Brocolli Stem & Baby Fennel Soup

I always feel guilty throwing out the stem of my brocolli. I know its full of goodness, but I just can't bring myself to eating that big tree trunk of green fibre. So, what better way to mask an unwanted veggie than to blend it into a smooth, tasty soup - the master of disguise.

Ingredients:

1 white onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 tbs coconut oil
stems of 3 broccoli heads, chopped (I chop the florets off, rinse and keep for easy use in salads etc)
3-5 bulbs baby fennel, sliced
2 large carrots, chopped
1 tsp garam masala
1 litre vegetable stock
1/4 tsp salt

On a low to medium heat, saute your onions and garlic in the coconut oil. This should be done slowly so that they don't burn quickly - approximately 15 minutes. Turn the heat up to medium, add the sliced broccoli stems, fennel, carrots, salt and garam masala and continue to saute for 5 minutes. Add the vegetable stock and bring to the boil. Turn the heat down to simmer and cook for approximately 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly before blending with a stick blender. Serve with a sprinkling of fresh herbs and sprouts.

Note: my brilliant chef brother taught me that soups and broths are always more flavoursome when served the next day. Since soups do take a little longer to cook, I like to make them on the side while preparing a quicker meal for the night. It's a little extra effort, but means I have instant, healthy meals for the next two nights.

Almost Raw Pizza

This was an accidental pizza.

The base was originally intended to be a loaf of sprouted bread, but it's fate changed and this beauty was born. A sprouted lentil and buckwheat base with all raw toppings: glorious.

Ingredients:

For the base:

1 cup sprouted buckwheat
1 cup sprouted lentils
1/2 tsp Himalayan salt
2 tbs nutritional yeast

Buckwheat sprouts aren't generally available in stores, so I grew my own. I have a sprouting kit, but there are many ways to grow them using what you have at home. For instance, I have heard that you can put your 'seeds' in a sieve over a pot and they will sprout. The key to sprouting is to rinse them often (about twice daily) and to let them drain well. There is a tonne of information on sprouting here.  

Place the sprouts in a medium sized bowl and use a stick blender to blend into a smooth-ish paste. Add the nutritional yeast and salt and mix in with a spoon. Grease a non-stick pizza tray with a little coconut oil and spoon the mixture in the middle. Rub some coconut oil on your hands and press the dough into a pizza base. Bake at 200 degrees Celsius for approximately 20 minutes, then flip using a spatula. Bake for a further 20 minutes until it is crisp and brown on each side.

For the cheese:

100g raw cashews
1/4 cup soy milk or water
2 tsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp himalayan salt

Place all the ingredients in a bowl (a cereal bowl is big enough) and blend with a stick blender. I pulse it until most of it is a paste and then I sort of push the ingredients in a circle around the bowl to make sure everything is well blended. You can add more or less liquid for a firm cream cheese or a softer sour cream texture.  

Toppings:

sliced avo
sliced tomato
garlic stuffed green olives
dried italian herbs
fresh oregano
salt + pepper

 Of course with pizza you could do anything with the toppings. I used what I had around the kitchen and it turned out fabulously. I just used small dollops of the cashew cheese as it is quite rich and flavoursome, but you could spread it over the base if you wanted more coverage.

xxx