Zopf (Sunday Braided Bread)

When I grew up the traditional sunday braid was normal and the older I got the better I learned how to make it and later on I always wanted to make it and my mother was so astonished how good I could braiding the dough (it always looked so good).
As I grew older and older and moved out from my parents I still made the braid but since I'm vegan I let it and for many years I didn't make it or even eat it. Well the bought ones are coated with egg and sometimes I was too lazy to make the bread only for myself. AND one other reason I didn't make it again, cause there was a long time I only eat gluten free, cause to 50 % I shouldn't eat wheat and as everybody know the wheatfree dought isn't the same to the normal one and whenever I tried to make a braid I failed with the wheatfree dought. So I gave up.

I went back to the normal bread, cause the wheatfree flour is pretty expensive and it does not even taste as good as the normal bread. Well I still do eat wheat free, except of the bread.

Well yesterday while laying in bed I knew I wanted to make a braidbread, luckely I still had some flour at home and still some dried yeast and so, immediatly when I got up I started to make the bread. Unfortunatly tomorrow when I wanted to try it for breakfast I'm invited to a Birthday Brunchparty.



Zopf (Sunday Braided Bread)

Ingredients:

500 g (1 pound) wheat flour
1 pack dry yeast or 20 g fresh yeast
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
3 dl milk or soymilk
60 g vegan butter

Direction:

Mix flour and salt in a bowl and make a hollow in the middle. Add the yeast in the hollow and mix yeast with sugar. Melt butter, pour in the milk. Pour liquid into the flour. Knead everything into a smooth, supple dough. Cover the dough with a damp cloth to rise to double size and leave covered at room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 220 ° C. Braiding a braid from the dough (I made two smaller ones instead of one big one). Place on a plate covered with parchment paper. Coat braid with some milk and let it rest and rise for 10 min. In the middle of the oven bake for about 20 - 30 minutes (depend on the size). After baking take out of the oven and let the braid cool completely.

 

Enjoy your homemade sunday bread :)

 

How to braid the bread:

Aspargus and Leeks and a dish with tempeh and vegetables

As we had some really nice and already warm days, I was thinking what to create for light lunch on the balcony. Aspargus was for sure - when it's season I can't get enough of it. And I also like leek much so suddenly I had an Idea coming up. This dish is quite easy and fast done as bought the aspargus and leeks don't need much trimming. The fresh lemon and orange zest gives the dish a kind of freshness as well, so perfect for a sunny day either on the balcony or in the backyard of your house.


Asparagus and Leeks



Ingredients:
2 pounds medium asparagus
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1-1/2 cup leek, thinly sliced (white and light green parts only)
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh orange zest
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions
Cut off the tough ends of the spears and discard. Cut the asparagus into 1-inch pieces

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

While the water heats, cook the olive oil and add the leeks and saute until softened.

Add the asparagus to the boiling water and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until just tender. Drain and add the asparagus to the skillet. Add the lemon and orange zest and toss. Immediately remove from heat and serve.

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A few days ago I made a vegan mayonnaise - to be trou for the first time and it's taste is really good, though I'm  not a mayonnaise lover at all! And while I've done it I had another idea what I could try to do. I still had some almonds left and I'm not a big nut lover as well but I just wanted to make them, I don't like having things open and I'm not going to eat it just like it is. And so it came that I created this Miso-Almond Sauce. Luckely the almonds don't taste that strong in this sauce I could easly eat it and even liked it. AND it was just perfect with the vegetable and the tempeh.

Peas, Carrots, and Tempeh with Miso-Almond Sauce

Serves 4

30 minutes or fewer           

Ingredients:      

1 cup quinoa

3 Tbs. almond butter

2 Tbs. lemon or lime juice

1 Tbs. yellow miso

1 Tbs. grated fresh ginger

1 clove garlic, minced (1 tsp.)

1 Tbs. peanut or canola oil

1 8-oz. pkg. plain tempeh, cubed

4 carrots, halved and sliced into half-moons (1¾ cups)

2 1/2 cups sugar snap peas

Direction:

1. Bring 2 cups water to a boil. Add quinoa, cover, and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer 20 minutes, or until all water is absorbed. Remove from heat, and let stand 5 minutes.

2. Whisk together almond butter, lemon juice, miso, ginger, and garlic. Whisk in 1/3 cup water. Set aside.

3. Heat wok over high heat, until water droplets evaporate within 1 second. Add oil, and swirl to coat wok. Add tempeh, and stir-fry 2 minutes. Add carrots, and stir-fry 2 minutes. Add sugar snap peas, and stir-fry 1 minute. Remove from heat.

