Ingredients

For the fava bean soup

700 g dried fava beans, soaked in filtered water for 12 hours, drained then rinsed under cold running water
1 small shallot, peeled and chopped
3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
whole sea salt, just enough to taste

For the cherry tomato and basil relish

2 handfuls cherry tomatoes, cleaned and cut into halves or quarters
extra virgin olive oil, to taste (and some more, to serve)
whole salt, just enough to taste
a large handful of fresh basil, cleaned and chopped

Makes 4 servings.

Directions

Cook the fava beans until very tender (use 2 parts water to 1 part beans). In a pot, sauté the shallot in the olive oil, then add it to the soup. Season with salt and process with a blender until smooth. Let cool at room temperature then refrigerate.

Place the cherry tomatoes in a salad bowl, add the olive oil, salt and basil and toss. Refrigerate until serving time.

When the soup is cold and ready to be served, divide it among individual bowls then top with some extra olive oil and the cherry tomato and basil relish.

Ingredients

70-80 g semi-whole long grain rice
70-80 black venere rice
juice of half a lemon
4-5 handfuls of fresh peas (out of pod), cooked in boiling and slightly salted water for 5-7 minutes, drained, rinsed under cold running water and set aside to cool
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1 zucchini, cleaned and diced
2 small handfuls of pumpkin seeds
pickled ginger (sushi ginger), chopped, to taste
sesame oil, to taste
a pinch of whole sea salt
nori flakes, to taste
fresh chives, cleaned and chopped, to taste

Makes 2 servings.

Directions

Cook the long grain rice in plenty of boiling, slightly salted water. Cook the black venere rice the same way in a separate pan. Make sure the rice is still al dente when you drain it. Rinse it under cold running water and transfer it into a salad bowl. Add the lemon juice and some sesame oil and refrigerate until it’s completely cold. To assemble your rice salad, take out the rice from the fridge and add all the vegetables, the ginger, some more sesame oil, the  salt, the nori flakes and toss. Top with the chives and serve cool.

Ingredients

10-15 long flat beans, cleaned, trimmed, cut into pieces, cooked in salted boiling water for 3-4 minutes (they should stay crispy and bright green), then rinsed under cold running water and drained well
2-3 handfuls of fava beans, cleaned and unshelled
6-8 date or cherry tomatoes, cleaned and sliced
1 small handful of capers, soaked in filtered water for at least 10 minutes, then rinsed and drained well (and pat dried with kitchen paper)
1-2 large handfuls of fresh basil, cleaned and chopped
1 handful of pine nuts
extra virgin olive oil, to taste (not less than 6-8 tablespoons)
whole sea salt, just enough to taste

Makes 2 servings.

Directions

Place the flat beans in a large salad bowl (making sure they are cold), add the fava beans, tomatoes and capers and mix. Combine the chopped basil and the pine nuts in a mortar and pound with the pestle until blended. Add the olive oil a little at a time pounding with the pestle until you reach your preferred consistency (you can adjust the amount of oil). Add the salt, mix again and use the sauce as dressing for the salad.

Ingredients

4-5 handfuls of fava beans
1 and a half handfuls of hijiki seaweeds, soaked in filtered water for 15-20 minutes, then cooked in boiling water for another 15 minutes, drained, rinsed under cold running water and drained again
1 cucumber, cleaned and cut into small sticks
4-5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons tamari
juice of half a lemon
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
a pinch of whole sea salt
a pinch of chili powder
fresh basil, cleaned and chopped, to taste

Makes 2 servings.

Directions

In a salad bowl, mix the fava beans with the hijiki and the cucumber. Add the olive oil, tamari, lemon, salt, chili and basil and toss gently until thoroughly coated. Refrigerate to chill for about 10-15 minutes before serving.

Ingredients

350 g ripe strawberries, cleaned and coarsely puréed
150 g rice malt syrup
juice of half a lemon
half a teaspoon powdered cardamom
a few pinches of powdered vanilla
half a teaspoon agar agar powder, dissolved in 1 tablespoon filtered water

Makes about 1 jar.

Directions

Put the strawberries in a large heavy-based saucepan. Add the malt syrup, lemon, cardamom and vanilla and toss until combined. Cook the fruit over medium heat for 10-15 minutes, then turn the heat down to low and keep cooking for another 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the agar gar, stir well and simmer for 5-10 minutes, or until the fruit has thickened, stirring constantly to keep from sticking to the pan. Turn the heat off, pour the strawberry mixture into individual jars. Let cool before covering each jar with a tight-fitting lid. Store in the fridge, where it will keep for up to 10 days, 2 weeks.

