USE ORGANIC LOCALLY GROWN PRODUCTS IF POSSIBLE.

---

Gluten-free Dairy-free

35 minutes

2 servings 

3 cups white cabbage, chopped

1/2 cup green zucchini, halved and sliced

1/4 cup fennel, chopped

1 plum tomato, cubed

1 white onion, chopped

1 cup spring water

1/4 cup tomato juice

2 tbsp olive oil or grape seed oil

1 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp fennel seeds

1/4 tsp ground dried turmeric

1/4 tsp dried cayenne pepper, powder

2 bay leaves

2 eggs

Place your cast iron pot on the stove set at medium heat and allow it to warm. Pour the oil on the bottom of the pot, give it about 10 seconds, then add the sea salt, the fennel seeds, the powdered cayenne pepper, the ground turmeric, the bay leaves and the onion, mix all these ingredients a little with a wooden spatula, cover the pot, turn the heat to medium low and let the onion sweat for about 3 minutes. Then add the water, the cubed tomato and the tomato juice, the cabbage and the fennel, use your spatula to fold the veggies into the sauce, turn the heat to high and wait until the stew starts boiling. Now switch the stove to medium low, cover the pot with the lid leaving a small opening so the steam can exit the pot, and allow the stew to simmer for 15 minutes. 

Add the zucchini, fold it in the stew with your wooden spatula, and brake the two eggs on top of the stew. Sprinkle a bit of salt on both of them, cover the pot again and let the stew simmer until you obtain the desired consistency of the yolk. In this picture, the eggs are done medium-hard and it took an extra 8 minutes of cooking.

Serve as it is, or with corn and millet polenta, and/ or roasted sweet pepper on the side.

Enjoy!

Gluten-free Dairy-free

15 minutes

1 serving

1 medium sized egg

1/2 cup grilled or roasted vegetables, chopped

1/4 baked or roasted medium sized russet potato, cubed

sea salt

ground black pepper

olive oil

Set your oven at 400 F.

Crack the egg in a bowl, add the salt and the pepper and beat the egg with a fork until the yolk is fully incorporated into the white. Add the vegetables and the potatoes and fold them into the egg using the same fork.

Turn on your stove and set it at medium high heat. Place a cast iron pan on and pour the oil in the pan. While it is heating swirl the oil around the pan to obtain a good coating of the bottom.

Pour the egg and veggies combo in your pan (try to get an even layer) and let it cook on the stove for a minute, until the bottom of your fritatta coagulates. Now transfer the pan into the oven on the highest rack and let it bake for 8 to 10 minutes.

When it is done, take the pan out, transfer the fritatta on the serving plate and cover it with a lid for a minute or two.

Serve as it is or with endives and herbs salad.

Enjoy!

Gluten-free Dairy-free

25 minutes

4 servings

 I buy whole wild fish. I usually grill or roast the meat and I save the head and the tail for soup. I use the leftovers from grilling and the occasional roe to prepare this light but hearty frittata. 

2 eggs

1/2 cup carp roe, washed and dried with a paper towel

1/2 cup shredded grilled or roasted carp meat. Make sure that you remove all the bones.

2 cups cubed millet and corn polenta. Let the polenta chill first and then cut it.

1/2 tsp of the following dried herbal mix: sage, oregano, thyme, marjoram

sea salt

ground black pepper

Set the oven at 375F.

Crack the eggs in a bowl, add the sea salt, the black pepper and the herbs, and beat the eggs with a fork until they are well homogenized but not yet foamy.

Crush some of the polenta cubes with the same fork, add the entire polenta to the eggs and fold it in.

Break the egg sacs with the tines of the fork and add the roe to the base of the frittata, combining all the ingredients well together.

Put in the shredded carp and incorporate the meat using the same fork.

Pour the composition in a non stick pan and place the pan into the oven. Let the frittata bake for 20 minutes.

Take the pan out once the frittata is done, cover the pan with a lid and set it on a kitchen rack for at least 5 minutes to settle.

Serve it with fermented cabbage salad and/ or fermented plum tomatoes.

And enjoy!

Gluten-free Vegan

20 minutes

1 serving

1 cup celery root, cubed

1/4 cup almond or cashew milk

1 garlic clove. minced

sea salt

ground black pepper

Italian spice mix

1 tbsp olive oil 

spring water

Set your stove at medium heat. Place a pan on it (preferably cast iron) and wait for about 10 seconds. Add the olive oil, the Italian spice mix, the salt, the pepper and the garlic, and mix with a wooden spatula a few times. Then add the cubed celery. Using the same spatula, fold in the celery until the cubes are properly coated with spiced oil. Cover the pot with a lid, turn the heat to medium-low and let it sautee for 2 to 3 minutes. Then toss the celery again, cover the pot with the lid and let it cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Repeat until the celery turns golden and soft on the outside. 

Add spring water just enough to cover the celery, turn the heat to high, leave the lid half open and let the celery boil until the water has almost entirely evaporated. Allow the celery a few minutes to cool and when it is warm to the touch, transfer it into your food processor. Add the non-dairy milk, and blend until smooth.

Serve as it is or with one of your favorite salads.

Enjoy!

Gluten-free Dairy-free

3  to 4 hours

8 to 10 servings

 I prepare this soup as a remedy for a cold or bronchitis. 

The neck, the back, the feet and the wings of a chicken, ideally organic

1 onion, cubed

1 carrot, cubed

1 parsnip, cubed

1 cup of cubed celery root

1/2 sweet red pepper, cubed

3 medium sized potatoes, peeled and cubed

4 plum tomatoes, cubed

1 garlic clove, minced

2 to 3 bay leaves

1 tsp dried dill

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp fennel seeds

sea salt

ground black pepper

spring water

chopped green parsley and cilantro

freshly squeezed lemon juice

Set the stove to medium high temperature, pour 3 quarts of water in a 5 quarts pot and place it on the stove. Add the sea salt, the ground black pepper, the minced garlic, the bay leaves, the dill, the fennel and the oregano, cover the pot with the lid and let the water reach the boiling point. Meanwhile, wash the meat and tap it well with paper towel. When the water is boiling, add the chicken and keep the pot to medium high heat until it starts boiling again. Now turn the heat to medium low or until the water is just simmering. Cover the pot again, and allow the chicken to simmer for 2 to 3 hours. Check it every 10 minutes and skim as much as you manage from the foam or flakes that keep forming.

Strain the soup and save the bones. Tap the bones with a paper towel to remove any remnants of foam and set them aside.

Clean the pot, dry it and place it back on the stove set at medium temperature. Add a bit of the chicken fat that floats on the top of the strained soup and let it warm form 10 seconds. Add the onion to it, fold it into the fat using a wooden spatula, cover the pot with a lid, turn the stove to low heat and let the onion sweat for 2 to 3 minutes. 

Now add the sweet pepper, fold it in using the same spatula, cover again and give it another 2 to 3 minutes to saute.

Pour 4 to 5 cups of the soup into the pot, add all the other vegetables, turn the heat to medium high and bring the soup base to a boil. Now switch the temperature down to medium low and allow the veggies to simmer for about 7 to 10 minutes.

Add the chicken bones and the rest of the soup to the pot, turn the heat to high to bring the soup to a boil, switch the temperature down to medium and let the soup simmer for another 7 to 10 minutes. If necessary, add extra sea salt and ground black pepper.

Once done, serve the soup with chopped green parsley and cilantro on top, and a bit of freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Enjoy and get well!

Gluten-free Vegan

6 to 8 hours

2 1/2 to 3 pounds

1 lb dry chickpeas rehydrated and fermented in spring water at room temperature for 24 to 48 hours. Change the water every 6 hours.

1 cup ground flax seeds

1 cup tomato juice

1/4 cup olive oil

1 red bell pepper, roasted and peeled

1 red onion, peeled and quartered

4 to 6 roasted garlic cloves

1 tbsp cumin seeds

1 tbsp sea salt

1 tsp coriander seeds

1 tsp fennel seeds

1 tsp dry oregano

1/2 tsp ground dry cayenne pepper

2 to 3 bay leaves

spring water

Place the soaked and fermented chickpeas in your slow cooker of at least 3 quarts capacity (4 or 5 quarts is better). Add the flax seed, the cumin, the salt, the coriander, the fennel, the oregano, the cayenne pepper, the bay leaves, and the tomato juice to it.

In your food processor, mince finely the red bell pepper, the onion and the baked garlic, and add them to the mix in your slow cooker

Cover everything with spring water, put the lid on your ceramic cooking vessel, set the temperature to medium or high, and let it cook for 6 hours or until it has the consistency of a paste. Mash well the cooked mix with your bean masher. If it is too runny, let it cook for an extra hour or too.

Set you cooking vessel aside. When it is warm (you can touch it safely without the oven mitts on), add the olive oil and incorporate it well with your bean masher. Let the paste completely cool, and store it in lidded glass containers in your refrigerator.

I like my chickpeas paste topped with a bit of veggies spread and served on endives leaves. 

Enjoy!

Gluten-free

10 minutes

1 serving

 You can use any type of legumes. I buy dry legumes. I presoak them in a warm area in my kitchen for 24 to 36 hours, in warm water that I change every 6 to 8 hours. The legumes ferment and during this process the tough-to-digest oligosaccharides are being broken in smaller molecules. This way our gut can manage the legumes with more ease. Then I prepare the fermented legumes in a slow cooker in this manner: I cover them with fresh water, I add sea salt and pepper, and set the slow cooker at 'low' for 8 to 10 hours (overnight). They should come out well done.  

2 cups of cooked chickpeas

the flash of 1/4 avocado cubed

1 chopped green scallion

chopped parsley and cilantro

2 tbsp dairy-free yogurt or kefir

1 tsp mustard

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp cumin

sea salt

pepper

 Mix all the ingredients and enjoy! 

Gluten-free Vegan

20 minutes

8 servings

2 cups oat flakes

2 cups buckwheat flakes

6 cups whole fat coconut milk

2 cups spring water

4 oz dark chocolate, broken in smaller pieces

2 bananas, sliced

1 1/2 cup raw honey or maple syrup

a pinch of sea salt

Set your stove to medium temperature and place a pot on it. Add the milk, the water and the sea salt to it and let it reach the boiling point. Turn the stove to low temperature and add the flakes and the chocolate to the simmering milk. Whisk the pudding continuously until it thickens. It shouldn't take more than 12 to 15 minutes. Switch off the stove, cover the pot and set it aside to cool.

Spread the banana slices on the bottom of a rectangular glass medium sized dish so that they cover it evenly. Pour the warm pudding all over the bananas and make sure you obtain equal height. 

Allow the pudding to cool even more in the covered glass dish, to the point when it is barely warm to the touch. Pour the honey or the maple syrup all over the pudding, cover again and let the desert completely cool. Then serve.

Enjoy!

Gluten-free Vegan

105 minutes

8 servings

For the sponge:

• 300 g gluten free flour. I used a mix of 150 g white rice flour, 75 g sweet sorghum flour, 75 g coconut flour.
• 250 ml non-dairy milk, plus an extra 100-150 ml
• 120 g brown cane sugar
• 70 g coconut butter. We enjoy the flavored alternative.
• 4 tbsp cocoa powder. I buy organic raw cocoa nibs which I grind in a coffee grinder that I use for spices only. I do not sift it because the texture is a little grainier than the store-bought cocoa powder (we like it this way).
• the juice from 1/2 lemon
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp guar gum powder
• 1 pinch of sea salt

For the creme:

• 200 g cashew nuts soaked overnight
• 200 g whole fat coconut milk. Leave the tin/ box in the refrigerator upside down overnight.
• 100 g brown cane sugar
• 3 tbsp finely ground cocoa
• 1 pinch of salt

Place your bain marie bottom vessel half filled with water, on your stove set at high temperature. When the water starts to simmer, switch to medium low, and place the top vessel on. Pour the milk in the top vessel, the 120 g of sugar and add the coconut butter. Whisk it until the sugar is well dissolved. Turn off the stove, set aside the top vessel and allow your milk mixture to cool.

Sift in a large bowl the flour, the baking powder and soda, the guar gum powder, the pinch of sea salt, and 4 tbsp cocoa powder. Whisk them well (with a clean and dry whisk) until all your dry ingredients are well combined. Once your sugary milk is at room temperature, add the lemon juice to it and pour all the wet ingredients over the dry ones. Combine the dry and liquid ingredients with the same whisk that you used for the flour mixture. When the dry ingredients are well incorporated, switch to the hand mixer and continue mixing your sponge dough at medium speed for 4 to 5 minutes. It should have the consistency of thick cream. Add extra non-dairy milk if necessary. 

Set your oven at 375 F. Place a 9 round silicone cake pan (I prefer the flexible type) on a sheet made of cast iron (I use our pizza cast iron pan). Pour the sponge dough in the silicone pan and use a wet wooden spatula to spread it evenly. Put the round pan and the cast iron sheet in the oven on the higher rack and allow it to bake for 60 to 75 minutes.

When it is ready, take your sponge out and allow it to cool on a kitchen rack.

