Wednesday 19 October 2016

Vegan cheese spread to go to Heaven.

As many vegans do, one of the things I really missed since I started a plant based diet was cheese. It was never sitting well with me, but I adored the taste in my mouth when I ate a piece of old Spanish cheese together with a glass of good red wine. On the other hand, quitting meat was easy and a relief,  but a bite of cheese on some fresh bread was a part of my daily diet.

Since I decided leaving cows and sheep alone, I've been trying different recipes I have found all over the net, but this one is really easy, cheap and tasty. Let's go.

This recipe was originally published by  Emily von Euw  in www.onegreenplanet.org, but I have changed it a little bit.

These are the ingredients:

- 1 cup raw cashews
- 1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- A few stalks of chive
- A pinch of garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons of mineral water
- Salt and black pepper

1. Soak the cashews overnight in a bowl, or at least for two hours. The more hours they will be, the easier they will blend and the creamier it will be.

2. Drain the cashews and place all the ingredients in the mixer.

3. Blend for at least two minutes, scraping the inside of the blender with a spatula in order to mix it all well.

Spread it on a piece of black fresh bread and crown it with two pieces of baby tomatoes and some chive, or whatever you find in your garden.

(If you don't eat it all, you can keep it in the fridge for about 3-4 days, and even freeze it)

I hope you like it.


Homemade easy and cheap cashew cheese, Ionian Sea and Greek skies.

Sunday 16 October 2016

My vegan breakfast.

I love breakfast. In this moment of the day your body is fresh and renovated, waiting to be fed, the healthiest foods can be added to your plate and enjoyed with delight.

Becoming vegan brought ahead more ideas and choices, and helped me to "create" my own breakfast menus, much healthier and yummier than before.

This is one of my favourite choices, simple and delicious:



Ingredients:

A slice of multigrain bread,
Two slices of avocado,
Fresh tomato (half of a ripe small piece),
Ground flaxseeds (half a teaspoon),
A pinch of salt,
A teaspoon of Greek extra virgin olive oil, and
Fresh orange juice.

Toast the bread and smash the half tomato on one of its sides (like they do in Cataluña with the worldwide famous "pan tumaca").

Add half of the salt and olive oil.

Place the avocado slices, spread the ground flaxseed and season with the rest of salt and olive oil.

Serve together with the glass of fresh orange juice, preferably by the sunny seaside, in a beautiful Greek island.

And... enjoy!





Sunday 2 October 2016

Rosy's, the sweetest

Sweet pies are one of the highest points of Greek gastronomy, and even though Corfu was never under Ottoman rule, the Turkish influence is obvious in many of its desserts, so, if you have a sweet tooth, you are at the right place. Baklavas, galaktopoureko, kataifi and an endless list of heavenly delights, covered in buttery syrup and pleasantly melting in your mouth, await for you in every corner.

Baklava with nuts.
Chocolate and Nutella filo cake.


Baklava with pistachio.







































































Most of these desserts are prepared with milk, butter and honey so... what about vegans? Many times it's really hard entering a patisserie and leaving empty-handed and with tears in your eyes.

Don't we deserve a Greek sweet bite, too?

Don't panic and hold on a second.

Let me introduce you to sweet Rosy and her Bakery:


Rosy and her smile.



In the center of Corfu's Old Town, very close th the Jewish Quarter, there is one of the most amazing bakeries I've ever seen. Rosy's smile welcomes you from behind the shop windows, and she always gives you good advice about the best snack and dessert, sweet or salty. Not only it's a family business full of charm, but also she also offers other choices that you won't easily find on the island and suit everybody's tastes and needs: gluten free, sugar free, milk free and also...VEGAN!



Rosy's vegan sweets.

You can pick your choice and take it home or enjoy it right there, together with a cup of coffee, at one of the tables outside the shop (if they are free!) Rosy's customers are so happy and thankful that they express their feelings on the wall and they always come back or send their friends.

