Skip to main content
VirgileHealth
Chef · Engineering Plant-Based Nutrition
← Back to the book

Chapter IV

Recipes & Tips

— daily practice —

« Six engineer's gestures — soak, cook low, tune the umami, vary the oils, dose the acid, sweeten with dates — that wake the full intelligence of living matter. »

I.

Six engineer's gestures

Before the recipes, six gestures that change everything. They apply to everything we touch in the kitchen. Each one wakes a dimension of the living that was sleeping in the ingredient.

Soak the seeds — by family

Every dry seed carries a defence strategy: it must travel intact through an animal's digestion and sprout further. But the intensity of this defence varies by family — and the gesture adjusts.

Legumes (lentils, chickpeas, azuki, beans) — non-negotiable, 8 to 12 hours. Very high density of phytates and protease inhibitors. Without soaking, the body receives this defence whole: slow digestion, heaviness, bloating, sometimes cramps.

Nuts (almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, cashews) — recommended, 4 to 8 hours. Optimises mineral bioavailability, lightens chewing, wakes the enzymes.

Grains — graded: oats and brown rice, soak overnight (Bircher tradition, overnight oats); quinoa and amaranth, a rinse is enough to clear surface saponins; buckwheat, as-is or soaked for raw uses.

Small seeds (chia, flax) gel on contact with water — self-soaking in a few minutes. Sesame, hemp, pumpkin, sunflower: little phytate in real portions.

Engineer's rule: the denser and tougher the seed, the more soaking liberates it. The smaller and softer it is, the more it already gives itself.

Cook with very little water — the Alain Ducasse school

Alain Ducasse's recommendation — for taste AND for nutrients. Abundant cooking water carries minerals and water-soluble vitamins straight into the sink. Steam gently, braise, or cook in a thin film of water that reduces into the dish itself — keep the living matter on the plate. Taste concentrates, colour stays vivid, nutrients stay in the bite.

Tune the umami — the path of comfort

Whole sesame, gomasio (sesame + sea salt, toasted), furikake, miso, nutritional yeast, artisanal tamari. Umami — the 5th flavour, the depth — is what gives the plant-based plate the comfort that cheese brings elsewhere. A spoonful of gomasio on a bowl of rice and vegetables nourishes as much as a grating of parmesan, and stays alive. The engineer's rule: every plate carries its umami note.

Raw oils, added after cooking, varied

Walnut, olive, sesame, hemp, flax. Each oil carries a different fatty acid profile and polyphenols that heat destroys. Drizzle them raw, at the end — never in the pan. Varying oils means varying the membrane architectures for our cells.

Living acid — lemon, parsley, vinegar

On cooked vegetables, in sauces, on salads, in the morning water. Lemon awakens flavours, supports iron absorption, alkalises the terrain, keeps an avocado or a cut herb fresh. When lemon runs out, finely chopped fresh parsley (just as rich in vitamin C), unpasteurised apple cider vinegar, or verjuice play the same role of acid tension. The rule: a thread of acid in every plate.

Sweeten with dates

Medjool dates — Jurassic Fruit, Tunisia, Algeria — replace refined sugar wherever they can: raw desserts, energy balls, sauces, granolas, smoothies, vinaigrettes. They bring intense sweetness + magnesium, potassium, fibres, polyphenols, slow-release energy. Sugar becomes nutritious.

II.

Raw cacao & lucuma tart

I love this tart because it brings everything together: the depth of raw cacao, the honeyed roundness of lucuma, the sacred fragrance of vanilla. No oven, no gluten, ready in under fifteen minutes — and it keeps the full energy of raw beans.

❀Serves 6
Matériel —A blender, a 22 cm tart pan

Ingredients

  • Base: 4 soft Medjool dates (≈ 100 g), 8 tbsp sesame or almond powder (≈ 80 g), 2 tbsp melted coconut oil (≈ 20 ml), 1 pinch of fleur de sel
  • Filling: 2 ripe avocados, 4 tbsp raw cacao powder, 2 tbsp lucuma powder, 1 vanilla pod (scraped), 4 tbsp maple syrup or blended dates, 1 pinch of fleur de sel

Method

Blend pitted dates with fleur de sel, add sesame or almond powder, then the melted coconut oil. Fold with a spatula to keep texture. Press by hand into the pan, chill. For the filling, blend the avocados with cacao, lucuma, vanilla seeds, syrup and salt until perfectly smooth. Spread over the base, chill at least 30 minutes. Dust with raw cacao before serving.

