Wild Pesto

Posted on May 9, 2020 by planetmanel

9AF29F9B-9070-4247-B2FD-047272EC306A Are you ready to make and eat some very wild pesto? Great! This recipe, is such a wild recipe, becuase the main ingredient is very likely to grow around the corner from your house.. in the wild! Did you know there are a lot of plants and ‘weeds’ (hate that word) you can actually eat? And you can’t just eat them, they are nutritious, delicious and often have lots of amazing benefits. The ‘weed’ we are going to use today the Garlic Mustard plant. Garlic Mustard is an amazing plant with lots of benefits. It contains vitamin A, C, E and some B vitamins as well and it doesn’t only contain lots of vitamins, but also potassium, calcium, magnesium, selenium, copper, iron, manganese and omega-3 fatty acids. Who is excited yet? I bet that the next time you go for a walk, you keep an eye out for this amazing plant!

WILD PESTO

Makes: ± 250 gram

100 gr Garlic Mustard
1/2 cup cashew nuts
1/4 cup nutritioninal yeast
1 tbs lemon juice
3 tbs extra virgin olive oil
3 tbs water
1/2 tsp salt

-Pick 100 gram of Garlic Mustard leaves and tops (incl flowers).
-Make sure there are no insects hiding in there (I assume you want it to stay a vegan recipe) and rinse the leaves.
-Put everything in the food processor and blend until smooth.
-Add a bit more oil or water, if you want it a bit more runny.

22A870E3-D71B-4246-B365-1C41B6F4FE23 Some tips for wild picking:
-Be absolutely sure that you have the right plant. You do not want to ingest something that makes you end up in the hospital or worse..
-Don’t pick along roads or places where dogs are walked. A pinch of pollution or wee are not the ingredients you want to go for.
-Pick from an area where there are a lot of the specific plant you want to pick and only pick what you need. We need to share and be mindful.
-Try not to disturb wildlife.

Are you going to make this recipe? Please let me know or show me on instagram via @freedomevermore. I’d love to see it and hear what you think. Thank you! X

Hulk Pasta

Posted on April 22, 2020 by planetmanel

713D87C8-CB1D-4B40-AA9B-9AD92EE8A979 I often make this pasta dish for the kids from work. In the beginning they said they didn’t like it, because it was too green. But I called it Hulk pasta, told them not te eat it, because I didn’t want them turn into Hulk and all of a sudden they loved it. One day, when they watched me making it, they did ask me: ‘Lisa, why are you putting a smoothie in the pasta?’. Haha! A few times I posted it on my Instagram Story and many asked for the recipe. I procrastinated it for a while, but I thought Earth Day is a good reason to post such a green and tasty recipe. Whenever I make it for the kids I always make a bit more, because I also like to eat this myself. It’s so creamy and delicious. What makes it a great family recipe!

HULK PASTA

Serves: 4

400 gr pasta
1 big onion (chopped)
2 cloves of garlic (chopped)
1 small head of broccoli (chopped)
1 small head of cauliflower (chopped)
2 hands of spinach
1/2 avocado (optional)
1/4 cup fresh basil
1 cube stock
1/2 cup plant based milk
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
salt/pepper (to taste)

-Cook the pasta as described on the pack (add some salt for extra taste).
-Cook the broccoli and the cauliflower for 5 min.
-In the meantime fry the onion and the garlic for 5 min. You can do this in water or oil, whatever you prefer.
-Put the cooked broccoli and cauliflower, the fried onion and garlic with the spinach, avocado, basil, stock, milk and nutritional yeast in a blender and blend until smooth. Add some salt/pepper to taste.
-Mix the sauce with the pasta and enjoy any toppings you like: extra basil, nutritional yeast, black pepper, vegan cheese, tomatoes etc.

Are you going to make this pasta? Please let me know if you like it. You can let me know down below or you can tag me on Instagram with @freedomevermore. Thank you! X

Easter 2020 – recipes

Posted on April 5, 2020 by planetmanel

This Easter might be a little different from other Easter celebrations. Big family brunches are a no go and chocolate egg hunts in the park for the kids, also can’t happen. This year we do small brunches and egg hunts inside, with people from the same household. Also fun! Small celebrations can actually be lovely and intimate. And even if you have to spend Easter by yourself, you can maybe get creative and do a Face Time family/friend brunch. Use technology! It doesn’t matter how you are celebrating, but it does matter what you eat. Very important. Haha! This is why I created 2 super easy recipes, that I think are delicious and perfect for a brunch. I hope you will enjoy them.

