Happy World Vegan Day!

Wir wünschen allen einen wunderbaren Weltvegantag!
A wonderful world vegan day to everyone!

Das ist ein normal großer halloweeniger Carribbean Sponge Cake, das Marzipan ist mit pflanzlichem Aktivkohlepulver vermischt, wie auf VG-zone beschrieben.

The recipe is a normal sized Halloween Carribbean Sponge Cake, the marzipan is colored black with vegetable powdered carbon, as described on VG-zone.

Lasagne

- Scroll down for english version -

Gäbe es jemals einen veganen Lasagne-Wettbewerb, der tollste Mann der Welt würde ihn sicherlich sofort gewinnen! Rezept für zwei sehr hungrige Veganer, oder solche, die gerne kalte Lasagne zum Frühstück genießen.

Zubereitungszeit: 60 minuten

Musik: Öxxö Xööx - der Name ist so putzig! Und die Musik sehr hübsch.

Zutaten:

• 2 Zwiebeln
• Olivenöl
• 2 Knoblauchzehen
• 1 kg Tomaten
• 100 mL Rotwein
• Pfeffer, Salz, italienische Gewürze (mindestens Oregano und Thymian)
• 125 g Oliven
• 150 g Cashews
• 150 g Sojagranulat
• Hafer- oder Sojasahne (optional)
• Lasagneplatten
• Hefeschmelz (siehe unten)

Zubereitung:

1. Zwiebeln würfeln und in einem großen Topf in Olivenöl anbraten. Knoblauch zerkleinern und dazugeben.
2. Tomaten würfeln und mit dem Wein dazugeben. Offen kochen lassen, damit es eindicken kann.
3. Nach Lust und Laune die Gewürze dazugeben, 20 Minuten kochen lassen.
4. Oliven halbieren und mit den Cashews dazugeben. Sojagranulat und optionalen Schuss Hafersahne hinzufügen.
5. Abwechselnd Soße und Lasagneplatten in eine Auflaufform schichten. 
6. Hefeschmelz* machen und darüber geben.
7. Im Ofen bei 180-200 °C 15-20 Minuten backen. Wenn die Lasagneblätter weich ist, ist die Lasagne fertg. Gen Ende kann man noch kurz die Grillfunktion anschalten, so vorhanden, um dem Hefeschmelz etwas Kruste zu verpassen.

*Hefeschmelz: Hier unser famoses Hefeschmelzvideo:

If there ever was a vegan lasagna contest, the most wonderful man in the world would certainly win! Recipe for two very hungry vegans, or those who like cold lasagna for breakfast.

Preparation time: 60 minutes

Suggested music:  Öxxö Xööx - the name is so cute! And the music is very nice.

Ingredients:

• 2 onions
• olive oil
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 kg tomatoes
• 100 mL red wine
• pepper, salz, italian herbs (at least oregano and thyme)
• 125 g olives
• 150 g cashews
• 150 g granulated soy flakes
• oat or soy cream (optional)
• sheets of lasagne
• nooch sauce 

What to do:

1. Dice the onions and saute them in a bit pot in olive oil. Mince the garlic and add.
2. Dice the tomatoes and add, together with the wine. Let boil without lid so liquid can escape.
3. Add the spices depending on your mood and let boil for about 20 minutes.
4. Slice the olives in half and add with the cashews. Add the granulated soy flakes and cream if using.
5. Take a casserole dish and add alternating layers of the tomato sauce and lasagne sheets.
6. Prepare nooch sauce (see subtitled video above) and add over the lasagne.
7. Bake in the oven at 180-200 °C for 15-20 minutes. It is done when the lasagne sheets are not hard anymore. If your oven has a grill setting, you can activate it in the end to give the nooch sauce a crust.

Joy to the World

When I was already vegan, omni-friends gave me "Joy of Cooking" for my birthday, saying that I could veganize a lot of recipes. While this might be true, and while it tells you even how to cook on a fire and all these important things, it also tells you how to do awful stuff with animals. Detailed. Far too detailed. I was unsure whether to keep it or not - it is quite thick and heavy, but then I had the perfect idea: Veganize the whole book!

Use it to collect all the stickers from shops,

collect all the flyers from restaurants,

and, most importantly, use it to remember the events you visited and the awesome vegan people you met, asking them to write something in it over some very meaty page.

With every little bit, there is less cruelty and more love. Ha!

Cookbook shelf

I hope that this is a useful idea for your own cookbook and flyer collection!

Bücher

The following entry is in german, because it is about two german books. There might be more german entries in the future, as most people who read this blog are from Germany, or so it seems. Any objections? :-)

Bisher habe ich mich beim Lesen von Büchern über Veganismus und verwandte Themen eher zurückgehalten. Ich weiß ja, warum ich es mache. Nun habe ich aber entdeckt, dass es durchaus doch spannend sein kann.


