*Note: This post contains affiliate links that generate a commission for me at no cost to you.

Brussel sprouts are a favorite of many people, but I feel they require some algorithmic instructions to get them perfect.

Let’s get on cooking!

First, get your ingredients. The main ingredients are bouillon which I prefer instead of salt, vegetable oil spray, hot smoke point for example, rapeseed oil. Olive oil, but to use once they are roasted, some nutritional yeast and maybe some agave syrup if you are into sweet stuff and even some lime juice.

Preheat the oven at 400 Fahrenheit or around 200 Celsius.

Add baking paper to a baking tray and spray oil generously, this step is important to get them roasted evenly.

Cut in half the brussels sprouts. And put them with the flat part facing up. This is so that they use as much surface as possible and they get roasted evenly.

Sprinkle bouillon (stock powder) over them. I prefer this to salt because it gives them a better flavour in my opinion. You can add pepper and any other spices you want at this point.

Spray oil over them.

Put them in the oven for about 20-25 minutes. Every oven is different. I strongly suggest that you check them at 20 minutes or earlier if it’s your first time making them.

Remove them from the tray and add your favorite toppings. This is the time to add olive oil if you like it, or cheese, lemon, whatever you like. My personal favorite? nutritional yeast!

Enjoy!

Do I need to wash the brussels sprouts before roasting them?

NO. I know this might be controversial, but, you are roasting them lol… unless you think they will have some ‘insects’… it is not needed, in fact, it could be bad because you are adding more water to them and it is not helpful when roasting.

I am worried about pesticides. You get traces of any pesticide, it is not a reason to worry about. If you wash them you do remove some extra residue, but we are already talking about parts per million. If you are interested in pesticides, organic etc, read my article where I explain the science behind it.

Can I use extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)?

I don’t recommend roasting them with EVOO because you will be roasting the brussels sprouts at 200 degrees celsius or 400 Fahrenheit and the smoking point of extra virgin oil is: 350°F and 410°F (175°C – 210°C), whereas rapeseed oil is slightly higher at 204°C to 238°C (400°F–460°F). Heating past the smoking point could be detrimental to the flavour and can create compounds that are bad for your health (if eaten too often), so I recommend roasting with an oil that has a higher smoking point and if you like olive oil, maybe add it at the end, or roast them at a lower temperature, say 350 Fahrenheit or 170 Celsius. If you are interested in smoking points, and its effects, check out this post on Instagram from Food Science Babe explaining the smoking points.

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A post shared by Food Science Babe (@foodsciencebabe)

This is a side dish, looking for other recipes? what about making a creamy and cold pasta to make a full meal?

Looking for other roasted veggies recipes? what about trying sweet potato rounds or roast potatoes or roasted smash potatoes.

If you are looking for other great side recipes, maybe make a vegan queso?

Finally, if you are looking to make a sauce to go with the Brussels sprouts and are on the look for a blender, the Ninja blender is still my favorite for price/benefit.

If you try this recipe, let us know! leave a comment, rate the recipe or tag a photo on our Instagram or Facebook with the tag #naturalGoodness! Get creative and make it unique, I love to see what you get up to when trying our recipes

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Roasted Brussels sprouts

Easy and delicious Brussels sprouts

Course Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine International

Keyword brussels sprouts, Vegan

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 2 people

Calories 150kcal

Cost 5

Equipment

• 1 tray bake

Ingredients

• 18 oz Brussels sprouts (500g)
• 1 spray high smoke point oil I use rapeseed oil
• 1 teaspoon Bouillon (stock powder) you can use salt
• 1 tbsp Nutritional yeast optional
• 1 tbsp lime juice optional
• 1 tbsp olive oil optional

Instructions

• Get your ingredients
  
• Preheat the oven at 400 Fahrenheit or about 200 Celsius
• Add baking paper to a tray and spray oil
• Cut the Brussel sprout in half
• Put them in the tray with the flat part facing up
  
• Spray oil over them, a good amount of spraying
• Sprinkle the bouillon or salt over them
• Put the tray in the oven for about 25 minutes. I would say check them at 20 minutes just in case
• Remove them from the tray and add your favorite toppings
• Enjoy!
  

Video

https://youtu.be/jWO2n8JJTQU

Notes

• It is very important to oil the tray to roast them properly
• I don’t think it is a good idea to use olive oil, especially not extra virgin because the smoking point is lower. If you like olive oil, I suggest you add some at the end rather than when they are being roasted
• Putting them with the flat part facing up is key to get them evenly roasted
• Do not even think about adding the nutritional yeast before roasting them, nutritional yeast will burn
• You don’t need to wash them, in fact I don’t recommend washing the brussels sprouts because you will add water to them and they may not roast as well.  You don’t need to wash them because they will get roasted so bacteria will be killed on that process. I guess you could if you feel they could have bird’s… you know, but I am not worried about that. If you are doing it due to pesticide residue, let me let you, that’s not a thing, we get parts per million which are not harmful to human health

The post Crispy roasted brussels sprouts appeared first on Natural goodness | Fuss free recipes everyone can make.

Mexican rice is probably one of the most traditional dishes that Mexicans eat! It’s also one of the very few non-spicy Mexican recipes out there! So, join us to cook this!

Disclaimer: This post has affiliate links that help me to earn a small commission at no cost to you.

Mexican rice or Spanish rice?

Mexican rice looks very similar to Spanish rice, but the Spanish rice usses saffron threads and it has a yellowish colour.