Party Bread

Makes: 2

2 sourdough bread slices
1 cup yogurt (I used Coconut Collaborative)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 small apple (grated)
20 blueberries
2 tbs raisins
1/2 tbs pumpkin seeds
2 tbs almond butter
extra toppings: coconut, puffed quinoa (optional)

-Divide all the ingredients over the 2 slices of bread.
-Decorate them with some extra toppings if you like.

Pastel Dream

Makes: 1

chia pudding
1/2 tbs chia seed
1 tbs pineapple (chopped)
2 tbs oat milk
1/2 tsp maple syrup (optional)

smoothie bowl
1 cup mango (frozen)
1/2 cup strawberries (frozen)
1/2 cup banana (frozen)
1/2-3/4 cup oat milk
1/2 cup oats
1 scoop vanilla protein powder (optional)
1 lemon (juice)
1 tbs maple syrup (optional)
1 fresh fig (cut in half)
extra toppings: (toasted) coconut, blueberries.

-Mix in the chia seeds, the 2 tbs of oat milk and the pineapple (and add maple syrup if you like).
-Put the frozen fruit, oat milk, oats, protein powder and the maple syrup in a blender and blend until smooth.
-Pour the smoothie in a nice bowl.
-Give the chia seed a last stir and add it on top of the smoothie bowl.
-Add the fig and the rest of the toppings.

If you decide to make one of these recipes for Easter (or any other day), please show me your creations via Instagram. You can tag me with @freedomevermore. Thank you! X

Complete Xmas Dinner 2019

Posted on December 16, 2019 by planetmanel

IMG_6514_polarr I already start thinking about my Xmas dinner in the summer or even earlier. When I see something that inspires me, I write it down and then it might end up in my Xmas dinner that year. I always like to create several recipes, that make a full Xmas dinner all together. There is something that I always include though and that is brussels sprouts. Cuz I just LOVE them. I often prepare some extra veggies as well, like green beans and broccoli. Just to get your greens in, even at Xmas time. If you are curious what I made last year, please CLICK HERE. Or to see what I made 3 years ago, CLICK HERE. I really like this year’s desert though. It looks so festive and it’s super easy to make. I also like that you can put it in the middle of the table and everyone can share, instead of everyone having their own portion. This whole Xmas dinner is enough for about 4-6 people. You can double the recipes when you need it to be more or add more dishes. Whatever you are gong to make, I want to wish you a very Happy Xmas!! I hope you will have a lovely time, with lots of love, laughter and happy moments!

STARTER

>>>

Pea Spirulina Soup with Smoked Tempeh

Makes: 4-6 bowls.

soup
2,5 L vegetable stock (4 cubes)
400 gram split peas
1 leek (chopped)
1 onion (chopped)
2 carrots (finely chopped)
4 ribs of celery (chopped)
2 tsp spirulina

tempeh
100 gr tempeh (chopped)
1 tbs nutritional yeast
1 tbs sesame seed oil
1 tbs soy sauce
1/2 lime (juice)
1/2 tbs liquid smoke
1/8 tsp smoked garlic
1/8 tsp garlic powder
pinch of salt

extra
4-6 tbs cream (cashew, alpro or oatly)

-Marinate the tempeh: put all the ingredients (including the tempeh) in a container with lid and shake!
-Put the stock and the split peas in a pan and let it come to boil.
-Turn the heat to a medium and let it simmer for about 30 min (keep stirring it once in a while).
-In the meantime: fry the onion, leek, carrot and celery (in water or oil) for about 8-10 minutes on a medium fire.
-Take 2 cups of the soup and use it to blend the just fried veggies and the spirulina. Blend until smooth, before putting it all (back) in the pan.
-Let it simmer for another 5 min.
-In the meantime: fry the tempeh (in 1/2-1 tsp of oil if necessary).
-Serve the split pea soup with some cream and the tempeh on top.