III.

Raw zucchini spaghetti with Spirulove sauce

One of my summer favourites: pure citrussy freshness. The zucchini soaks up the lemon juice and reaches a perfect balance after a few hours of marination. I pair it with spirulina, avocado, fresh herbs, tahini, blanched almond purée — versatile and creamy.

❀Serves 4
Matériel —A mandoline or spiraliser; a peeler can shave fine ribbons. A zester for the lemons.

Ingredients

  • Spaghetti: 4 young zucchinis (yellow or thin-skinned green), 2 lemons (juice + zest), 1 pinch of fleur de sel
  • Spirulove sauce: 2 tbsp spirulina (flakes or powder), spring water (≈ 4 tbsp), 1 pinch of fleur de sel, 2 tbsp hemp seeds, 2 tbsp first-pressed olive oil, fresh herbs (parsley, chervil, basil, cress), 1 clove of fresh garlic, 1 shallot (or a little onion), 1 ripe avocado, 1 lemon, optional: extra hemp seeds for finishing

Method

The day before, mix spirulina with a little spring water and fleur de sel, rest in the fridge — the spirulina rehydrates into a firm paste. The next day, fold in chopped herbs, garlic or shallot, olive oil, hemp seeds, then pieces of avocado. Spiralise the zucchini, add lemon juice, zest, fleur de sel and rest for a few hours — the zucchini softens and releases a sauce worth drinking. Toss the noodles with the Spirulove sauce just before serving. Squeeze a final touch of lemon at the last moment so the spirulina does not burn in the acidity.

Raw zucchini spaghetti with Spirulove pesto
IV.

Classic tahini sauce

The universal sauce. Over raw vegetables, steamed vegetables, grains, in a sandwich, over a bowl — it connects everything. Tahini brings the roundness of sesame, lemon brings the tension, olive oil rounds the mouth. Three ingredients, a thousand uses.

❀For a large bowl

Ingredients

  • 4 tbsp artisanal tahini (stone-ground whole sesame)
  • Juice of 1 lemon (≈ 2 tbsp)
  • 2 tbsp first-pressed olive oil
  • 2 to 4 tbsp spring water to adjust
  • 1 pinch of fleur de sel, 1 garlic clove (optional)

Method

Whisk tahini with lemon juice — the mixture seizes and lightens in colour, this is normal. Add olive oil, then water one spoon at a time until the desired consistency. Salt. Grate in the garlic if using. Taste, adjust.

V.

Hemp seed tabouleh

Lebanese tabouleh reimagined: no semolina, just hemp seeds as the protein base. A burst of herbs, spring onion, lemon — extra-protein, extra-fresh, extra-digestible.

❀Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 8 tbsp hulled hemp seeds (≈ 80 g)
  • 1 large bunch of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
  • 1 small bunch of fresh mint, finely chopped
  • 1 spring onion (or 2 scallions), finely sliced
  • Juice of 2 lemons, 3 tbsp first-pressed olive oil, 1 pinch of fleur de sel
  • Optional: 2 tomatoes, seeded and diced

Method

Chop the herbs very finely — this is the key step, you want almost a fragrant green dust. Mix with onion and hemp seeds. Add lemon juice, olive oil and salt. Rest in the fridge 15 minutes so the hemp seeds soak up the dressing. Taste, adjust the lemon.

VI.

Marinated carrot salad, cashew cream sauce

A salad to prepare the night before — carrots soften in lemon, becoming almost cooked without ever touching heat. The cashew cream sauce wraps them in unctuous softness. A dish that reconciles raw and comfort.

❀Serves 4
Matériel —A mandoline or peeler for carrot ribbons; a blender for the sauce.

Ingredients

  • Carrots: 6 young carrots, juice of 2 lemons, 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 pinch of fleur de sel, 1 tsp cumin seeds (optional)
  • Sauce: 8 tbsp cashews (≈ 80 g) soaked 4 hours, 4 tbsp spring water, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 pinch of fleur de sel, 1 small garlic clove (optional)
  • Finish: hemp seeds, fresh chopped herbs, edible flowers

Method

Shave the carrots into thin ribbons or julienne. Mix with lemon juice, olive oil, fleur de sel and cumin. Marinate in the fridge at least 4 hours, ideally overnight. For the sauce, blend soaked cashews with water, lemon, oil, salt and garlic until perfectly smooth — the consistency should coat the back of a spoon. Spoon over the carrots just before serving, scatter hemp seeds, herbs and flowers on top.