Let’s make Mexican rice

Get the ingredients:

• 1 cup Long grain rice
• 2 tbsp Canola oil
• 1 can Chopped tomatoes (we like pomi)
• 100 g of peas or peas/carrot mix from a can
• 1/2 tbsp Vegetable stock Also called bouillon
• 2 medium garlic cloves
• 1 medium Onion
• 1 teaspoon crushed oregano
• 3 cup boiling water
• 2 Whole chilies I use bird’s eye, or jalapeño if available. You can get canned ones if you can’t get frech ones. We like Hatch brand
• 3 Banana Optional
• 10g Cilantro

Start by adding the 2 tbsp oil to a pan and set the heat at medium. Leave it in the stove for about 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, chop the onion in big pieces, so you can remove it at the end if you want

Add the rice, onion pieces and whole chilies and let them fry for about 10 minutes

Move constantly with a wooden spoon

Meanwhile, boil the 3 cups of water

Mix the veggie stock with 1.5 cups of boiling water.

Blend the chopped tomatoes, the garlic, the oregano and the veggie stock

Add the blended tomatoes and integrate very well

Add a cup of boiling water and mix it

Let it simmer for about 40 minutes, keep a close eye and add more water as needed, you’ll need to move it with a wooden spatula to avoid having a burnt rice.

Add the peas/carrot mix near the end.

Once the rice is cooked, remove the onions and chilies if you want and serve immediately

Optionally, slice the banana and add it to the rice

Enjoy!

Recommendations

• Check the rice instructions! some rice take longer -some shorter- to make, and although this technique is a bit different because you first fry it
• I use canned tomatoes because finding fresh and ripe tomatoes is not easy. If you do find them, just know that the rice will have a lighter color if you use fresh ones. The other substitute for tomatoes is tomato sauce, especially from the bran “La costeña”. A lot of people I know use it, but in my opinion, it tastes better if you use canned tomatoes and a good veggie stock
• This rice goes amazing with salsa verde or red sauce!
• The onions and the chilies are supposed to just infuse the rice, not to make it spicy or to make it taste like an onion! although I don’t remove them, the rice you find in restaurants do not come with pieces of onion or chilies

We hope you love this recipe as much as we do , it’s:

A not spicy authentic Mexican recipe!
A great side for other foods
Also, super easy to make!

If you try this recipe, let us know! leave a comment, rate the recipe or tag a photo on our Instagram or Facebook with the tag #naturalGoodness! Get creative and make it unique, I love to see what you get up to when trying our recipes

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Mexican rice

Authentic recipe for Mexican rice

Course Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword Mexican rice

Prep Time 1 hour hour

Cook Time 0 minutes minutes

0 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 4 people

Calories 250kcal

Cost $ 5

Ingredients

• 1 cup Long grain rice
• 2 tbsp Canola oil
• 1 can Choped tomatoes
• 1/2 tbsp Vegetable stock Also called bouillon
• 2 medium Garlic cloves
• 1 medium Onion
• 1 teaspoon Crushed oregano
• 3 cup Boiling water
• 2 Whole chilies I use bird's eye, or jalapeño if available
• 3 Banana Optional
• 1 can Peas Or peas/carrot mix
• 10 g Coriander Optional

Instructions

• Add the oil to the pan and turn the stove to a medium heat. Let the pan warm up for about 2 minutes.
• Chop the onion in big pieces, so you can remove it at the end if you want
• Add the rice, onion pieces and whole chilies and let them fry for about 10 minutes
  
• Move constantly with a wooden spoon
• Meanwhile, boil the 3 cups of water
• Blend the chopped tomatoes, the garlic, the oregano, and the veggie stock
• Add the blended tomatoes and integrate very well
  
• Add a cup of boiling water and mix it
• Let it simmer for about 40 minutes, keep a close eye and add more water as needed, you'll need to move it with a wooden spatula to avoid having a burnt rice
• Add the peas near the end
• Once the rice is cooked, remove the onions and chilies if you want and serve immediately
• Optionally, slice the banana and add it to the rice, or add some cilantro if you want
  
• Enjoy
  

Video

https://youtu.be/NsKGHQ656Lo

Notes

• Check the rice instructions! some rice take longer -some shorter- to make, and although this technique is a bit different because you first fry it
• I use canned tomatoes because finding fresh and ripe tomatoes is not easy. If you do find them, just know that the rice will have a lighter color if you use fresh ones. The other substitute for tomatoes is tomato sauce, especially from the bran “La costeña”. A lot of people I know use it, but in my opinion, it tastes better if you use canned tomatoes and a good veggie stock
• This rice goes amazing with salsa verde or red sauce!
• The onions and the chilies are supposed to just infuse the rice, not to make it spicy or to make it taste like an onion! although I don’t remove them, the rice you find in restaurants do not come with pieces of onion or chilies

The post Mexican rice appeared first on Natural goodness | Fuss free recipes everyone can make.

Do you miss picadillo as a Mexican? miss no more! this easy and healthy Mexican vegan picadillo is super easy to make and it is delicious! Mexican approved (myself and my family!)

Disclaimer: This post has affiliate links that help me to earn a small commission at no cost to you.

How do I pick the best soy mince?

My favorite brand, if you are visiting from the US, is Now Foods Textured Soy Protein Granules. Just make sure the chunks are “small” do not buy big texturized soy for this recipe, it will not feel the same. I prefer organic brands as well, but it is up to you to decide

Making vegan picadillo

OK, so let’s get this started!, get your ingredients

• 7 oz Textured soy 
• 2 medium-sized Potatoes
• 4 tbsp Tomato puree
• 7 oz Mix of carrot, peas
• 1 medium-sized Garlic clove
• 1 medium-sized Onion We like purple ones!
• 1/2 teaspoon Crushed oregano Optional
• 2 tbsp Olive oil Optional
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 teaspoon Veggie stock Called bouillon as well

Put the pan at medium fire and add the oil in case that you are using it, add 6 tbsp of water if you are not.

