Vegan Sushi

I never liked sushi. Never. The idea of raw meat is something that doesn't really make me salivate. Now, not eating meat at all, gives me a great excuse to not even to there. But I found vegan sushi, and oh it's good... Really good. I leave you with some pictures: avocado, tofu and cucumber sushi, cucumber and wasabi sushi and strawberry sushi covered in chocolate. The chocolate sushi is nice but it's somewhat strange to eat rice with chocolate, it's different but nice to taste the sweetness of the strawberry inside the sushi.

If you are in Ireland, pay them a visit at RAW - Sushi in the Sky

Recipe #28 Vegan Roasted Veggies

Shopping list

• half a cup dry couscous
• half a cucumber
• 2 tomatos
• 1 carrot
• balsamic vinegar
• olive oil
• salt pepper
• lemon juice
• 1 Big courgette
• 8 asparagus
• Dry parsley

Method

[Recipe for 2]

On a ovenproof tray place 1 courgette sliced open in half and the asparagus. Drizzle some olive oil on top and season with salt and pepper. 200 oC for around 20 min should be enough to roast them.

For the couscous: boil water in a kettle and measure 3/4 of a cup.
Place the couscous in a bowl and add the water. Season with salt and pepper and dry parsley (or some fresh coriander or mint 5 or 6 leaves should be enough)
Cover with a plate so you keep all the heat and let it rest 10minutes.

For the salad:
Cut small chunks of tomato, grate the carrot and with a peeler slid very thin slices of cucumber.
Season with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper and some lemon juice.

Take the plate from the couscous, mix the couscous and check if they are fluffy already.
Now get the place ready and organize it with your array of colours: red from the salad, white with your couscous and green from your roasted veggies.
Sprinkle everything with dry parsley.

Recipe #26 Balsamic Side Salad

Shopping list

• 1 cucumber
• 3 tomatos
• 1 onion
• 1 garlic clove
• handful of coriander leaves
• 2 bell peppers
• olive oil
• balsamic vinegar
• salt & pepper
• juice of 1 lemon
• sprinkle of soy sauce
• sprinkle of sugar

Method

You can roast the peppers or leave them raw.
To roast place them on a oven tray with olive oil drizzled and leave them around 25 min on 200oC.
Let them cool.

Chop the peppers, tomatoes, onion and coriander.
Peel the cucumber and with a peeler start cutting the cucumber with the peeler. You will have very fine slices of cucumber (don't use the interior of the cucumber, its too juicy)
Add the lemon and mash the garlic glove.
Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil and 3 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar. Salt and freshly grounded pepper. To finish sprinkle sugar and a bit of dark soy sauce if you like it.
mix well and serve as a side dish.

Goes very well with falafel. You can add black olives (chopped) or some cold couscous, as below.

Recipe #25 Papaya and Kiwi Smoothie

Shopping list

• juice of 1/2 Lemon
• 1 papaya
• 1 banana
• 2 kiwis
• 1 tablespoon of chia seeds
• 200ml of nut or soy milk
• 1/2 cucumber

Method
recipe for 2 big glasses, for example as a substitute for a breakfast for 2 people.
Peel everything and place in chunks in a blender. Add the chia seeds and the milk and blend. If you want it a bit more liquid add 1/2 glass water or extra almond milk.

Bananas: good source of vit B6, potassium and fiber. A medium-size banana contains about 3 grams of total fiber. Fiber is a nutrient that helps regulate the speed of digestion.

Papaya: contains several unique protein-digesting enzymes including papain and chymopapain. These enzymes have been shown to help lower inflammation and to improve healing from burns. In addition, the antioxidant nutrients found in papaya, including vitamin C and beta-carotene, are also very good at reducing inflammation. Vitamin C and vitamin A, which is made in the body from the beta-carotene in papaya, are both needed for the proper function of a healthy immune system. Papaya may therefore be a healthy fruit choice for preventing such illnesses as recurrent ear infections, colds and flu.

Kiwi: high level of potassium (helps keep our electrolytes in balance by counteracting the effects of sodium), high vitamin C content along with other antioxidant compounds has been proven to boost the immune system and kiwis are a great source of fiber (prevents constipation and other intestinal problems.)

Cucumber: Cucumbers are 95 percent water, keeping the body hydrated while helping the body eliminate toxins. Cucumbers have most of the vitamins the body needs in a single day.  Cucumber are known to contain lariciresinol, pinoresinol, and secoisolariciresinol. These three lignans have a strong history of research in connection with reduced risk of several cancer types, including breast cancer, ovarian cancer, uterine cancer and prostate cancer. Due to its low calorie and high water content, cucumber is an ideal diet for people who are looking for weight loss.