Ingredients

150 g semi-whole durum wheat orecchiette
1 small bunch of asparagus, cleaned and cut into pieces
extra virgin olive oil, to taste
10-12 baby date tomatoes (or cherry tomatoes), cut into quarters
a handful of olives (I used Taggiasca), pitted and roughly chopped
1 small bunch of fresh chives, cleaned and chopped
1 small handful of fresh mint, cleaned and chopped

Makes 2 servings.

Directions

Bring a pan of plenty water to a boil, add some salt and cook the orecchiette and the asparagus until al dente (cooking times vary, but make sure you add the asparagus just 5-7 minutes before the pasta is done). Drain and rinse under cold running water. Drain again and transfer into a salad bowl. Drizzle with the olive oil and let cool. Add the tomatoes, olives, chives and mint (and a little more olive oil if needed), toss and serve cool.

Ingredients

150 g rice malt syrup
130 g raw almond butter
20 g raw coconut oil
50 ml almond milk (unflavoured and unsweetened)
65 ml almond cream, or other GMO-free, vegetable cream (unflavoured and unsweetened)
1 teaspoon powdered cinnamon

Makes 2-4 servings.

Directions

Put all the ingredients in the bowl of a mixer and process until smooth. Transfer the mixture into the fridge for about 30 minutes then pour it into your ice cream maker and process according to the manufacturer’s instructions. 40 minutes should be enough to make a creamy, thick ice cream. At the end of the cycle, remove the ice cream from the machine and divide it into bowls. Eat the ice cream right away or keep it in the freezer until serving time.

Ingredients

half a small head of cooked Romanesco broccoli (which should be about 180-200 g)
215 g cooked whole Baldo rice (which is about 150-170 g uncooked), preferably al dente
1-2 tablespoons raw sesame oil
1 tablespoons tahin
half a teaspoon powdered coriander seeds
half a teaspoon powdered cumin
half a teaspoon dried ginger powder
freshly ground black pepper, just enough to taste
whole sea salt, just enough to taste
a small handful of parsley leaves, preferably fresh, cleaned and finely chopped
1 teaspoon cleaned and chopped chives, preferably fresh
2 tablespoons white sesame seeds
2 tablespoons ground white sesame seeds (you can grind them yourself in a spice or coffee grinder)

To complete

3 handfuls of peeled almonds
1 tablespoon flakes of nutritional yeast

Makes 16-18 balls.

Directions

Using a potato masher or fork, mash the broccoli until no large pieces remain. Transfer the broccoli mash into a large bowl, add the cooked rice, sesame oil, tahin, spices, salt, parsley, chives and sesame seeds (whole and ground) and stir well to combine all ingredients. To shape the balls, wet your hands with a little water to prevent the mixture from sticking. They should be slightly smaller than a golf ball. Set the balls aside on a sheet of parchment paper or a tray. In a coffee grinder, finely grind the almonds with the nutritional yeast. Roll the rice balls in the almond-yeast powder and serve at room temperature.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon Himalayan salt
1 teaspoon flakes of dulse seaweed
1 teaspoon rooibos tea

Directions

Finely grind all ingredients with a pestle in a mortar (or use a coffee grinder for a finer texture). Store in a jar.

Ingredients

400 g stale wholemeal bread
600 ml oat milk, plain (unflavoured) and unsweetened
200 ml apple juice, with no added sugar
150 ml vegetable cream, GMO-free (I used almond cream)
100 g rice malt syrup
2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract
4 red apples, cleaned, cored, peeled and thinly sliced
200 ml filtered water
2-3 tablespoons apple juice concentrate, with no added sugar
half a teaspoon vanilla powder
maple syrup (grade B), to serve 

Directions

Pre-heat the oven to 170° C. In a large bowl, mix together oat milk, apple juice, cream, malt syrup and vanilla. Cut the bread into small cubes and stir it into the liquid mixture. Let soak for at least 40-45 minutes. Now and then, mash the bread with a fork. Add some more oat milk and apple juice if necessary (it shouldn’t be, but that depends on the kind of bread you use).
In the meantime, put the sliced apples in a pan, add the water, apple juice concentrate and vanilla, stir well and cook over low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring often. Remove the apples from the heat. Transfer some of the bread mixture into a lightly oiled baking pan (or divide it between small oven safe ramekins), add one layer of the sliced apples and repeat with remaining mixture and apple slices. Bake for about one hour. Check for donness by piercing with a knife: it should come out clean. Cook a bit longer if necessary. Serve either warm or cold drizzled with some maple syrup.

