Radicchio, Radish and Fennel Salad

It's 4 o'clock in the afternoon and I was almost the whole day outside, enjoying the bright and really warm day. Right now we got temperature over 10 °C. it almost feels like springtime at the last day of january.

 

After Therapy in the morning I stopped at a friends home and we spend a great time talking and laughing. We discussed a lot about peoples health and other stuff.

When I was at home unpacking my groceries I realized that on pack of prepared sauerkraut got a hole in the pack and all the sauce in my bag. Everything smelled like sauerkraut! What I've done the first thing was to wash my caring bag, hopefully the smell will be gone.



 

 

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This salad is really a pefect winter salad or even an early spring salad. All it's freshness and crunch from the winter salad fixings.



Radicchio, Radish and Fennel Salad

Serves 8

Ingredients:

Salad:
1/2 cup pine nuts
1 large head radiccio, quartered and thinly shredded
6 small radishes, thinly sliced
1 small fennel bulb, trimmed, halved and thinly sliced
1 large cucumber, sliced itno 1/4-inch matchsticks

Dressing:
1/2 cup mint leaves
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1 Tbs. pure maple syrup
1 1/2 Tbs. Dijon mustard

Direction:
1. To make Salad; Toast pine nuts in skillet over medium heat 5 min., or until golden brown. Transfer to plate to cool.
2. Combine radiccio, radishes, fennel and cucumber in large bowl.
3. To make Dressing; Purée mint, lemon juice, oil, maple syrup and mustard in blender until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Add dressing to salat; toss to coat and garnish with toasted pine nuts.

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This is the cheese-free, noodle-icious, rich and hearty lasagna you may have dreamed of. A blend of Tofu and vegan cream cheese makes a creamy substitute for the ricotta usually used in Lasagna.

 



 

Ultimate Vegan Lasagna

 

 

 



Serves 8

Ingredients:

Filling:
2 tsp. olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped (2 cups)
3 gloves garlic, minced
1 10-oz bag fresh baby spinach
2 12-oz pkgs. firm tofu, drained
1 8-oz pkg. vegan cream cheese
1/4 cup nutritional yeast

Lasagna:
5 1/2 cups red sauce
12 uncooked whole-wheat Lasagna noodles
12 oz vegan italian sausage, cut into thin rounds, or vegan sausage crumbles, broken apart
1 cup shredded vegan mozzarella cheese

Direction:

1. To make filling: Preheat oven to 375°. Heat oil in skillet over medium high heat. Sauté onions and garlic in oil for 4 to 5 min., or until golden. Add spinach and cook 2 to 3 min. Transfer to bowl of food processor. Add tofu, cream cheese, basil and nutritional yeast and blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Spread one quarter of red sauce on botton of a medium big baking dish. Cover with 4 or 5 noodles, then half of filling, and ladle on another one-quarter of sauce. Repeat layer of noodles and remaining filling. Spread sausage evenly over top, and top with one-quarter of sauce. Finish with final layer of noodles and remaining sauce. Sprinkle with mozzarela.
3. Cover with foil and bake 30 min. Uncover and bake 15 to 20 min. more or until noodles are tender and topping is melted. Let stand 10 min before serving.

Enjoy!

Creamy Pumpkin Oats with almonds

Breakfast is usually something when I just eat fruits and two leaves of Bread topped with Jam. I'm not much into cooking early in the morning. Last morning I changed my mind and made some cooked oats with pumpkin puree (made the evening before).
It was faster done than I thought and very good, maybe this was just what it needed to change my mind about my breakfast.

Well I'm a swiss girl and you may think that I must love "Birchermüesli", but in fact - I don't really do so. I guess when I was at the hospital for a longer stay I ate too much of Birchermüesli. I never ate it since then and that was back in 2008. I didn't even tried corn flakes with milk. Bad remeberies!
Until now......guess I needed some time to get over it.

Creamy Pumpkin Oats with Toasted Almonds

 

Cook time: 10 mins

Serves: 1

Ingredients

• ½ cup rolled oats
• ½ cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• scant ½ cup water
• pinch each salt & cinnamon and flaxseed meal
• 2 Tbsp pumpkin puree
• 1.5 Tbsp brown sugar
• ¼ cup almonds, crushed

 

Instructions

1. Bring the almond milk and water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add oats and salt and reduce heat to medium.
2. Stirring occasionally, cook for 2 minutes and then add pumpkin. Cook for 3-4 minutes more or until creamy, being careful to stir often.
3. In the meantime, toast almonds (or another nut) in a pan over medium-high heat until dark brown on all sides.
4. When ready, remove oats from heat and add flaxseed, cinnamon, brown sugar and stir.
5. Put the oats in a bowl, top with almonds and serve with your favorite fruits.

