Apple, cherry, mint smoothie

A seemingly odd blend becomes a delicious symphony to the taste buds. Adapted recipe from my favorite cafe in Van. 

Apple cherry mint smoothie:

2 apples, cut into slices

1 cup of cherry juice

OR

1 cup of cherries, pitted and 1 cup of apple juice

(whatever you have!)

1/3 cup fresh minced mint leaves OR ¼ cup dried leaves, soaked in boiled water

1 inch piece shredded ginger

2 tb lime juice

Optional:

¾ cup Ice (if you want it cold)

3/4 cup ground oats and ½ a banana (if you want a meal replacement)

Blend everything together and enjoy! Serves 2. 

Hot and Sour Chickpea Soup (vegan)

Hot and sour chickpea soup

-1.5 cups cooked chickpeas

(a quick and easy alternative to canned chickpeas: soak a big batch of chickpeas in a crockpot for 24 hours. Place on a cookie sheet in the freezer. When they’re frozen, break into pieces and store in a ziplock bag.)  

-3-4 big leaves/stalks of chard

-1 cup of lentils, soaked in boiled water for 15-30 minutes

-1 small onion

-1 green chilli, with seeds, chopped in to small pieces (if you like it HOT add another one)

-1/2 ts cumin

-½ ts turmeric

-1/2 ts salt (or more to taste)

-3 tablespoons coconut cream

-4 tablespoons lime juice

-3 cups of water

-2 ts cooking oil

-1 inch (cubed) piece of ginger, shredded with fine grater

Heat oil on a pan. Fry onions with green chili and ginger. Add cumin, turmeric and salt. Transfer to crockpot or large pot on stove. Add chickpeas, water, lentils, and chard. Cook until lentils are soft. 10 mins before serving add coconut cream and lime juice.

Serve over brown rice.

Dutch Red Cabbage Soup (vegan friendly)

-1 tb oil

-1 small onion, chopped

-1.5 cups chopped red cabbage

-1/4 cup vinegar

-1 apple, chopped

-1-2 potatoes, chopped

-1-2 cloves of garlic, minced

-1/3 cup barley

-2.5 cups of water or (chicken/veg stock)

-salt to taste (about 3/4 ts is good if you aren't using stock)

-optional: more sugar to taste

-dollop of yogurt

-pepper to taste

Heat oil in a pan. Add garlic, and onions, fry till translucent. Add apple, cabbage, vinegar, barley. Stir fry on med heat until apple and cabbage are soft. Transfer to big pot, add water and salt to taste. Simmer until barley is soft. Serve with a dollop of yogurt and pepper. Tastes like circa 1910.