Chop the onion and add it to the pan. Let it caramelize for about 3-5 minutes

Meanwhile, mince the garlic and add it to the pan

Dice the potatoes and add them to the pan

Add the peas and carrot mix

In a separate bowl, mix the boiling water with the veggie stock

Once it is integrated, add the tomato paste and also mix it

Add the texturized soy and the the mix of tomato paste, veggie stock and water to the pan

Let it cook for about 20 minutes until the texturized soy is soft and the potatoes are cooked. Cover with a lid to speed up the process.

Enjoy!

We hope you love this recipe as much as we do , it’s:

Very filling!
Ideal for tacos and tostadas
Mexican inspired
A great meat-free picadillo

Are you into Mexican recipes? how about trying these entomatadas!

If you try this recipe, let us know! leave a comment, rate the recipe or tag a photo on our Instagram or Facebook with the tag #naturalGoodness! Get creative and make it unique, I love to see what you get up to when trying our recipes

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Vegan picadillo

Vegan version of the traditional Mexican picadillo!

Course Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword Natural Goodness recipes, Picadillo, Vegan picadillo

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

0 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Calories 490kcal

Ingredients

• 7 oz Textured soy Check recommendations
• 2 medium-sized Potatoes
• 4 tbsp Tomato puree
• 7 oz Mix of carrot, peas
• 1 medium-sized Garlic clove
• 1 medium-sized Onion We like purple ones!
• 1/2 teaspoon Crushed oregano Optional
• 2 tbsp Olive oil Optional
• 1 cup Boiling water
• 1 teaspoon Veggie stock Called bouillon as well

Instructions

• Put the pan at medium fire and add the oil in case that you are using it, add 6 tbsp of water if you are not
• Chop the onion and add it to the pan. Let it caramelize for about 3-5 minutes
• Meanwhile, mince the garlic and add it to the pan
• Dice the potatoes and add them to the pan
• Add the peas and carrot mix
• In a separate bowl, mix the boiling water with the veggie stock
  
• Once it is integrated, add the tomato paste and also mix it
  
• Add the texturized soy and the the mix of tomato paste, veggie stock and water to the pan
• Let it cook for about 20 minutes until the texturized soy is soft and the potatoes are cooked
  
• Enjoy!
  

Video

https://youtu.be/pD7ZaFcUANg

The post Vegan picadillo appeared first on Natural goodness | Fuss free recipes everyone can make.

This easy and delicious salsa de chile de arbol is a traditional sauce from Mexico that is served with tacos, gorditas, sopes and pretty much everything that calls for a great spicy sauce! With only 6 ingredients, this sauce is as easy as it is practical to make! and being vegan, and low calorie, it fits into every diet!

My mom always use as a base tomatoes, onion, garlic and coriander for sauces. Everything else depends on people’s preferences. I enjoy adding some veggie stock when I want something very savory, and some oil to give it body, but they are not necessary! I even skip salt because I think that when you don’t add it, the flavor of the chilies really comes on top and you can feel the heat!

What is chile de arbol?

This is a relatively small chili, but with a strong heat! They start green but turn red once they are mature enough. If you want to know more, follow this link.

You can find them in Amazon following this link. And some supermarkets have them. It all depends on where you live. It is very different from chile guajillo which is sometimes used as a substitute for ancho chile (used in chamoy!).

Also, it has become popular to use powdered chili! I do not recommend it as it is very spicy and a bit more difficult to estimate how much you actually need. Also, dried chilies tend to give the salsa a better taste.

I use red tomatoes because it is not easy to find “tomatillos” in London! feel free to experiment and use tomatillos instead, or to use a mix of tomatoes and tomatillos!

Let’s make salsa de chile de arbol!

Get your ingredients:

• 12 Medium sized tomatoes
• 10 Dried chile de arbol If you are using fresh, go only for 5
• 1 Onion 
• 3/4 ounce Coriander
• 1 teaspoon Veggie stock powder Optional
• 2 Medium sized cloves of garlic
• 2 tbsp Canola oil Olive oil also works, optional!

Put a non-stick pan or casserole, at medium fire

Chop the onion into relatively small pieces and add them to the pan

Mince the garlic

Once the onion is caramelized (about 5 minutes) add the garlic

Remove the stems and most of the seeds of the dried chilies and chop them into small pieces. If you are using fresh chilies, do the same, but add half the quantity as I found them more spicy

Add the chilies and the coriander

Reduce the intensity of the fire and stir everything from time to time with a wooden spatula

Chop the tomatoes in squares and continue stiring from time to time

Add the tomatoes and stir very well. Cover with a lid and let it simmer for about 20 minutes. Once it is ready it should look more or less like this

Let the sauce cool down and use it on everything!

Enjoy! Are you looking for great dishes that go great with this sauce? how about some gorditas? or some sopes?

We hope you love this recipe as much as we do , it’s:

Ideal for tacos, gorditas and sopes
An essential Mexican sauce
Spicy and delicious!

