve with rice, noodles, quinoa, cauliflower rice or zoodles.

NOTE: Whenever a recipe calls for almond/nut milk, I use coconut milk instead if it’s going to be heated. Nut milks usually curdle when heated (at least this happens with me!!!).

From The Detoxinista

Recipe: http://detoxinista.com/2012/01/detox-friendly-vegetable-curry/

Vegan Sugar-free Sneakers Ice-cream

I've always loved ice cream... and I am totally in the mood of experimenting with my new ice cream maker!!!

My substitutions:

I used normal coconut milk, not canned! And I also chose potato starch instead of arrowroot powder -- something I cannot find here.

For a creamy ice cream, you’ll probably need an ice cream maker… I think you can also make this one using a blender, but its so much work! I never did it, and I really don’t intend to… I’ve already made some vegan ice creams in the blender but only those that require bananas or butters and that's it.

As per machine instructions, keep in mind that this is no "normal" recipe: vegan ice-creams work in mysterious ways. For example, mine indicated I should let it churn 20-30 minutes… Actually I had to stop around 10 minutes because it was already super hard and then I couldn’t properly add the peanuts and choc chips anymore… So, be careful. When you're half the way, pay close attention and check if it’s not already time to turn your machine off.

TIP: Use the Date Caramel Sauce on top :)

From Keepin' it Kind

Recipe: http://keepinitkind.com/sugar-free-snickers-ice-cream/

Almond Pulp Cheese with Herbs and Sun-dried Tomatoes

I love vegan cheese. I use it in so many ways! As a snack, in sandwiches and, recently, mixed in salads for a delicious twist. And I tell you: THIS ONE is the best I’ve ever tried. It’s really so gooood!

It’s also a great way to use the remaining nut pulp from any homemade milk!

MY CHANGES:

1 – I had a lot of almond pulp, so instead of using 1/2 cup cashews indicated, I used the pulp and it worked pretty fine.

2 – I don’t like soya sauce, I always use Tamari as a similar substitute.

3 – I blended all the herbs together after adding agar because I wanted a colorful cheese as a whole.

4 – I used 2 TBS Nutritional Yeast, instead of 1 just because I love it.

Based on a recipe from Veganana, my favorite Brazilian vegan blog!!! Click the link and scroll down for English version. Veganana is now gradually updating her blog with recipes in English, you’ll soon be able to enjoy everything she has to offer!

From Veganana

Recipe: http://blog.veganana.com.br/2012/08/queijo-de-castanha-de-caju-com-ervas-e.html

Date Caramel Sauce

This (almost) changed my life. You MUST always have some of it in the fridge. It’s one of these simple recipes you didn’t know you needed.

Pour over ice-cream, sweets and even add to shakes. I SWEAR it tastes like normal caramel, I couldn't believe it!

The original recipe calls for canned, full-fat coconut milk. I used full-fat, of course, but not canned. I avoid canned food to the maximum extent.

BLISS.

From Keepin’ it Kind  

Recipe is part of this ice cream: http://keepinitkind.com/sugar-free-snickers-ice-cream/

Macadamia Cheese with Turmeric

 Another vegan BEAUTY! It’s impossible not to like this one. I had this cheese for breakfast and at night I chopped it and added to a salad. Awesome.

Click the link and scroll down for English version. Veganana is now gradually updating her blog with recipes in English, you’ll soon be able to enjoy everything she has to offer!

PERFECT IN SALADS

(BRASIL: A Veganana é o máximo para quem gosta de receitas vegetarianas/veganas! Aliás, ela vende Nutritional Yeast para quem quiser, basta encomendar lá.)

From my friend Veganana

Recipe: http://blog.veganana.com.br/2013/05/queijo-cremoso-de-macadamia-com-curcuma.html

Miso Sesame Ginger Dressing

There’s nothing more irritating than having to buy these trashy sauces or just being stuck with the boring combination of olive oil + lemon when you have some salad left in the fridge.

Although I run away from soy (tofu, soymilk, texturized vegetable protein, soybean oil) because they are packed with anti-nutrients, hormones and-you-go-there-and-google-it, I am quite ok with its fermented derivatives: tamari, tempeh and miso (but bio/organic from good sources!).

