Chickpea lentil loaf (EN/ RO)

It's cold here and it feels like winter already, even if it's not quite December yet... The streets are decorated for the winter Holidays already and everything feels a bit rushed, a bit too soon. Maybe because this year's Holidays come with so much more than usual! And I can barely think of everything and it's way too much to put into words right now.

But with everything going on right now (last few weeks of pregnancy, last preparations and more), I still wanted to make some recipes for this year's Holiday season. Or maybe just because there are so many wonderful things going on I wanted to share some more of my recipes with you :)

And I believe that a chickpea lentil loaf that it's delicious and can also be baked in individual servings (as savory muffins or mini loaves) deserves a spot on your table as an entree. It goes well with steamed, baked or sauteed veggies, a side salad and don't forget about your favorite gravy too! 

As most of my recipes, this one has no added oil and as a bonus it's gluten free too (or, if you don't consider oats gluten free, I have alternatives for that too). 

Now let's stop with everything else and see how it's actually made, because it's also easy to make it!

Ingredients (makes 1 big loaf or 8-10 big muffins):

Pumpkin and beans vegan "meatballs" (EN/ RO)

Another pumpkin recipe on this blog? Yes! Why? Because I like pumpkin... and I can find it in all the stores right now, so it's the perfect excuse to make more pumpkin recipes. 

And not only sweet recipes, as you already saw :) 

Actually, this recipe came to be more like an accident or a joke in the beginning. But the more I thought about it, the more I liked the idea. I tried it one day and guess what? I liked it! 

The pumpkin keeps the meatballs moist while bringing a bit of sweetness, the tahini brings some healthy fats and a nice depth of flavor. And all the spices complement each other and make these "meatballs" delicious. And you can serve them for your holiday meal too! With some mashed potatoes and your favorite gravy... Yummy! 

You can also make a "meatball" sandwich with all the fixings too! 

I think that now it's time to go to the recipe, so you can make it at home too!

Ingredients:

Lentil pumpkin soup

Today I have for you a pumpkin and lentil soup recipe that's vegan, flavorful, velvety, delicious and oil and gluten free too! And it's also easy to make, perfect for meal prep and for this dreary weather!
Also, it's my newest soup obsession too!
It's the perfect end to a day! Just imagine this: after a long cold day you come home and have a nice steaming bowl of creamy delicious soup with some croutons, vegan yogurt and fresh parsley on top too... For me this kind of sounds like the perfect dinner in this cold weather!
And you can enjoy this while wrapped in a blanket if you want, to make everything even more cozy!
Ok... Let's see how I make this yummy soup!

Ingredients (makes about 6 servings):

3 ingredients homemade bounty bars

I love myself some chocolate from time to time, even now, when I can barely tolerate commercially sweet things... But sometimes (or a lot of times, to be honest) the commercial chocolates are not vegan friendly in addition to being full of sugar... So I decided to recreate some of my favorite sweets, but made a bit healthier and a lot simpler!

I started with these 3 ingredients homemade bounty bars that are not only vegan, but oil free, easy to make and quite a bit healthier than the commercial version. And they still have a fluffy coconut middle, yummy chocolate coating, they're rich and perfect for a treat when you want one... The danger with them? You're gonna want to eat them all in one sitting. Don't say that I didn't warn you...
Granted, because I used date paste the coconut filing is not very white and sparkly as the commercial ones are, but you can use a lighter colored sweetener if you want that white. I love my bars a bit dark because they are unique and different too, so I don't feel the need to change this:)
It's nice to know that you can make stuff like this with just a few ingredients at home. And they are very sweet for my taste right now, which means that they should be perfectly sweet for the rest of the normal people :))
Let's see the recipe now, I've rambled enough...

Ingredients (for about 12 bars):

Broccoli, carrot and onion pakoras (EN/ RO)

As you know, I love chickpea flour, because it's so versatile and goes well in so many combinations, sweet or savory! 

And these broccoli, carrot and onion pakoras are delicious, gluten and oil free (if you choose not to fry them), healthy and perfect for this weather too!

And paired with a cooling sauce made with (vegan) yogurt and dill they're divine! Even small children love them! And I know this because I had a collab with a local vegan and vegetarian restaurant and even children loved the food that I made! It was awesome to see so many people enjoy my food! 

So you have to try this too!

Ingredients: