We travelled to Naples and its surroundings in March, for Marcel’s birthday. On Procida, an island I had wanted to explore for a long time, we were gifted many lemons. So, when we returned home, Marcel made limoncello.

What did he use?

8-10 organic lemons

1 litre of 96% alcohol

750g sugar

1 and a half litres of water

Carefully peel 10 medium organic lemons (as the Procida kind is large, we peeled 8), not to add the white part (which turns the drink bitter and cloudy). In a three-litre jar, pour the alcohol. Leave to set for at least 2 weeks (preferably 3) in a cool spot (but not the fridge); stir every 2-3 days.

After 2 or 3 weeks, melt the sugar in the water. Let it cool. Then, pour it over the mix in the jar (strained from the lemon skins). Leave another week to set fully.

I tried this recipe a while ago, and I’m eager to try it again. Summer will bring along the fresh raspberries. Until then, I’m using the raspberries from the freezer, which I've stored especially for these winter days!

• What do you need to have for 2 portions?

For the dessert base

250g gluten-free oat flakes

3 teaspoons of Caju Fresh from NoMoMoo

250ml plant-based milk

60g raspberries

60g almond flakes

30g agave syrup

70g honey

For the raspberry sauce

160g raspberries

20g coconut sugar

20ml water

• How to make it?

In a bowl, mix the oat flakes, Caju Fresh, vegetable milk, raspberries, almond flakes, agave syrup, and honey.

Let it rest in the fridge overnight.

The next day (for us, it was perfect at breakfast), I took the dessert out of the fridge and divided it into two smaller bowls. I then made the raspberry sauce.

Let the raspberry and coconut sugar sit for 10 minutes; then, add the water. Boil on low heat until it thickens. Pour it over the dessert. Savour it.

It is a filling and healthy dessert! Plus, it’s so easy to make!

Yesterday (December 17th) was St Barbara, a very important celebration in Georgia. Lobiani is the staple dish.

What is lobiani? It is a pie filled with beans. (I loved it when I tried it in Tbilisi.)
Marcel had the idea to make our version at home, so here's the recipe—

For the dough (makes 2):

80ml water

2g fresh yeast

1 teaspoon of sugar

125g flour

2g salt

Let the yeast and the sugar sit in the water for 5 minutes. Add the flour and the salt. Knead. Let the dough rise for 1 hour.

For the filling (makes 2):

250g boiled beans

4 garlic cloves

salt

Mash the beans and garlic cloves. Add the salt.

Method:

Split the dough in two equal parts. Roll each half out. Spread the beans and garlic mixture over each of them. Make a crescent moon by sticking the ends of the dough. Bake in a pan on low heat until brown. Munch.

It was delicious and filling!

One year ago, right before Christmas, I discovered a recipe for some Italian almond cookies by Nonna Fina. They turned out so great that they became a popular treat in our family. I adapted my ricciarelli recipe; you could try it out these Holidays!

You need:

225g almond flour

150g sugar

2 egg whites (room temperature)

*Vegan ricciarelli are possible, with 6 tbsp of water + 2 tbsp of psyllium or flaxseeds.

a dash of salt

the lemon zest from half a lemon

3 drops of almond extract (optional)

How to bake them?

Beat the egg whites with the salt. Add the almond extract if you decide to use it.

In a separate dish, mix the almond flour, sugar, and lemon zest.

Add the foam to the mix; stir easily. The dough will be slightly sticky.

Split the dough into two parts; shape them into two rolls. Cut the dough slices with a knife. Shape them into diamonds. Then, place them into a baking pan lined with baking parchment. You will get 13-14 ricciarelli from a roll.

Bake them for 15-20 minutes at 180°C. After 10 minutes, supervise them so you don’t burn them. ;-)

Enjoy them! ♥

I wanted to try a vegan pască for a long time! It was the idea of my dear Ana Maria, the soul of NoMoMoo. You can try it, too, this year, multiply the amounts, and test its round version [in our family, pasca has always been square and flat 😊].

I hope you like it!