Place the soaked cashews in your food processor and blend it well. Ground the 100 g of brown cane sugar in your spices or sugar grinder, until it has the texture of confectioner sugar. Take out from the refrigerator your tin/ box of coconut milk, open the top and measure 200 g of buttery solidified milk. Make sure you do not add any of the coconut water. Put your coconut milk in a medium size bowl, add the grounded sugar to it, and sift in the 3 tbsp of cocoa powder and a pinch of sea salt. Mix them all together at first with a fork until the sugar and the cocoa are incorporated into the coconut milk, then switch to your hand mixer. And continue until the sugar is entirely dissolved. Add the blended cashew to the coconut milk combination and keep mixing until the cashews are well blended in. Cover your bowl with a foil of plastic and place it in the refrigerator.

Once your sponge is well-cooled, place it back in the round pan, the same one you used to bake it. Take out of the refrigerated cocoa cream, spread it evenly on the sponge and decorate with more powdered/ ground cocoa. Freeze for 2 to 3 hours. Take you cocoa cake out of the freezer and place it on your serving platter. Keep it covered in your refrigerator.

Enjoy!

Gluten-free Vegan

7 to 10 minutes

one demitasse cup

You will need a cezve/ ibrik and a cast iron sheet.

The proportions here give a strong espresso-like type of coffee.

1 demitasse cup of spring water

1 tbsp finely ground coffee

1 or 2 tsp honey

1 tsp coconut oil

1/8 tsp of the following ground spice mix: 4 parts cinnamon, 2 parts cloves, 1 part nutmeg, 1 part black cardamon

Place the cast iron sheet on the stove burner, turn it on and set it to medium heat.

Pour the spring water in your cezve, add all the other ingredients except the honey to the water, place the cezve on the hot cast iron sheet, and mix the ingredients continuously with a long stemmed teaspoon slowly so you won't 'kill' the foam forming on top. When the coffee starts to rise immediately take the cezve off the stove, before the coffee boils over. Mix it aside for a few seconds and when the muddy flavorful foamy liquid setled down, bring it back to the stove. Once the level of the coffee rises for a second time, take the ibrik off the stove, mix it again for a few seconds and this time let it settle for a minute. You can turn off the burner.

Gently pour the coffee in your favorite demitasse cup and add the honey. Mix a bit with your demitasse teaspoon, give it a few moments and enjoy. 

Gluten-free Vegan

15 minutes

1 serving

You will need a cezve/ ibrik and a cast iron sheet.

The proportions here give a strong espresso-like type of coffee.

For the salad:

• 3 cups leafy greens, chopped
• 3 tbsp chopped green parsley, dill and cilantro
• 2 scallions, chopped
• 1 plum tomato, sliced
• 1 Kirby cucumber, sliced
• 1/2 sweet pepper, sliced
• 2 red radishes, sliced
• 1/4 medium sized carrot, julienned or sliced
• 1/4 cup navy beans cooked, fermented before and after cooking
• 50 g smoked tofu, cubed

For the dressing:

• 2 mushrooms, roasted for 1 to 2 minutes and cooled
• 1/4 cup walnuts, lightly roasted
• 1/2 lemon, peeled
• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• sea salt
• ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup spring water

Place all the ingredients for the dressing in your food processor and blend until it becomes a smooth paste.

Now, put all the ingredients for the salad in a medium or large bowl, add the dressing and toss well. Serve with your favorite toasted gluten-free bread.

Enjoy!

Gluten-free Vegan

65 to 75 minutes

8 cups

1/2 cup organic whole grain kasha

1/2 cup organic whole grain brown rice

1/2 cup organic whole grain millet

1/2 cup organic gluten free oats

1/2 cup organic whole quinoa

1/2 cup mix of your favorite seeds, others than quinoa

5-6 cups of spring water plus extra spring water, both hot and at room temperature

1 teaspoon of coconut oil (olive oil or any other vegetarian oil of your choice)

1 pinch of salt

1. Place a medium sized (4 quarts) cast iron pot on the stove and pour in the 5-6 cups of spring water. Add the pinch of salt. Turn on the stove to medium-high heat. Leave the lid off until the water comes to a boil. Then cover it with the lid and turn the stove to low if you are not ready to add the grains yet.

2*. If the mix of seeds is raw, set the oven at 375 F. 

3. Place the 1/2 cup quinoa in a bowl and cover it with spring water at room temperature. Let them soak for a minimum of 5 minutes.

4. You can keep the 1/2 cup Kasha and 1/2 cup brown rice in the same container.

5*. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss the 1/2 cup mix of seeds with the oil, using your fingers if it is a solid oil just to melt it and coat the seeds well. Spread the mix in one flat layer on the baking sheet, place it in the oven and let the seeds slightly roast for 5 to 7 minutes. When they are ready take them out and let them cool.

6. Pour the soaking quinoa in a fine mesh strainer, rinse it a bit with spring water at room temperature, let it drain for a moment and place it in a bowl.

7. Once the water reached the boiling point, after you turned the cooking temperature to medium-low, add the kasha and the brown rice and let them simmer covered for 30 minutes. Make sure you have extra hot water (no more than 3 cups) by side as you might need to add a bit of it during the cooking process.

8. After 30 minutes, put in the millet. 10 to 15 minutes later add the oats and the soaked quinoa and let everything cook for an extra 15 to 20 minutes minutes. Turn the stove off and allow the grains to cool down a bit. Then fold in the roasted seeds. 

Later, when it is cold, work it with your hands for 2 to 3 minutes the same way you would do with a dough. You can store the leftovers in your refrigerator, covered and preferably in a glass container.

I enjoy this mix as breakfast with a pinch of cinnamon, fresh fruits and raw honey on top. And also with any other meal as it replaces well the gluten-free bread.

* skip if your mix of seeds is already roasted

Gluten-free Vegan

25 minutes

4 servings

It makes a great replacement for bread. I enjoy it warm with soup or sauteed veggies.

After it's cooled a bit, I shape the leftover in the form of a small loaf and I leave it to the room temperature until it is completely cold. The I transfer it in a glass container and keep it in my refrigerator. After 2 hours, it cuts well and the small cold polenta slices make a yummy snack with your favorite veggie spread on top.

If you can, choose organic products and avoid GMOs. Remember that over 90% of corn is GM.

1 cup corn flour

1 cup millet flour

5 cups of spring water

1 tbsp olive oil

sea salt

ground black pepper

a pinch of your favorite spices, if you like (I enjoy a bit of dry basil or ground cumin in mine)

Pour the water in a lidded one quart cast iron pot, ideally a cauldron, and add the sea salt, the black pepper, the olive oil and the other spices (if you opted for them). Set your stove to high temperature, place your uncovered pot on and bring the water to the boil. Then turn your stove down until the water is just simmering, and start adding the flours, spoon by spoon, while whisking it continuously, so it won't form lumps. When all the flour is incorporated, cover with the lid (but leave a small opening for the vapors to leave the pot) and let it cook at low temperature for 15 minutes.

Enjoy!

Gluten-free Vegan

20 minutes

2 servings

16 oz mushrooms, sliced

4 scallions, sliced

1 sweet red pepper, sliced

1/2 cup freshly chopped green parsley and dill

1 tbsp olive oil or grape seed oil

1 garlic clove, minced

1 bay leaf

sea salt

ground black pepper

Set your stove at medium temperature and place on it a pan made of cast iron. Let the bottom warm, then add the oil, the garlic, the salt and the black pepper, and the bay leaf. Combine these ingredients with a wooden spatula until the spices start to release their fragrance. Add the scallions, the mushrooms and the sweet pepper all at once, fold them into the spiced warm oil, cover with a lid and let the ingredients saute for 7 to 10 minutes. 

Switch off the stove, add the chopped fresh dill and parsley, toss the ingredients and cover the pan again. 

Serve the mushrooms 5 minutes later with amaranth, millet and corn polenta.

Enjoy!

Gluten-free Vegan

25 minutes

1 serving

1 egg

1 1/2 cup cooked fava beans, fermented before and after cooking

1/2 onion, cubed

1/4 sweet pepper, cubed

1 small carrot, sliced

1 plum tomato, cubed

1 tbsp olive oil or grape seed oil

1 garlic clove, minced

1 bay leaf

1/2 tsp fennel seeds

1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds

1/4 tsp dried oregano

sea salt

ground black pepper

spring water

Set the stove at medium heat and place a pan on it, preferably made of cast iron. After about 10 seconds, add the oil, the sea salt, the black pepper, the garlic, the bay leaf, the fennel, the fenugreek and the dried oregano. Mix these ingredients well together using a wooden spatula, making sure that the oil is coating evenly the bottom of the pan.

Add the onion, fold it into the spiced oil, turn the stove to low temperature, cover the pan with a lid and let the onion sweat for 2 to 3 minutes.

Further, add the carrot, the pepper and the tomato, toss them with the onion, switch the stove to medium low heat and allow the vegetables to saute for about 5 minutes. 

Now add the beans and enough spring water to almost cover them. Turn the temperature to medium high until the stew starts boiling. Crack the egg on top of it, turn the temperature to medium or medium low, cover the pan and let the egg poach for 8 to 10 minutes.

Serve the stew as it is or with your favorite salad on the side.

Enjoy!

Gluten-free, Dairy-free

30 minutes

1 to 2 servings

1 or 2 eggs

1/4 cup sweet potato, cubed

1/4 cup eggplant, cubed

1 small carrot, cubed

1/4 sweet red pepper, cubed

1 small onion, cubed

1 small plum tomato, cubed

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tbsp coconut oil

1/4 tsp of the following dried herbal mix: basil, thyme, oregano, rosemary, and marjoram.

sea salt

ground black pepper

spring water

Set your stove at medium heat and place a pan (preferably made of cast iron) on it. Give it about 10 seconds, then add the coconut oil, the dried herbal mix, the garlic, the sea salt and the ground black pepper. Keep the pan on medium temperature for a minute or two, swirling the oil around a few times so it coats well the bottom of the pan.

Add the onion, toss it with the warmed oil using a wooden spatula, cover the pan, turn the heat to low and let the onion sweat for 2 to 3 minutes. Then add all the other ingredients except the eggs, fold them into the onion and the spiced oil using the same spatula, turn the heat to medium low, cover the pan, and allow the veggies to saute for 7 to 8 minutes. Turn them every few minutes with your spatula, to ensure an even cooking. 

Brake the eggs on top of the stew, cover the pan with the lid and allow for 8 to 10 minutes of extra cooking. If the stew is too dry, add a bit of spring water.

Serve while they are still warm, with a side dish of your favorite fermented pickles or just some extra black pepper ground on top.

Enjoy!

Gluten-free Vegan

25 minutes

1 serving

1/2 cup cauliflower florets

1/4 cup cubed eggplant

1/4 cup cubed zucchini

1 small onion, cubed

1 small carrot, sliced/ cubed

1/4 sweet pepper

1 plum tomato, cubed

1 or 2 tbsp olive oil or grape seed oil

1/2 tsp of the following dried herbal mix: basil, thyme, oregano, marjoram, rosemary

sea salt

ground black pepper

Set your stove to medium temperature and place a pan on it (preferably made of cast iron). Give it a few seconds then add the oil, the sea salt, the ground pepper and the dried herbs and let the ingredients warm properly. Swirl the oil around the pan so it coats well the bottom. Add the onion, fold it into the spiced oil using a wooden spatula, switch the stove to low heat, cover the pan with a lid and allow the onion to sweat for 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the carrot, incorporate it into the onion and saute the vegetables for another 2 to 3 minutes. 

Now add all the other ingredients, toss them well together, cover the pan and set the stove to medium low temperature. Turn the vegetables every minute or two to ensure an even cooking.

When they are done, switch off the stove and keep the stew covered for a few minutes until it settles.

Serve it with smoked tofu or corn and millet polenta.

Enjoy!

Gluten-free Vegan

6 to 8 hours

2 1/2 to 3 pounds

16 oz dried peeled fava beans, fermented

1 small onion, cubed

1/2 yellow bell pepper, cubed

4 to 5 tbsp olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp coriander seeds

1 tsp fennel seeds

1 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, powder

2 bay leaves

spring water

Place all the ingredients in a slow cooker that has a capacity of at least 3 quarts and make sure that the spring water covers them well. Set your slow cooker to high, cover with the lid and let it cook the beans for a minimum of 6 hours. 

Then grab your bean masher and mix well the cooked beans until they turn into a paste. If it is too runny, allow it to cook for an extra hour or two.

You can serve this bean spread topped with veggies spread. It makes a tasty dip.

Enjoy!

Gluten-free Vegan

20 minutes

2 servings

1 cup fava beans cooked, fermented before and after cooking

3 cups chopped collard greens

1 small red onion, chopped

2 tbsp veggies spread

1 tbsp olive oil or grape seed oil

1/2 cup spring water

1/4 cup tomato juice

sea salt

ground black pepper

1 or 2 bay leaves

Set your stove at medium heat. Place a cast iron pan on it, wait for about 10 seconds and add the oil, the onion, the salt, the ground pepper and the bay leaves. Mix everything a few times with a wooden spatula to coat the onion in oil and spices, turn the stove to medium low temperature, cover with a lid and let the onion sweat for 2 to 3 minutes. Then add the water and the tomato sauce and turn the stove to high heat until the sauce reaches the boiling point. Add the beans, fold them in the sauce using your spatula, cover the pan with a lid, turn the heat to medium low and let the the beans simmer for 3 to 5 minutes.

Add the collard greens, fold them also into the stew, cover the pan again and let them cook for an extra 5 to 7 minutes. Add spring water if needed.

Switch off your stove, and serve the stew as it is or with roasted potatoes.

Enjoy!

