One of my favorite cuisine is Japanese. Everything is so delicate, light, flavorful… I could go on forever. Anyway even Japanese fried food seems light! Age Dashi Tofu is a traditional dish where tofu is lightly coated in a starch mixture and then fried. But tofu does not absorb oil so its seems like its quite healthier than other fried foods. This is the first, and probably last, really fried food you will see in this blog [ though I did discover that our Greek donut holes are vegan and I am tempted to make them just to show it to you guys, but we will see about that]

Anyway, back to the dish. The fried tofu is then place in a delicate flavored broth and sprinkled with nori shreds. Its quite easy to make, though it seems complicated for some that are not familiar with Japanese cooking ingredients.

Here is what you need :

-1 package firm silken tofu

-1 package tempura batter mix or 1cup corn or potato starch, some garlic powder and salt mixed together

-Oil for frying [ I use pure sunflower oil]

Broth :

-1 kombu stick [dried seaweed for dashi]

-2 1/2cup water

-5tbsp mirin [sweet cooking sake]

-4tbsp Shoyu

-10 whole dried shitake mushrooms

-1/2 tsp grated ginger

First soak the kombu stick and mushrooms in the water for 30 minutes and set aside. Drain tofu from the package liquid and cut in cubes. Now dip each cube and toss lightly in the starch mixture. Once you toss all the cubes, take a small wok and pour oil [not too much, its should be around 3 fingers deep. Heat the oil on medium heat taking care not to burn it [if you see smoke, throw it away-for the people new to frying, burning your oil makes it really really bad for you] and start frying the cubes 3-4 at a time. Once they turn golden remove with a slotted spoon onto kitchen towels.

Heat in a sauce pan the water with the mushrooms and kombu [same water] and bring to boil. Once its boiling remove the kombu and mushrooms [you can use them in other recipes, so don't throw them away] Lower the heat and add in shoyu and mirin. Stir and set aside. Throw in the broth 1/2 tsp grated ginger.

This is an adaptation of the traditional Spanish garlic soup. I found the recipe in the book ‘Super foods Super fast’ and surprisingly it was vegan. But still I made a few changes. This soup is garnished with grapes, but I added way more and it was delightful. You should give it a try because its so easy to make!

-100gr blanched almonds
-2 wholewheat toast bread slices
-1 tbsp olive oil
-4 garlic cloves
-200ml cold water
-1 lemon
-salt and pepper to taste
-some seedless fresh grapes

Soak the bread in water. Grind the almonds in a coffee grinder until they are powdered. Toss them in a blender, add garlic, and pulse. Add the bread [after you squeeze out the water] tearing small pieces[dont put the whole bread at once because it will not dissolve well] Pulse again. Add olive oil and cold water and lemon juice and blend until combined. Serve in cups and toss in some grapes.
Raw garlic is very spicy so if you cant handle the heat I advise you to crush the garlic and saute it with a splash of oil before you add it to the blender.
This makes either one big serving or two small ones for a starter soup. The soup is served at room temperature but you an totally heat it i you want!

When I used to eat dairy I had this obsession over a biscuit flavored yogurt. It was amazing. Later I found out it wasn’t even vegetarian because it had gelatin it it and I was very very angry. But determined to make my own. Its just perfect for breakfast and you can add anything you want in it. This is just a base. I used to add rolled oats to the store bought one, but this one is very filling as it is. You can also add fruit.
Make sure you use whole-wheat and sugar free cookies, grain sweetened. This is breakfast, not dessert people![but I am sure some choc chips-or carob you be perfect in this]The ones I use I found them at the health food store and they are sweetened with wheat syrup.

You need :
-400gr unsweetened plain soy yogurt
-10 digestive type whole wheat grain-sweetened cookies[make sure they are vegan, but usually they are]
-21/2 tbsp agave syrup
-1tsp vanilla extract
-1/2 tsp cinnamon
-1tsp rosewater

Place cookies in a blender and crush until they become powdered. Mix with cinnamon an vanilla. Add all ingredients and mix until well combined. Chilll for at least half an hour and enjoy. Makes 2-3 servings.
Note : my cookies were not sweet at all so adjust the agave depending on the sweetness of the cookie you are using.

