Carlota blog imageBy Guestblogger Carlota Ribeiro Sanches,
Graduate of the Pure Cook’s Training 2014

Carlota shares one of her yummy recipes from her final cooking project on the Pure Cook’s Training.

I wanted to create a menu that could be used daily, using organic seasonal vegetables, easy to prepare, with a lot of different flavours and textures – rich and wholesome dishes that would contain all the nutrients necessary for a balanced meal and diet.

Also, since I have been focusing on ways to substitute refined sugar, I intended to make the dishes slightly sweet to prevent any unhealthy sugar cravings!

The chickpea cakes were one of the best accidents I ever had. I was going to make a chickpea and beetroot hummus, however I didn’t have any beetroot at home so I decided to use sweet potato instead.

The chickpea cakes are lovely and soft and the easiest thing to make.  The recipe also generated the sweet taste that I was craving.  I knew my chickpea cakes would prevent me from looking for unhealthy sugar.  The recipe includes many natural sugars that are slowly released into the bloodstream and help ensure a balanced source of energy – now I wouldn’t feel sluggish or tired after eating, and I have found a great snack to eat in mid-afternoon.

I added dried oregano to add something of my cultural background, this time related to Portuguese cuisine. Dried oregano is very aromatic, and combined with the toasted sesame gives the cakes a more exciting feel, both in texture and flavour.

Ingredients

  • 1 sweet potato
  • 1 cup of cooked chickpeas
  • Sesame seeds
  • Sea salt
  • Dry oregano leaves
  • Cumin powder
  • Cayenne pepper

Preparation method

  • Peel the sweet potato and bake it in the oven until very soft
  • In a food processor mix the chickpeas, the baked sweet potato, a pinch of salt, 1 tea spoon of cumin powder and a pinch of cayenne pepper. The mixture should be soft but dry enough to make the cake shape.
  • When the mixture is ready shape the dough into cakes, round and flat is a good option, and sprinkle them with toasted sesame seeds.
  • When the cakes are ready place them in an oven tray to toast, leave for about 10 minutes. The outside should be toasted and the inside tender and soft.
  • When ready add more sesame seeds if needed and some dry oregano for flavour.

I really enjoyed thinking about something that could be seasonal, beneficial, balanced, exciting but easy to prepare; something that I could share with others. I also wanted to add a personal touch to it, using ingredients that we hadn’t used in the cooking classes.

The experience made me want to learn more, research and overall cook even more. There are so many important things, details to creating and preparing a dish that it makes it a very powerful and wonderful challenge.

 

Radiate health, transform your life and enrich your wisdom about natural food and health.  The professional Pure Cook’s Training  Ecourse trains you over 7  modules to style plant cuisine into fabulous dishes, while integrating your learning for greater nourishment for yourself and others.  Begins 31st January.  Enrol today