Asparagus Bell Pepper & Broccoli Stir-Fry

Yesterday I threw together another stir-fry with quinoa on the side because I needed some yummy food fast, I was starving!



I had the following on hand: broccoli, scallions, a red bell pepper and asparagus since I went to the Asian market again. Everything is so cheap there, I love it! But just like last time I went in with nothing more than 2.30 or something, otherwise I would've stocked up on more food. Tofu for 80 cents... seriously, I can't get over it =p

In a different supermarket I found a vegan bell pepper onion dip with mustard and garlic etc. listed as ingredients. I bought it because I thought, thinned out with milk or water, it might make a nice sauce. So I had it with my stir-fry (just a Tbsp. on the side) to try it.
I must say... the taste was in no way to my liking! *shudders* It tasted exactly like eggsalad - a store-bought artifical tasting eggsalad! Yuck!
You could't recognize any of the listed ingredients in the taste of this dip and that really freaked me out. Plus, it tasted very much like mayonnaise and overall just artifical. This was a waste of money. What a disappointment!

I don't know what I'll have for dinner tonight, but a few days ago I had a weird craving. To some people this is probably an odd combination, but I think it may even taste pretty good. I'll try it some time to make sure. The dish I have in mind is: Quinoa with applesauce and red cabbage!

Chinese Cabbage and Asparagus Stir-Fry

I slowly roasted an onion, asparagus, yellow bell pepper and scallions on medium heat in a saucepan.
I added soy sauce, chopped chinese cabbage and stirred until it was covered in soy sauce. Then I covered it up, let it simmer for about 2 minutes, added half a shredded carrot, sprinkled it with sesame seeds (I got 'em Jennifer!) and ready was another all veggie dinner!

Baked Bean and Veggie Casserole & a Survey

Mhhh, I had another all veggie meal for dinner. Except for the MozzarelART on top, but this was the first time I tried vegan cheese. Although it didn't melt(luckily Romina had already told me this) it was good, the perfect finish for the dish!

The casserole consisted of a layer of baked beans in salsa (tomato, tomato paste, onion, garlic, herbs) topped with a layer of gently roasted garlicky vegetables (red & yellow bell pepper, zucchini and scallions) and sprinkled with grated vegan Mozzarella. And not to forget delicious green asparagus with salt & pepper on top.



Delish!

Baked Bean and Veggie Casserole
serves 1

Ingredients

for the baked beans in salsa:
1 (1/2) cups baked beans (I used beans from a jar)
1 onion
2 Tbsp. water (or 1 Tbsp. olive oil)
1 clove of garlic, minced
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1-2 tomatoes, chopped
salt, pepper, to taste
thyme, rosemary, oregano, to taste
fresh basil leaves, chopped (optional)

1. in a saucepan sautée the onion and add water as needed to prevent it from burning, add the garlic
2. add the baked beans, tomato paste and the fresh tomato and stir well
3. on low heat cover up for 2-3 minutes
4. add salt, pepper and herbs to taste

for the gently roasted vegetables:
2 Tbsp. water (or 1-2 Tbsp. olive oil)
1 onion
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/2 yellow bell pepper
1/2 red bell pepper
1/2 zucchini
1 scallion
salt, pepper, to taste
thyme, rosemary, oregano, to taste

1. in a pan sautée the onion, add water as needed to prevent it from burning, add the garlic
2. add the chopped bell peppers and scallion, on medium heat keep stirring for about 4-5 minutes
3. add the zucchini (sliced or in chunks) and stir occasionally for another 5 minutes or until veggies have reached the desired consistence
4. add salt, pepper and herbs to taste

combine everything:
- preheat the oven to 390°F (200°C)
- use a casserole dish small enough that the ground will be covered with baked bean mixture
- before putting the baked beans into the casserole dish, add a handful of fresh chopped basil if you like
- once the baked beans are spread out in the dish, add the vegetables on top
- sprinkle with vegan Mozzarella
- put some green asparagus on top, sprinkle with pepper and some salt
- bake for about 10 minutes and enjoy!



And since Cookie Mouse tagged me you'll get to know a little bit more about me now.

1. What were you doing 10 years ago? In 1998?
Let's see, I was in 5th grade. So I guess I was just being a regular kid dealing with regular kid stuff back then. I believe I invested most of my money in stupid teen magazines back then. And I probably started wearing make-up. Horrible make-up choices like: blue eye shadow and dark red lipstick, oh my ha ha!

