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

For the cake

200 g semi-whole wheat flour
80 g wholemeal flour
120 g almond flour
40 g unsweetened cacao powder, sifted
50 g muscovado sugar
half a teaspoon vanilla powder
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
a pinch of whole sea salt
180 g barley malt syrup
100 ml extra virgin olive oil
200 ml almond milk, unsweetened
100 ml almond cream (or other vegetable cream, GMO-free)

For the chocolate sauce

300 ml almond milk, unsweetened
4 tablespoons rice malt syrup
2 teaspoons ginger juice
1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract
1 teaspoon dried ginger powder
a pinch of whole sea salt
3 tablespoons unsweetened cacao powder, sifted
half a teaspoon cornstarch, dissolved in 1 tablespoon filtered cold water

For the chocolate ganache

150 g dark chocolate (70% cacao), broken into pieces
200 g rice malt syrup
50 ml almond cream (or other vegetable cream, GMO-free)
half a teaspoon fine ground Himalayan salt

To complete

chopped candied ginger (candied with dark brown sugar), to taste
dark chocolate curls (made with a vegetable peeler dragged down one side of the chocolate block from top to bottom), to taste

Makes 16-20 squares.

Directions

Preheat oven to 180° C, lightly oil and flour a 20 cm square (stainless steel) cake pan, or alternatively, lay down a sheet of parchment paper on your cake pan. In a large bowl, sift together the semi-whole wheat flour, wholemeal flour, almond flour, cacao powder, muscovado, vanilla, cream of tartar, cornstarch and salt. Mix well.
Place the barley malt syrup, extra virgin olive oil, almond milk and almond cream in a bowl and stir well. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk until the batter is blended. Make sure everything is well combined. Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake for about 50 minutes. The centre of the cake should be firm but still a little moist (use a wooden stick to check donness). Let cool before removing the cake from the pan.

To make the chocolate sauce, place the almond milk, rice malt syrup, ginger juice, vanilla extract, ginger powder and salt in a saucepan and start cooking over low heat. Add the cacao powder while you keep stirring. Cook for another 2-3 minutes, then add the cornstarch and cook for another minute or until the sauce is slightly thick (don’t stop stirring while it thickens). Let cool for a few minutes but not too long as the sauce will thicken a bit further as it cools.

When the cake has cooled, remove it from the pan and cut into squares. Poke a few holes in the squares, using a fork or stick. Pour some chocolate sauce over them little by little and let it soak in. Set aside for a while, to let cool again and let the sauce make everything moist. In the meantime you can make the chocolate ganache. Place the chocolate in a saucepan together with the rice malt syrup, almond cream and Himalayan salt and simmer over low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat as soon as the chocolate has completely melted and everything is combined. Let cool for a bit then pour the ganache over the top of  the cake squares and garnish with the candied ginger and chocolate curls.

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 15-50 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

100 g dried and peeled chestnuts, soaked in filtered water for 20 minutes
1 medium celeriac, peeled and cut into pieces
whole sea salt
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Himalayan salt, just enough to taste
400 ml filtered water (you can use all or part of the leftover cooking water you used to steam the celeriac)
400 ml plain and unsweetened oat milk
freshly ground black pepper, just enough to taste
hazelnut oil, to taste
fresh parsley leaves, to taste

Makes 2-4 servings.

Directions

Boil the chestnuts in slightly salted water until very tender (it will take no less than 30 minutes), then rinse them under cold running water and rub off any dark skins. In the meantime, place the celeriac bits in a steamer fitted over a saucepan, add enough water to reach the bottom of the steamer and sprinkle with some salt. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and steam just until tender (it will take about 15 minutes). Remove the celeriac from the heat and transfer it in the bowl of a food processor, add the chestnuts, olive oil, Himalayan salt, water and oat milk and process until very smooth. Add some more water or milk if you like a runnier soup (using milk only will make the texture a bit richer). Reheat the soup if necessary, then stir it into serving bowls, sprinkle some black pepper and hazelnut oil over it and garnish with the parsley leaves.

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

For the crust

The recipe is here. You will need about 80-100 g of dough in order to make 2 tart shells. of about 15 cm. The quantities vary according to the thickness you prefer for the single shells.