If you try this recipe, let us know! leave a comment, rate the recipe or tag a photo on our Instagram or Facebook with the tag #naturalGoodness! Get creative and make it unique, I love to see what you get up to when trying our recipes

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Salsa de chile de arbol

Easy Mexican sauce with chile de arbol

Course Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword mexicanvegan, Vegan

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

0 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Calories 70kcal

Cost 5

Ingredients

• 12 Medium sized tomatoes
• 10 Dried chile de arbol If you are using fresh, go only for 5
• 1 Onion Go red for the antioxidants!
• 3/4 ounce Coriander
• 1 teaspoon Veggie stock powder Optional
• 2 Medium sized cloves of garlic
• 2 tbsp Canola oil Olive oil also works, optional!

Instructions

• Get your ingredients
  
• Put a non-stick pan or casserole, at medium fire
  
• Chop the onion into relatively small pieces and add them to the pan
  
• Mince the garlic
• Chop the onion
• Once the onion is caramelized (about 5 minutes) add the garlic
• Remove the stems and most of the seeds of the dried chilies and chop them into small pieces. If you are using fresh chilies, do the same, but add half the quantity as I found them more spicy
• Add the chilies and the coriander
  
• Reduce the intensity of the fire and stir everything from time to time with a wooden spatula
• Chop the tomatoes in squares and continue stiring from time to time
• Add the tomatoes and stir very well. Cover with a lid and let it simmer for about 20 minutes
  
• You'll have to "mash" the tomatoes once they have been softened
• Let the sauce cool down and use it on everything!
• You can blend it, but I actually prefer to see and feel the texture of all the different ingredients!
• Enjoy!
  

Notes

• Oil and veggie stock are not necessary! but they do give some extra kick to the recipe
• If you are too sensitive to spiciness, maybe start with one or two chilies and increase the amount until you are happy with the result. I think 10 chilies is just the right amount as long as you remove the stems and seeds!

The post Salsa de chile de arbol appeared first on Natural goodness | Fuss free recipes everyone can make.

Gordita is a traditional “antojito” recipe in Mexico. They are super easy to make and you can fill them with various savoury food! join me to make this easy recipe!

What is a “gordita”?

Gordita is a Mexican antojito made from masa harina. You make a masa similar to tortilla masa, but then you chame a circular and thick “tortilla” but a bit smaller. Then you cook it, open it and fill it with savoury food, such as refried beans.

There are many variations around Mexico, I am suggesting to make a “healthy version” by avoiding the need to fry them, but feel free to fry your gorditas! I just really think that there is something very special about gorditas without oil as well!

What is the difference between a chalupa and a gordita?

A bit more of story: gorditas are not chalupas! a lot of people ask me about this because, well, Mexico uses corn for a thousand dishes . “Chalupa” is the name of a boat and chalupas have the chape of a boat and are filled also with beans and other things, but nooo they are not gorditas.

Are gorditas and pupusas the same?

Also, gorditas are not pupusas! pupusas is a dish found in El Salvador and Honduras (let’s not start a religious discussion about who made it first, please!), and the filling is stuffed within the pupusa, instead of introduced later like with gorditas. Also, gorditas are not arepas! arepas are commonly found in Venezuela and Colombia, and I think the filling is put before cooking the arepa.

What is the difference between sopes and gorditas?

Sopes tend to be similar but they are not filled, they have the edges shaped similar to “pizzas” because they usually put stuff on top of the sope, like beans, cream, lettuce, etc. Here’s a picture showing Mexican sopes:

Yes, all of these dishes are similar because Latin America has found a 1000 ways of use cornflour! but every country makes the dishes fit in their traditional food and culture :).

What I love about food, is that it brings people together in a way that very few things in life do! so, let’s make gorditas, shall we?

Making gorditas

Get your ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Masa harina. Maseca is best, but I actually used Pan which is also really good!
• 3/4 cup Warm water You may need more, check pictures to get the right consistency
• 1 teaspoon Veggie stock powder Optional
• 3 tbsp Canola oil

Combine the water with the veggie stock, then add the masa harina

Add more water or masa harina if needed, this is how the consistency should look like

Pre-heat a pan at medium-high and add the oil if you are using it!

Shape the gorditas with your hands. You don’t really need a tortillera!

Put the gorditas in a non-stick pan, you probably can fit around 4 hand-sized ones. Using a lid will help so they cook quicker

Let them cook for about 10 minutes. Check them so they don’t burn! and then flip them and leave them to cook for another 10 minutes.

Use a knife and cut them from the center

Add your favorite filling! check the recommendations in the recipe. I love them with refried beans and tofu scramble!

Enjoy!

We hope you love this recipe as much as we do , it’s:

Very easy and healthy (if you don’t fry them!)
One of the most traditional Mexican recipes!
Super customizable, just add your preferred filling!

If you try this recipe, let us know! leave a comment, rate the recipe or tag a photo on our Instagram or Facebook with the tag #naturalGoodness! Get creative and make it unique, I love to see what you get up to when trying our recipes

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Gordita

Out version of the traditional Mexican recipe: gordita!

Course Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword gordita, mexicanvegan

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

0 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Calories 200kcal

Cost 3

Equipment

• Non-stick pan

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Masa harina Maseca is best, but check recommendations
• 3/4 cup Warm water You may need more, check pictures to get the right consistency
• 1 teaspoon Veggie stock powder Optional
• 3 tbsp Canola oil

Instructions

• Get your ingredients
  
• Combine the water with the veggie stock, then add the masa harina
• Add more water or masa harina if needed, this is how the consistency should look like
• Pre-heat a pan at medium-high and add the oil if you are using it!
• Shape the gorditas with your hands. You don't really need a tortillera!
  
• Put the gorditas in a non-stick pan, you probably can fit around 4 hand sized ones. Using a lid will help so they cook quicker.
  