What were you doing 1 year ago?
My then girlfriend and I moved from Neukölln to Tempelhof and I was basically just busy with my career training as a mediadesigner that had started 7 months earlier.

2. Five favorite snacks?

• Nuts (Cashews are probably my #1, followed by almonds)


• Nut butter (Cashew or peanut - I dip my nuts in it)


• Fruit (apples and pears or berries if I happen to have some)


• Bruschetta


• Soy yogurt or a Smoothie

3. Five favorite toys?

• my MacBook which is called Le Big Mac (after listening to the wonderful Pulp Fiction conversation in the car)


• my Nikon camera, doesn't have a name (yet)


• my Electra bike (clearly "her" name is Carmen) =p


• my crosstrainer


• my Wacom tablet

4. What I like doing:
I really like photography a lot! I mostly photograph objects or landscapes, but I'd love to do more shoots with people. So if anyone happens to be in Berlin one day, make sure to ring my door bell ;)
Of course: cooking and baking!
I also love doing sketches and scribbles and whatnot, but sadly haven't done that a lot lately.
So apart from that it's basically hanging out with people I love and whose company I enjoy and feel is worth my time, listening to music while having mind movies, reading ... and I have to admit that exercising grew to me lately. I'm thinking about starting Pilates again.

5. My bad habits?
Cookie Mouse, I'm sorry to steal some of your answers, but we seem to have the same bad habits.

• laziness & hardcore procastination


• absent-minded


• takes ages to make up my mind


• too much coffee


• cigarettes

Now let's see, who isn't tagged yet?
I don't have the time to check now, so everyone who hasn't been tagged yet grab this survey and let the rest of us learn a little something about you =)

Asian Stir-Fry, Brussels Sprouts and 2 Minute Chocolate Cake

Yesterday I had some Asian Stir-Fry my mom made for Dinner.



And I had Paulinas Chocolate Cake for Dessert.



I added crushed cashews to the batter and had 3 layers of sliced banana. I was out of oil and my applesauce had gone bad so I used apple apricot sauce instead. Not a good decision because it tasted pretty much just like that and maple syrup. And I think using carob powder didn't help to save anything either.
I'll try it again with the right ingredients the next time, because honestly - who doesn't dream of cake that can be devoured after 2 minutes in the microwave?

And here's a picture of Brussels Sprouts with nutmeg and some mustard for dipping from few days ago. I borrowed my dads fisheye lense as you can see =p

Garlicky Broccoli & Green Beans, Mashed Cauliflower, Baked Beans and Spinach

I didn't get to buy the missing ingredients for Lasagna today so I had an all veggie meal instead. It was delish!



This is the first time I had baked beans.
I will surely make these on a regular basis from now on, they taste so good! I added an onion and a fresh tomato.

The Plan, Raspberry Oatmeal, Chocolate Temptation Challenge and finally... Mozzarella!

The plan:

Three days each week I will consume vegetables only. Every dish I eat will have to consist of vegetables. As in soups, stir-fries, roasted veggies, mashed veggies... anything really. As long as it's vegetables only! No bread, pasta, rice, whatever.
That way I hope to try out more veggies I have never had yet. And to be honest, I love all-veggie meals!

I will starting next week, because I plan on making pizza, lasagna and black bean burgers this weekend. After that it's veggies-only time!
Anyone joining? =)

And the reason why I'm so eager to make pizza and lasagna this weekend is that last night I finally found vegan cheese!!!
You guys can't imagine how excited I was! Now I can have pizza and Lasagna with 'cheese'!



Besides having this veggie idea and drooling over my Mozzarella find I craved oatmeal last night.
Remember: never judge an oatmeal by its color!



It was delicious, but I have to admit that it didn't look very appealing.
I used the same recipe as in this one, used 2/3 cups raspberries, maple syrup instead of brown sugar & agave syrup, didn't put in any nutmeg and topped it with cashews.

The fair trade chocolate I bought last night for Cookie Mouses Chocolate Temptation Challenge! I decided to buy an Espresso chocolate. Can't wait for Easter Sunday now ;)



Still in my bag (for now)!