MAIN & SIDES

>>>

Leek Bacon Quiche.

Serves: 6-8

1 pastry sheet

1 onion (chopped)
2 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
1 broccoli (finely chopped)
1 small courgette (chopped)
100 gr mushrooms (chopped)
1/2 leek (chopped)
100 gr bacon (Vivera)

filling
1,5 cup chickpea flour
1,5 cup oat milk
1 cup water
1 stock cube
4 tbs nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt

topping
2 tomatoes (thinly sliced)
150 gr Sheese

-Preheat the oven at 200C.
-Fry the onion, garlic and broccoli all together for about 5 min.
-Add the courgette and the mushrooms and fry all together for 3-4 min.
-Add the leek and the bacon and fry all together for about 2 min. Let it cool down.
-In the meantime make the filling: put all the ingredients for the filling in the blender and blend until smooth.
-Line a baking tin with the pastry sheet and use a fork to prick some holes in the bottom.
-Put the vegetable mix in the baking tin and make sure everything is divided evenly.
-Pour the filling over the vegetables and make sure everything is covered.
-Divide the toppings over the top and put it in the oven for about 30-35 min.

>>>

Garlic Hasselback Potatoes

Makes: 6

6 medium-big potatoes
3 small cloves of garlic (minced)
6 tbs butter (melted)
1-2 tbs fresh parsley (finely chopped)
1 tsp salt
pepper (to taste)

extra
2 wooden spoons of the same thickness

-Preheat the oven at 220C.
-Put 2 wooden spoons on a chopping board, with a potato in the middle.
-Very carefully slice the potato in thin slices. The spoons help you to not cut all the way thorough.
-To make the seasoning: put the melted butter, the garlic, the salt/pepper and the parsley.
-Divide half the seasoning over the potatoes, using a brush.
-Put the potatoes in the oven for about 25-30 min or whenever the slices are coming apart.
-Take them out of the oven and brush the rest of the oil over the potatoes. Make sure to spread the oil in between the slices. Gently! The potato is softer and its more delicate now.
-Put them back in the oven for another 5-8 min (or until golden/crispy).

>>>

Courgette, Steak and Blue Cheese Pastries

Makes: 6

1 sheets of pastry (I used jus rol)
1 small courgette
1 steaks (Vivera)
50 gr (vegan) blue cheese (I used Sainsbury’s)

-Preheat the oven at 200C.
-Cut the steacks into 6 sticks.
-Cut the courgette in half. Then cut cut those chunks in half through the length and through the length again.
-Also cut the cheese into 6 sticks.
-Fry the courgette in a pan for about 5 min. In the last 2 minutes, also add the steak. Let it cool down.
-Cut the pastry sheet in 6 squares.
-Roll 1 piece of courgette, 1 piece of steack and 1 piece of cheese in 1 square. Close the sides and close properly with a fork (push the fork gently on the pastry edges).
-Put them on a baking tray with baking paper and put the tray in the oven for 15-18 min (or until golden).

>>>

Potato, Cauliflower mash with Peppery Mushroom Gravy

Serves: 4-6

4 big potatoes (chopped)
1 cauliflower (chopped)
1/4 cup oat milk
1 tbs butter
3 tbs nutritional yeast
1/2-1 tsp salt

gravy
1/4 onion (finely chopped)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
300gr mushrooms (sliced)
1 tsp bouillon powder
1 cup water
2 tbs flour
2 tbs nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp ground black pepper (or to taste)
salt (to taste)

-Cook the potato and the cauliflower for about 10 min, or until soft.
-In the meantime: Fry the onion and the garlic in a little bit of water for about 3 min.
-Add the mushrooms and fry it all together until the mushrooms begin to get soft (about 2-3 min).
-Add the water and the bouillon powder and let it come to boil. Add the black pepper and the salt (to taste) and let it simmer for about 3 min.
-On a very low heat, add he flour and the nutritional yeast. Keep mixing it until it becomes tick (about 1-2 min). Keep stirring!
-Add 1 or a few tbs of water if you want it a bit more runny, until you have the consistency you prefer.
-When the potatoes and cauliflower are soft enough, use a colander to get rid of the water.
-Add the milk, butter, nutritional yeast and salt and mash it up.
-Serve together.

