Vegan Cevapcici with vegetable sticks

Summer weather and time is coming more up and closer. I just love the time, cause I feel like full of energy to prepare something I can't remember eaten as a omni-Person. 

Anyway since vegan - I've prepared dishes I never could have imagne to eat as a omni, kind of strange - but somehow knowing to prepare it the vegan way, just wants me to try - like the tune month ago. AND I love the vegan Tuna - faboulous! 

Anyway back to offical post - Vegan Cevapcici done after some tries.  The good thing about preparing meat-alternatives is, that I can ajust the spices I like. Won't miss it!!

Having a opend package of soy granules waiting in the cupboard to be prepared before over time I had various possibilities of way to prepare.

What I decided today were those Cevapcici - just being in the mood for it. 

Hope you like and enjoy it as much as I did. 

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Vegan Cevapcici

40 min
4 Persons

Ingredients 
1 cup soy granules
vegetable broth
1 tsp mustard
1 tsp tomato paste
3 tablespoons chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, pressed
2 tablespoons oil
4-5 tablespoons Seitanpowder
2 tbsp wholegrain spelled flour
Salt, pepper, parsley, paprika, oregano, ...

Preparation
Drain the soya granules for 10min in boiling vegetable stock, then squeeze dry.

In a bowl with all other ingredients knead well until you get a pliable mass. If necessary add more Seitanpowder.

Form Cevapcicis or meatballs form and either grill or bake in the oven at 200 ° C for 30 min until nicely brown.

Serve with grilled or baked vegetable sticks filled as desired


Quickly made Barbecue-Sauce for the Cevapcici

Ingredients:
5 tsp. dijon mustard
2 garlic cloves
1 Tbsp. Molasses
pinch of salt and pepper
3 Tbsp. mustard
1 Tbsp. sesamoil
2 Tbsp. soysauce

Preparation:
Peal the garlic cloves and pressed trough the garlic press. 

In a bowl mix the garlic the left ingredients and mix with the hand blender till you get smooth cream. 

Season with salt, pepper and cayenne pepper

Serve and enjoy! ;)

Potato Vareniki with sauerkraut

Springtime can be so inspiring, especially in the kitchen. 

Having potatoes left from the day before I thought about what to do with them, instead of frying or making a potatosalad. 

I know that fermented vegetables are healthy as the contains a lot of enzyms witch logicaly are healthy for the body. Having still two packs of sauerkraut in my refrigerator I knew I had to eat more of it as I really like it. No wonder with the power of enzyms. 

Anyway. I graved my books for an idea how to bring the potatoes and sauerkraut together. Of course I've could made just a kind of stew (I forgot the name of, well East-style), but stews I had enought the last days. 

And then an Idea - found in a book - came up and I was immediatly caught by it. The idea I found it - is an old russian cookbook (not really vegan) I inherit from my grandmother (miss her). Thought I can't remember if my grandmother ever made and served them. Anyway. 

Good Idea to make this dish. Thank you grandmother for the book! 

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Potato Vareniki with sauerkraut

Ingredients for 4 people

300 g spelled flour
50 g of soy yogurt unsweetened
Salt
150 g sauerkraut (canned, well expressed)
200 g boiled potatoes from the day before
1 onion
4 tbsp sunflower oil
ground black pepper
1 tsp cumin
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
150 g radishes
2 stalks spring onions

Preparation:

For the pastry flour, knead yogurt, a pinch of salt and 120-150 ml of water to a smooth dough. The dough should not stick, otherwise add a little flour. Wrapped in foil 1 hour let it rest.

Meanwhile, chop the cabbage coarsely, peel potatoes and grate coarsely and chop the onion. 

Sauté onion in 1 tbsp oil in a pan. Add Cabbage and potatoes and  fry for 3 minutes. Season with spices.

