Ingredients

2 handfuls of fresh spinach leaves, cleaned and chopped
1 banana, peeled and cut into slices
50 ml natural coconut milk with no added sugar or flavourings
50 ml rice milk with no added sugar or flavourings
1 tablespoon agave syrup
a squeeze of lemon juice
2-3 pinches vanilla powder
dark chocolate shavings, for garnish
coconut shavings, for garnish

Makes 1 smoothie. 

Directions

Place spinach, banana, coconut and rice milk, agave, lemon juice and vanilla in a blender and pulse on high until blended.
Garnish with chocolate or coconut shavings. Drink straight away!

Ingredients

150 g spaghetti (I used ’spaghettoni’)
extra virgin olive oil, to taste
250 g cooked chickpeas
1 garlic clove, peeled and halved
1 small red chili pepper, cleaned and minced
a large handful of fresh sage leaves, cleaned and pat dried
freshly ground black pepper, to taste 

Directions

Cook the spaghetti al dente. In the meantime, heat some olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat until hot. As soon as it reaches the right temperature (for frying), fry the sage leaves. After a few seconds, when crisp enough, remove the leaves from the pan and transfer them to paper towels. Sauté the chickpeas in the same pan with the sage flavoured oil, after you’ve added the garlic clove. Drain the spaghetti al dente and sauté with the chickpeas, for less than a minute. Add the chili and toss. Plate the spaghetti, topp with the fried sage leaves followed by sprinkle of black pepper.

Ingredients

about 6 handfuls (or 250 g) of fresh spinach, cleaned
200 g cooked chickpeas
the juice and grated zest of 1 organic lemon
1 garlic clove, peeled
1 small handful of chives, cleaned and chopped
1 large tablespoon tahin
2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons cumin powder
1 teaspoon and a half ginger powder
whole sea salt, just enought to taste
about 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1 small red chili pepper, cleaned and sliced

Makes 1 bowl. 

Directions

Blanch the spinach in lightly salted and boiling water, for around 1 minute. Drain well and set aside to cool. Save the cooking water. In the bowl of a mixer, combine the chickpeas, lemon juice and zest, garlic and chives and blend just until mixed. Add the tahin, olive oil, spice and a little salt. For a creamy texture, pour some of the water you saved, adding 1 tablespoon at a time, until the hummus reaches the smoothness you prefer.
Transfer into a bowl, let it cool in the refrigerator before finishing with a drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkle of poppy seeds and the sliced chili. Serve with your favourite accompaniment, from pitta bread to piadina (or pane carasau. Sardinian bread).

Ingredients

1 red pepper, cleaned and diced
1 yellow pepper, cleaned and diced
1 garlic clove, peeled
a handful of fresh basil, cleaned and chopped
a handful of fresh mint, cleaned and chopped
180 g spelt fusilli (I used Monograno Felicetti pasta)
(optional) 1 small red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
200 g smoked tofu, cut into cubes
extra virgin olive oil
whole sea salt, just enough to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
chilli powder, to taste
paprika, to taste

Makes 2 servings.

Directions

Heat some extra virgin olive oil in a large and heavy-bottomed pan. Season the peppers with a little salt and pepper and sauté with the garlic for a few minutes (they should keep crunchy). Remove from the heat and set asite to cool. cook the pasta in slated, boiling water and drain when al dente. Transfer into a salad bowl, add some olive oil, toss and let cool. As soon as the peppers and fusilli have cooled down, combine them in the same salad bowl, add the basil, mint, tofu and onion (if you’re using it). Add extra olive oil, the chilli pepper and paprika and salt an pepper if needed. Toss and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Ingredients

250 g tempeh, cut into cubes
2 tablespoons turmeric powder
1 tablespoon curry powder
Himalayan salt, just enough to taste
extra virgin olive oil, just enough to taste
1 garlic clove, peeled
150 g black Venus rice
1 bunch of fresh asparagus, cleaned and cut into pieces
sesame oil, just enough to taste
the juice of 2-3 cm fresh ginger root (peeled, minced and squeezed)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
sesame seeds, to taste

Makes 2 servings.

Directions

Place the tempeh cubes in a bowl, season with turmeric, curry, salt, olive oil and garlic and toss. Refrigerate for at least a couple of hours. Cook the rice and drain it when it’s al dente. Set aside. Blanch the asparagus in boiling and lightly salted water for 2 minutes, drain (you might want to rinse them under cold running water) and pat dry them with kitchen paper.
After the tempeh has marinated, heat a heavy-bottomed pan and cook  the tempeh with its marinade for a few minutes, over a medium heat, stirring now and then (you can remove the garlic at this point). In another heavy-bottomed pan, or in a wok, stir-fry the rice and asparagus in the sesame oil, over a medium-high heat. add the ginger and lemon juice and keep cooking for around 2 minutes, then stir in the tempeh. Remove from the heat, toss and add the sesame seeds.

