Vegan cocoa crepes with pear and almond masala chai spices topping

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    After the Christmas yule log cakes and other treats, in France, we have a busy food calendar. In January, we enjoy French kings cakes (called "galettes des rois") for the Epiphany, which is a sort of large flaky puff pastry filled with frangipane (home made almond cream mixed with custard). You hide a lucky charm inside and the one who finds it when eating the galette des rois is said to be the king and can wear a paper crown and chose his queen (reverse way of course if it's a woman). Some traditions also say that the one who finds the lucky charm has to buy the galette des rois the following year.


   Anyway, after this very light pastry in January, we enjoy crepes in February for Candlemas (the "Chandeleur"), crepes are very typical in France and especially in Brittany but I have to say, I make crepes all year long, as soon as I'm craving some for snack, breakfast or dessert. And so here we are and as last year, with these rooibos vegan crepes topped with a home made orange coconut syrup, I wanted to publish a recipe a little different. And I had been willing to try cocoa crepes for a long time and the first test was a success and they were not sickly as I would have thought using so much cocoa powder. They're even very good on their own, but I wanted to add a little something to make it a real dessert and served them with some pear and a home made almond chai spices topping. I really suggest you to enjoy them warm because, thanks to the cocoa, the crepes are so moist!

Split pea and Winter vegetable soup

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   This is with a new soup recipe we'll start the year because, whether it is warm in Winter or cold in Summer, it's an easy way to a healthy but yummy balanced dish without having to stay before the stove. It's also a good mean to stay hydrated because we tense to drink less water in Winter. And the last good thing about soups is that you just cook it, eventually blend it and just pour it in a bowl and enjoy!

   Today, I decided to honor the split pea that is too often left aside in the kitchen. By the way, did you know that split peas are... green peas that are dried (and else)? Cooked here with some Winter veggies, herbs and spices. Then I mixed a part of the soup to make it smooth. Do not hesitate to add some cooked rice leftovers and/or smoked tofu dices for a balanced healthy dish, my favorite are the almond sesame and Black Forest ones from the Taifun band.

   And if you fancy trying another recipe with split peas, I suggest you this dhal served with roasted aubergine/eggplant and some mint yogurt sauce, so more of a Summer dish, but you can swap with a Winter veggie instead.

{ Waiting for Christmas } Vegan option chocolate ginger biscotti

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   Let's end this week with my last sweet recipe of the year that you'll b able to do for Christmas holidays or whenever you're craving som chocolate and spices, to offer or just enjoy yourself, as a treat with som tea or coffee or a snack, dessert or even breakfast.

   I'm not a big fan of chocolate but I like to bake some recipes with it in Winter or holidays because I find it quite comforting and to add even more comfort and warm feeling, I used ginger, ground and candied, that makes a nice association with chocolate.

{ Waiting for Christmas } Vegan cranberry black forest Christmas yule log cake in a jar (gluten free option)

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Each year, for Christmas holidays, I like to propose a yummy seasonal dessert. I made traditional yule log cakes for a time and then I kind of fell in love with desserts in a jar and so for Christmas cakes. Last year, I tried poke cake - a coconut chocolate persimmon one -  for a change and also a traditional Finnish dessert.


This year, I went back to dessert in a jar because I love to just plunge my spoon in the different layer and also that even if you'e not a pro at baking nice and pretty cake or dessert, it doesn't matter with jars.

Vegan raw vanilla apple pie

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    The full season of apples is almost at its end so I wanted to try a new recipe. Some eat them all year long but I don't think they taste really good in summer, also I eat enough apples all the rest of the year to enjoy all the yummy fruit Summer has to offer.

   I'm an apple pie fan, yes, the most simple recipes are often the better ! But this time, I'm taking you to towards raw cuisine. We talk about living food because vitamins and nutrients are not damaged through the process of cooking - because there's no cooking obviously or it doesn't go beyond 40°c (100°f).

Rooibos vegan French crepes and orange coconut syrup

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    Here I am, finally, with my own vegan crepe recipe! It must have been two years since I was looking for a recipe that suits me, I have tried several, found on the Web, in Facebook groups or blogs but there was never one that was okay. The crepes were either very thick, the taste or texture was odd or they would tar apart while cooking them in the pan. 

   I finally tried something I should have tried before, I took my mom's recipe I have been making since I was a teenager - it's foolproof and does not need to rest for an hour or anything - and replaced the eggs and milk with cornstarch and soy milk. I had tried with other plant-based milks and apple sauce or flax eggs but it never worked out as fine as I wanted it.

   My mom's crepes are the 2nd thing I learned to bake with the famous yogurt cake and they're delicious and light so I always tried to find vegan crepes that will taste just like them. And as I always want to add some personal touch to a basic recipe, I thought why not add some rooibos. I first wanted to make it infuse into soy milk but I finally tried something else, adding rooibos out of a bag directly into the batter, it's subtil but it works and it's good. I usually add some rum as my mom does but didn't here to be able to taste the rooibos.

