maple orange sesame bites
These delightful sesame balls are light, not overly sweet, refreshing, and nourishing after a meal. The combination of orange zest and cardamom is heavenly. They are also a perfect way to use the almond pulp from making almond milk. tips Grind your cardamom, as the taste is so much more fragrant. When you’re ready to […]
exceptional lime cheesecake (vegan)
As requested! This recipe is satisfyingly creamy but ever so light and refreshing. It has a crunchy biscuit base, the softest, creamiest vanilla lime filling and is topped with a perfect balance of sweet and tangy lime curd. The original recipe can be found here, where you can find step-by-step photos, tips and more inspiration. […]
a soothing broth and vegetable palya in one dish
The liquid from the cooked dal is used as a soothing broth, while the drained and cooked dal is seasoned into a vibrant green palya. The broth is a soothing treat, with the addition of lemon juice and pepper. If you are feeling slightly under the weather, this broth is heavenly. tips Toor dal can […]
how to make an avocado rose
These avocado roses may look difficult, but it is only a few simple steps. I like to use them when I need a simple but impressive salad. Sometimes, I thinly slice fennel or cucumber, add a few small bitter leaves from the garden, a few cubes of feta and place a few of these avocado […]
tahini sauce (tehina Shir style)
Preparing tahini like this brings back memories from our time in Israel. We lived there for 14 years, and my children were born there. My favourite part of the week was, and still is, Friday night, which we call Erev Shabbat in Hebrew. Stores would close early, and people would make their way home, leaving […]
lemon coconut cake with blueberry compote (vegan)
This lovely, moist, and tender cake has a delicate flavour. It is effortless to make, and the combination of yoghurt, blueberries, and coconut perfectly complements each other. The blueberry compote is divine! Praia de Aguda Every two weeks for my weekly shop, I drive a little further to a health food store north of where […]
lemon-sourdough pound cake (vegan)
This delicious recipe by Aran Goyoaga was shared in her newsletter. I adapted it slightly by making it vegan, replacing the three eggs with ground flaxseed, adding baking powder, using maple syrup instead of honey, and reducing the glaze by half. I have recently entered the world of sourdough bread, and every Monday, I make […]
sesame cake (vegan)
“This cake gets a double dose of sesame, with tahini and sesame seeds in the batter and lots of crunchy sesame seeds to coat the pan, too” – Yossy Arefi. It’s simple to make, as it only uses one bowl. To ensure even mixing, use the edge of a whisk to scrape the bottom and […]
double ginger molasses cookies (vegan)
These cookies are soft and chewy on the inside and crispy around the edges. This is achieved in the baking by keeping the cookie dough round rather than pressing it flat. The taller you make the dough, the chewier the centre. The bottom of the cookie dough bakes first, spreads out, and the top remains […]
salted tahini caramel balls (vegan)
These lovely, luxurious bite-sized balls of salted tahini caramel are so satisfying after a meal. They are covered in a simple, sweet maple glaze with equal amounts of maple syrup and coconut oil. When the cold balls are dipped into the glaze, it instantly hardens, creating magic! VIOLAS in the garden, add them to salads, […]
round challah for Rosh Hashana (vegan)
Round challahs are traditionally baked for the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashana, to symbolize the continuity of life. On Rosh Hashana, we dip challah and apples in honey to symbolize our hopes for a sweet New Year. For this reason, Rosh Hashana challahs are often sweeter than those served the rest of the year. Some […]
carrot-turmeric seeded rice bread (gluten-free)
This weekend, we had a very special gluten-free guest, so it was a good opportunity to try Amy Chaplin’s gluten-free bread from Whole Food Cooking Every Day. This bread has a lovely, moist crumb and nourishes and satisfies. It is easy to make and is delicious drizzled with olive oil and spread with homemade hummus. […]
apricot blueberry crumble tart (vegan)
I love this crumble tart. It’s so easy to pull together—no pre-chilling the dough, no rolling, and whatever filling you choose—and it tastes amazing. The original gluten-free recipe can be found here; however, I prefer this version using whole spelt. The crust is crispy and crunchy, with the perfect balance of sweetness. THE NATURAL CALL FOR QUIETNESS […]
