I had this delicious Caribbean style pumpkin soup in great little restaurant in English Harbor - Antigua, numerous times during the years I spent sailing in the area. It was always one of the favorite dishes to order, as well as fried camembert with cranberry sauce, spicy tuna balls and so on. We loved it because it was so satisfying yet so clean and light. I don't think the soup is on menu anymore, but I'm pretty sure it goes like this … of course with few of my additions such as mustard seeds, cilantro as well as the method, and god knows what else, since i have actually never seen the original recipe. All of us who tasted the “Trappas” soup and the FloatingBistro variation, agreed on similarity, plus obligatory “but yours is way better” (thank you dear friends) 

Should serve 4 people, but i also saw with my very own eyes one person eat this amount, so … 

1 small onion

1 thumb ginger

fresh turmeric root (1 cm)

6 fresh lime leaves

fresh habanero chili (I leave this up to you) 

1 tsp mustard seeds (my addition)

bunch of cilantro stems, finely chopped (also my addition)

2 cups stock 

2 carrots, cleaned and halved

1 smaller piece of celeriac root

about 1 pound of curry pumpkin (you don't have to peel the skin off if you use this type, only half it and clean the seeds out, also don't worry too much about the amount, worst case the soup will be thicker) 

Melt spoon of ghee in a pot with mustard seeds, once they start to pop, add the other ingredients and cook until fragrant. Then add 2 cups of homemade chicken stock (or dissolve “better then bullion") and add next ingredients to the pot:

2 carrots, cleaned and halved

1 smaller piece of celeriac root

about 1 pound of curry pumpkin (you don't have to peel the skin off if you use this type, only half it and clean the seeds out, also don't worry too much about the amount, worst case the soup will be thicker) 

Cook all until soft, puree with stick-blender, add about 1 cup good quality coconut milk, you can add more if you think it is too thick.

Salt and pepper to taste, add juice from lime … 

Enjoy!

This recipe has been adapted from incredible and elaborate baking blog theperfectloaf.com

I used part spelt flour and replaced the topping that usually mixes cinamon, sugar, butter with cardamom, orange blossom water, orange peel and sugar …

It has been about 5 years since my first attempt of at home sourdough loaf.

If you struggle with it, trust me, it gets better and the bright joy of a perfect loaf will shadow all the failures and become your addiction. The journey for me was lets say long organic ride through peaks and valleys on a bike that has mind of its own …

Here is my latest technique. Works perfect ALMOST every time.

75 g active starter

250g lukewarm water

1/2 cup quick oats + boiling water

1 Tbs honey

2-3 tsp salt

2 cups strong bread flour

1 cup mixed grain flour (or wholewheat or spelt)

bread spice - 1 tsp each fresh ground caraway, fennel, coriander

Dissolve 75g active stater in 250g lukewarm water in a large bowl.

In separate bowl, measure 1/2 cup of quick oats (or use white flour) add boiling water, 1 Tbs honey and 2-3 teaspoons of salt. Let the porridge soak well and cool off a bit.

Add 2 measuring cups of strong bread flour, 1 cup of wholewheat (or spelt or mixed grain flour) and cooled porridge to your starter mix.

(In Slovakia we use “bread spice” which is a blend of caraway, fennel and coriander seeds 1:1:1, that gives bread the typical taste and smell)

Knead together until combined, tip on lightly oiled surface and knead with heel of your hand pushing the dough away from you into the surface, adding bit more water as needed, for about 8 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic and doesn't break easily.

Lightly oil the bowl from earlier and place the dough in. Cover and let sit in warm room without draft for about 2 hours while you perform 2-3 sets of folds every half hour. Then leave the dough sit another 2 hours - ish, until it is double the size.

Tip on lightly floured surface and shape the dough into the shape of your proofing basket.

You can find all the details on great baking blog www.theperfectloaf.com

For the final shape, tip the dough ball over so it is seems side up, pull and flatten a bit into rectangle and fold one side into middle, then opposite side over the middle seal and press to secure it, then roll from the narrow end, flour the top of the dough and place it seems side up into a banneton proofing basket that has been well dusted with corn starch (will give your bread shiny crust) Put in a plastic bag and place in the fridge over nite to proof.