Gluten-free Vegan Fermented

2 to 3 days

5 pounds

4 pounds white cabbage, thinly sliced

4 carrots, sliced

1 large sweet red pepper. sliced

1 bunch green dill, chopped

4 or 5 thyme branches, chopped

1 tbsp dried tarragon

1 tbsp coriander seeds

1 tbsp whole black pepper

1 tsp ground dried ginger

4 or 5 bay leaves

1 star anise, broken into segments

4 tbsp sea salt

spring water

Place all the ingredients except the spring water in a proper bowl. Work them together using your hands for about 10 minutes until the salt softens the vegetables and draws out some of the natural juices. 

Fill a number of lidded glass containers with the salad, but leave at least one inch and a half empty in each one of them so the ferment won't overflow. Add spring water to your fermentation vessels, just enough to cover the salad. Cover the containers with the lids, yet not tightly otherwise the fermentation gases won't be able to exit.

Let the salad ferment at room temperature for 48 to 72 hours. Then transfer it into refrigerator to stop the fermentation process.

Serve it as a snack or as a side dish to any legumes/ potatoes/ whole grains based meal.

Enjoy!

Gluten-free Vegan Fermented

3 to 4 days

5 pounds

• 12 hard boiled chicken eggs, peeled
• 1 small red cabbage, julienned to your liking
• 1 green squash, sliced
• 1 red onion, peeled
• 2 small red beetroots, cleaned
• 2 inches of ginger root, peeled
• 1 tbsp caraway seeds
• 1 tbsp fennel seeds
• 1 tbsp whole black pepper
• 4-5 celery stalks (one for each layer)
• 4-5 stems of dill (one for each layer)
• 5-6 cloves of garlic, peeled. If you want a stronger garlic flavor you can halve or even quarter the garlic cloves. The finelier you slice it, the stronger the garlic flavor becomes.
• sea salt
• spring water
• starter: 1/4-1/2 cup of brine from your favorite fermented vegetables. If you choose a freeze-dried alternative, warm up a cup of water. Pour your dried flora in the warm water and mix it with a spoon until it is well dissolved.

Use organic products if you can.

Place the red onion, the beetroots and the ginger root in your food processor and pulse it until your veggies are finely minced. Transfer them into a large bowl, add the juilenned red cabbage, the sliced green squash, the caraway, the fennel, the black pepper and 1 tbsp of sea salt. And mix the vegetables and spices with your hand, gently massaging the red cabbage for a minute or two, so that the salt softens it a bit.

Cut a celery stalk and a dill stem in pieces that match in size the bottom of your container (they shouldn't be able to move much down there) as if you intend to build some sort of floor out of them. Place the cut celery and dill on the bottom and drop in one or two garlic cloves. On top of these lay a 'blanket' made of your cabbage mix, of at least one and a half inch thick. Now, place 3 or 4 hard boiled eggs on the cabbage 'blanket' and cover them well with a new layer of cabbage mix (the 'comforter'). On top of the 'comforter', you lay down a new dill and celery floor, drop a new garlic clove in, then spread the 'blanket', the eggs and cover them well with a new 'comforter'. Repeat until you have no eggs left. Use the last properly sliced celery stalk and dill stem to create a new 'floor' on top of all the layers and place a light weight on it. I utilize the ceramic saucer from a coffee cup that broke. The purpose is not to put pressure on the fermenting eggs and vegetables, but to stop them from floating around during the fermentation process.

Mix well a tablespoon of sea salt and your starter in one quart of spring water that was kept at room temperature. Gently pour this brine over the stoked vegetables and eggs from your container, until the top celery and dill 'floor' is covered. If your vegetables are not covered, simply add some extra spring water. Make sure the container is large enough to stay 2 inches empty. Place the lid on top of it, but leave it a bit open so the fermentation gases can exit. Keep your container in a cool area for 3 to 4 days checking on it regularly; sniff the flavor to make sure that it is not going bad. Usually, the fermentation of vegetables tends to prevent the rotting of the eggs so you have lower chances to get bad eggs if you pickle them with veggies. But just in case...

Once well fermented, refrigerate the eggs and veggies.

The pickled eggs and veggies make a great snack for those evenings when you step in your house starving and dinner will be ready in 30 minutes +. During the cold winter days, I enjoy warming them for a minute or two in a lightly oiled (use organic cooking oils) cast iron pan.

Enjoy!

Gluten-free Vegan Fermented

10 minutes

1 serving

For the salad:

• 1/2 tomato cubed or 5-6 cherry tomatoes halved 
• 3 inch piece of cucumber cubed
• 1 tbsp cubed raw onion
• 1/4 cup fava beans fermented pre and post cooking
• 1/4 tsp finely chopped green herbs of your choice. I grow in my window plant pot a tiny herbal garden: rosemary, basil, thyme, oregano, lemon grass, and so I always have fresh herbs for my food.

For the vinaigrette:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 garlic clove minced
• 1/4 tsp mustard
• sea salt to your liking

3 large fresh leaves of romaine salad 

Place all your ingredients for the salad in a bowl and set it aside for the moment. Prepare your vinaigrette and pour it over the ingredients for the salad. Toss well.

Place the 3 leaves of romaine salad on your serving plate and load the green boats with the salad prepared above.

And enjoy!

 This salad is sometimes part of my lunch or dinner, together with veggies spread on baked potato slices. 

Gluten-free Vegan Fermented

15 minutes

2 servings

The beans are fermented for 24 to 36 h in water at room temperature, before and after cooking. I change the water every 6 to 8 hours (when the foam of fermentation start to accumulate on top of the beans). 

I keep a few types of fermented beans in my refrigerator in lidded glass containers, for variety. 

During the fermentation, a part of the oligosaccharides and other antinutrients are neutralized and the beans are easily digested in this form.

1 cup of fava beans coocked and fermented pre and post-cooking

1 zucchini

1/2 red bell pepper julienned

1 onion julienned

1/2 small fennel julienned

the juice of 1/2 lemon

2 tbsp tomato juice

1 tbsp coconut oil

a few seeds of coriander

sea salt

ground black pepper

1/2 tsp dry wasabi powder

Warm the coconut oil in a cast iron pan on your stove set at medium to low temperature. Add sea salt, ground black pepper, the coriander seeds and the tomato juice. Mix them together with a wooden spatula until well homogenized. Now add the onion, the pepper and the fennel and fold them all into the sauce. Switch the heat to low, cover the pan with a lid and let them cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Then add the fava beans, fold them into your veggie sauce, cover and let cook for another 3 to 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, noodle-cut the zucchini using your veggie spiralizer. Add the wasabi, a bit of salt and the lemon juice to the veggie noodles and toss them well. Arrange the veggie noodles on your serving plate. Add the cooked fava beans on top and enjoy!

Gluten-free Vegan Fermented

5 to 6 days

5 ppounds

4 lb plum tomatoes, not ripen yet. You should look for the pink-green ones.

1/2 celery root, peeled and sliced

1 parsnip, peeled and sliced lengthwise

5 to 6 garlic cloves, peeled and halved

1/2 bunch of dill, coarsely chopped

8 to 10 thyme branches

1 branch of celery stem with the leaves on, coarsely chopped

2 tbsp sea salt

spring water, about 2 quarts

On the bottom of your fermentation glass container, spread the chopped celery stem, part of the dill, a few thyme branches and a couple of garlic slices. Fit on this green bed a few plum tomatoes in a way that they are snug but not smooshing one another. On top of the tomatoes, spread a few slices of celery root and parsnip, a bit of the dill, a few thyme branches and garlic slices. Build a new layer of plum tomatoes, and continue with the last two layers until the fermentation container is almost filled. Make sure you leave it a about 2 inches empty so the ferment won't overflow. Finish with a layer of roots and branches.

Dissolve the salt well in half a quart of spring water and pour it over the tomatoes. Add more water until the last layer is covered. Place the lid on your container loosely so the fermentation gases can exit, and set the container in a safe spot at room temperature for 5 to 6 days. Then transfer it into your refrigerator to stop the fermentation.

It makes an excellent snack, but also a yummy side dish to a meal.

Enjoy!

As most of the corn is GM, try to use non-GM corn if organic does not come handy.

Gluten-free Vegan

15-20 minutes

4 servings

1/2 cup corn flour

1/2 cup amaranth flour

1/2 cup millet flour

1 tbsp tapioca flour

1/4 tsp ground dry ginger

3 cups spring water

1 tbsp coconut oil

sea salt

Place the water in a cast iron lidded pot on your stove set at medium to high heat. Add sea salt and the coconut oil to it and allow it to reach the boiling temperature.

Meanwhile, whisk the flours and the ginger all together in a proper bowl, until the dry ingredients are homogenized.

When the water starts boiling, turn the stove to medium-low heat and add in the flours spoon by spoon while whisking it well so it won't form lumps. Keep mixing for a minute after all the ingredients are incorporated. Then cover with the lid and let it cook at low heat for 10 to 15 minutes.

You can serve it warm as a side dish to your main course. You can also poor it in mini-loaf pans with detachable walls, allow it to cool down completely and further refrigerate it for 2 to 3 hours. 

Then take the polenta out of your mini pans, cut it in about 1/3 inch thick small slices and serve it with your favorite spread decorated with yummy veggies. They make excellent gluten free base for mini-tartines.

Gluten-free Vegan

40 minutes

4 servings

2 eggplants, roasted, peeled and chopped

4 sweet red peppers, roasted, peeled, seeded and chopped

1 large red onion, sliced

1 carrot, sliced

1 parsnip, sliced

1/4 cup sliced celery root

4 plum tomatoes, sliced

1 cup smoked tofu, cubed

1/2 tsp ground turmeric

1/2 tsp of the following dried herbal mix: thyme, basil, oregano, marjoram, rosemary.

2 bay leaves

sea salt

ground black pepper

2 tbsp olive oil or grape seed oil

Set your stove to medium heat, place a pan on it and give it about 10 seconds to warm properly. Add the oil to it, then the salt, the pepper, the bay leaves and the dried herbs and mix them all together with a wooden spatula, making sure that the oil is coating evenly the bottom of the pan.

After 20 to 30 seconds, add the onion, fold it into the spiced oil using your spatula, switch the stove to medium-low temperature, cover the pan with a lid and let the onion sweat for 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the carrot, the parsnip and the celery and toss the veggies using the same wooden spatula. Then cover the pan again an allow the vegetables to saute for 4 to 5 minutes.

Now add the eggplant and the sweet pepper, fold them into the other vegetables, cover the pan back, and give the stew about 10 to 12 minutes for more cooking.

Eventually, add the tomatoes and the tofu, fold these also into the stew, cover the pan and let it cook for another 8 to 10 minutes.

The stew should have a creamy consistency.

Turn off the stove and set the pan aside to cool for at least 5 minutes.

Serve it with millet and corn polenta.

And enjoy!

Gluten-free Vegan Raw

10 miutes

4 servings

6 avocado pits, soaked overnight, peeled, and finely ground in your food processor

the flesh of 2 ripen avocados

200 g whole fat coconut milk. Do not add coconut water. Refrigerate the tin/ box of coconut milk upside down, overnight. The next day open the top. This way you'll be able to easily take out from the tin/ box the needed 200 g

100 g brown cane sugar, finely ground in your spices grinder

4 tbsp ground raw cacao. I buy raw cacao nibs and grind them in my spices grinder just before the preparation of the dessert

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 pinch of sea salt

Place the coconut milk in a bowl, add the cinnamon, the sea salt and the sugar, and mix all the ingredients together, first with a fork until the sugar is well incorporated in the coconut milk, then with a hand mixer. Once the sugar is dissolved, turn down the mixer and set it aside. Add the ground raw cacao, fold it in with the fork and then continue with the hand mixer for 1 minute.

Place the flesh of the avocados in your food processor and blend until smooth. Add the ground avocado pits spoon by spoon and keep blending until the composition is homogenized. Turn off your food processor, add the chocolate and cocoa combination, and process for 20 to 30 seconds until all the ingredients are mixed well. 

Fill your serving cups with the cocoa cream. Decorate with pieces of dark chocolate and enjoy!

I take my cocoa cream with a fruit melange.

Gluten-free Vegan

20 minutes

2 servings

4 cups sliced mushrooms of your choice

2 cups sliced scallions

1/2 cup tomato juice

1 small sweet pepper, sliced

2 tbsp olive oil or grape seed oil

1 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp dried dill

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

2 or 3 bay leaves

Set your stove to medium temperature and place a pan on it, preferably made of cast iron. Give it a few seconds then add the oil, the sea salt, the ground black pepper, the dried dill and the bay leaves. Swirl the oil around the pan a few times to make sure that it coats the bottom evenly. 

When the oil is warm, add the scallions and combine them with the spiced oil using a wooden spatula. Turn the stove to low heat, cover the pan with a lid and allow the green onion to sweat for a minute or two.

Add the sliced pepper, toss it with the scallions using the same spatula, cover the pan with the lid, and let the veggies saute for 2 to 3 minutes.

Now add the mushrooms, fold them into the sauted veggies, switch the stove to medium low temperature, cover the pan and allow the mushrooms to cook for 6 to 8 minutes. Turn them with the spatula every 2 minutes to ensure equal cooking.

Pour the tomato juice all over the mushrooms, combine with your spatula, bring the stove to medium high temperature and wait until the stew starts boiling. Then turn down the heat to bring the mushrooms to a simmer, cover the pan again and give it 2 to 3 more minutes.