Rosy's wall.


So you already know what to do if you are really craving something sweet. 
Trust me and enjoy it!

Have you already been here? Tell us about it.


Rosy's Bakery is also on Facebook -clic here>  ROSYS BAKERY


Monday 1 August 2016

My First Vegan Pita

Greece is worldwide known for its PITA GYROS, the popular fast food usually made with slices of spicy meat (pork, chicken or lamb), sauce, lettuce, tomato and french fries, all wrapped in a flat round bread called  πίτα = pita. Pitas can also be filled with a σουβλάκι = souvlaki (grilled pieces of meat), instead of the spicy meat slices. But it's still meat, so our choices are not very optimistic.


Huge pork meat gyros in Thessaloniki.


But given that pita bread is a traditional, delicious and very light bread (have a look in Wikipedia), maybe we can do something with it.

Let's stop complaining about the menus and make our own vegan pita. Better. Healthier. Cheaper. And yummy!

All you need is to get a couple of pieces of pita bread; you can buy them at the supermarket or from the place where your non vegan friends usually order their meals. The right name is ζυμάρι, as pita is also the name given to any sweet and/or salty pies, such as cheese pie = tiropita, and apple pie = milopita, and many others.


Piece of  simari in a salad.


Simaria are usually made of wheat flour, and cooked on the charcoal. Don't forget to ask for a whole piece, because otherwise they'll serve it chopped in four quarters.

So, we already have the simari... now, let's have a look in the kitchen. I found an aubergine (Eggplant in the U.S.) and a tomato. Hummmm...

You just need to cut them in slices and fry them on the pan or the grill, with some sea salt and spices (I used turmeric, parsley, garlic and black pepper), adding a teaspoon of olive oil just at the end   Five minutes are more than enough for each.

Then, heat the simari in the same pan and place the slices of veggies on it. Tomato on the left, aubergine on the right. Like this:



My First Vegan Pita: aubergine, tomato and simari.


Fold it and this is the result. Easy, isn't it? Already starving? Me too!



Dying to taste My First Vegan Pita.


PS: Sorry for the bite on the simari, I couldn't wait! ;)


These are the ingredients:

- 1 simari (pita bread)
- 1 medium sized aubergine (eggplant)
- 1 tomato
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 piece of garlic, chopped
- 1 teaspoon parsley
- A pinch of salt. I like using salt from the Atlantic Ocean because it's rich in magnesium.
- Turmeric, black pepper,

1. Cut the aubergine in slices, add some salt and let them aside on some kitchen paper. This way the eggplant won't be so bitter.

2. Grill them or fry them on the pan without any oil until they are golden in both sides. Flatten them with a skimmer so they will cook faster. Once they are ready, keep them in a plate.

3. Cut the tomato in thick slices. Add a little bit of oil in the pan, add the garlic and fry the tomato slices when the oil is very hot. Season with salt, pepper and turmeric. Tip them over only once and be careful not to break them. Remove them when they are very well cooked, and keep them in a plate.

4. Turn the burner off and heat one side of the simari in the pan.

5. Place the aubergine slices in one side of the simari, the tomato on the other and spread the parsley over them. Fold it. Serve it. Enjoy it!

My First Vegan Pita... Bon appetit!

Monday 4 July 2016

Vegan in Corfu

I'm going vegan and I live in Corfu. Greece is an amazing country, but going vegan here can be a bit difficult. You will find delicious freshly grown vegetables, legumes and fruits in the city markets, but the rest of vegan and/or bio products are very, very expensive (or they just don't exist)

I also love photography and like taking pictures of, almost, everything.

In this blog I will tell about my experience: shopping, recipes, homemade, beauty, restaurants etc., that can be useful for everybody, not only for vegans but also for those who follow a healthy lifestyle. Feel free to participate, ask, comment and share your favourite entries. And, enjoy the meals!