thoughts about raspberries and humans

There is one beautiful forest where I take a walk almost every day, listen to magical sounds of creeks and small waterfalls, do some spiritual practice and forage some wild fruits and sometimes medicinal plants. The other day while I was walking and contemplating the likelihood of blueberry season coming to an end some time soon, I spotted some ripe wild raspberries. I was so happy that they started to ripen. Sometimes I feel like I'm talking to the forest. I ask her if it is ok that I collect some blueberries and take them home, or is it greedy of me. She answers that there is always enough blueberries and that I can take as much as I want. Sometimes it's like a child's game, I collect small stones on the way and leave them a few steps further, in search of a "perfect" stone. You can always come back from the forest with some of Nature's gifts. Some food, some pure, light energy, new inspiration, happiness. 

But what is greed then? I think it is taking way more than you need and not letting go, not letting anyone else benefit from it in any way. It is stupid to think that it will somehow fulfil us, and yet we so often do. Nature has enough to supply us all. In theory, if everyone took just as much as they needed, everyone would have enough (that doesn't mean that everyone should always have equal amounts of everything; we all have different needs and a unique role in this Universe). But because of the human nature and many past events that cannot be undone and politics and so many other things, there seems to be a great imbalance where some people have too much while others are starving. It is not the natural state by itself, but rather something that humankind has brought upon itself because of greed (which is in a broader sense also natural to humans).

So interesting, this human kind. Obviously everything is just the way it is supposed to be after all. Anyhow, I am more than grateful that I was born into this exact life where I can (among other things) carelessly roam beautiful forests and eat wild raspberries on the way.

4 simple dips

I have neglected the blog a bit lately because I've been busy with many other things, but haven't forgotten all the recipes that I promised you. Here is a short one for start! You often ask me for vegan dip and spread recipes, so here are a few ideas for simple and tasty vegan spreads that you can use on bread, in burgers, with vegetables, as dips, in salads or in any other way that you prefer.

/cheesy cashew and sunflower spread/
1/2 cup cashews
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
juice of one lemon
1 pinch ground white pepper
2 pinches himalayan salt
1/2 clove garlic
1 tsp dry nutritional yeast
2/3 cup water

/hummus/
1 cup cooked chickpeas
1 pinch black pepper
1 pinch ground red pepper
1 clove garlic
juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp olive oil
1 pinch ground cumin
3 tbsp tahini
2 pinches Himalayan salt
1/3 cup water

/sesame and auburgine dip/
3/4 cup sesame
1 large auburgine, oven-baked, without skin
juice of 1 lime
1 pinch white pepper
3 tbsp tamari
1/3 cup water

/baked pepper spread/
4 oven-baked red sweet peppers, without skin
1/2 cup roasted almonds
2 tbsp homemade apple cider vinegar
2 pinches Himalayan salt
1 tbsp olive oil

For each dip, just process all the ingredients in a food processor or a blender until smooth. If you want a thinner consistency (for example to use it as a salad dressing), just add some more water. Adjust the salt and spices amount up to your taste.

krema od borovnica i zobenih pahuljica

Nedavno sam skužila da je ovo valjda jedan od rijetkih biljojednih blogova na kojima nećete naći recept za zobenu kašu. Najbliže tome su namočene zobene pahuljice koje sam jednom prilikom iskoristila u receptu. Iskreno, nije mi niti palo na pamet jer mi žitarice generalno ne pašu u prehrani, puno puta mi bude zlo kada ih pojedem, pogotovo kuhanu zobenu (prosenu, ječmenu) kašu. Modernu pšenicu niti ne računam jer ju iz sto i jednog razloga ne mogu gledati kao hranu. Danas je neka dominantna ideja veganske prehrane u svijetu prehrana bazirana na žitaricama kao glavnom izvoru energije, što nije uopće čudno budući da žitarice i jesu jedan od najdostupnijih i najjeftnijih izvora kalorija. Ako njih ne koristiš, moraš se snaći i biti malo kreativniji oko prehrane i namirnica da bi se mogao baš najesti i ostati sit, ali uvjerena sam da se dugoročno isplati, jer ima toliko hrane koja je prirodnija i zdravija za ljudski organizam u odnosu na žitarice. Ipak (budući da na ovom blogu ima već puno recepata bez žitarica), evo jednog načina na koji čak i ja ponekad mogu pojesti malo zobenih pahuljica da mi ne bude loše poslije, a možda pomogne još nekom sličnom čudaku da pojede nešto novo za doručak ili užinu.

što/
[za 3-4 porcije]
1 šalica zobenih pahuljica
1 jušna žlica chia sjemenki
1 i 1/2 čajne žlice psyllium ljuskica
2/3 šalice rižinog mlijeka
1/2 šalice punomasnog kokosovog mlijeka
3 jušne žlice kokosovog šećera
1/2 šalice divljih borovnica
2 čajne žlice soka limete
+ za drugi sloj
1/2 šalice zobenog jogurta
1/2 šalice kokosove kreme ili punomasnog kokosovog mlijeka
1 jušna žlica agavinog sirupa (opcija)

kako/
Izblendajte zobene pahuljice, chia sjemenke, psyllium, borovnice, kokosov šećer, sok limete rižino mlijeko i pola šalice kokosovog mlijeka u blenderu dok ne dobijete potpuno glatku smjesu. Ostavite da odstoji 30 minuta na sobnoj temperaturi, promiješajte i prebacite u čaše, pa ostavite još 8 sati u hladnjaku. Zamiješajte kremu od ohlađenog kokosovog mlijeka (ako je moguće, odvojite samo stvrdnuti kremasti dio s površine kako bi bilo što manje vodenasto) i zobenog jogurta, pa ju dodajte u svaku čašu.
Dobar tek!

[ENG]

wild blueberry and oat cream

I recently realized that, since the beginning of this blog, i haven't even once written an oat porridge recipe. It wasn't intentional, but to be honest, it never even crossed my mind. Most of the time I can't stand cereals, and cooked oat (millet, berley) porridge, although widely considered a healthy and nutritious meal, often makes me want to throw up (yes...). Today's idea of a vegan diet includes cereals as a main source of energy in most cases, which sounds pretty logical since cereals are the cheapest and most available source of calories today. If you don't consume them, you have to be creative and dedicated enough to find combinations that will keep you satiated, but i am convinced that it pays off in the long run because there are many foods in this world that are more natural and healthier for human body than cereals. Still (having considered that I already wrote plenty of recipes that don't include cereals), here is a simple oat recipe that even I can enjoy from time to time and in smaller amounts. Maybe it helps some other similar weirdo to eat something new and interesting for breakfast.

what/
[for 3-4 portions]
1 cup oatmeal
1 tbsp chia seeds
1 + 1/2 tsp psyllium husks
2/3 cup rice milk
1/2 cup full-fat cocount milk
3 tbsp coconut blossom sugar
1/2 cup wild blueberries
2 tsp lime juice
+ for second layer
1/2 cup oat yogurt
1/2 cup coconut cream
1 tbsp agave nectar (optional)

how/
Blend the oatmeal, chia, psyllium, blueberries, coconut sugar, lime juice and rice milk and 1/2 cup coconut milk into a completely smooth mixture. Let it sit for 30 minutes at the room temperature, mix well with a spoon and pour into glasses. Let it sit in the fridge for 8 hours. Mix coconut cream (you can scoop it from the top of cooled coconut milk) and oat yohurt and add this mixture on top of blueberry cream.
Enjoy!