The outcome is darker than the original recipe, I guess because my miso paste is dark brown and the other person probably used the white version. And I must say, they got me when they said this can be kept in the fridge for about one month ;)

From Bowl of Delicious 

Recipe: http://www.bowlofdelicious.com/2014/03/20/miso-sesame-ginger-dressing/

Vegan Fettuccine Alfredo

I am SIMPLY IN LOVE with "The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook" by JoStepaniak.

It has more than 100 "cheese" recipes and I intend to try each and every of them J

This recipe is called "Cashew Cheez Sauce" and, like most vegan "cheeses", has cashews & nutritional yeast as base. I served with vegetable noodles.

NOTE:

-          I am NOT vegan, but I love vegan cuisine.

-          The recipe will not be disclosed in order to protect the copyright laws from the author. On the other hand, you gan google “Vegan Fettuccine Alfredo” and you’ll find countless recipes J      

BBQ Plantain Chips

NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM 

Perfect to have some on your lap while watching TV.

From Purely Twins

Recipe: http://purelytwins.com/2014/01/28/healthy-homemade-baked-bbq-plantain-chips/

Coconut Curry Bananas with Cauliflower Rice

It made my night: it was warm, fulfilling & sweet.

I gave my own touch to the dish:

• used cauliflower rice (prepared with a lot of garlic) instead of normal rice. 
• used the remaining coconut pulp from coconut milk I made in the morning!
• didn't add any chicken to make it vegan.

TIP: If you like it starchier (like me), use green bananas. 

The inspiration came from here: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/coconut-curry-bananas-rice-50400000119944/

Creamy Vegan Red Pepper Alfredo

It has this “curdled milk” look, but it’s a double ICIOUS: delicious and nutritious. You can serve with noodles and zoodles.

Nowadays I must keep trying new things to post on the blog, but I NEED to make this more often!

From Nosh and Nourish

Recipe: http://noshandnourish.com/content/creamy-vegan-red-pepper-alfredo-over-zoodles

Electrolyte Margarita

A little afternoon pause for some funny drink (Alcohol-free, of course).

I have one of Matthew Kenney's book and he is also and amazing raw food Chef. Totally recommend.

EVERYDAY RAW
MATTHEW KENNEY

NOTE: Unfortunately I can't find natural coconut water here, so I had to go for a good brand of those that come in little cartons (with no additives or sugar)...

From Matthew Kenney

Recipe: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=713628892033750&set=a.416287071767935.98667.403789063017736&type=1&theaterfbid=713628892033750&set=a.416287071767935.98667.403789063017736&type=1&theater

Chia Chocolate Mousse with Hazelnut Butter

I almost threw a fit because I didn't have any sweets (my kind of sweets, of course) available. I’ve been so busy these days that I ate everything I had and forgot to refill my "stock". So I came up with this quick turnaround that didn’t disappoint J 

Personal notes:

- Grind the chia and the sugar. DON’T skip this process, it makes all the difference and the chia seeds don’t stick between your teeth!

- Stay with a powder sweetener. If you don’t have coconut sugar, use something similar, as long as you can grind it (demerara, brown sugar). I tried maple syrup before and it didn’t reach desired consistency, it was super gooey (but delicious, of course).

- I used hazelnut butter instead of peanut butter because the jar was already open. It’s also a perfect option for those that can’t handle peanuts. I think it would work with any other organic natural/pure nut butter also (cashew or almond). I would just not advise using walnut butter because it’s usually way too bitter.

- I didn’t try with any other nut milk, but I suppose it might loose the creaminess that coconut milk brings.

From Healy Eats Real
Inspired by this recipe: http://healyeatsreal.com/chia-chocolate-mousse-dairy-free-vegan/

Chia Fresca

Summer is there... Coconut water with chia.

Just a quick post today because I'm in a hurry... Have a nice Sunday!

Baked Almond Feta

Vegan "cheese"! 

Luuuush!!! 

It doesn't look so much like a cheese like the original recipe because I used toasted almond flour, but it tastes awesome!