banana bread with sunflower seeds (vegan & gluten-free)
I am not gluten-free; however, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I am running very low on regular flour. This presents a good opportunity to try recipes using alternative flours. This cake surprised me. It has a perfect balance between sweetness, banana flavour, and consistency, and it melts in your mouth! Scroll to the bottom for […]
chuchu palya
I planted a chuchu vine two years ago; the first year, it took off with great enthusiasm, climbing up and over anything in its path. By the middle of Autumn, it was covered in small white flowers, which sadly fell to the ground. This year, those white flowers turned into little buds, which grew into […]
pear ginger macadamia muffins (vegan & gluten free)
For this recipe, I used Amy Chaplins gluten-free muffin base recipe from her new book ‘Whole Food Cooking Every Day’ and combined it with two of my favourite recipes – Peach Ginger Muffins and Pear Ginger Cornmeal Cake. She goes on to say, “I discovered textural magic (and a gorgeous golden crumb) with a combination […]
carob walnut chip cookies (gluten-free, vegan)
These cookies have crunchy edges with a soft centre, a rich buttery flavour, and studs of walnuts, oats, and carob chips. It’s surprising how delicious they are! Chocolate contains theobromine – a stimulant. Like all stimulants, it is unsupportive for yogic practices that require focus of the mind. Carob is an excellent replacement for chocolate and has […]
5-minute vegan salted caramel
This is a very simple, sweet, salty, gooey 5-minute caramel sauce to drizzle warm over ice cream or pancakes. You can also crumble the base of a bowl with a 5-ingredient tahini almond cookie. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a sprinkling of toasted pistachio nuts, drizzle over the caramel sauce, and garnish […]
5 ingredient almond & tahini cookies (vegan)
Deliciously moor-ish satisfying cookies that are chewy on the inside (due to the fluid, stretchy nature of tahini) and crispy, crumbly on the outside (due to the almond meal). ~ the relief and release of autumn 5 ingredient almond & tahini cookies makes 18 cookies Recipe from Cook Republic. I have written this recipe as-is […]
golden pistachio cardamom cookies (vegan)
These golden oat cookies contain very little flour, and because of that, they are a bit crumbly to mould. Use a heaped round tablespoon to measure the cookie dough and flatten it with damp fingers. If you find the cookie dough sticking, dip the spoon in water and then use wet fingers to push the […]
anne’s magical sesame-tahini-ginger dressing
Our Christmas and New Year were spent in Boulder’s beautiful, snowy mountains, visiting our oldest and dearest friends. A daily ritual was established as soon as we arrived: cooking and sharing meals, morning and evening, and communicating around a big table and warm fire. On these nights, Anne would arrive with a basket of organic […]
pumpkin tortellini with sage butter
The process of making tortellini does require some patience and time. However, the end result is worth every fiddly moment. If everyone gets involved in an assembly line to fill up the table, it speeds up the process and allows for a wonderfully intimate and fun afternoon together. The fulsome sage butter is soft and […]
Andreia’s coconut cookies (vegan)
These delicious cookies have shreds of crunchy coconut on the outside and a soft, silky, cakey interior. They started with a cookie Andreia from Soul Food Vegan baked for us when she was preparing lunches for Jivana Week. I adapted them slightly, inspired by a coconut cookie recipe in Kim Boyce’s ‘Good to the Grain’. […]
raspberry quinoa muffins with an almond crumb (vegan)
This garden breathes beautifully of our time here, and we are deeply grateful for the gifts it has given. notes I often make these muffins based on this Plum Millet Cake recipe. The sweet almond crumb adds a delicious crunchy texture that contrasts nicely with the raspberries’ sourness. These muffins are tender, fragrant, and light. […]
fig almond orange swirl cookies (vegan)
This recipe was quite a journey. After many attempts and too many references to mention, I persevered, as there seemed too much scrumptious potential in these cookies to give up. It felt like I was conjuring up a kind of magic, from the transformation of ingredients to the finished result – even more so due […]