Thoughts, tips, ideas

You can serve the rice right in the wok, or transfer it into a salad bowl. It’s excellent warm, but also at room temperature and even cold.

Ingredients

15-16 strawberries, cleaned and sliced
the juice of half a lemon
2 tablespoons apple vinegar
2 tablespoons rice malt syrup
1 tablespoon natural vanilla extract
2 handfuls of freshly podded peas
7-8 fresh asparagus, cleaned and cut into pieces
2 handfuls of freshly podded fava beans
2-3 handfuls of fresch rocket (arugula), cleaned
2 handfuls of hazelnuts, chopped
fleur de sel, just enough to taste
hazelnut oil, to taste

Makes 2 servings.

Directions

In a bowl, mix the strawberries with the lemon juice, apple vinegar, rice malt syrup and vanilla extract and refrigerate for around 30-40 minutes. Blanch the peas for 5-6 minutes in unsalted boiling water, then remove immediately and rinse under cold water. Drain well. Take out the strawberries from the fridge, separate them from their juice and set aside. Combine the vegetables ina large salad bowl, add the strawberries and some of the juice (the vinaigrette). Toss and divide into serving dishes, season with the fleur de sel and the hazelnut oil, sprinkle the chopped hazelnuts on top and enjoy.

Ingredients

For the vegetables

2 spring onions, cleaned and sliced
4-5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
450-500 g fresh asparagus, cleaned and chopped
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
filtered water
around 70 g vegan ham, chopped

For the muffin batter

200 g semi-whole wheat flour
100 g fine cornmeal
half a teaspoon whole sea salt
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried chives
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (flakes)
80 ml extra virgin olive oil
200-250 ml oat milk, unsweetend and unflavoured

Makes around 10 muffins.

Directions

Preheat oven to 180° C. In a large pan or wok, sauté the spring onions in the olive oil then add the asparagus, a little salt, pepper and some water, stir and keep cooking for around 10 minutes. Stir in the vegan ham, cook for another 5 minutes then turn off the heat and set aside. In a large bowl, combine the wheat flour, cornmeal, salt, cornstarch, baking soda, cream of tartar, herbs and nutritional yeast and stir to blend. In another bowl combine olive oil and oat milk and whisk well. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and add the vegetables. Stir gently until the ingredients are combined but don’t over mix 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, place them on a wire rack and let cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Recipe will follow…

Ingredients

100 g Principato di Lucedio cannellini beans
50 g Tuscan kale
50 ml extra virgin olive oil, organically produced by Azienda Agraria Alberti (Fattoria Aquilone)
1 teaspoon of Peperita chilli pepper
1 clove of garlic
1 dessertspoon of sliced Savini Tartufi truffle
150 g Monograno Felicetti kamut tagliatelle or ribbon pasta
the zest of 1 organic lemon
the juice of half a lemon

Makes 2 servings.

Directions

Soak the beans in water for about 12 hours. Pour away the soaking water. Rinse the beans under running water, put them in a large pan with plenty of cold water and boil without salt for 45-50 minutes or until they are cooked but still slightly al dente. Drain and put into a small pan.
In the meantime, bring a large pan of water to the boil for the pasta. Wash and dry the lemon, remove the zest and cut into thin strips. As soon as the water starts to boil, plunge in the strips of lemon zest for a few minutes to soften. Remove from the water using a small sieve or slotted spoon (the water must keep boiling), run under cold water and put them aside. Add salt to the water.
Wash the kale, shred and blanch in the boiling water for a couple of minutes max. Take it out with tongs, drain and put into a food processor. Put the tagliatelle into the same boiling water. Pulse the cabbage briefly with the oil, lemon juice, salt and chilli pepper and then gently stir this mixture into the beans. Heat the bean and cabbage sauce over a very low heat until tepid. Meanwhile put a little oil to heat in a large thick-bottomed frying pan. Peel the garlic clove, cut in half and add to the oil together with the truffle, broken into pieces. Leave to flavour for a few minutes and then discard the garlic. Drain the tagliatelle al dente and heat through in the hot oil with the truffle, adding the lemon zest.
Take off the heat, put the pasta into dishes and add as much as you like of the beans and cabbage, either alongside or on top. Finish with a drizzle of raw oil and a pinch or two of chilli pepper. Serve immediately.