From Maple Spice

Recipe: http://www.maplespice.com/2011/04/baked-almond-feta-with-dill-oil.html

Express Hazelnut Ice Cream

It’s summer. It’s hot. And I’m busy. I made this during a pause:

1 frozen banana (a very ripe banana chopped and then frozen)
1 TBS hazelnut butter

That's it J Pulse/Process the banana cubes with the butter until smooth. Serve immediately. 

There's no need to sweeten or to have an ice cream maker. 

It’s incredibly GOOD. You can use any natural butter of your preference (Almond, Hazelnut, Peanut...)

TIP: 

- Let bananas ripen until the peel is spotted and then chop + freeze them in batches of 1. I always have 3-5 batches of frozen bananas in my freezer for "emergencies" like this.

- Do not make this previously and freeze, it loses creaminess. Vegan ice creams are much better fresh!

Quinoa with Vegetables and Black Sesame

I don't think anybody needs a recipe for that… It’s just quinoa with vegetables. You can create your own version with your favorite vegetables or any leftovers. 

Quinoa is a great substitute for rice. I always have it at home, especially because I've been drastically reducing my rice intake. Due to studies that suggest greater amount of arsenic in rice -- especially in brown rice -- I'm limiting intake to twice a week. You can check this FDA link and read the report by yourself if you have any interest and then google for more info. 

I JUST LOVED THE COLORS AND HAD TO TAKE A PICTURE

Raw Layered Banana Ice Cream Cake

Now… that’s long because I wanted to make a full review on this, and I admit I'm proud of myself I didn't mess this all up.

I love cakes, ice-cream, and bananas. This looked like a good deal! But I feel the need to tell you exactly how it was/is.

I’ll start describing the layers. Actually I totally ignored the crust and maple drizzle, so that’s all I have anyway!

I have very little patience for details; I never EVER considered making those thin cute layers you see in the original recipe, I am super lazy and far from a pastry chef. So I just made the layers individually and poured each of them at once in my small 17 cm spring form pan.

PRETTY CAKE FOR SURE

Black layer: Tastes like banana ice-cream… creamy and with a chocolate twist. If you like banana, you'll find it tasty, I liked it.
White layer: It’s nutty. Couldn’t exactly describe… It was a nice vanilly-creamy mix.

Pink layer: My husband said it tasted like raspberries; and he is right, if I didn’t know there were beets there, I would say it was some fruit sorbet. Tasty.

Green layer: Tastes like frozen mint; the avocado doesn’t seem to play any role in the flavor. Nothing special, I would skip it next time, or maybe it works better when thinly layered as per original recipe.

And now my general opinion about it:

Negative side:

- It takes a hell of a time to freeze layers, than making the next one, then freeze…zzzzzzzzzzzz Don’t get me wrong: it’s easy, but laborious.

- Good luck in cutting a frozen cake, we used a big sharp warm knife, running the blade under very hot water; and it took some minutes. We also had to be careful: the bottom part of the cake slides and it can FLY AWAY ;) then… NO CAKE FOR YOU!

STOP TAKING PICTURES AND EAT, 
THE CAKE IS MELTING!

Positive side:

- It’s nutritious and one small slice is enough to make you happy.

- It’s frozen, so it can be stored for a longer period.

- It’s sweet, will kill your cravings for sure.

- You can have it for breakfast during the whole week – c’mon, it’s basically fruits.

- You can make your kids eat beets and nuts and they won’t even notice because… it’s ice-cream (but I would skip green layer and turn it into Napolitan ice).

WITH COCONUT OIL CHOCOLATE ICING

Results: Thumbs up for the taste, thumbs down for the long process.

All in all, it was so pretty I couldn’t resist trying it, it just needs a little bit more effort!

From One Green Planet
Recipe: http://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-food/recipe-raw-layered-banana-ice-cream-cake/

Healthy Brigadeiros

FULECO, THE ARMADILLO
OFFICIAL MASCOT 2014 FIFA WORLD CUP

World Cup 2014 in Brazil is almost over, it’s time to celebrate with Brigadeiros, a typical Brazilian treat!

ABOUT BRIGADEIROS: Brigadeiro is the most known sweet in Brazil; a typical treat at birthday
parties. Of course they are made with sweetened condensed milk, lots of sugar, butter, need to be heated blablabla but this kind of thing doesn’t belong to this blog hehe So I made my own version with the help of a recipe I found online.

