Ingredients

For the lasagne

1 pack of “tofu leaves” or equivalent (you can also use regular wheat lasagna squares)

For the rocket, basil and almond pesto

a large bunch of arugula, cleaned and blanched in boiling water for 1 minute then drained
a large handful of fresh basil, cleaned
1 garlic clove, peeled
5 tablespoons nutritional yeast (flakes)
10-11 tablespoons finely crushed almonds
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
whole sea salt, just enough to taste
80 ml filtered water
50 ml extra virgin olive oil

To complete

shaved almonds, to taste

Directions

Preheat the oven to 180 C. To make the pesto, process all ingredients with the help of a food processor. Once you have reached the desired consistency, set aside. Spread a little olive oil around the inside of a glass or ceramic baking pan (altrnatively, you can use parchment paper, to be placed n a regular baking pan). Put a lasagna square down first and layer on some pesto. Repeat until you have no squares left. Top with a final but thinner layer of pesto, drizzle with some extra virgin olive oil and bake for 15 minutes, until the top begins to get brown. Remove from oven, top with the shaved almonds and let cool 5-10 minutes before serving.

Ingredients

2 large aubergines (eggplants), cleaned
3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 shallot, peeled and minced
300 g plain seitan, minced
half a glass white wine
whole sea salt, just enough to taste
a few pinches of freshly ground white pepper
a few pinches of chili powder
300 g tomato puree
2 ripe tomatoes, cleaned and diced
4 sundried tomatoes (8 halves), soaked in filtered water for 10 minutes then rinsed, drained and chopped
3 handfuls of raisins, soaked in filtered water for 10 minutes then rinsed and drained
a large handful of fresh basil leaves, cleaned and chopped
a handful of fresh mint leaves, cleaned and chopped

Makes 2-4 servings. Directions

Preheat the oven to 180º C. Line a baking tray with baking parchment or kitchen foil. Cut the aubergines into halves, lengthwise. Use a sharp knife to cut all around the inside edge of each aubergine half. Remove the aubergine flesh, chop it and set aside. Reserve the aubergine skins.
Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed frying pan or wok over a medium heat and sauté the minced shallot until translucent. Add the seitan and the wine and sauté until the wine has evaporated. Season with the salt, white pepper and chili then throw in the chopped aubergine flesh, tomato puree, diced tomatoes, sundried tomatoes, raisins, lower the heat and cook for about 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently. Take away from the heat and stir in the basil and mint. Divide the mixture equally between the 4 aubergine skins then place them on the prepared baking tray. Bake for 25–30 minutes until the skins are soft and the tops lightly crisp. Remove from the oven and let cool a bit. Top with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and garnish with fresh basil or mint just before serving. It’s delicious and tasty both warm and at room temperature.

Ingredients

6-7 tomatoes, cleaned and seeds removed then cut into small pieces
6 sundried tomatoes, soaked in filtered water for about 10 minutes then rinsed, pat-dried and cut into pieces
a handful of fresh rocket, cleaned and chopped
a handful of fresh basil, cleaned and chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled and cut into slivers
extra virgin olive oil, to taste
whole sea salt, just enough to taste
freshly ground white pepper, to taste
200 g kamut penne
a handful of hazelnuts, shelled and chopped

Makes 2-3 servings.

Directions

Combine the tomatoes, rocket, basil and garlic in a bowl and toss. Add the olive oil, salt and pepper, toss again and set aside. Cook the penne in salted filtered water until al dente, drain them and add them to the vegetables. Add some extra olive oil, pepper and finish with the hazelnuts. You can serve it warm though it’s equaly delicious cold.

Ingredients

2 whole wheat friselle
320-350 g fresh ripe tomatoes, sliced or cut into pieces
dried oregano, to taste
fresh and cleaned basil, to taste
extra virgin olive oil, to taste
whole sea salt, just enough to taste

Makes 2 servings.

Directions

Soak the friselle in filtered water until they are moist (but not too moist), then carefully squeeze the remainng water out of them and crumble them into a salad bowl. Add the tomatoes, oregano, chopped basil, olive oil and salt. Toss and refrigerate for about 2 hours before serving.