 

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Salad is just such a great dish. With almost everything you can prepare a salad.

What I like most is when the ingredients got different colors, it just looks greater. AND this salad looks great with its color and with orange in the salad the taste was different but so great- try it out. It may even change your mind about Beets if you're not a beet lover....

 

 

Beet and Orange Salad

 

 

 

Serves 2-4
1 bunch fresh spinach leaves
3 navel oranges
5 beets

Dressing:
2 Tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
1/3 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbsp sherry vinegar
3 Tbsp fresh orange juice

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Wash the beets and trim off the greens and pointy ends. Place the beets on a sheet of foil on a baking sheet. Cover with a light coat of olive oil and wrap the foil over them so they are covered. Cook for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until beets are soft, but not slimy.

Mix the ingredients for your dressing together and set aside. Slice your oranges into thin slices.

Once your beets have cooked and cooled, slice them into medium slices (about 1/2 inch thick) and plate your spinach. Arrange your beets and orange slices in alternating layers atop the spinach and cover with the dressing. Garnish with some parsley. 


Bean and veggie mini burgers

I woke up earlier than I wanted but didn't get up, I was still tired. Luckely I fell asleep again. Being awake too early in the morning isn't that much fun. But no wonder, cause I fell asleep yesterday evening in front of the TV (again!) and I missed the final show of a tv show taking pass in the jungle of Australia.
Lately I get so tired after dinner and when I lay down on the sofa I immediatly fall asleep and wake up after midnight.

I don't even realize it and beside the cats (sleeping as well) there is no one to wake me up.


 Bean-and-Veggie Sliders   

FoodCocktail partyDinnerDinner partyGingerKidney beansLunchMain courseSlidersSnackVietnameseWhole wheat bread

 

These mini bean-and-veggie burgers are a inspiration from a Vietnamese sandwiches. I changed some ingredients to get this burgers. 

Blended beans and rice are the basis of these sliders, which are supercharged with grated carrots, broccoli, and ginger. Top them with cilantro and sliced mango for the brightest burgers ever.

            

 

Prep Time 20 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Yield Makes 12

Ingredients

2 cups cooked kidney beans

1 cup steamed jasmine or basmati rice

1/2 cup shredded carrot

1/3 cup shredded broccoli

2 tablespoons grated ginger

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

12 small whole-wheat rolls, split

Garnishes: Chili Mayonnaise (see below), lettuce, mango, red onion, and cilantro

Directions

1. Pulse beans in a food processor until mixture resembles ground meat. Pulse in rice. Stir bean mixture in a bowl with carrot, broccoli, ginger, cilantro, and flavor base.
2. Form into twelve 2 1/2-inch round patties (1/4 cup each). Cook in hot oil over medium-high heat until golden, about 3 minutes per side. Sandwich in rolls, adding garnishes.

 

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For dinner I needed a cheese sauce and therefore I already prepared it after lunch time to safe some time in the evening.

 

Basic Cheeze Sauce

 

 

Prep Time: 10 mins

Ingredients (1.5 cups)

• 3/4 cup raw cashews
• 1/2 cup vegetable broth
• 2-3 garlic cloves, to taste
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/4 tsp onion powder (optional)
• 1.5 tsp kosher salt , or to taste
• Freshly Ground black pepper & your desired dried or fresh herbs

Instructions

• Add cashews into food processor and process until fine crumb. Be careful not to over-process and release the oils. Now add in the rest of the ingredients, to taste, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Makes 1-1.5 cups.

Rainy night and after a bright and sunny day, how wonderful. The temperature rised.

I had to go up early this morning, I had an apointement in the city. First I thought about shopping a little bit in the city in the afternoon, but after the whole morning being out was enough and I was hungry.

At home I needed a something for lunch. This soup was just the right light lunch "snack" after this morning. I eat it with a wholegrain bread leaf with a vegan spread.

