Au Gratin Potatoes n Beets and Chia Pudding

Au gratin potato and beets with sunflower beet cheese –

5 Thinly sliced white potatoes

5 thinly sliced small beets

mix with sunflower cheese recipe from yesterday add juice of 1 more lime and 2 pinches of salt

I just put the potatoes and the beets into a food processor with the slicing attachment, it makes it super easy. I then put the sliced vegetables into a pan, and smothered it with the sunflower cheese recipe -- what was leftover over from the other day after having falafels. A full recipe could also work too, and you could slice up more potatoes so it's not too wet.

Something about me, I'm terrible at having a fixed plan in terms of having things in the oven. I would recommend something like 200 C for 1 hour, perhaps, but do check it midway to see if they are done, Also covering the potatoes may help, I didn't have a cover when I made this, so they were slightly crunchy, but it didn't seem to matter because everyone ate them up regardless, including myself. 

Chia Chocolate Pudding:

2 tbsp of sugar

4 tbsp of chia seeds

2 tbsp of soy milk powder

1-2 tbsp of oats

enough water to cover all ingredients

Let sit for 5 minutes, mix and enjoy.

For the most part, I try to avoid sugar, but at times.. it's almost impossible, so well just enjoy in those moments :) 

Apart from eating this today, I was bad, I had popcorn and acai for dinner. 

and a mango for a snack in the afternoon. 

Acai is a super popular food here in brazil and it's basically like a sorbet but made with acai.. so i like to consider it like a meal ;P because it's super rich in omega 3's and loads of other vitamins. It's hard to know how much is retained of that when processed and sugar added.. but it's amazing. Make sure to try it if you ever come to Brazil :) 

Falafels and sunflower beet cheese

I've started this thing, since new years, to write down my goals the night before every day, and list out ways that I can lower my ecological footprint. One way to do this is through food. 

Where I am currently living -- Brazil -- there isn't a compost collection. However where I am staying there is a small garden, but composting isn't an always. One goal that I have is to stop throwing organic material away and finding a way to always compost the material. 

The other goal, at least in the coming future is to become more and more plastic free, here in Curitiba, I have not found sources of non packaged organic foods -- like grains, beans and nuts. This is something that I would like to research more and find out how I could obtain them in something like cloth bags. However in the meantime before I figure out either how to live without foods that come in plastic or find a way to obtain healthy package free foods, I'm making use of the foods in the cupboard already available. 

Falafels 

3-4 cups of soaked chickpeas

3 tbsp flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp alho (garlic) powder (portuguese popped out for a second ;))

1 red onion chopped.

Put all ingedients into a food processor and process until finer than couscous and almost a paste, but not quite. 

Shape into balls and put into the oven 200 C for 30 minutes – roughly estimated. They should be well cooked and not taste raw on the inside and slightly browned on the outside.

Sunflower Beet Cheese – 

1 cup of raw unsalted sunflowers soaked for atleast an hour

1 small beet chopped

½ tsp turmeric

 ½ tsp curry powder

2 garlic cloves

½ tsp salt

juice of 1 and ½ limes

enough water to reach the top of the ingredients in a blender, 1 tsp of agave.

Blend until smooth.

Serve falafels with cheese and can add some cilantro and sliced limes as garnish :))