sun on the table

A cold and sunny day we got. When I had lunchtime I wasn't sure if I should go home for half an hour or stay in the city. As it was so cold I went home for a short time. Mostly I went home, cause my cats had no "breakfast" and I assumed they must be hungry and so I went home to feed them. They weren't that hungry as I expected. One cat was really tired and ate really slow.

For lunch I ate some breadleaves with my leftover spread I made the day before.


Creamy Tapenade Spread

Ingredients
1 small garlic clove
1/4 heaping cup sun-dried tomatoes, drained
1/3 heaping cup mixed pitted Spanish & kalamata olives, drained
1 1/2 cup vegan cream cheese
a generous handful of fresh flat leaf parsley and basil
(2) large soft french bread loaves, cut diagonally (to serve)

Instructions
Pulse the garlic clove in the food processor by itself. Add and pulse the rest of the ingredients. Spread on soft French bread and say “Wow, this is marvelous!”

Makes about 3 Cups. Store in the fridge.

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Zucchini Noodles with Arrabiata Chickpea Sauce

Ingredients

Arrabiata sauce

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp dried red pepper flakes

1 red bell pepper, chopped

3 or 4 diced tomatoes, seeded, with juice

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

Zucchini pasta

2 to 3 zucchinis

olive oil

sea salt

black pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and sauté until the onion starts to caramelize, which will take about 10 minutes. Add the pepper flakes and red pepper and cook until the pepper softens, about 2 minutes.
2. Add the tomatoes and heat until the sauce begins to simmer. Lower heat and cook (uncovered) until thickened, about 15 minutes. Stir frequently.
3. Slice the ends off two to three zucchinis. Use a vegetable peeler to shave off strips of zucchini. It’s easier than you think it’ll be.
4. On a baking sheet, layer the zucchini a few layers deep, and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle some freshly ground black pepper on top.
5. Bake for about ten minutes, until the zucchini has lost its crunch.
6. Back to the sauce: stir in the basil and chickpeas. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Cook about 5 more minutes, until everything is heated through. Serve generous portions of zucchini pasta topped with arrabiata sauce!

Carrot burgers

I have a thing about magazinese, especially food magazines. I got so many and therefore so many recipes, beside my cookbooks. I have subscribed to two vegetarian magazine, with a lot of vegan recipes. I don't mind receiving vegetarian magazines as the recipe are easy to change into a vegan meal. The only difficult for me is to replace the eggs.

I love to get some inspiration in the magazines. 

 

In the newest magazines I got I found that recipe with the carrot burgers and it just looked and sounded good, that I had to try it out. 

Carrot burgers

 

Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 20 mins

Serve these carrot burgers with salad and a simple tahini sauce to make the perfect dinner or lunch. For a more substantial meal serve with a side of couscous or rice. 

 

Ingredients (6 burgers)

Burgers:

300g carrots

200g chickpeas

1 small onion

1 tbs tahini

1 tbs ‘spices’ (I used a Cajun mix)

Extra salt to taste

50g oatmeal

1 tbs chia or flax plus 2 tbs hot water

1 tbs red palm oil (or other oil) for frying

Dressing:

50g yoghurt of choice (or cashew yoghurt as I used)

2 tsp tahini

2 tbs lemon juice

 

Instructions

Coarsely chop the carrot and onion in a food processor and then add the chickpeas, tahini and spices and roughly mash through. Transfer the mixture to a sauce pan and cook for approx. 10 minutes stirring frequently to prevent sticking.

Once cooked, stir through the oatmeal and gelled chia/flax mixture. The mixture should be sticky but firm, if too sticky add a little more oatmeal. With wet hands form flat burger patties and fry them in a lightly oiled pan for a few minutes on each side until golden.

For the tahini sauce, mix all ingredients together well in a small bowl.

Drizzle burgers with tahini sauce and serve immediately.