• Let them cook for about 10 minutes. Check them so they don't burn! and then flip them and leave them to cook for another 10 minutes.
• Use a knife and cut them from the center
  
• Add your favorite filling! check the recommendations in the notes. I love them with refried beans and tofu scramble!
• Enjoy!
  

Notes

• Gorditas are normally fried, but, friends, they honestly taste amazing even without the oil! give them a try!
• You really need a non-stick pan if you are not using oil!
• The veggie stock powder will give them a bit more flavor, but honestly, it is not necessary, there is something magical about fresh-made gorditas anyway!
• Fillings:
  • Refried beans
  • Tofu scramble
  • Vegan chorizo
• Toppings:
  • Sunflower sour cream or tofu sour cream
  • Mexican salsa roja or salsa verde

The post Gordita appeared first on Natural goodness | Fuss free recipes everyone can make.

Tortas de papa is a traditional Mexican recipe that some think it is difficult, but, actually they are super simple to make! I made a vegan version of this recipe, because I particularly don’t like egg in potato patties and also because it was yet another experiment with psyllium husk!

Are you into Mexican recipes? look at our tamal de elote recipe or our sopes!

What are “tortas de papa”?

Tortas de papa (potato patties) is a very traditional Mexican street food. You will find them everywhere! they are so simple, yet so delicious and easy to make!

Traditionally, they’ll be made with eggs and a lot of times with some cheese. I wanted to make a vegan version, and I think they are very amazing! if you miss the cheese, and you are vegan, I suggest you add some vegan mozzarella to the recipe!

Let’s make potato patties! (tortas de papa)

So first get your 7 ingredients:

4 medium sized potatoes
2 tbsp vegan butter (we love Vitalite!)
2 tbsp all-purpose flour (I actually use spelt flour, feel free to do so)
1 teaspoon psyllium husks
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tbsp olive oil or corn oil, or just butter, to coat the patties when roasting them or frying them

Put the potatoes to boil at medium fire. Leave them for about 30 minutes, but be mindful! check them at 20 minutes, if you can easily introduce a knife, they are ready. You don’t want to overcook the potatoes, they’ll make the patty a bit less solid (which is definitely not cool!)

Let the potatoes cool down or drain them and run cold water. This will make it easy to manage them. Once they are “cold enough”, peel them and mash them in a bowl.

Start by mashing potatoes, salt, pepper, and butter

Then add the psyllium husk, flour and integrate well

Form the patties and put them in an oven tray. You can also fry them in a pan at medium fire, just make sure the pan is very anti-adherent!

Add some oil to the patties using a rubber spatula

Put them in the oven for about 20 minutes at 200 degrees Celcious or 392 Fahrenheit. And yes, I don’t flip them! if you coat all the patty well, you shouldn’t need to flip them. Note that if you use a pan, you do need to flip them!

Enjoy!

We hope you love this recipe as much as we do , it’s:

A very traditional Mexican recipe
A vegan version of “tortas de papa” (vegan potato patties)
Easy to make and very delicious, you can also customise it!

If you try this recipe, let us know! leave a comment, rate the recipe or tag a photo on our Instagram or Facebook with the tag #naturalGoodness! Get creative and make it unique, I love to see what you get up to when trying our recipes

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Tortas de papa

A vegan version of this traditional Mexican recipe for tortas de papa!

Course Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch, Snack

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword Mexican Vegan, Potato patties, tortas de papa

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

0 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 2 people

Calories 350kcal

Cost 4

Ingredients

• 4 Medium-sized potatoes
• 2 tbsp Vegan butter
• 2 tbsp All purpose flour You can use spelt flour as well
• 1 teaspoon Psyllium husks To hold them together
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1 teaspoon Black pepper
• 1 tbsp Olive oil To coat the patties or just use more butter!

Instructions

• Put the potatoes to boil for about 30 minutes at medium heat. When you can introduce a knife "easily" you know they are done. Don't overcook it! it will make the patties a bit sluggish
  
• Leave the potatoes to cool down, or if you are very hungry like me, just run some cold water over them and remove the skin! You can fry it separately if you don't want to throw it away)
• Put the potatoes in a big bowl and mash them
  
• Integrate first the butter, pepper, and salt
• Continue with the psyllium husk and flour
  
• Form the patties and put them in an oven baking tray
  
• Coat them with oil or butter
  
• Put them in the oven for about 20 minutes at 200 degrees Celcious or 392 Fahrenheit
• Enjoy!
  

Video

https://youtu.be/xb0zjZwQN9g

Notes

• These are as delicious as the normal potato patties that use egg! I would say that I like them even more as I don’t like the flavor of egg mixed in a pattie
• You can add your own toppings, I normally love to mix them with some coriander, chopped tomato or cucumber, etc
• Calories depend on the size of the potatoes and the specific flour/butter/oil you use!

The post Tortas de papa appeared first on Natural goodness | Fuss free recipes everyone can make.

It turns out that sopes are one of the most traditional Mexican recipes! you find them everywhere in Mexico. So, if you are a Mexican living abroad, or a tourist that tried them, this is definitely one of those foods you will want to have again! and guess what? they are super simple to make, only 3 ingredients and about 15 minutes to make this delicious sopes!

What are them, anyway?

Sopes are made from the same “dough” that corn tortillas are made (masa harina). They are just a thicker version that is usually also smaller and that has some “cup” like form. They basically have a border so they can hold other food on them. Btw… How do you pronounce sope?… so – pe. The first part so it is like when you say “so, what are we having for dinner” the pe part you pronounce like when you say “perhaps”.

