Desserts, RECIPES

5 Ingredient Vegan Chocolate Mousse

You can make this mousse in 5 minutes, literaly ! just pull out your blender and voila you have yourself a treat in no time.

Ingredients (serves 2)

  • 2 large ripe avocados
  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/2 cup of almond milk
  • 3 tsp of agave
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Toppings of your choice 🙂

I used chocolate pearls, roasted hazelnuts & a macadamia nut, sprinkled with cocoa powder

Directions:

Purée in a blender or food processor the avocado until smooth.

Mix in together the cocoa powder and milk until well combined.

Add the agave and vanilla extract and blend well one last time.

Transfer the mousse to individual bowls or glasses and store in the fridge until ready to eat.

Delicious and healthy !

Cristina for Peas and Peace

Desserts, RECIPES

Cookie Sandwiches

Imperfect but oh so delicious !

*Makes 18 sandwiches

INGREDIENTS

COOKIES

  • ½ cup maple syrup
  • 1/3 cup of grapeseed oil
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • ½ tsp almond essence
  • 1 ½ cup all purpose flour
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 cup of almond meal

FILLING

  • 150 g vegan dark (70 % cacao) chocolate
  • 1/3 cup + 2 tbsp of coconut milk (Can)
  • 3 tbsp maple syrup

METHOD

COOKIES

  1. In a bowl, whisk up maple syrup, oil, vanilla and almond essence until well combined.
  2. Fold flour into the wet ingredients together with salt.
  3. Finally fold in almond meal until fully combined. The dough should be thick and sticky.
  4. Refrigerate the dough for 60 minutes.
  5. Pre-heat the oven to 355° F and shape the dough into 36 even portions (I used a 1 1/4 scoop), place each ball on a baking tray leaving some room around each cookie.
  6. Flatten each ball with the bottom of a glass or a spatula.
  7. Bake for about 15 mins. Remove the biscuits from the oven, transfer them to a cooling rack and let them cool down completely.
  8. Place some of the ganache on half of the cookies and top with the other half of the cookies.

FILLING

  1. Place roughly chopped up chocolate in a large glass or metal bowl together with coconut milk.
  2. Place the bowl over a pot of water (make sure the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl) and bring the water to a simmer.
  3. Let simmer without stirring, until all the chocolate has melted.
  4. Take the bowl off the heat and whisk the coconut milk / chocolate mixture until combined. Mix in maple syrup.
  5. When the mixture cools down, cover the bowl with cling film and leave it in the fridge for a few hours until it has hardened. You are now ready to sandwich your cookies !

Enjoy !

Cristina for PEAS & PEACE

Desserts, RECIPES

Lemon & Poppyseed Muffins made with Aquafaba

What in the world is Aquafaba ? it is the viscous water in which chickpeas have been cooked in. Due to its ability to mimic functional properties of egg whites in cooking, aquafaba can be used as a direct replacement for them in muffins and other baked goods. You can freeze the excedent aquafa for other recipes.

Ingredients

  • 2 and 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tbsp poppy seeds
  • 2 and 3/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/3 cup aquafaba 
  • 1/3 cup canola
  • 3/4 cup granulated organic sugar
  • 1 cup soya milk
  • 1 and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3/4 tsp teaspoon pure lemon extract
  • 1 tbsp lemon zest (approximately 2 lemons)

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a 12-well regular-size muffin tin with paper cups or spray the wells with oil.
  • Combine the flour, poppy seeds, baking powder in a bowl. Mix well and set aside.
  • Take a separate medium bowl, add the aquafaba and, using a large whisk, whisk it until it is frothy, about 3 minutes. Add the oil slowly while whisking to emulsify. Add the sugar in the same way. Add the milk, vanilla, lemon extract, and zest and whisk well.
  • Add the flour mixture to the milk mixture and, using a wooden spoon, mix the batter until almost no more flour is visible. Lumps are fine; do not overmix.
  • Fill the wells about three-quarters full with the batter. Bake the muffins until a toothpick inserted into the muffin in the middle well comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes.
  • Cool the muffins on a cooling rack for 15 minutes before removing them from the tin. Cool the muffins completely before storing in airtight containers, where they will keep for a few days.

!

Enjoy

Cristina for Peas and Peace

HEALTH

Home Made Orange Juice !

Always better than store bought.

No preservatives, no added sugars.

Made in no time.

It doesn’t have to be expensive, simply buy the less costly oranges you can find at the market.

Cristina for Peas and Peace

RECIPES, Soups

Matzo Ball Soup

*Makes 12 Balls

Ingredients for the Matzo Balls

1 cup matzo meal
1/4 cup chickpea flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup soya milk
1/4 cup canola oil

Ingredients for the Soup

1 tablespoon of olive oil
2 medium carrots, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
6 cups vegetable broth
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

To make the matzo balls, stir all dry ingredients together in a bowl. Stir in the milk and oil until thoroughly mixed.