 

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'5 minute' miso stew

 

 

 

Serves 1

Ingredients:

1 sachet miso soup mix

1 cup boiling water

1 tsp sesame oil

1 small onion or shallot thinly sliced

1 small carrot grated

½ cup cabbage thinly sliced (use Chinese cabbage if possible, or a white cabbage)

Handful of frozen soy beans

¼- ½ cup brown rice vermicelli (very thin) noodles

Sesame seeds to garnish

Method:

Add the onion, carrot and cabbage to a frying pan with the oil (you could use any veg that could be chopped finely). Fry for 5 minutes, using extra water to steam fry as necessary.

 

Meanwhile boil the kettle and add the miso soup mix to the cup of boiling water- stir to combine and set aside. Add the rice noodles to another cup of boiling water and add the frozen soy beans to another cup of boiling water. Let stand for a few minutes whilst the vegetables cook.

 

Drain the soy beans and noodles. And add to a serving bowl. Pour the miso soup into the bowl and then add the vegetables. Finish with a sprinkle of sesame if desired.



Pesto polenta bruschetta

Pesto polenta bruschetta

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients (serves 2-4)

• Quick cook polenta
• Water (amount varies depending on how much polenta used- see polenta packet instructions)
• 2-3 tbs vegan pesto divided between polenta and the topping
• 1 onion- chopped finely
• 2 handfuls tomatoes- chopped
• Half a red pepper- chopped
• 2 handfuls spinach
• A few sprigs of fresh basil
• Vegan parmesan- optional

Instructions

• Cook the polenta according to the packet instructions and then pour/spoon immediately into a lined loaf tin (size based on the amount of polenta you’ve cooked up). Allow to cool and set in the fridge.
• Once set, cut into 1cm thick slices before frying on a griddle for approx. 5 minutes. each side to achieve a slightly golden crisp coat (mine should have had a little longer ideally). You couod oven bale the polenta. Note any extra polenta can be stored in the fridge for a few days prior to its second cooking.
• Meanwhile, prepare the bruschetta topping by combining all the remaining ingredients and toss together with the remaining tablespoon of pesto.
• If serving the polenta hot, heat the topping through before spooning over. Alternatively, both polenta and topping can be served cold.
• Dust with a little vegan parmesan if desired.

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Thought dessert aren't my favorite - I used to love chocolate when being younger, but the negative thing was that I had overweight cause of the chocolate. When eating chocolate I can't stop.

But when I came across this recipe I had to try, it sounded just so good, AND the cake was good!!!!

You may wonder about the wine in it, but hey why not. There are many recipes which calls for alcohol. It tasted light winy and I liked it. Gotto do this cake again.

Make this cake the day before you plan to eat it, it taste much better a day after.

 

Red Wine chocolate Cake

 

 

 

Ingredients:
1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
¾ cup unrefined cane sugar
½ tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla powder
5 table spoons extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup strawberry jam
1 cup red wine

Direction:
Preheat the oven at 150 degree Celsius.

Combine all the dry ingredients together in a bowl. In a separate small bowl combine the red wine, strawberry jam and olive oil together. Pour the wet ingredients over dry ingredients and stir to combine well.

Pour the batter into a round pan which is greased with olive oil and dusted with cocoa flour. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until the toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let the cake cool well on a wire rack before you cut it.

 

Roasted red pepper soup

The  carnival is over I'm so glad about that, though I haven'd been going near it. Beside the supermarket most store are closed. The only good thing is, that the supermarket was almost empty, no long standing in a row at the cashierdesk. (hope it's written right).

Coming home into the warm, my stomach said "hungry". In my refrigerator I still had some pepper to be done befor getting all wrinkled up and I was thinking what to do with them. A sandwich or a soup? As for the cold weather I decided for the soup and it was pretty fast done.


Roasted red pepper soup

Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min

Ingredients:

50 g red lentils- ground
2 tbs olive or coconut oil
1 large onion- half chunky sliced and half finely diced
2 cloves garlic (or 1 tsp roast garlic powder)
1 tin of tomatoes
3 red peppers (half or 1 reserved)
400 g veg stock
Salt, pepper and cayenne pepper to taste

Method:

Halve and roast the peppers (reserve 1 half) until the pepper has blistered.