Divide the Dough into portions and roll thin (2 mm) out. With a glass (10 cm diameter) cut out 20 circles. Brush Dough with a little water. Put 1 tablespoon of filling in the center. Fold dough from both sides over the filling and press down well.

In a large pot boil salted water. Give dumplings into the boiling water and cook for 4-5 minutes. Drain well good. 

Cut Radish into quarters, cut leeks into rings. Heat the remaining oil in a large skillet. 
Sautè the Pierogi with radishes and leeks quite strongly. 

Season with salt and serve.

Enjoy the meal!

Miso Sesam roasted yellow squash

On the weekend with great sunny, warm days I went walking toward the forest wanting to harvest some fresh arugula, Years ago I found a good place where a lot arugula grew, and so I made a walk up there. First I wasn't finding immediately, but after a while there it was and I harvest a big amount. 

On my way back home I was thinking what to prepare with it, as there are so many possibilities. 

From the first amount I made a argula pesto for the next day and for today I planted to use it topped over a warm dish. 

I stopped at the marked a grapped some yellow squash. The dinner was born. 

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Miso Sesam Roasted Yellow Squash

4 - 6 Persons

Ingredients:

500 g yellow zucchini, halved, seeded and cut into thin pieces

2 Tbsp. sesame oil

1 Tbsp. Molasses

1 tsp. tamari

1 Tbsp. agave nectar

1 Tbsp. yellow miso

1/4 cup fresh squeezed (or bottled) orange juice

1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

4 Tbsp. water

one big extra firm tofu, pressed, cut into cubes

Topping as desired

Preparation:

Preheat oven up to 220 C, rack in the middle

Take a large bowl and toss the cutted squash with 1 Tbsp. sesam oil. Grease a baking sheet and spread the squash over it and roast for 40 minutes, turning over half in time. Till golden on both sides. 

Meanwhile wisk together Molasses, Tamari, Agavenectar, Miso, Orange and Lemon Juice, Lemon zest, water and the remaining tablesppon of sesame oil. Add the cubed Tofu and toss well, till the tofu is all over covered, set aside to marinate. 

When the squash is golden on both sides, remove from oven, transfer in a baking dish and pour the tofumixture over it and toss. Bake uncovered for about 30 min till almost all the marinate disapeared, remove and season if needed. 

Serve topped with some roasted sesame seeds, arugula and and rice, serve immediately with lemon wedges.

Mushroom-Curry with Almonds

Curry's are well know an loved - before cooking I always think what compares best with the ingredients, and sometimes the dish just happens.

Weeks ago I made some pickled shiitake mushrooms - I've prepared for Appetizers. 

Today I was in the mood for a curry with mushrooms and I thought about using the pickeled shiitake in the curry. 

Well the pickled shiitake takes time (about 2 weeks) but if you like pickled food, the waiting is quite worth it. Weather your using the pickled shiitake in this recipe, it taste good anyway. 

Feel free to do the way you like and enjoy!

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Mushroom-Curry with Almonds

2 Persons
45 min

Ingredients:
250 g mushrooms
100 g Pickled Shiitake Mushrooms (Recipe below - not fast done) or just soak them for at least an 1 hour in the required ingredients),,,,,
half a onion
50 g carrots
125 g rice
salt
1.5 EL rape oil
50 g frozen baby peas
pepper from the mill
dried thyme
1.25 tbsp curry powder
0.5 EL flour
0.15 l soymilk
50 g soycream
20 g almonds without skin
1.25 stalks parsley

Preparation:
Clean the muschroom, maybe half them.Drain the buyed pickled Shiitake (otherwise drain the self short pickled Shiitake). 
Peel Onion and chop fine. Clean, peal Carrots and cut into cubes. 

In a pan with boiling broth cook Rice according to packed. 

In a frying pan, preheat oil and strongly fry the the mushrooms, add the vegetables and fry further 5 min. Taste with salt, pepper and thyme. Dizzle the currypowder and flour over it, and deglaze with Soymilk and Soycream, cook and let cook for 2-3 min. 