Lemongrass Scented Butternut Squash Soup

 

     

Serves 4 dinner portions; 6-8 side dish portions

• 4-5 medium butternut squash, chopped into 1 inch chunks
• 3-4 stalks of fresh lemon grass
• 1 apple, chopped
• 32 ounces of vegetable stock
• 1/2 inch piece of ginger, cleaned and peeled
• regular coconut milk, to taste

1. Place the squash, apple, lemongrass, ginger and stock in a pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer until squash is fork tender.
2. Let the mixture cool for about 5-10 minutes. It should still be warm, but not hot. Pick out the lemongrass stalks. Puree using an blender. Reheat to desired temperature when ready to serve.
3. Spoon soup into bowls. Pour 1-2 tablespoons of coconut milk in each bowl before serving.

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Zesty Red Quinoa Salad

 

                     

Serves 4 to 6

• 1 cup red quinoa
• 1½cup water
• 1/2 sweet potato, diced and parboiled
• 1/2 red pepper, diced
• 3 kumquats finely chopped, plus a few slices for garnish
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon good quality maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro, plus a little for garnish

1. Soak the quinoa in hot water for 5 minutes. Strain and rinse. Put in a pot with the 1½ cups water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover, and cook until water is absorbed and quinoa is tender, about 20 minutes.
2. Transfer the cooked quinoa to a large bowl. Add the sweet potato, red pepper, kumquats, olive oil, and maple syrup and mix to combine. Add the cilantro and lightly toss. Serve hot, at room temp, or cold. Garnish with chopped cilantro and sliced kumquat.

 



Fennel and Mushroom Lasagne

When I was cruising in the web I came across a picture that shows a vegan meal chart. I really wish we would have this here in switzerland!!. We only have a few restaurants who serve "some" vegetarian dishes I know two restaurant who serves vegan meals. That's not much for a city with about 171'000 Inhabitants with a lot of vegan women and men.

I guess I have to move over the sea to the USA or a big German city where the possibilities are better for a vegan woman.

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Fennel and Mushroom Lasagne

 



I love lasagna but I rarely have the time to make it. I have learned that, like pizza, you don't need to top it with cheese (or cheese substitutes) to make a great lasaga. I make mine nice and saucy so it does not dry out and have yet to be disappointed. The fennel is a nice flavour addition here, and the sausage and mushrooms provide great texture.

 

INGREDIENTS

 

- 9 lasagna noodles

- 2 tbsp oil

- 1 fennel bulb, trimmed, halved, and thinly sliced

- 2 cloves garlic, chopped

- 1 small red pepper, diced

- 1 small yellow pepper, diced

- 8 oz sliced cremini mushrooms

- 5 king oyster mushrooms, sliced

- 3 vegan sausages chopped

- 1 tsp oregano

- 1 tsp basil

- 1 tsp salt

- freshly ground pepper

- 1 recipe tofu ricotta

- 2 jars spaghetti sauce

 

METHOD

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

 

1. Cook lasagna noodles as per the directions on the box.

 

2. While noodles are cooking, heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Saute fennel for 10 mins, until softened and lightly browned. Add peppers and saute for 3 mins.

 

3. Add mushrooms and spices to the pan and mix well. Add a few splashes of water to the pan to help steam the mushrooms. Cook for 5-7 mins, until mushrooms are soft and liquid is reduced. Add sausage and mix well. Remove from heat and let cool.

 

4. Assemble the lasagna. Cover the bottom of a large baking dish with spaghetti sauce and top with three noodles. Spread half of the tofu ricotta on top of the noodles, and top that with half of the mushroom mixture. Top with more spaghetti sauce and then three more noodles. Repeat.

 

5. Cover the top noodles with a thick later of spaghetti sauce. Cover dish with foil and bake for 60 mins. Remove foil and bake for 30 mins, or until sauce has thickened. Let sit for 20 mins before cutting and serving.

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While grewing up my mother used the saffron mostly only for rice. But now older and living on my own I use saffron a lot for vegetable.

Half a year ago I bought a special saffron flavor mixture powder for a vegan paella. Since then I use the powder sometimes and the color and taste it gives to the dish is just great. So I you see somewhere and already prepared special saffron paella powder get it.

 

This time I used the normal saffron as not every one got the paella powder.

 

Saffron Stewed White Beans

 

Ingredients

• 2 cups dried white beans
• 1 1/2 quarts vegetable stock (or water)
• 1 onion, diced small
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 16 ounces whole peeled tomato, crushed by hand
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 pinch saffron threads
• 2 tablespoons harissa paste
• Salt, to taste

Directions

1. In a large stockpot over medium heat, place vegetable oil and onion. Cook until translucent, than add tomato, bay leaf, saffron, and vegetable stock.

2. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook until beans are done throughout. Strain beans and set aside.