VII.

Raw cacao — an initiation

Before being a flavour, raw cacao is an encounter. The Maya and Aztec civilisations called it “the food of the gods”. Untoasted, it keeps the full integrity of its living compounds — flavonoids, theobromine, phenylethylamine, abundant magnesium.

  • The beans: raw form. Eat whole (the taste is intense, dark and bitter) or grind them.
  • The nibs: beans broken into shards. Crunchy texture, perfect as a topping on desserts, smoothies, fruit.
  • The cacao butter: the fat fraction of the bean. Smooth, melting, fragrant. Essential for raw chocolates, tarts, ganaches.
  • The powder: what remains after the butter is extracted. To stir into warm (never boiling) drinks, smoothies, tarts, sauces.

Choose a single-origin raw cacao — Criollo if possible, the ancient rare variety (1 % of world production), with complex aromas, floral and fruit notes. Other varieties (Trinitario, Forastero) are sturdier, more tannic. Favour artisans who master drying and transport — that's where the quality is made.

VIII.

Traditional khichdi

It is the oldest and most tested meal of human medicine, and the one I cook when the body needs to rest. Rice and moong dal melted together, the six tastes gathered in a single creamy bowl. Nothing is simpler, nothing is more complete.

❀Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients

  • 200 g split yellow moong dal (rinsed), 200 g white basmati rice (rinsed)
  • 2 tbsp coconut oil or ghee
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1 tsp crushed coriander seeds, 1 tsp fennel seeds, 5-6 fenugreek seeds
  • 1 tsp ground turmeric, a 3-4 cm piece of fresh ginger, grated
  • 1.2 to 1.5 litres of hot water, Himalayan pink salt, lemon and fresh parsley to serve

Method

Heat the coconut oil over medium heat. Drop in the cumin and fenugreek, let them crackle for thirty seconds, then the coriander and fennel for ten — the air fills with fragrance. Add the grated ginger and turmeric, stir for ten seconds. Pour in the rinsed rice and dal, stir to coat them in the tadka. Cover with hot water, bring to a simmer, then lower to the gentlest heat and cover. Cook twenty-five to thirty minutes, stirring once or twice; salt halfway through. The khichdi is ready when the dal has melted into the rice and the texture is creamy. Serve with a squeeze of lemon (the sour that completes the six tastes), a little parsley and a thread of ghee.

IX.

Spiced baked apples

A dessert of disarming simplicity, yet chosen by Ayurveda for a precise reason: the baked apple is light, astringent, it cleanses the digestive tract while its pectins feed the microbiome. No added sugar — the apple is enough, the spices elevate it.

❀Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients

  • Sweet apples (Golden, Gala, Fuji) cut into quarters, skin on if organic
  • 4-5 tbsp water, 2 sticks of Ceylon cinnamon
  • 6 whole cloves (to remove before serving), 4-5 cardamom pods, lightly crushed

Method

Place the apple quarters in a pan with the water, cinnamon sticks, cloves and cardamom. Cover, gentle heat, twelve to fifteen minutes — no more. The quarters should be tender while keeping their shape. Remove the cloves and serve warm, alone or over a gentle evening bowl.

X.

Carrot, ginger & coriander velouté

A velouté that warms and settles the digestive fire. Ginger and cumin wake the agni, the carrot brings its sweetness, lemon added off the heat lifts it all. I love it at midday, when the fire is high, or in a small evening portion.

❀Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients

  • 800 g peeled carrots in chunks, a 4-5 cm piece of fresh ginger, grated
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 1 litre of hot water, pink salt, juice of half a lemon (off the heat), fresh coriander

Method

Heat the oil, crackle the cumin for thirty seconds, add the ginger and turmeric. Add the carrots, stir for two minutes to coat. Cover with hot water, cook twenty to twenty-five minutes, covered. Blend until smooth. Salt, then add lemon off the heat to keep the freshness of the acid. Scatter fresh coriander to serve.

XI.

Energy ladoo

The little energy balls of the Indian tradition, no cooking, ready in minutes. Dates, soaked almonds, coconut and cardamom — a dense sweetness that fits in a pocket and sustains without a sugar spike. My children love them, and so do I.

