Tag: pepper

Quick & Easy: Veggie Butter w/ Lemon Zest & Chives

On By SarahIn Recipes2 Comments

The past week andVegan-Butter_Lemon-Sage a half have been somewhat crazy. I had a ton of prep work to do for a major presentation that I held last Friday and afterwards was rewarded with a mild cold. I rarely get sick nowadays and I credit my lifestyle for that. I maintain a balanced, plant-based diet; try to stay physically fit through Pilates, tennis and long walks with my dogs; and try to enjoy life to the fullest. It is easier said than done. I try not to be too hard on myself and occasionally give myself breaks. Honestly, life is too short to be stressed out all the time. Just breath!

I did not get to much cooking and baking this week, so my post probably won’t ignite any fireworks, but the recipe is still kind of nifty. My sister and I recently attended our annual family fondue, the ultimate meat fest. The hosts had brought a ton of veggies for us. I mean like 6 huge platters full of veggies. I think that they were worried that we wouldn’t have enough to eat. In the end, we were the only ones eating the veggies and barely managed to finish one platter. I felt like I myself had morphed into a broccoli floret, once tea and coffee was passed around.

Well, at the event, a relative of mine served homemade butter with lemon zest and sage. Although it was regular butter, I tried it anyway because I was curious how it tasted. It tasted really good, so I decided to make a vegan version for the blog. If you are invited to a potluck dinner and have little time to prepare something, I suggest bringing this butter and some baguettes. This butter is yet again an absolute crowd pleaser and only takes a minute to make. This butter takes any sandwich up a notch. Try it and be pleasantly surprised!

Instructions

Ingredients

  • 250 g of vegetable butter
  • Zest of 2 organic lemons
  • batch of fresh, washed chives, to taste
  • sea salt, to taste
  • ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. Add butter to a medium-sized bowl.
  2. Chop some chives into little pieces.
  3. Add the sage, together with the lemon zest, to the butter.
  4. Mix all ingredients with a fork.
  5. Season with salt and pepper. If desired, add more sage and/or some lemon juice.
  6. Done!

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Tasty Avocado Toast

On By SarahIn RecipesLeave a comment

Since adopting a plant-based diet, I have become not only more creative in the kitchen, but also much more willing to try food that in the past did not appeal to me like, for instance,  avocados. For 20+ years, I had such a  strong dislike of the thick, creamy texture of avocados that I would only eat them when they were incognito, meaning mixed with other ingredients to the extent that I did not notice that I was eating avocados. Gosh, did I miss out! So many avocado-free years! Ahh!

Avocado_Toast_Close-UpHow could you not love these heart-healthy super fruits? Since joining the avocado fan club, my numero-uno avocado dish is avocado on whole-grain toast. This whenever-dish requires only a few simple ingredients; is prepared in minutes; and tastes incredible. The red chili flakes give not only each bite an extra oomph, but also boost your metabolism: win-win!

Instructions

Ingredients

  • 1/2 avocado
  • 1/2 lime
  • salt, to taste
  • grounded black pepper, to taste
  • red chili flakes, to taste

Instructions

  1. Toast two slices of whole-grain bread.
  2. Cut the avocado in half and scoop out the flesh of one half.
  3. Put flesh in a small bowl and drizzle it with the juice of half a lime.
  4. Add a dash of salt, pepper and chili flakes.
  5. Mash ingredients with a fork.
  6. Taste and if necessary, add more lime juice, salt etc.
  7. Spread the creamy deliciousness on both slices of toast. For an extra kick, add another sprinkle of red chili flakes.
  8. Enjoy!

Avocado_Toast

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Delicious Vegan Parsley Cashew Pesto

On By SarahIn RecipesLeave a comment

Vegan_Parsley_Cashew_Pesto_IngredientsI truly love using my new food processor. It is not one of those fancy shmancy, expensive types, but it works just as well. As a matter of fact, it is so easy-to-use and creates such vegan deliciousness that after just two weeks in my possession, I can truthfully say that I am addicted to it.

Yesterday, I used my food processor to make scrumptious parsley cashew pesto. Compared to my basil walnut pesto, this sauce has a much stronger parmesanesque taste because the recipe calls for nutritional yeast, which has a nutty, cheesy flavor and is an excellent source of B vitamins.

Fact is that this pesto tastes so unbelievably good that you too won’t be able to resist the urge to eat it.

Instructions

Ingredients

  • ½ cup raw cashews
  • ¼ cup water
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • 2 cups parsley
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 2 tbsp. lemon juice
  • ¼ cup nutritional yeast
  • sea salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Cover the cashews with some water and let them sit for 1+ hours.
  2. Drain the cashews using a colander and add them to a food processor together with the other ingredients.
  3. Process the mixture until your preferred consistency has been reached.
  4. Taste and add additional lemon juice or salt and pepper as desired.
  5. Enjoy!

Vegan_Parsley_Cashew_Pesto

BWI: This delicious pesto or any vegan pesto for that matter can be added to numerous dishes. I enjoy this special sauce with baked potato wedges or roasted vegetables.

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