3. Return pot to heat, add harissa, and remaining beans. Cook 15-25 minutes, or until beans are soft, but not overcooked. Season with salt to taste.

Tomato relish with jalapeno and chile

Saturday morning a bright and luckely sunny day. Waking up by sunnyshine feels much better than with seeing bad weather. The mood changes immediatly.

While preparing some lunch, my brother asked to if I had something up this evening and if I'd like to go to the cinema. He said their going to see "Hobbit". I had to think about it, but then I said no, cause I don't want to spend some money on a movie I don't want to see. Hobbit 3D may be good but I never watched the earlier movies they made.  My brother understood. I would have been the third leg anyway.

 

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Tomato relish with smoked jalapeno & arbol chile

 

Makes 1 1/2 cup

• 3 pounds ripe heirloom tomatoes
• 4 Jalapeno peppers
• 4 dried arbol chiles
• 1/2 cup Canola oil
• 1/2 teaspoon Asafetida powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric powder
• 1 tablespoon black mustard seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
• 2 sprigs curry leaves (~ 20-24 leaves)
• 1.5 teaspoons brown sugar
• kosher Salt to taste (~ a tablespoon)

1. Set a large pot of water to boil. When it comes to a rolling boil, add the tomatoes, allowing for the skin to split. Remove the fruits carefully using tongs and cool down enough to peel the skins off. Remove & discard the top scar from the tomatoes. Set aside.               
2. In skillet, toast the arbol chiles till they just begin to brown, Set aside. Add the fenugreek to the same skillet and allow to toast to a reddish color. Lower the heat and add the curry leaves. these should curl up & dehydrate without browning. Set aside to cool. When cool combine the fenugreek, curry leaves & the arbol chilies & grind to a fine powder. Set aside.
3. Roast the jalapeno over the stove top till the skin blisters. Drop into a paper bag (ensuring that there are no smoldering ends!) to cool & rub off the blistered skin off. Cut, de-seed, chop and add to the blanched tomatoes. Blend the two into a puree in a food processor.
4. Heat the oil in a skillet. When smoking hot, add the mustard seeds to sputter. Carefully pour the jalapeno/tomato puree and stir in the asafetida, salt & turmeric. Boil off the liquid from the paste until the oil starts oozing from the mixture. (the consistency will be that of a thick paste) Add the sugar and the arbol chili spice blend (adjust as per taste & heat tolerance) and mix to combine.
5. Cool & store in clean glass jars in the refrigerator. The heat from the chili peppers tends to mellow down overnight. Given the variations in jalapeno heat, I'd advise starting with two green chilies & adding more half way through the cooking process if you prefer.

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Caponata Italiana

Yield

4 servings

Ingredients

• 3 ounces green zucchini
• 3 ounces yellow squash
• 3 ounces red bell pepper
• 3 ounces eggplant
• 2 ounces green zucchini
• 2 ounces white onions
• 2 ounces tomato sauce
• 1 ounces basil
• Olive oil
• Canola oil, for frying
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Slice the onions and start to sweat them in a large pan, add olive oil and some basil.
2. Dice all the vegetables (except eggplant) and them into the pan. Fry the eggplant separately in canola oil, add the tomato sauce and cook for 6-7 minutes. Keep the vegetable crunchy, and add the basil and the eggplant. Season with salt and pepper. Serve at room temperature.
3. Suggestion: It is better to prepare the Caponata in advance to allow the flavor to develop.
4. Serve with your favor seitan or tempeh.

Soy curls chili

It’s been cold here lately. I just wanted something that warm me up from inside. Maybe you just feel the same sometimes. It calls for a hearty dish for dinner.

I stockpiled a few bags of soy curls in my pantry, so I thought I’d give chili a try, using the curls instead of TVP. I also switched a bit, using diced tomatoes more than tomato sauce and using some green pepper for added texture and flavor. The result was a bowl of hearty chili that is both filling and warming – just what you need on a cold winter’s night.

 

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups Soy Curls
• 2 cloves Garlic, minced
• 1/2 medium Onion, diced
• 1/2 Green Pepper, diced
• 1 1/2 cups Light Red Kidney Beans
• 1 15 oz. can Diced Tomatoes
• 1 cup Tomato Sauce

 

• 1/2 cup Water
• Chili Powder
• Onion Powder
• Ground Mustard
• Ground Cayenne
• Paprika
• Yellow Mustard
• Hot Sauce
• Salt & Pepper

 

 

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, add the soy curls and cover with hot water - let sit for at least 10 minutes.
2. In a large pot, add one or two tablespoons of water and heat over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and green pepper and saute for 10-15 minutes, adding a bit more water as needed to deglaze the pot.
3. Once onions are soft and translucent, drain the soy curls and add them to the pot. Cook 5-10 minutes longer, stirring occasionally.
4. Add in the diced tomatoes and cook down for 5-10 minutes.
5. Finally, add in the beans and tomato sauce, stir well, and then add in all of the seasonings, hot sauce, and mustard. Stir well, cover, and reduce heat to low.
6. Simmer for at least 30 minutes.
7. Serve with a dollop of mustard and vegan sour cream.