For the hazelnut cream

200 ml almond milk
a pinch of whole sea salt
2 tablespoons hazelnut butter
1 teaspoon thyme leaves (fresh or dried)
1 teaspoon agar agar powder
1 tablespoon cornstarch (GMO-free), dissolved in 2 tablespoons filtered water
4 tablespoons rice malt syrup

Quantities indicated here are enough for 2 tart shells of about 15 cm. To fill a single larger tart you will of course have to double or triple the quantities.

To complete

coarsely chopped hazelnuts, to taste
thyme leaves, preferably fresh, to taste
rice malt syrup, to taste

Directions

Preheat the oven to 180° C. When you’re ready to roll the dough, take it from the fridge and place it on a lightly floured surface, dust your rolling-pin with flour and roll the dough out to the desired thickness (3-4 mm). Oil your tart pans and sprinkle with a light coating of flour. Arrange the dough in the pans, poke a few holes in the dough with a fork to let the steam escape, and transfer the pans into the oven. Bake for 10-15 minutes until nicely golden (cooking time varies according to the thickness). Let cool a tiny bit before removing the tart from the pan and filling with the cream.

To make the hazelnut cream, pour the almond milk in a pan over low heat, then add the salt. Stir, add the hazelnut butter and keep stirring until it has completely melted. Add the thyme, using a tea infuser spoon or ball, and turn the heat to medium-high. Remove the thyme/infuser after 3-5 minutes and add the agar agar, while you stir until it has dissolved. Add the cornstarch and keep stirring for a few more minutes until the mixture has thickened. Remove from the heat, add the rice malt syrup and stir to combine. If the texture of the cream is grainy, mix with an immersion blender to make it smoother. Set aside to cool slightly before you fill the tarts.

To complete, fill the tarts with the hazelnut cream, scatter the hazelnuts and thyme leaves over the top and drizzle with the rice malt syrup.

Ingredients

For the dressing

5-6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon apple vinegar
2 teaspoons agave syrup
1 teaspoon fresh ginger juice
a quarter of a teaspoon dried, powdered ginger
a quarter of a teaspoon powdered vanilla
whole sea salt, just enough to taste
white pepper, just enough to taste

For the salad

1 large bunch of kale, stems and tough ribs removed
1 large and very firm pear, quartered lengthwise, cored and finely sliced (you can use a potato peeler to make really thin slices)
2 handfuls of shelled walnuts, coarsely chopped

Makes 2-4 servings.

Directions

Put all the dressing ingredients in a jar, secure with a lid and shake until perfectly combined. Set aside.

Break the kale leaves into slightly larger than bite-size pieces and put them into a large salad bowl, add the pear slices and the walnuts and toss. Serve with the dressing on the side, or drizzle lightly and serve.

Ingredients

For the mini loaves

150 g semi-whole wheat flour
50 g chestnut flour
50 g whole rice flour
50 g cornstarch
half a teaspoon powdered cinnamon
a pinch of whole sea salt
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
70 ml extra virgin olive oil
100 g rice malt syrup
230 ml oat milk
3 small apples (I used Fuji), peeled and pureed using a food processor

For the hazelnut sauce

6 tablespoons rice malt syrup
5 teaspoons hazelnut butter
a pinch of whole sea salt
5 teaspoons oat milk

Makes 5-6 mini loaves.

Directions

Preheat oven to 170° C. In a large bowl combine the semi-whole wheat flour, chestnut flour, rice flour, oatmeal flour, cinnamon, salt and cream of tartar.
In another bowl pour the oil, rice malt syrup, and milk. Whisk well and add the apple puree. Mix again then fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients (preferably using a wooden spatula). Stir gently until the ingredients are combined (add some more oat milk if necessary). Lightly oil the mini loaf pans and sprinkle them with flour. Fill them with the batter, using a spoon. Place in the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes or until the top is lightly browned and a toothpick or knife inserted in the center of a loaf comes out clean. Remove from the oven, transfer to a wire rack and let cool for about 5 minutes before removing from the loaf pans.

To make the hazelnut sauce, combine the agave, hazelnut butter, salt and milk in a bowl and whisk until perfectly smooth. Refrigerate until shortly before serving (the sauce might get a bit sticky and hard when refrigerated: all you have to do is leave it at room temperature for a while and stir it).

Serve the loaves topped with the hazelnut sauce.