Meanwhile saute the diced onion and garlic for 5 minutes, and then add the peppers and all remaining ingredients to the pan and cook for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile sliced the remaining pepper half and roast the pepper and remaining onion slices for approx 8-10 minutes until golden.

Puree the soup mixture with a hand blender and serve with the extra pepper and onion slices on top.

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Oat bake with tomato and caramelised onions





 

Ingredients- oat base

 

½ cup oats

¼ cup buckwheat flower

½ tsp heaped baking powder

1 tbs ground flax/chia

1 tbs nutritional yeast (optional)

½ tsp stock paste or stock cube to taste

¼ tsp salt (or to taste)

1 tsp soy sauce/liquid aminos

1 tsp olive oil

¼ cup soy yoghurt

Approx. 3 tbs soy milk as needed

 

Ingredients- topping

 

1 small red onion- sliced

Handful baby vine tomatoes- halved

Few leaves fresh basil- shredded

2 tbs chutney of choice

 

Instructions

1. Mix the dry ingredients together and then add the wet ingredients and mix well well to form a thick but easily spoonable batter.

2. Spoon/pour into a baking rind/mini pie tin/muffin tins. Smooth the top and bake at 180C for approx. 10 mins until risen and just turning golden on top.

3. Whilst the oat bake is cooking, prepare the onion and fry for approx. 5 mins until soft and golden, adding the tomato after a couple of minutes. Just before removing from the heat add the chutney to heat through.

4. Serve the topping mix over the oat bake and top with shredded basil leaves.

Mediterranean stacks

Yesterday I had a good friend of mine over for dinner and I wanted to do something special for her. Though she always says: don't make something special that requires long time spending in the kitchen.
But I had that idea spinning in my head and I had to make it, no matter how long I had to stand in kitchen. I served the mediterrean stacks as a starter and for the main dish I made a asian dish (as we both love asian food).

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Mediterranean stacks with pesto and tomato sauce

Serves 4

Preparation 1 hour (includes cooling and chilling)

 Ingredients

For the stacks

• 35g butter
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 2 red onions, sliced
• 80g fresh baby-leaf spinach
• 1 tomato, deseeded and chopped
• ½–1 aubergine
• 1 clove garlic, crushed

• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 175g semi-dried mixed peppers, sliced
• 100g vegetarian goat’s cheese
• 3 tbsp chopped fresh basil
• ½ focaccia loaf

For the sauce

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 clove garlic
• 75ml vegetarian red wine
• pinch of caster sugar
• basil leaves, to garnish

• 1 onion, chopped
• 400g can good quality chopped tomatoes
• 2 tbsp sun-dried tomato purée
• good quality ready-made fresh pesto sauce

Method

1. Lightly grease and line four 7 x 6cm rings with parchment paper, then place on a lightly oiled baking sheet.

2. Melt the butter and garlic together in a saucepan over a gentle heat. Remove the pan, stir in the parsley and set aside to cool.

3. Heat half the oil in a pan and sauté the onions for 5 minutes, until softened. Stir in the peppers and sauté for a further 3 minutes. Add the spinach and cook for a further 2 minutes, stirring until it has wilted. Remove from the heat and stir in the goat's cheese, tomato and basil. Allow to cool.

4. Using a sharp knife, slice the aubergine into 8 x 1cm slices, each large enough to fit in the prepared rings. Heat the remaining oil and sauté the aubergine slices on both sides until golden. Drain well on kitchen paper.

5. Using a sharp knife, cut the focaccia lengthways to create 1cm-thick slices. Then, using one of the rings or a 7cm plain round cutter, cut out 4 rounds from the bread slices. Brush with the garlic butter. Place a slice in the base of each ring. Divide half the pepper filling between the rings and press down well. Top each with a slice of aubergine. Top with the remaining pepper filling and finish with aubergine slices. Cover and chill until ready to bake

6. Preheat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6 and bake the stacks for 30 minutes.

7. To make the sauce, heat the oil in a saucepan and sauté the onion for 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, wine, tomato purée and a good pinch of sugar. Bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes.