>>>

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Garlic

Serves: 4-6

500 gr brussels sprouts
1/2 tbs (avocado) oil
2 cloves of garlic (minced)
1/2 tsp salt
pepper (to taste)

-Preheat the oven at 220C.
-Mix the oil, garlic, salt and pepper together and divide this over the brussels sprouts.
-Put them in an oven dish and put them in the oven for about 10-12 min.
-Shake or mix the brussels sprouts and put them in the oven for another 10-12 min (or until they start to turn slightly brown).

>>>

Camembert Cheese with Baguette
(inspired by the BOSH recipe)

Serves: 6-8

2 cups soaked cashews
2 cloves of garlic
4 tbs tapioca flour
4 tsp salt
5 tbs nutritional yeast
4 tsp apple cider vinegar
1,5 cup warm water

topping
1 tsp ground black pepper (or to taste)
1/2-1 tsp avocado oil
-Preheat the oven at 180C.

-Blend all the ingredients (except the toppings) in the blender until smooth.
-Put everything from the blender in a sauce pan and heat it for a few minutes, until it gets a bit thicker and stretchy. Keep stirring!
-Pour it in an oven dish (lined with baking paper) and put it in the oven for 20-22 min.
-Brush the avocado oil on top and divide the pepper. Put it back in the oven for another 5 min.

DESSERT

>>>

Apple Pastry Xmas Tree with Ice Cream

Serves: 4-6

1 pastry sheet
1 small apple
1 tbs brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
ice cream (as much as you like!)

-Preheat the oven at 200C.
-Cut the apple in quarters and then slice them up in length.
-Put the apple in a bowl and mix in the sugar and cinnamon.
-Put the pastry sheet on a baking tray (lined with baking paper) and cut as showed in the picture here >>
-Fold one slice of apple per branch. You’ll have to cut the apple smaller moving upwards.
-Put the tray in the oven for about 18-20 min, or until golden brown.
-Let it cool down and decorate the tree with ice cream Christmas balls.

Do you already know what you are going to make for Christmas? Will you make any of these Xmas recipes? If you do, please let me know. You can do this by commenting down below or even better, by showing me on Instagram by tagging me with @freedomevermore. Thank you! X

Mango Poke

Posted on December 13, 2019 by planetmanel

IMG_1702_polarr A few months ago I was in the Netherlands for the birthday party of my grandparents. It’s always a busy time when I’m in the Netherlands, because I visit so many people and I like to catch up with everyone. One of the things that was on my list of things to go to was my bother’s new workplace. He started working in a really nice place called Pokespot in Groningen. I went with my sister in law and we had lunch here. You can custom make your own bowl by ticking ingredients on a little menu. This is what I did. I chose all the things I love. Funny enough, when I turned over menu, there was a ready made bowl available with almost exactly all the things I just ticked. The food was so good, I definitely recommend going there when you are in Groningen! I loved it soooo much though, that I decided to recreate the bowl at home. I finally did and I want to share this with you, because I think it’s so delicious, you should try it.

MANGO POKE

Makes: 2 bowls

200gr sushi rice (uncooked)
1 small avocado (chopped)
1/2 mango (chopped)
8 cherry tomatoes (halved)
1 cup edamame beans (frozen)
1/3 cup coconut shreds
1 spring onion (chopped)
2 nori sheets (chopped/cut)
1 tsp sesame seeds (optional)

100 gr tempeh (sliced)
marinade
1 tbs sesame seed oil
1 tbs soy sauce
1/2 tbs maple syrup
1/2 lime (juice)
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/8 tsp garlic powder
pinch of salt

sauce
4 tbs sesame seed oil
2 tbs soy sauce
1 lime (juice)
1/4 tsp garlic powder

-Cook the sushi rice as described on the package.
-Mix all the ingredients for the marinade together and pour it over the tempeh. Make sure all the tempeh is covered. Set aside (you can also do this the day before, so the tempeh really absorbs the flavours even better).
-In the meantime: Put the coconut shreds in a frying pan (without the oil) on a medium/high fire and roast them for 1-2 minutes, until they turn slightly brown. Keep stirring it at all times, because it easily burns.
-Put the edamame beans in a bowl with boiling water. Make sure that all the beans are under the water. Set aside.
-In the meantime, make the sauce: Mix all the ingredients together.
-Fry the tempeh (with a little bit of oil) on a medium/high fire until they turn a little brown. About 1-2 minutes each side.
-Take the edamame beans out of the water.
-Divide the rice over 2 bowls and also divide everything else over the 2 bowls.
-Divide the sauce over the bowls just before serving.

