Veggie spaghetti bolognese

An Italian classic, but without the meat! I replaced the ground meat with red lentils and they worked really well with this dish - they have a very similar consistence, are a great source of protein and they're delicious! ^^

course	country	time	difficulty
main	Italy	30min	easy

Ingredients

Serves 2

imperial	metric
2 tbsp		olive oil
1		onion, chopped
2		garlic cloves, chopped
9oz	250g	zucchini, chopped
1/4 cup	50g	red lentils
2 tbsp		tomato paste
1 tbsp		sugar
3 tsp		balsamic vinegar, white
1 tsp		dried oregano
1		bay leaf
21oz	600g	canned chopped tomatoes
to taste		salt and pepper
9oz	250g	spaghetti

Instruction

• in a pan, heat olive oil and cook zucchini on high heat until evenly browned
• add onions and garlic and roast everything togehter for a few minutes
• add lentils, vinegar, oregano, bay leaf, tomato paste, sugar and canned tomatos
• and cook on medium heat for about 30min (no lid)
• in a big pot, bring about 2l water to boil and add 2tbsp salt
• add spaghetti and cook about 7 minutes - check single spaghetti the last minutes
• they are done, if they are still firm to the bite (al dente)

Strain spaghetti and serve with sauce and freshly grated parmesan. Enjoy!

Zutaten

für 2 Personen

2 EL		Olivenöl
1		Zwiebel, gehackt
2		Knoblauchzehen, gehackt
250g	Zucchini, gewürfelt
50g	red lentils
2 EL		Tomatenmark
1 EL		Zucker
3 TL		weißer Balsamico
1 TL		Oregano, getrocknet
1		Lorbeerblatt
21oz	600g	stückige Tomaten/ Pizzatomaten
nach Geschmack		Salz und Pfeffer
250g	Spaghetti

Anleitung

• Olivenöl in einer Pfanne erhitzen und die Zucchinwürfel bei großer Hitze gleichmäßig anbräunen
• die Zwiebeln und den Knoblauch zugehen und ebenfalls für ein paar Minuten mit anrösten
• die restlichen Zutaten außer die Spaghetti zugeben
• und alles bei mäßiger Hitze für 30min simmern lassen (ohne Deckel)
• ca. 2l Wasser mit 2EL Salz in einem großen Topf zum kochen bringen
• die Spaghetti ca. 7 Minuten kochen, dabei wärend der letzten Minuten immer mal einzelne Spaghetti probieren
• sie sind fertig wenn sie noch etwas Biss haben (al dente)

Spaghetti abseihen und zusammen mit der Soße und frisch geriebenen Parmesan servieren. Guten Appetit!

Vegan Ghanaian Chicken and rice

Another super simple and easy vegan dish - this time inspired by the classic "Chicken & Rice" from Ghana.

I used myself-made seitan (klick here, to see the recipe) as substitute for the chicken and it was delicious! I really liked, how all the flavors worked together - the sweetness from the peppers, the saltiness of the soy sauce, the taste of citrus and the spiciness. Yum!

Give it a try! ^^

course	country	time	difficulty
main	Ghana	30min	easy

Ingredients

Serves 2

Rice

I used the same method as in this recipe.

Sauce

imperial	metric
8oz	225g	Seitan
2 EL		soy sauce
1/4 cup	60ml	orange juice (100%)
1		garlic clove, pressed
2 tbsp		oil
1 big		bell pepper, red, chopped
1		onion, chopped
1		garlic clove,chopped
2 tsp		curry
2 tsp		paprika powder
1/2 tsp		cumin
1/4 tsp or more		chili
7oz	200ml	coconut milk
to taste		salt

Instruction

Preparation 12-24h ahead: marinate seitan in orange juice, soy sauce and 1 pressed garlic clove If you're in a hurry, you can skip this step and add these ingredients directly to the dish.