Vcon's Quinoa, Black Bean, Mango Salad

First off I want to thank Ashasarala a thousand times for giving me the recipe for this salad as I am not yet an owner of this apparently amazing cookbook.

It probably tastes even more amazing than it did last night because I had neither red wine vinegar, grape seed oil, nor fresh cilantro. So I used a tsp. olive oil, bianco and balsamic vinegar and about 2 Tbsp. chopped parsley (didn't have any more).
It still tasted awesome!



My parents were still at work so I placed the bowl on the dinner table and when they came home later my mom called "I see there's something on the table. Can we have that?" I was like "Sure, it's all yours. I already had a big bowl!"
Five minutes later I got a text message from my mom saying nothing but "M m m m h"! Ha ha, she's so awesome! When I saw her again she apologized that there weren't any leftovers. She and my dad really enjoyed this. To quote my mother "Not only did it taste fantastic, it looked so pretty and colorful! A joy for the eyes and the tastebuds!"

Yup, I will definitely start making more "real" dishes(less baking as my jeans are getting tight and I can not afford new pants at the moment).
Not only do I get to try various dishes I have always wanted to try, my parents are also open people who will definitely try new things and be honest about how they like it and a big plus - my parents will get to eat healthier!
So I guess I know who I'm going to ask for Vcon ;)

Apple Cinnamon Almond Oatmeal

Oh my, this tasted like Christmas morning!

Apple Cinnamon Almond Oatmeal



Ingredients
1/2 cup oats
1 cup soy milk
1 heaped tsp. brown sugar
1-2 Tbsp. agave syrup
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 apple, chopped
1-2 tsp. sliced almonds

1. put all the ingredients in a saucepan (cut 3/4 of the apple in small chunks, keep 1/4 of the apple & almonds for decorating)
2. bring to a boil, turn the heat to low and under stirring let simmer for 5-10 minutes
3. sprinkle with sliced almonds and apple slices

I will try Veganomicons Black Bean Quinoa Mango salad later, I can't wait!!!

Quinoa with Asparagus, Bell Pepper and Soy Sprouts & Whole Wheat Raspberry Corn Pancakes

Yesterday I rediscovered the Asian Supermarket that's only 2 minutes away from my apartment.
I didn't like to go there(weird sickening smell, rude employees) and hadn't gone inside for at least 4 years.
But last night I needed soy sprouts so I went in.
Surprise: the bad smell is now mostly gone and the employees have become more or less friendly.

I went in with 2 € and came out with a bag of fresh soy sprouts and fresh green asparagus, each for 90 cents. How awesome is that? Everything there is so cheap(Tofu costs 2 € less than the one I used to buy) and fresh. I could slap myself for not going there earlier. Ah well, at least I know where I'll go shopping from now on =)

I made Wok Veggies with peanut butter and coconut sauce with my mom last night and tried quinoa for the first time (yes, I love it, too). Sadly I didn't take a picture. And when I came home at 5 in the morning and wanted to heat up the left overs and then photograph them, I discovered that my dad had already eaten them(this morning he mentioned how much he enjoyed the quinoa). So I cooked myself a quick night snack and went to bed.



And this morning I had Whole Wheat Raspberry Corn Pancakes for breakfast. An adapted version of the recipe found in How it all Vegan!



Looking ugly, but tasting so so so damn good! Cornmeal gives pancakes such a fantastic texture. Yumm!

Yes, I'm cranky!

I'm at work, looking at food blogs and tons of wonderful recipes and I wish for nothing more than to go home right now and COOK!
Somehow I'm always motivated the most when there is no chance to cook at all. Like right now. In around five hours I'll be able to make dinner. I hate this.
I mean honestly, I like my job. I love it actually. Because for me it's not work, it's more like a hobby. But to get off work at six means I'll be home at seven which leaves me with dinner at eight. ARGH!

My plan for tonight: Roasted Mustard Brussels Sprouts, Roasted Bell Pepper, Spinach & Quinoa.

Oatmeal-Carob Pudding for Dinner

I am so full! This is the first time I had oatmeal pudding and it is so filling, I couldn't even finish the whole bowl. I tried, because it's yumm. But I just couldn't swallow any more, I look like 4 months pregnant already =p



I made Ruby Red Vegans Oatmeal-Carob Pudding. I got to use the carob powder I bought a few weeks ago for the first time, yay! Although when I opened the box I was like "Puh...", because it smelled exactly like the stuff my sister used to feed her bunny back when we were kids. But it tasted nothing like it smelled, I really like it.