Did you eat a pokebowl before or have you ever try to make one yourself? It’s so easy and super satisfying. I hope you will try to make this and that you will enjoy it of course. Please let me know when you do. You can let me know by commenting down below or you can tag me on Instagram with @freedomevermore. Thank you! X

Gut Treat

Posted on December 6, 2019 by planetmanel

C0BDED65-F9AA-4809-9A38-2C9C4461768E I always eat my sauerkraut with my salads, but something I also really like for once in a while is this delicious sandwich. I don’t eat bread very often, so this is a real treat. Last Friday I published a recipe on how to make your own sauerkraut. It will go perfectly with this recipe, but if you do not have any on hand (it will take 2 weeks for the sauerkraut to be finished), you can perfectly fine use sauerkraut you bought in the supermarket. The nice thing about this recipe isn’t only that it contains a good dose of protein, a good amount of healthy fats, but also the perfect combination of probiotics (the sauerkraut) and prebiotics (garlic, onion and mushrooms), which makes this a real treat for your gut!

GUT TREAT

Makes: 2

2 slices (spelt) bread
1 avocado (smashed)
1 clove of garlic (minced)
1 tsp lemon juice
salt/pepper (to taste)
1/2 cup black beans (cooked, smashed))
6 mushrooms (sliced)
1/4 onion (sliced)
1/2 cup sauerkraut

-Toast the slices of bread if you prefer that.
-Mix the avocado, garlic, lemon juice, salt/pepper to taste and the black beans.
-Fry the onion and the mushrooms without any oil (use a good pan and a little water if necessary).
-Divide the avocado/bean mash over the 2 slices of bread.
-Put the mushrooms and onions on top of that and lastly top it with sauerkraut.

Would you ever think of this combination? I would love you to try this delicious sandwich and please tell me if you liked it (or not). Let’s make your gut a happy gut! You can show me your sandwich by tagging me on Instagram with @freedomeverymore or let me know down below. Thank you! X

Sauerkraut for the win

Posted on November 29, 2019 by planetmanel

113441C5-51A3-4A0E-9F74-E00490623CDD When I was a child I basically liked all food, except for a very few things. One of those few things was, sauerkraut. In the Netherlands people make a potato dish with is, called ‘stamppot’. I did not like this at all. The sour taste, I just really didn’t enjoy it. Nowadays it’s the food I eat on daily basis. I didn’t eat it for years and years as I knew I didn’t like it, but about half a year ago I tried it again for the beneficial probiotics and I actually really liked it. Especially in a salad or as a topping on a nice sandwich. I now eat it almost every day. Which is super good for my gut. I always buy a big jar in the supermarket, but when I started to brew my own kombucha (for the same probiotic reasons), I wanted to also try making my own sauerkraut. This turned out to be super simple!! You only need 3 things actually: cabbage, salt and patience. If you would like to treat your gut as well. Here is how I make my own basic sauerkraut!

SAUERKRAUT

ingredients:
2 white/green cabbages
2-3 tbs sea salt

extra:
mixing bowl
big jar
cloth + rubber band

-Remove the first 2-3 leaves of the cabbage.
-Shred the cabbage. I used a simple grater for this, but you can also use a sharp kitchen knife or even carefully pulse it in a kitchen machine. (Don’t make it too small though, because you will end up with a cabbage smoothie. Not sure about that..)
-Mix the cabbage and the salt in a big mixing bowl, using your hand (clean hands obviously). It’s like kneading bread dough. Make sure that all the juices from the cabbage are released. Knead it for a full 5 minutes and then let it rest for 30-60 min.
-Knead it again for a full 5 minutes. The juices should be all released by now.
8EBFAAAF-D077-42E1-91FF-F54EA05544AD -Put it in a clean jar and push it down as much as you can, so all the cabbage is underneath the juice.
-Use a cloth and a rubber band as a lid or let a lid rest on the jar (don’t close it!).
-Put it away for 2 weeks, in about 18-21C, out of direct sunlight.
-Every other day push the cabbage underneath the juice again, as it tend to go up again throughout the process.
-After 2 weeks, put it in the fridge and enjoy!