Meanwhile fry the Almonds in pan without oil and set aside, wash parsely, shake dry and cut into strips. Add to the mushroompan.

Drain the cooked rice and arrange on a plate and top the Mushroomragout, garnish with chopped Parsely and Almonds. 


Pickled Shiitake Mushrooms:

4 cups dried shiitake mushrooms
   (about 1⁄3 oz.), stemmed
1 cup light or dark soy sauce
1 cup sherry vinegar
3⁄4 cup sugar
2  3" pieces fresh ginger, peeled

1. Put mushrooms into a medium bowl, cover with 5 cups boiling water, and press mushrooms down with a plate to keep them submerged. Let steep for 15 minutes. Strain mushrooms through a sieve set over a medium bowl, reserving 2 cups liquid.

2. Combine mushrooms, reserved liquid, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and ginger in a 4-qt. saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Remove pan from heat; let cool. Transfer ingredients to a 1 1⁄2-qt. container, cover, and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

MAKES ABOUT 6 CUPS

Lentil-Spinach-Curry with Naan Bread

I badly have to admit that I didn't have spending very much for my blog....... I had just so much going on and in the evening I was so tired after work, that all I wanted to do is relaxing, keeping the cookingpart pretty short. Mostly I prepared was just something so fast and unspecial - not really worth for posting.

Sometimes - as I'm just one person - the effort for great cooking special food is just too much. But I made myself a promise to post more - and I have to say preheat some of the posted dishes may not come with the very best picture, the Handycamera is sometimes just faster done, than preparing all the lights arranging around the plate, position the camera and so on and on... Hope you can imagine.

Anyway, now I have one week off from work -glad about that, I hardly needed vacation. AND to start my vacation this very delicious curry came out. 

The ingredients are pretty simple as most curries, but does it always be special to be good dish. ?? No

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Lentil-Spinach-Curry

Serves 4
35 min

Ingredients:
150 g onions
500 g carrots
2 tablespoons oil
3 Tl fruity curry powder,
200 g of yellow lentils
500 ml vegetable stock
200 g baby spinach leaves
1 Pk.Naan bread,or flatbread
1 organic lime
200 g of soy yogurt
Salt

Direction_

Halved onion, cut into 5 mm wide strips. Peel carrots and cut diagonally into 1 cm thick slices. Heat oil in a large pot, fry the onions on medium heat for 3min until soft.  Stir in carrots and sauté further 2 minutes.

First only stir under 2 tsp curry powder and then the lentils. Add the vegetable stock and 300 ml. water, and bring to the boil, cover and cook for 25 minutes at low heat.

Meanwhile, clean the spinach, then wash and spin dry. Freshen naan bread according to package directions. Stir spinach under the curry and coincide. Wash the lime hot, dry and peel finely rub 2 teaspoons. Mix the lime zest with the soy yogurt.

At the stir the remaining curry powder into the curry and season with salt. Serve with lime yogurt and naan bread.


VERY DELICIOUS! 

Miso Gratin

I really had some hard working weeks behind me and finally having weekend all I wanted is to relax with doing nothing.

But the thing about being the only person at home - I have to feed myself....... 
Sometimes I really wish to come home and dinner is already done and all I could do is sitting at the table and eat. 

Anyway, I'm used to it. 

There is one good thing about that "being alone" - I can cook what ever I am in the mood for - no asking "What would you like to eat today?".... ;)

For dinner I wanted to made an asian dish - and I really love asian food! Looking into my refrigerator the opend Misobox and Tofu just smiled at me - hmm, vegetable I do have some left to be done - so why not making a Gratin. 

Wondering about an asian Gratin - well I did so too, but I just went on trying what will come out - and the result was just great! Creamy with the misoflavor. Quite stomachfilling - but too good to stop...