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

1 small pumpkin
a pinch of whole sea salt
filtered water (to cook the pumpkin)
2 apples (I used Red Delicious), peeled and cut into cubes or slices
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, and some more to serve
juice of 3 cm fresh ginger root
a large handful of pumpkin seeds
half a teaspoon dried, powdered ginger
1/4 teaspoon Himalayan salt

Makes 2-4 servings.

Directions

Peel the pumpkin and remove the seeds, then cut the flesh into cubes. Place the pumpkin cubes in a heavy-bottomed saucepan, sprinkle with the salt, and add the water. Cover and cook over low heat for about 15 minutes, until soft. Add some more water if necessary. When cooked, set aside and allow to cool a bit, then transfer the mixture into a food processor. Add the apples, the olive oil and the ginger juice and blend until smooth and creamy, adding some more water for a much looser texture (in case you do add some more water, make sure it’s not too cold). Briefly crush the pumpkin seeds in a mortar with the ginger and salt. Gently reheat the soup if necessary, transfer into cups or serving bowls and sprinkle with olive oil and some of the pumpkin seeds-ginger-salt mixture before serving.

Thoughts, tips, ideas

This soup is good warm or at room temperature but also colder. You can even  make it completely baby-friendly and leave the ginger (as well as the pumpkin seeds and salt) out.

Ingredients

For the pannacotta

350 ml fresh almond milk
150 ml almond cream (or other vegetable cream, preferably rice based cream)
3 tablespoons agave syrup
a pinch of vanilla powder
2 1/2 teaspoons agar agar powder

For the cacao and carob sauce

2 teaspoons cacao powder
4 teaspoons carob powder
2 teaspoons tahin
4 teaspoons agave syrup
3 teaspoons raw almond cream
9 teaspoons almond milk

To complete

2-3 fresh prickly pears, peeled and crushed or puréed just before serving
agave syrup, to taste

Makes 4 servings.

To make the pannacottas, pour the milk and cream into a heavy bottomed saucepan and bring to a simmer over low heat. Add the agave and the vanilla and stir well. Simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, then add the agar agar and keep stirring until dissolved, 3 to 4 minutes. Be careful as the mixture might stick to the bottom of the saucepan if left for too long without stirring. Remove the saucepan from the heat and pour the mixture into small pudding molds. Set aside and allow to cool -first at room temperature and then in the fridge- for at least 2 to 3 hours. You can unmold the pannacottas when they are cold and completely firm.

To make the cacao and carob sauce, whisk the cacao powder, carob powder, tahin, agave syrup, almond cream and milk together. Keep refrigerated until shortly before serving.

To serve, place the pannacottas on the individual serving plates, pour some cacao and carob sauce over them, mix the prickly pear pulp with the agave syrup and complete the dessert presentation. Serve immediately.

Ingredients

200 g semi-whole Manitoba flour
100 g whole rice flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
a pinch of whole sea salt
70 ml extra virgin olive oil
100 ml agave syrup
100-120 ml oat milk
half a teaspoon of essicated ginger powder
half a teaspoon cinnamon powder
2-3 pinches of powdered cloves
3-4 pinches of grated nutmeg
a pinch of mace powder
a pinch of vanilla powder
a pinch of cardamom powder
2 firm apples (I used Golden Delicious)

Makes 12-14 muffins.

Directions

Preheat oven to 170° degrees C. In a large bowl combine the Manitoba flour, rice flour, cream of tartar, salt and spices. In another bowl combine the oil, agave and milk. Whisk well and fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients (preferably using a wooden spatula). Stir gently until the ingredients are combined but make sure you don’t over mix the batter. Add the apples and stir againg 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, transfer to a wire rack and let cool for about 5 minutes before removing from the muffin tray or muffin molds.

Tips, thoughts and ideas

You can either use single greaseproof muffin cases or paper cases placed in a muffin tray. If you spoon the batter directly into the muffin tray, make sure you lightly oil the molds and sprinkle them with flour.

Ingredients

2-3 cups filtered water
2 teaspoons dried mint
a pinch of powdered cloves (or 1-2 whole cloves)
a pinch of powdered star anise (or 1 whole star anise)
200 g whole grain cous cous (I used whole spelt cous cous)
Himalayan salt, just enought o taste
2 tablespoons raw sesame oil
2-3 handfuls of raisins, soaked in filtered water for 10 minutes then drained and pat dried
3-4 chopped medjol dates, stones removed
2 handfuls of pistachios, peeled
2 handfuls of almonds, peeled
1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
a pinch of chilli powder
seeds from 1 pomegranate
fresh mint leaves, to taste

Makes 2 servings.