 

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Quite a different tomato soup, it may sound strange at the beginning but the result is just that great. Try it out!

 

 

 

Tomato orange soup

1 small yellow onion, peeled and chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons butter, divided (Earth Balance)
10 roma tomatoes, cored and chopped
1/2 cup orange juice concentrate
1 cup vegetable broth
1 tablespoon flour (gluten free ap)
1 cup almond milk
sea salt, to taste

Sauté onion and garlic in one tablespoon butter.
Transfer to high speed blender with tomatoes, orange juice concentrate and vegetable broth – puree until smooth.
In large saucepan, melt remaining 2 tablespoons earth balance. Add flour, stir until golden brown and blended.
Add almond milk, stir until creamy.
Add to tomato mixture in blender, continue to blend, add salt as needed. Transfer back to saucepan to heat through

Garnish with sliced or cubed tomato, dried basil and oregano. Serve over rice or quinoa, with grilled cheese, crackers or stuffed waffles.

 

Lime Risoni with Fried Tofu and Basil

I hadn't tried many time to cook risoni. The first time the risoni sticked to the bottom and sticked together.- the taste wasn't overwellming. I wasted it the next day. The second time I had no guests and was stirring well to beware the risoni to stick at the bottom. The taste was quite different second time, defently better than the fist time.

Lime Risoni with Fried Tofu and Basil

 

 

 

The Pasta:

• 1 and 1/2 dl risoni (orzo) pasta
• juice of 1 lime (about 1/4 dl)
• 1 huge garlic clove (or 3 normal), pressed
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• salt and black pepper to taste

I cooked the risoni in plenty of water for 8 minutes, then drained it, and tossed with the other ingredients in the cooking pot. While the pasta was cooking, I prepared the tofu.

The Tofu:

• 200 g firm tofu
• 1 onion, cubed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 and 1/2 tablespoons light soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
• 1/2 teaspoon agave syrup or sugar

I cut the tofu in tiny cubes without pressing it first, and heated the oil in a frying pan. I first fried the onion for a few minutes, until it started to get a little brown, and then added the tofu to the pan. I kept on frying it until most sides of the cubes had browned. Then I mixed the soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, liquid smoke, and agave syrup together, and poured this mixture to the pan. I kept on frying until the liquid had evaporated, and then I was ready to plate the lunch.

Also needed:

• chopped basil leaves to garnish

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Chickpea Omelette

 

1/3 c dried chickpeas, ground into powder
1 tbsp flax seed, ground into powder
1 tbsp chia seed ground into powder
1/2 c non-dairy milk
1/4 c water
salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste
cayenne, to taste
turmeric, to taste
1/2 tsp baking powder
onion, chopped
mushrooms, chopped
bell pepper, chopped
1/2 c baby spinach
vegan cheese subsitute

1. Combine the ground flax and 1/4 c water. Let them sit and get all congeal-y while you chop your veggies.
2. After about 5 minutes, dump the chia seed, chickpeas, milk, spices, and baking powder into the congealed flax. Give it a good mixin'. If you think the batter is too thick add some more water.
3. Fold in all your veggies, save half the spinach for the inside, and pour your omelette into a hot oiled pan.
4. Cover with a lid and cook for 5 minutes or so.
5. Flip and cook for 5-6 minutes, leaving the lid off.
6. Add 1/4 cup of spinach on the inside along with your favorite non-dairy cheese.

Black Bean Burgers with Avocado Mango Salsa

The weatherforcast says that it's going to be sunny today. It was bright sunny till lunch time but then came the fog and it was fogy the whole rest of the day.
At least I had a sunny lunch meal....... just the right meal to get some power for cleaning up my apartement. While cleaning I'm always glad I'm not living in a house, an apartement is faster cleaned up than a house.