Switch off the stove and serve the mushrooms stew while it is still hot with freshly chopped green herbs on top and your favorite polenta on the side. 

Enjoy!

Gluten-free Vegan

2 minutes

1 cup

1/2 cup lightly roasted nuts, your choice

1 medium-sized mushroom, baked

1/2 cup spring water

the juice of 1/2 lemon

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp mustard

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

2 garlic cloves

Blend all the ingredients above until they form a smooth creamy dressing. Serve with your favorite salad.

Enjoy!

Gluten-free

25 minutes

I buy dry legumes and I ferment them (24 to 36 hours inwater at room temperature but below 80F, changing the water every 6 to 8 hours) before as well as after cooking them, to neutralize a part of the oligosaccharides and other antinutrients that make legumes a bit difficult to digest.

I keep in my refrigerator a variety of cooked and fermented legumes. It make the cooking easier and less time consuming.

3 cups cooked black-eyed peas

1 cup leafy greens chopped

1/2 cup tomato sauce

1 small onion cubed

1/2 sweet red pepper cubed

1 carrot cubed

1 small parsnip cubed

1 celery stalk cubed

1/4 fennel cubed

1 clove of garlic finely chopped

1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds

1/2 tsp fennel seeds

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

3 to 4 green basil leaves chopped

sea salt

spring water

Pour 2 cups of water in a 2 quart soup pot and place it on your stove set at medium to high temperature. Add the salt, the fenugreek, the fennel seeds, the garlic and the cayenne pepper into it and bring the water to boil. Then add the onion, the sweet pepper, the carrot, the parsnip and the chopped fennel, cover the pot and let the vegetables simmer for 10 minutes. Add water until the pot is at least half full and wait for the soup to reach the boiling point. Now add the tomato juice, the peas and the leafy greens and let the soup simmer for an extra 5 minutes.

Serve with a bit of chopped green basil on top.

Gluten-free Dairy-free

16 hours

2 quarts

Use if possible farm raised, organic chicken and vegetables.

Getting rid of the fat from the back of the chicken:

set your oven at 450F

make a few cuts through the chicken skin

place the chicken carcass with the back on the rack of your roasting pot

roast the chicken back for 30 to 45 minutes

I prepare this bone broth as a remedy for my occasionally aching left knee 

the feet, the back with the skin on, and the carcass left after deboning a chicken

4 quarts spring water

1 small onion, roughly chopped

a medium carrot, roughly chopped

a celery stalk, roughly chopped

1 garlic clove, whole

1-2 bay leaves

1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds

1/2 tsp fennel seeds

1/2 tsp dry oregano

1/2 tsp whole black pepper

sea salt

Place the chicken bones on the bottom of a 5-quart slow-cooker. Add the vegetables, the herbs and spices, the sea salt and at the end pour the water all over the ingredients.

Set the slow cooker at low temperature, cover with the lid and let it simmer for 16 to 18 hours or until you're left with half the volume of  water that you added. Do not lift the lid all this time.

Serve with chopped green cilantro and parsley, and freshly squeezed lemon juice.

And enjoy!

Gluten-free Dairy-free

25 minutes

 1 serving

2 cups bone broth

1 small carrot, sliced

1 small parsnip, sliced

1 small onion, cubed

1/4 sweet pepper, cubed

1/4 green zucchini quartered longitudinally then sliced

1 celery stem, sliced

1/2 plum tomato, cubed

1 tbsp olive oil

1/4 tsp fennel seeds

1/4 tsp dry oregano

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, powder

1 bay leaf

sea salt

fresh green cilantro and parsley chopped

Set your stove at medium heat. Place a cast iron pan on and give it about 15 seconds until the bottom warms up. Add the olive oil, the fennel seeds, the dry oregano, the cayenne pepper, the bay leaf and a little sea salt, and mix all these ingredients with a wooden spatula until they start releasing their flavor. Now, add the onion and keep mixing a bit to make sure that the onion cubes are coated in oil and spices, cover the pan with a lid and let the onion sweat for 2 minutes. Then add the carrot, the celery and the parsnip, incorporate them into the onion using your spatula, cover and let them saute for 3 to 4 minutes. Eventually, add the the pepper, the zucchini, the tomato and the bone broth, switch the stove to high heat until you bring the soup to a boil, then turn the temperature to medium-low, cover with lid an let the soup simmer for another 3 to 4 minutes.

Serve it in your favorite bowl, with freshly chopped green cilantro and parsley and corn and millet polenta.

Enjoy!

Gluten-free Vegan

25 minutes

1 serving

 Clean the mushroom using a damp sheet of paper towel. Do not wash them as they will become rubbery through cooking. The stem of the common mushroom has almost the same consistency and taste as the cap. Do not throw away the stem, simply slice off the base and use the rest of it for soup. 

Set your stove at medium heat and place a pot on it (preferably made of cast iron). Give it a few seconds, then add the oil, the garlic, the sea salt, and the ground black pepper. Swirl the oil around to make sure that it is coating the bottom properly. Add the onion, fold it into the oil using a wooden spatula, set the stove to low temperature, cover the pot with the lid and let the onion sweat for 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the carrot and the pepper to the onion, combine them with the wooden spatula, cover the pot and give it and extra 2 to 3 minutes.

Now add the quartered mushrooms, fold them into the vegetables using the same spatula, cover the pot, set the heat to medium low, and allow 2 minutes for sauteing. Turn the mushrooms with your spatula, cover back the pot and give it an extra 2 minutes for cooking. Repeat until the mushrooms and the veggies are soft on the outside.

Add enough spring water to cover the mushrooms, switch the stove to high heat and let the soup base boil until 3/4 of the water has evaporated.

Switch off the stove, set the soup base aside and let it cool a bit. When it is just warm, blend it in your food processor together with the almond milk until it becomes creamy and smooth.

Serve it with extra ground black pepper on top.

Enjoy!

Gluten-free Vegan

25 minutes

1 serving

1/4 cup buckwheat pasta, dry

1/4 cup green zucchini, cubed

1/4 cup tomato, cubed

1/2 red onion, cubed

1 garlic clove, minced

firm smoked tofu, cubed

Italian spice mix

sea salt

ground black pepper

olive oil

spring water

Fill your pasta pot with enough spring water to cook the amount of buckwheat pasta that you plan to serve, add sea salt, ground black pepper and a little bit of olive oil to it, and place the pot on your stove set at high temperature. When the water reaches the boiling point, add the buckwheat pasta and turn the stove to medium heat. The buckwheat pasta needs about 8 minutes until it is properly done. 

Place a pan on your stove set to medium heat. Add 1 tbsp of olive oil, Italian spice mix, sea salt, ground black pepper and the minced garlic clove to it and mix all these ingredients together with a wooden spatula a few times, making sure that the spiced oil is coating the bottom of the pan evenly. Add the the onion to the warmed oil, fold it in with the spatula, turn the stove to medium,low, cover the pan and let the onion sweat for 2 to 3 minutes. Then add the tomato, the zucchini and the smoked tofu to your pan, mix them with the onion using the same spatula, cover and let them sautee for 5 minutes. When they are ready, turn off the stove and keep them covered.

Strain the cooked pastas, add it to the sauteed vegetables, toss them together and serve.

Enjoy!

Gluten-free Dairy-free

1 hour

10-12 servings

For the soup:

• 1 large carrot, cubed
• 1 parsnip, cubed
• 1 1/2 cup cubed celery root
• 2 medium sized potatoes, cubed
• 1 large onion, cubed
• 1 sweet pepper, cubed
• 1 green zucchini, cubed
• 4 plum tomatoes, cubed
• the juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 garlic clove, minced*
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric*
• 1 tsp of the following dried herbal mix: tarragon, marjoram, basil, thyme*
• sea salt*
• ground black pepper*
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh green dill, parsley and celery leaves
• spring water

For the meatballs:

• 400 g ground or finely chopped beef
• 1/2 cup whole buckwheat
• 1 egg, lightly beaten with a fork
• 1 tbsp buckwheat flakes
• 1/2 tsp of the following dried herbal mix: tarragon, marjoram, basil, thyme
• sea salt
• ground black pepper

Set your stove at medium high temperature, place on it a 5-quart pot half-filled with spring water, add all the *ingredients to it and let it reach the boiling point.

Meanwhile, place all the ingredients for the meatballs in a large bowl, and using your hands, mix them well. Still using your hands, make balls out of the mixture, the size of a large walnut and place them one close to the other on a large plate.

Once the water starts boiling, turn the heat down to bring the water to a simmer and carefully add one by one all the meatballs. Cover the pot with a lid leaving a small opening so the vapors can exit and let it cook for 20 minutes. Skim the foam whenever you see it necessary. Keep some hot water (about 1 quart) in your kettle and add it to the soup if needed.

Add the carrot, the celery, the parsnip and the potato to the soup and allow it to simmer covered for another 10 minutes.

Now put in  the onion, the pepper and the zucchini and give it an extra 10 minutes for cooking.

Eventually add the tomatoes and let it simmer for another 5 minutes.

Switch off the stove, set the pot with the soup on a kitchen rack, add the chopped greens and the lemon juice, cover again and let the soup settle for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

Gluten-free Vegan 

45 minutes

4 servings

1 cup whole buckwheat

1 cup lentils

1/2 cup chopped celery leaves

1/2 cup chopped green spinach

1/4 cup chopped green dill

1 onion, cubed

1 carrot, sliced or cubed

1 parsnip, cubed

1 sweet pepper, cubed

4 plum tomatoes, cubed

2 to 3 tbsp olive oil or grape seed oil

1/2 tsp ground dried turmeric

1/4 tsp ground dried cumin

1/4 tsp coriander seeds

2 or 3 bay leaves

1 garlic clove, minced

sea salt

ground black pepper

spring water

Set your stove to medium heat and place a pot on it. After 10 seconds pour the oil into the pot and add the turmeric, the cumin, the coriander, the bay leaves, the garlic, the salt and the black pepper. Use a wooden spatula to combine the spices and the oil together, and make sure that the oil is coating evenly the bottom of the pot. Add the onion and fold it into the oil. Cover the pan with a lid, turn the heat to low temperature and let the onion sweat for 2 or 3 minutes.

Add the carrot, the parsnip and the buckwheat and toss them using the same spatula. Cover the pot again with the lid and allow the ingredients to saute for 5 to 7 minutes. 

Pour into the pot 5 cups of spring water, switch the stove to high heat, wait until the liquid starts to boil and turn down the heat to a simmer. Cover the pot and give the buckwheat 7 to 10 minutes for more cooking. 

Add the lentils, fold them into the other ingredients using the wooden spatula, cover the pot and let everything prepare for another 7 to 10 minutes. Now fold in the greens, the sweet pepper and the tomato and let the stew simmer for an extra 5 to 7 minutes. 

Turn off the stove and set the stew aside to settle.

Serve as it is or with fermented cabbage salad.

Enjoy!

Gluten-free Dairy-free

10 minutes

 I often use the leftovers after serving fish filet.

4 oz of fish of your choice, boneless, prepared and minced

1 medium sized potato, baked, peeled and cubed

1 celery stalk, sliced

1/2 small onion, cubed

1/2 avocado, cubed

1/4 cup steamed fresh kernel corn

1/4 cup steamed fresh sweet pea

1/4 cup fermented red sweet pepper, cubed

1/4 cup fresh cilantro and parsley, chopped

1 tbsp mustard

sea salt

ground black pepper

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl using a wooden spatula. Decorate with chopped fresh cilantro and parsley.

Enjoy!

Gluten-free Dairy-free

55 minutes

4 quarts

the heads and tails of 2 large fish (preferably carp or cat fish, of at least 4 lb each)

1 large red onion, cubed

1 large sweet pepper, cubed

1 large carrot, cubed

1 parsnip, cubed

1 large sweet potato, cubed

4 celery stalks, cubed

3 plum tomatoes, cubed

1 tbsp coconut oil

1 tbsp of the following dried herbal mix: thyme, sage, marjoram, oregano

1 garlic clove, minced

2  bay leaves

1/2 tsp ground dried ginger and turmeric

the juice of 1 medium sized lemon

1/2 cup chopped fresh dill and parsley

sea salt

ground black pepper

spring water

Set your stove to medium heat and place a 5-quart pot on it. Give it 10 seconds until the bottom of the pot has warmed properly, then add the coconut oil, the sea salt, the ground black pepper, the bay leaves, the dried ginger and turmeric, the minced garlic and the dried herbal mix. Combine these ingredients using a wooden spatula and make sure that the oil coats evenly the bottom of the pot.

Now add the onion, fold it into the oil, turn the heat to medium-low temperature and let the onion sweat for 3 to 4 minutes. 

Add the carrot, the parsnip and the sweet potato, toss them with the onion, cover the pan and allow the vegetables to saute for 5 to 7 minutes. 

Eventually put in the sweet pepper and the celery stalks, fold them into the other vegetables, cover the pot and give the veggies 5 or 7 extra minutes for cooking.

Fill the pot half way up with spring water, turn the stove to high heat and wait until the soup starts boiling. Now add the fish and the cubed tomatoes, add more spring water to the soup enough to cover the fish, give it a few minutes until the liquid is back to a boil and switch the stove to medium low temperature to bring the soup down to a simmer. Cover the pan and let everything cook for another 12 to 15 minutes. 

Turn off the stove and set the pot aside. Add the lemon juice and the chopped green dill and parsley to the soup, cover the pot and let it settle for at least 5 minutes.