Horta is a traditional side dish that you can find in almost every taverna [tavern/restaurant] is Greece. Horta is basically boiled or steamed leafy greens. There is one specific kind of weed that is used to make this dish called ‘vlita’ [vleetah]. Vlita is a weed that pops up everywhere in Greece, and can also be cultivated. It is delicious boiled, with the stems on with the addition of extra virgin olive oil and lemon.
If you say you are vegan around here old and uninformed people ask :’ So what DO you eat??Only horta??’ Which is misunderstood by the word ‘hortofagos’ [weed-eater]that means vegetarian in Greek. I just think that it is hilarious, so I am proud to say that YES, I DO EAT HORTA and I love it. [ but I also eat a million other things].
So I present you, Horta!! [I did make a small change, I added hemp oil instead of olive oil] I’m sure you can make this with spinach, kale and other greens mixed together, but obviously it wont taste the same.

-1kg vlita
-3 lemons
-3tbsp hemp oil

Wash your greens with water and either steam or boil them, WITH their stems [its the best part] for about 20 minutes, until tender become tender and wilted. Set aside to coll them off and juice the lemons. Mix with raw hemp oil and pour on the horta. Toss well and eat either at room temp or chilled.
Enjoy!!

Dried figs are a staple in Greece, and one thing you can do with them is stuff them with nuts&cinnamon. This is also a traditional sweet [I can't take credit for the idea], but you don’t really find them ready stuffed easily. Sometimes they sell them at tourist souvenir shops.
Anyway, I never like plain dried figs, but when I tried the stuffed ones…They were amazing! Cinnamon and walnuts are a perfect match with figs, so I decided to try my hand on this traditional sweet. I also added a bit of agave to the stuffing, for sweetness and moisture, because the traditional ones are usually drizzled with honey. So here is a recipe you can try at home. Stuffing dried figs is a bit challenging though!

-10 whole good quality dried figs
-3/4-1 cup walnut halves
-3 tbsp agave syrup, or to taste depending on the sweetness of figs and bitterness of walnuts.
-2tbsp cinnamon [again adjust to your taste, but it should be strong]

With a sharp knife make an X incision on the bottom of the figs, and with a small melon scooper try to remove as many seeds as you can taking care not to tear the skin of figs.
Grind walnuts on blender as much as you like them [chunkier, or more powder-y] and mix the walnuts with cinnamon and agave.
Start stuffing the figs with a spoon until they are plump! Now you are ready to eat them! Oh, and they are raw!
Place them in a pretty bowl in your kitchen and snack on them every time you feel the need!

I got this very pretty looking fresh long beans the other day and wanted to do something with them. In Greece these beans are used to make a traditional casserole dish with tomato sauce, dill and olive oil but I wanted to do something different and more refreshing! So here it is! This recipe kicks ass and you should really try it, specially if you love garlic-like my boyfriend and I do.

-700gr fresh green long beans
-2tbsp sesame oil
-5 garlic cloves
-2tsp mirin
-1 ½ tsp salt
-1/2tsp brown sugar

Wash and prepare the beans for cooking as usual. Then steam for 10-15 min until they soften but not all the way done. Move to a wok and sauté with the rest of the ingredients over medium heat for 5-8 minutes.
Serves 2.

So of course I wanted to make this list as well, but found that many things I like were not included,so I added them but not in the list. it’s the ‘extras’ part..

1) Copy this list into your own blog, including these instructions.

2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.

3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.

4) Post a comment here once you’ve finished and link your post back to this one.

5) Pass it on!

