Zizi's Adventures - Real Food, Real Stories

Vegan Broccoli Cream Soup

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Let’s start the new year with a delicious, nutritious, vegan soup: broccoli cream soup. It’s very easy and quick to make, you only need 25-30 minutes.

Did you know that the word broccoli comes from the Italian plural of broccolo, refers to “the flowering top of a cabbage”. Broccoli is high in vitamin B1, B2, B3 and C, as well as dietary fiber; it also contains multiple nutrients with potent anti-cancer properties. When you cook something from it, use also the stalk – peeled, don’t throw it away!

Instead of cream potato makes the soup creamy and silky. Potato contains vitamins and minerals such as vitamin B6 and C, potassium, magnesium, iron and zinc. The fiber content of a potato with skin (2 g) is equivalent to that of many whole grain breads, pastas, and cereals.

All in all, this soup is a healthy option to start the new year with (especially after Christmas indulgences :)).

Vegan Broccoli Cream Soup

Ingredients (serves 4)

– 1 medium head of broccoli (about 400 g), peel stalk, stalk and florets chopped
– 1 onion, chopped
– 2 cloves garlic, chopped
– 1 medium potato, peeled and diced
– 1 liter (4 cups) vegetable stock + water to thin, as needed
– salt, pepper
– olive oil
– freshly squeezed lemon juice + baguette to serve

Method

In a pan heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sweat onions and garlic until soft (5-6 minutes). Add vegetable stock, potato and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer with a lid on top for about 10-15 minutes. Add in broccoli and cook until the vegetables are tender. Season with salt and pepper.

Remove soup from heat and purée with a hand blender until smooth (if you find it too thick add a little bit more water to thin). Serve immediately in bowls with baguette on the side, dribble olive oil and lemon juice on top.

Mashed Parsnip Potatoes With Thyme

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When I posted the glazed walnut lentil roast I promised to share more vegetarian recipe ideas for Christmas. Last year I cooked/baked more side dishes than ever before to go with the cranberry and pistachio nut roast. It was a new way for me to serve many delicious, scrumptious new tastes. We loved it so much. It’s going to be a tradition in our household!

This year I’m planning to make this mashed parsnip potatoes, baked carrots in a bag, cranberry chutney, roasted brussel sprouts with orange juice and vegan stuffing. Make sensational sides that will complete your Christmas meal, no matter where or what you’re having.

Parsnip is a root vegetable related to the carrot and parsley root but it has a sweeter taste, especially when cooked. Parsnip is rich in potassium and it is a good source of dietary fiber. It is wonderful in soups and stews as well as roasted or mashed like potatoes.

If you want to make this vegan use soy sour cream and Earth Balance spread (instead of sour cream and butter) to make mash creamier.

Mashed Parsnip Potatoes With Thyme

Ingredients (serves 2-3)

– 200 g parsnips, peeled, diced
– 330 g potatoes, peeled, diced
– 100 ml sour cream
– 20 g butter
– 2-3 sprigs of thyme
– salt, pepper

Method

In a large sauce pan cover potatoes and parsnips with water. Bring to boil and simmer until vegetables are tender, 25-30 minutes. Drain potatoes and parsnips. Mash with a potato masher, mixer or immersion blender. Add sour cream and butter to thin a bit and make mash creamier. Season with salt, pepper and thyme.

Serve it warm with a nut roast.

Black Pepper Garlic Tempeh With Cauliflower

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What’s this on the picture… you can ask. I didn’t know either until I met tempeh in October. Tempeh is a traditional soy product originally from Indonesia (especially popular on the island of Java where it is a staple source of protein). It is made by a natural culturing and controlled fermentation process that binds soybeans into a cake form, similar to a very firm vegetarian burger patty.

Like tofu, tempeh is made from soybeans, but it is a whole soybean product with different nutritional characteristics and textural qualities.Tempeh’s fermentation process and its retention of the whole bean give it a higher content of protein, dietary fiber, and vitamins. It has a firm texture and an earthy flavor which becomes more pronounced as it ages.

Have you tried tempeh before? You should give a chance to it!

Black Pepper Garlic Tempeh With Cauliflower
(Recipe: Heidi Swanson – Super Natural Everyday)

Ingredients (serves 4)

– 250 g tempeh, sliced pencil-thick
– 340 g cauliflower, very finely chopped
– 3 medium red onion, chopped
– 10 big cloves garlic, smashed
– 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and grated
– 1 teaspoon chili flakes
– 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
– 3 tablespoons soy sauce
– 2 tablespoons water + more if needed
– 20 g cane sugar
– 3 evőkanál coconut or olive oil

Method

In a large pan heat coconut oil, then start cooking slowly the red onion, chili flakes, garlic and ginger. Stirring occasionally cook over low heat for 10 minutes.