Ingredients

For the asparagus and porcini cream

200 g fresh and cleaned asparagus
300 ml filtered water
200 ml vegetable cream (I used oat cream)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
whole sea salt, just enough to taste
ground nutmeg, to taste
freshly ground white pepper, to taste
4 tablespoons cornstarch, dissolved in about 70 ml cold, filtered water
20 g dried porcini mushrooms, soaked in filtered water for 30 minutes then drained and chopped

For the vegetables

200 g fresh and cleaned asparagus
200 g fresh spinach, cleaned and blanched in boiling water for about 1 minute
1 garlic clove, peeled and cut into halves
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
whole sea salt, just enough to taste

For the hazelnut and basil coating/filling

half a garlic clove, peeled
a handful of fresh basil, cleaned
2 handfuls of shelled hazelnuts
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
2 tablespoons wholemeal breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

To assemble

250 g kamut or whole wheat lasagna sheets

Makes 4 servings.

Directions

Blanch 200 g asparagus in boiling water for 6-7 minutes then drain and set aside. Cook the remaining 200 g asparagus until they’re tender. Drain and set aside. Pour the water, vegetable cream and olive oil in a heavy bottomed saucepan and bring to a gentle boil. Add the salt, nutmeg and pepper and keep cooking for a couple of minutes on a low heat. Add the cornstarch to the vegetable cream mixture and keep cooking, stirring constantly, until you reach a fairly thick texture. Remove from the heat and let cool a bit. Combine the 200 g tender asparagus and the cream in the bowl of a mixer and process until smooth. Transfer into a bowl, add the porcini, mix and set aside.
In a pan or wok over medium heat, sauté the remaining blanched asparagus and spinach with the garlic, olive oil, pepper and salt. Remove from the heat.
To make the hazelnut and basil coating, process all the ingredients together in a food processor until the mixture looks grainy. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 180° C. Bring plenty filtered water to a boil, add some whole sea salt and cook the lasagne. Drain them and place them on a tray but make sure they don’t stick together. Also, be careful not to break them.
To assemble the lasagne, choose an appropriate baking pan, as you don’t want your lasagne to be too thin or too thick. Oil the bottom of the pan with a little olive oil, then spread some of the asparagus and porcini cream. Arrange the lasagna sheets lengthwise over the cream then spread the lasagne with some of the cream, top with some vegetables (asparagus and spinach) and sprinkle with a little pesto. Repeat layers, and top with remaining cream and pesto. Cover with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes. Remove the foil, and bake an additional 15 minutes. Take away from the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes before serving.

Ingredients

250 g peeled potatoes
1 large zucchini, cleaned and cut into pieces
1 clove of garlic, peeled and cut into halves
2-3 cm fresh ginger root, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons shoyu
a pinch of Himalayan salt
freshly ground white pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon vegetable stock powder
200 ml unsweetened and unflavoured oat milk
150 g plain tofu
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
3 teaspoons mild curry powder
a handful of fresh basil, cleaned
a few fresh thyme sprigs, cleaned
4 teaspoons agar agar powder mixed with 100 ml unsweetened and unflavoured oat milk
50-60 g vegan ham, chopped

Makes 4 servings (or a 25 cm long terrine).

Directions

Boil the potatoes in lightly salted water. In the meantime, sauté the zucchini with the garlic and ginger in the olive oil and shoyu over medium heat. Season with the salt and pepper, stir and keep cooking until the zucchini are almost soft. Remove from heat and set aside. When the potatoes are ready, drain them and transfer into the bowl of a blender. Stir the vegetable stock powder into the (200 ml) oat milk and pour the mixture over the potatoes. Add the tofu, nutritional yeast and curry powder and blend until smooth. Throw in the basil and thyme, blend again for a little while and transfer the mixture into a heavy bottomed saucepan. Simmer over low heat for around 5 minutes then add the agar agar mixture, keep cooking for another 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat, add the zucchini and vegan ham, stir well and transfer into a terrine mold and let cool at room temperature for at least 3 hours. You can transfer then the terrine into the fridge until serving time or serve, sliced, at room temperature.

