Jan 2014

SAF RESTAURANT REVIEW

SAF RESTAURANT REVIEW

My sister-in-law gave us tickets for the amazing Cirque du Soleil performance in the equally amazing Royal Albert Hall as a Christmas present. Therefore, last Saturday, we found ourselves in Kensington, having a pre-show walk in the Kensington Gardens accompanied by some very friendly squirrels before having a much anticipated lunch in Saf restaurant.

I was very excited to finally eat there. I have the Saf app on my phone and often look at their mouthwatering recipes always thinking I really should make some. Did my lunch live up to my expectations? Well yes and no.

It is of course the best feeling be given a menu that gives you more than one or two decent choices. There really wasn’t anything I would/could not eat. I was however expecting the 50% raw dishes they advertise on their website. There were only 3. Saying that everything we tasted was very delicious.

For starters, kids both decided on the selection of raw cashew cheese with crackers (raw) with fig chutney and as my daughter got a bit fed up after few spoonfuls I got to have a taste too. Impressed and inspired indeed. Me and my husband tried the sauerkraut dumplings, I love sauerkraut so was rather happy. The only criticism were tough edges on couple of my dumplings but overall a great dish.

Saf-cheese


saf-dumplings

For our mains we each chose something different. There was a spicy vegan burger, vegan sausages with mustard mash and gravy, all day breakfast, and my choice the trio of bean tacos. Apart from the burger (which my son was guarding with his life) I had a taste of the everything. I loved the tofu scramble from my daughters all day breakfast and the gravy in the sausage dish was delicious. My tacos were great, maybe lacking bit of spice, but I loved the three different toppings, the vegan coleslaw, tropical fruit salsa (yum yum) and guacamole (or as my daughter calls it wackamole). What I did find slightly disappointing was the bought-in sausages and taco shells. Saf make great raw crackers so I expected home made taco shells.


saf-tacos
I am not a big dessert person by I couldn’t find a fault with my raw chocolate ganache tart with rum marinated bananas and cashew ice-cream. Well maybe one fault, it made me so full I thought I will have to be carried out of the restaurant... Kids opted for the sweet dumplings that were very delicious too, especially the delicate cinnamon syrup.

saf-sweet-dumplings

How would I rate my experience? I think a solid 8/10. If I didn’t come with expectations I would score Saf higher. Would I go back? Definitely. Would I recommend it? Yes, no hesitation. Especially to people who think that vegan food is boring and will leave you hungry...Saf would change their mind rather quickly.

saf-ganache
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KUMQUAT AND RAW CACAO TRUFFLES


KUMQUAT AND RAW CACAO TRUFFLES

Did you know there are videos online explaining how to eat a kumquat? Unlike other citrus fruits kumquats are usually eaten whole with the peel (you should spit out the pips). The inside flesh is rather sour whilst the peel is much sweeter. Eating the whole fruit should balance the flavours together.

These mini “oranges” pack a nutritional punch. From antioxidants like zea-xanthin and lutein to essential oils like limonene or a-bergamotene. Of course they are rich in Vitamin C but also have good levels of B vitamins.

I though they would pair up beautifully with some raw cacao and nuts in yet more truffles. I know I just posted a recipe for very simple basic chocolate truffles but I believe that one can never have enough chocolate recipes.

I have tested these on the family and I am afraid they weren’t too happy about me ruining the chocolate truffles with “orange”. However they were hit with a lot of friends. If you do like the classic orange - chocolate combo this is a recipe for you.

kumquats

KUMQUAT AND RAW CACAO TRUFFLES
Makes 16-18

ingredients
1 cup almonds
2TBS flaxseed, ground
1/2 cup coconut flour
8 kumquats
6-8 Mejdol dates, pitted

method
  1. Using a food processor process the almonds into coarse powder. Add the flaxseed, cacao, coconut flour and pulse to mix.
  2. Quarter the kumquats and remove any pips (there can be quite a few). Put into the food processor with 6 dates.
  3. Process till the mixture comes together, you may need to add extra Medjol dates. You should get a pliable sticky mixture that is easy to roll into truffles.
  4. Make walnut shape truffles, you should get 16-18 pieces.
  5. Refrigerate to firm up the truffles. Enjoy!

kumquat-truffles
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RAW CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES

RAW CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES

My cookbook library comprises several hundred titles. I will have to estimate (some are still in the garage in boxes since our May house move) but it could be somewhere between 500-600 hundred titles. I love looking through recipes, getting inspired but I am rather bad at actually following recipes. I keep telling myself I should plan better and maybe make couple of recipes a week from one of the many amazing books I own.

Last weekend I picked up
Ani’s Raw Food Kitchen, a book my husband brought for me from San Francisco. I was amazed to find a recipe that I had all the ingredients for. I made Ani’s garden pate and tested in on our friends who were coming for drinks and nibbles. Who would have thought that something made of celery and carrots could taste this good. I added some coriander and splash of tamari, because I simply can’t help myself. This will definitely be a mainstay in my repertoire. Yum!