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Black Bean Burger Buns stuffed with Avocado Mango Salsa

 

Serves 4

 

Black Bean Burger Buns

• 1 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/4cup sundried tomatoes, packed
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch mixed with 2 teaspoons water
• 1/2cup raw pumpkin seeds, shelled
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs/panko
• 1/2 onion, roughly chopped
• 1/2 red pepper, seeded and roughly chopped
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• teaspoons chipotle hot sauce (more/less to your taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (more to taste)
• few grinds of fresh black pepper

1. Use your food processor for this part and add all of the above ingredients and pulse until crumbly but not pureed.
2. If it seems really wet, add some more bread crumbs. Taste and season for salt and pepper.
3. Form into 4 patties. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium high heat with some olive oil. Cook two patties at a time and flip after about 5 minutes to the other side. Remove from skillet and drain excess oil on paper towels.
4. Cool for 5 minutes and split burgers in half with a bread knife. Stufff the inside with avocado mango salsa.

              

Avocado Mango Salsa

• 1 avocado, peeled and mashed
• mango, peeeled and chopped
• juice and zest of 1 lime
• 2handfuls grape/cherry/mini heirloom tomatoes, quartered
• 1 scant handful cilantro, chopped
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Combine all in a bowl.

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Mustard-Crusted Tofu with Kale and Sweet Potato

 

                

 

Serves 4

• 1pound extra firm tofu
• 1/2cup whole grain dijon mustard
• 4tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, sliced
• 1tablespoon minced fresh garlic
• 1bunch kale, coarsely chopped
• 1 small sweet potato, sliced in 1 cm thick half moons
• 2tablespoons fresh lime juice

1. Cut tofu into eight 1/2-inch-thick slices. Arrange on kitchen towel and weigh down with cutting board; drain 10 minutes. Spread both sides of each slice with mustard.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and ginger; sauté 1 minute. Add kale, sweet potato, and lime juice. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook until potato is tender and kale is wilted, about 12 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in another large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add tofu; cover and cook until heated through and crisp, about 2 minutes per side (some mustard seeds may fall off tofu- you may find it easier to turn with a fork).
4. Arrange kale and sweet potato mixture on plate. Overlap tofu slices atop vegetables and serve.

      

Tomato, squash and spinach curry

This morning I wasn't sure wether it was tuesday or wednesday. This happens without a job, the day passes by.
My sister came over for a cup of coffee and she wanted to try on my skidress. Well it was a little bit small for her. Maybe she will take it for skiing in february. I don't care if she takes it as long I get the dress well bake, cause it was quite expensive. After I crudled myself into a blanket on the sofa and was watching TV. Very lazy I know, but I was a little bit tired and why not for an hour or so......?

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Tomato, squash & spinach curry

 

 

 Serves 4

Prep 5 mins          

Cook 25 mins   

Ready in 30 mins

 

 

Ingredients

1 large onion , halved and sliced

oil

2 tbsp madras curry paste

1 small butternut squash , about 500g, cut into chunks

5 tomatoes , quartered

100g spinach , roughly chopped

steamed Basmati pilaff , to serve

 

Preperation:

1. Cook the onion in 1 tbsp oil for 5 minutes until softened. Add the curry paste and cook for 3 minutes. Add the squash, tomatoes and 200ml water, stir well.
2. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes until the squash is just cooked and the tomatoes have broken down. Stir through the spinach and leave for a couple of minutes to wilt. Season and serve with basmati rice.

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 Tangy roast pepper and walnut dip




Ingredients

• 1 tsp each ground cumin and ground pimenton (smoked paprika), plus extra to serve
• 6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil                                                                  
• 100g walnuts halves
• 225g roasted red peppers from a jar, drained
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 1 garlic clove , crushed
• 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses (or substitute lemon juice or red wine vinegar)

Preperation:

In a pan, heat the ground cumin and pimenton in the olive oil until fragrant. Combine the rest of the ingredients in a food processor, then season with salt and pepper. With the motor running, slowly pour in the spiced olive oil until incorporated. Add a tbsp of water if it's too thick. Scoop into a bowl and serve with freshly ground black pepper and pimenton on top.

Corn Salad

 Good luck I have a day off, cause I forgot to settle my alarm clock - therefore I sleept till 9.30. I must have tired. Even yesterday evening I fell asleep in front of the TV. This happend three times the last week. I always miss the TV show I want to see, damm (sorry!)



Corn Salad

 

Finished!

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The ingredients came almost entirely from the farmers' market.

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Even husking corn is fun! (Although husking is great activity for interested children...)

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Drying the grape tomatoes, just like we did the blueberries a few weeks ago, gently in a kitchen towel.