Karen Duve - Anständig essen

Hoch gelobt von vielen - böse verurteilt von anderen. Die Autorin beschreibt ihre eigenen Erfahrungen. Als "Durchschnittsomni" möchte sie wissen, was Vegetarier, Veganer oder Frutarier dazu bewegt, sich solche Umstände mit dem Essen oder gar dem ganzen Leben zu machen. So beschließt sie, jeweils zwei Monate entsprechend zu leben. Das Buch ist chronologisch geordnet - zunächst die "Bio-Zeit", dann vegetarisch, vegan, und schließlich frutarisch. Es endet mit ihrem Fazit, und sie lebt nun fast vegan (daher die oben erwähnten bösen Verurteilungen). Zwischengeschoben sind informative Kapitel, z.B. über Milchkonsum. Die Stärke des Buches liegt nicht einfach im Informationsgehalt, sondern erstens darin, dass sich jeder Omni mit ihren Anfängen identifizieren kann und zweitens (und vor allem) in ihrer grandiosen Schreibweise. Keine Moralkeule, sondern sarkastisch-trockene Sätze liefern dem Leser die Fakten.

Ich habe das Buch gekauft, weil meine Mutter mir letztens mal wieder Hefezopf vom Bäcker andrehen wollte ("Ich glaube nicht, dass da Milch drin ist!" und "Ein bisschen bringt dich auch nicht um"), und ich es ihr zu lesen geben wollte. Dazu musste ich es aber natürlich zunächst selbst lesen. Sie war jedenfalls sehr begeistert von dem Buch und achtet mit ihren über 70 nun auch verstärkt auf das, was sie einkauft. Hafermilch statt Kuhmilch zum Beispiel. Und sie empfiehlt das Buch allen Leuten in ihrem Umkreis. Yay!


Bernd Drosihn - Tofu: Vom skurrilen Kampf um ein unscheinbares Weltnahrungsmittel

Aufmerksam wurde ich auf dieses Buch durch einen Zeitungsartikel: Von Tofu-Spakkern und Fleischbeamten. Insbesondere dieser Absatz hat mich interessiert:

"Das umstürzlerische weiße Material [Tofu] mit langer Tradition in der asiatischen Küche, das aus geronnener Sojamilch in einem Verarbeitungsprozess hergestellt wird, der dem von Käse ähnelt, wurde in Deutschland schließlich als „Milchimitat“ verboten. Erst seit 1989, nach einer erfolgreichen Klage vor dem Europäischen Gerichtshof in Luxemburg, dürfen Tofu und Sojamilch in Deutschland verkauft werden, ohne dass rechtliche Konsequenzen drohen."

Was? Tofu verboten? Unglaublich! Das Tofu-Buch wanderte sofort auf meine Amazon-Wunschliste, und ich versuchte völlig erfolglos, genaueres über das Tofu-Verbot herauszufinden. Glücklicherweise gibt es auch Leute, die etwas von der Juristerei verstehen, und so forschte einer nach. Hier sind die zugehörigen Paragraphen: Ein Stück Rechtsgeschichte: Tofu und Pflanzenmilch verboten.

Vor zwei Wochen war das Vegan-Vegetarische Sommerfest in Berlin, und ich konnte mich nicht zurückhalten, als ich das Tofu-Buch dort an einem Stand erblickte. Es ist recht dünn, und ich hatte es durchgelesen, bevor ich wieder in Paris war. Im Gegensatz zu Duves Buch ist es recht chaotisch geschrieben. Ganz grob chronologisch, aber es springt vorwärts und zurück, man weiß nie genau, von welcher Zeit jetzt gerade die Rede ist, oder was das Kapitel über die Bundeswehr mit Tofu genau zu tun hat. Dennoch ist das Buch sehr unterhaltsam, lehrreich und spannend, und ich kann es nur empfehlen! Allerdings eher für Leute, die Tofu sowieso schon mögen. Drosihn scheint jedenfalls ein sehr sympathischer Mensch zu sein, der den Mut hatte, seine Ideale und seinen Nonkonformismus auszuleben, und das finde ich, die immer eine gewisse "Sicherheit" als Hintergrundgefühl braucht, sehr bewundernswert. Tofu verboten - da komme ich immer noch nicht drüber hinweg. Aber solchen Leuten verdanken wir, dass wir Tofu & Co. heute in jedem Supermarkt bekommen - Danke dafür!

Vegan Planet

When I became vegan, I bought some cookbooks. One of those, Vegan Planet, I used a lot in the beginning, and then, somehow, not anymore. I don't know why - it looks pretty and the recipes were tasty. When I flip through it, I instantly remember the feeling of my first months as a vegan - a very good feeling of a summer full of discoveries and happiness and, most importantly, the friendship of some of the most wonderful people I got to know in my life. So my task last weekend was: Cook something from Vegan Planet!

For one day, I chose Chilled Ginger-Peach Soup with Cashew Cream - a soup that tastes like a smoothie! Perfect.

And for the next, Walnut Crusted Millet and Celery Root Croquettes, with the recommended Yellow Pepper Coulis. Very good! Although I did not taste much of the walnut crust, which is a pity.