In the morning remove the bread from the fridge, turn the oven on 250’C and place the baking dish you are using in, to heat it up (I use pullman loaf tin with a lid for this loaf) for about 20 minutes. When ready, tip the dough from the basket onto baking paper, so it is easier to place it in your hot baking dish. Work fast here and be careful. Place the bread in the hot tin and cover, bake covered for 20 minutes, then remove the lid, lower the temperature to about 180’C and bake another 20-30 minutes, until dark in color and hollow sounding when tapped.

Take the bread out of the baking dish and allow to cool completely on a cooling rack before slicing at least couple of hours.

This is ultimately my favorite crowd pleaser and wonderful b-day cake. My friend Sonia says "people who dont like chocolate are not to be trusted". First time I introduced it in Belize doing a vegan workshop for local people, also teaching mamas how to "hide" vegetables in desserts, in that time they had abundance of beets and so it came up. 

For the cake:

1 cup roasted pureed beetroot

2 cups plain unsweetened almond milk

1 Tbsp cream of tartar

1.5 cups raw cane sugar (I mixed date sugar and xylitol)

1/2 cup melted coconut oil

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

1 C GF oat (or quinoa flour), 2-3 Tbs cocnut flour (it has sweetness) or you can just add 1.5 C oat flour

3/4 cup almond meal

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

pinch of kosher salt

For the frosting:

1 ripe avocados, halved and pitted

2-3 tbsp cocoa

1/2 cup maple syrup

2 Tbsp melted coconut oil

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

few pinches kosher salt, chilli 

To roast the beets:

Preheat oven to 400. Chop the stems off your beets, as well as the tips if they are long. Scrub clean. Wrap in foil and roast until a fork slides easily to the center of the beet, 60-75 minutes. Remove, unwrap, and set aside until cool enough to handle.

Once cooled, peel the beets by pushing the skins off with the back of a knife. they should slide off easily. Cut the beets into chunks and place in the bowl of a food processor. Puree, scraping down the sides as necessary. You may have to add a bit of water to encourage the beets to puree. Scoop out 1 cup of puree for this recipe - the rest is leftover, you may use for juice or salad.

To make the cake:

Lower oven temp to 350. Coat cake pan with oil. I dependes what kind of pan you have you might wanna split the batter between two pans, I made the heart shape and had some batter left to make 3 cupkaces.

Whisk together almond milk and cream of tartar in a large bowl. Let sit about 15 minutes to curdle.

To the almond milk mixture, add 1 cup of beet puree, sugar, coconut oil, and vanilla extract. With a hand mixer (or in a stand mixer), beat until foamy, about 30 seconds. (This is important so that the coconut oil does not separate and solidify.)

Sift in remaining dry ingredients. Beat again to incorporate.

Divide between the cake pans. Bake at 350 until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with fudgy crumbs, 30-35 minutes, cupkaces only 20 minutes

Remove and cool completely in the pans on wire racks. Then, if time allows, transfer pans to the fridge to cool further. Run a knife around the edge of the cake pan before inverting the cake and peeling off the parchment paper. (Be sure you allow the cakes to cool completely before removing, or they will not hold together!)

To make the frosting:

Scoop out the flesh of the avocados and place in the bowl of a food processor. Puree until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and puree again, scraping down the sides of the bowl.

Spring in Maine comes slowly and quietly, it is almost invisible. You can see first signs and you hold your breath.

Through winter I tried to create these bright cookies, that would be nutritious and clean - free of sugar and dairy. Fennel with hint of orange is quite traditional combination in Scandinavia and tahini & chickpeas in MidEast, I combined these two and this is the outcome. They are like those spring days when it is summer in the sun, but still winter in shade, lake is frozen but not really, you can hear birds but they are still invisible to the eye … so these cookies are winter but also spring. They are deliciously earthy but bright and as most peeps who tasted them said, very satisfying … try them out, let me know.