4. Fluff quinoa with fork, top with vegetables, and drizzle with miso-almond mixture.

Swiss Chard and Spinach Quiche

What's best about rainy days??? There is plenty of time to stay inside and do some cooking, cause being outside is just no option....
When I lived at an appartement in a house with just me and the owner, with a garden in the backround with my own part, I planted some vegetables. One was a zucchiniplant - and I got huge zucchinis and what I had also was coloured swiss chard. But since I've moved to an appartement on the second floor I only got a balcony, though we got a garden, but there (i guess) is no chance to plant something. All what I got on the balcony are some herbs and not yet some flowers.

I really loved the coloured chard but one bad thing is I can't buy it at the local supermarket - too bad, I searched and searched, but no chance. I wanted to try the quiche with the coloured chard, I guess the color would have been great - but I havn't found them at the stores and so I had to take the normal swiss chard.

Well the taste was great. I made the crust by myself, but can take as well an already prepared one, just look at the ingredients to be sure the crust is vegan!




Swiss Chard and Spinach Quiche

Ingredients
Yields 8 generous servings

Crust
45 grams oats
3 tbsp sesame seeds
125 gr whole wheat flour
½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp fine grain sea salt
80 ml  water
75 ml olive oil (plus 1 tbsp)
a pinch of black pepper

Filling
2 pounds / 1 kilo fresh spinach
1 pound / 500 grams fresh Swiss chard
1 medium onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
1 ½ tsp fine grain sea salt
1 tsp finely chopped thyme
pinch hot red pepper flakes
1 block of tofu, rinsed and patted dry
Paprika for dusting

Directions

Preheat oven to 190°C. Place a rack in the middle.

To make the crust, place the oats, sesame seeds, whole wheat flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper to the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade, and process until the oats are ground.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the water, and oil. Using a wooden spoon mix in the dry ingredients to form a dough.
Lightly grease a 10-inch tart pan with 1 tbsp of olive oil. Put the dough in the tart pan, and using your fingers and knuckles press down evenly, making sure to fill in the sides of the pan. Trim the tart of any excess dough, and refrigerate while you’re preparing the filling.

To make the filling, in a medium pan warm the 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the onion and the garlic, raise the heat to medium high, and saute' for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring until the onions start to get caramelized. Season with ½ tsp of salt, transfer to a medium bowl, and set aside.
While the onion mixture is cooking, remove and discard the tough stems of the spinach. Wash the leaves. Transfer the spinach to a pot and cook, covered, over high heat for 4 minutes, until just wilted. Drain in a colander, and rinse under cold water to arrest the cooking. Drain well and squeeze dry. Transfer to a cutting board, and chop fine.
Wash the swiss chard, and remove the white stems. Transfer the green leaves to a pot, add 2 inches of water and cook, covered, over medium to high heat for 5 to 6 minutes. Drain in a corlander, and rinse under cold water to arrest the cooking. Drain well and squeeze dry. Transfer to a cutting board, and chop fine.
Add the spinach and the swiss chard to the onion mixture along with the tofu, thyme, red pepper flakes, the remaining 1 tsp of salt and stir well to combine.

Fill the tart shell with the greens mixture and smooth the top with the back of a spoon. Dust generously with paprika. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until firm.

Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Eggplant Stacks with hot sauce

Good day monday is over. I really had a heavy and hard working day. When I came home I just throw myself on the sofa with a drink in one hand and just relaxing before doing some cooking.
And today work is much better, luckely cause I'm pretty tired.

On Sunday I made these good looking eggplants stalk as a light lunch. I have to say I'm not really an eggplant lover, but when I got a good recipe, yes I eat and like the eggplants. I just cooked them, set them aside while doing the sauce and ate them with the hot sauce. Of course any sauce you like will do it, but as spring is coming closer I made a fresh one.

Eggplant Stacks with Hot Sauce

Ingredients (2 large serves)

Eggplant
1 medium eggplant

Pea, Coriander, Lime & Mint Sauce
2 cups peas (frozen)
1 cup stock
1 cup chopped fresh coriander
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
Juice of 1 lime
Zest of 1 lime

  

Direction

Eggplant

Slice eggplants in 0.5-1 cm rounds
dry fry on a good non stick pan (or griddle if you want the nice lines) until tender and golden
be patient, undercooked eggplant isn't so yummy
when done keep covered to retain heat & cook another batch
whilst frying in batches make sauces

Pea, Coriander, Lime & Mint Sauce
defrost peas (leave out or pour boiling water over them)
chop herbs
zest & juice lime
combine all ingredients
blend to a smooth consistency

Back to the Eggplant Stacks
Assemble cooked eggplant
layering with sauce

chop & sprinkle with fresh coriander
enjoy!