Yeah, I will never become a food photographer :-)

So, if you are searching for another vegan cookbook for all occasions that looks pretty (no photos though) and tastes good, I can definitely recommend this one. It is very well suited for beginners, as it has a well-written chapter about "vegan basics", featuring nutrition, reasons for being vegan, hidden animal ingredients, and presenting food that the average omni has never used before, like flax seeds or tempeh.

Pancakes for breakfast

The most wonderful man in the world makes the most wonderful pancakes in the world for breakfast. So here's the recipe, including a recipe for chocolate sauce by our swedish friends.

Pancake with strawberries and vanilla oat whipped cream.

Preparation time: about 30 minutes total.
Suggested music: Swedish medieval music from Patriarkus!

Ingredients for the pancakes:

• 150 g flour
• 250 mL soy milk
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg replacement (e.g. 1 tablespoon soy flour; it seems this is not even necessary, we left it out and it still worked)

What to do:

1. Mix flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.
2. Add soy milk and optional egg replacement while stirring.
3. Pour small portions of the batter into a pan over medium heat. Brown lightly from both sides.

Pancake with vanilla oat ice cream and chocolate sauce.

Ingredients for the chocolate sauce:

• 1 part cocoa powder (the one used for baking)
• 1 part sugar
• 1 part water
• dash of salt

What to do:

1. Mix the cocoa powder and sugar in a small pot. Add the water bit by bit while stirring.
2. Bring to a boil on the stove. Let simmer until it thickens a bit.

Vegan travel to the north

Sweden is definitely a vegan paradise! It started already great, with two kinds of oat milk plus rice milk for breakfast in a hotel.

Breakfast corner for lactose and gluten intolerant people.

Here is a short review what we ate in Stockholm! First, I had to survive two days at a conference. Therefore, the first thing I did was to get some supplies at the nearly-vegan shop Goodstore.

After the conference, Manuel arrived. For a start, we went for the all-you-can-eat lunch buffet at Legumes in Södermalm. Nearly everything is vegan and the staff knew exactly what wasn't. It was all very good and we enjoyed it on a hot day outside on the terrace.

Legumes lunch buffet

We continued to the old part of the city, Gamla Stan. Apart from the amazing Science Fiction Bookstore that has also board games and roleplaying games, we plundered the sales counter of Sattva's bakery for some Kanelsnurror and T-bergis. Most things there are vegan, and they are all clearly labeled.

On the next day, which was a sunday, we wanted to visit the café that belongs to Sattva, on Kungsholmen. According to their business card, they were open. In reality, they were closed. We went there on another day, and were not fully convinced. A poor girl was working there alone and had just started her job. She did not know how to make any of the coffees. She tried to make espresso, but it was very... concentrated. But we got a tea for free! I hope they have taught her all that soon after our visit, because it was a bit depressing, and also not a very nice situation for her.

We had an early evening dinner at the all-you-can-eat buffet at Hermitage in Gamla Stan. It was a bit more expensive than the one at Legumes, but also very good.

Food from buffet at Hermitage

On the next evening, we went to Hermans. It was the most expensive buffet we had, but totally worth it. The huge outdoor seating area and the view over the water are just great. In the beginning, we were a bit confused, because we asked someone what was vegan. He had to get a list and then pointed out several things, but not very many. I could not believe this and asked a woman a little bit later, and she knew without the list that most things were vegan, only maybe three things contained cheese or yoghurt, and that was clearly visible. We were very hungry and did not take a picture of the food...

On our last evening in Stockholm, we went to Lao Wai. I had read that you have to book a table or to arrive very early. It was a tuesday, and we arrived when it opened, at 17:30 h. We did get a table, but had to promise to finish until 19:00 h when they would be fully booked. The food was gorgeous!

Gong Bao Su Rou

Ma Yi Shang Shu (I think...)

Nutty delight - chocolate panna cotta

The next day we travelled to Uppsala to visit some friends for a few days. Therefore, we did not go out for eating, but cooked at their place. Chili, BBQ, pancakes... Here is a little sample what you can find in a big enough swedish supermarket (ICA):

Oat milk, strawberry soy yoghurt, oat ice cream, soy cream cheese

Oh lovely Sweden! I totally recommend visiting it, regardless if you are vegan or not!

Stockholm

Yeast swirl with poppy seeds and nuts

Yeast buns are great, and poppy seeds make them even better. The recipe is slightly modified from Zucker.Haus.