• strain the seitan but save the marinade for later
• set up the rice (see link above)
• in a pan, heat some oil and cook seitan and onions on high heat until evenly browned
• add chopped garlic and pepper and roast a few minutes together
• add spices and stir
• add marinade and coconut milk
• if the consistence is to runny for your taste, mix 1 tsp starch with a bit of cold water in a small container, add it to the sauce and bring to boil (there's also gluten-free starch, if you're sensible to gluten)

Serve seitan ragout with rice and chopped cashews

Zutaten

Serves 2

Rice

I used the same method as in this recipe.

Sauce

225g	Seitan
2 EL		Sojasauce
60ml	Orangensaft (100%)
1	Knoblauchzehe, gepresst
2 EL	Öl
1 große	Paprikaschote, rot, gehackt
1	Zwiebel, gehackt
1	Knoblauchzehe, gehackt
2 TL	Currypulver
2 TL	Paprikapulver
1/2 TL	Kreuzkümmel/Cumin
1/4 TL oder mehr	Chilipulver
200ml	Kokosmilch
nach Geschmack	Salz

Instruction

Vorbereitung 12-24h vorher: den Seitan in Orangensaft, Sojasauce und einer gepressten Knoblauchzehe marinieren Wenn mal eine Zeit zum Marinieren ist, kann man die Zutaten auch direkt zur Soße geben.

• den Seitan abseihen aber die Marinade für später aufheben
• den Reis wie oben im Link beschrieben ansetzen
• etwas Öl in einer Pfanne erhitzen und Seitan sowie Zwiebeln bei großer Hitze gleichmäßig anbräunen lassen
• den Knoblauch sowie Paprikaschoten dazugeben und für ein paar Minuten mit anrösten lassen
• alle Gewürze dazu geben und umrühren
• nun Marinade und Kokosmilch zugeben
• wenn die Sauce für deinen Geschmack noch zu flüssig ist, vermische einfach in einem kleinen Gefäß etwas Stärke (1 TL, gibts bei Bedarf auch glutenfrei) mit etwas kalten Wasser und gib es zum Curry und lass es nochmal aufkochen

Den Reis und die Sauce mit ein wenig gehackten Cashewnüssen bestreuen, fertig!

Majorcan garlic soup [vegan]

A super quick and easy recipe for all the garlic lovers out there! This soup is full of flavor, while being super creamy and smooth (without any diary!).
Give it a try and tell me how you liked it! ^^

course	country	time	difficulty
starter or main	Spain	30min	easy

Ingredients

Serves 2 as main and 4 as starter

imperial	metric
2 tbsp		olive oil
20 (2.5oz/75g)		garlic cloves, peeled
3 slices		sandwich toast, chopped
4 (1lb/450g)		tomatoes, chopped
4cup	1l	vegetable broth
1 tbsp		tomato paste
1/2 tsp		oregano
1		bay leaf
1 tbsp		sugar
pinch		chili powder
to taste		salt
1 slice		sandwich toast, chopped in cubes

Instruction

• in a big pot, heat olive oil and roast garlic and toast until browned
• add tomatoes and tomato paste and roast for a few minutes
• add the remaining ingredients and cook for about 15 minutes
• use a hand blender until you get a nice smooth consistence
• if you want, you can strain the soup through a sieve
• put the soup back on the stove to warm it up again
• in the meantime, fry toast cubes in a pan with a bit olive oil until crispy and browned

Serve soup with croutons and some fresh herbs of you choice

Zutaten

Für 2 Personen als Hauptspeise oder für 4 Personen als Vorspeise

2 EL	Olivenöl
20 (etwa 75g)	Knoblauchzehen, geschält
3 Scheiben	Sandwichtoast, grob geschnitten
4 (etwa 450g)	Tomaten, in Stücken
1l	Gemüsebrühe
1 EL	Tomatenmark
1/2 TL	Oregano
1	Lorbeerblatt
1 EL	Zucker
Prise	Chili pulver
nach Geschmack	Salz
1 Scheibe	Sandwichtoast, in Würfel