8. Remove the stacks from the oven and transfer to hot plates. Unmould and then arrange alternate blobs of the tomato sauce and pesto sauce around the stacks. Garnish with basil leaves and serve any remaining sauce separately. Serve immediately.

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Tofu, noodle and satay salad

 

 

 

Serves 4

Preparation 35 minutes +marinating

Cooking 8 minutes

 

Ingredients

 

396 g packet tofu, drained thoroughly

3 tbsp olive oil

2 carrots, cut into matchsticks

1 small head of Chinese leaves, shredded

300 g packet ready-cooked noodles

4 tbsp crunchy peanut butter

1 tbsp chilli sauce

1½ tbsp toasted sesame seeds

4 tbsp soy sauce

100 g mangetout, shredded

1 bunch of spring onions, cut into matchsticks

1 red pepper, cored, deseeded and sliced

100 g bean sprouts

5 tbsp sake

juice of 1 lime

Method

1. Cut the tofu into 2cm cubes and place in a mixing bowl. Toss in 3 tbsp of the soy sauce and 1 tbsp of the olive oil. Leave to marinate for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Meanwhile, toss together the mangetout, carrots, spring onions, Chinese leaves, pepper, noodles and bean sprouts in a large bowl.

3. Mix together the remaining soy sauce, peanut butter, sake, chilli sauce and lime juice and toss into the salad. Scatter over the sesame seeds.

4. Heat the remaining oil in a large frying pan and fry the tofu for about 8 minutes, turning occasionally until golden on all sides. Divide the salad between individual plates and top with the tofu.

Breakfast Wraps

Holy morning....sometimes I'm really glad that no one see me in the morning after getting up. My face, especially around the eyes, wrinkled. It almost seems like I have been pressing my face into my pillow.....

Late or early in the morning (3 a.m) I woke up and heard my neighbour coming home. I'm living in a house with 3 appartements, one on each flor and I'm on the second flor. Below and up on me there's a men living . I really like it here, they are very nice and friendly and at my age.

 

 

 

I know that strawberries are not really in season now, but I was in the mood for them, but feel free to take whatever fruit you like.

Breakfast Wraps       

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Wraps

3 cups sliced strawberries (about 1 1/2 pints)

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups milk

2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

1 teaspoon finely shredded lime peel

2 tablespoons lime juice

Eggreplacer (for 2 eggs)

 

Filling

2/3 cup whipping vegan cream

1 package vegan cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar                                           

1 tablespoon finely shredded lime peel     

 

Direction:                                   

1. In medium bowl, toss strawberries and 1/2 cup sugar; let stand at room temperature at least 20 minutes. Meanwhile, in separate medium bowl, mix flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, the baking powder and salt. Stir in milk, butter, 1 teaspoon lime peel, the lime juice and eggreplacer. Beat with hand beater until smooth.

 

2. Lightly grease 6- to 8-inch skillet with butter. Heat over medium heat until bubbly. Pour batter by slightly less than 1/4 cupfuls into skillet. Immediately rotate skillet until thin layer of batter covers bottom. Cook until light golden brown. Run wide spatula around edge to loosen; turn and cook other side until light brown. Repeat with remaining batter, greasing skillet as needed. Stack wraps, placing waxed paper between each; cool completely.

 

3. Meanwhile, in chilled small bowl, beat whipping cream with electric mixer on high speed until stiff; set aside. In medium bowl, beat cream cheese on high speed until fluffy; stir in 1/2 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon lime peel. Gently stir in whipped cream.

 

4. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the filling down center of each wrap; fold sides over filling. To serve, place 2 wraps on each of 6 plates. Spoon strawberries over wraps.

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Creamy Avocado Potato Salad

Ingredients:
2 lbs yukon gold potatoes, cut into 3/4 inch chunks
1-2 Tbsp cilantro
1 clove of garlic, peeled
1 ripe avocado
1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
juice of 1/2 lime
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper (optional)
1 small Roma tomato, seeded and chopped
1/4 small red onion, finely diced
1/4 cucumber, finely diced

Directions:
1. Put the potatoes in a pot and cover with cold water. Cover the pot and bring the water to a boil. Lower the heat and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, until the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork, but still firm. Drain and rinse with cool water; drain and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, place the garlic clove and cilantro in the food processor and process for about 10 seconds. Add the avocados flesh, olive oil, lime juice, salt, and cayenne into the food processor and puree until smooth.