Preparation time: 2-3 hours total, but a lot of waiting time in between.
Suggested music: Omnia - Twa corbiez (because the yeast bun was eaten during a Cthulhu gaming session with hungry ravens)

Ingredients for the dough:

• 400 g flour
• 25 yeast or 1 package dry yeast
• 125 mL plant milk (I used soy); use milk at room temperature to make the dough rise faster
• 60 g margarine, at room temperature
• 40 g sugar (depending on how sweet your milk is)
• 1 tablespoon soy flour

Ingredients for the filling:

• 100 g poppy seeds
• 100 g ground hazelnuts or almonds (I used a mixture)
• 50 g sugar
• 80 g bread crumbs
• 250 mL plant milk
• pinch of cinnamon (and cardamom, if available)

What to do:

1. Mix all the ingredients for the dough to prepare a yeast dough. It should not be super dry and not sticky. Better knead too long than too short. Cover and let rise (30-60 minutes, depending on temperature).
2. In the meantime, prepare the filling. Place the poppy seeds in a mixer and mix for a few minutes. They can be used without mixing, but they are a lot tastier when shredded. Not every mixer is able to do this properly though.
3. Mix the shredded poppy seeds with the other ingredients for the filling.
4. Lightly oil a cake tin (I guess it also works without).
5. When the dough has risen, roll it out to a rectangle, about 30x20 cm. Spread the filling and roll up. Fold in the middle and twist the two ends with each other. Place in the cake tin, cover, and let rise again for at least 20 minutes.
6. Brush the top with vegetable milk and add sugar crumbs, almond slices, or whatever decoration is lying around. Bake at 180 °C for 35-45 minutes.

Wassermelonencurry

(english version below)

Ein weiteres fruchtiges Currygericht von den veganfreundlichen Omnivoren aus Tübingen! Ich mag eigentlich keine Wassermelonen (ganz im Gegensatz zu Manuel), also nutze ich jede Chance, aus ihnen etwas besser Schmeckendes zu machen. Überraschend lecker, und perfekt für heiße Sommertage.

Das Rezept stammt aus einem indischen Curry-Kochbuch, das an sich sehr interessant klang, aber definitiv viel zu viele Fleischrezepte hat, als dass ich es haben wollen würde. Als Hauptgericht für 2 Personen oder als Beilage für 4.

Dazu passt sehr gut Rhabarberchutney! Ich habe Himbeeressig durch Balsamico ersetzt, geht auch, sieht nur nicht so hübsch rot aus.

Zubereitungszeit: 30 Minuten
Musik: Dresden Dolls (weil sie auf die selbe Weise seltsam, aber gut sind, wie Melonen in Curry zu packen) - Delilah

Zutaten:

• 1 Wassermelone von ca. 1 kg (oder 1/4 einer großen, oder 1/2 einer kleinen)
• 1,5 Teelöffel rotes Chilipulver (oder ein Mix aus Chili- und Paprikapulver)
• 1 Prise gemalener Kurkuma
• 1/2 Teelöffel gemahlener Koriander
• 1 Knoblauchzehe, gepresst
• 1 Prise Salz
• 2 Esslöffel Öl
• 1/4 Teelöffel gemahlener Kreuzkümmel
• 2-3 Teelöffel Zitronensaft
• Zucker (optional)
• wir haben noch hinzugefügt: gemahlener Ingwer, Currypaste

(Generell kann man auf jeden Fall mehr von den Gewürzen dazugeben.)

Zubereitung:

1. Wassermelone in mundgerechte Würfel schneiden (ohne Schale), dabei möglichst viele Kerne entfernen. Etwa 170 g der Melonenstücke pürieren.
2. Chilipulver, Kurkuma, Koriander, Knoblauch und Salz zum Püree hinzufügen.
3. Öl in einer Pfanne erhitzen. Kreuzkümmel kurz anrösten, dann das Püree hinzugeben. Hitze reduzieren und fünf Minuten köcheln lassen. Wenn etwa 1/3 der Flüssigkeit eingekocht ist, mit Zitronensaft und ggf. weiteren Gewürzen oder Zucker abschmecken.
4. Die Melonenstücke hinzugeben und vorsichtig rühren. Das Curry ist fertig, wenn die Melonenstücke erhitzt sind.
5. Mit Lieblingsgetreide servieren. Ich habe schon Quinoa und Reis benutzt.

Another fruity curry recipe from the vegan-friendly omnivores from Tübingen! I am not a big fan of water melons (in contrast to Manuel), so getting the chance to do something with them that makes them more tasty is great. The result is surprisingly good, especially on a hot summer day.

The recipe is from an indian curry cookbook that sounded very interesting, but had too many meat recipes to be further investigated. Serves 2 as a main dish, 4 as a side dish.


Preparation time: 30 minutes
Suggested music: Dresden Dolls (because they are weird in a good way, same as the idea of putting melon into curry) - Delilah


Rhubarb chutney goes very well with the curry, the recipe is here, but in german: Chutney.


Ingredients:

• water melon, about 1 kg
• 1.5 teaspoons red chili powder (or mix of chili powder and paprika powder)
• pinch of ground turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• pinch of salt
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2-3 tablespoons lemon juice
• sugar (optional)

(It definitely won't hurt to use mooooooore of the spices, plus ginger... and curry paste)

What to do:

1. Cut the water melon open, remove the peel and as many of the seeds as possible. Dice into bite-sized pieces. Take 170 g from the melon pieces and puree.
2. Add chili powder, turmeric, coriander, garlic, and salt to the puree.
3. Heat the oil in a pan. Add the cumin and roast for a few seconds. Then add the puree. Let simmer for 5 minutes. Add the lemon juice to taste, and sugar, if you think it necessary.
4. Add the melon pieces and stir carefully to coat them with the puree. Ready when hot.
5. Serve over your favorite grains; I used quinoa once, and once rice.

