An extra recipe this week! Tomorrow my ultimate banana bread recipe will come online, but I wanted to add this one as well, as I already made my first few cups of this and I noticed that people around me are in need of this recipe (I’m not ill or anything, but I started to drink this to prevent this from happening). I thought this recipe was on my blog already, but I was very wrong. I gave this recipe to so many people in the past and I often use it myself. Especially in the colder seasons, which is now. You have probably noticed the (weather) change as soon as autumn started. Rain and moisture in the air.. people are putting their heatings back on (including me! A few times now I was super happy that I’ve got a little heater in my van), spreading germs everywhere.. the perfect recipe for getting a cold and the flu! This needs a counter-recipe and that is exactly what this is. I swear this recipe works. It’s simple, but it saved me so many times and the many people I shared it with benefitted as well. This isn’t only good for when you feel under the weather by the way, but it’s also a great way to prevent getting ill. I hope it will work for you as well!
MAGIC TEA
Serves: 1
1,5 cup water
1 tbs (loose) green tea leaves
1/2 lemon (juice)
1 tbs fresh ginger (grated)
1 tsp fresh turmeric (grated, optional)
1-2 tsp agave nectar (optional)
Lots of Love
-Add love to all the following steps:
-Boil the water and let is sit until it’s about 80C (takes about 3-5 min).
-Put the green tea leaves in the water and let it steep for 3-4 minutes.
-Add the lemon juice, ginger, turmeric and the agave nectar and let it steep for 2 minutes.
-Drink 3-4 cups a day or 1 cup daily when used as a prevention.
-Aim to eat the ginger/turmeric as well.
-Within 20 minutes you will already feel a difference.
Obviously I am not a doctor, but I created this recipe by experience and it has worked many times for me. I hope it will work for you as well! I’d love to hear if it made a difference for you! You can do this down below, tag me on Instagram or by using #planetmanel. Thank you! X
Macaroni and cheeeeeeese guys! The ultimate comfort food, am I right?! Confession: I think I actually never had macaroni and cheese before I went vegan. I only know that I love the vegan version. So even though it’s hard for me to compare the dairy and this non dairy version, I can tell you that I love this version a lot. It’s so creamy, easy to make (just remember to soak your cashews!) and full of flavour.. Everything you want when you think of good comfort food. So I dare you to try it and tell me if you love it as much as I do. I would love to hear if it hit the spot and if it satisfied your cravings. I served it with a little bit of fresh parsley and extra black pepper. Yum!
MACASHEW
I love berries! Doesn’t matter what kind of berries, I love them all. As it’s blackberry season at the moment and there are huge huge bushes all around my van, I decided to make a cake with them. It’s to celebrate that my van is all finished now (I will dedicate a special post about my van soon)! Yay! Finally! I already live in it for over a year, but there were still a lot of things that needed to be done. All done now! Woohoooo! The first time I only used blackberries, but I thought it would be even nicer to use different types of berries. So I added some blueberries and one of my all time favourite, raspberries. I played a little bit with the ingredients and the result was mind blowing. I think this might be the best cake recipe I’ve ever created. It is a must try! Especially with the yogurt-cinnamon topping. It’s such a good combination.. the moist, soft cake, the sweet and sour berries and the fresh creamy yogurt on top. Gosh!
BERRYLICIOUS
Did you have quinoa for breakfast before? It’s not something you will think of as a breakfast, but it’s actually a perfect start of your day. Quinoa is super healthy! It’s high in protein and also contain sufficient amounts of all nine essential amino acids. That is not all, it also contains magnesium, B vitamins, iron, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, vitamin E and it’s high in fiber. Oh and it’s gluten free! I often cook some quinoa in the beginning of the week and keep it in the fridge. This way I can use it in salads etc. during the week, but also for this recipe. Quinoa is actually a seed and it has quite a neutral taste, this is why it’s perfect to enjoy in savoury and sweet dishes. I’m sure that if you’ve had quinoa before, you probably had it for lunch or dinner in a savoury dish, but why not try it like this?
QUINOA START 
This is the second pasta pesto recipe over here, but everyone likes a good pasta pesto right? ..and this one is so quick and easy. Quick recipes are always welcome I think, especially after a long and hectic day or when you have a whole family to feed. I highly recommend you to make your own pesto though. It really changes the dish. Of course it will be even quicker if you use a ready made pesto (and that is fine too), but if you have the time (or you took the time early in the week), please use a home made one. This transforms a simple pasta dish to something really special. I love using Vivera’s new bacon pieces in here. They are scary good and make such a good combination with the pesto. Btw.. I recommend some extra veggies on the side. It’s yummy with broccoli, green beans or a nice salad perhaps?!
PASTA PESTO
The best snack to stop that hungry feeling.. this! Filled dates are one of my favourite snacks. They are so tasty, super filling and a great snack for when you work out. They provide you with energy (I always eat 2-3 dates before I hit the gym and I notice a huge difference), protein and healthy fats. They also just look super nice and make a nice party food. I can hardly call this a recipe as it’s so easy, but promise me that you will make these? And let me know if you liked them. Will you make them with peanut butter or almond butter? I find it hard to choose which one I like best. You can also use both of course.
DATE ME 
The easiest breakfast ever! You probably heard about overnight porridge already. It’s the best, easiest and fastest breakfast you can make and it’s also nutritious and it releases its energy slowly. What more do you want?! The recipe I’m giving you is quite a basic recipe, but it’s how I make it. You can make lots of varieties. This one is a bit like a chia pudding too. Chia seed is full of fiber, protein, omega-3 and it has various micronutrients. This makes it a perfect way to start your day. The best is that it’s very easy to make. You make it before you go to sleep (will only take 1 minute, don’t worry!) and it’ll be ready for you the next morning. What means that even when you’re in a rush, you can still enjoy a nutritious breakfast that will keep you going all morning.
QUICK START 
A super quick lunch dish.. wraps! Wraps are easy, super tasty, nutritious, handy to take with you, easy to prep and filling. Perfect for lunch, but they can be enjoyed any time of the day really. I like wraps for lunch though. Especially bean wraps. They are high in protein and what I like about it, is that I can make everything the day before. The next day (and the day after that) I only need to warm up a tortilla wrap and scoop everything on top. You fold it up and it’s ready to go. If you want to take it with you, I advice you to cut it in half just before you will eat it, to prevent everything falling out. I hope you will enjoy these delicious wraps just as much as I do.
WRAP IT UP
Now you can basically go into any cafe (in London at least) and they will have some sort of vegan cake option. A few years back this wasn’t the case and 
MUFFIN STUFF 
A very pink morning to you! Did you have breakfast this morning? Or at what time do you break your fast? I often do this between 10:00-12:00 as I like intermittent fasting. Breaking my fast is always a nice moment. If I don’t drink a big glass of celery juice first, I like to start with this pink goodness. It’s a great way to get some extra fruit (vitamins!) and some healthy fats and protein into your system, what means that it’s a great start of your day. I can easily keep going on this for several hours. This is why I tend to have something like this when I break my fast early (10:00). Don’t worry about it not filling you up, because it’s a large portion. You can just sip on it whilst commuting or working or split it in half and drink it as a snack later in the morning or afternoon. This is definitely one of my favourite smoothies!
PINK MORNING
Planet Manel 