They are part of a bigger category we call antojitos Mexicanos they are also known as picaditas in Tierra Caliente, Guerrero. In Mexico City (my hometown) they are in most places circular and relatively small, but in other restaurants they are long and they are even made of blue corn masa harina!

The amount of calories in sopes is about 120 kcal for this recipe (small sopes). Bigger sopes have way more calories, my friends. It depends a lot on the toppings, this is just for the corn base with the oil.

Sopes toppings

• Refried black beans or just some mashed beans will work if you can’t find refried in your store. Note that the most traditional way to use them is to put them at the bottom of the sope and then add the other toppings
• Onion, avocado, tomato in cubes
• Lettuce and sour cream. I love sunflower sour cream on this, but you can use tofu sour cream if you want a lighter version
• In some places, they use diced cooked potatoes
• Some spiciness! I love adding either salsa roja, or salsa verde. You can also add pickled jalapeños or carrots!

Sopes recommendations

• They keep well in the fridge for about a week, they may dry a bit, so put them in the microwave or a pan with some drops of water to warm them up
• For masa harina, I recommend to buy either Maseca or Pan, although this last one is more recommended for arepas
• As always… easy with the spiciness! add a little and then more and then decide if you want more

Do I seriously have to make them?

I think they are very easy to make! but if you don’t have enough time, you may find them in certain Mexican food grocers. In the UK, you can buy them in some restaurants like Mestizo or if you are in the US you may be able to order them from MexGrocer.

But seriously, give them a try! just buy some masa harina and the toppings and you will have quick sopes

Shall we make sopes, friends?

First get your ingredients, basically:

• 1 cup of masa harina. I recommend Maseca if you live abroad, or Pan, but it is not quite the same!
• 3/4 cup of water. Or as needed! it needs to have the consistency shown in the pictures below
• Pinch of salt. OK to get scientific here, a teaspoon will do. This is optional, I actually rarely put salt!
• 1-2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
• Toppings of your choice. Normally: refried beans, chopped onion, tomato in cubes, coriander, sunflower sour cream or tofu sour cream

Mix the masa harina, water and salt in a bowl. The consistency should be like this. While you make the sopes, add the oil to a pan and pre-heat at medium strength.

Create the sopes with your hands, or with a tortillera if you have one! I make them with my hands, it is super easy. The ingredients yield 4 sopes of the size you normally get in Mexico, basically think about dividing the masa into 4 equal parts and then give them form.

Once this has been done, you just have to rise the sides a bit to give them the proper form of a sope

Put the sopes in the pan and cover them with a lid so they are well cooked, no one wants raw sopes :P. Let them cook for about 5 minutes and then flip them for another 5 minutes

Enjoy

We hope you love this recipe as much as we do , it’s:

As Mexican as it gets, this is probably one of the most famous antojito Mexicano you’ll ever find!
Super customisable, add whatever topics you may like!
Easy recipe for sopes, sopecitos,

If you try this recipe, let us know! leave a comment, rate the recipe or tag a photo on our Instagram or Facebook with the tag #naturalGoodness! Get creative and make it unique, I love to see what you get up to when trying our recipes

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Sopes

Traditional Mexican recipe. One of the few you can find almost all across the country!

Course Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch, Snack

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword Mexican Vegan

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

0 minutes minutes

Servings 4 sopes

Calories 120kcal

Cost 2

Ingredients

• 1 cup Masa harina Maseca is probably the best you can find abroad
• 3/4 cup Water
• 1 teaspoon Salt

Toppings (all optional, add your own!)

• 1 cup Refried beans
• 1/3 cup Cilantro
• 1/2 cup Sunflower seed sour cream or tofu sour cream
• 1/2 cup Diced tomato
• 1/2 cup Diced onion
• 1/2 cup Chopped lettuce
• 1/2 cup Pickled carrots/jalapeño chilies

Instructions

• Get the ingredients
  
• Mix them
  
• Add 1-2 tbsp of oil to a pan and put it and preheat at medium heat
• Form the sopes. You don't need a tortillera, but if you have one it might be helpful!
  
• Once you have a sope, you can make them like "cups" by raising the sides a little bit
  
• Add them to the pan and leave them to cook for about 10 minutes. Cover them with a lid. Flip at 5 minutes in and cover them again
  
• Enjoy!
  

Video

https://youtu.be/jXiDKwCdA6I

Notes

• Calories area approximate per sope and it only considers the sope, not the toppings!
• This goes amazing with sunflower sour cream or if you prefer a seed free version, try tofu sour cream
• Add refried beans, onion, avocado, tomatoes!
• Serve them hot, they are not good cold!
• They keep in the fridge for about a week, but they dry up. Add some drops of water and heat them in a pan or the microwave it this happens
• They keep for months in the freezer, but the texture once unfrozen might be a bit different

The post Sopes appeared first on Natural goodness | Fuss free recipes everyone can make.

This easy vegan pesto is nut-free, dairy-free, cruelty-free, cheap, and delicious! I really enjoyed the taste, I think it really goes great with pasta!

I remember trying pesto in Italy and it is one of those things that are sooo amazing that you really want to know how to make it!

Some friends asked me recently if it was difficult to make and when I researched, it turns out to be SO easy to make, that I decided to make a vegan version, and because I love saving money, I even decided to try it with cheap sunflower seeds. The result is really really good! let’s make some pesto my friends!

Let’s make vegan pesto

Get your ingredients

Start by blending the sunflower seeds, the oil, the water and the garlic

Add everything except 1/5 of the basil if you want “to feel the bits” and blend for another minute.

Add the reserved basil and pulse for about a minute until you get the desired texture:

Enjoy!