My substitutions compared to original recipe on the link below:

Instant coffee -> Nothing. I didn’t have any and wouldn’t buy some just for one recipe…

Whole-rolled oats -> Multi grain porridge mix (fine flour) -- not gluten-free, but you can change this.

TIPS:

- Since I didn’t use whole-rolled oats, I was able to skip the processing part and had it all hand made. I just put all ingredients in a bowl and mixed them until optimal consistency.

- I used less than a cup of porridge mix, otherwise it would have been too dry, start with ¾ cup. You can make it gluten-free using a g-free mix/oat.

- Remember to grease your hands before rolling the balls, otherwise they will stick to your fingers and the sprinkles will not hold to them (oh, don’t forget to remove your rings or wear disposable gloves!).

From Avery Cooks
Recipe: http://www.averiecooks.com/2013/09/chocolate-peanut-butter-mocha-powerballs.html

Quinoa Buns with Flaxseeds

I found red quinoa for the first time and wanted to try it -- then needed to find recipes to make use of it, that's how it usually works with me :P

So I started checking at my friend Veganana… and was super curious to make these buns, they looked so appetizing!

NOTE: When I use flours I usually mix lots of them (specially gluten-free ones) because this means more nutrients; and that’s what’s more important to me. I can hardly imagine ever using conventional white flour again for this reason.

What I used in my version (check the complete list of ingredients on the link provided below):

Gluten-free flours -> 6 TBS Tapioca flour + 6 TBS Sweet lupin flour

Quinoa flakes -> Red quinoa (I had some cooked leftovers, so I used them)

I added 2 TBS Nutritional Yeast because I looooove cheesy stuff!

SPREAD SOME GHEE IF YOU WANT (THEN NO LONGER VEGAN)
AND ENJOY!

Based on a recipe from Veganana, my favorite Brazilian vegan blog!!! Click the link and scroll down for English version. Veganana is now gradually updating her blog with recipes in English, you’ll soon be able to enjoy everything she has to offer!

BRASIL: A Veganana é o máximo para quem gosta de receitas vegetarianas/veganas! Aliás, ela vende Nutritional Yeast para quem quiser, basta encomendar.

From Veganana
Recipe: http://blog.veganana.com.br/2013/05/pao-de-quinoa-e-semente-de-linhaca.html

Polenta with Giant Mushrooms

No big deal. I was thinking about polenta for quite some time and I didn’t know it was so ridiculously easy to make… I think the last time I had them I was 10 years old!

A VERY SIMPLE DINNER

Super versatile. Directions are always in the packaging of the polenta of your choice, but all it takes is water and salt J Serve with some salad for a more nutritious meal.

My personal tips:

Marinate the mushrooms in some balsamic, olive oil, garlic and herbs for 1 hour, then roast them with some coconut sugar for a “meaty” flavor.

Add Nutritional Yeast to the polentas if you’re crazy about cheese like me!!!

Coconut Sagu with Goji

Lazy breakfast on the weekend (but still healthy, isn't it!?).

Sagu made with organic/natural coconut milk sprinkled with gojis. Left sagu soaking in coconut milk for 15 minutes, then cooked the sagu mix with sweetner over low heat until it reached desired consistency.

500 ml natural/organic coconut milk
1/2 cup Sagu
Sweetner of choice  (I used coconut sugar)
Gojis

Gluten-free Grain-free Vegetarian Cuban Sandwich

Since I saw this recipe on one of my favorite food bloogers I got a little bit obsessed about making this sandwich. On the other hand, I made it vegetarian, with some big mushrooms and then with tempeh.

Version 1: WITH MUSHROOM

CARAMELIZING MUSHROOMS

I had the crazy idea of frying the mushrooms over coconut oil with some coconut sugar to make them resemble meat -- they were a little bit caramelized and incredible... that was the best idea I've ever had!

Version 2: WITH TEMPEH - MY FAVORITE!

From Purely Twins
Recipe: http://purelytwins.com/2014/05/07/paleo-grain-free-gluten-free-healthy-cuban-sandwich/