Zizi's Adventures - Real Food, Real Stories

Winter Vitamin Intake With Freshly Pressed Juices

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Although we have the opportunity to eat raw, fresh vegetables and fruits during winter time, the range is substantially less than at spring and summer time. What do we like eating that is raw? In Hungary the most popular winter fruits are apple, pear and the citruses (orange, grapefruit, mandarin, lemon) + banana from abroad. As a matter of fact, there are not too many seasonal vegetables that are eaten raw. I like carrot, beetroot, kohlrabi, red onion and garlic – these are the most common I eat raw.

I think beetroot has the most beautiful ruby red colour of all vegetables. Beetroot is a rich source of potent antioxidants and nutrients, including magnesium, sodium, potassium, iron, vitamin A, B1, B2 and C, and betaine, which is important for cardiovascular health and it is a good source of antioxidants. Beetroot juice has been shown to lower blood pressure, it has been linked with better stamina and improved blood flood.


Beetroot has a rich, earthy flavour (either you love it or hate it) with a mild, bitter edge. Mixing beet with other vegetables or fruits cut through the earthy taste and enhances the sweet taste of this red miracle.

Be a friend of the beetroot, it loves you more than you think. Its beautiful red and pinkish colour is very relaxing. I know, I tested it!

Red daemon juice

Ingredients (serves 2)

– 3 small beetroot, peeled
– 2 apple, deseeded
– 1 orange, peeled
– small piece of ginger, peeled
– juice of 1/2 lemon

Method

Press everything (except lemon juice) through the juicer. Mix in the lemon juice and serve immediately. If you don’t like the earthy flavor of the beet, dilute the juice with 1/4 cup water.

Homemade Chocolate Hazelnut Spread aka The Legend of Homemade Nutella

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Homemade edible Christmas gifts are so popular and fashionable nowadays. Cookies, biscuits, jams, chutneys, granolas, savory treats make special presents for any occasion, especially at Christmas. A homemade edible gift has so much love in it. Download cute food labels, wrap the presents nicely and the success will be guaranteed.

This homemade Nutella is not only mouthwatering on the photo but it is very addictive. Make sure to do a double batch because you will want your own Christmas gift too. 🙂 Look for good quality milk- and bittersweet chocolate for this recipe to avoid unnecesarry additives and sugar. For more sophisticated friends  and relatives make this Nutella from 350 g milk and 150 g bittersweet (70% cocoa content) chocolate. Vegans should use chocolate made with rice milk.

There is a similar recipe on my friend, Emiko’s blog (she also shot a video too).

Homemade Nutella

Ingredients (makes 500 ml, about 2 cups)

– 250 g hazelnut
– 400 g milk chocolate
– 100 g bittersweet chocolate
– 3 tablespoons hazelnut or coconut oil
– 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
– 1/2 teaspoon salt

Method

Preheat the oven to 170C (338F). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, place the hazelnuts on it and toast them for about 8-10 minutes until the nuts have darkened and the skins have blistered. Wrap the nuts in a kitchen towel and rub to remove as much of the skin as possible. Let cool completely.

In a food processor grind the hazelnuts until they form a paste (about 10-12 minutes). Add hazelnut oil, cocoa powder and salt. Continue to process the mixture until it is very smooth.

Add a little boiling water to a saucepan and heat until simmering. Break the chocolates into small pieces and add to a heatproof bowl. Suspend the bowl over the simmering water, but do not allow the base of the bowl to touch the water. Heat the chocolate, stirring regularly, until melted, then remove from the heat.

Add the melted chocolate to the hazelnut mixture and continue to blend until smooth. Transfer to a jar and let it cool (the texture will be a bit runny, but it will thicken as it cools).

Enjoy!

Superfood Breakfast: Spicy Pumpkin Granola

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Last Friday evening I was listening to this song (a few times) to get in the Christmas mood. Of course the cinnamon, almond, walnut and chocolate aroma in the flat also helped me. So hello December! You’re more than welcome!

I brought you a breakfast recipe that is excellent choice for cold, misty winter mornings. It also can be a Christmas gift idea – I bet success will be guaranteed if you give this as a present. In the last couple of years I always gave homemade gifts for my family and friends. All the time they were amazed how much time, love and energy I put to make everything. I think homemade gifts in a jar are always perfect idea for gift giving. Add a ribbon, a nice tag, wrap it in a rustic paper and whoever gets it, he/she will be impressed.

Granola is a breakfast or snack food, consisting of rolled oats, nuts, honey / maple, rice or agave syrup, and sometimes puffed rice, that is usually baked until crisp.  Dried fruits, chocolate, coconut flakes are also can be added. See another sugar-free granola recipe on my blog.

Spicy Pumpkin Granola
(Recipe: Sara Forte – The Sprouted Kitchen)

Ingredients

– 2 cups rolled oats
– 1/3 cup pumpkin purĂ©e (home baked is the best)
– 1/2 cup walnut
– 1/4 cup maple syrup (rice and agave syrup can be used too)
– 3 tablespoons sesame seeds
– 2 and 1/2 tablespoons coconut oil
– 1 teaspoon cinnamon
– 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
– 1/8 teaspoon ground clove
– 1/2 teaspoon salt
– 1/4 cup dried cranberries

Method

Preheat the oven to 160C (320F). Line a baking tray with parchment paper.