It’s so fun to make your own fermented foods. It gives this amazing satisfying feeling. Have you ever tried it before? I would love to hear and see your experiences. You can do this by tagging me on Instragam with @freedomevermore. Thank you! X

Brew your own Kombucha

Posted on November 25, 2019 by planetmanel

What is kombucha?
Kombucha is fermented tea. It contains a lot of beneficial bacterias that are super good for your gut. It’s an excellent source of probiotics. It tastes a little sweet and you can brew it in a lot of natural flavours.

What is the best kombucha?
There are many different brands and not one brand tastes the same. One of my favourite brands is definitely the Mighty Brew. Available in some health stores and cafes. They have amazing flavours and I really prefer their kombucha over other brands. I also sometimes get LoBros (as it’s available in the supermarket; Sainsbury’s) and Remedy (lots of cafes sell this brand). I find them quite similar in taste. They’re both tasty, but quite sweet. They are a very good alternative when I can’t get my hands on MightyBrew though. But what is even more fun.. is to brew your own kombucha! The taste doesn’t compare to anything, it’s amazing. If you’d like to get into that, here is how I did it. I will tell you how I successfully brewed my own kombucha and what can go wrong.

Brewing your own kombucha:
To brew your own kombucha, before you can start, you first need to get some essentials. Some are super easy to get, for others you need to do a little research. As soon as you have everything, you can start the process. The first process is called the First Fermentation. This is when the good bacterias start to grow/multiply and it takes 7-10 days, depending on how acidic you want your kombucha. I recommend making it quite acidic, but still drinkable of course. As soon as this process is finished, you can start the Second Fermentation and this is where you add the flavour (fruits that work very well and I recommend for first time brewers: mango (my fave!!) and pineapple) and in this process it will become naturally fizzy. When this process (that takes only a few days) is finished, you can drink it! I will talk you through the whole process.

What do you need to brew your own kombucha?
-Big jar (I recommend 4L).
-Scoby + starter tea. *
-Organic black tea leaves.
-Organic cane sugar.
-(cheese) Cloth + rubber band.
-Funnel.
-Airtight bottles. **
-Fruit for flavouring.

*You can buy scobies and starter tea via the internet, but maybe you know someone who brews kombucha already. For every batch you make, you grow a new scoby. So people who brew kombucha, mostly have a spare one to give away. By brewing your own batch, you grow a new scoby yourself, that you can use for your next batch and so on.

**I recommend airtight swing-top bottles.

First Fermentation
(7-10 days):
3,5L of filtered water
3 tbs of tea
1 cup sugar
2 cups of starter tea
1 scoby

-Boil 4 cups of the water and add the tea and the sugar. Let it steep for about 15 min. Stir it once in a while, to make sure all the sugar has melted. You now made a tea concentrate.
-Put the rest of the water in the big jar and add the tea concentrate.
-Add the starter tea and the scoby.
-Put the cloth over the top of the jar and use a rubber band to keep it into place.
-Put the jar in a warm place (24-29C), out of direct sunlight.
-Try not to move it once you put it away, because this will affect the new scoby that is growing on the surface.

Second Fermentation
(3-4 days):
400 ml blended fruit

-Take the scoby out and put it aside.
-Take 2 cups of starter tea (for next batch).
–Stir the kombucha.
-Add about 1/3 cup to every 500 ml bottle.
-Fill up the bottles with the First Fermentation tea.
–Wipe to bottles dry and seal them.
-Put the bottles away in room temperature for about 3-4 days.
-Put them in the fridge and as soon as they’re cold they are ready for drinking.

You can technically drink it before putting it in the fridge. But cooling them helps a little bit with the fizz, as that process slows down a lot at colder temperatures. Always beware when opening a bottle though, it can get quite messy and I recommend opening it very carefully and gradually. I learned the hard way!