Serve it directly from the fridge!

[a 20x20 cm baking pan, but I recommend a 15x15 cm one]

You will need:

140g Cajoont

40g cashew sour cream

3 tbsp of [spring] water

1 tbsp of psyllium seeds

40g agave syrup

25g raisins

4 tbsp of flour

4 tbsp of semolina

+Cajoont, semolina -> baking pan

Bake away:

Let the delicious NoMoMoo products reach room temperature.

The psyllium seeds should sit in the water for at least 5 minutes.

Mix the ingredients listed above with the agave syrup, the raisins, the flour, and the semolina. Save a small amount of Cajoont and a little bit of semolina to ’butter and flour’ the baking pan; do it.

Then, pour the batter into the baking pan and bake for 25 minutes in the preheated oven at 170°C.

Let it cool well.

Another suggestion: let it sit in the fridge for 3-4 hours before savouring it.

Happy and tranquil Easter to you! ♥

If there’s a dish I baked most last summer (even at the beginning of fall), this was it! It was even appropriate during our detox (or I made it so)! The cherry tomatoes you're using must be delicious!

The ingredients needed for a round baking pan of Φ 22 cm are:

(for the) FILLING

350g cherry tomatoes

1 teaspoon of dried thyme

1 & ½ tbsp of maple syrup

15g butter

+ 1 medium onion

+ 1 tbsp of butter

(for the) CRUST

1 tbsp of psyllium seeds

2 tbsp of (hot) water

125g gluten-free oatmeal

25g tapioca flour

60g (melted and cooled) butter

1 tbsp of apple vinegar

a pinch of sea salt

Wash the cherry tomatoes and place them in the baking pan. Sprinkle the thyme. Pour over the maple syrup. Cut out small pieces of butter and sprinkle them all over the cherry tomatoes.

Place the baking pan in the preheated oven for 14 minutes at 190°C.

Then, let it cool.

Meanwhile, clean the onion, chop it, and fry it in butter. Then, add it over the cherry tomatoes.

Make the crust using the recipe here.

Roll out the crust and cover the cherry tomatoes, ensuring you tuck the dough under the tomatoes.

Bake it in the preheated oven for 20 minutes at 170°C.

1 tbsp of psyllium seeds

2 tbsp of (hot) water

125g gluten-free oatmeal

25g tapioca flour

60g (melted and cooled) butter

1 tbsp of apple vinegar

a pinch of sea salt

The big a-ha moment of the year was the discovery of psyllium seeds! We never stop learning or – as I like to say – remembering! Apparently, all gluten-free doughs require psyllium seeds to be fluffy and elastic. I love them!

How to bake the crust?

First, let the psyllium seeds sit in water for 5-10 minutes.

In a medium bowl, mix the gluten-free oatmeal, the tapioca flour, the melted and cooled butter, the apple vinegar, and the sea salt. Mix in the psyllium seeds and the water, too. Knead until the dough is no longer sticky.

Shape the crust in a buttered and floured tart mould. Add the filling. As a variant, cover the crust with a baking parchment and place baking beads on the crust.

As a third variant, shape the dough to cover the filling and create an upside-down tart.

Bake for 25 minutes at 160°C in the preheated oven.

We were allowed to use butter for cooking during our detoxifications in 2024, so this recipe was excellent! We felt light every time after eating it. ஐ

Here’s such a fun and quick recipe for when you’re craving gluten-free cookies!

You’ll need—

5 tbsp of water

2 tbsp of psyllium seeds

120g oatmeal

a pinch of sea salt

4 tbsp of coconut sugar

2g baking powder

60g (melted) butter

+10 chocolate chips

for 20 cookies

Let the psyllium seeds soak for about 5-10 minutes (use hot water if possible).

Mix the ingredients in the specified order until you reach the chocolate chips.

Form the cookies.

Place them in a baking pan lined with baking parchment.

Add a chocolate chip per cookie for half of them.

Bake for 25 minutes at 170°C.

You can taste them after they cool a bit. They’re so buttery!

