Fantastic Mango Dip.

There was a half mango left in my fridge and I it had to be a dip. So I made the best mango dip today, using three ingredients:

- half a very ripe mango
- few leaves fresh mint
- 1 tsp soy sauce 

Puree everything together, et voilá: creamy, fruity, fresh, luscious, colourful, fancy but ridiculous simple and quick. It's perfect for a lot of hearty, spicy dishes and fried stuff.

I ate it to fried tofu slices together with mashed potatoes (sprinkled with coconut bacon) and salad.

Mashed potatoes are one of the best things and I truly don't understand how it's possible that there are people who don't recognize the importance of mashed potatoes. To vary my mashed potatoes I cooked them today together with a kohlrabi. I had a purple one! They're very pretty (but look the same like the pale green ones, once you've peeled them).

- potatoes
- kohlrabi
- vegan butter
- salt
- rosemary
- soy or rice milk

Dice potatoes and kohlrabi (kohlrabi dices should be smaller than your potato dices) and cook in slightly salted water until very tender and almost overdone. Drain the water and mash with vegan butter, salt, rosemary and a splash of soy or rice milk until fluffy and creamy.

Fried tofu slices are also simple as hell: cut tofu into thin slices, marinate in soy sauce for a few minutes and then fry the slices in (olive) oil until the edges get golden brown and crispy. Some garlic is highly recommended.

There are lots of coconut recipes out there, I used this as an idea but I skipped the liquid smoke and used shoyu instead of tamari. AND: I made it in a pan, this version is a bit quicker. Just use a very slightly oiled pan on medium heat and stir very often.

Parsley Pesto Again!

This pesto is slightly tart, fruity and tastes like summer. It's basically the Parsley Cashew Pesto  but with only a third of the cashews and additional dried cranberries.The dried cranberries give this pesto not only a tart taste but also a very light texture.

No Egg Salad w/ Chickpeas And Raw Zucchini

There are lots of vegan "Egg"-salad or No-egg-salad recipes out there. As I can't follow recipes anyway I just made a version of my own, vaguely remembering what other people use and what I used the last time when I made one (I think I used a recipe back then). I added raw zucchini to have a more fresh taste.

- small can chickpeas
- 100g pasta
- one small finely grated zucchini (or half a medium one)
- a few spoons vegan mayo
- salt (if you have use kala namak but be careful)
- parsley


Cook pasta al dente and let cool a bit. Drain chickpeas and smash with a potato smasher or a fork. You can smash the pasta too if you want to, to have this egg-salad consistency. I had small mezzo pennones so I didn't want to smash those beauties.

Mix chickpeas with mayo and parsley, salt slightly. 

Then add the finely grated zucchini and pasta. Mix thoroughly and season to your taste. Cool the salad in the fridge for at least 30 minutes

 

Pretty in pink.

Mix very ripe bananas with a handful of frozen raspberries, soy milk and the sweetener of your choice with a handheld blender. 
Bright pink, ice cold deliciousness. 

Parsley Cashew Pesto.

Pesto is not used very often in my kitchen and if so it's store bought. Now and then I try a version of my own and this time I had parsley, cashews and a very good, mild and fruity olive oil. Look at the bright green colour of the olive oil!
Turned out really well. I totally love parsley.

- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3/4 cup cashews (unsalted)
- bunch parsley

Pull apart the leaves and stems of the parsley. I also use the thin stems and discard only what's really to bad. Roast 3/4 cup of unsalted cashews in pan on medium heat, stir very often and watch carefully. After a few minutes it begins to smell adorable and the cashews get golden-brown spots. Turn down the heat and replace the cashews in a bowl where they can cool.

Then mix parsley, roasted cashew nuts and olive oil in a food processor or with a handheld blender until you have smooth and creamy pesto.
You can use it to for pasta (mix with a little hot cooking water from your pasta pot) or use a little for sandwiches. 

Pasta with king oyster mushrooms and parsley cashew pesto.

Fancy simple stuff.

- 2 king oyster mushrooms
- 200g tofu
- one small broccoli head
- one small onion
- one clove garlic
- 1 tblsp shiro miso
- soy sauce
- olive oil
- pepper
- salt


Cut the broccoli into florets and cook in water with some salt. While the broccoli is cooking cut the piece of tofu into small cubes, dice finely the onion, slice the mushrooms and smash the clove of garlic. Heat 2 tsp olive oil in a pan and first add the tofu. When the tofu begins to get slighlty golden-brown add onions, garlic and mushrooms. Stir from time to time until tofu is brown and crispy. Deglaze with some soy sauce and season with a tiny amount of pepper.
In a small bowl prepare the dressing for the broccoli: mix the tblsp miso with some hot water and 1 tsp olive oil. 
Cook the broccoli only for a few minutes until it gets soft but not wibbly-wobbly. Strain it. Then toss the broccoli into the miso dressing. I had some arugula left and tossed it in, too.
Serve tofu-mushroom mix with the broccoli and add some of the dressing.
Very hearty and umami but light and fresh though.