4 of 18 Photo by Food52

Now, the recipe called for two quarts of grape tomatoes. This is a lot of tomatoes. Luckily, there'a trick for slicing all the little buggers in half. First, get two lids (deli or quart container...

5 of 18 Photo by Food52

Cover them with the other, inverted, lid.

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And while applying even pressure, slice between the lids. A very sharp chef's knife works well, as does a serrated knife. You're left with perfectly halved tomatoes in roughly one millionth...

7 of 18 Photo by Food52

8 of 18 Photo by Food52

9 of 18 Photo by Food52

We chose to use the optional quart of sugar snap peas, but we didn't use them raw, instead we blanched them for 2-3 minutes in boiling, salted water. If the sugar snaps are gorgeous and perfectly...

10 of 18 Photo by Food52

11 of 18 Photo by Food52

12 of 18 Photo by Food52

After shaving the kernels off, Merrill was sure to scrape the cobs with the back of her knife, to get all the corn milk out of the cob.

13 of 18 Photo by Food52

Once the sugar snaps were blanched, we peeled off their strings, and cut them in thirds.

14 of 18 Photo by Food52

15 of 18 Photo by Food52

After tossing all the vegetables together, we seasoned (guess how...) and used 4T of balsamic vinegar.

16 of 18 Photo by Food52

As the salad sat, the corn released some its juices, dressing it a bit. It was lovely.

17 of 18 Photo by Food52

 

Serves 4

• 8 ears of white corn or canned corn
• 2 quarts cherry tomatoes
• 3 tablespoons high-quality balsamic vinegar
• 1 medium red onion
• 1 quart sugar snap peas (Optional)
• 1 handful rough-chopped basil or flat-leaf parsley (Optional)
• salt
• pepper

1. Strip raw corn from ears. Yep, raw. You can use a fancy corn stripper or just run your chef's knife down the side of each ear about 8 times.
2. Slice all cherry tomatoes in half or quarters depending on your preference.
3. Chop the red onion into a large dice.
4. If using the sugar-snap peas, cut in half or thirds to make more bite-sized. If you're not using them, and you want a little green for visual appeal, some roguh chopped basil or flat-leaf parsley will do the trick.
5. Toss all vegetables in a bowl, along with the vinegar, salt and pepper.               

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Sorry no picture! The battery was low and I had no new ones!

 

 

Eggplant and Tomato Curry

 

Serves 4-6

• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 onion, sliced
• 4 Japanese  eggplants, sliced 1/2 inch thick
• 1 serrano chile, seeded and chopped fine
• 1 teaspoon coriander
• 14 ounces canned diced tomatoes, with juice
• 1/4 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1. Heat oil in a large frying pan until it shimmers. Add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds and heat about 30 seconds, until they pop.
2. Add the sliced onions, and stir occasionally over medium high heat until they are deep brown in spots (this will take a while, but makes a big difference to the taste and they won't burn if you are careful).
3. Add the eggplant and fry until the skin is turning brown and the flesh just starts to soften. You may have to add a little more oil.
4. Add the chile, coriander, garam masala, tomatoes, and salt and pepper. Turn heat to medium low and cook until the eggplant is soft. Add a little water if it is getting too dry but it will be more solid than watery.
5. Serve with white rice              



Crispy "Chicken" Salad

The first time I ate a chicken salad was when I stayed in the USA for 3 month. At home we were not used to eat a chicken salad. So when I was back to switzerland I had to try it by myself. I had to improve a little bit and the more I've done it the better it got.

Now I really love it and eat it various times.

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Crispy "Chicken" Salad

Ingredients
1 bag nuggets, baked and diced
Romaine lettuce, torn
Fresh spinach, torn
1 tomato, diced
1 avocado, diced
1 cucumber, sliced, then quartered
Vegan pepper jack cheese and/or cheddar, shredded
Green onions, sliced
Tortilla chips, broken up

Vegan Ranch dressing:
1 C Vegenaise
1-1/2 tsp lemon juice
6 Tbs almond milk
1/2 tsp dried chives
1/2 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp dried dill
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper

Directions
I tend to put everything in separate bowls and let everyone create their own salads. To make the dressing, just whisk everything together in a small bowl and transfer to a pourable container.

Refrigerate the leftovers. Enjoy!