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Miso Gratin

6 Servings

Ingredients:
50 g Rice miso
200 g chopped onion
200 g pumpkins (if now more getable use yellow pepper)
1 eggplant
1 Zucchini
1 leek
250 g firm tofu or silkentofu 
1 Tbsp. Sesam oil
1- 2 Tbsp. Sake
dried chives
salt and peper
average amount of Bread crumbs
average amount of Parsely

Preparation:
Cut onions, pumpkin, zucchini, eggplant, leek into 1 cm squares. 
Puree the Tofu in a food processor. Set aside

Preheat the oven up to 250 degrees. 

In a preheated pan with the sesam oil saute onions, pumpkin, eggplant, zucchini, leek.

Add the the pureed Tofu and mix. Add Sake, rice miso and mix well. Stir in the dried chives. Season with salt and pepper. Turn off the heat. 

Take oven-usuable serving-dishes and place the mixture on it, sprinkle with bread crumbs and give in the preheated for about 15 min. 

When done take out and sprinkle with minced Parsely, finish and serve hot. 

Sweet-Potatoe-Mushroom-Quiche

I'm singing and dancing in the rain.

Well more by words than in reality. Today I have been freezing the whole day - no matter what I did. I really had a bad night hardly no sleep and strange dreams... 

To give this whole-day-freezing and end I get myself up and went for preparing Quiche for an early dinner. With the stove and oven on the kitchen filled with warm. 

As I knew the quiche would be a little much for one person I invited a friend short-time. 

I did not have realized how hungry I was, we almost ate the whole quiche. Soo good!

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Sweet-Potatoe-Mushroom-Quiche

Time: 30 min 
1 hr 10 min Baking 

14 Pieces

Ingredients:
For the crust: 
250 g of flour, 
1/2 teaspoon salt 
150 g cold vegan margarine 
1 tablespoon soy flour 
vegan margarine and flour for the mold 

For the filling: 
650 g sweet potatoes 
200 g shiitake mushrooms, 
(substitute brown mushrooms) 
200 g smoked tofu 
2 cloves of garlic 
1 leek 
2 tbsp oil 
250 ml dry white wine 
350 ml vegetable stock 
3 tbsp almond butter, 
salt 
pepper 
2 stalks tarragon 

TIME 
30 min 
1 hr 10 min Baking 

Preparation:
Quickly knead flour, salt, cold margarine, soy flour and 3 tablespoons cold water into a dough.  
Sprinkl a quiche dish (26 cm ∅) thoroughly with flour. Roll the dough slightly larger than the form, place it in the shape and form an edge. With a fork prick the dough several times and place it in the cold, covered, about 30 minutes. 

Preheat the oven up to 200 °C. 
Peel the sweet potatoes  and cut into thick slices about 3 mm. Clean mushrooms and cut into  5 - 6 mm thick slices. Cut the Tofu first crosswise into  4 mm thick slices then cut into thin strips.
Peel garlic and dice. Clean, wash and cut the leeks into thin rings. 

In a frying pan heat oil and fry tofu strips over high heat about 1 minute until crisp. Add the mushroom slices and cook fry for about 1 minute over medium heat. Add garlic and leek and fry another 1 minute.. Deglaze with wine and bring to a boil. 
Drain the liquid in a pot and add broth and almond paste. Boil everything  while stirring, until the liquid is slightly thick. Season with salt and pepper. 
Wash and shake dry tarragon, chop leaves and stir into the almond cream. 

Take the dought out of the cold and spread half of the tofu-mushroom mixture onto the floor, a third of the almond cream, then place sweet potatoes like a fan. Repeat the layers once, thereby completing with a layer of sweet potatoes. Pour over the last third of almond cream and cover with a aluminum foil. 

Bake the quiche on the middle rack for about 55 min. After the time remove the foil and bake another 15 min.

Biryani

Yesterday was an almost unnormal warm day - we had about 12-16°C. Thank to the warm wind going from the south. Well I liked it, as I'm definitely not a person made for the cold days. I freeze pretty well and so this warm day was just agreable for me. 