I topped it with 1/2 mashed banana (+ 1 tsp. agave syrup) and sliced the other half along with a strawberry.
Thumbs up, Ruby & Katie!



What I learned? That oatmeal probably really is the perfect breakfast, because it's filling, it's healthy and one can add nuts, seeds or fruit to make it even healthier.

Crunchy Cinnamony Vegan Granola

Last night I finally got around to make Granola, something I have never had before, but always wanted to try, and it turned out so good! I had it for breakfast with vanilla soy yogurt and applesauce. In combination it was a tad bit too sweet, although the yogurt isn't very sweet itself and the applesauce is unsweetend.
So I guess next time I will add only a Tbsp. brown sugar or none at all. And no Pecans next time, they became kind of salty.

But apart from that I'm very much in love with this! And I will make these next, I just didn't have any peanut butter. Who knew the thought of making my own granola bars would excite me this much?



Vegan Granola
an adaption of this homemade granola

Ingredients
3 1/2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup coconut flakes
3 tablespoons flax seeds
1/4 cup sunflower seeds (or pumpkin, I just didn't have any)
1/2 - 1 cup mixed nuts, chopped (I used almonds, cashews and Pecans)
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup brown sugar (make that less if you don't want it too sweet)
1/4 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons agave syrup
1 tablespoon maple syrup
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups mixed dried fruit (I used cranberries, didn't have anything else)

1. Preheat the oven to 375
2. line a baking sheet with aluminum foil
3. combine all the ingredients (except the dried fruit) and stir well
4. spread the mixture out into an even layer on the prepared baking sheet
5. bake for 20 to 30 minutes (depending on the depth of goldenness you’re looking for), stirring every 10 minutes
6. remove the granola from the oven and and cool completely
7. once it's cool, mix in the dried fruit



Oh man, I found so many new incredible recipes I want to try. So much to cook and bake and so little time...

Falafel (Crumbs) from VwaV

I had been so excited to make Falafel. I have always loved it and couldn't wait to do it myself.

So last night I finally had enough time on my hands. I prepared the chickpea mixture and the tahini sauce. Both had to cool in the fridge for 30 minutes. And I was starving already. So were my boyfriend and my parents downstairs whom I had promised to bring some of my selfmade Falafel.

Finally, after 30 long minutes, I started shaping the patties. Or better yet, I tried. They totally fell apart. I squeezed them together as hard as I could and put them into the boiling oil. They fell apart and nothing but deep fried crumbs were left.
This was 1/4th of the mixture. Ugh!
I wasn't too excited about the deep frying anyway, so I took out a pan and baked 3 patties a time in just a tiny bit of oil. They didn't stay in shape too well either, but at least you could call them a patty.

Eventually, after lots of swearing, I had 9 small patties to serve to my hungry folks. 4 for my parents and 5 for my boyfriend and me. I forgot to take a picture until I had one more bite left and that was mostly just pita bread with some cucumber and tomato.
They tasted good though. My mom gave me a call "Wow, the patties tasted great. The sauce wasn't right somehow, but the patties... mhh!" I used VwaVs recipe.

Bottom line: I will not make these again. Although the taste was good, it was just too much work. Not to mention that my apartment stank like crazy. Like I had fried fish in tons of oil, yuck. Not to mention I almost fainted when I entered my kitchen this morning.

And a picture I just found online...
I always look like that when I walk past meat in the supermarket, when my boyfriend devours a steak, my mom prepares chicken etc.
But a few days ago I had the same facial expression when I passed some people grabbing huge amounts of gummi bear bags. All I wanted to say to them was "You are aware of the fact that you're going to eat boiled pig skin, are you?" I can't help but shudder at this thought every single time. I can't believe I used to eat this stuff.


Vogue Paris October 2007 | Photographer: Steven Klein

Pancakes for Breakfast & Tortellinis with Broccoli and Cauliflower in Mustard Sauce

I just finished my huge, but fantastic breakfast.



VwaVs Banana Pecan Pancakes. In my case: Banana Pear Cashew and Banana Blueberry Cashew Pancakes. Yumm!

With some fresh pear slices and maple syrup & my jam for dipping. Perfect combination!



