It is so good for you, full of fibre and beta-carotene, but it seems sooo uninteresting.
The taste is nice but you can’t just toss it in everything and hope for the best, can you?
Well, the answer is that you almost can!
I was searching for new ideas on how to use it. And hopefully in a kid-friendly too, and stumbled on this pot of gold: None less than 30 ways to sneak the green little leaf in your food.
All the way from Avocado,Kiwi, Spinach smoothie, to spinach, lentil, ragout.
Just be aware that the recipes are vegetarian and not vegan (most are though) so be sure to use a vegan alternative to cheese and pasta among other things, or just get inspired to use it in the dishes you already make, like I did.
Cool as a Cucumber – this drink is great for hot afternoons and evening. Cucumbers is a great source of Vitamin B and are 95% water, keeping the body hydrated while helping the body eliminate toxins. Cucumbers have most of the vitamins the body needs in a single day.
Cucumbers are a good source of potassium. Drinking cucumber water helps your body get more potassium, potentially helping to lower your blood pressure.
Cucumbers are high in vitamin K. In fact, one cup of sliced cucumbers has about 19 percent of the recommended daily value. Your body needs vitamin K to help form proteins that are needed to make healthy bones and tissues as well as to help your blood clot properly. What better way to get this vitamin than through refreshing cucumber water?
We have just had a week with loads of rain showers and today the sun was shining & it means that the forest is full of mushroom and berries. So we packed the backpack with coffee and smorgas! – we are from Scandinavia – after all 🙂 Put on our hiking gear and off we went as merry dwarfs to the forest.
On our way to the forest we did see wild strawberries and blueberries, tasted just a few, we wanted to go further away from the road before starting to have a feast in wild berries.
In the forest we were not disappointed; wild strawberries in abundance and loads of blueberries – we had to walk another hour’s time before we saw the first mushrooms “chanterelles” and picked two big handful each, enough for two generous servings of Chanterelles Stew.
We always use the same recipe, the season is fairly short, so we just make our favorite. The original recipe calls for butter and full fat cream but it is easy to replace with vegan ingredients as we have done for years by now. We serve with rye bread again we are from Scandinavia, so a natural choice. You can use the bread of your preference, only thing is don’t use a sour bread with a too sourish taste, it ruins the mild taste of the musrooms.
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Photo credit: the top photo “Chanterelle Cantharellus cibarius“. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
Photo within recipe by Susanne Flø
Tapas are appetizers, or snacks, in Spanish cuisine. They come in a wide variety, and may be cold or hot. It is fairly easy to make vegan versions. Here’s a fine recipe, which is even cheesy. Tapas don’t get much better than that. Well, maybe they are even better when they are vegan and raw – and you can store them in your fridge for a few days.
I love Italian vegan sausages, and they are great to take on picnics. I pack and take them along with other lunch goodies on hikes in the forests where I like to roam with my hubby. But I cannot buy vegan sausages in Finland where I live at the moment. So, I did a search and found a great website: http://www.theppk.com
I will make them from the recipe below, and post an update on how they panned out.
1/2 cup cooked white beans (great northern or navy), rinsed and drained
1 cup vegetable broth
1 tablespoon olive oil *or* 1 tablespoon tomato paste (tomato paste is a great fat replacement)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/4 cups vital wheat gluten
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon granulated garlic *or* 2 cloves fresh garlic, finely grated
1 1/2 teaspoons fennel seed, crushed *or* 1 teaspoon ground fennel seed
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Several dashes fresh black pepper
Before mixing your ingredients, get the steaming apparatus ready, bringing water to a full boil. The rest of the recipe comes together very quickly.
Have ready 4 square sheets of tin foil. In a large bowl, mash the beans until no whole ones are left. Throw all the other ingredients together in the order listed and mix with a fork. Divide dough into 4 even parts (an easy way to do this: split the dough in half and then into quarters). Place one part of dough into tin foil and mold into about a 5 inch log. Wrap dough in tin foil, like a tootsie roll. Don’t worry too much about shaping it, it will snap into shape while it’s steaming because this recipe is awesome.
Place wrapped sausages in steamer and steam for 40 minutes. That’s it! You can unwrap and enjoy immediately or refrigerate until ready to use.
Vegan aphrodisiacs and recipes with these colorful, stimulating ingredients can enhance any mood. One belief is that aphrodisiacs evoke or stimulate sexual desire. Yet, there’s no scientific evidence. Experts say that aphrodisiacs can work in two ways. There are those that create sexual desire by working on the mind, and there are those that create desire by affecting parts of the body. This post covers the latter. A common belief is that these eight vegan foods are aphrodisiacs. At the end of this post, I have added a dinner suggestion. Enjoy!
Almonds
This nut is one of the earliest cultivated foods and regarded as a symbol of fertility throughout history. In fact, the tradition of having almonds at a wedding began during Roman times. Guests would throw the nuts at newlyweds. It is also thought that the smell of almonds incites passion in women.
Asparagus
Touted as an aphrodisiac as early as the 17th century, asparagus boosts potassium and folic acid. The latter to boost histamine production, a necessary component in reaching orgasm for both sexes. Bridegrooms in the 19th century France were served three courses of asparagus at their prenuptial dinner.
Avocados
Avocados boast the famous feminine shape and are high in omega-3 fatty acids and potassium, as well as vitamin B6, which increases male hormone production. They are so effective, in fact, that Spanish priests used to forbid their parishioners from eating them.
Bananas
Regarded as a symbol of fertility by Hindus. The banana has a sensual shape and is chock full of potassium and B vitamins, both needed to produce sex hormones. Additionally, bananas contain the male libido-enhancing bromelain enzyme.
Basil
This member of the mint family helps promote circulation, which stimulates sex drive. In Moldavian folklore, a man will fall in love with a woman if he accepts a sprig of basil from her.
Chocolate
Chocolate is a staple Valentine’s Day gift for a reason. The food is full of compounds including anandamide, a psychoactive feel-good chemical. And phenylethylamine, a chemical that releases dopamine in the pleasure centers of the brain, and produces feelings of excitement and happiness. Cacao also contains tryptophan, which is essential for the brain to release serotonin, a “happiness” chemical.
Figs
Believed to have been in the Garden of Eden, figs were also Cleopatra’s favorite fruit. The ancient Greeks associated them with love and fertility. Figs are a great source of flavonoids and antioxidants, and some believe that figs can increase sexual stamina.
Garlic
This member of the onion family contains allicin, an ingredient that increases blood flow. Both in Hinduism and Jainism beliefs, garlic can increase desire, also good for warming the body. It is well known, that this little bulb creates some strong breath when eaten. Steer clear on a first date.
Vegan aphrodisiacs in recipes
Try out all these (in the) mood-boosters in one fell swoop with these tasty dishes.