❀Makes 15 to 18

Ingredients

  • 150 g pitted Mazafati dates, 80 g almonds (soaked 8 h, skins removed)
  • 40 g grated coconut, 1 tsp ground cardamom, 1 tsp ghee or coconut oil

Method

Pulse the almonds in a food processor, coarsely — keep texture, not powder. Blend the dates with the ghee into a paste. Combine almonds, dates, cardamom, and knead by hand. Roll into walnut-sized balls, then in the grated coconut. Chill thirty minutes so they hold.

XII.

Dashi — a kombu & shiitake broth

It is the base of nearly all Japanese cooking, and one of the most beautiful gestures of umami I know. Dashi never boils: the kombu and shiitake are left to deliver their depth slowly. From this clear broth are born miso soups, sauces, simmered vegetables.

❀1 litre

Ingredients

  • 1 piece of kombu (≈ 10 cm), 4-5 dried shiitake
  • 1 litre of spring water

Method

Wipe the kombu without washing it (its white bloom is umami). Place it with the shiitake in cold water, ideally the night before, chilled for 5 to 10 hours. The next day, heat gently, passing quickly through the warm zone: remove the kombu just before boiling (or it turns bitter), hold the shiitake between 60 and 80°C for some fifteen minutes — the zone where guanylate forms. Strain. Keep the rehydrated shiitake for another preparation.

XIII.

Homemade gomasio

The condiment that anchors rice. Gomasio dresses each crystal of salt in toasted sesame oil — the bite of the salt softens, the calcium and iron of the sesame join in. One spoonful, and the dish finds its yang note.

❀A small jar

Ingredients

  • 16 tbsp whole sesame, 1 tbsp grey sea salt

Method

The traditional ratio is 14 to 16 parts sesame to 1 part salt. Dry-toast the salt for a few moments, set it aside. Toast the sesame over low heat until it releases its fragrance and cracks under the finger. Grind the salt first, then add the sesame and grind coarsely in a suribachi (Japanese mortar) or mortar — keep some grain, not a paste. Store in an airtight jar, away from light.

XIV.

Furikake of the sea

A pinch of marine depth to scatter over everything. My furikake brings together nori seaweed, sesame, seeds and a hint of powdered shiitake — a concentrate of umami and minerals I love over rice, steamed vegetables, evening bowls.

❀A small jar

Ingredients

  • 2 toasted nori sheets, 4 tbsp toasted sesame (white and black)
  • 1 tbsp hemp seeds, 1 tsp powdered dried shiitake, 1 pinch of salt, optional: a little dried yuzu zest

Method

Crumble the nori sheets finely by hand or with scissors. Mix with the sesame, hemp seeds, shiitake powder and salt. For a livelier fragrance, add a little yuzu or dried citrus zest. Keep dry; scatter generously when serving.

XV.

Quick pickles (tsukemono)

The little fermented crunch that accompanies every Japanese meal. These quick pickles need only a few hours: the salt draws water from the vegetables, tenderises them and starts a light fermentation. A sliver with each bite, and digestion lightens.

❀A bowl

Ingredients

  • Firm vegetables in thin slices (cucumber, daikon radish, cabbage, carrot)
  • 1 tsp sea salt per 250 g of vegetables, optional: a piece of kombu, a little ginger, a dash of rice vinegar

Method

Slice the vegetables finely. Massage them with the salt in a bowl until they release their water. Add the kombu and ginger. Cover with a weighted plate (a jar of water) and leave to rest 2 to 24 hours at room temperature, then chilled. Press lightly before serving. A dash of rice vinegar at plating wakes the whole thing up.

XVI.

The longevity broth

A long broth, inspired by Chinese herbal tradition, that I let infuse for hours until it becomes as much a tonic as a comfort. Mushrooms, seaweed, roots and gentle tonics lay down their Qi in it. One drinks a bowl in the morning, or uses it as a soup base.

❀1.5 litres

Ingredients

  • 1 piece of kombu, 5-6 dried shiitake, a handful of maitake if possible
  • 2-3 slices of ginseng or dried astragalus, a handful of goji berries, 3-4 jujubes (Chinese dates)
  • 1 piece of ginger, 2 litres of spring water, tamari or miso to finish (off the heat)

Method

Gather the kombu, mushrooms, astragalus or ginseng, jujubes and ginger in cold water. Bring up to temperature without boiling and hold a very gentle simmer for one to two hours — the longer it goes, the deeper the broth becomes. Add the goji berries in the last ten minutes. Remove the kombu along the way. Off the heat, season with a little tamari or dissolve a spoonful of miso. Strain and drink hot.

“The finest cooking does not denature — it awakens”

Virgile Escalant · chef-alchemist

The booklet