Anleitung

• Olivenöl in einem großen Topf erwärmen und Knoblauchzehen sowie Toaststücken anrösten bis sie Farbe bekommen
• Tomaten und Tomatenmark dazu geben und kurz mit anbraten
• die restlichen Zutaten zugeben und zusammen ungefähr 15 Minuten auf mittlerer Hitze kochen
• mit einem Pürierstab fein pürieren und bei Bedarf noch durch ein Sieb passieren
• Suppe zurück auf den Herd stellen und warm halten
• in der Zwischenzeit die Sandwichtoastwürfel in einer Pfanne mit ein wenig Olivenöl knusprig anbraten

Serviert wird die Suppe mit den Croutons und etwas frischen Kräutern.

How to make seitan from flour

I usually cook completely without any vegetarian meat substitutes. The main reason is that most of these commercial products have loads of ingredients - like artificial colors and flavors - to make it more meat-like and I really don't want these in my diet. Most of the time I'm just fine with my legumes, nuts and other natural ingredients to account for my protein intake.

But sometimes, I want to cook something I know from my childhood - some nice hearty comfort food and traditional dishes - and these recipe usually don't work without a nice piece of meat. In this cases, I use this recipe to make some seitan, and while having full control over all ingredients, I can also fit the taste to my needs.

I hope you try it out! ^^

course	country	time	difficulty
Basics	-	2h	medium

Ingredients

Serves 4

Dough

imperial	metric
8 cups	1kg	flour
2.5 cups	600ml	water

Marinade

imperial	metric
1 tbsp		olive oil
2		onions, chopped
2		garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 cup	60ml	soy sauce
1/8 cup	30ml	vinegar
6 cup	1.5l	water
2 tbsp		granulated broth
2 tbsp		mustard
2 tsp		paprika powder
1/2 tsp		cumin
1/2 tsp		coriander
1 tsp		garlic powder
1		bay leaf

Of course this is just an orientation, you can drop ingredients you don't like and add others. I find the taste of the seitan with this marinade to be hearty, meaty but not to overwhelming or "specific".
But according to the designated use, you can add more "specific" ingredients like ginger to fit an Asian inspired meal or tomato paste and oregano to fit an Italian dish

Instruction

• in a big bowl, mix flour and water
• using you hand or a kneading machine, knead the dough for about 5-10 minutes until homogeneous
• fill the bowl with water until the dough is completely covered
• leave for about 20 min, until you're done with the marinade

• in a medium pot, heat olive oil and cook onions until browned
• add garlic and roast for another 2min
• add all remaining ingredients and stir
• let the marinade simmer until the dough is prepared

• begin to knead the dough under water
• you will notice the water getting milky, that's the starch you're washing out
• when the water is completely opaque, replace the milky water with fresh water
• as you continue kneading, the dough will fall apart, leaving small shreds of a rubber-like substance - that's the protein we want (which is not water-soluble)

you may use a fine sieve to not loose these shred to the drain, while replacing the water try to knead those loose pieces together by using a "folding movement" continue to knead and replace the water until the water remains (mostly) clear the better you wash out the starch, the firmer the seitan will be loaf will be only a fraction of the size of the original dough, but don't worry, it will grow again cut the seitan in suitable pieces, according to the designated use (but keep in mind, the pieces will double in size during the cooking process now, add the seitan pieces to the simmering marinade and cook for about 1 hour after that, fill everything in a big canning car or a tupperware container (depending on when you want to use is)

• it's best to leaf the seitan for 1-2d to soak up all the flavor, but you can also use it after a few hours

Before I use the seitan, I usually drain it and stir-fry it in a pan with oil, like I would any meat. Sometimes, I hold back some of the marinade to use it for my sauce.

Self-made granulated vegetable broth

I think most people don't realize, how SIMPLE it is, to go without all the convenience, instant and super-processed broth products with loads of preservatives, flavor enhancer and other strange and non-pronounceable ingredients.