Vegan pumpkin mac n' cheese

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    Today, still no detox on the blog, it's been cold, it's been raining so here is some comfort food! If you're living in the US, you're most than familiar with mac n' cheese but in France and other countries, this is not something common. As its name says, it's made of macaroni, bechamel sauce and melting cheese such as cheddar, diet oriented as you can see. 😁 I only tasted it once while I was an exchange student in the US and as most homes enjoy it, it was canned and not good at all to me!


   When home made, it's still not a light dish but it's simple to make and it tastes better. Here, it's a different version I wanted to share to enjoy squashes. I kept the pasta - changed the macaroni for other pasta for sauce - that are full of carbs if made out of wheat but there again, good pasta from time to time , in a reasonable quantity, it feels good.

   As we say, it's the garnish that counts, here, not giant quantity of melting cheese, the sauce is made of a seasonal vegetable: pumpkin. Then, add some milk (soy for me), nutritional yeast to give this cheesy flavor, starch to thicken he sauce and spices to season. With some parmesan (vegan or not), it makes a delicious dish that you can enjoy with some other seasonal veggies. 

Roasted and raw pear, cocoa, cinnamon and cardamom vegan porridge / oatmeal

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    Today, I wanted to publish a new breakfast recipe - or to enjoy as healthy snack if you divide the quantities in half. If you are in a hurry in the morning, don't worry, you can still have a lovely porridge because it will be ready in 10 minutes only! Isn't it nice to sit and enjoy a healthy but yummy comforting, warm and seasonal bowl, that will fill you until lunch, especially in Winter before going out and facing a freezing weather?!


   As for the previous porridges I published before, you can adjust the recipe according to your taste, whether you like it more or less thick or liquid, if it's the first time, try the recipe and feel free to adjust the quantity of water/milk and cereal flakes next time. You can also adjust the quantity of the flakes and garnish if you're a smaller and bigger eater. And don't hesitate to vary the flakes, I often use part oats and part buckwheat, bran, quinoa, rice, spelt, etc. They all have different taste and texture. Here I used buckwheat because I think it goes so well with pear and cocoa.

Carrot, sweet potato, red lentil and coconut milk express soup

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🌟 Happy New year 2018 everyone! 🎉

    We start the new year with a new soup recipe. An express recipe for a comforting but balanced quick meal. No detox planned here - don't feel like it when you don't eat excess food during the Xmas and NYE celebrations. But don't worry if you're looking for a healthy but yummy dish, this is it!

   I improvised this soup a few weeks ago, it was already around 4PM and I had not had lunch yet so I made this soup in no time with what I got in the kitchen and added some toasts, it was the ideal slunch! I made it again for the blog writing and adjusting the ingredients and quantities this time. You may want to add the coconut milk into the saucepan or serve the soup with a coconut whipped cream for a more cocooning visual aspect.

{Waiting for Christmas } Cinnamon cranberries biscotti (vegan option)

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    Christmas is just around the corner, so here are my last recipes for these holidays and yes, cranberries again! I love them and the season is so short, you have to enjoy them as much as possible. Last year, I had frozen some but as it is rare that I use frozen fruit now so I didn't even use them because, let's be honest, the texture is different and sometimes not appropriate for some recipes. Don't we appreciate fruit and veggies when they're in season after having waited for them impatiently, after all?

{ Waiting for Christmas } Orange spiced hot chocolate (vegan option)

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    Let's continue with some typical Winter drink, hot chocolate! I don't know about you but I love Christmas drinks, whether it is mulled white wine, Swedish Glögg or more comforting drinks like this red wine hot chocolate. Of course, there's the typical American eggnog.


   I'm more about coffee in the morning and then I like to enjoy tea or infusion during the day. On Winter cold days, I sometimes go for more comforting drinks like hot chocolate and I loved this one I made last year so now is your turn to enjoy too! Orange and chocolate always do a good marriage like here or here. 

{ Waiting for Christmas } Riisipuuro, cinnamon Finnish rice pudding and stewed cranberries (vegan option)

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    Today, I'm taking you to Scandinavia again because it had been a long time since I shared a recipe from Northern Europe and that I love its - sweet most of all - cuisine and hope to be able to enjoy it over there one day!

   The riisipuuro is a typical Finnish rice pudding but I could have shared the Swedish recipe of the risgrynsgröt or Danish risengrød. It's a Christmas specialty that most families enjoy during the celebrations of the end of the year. The rice is cooked slowly in milk (I chose plant-based) then served and each one can add sugar and cinnamon according to one's tastes. 

Orange mango immune booster Winter smoothie (turmeric, ginger, cardamom and baobab)

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    Let's begin this week with a vitamins packed smoothie, because it's good and to fight the bad weather of March, between Spring and apocalyptic rainy days.