But today again windy and cold. Perfect for a wam early dinner with friends. 

Usually my kitchen is very cold during wintertime (lack of having a heating), but when the oven or the stove is on, its quite warm and nice be in there. 

Anyway, for todays dinner I was in the mood for spices that heats up from inside. For mine I would have made it a little spicer, but as my friend don't like too much spicy food and beside whe where having a kid at the table - I kept it low, but still tasty with a light spice. They liked is very much and I was glad. 

We had very funny evening together and the good food made its rest to it.

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Biryani

4 Persons
30 min

Ingredients:
350 g basmati rice
1 large carrot, sliced
2 potatoes, peeled and diced
1/2 cauliflower, cut into florets
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 red onion, chopped
1 red and green pepper, stalk, seeds and partitions removed, chopped pulp
1 zucchini, chopped
100g frozen peas
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 tsp paprika
2 tsp ground coriander seeds
2 tsp mild curry paste
1 tsp cumin
150 ml vegetable stock
50 g Cashewnuts, lightly toasted

Preparation:
Cook the rice according to package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside.

Give Carrot and potatoes in boiling water for 5 min. Blanch. Add Cauliflower and cook until the vegetables are soft. Pour off the liquid and set aside. 

Heat the oil in a large frying pan, add the onion and sauté over medium to low temperature. Add the Peppers and zucchini and fry, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.

Add the cooked vegetables and peas from the other pan then stir in turmeric, paprika, coriander, curry paste and cumin and cook for a further 5 min., And finally pour in the broth. 

Meanwhile preheat the oven up to 180 ° C.


Put half of the rice in a casserole dish and spread the vegetablemi over it, cover with the remaining rice. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and give in the oven for 30 min. 

Before serving sprinkle with cashews.

Serve with Indian naan, mango chutney, pickled limes.

Zürcher Sliced Seitan in Cremesauce with Hash browns

Today I present a typical swiss Zurich dish with Seitan. (Zürich is a big city in Switzerland). 

While sitting at the breakfast I knew I had to prepare myself something for dinner. The roast from yesterday is eaten and I knew I wanted to make something with sliced Seitan. I don't know how but the idea about making it Zürich-Style was a first thought crossing my mind. 

I don't even know when I had it the last time - definitely too long ago. So now time for it. 

This traditional swiss dish is served with Hashbrowns or nuddles. And still having two sweet potatoes laying outside on the balcony  - Hash browns was for sure. 

Well, Hash browns - tough very easy - I mostly fail. I mostly cook the potatoes too long and at the end it ends up more like a potatocake than hash browns. But never give up a failure and I guess the todays Hash browns did came out very well (for mine). 

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Zürcher sliced seitan in Cremesauce with Hash browns

2-3 Persons

Ingredients:
1 can of mushrooms, drained (about 200g)
250 g precooked sliced seitanstrips
1 onion, chopped
1/2 tsp. peppersalt (or normal salt and additional pepperpowder)
1 Tbsp. tomatopaste
2 Tbsp. oil
some dash of cognac
1/2 dl. white wine
2 dl soymilk
1 dl soycream
grounded pepper

Hash browns:
3 large potatoes (the first way I used sweet potatoes and the taste was great!!)

Preparation:
Wash and peel the potatoes and cook in salted water till almost well done. Drain under cold water let them cool down completely. 

Meanwhile pepare the seitan-mushroompan

Give 1 Tbsp. or more oil in a pan over high heat and strongly sear the sliced seitan. Season with peppersalt or normal salt and additional red pepperpowder. Set aside in a bowl. 

In the same pan give another Tbsp. of oil, add the chopped onions and tomatopuree and roast till the onions got colour but not burned. Add the mushrooms and keep on roasting. Deglaze with the whitewine and cognac and while stirring let it cook to reduce the liquid. Add soymilk and cream, cook up and season with grounded pepper.

