Tag: orange

Chocolate Truffles (Vegan)

Decadent and velvety, these vegan chocolate truffles are the perfect dessert on those hot July evenings. For these delicious chocolate balls you only need two main ingredients and about 2 – 3 optional ingredients, which do nothing else but provide an even better taste. They are ready in practically no time and it take about the same amount of time for them disappear from the dining table. I surely recommend you to give them a try.

Ingredients:

  • 300g dark chocolate ( I used 60% cocoa)
  • 240ml coconut cream
  • the zest of ½ an orange
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 4 – 5 Tbsp cocoa powder

Method:

  1. Prepare the chocolate. Cut the chocolate into small pieces, the smaller the pieces are, the faster they melt. Place the chocolate in a bowl.
  2. Heat the coconut cream. Heat the coconut cream to a simmer. Pour the simmering coconut cream over the chocolate pieces in the mixing bowl. Leave to sit for around 2 -3 minutes to melt.
  3. Prepare the ganache. Mix the ingredients until you obtain a smooth chocolate sauce.
  4. Cool the ganache. Place the bowl into the fridge to set. This will take a few hours (3 hours, you’ll know it is set when you stick a knife into it and it is solid all the way down).
  5. Shape the truffles. When set, use a melon baller to scoop out even amounts of the ganache and drop it into the cocoa powder, then use your hands to roll it into a ball. The cocoa powder will stop it from sticking to your hands. Place the balls onto a parchment lined baking tray. When all the balls are rolled, place into the freezer to harden.

Source: www.lovingitvegan.com

Quinoa Salad with Arugula and Bell Pepper (Vegan)

 

I love arugula, as well as I love quinoa. So it was practically impossible for me not to fall in love with this salad while the stars in the recipe are precisely the ingredients mentioned above. When you add to this equation red bell pepper, onion, pine nuts and a sweet and sour citrusy dressing you get a wonderful salad. One of the many reasons I love this salad is its delicious taste and its beautiful color scheme. Also, this salad is so nutritious and filling. It’s simply divine!

Ingredients (for 2 servings):

⦁ 100g uncooked quinoa (1/2 cană)
⦁ 240ml water (1 cană)
⦁ 40g arugula
⦁ 1/2 red bell pepper (100g)
⦁ 1/2 red onion (30g)
⦁ 1 Tbsp pine nuts (15g)
⦁ 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
⦁ 1 Tbsp olive oil
⦁ 1/2 Tbsp maple syrup
⦁ zest and juice of 1 orange
⦁ zest and juice of 1/2 lime
⦁ salt and pepper to taste

 

Method:

  1. Quinoa. Place the quinoa in a strainer and rinse it with cold water for about 1 minute. Drain it very well. Place quinoa in a sauce pan, add 1 cup water and 1/4 tsp sea salt and bring to a boil on high heat. When the water begins to boil, cover with a lid and reduce the heat to minimum. Simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let it stand covered for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, fluff it with a fork. Spread it on a plate to cool down faster.
    2. Pine nuts. Carefully brown the pine nuts in a skillet, over medium heat. Set aside to cool.
    3. Pepper and onion. Cube the red bell pepper. Peel the onion and cut it into fine cubs.
    4. Citrus. Grate the peel off the citrus and squeeze the juice.
    5. Dressing and assembly. Prepare the dressing by mixing in a medium bowl the vinegar with the oil and the maple syrup. Add the zest and the citrus juice and mix. Add the onion, bell pepper and the arugula and stir. Finally add the quinoa and mix well. Garnish with toasted pine nuts.
    6. Leftovers. Place the leftovers (if any) in a bowl, cover with cling film and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Source: Forks over Knives, pag 62

Citrus Semifreddo

Citrus semifreddo

Semifreddo

Semifreddo is a delicious frozen Italian dessert. It’s basicaly an icecream, a really smooth and creamy one, the cremiest icecream that doean’t require an icecream maker. Semifreddo is so easy to make, it requires just a few basic ingredients, a bread tray and a freezer. That’s all! It’s useless to use as an argument the fact that this lovely treat melts in your mouth; of couse it does, it’s an icecream after all. But its incredibly rich taste and fragrance, the interesting creamy-crunchy justaposition make from this treat a winner. As I mentioned above, semifreddo is so easy to make, the most difficult part of the recipe being the 6 hours waiting interval! Oh… but when it finally freezes… Continue reading Citrus Semifreddo