Recommendations

Quantities are for an oily pesto (yes… let’s indulge with fat if we are going to sin, let’s do it properly, shall we?) but feel free to use less oil, or make it oil free and add more water, reduce. the oil, the seeds, or whatever. Basil has a strong flavor in my opinion, so, I would not use too much of it! I would rather add more water or lemon juice.

Nutritional yeast can cause facial blushing if you eat too much! so easy on it. It is delicious and makes everything super cheesy, but we have to be careful! especially if you are not used to eat it!

This recipe keeps well in the fridge for about a week, or in the freezer for months!

For substitutions: obviously, feel free to use pine nuts, cashews, almonds, or walnuts instead of sunflower seeds. I love sunflower seeds, and I think they go great with this recipe. Feel free to use some coriander as well, or to add or reduce the garlic quantities! I think I like it a bit more garlicky than normal, but feel free to experiment, and let me know your results!

Also, if you want to make a vegan pesto without nutritional yeast, you can use 1 tbsp of white miso paste to give it a bit of a cheesy, cultured flavor, characteristic of cheese.

If you want to make this WFPB compliant, skip the oil, and add the same quantity in sunflower seeds, and make your own broth. If you remove the yeast flakes, this will be a raw vegan pesto recipe!

Also, please note that for Whole30, sunflower seeds are not encouraged, so you’ll have to reduce the portion or skip it.

The original pesto is well known because you “feel the bits” of nuts. and basil, but I am a practical person so I just blend everything and enjoy it. Trust me, I made this recipe 4 times in the last 2 weeks because it is just the best vegan pesto recipe!

What goes great with pesto?

What about a vegan steak? or a dip for sweet potato rounds? perhaps some tofu with almond sauce, as well? Also great with pizza or lasagna!

And, of course, that delicious glass of wine!

We hope you love this recipe as much as we do , it’s:

Nut-free, dairy-free, on a budget, and delicious
Zesty cheesy, and garlicky!
Super easy and ready under 10 minutes!
Goes great with spaghetti or any pasta and some cheeky wine during the weekend
It is a vegan pesto without pine nuts, trust us, you won’t miss them!

If you try this recipe, let us know! leave a comment, rate the recipe or tag a photo on our Instagram or Facebook with the tag #naturalGoodness! Get creative and make it unique, I love to see what you get up to when trying our recipes

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Easy vegan pesto

Easy, quick, on a budget and delicious vegan pesto!

Course Appetizer, Dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Keyword dairy free pesto, nut-free vegan pesto, vegan pesto

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 0 minutes minutes

0 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 3 people

Calories 280kcal

Ingredients

• 200 g Basil leaves Only the leaves! remove the stems
• 1/2 cup Sunflower seeds
• 1/2 tbs Bouillon powder Known as broth or veggie stock powder. Use homemade for WFPB
• 3 Garlic cloves
• 1/4 cup Olive oil Replace with more sunflower seeds for WFPB
• 1/4 cup Lemon juice
• 3 tbsp Yeast flakes Optional, for cheesiness! substitute with 1 tbsp of miso paste if you don't like yeast flakes!
• 1/2 cup Water

Instructions

• Get your ingredients
  
• Start with blending the oil, water, seeds and garlic
  
• Add everything except 1/5 of the basil if you want "to feel the bits" and blend for another minute.
  
• Add the remaining 1/5 of the basil leaves and pulse, pulse, pulse until you get the right consistency
  
• Enjoy!
  

Video

https://youtu.be/Mi3PHmsce2o

Notes

• Calories are estimated using this tool
• Substitute sunflower seeds with pine nuts for a more “original’ pesto recipe. I really liked it with sunflower seeds though! I have tried with pumpkin seeds and it was not as good. Probably because sunflower seeds have more fat!
• This is freezer-friendly and keeps in the fridge for about a week
• Easy with the pasta and pesto, it is one of those meals that leaves you very satisfied, but at the same time a little bit tired, ideal for those special ocassions or to enjoy it with some wine!

The post Easy vegan pesto appeared first on Natural goodness | Fuss free recipes everyone can make.

My experiments with psyllium husks continue! now I created a 2 ingredient gluten-free, soy-free, dairy free and eggless soft coconut cookies!

Coconut flour is a bit difficult to use, because it is very dry! you need a lot more moist than what you need with normal flour in order for it to work properly and without eggs, you don’t get that “fluffy” feeling! How do we fix that? Yeih! psyllium husk to the rescue! it is basically fiber, that turns water into a gelatinous mix that helps to moist flour and as an egg replacement for vegan eaters.

What is coconut flour?

It is basically dried and ground coconut… it is super healthy as it has not a lot of fat, a good amount of fiber, and a good amount of protein. Are you a nutrition nerd like me? have a look at this Healthline article for more about coconut flour!

Let’s make these 2 ingredient coconut cookies!

First, get the psyllium husk and the coconut flour, then add 1/2 tbsp of the psyllium husk to a bowl with the boiling water.

Then stir it very well! and leave it to rest for about 5 minutes

Until it looks gelatinous like this:

Then, integrate very well the 3/4 cup of coconut flour, it should look like this:

Preheat the oven at 350 Fahrenheit or 180 celsius on fan mode, and put the cookies in a baking tray

Leave them in the oven for 15 minutes. Check them at 10 minutes, no one enjoys burned cookies! :D. Then enjoy with coffee, tea or your favorite drink!

Are you looking for more psyllium husk recipes? try our vegan mozzarella! or if you want more desserts, look for the delicious vegan mug brownie! or the banana oat pancakes!