Defoliation

Ever eaten artichoke? Not from a jar? Sounds scary? Here's how!

Buy an artichoke with nice green leaves (no blackened ones) and cut the stem off right under the blossom. Place in a pot and add water, such that the artichoke does just not start swimming. Add a pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Depending on the size of your artichoke, simmer for 25-40 min. You can test if it is done by taking it out of the pot and testing if the lowest leaves come off easily. They should.

While the artichoke is in the pot, make some kind of dip. I usually do a thick salad sauce, approximately like this:

• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• some salt and pepper
• 1-2 teaspoons mustard (medium spicy)
• 1/2 teaspoon dandelion honey

When the artichoke is ready, take it out, let the water drip off, and place it on a plate. You might want to throw away the first leaves, but it depends on your artichoke. Dip the leaves in the sauce and use your front teeth to scrape the lowest, edible part from the leaf.

The leaves become thinner and thinner towards the center. Finally, you'll end up at the hairy center. I do not recommend eating it - the artichoke is a thistle, after all! Scrape it off with a knife.

If you had a really big artichoke, it might be necessary to remove a bit of fibrous material from the bottom of the remaining part at this stage. Then cut into little chunks, dip them in the sauce and enjoy the best part of the whole thing. Bon appétit!

Sign of life

Yes, we are still here, and still cooking. But somehow too lazy to blog. The man is very busy working at the moment, and the lasagna and the rhubarb crumble we made nearly two weeks ago were eaten long before we thought of taking a picture. So only a few random pictures of foooood today.

Green smoothie with salad, cucumber and banana.
Next time, definitely less cucumber...

Scrambled tofu from Vegan with a Vengeance
(I only have the iPhone App),
with tomatoes instead of champignons.

Freezer compartment thawing menu:
Seitan, peas, pasta (the latter was not in the freezer...)

I also made hemp milk for the first time, which was very tasty. I never knew what to do with the unshelled hemp seeds, but for milk, they are perfect.

Very weird is the fact that I am starting to like soy milk. Pure soy milk. Without sweetener and oil added. I never thought I could like that "beany" taste, but interestingly, taste buds adapt. Pretty cool.

Good news: happycow.net finally has an iPhone app. Which definitely needs improvement, especially for the offline use, but hey, it's a good start! We will be traveling to Sweden in June, so it is perfect.

Tame the lion!

How often do we vegans hear the sentence: "Oh yeah, vegan, cool thing, but I could never live without honey!"
...
Ok, not so often. But the truth is: There is vegan honey, and it's easy to make. We followed this recipe (german, lots of helpful pictures): Löwenzahnhonig. Next time, we will try to use more dandelions and less lemon, but it is already very good.

Preparation time: 2.5 hours in the evening, 2.5 hours in the morning
Suggested music: Dandelion, of course

Ingredients:

• 3 handful of dandelion blossoms (without bugs)
• 1 L water
• 1 kg sugar
• 1/2 lemon (juice and grated zest)

What to do:

1. Put the dandelion blossoms in a pot and add the water. Let rest for about 2 hours. Every 15 minutes, check for the little bugs that you oversaw during plucking and rescue them. They don't like the cold water, so they will crawl to the surface and look out for a helping deus hand ex machina.
2. Bring the water to a boil, then let cool and rest over night.
3. In the morning, decant the water. We used a noodle strainer for the big parts, and then filtered through two layers of kitchen roll paper.
4. Put the filtered liquid back in the pot (it should be a much larger pot), add the sugar and the lemon, and bring to a boil.
5. Let simmer for 1-2 hours without lid, until the consistency is honey-like. Put a small drop on a plate and let cool to check the final consistency.
6. Fill in clean glas jars and close.

Happy Easter!

A happy cruelty-free Easter to all of you! Celebrate spring and green and growth and sunshine. Send your good thoughts to all of our little friends who will never feel the warm sun on their feathers or fur, or smell the wonderful spring air.

(First attempt at yeast easter bunnies... Next year will be prettier!)

Sweet potatoes with coriander

I have to admit that I lost track of the banana project at some point. But they have all been eaten, and in very unspectacular ways. So it's time to move on!

Here's the veganized version of a very easy and quick sweet potato recipe from "Wok vegetarisch", one of my favorite cookbooks, although I don't even have a wok.