I cut the recipe for 9 small pancakes in half and guess how many small pancakes I got out? Nine.
Mhh... what does small mean to Americans? =p

And here's what I had for dinner last night.
I bought spelt tortellinis with a vegetable stuffing a few days ago. And since I'm on a mustard-trip right now and Jennifer sent me a recipe I was able to whip me up with a very filling dinner. And yeah, I'm very much into cauliflower at the moment, too.



Here's my adapted version of the Mustard Sauce:
Ingredients

1 clove of garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. Sherry
2 Tbsp. Dijon
1/2 - 1 Tbsp. veggie broth (I used 1 heaped Tbsp. and it was definitely too much/salty)
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1-2 cups soy milk
pepper, to taste

1. in a bowl mix the veggetable broth with cornstarch and set aside
2. sautee the garlic in a little bit of olive oil, for about 2 minutes
3. add the Sherry and mustard and under stirring add the veggie broth cornstarch mix
4. on medium heat let simmer for about 1-2 minutes, add the soy milk (start with 1 cup)
5. on low-medium heat let simmer for about 5 minutes, add more soy milk to reach desired consistence
6. add a little pepper to taste

Sadly I didn't cook the tortellinis long enough so the stuffing was still a bit dry, but they were fine soaked in mustard sauce and paired with broccoli, cauliflower and sunflower seeds.

Banana Split Pudding Brownies & Caramel filled Golden Vanilla Cupcakes

Okay, there is no denying: this is the best brownie ever!



I gave my omni friend the last small piece and she rationed it and was like "I'm sorry I'm not giving you a bite of this, but oh my this is so good!" Ha ha, I was like "Never mind, enjoy it! I ate almost the whole batch myself last night."

When I ate a piece while it was still warm, I swear it felt like velvet melting in your mouth! After refrigerating for a day the consistence was fudgy. Different, but just as good! And they were so rich in chocolate, because I used Lindt's 85% cocoa chocolate!

Believe me, I wanted to slap myself for cutting the recipe in half. I will definitely make these again, soon.
My friend wants to bake them with me!

And here are the cupcakes I gave her for her birthday.



I filled them with the Caramel glaze from the Dulche Sin Leche Cupcakes. She loved the chocolate ganache! And I was surprised that you can create such a fudgy topping by only using soy milk, chocolate and a Tbsp. of maple syrup. Go vegan recipes!
These were good, but the brownies were better!!!

Roasted Mustard Brussels Sprouts

Here's what I had for dinner last night.



Katie's Mashed Cauliflower, Roasted Mustard Brussels Sprouts, a spelt grain cutlet and a fresh tomato.



Yumm, I'll be having that for lunch in a few hours!

Roasted Mustard Brussels Sprouts



Ingredients
1 1/4 cup brussels sprouts
1 tsp. mustard
1/3 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1 clove (or more) of garlic, minced
salt and pepper, to taste

1. preheat oven to 375° F
2. cut brussels sprouts in half
3. in a bowl mix all the ingredients, add the brussels sprouts and stir till fully covered
4. leave them in the oven for 15 minutes, turn them and leave them in for another 15 minutes

I've been thinking about preparing Scrambled Tofu tonight so I can have it for lunch tomorrow. But I've been wondering... does Scrambled Tofu still tastes good when it has been heated up in a microwave?
Thanks in advance =)

And I made the Banana Split Pudding Brownies from VWAV last night. The most incredible brownies I've ever had!!! I'll take a picture later of the small piece that's left =p

Sundried Tomato Hummus

I made hummus for the first time: sundried tomato hummus to be exact.
And I have to admit that... I am fairly disappointed. I thought I had messed up the recipe, because it was pretty dry. Is it supposed to be like that? I expected it to be more creamy. And the taste didn't blow me away either. I looked at other hummus recipes, but they were all very much alike, so I guess hummus just tastes like that. Bummer!

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

I promised my friend from Eindhoven, Holland a long time ago to send her cookies. And now I finally managed to bake some.
I wanted to add dried cherries, but in the beginning I couldn't find them anywhere and this one supermarket that actually had them sold a tiny bag for 4 €, eek!!! What's up with that? Are dried cherries always that expensive?
Anyway, I wanted to substitute dried cranberries for the cherries, but only remembered that when the cookies had been almost done.