Serve it with millet and corn polenta.

And always enjoy!

Gluten-free Vegan

2 minutes

1 serving

4 large leaves of romaine lettuce

2 small baked potatoes quartered 

grilled tofu

4 scallions, whole

1 kirby cucumber, quartered

olives

lemon juice

mustard

 Fill the green leafy boats with the rest of the ingredients and enjoy! 

Gluten-free Vegan

5 minutes

1 serving

Per person:

• 3 large fresh leaves of romaine lettuce
• 1/4 noddle-cut zucchini 
• 1/2 tomato, cubed or sliced
• 1-2 common mushrooms, slightly baked and sliced
• 2 tbsp cashew nuts, soaked overnight
• for vinaigrette: 1 tbsp olive oil (cold pressed extra virgin if possible), 1 tsp lemon juice, 1/4 tsp mustard, freshly ground black pepper (one turn of the grinder), sea salt.

Prepare your vinaigrette by mixing well together all the the mentioned ingredients with a spoon until they are well combined, and set it aside.

Choose a properly sized bowl and place in it the zucchini, the tomatoes, the mushrooms and the nuts, add the vinaigrette and toss well the filling of the green boats.

Place 3 large fresh romaine lettuce leaves on each serving plate and 'load' each one of them with the freshly prepared filling.

Enjoy!

Gluten-free Vegan

5 minutes

1 serving

For the salad:

• 1/2 cup leafy greens chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped cantaloupe
• 1 plum tomato, sliced
• 1 small kirby cucumber, sliced
• 1-2 scallions, chopped
• 2 leaves bitter/ sweet dandelion chopped
• grilled tofu

For the dressing:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger root
• 1 garlic clove minced
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tbsp green cilantro chopped
• 1 tbsp green parsley chopped
• 1 tsp green mint chopped
• 1 tsp green basil chopped
• ground black pepper (1 turn of the grinder)

Place the minced garlic and the grated ginger in a small bawl and add the sea salt and the ground black pepper. Mash these ingredients together with the back of a spoon until the salt is dissolved and you obtain a smooth enough paste. Add the oil and keep mixing, then the lemon juice. Now fold in the chopped herbs without mashing or mixing, just make sure the the herbs are well coated in sauce.

Place all the ingredients for the salad in a bowl, add the sauce, toss and serve.

And enjoy!

Gluten-free Vegan

5 minutes

1 serving

1 cup of cooked chickpeas

1 noodle-cut zucchini

1 sweet small pepper

1-2 leaves of fresh basil

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

sea salt

ground black pepper

the juice from 1/2 lemon

 Toss all the ingredients together and serve. Enjoy! 

 This salad makes a very nutritious and yummy meal or snack, a real saver if you don't have the time to cook, but you still want a healthy bite. 

Gluten-free Vegan

70 minutes

8 servings

6 cups cooked mix of gluten-free grains and seeds

1/2 cup whole buckwheat flour

1/2 cup liquid coconut oil

3 tbsp tapioca flour

3 tbsp ground licorice root

1 tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp ground mix of cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg

a pinch of sea salt

Set your oven at 350F.

In a large bowl, using your hands, mix well all the ingredients. Work the composition for 3 to 5 minutes, same way you would knead a dough.

Then spread the pudding mix in an 8-inch square baking pan (I use one made of flexible silicone), place it in the oven and allow it to bake for 60 minutes.

Once ready, take it out of the oven, turn the pan with the pudding in upside down on a kitchen rack, remove the pan and let the pudding cool.

You can serve it as it is or topped with honey, maple syrup, agave or your favorite jam.

I take my pudding with homemade white plums jam (sweetened with ground licorice root) and a glass of homemade almond or cashew milk.

Enjoy!

Gluten-free Vegan

40 minutes

10 servings

10 large edible flat leaves (i.e. collard greens, swiss chard)

Salsa 1:

• 1 cup broccoli florets
• 1 cup zucchini noddle-cut
• 1/2 sweet bell pepper cubed
• 4-5 scallions chopped
• 2 to 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp dry basil
• sea salt
• ground black pepper

Salsa 2:

• 1 red plum cubed
• 1 pear cubed
• 1 honey mango cubed
• 1 tomato cubed
• fresh green parsley and cilantro chopped
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• sea salt

Set your oven at 375F and have your veggies grill ready. Place all the ingredients of salsa 1 except the noddle-cut zucchini in a bowl and toss well. Spread the mixed ingredients on the grill and roast for 15 to 20 minutes. Once they are ready take them out, empty the grill in a ceramic bowl, add the noddle-cut zucchini, toss and keep this salsa covered.

Place all the ingredients for salsa 2 in a bowl and toss.

Wash and dry the leaves. Cut longitudinally along the stem and remove the stem of each leaf, carefully not to rip the leaf.

Spread a layer of chickpea spread on about 1/2 of the leaf. Add salsa 1 then salsa 2 on top of the spread. Make sure you do not overload the leaf. Now roll the leaf starting from the covered part in the shape of a cone. Set the cone on your serving platter or bowl.

Enjoy!

Gluten-free Vegan

105 minutes

1 pound loaf

150 g whole buckwheat flour

100 g whole brown rice flour

75 g flax seed meal

15 g spirulina powder

1 tbsp pumpkin seeds

1 tbsp sunflower seeds

1 teaspoon guar gum

1 tablespoon baking powder

pinch of salt

300-400 ml spring water at room temperature

Place all the dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk them well together until homogenized. Add the spring water all at once and keep whisking until the water is incorporated into the flours. Then switch to the hand mixer and keep mixing for 3 to 5 minutes at average speed.

Pour your bread dough in your flexible silicone baking pan.

Bake at 350 F for 90 minutes.

Once ready, take the bread out of the oven and allow it to cool on a kitchen rack.

Gluten-free Vegan Raw

5 minutes

1 quart

1 bunch mixed leafy greens, washed

1 banana, peeled

1/2 lemon, peeled or not (the lemon peel is a good source of limonene) 

the flesh of 1/2 avocado

3 inches piece of aloe vera, peeled

1-2 inches piece of raw ginger, peeled

1 tbsp chia seeds

1 tsp powdered spirulina

1 tsp maca

at least 2 of the following types of fruits, peeled or cleaned: 1 orange, 1 slice of pineapple (1 inch thick), the arils of 1/2 pomegranate, 1 cup of berries or pitted cherries or grapes, 1 cup of cubed cantaloupe or any type of melon, 1 cup of any of your favorite fruit

water

Place all the ingredients except the leafy greens in your smoothie maker (of 1.5 quarts or higher), add water until it reaches half the level of the fruit melange, cover with the lid and mix at low speed until smooth. Lift the lid and add the leafy greens by the handful, waiting after each new 'feed' until the leaves are well incorporated in your mix. If you think the smoothie is too thick simply add a bit of water.

And enjoy!

Gluten-free Vegan

12 minutes

1 serving

1 cup green zucchini, shredded

1/2 cup spring water

1 tbsp olive oil

sea salt

ground black pepper

the juice of 1/4 lime

Set the stove at medium heat, place a pan on it (preferably cast iron) give it about 10 seconds then pour the oil in the pan, and add the salt, the pepper and the garlic. Allow a minute or two until the oil is properly warm, swirling it around so the oil coats evenly the bottom of the pan. Add the shredded green zucchini. Fold it into the spiced oil with a wooden spatula, cover with a lid, and let it sautee for 2 minutes. 

Add the spring water and turn the stove to high temperature until the sauce starts boiling. Bring the heat down to medium low, cover with the lid and let the zucchini simmer for 5 to 7 minutes. 

Switch off the stove, set the pan aside and allow the zucchini to cool for a few minutes in the covered pan. Pour the cooked zucchini in your food processor, add the lime juice and blend well until smooth.

Serve as it is or with your favorite type of croutons.

Enjoy!

Gluten-free Vegan

1 hour

1 serving

1 potato

2 to 3 medium sized white mushrooms

1 scallion

1 plum tomato

fresh green parsley

1 to 2 leaves of fresh basil

1/4 tsp fennel seeds

ground cayenne pepper

sea salt

For the vinaigrette:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• freshly ground pepper (a turn of the grinder)
• 1 garlic clove

Set your oven at 450F. Scrub well the potatoes until they are clean. Dry them and prick them with a fork a few times. Then place them in the oven on the highest rack and set your oven timer for 45 minutes.

Oil lightly your grill for veggies. Place the mushrooms on it with the stems upward and sprinkle them with sea salt, fennel seeds and ground cayenne pepper. When there are 15 to 20 minutes left on your oven timer, place the grill with the mushrooms in the oven and let them roast.

Chop the scallions, the parsley and the basil, and cube the tomatoes.

Shred the garlic through your garlic crusher into a small bowl. Add sea salt and ground pepper to it and mince it with the back of a spoon until it turns into a paste. Add the lemon juice, fold it well in the garlic paste with the same spoon, then the olive oil bit by bit while mixing continuously until all the ingredients are properly combined.

When the potatoes and the mushrooms are done take them out of your oven and allow them to cool on a kitchen rack for a few moments. Make sure you do not spill the juice formed in the mushroom's cap.

Peel the potatoes. cube them and place them in a bowl. Add the scallions, the fresh parsley and basil, the tomatoes, the mushrooms and the vinaigrette, and toss well. Serve it while it is still warm, as it is or with fermented pickles on the side.

Enjoy!

Gluten-free Vegan

35 minutes

4 servings

For the grilled veggies mix:

• 2 cups green beans, cleaned and chopped in halves or thirds
• 2 cups cubed eggplant
• 1 cup cubed green zucchini
• 1 cup cubed fennel
• 1 cup broccoli florets 
• 1 onion, cubed
• 3 to 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp dry basil
• 1/2 tsp dry thyme
• 1/2 tsp dry oregano
• ground black pepper
• sea salt

For the grilled mushrooms:

• 2 to 3 medium sized white mushrooms per serving. Remove the stem and clean the cap with a damp cloth. This way they won't turn rubbery during cooking.
• sea salt
• ground black pepper

For the garlic aioli:

• 4 to 5 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 tsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 1/2 tsp sea salt

Set your oven at 375 F.

Have your garlic mortar and pestle and your grill for veggies ready, as well as a greased cast iron pan to bake the mushrooms.

Place all the ingredients for the grilled veggies mix in a bowl and toss them well with a couple of wooden spatulas or your hands, until the oil and spices coat evenly the veggies. Now spread the veggies equally on your grill and place it into the oven. Set your oven clock to 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the mushroom caps on the bottom of your greased cast iron pan with their concavity upwards and sprinkle sea salt and ground black pepper in each one of them. 

Pass the garlic cloves through your garlic crusher and into the mortar. Add the sea salt and start mashing the crushed garlic together with the salt using the pestle until it turns into a homogeneous paste (no more than 5 minutes). Add the lemon juice and mix it with the garlic paste. Then add the olive oil, tablespoon by tablespoon, mixing well after each newly added tablespoon so the oil is entirely incorporated into the garlic paste and the aioli thickens up.

Once the 15 minutes passed, place the pan with the mushrooms in the oven and set you oven clock for an extra 15 to 20 minutes.

When they are done, take the grilled veggies and mushrooms out. First place the veggies on the bottom of your serving plate. Then gently remove the mushroom so you won't spill the liquid gathered in the cap and set them on top of the veggies.

Serve them with garlic aioli on the side.

Enjoy!

Fermented Gluten-free Vegan

1 to 3 days

1 quart

This is a non-alcoholic fermented drink rich in probiotics.

I prepare it in batches of 2 quarts and a half and I use a large glass jar with a proper lid. Avoid plastics that contain BPAs.

• 1 quart of spring water
• 100 g organic brown cane sugar
• 1/2 lemon thinly sliced. If you do not like the bitter taste given by the white part of the lemon peel, with a vegetable peeler, peel as much of the yellow layer as you can and save it. Then remove and discard the white part of the lemon peel, and only now slice your lemons and add them to the saved yellow peel.
• 50 g of cleaned and finely sliced ginger root or 1/2 cup of cleaned fresh edible flowers (roses, elderflowers, dandelions, acacia flowers, chamomile. marigolds, jasmine, European violets, linden flowers). If you choose to work with flowers, remove the stem and if possible the tiny green leaves (the sepals) surrounding the cup of the flower (the receptacle). Do not brake or remove the receptacle as it is attached to the flavorful sweet part of the flower. You can also use hand rolled gunpowder green tea (!/2 tbsp per quart) instead of flowers.
• optional, 1/4 tsp fresh baking yeast to speed up the fermentation process.

From each quart of water take out a cup and place it in a pan. Move the pan on the stove set at medium to low heat and warm the water a little. Then take the pan off the stove and add the sugar to the warm water while whisking until it is well dissolved.  If you chose the gunpowder tea alternative, pour the tea in the warm water so the leaves will re-hydrate. 

If you want your soda ready in a day and a half to two days instead of three to four days, place the yeast in a bowl. Add the sugary water little by little to the yeast while mixing. At the beginning use the back of a spoon to have the water well incorporated and then switch to the hand whisk. If you can spot tiny yeast clumps at the end, simply strain the mixture and use the strained liquid. There is enough yeast dissolved in it to sustain a rapid fermentation.