Cover the bowl and chill the mixture for at least 30 minutes, while you begin the soup.

To make the soup, coat the bottom of a large pot with olive oil and place it over medium heat. Add the carrot and sauté for 5 minutes, until the carrots just begin to soften.

Add the garlic and continue to sauté for another minute.

Stir in the broth. Raise the heat and bring the broth to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer.

Shape the matzo mix into 1 inch balls, pressing the mixture firmly together. Carefully drop each ball into the soup right after forming it.

Allow the soup to cook, uncovered, at a low simmer, for 45 minutes. Do not stir.

When the soup is finished cooking, remove it from the heat and season with salt and pepper to taste. Carefully stir in the dill.

Ladle into bowls and serve.

Desserts, RECIPES

Pecan Pie

Crust
2 cups spelt flour
6 tbsp coconut oil (solid)
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/3 cup cold water
Filling
1/2 cup vegan butter
2 cups pecans, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup pecan halves, for topping
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp coconut sugar
1 cup pitted dates
3/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tbsp vanilla extract

Add spelt flour, coconut oil, salt and cinnamon to a food processor. Pulse until crumbly. Add cold water slowly and pulse to combine. Wrap up in cellophane and set aside to chill in the fridge. 
Add vegan butter and 2 tbsp coconut sugar to a pan and melt over a low heat. Add in chopped pecans and stir to coat well.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9 inch tart pan. Add dates, maple syrup, 1/4 cup of coconut sugar, cornstarch & vanilla extract to food processor and blend well to a smooth paste. Add this to the warm pan of pecans, stir well and simmer gently for 5 mins, until thick.

Roll out chilled pastry between baking paper the circumference of the tart dish and trim off the excess. Pour in pecan filling and top with the remaining pecan halves. Bake for 35 minutes. Allow to cool.
Chill in the fridge until ready to serve !!!

If you like you could top you slice of pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream !!!

Desserts, RECIPES

Brownies

For the base:
235g pitted dates
200g hazelnuts
100g walnuts
100g coconut butter
50g almond flour
50g cacao powder
2 tbsp coconut nectar
Put everything into a food processor until finely ground.


Line a 20 x 20 baking pan with baking paper and press the mixture evenly into the bottom. 


For the frosting:
150g maple syrup
120g coconut oil (melted)
80g cashew butter
50g cacao powder
Mix all ingredients and stir until smooth. Pour on top of the base and transfer to the fridge to set. When set cut into squares. 

Delicious !!!


.
.
.
.
.
.

Mains, RECIPES

PAELLA

*4 Portions

INGREDIENTS

  • 1/2 tsp saffron
  • 600ml vegetable stock
  • 3 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 vegan chorizo style sausage (preferably spicy)
  • 1 onion finely chopped
  • 6 garlic cloves
  • 1 red pepper cut into thin strips
  • 6 cherry tomatoes cut in quarters
  • 1 tbsp tomato purée
  • 2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 200g rice
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 1 lemon
  • Chili, salt & pepper if desired

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Place hot vegetable stock and saffron in a bowl and leave to infuse
  2. Heat a tbsp of oil in a large frying pan on medium heat. Cut the chorizo sausage into small chunks and fry for about 5 minutes until starting to brown on all sides
  3. Transfer the chorizo pieces into a bowl and save for later
  4. Pour remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil into the pan and add the onion. Fry for a few minutes and then add the crushed garlic and peppers
  5. After a few minutes add cherry tomatoes, tomato puree and smoked paprika, stir and leave to cook for a couple of minutes
  6. Next add the rice. Stir and once the rice is translucent on the edges add the saffron infused stock
  7. Let gently simmer for 10 minutes without stirring it. Stir once and leave for a further 10 minutes
  8. Add the frozen peas and sausage and stir
  9. Taste and check the rice is cooked, it should still have a bit of bite but be soft on the outside. Season with salt and pepper and chili flakes
  10. Squeeze juice from half the lemon and use the other half to decorate

Voila !!!

Mains, RECIPES

Stir Fry

Stir Fry is a simple meal to prepare and filled with nutrition. Always Think of putting premium fuel into your body. Nutrients that will keep your body and mind going strong throughout the day and keep you healthy and sound through life !

Sautée all of the following ingredients; Sunflower oil, garlic, sambal oelek for kick (found in all grocery stores), snow peas, yellow bell peppers, carrots, shitake mushrooms. At the very end add tamari sauce and mix well. Top with shallots and raw sesame seeds.

You can certainly change it up and add your favorite vegetables. You may also add, cashews or peanuts, even tofu !

Enjoy !

Cristina for Peas & Peace