In a bowl mix together rolled oats, walnuts, sesame seeds, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove and salt. In another bowl mix together pumpkin purée, coconut oil and maple syrup. Mix all the ingredients together and spread the mixture evenly on to the baking tray. Bake for 30-40 minutes until golden brown (half time turn everything around with a wooden spoon).

Add dried cranberries, let it cool before serving it with almond/oat/rice milk or store in an air-tight jar in the fridge for 7 days.

Hot Spicy Cocoa For Cold Winter Nights

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Hot spicy cocoa for cold winter nights… it sounds great, doesn’t it? This hot cocoa warms up your body and soul with its spiciness. When you sip your drink, read this short story from one of the books of Chicken Soup For the Soul series. At the end not only your body, your soul will be warm too.

Bobbie Probstein: Love Remains

“One day, while I was lying on a massage table in a dark, quiet room waiting for an appointment, a wave of longing swept over me. I checked to make sure I was awake and not dreaming, and I saw that I was as far removed from a dreamy state as one could possibly be. Each thought I had was like a drop of water disturbing a still pond, and I marveled at the peacefulness of each passing moment.

Suddenly my mother’s face appeared – my mother, as she had been before Alzheimer’s disease had stripped her of her mind, her humanity, and 50 pounds. Her magnificent silver hair crowned her sweet face. She was so real and so close I felt I could reach out and touch her. I even smelled the fragrance of Joy, her favorite perfume. She seemed to be waiting and did not speak. I said, “Oh, Mother, I’m so sorry that you had to suffer with that horrible disease.” She tipped her head slightly to one side, as though to acknowledge what I had said about her suffering. Then she smiled – a beautiful smile – and said very distinctly, “But all I remember is love.” And she disappeared.

I began to shiver in a room gone suddenly cold, and I knew in my bones that the love we give and receive is all that matters and is all that is remembered. Suffering disappears; love remains. Her words are the most important I have ever heard, and that moment is forever engraved on my heart.“

Hot Spicy Cocoa
(Recipe adapted from Babble Food)

Ingredients (serves 2)

– 500 ml almond milk (you can substitute with rice-, oat or soymilk)
– 2 tablespoons unsweetened dark cocoa powder
– 2 tablespons maple syrup
– 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
– 2-3 dashes of cayenne pepper
– pinch of salt

Method

In a pan heat almond milk. Sift the cocoa powder (1 tablespoons each) into mugs. Add 1 tablespoons hot almond milk to each mugs, stirring it briskly (clumps melt away). Season the almond milk with salt, cinnamon and cayenne pepper and pour over the cocoa.

Enjoy!

Superfood Breakfast: Vegan Spicy Pumpkin Oatmeal

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Do you remember superfood breakfasts? I started these posts in February when I. (my boyfriend) and I did a sugar free diet month (thanks for the inspiration for Sarah Wilson). Now that the weather is cold and murky again I feel that only fruit is not enough for breakfast anymore. I need nutritious, hearty breakfasts that give energy for my body. So superfood breakfasts are back!

Porridge is a dish made by boiling oats (whole-grain, rolled, crushed, or steel cut) or other cereal meals in water, milk (also non-dairy milk), or both. Daily consumption of a bowl of oatmeal can lower blood cholesterol, because of its soluble fibre content. Oat also has a warming effect so it’s ideal to eat it during cold months.

I always make oatmeal with non-dairy milk. I mostly use oat- or ricemilk – they have a slightly sweet taste even if they’re unsweetened! You can also substitute soymilk, or almond milk for milk. You won’t even be able to tell the difference in most recipes, including breads, muffins, cakes, cookies, puddings and other creamy desserts.

I added pumpkin purĂ©e to this meal that’s why its colour looks bright yellow. With a bit of maple syrup and spices it is one of the best comfort food breakfast during winter time. It is a small bowl of harmony in terms of its colour and taste.

Suggestion: I always make my homemade pumpkin purée because in Hungary canned ones are not sold. Autumn and winter time I usually bake a small batch of pumpkin every Friday evening for the weekend and next week. It is a good trick when time is short and days are long. Pumpkin purée can be kept in the fridge for 4 or 5 days.

Vegan Spicy Pumpkin Oatmeal

Ingredients (serves 2)

– 60 g rolled oats
– 110 g pumpkin purĂ©e
– 350 ml oatmilk
– 2-3 tablespoons maple syrup (you can substitute with agave, rice syrup or honey)
– 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
– a pinch of grated nutmeg
– a pinch of grated clove
– small handful of walnut

Method

Roast the walnuts in a dry pan for 6-8 minutes then set aside.

In a small pan over medium heat start cooking rolled oats with the oatmilk. When milk is almost absorbed and oats are fluffy, add pumpkin purée, maple syrup and the spices. If you find it too thick, add more milk, a little at a time. Stir gently and serve it in small bowls. Sprinkle the top with the roasted walnuts.