Ingredients

1 medium cauliflower, cleaned and divided into florets
200 ml plain (unflavoured), unsweetened, GMO-free vegetable cream (I used almond cream)
3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
whole sea salt, just enough to taste
1 teaspoon powdered turmeric
grated nutmeg, to taste
1 tablespoon poppy seeds

Directions

Preheat oven to 170° C. Blanch the cauliflower florets by placing them in boiling water (lightly salted with some whole sea salt) for 2-3 minutes. Drain, rinse immediately with cold water, drain again and place the florets in a oven safe casserole. In a bowl, whisk together the almond cream, oil, salt, turmeric, nutmeg and poppy seeds and pour the mixture over the cauliflower. Sprinkle with some more nutmeg, if desidered, bake for 25-30 minutes, then remove from the oven and serve warm.

Ingredients

150 g whole rice, washed in cold water, well drained then cooked in water until very tender
160 g rice malt syrup
3 tablespoons light and fruity extra virgin olive oil
zest of 1 organic lemon, grated
3 tablespoons whole rice flour
80 g corn flour (GMO-free)
a pinch of whole sea salt
a few pinches of vanilla powder
1 tablespoon cornstarch (GMO-free)
3 handfuls of sultanas, soaked in 3 tablespoons mirin for about 15 minutes then drained and pat dried
powdered brown cane sugar or extra fine almond flour, to serve

Directions

Preheat the oven to 170° C. Place cooked rice, malt syrup and oil in the bowl of a mixer and process until very smooth. Transfer the mixture into a bowl, add all remaining ingredients and stir well until everything is incorporated. Place a sheet of parchment-paper on a baking tray and scoop up a spoonful of batter and drop it onto the parchment-paper. Repeat with remaining mixture. Once the fritters have been placed on the baking sheet bake for 20-25 minutes or until crisp and golden on both sides (you can turn the fritters over with a spatula). Remove from the oven, transfer onto a plate, absorb any excess oil with kitchen paper (this step shouldn’t be really necessary), sprinkle with some powdered sugar or almond flour and eat warm.

Ingredients

For the crust

260 g semi-whole wheat flour
40 g whole rice flour
half a teaspoon whole sea salt
100-120 ml filtered water
120 ml extra virgin olive oil

For the filling (to fill 4-6 baskets)

100 g chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons rice malt syrup
4 tablespoons apricot jam, with no added refined sugar and naturally sweetened with agave syrup or rice malt syrup or dark brown unrefined sugar such as Muscovado
a pinch of whole sea salt
half a teaspoon grated orange zest
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice

For the vanilla cream

200 ml oat milk
50 ml almond cream
seeds from half a vanilla pod
a pinch of whole sea salt
4 tablespoons rice malt syrup
2 tablespoons whole rice flour, sifted
1 tablespoon corn starch, dissolved in 2 tablespoons cold water

Directions

To make the crust, stir the flours and salt together in a large bowl and place them in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. Refrigerate the water so that it’s perfectly chilled when you start making the dough. Freeze the olive oil in a proper container (the oil should remain in the freezer for about 30-45 minutes, until very creamy). When all the crust ingredients are chilled, add the olive oil to the dry mixture and work with a fork until the oil has been absorbed by the flour. Keep mixing with the fork, as your hands would be too warm, then add the water little by little, just enough to make a good grainy texture. You might not need all the water indicated, but make sure the dough holds together. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and transfer it in the refrigerator for about 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 180° C. Remove the dough (or just some of it) from the fridge and place it on a lightly floured surface, dust your rolling-pin with flour, roll the dough out to the desired thickness (2-4 mm) and cut into squares. Oil some tiny pie pans or muffin tins and sprinkle with a light coating of flour. Arrange the dough squares in the tins, poke a few holes in the dough with a fork to let the steam escape, trim off any excess round the edges and bake for 10-12. Remove from the oven, let cool for a few minutes then unmold and set aside until they’re ready to be filled.

To prepare the filling, combine all the filling ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Set aside.

To make the vanilla cream, warm up the milk over low heat, add the cream, vanilla, salt and malt syrup and stir until combined. Slowly add the sifted rice flour and simmer for 2-3 minutes while mixing. Stir in the corn starch and cook for another couple of minutes until the cream thickens. Remove from the heat and set aside.