At the last end give back the roasted seitanslices, stirr and cook up and season if necessairy. 

For the Hash browns;
Grate the cooked and cooled down potatoe on your potatograter. Add enough oil in a frying pan, add the grated potatoe and roast - pressed like a cake - on each side till it lightly turns brown and a crust forms. 

Serve the Züri-Seitan-Hash with Hash browns. sprinkled with parsely and half a fresh lemon (if desired). 

Now enjoy an original swiss dish. ;)

Seitanroast with Broccolifilling

First of all HAPPY NEW 2015 TO EVERYONE OUT THERE!!

I know you may eaten enough roasts over the last time, but having guests over for New Years Eve and haven't prepared a roast lately-  it was time for one and of course I wanted to surprise my guests. They never had vegan roast, nor are they vegan. 

This roast is really very easy and even if it will be your first one - you will get this one. The oatmeal gives it just the hint it needs. 

Of course you can use any vegetable for the filling you like, but I found out that broccoli just tastes great and.... I don't know - just too good. But go ahead and try out different vegetables. 

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Roast with broccoli filling

The coolest and most delicious seitan roast ever!

3-4 Persons
90 min

Ingredients:
1 cup gluten
1 tablespoon flour
3 tablespoons oatmeal
1 tsp salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 pinch of sugar
1/2 tsp smoked salt
1 cup vegetable broth
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tbsp tomato puree
75 g broccoli
2 pickles
1/2 small onion
4 tsp mustard
salt
pepper
For about 8-10 slices
   
It tastes wonderful to vegetable side dishes and other side dishes.
Tastes great with a gravy.

Preparation:
Give the glutenflour with the oatmeal and spices in a bowl.

Mix the vegetable broth with the oil, lemon juice and tomato puree.

Mix the liquid mixture with the gluten mixture and wisk with a fork till everything is smooth and its getting into a dought. .

Cut the broccoli into small cubes or brake the smaller florets, cut the onion aswell into small cubs. Mix in the mustard and season with salt and pepper.

Spread the seitan with your hands into a rectangle.

Spread the filling on top and roll the seitan with the shorter side up to gett rolled roast. For getting smaller but more pieces, roll together from the large side up. 

Roll the roast in foil, put it in a freezer bag, close well and then simmer in a pot of boiling water over medium heat for 1 hour. 

After cooking take the roast out and cool (still in the freezing bag) in cool water and then get out of the freezer bags and aluminum foil.

Preheat a frying pan with oil roast the filled roast on all sides sharply and then leave nor cook on all sides for a while, with low to medium heat. In general, the seitan is already cooed inside but roasting it in the pan gives it nice crust outside. If your not sure if it's well done, cut and test. 

Cut the roast into slices and serve at the end.with a dark gravy and vegetables and grains of your desire. 

All I can tell - it's delicious!!! 

Soymedaillon in creamy Peppersauce with rice

After having quite a harmful weekend I had to cheer myself up with a good dish. 
Well, on saturday I was invited at a family evening and still after almost ten years being vegan I was asked by my uncle - "your vegan?"
Well I explained why and there it began. I just felt unknowness, ignorance and the words they said where quite sad. 

I sat at the table, lucky with at least a plate with rice and vegetablecurry. When my uncle passed me the peppermill - all he said was - that "this is meatfree"...........

Guess you can imagine how I felt. The day after I wrote my mother a mail and wrote that I was quite disappointed about the day before. 

All she wrote back, was that animals where given from God to feed us and that she think that veganismus is like a sect or satanismus. And that - by making more salad and vegetable - not going to prepare me something vegan.... I broke into tears reading the mail and that from my own mother. Well she accept but can't understand............

I needed days to come over it, knowing I could change her mind.


At least I know whats good and what I'm doing is the right way!

To cheer myself up I stood in kitchen and prepared a soulfood-dish. 

Hopefully you are more integrated in your family and feel yourself lucky if so. 