Preparation time: 30 minutes
Suggested music: Hel - Hämnaren (I hit "random" in iTunes)

Ingredients:

• 600 g sweet potatoes
• 2 tablespoons oil (for sauteing)
• 1 teaspoon coriander
• 2 tablespoons walnuts (I used cashews)
• 250 g soy yoghurt (commonly referred to as Yofu in Germany)
• 1 lime (I used a lemon)
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon oil (for dip)
• fresh or frozen cilantro
• salt & pepper

What to do:

1. Wash the lime, grate some of its zest and juice half of it (I did not use the zest). Wash and mince the cilantro. Mix with yofu, and season the dip with salt, pepper, and maple syrup. I usually add a little bit of oil to such dips, as it enhances the taste.
2. Peel the potatoes and cut into lengthy pieces about 0.5 cm thick. Heat oil in wok or pan and saute potatoes for 4-5 min. Add walnuts/cashews, until they become a little brown. Add coriander and season with salt.

Banana no. 8, 9, and 10 - and Swabian soup

My stomach protested against something last night (not bananas!), so I did not eat very much all day and am therefore lagging a bit behind with using all the bananas...

As mentioned a few days ago, I wanted to try the leftover gluten free pancakes with banana and chocolate sauce. It was ok, but it's definitely better with my usual crêpe made from wheat flour. Banana no. 8!

I love that plate!

In the evening, I tried to get my electrolyte balance back with something really salty and lots of liquid: Pancake soup! In southern Germany this is called Flädlesuppe. I used the last remaining pancake. This was actually pretty good, although I would still prefer the wheat pancake in there, it is not as stiff. Basically, you only cut a pancake in stripes and add hot vegetable stock.

To finally get some more calories into me that would stay in, I made pan-fried bananas. Oil -> pan -> sliced bananas -> turn -> cinnamon -> maple syrup. Banana no. 9 and 10!

I will keep that swedish cinnamon "kanel" glass forever!

Breakfast and banana milk

Featuring banana no. 5, 6, and 7.

Someone from the Paris Vegan Meetup Group told me about her breakfast with millet and buckwheat, and I thought it was interesting. I wanted to eat more millet because it's so terribly healthy, but I didn't succeed so far. Eating it for breakfast could solve this problem.

I am using roasted buckwheat (kasha) right now, but next time I'll try the unroasted version. It does have a very intense flavor... but I got quickly used to it, and now I like it. (Edit: I am using unroasted buckwheat b now, and I prefer it. It does not have that intense taste of the roasted version, and therefore the grains can be mixed with not-so-intense tasting fruits like apples also.)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup millet
• 1/2 cup buckwheat 
• (apple cider) vinegar
• fruit etc. to add (here banana and kiwi, dates and cranberries, unshelled hemp seeds or ground flax seeds)
• some sweetener if you feel like it (I use maple syrup)

What to do:

1. Soak the millet and the buckwheat (if using unroasted) for 24 hours in 1 cup of water each, with 1 tablespoons vinegar. (Soaking seems to be good for everything that could possibly sprout, read more at Bonzai Aphrodite.)
2. Wash and put in a pot with a little less water than before. Simmer over low heat until the water has been soaked up and the grains are soft (about 10 minutes). If using roasted buckwheat, add to the
3. Let cool and store in a container in the fridge. This amount is enough for one week of breakfasts for me.
4. Every morning, take 3-4 tablespoons of the grains and warm in a pot with a little water.
5. Add to a bowl with your desired fruit and stuff.

Oh, and banana no. 6 & 7 went into a late night banana milk.

I should probably eat more plain bananas as a snack, but to be honest, I don't like them "pure" when they are overripe. Plus, I forgot to take some to work. I am good at that...

Where have all the bananas gone?

The organic store close to my work often sells big bags of fruits and vegetables that do not look very pretty anymore for 1-2 Euros. Today I bought 2.5 kg overripe bananas.

Some of my Facebook friends were interested what will happen to them, so here we go: Banana no. 1-4: Banana bread!

Recipe at the Post Punk Kitchen. Changes: I used an estimated amount of canola oil due to lack of margarine. And plain soy milk without vanilla. And only 3/4 cup of sugar. And four bananas, obviously, because they were small and I had to cut away some definitely too ripe spots.

Filled gluten free pancakes

I baked gluten free cookies once. Since then, gluten free flours are blocking my fridge. Time to change that!

Preparation time: about 40 minutes
Suggested music: Dornenreich - In Luft geritzt; here's the first song from the album: Drang (Why? Why not?)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup corn flour (edit: quinoa flour works also very well and tastes even better!)
• 1 cup chickpea flour
• 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
• 2 cups soy milk
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• salt
• any spices you want; I used some coriander in the mixture, and some parsley for topping.
• oil for the pan
• ingredients for your filling; I used some leek, sauteed, added a bit of water+arrowroot to get a sauce, seasoned with salt, pepper, and mace.

What to do:

1. Mix flours, flax seeds, soy milk, baking powder. Add salt to taste (yes, raw chickpea flour tastes really weird!).
2. Add a tiny bit of oil to a pan and heat over medium heat.
3. Pour a bit of the batter into the ban. Bake for 1-2 minutes on each side.
4. If you want to fold them, do it quickly - they become relatively stiff when cooling.

One leek gave me enough filling for only two pancakes. Therefore I will try a sweet version tomorrow, and even pancake soup (pretty heretic with egg- and gluten-free pancakes, I guess...).