Ingredients:

1 cup cooked chickpeas

1/2 cup tahini

1/2 cup maple syrup

1 ts orange extract and zest from one orange

2 ts fennel seeds (crushed in mortar and pestle)

lemon juice (about 2 ts, or to your taste)

- Puree these ingredients in vitamix

1/2 cup wholewheat flour

1/2 cup almond meal

1/2 cup buckwheat flour

1/4 ts salt

1/2 ts baking powder, 1/2 ts baking soda

4 oz good quality bittersweet chocolate (chopped)

2 Tbl seame seeds (optional)

Mix together dry ingredients (except chocolate) and add to the wet part, combine well.

Add chocolate. Form small balls and bake on 350 on 11-13 minutes.

Who loves brunch? Shakshuka is a good way to go. There are million ways of making it, and you will find so many recipes all over the internet. I love David Lebowitz's recipe he adapted from Ottolenghi, he adds my favorite caraway. It is really about the spices here but for me as well about fresh vegetables, and so my advice to you is to skip the canned goods.

I learned this recipe some years ago when I started to cook on yachts. The women of orthodox jewish family I worked for at the time, taught me so much about their traditions and stories of every-day life, it was one of my most difficult but also educating jobs I ever got.

serves 2-4

good quality Olive Oil

1 onion, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

2 garlic cloves, peeled, chopped

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp sweet paprika

½ tsp ground cumin

½ tsp caraway 

Pinch red pepper flakes 

Salt and pepper

6 Vine-ripe tomatoes, chopped

2 tbsp sherry vinegar 

1 tbsp honey

1 ts tamari paste 

6 large eggs

¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

goat feta (optional)

Heat olive oil in a large cast iron skillet. Add the spices first except paprika and fry until fragrant, then add onions, green pepper, garlic, pinch salt and pepper and paprika. Cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables have softened, about 5 minutes.

Add the tomatoes. Simmer about 10-12 minutes. Add sherry and honey to taste, you can add tamarin paste too. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking.

Using a wooden spoon, make 4spaced out "wells" in the tomato mixture. Gently crack an egg into each well.

Reduce the heat, cover the skillet, and cook on low until the egg whites are set.

Uncover and add the fresh cilantro and feta. You can add more black pepper or crushed red pepper, if you like. Serve with homemade sourdough.

This is one of the traditional meals in region I come from, although it originates in Hungary. It traditionally comes with minced pork/beef and lots of cream and I remember from my childhood how much I loved it. Later when I grew out of school canteen and we had no money or interest to buy meat, my mama made this simply with smoked tofu instead of meat and it was delicious. The meal maintained its satisfying “comfort food” quality, yet it was much lighter, and therefore it’s still perfect winter time warmer. So the other day I tried this remake. With great local Maine made kimchi.

serves 2

1 - 1.5 C kimchi or sauerkraut 

1 C rice (I used ordinary white rice as we did, but you can use also brown or black, it will give the meal more earthy quality) 

1 C chopped smoked tempeh or tofu

1 C shitake 

1/2 C goat milk yoghurt (or sour cream) mix with 1/2 C veg stock and smoked paprika, pepper and salt (if you have liquid smoke (drop of) and nutritional yeast you can add them too) Some people like to add a spoonful of tomato paste, it’s also really nice.

soy sauce, balsamic, pepper, salt, smoked paprika, bay leave

Cook rice with bay leave and couple new spice peppercorns. 

On frying pan, melt butter and cook chopped shiitake and tempeh, add spoon of soy sauce and spoon of balsamic, salt and pepper. Keep it nice and moist, this will oil whole meal … 

Add the cooked rice and kimchi and mix well, add as much or as little kimchi as you like, it’s up to you!

Transfer to a baking dish and bake covered on 300 ‘F for about 20 min. 

After this time take the cover off and pour the yoghurt mixture all over the top, bake additional 10 minutes. 