Recipe created for Taste 2012 (click here for all the recipes). I would like to thank Pitti Immagine and all the producers who gave me the ingredients to prepare this dish: Principato di Lucedio, Azienda Agraria Alberti (Fattoria Aquilone), Peperita, Savini Tartufi e Monograno Felicetti.

Ingredients

200 g cooked lentils
200 g pomegranate kernels
whole sea salt, just enough to taste
extra virgin olive oil, to taste
the juice of half a lemon
2 tablespoons apple vinegar
1 tablespoon rice malt syrup
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
a large handful of fresh parsley, cleaned and chopped

Makes 2 servings.

Directions

Combine the lentils and the pomegranate kernels in a sald bowl. Add the salt, olive oil, lemon juice, apple vinegar and rice malt syrup and toss. Stir in the cumin and coriander, finish with the chopped parsley, toss and serve slightly cold or at room temperature.

Ingredients

200 g dark chocolate (70% cacao), preferably fairtrade
3 tablespoons cashew butter, at room temperature
3 tablespoons orange jam (with no added sugar), at room temperature
1 organic orange, washed
half a teaspoon dried ginger powder (and some more to roll the truffles)
100-110 g almond meal
cocoa powder (with no added sugar), just enough to taste
powdered sugar (from brown sugar), just enough to taste

Makes about 30 truffles.

Directions

Using a large bowl, melt the chocolate in a bain marie. Grate the zest of the orange and set aside. As soon as the chocolate has melted, stir in the cashew butter, orange jam, grated orange zest and mix well. Add the ginger powder and almond meal and mix again until combined. Transfer into the fridge or freezer until set. Roll into small balls and then roll them in a cocoa powder-ginger powder mixture or in a powdered sugar-ginger powder mixture. Chill again until ready to serve.

Ingredients

2 chili peppers, cleaned and julienned
6-7 cm ginger root, peeled and juiced
the juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon agave syrup
whole sea salt, just enough to taste
1 small spring onion, cleaned and sliced
150 g thai rice
1 broccoli head, divided into florets
4-5 champignons, cleaned
2 handfuls peanuts, toasted and salted
1 tablespoon mirin
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon rice malt syrup
1 teaspoon rice miso
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
half a teaspoon dried ginger powder

Makes 2 servings.

Directions

Place the chili peppers in a jar, add the ginger juice, lemon juice, agave syrup and salt, mix and secure with the lid. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours. Remove form the firdge, add the spring onion, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and until almost ready to serve. Cook the rice. In the meantime, blanch the broccoli florets in boling salted water until bright green and slightly softened. Drain and set aside. Separate the chili and onion from the juice, transfer them into a bowl and set aside. Keep the juice in the jar and stir in the mirin, rice vinegar, rice malt syrup, rice miso, toasted sesame oil and ginger powder. Seal with the lid and shake to combine. Slice the champignons and drizzle with a little lemon juice. As soon as the rice is cooked al dente (it should have absorbed all the water, if not, drain it), divide it into the individual serving plates or bowls, add the broccoli, the mushrooms, the peanuts, the chili and onion and pour the lemon-ginger-miso sauce on top. Serve immediately.

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

3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
half a shallot, peeled and minced
350 g raw pumpkin pulp, cut into cubes
350-400 ml filtered water
whole sea salt, just enough to taste
freshly ground white pepper, to taste
1 yellow pepper, cleaned, peeled and diced
fresh, cleaned oregano, for garnish
dehydrated red peppers, for garnish

Makes 2 servings.

Directions

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the olive oil over a medium heat and cook and stir the shallot until translucent. Add the pumpkin, water, salt and pepper, cover with the lid, turn the heat down and cook for about 15 minutes. Stir in the pepper and cook until the pumpkin and pepper are perfectly tender. Remove from heat and blend until you reach a very smooth consistency. Reheat the cream soup if necessary and serve with the fresh oregano and dehydrated red peppers.

Ingredients

For the tofu

the juice of half a lemon
3 tablespoons shoyu
2 tablespoons apple vinegar
half a teaspoon powdered ginger
the juice of about 6 cm fresh ginger root, peeled and grated
50 ml sesame oil
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons maple syrup
200-250 g organic, firm tofu, cut into cubes

For the peppers

2 cm fresh ginger root, peeled and julienned
1 garlic clove, peeled and cut into halves
3 tablespoons apple vinegar
the juice of half a lemon
4 tablespoons rice malt syrup
a few pinches of Szechuan pepper
a few pinches of whole sea salt
half a red pepper, cleaned and blanched in boiling water then rinsed under cold running water and peeled
half a yellow pepper, cleaned and blanched in boiling water then rinsed under cold running water and peeled

To complete

black sesame seeds, to taste

Makes 2 servings.