1. Natto

2. Green Smoothie

3. Tofu Scramble

4. Haggis

5. Mangosteen

6. Creme brulee

7. Fondue

8. Marmite/Vegemite

9. Borscht

10. Baba ghanoush

11. Nachos

12. Authentic soba noodles

13. PB&J sandwich

14. Aloo gobi

15. Taco from a street cart

16. Boba Tea

17. Black truffle- I have tried only black truffle oil, not the actual thing

18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes

19. Gyoza

20. Vanilla ice cream

21. Heirloom tomatoes

22. Fresh wild berries

23. Ceviche

24. Rice and beans

25. Knish

26. Raw scotch bonnet pepper

27. Dulce de leche

28. Caviar

29. Baklava

30. Pate-’bjorg terrine forestiere’, the best mushroom pate EVER

31. Wasabi peas

32. Chowder in a sourdough bowl

33. Mango lassi

34. Sauerkraut

35. Root beer float

36. Mulled cider – from a local apple farm! It was incredible and refreshing.

37. Scones with buttery spread and jam

38. Vodka jelly

39. Gumbo

40. Fast food french fries

41. Raw Brownies

42. Fresh Garbanzo Beans

43. Dahl

44. Homemade Soymilk

45. Wine from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more

46. Stroopwafle

47. Samosas

48. Vegetable Sushi- I make my very own

49. Glazed doughnut

50. Seaweed – love seaweed salads!Seaweed is the beeeeeeeeeest

51. Prickly pear

52. Umeboshi-nope, only tsukemono

53. Tofurkey-this doesn’t exist in Europe

54. Sheese-I ordered some,soon to try

55. Cotton candy-as much as i try to avoid sugar, i just love cotton candy!-but its a once every 2years thing

56. Gnocchi-I m not really a fan though…

57. Piña colada

58. Birch beer

59. Scrapple- maybe I would try a vegan version

60. Carob chips -I have had carob, but not carob chips

61. S’mores

62. Soy curls

63. Chickpea cutlets

64. Curry

65. Durian

66. Homemade Sausages

67. Churros, elephant ears, or funnel cake

68. Smoked tofu-its soooooooo tasty

69. Fried plantain-do banana chips count??

70. Mochi

71. Gazpacho

72. Warm chocolate chip cookies

73. Absinthe

74. Corn on the cob

75. Whipped cream, straight from the can – yes, but can you believe I have only done that with the vegan soyatoo rice whipped cream?I never liked dairy whipping cream!

76. Pomegranate-I can’t wait for pomegranate season-no seriously, i can’t!

77. Fauxstess Cupcake-I don’t even know what that is

78. Mashed potatoes with gravy- when you are in London, you can’t avoid it!

79. Jerky

80. Croissants

81. French onion soup

82. Savory crepes

83. Tings

84. A meal at Candle 79

85. Moussaka

86. Sprouted grains or seeds

87. Macaroni and “cheese”

88. Flowers

89. Matzoh ball soup

90. White chocolate

91. Seitan

92. Kimchi

93. Butterscotch chips

94. Yellow watermelon

95. Chili with chocolate

96. Bagel and Tofutti- again no tofutti in Greece

97. Potato milk

98. Polenta

99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee

100. Raw cookie dough – hooray for vegan batter always being egg-free/salmonella-free!

And the extras…

1.Kampyo [Japanese dried gourd shavings,perfect as a sushi filling]

2.Natta de coco

3.Yellow Thai mango

4.Ricemellow fluff

5.Traditional potato rosti

6Portobello ’steak’

7.Vegan cheese fondue from ‘the nutritional yeast cookbook’

8.Fresh RAW pistachios [oh-my-god, the best]

9.Steamed edamame

10.Toasted Coconut water

11.Jackfruit chips!

12.Coconut milk

13.Banana cinnamon oatmeal

14.Banana bread

15.Pasteli

16.Melomakarona

17.Teese vegan cheese

18.Cashew butter

19.Flapjack

20.Matcha Green Tea

21. Dried Stuffed Figs

This is the second time I tried to make cinnamon rolls and they came out pretty good, so I can say I have a recipe! I tried to make them as healthier as possible, using mostly wholewheat spelt flour, Rapadura sugar [evaporated cane juice] and agave syrup in the dough. But then I got to thinking about icing-glazing. I tried a mixture of rice syrup and soy milk powder, but it was a failure and and I realized it couldn’t be that healthy, so I used a dairy-free white chocolate. Extra decadent, high in fat, creamy but still vegan! But hey, that was a small amount of topping the buns! Anyway if you still don’t want to do that, then you can just drizzle on top of the some rice syrup or agave -for the ‘regular’ days.
If you are feeling fancy, you can totally add pecans, raisins or anything you like. I just sprinkled some silvered toasted almonds on top, keeping it simple. I also made a small batch, so that I didn’t end up eating too many. Yes part of a healthy diet is knowing when to stop!

