Underused Foods, Eating Local, Making Homemade Creamy Nut Milks & a Recipe for Spring Cauliflowe

Vanessa Vorbach

Passionate nutritionist, chef and wellness consultant who believes your healing journey begins with your plate!

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Instagram: @vanessavorbach

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Stay Hungry

I made myself a promise that I would always stay hungry. Hungry for passion, hungry for inspiration, hungry for helping others through my work. Never stop striving towards personal growth. Keep looking and don’t settle. As with all matters of your heart, you will know when you arrive.

Food Secret

After cooking vegan for over eight years, I can finally say that I’m beginning to master the preparation of vegetables. It’s about not being afraid of experimenting with different textures, flavors and cooking methods, and treating the vegetables as the star of the dish. At the beginning of my vegan cooking journey, my meals were good, but they were lacking that certain wow factor. Once I started combining different cooking methods in one meal, I was able to really elevate my dishes. Let’s take a simple mixed salad as an example. By adding roasted root vegetables, toasted pumpkin seeds, fermented cabbage, pickled beets, smoky tempeh croutons and blending fresh peach with your regular Dijon mustard dressing, you have a wow salad, which is a symphony of boasting flavors and different textures.

Try Something New

If you haven’t tried making your own nut milk, then you are definitely missing out on one of the most delicious, comforting, satisfying experiences! Besides being so much creamier and tastier than the commercial version you get at the supermarket, nut and seed milks are incredibly rich in protein, healthy fats, antioxidants and minerals, making these goodies true superfoods in a glass— or a pitcher in my case! Gone are the days of a plain almond or soymilk with artificial vanilla or chocolate flavoring. Think roseinfused, hemp seed, Brazil nut milk; chai-spiced pumpkin seed milk with vanilla chaga cream syrup; or black sesame, sea salt, date milk. As you can see, there are no limits to reach nut milk heaven.

INGREDIENTS

1 medium-sized cauliflower head

1 bunch parsley, finely chopped

1 handful organic cocktail tomatoes, cubed

1 half yellow and

1 half red bell pepper, cubed

1 small cucumber, cubed

2 small radishes, cubed

1 handful green sugar peas

1 small carrot, cubed

1 finely diced spring onion or ½ red onion, cubed

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Juice and zest of one organic lemon

Sea salt and pepper, to taste

1-2 garlic cloves, minced

Optional: a splash of apple cider vinegar, Bragg’s sauce, a pinch of smoked paprika

Tip: Don’t be afraid to switch up the colors—one can use either green, purple, yellow or white cauliflower!

METHOD

Roughly chop the cauliflower head in a food processor or cut into very small, chunky pieces with a sharp knife (it should resemble bulgur). Cut all ingredients in small cubes or finely chop them. Combine all ingredients in one bowl. Marinate the mixture with lemon juice, zest, oil and season to your taste. If you like it on the tangy side, add a splash of apple cider vinegar, and if you like it saltier, don’t hesitate to add a splash of Bragg’s sauce. Enjoy it on its own in its pure, raw form, or quickly stir-fry all ingredients and enjoy it warm. You can also use it as a filling for grilled bell pepper or eggplant. It works great in tacos, as a pizza topping or with zucchini noodles and tomato sauce.