Directions

In a bowl or jar mix the lemon juice, shoyu, apple vinegar, ginger powder and ginger juice, sesame oil and toasted sesame oil and maple syrup. Place the tofu cubes in a bowl, pour the marinade over, cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, tossing occasionally. The longer the marinade time, the tastier the tofu. In a glass jar, combine the ginger, garlic, apple vinegar, lemon juice, rice malt syrup and salt. Cut the peppers into strips and place them in the jar. Secure with the lid and refrigerate for at least 5-6 hours. Remove the peppers from the fridge around half an hour before serving. Once the tofu has marinated, heat some marinade in a wok or large heavy-bottomed frying pan and cook the tofu over medium heat until golden on all sides. Serve the tofu and the peppers with some of the left-over tofu marinade and the sesame seeds.

Thoughts, tips, ideas

The pepper marinade can be reused at least once to marinate other peppers or different vegetables such as cucumbers, carrots, radishes, zucchini -which will all pick up a peppery flavour.

Ingredients

For the filling (quantitites are enough for 3 -8 cm- tartlets)

120 g fresh blueberries, cleaned
60 g fresh raspberries, cleaned and crushed
the juice of half a lemon
4 tablespoons agave syrup
1 tablespoon natural vanilla extract
4-5 fresh figs, cleaned and cut into wedges
1 tablespoon muscovado sugar

For the crust

See this recipe.

To complete

unbleached, powdered sugar

Makes 3 tartlets.

Directions

Combine the blueberries, raspberries, lemon juice, agave syrup and vanilla in a bowl and toss. Refrigerate for up to 2 hours. Add the figs, toss gently and set aside.
Make the tartlet dough as explained in this recipe. Preheat the oven to 180° C. Take 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 molds and sprinkle them 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 about 5 minutes. Fill the tarts with the fruit (reserve some for serving), sprinkle some muscovado sugar on top and bake for another 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, let cool for a few minutes then unmold. Complete with the powdered sugar and serve with some of the left over fruit.

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

1 large cucumber, cleaned and cut into sticks
1 teaspoon pink peppercorns
1 teaspoon juniper berries
1 teaspoon wild fennel seeds
2 garlic cloves, peeled and cut into pieces
half a small chili pepper, cleaned and cut into pieces
2 teaspoons rice malt syrup
120 ml cold, filtered water
half a teaspoon whole sea salt
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
50 ml apple vinegar
the juice of 1 lemon

Makes 1 jar.

Directions

Place the cucumber sticks in a glass jar (mine was 600 ml). Add the pink peppercorns, juniper berries, fennel seeds, garlic and chili. In a bowl, mix the rice malt syrup, water, salt, rice vinegar, apple vinegar and lemon juice. Pour the water-vinegar mixture onto the cucumber sticks, shake gently, secure with the lid and refrigerate for 12-15 hours. During this time, shake the jar now and then. The marinating time can be longer, if you prefer a more vinegary taste.
These cucumber sticks are excellent added to a raw mixed salad, or paired with steamed vegetables but you can also use them as a sandwich filling. The same marinade can be used up to 2-3 times within a couple of days. These cucumber sticks should be eaten within 2 days.

Ingredients

280-300 g cooked semi-whole rice
100 ml coconut milk, unsweetened and unflavoured
100 ml almond milk, unsweetened and unflavoured
a few pinches of vanilla powder
2 handfuls raspberries, cleaned
maple syrup, to taste
a handful of toasted pumpkin seeds

Makes 2 servings.

Directions

Divide the rice in 2 serving bowls. Pour half of the coconut milk and half of the almond mik over the rice in each bowl and stir. Add vanilla powder, raspberries (you can crush some of them and stir them into the rice as well), maple syrup and pumpkin seeds and serve.

Ingredients

500 g cantaloupe pulp
the juice of 1 lemon
30 ml agave syrup
half a teaspoon cinnamon powder

Makes 2-3 servings.

Directions

Place all ingredients in a blender and process for around 1 minute until smooth.
Transfer the mixture into a bowl and chill thoroughly in the refrigerator. Process in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s directions (30 minutes should be enough to obtain a granita texture). Transfer the granita into chlled tumblers or glasses and serve immediately. If you don’t have an ice-cream maker, you can follow these other directions.