I sometimes fry little bits of chorizo or good quality bacon and use it as a topping on plate, for those who need to be “fooled” by little bit of meat when it comes to healthy cooking. No-one gets hurt that way :).

greek beet salad

one of my favorites from Greek mezze, I remember the late night dinners in romantic little taverna’s of Naxos, and all the fantastic food, that you seemed never to have enough of.

I love also the fact that beets are so good for you, provide us with iron and energy, and all sorts of goodness and so I make it quite often. The other day I thought of adding wasabi powder, and big YES,… try it if you like a little kick to a different direction than garlic kicks

serves 2

2 medium beetroots (cooked, peeled, chopped to little cubes)

1-2 cloves garlic finely grated 

2 Tbl sp. goat yoghurt, 1 Tbl sp. mayo, 1 Tbl sp. lemon juice, 1 Tbl sp. olive oil

salt+pepper+wasabi powder (to your taste)

1/3 cup chopped walnuts

Mix all except the beetroot together well and try the flavor, then add beets and let sit in fridge for and hour or so … If you like to save it for few days, I advice not to omit mayonnaise.

Kali Orexi! Bon Apetit 

A variation of thai coconut soup with plenty of greens that work great with asian flavors. Perfect warmer for january blizzard or a snow storm party. We tend to have plenty of those in Maine. 

1 onion chopped

3 garlic cloves chopped

lemongrass - preferably whole stick, chopped

1 thumb ginger (grated)

½ -1 medium sized jalapeño pepper halved and cleaned 

6-8 kaffir lime leaves 

1 ts black mustard seeds

bunch of cilantro stems

Place all in a food processor, and pulse until combined into a paste.

1 tbsp coconut oil 

2 cups stock

½ ts salt

1 pound broccoli, chopped

1 cup small-diced sweet potato (white)

1 can coconut milk 

1- 1 ½ cups kale or spinach

tamari and lime juice to taste 

Heat coconut oil add the paste and fry it, stirring often till fragrant  and golden (2 min). Add the water and sweet potato and bring to boil, cook for 5 minutes then add the broccoli. Bring this to a simmer, cover, and cook 10-12 minutes, or until broccoli is tender. Add greens just for couple of minutes and puree till creamy, slowly add coconut milk until desired thickness. Finish by adding tamari, salt, pepper, lime juice. Top w cilantro, chili and serve! 

Tip: How to keep your greens vibrant green color? Cool them down quickly after cooking or steaming, in freezer or on ice. In winter time i simply put the pot out in the window for few minutes.

Add 1 cup coconut milk (solids and liquid) and if using kale, add it now and cook a couple minutes until it wilts. ( If using other tender greens like spinach or arugula- these are fine to add directly to the blender without wilting first.)

Garnish with cilantro and chili, serve for example with rice crackers

I saw this idea in wonderful cookbook by Ana Sortun called SPICE and adapted it a little with adding more vegetables and spices. And since I love Mediterranean food ideas, for its great combination of flavors and healthy nutritious ingredients, and the plenty of ideas for vegetarian cooking, I had to try it. With my litte twist on it. 

makes 6 muffin size servings 

4 tbsp butter (make brown butter) 

1 pound curry pumpkin

1 smaller piece of celeriac

1/2 cup leek

3 garlic cloves

1 1/2 cup fine bulgur 

2 1/2 cups vegetable stock 

1 green pepper, finely chopped and fried on little olive oil

1 ts 5 spice and little bit of grated nutmeg

1 cup good quality feta

1 bunch cilantro

1 small red chili 

cumin, turmeric, fennel, smoked paprika

salt and pepper

Roast vegetables in oven just with some olive oil, salt and pepper till soft and mushy and puree in vitamix.

Cook bulgur in stock for 5 minutes and let sit for about 15 minutes till it cools off. Add spices, green pepper, browned butter and stir well. It will be soft like a dough.

While cooling the bulgur, mix the spicy feta, chop the cilantro finely and chili (by your own taste) with about 1/4 teaspoon of each spice. Trust your taste buds with amounts.