   At first, I had tried this smoothie with fresh orange juice and it was delicious but I thought it would be interesting to use the whole orange flesh in order to add more fibers that help to digest and make you feel hungry later because they regulate the carbohydrates and lipids. Mango is also a fruit rich in fibers but also antioxidants (and it's my favorite exotic fruit). 

Winter vegetable vegan patties and their yoghurt sauce (gluten free)

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   Hide veggies and fruit for children who don't really like them, that the theme of the last Bataille Food of yesterday proposed by Anne-Laure. I confess I had a little trouble finding a really original idea with seasonal vegetables (that was not already on the blog) because I've always liked vegetables and fruit in general (apart from Brussel sprouts and green peas... still true today), I don't really understand how can someone (child or adult) not like them and most of all why.

   So this challenge was a reason to try a new recipe from the book Vegan from Marie Laforêt (a great French vegan food blogger). I adapted her mini vegetable patties with seasonal veggies such as carrots, leek and cauliflower.

Chocolate cocoa kaki persimmon mini cakes (vegan and gluten free option)

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   For once, we start the week with a sweet recipe but this is because there will be three recipes on the blog. Last week, I caught an ugly virus, a not common and child illness, more fun! Something between the flue and the chickenpox, with a few days of fever and a facial edema, not glamorous at all, I really not wish it to you. The only good thing about it is that you only catch it once in your life, thank you very much!


   Anyway, this is why I didn't have the strength or appetite enough to cook or even sit and write on the blog. But, in exchange, you'll be more spoiled this week! 😊


   A few weeks ago, I had the chance to win the book The Vibrant Table from Anya Kassoff (named Green in France) thanks to a giveaway on a French blog. It's a book of "a vegetarian, gluten free, mostly vegan and sometimes raw kitchen". It's about 300 pages so there is a bunch of recipes to try. What I liked about the book : there is a long introduction where the author, an anglo-saxon food blogger, born in Russia, who lives in Florida, explains her culinary path and how she got there with a blog and book. She also writes about her favorite ingredients, their benefits and gives basic recipes. Each recipe is also introduced with a little text and I liked it a lot because it's quit rare in cook books. If you don't know her blog yet, you can also find recipes online on Golubkakitchen. 


   I was seeking for comfort food recipes and I stumbled on this chocolate persimmon cake and immediately wanted to try it, because I like persimmons but don't often think to buy some and I had never cooked any. I went for individual cakes because I think it's handy to eat and also because I always find them cuter than a large cake. 


   I first try her version and it was good but I added my own modifications because I wanted to taste the buckwheat flour and banana less, I also replaced the ground nuts with almonds and the quinoa flakes with toasted soy (because I has some in the kitchen). I also replaced the egg with yogurt because I only made half of the quantities and using half an egg is not that easy...

Savoy cabbage lasagna (gluten free, vegan option)

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    Lasagna are, I guess, one of the dishes everyone likes because it's comforting, easy to make and you can put everything you like in it, depending of the season. I saw a recipe of lasagna made of cabbage and meat on the Internet a little time ago and I thought it was a great idea to change from the regular ones (the cabbage thing of course, not the meat... ha ha) to serve to gluten intolerant people or enjoy a lighter meal. 

French onion soup au gratin (vegan option)

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    I usually don't publish traditional recipes because I think there's enough Chef recipes online but from time to time I like to stick to the basics such as I did for the Spanish traditional Gazpacho last summer or with French onion soup. I wanted to share this comfort dish I used to enjoy as a child in Winter or around Christmas holidays. Onion soup with bread croutons is just delicious.

Roasted cranberries baked Camembert cheese

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   To end the week and the year, here is a savory dish to serve as an appetizer or to end a meal if you're not a fan of dessert. This baked Camembert with roasted cranberries makes a delicious French-American association. 

   You can either chose Camembert or Brie (more creamy but richer too) as you wish. Cranberries go very well with it, once cooked, they keep their sharpness but also bring a sweet touch to balance the strong taste of this French cheese. It can also works with cherries when they're in season.

Maple syrup gingerbread home made popcorn

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    After a good red wine hot chocolate, this is a home made treat I propose to you today, to enjoy during your Christmas holidays in front of a movie or a series or for your New Year's Eve if you have planned to do it at home.

   This was the first time I made home made popcorn, I used to buy boxes that you put in the microwave but now I'm done because, after all, home made popcorn takes just a few minutes more to prepare and you can control the sugar or fat quantity you use and add your favorite topping or even eat it naked.

Red wine hot chocolate

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    A few weeks ago, I published a chocolate red wine cupcakes recipe on the French version of the blog. I recently discovered the chocolate and red wine association even if it has been quite trendy in the US for a few years already. And of course, I was not going to leave it there.

   So I thought, what better moment of the year than Christmas holidays to try another recipe with hot chocolate and mulled wine. Well, Christmas is over but not the end of the year holidays - and who said we couldn't enjoy hot chocolate or mulled wine all winter long?!