Directions

First, make the spicy mint tea. Bring the water to a boil, add the mint, cloves and star anise, stir, remove from the heat and let everything infuse for about 1 minute. Filter and set aside.

Place the cous cous in a salad bowl (preferably large and low) and pour some of the mint tea over it (just enough to cover the cous cous). Cover with a lid and let the cous cous ‘cook’ for 1 to 2 minutes. Check doneness and add some more tea (which should be still very hot) if necessary, pouring it little by little. When the cous cous is ready (it should be al dente) fluff with a fork, add the salt and sesame oil and toss. Add the raisins, dates, pistachios, almonds, cinnamon, chilli and pomegranate seeds and toss again. Sprinkle with some fresh mint leaves. Serve at room temperature.

Ingredients

For the filling

3 slightly under-ripe pears (Bartlett or similar), peeled and cut into pieces
1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
2 tablespoons agave syrup
juice of 1 lemon

For the crumble topping

100 g dark chocolate (or 1 bar)
4 handfuls of hazelnuts
a pinch of whole sea salt
3 tablespoons muscovado sugar
a few pinches of cinnamon powder
6 tablespoons whole rice flour
4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
5 teaspoons hazelnut butter
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

Makes 4 servings.

Directions

Preheat the oven to 150° C. In a medium bowl, combine the pears, the cinnamon, the agave and the lemon juice. Mix well, transfer the fruit mixture to a baking pan and bake for about 10 minutes.

Place the chocolate and the hazelnuts in a food processor and process until you reach a crumbly texture. Transfer the mix into a medium-sized bowl and add the salt, the sugar, the cinnamon, the flour and the cocoa powder and combine using a fork or your fingers. Add the hazelnut butter and the olive oil and rub everything together using your fingers until the butter and the oil have been evenly distributed through the flour and the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

Remove the pear filling from the oven and arrange the crumble randomly on top of the fruit. Bake for another 10-15 minutes (at 150° C). Remove from the oven and let coola bit. Serve warm (or you might as well like it at room temperature).

Ingredients

For the dressing

8 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
3 teaspoons raw sesame oil
a pinch of whole sea salt
2 teaspoons umeboshi paste
3 teaspoons tahin
3 teaspoons apple vinegar
4 teaspoons white miso
3 teaspoons maple syrup
juice of half a lemon

For the salad

half a white cabbage, shredded
1 carrot, peeled and grated (using the the large holes of a grater)
2 handfuls of pumpkin seeds
a handful of white sesame seeds
fresh thyme, to taste

Makes 2 servings.

Directions

In a bowl, whisk all the dressing ingredients and set aside. Alternatively, you can put all ingredients in a jar, secure it with a tight fitting lid and shake until perfectly combined (this is actually the quickest way to make the dressing).

In a large salad bowl, toss the cabbage with the carrot and the seeds. Pour the mixture over the vegetables and toss gently until thoroughly coated and moistened. Refrigerate to chill, garnish with the thyme and serve.

Ingredients

half a cup quinoa, rinsed under running water
filtered water and a pinch of whole sea salt (to cook the quinoa)
1 medium zucchini, trimmed, peeled and sliced
half a head of Romanesco broccoli, washed, broken into bite-sized florets and cooked in salted boiling water for 3-5 minutes (they should stay crunchy)
a large handful of green olives, stones removed and finely chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
1 small fresh red chilli, seeds removed and chopped
2 handfuls of fresh parsley leaves, chopped
a handful of fresh basil leaves, chopped
extra virgin olive oil, to taste
whole sea salt, just enough to taste
1 teaspoon poppy seeds
zest of 1 lemon, grated

Makes 2-4 servings.

Directions

Place the quinoa in a heavy bottomed saucepan and pour water over it (2 parts water,1 part quinoa). Bring to a boil, add a pinch of salt, cover then turn down the heat to a low simmer. Let the quinoa cook for 15-20 minutes, until amost transparent and a bit fluffy. Remove from the heat then transfer into a large salad bowl or a serving tray.
Let cool a bit then add the zucchini, the broccoli, the olives, the garlic, the chilli, the parsley and the basil. Season with the olive oil and salt, mix thouroughly then garnish with the poppy seeds end the lemon zest. You can serve it either warm or cool.