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Wild rice with clazed carrots and Tofu

 



 

Ingredients
3 tsp. olive oil, divided
2/3 cup wild rice or wild rice blend
6 oz. extra-firm silken tofu, cut into 2-inch strips
1 cup peeled baby carrots, sliced lengthwise
9 cherry tomatoes, halved (2/3 cup)
2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 Tbs. lemon juice
2 Tbs. chopped parsley, plus more for garnish
3 cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbs.)
1/2 tsp fennel seeds

Directions

1. Cook rice according to package directions.
2. Heat 1 tsp. oil in nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add tofu, and cook 5 minutes, or until browned, turning once. Transfer to plate.
3. Add remaining 2 tsp. oil to skillet, and reduce heat to medium. Add carrots to skillet, and cook 10 minutes, or until softened and beginning to brown, stirring occasionally.
4. Add tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, parsley, garlic, and fennel seeds, and simmer 2 minutes, or until liquid is thickened and reduced, stirring occasionally.
5. Stir in reserved tofu; cook 1 minute, or until heated through. Season with salt and pepper, if desired, and serve over rice garnished with additional parsley.

Serves 2.

 





Multigrain Bread

As I'm having a bread maschine I had a time when I always used to made my bread in there instead of buying one. But then came a break and I was only buying the bread. But selfmade bread is still better than the buyed ones. I still had a bought mixture I had to made. It's a gluten free mixture and fast done.


Multigrain bread

Ingredients.:

300 g wholemeal rice flour
20 g corn starch
150 g quino sourdought powder
20 g Teff flour
10 g sunflower seeds and linseed
1 tsp. salt
1 sachet of dried yeast

Preperation:
Mix the contents with the sachet of dried yeast. Add 450 ml luke warm water and 3 table spoon of oil.

Stir in the mixer for 5 minutes until the dought is well mixed. Put the dought into a greased loaf tin and smooth the top of the bread with a wet knife.

Preheat the oven to 225 ° C. Let the bread rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.

Just before baking, put a dish of boiling water in the bottom of the oven.

Bake the bread for 10 min., then reduce the heat to 200 °C and bake for another 40-50 min.

After baking, let is cool for 5 min. then take it out of the tin. Leave to coll completely before cutting.

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I often like to make my own chickpea spread, but lately I've been leaning heavily on another plant-based purée: white bean dip. With little more than canned beans and lemon juice, it's almost easier than hummus; there's no mess of transferring tahini paste into the blender.

 

White Bean and Rosemary Dip

 

 

Ingredients

One 15 oz. can cannellini or white beans, rinsed and drained
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary leaves
1 clove garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more if needed
1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. In a small food processor or blender, combine the beans, lemon juice, rosemary, garlic, olive oil, and salt. Purée, adding another tablespoon of olive oil if the mixture is still coarse, until smooth. (The dip can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week.)

Makes 4 to 6 appetizer servings.

 

 

Zucchini-Bell Pepper Pizza

The night was bright and calm. When  I woke up in the middle of the night I didn't need any light. The rooms were are all filled with a kind of light from the snow outside. When I looked outside it was snowing against my window.
I went back to bed and instandly fell asleep again. It must have been a windy night, cause
when I entered the kitchen and looked out on the balcony I saw my compost bucket laying on the floor, covered with snow.

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Zucchini-Bell Pepper Pizza

 

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 small red onion, cut in half then thinly sliced
• 1 cup sliced bell peppers
• 1 small zucchini, sliced
• 1/2 cup pizza sauce, no added sweeteners
• 1 (10- or 12-inch) whole-wheat thin pizza crust
• 1/2 cup diced sun-dried tomatoes, or 2 Roma tomatoes, sliced
• 8 green olives, diced
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
• 1/2 cup shredded vegan mozzarella cheese

 

Directions:

 

Preheat oven to 450°.

 

In a large skillet, add oil, and sauté on medium-low heat for 1 minute, the garlic, onion, bell peppers, and zucchini slices.

 

Spread sauce over the crust, leaving 1 inch around the edges dry. Evenly distribute onto crust the garlic, onion, bell peppers, zucchini, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, basil, and vegan mozzarella cheese.

 

 Preferably, place pizza directly onto middle oven rack. Otherwise, place pizza on a large cooking stone or cookie sheet.

 

Bake 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

 

 

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Marinated Tomato Salad

Serves 4

 

Ingredients

• 6 medium tomatoes, diced
• 2 green bell peppers, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon agave nectar
• 2 tablespoons vinegar

 

Directions

 

Combine vegetables; sprinkle with agave nectar, salt and pepper to taste. Add vinegar and stir.

 

Let sit 2 hours before serving.