3. Put the potatoes, tomato, onion, cucumbers in a large mixing bowl. Add the avocado mixture and mix well, being sure not to mash the potatoes. Taste and add more salt and lime juice, if desired.

Basler Carnival

Today started the three special and historical days in Basel (City). It's Carnival time. A time I really don't like and always avoid the city during these days. And on Monday early (4 a.m.) starts the carnival in the dark while all light turned off and right at 5 a.m. the light of the laterns go one and a huge amounth of people taking part walking down a small road down to the center city. I'd never taken part of it and probably never will do so, though everone said as a citizien you must have seen it, it must be a special moment. Too many people, overcrowded, too loud - defently not mine. And for many people it's fun and they drink to much alcohol.

 

Through these three days the serve some special food called "floursoup", "Schenkeli" (sweet), Carnivalcakes (Fasnachtschüechli) (sweet), "Fastewähe" (a special bread with cumin on it, not bad), onion-, and cheesepie, etc. etc.

Some of the recipe I will post here

 



Basler Mehlsuppe (Floursoup)

 

 

For 4 persons

 

Ingredients and preparation:

 

Add 5 Tablespoons of flour in the stew pot with good heat, roast, stirring till lightly getting brown, cool slightly

Add 60 g butter into the flour mix, add 1 onion into strips, and steam a few minutes

Giving 1 litre vegetable broth, cold, boil while stirring.

Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally

100 g cheese such as Gruyère rub

 

Preparing:

Prepare the soup the day before, cool down. Store covered in the refrigerator. Carefully reheat.

 

Serving:

Spread soup into pre-warmed plates, sprinkle cheese discretion in or serve separately.

 

Note:
Well it's not really a vegan recipe, but can easly made so. It's taste is just not really mine, but for those who are curious, try it out.

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«Ziibelewaije» (Onionpie)

 

Ingredients (for 4 pieces of onion Flans)

for the dough:

190 g organic flour

20 g organic yeast

Half TEASPOON sugar

Organic whole milk 5 TABLESPOONS pasteurized (tempered)

2 TBSP oil

a pinch of salt

for the topping:

little oil

500 g onion

80 g Bacon from the region (in fine diced)

 

for the topping:

2 not too large eggs (of Swiss organic)

150 g organic sour cream

freshly ground black pepper

1 Pinch cayenne pepper

little salt

noble sweet paprika powder

little cumin seeds (pound)

and also:

round baking pan

 

Preparation:

Sift the flour into a bowl. Dig a little deeper into the flour. Stir the yeast with the sugar and the tempered milk and pass them into the recess. Mix the contents of well with some flour, knead but still no dough with the rest of the flour in the bowl. Places you now the Bowl covered in a warm place and let your dough good 10 minutes go up.

 

Now add the oil and the salt and mix your dough with flour in the bowl. Knead the whole well until a smooth dough is formed. Let rise again covered for a good 30 minutes in a warm place the dough.

 

Red light district from the dough on a surface sprinkled with flour and then put it in a round baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

 

Peel the onions, cut them and cut the onions then thinly sliced. They heat little oil in a frying pan, stir the Diced Bacon and tightening them briefly, before they admit the onions. Drag the onions just until translucent (warning: not yellow or even Brown will surely make!).

 

Whisk the sour cream with the egg to form a piece and season them with freshly ground black pepper, a pinch of cayenne pepper, little salt (watch out for the saltiness of the bacon!), noble sweet paprika and some crushed cumin seeds.

 

Distribute the onion / Bacon mixture on the dough and pour the cast about. Bake your onion Quiche in the lower half of the oven preheated to 220 ° C for around 35 minutes. Perfect your onion Quiche tastes, if you serve them still warm!

 

 

Fastewähe: (special bread with cumin on top)