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Soymedaillon in Peppersauce with rice

4 Portions

Ingredientes:
16 TVP Soymedaillons
Salt
1 tsp. corianderpowder
Tomatopaste
Liquid smoke

Peppersauce:
3 bell peppers
1 one carrot
1 onion
1 cup water
3 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 cup pine nuts
1 tbsp minced fresh garlic (about 3 large cloves)
2 tsp chili powder

Steamed rice

Preparation:

Sauce:

Peel the onion and carrot, seed the peppers and break free from the stems. Mix in the food processor.

Preheat a pan with olive oil and steam the vegetable till lightly tender. Then cook in olive oil with the chili powder. Add the pressed galic and season with salt and pepper. Then turn down the heat and put the vegetables together with the other sauce ingredients in the food processor and mix trough till chunky creamy. Adding more or less water than one cup. Taste and set aside. 

Soy Medaillons:

Soak the medaillons in boiling water for 15 min. Drain and pour hot water over again - drain and continue with this step till the water is clean. 

Preheat a pan with water and when boiling add the salt, liquid smoke and tomatopaste - disolve and add the drained medaillons and cook/steam for 15 min. 

When the time is over, drain the medaillons but don't press the liquid out!

In a preheat frying pan with oil, roast the medaillons for about 10 min. Then turn down the heat and add the coriander, wisk. 

Serve with the steamed rice and the sauce. 

Now enjoy your dish!

Vegan Koftas in Curry Sauce

Sorry for my being out of buisness for posting. But having further education and knowing that I have - really have - to pass the test, learning was more my freetime taking than the cooking and posting. 

But today all is over - and I passed - so happy about that. Now I got another certificate to write down in my resume. 

To celebrate this happening I was thinking what I could prepare for dinner. 

As I had those koftas for a long time in my mind I stood in the kitchen and started. The last time I prepared them is a long time ago and so craved for the recipe and so the perfect result happend again. 

I sat at the table with a good glass of wine - with the candles burning - smooth music, enjoying a great dish. 

Of course I ate again too much, as it was just too good and I got more hungry than I thought. 

Now it is up to you weather to try the koftas or not. Having something to celebrate or not. 

Just enjoy the dish on you table!

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Andrea's Koftas in Cream Sauce 

Serves 4

Ingredients:

For the kofta:
1 small tin chickpeas, rinsed and drained
½ cup slivered almonds
1½ tsp cumin seeds
225 g courgette, shredded
¼ cup finely chopped fresh coriander
1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp salt
Several pinches of freshly ground black pepper
1¼ cups Panko breadcrumbs

For the sauce:
1 cup cashews, soaked for at least 2 hours
2 cups vegetable broth
1 tbsp refined coconut oil
1 medium yellow onion, very finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
1 tbsp mild curry powder
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp ground cumin
1 400g tin lite coconut milk
3 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp salt
1 cup frozen peas

Preparation:

Prepare the kofta mixture
In a medium bowl, mash the chickpeas until they are mushy but not quite pureed.

Preheat a large, heavy pan over a medium heat. Toast the almonds for about 7 minutes, stirring frequently until golden and browned but not burned. Transfer immediately to the bowl with the chickpeas. Next, toast the cumin seeds for 3 minutes or so, until fragrant. Give to the chickpea bowl as well.

Add the prepared courgette, coriander, ginger, garlic, salt, and black pepper, and mix well. Taste and season more if necessary. 

Now add the breadcrumbs and use your hands to mix and mush until it holds together. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Prepare the sauce
Drain the cashews and add to a blender together with the broth. Blend until very smooth. It should be very smooth, with only a slight graininess. 

Preheat a pan over a medium heat and add the coconut oil. Saute the onion until translucent. Add the garlic and ginger, and cook just shortly til it fragrant. Add the curry powder, garam masala, and cumin and toss a minute (just toasting the spices).