Place your ginger or flowers on the bottom of your glass container. Spread the processed lemon on top of them. Gently poor the sugary water, cover the vessel with the lid and allow the fermentation process to begin. After 3 to 4 hours, pour the rest of the water in your container and keep the lid a bit open so that the the gases can leave.

The container needs to stay at the room temperature preferably in a sunny area. Mix it at least twice a day and taste it. When you are satisfied with the level of sparkling-ness :) , strain your soda and store it in your refrigerator to stop the process of fermentation. 

Enjoy the flavor and the many health benefits of the homemade soda!

Gluten-free Vegan

5 minutes

2 servings

2 frozen bananas

1 cup of your favorite frozen cleaned and if necessary cubed fruits

the flesh of 1 small avocado

2-3 tablespoons maple syrup

2-3 tablespoons non-dairy milk

a few nuts, pieces of fruit or dark chocolate, preferably organic, for decoration

 Place the avocado, the maple syrup, the frozen bananas and fruits in a blender and mix all the ingredients well, until you obtain a smooth composition. If you think the consistency is too thick, you could add a bit of non-dairy milk. This is your ice cream. Serve it in your favorite bowls or cups, decorated with fruits, nuts of dark chocolate. Enjoy this low caloric lovely treat! 

Gluten-free Vegan

For the tea:

• 2 quarts spring water
• 1 tsp dandelion root
• 1 tsp burdock root
• 1 tsp licorice root
• 1 tsp gunpowder rolled green tea in a tea ball infuser

For the ice:

• 3 cups watermelon cubed
• 2 inch piece of ginger, peeled
• a few leaves of fresh rosemary

Place in a blender all the ingredients for the ice and process them well. pour the liquid in your ice cube tray and freeze.

Pour the water in your tea pot and place it on your stove set at high heat. Once the water reaches the boiling point, add the dandelion, the burdock and the licorice root, turn down the stove to low temperature and let the tea simmer for 7 to 10 minutes. Then turn down the stove, drop the tea ball infuser with the green tea in the tea pot, and take it out after 5 to 10 minutes.

You can leave all the roots in the tea for as long as you wish. You can also eat them.

Once the tea is cold, fill your favorite glass with tea, add a few ice cubes and enjoy.

Gluten-free Vegan

3 minutes

5 to 6 cups

 1/3 cup yellow or white popcorn kernels 

Set your stove at high temperature and place a lidded cast iron pan on it, but leave the lid on the side. Give the pan 1 to 2 minutes until it is hot and pour the popcorn on the bottom spreading it evenly with a spatula. Cover with the lid and wait until the corn start popping. Then put on your oven mitts grab the cast iron pan from both handles and shake it every 10 to 15 seconds, until you hear no kernels popping.

Place your cast iron pan on a kitchen rack for 10 to 15 seconds with the lid open just a bit and allow the popcorn to settle.

Serve in your favorite bowl.

Gluten-free Vegan

20 minutes

1 quart

1 tbsp dried mint leaves

1/2 cup fresh or frozen pitted sour cherries, or 1/4 cup dried pitted sour cherries

1 quart spring water

Place the mint leaves in a tea ball infuser and lock it.

Bring the water to a boil, set the tea pot aside from the heat source and add the tea infuser and the sour cherries. Cover for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the tea ball infuser and serve the tea warm or chilled.

Enjoy!

Gluten-free Vegan

20 minutes

1 serving

3 to 4 medium sized white mushrooms, wiped with a damp cloth and the base of the stem sliced off

1 medium sized tomato, sliced

1/4 sweet red pepper, sliced

1/2 red onion, sliced

1 small carrot, sliced

1 celery stalk, sliced

1 tbsp olive oil

1/4 tsp dried basil

1 garlic clove minced

sea salt

ground black pepper

Set the stove at medium heat and place a pan on it. Give it 10 seconds then add the olive oil, the dried basil, the garlic, the sea salt and the minced garlic. Mix these ingredients with a wooden spatula and swirl the oil around the pan to make sure that the oil is coating evenly the bottom. Add the onion, fold it into the spiced oil, cover the pan, turn the heat to medium low and let the onion sweat for 2 to 3 minutes. 

Then add the celery, the carrot and the pepper to the onion, mix them well together using the same spatula, cover the pan with the lid and allow the ingredients to saute for another 5 minutes. Now add the tomatoes and the mushrooms, fold them into the other veggies, cover the pan and let the stew cook for an extra 5 to 7 minutes.

Serve as it is or with sweet potato puree.

Enjoy!

Gluten-free Vegan

10 to 12 minutes

1 serving

20 to 30 g of smoked tofu, sliced

1 medium sized white mushroom, sliced

1/2 small red onion, sliced

1/4 sweet red pepper. sliced

2 or 3 cherry tomatoes, halved

1 garlic clove, chopped

1/4 tsp dried Italian spice mix, ground

1 tbsp olive oil

sea salt

ground black pepper

Set the stove at medium temperature and place a pan (preferable made of cast iron) on it. Give it about 10 seconds until the bottom of the pan is properly warmed up and add the oil, the Italian spices, the sea salt and the ground black pepper. Mix a bit the oil and the spices with a spatula and swirl the oil around to get an even coating of the bottom of the pan. Add the onion, the sweet red pepper and the garlic, and combine the ingredients with the spatula. Turn the stove to low heat, cover the pan with a lid and allow the vegetables to sweat for 3 to 5 minutes.

Add the cherry tomatoes, the mushrooms and the tofu, fold them into the veggies mix and cover the pan with the lid. Turn off the stove and let the stew rest for a few minutes.

Serve as it is or with a leafy greens and cucumber salad.

Enjoy!

Gluten-free Vegan Raw

3 minutes

1 serving

1/4 cup of your favorite nuts, presoaked overnight, rinsed and drained

1/4 cup of your favorite fruit, cubed

1 to 2 tbsp honey (optional)

1 tsp raw cocoa nibs, presoaked overnight in whole coconut milk, drained

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon and cardamon 

Toss the ingredients above and enjoy! 

Gluten-free Vegan

20 minutes

4 servings

4 medium sized russet potatoes, pealed and cut in large cubes

1 cup almond milk

2 tbsp olive oil or grape seed oil

1 tbsp chopped fresh dill

sea salt

ground black pepper

spring water

Set your stove at high heat and place on it a pot half filled with spring water. Add a bit of sea salt and let it reach the boiling point. Now put in the potatoes, turn the stove down so the water is just simmering and let the potatoes cook until you can stick a fork through them with ease.

Strain the potatoes, put them back on the pot and place the pot on your counter. Add extra sea salt, the ground black pepper, the dill, the almond milk and the oil and mash and mix all these ingredients well using a fork or a potatoes masher. Don't mind the tiny pieces of potato left in the mash, they enrich the texture.

Enjoy!

Gluten-free Vegan 

1 hour

4 servings

 
Bake the potatoes in your oven set at 450F for 45".   

4 medium size Russet potatoes, baked, peeled and cubed

the flash of 1 avocado, cubed

1 zucchini cut in thin noodle-like strips (use your veggies spiralizer)

1 medium size tomato or 2 plum tomatoes, cubed

1/2 cup fresh parsley and cilantro, chopped

1/2 cup olives

the juice of 1/2 lemon

sea salt

ground black pepper

 Mix all the ingredients in a medium size bowl and serve. 

Gluten-free Vegan Raw

1 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours

8 servings

For the crust:

• 1/2 cup dry oat flakes, 1/2 cup dry buckwheat flakes, soaked overnight in spring water and drained
• 5 or 6 pitted large dates
• 1/2 cup walnuts, soaked overnight in spring water and drained
• the zest of 1/2 orange
• 1/2 vanilla bean
• a pinch of sea salt

For the cheese creme:

• 3 cups cashew soaked overnight and drained
• 3 tbsp coconut oil, liquid (place the jar in warm water for a minute or two and it will melt)
• 1/2 cup dry oat flakes, soaked overnight and drained
• 1/4 to 1/2  cup cashew milk
• 6 or 7 pitted large dates
• the zest of a lemon
• 1/2 vanilla bean
• a pinch of sea salt
• chopped dark chocolate

The Crust

Place the walnuts in your food processor at medium speed and process them for a minute or two. Add the dates, one by one, continue with the soaked flakes by tablespoon, the orange zest, the vanilla and the sea salt. The ingredients form a smooth paste of medium consistency. If it is too dense, thin it with a bit of cashew milk. 

Transfer the crust in a 7 inch cake pan with detachable bottom, spread it evenly, cover the pot and either refrigerate it for 3 hours or freeze it for one.

The Cheese Creme

Place 1 cup soaked cashew in your food processor set at high speed and blend them for a minute. Add the dates, one by one, the coconut oil by tablespoon, the lemon zest, the vanilla, the sea salt and the cashew milk. Once you obtain a homogeneous composition, add the rest of the soaked cashew followed by the soaked oats.

Spread the creme on top of the crust, decorate with dark chocolate and refrigerate for 5 to 7 hours or freeze for 2 hours.

Before serving, first detach the bottom and then portion the cake.

Enjoy!

Gluten-free Dairy-free

60 minutes

8 servings

for the roasted fish:

• 2 pounds carp, cleaned, sliced in 8 pieces and dried with paper towel.
• 3 to 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp of the following dried herbal mix: thyme, oregano, sage, basil, rosemary
• 1 tsp sea salt 
• 1 tsp ground black pepper

for the raw tomato soup:

• 2 ripen tomatoes, sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled
• 4 to 6 leaves of fresh basil
• sea salt
• 1 tsp olive oil

Set your oven at 350 to 375 F.

Place in a large bowl all the ingredients for the roasted fish and combine them using your hands. Make sure that the oil and the spices coat evenly all the slices of fish.

Arrange the fish in a roasting pan, place the pan in the oven and roast for 35 to 40 minutes. The fish should be well done and the skin crispy at the end.

Blend all the ingredients for the raw soup in your food processor until smooth and frothy.

In each bowl, first pour about 1/4 cup of raw soup then add 2 pieces of roasted fish and serve with millet and corn polenta.

Enjoy!

Gluten-free Dairy-free

80 to 100 minutes

one organic chicken cleaned and whole

one of these 2 combinations:

first

• 3-4 cloves baked garlic,
• the chopped green leaves of 2-3 scallions, 
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped of each of the following: fresh oregano, fresh thyme, fresh basil, 
• 1 tablespoon sea-salt, 
• 1 teaspoon paprika, 
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper,
• the juice and zest from 1/2 lemon,
• 2-3 tablespoons vegetarian oil (if it is solid, warm it gently to bring it to the liquid state),
• *separately, 1/2 tablespoon sea-salt, 1/2 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper.

or second

• 2-3 cloves of baked garlic,
• 1 tablespoon paprika,
• 1 teaspoon dried and ground turmeric,
• **1 cracked small nutmeg, 1/4 stick cinnamon, 1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds, 1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds, 3-4 whole cloves, 1 whole bay leaf,
• 1 tablespoon sea-salt,
• the juice and the zest from 1/2 lemon,
• 2-3 tablespoons vegetarian oil (if it is solid, warm it gently to bring it to the liquid state),
• *separately, 1/2 tablespoon sea-salt, 1/2 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper.

If you chose the second spice mix, place a cast iron skillet on the stove sat at medium and let it warm well and equally. Then turn the fire to medium-low heat. Put the **mix in the skillet and either shake it each few seconds or mix it with a wooden spoon, so the spices will toast but not burn. Remember to enjoy the delicious flavors released during the roasting of the spices. It is part of the comforting home-kitchen aromatherapy. Once toasted, let the spices cool well and then finely grind them all together in your spice grinder (I reserved a coffee grinder just for spices).

1. Set the oven at 425F.

2. Remove the entrails from the cavity of the chicken and tap well the skin and the inside cavity with paper towel. With your fingers try to detach and separate as much of the skin you can without ripping it off or skinning the bird (you probably won't be able do detach it from the back or the wings, so do not force it there). You create a virtual cavity between skin and meat where the spices will go.

3. Blend well all the spices from the chosen combination, except the *part, until it comes out as a smooth paste. With your fingers distribute it as equally as possible in the under-skin area and put a bit of it on the back, the wings and the cavity of the bird.

4. Place the chicken on its back in a cast iron grill pan and sprinkle the skin with the *mix.

5. Put the bird and the grill pan on the higher rack of your oven and let it roast well for 70 to 80 minutes, at least until the internal temperature reaches a minimum 180F. 

Gluten-free Vegan

50 to 65 minutes

2 servings

2 medium russet potatoes or a large one

2 tbsp olive oil or grape seed oil

1 tbsp fresh oregano chopped or 1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

the freshly squeezed juice of 1/4 lemon

1 garlic clove

Set your oven at 450 F. Scrub the potatoes, peel them but leave some peel on their flesh, cut them in chunks of 2 to 3 inches and place them in a cast iron pan. Add the oil, the oregano, the sea salt, the black pepper and shred the garlic through your garlic crusher, on top of all the other ingredients. Toss the potatoes until they are well coated in oil and spices, cover the pot with the lid and place it in the oven for a minimum of 35 minutes. Then take the pot out, remove the lid and let the potatoes brown a little for an extra 10 minutes. 

Once they are done, take the potatoes out of the oven, place the pot on a kitchen rack, cover and let them cool for at least 5 minutes. Now add the lemon juice to the roasted potatoes, cover again for another five minutes and serve.

Enjoy!

