Rigatoni with capers and mint

An unforgettable pasta!

Making a pasta is one thing. But making a pasta for your friends and loved ones who will bag you for more please, is just a whole different story! For some reason, I thought this pasta was one of my first posts, but stupid me, that was a totally different one! (It was the penne with rosemary-tomato pesto, which is good too, by the way!) How could I withhold you of this awesome, most simple recipe with the great WOW effect, it always gives!

The recipe originally came from Tessa Kiros. It was a pre-post in a magazine from her first book 'Twelve', she was about to publish herself. (It became such a hit, many books followed).
It was years ago when I first made it, and never forgot about the recipe since. But, to be honest, I have made it so many times, I'm not really sure my recipe is still the same it ones was supposed to be. I can remember her recipe said to use fresh tomatoes, but than the sauce needed sugar and balsamic vinegar to balance the taste. I discovered this balance was already there, when I used a can of organically grown, peeled and chopped tomatoes. It's those little differences which make it your own. Anyway, you should try and see for yourself. But whenever you feel like making something special with just a little effort or ingredients, this absolutely is the one!

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Spicy Roasted Chickpea salad

Eat yourself healthy and beautiful

As mentioned before, beans and legumes are absolutely one of my favourite things to eat, and especially chickpeas are high on the list. Not only are they incredibly tasty in many different ways (think humous, salads, soups, dough etc.) they are also very, very healthy.

Especially for vegetarians, chickpeas are a great substitute for meat (or eggs when you're vegan). They contain a high content of essential vitamins, like vitamin B12 for instance, which is generally only found in animal products.
Chickpeas are full of iron and vitamin C. Also, vitamin B6 and folic acid are important nutrients that make them so incredibly healthy. Eating chickpeas weekly, in whatever way prepared, retain a right level of iron.

In this salad I roasted the chickpeas for about 15 minutes with some sea salt and a generous amount of chilli powder. It makes them hot and crispy, which goes very well with the sweet and sour taste of the vinaigrette. If you like you can ad some butterhead lettuce in the end. Just divide it on your plate and add the roasted chickpea salad on top. Watch out, this is incredibly good!

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Ridiculously good green Minestrone!

Let the sun shine in!

As i write this, we are at day 24 of our so called '30-day-elimination-diet' and are appreciating our new way of living, more and more each day. I think not drinking alcohol, or coffee for that matter, really makes a difference, but not eating gluten just changes everything. I really feel 'thin' and energised. Not that I've ever been 'big', but the bloated- and full feeling, I often felt at the end of the day, is as good as gone. And besides that, my skin finally starts to look the way it's supposed to be: healthy and shiney! 

The fact that all our effort really makes us feel better, healthier and cleaner is just something to celebrate and to share. A 30 day elimination diet is therefor one thing I can highly recommend to everybody.

So. What we'll eat than? What about this slightly adjusted recipe I found in the awesome cookbook Vegalicious: a green summer minestrone with freshly made pesto, that tastes ridiculously good? It's just made of freshly organic vegetables and herbs and looks like a little party in your bowl. 

Eating all these greens isn't only delicious, it's certainly good for you too: asparagus have a high content of vitamin C, E, K and folic acid (vitamin B11) and contain substances that help you break down fat stores. They stimulate the growth of healthy bacteria in the intestines that make for good digestion. Basil, for example, gives relief from colds, coughs, asthma, headaches, and fever. It relieves mental fatigue, is enlightening mind and improves concentration. Also mint helps relieve colds and coughs, but also eases the gastrointestinal tract to rest after vomiting or nausea

Enjoy!

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Beautiful green soup op garden peas and mint

Beautiful green soup op garden peas and mint

So it hit me, and it hit me hard; this horrible flue i thought i'd never get. But i did, and it took me a good week to get back on track. And when i did, i just promised myself not to get this ill ever again!
How i do that? I guess by making the right dishes with the right vegetables in the right time.

At this moment Amsterdam is just a grey, wet and dreary environment, so what i crave for at times like these are warm, good-looking, comforting soups. In nice bowls which you can hold with both hands, and drink, while sitting on the couch with you legs up high! Or, well, you can of course, enjoy it with your family or friends on a nice laid table!

These little garden peas are awesome for a good soup and very, very healthy too. First of all, they contain more fiber than most whole grain products. In addition, they contain few calories, are high in antioxidants and low in fat. Because they contain a lot of protein and B vitamins, they are an ideal substitute for meat. Both vitamin B1, B2, B3 and B6 are richly represented. They are indispensable in a vegetarian diet.
Legumes also contain many minerals such as calcium, iron and phosphorus, and are high in carbohydrates. Contrary to what many people think through all carbohydrate restrictive diets, not all carbohydrates are bad for you. Legumes are full of good slow carbs and may well contribute to a healthy diet.

Have a good one on this!

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