Good morning from Barcelona. Though it has been crazy the past few days with Barcelona's independence referendum and strike and the IoT and Blockchain expo, I'm very much enjoying this beautiful city. Today is day 2 of the 3-day expo. Unfortunately, I have to take a half day off since I urgently need new shoes.... my feet are killing me.

Due to the strike yesterday - which resulted in almost no taxis or public transportation and the main street where our hotel is was blocked by protests (30,000 people came to the street to protest against the violence the cops used during the referendum) - I had to walk kilometers with the high heels I was wearing for the venue.

Luckily we are here with nearly the whole peerity.io team to stand at our information stand, so they granted me a half day off to do some shoe shopping, my feet need some love, and finally post my SIC entry which I cooked when I was still in Belgium.

I made this lovely dessert as a goodbye for my parents on our last day in Belgium. This time we will not be parted for so long. In February they are coming to Cambodia and we are also planning to travel to Thailand with them.

But let's talk poached pears and chocolate souffle now! I eat a 99% plant-based diet, so this recipe was an exception on my vegan lifestyle. Though I used plant-based butter, I used eggs because my mom didn't have chia or flax seeds to make a vegan egg. But as always the eggs I used came from a sustainable source.... aka the happy chickens from my parents' friends.

Chocolate Souffle With Red Wine And Cinnamon Poached Pears

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Ingredients (serves 4)

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For the pears

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4 pears
2 cups red wine
1/4 cup raw palm or cane sugar
1/2 cup orange juice (or the juice of 1 orange)
1 cinnamon stick, broken into a few smaller pieces
1 1-inch wide piece of orange zest
3 cloves

For the chocolate souffle

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75 g or 3 oz plant-based butter
75 g or 3oz raw palm or cane sugar
2 eggs
25 g or 1oz raw cacao powder
75 g pr 3 oz self-raising flour
¼ tsp baking powder
Icing sugar for dusting (optional)

Directions

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For the pears

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1. Place the red wine, cinnamon, cloves, orange, orange zest and sugar in a large saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower the heat and let them simmer for 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, peel the pears making sure you leave the stem on. After 5 minutes of simmering add the pears to the red wine mix and simmer, covered, for 15-20 minutes. Carefully turn the pears regularly to poach and color evenly.
3. Remove from the red wine mix using a slotted spoon and allow to cool on a plate or cutting board.

For the chocolate souffle

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1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC or 350ºF, fan 160ºC or 320ºF.
2. Lightly butter the ramekins or oven-safe bowls. With a mixer, cream together butter and sugar. Beat in the eggs vigorously. Add raw cacao and beat again.
3. Fold in flour and baking powder. Divide mixture between the buttered ramekins or bowls.
   Cut the base of each pear, making it stable. Press a pear into the middle of each bowl and bake in the oven for 16 minutes.
4. OPTIONAL: Serve with a little dusting of icing sugar.

Enjoy the rest of your week!!!

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ALL CONTENT IS MINE AND ORIGINAL!
PICTURE(s) TAKEN WITH NIKON COOLPIX S9600 (since my camera is still broken, I used my dad's compact camera)

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