Gluten-free Vegan

75 minutes

I got my inspiration for this recipe from the  Medical Medium

For the roasted veggies:

• 5-6 cups of cubed vegetables of your choice. I combined green zucchini with crookneck yellow squash, onion, red and orange pepper, celery stalks, and fennel
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 3 tbsp coconut oil
• 1/2 tbsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp dry oregano
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, powder

For the dough:

• 1 1/2 cup chickpeas flour
• 1/2 cup milled flax seeds
• 2 tbsp tapioca flour
• 1 - 1 1/2 cup almond or cashew milk
• the freshly squeezed juice from 1/2 lemon
• 1/2 tbsp baking powder
• a pinch of sea salt

Set your oven at 375F and have your veggies grill ready. Place all the ingredients for the roasted veggies, except the cloves of garlic, in a large bowl and mix them well with a wooden spatula until the veggies are uniformly coated in spices and coconut oil. Spread the veggies evenly on the grill, add the unpeeled garlic on a side, and roast for 30 minutes. Once ready, let the garlic cool for a few minutes on a kitchen rack or counter. Also, take the veggies off the grill, place them in the mixing bowl, cover them with a clean towel making sure the towel does not touch the roasted veggies, and let them sweat for a few minutes.

Have your cupcakes pan/ mold ready. I use the flexible silicone type.

Place all the ingredients for the dough in your food processor and blend well until they are well homogenized.

Peel the cooled garlic cloves, mince them finely and add the garlic to the veggies. Gently mix them together with the same wooden spatula, add the dough composition and continue mixing until the veggies are coated by the dough. Fill about 2/3 of each cupcake mold with the resulted composition and bake for 30-35 minutes at 375F.

Once they are baked, take them out from the molds and let them cool on a kitchen rack.

I like my roasted veggies cupcakes with a small herbs salad on the side.

Enjoy!

Gluten-free Vegan

50 to 55 minutes

1 serving

1 large sweet potato, baked, peeled and still warm.  I bake the sweet and regular potatoes at 450F for 45 to 50 minutes. 

1 tbsp honey

1 tsp coconut oil, melted

1/2 tsp raw cocoa nibs

1/4 tsp of dry ground mix of cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger

a few slices of banana

Cut the potato in 4 comparable pieces. Place each one in the serving bowl and mash it a bit with a fork just to open and flatten the flesh of the potato. Sprinkle the raw cocoa nibs and the dry ground spices on it. Drizzle the honey and the coconut oil on top of everything, decorate with banana slices and leave it covered for a minute. Then enjoy! 

I take my sweet potato treat with a small glass of homemade almond or cashew milk.

Gluten-free Vegan

25 minutes

1 serving

2 cups fresh green spinach, chopped

1 small carrot, chopped

1 medium sized cremini/ brown mushroom

1 small onion, chopped

1/4 Italian sweet green pepper, chopped

1 celery stalk, chopped

1 tbsp olive oil or grape seed oil

1/4 tsp of the following dried mix: basil, thyme, oregano, rosemary, and marjoram

1 garlic clove, minced

1 serving of smoked tofu, cubed

sea salt

ground black pepper

spring water

optional, the juice of 1/4 of a lime

Set your stove to medium temperature, place a pot on it (preferably made of cast iron) and give it about 10 seconds. Add the oil, the dried herbal mix, the garlic, the sea salt and the ground black pepper. Allow 15 to 20 seconds until the oil is properly warmed up and swirl the pot around a few times to make sure that the spiced oil is coating the entire bottom.

Add the onion, fold it into the oil using a wooden spatula, turn the stove to low heat, cover the pot with a lid and allow 2 to 3 minutes for the onion to sweat. Then add the the carrot, the mushroom, the pepper and the celery, toss them with the onion and the spiced oil, set the stove to medium low heat, cover the pot with a lid and let the veggies saute. Turn them every 2 minutes to make sure the vegetables are cooking evenly.

When the veggies are soft and golden on the outside, add enough spring water to cover them, turn the stove to high heat and allow the base for the soup to boil until 3/4 of the water's evaporated. 

Turn the stove to medium low heat, add the spinach, fold it into the soup base and give it 2 minutes to cook. Then switch off the stove and set the pot aside until it cools down a bit.

Blend the soup base in your food processor until it becomes smooth and creamy (add the lime juice into the processor if you opted for it).

Serve it while it is still warm with cubed smoked tofu on top.

Enjoy!

 My gracious thanks to my beloved friend Mădălin for the idea on food decorating, and to my lovely hostess Creola for letting me use her entire kitchen with no restrictions. 

Gluten-free Vegan

12 to 17 minutes

2 servings

3 cups cauliflower florets

1/4 cup tomato sauce

3 tbsp olive oil

1/4 tsp dried basil

1/4 tsp dried thyme

1/4 tsp dried cayenne pepper, powder

1-2 bay leaves

2-3 garlic cloves, baked and minced

sea salt

Fill the lower vessel of your rice and vegetable steamer with water, set it to cook, and wait until you can see the steam forming. Place the cauliflower florets in the upper vessel and allow it to steam for 10 minutes or until the cauliflower is al dente.

Set your oven at 425F. 

In a small bowl using a spoon mix the tomato juice, the olive oil, the herbs and spices, and the sea salt all together until they are homogenized.

Place the steamed cauliflower in a cast iron pan. Add the tomato sauce and toss well until the florets are nicely coated with the sauce. Put the pan in the oven and roast for 5 to 7 minutes. 

Take it out and serve as it is or with a side dish of endives and herbs salad.

Enjoy!

Gluten-free Vegan

5 minutes

2 servings

2 cups cubed watermelon

1 cup cubed cantaloupe

1 cup cubed melon

1 noodle-cut green zucchini

1/4 cup pumpkin and sunflower seeds

1/4 tsp dry ground ginger

the juice of 1/2 lemon

4-6 fresh rosemary leaves, chopped

one pinch of sea salt

 Toss all the ingredients and serve in your favorite bowl. Enjoy! 

Gluten-free Vegan

15 to 17 minutes

1 serving

1 mediums sized sweet potato, peeled and cubed

3 to 5 tbsp whole coconut milk at room temperature

1 tbsp coconut oil

1/4 tsp of the following mix of dried herbs: parsley. basil, thyme, rosemary, oregano

1 garlic clove, minced

sea salt 

ground black pepper

spring water

Set the stove at medium temperature. Place a pan on it, give it about 10 seconds, then add the coconut oil, the sea salt, the ground black pepper, the herbs, and the minced garlic. Mix these ingredients together using a wooden spatula and make sure the coconut oil coats evenly the bottom of the pan. Add the cubed sweet potato, fold it into the spiced oil, turn the heat to medium low, and cover the pan with a lid. Give the sweet potato about 2 to 3 minutes to cook, then turn it with your spatula, cover the pan again, and allow the potato to sautee for another 2 to 3 minutes. Repeat until the potato becomes soft and golden on the outside.

Add enough spring water to cover the sauteed potato, switch the stove to medium high heat and let the potato cook at this temperature until most of the water in the pan has evaporated.

Mash the potato using a fork, in the same pan where it has been sauteed. Add the coconut milk to it and keep mixing until you obtain a smooth paste with the occasional sweet yummy small lumps.

Serve as it is or with mushrooms stew.

Enjoy!

Gluten-free Vegan

30 minutes

1 serving

For the soup:

• 1 cup sweet potato, cubed
• 1 small carrot, cubed
• 1 small onion, cubed
• 1/4 sweet yellow or orange pepper, cubed
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 tsp of the following spice mix: basil, thyme, oregano, marjoram, rosemary
• a pinch of ground cinnamon
• sea salt
• ground black pepper
• 4 to 5 tbsp whole coconut milk
• spring water

For the noodles: 

• 1/4 cup noodle-cut green squash
• the juice of 1/4 lime
• 1 tsp olive oil
• sea salt
• ground black pepper (one turn of the grinder)

Set your stove to medium heat and place a pot on it (preferably made of cast iron). Give it about 10 seconds, then add the coconut oil, the garlic clove, the spice mix and the cinnamon, the sea salt and the ground black pepper, and swirl the oil around to obtain an even coating of the bottom of the pan. When the oil is properly warmed up, add the onion, fold it in the spiced oil using a wooden spatula, turn the heat to low temperature, cover the pot with a lid and let the onion sweat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add all the other ingredients into the pot except the whole coconut milk, toss them well with the onion and the oil, switch the stove to medium heat, cover the pot again and let the vegetables sautee for a minute or two; then turn them with the wooden spatula, cover the pot and allow them an other minute or too of sauteeing. Repeat until the vegetables look golden and soft on the outside. Add enough spring water to cover the veggies, switch the stove to high heat, cover the pot with the lid but leave an opening for the steam to exit, and let the vegetables boil until 3/4 of the water has evaporated. Pull the covered pot on the side and allow it to cool.

Place the squash noodles in a bowl, add all the other ingredients and toss them well.

Once the veggies are warm, pour all the base of the soup in a food processor, add the whole coconut milk to it and blend well until it becomes smooth and creamy.

When you serve, first pour the soup in your serving bowl, then carefully add the squash noodles in the center and decorate with a bit of ground black pepper or freshly chopped parsley and cilantro.

Enjoy!

Gluten-free Vegan

20 minutes

1 serving

1 cup leafy greens chopped

1 cup green zucchini cubed

1/2 cup celery stalks chopped

1/2 cup spring water

1/4 cup tomato juice

1 serving firm tofu

1 small onion chopped

1 tbsp olive oil or grape seed oil

1 tbsp chopped fresh jalapeno

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds

1/4 tsp dried marjoram

1 to 2 bay leaves

1 garlic clove minced

freshly chopped green parsley and cilantro

Set your stove to medium heat. Place a cast iron pan on it and allow it to warm well. Pour the olive oil into the pan, give it about 10 seconds, then add the sea salt, the marjoram, the fenugreek, the bay leaf, the jalapeno, the garlic and the onion, mix them a bit with a wooden spatula, turn the heat to medium low, put the lid on and let the ingredients sweat for about 3 minutes. 

Then add the tomato juice and the spring water, switch the stove to high temperature, wait until the sauce starts boiling, add the celery, the zucchini and the tofu, and fold them into the sauce. Cover the pan with the lid, turn the heat back to medium low and let the stew simmer for 5 more minutes. 

Eventually, add the chopped leafy greens, fold these also into the sauce, cover and turn off the stove after one more minute.

Serve the stew with chopped green parsley and cilantro on top, as it is or with a side dish of roasted sweet peppers.

Enjoy!

Gluten-free Vegan

30 minutes

4 servings

4 cups chopped white cabbage

3-4 nori sheets, chopped. I like the toasted version.

2 cups tomato juice

1 cup water

1 cup tofu, cubed

1 fennel, cubed

1 turnip, cubed

1 carrot, cubed

1 parsnip, cubed

1 onion, cubed

2 tbsp coconut oil

1 tsp ground dry turmeric

2-3 bay leaves

1-2 star anise

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

sea salt

Place a cast iron pan on your stove set to medium heat and put the coconut oil in it. Add the turmeric, the bay leaves, the star anise, the cayenne pepper and the sea salt to the oil, and mix for a minute the spices and the fat together with a wooden spatula until they are all homogenized. Enjoy the aromatherapy! 

Add the fennel and the onion to your spices and fat mix, use your spatula to coat the vegetables with spices, turn your stove to low temperature, cover and let the veggies sweat for 2 to 3 minutes.

Pour the tomato juice and the water into your cast iron pan, turn the stove to medium to high heat, and keep mixing the sauce until it starts boiling. Add all the other ingredients except the tofu and the nori, fold them well into the sauce ad keep them to medium-high heat, until the sauce reaches the boiling temperature again. Now just turn your stove to medium or to the point where the stew is simmering quietly, cover it with a lid (leave a small space so the steam can exit the pot) and allow it to cook for 12 to 15 minutes.

Once done, turn off the stove, add the tofu and the nori, fold them well with your wooden spatula into the stew and keep covered for another 2 to 3 minutes.

I enjoy mine with a side dish of corn and millet polenta.

Enjoy!

Gluten-free Vegan

40 minutes

16 to 20

3 cups dried dates

1 cup dried cranberries

2 cups roasted unsalted peanuts

4 tbsp ground raw cacao or carob, and extra ground raw cacao or carob

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground cardamon

1/4 tsp sea salt

the surprise: pieces of dark chocolate or fruit, nuts soaked overnight.

Place the peanuts, the cinnamon, the cardamon, the sea salt and 4 tbsp ground raw cacao or carob in your food processor and grind all the ingredients together starting at low speed until the peanuts are well minced, and then continuing at higher speed until the peanuts turn into butter. 

Switch the food processor to low speed again and start adding the dried cranberries to the peanut and spices butter, tablespoon by tablespoon. Then add the dried dates one by one and once they are all incorporated switch the food processor to high speed again and let it process until the candy mix is gathering in one large lump. Switch off the food processor.

Use your ice cream small scoop to take out an amount of candy composition. Flatten it a bit with your palms, place the surprise in the middle, wrap it in the candy mix and give the candy the round shape. Then roll the candy in extra ground raw cacao or carob until it is well covered in powder and set them aside.

Refrigerate the candy for an hour or two and enjoy!

I take the Truffle Candy with a glass of Fermented Homemade Soda.

Gluten-free Dairy-free

45 to 50 minutes

2 servings

8 oz veal, chopped. Choose a piece that has a bit of fat in it.