Add the coconut milk, tomato paste, blended cashews and salt. Bring to simmer and let cook for about 15 minutes. It should thicken up nicely. Add the peas and let them warm through. Season then turn off the heat and cover until ready to serve.

Cook the kofta
Preheat a large non-stick pan at medium heat. With a big spoon scoop out some koftamixture and roll between your hands to form into shape. Place on a oiled plate (beware from sticking on it) and continue to form about 12 Koftas. 

When the pan is hot enough, add some coconut oil and make sure it coats the bottom of the pan. Now add the kofta, rolling each one around in the pan when you add it, making sure to coat all sides. Use a little extra oil, if needed.

Fry them for about 7 minutes, rolling them around in the pan to get them browned on all sides. They don't have to be uniformly browned; just do your best. Once browned, turn off the heat.

To assemble
Scoop some rice on to each plate, place 3 koftas on top of the rice, and cover with sauce. Garnish with coriander, if you like, and serve.

Vegan Cabbage Rolls

Though I really love the summer dishes, winter has its own and just right in the cold weather and it's heating you up from inside.

Those Cabbage Rolls I wanted to make since a long time. I love cabbage but filled - I can't remember eaten them when I was a child and since them I haven't prepared them myself. 

So now is the time for them. And every first time fails sometimes, I made them a few days before but they failed cause they just tasted no very good and the filling was not really suitable. 

But today I got the final result - never give up a failure in the kitchen...... 

Definitely an again and again dish I would prepare during winter time. 

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Vegan Cabbage Rolls

about 40 min
4 Persons

Ingredients:
For the sauce:
1 big (500 g) can of diced Tomatoes
1 normal (200 g) can of Tomato Paste plus 50 g more
240 ml vegetable broth
1 Tbsp. vegan Margarine
1 onion, diced
1 Tbsp. Agavenectar
1/2 cup soycream
salt and pepper to taste

For the rolls:
8-10 leafes of cabbage
100 g Soy granules 
1 medium sized onion, chopped
2-3 knob garlic, chopped (depending on their size)
some grounded garlic
1 tsp. black pepper
1 - 1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. red pepper powder
3 Tbsp. dried parsely
40 g breadcrumbs

Preparation:
For the Sauce:
In a large sauce pan, melt 1 Tbsp. or vegan margarine and add the chopped onions. Saute until translucent and soft.

Add the diced Tomatoes including the sauce and the vegetable broth. Bring to a boil and season with salt and pepper. Then add the tomato paste and season again. To bring a little sweet taste against the bitterness of the tomatoes add some Agavenectar (Optional). 

Simmer for about 20 minutes. At the end add the soycream and simmer again for 10 minutes. 

For the Cabbage Rolls:
From the Cabbage cut out the core and carefully peel 8 Leafes (without breaking) away. 
Bring a large pan with water and salt to boil, then lower the heat till simmering and blanch the Cabbageleafes for about 8-10 min. till soft and pliable.

For the filling:
Cover the soy granules with enough boiled vegetable broth for about 30 min. Meanwhile chop the onion and garlic. 
When the soy granules doubled it size, drain (maybe wash shortly) and press out any left water. 

Give into a bowl and add all the spices, onion and garlic and mix all well trough. At the end add the breadcrumbs and mix well. Season if necessary. 

Forming the cabbage rolls:
Place an amount of filling in the center of the leafes (proportionate to their size). Do not overfill. 

Roll tidly, beginning with the stem and by then tucking the sides and finish with the end. To beware from falling apart bind with a cooking cord or gum and set on a plate and continue with left leafes. 

Place all finished rolls into a large sauce pot. Add all the sauce for covering. Add some additional vegetable broth if necessary. (The rolls should be all covered with sauce). 

Bring to a boil, then lower the heat till a simmer. 

Cook for 1 hour or longer (depending how soft you like the rolls). Make sure the rolls are covered with sauce during cooking time. 

Serve with plain rise and additional side if you wish so..