What is a Scoby hotel?
Because with every batch there is a new scoby formed and you can’t make a new batch for every scoby (unless you have a lot of space maybe!), you end up with scobies you won’t use directly. You can give them away or use them for lots of other things (google for all the things you can do with left over scobies), but it’s very useful to keep them as well. For when you want to spontaneously make a new batch or for when one of your brews goes wrong for whatever reason. It’s helpful to always have some on hand. So having an extra jar with several scobies is super handy. This jar with extra scobies, is called a scoby hotel. If you make sure the scobies are in enough tea, you also always have some very acidic starter tea on hand. Win win!

What can go wrong?
So what happened a few times to me and the reason why I’m currently not brewing any, is that my scoby in my first fermentation got mouldy. This mostly happens when the temperature where the jar is stored isn’t warm enough. I brewed my kombucha at work (as brewing in a van is kinda impossible with no stable temperatures and a lot of movement) and the warmest place at work wasn’t warm enough. So every time I tried brewing with my own scoby and starter tea, it wasn’t strong enough and it failed every time. It made me quite sad actually as I find brewing kombucha so so exciting! I did manage to brew about 6 amazing tasting litres though and it was the best kombucha I ever tasted. I will give it another go in the summer, when the outside temperature is high as well. This will be helpful.

Did you ever try brewing your own kombucha? I would love to hear and see your experiences! You can let me know down below or tag me on Instagram with @freedomevermore. Thank you! X

Clever Pumpkin

Posted on October 31, 2019 by planetmanel

IMG_6993_polarr I almost didn’t want to do anything for Halloween, because I’m not the biggest fan. But than I made a 2 layered pumpkin birthday cake for my lovely pig Oliver (it was his 2nd birthday!) and it was so delicious, that I had to make it into a recipe. Around this time of the year pumpkins are everywhere! Go into any supermarket and you will see big boxes with huge pumpkins everywhere and because I love pumpkins so much, I’m always tempted to buy one (or 2..), every time I step into a supermarket. Most people buy them to carve them and make them into pieces of art. Sometimes they don’t even realise what tasty things you can make with them and how delicious they are. So that is why I thought I will buy 1 of those pumpkins and I will show you 3 recipes you can make out of that 1 pumpkin. If you want to carve your pumpkin, you can still make 2 out of 3 recipes. As I said before, there will be the pumpkin cake (and only this recipe is worth buying a pumpkin), but I will also tell you how to roast the pumpkin seeds (sooo addictive) and how to make a big batch of the creamiest pumpkin soup ever (unless you carve your pumpkin, then you won’t have enough for soup). You can also follow my pumpkin soup recipe Pumpi if you don’t like it too creamy. So there we go..

You will need:
1 big Pumpkin (about 4kg)

PUMPKIN CAKE

Serves: 8

Dry Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
pinch of salt

Wet Ingredients:
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups scraped pumpkin *
1/2 cup oat milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 tbs lemon (juice)

Extra:
1 cup scraped pumpkin*
2 tbs brown sugar
3 tbs pumpkin seeds
3/4 cup raisins

-Preheat the oven at 180C.
-Slice 1/4 off the pumpkin, remove the seeds (keep them for later) and the pulp. Scrape 3 cups of pumpkin.*
-Put 2 cups of the scraped pumpkin + the rest of the wet ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
-Put all the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix it up.
-Gently pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Preferably use an electric mixer to make it a smooth cake batter.
-Add the pumpkin seeds and the raisins to the batter and gently mix them in.
-Grease a baking tin and pour the cake batter in the tin.
-Squeeze as much juice as you can from the last cup of scraped pumpkin (put the pumpkin in kitchen roll, fold both hands around it and squeeze). Then mix in 2 tbs brown sugar and divide this over the top of the cake batter. Use your fingers to push it down a little bit.
-Put the tin in the oven for about 45-50 min.

*See picture: After taking the seeds out, use a spoon to scrape the inside of the pumpkin. It basically looks like grated pumpkin. You can also actually use a grater or pulse it in the kitchen machine until you’ve got the same.