1 medium sized red onion, cubed

1 sweet red pepper, cubed

1 medium sized carrot, sliced

1 parsnip, cubed

1 cup cubed eggplant

4 plum tomatoes, cubed

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tsp of the following dried herbal mix: basil, thyme, oregano, marjoram, rosemary

1 or 2 bay leaves

ground black pepper

sea salt

spring water

Set your stove at medium temperature and place a pan on it, preferably made of cast iron. Wait for a few seconds then place the pieces of veal on the properly warmed bottom of the pan. Sprinkle the meat with the dried herbal mix, the sea salt and the pepper, and also add the bay leaves and the minced garlic into the pan. Move around and turn the veal with your wooden spatula until the meat is roasted on all surfaces and the melted fat is coating the bottom of the pan evenly. Add the onion and the pepper, combine them with the meat and the spices, turn the stove to low heat, cover the pan and let the vegetables sweat for 2 to 3 minutes. 

Add the parsnip and the carrot, fold them into the other veggies and the meat, cover the pan and allow them to saute for another 5 to 7 minutes.

Now add the egg plant and about 1/2 cup spring water, mix everything with your wooden spatula, cover the pan and let the stew simmer for 10 to 12 minutes. Put in the tomatoes and allow the stew to cook for another 10 to 12 minutes.

Turn off the stove and let the stew rest covered for at least 5 minutes.

Serve it with sweet potatoes or regular potatoes pure. 

And enjoy!

Gluten-free Vegan

90 minutes

8 servings

For the dough:

• 300 g your gluten-free flour mix. I used buckwheat flour (100 g), brown rice flour (100 g), coconut flour (100 g)
• 350 ml dairy free milk. Most of the non-organic soya is genetically modified.
• 120 g organic brown sugar (cane sugar). Most of the the sugar beet is genetically engineered.
• 65 g organic coconut oil
• 1 tbsp aluminium free double acting baking powder
• 1/2 tbsp guar gum
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• the zest and the juice from 1/2 lemon
• a pinch of finely ground sea salt

For the vegan cheese:

• 100 g cashew nuts soaked overnight
• 100 g full fat coconut milk. Refrigerate the box/ tin upside down for at least 6 hours. After you open the top, you will be able to spoon out 100 g with ease. Do not add the water. You can keep it for your next morning green smoothie.
• the zest and the juice from the other 1/2 lemon
• a pinch of finely ground sea salt

Decoration: organic orange marmalade. 

Place on your stove set at high, the base vessel of your bain marie pot. When the water starts simmering, turn the stove to medium and place the top vessel on the base. In the top vessel pour the milk and add the coconut oil, the 120 g sugar, plus the zest of 1/2 lemon. Whisk these ingredients well together until the sugar is dissolved. Then set aside the top vessel and allow your ingredients to cool. You can discard the base vessel.

Take out a large bowl. Sift in the flours, the baking powder, the baking soda, the guar gum and the salt. Whisk all this ingredients together to mix them well.

Place the 100 g sugar in your well-cleaned and dried spice grinder. I keep a coffee grinder just for spices and sugar. Set it to 'fine' and grind the sugar for a minute or a bit over, until it has the consistency of confectioner sugar. In a medium sized bowl, place the coconut milk, add the ground sugar, the pinch of salt, the zest and the juice from the other 1/2 lemon. Mix these ingredients with a fork at first to incorporate all of them into the coconut milk. Then continue with the hand mixer set at medium speed (4 or 5 out of 10) until the sugar is well combined with the milk and if you taste a bit of your mix you won't feel the granules. Turn off the hand mixer. Wash the paddles and let them dry.

Strain your cashew nuts. Process them in your food processor, at low speed for about 2 minutes and then at medium speed for other 2 minutes. Add the coconut milk mix and keep processing for an extra minute. Transfer your vegan cheese composition in a clean bowl, homogenize it well with a wooden spoon, cover with waxed parchment paper and place it in the refrigerator. 

Set your oven at 375F.

Pour the well-cooled ingredients from your top bain marie vessel over the dry mix of flours and add the juice from the other 1/2 lemon too. Whisk them all together and when the wet ingredients are incorporated into the dry ones, replace the whisk with the hand mixer and keep mixing for 5 to 7 minutes.

Take out your round 9" cake pan. Place the dough in the pan and smooth its surface with a wooden spatula that you deep in water first, so the dough won't stick to the wood. Once your dough looks equal in height all around the pan, place the cake pan on a large flat cast iron pan (I use our pizza pan) and put the pans on the top grid in the oven. Allow it to bake for 60 minutes. Then remove the pans from the oven, take the cake out of its pan and allow it to cool on a kitchen rack.  Lay on your table a fat quarter of flannel (18"x22"), over this a fat quarter of organic cotton and transfer the baked and cooled cake on the cotton. Wrap the cake first in cotton, then in flannel, same way you would do with a baby, and cover it with a silicone baking sheet liner. This way, the cake will keep cooling without drying. I keep a fat quarter of flannel and another one of organic cotton just for gluten-free bread and cakes.

When the baked dough feels cold to the touch, place it in a 9" pan with detachable walls. Take out from the refrigerator your 'vegan cheese' and spread it well on the top of the cake with a spatula. Then place your cake in the freezer for 2 to 3 hours. 

Once out from the freezer, transfer your cake on a serving platter. Decorate it with the orange marmalade, cut yourself a nice slice and enjoy!  I take my vegan cheesecake with a cup of elderflower tea. 

 This vegan gluten-free cheesecake is a yummy replacement of the Easter cheesecake (paska). 

Gluten-free Vegan

80 to 90 minutes

1 pound

2 medium sized eggplants 

3 red bell peppers

2 medium sized onions, finely diced

1 fennel, finely diced

2 cups tomato juice

1 cup of water

1-2 tsp olive oil, cold pressed extra virgin if possible

1 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp dry basil and thyme

2 bay leaves

Tap the washed and dried eggplants and bell peppers with an oiled (olive oil) sheet of paper towel and place the oiled veggies in a large enough lidded pan made of cast iron. Put the pan in the oven and let the vegetables roast for 40 to 45 minutes at 400F. When they are ready, take the pan out of the oven, remove the lid and carefully transfer them in a ceramic bowl. Let them cool for at least 10 minutes or until you can touch them without burning your hands.

Set your stove at medium to high temperature. Place a cast iron pan on it and pour the tomato juice and the water in your pan. Add the sea salt, the basil, the thyme, the bay leaves and the cayenne pepper and mix it occasionally with a wooden spatula until it reaches the boiling point. Then turn down the stove to bring it to a simmer, and add the diced onion and fennel. Cover the pan and return to the roasted vegetables.

Remove the roasted peel from the eggplants and the bell peppers (it should come out easily). Than chop their roasted flesh as finely as you can and add it to the veggies and tomato mix in your pan on the stove. Use your wooden spatula to homogenize the veggie spread, cover it with the lid but leave a small space for the vapors to exit, and let it simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.

You could store your veggie spread in glass jars in your refrigerator, once it has cooled to room temperature. 

I enjoy mine served on mini-slices of amaranth, corn and millet polenta (see the recipe), decorated with a green olive.

Vegan

2 1/4 hours

2-pound loaf

450 g whole wheat flour plus extra for kneading and braiding

80 g ground flax seeds

50 g any other type of whole seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, poppy)

1 tbsp dry yeast

1 tbsp mix of spices or herbs of your choice

1 tsp sea salt

350 ml spring water at room temperature

Sift the flour in a large bowl. Add the ground and whole seeds, the dry yeast, the spices and the sea salt. Whisk all the dry ingredients together until they are well homogenized.

Create a nest in the middle using your hands and pour all the spring water in that nest. Now you have a little pond. Using the whisk, incorporate the flour into the water little by little starting at the edge of the pound. You should obtain a lumpy mix. Transfer it on your kneading board and start working the dough until it doesn't stick to your fingers, it is smooth and holds its shape. It usually needs about 15 minutes of kneading.

Flour the kneading board, give a round shape to the dough, place it on the board, flour the dough too, cover it with a clean towel and let it rest at room temperature for about 45 to 50 minutes or until it doubles its size.

Flour your baking tray or pan.

Give any form you like to your dough: round loaf, buns, braided. Use a bit of flour so the dough won't stick to your fingers or board and do not knead it this time, just shape it.

Place the shaped dough in the baking tray or pan, flour again the dough, cover with the same towel and let it rest for another 40 to 50 minutes.

Set your oven at 350F and bake the bread for 45 to 50 minutes.

When it is ready, let it cool on a kitchen rack.

And enjoy!

Vegan

55 minutes

8 servings

Dry ingredients:

• 3 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 cup ground flax seeds
• 1/2 cup seeds of your choice, other than flax
• 1 tbsp spices of your choice, optional
• 1 tbsp dry yeast
• 1 tsp sea salt

Liquid ingredients:

• 2 cups of water
• 2 tbsp olive oil or grape seed oil

Place all the dry ingredients in a proper bowl and whisk them together until they are well homogenized. 

Create a sort of nest in the middle of the flour and pour the liquid ingredients in there.

Combine the dry and the liquid ingredients, at the beginning using the whisk then your own fingers. 

Transfer the dough on the kneading board and work it with your hands for about 10 minutes.

Place it back in the bowl, sprinkle a bit of flour on the kneaded dough, cover it with a kitchen towel and let it rest for about 30 minutes.

Set your stove at medium temperature and place a large cast iron sheet on it. I use my pizza pan.

Portion the dough into eight pieces. Stretch each one of them with the rolling pin. Then bake them on the cast iron sheet, 6 to 7 minutes on one side and 3 to 4 minutes on the other side.

Once they are baked, transfer them on a clean kitchen towel and keep them covered until they cool a bit.

Enjoy!

Gluten-free Vegan

1 to 2 days

1 quart

• 1 quart of non-dairy milk. I use a blend of 1/3 rice milk and 2/3 almond/ cashew/ coconut/ organic soy milk. The rice milk has a higher content of carbohydrates and it will sustain the fermentation better.
• starter: 5 g freeze-dried kefir flora or 3-4  tbsp of fermented non-dairy kefir from your previous batch. 

Place your bain marie pot on your stove set at high heat. When the water starts simmering, turn down your stove to medium-low and pour the quart of non-dairy milk in your top vessel to warm it a bit. Whisk the milk so you equalize the temperature. Do not heat it, just make sure it is warm.

Have your fermentation containers cleaned and ready to be filled. I prefer 1/2 quart lidded glass jars. 

If you chose the dried flora, dissolve it first well in 1/2 cup of warmed milk. Pour your starter into the warm milk and mix it well to ensure a good distribution of the flora. 

Fill your containers, but make sure they are about one inch empty at the top. Place the lid on in such a manner that it will allow the fermentation gases to leave. Store the fermentation containers at room temperature (between 70 F and 85 F). It takes about 12-36 hours for the kefir to be ready, depending on how active your flora is. 

Once fermented, keep the kefir in your refrigerator.

Enjoy!

I prefer adding 2 tablespoons of non-dairy kefir to my vegetable soup for extra flavor.

The non-dairy kefir is less thick than the dairy kefir.

In USA, most of the soy is GM, so try to use the organic soy milk.

Gluten-free Vegan

30 minutes plus 4 h to chill

10 servings

For the sponge:

• 1/2 cup oat flakes
• 1/2 cup buckwheat flakes
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 1/2 cup brown cane sugar
• 3 cups spring water
• 13 almonds
• 3 tbsp ground cocoa or carob
• 3 tbsp coconut butter
• 1 tbsp decaf instant coffee
• 40 g dark chocolate (at least 75% cocoa)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
• 1/2 tsp rum essence
• the zest of 1/2 orange

For the creme

• 3 cups of baked sweet potato, peeled
• 1/2 cup brown cane sugar
• 2 tbsp ground cocoa or carob
• 2 tbsp coconut butter
• 20 g dark chocolate (at least 75% cocoa)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
• 1/2 tsp rum essence
• the zest of the other half of orange

For decorating

• one orange, peeled and sliced 
• a few pieces of dark chocolate

The Sponge

Place the spring water and the almonds in your nutribullet and blend until you obtain almond milk.  Pour the milk in a 2-quart pan and place it on your stove set at medium-low heat. Give it a minute until the milk starts to warm, then add one by one while whisking the flavors, the sugar, the cocoa powder,  the coffee, the butter, and the chocolate. When all the ingredients are homogeneously combined, start adding the flakes and the cornmeal; and keep whisking for 2 to 3 minutes while the grains are absorbing the liquid and the sponge increases it consistency. Then turn the stove to low heat, cover the pan with a lid leaving a small opening so the steam can exit, and let the sponge cook for an extra 5 to 7 minutes.

Take 1 cup of composition out of your pan and set it apart.

Pour the rest of the sponge in a 6-inch round pan using a wet wooden spatula to distribute the composition evenly. Leave the 6-inch pan on the counter to rest while you are preparing the creme.

The Creme

Place in your food processor the cup of sponge composition that you set apart, and all the other ingredients listed above. Blend them well until they turn into a smooth creme. Pour this composition over the sponge in your 6-inch pan. Use your wooden spatula to make sure that the creme is equally spread on top of the sponge.

Decorate with the slices of orange and the pieces of chocolate.

Cover the 6-inch round pan and leave it on the counter until it is cool to the touch and ready to be refrigerated. Let the chocolate cake chill for at least 3 hours then serve.

And enjoy!