You just need some nice soup greens, some salt, a blender and an oven. You can even skip the oven part and use your veggies as paste for you soup. It's as easy as that and especially that much healthier.

course	country	time	difficulty
Basics	-	10min + 2.5h drying time	easy

Ingredients

imperial	metric
1 lb	500g	soup greens (I used carrots, leek, celery roots, parsley)
3 tsp		salt

This recipe is like a base to build on, you can use any soup greens you like and you can add more herbs and spices to fit your taste.

One example: if you plan on doing an soup inspired by the Asian cuisine, add ginger and/or lemongrass to you recipe!

Instruction

	clean your vegetables and chop them in big pieces add pieces and salt to a blender and chop finely spread everything on a lined baking sheet and put into oven for ~2h at 170°F/75°C - leave the oven door ajar use a fork to loosen up the mixture every ~30 min or so turn the heat off and leave for another 30min in the oven fill in a suitable container and keep in a dry and cool spot
You can skip the drying process if you're in a hurry - the vegetable paste works just as fine (picture above), it's just more perishable (about 2 weeks in the fridge). When I make this recipe, I usually dry half of the chopped vegetable and use the other half freshly. When you use the paste for a soup, you can fry it in some oil before you put the water in, to get a nice roasting flavor.

Vegetable coconut curry with mango and peanut butter

And here we go, another curry - I've told you, I'm a fan of Indian cooking! ^^

As most currys, this one is super fast and easy to prepare - you just need about 30min of your time! Additionally, its super healthy and has loads of plant based proteins from chick peas, peanut butter and cashews - perfect for us vegetarians/vegans (and nutritious for everyone else of course)!

Just try and tell me how you liked it!

course	country	time	difficulty
main	India	30min	easy

Ingredients

Serves 2

Rice

I used exactly the same method as described (here), just without the almonds.

Curry

imperial	metric
2		garlic cloves, peeled
1 inch		ginger, peeled
1 tbsp		oil or butter
3 tsp		curry powder
pinch or more		chili powder
1 can (14oz/400ml)		coconut milk
1/2 cup	120ml	mango juice
1/2		lime, juice of
5oz	150g	carrots, chopped
5oz	150g	broccoli, in florets
5oz	150g	chick peas, canned
5oz	150g	mango flesh (fresh or canned)
2 tbsp		peanut butter
to taste		salt

Instruction

• put garlic and ginger in a blender and or chop them pretty finely
• heat oil or butter in a medium pot, add garlic-ginger-paste and cook until slightly browned
• add curry and chili powder roast for 1-2 min
• add coconut milk, mango juice and lime juice
• now, add carrots and cook for 5 min on medium heat
• add broccoli and cook for 5 min as well
• same for the chick peas
• add peanut butter and stir very well to dissolve
• season with salt to taste
• last but not least, add mango and just heat it up, don't cook it

Serve with basmati rice and decorate with fresh greens (cilantro or scallions) and nuts (peanuts or cashews).

Tarte flambée with caramelized apples and goat cheese

Tarte flambée is a dish I cook a lot and that we really love. It's pretty fast and easy to prepare, and you only need ingredients, you probably already have at home. From the basic recipe with crème fraîche and onions you can build up your own creations and add toppings you like - it's super versatile!

I like the combination of hearty cheese and the sweetness of fruits. In this recipe, I paired caramelized apple slices, soft goat cheese and with some honey and thyme. If you don't like goat cheese, you can substitute it by some feta cheese or similar. You can also vary the type of fruit used in this recipe - pears and figs work very well with this kind of cheese, too.

course	country	time	difficulty
starter or main	France	30min	easy

If I have some meat-eaters over, I usually make a tarte with smoked salmon and a honey-mustard-sauce, which I top with some fresh arugula after baking.

Ingredients

for the caramelized apples and goat cheese variant

Yield 2 sheets
Serves 2 as main or 6-8 as starter

imperial	metric
2 tbsp		butter
4		onions, in half slices
1.5cup	200g	flour
3/4 cup	180ml	water
1 tbsp		olive oil
1/2 tsp		salt
1 cup	240ml/g	crème fraîche
2		apple, slices and deseeded
2 tbsp		sugar (white or brown)
7oz	200g	goat cheese (soft)
some		honey
some		fresh thyme

You can use any kind of onion you like. I mixed red and white onions, but you can use shallots or scallions as well.