Ani's Garden pate
Garden-pate

Another dish I made for nibbles were raw chocolate truffles. These were of my own recipe. I admit I have been craving chocolate and these really hit the spot. We made them disappear rather quickly. They are incredibly easy (just 4 ingredients) and have the potential to keep in the fridge for about a week but I doubt they will last more than couple days. I have been commissioned (by my son) to make more -
FAST.

raw-chocolate-truffles

RAW CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES
You may need more or less Medjol dates, this depends on their size and moisture. Mine were on the dry side and I had to add a few more than the recipe states. Simply keep adding dates and test if the mixture stick together when pressed.

ingredients
1 cup of almonds
1 cup of walnuts
6-8 Medjol dates, pitted
3 level Tbs of raw cacao powder

method
  1. Using a food processor, process the almonds and walnuts into coarse powder (you want few coarse bits to add texture).
  2. Next add cacao and enough dates to achieve the desired texture. The mixture should be moist and easily pressed together to roll a ball.
  3. Roll balls size of a walnut, you should get about 16-20 truffles out of this mixture.
  4. Refrigerate (this will firm the truffles up) and nibble when you fancy something sweet.

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SPICY BLACK EYED PEA STEW WITH KALE

SPICY BLACK EYED PEA STEW WITH KALE

My friend J is very religious about her kale smoothies, she has been having one every morning for a while now. This is of course a fabulous was to start a day. Last weekend she brought her smoothie to our college. On Sunday she didn’t quite manage to drink it all and by the end of the day it oxidised and resembled a very unpleasant stool sample (sorry - nutritionist joke...). It was a long day so anything to amuse ourselves with...

There is no doubt kale is the queen of vegetables and everyone should be enjoying it if not daily at least weekly. The message is finally getting through, according to an article in the Guardian supermarkets (M&S and Waitrose) are recording increase in sales of the super vegetable. Celebrities and celebrity chefs are finally promoting something worth promoting. Kale is nothing new, apparently it used to be one of the most popular vegetables is Europe before the war. Another thing we can learn from our ancestors.
http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/jan/05/celebrity-endorsements-kale-cool

No celebrity chef has to convince me, I love it. But what is the best way to eat your kale? Raw or cooked? I alternate between kale salads, smoothies, chips and cooked kale. Kale possesses immune system boosting properties, cooked or raw. Interestingly a 2011 study has shown that cooked"to death" kale (we are talking boiled for 30min) showed more immunostimulatory effects than the raw. No matter how you like your kale, it will do your body good. I love adding it into most of my vegetable stews, like the black eyed pea one I am sharing today.

http://nutritionfacts.org/video/kale-and-the-immune-system/

SPICY BLACK EYED PEA STEW WITH KALE

Serves 4

ingredients
1 onion, diced
1 celery, sliced thinly
1 carrot, diced into small dice
2 red peppers, diced
2 garlic cloves
1 tsp dried oregano (1 tbs fresh)
1 tsp dried thyme (2 tsp fresh)
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chipotle in adobo sauce
2 Tbs tomato paste
1 tin tomatos
2 tins black eyed peas, rinsed
1 cup vegetable stock
4 cups of kale without stalks

black-eyed-pea-kale

method

  1. In a large saute pan (with lid) heat about 125ml (1/2 cup) water. Ass the vegetables and cook till softened and most of the water is cooked out.
  2. Add the spices, chipotle and tomato paste. Cook for about 1 min.
  3. Next add the tomatoes, black eyed peas and vegetable stock. Cook on low heat for about 20 adding water it the sauce thickens too much.
  4. Add the kale and cook for further 10 min stirring halfway through.
  5. Serve with brown rice or quinoa. If you have any on hand a swirl of cashew cream or chopped avocado will make a great topping.
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KERMIT THE SMOOTHIE

KERMIT THE SMOOTHIE

My attempt to detox has hit a wall today. I have been really good avoiding all the things I wanted to avoid - wheat, sugar, alcohol. Today however I took my daughter to the cinema and a lunch of her choice (a girls day out). Unfortunately on top of wanting a pizza she also chose a restaurant. The only dairy and meat free item on the menu was a tomato and olive pasta. My daughter was laughing saying “ detox no more” while I was crying into my far too oily overcooked plate of wheat (!!!).... I think if you break your detox you really need to do it with something that is worth it like Jamie Oliver’s spaghetti alla Norma not this pile of rubbish.

Never mind I am back on track. And as my fridge is jammed packed of veggies this shouldn’t be a problem. I have been eyeing the celeriac and beetroot in my veg drawer so hopefully they will come together into a delicious salad tomorrow. Earlier today I was going to make some kale chips today but I noticed a large caterpillar was swimming in the water as I was washing the kale. The green creature was saved but left me with some rather unappetising deposits of “recycled kale” among the dark green leaves. I thought dehydrator just won’t do and kale will have to be cooked at much higher temperature. That recipe will be coming soon.

Today I will give you a kale smoothie I had a few days ago. It was so neon green that my friend who saw it on my personal Facebook page exclaimed: “What have you done to Kermit???” Hence the name. Delicious it is and rest assured no frogs (or caterpillars) were harmed in making of this breakfast.

kermit-the-smoothie

KERMIT THE SMOOTHIE

Serves 1-2

ingredients
2 cups kale leaves
2 cups frozen mango
2 Deglet Noir dates (or 1 medjol)
1 slice of lemon (with skin)
2 tbs ground flax
1/2 tsp probiotic powder
1 1/2 cups water (or coconut water)

Just put all ingredients into a blender and blend till smooth.
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