Ingredients

For the rocket pesto

4-6 handfuls of fresh rocket, washed and pat dried
2 small handfuls of fresh parsley, washed and pat dried
1 garlic clove, peeled
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon apple vinegar
a pinch of whole sea salt
a pinch of chilli powder
2-3 handfuls of hazelnuts (and a few more for garnish)
6 sundried tomatoes, soaked in filtered water for about 10 minutes

For the pizza base

1 cup kamut flour
1/4 cup natural mineral or filtered water
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
a pinch of whole sea salt
1 teaspoon cream of tartar

Makes 1 pizza.

Directions

Finely chop the rocket and parsley, mince the garlic and transfer everything into a bowl. Season with the olive oil, vinegar, salt and chilli and mix well. Coarsely chop the hazelnuts and add them to the bowl. Pat dry the soaked tomatoes, coarsely chop them, and combine them with the rest of the ingredients. Mix again then refrigerate until use.

Preheat the oven to 180° C. Sieve the flour, salt and baking powder on to a clean work surface and make a well in the middle. In a jug, mix the yeast, sugar and olive oil into the water and leave for a few minutes, then pour into the well. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix the water with oil and slowly pour into the flour’s well. Using your hands, fold the flour into the water until mixture comes together. If it’s too wet and sticky, add some more flour. Knead for about 5 minutes and form a ball. Place the dough in a floured bowl, cover it with a damp cloth and let it sit in a warm place for 10 minutes. Turn the dough out on a lightly floured board, and dust your hands, the dough, and the rolling pin with a little flour before rolling the dough out. While rolling it to the desired thickness, dust with more flour if necessary. When you have reached the desired thickness, poke a few holes with a fork then fit you pizza to a pizza pan or an ordinary oven tray covered with an oiled sheet of parchment paper. The pizza is now ready to be cooked.

Place the pizza base in the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes (baking time will depend on the thickness of the base). Remove from the oven, let cool and spread the rocket pesto all over the pizza in a nice layer. Garnish with some hazelnuts (whole or chopped) and serve.

Ingredients

1 medium zucchini (peeled and stems removed), coarsely chopped
a handful of almonds, peeled
1 teaspoon raw almond butter
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
a pinch of white pepper
a pinch of whole sea salt
1 teaspoon apple vinegar
juice of half a lemon
a few fresh basil leaves, washed and pat dried

Makes 1 small cup.

Directions

Process all ingredients in a food processor until fairly smooth. Transfer into a serving bowl or individual mini glasses and add a few drops of olive oil. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to use (do not prepare more than 2 hours in advance).

Thoughts, tips, ideas

This pate is delicious on crostini and crackers or paired with raw vegetables such as fennel and celery or carrot and cucumber sticks.

Ingredients

1 cup whole barley, hulled
3 cups filtered water
a pinch of whole sea salt
a piece of kombu, 2 cm long
1 small red, round radicchio, outer leaves removed, cored, rinsed, dried and thinly sliced
8 fresh champignon mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
3-4 handfuls of white grapes, rinsed, cut into halves and seeded
3-4 handfuls raisins, soaked in natural mineral or filtered water for 10 minutes then drained and pat dried
juice of 1 lemon
8 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
whole sea salt, just enough to taste
hazelnut oil, just enough to taste
fresh thyme, to taste

Wash the barley thoroughly and soak it for about 8 hours in filtered water. Transfer the barley into a heavy-bottomed saucepan , add fresh filtered water (or you may even keep the soaking water but make sure you add the right quantity, as indicated in the recipe. Add the salt and the kombu, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and cook  with the lid on until most of the water has been absorbed, without stirring as you don’t want to alter the cooking process. The barley should get tender in 45-55 minutes (if you are using a pressure cooker, cooking time will be 25-30 minutes). Remove the kombu (you can let it dry and use it a second time). Drain if necessary (although there should be no water left in the saucepan), transfer into a large salad bowl, drizzle with half of the olive oil, toss and let cool completely.

To assemble the salad, add the radicchio, the champignons, the grapes, the raisins and the lemon to the barley. Mix well, sprinkle with the remaining oil and the salt, then top with a drizzle of hazelnut oil and the fresh thyme. Serve immediately.