To assemble, fill the baskets with the orange and walnut filling and top with some vanilla cream. The vanilla cream is equally delicious served warm or cold. Garnish with grated orange zest, if desired.

Ingredients

100 g quinoa flour
200 g semi-whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
a pinch of whole sea salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
half a teaspoon cardamom powder
200 ml plain (unflavoured) and unsweetened rice milk
70 ml extra virgin olive oil
80 g rice malt syrup
20 ml maple syrup (grade C)
100 g dark chocolate (70% cocoa), broken into pieces
3 handfuls of dried sour cherries

Makes 10-12 muffins.

Directions

Preheat oven to 180° C. In a large bowl,  combine the quinoa flour, wheat flour, cornstarch, cream of tartar, salt, baking soda, cardamom powder and stir to blend well. In another bowl combine the milk, olive oil, rice malt syrup, maple syrup and whisk well. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir gently until the ingredients are combined but make sure you don’t over mix the batter. Add the chocolate and cherries and give another stir just to make sure they’re evenly incorporated into the batter. Fill the muffin cups or muffin tray with the batter, using a spoon. Place in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the top is lightly browned and a toothpick or knife inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Remove from the oven, let cool for a couple of minutes, unmold the muffins and place them on a wire rack to let cool.

Thoughts, tips, ideas

If you want to enjoy the bits of melted chocolate, eat the muffins while they’re still warm. Or whenever you fancy one, you can always warm it up. Anyways, they’re equally good cold. 

Ingredients

For the marinated tempeh

400 g tempeh, cut into cubes
2 tablespoons shoyu
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon ginger juice (from 2-3 cm fresh ginger root, peeled, grated and squeezed)
1 garlic clove (sprout removed), cut in quarters
filtered water

To cook the tempeh

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon shoyu
2 tablespoons filtered water
2-3 handfuls of raisins, soaked in filtered water for 5 minutes then drained and pat dried with kitchen paper
1 teaspoon dried rosemary, flakes or powder

For the cabbage

half a red cabbage, cleaned and cored, finely sliced into strips
extra virgin olive oil, to taste
apple vinegar, to taste
a pich of whole sea salt

Makes 2-4 servings.

Directions

In a bowl, combine the tempeh cubes, shoyu, rice vinegar and garlic. Add some filtered water, just enough to cover the tempeh. Cover with a lid or kitchen foil or cling film and place in the fridge. Leave to marinate for 8-12 hours.

When the tempeh is ready to be cooked, remove the cubes from the marinade (which can be used once more to marinate some extra tempeh). Heat a frying pan or wok over a high heat and add the olive oil, shoyu and water. Stir in the tempeh cubes and sauté for a couple of minutes or until the oil, shoyu and water have been absorbed. Add the raisins and the rosemary, toss and remove from the heat. Let cool slightly (I’d say 2-3 minutes). In the meantime, place the red cabbage strips in a salad bowl, add the olive oil, the apple vinegar and the salt and toss. Add the rosemary-raisin-tempeh cubes, toss again and serve.

Ingredients

100 g dark chocolate, fair trade
2 tablespoons plain oat milk
1 pinch whole sea salt
100 g barley malt syrup
200 g almond butter
70 g whole puffed barley

Makes 20 treats.

Directions

In a saucepan in a bain-marie, melt the chocolate with the milk and salt, stirring constantly. As soon as it’s melted, remove the chocolate from the fire and add the barley malt syrup. Stir to combine and add the almond butter. Stir very well and add the puffed barley. When everything is well incorporated and the barley is coated with the chocolate and almond butter mixture, wet your hands and roll the mixture into balls with a flat bottom. Place on a sheet of parchment paper or a tray and let cool for about 30-40 minutes (you might want to refrigerate them if your kitchen is to warm). When they’re set, enjoy at room temperature. They keep for up to 3-4 days (if it’s too warm, store them in the fridge, but remember that they’re more gooey at a standard room temperature).

Ingredients

1 garlic clove, peeled
a pinch of whole sea salt
a pinch of white pepper
a pinch of chili powder
6-8 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
fresh thyme leaves, to taste
fresh oregano, to taste
250-300 g plain seitan, broken into small, bite-sized chunks

Makes 2 servings (or more if served as finger food).

