No, I am not dead. I am just overwhelmed with school. Fortunately, Christmas Holidays begins next week (hurray!), so although I will have to work anyway (the last day to finish my research project is getting closer. Tic-tack, tic-tack…), at least I will have time to breathe.

It has been awfully rainy and cold the past three days because of a Siberian cold front.  It’s not that I hate cold (I love visiting Moscow for Christmas, and that would be certainly a problem). I hate cold without snow.  With that kind of weather, the best you can do is to curly up in your sofa,  cover yourself with a blanket and read a book while sipping your hot tea (or chocolate, if you prefer it).  I am looking forward my school break to do that. Instead of it, yesterday I had to curl up with a geography textbook (I had the exam today), and it lost most of its charm.

I can’t study without music. I don’t know why, but I got used to it….and now I just can’t concentrate in complete silence.

I haven’t cooked too much lately. Some days my mother does baked potatoes with extra ones for me without asking me before, and I can’t say no (could you?). When I have sweet potatoes in the fridge, I don’t need anything more and cooking something else seems just stupid. It’s a pity that a person can’t live just on sweet potatoes.  On other days I just don’t have the time, or I am not at home.  I have school until 14.30 every day except Thursday, when I have a split shift. Because I don’t have time to come back to home, I spend the hour and half I have in a café near school. The place is OK, but you still feel the bitterness of the coffee after adding the two packets of sugar. But some weeks ago I discovered another café (half an hour from school, tough) where you can order coffee with SOYMILK! I know people who live in vegan-friendly places will think it’s nothing out of this world, but apart from Starbucks (which you can only find in Barcelona, by the way) I don’t know any other café who offers it. So sometimes I just don’t come back at home until 6PM or so because I stay there doing homework. It is cozier, not as cold and smells better than the library. The only minus? They have nothing vegan to eat.

I know it sounds strange, but I concentrate better there than in a library and of course better than at home. I just can’t work at home. My mind seems to go somewhere else when I try to focus on some task. So it worth wait a little bit more to eat because I do twice as homework there.

And talking about coffee, I am working on a special post about this addictive and caffeinated drink. I thought about cooking something with coffee (maybe a dessert. I love how it enhances the flavor any cake!), plus collecting recipes from the web, some graphics (I found such a cute icons!) and extra stuff.   

I know what are you thinking: “Stop pestering me and go on with the recipe” (sometimes I have to remind myself that this is a blog about food). So, for those you dislike chilly and rainy days, I have the perfect recipe today: a smooth, warm roasted chickpeas and zucchini soup!

Roasted chickpeas and zucchini soup Recipe form: ~ original recipe ~ Serves: 3-4 -2 medium zucchinis (or 1 large) -2 cups water or stock -2 cups chickpeas -2 tsp chickpeas seasoning blend -1/4 cup coconut milk (optional) -salt -oil (I used olive oil) I love chickpeas, and I can snack on them like some people snack on chips or candy (which is great, because it’s a healthier addiction).  My family is usually quite skeptical about vegan food, but they all love chickpeas. Some days ago I sautéed them with some chana masala, a spices mix used with chickpeas….and they didn’t leave any leftovers!  It also works great with sweet paprika (here is called pimentón dulce). My father likes chickpeas, but he is crazy about hummus. Especially with a lot of garlic. I love it too, but sometimes you fancy something different, and the zucchini/chickpeas combo works perfectly. Add a little bit of vegetal milk (I strongly recommend coconut), extra seasoning for more spiciness, cover it with more coconut milk, nuts (or even raisins as I did. The savory and sweet combination is terrific!), olive oil and…voilà! Heat 1 or 2 tsp of oil on a saucepan and add 1tsp of the chickpeas seasoning. Add the chickpeas and sauté for 5 minutes or until they become golden and crispy. Set aside. Put the water (or stock) to boil and add the chopped zucchini, salt, coconut milk and another tsp of seasoning. Boil until they become tender, about 10 min. Turn off the heat. Let the cool a little bit. Put the zucchini (stock included) and the roasted chickpeas in a blender. Puree until you get the desired consistency. Add a little bit more coconut milk, salt and spices if desired. Serve with chana dal or some nuts, extra coconut milk and olive oil on top.