Scrambled Tofu w/ Arugula, Mushrooms And Cranberries.

And it's time again for a scrambled tofu variation!

Today I had a very savoury, crispy kind of scrambled tofu.
Here we go:

- 200g firm tofu
- 2-3 big button mushrooms
- 3 tbsp breadcrumbs
- 2 tbsp dried cranberries
- lime juice (of half a lime)
- arugula
- oil
- rosemary salt
- one clove garlic


First heat 1-2 tbsp oil in a pan and add the smashed (and or minced) garlic clove. Crumble the tofu and add together with the sliced mushrooms and bread crumbs, let fry for a few minutes without stirring on medium heat. Add some salt, then stir and add cranberries. Fry til tofu is golden brown and add the fresh lime juice. Then serve on a big handful of arugula salad. I guess I say this very often, but this combination of flavours is just perfect. The breadcrumbs bring a very crunchy consistency, the arugula is slightly bitter and tangy and the cranberries and lime juice add a nice freshness.

Beetroot Hummus.

Last week I asked my mother if she had any more ideas what to do with beetroots. She came up with this hummus variation which turned out so lovely - in appearance and taste. The beetroot not only provides a nice pink but also a subtle sweetness. I slightly changed the original recipe and now I have a big bowl of pastel pink hummus in my fridge to make lots of sandwiches this week:


400g canned chickpeas
2 beetroots
3 tblsp tahin
1 clove garlic
salt, pepper, cumin
fresh lemon juice


Peel the beetroot, dice and cook until tender. Strain, but keep the cooking fluid. Blend chickpeas with beetroot, tahin, garlic and cooking water with a handheld blender until creamy - than season with lemon juice,salt, pepper and a dash of cumin.

Banana-Peanutbutter Milk Shake.

4 ripe bananas
1 heaped tablespoon peanutbutter
soymilk (ca. 300ml, depends on your preferred consistency and your glasses)


Mix everything with a handheld blender. Sprinkle with cocoa. Serve immediately. Enjoy. Be happy.

Hummus with peanut butter.

As I didn't have any tahin at home today but wanted to make hummus, I decided to use peanut butter instead. 
I'd prefer tahin but it was tasty though and definitely a variation which I will keep in mind. And it's Woschech approved! 

- 1 big can chickpeas
- 2 tablespoons peanut butter
- salt
- smoked paprika (optional)
- cumin
- olive oil
- paprika


Blend the drained chickpeas together with peanut butter, salt, smoked paprika and cumin. Add splashes of water until you have the preferred consistency. Serve with a little olive oil on top and sprinkle with paprika.

Inari Sushi.

Inari Sushi (fried tofu bags filled with sushi rice) and a salad made from lamb's lettuce, beet root, arugula and avocado. Loganberry sauce on top of the salad, dressing was made of shiro miso, water and other things which I forgot. It was pretty good.

Peanut Butter Cheese Bagel w/ Spinach

It is a beautiful day and I made a beautiful bagel and I even was in the mood to do some more pictures than I usually would take on something I cooked or prepared. I'm not very interested in food photography. If I cook something the daylight has normally already gone, my kitchen is a mess and I'm not very ambitious to prepare a fancy looking table to shoot a fancy food pic. I'm way better in cooking than baking as it is easier to improvise and so I'm also better in taking pictures just on the spur of a moment. But maybe I will work on this a little bit.

Back to the bagel: I totally love the combination of peanut butter and cheese, the lingonberry sauce adds a sweet and tart-ish taste, the fresh spinach is also quite tart, fresh and crispy.

This bagel was so perfect.

Toast your bagel. Spread one side with peanut butter, the other with lingonberry sauce (or cranberry sauce, both are quite similar).

Add one slice of vegan cheese (I had this one, the classic version) and some leaves of fresh spinach. Put together and enjoy.

Beans with tahin dressing.

200g green beans
1-2 tbsp tahin
1/2 apple
salt
soy sauce
mint
coriander


Wash the beans and cut off the ends. Cook in salted water for about 10 minutes, until they're done but still crisp.
Mix the tahin with a little water and 1-2 teaspoons soy sauce. Add some leaves of mint and coriander.

When the beans are done strain them and rinse with very cold water. This will keep the beans' pretty lime-green colour and prevent them from getting grey-ish. 
Cut apple into small cubes.
Put the beans and apple cubes in a bowl and toss with dressing.