Instruction

in a medium pot, heat some butter and cook onions on medium-low until soft and slightly browned in the meantime, mix flour, salt, olive oil and water in a bowl knead with floured hands (and add some more flour if needed) until you got a nice homogeneous dough split the dough in two even halves roll out each dough on a baking paper - it may seem like small amount of dough for a whole sheet, but the dough should VERY thin, like "see-through-thin" (see left)

pre heat you oven to max heat (should be at least 530°F/275°C, the higher the better) transfer each baking paper incl. dough on a baking sheet spread half a cup of crème fraîche on each dough and top with roasted onions in a pan, heat 2tbsp of sugar, add apple slices and cook on medium heat until slightly browned flip them over and repeat distribute the apple slices evenly over both tartes and top them with some goat cheese crumble the leftover goat cheese all over the tartes dribble some honey all over bake on the lowest rack until the outer rim is brown and crispy (5-10min depending on your heat setting) I bake the 2 sheets one after each other (by the time we eat one tarte, the next one is done), but you can bake both simultaneously on the 2 lowest racks, switching places at about half of the baking time

Serve with some fresh thyme and enjoy!

Self-made dulce de leche

Do you know what heaven tastes like? I know since the first time I tried "dulce de leche"...
For everyone, who's not familiar with this traditional spread from South America: it's so creamy, sweet, caramelly ... hmmmm.

And yes, it's a sin, it's almost completely made out of sugar, but honestly...sometimes you have to treat yourself, and these times are made for dulce de leche ^^.

You can use it as spread on you pancakes or bread, as dip with some fruits, as filling or glace for your bakeries, just how you like it.
Some (like me) like it with a bit of salt, to balance out the sweetness and make it a holistic experience.

course	country	time	difficulty
spreads&dips	Argentina	~2h	easy

Ingredients

imperial	metric
about 2 tbsp		butter
1.5 cup	300g	sugar
1 package		vanilla sugar
pinch		salt
1 cup	240ml	milk
1 cup	240ml	condensed milk, 10% fat, unsweetened

Instruction

• in a medium pot, melt butter on medium-high heat and add sugar, vanilla sugar and salt
• wait until the sugar begins to melt
• add milk and condensed milk and reduce and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved
• turn heat to the lowest setting and cook for at least 45min up to 2h
• the time highly depends on your stove and pot
• the dulce is done, if it got a nice caramel color and has the consistence you like (test by applying a small amount on a small plate)

Serve f.e. with fruit snacks or as sandwich! Enjoy!

Lebanese mezze - falafel, hummus and tabbouleh

course	country	time	difficulty
starter, also suitable for main	Lebanon	1h + 24h resting time	medium

Unfortunately, I missed to post the last days - I hope you don't mind. My attention was a bit occupied by our latest (and cutest) family member Oskar ^^. We got him from the animal shelter on Saturday and he really is adorable. I'd like you to meet Oskar:

BTF (back to food): The meal of the day is inspired by the Lebanon and is especially nice for vegans and vegetarians, because of the large amount of plant based protein.
It's composed of different mezze (oriental form of tapas or antipasti), which are traditional served as starter but are also suitable as main course.

It takes some time to assemble everything, but it's totally worth it!
This was the first time I've made falafel by myself and I was really impressed - these were by far the best falafel I've ever had! Try it out, and tell my how you liked it!