We hope you love this recipe as much as we do , it’s:

• Healthy, naturally sweetened!
• No oil, eggless, dairy-free, soy-free, gluten-free, dairy-free soft cookies
• Full of fiber and high in protein
• One great use of psyllium husk in baking!

If you try this recipe, let us know! leave a comment, rate the recipe or tag a photo on our Instagram or Facebook with the tag #naturalGoodness! Get creative and make it unique, I love to see what you get up to when trying our recipes

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2 ingredient coconut cookies

Gluten free, naturally sweetened, eggless, dairy free cookies!

Course Dessert, Side Dish

Cuisine International

Keyword coconut flour recipes, dairy free cookies, eggless cookies, psyllium husk recipes, vegan cookies

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

0 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 2 people

Calories 160kcal

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup Coconut flour
• 1/2 tbsp Psyllium husk
• 180 ml Boiling water

Instructions

• reMake sure you have coconut flour and psyllium husk
  
• Mix 180ml of boiling water with 1/2 tablespoon of psyllium husk
  
• Stir thoroughly and leave it to rest for 5 minutes until it is gelatinous
  
• Integrate the coconut flour until it looks like this
  
• Pre heat the oven at 350 Fahrenheit or 180 celsius
• Put the cookis in the oven for about 15 minutes, check them at 10 minutes to make sure they don't burn!
  
• Finally, they shuold look like these! enjoy!
  

Video

https://youtu.be/lgKw5ss9Tt4

Notes

• Add less water for less soft cookies or a bit more for softer chewy cookies. I don’t guarantee results if you change quantities too much, but I have played a bit with the measures and I think +-10 is safe
• These cookies are eggless, gluten-free, naturally sweetened cookies, but feel free to add another sweetener if they don’t feel sweet enough for you, or perhaps to cover them with dark chocolate!
• Full of fiber and high in protein!
• Calories are estimated for 3 cookies (or half the ingredients of the recipe). Depends on what coconut flour you use. I use Biona.

The post 2 ingredient coconut cookies appeared first on Natural goodness | Fuss free recipes everyone can make.

Are you looking for a simple, delicious, sweet, and nutritious side? oh yes, sweet potato rounds! This recipe is ready in under 35 minutes and it won’t break your wallet!

Sweet potatoes vs potatoes

Even though they are both called potatoes, they come from different families of vegetables and have a different nutritional profile.

What is true is that normal potatoes tend to have a higher glycemic index, which means that it will spike your blood sugar faster. Their glycemic index depends on how they are prepared! for example, sweet potatoes have a glycemic index of 44 when boiled which is very low, compared to 94 when roasted! meanwhile, white potatoes have a glycemic index of 49 when boiled vs 111 when baked! The following is a comparison of nutrients for sweet potato and white potatoes taken from the U.S. Department of Agriculture:

I am making with “–“ the data that is not mentioned. Note that they differ a lot in terms of nutrients! If you are a nutrition nerd like me, check this article from Healthline.

Let’s make roasted sweet potato rounds!

Gather your ingredients

Wash and remove blemishes and growths of the sweet potatoes. Skin is full of fiber, so it is up to you to remove it or not! I keep it also because it makes it easy to grab the rounds once they are baked!

Cut them into rounds and put them into a tray, use the olive oil across the rounds so they roast very well, At this point Preheat the oven at 390 degrees Fahrenheit or 200 Celsius. Also check the potatoes midway because it looks like some ovens might be super powerful, or super weak hehe or just not well calibrated.

Add the pepper, salt and chipotle flakes:

Put them in the oven and leave them there for about 35 minutes. Some people recommend to flip them to get an even roast, but I usually don’t bother lol… it is up to you.

Enjoy!

We hope you love this recipe as much as we do , it’s:

• Nutritious and delicious! More than normal potatoes
• Whole30 compliant! but careful when mixing with olive oil! check with your whole30 coach first
• Customizable, try with different herbs and spices until you love them
• These are also called sweet potato medallions, they are great with salads, vegan goat cheese, or as a side of a seitan steak!
• If you are looking for more roasting vegetable recipes, try this delicious roasted Brussels sprouts recipe

If you try this recipe, let us know! leave a comment, rate the recipe or tag a photo on our Instagram or Facebook with the tag #naturalGoodness! Get creative and make it unique, I love to see what you get up to when trying our recipes

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Sweet potato rounds

Sweet potato rounds with chipotle flakes, pepper and salt!

Course Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine International

Keyword sweet potato, Vegan

Prep Time 40 minutes minutes

Cook Time 0 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 2 people

Calories 180kcal

Ingredients

• 2 Sweet potatoes Preferably "long shaped ones" to make good ronuds!
• 1 tbsp Chipotle flakes
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt Optional
• 2 tbsp Olive oil Optional, extra virgin for whole30 compliance

Instructions

• Make sure you have all the ingredients
  
• Wash the sweet potatoes and remove blemishes and growths
• Cut them into circles of the same depth (approximately :P)
• Put an oven tray and add the olive oil. At this point Preheat the oven at 390 degrees Fahrenheit or 200 Celsius
• Distribute the olive oil on both sides of the sweet potatoes
  
• Add the pepper, the salt and the chipotle flakes
  
• Put them in the oven for about 30 minutes
• Enjoy!
  

Video

https://youtu.be/lN_yvLRP6qk

Notes

• Calories depend on the size of the sweet potato, I am including the olive oil in the number of calories per person (not per the whole batch!)
• This goes amazing with my vegan goat cheese recipe!

The post Sweet potato rounds appeared first on Natural goodness | Fuss free recipes everyone can make.