Zucchini-tofu-stripes.

You can't really see it but in this picture of my tiny morning glory it's finally raining. 

 I then decided to cook something very good for my lunch at work tomorrow. 

- two zucchinis
- 200g tofu
- scallions
- small clove garlic
- smoked salt, paprika, pepper
- olive oil
- herbs like sage, thyme...

Cut everything into very thin stripes. Heat the oil and first fry the tofu until it's crisp and golden brown. Add garlic, zucchini and the rest and fry for a while, shaking the pan quite often. If it seem to be too dry, just add splashes of water. 
That's it. Very good.

Keep it simple.

As it's way too hot to cook I stick to sandwiches and salads most of the time. 
For example a sandwich with avocado spread and vegan cheddar cheese, thin slices of tomato and lettuce.

If I do cook, it's something quick and simple but yet delicious like this:

- 1 yellow zucchini
- a few cherry tomatoes
- lots of garlic, smashed
- scallions
- olive oil
- fresh rosemary and sage
- salt and pepper

Cut the zucchini into cubes. Heat the oil and fry zucchini for about 5 minutes. Add garlic, tomatoes (cut into halves or quarters),herbs and the scallions (cut into small rings). Fry for another 5 minutes, stir from time to time. Season with salt and pepper.

Braised carrots w/ arugula.

This was a light lunch for work, I prepared it the night before and let it sit over night in the fridge. You can also eat it while still warm as a side dish for something like fried tofu or something like that.

Cut carrots into bite size pieces and fry them in a little oil on high heat for 3-5 minutes, stir from time to time.
Lower the heat and add some splashes of water, if necessary. Season to taste with some salt (you could also use soy sauce instead of salt), pepper, paprika. If the carrots are almost done add some arugula and let melt down the leaves. Very quick, very easy, very yummy.

Green beans with tofu and potatos.

Marinate diced tofu with a little shoyu. Fry together with a cooked potato, cut in slices and a finely diced onion. Slightly season with salt and pepper. Cook green beans and mix all together. Add a tiny bit lemon juice. 
Very simple. Very good.

Summer tofu.

200g tofu

1 zucchini

1 peach ( I had one of these flat white peaches, they have a bit more flavour than the round ones)

2 cooked potatoes

oil

salt

pepper

fresh thyme

Cut everything into cubes and start frying the tofu and potatoes, after about 5 minutes add zucchini and peach. Season with salt and pepper. Add splashes of water if it seams to dry and fry for about 10 minutes until everything is golden brown and the peach starts to get a bit mushy. Add lots of fresh thyme. This is pure summer, I promise.

I had this today at work for lunch and was so happy to have so good food. Unfortuately non of the generic "but what can you eat as a vegan?"-people where around...but on the other hand they pretty sure would've been totally scared of fried peach and tofu. Ignorants.

Bento.

I made a non-fancy but yummy bento for my first day at my new job tomorrow.

Cucumber salad

- diced cucumber

- soy cream 

- salt, mustard

- mint, dill, basil

Baby carrots

Pasta salad

- Rigatoni

- fried red bell pepper and zucchini, glazed with a tsp cider vinegar

- sage, basil, thyme

- salt, pepper, smoked paprika

- soy cream 

Chocolate soy milk


Work sucks. Bentos do not. 

Creamy 8-minute-pasta.

- 200g pasta 

- 1 big onion

- 200ml coconut milk 

- salt, pepper, veggie broth powder

- fresh herbs e.g. mint, sage, basil

- oil

I came home from a meeting quite late and was totaly hungry but the fridge was quite empty today and I wasnt' really in the mood for cooking. I found the canned coconut milk and thought of a simple pasta dish - in the end it turned out way better than I expected. It's a very good idea to have fresh herbs on your windowsill. Almost everything is 100% better with it.

Heat a pot with enough water for the pasta. Cut the onion finely into small cubes and fry them in a teaspoon oil until they're translucent. Add coconut milk and spices, let simmer on medium heat. 

When the water is boiling, add the pasta and a big dash of salt, let them cook for 8 minutes (or whatever your pasta instructions tell you), stirring from time to time. 

Also stir the sauce from time to time, right before the pasta is done you can turn off the heat. 

Drain your pasta and add to the sauce. Cut your herbs into fine stripes and mix everything very well.

The sauce is not that coconut-ish as it might sound. It's more a very creamy, white sauce with the aroma of the herbs you use and the hearty taste of the veggie broth. Only a slight hint of coconut, but this may depend on your coconut milk brand. Of course you could use soy cream as well, the sauce will be ready in the same time.