P.S. You can use coconut oil for the vegan version.

This was a first!

I’ve been thinking of baking them for a long time, and I finally did!

Here's the recipe (makes 7)-

125g oatmeal

2g baking powder

a pinch of sea salt

12g butter

25ml hot water

35ml cold water

Mix the oatmeal, the baking powder, the sea salt, the butter, the hot water, and the cold water.

Knead.

Roll out the dough.

Cut out the oatcakes (Φ 7cm).

Bake on baking parchment, in a baking pan, for 20 minutes, at 180°C.

They’re so much tastier than the packaged version!

P.S. For the other recipe – kapia pepper stew with onions –, please ask Marcel, he was the chef. 😊

Here we are again undergoing our detox. This porridge helps with hunger, while it is also perfect for breakfast.

For 2 portions:

120g amaranth

360ml water

a pinch of sea salt

1 tbsp of coconut oil

2 fistfuls of blueberries

+honey or agave syrup

How to make it?

Boil the amaranth until it soaks up all the water.

At the end, add the sea salt and the coconut oil, then the blueberries (even frozen) and stir.

Let it cool, then pour honey or agave syrup over it.

You’ll find it so filling!

You may wonder what Vegmezan is. If you click this link and then this one, you will understand that I wanted to come up with a savoury recipe from the vegan goodies wholeheartedly made by NoMoMoo*!

Well, Vegmezan is a cashew parmesan.

I used white spelt (whole spelt is trickier to use for bakes; with white spelt, you’ll get a fluffier dough) because I felt they’d complement each other!

Which were all the ingredients?

Well, I used—

250g white spelt flour

5g yeast

3g sea salt

1 tbsp of olive oil

160ml water

+olive oil

+white spelt flour

+(optional) 4-5 tbsp of tomato juice

+1 large tomato

+1 pc Vegmezan

My method?

Add the first 5 ingredients into a bowl in the specified order. Start kneading. When the dough feels compact and not sticky, let it sit for 1 hour.

Brush olive oil on a pizza baking pan, flour it, and spread the dough.

If you wish, pour homemade tomato juice (with basil) onto the dough; it is optional.

Place the tomato slices onto the pizza dough, then bake for 10 minutes at 220°C.

Sprinkle Vegmezan over the pizza after removing it from the oven.

My Dad was visiting; he was thrilled. He confessed that he didn’t even notice that the pizza was vegan.

*I’ll return in October with new vegan recipes that include other NoMoMoo goodies. Until then, already-tested but unpublished recipes will keep you company, along with the new recipes discovered throughout the detox that we’re undergoing again.

For a different pizza (but a filling one!), you’ll need—

100g quinoa (+500ml water)

a pinch of salt

1 tbsp of olive oil

60ml water

+tomato juice

+2 tomatoes

+salt

Optional: avocado

How can we bake a pizza from these?

Pour hot water over the quinoa.

Let it sit for half an hour. Drain the quinoa thoroughly. Then, add it into a blender with the salt, olive oil, and water.

Spread the batter onto a pizza baking pan over baking parchment. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes at 200°C.

Remove from the oven. Spread tomato juice over the crust, place the sliced tomatoes, add the salt, and bake for 15 minutes more at 200°C.

Add avocado slices over the pizza if you wish after removing it from the oven the second time.

Enjoy it! I have a hunch you will!

I love quinoa. It kept me fed in northern Argentina, where I was glad to be able to try the locally-grown variety.

During our detox, we were only allowed to eat gluten-free cereals and pseudocereals. So this is a recipe we liked a lot!

You’ll need—

125g quinoa flour

a pinch of sea salt

2g baking powder

240ml water

2 tbsp of lemon juice

6 tbsp of date syrup

+3 tbsp of coconut oil

+honey

+strawberries or forest berries

for 6 pancakes (Φ 14 cm)

Mix the ingredients in the specified order.

In a small pan, heat the coconut oil (refill after 2 pancakes). Then, fry the pancakes on each side until you see bubbles appear.

I served them with honey and strawberries. They were delicious and filling!