In a small bowl mix together soy sauce, cane sugar and water.

Increase the temperature under the pan, add tempeh. Stir to get the tempeh coated. Add soy sauce mixture, simmer for 2-3 minutes then add cauliflower. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 5 minutes. Uncover, increase the heat and cook/roast until the tempeh and cauliflower get golden brown. Add 2-3 tablespoons water (for not getting it burnt). Remove from the heat and add black pepper.

Serve immediatelly. We ate it with cooked brown rice.

Spicy Carrot Pancake With Warm Cinnamon Honey

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Foamy almond milk

Sometimes life just happens and it doesn’t turn out the way we planned it. “… Maybe our mistakes are what make our fate. Without them what would shape our lives? Perhaps if we never veered of course… we wouldn’t fall in love, or have babies, or be who we are. After all, seasons change. So do places. People come into your life and people go. But it’s comforting to know the ones you love are always in your heart… and if you’re lucky… just a plane or train ride away.“

I was going to cook vegan pumpkin chocolate pancakes and to bake vegan banana chocolate cake for my birthday but as I said, life just happens… and I didn’t have the opportunity and time to do all. Maybe a bit later… I know I will find time because the pancakes and the cake are so yum… at least in my mind ! 🙂

But I brought a stunning recipe for you… instead of pumpkin I used carrot to make these soft, cute pancakes. Carrot is also orange like pumpkin (from β-carotene, which is partly metabolised into vitamin A in humans) so it makes your day bright and shiny.

These pancakes are vegan and sugar-free. I used buchkwheat, whole spelt flour and almond meal to cook them. Full of nutrients… and they are yum too! Instead of honey you can use agave, rice or maple syrup to pour over the pancakes. A real autumn Sunday indulgence… in a healthy way!

Do you want to miss it? I don’t think so! 🙂

Spicy Carrot Pancake With Warm Cinnamon Honey

Ingredients (makes 8-10 pancakes)

– 1 cup buckwheat flour
– 1/4 cup whole spelt flour
– 1/4 cup almond meal
– 1 and 1/2 tablespoons alkaline free baking powder
– 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
– 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
– 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
– 1 and 1/2 cup almond milk (you can substitute with oat or rice milk)
– 1 cup grated carrot
– 2 tablespoons coconut or sunflower oil +  for cooking
– 1/3 cup honey
– 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Method

In a bowl mix together the dry ingredients: flours, almond meal, baking powder, ginger, nutmeg and cardamom. In another bowl mix together  almond milk, coconut oil and grated carrot. Give each mixture a stir then add the wet to the dry combining just until mixed (if you find it too thick add a bit of almond milk 1 tablespoon at a time). Set aside for 5 minutes to allow the batter to rise.

Prepare a non-stick pan with 1 teaspoon coconut oil on medium heat. Spoon batter into pan, forming a pancake. Cook until lightly brown on the bottom. Turn and brown the other side.

In a small pan heat honey with cinnamon for 3-5 minutes. Serve the pancakes with this warm cinnamon honey.
Yum!

Herby French Bean Noodle Salad

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On a rainy, grey autumn day this salad made me cheer up. It has so much flavour and beautiful green colours. It is a bit chewy because of the noodles and crunchy of the raw vegetables and herbs. I think it is a great combination.

You can substitute the French beans with aubergine or cauliflower. The Thai dressing is zingy and fresh. This salad packs loads of flavour in one simple dish!

Recipe from one of my favorite cookbooks, Veg Every Day.

Herby French Bean Noodle Salad

Ingredients (serves 2)

For the noodle salad
– 200 g soba noodles (you can use udon or rice noodles)
– 150 g French beans, ends trimmed
– 1/2 long cucumber, thinly sliced
– 4 spring onions, sliced
– 6-8 fresh basil leaves, chopped
– a small bunch of coriander, chopped
– salt

For the dressing
– 2 cloves garlic, chopped
– grated zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
– 1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes or a small red chilli, finely chopped
– 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
– 1 teaspoon cane sugar
– 1 teaspoon soy sauce
– 1-2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

Method

Cook the noodles according to the instructions on the packet. Drain and set aside. In a small bowl mix together all the dressing’s ingredients and toss it with the cooked noodles until well coated. Set aside.

In a pan cook the beans of lightly salted boiling water until just tender and a bit crunchy (4-6 minutes). Drain well. Toss the noodles with the spring onions, cucumber, beans and herbs.

Serve and enjoy!