Start by pounding the garlic in a mortar and pestle, then add the salt, pepper, chili, oil, lemon, thyme and oregano. Using the pestle in a circular motion, coarsely grind the mixture then set aside. Break the seitan into small, bite-sized chunks. Place a heavy bottomed pan on the heat and wait until it’s hot. Dip the seitan chunks in the marinade making sure they’re completely covered and cook until they’re evenly golden brown. Transfer the seitan onto a serving plate, pour the left-over marinade (if any) over, and serve. You can also enjoy the seitan as finger food, using toothpicks or skewer sticks.

Ingredients

250 g chickpeas, soaked for 8-10 hours then cooked in filtered water with a pinch of whole sea salt (use canned chickpeas only if you really have to)
8-10 cherry tomatoes (I used black cherry tomatoes), washed and cut into wedges
4 large handfuls of fresh parsley, rinsed, pat dried and more ore less finely chopped
half a red onion, peeled and finely sliced
juice of 1 lemon
a small handful of fresh mint leaves, washed and pat dried, whole or chopped
half a teaspoon of ground cumin
chilli powder, just enough to taste
extra virgin olive oil, to taste
whole sea salt, just enough to taste

Makes 2-4 servings.

Directions

Cook the chickpeas in a pressure cooker or large pot until al dente. Rinse them under cold running water, put them in a salad bowl then let cool completely (first at room temperature, then in the fridge). In the meantime, prepare the vegetables. Once the chickpeas are chilled, add the tomatoes, the parsley, the onion, the lemon juice, the mint, the cumin and the chilli powder. Toss and sprinkle with the the olive oil and salt then toss again and serve immediately.

Ingredients

200 g pearled or semi-pearled farro, rinsed under running water (plus natural mineral or filtered water, and a pinch of whole sea salt to cook it -use 1 part farro, 2 parts water)
the juice of 1 lemon
2 large handfuls of  fresh green beans, ends trimmed, washed and cut into pieces (plus natural mineral or filtered water and a pinch of whole sea salt, to cook them)
5-6 sun dried tomatoes, soaked in natural mineral or filtered water for about 30 minutes
a handful of capers, soaked in natural mineral or filtered water for about 10 minutes
2 cloves of garlic, peeled
a small handful of fresh mint
a couple leaves of fresh basil
10-12 cherry tomatoes, washed
extra virgin olive oil, to taste
whole sea salt, just enough to taste
chilli powder, to taste

Makes 4 servings.

Directions

Put the farro and the water in a pan. Add the salt and bring to a boil over medium heat. Turn the heat down a little, cover with a lid and let cook. The farro should be ready in about 30 minutes (about 15 if you are using a pressure cooker). As soon as the farro is cooked al dente, drain well and transfer it into a large salad bowl. Pour half of the lemon juice over it, stir well and let cool (first at room temperature, then in the fridge).
In the meantime, cook the green beans in boilig salted water (5-6 minutes should be enough, do not overcook). Drain the green beans, rinse them under cold running water, pat dry and transfer them into a bowl. Add the remaining lemon juice and let cool (first at room temperature then in the fridge). Once the soaking time is over, rinse the sun dried tomatoes, pat dry them and chop or cut them. Rinse the capers and pat dry them. Mince the garlic, mint and basil. Cut the cherry tomatoes into halves or wedges. When both the farro and the green beans are cold mix them together in the salad bowl and add the remaining ingredients. Toss, sprinkle with oil, salt and chilli powder and toss once more just before serving.

Thoughts, tips, ideas

Pearled or semi-pearled farro can be substituted with whole farro or barley (pearled or whole). If you use whole grains, they need to be soaked first and of course the cooking time varies from grain to grain.

Ingredients

250 g brown lentils, soaked for at least six hours then cooked in natural mineral or filtered water with a pinch of whole sea salt (used canned lentils, if you really have to)
water and whole sea salt, to cook the lentils
2 cucumbers, ends cut off, washed, peeled and diced
1 red pepper, core and seeds removed, washed and diced
2 large handfuls of fresh parsley, coarsely chopped
1 red onion, peeled and diced
1 clove of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
extra virgin olive oil, to taste
apple vinegar, to taste
whole sea salt, just enough to taste
ground white pepper, just enough to taste
chilli powder, to taste

Makes 4 servings.

Directions

Cook the lentils in a pressure cooker or large pot until al dente. Rinse the lentils under cold running water, put them in a salad bowl then let cool completely (first at room temperature, then in the fridge) before adding the cucumbers, pepper, parsley, onion and garlic. Toss and add the olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper and chilli powder. Toss again then trasfer into the fridge to cool for at least half hour. Serve chilled.