Alsatian field salad

(Elsässer Ackersalat)

A quick and easy salad for which I am not able to give exact amounts of ingredients. I always prepare it give or take a bit.

Preparation time: about 20 minutes
Suggested music: The subjonctiv song! (I ate this salad for the first time at a family celebration when I was 14. At the same time, I got my first CD player. And my first CD was Celine Dion. Now I am in France, and Alsace is also in France, so it has to be a french song. This one features many verbs in the dreaded verb form of the subjonctiv. Yeah!)

Ingredients:

• Field salad (for 1-2 persons)
• 1-2 pears (they don't have to be very soft, they will soften in the pan)
• soy sauce
• olive oil
• balsamic vinegar
• optional: some walnuts

What to do:

1. Wash the salad and put into a bowl.
2. Wash the pears and cut into quarters. Slice these into about 0.5 cm thick pieces.
3. Heat a bit of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the pears and saute until they become slightly translucent.
4. Remove from heat and deglaze with a bit of soy sauce (don't use too much, it might become to salty). When it has stopped steaming, add some balsamic vinegar. (Do NEVER add the vinegar to the really hot pan! This will smell awfully like acetic acid and hurt in your nose!)
5. Pour over the salad, add the optional nuts, mix and serve immediately.

Potato Pizza

Potatoes on Pizza? Oh yes! When challenged with what to bring to my vegan birthday party, italophile Laura presented this tasty pizza version.

Preparation time: about 90 min
Suggested Music: Woven Hand - The Good Hand (not italian, but beautiful)

Ingredients (for one average-sized baking tray):

• 400 g flour
• 1 package dry or fresh yeast
• olive oil
• 230-250 mL lukewarm water
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• salt
• about 600 g potatoes, peeled
• pepper
• rosemary

What to do:

1. Prepare a yeast dough with flour, yeast, 2 tablespoons olive oil, water, oregano, thyme, and 1 teaspoon salt. Let the dough rise at a warm place, covered with a towel, until it's about twice as big as before (about 30 min).
2. In the meantime, slice the potatoes into thin slices. Be happy if you have a kitchen machine that can do it. Otherwise, use a grater for uniform slices. Coat the slices in a little olive oil. That way they won't dry out in the oven.
3. Preheat the oven to 175 °C.
4. Knead the risen dough for a few seconds, then spread it on a sheet of baking paper on a baking tray. Add the potatoes. They should cover the dough, but not build up more than 2-3 layers. Sprinkle salt, pepper, and lots of rosemary on top.
5. Bake for 30-40 minutes. To test if the potatoes are finished, lift the top layer and try a potato from the bottom layer.
6. Serve with a big bowl of salad.

Chinese seitan salad

The veganized version of the one recipe that I make regularly from "joy of cooking". I got the book as a present and use it as a guestbook for vegans since then, and one day, oh yes, one day all those pictures and texts that tell you how to make something edible out of a whole bird or how to boost your cholesterol level with recipes containing 99 % eggs will have vanished under greetings and flyers and stickers! Serves 2-4.

I guess this would look prettier if it was not all mixed up in the big bowl, but this is my weekday dinner and I am hungry!

Preparation time: 20 minutes (if you have seitan and peeled peanuts)
Suggested music: Something assimilated... Nouvelle Vague - Bela Lugosi's Dead

Ingredients:

• 1 cup asian noodles (your favorite kind)
• 1 onion, chopped (the book says: 2/3 cup sliced scallions, but I can't eat raw onions :/ )
• 2 cups thin strips seitan
• 4 cups shredded Napa cabbage (Chinakohl)
• 1 cup peanuts 
• 1 can mandarin oranges (11 ounce)
• 1/2 cup canola oil (book uses peanut oil) + a bit of a more heat-stable oil for sauteing
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• chili oil or chili flakes
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce + a bit for deglazing
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
• salt & pepper

What to do:

1. Heat water in a pot and prepare the noodles according to instructions on the package. Place in a big bowl when finished.
2. In a pan, heat a little bit of oil (for sauteing) and saute the onion and seitan. Deglaze with a bit of soy sauce. Add to the bowl when finished.
3. Place cabbage, peanuts, mandarin oranges (keep the juice!) in the big bowl.
4. Prepare the sauce: 2/3 cup of mandarin orange juice, oil, lemon juice, chili oil/flakes to taste, soy sauce, ginger, salt & pepper to taste. Mix and enjoy.

Lentil rice curry with fruit

Real friends are easy to recognize if you are vegan: They don't annoy you with discussions. Instead, they cook delicious food for you. Here's a recipe from the best ever omnivorous friends from Tübingen. Serves 2.

Preparation time: 2 hours soaking, then about 40 minutes cooking
Suggested music: Moby has a free EP for download (Be The One) :-)

Ingredients:

• 100 g rice
• 100 g lentils
• 1 onion
• oil for sauteing
• 2-3 cm fresh ginger
• 1 clove of garlic
• 2-3 teapoons turmeric
• 2-3 teaspoons curry
• salt & pepper
• 1 teaspoon fresh cilantro
• lemon juice
• fruit! The basic mix is 2 apples & 1 banana. 1 apple can be replaced by anything you like. In sommer, nectarines are really great. Mango works as well.