raw zucchini pasta with a creamy green garden dressing
This recipe was created last year for a series of raw dishes for Holmes Place; however, I never got around to posting it here. So here it is! Also included in this series of recipes: raw carrot slice summer gazpacho blackberry – acai popsicle golden honey passionfruit elixir strawberry raspberry goji smoothie artichoke with a […]
almond nut quinoa bites (vegan)
Cool softened air, full mOOn swell, falling leaves, savouring the light…. These have been a decadent treat around here and loved by all. Perfect when you need something more than a dried date or fig for a sweet after a meal. Based on this recipe from Green Kitchen Stories – a wonderful video shows just how […]
mango passionfruit sorbet (vegan)
I photographed this before I left for our holiday. We travelled for almost two days and a bit, arriving in a haze. Finally, with our feet on earthly ground and toes in the sand. The jet lag is HUGE but worth every moment of breathing in all these familiar scents and sounds. The early mornings […]
amaranth-sunflower-spelt bread
Treasured gifts. Divine teachings. An Ocean of Gratitude. thank-you Kristin Gillian introduced me to this recipe. She made it one night with a delicious beetroot borsch and a green salad. This bread is wonderful with a simple soup for a no-fuss dinner. I loved eating it the next day with a thick spread of salted […]
citrus coconut cupcakes (vegan)
When we lived in Israel, we were very fortunate to be surrounded by citrus orchards, and now, here in Portugal, we have our line of orange and lemon trees that extend down the driveway. The trees are abundant each winter, and I struggle to use all those oranges. I managed to boil and freeze a […]
wonderfully crunchy gingery ‘snaps’ (vegan)
Wispy golden clouds on the horizon, waiting for a new day to arrive. A warm teacup in hand, birds singing joyously. Every day, new sounds, more colours and new life. A kitchen filled with heady scents of aromatic spices. Armstrong Redwoods State Park, Guerneville, CA Anna, this is a gracious and heartfelt gift. Thank you […]
Gillian’s 6-minute carob cake (vegan)
While staying with Gillian, I had the honour and privilege of cooking together in her exquisite kitchen. I left fulfilled and inspired with a favourite book tucked into my suitcase and a bundle of recipes. This is one of the dishes we cooked together for Christmas Eve dinner. It is a celebratory cake that Gillian bakes for all […]
carrot moong dal soup – a winter warming soup
I thought I would revisit this soup, as it is one I make most often in the colder months and a particular favourite of Donna’s. It is also very quick and easy to prepare and has such simple flavours and warmth due to the pepper and ginger, keeping us nourished and grounded in these colder […]
apple almond oat slice & a flower mandala
The clouds opened up and offered us an offering, and now, at this moment, we are soaking up the rain, sun, and light. and feeling truly blessed in seeing all this sweet unknown… tips Leave the skins on the apples as they give the slice a beautiful red blush. I have tried this with many fruits, my […]
raw carrot cake slice with lemon cream (vegan)
Packed and ready to go home to Portugal after being in Australia for three magical weeks with family. Winter here – Summer there. Just before I left home, I photographed and experimented with this recipe for a series of raw foods compiled for ‘Holmes Place Magazine’. I made it a few times for the Jivana […]
banana vanilla ice cream with grilled plum & pecan crumb plus a swan
It’s been three years since we moved into this house from Israel. At that time, we had just missed the plum season. It was only the following year that this little plum tree gave us a grand and decadent welcome, and now each year, it never disappoints. This particular tree is so abundant in fruit […]
fermented mung bean pancakes – revisted
soak grind ferment cook Mung beans (whole moong dal) are one of my favourites and are unique in that they are warm and nourishing in winter and cool in summer. Mung beans are easy to digest and, in Ayurveda, are considered medicinal, cleansing and one of the keys to a long, vibrant and healthy life. […]
apricot coconut bars (vegan)