Falafel

Ingredients

yield 10 falafel (~2.5in/6cm)

imperial	metric
8oz	225g	dry chick peas
1		onion
2		garlic cloves
1/2 bunch		of parsley (~80g/3oz)
1 tsp		cumin
1/4 tsp		salt
pinch		pepper
3 tsp		flour
1/2		baking powder

Instruction

• submerge chick peas in cold water and leave for at least 12h, better for 24h
• strain chick peas and use a grinder or blender to mash them up
• chop onion and garlic finely or blend them as well
• mix pea puree, onion, garlic and all other ingredients and blend them again until the mixture is well malleable
• store in the fridge until use (of course you want to finish everything else, before deep-frying them)
• heat oil (wooden spoon test: bubbles > oil is hot enough)
• deep-fry falafel until golden brown

Hummus

Ingredients

yield 1 small (cereal) bowl

imperial	metric
8.5oz	240g	(strained) canned chick peas
3 tsp		tahini(sesame paste)
6 tsp		lemon juice
6 tsp		olive oil
3 tbsp	50ml	liquid of canned chick peas
2		garlic cloves
1 tsp		cumin
1/4 tsp		chili powder
1/2 tsp		salt
for decoration
paprika powder
olive oil
parsley

Instruction

• chop up all ingredients (besides these listed under decoration)in a blender
• add liquid when needed and add more spices/salt if you want to
• hummus is usually served with a small "lake" of olive oil, sprinkled with paprika powder and decorated with parsley leaves
• store in the fridge until use

Tabbouleh

Ingredients

yield 1 big bowl

imperial	metric
1/2 cup	100g	bulgur (fine)
3/4 cup	175g	warm water
6 tsp		lemon juice
pinch		salt
8oz	200g	parsley leaves, chopped
1/2		cucumber, peeled, deseeded,chopped
2		tomatoes, deseeded, chopped
1/2 bundle		scallions, sliced
1 bunch (4oz/100g)		fresh mint
4 tsp		olive oil
1/4 tsp		salt

Instruction

• mix bulgur and water in a big bowl, and let it soak for about 20min
• add all the other ingredients and mix well
• store in the fridge until use

Serve everything together with a nice fresh flatbread

Spinach pepper tortilla with tomato onion salad

I really love a good tortilla de patata, but I was never able to recreate it the way I knew it from my favorite Spanish restaurant. So I researched some tips on how to get that perfect consistence and indeed.... it that made all the difference! :).

The trick is to overcook the potatoes until they're already falling apart...as a result, potatoes and eggs come together much better and that's nicer on the tongue. Besides that, the tortilla doesn't break apart as easily while flipping or cutting

I decided to add a traditional Spanish tomato onion salad ("trampo") for some freshness and some handmade aioli (recipe coming soon!) and bread to bring everything together to a nice, nutritious and hearty vegetarian dish.

course	country	time	difficulty
main	Spain	1h	easy

Ingredients

Serves 3 as main or 8 as starter

Tomato salad

imperial	metric
5		tomatoes, chopped
2		shallots, sliced
1		garlic clove, pressed
1 tbsp		olive oil
1/4 tsp		salt

Tortilla

imperial	metric
2 tbsp		olive oil
1 lb	450g	potatoes, copped
1		onion, chopped
1 small		pepper, chopped
6oz	160g	spinach
4		eggs, mixed
1/2 tsp		salt
freshly grounded		pepper

Instruction

• Mix all ingredients for the salad in a bowl and set aside for about 1h (at room temperature)
• heat oil in a pan (ovenproof), add potatoes and cook on medium heat
• stir frequently and adjust heat that the potatoes cook through without getting to dark (about 20min)
• 5min before potatoes are done, add onions and pepper and cook for another 10min
• the potatoes will begin to fall apart and that's exactly what we want
• you can even enhance that by smashing some potatoes with a fork
• if everything is well done transfer it from the pan to a bowl
• add spinach and eggs and mix well
• add mixture back to the same pan (I did this) or a smaller one (for a smaller but higher tortilla)
• and leave for about 15min on medium-low
• then, put pan into the oven for another 10min on "grill" or top heat (alternatively you can just flip it by the use of a big plate, but I like to minimize the risk of breaking ^^)
• remove pan from the oven, use a big plate to turn the tortilla over
• cut in 6 slices and serve with tomato salad, aioli and bread

^^ ¡Buen provecho! ^^