When I travel, one of the first things I tend to do is source out the local vegetarian/raw/veagan restaurants or the local organic store (the latter may have a lot to do with the prices of organic products in Norway, but nevertheless, may prove to be helpful to some world wanderer like me — for those curious Bio & Bio is the only organic store in Dubrovnik and is found here).
Last week I had an awesome time with my parents and the bf in Dubrovnik, Croatia. By day two, I had already found the one and only raw/vegetarian restaurant in the old city – Nishta – and it was delish (in fact, I’d argue it was the best restaurant in Dubrovnik). I ended up there three times and as a result came away with some great beauty food recipes for easy and healthy meals.
Fave #1: Lentil Cakes – lentils are chock-a-block full of fiber and potassium as well as iron – an important nutrient for strong, healthy hair and nails. Red lentils are a great substitute for meat as they are protein dense, so they keep you satiated longer. Don’t eat too many before you get onto Fave #2! 
1 cup red lentil, soaked overnight and then drained
2 cups mashed potatoes (plain mashed vegetables with no additions) or 2 cups mashed kumara (plain mashed vegetables with no additions)
1 onion, finely diced
1/4 cup rice milk or 1/4 cup almond milk
1 cup rice flour 1/2 cup brown rice flour (use additional white rice flour if unable to source brown rice flour)
3 tablespoons coconut oil
Add spices (think cumin, turmeric, coriander, some salt & pepper)
Directions:
1. If using dry lentils, soak overnight & drain (otherwise canned lentils will work)
2. Boil, the potato & mash with no additions.
3. Mix all ingredients together and form into small or medium sized patties. If the mixture is too dry add some extra almond/rice milk. If it is too wet then add some extra rice flour or sprinkle in a small amount of psyllium husks.
4. Heat the coconut oil in a frying pan and cook slowly until done on each side. 
Fave #2: Raw Zucchini Pasta with Marinara Sauce – full of Vitamin A & C, zucchini helps beautify your hair, nails and skin. Further, it carries with it potassium and fiber, so you can be rest assured after meal 1 and 2 you’ve had your daily intake. :)
1. 2-3 zucchini
2. 16 sun-dried tomatoes, soaked in water until softened
3. 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
4. 3 Tablespoons olive oil
5. Salt and pepper
6. Crushed red pepper
7. 1 teaspoon fresh peppercorns, ground
8. 1 teaspoon dry oregano
9. 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
10. 2 tablespoons lime juice
Directions:
1. Drag a vegetable peeler along the zucchini to create long, spaghetti-like noodles.
2. Drain the sun-dried tomatoes and combine in a blender with the basil, spices and olive oil. Process until smooth.
3. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.
4. Pour the pesto over the zucchini noodles and toss to coat. 
Fave #3: Rice Pudding with a Twist – More and more we are seeing rice (or products derived from rice) being added to beauty products. But, since we won’t be slathering this pudding on our skin, it is worth noting some beauty benefits of brown rice. Brown rice is fibrous so it helps to absorb toxins and flush them out of your body – say bye bye to sludge build up and other acne causing substances. If you want to read up on the beauty benefits of coconut milk, check out my older post (that also includes an awesome recipe). My favourite, bar none, was their rice noodle pudding with coconut milk, cardamom and lemon, topped with berry coulis – and it was vegan and gluten free to boot :)
Ingredients:
1. 1 can of coconut milk
2. 3 cups of cooked brown rice
3. 1 – 2 packets of stevia, or according to taste
4. 2 tsp of ground cardamon
5. Zest of a lemon
6. Sprinkle of cinnamon
7. Berry or mango coulis (i.e. mango, stevia, water)
Directions:
1. Mix the cooked rice into the coconut milk, cardamon, lemon zest & stevia
2. Spoon on coulis, sprinkle with cinnamon & serve
Aside from Nishta, Dubrovnik was devastatingly charming. I highly recommend a stroll through the old city and a day at one of the many pristine beaches. Here’s a few snapshots from my days in the south.
Enjoy your beauty feast!
X
K