ROASTED PUMPKIN SEEDS

Makes: 1 cup

all the seeds
1/2 tbs coconut oil (soft)
1 tbs nutritional yeast
1 tsp bouillon powder
salt/pepper (to taste)

-Preheat the oven at 220C.
-Try to take out as much pulp as you can.
-Rinse the seeds to get rid of more pulp.
-Cook the seeds in boiling water for 5 min.
-Rinse the seeds to get rid of the last pulp and dry them with some kitchen roll.
-Mix in the coconut oil, nutritional yeast, the bouillon powder and the salt/pepper.
-Put some baking paper on a flat baking tray and divide the seeds. Spread them out as much as you can.
-Put the tray in the oven for 5 min. Then mix it all up and put it in the oven for another 5-7 min. Keep checking, because you don’t want hem to burn. They are perfect when they just start to change colour a little bit.
-Let them cool down and enjoy the crispiness.

PUMPKIN SOUP

Serves: 6-8

the rest of the pumpkin (you can also add the pulp, chopped)
3 medium red onions (chopped)
10 big carrots (chopped)
4-5 cloves of garlic
1 L water
1/3 cup bouillon powder
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
1 tsp turmeric
salt/pepper (to taste)

Cream:
200 gram tofu
1 cup cashew nuts
1 can coconut milk
1 cup almond milk

Serving:
-1-2 tbs (tofu-coconut) cream
-1-2 tbs roasted pumpkin seeds

-Preheat the oven at 220C.
-Put all the pumpkin, the onion, the carrots and the garlic in a big oven tray (you might need 2!), sprinkle some salt on top and put the trays in the oven for 30-40 min.
-In the meantime make the cream: put the tofu, cashew nuts, coconut milk and the almond milk in the bender and blend until completely smooth (0 crumbs!). Keep a little bit separate, to use as a topping.
-Take the vegetables out of the oven and blend them with some water, the bouillon, nutritional yeast and the turmeric until smooth.
-Put it all in a big pan and mix in the cream.
-Add salt/pepper to taste.
-Serve with some extra cream and some roasted pumpkin seeds.

Are you excited to get a pumpkin now? Which recipe are you most excited about? Please show me your results on Instagram. You can do this by tagging me or by using #planetmanel. Thank you! X

Bananananana

Posted on October 4, 2019 by planetmanel

Out of all the baking, I think I make banana bread most often. It’s a great thing to make when you have ripe bananas (which I always have), it’s easy and everyone loves it. This is why it is so so weird that there isn’t a single banana bread recipe on my blog yet! How is this even possible?? That needed to change. So I made my favourite ever banana bread, to share it with you. I think it’s a great autumn recipe too, with lots of delicious cinnamon. I do not always feel like it, but you can also add 1/2 a tsp of ginger powder or all spice, to get the taste of autumn a little bit more. It’s up to you! This banana bread recipe is free from refined sugar and made with coconut oil. I don’t think I will ever call it healthy, but let’s say that it is not that bad for you. Unless you eat it with (plant based.. duhh!) vanilla ice cream, like I often do (sooo good!). Just an extra tip.. after it is all cooled down, slice it up and freeze them separately. This way you can have a fresh slice of banana bread for snack whenever you want to.

BANANANANANA

Serves: 8-10

Dry Ingredients:
1,5 cup flour
2 tbs custard powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1,5 tsp cinnamon
pinch of salt

Wet ingredients:
1 cup medjool dates
3 ripe bananas
1/2 cup yogurt
1/2 cup oat milk
1/4 cup coconut oil
2 tbs maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbs ground flaxseed

Extra:
1/3 cup rolled oats
2 tbs pumpkin seeds
2 tbs sunflower seeds
1/2 cup pecans
1/3 cup raisins
1 small banana (finely chopped)
1/3 cup chocolate (chopped, optional)
1 banana (cut in length, optional)

-Preheat the oven at 180C.
-Mix all the dry ingredients.
-Mix all the wet ingredients and slowly mix this into the dry ingredients.
-Mix in all the extra things, except the banana you’ve cut in length.
-Grease a baking tin and divide the banana bread mixture in the tin.
-Put the cut banana on top and press it lightly into the mixture.
-Put it in the oven for 55-65 min.
-Let it cool down before slicing it up.

Do you love banana bread? It’s a great thing to make and to share! Please show me your creation. You can do this by tagging e or by using #planetmanel. Thank you! X

Planet Manel

Happy Planet. Happy You.

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