Ingredients

10-12 mushrooms (champignons)
the juice of 1 lemon
1 zucchini, cleaned
1 garlic clove, peeled
2 tablespoons flax seeds, finely ground
a large handful of fresh basil, cleaned
5 handfuls hazelnuts (and some more for garnish)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (and some more for garnish)
freshly ground green pepper, to taste (and some more for garnish)
whole sea salt, just enough to taste

Makes 4-6 servings.

Directions

Wash well the mushrooms under running water then drain them on a paper towel. Pull the stems from the mushrooms, place the caps on a dish and drizzle with half of the lemon juice. Transfer the stems into the bowl of a mixer. Add the remaining lemon juice, zucchini, garlic, flax seeds, basil and blend for a couple of minutes (medium to high).  Add the hazelnuts, olive oil, pepper and salt and blend again for one more minute.
Before serving, fill each mushroom cap with 2-3 teapoons of pesto and arrange stuffed mushrooms on a serving plate. Garnish with some chopped hazelnuts, olive oil and pepper.

Ingredients

200 g black chickpeas, soaked in cold filtered water for at least 9 hours, or overnight, then washed and drained
150 g quinoa, washed under cold running water
half a red pepper, cleaned and cut into cubes
half a yellow pepper, cleaned and cuto into cubes
8-10 cherry tomatoes, cleaned and cut into quarters
1 carrot, cleaned and cut into cubes
2 hanfuld black pitted olives, chopped
a handful of fresh parsley, cleaned and finely chopped
a handful of fresh basil, cleaned and finely chopped
extra virgin olive oil, to taste
whole sea salt, just enought to taste

Makes 4 servings.

Directions

Cook the chickpeas in unsalted water (add the salt to the pot when the chickpeas are almost completely cooked as salt hardens the outer layer). Cook the quinoa al dente in lightly salted water in a separate pot. Drain well and let cool. When the chickpeas are cooked, rinse them under cold, running water, drain well and let cool. Once the quinoa and chickpeas are cold, transfer them into a sald bowl the stir in the red and yellow pepper, tomatoes, carrot, olives, parsley, basil and toss. Season with the olive oil and salt, mix well and serve.

Ingredients

For the salad

200 g green beans
2 medium-large potatoes, peeled and sliced
a large handful of fresh rocket, cleaned
a handful of capers, soaked in cold filtered water for about 15 minutes then rinsed

For the pesto

a large handful of fresh, cleaned basil (and some for garnish)
2 small zucchini, cleaned
a large handful of pine nuts (and some more for garnish)
5-6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
5-6 tablespoons filtered water
whole sea salt, just enough to taste
a squeeze of lemon juice

Makes 2 servings.

Directions

Cook the green beans al dente in salted, filtered water. Steam the potato slices. Drain the beans, then transfer them into a salad bowl. Add the steamed potato slices and let cool.

To make the pesto, combine the basil, zucchini, pine nuts, olive oil, water, salt and lemon juice in the bowl of a food processor. Process until rather creamy.

Once the beans and potatoes are cold, add the rocket, the capers and the pesto and toss gently. Add some extra olive oil, if needed. Garnish with some basil leaves and pine nuts and serve.

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

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

180 g whole grain farro medium-short pasta ( I used ‘torchioli’)
water and whole sea salt, just enough to cook the pasta
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 carrot, peeled and more or less finely chopped
1 yellow pepper (stem, core and seeds removed), diced
1 long, medium-hot, sweet red pepper, Italian or Mediterranean (stem, core and seeds removed), diced
1 clove of garlic, peeled and minced
a pinch of whole sea salt
a pinch of chilli powder
1 large handful of capers, soaked in water for 10-20 minutes to remove excess salt
1 handful of fresh parsley leaves, 1 handful of fresh mint leaves, 1 handful of fresh basil leaves, washed and pat dried with a paper towel

Directions

Bring a pan of plenty water to a boil. Heat the oil in a large pan or wok over medium heat then add the carrot, peppers, garlic and salt and sauté for a few minutes (the carrot and peppers should stay crunchy). As soon as the water is boiling, add some salt and cook the pasta until al dente. Drain the pasta then put it in the pan where you previously cooked the vegetables. Rinse the capers and add them to the pasta. Sprinkle with the chilli and add a little more olive oil if needed, then  mix and sauté over medium heat for 30-40 seconds, making sure the pasta does not stick to the bottom of the pan. Remove from the heat, add the parsley, mint and basil (chopped or whole), toss and serve.