Happiness radiates like the fragrance from a flower and draws all good things towards you. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi APRICOT COCONUT BARS Recipe adapted slightly from here. “This base is rich and buttery with a flavourful apricot filling and a delicate almond, coconut topping. Don’t be intimidated by the three layers it is very easy to […]
sesame crusted brown rice spelt bread & angel wings
“Live quietly in the moment and see the beauty of all before you. The future will take care of itself…” ~ Paramahansa Yogananda grandpas, wings and angels – Jaffa, Israel I have been making it often since discovering this bread from Amy Chaplin’s ‘At Home in the Whole Food Kitchen. It is unique because it […]
pumpkin bread with a toasted walnut cinnamon swirl (vegan)
Just before leaving for Israel for the holiday break, I was trying to use up most of the things in the kitchen. With this in mind and the arrival of a new cookbook, “At Home in the Whole Food Kitchen” by Amy Chaplin, I was perusing through it the night before and was drawn to a […]
rich & creamy chocolate nut shake
right knowledge + right action = good result ~ plus I got to spend the afternoon doing silly stuff ~ rich & creamy chocolate nut shake serves 2 The frozen banana makes this shake rich and creamy. If you don’t like the banana taste, half an avocado will work just as well. The protein from […]
Anna’s vegan marble cake
This cake is based on the magical spice cake, a regular in our house. An amazing vegan moist cake that my brilliant friend, Anna, has recently been experimenting with and sharing those experiments via email. First, there was the orange-zested cranberry cake, and more recently, this marble cake. variation For more contrast in the marbling, omit […]
summer gazpacho with a garden salsa
This is such a light, soft and refreshing soup with very low effort. It holds all the flavours of summer. It would be lovely garnished with a diced avocado or mango pieces added to the salsa. It is best served the day it is made. summer gazpacho with a garden salsa serves 4 ingredients 4 […]
zucchini fritters with an avocado raita
This is where I am at the moment. It really is in these tiny wonders, the accidental joys, in all this surrounding beauty, reminding us to breathe, smile, and return to our true self. For that, I am thankful. zucchini fritters (without eggs) 15 – 18 fritters Zucchinis are funny plants. I wait and […]
sesame lemon biscotti (vegan)
This is a gift to you – a celebration of sunshine, the hint of spring approaching, the lingering scent of jasmine and just the gratefulness of life. Kristin made these while attending another magical retreat with our teachers. She made them to send back with a friend, who was returning to India. They were discovered […]
tapioca pudding (vegan)
I recall this delightful non-dairy dessert that leaves you feeling satisfied and refreshed. The recipe was originally from Anna, who made it a few years ago. I remember she prepared it in one bowl instead of individual glasses, and her husband, Leon, decorated the fruit in a beautiful mandala. It was stunning! She printed out […]
brown rice and quinoa pancakes
I woke early to thick fog and a fine mist blanketing the world, and then the gentlest, softest light tip-toed in. BROWN RICE AND QUINOA PANCAKES Inspired by ‘Earthly and Divine’ by Eva Cabaca. I love these for their lightness and easy digestion. The second time I made them, I peeled and halved a banana, […]
Gillian’s chocolate chip nut butter cookies (vegan)
One month ago, we had the honour of hosting our teacher from India and his wife in our home. I am so happy and appreciative that we were given this opportunity. It is such an honour to wake up and have your teacher sitting in your garden and have the blessing of being in his presence […]
green pea & yellow dal coconut curry soup
in the spirit of change and acceptance feeling the need to be quiet and introverted, completely lost in my own meandering thoughts. I thought I woke up to rain this morning, but it was just the wind in the trees. GREEN PEA & YELLOW DAL COCONUT CURRY SOUP This soup thickens up, so you may […]
idli – a fermented and steamed Indian rice cake
I just arrived back from India from our yearly retreat with our teacher. It was a wonderful time. The teaching, which continued from last year on ‘Ayurveda and Yogic Ideal Living,’ focused on how and what we eat and how this impacts our mind, body, and emotions for our spiritual journey. Food, because we consistently […]