you need :
-1 cup wholewheat spelt flour [ the one I use is very fine, like whole wheat pastry flour, so do try to find one like that. Mine is Demeter]
-1/2 cup unbleached white flour
-1/2 tsp salt
-3 tbsp agave syrup
-2tbsp non-hydrogenated margarine
-3tbsp lukewarm water
-4 tbsp soymilk
-1 tsp lemon juice

1tbsp non-hydrogenated margarine
2tsp cinnamon
31/2 tbsp evaporated cane juice [Rapadura sugar]

50gr dairy free white chocolate or rice syrup or agave syrup

Mix salt and the flours together. In a separate bowl add 1tsp agave syrup, water and yeast and let stand until frothy. In another bowl add soy milk and lemon juice until it curdles.[5min] Now add to the soymilk the rest of the agave and melted margarine. Make a well in the middle of the bowl with the flour and add all the wet ingredients. Mix with a spatula until combined and start kneading with your hands for about 5 minutes. If the dough is too stiff add some lemon juice to soften the gluten. Form a ball and place in an oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth and leave in a warm place ferment until double in size.

Now deflate evenly the dough by pressing with your hands, and start rolling a rectangle with a rolling pin, until it is thin like a towel. Brush on the surface one tablespoon of melted margarine and sprinkle evenly the sugar&cinnamon mix. This is the part where you add the extras if you wish.[raisins, pecans] In my opinion, raisins is the best option, but I wanted them more simple.
With your hands roll the rectangle and cut in six equal pieces. Pinch the ends seams to seal. Place in a baking dish and let rise fro 30 minutes. Preheat oven at 180c and bake for 15-20 minutes.

To glaze melt the white chocolate and pour over the buns or for a healthier option drizzle rice syrup or agave syrup.

*The dairy free chocolate I used is made with rice milk by Bonvita. I got it at Prasino Market but I found it also online at Vegan Perfection, where I took the picture from.

Lately I had been on a soy-yogurt spiral. Wait. No. Who am I kidding? I am a soy-yogurt whore. I live off that stuff. And the thing is, the past couple of months they soy yogurts disappear immediately from the organic shop shelves[and no its not me buying them all]. Why is that? Maybe everyone found out how good it is…It just feels like every time I go to get some they is none left. Once, I almost fought oven a pot of soy-yogurt!! I get upset, but at the same time excited that people in Greece actually eat soy-yogurt and its not only me! Thats because Greece is dairy heaven. Everyone loves cheese and milk AND yogurt.
Anyway, back to the food. So I have this obsession of making a soy yogurt dressing with dill, its just amazing. You will notice I use it in many recipes, but its not always quite the same. This is a cold potato salad, creamy and light, perfect for the end of the summer! Its also fast and very easy to make so do try it please!

You need :
-4-5 potatoes
-1/2 cup unsweetened soy yogurt
-1 tbsp fresh chopped dill
-2 tbsp lemon
-2 tbsp vegan mayo
-2 pinches salt [sorry,didn't measure, adjust to your taste]

You can also add some garlic powder, but I didn’t because I use garlic in everything and I didn’t want it to taste like tzatziki…

So, boil the potatoes until tender, and while boiling mix the rest of the ingredients together until smooth. Chill for at least half an hour. Peel and cut potatoes in cubes, mix altogether and chill again.
That’s it!!
Serves 3-5 as a side dish.

I dont know if it happens to you, but sometimes I dont have time to make breakfast at all or I want a healthy snack for later on during my day when I am on the go. And yes I do buy energy bars, but its really hard to find one that I like. Most of them are filled with nuts, and sometimes I want something lower-fat. And others have sugar in them, which again is a thing I dont like. So I decided, what a better idea than to make you own adjusted-to-your-taste energy bars from scratch! So I did! These ones are with goji berries, that are like raisins but much healthier, as they are high in protein which is something I need, specially because this bar doesnt have any nuts in it. They other basic ingredient is dried apple crisps, that add a fruity taste and extra crunch! And of course, they are sugar-free!