What to do:

1. Soak the lentils and rice for 2 hours in 500 mL water.
2. Dice the onions and saute for a few minutes. Add minced ginger and garlic. Add turmeric and curry and roast for a short time.
3. Add the lentils and rice plus the soaking water. Let simmer until all the water has been absorbed (about 30 minutes). In the meantime, chop the fruit.
4. Add cilantro. Add salt, pepper, and lemon juice to taste.
5. Add fruit. Let simmer for 3 more minutes before serving.

Sacher Cupcakes

Today, someone mentioned Sacher torte. And posted a recipe (german). And I did not have chocolate since... I can't even remember (if I don't count the chili in I made on the weekend). Here is my version of this old and famous cake!

Preparation time: with baking and cooling and all about 90 minutes
Suggested music: Oh, we need something from Austria again... Georg Kreisler maybe? (The song is very old and about poisoning pigeons in the park - not very vegan ;-) )

Ingredients:

• 150 g flour
• 100 g sugar
• 100 g margarine
• 2.5 tablespoons soy flour
• 1.5 teaspoons baking powder
• 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
• pinch of salt
• 130 mL water
• about 4 tablespoons apricot jam for the filling
• 50 g semidark or dark chocolate + 2 tablespoons soy milk for glazing

What to do:

1. Put paper cupcake liners in your muffin pan and preheat the oven to 175 °C.
2. Mix all ingredients from flour to water to form a relatively sticky dough. 
3. Fill a tablespoon of dough in each of the wells. I got 11 half-filled ones. With a wet finger, press down the dough and flatten the surface. If your finger is wet, the dough won't stick to it.
4. Bake for 18 minutes (check with a toothstick). Take out of the muffin pan and let cool.
5. With a finger, poke a hole in each cupcake and fill with jam. Add a thin layer of jam on top of the cupcake.
6. Melt the chocolate in a hot water bath; take out of the bath and mix with the soy milk. Add a layer of this ganache on the cupcakes, being careful not to mix with the jam.
7. Chill cupcakes in the fridge until the ganache is a bit more solid.

What to do with cabbage

Spring is about to start, but the organic stores still have only the winter vegetables. I asked some veg*ans what to do with cabbage, and was told that it is perfect in african peanut stew. I love african food since I went the first time to the Africa in Tübingen, so I had to try this!

This stew is very tasty, but a bit frustrating concerning the freshly made peanut butter because it uses a lot at once. Peanut peeling time again! This is the recipe I used. I changed some things, and as it is in german, I'll translate it here. Serves 4, together with your favorite grains. I froze the leftovers, and will try to make Injera when I thaw it again.

Preparation time: about 45 minutes
Suggested music: I do not have any african music, but I listened to Irfan during cooking

Ingredients:

• 1 onion
• 2 carrots
• 1 small (!) cabbage (mine was small and it was still a lot... consider using half a cabbage)
• (the original recipe uses 1 red bell pepper in addition)
• oil for sauteing
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• chili flakes (amount depending on your flakes and your taste buds)
• 1 tablespoon mustard
• 1 can tomatoes
• 250 mL vegetable stock
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 4 tablespoons peanut butter
• 1 can kidney beans
• 1 can corn
• juice from two oranges (original recipe uses mango juice, to taste)
• salt & pepper

What to do:

1. Dice the onions. Peel the carrots and cut into smaller pieces. Peel the cabbage or wash the outer parts and cut into stripes.
2. In a large pot, heat the oil. Saute the onions and carrots (and bell pepper, if using) until the onions soften. Add chili, cumin and mustard and stir for a minute. Add the cabbage.
3. After a few minutes, and before the cabbage gets burned, add the tomatoes and vegetable stock, plus the thyme, paprika and peanut butter. Let simmer for 10 minutes (until the cabbage is soft).
4. Wash the kidney beans and remove the liquid from the corn. Add to the stew and heat through.
5. Add orange juice and salt & pepper to taste.

3rd Veganniversary

As a vegan, you have to be happy every day that you're alive, because, as everybody knows, it's no way possible to survive at all on a vegan diet. No proteins and such, you know. So, every year that you survive has to be celebrated! Manuel's veganniversary is in January, but we celebrated a bit later. Pictures are not too good, because he was late from the airport and we were terribly hungry ;-)

First: Tofu fish sticks (the german recipe can be found here) with a bit of salad (carrots & apple) and remoulade (vegan mayonnaise I won at the Paris Vegan Day with cucumber and herbs).

Second: Mac & Cheese with alibi green stuff (spinach). Still have sauerkraut left over!

Third: Little layer cake with vanilla pudding and blueberries. The dough I made as in this recipe, the pudding as described here, without the chocolate, but with vanilla soy milk and some extra vanilla. The blueberries I found somewhere in my freezer...