Grease a muffin tin with olive oil molding in bulgur mixture leaving space in middle. Fill this hole with feta mix and cover with more bulgur mix so there is no cheese uncovered.

Bake on 375’F for about 15 minutes.

Turn them out on plate and serve with little harissa and greens, topped with sliced almonds.

Tips: roast more vegetables together and save some purree for making a soup, adding just little stock ... 

I adapted this idea from Jamie Oliver. I loved the simplicity, and first time i made this cake true to his ingredients, although i thought it was little too much. For past … hmmm … 3 years i don't use sugar in cooking anymore, and I am also more conscious of sustainable food, and so alternative came. I omitted sugar, half the butter and replaced 1 egg with flax egg. 

200 g unsalted butter , at room temperature (i used 5 tbsp butter and 5 tbsp olive oil)

200 g demerara sugar (i used 1/2 c date sugar and some honey - 3 tbsp)

3 large eggs (i used 2 and 1 flax egg, or you can use just flax eggs) 

1 ts vanilla essence, cinnamon, cloves (or 5 spice blend), 1/2 ts almond essence

200 g ground almonds

100 g polenta

4 oranges , zest and juice separately 

1 thumb ginger (grated and soaked in tbsp of honey)

1/2 ts baking powder and 1/2 ts baking soda, 1/4 ts salt

for glaze:

goji berries (3 tbsp grind and few whole for decorating), honey and juice from oranges

Preheat the oven to 160°C/320°FGrease a 20cm springform tin, or use parchment paper

Beat the butter, oil and date sugar in a large bowl, don’t worry if it looks gritty, as the sugar will dissolve when it’s cooked. Beat in the eggs, one by one, and the flax egg. Then stir in the vanilla essence, ginger, orange zest and spices.

In a small bowl, combine the ground almonds, polenta, baking powder and soda, salt then stir this into the cake mix, if you think its too thick you can add a little OJ. Also taste a little and see if its sweet enough. If you like a little more, add some honey but don't forget that the glaze will give it some more sweetness. Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for 40 minutes, until the surface is light brown and the cake is coming away slightly from the sides of the tin. Don't dry it out, we want the cake to be nice and moist.

Remove the tin from the oven, leave to cool for 20 minutes, then turn out onto a plate. Gluten free cakes tend to be soft and so its really important to give it time cooling off. 

To make the glaze, put all of the ingredients in a saucepan and simmer over a low–medium heat until reduced and thickened slightly, it should take about 8 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Prick the cake all over with a skewer, then brush generously with the syrup. Decorate with orange or lemon slices and goji berries. 

tips: adding flax to cake is simply great, it replaces a little flour, helps digest as it is great source of fiber. for more sweetness without sugar, really explore using vanilla and cinnamon, or some fruits, very often the recipes call for more sugar then its necessary … 

Oranges and ginger are winter time special in my kitchen, not only in food but also as decorations and scents. 

The need for comfort food in winter months is natural. But most of us are in 'love - hate' relationship with winter warmers because of the effect it has on our size and health. I love re-inventing comfort food, making it into delicious nutritious treat that is easy to digest yet sooo cozy.

Important hint: keep it simple. Do not over combine ingredients, keep it mostly plant based and add smart ingredients that add amazing flavor and umami like pecorino (goat dairy digests easier than cow and it has stronger flavor and so you dont need to add as much), tamari paste, sundried tomatoes etc.

(recipe in progress) 

May in Maine comes with fiddleheads … if you never prepared them, try just steaming them, roast them in oven or on fire! Drop of olive oil and lemon and its ready.

Or … make a pie

Crust:

1 cup garbanzo flour

3/4 c water

olive oil, salt

Work out the dough and roll between plastic foil.

Filling:

1 cup sliced and cooked sweet potatoes

2 cups steamed fiddleheads, drizzled with lemon and salt

1/2 cup, sliced and cooked leek

3 eggs

1/2 cup coconut milk

to taste: nutritional yeast, liquid aminos, tamari, garlic, sundried tomatoes in oil, salt, pepper, gomasio, pecorino - choose some or use all, up to you! These all create umami …