Thoughts, tips, ideas

This pasta is delicious served warm but can be also enjoyed cold as a summer picnic pasta. It can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 6-8 hours.

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

For the salad

1 cup whole barley (hulled)
3 cups filtered water
a pinch of whole sea salt
a piece of kombu (2 cm long), soaked
pumpkin seeds (a good handful), lightly toasted
1 cup daikon sprouts
fresh basil leaves for garnish (optional)

For the dressing

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
the juice of 1 lemon
1 pinch whole sea salt
1 teaspoon barley malt syrup

Makes 4-6 servings. 

Cooking the barley

Wash the barley and soak it in the filtered water for about 8 hours. Place the barley and the water in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add the kombu and salt, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook 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 about 50-60 minutes (if you are using a pressure cooker, cooking time will reduce to 30 minutes). Remove the kombu. Drain if necessary (there should be no water left in the saucepan), transfer into a baking pan or tray and let cool.

The dressing

Pour the olive oil, sesame oil, rice vinegar, lemon juice and malt syrup in a cup and whisk all ingredients together. Season with salt.

Assembling the barley salad

Transfer the barley in a salad bowl, add the daikon sprouts and the pumpkin seeds, sprinkle with the dressing and mix thoroughly.

Tips, thoughts, ideas

You can grow your own daikon sprouts at home, which is a very simple process that usually takes about 5 days (sprouting time can vary a lot according to humidity and temperature conditions). Daikon sprouts, just as daikon radishes, have amazing detoxing properties, helping us to digest fats and dissolve deposits that are accumulated in the body (in fact, they act as a diuretic). Barley has also been always considered for its purifying properties. Both daikon and barley help lower high blood pressure. Being very refreshing and cleansing, this dish is most appropriate for spring and summer consumption.

Makes 2-4 servings (1 pizza).

Ingredients:

For the almond-basil pesto

1 clove garlic

fresh basil leaves (a good handful)

almonds (a good handful)

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

whole sea salt (to taste)

For the tomatoes

4-5 tomatoes (I used Piccadilly, an italian variety. Any other plum tomato, like San Marzano, would work just fine. And I wouldn’t mind trying with cherry tomatoes)

extra virgin olive oil

whole sea salt (to taste)

freshly ground black pepper (to taste)

fresh oregano (a good handful)

For the pizza base

1 cup kamut flour

½ cup warm water

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

¼ teaspoon whole sea salt

1 teaspoon organic cream of tartar

Directions

Finely chop the basil leaves and garlic with a knife. In a large mortar, crush the almonds with a pestle. Add the chopped basil leaves and garlic and grind the mixture against the sides of the mortar until you get a coarse paste. Add the olive oil and salt and stir well until incorporated.

Slice the tomatoes and drain off the excess water. Place the tomato slices in a bowl, season with a pinch of salt and pepper and drizzle with fresh oregano and olive oil.

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. Fit you pizza to a pizza pan or an oiled sheet of parchment paper. You can now poke a few holes with a fork. The pizza is now ready to be cooked.

Place the pizza base in the oven and bake for about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven. Spread some pesto evenly over the pizza base and lay over the tomato slices. Top with the remaining pesto. Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with some more fresh oregano (when fresh isn’t available, dried will do). Return to bake for another 15 minutes or until the tomatoes soften. Let cool then garnish with some more oregano and olive oil if you like. Slice and serve.

Thoughts, tips, ideas

You can prepare the pesto and the tomatoes either before making the dough or just before rolling it out.

This pizza turns out slightly sweet. It tastes great with pretty much any kind of topping.