I used Katies recipe, but used only 1 cup flour and added 1/4 cup cocoa powder. They are a tad bit too sweet for me(but they're not for me so maybe they are just right), but that's my fault. I had only about a tbsp. dark cocoa powder left and then used the organic powder for cocoa drinks which is already sweetend a little bit... I just didn't remember that and used the amount of sugar the recipe recommended. They are not too chocolatey(thanks to the not-enough-cocoa-in-the-house-incident), but taste very good! I can't describe it, but the brown sugar added a very nice flavor!



I imagine they must taste great dipped in some Latte!

So Jody, I know these aren't exactly the cookies I wanted to send to you. Do you want me to bake you another batch?

More Love

No food picture, but important. More love!!!



I had a nice day today and an old man played a big role.
For lunch I bought veggie soup(so super yummy, btw) from a Bio Supermarket that's five minutes away from work. The old man with his high and squeaky voice was so incredibly nice, aww. He asked me if I was very hungry and when I answered with a yes, he doubled the serving and gave me three slices of whole wheat spelt bread for free. It may seem like nothing big, but nice gestures like this are very rare. At least where I live.

Aber... wir Berliner sind ja quasi die Erfinder der Freundlichkeit!


And something that excites me probably more than anyone else reading this(probably because you guys all own one): I finally got a food processor!!!

Mushroom Pierogi & Borscht

I've seen many Borscht recipes and they all had a long list of ingredients. This is the recipe from my polish grandma, may she rest in peace. We traditionally make this dinner every Christmas, the way she used to.

Note: This is a quick version. I used red beets in jars, unlike my grandma who prepared fresh ones.
This version is simple, very simple. But in my eyes, incredibly good.




Sorry for the crappy picture. It's the only one I took of a filled plate, because we were all eager to dig in!

Ingredients | Borscht
2 jars red beet
2 1/2 cups water
3 medium onions, quartered
4 or more cloves of garlic (just throw in the whole cloves)
bay leaves, about a small handful
pimento, also a small handful
salt and pepper, to taste
soy creamer

Ingredients | Pierogi
for the dough:
1 pound all-purpose flour
1 cup water

for the stuffing:
2 cans whole champignons
2-3 medium onions, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste



Preparation

start with the stuffing:
1. cut the onions
2. cut the mushrooms into small pieces
3. heat up a pan with a little canola oil, add onions and mushrooms
4. on low/medium heat turn the mixture occasionally until the champignons are done
5. add salt and pepper to taste and set aside

now to the Borscht:
6. empty the two jars into a pot (including the liquid) and add about 2 1/2 cups water
7. with a knife, cut the beet slices into smaller pieces (or if you have red beet globes I recommend you to grate them, tastes awesome!)
8. bring to a light boil, throw in the quartered onions, the cloves of garlic, bay leaves and piment
9. cover up and let stand on very low heat

prepare the dough:
10. in a bowl, mix flour with 1 cup water (use less first to prevent using too much or you'll end up adding more flour, then more water, then more flour again...) and knead until the consistence is right (very doughy)
11. spread a thin layer of flour on a clean cutting board(to prevent the dough from sticking to it) roll dough until it's about 0.2 inches high
12. with a glass (or anything round with a diameter of 4-5 inches) cut out dough circles
13. get another flour layered board to place the filled Pierogis on
14. take a cut out circle, stretch it a little, take a teaspoon of the mushroom mixture and place it in the middle of the dough circle
15. carefully fold it and press the rims together (you can use a fork to do that, but using your fingers is just as fine)
16. place it on the doughy board and continue filling the doughy circles with the mushroom stuffing
17. in a large pot bring water to boil, add salt and about 1/4 cup canola oil (the Pierogi will stick together like crazy otherwise, but you can also leave out the oil and add lots and lots of soy margarine when they are done)
18. put your stuffed Pierogis in the pot and wait until they come to the surface, wait for about a minute and take them out

back to the Borscht:
19. add salt and pepper to taste
20. add 1/2 cup soy creamer (or more, depends on how creamy you like it), add more water if neccessary (last night I ended up adding some more water and soy creamer to my plate because the taste of vinegar was a little too strong)

Et voilà! That's it, you're done! Enjoy!

I know I did. I think I refilled my plate 3 or 4 times. All in all I consumed about 12 Pierogis maybe. I was so full, but satisfied to no end.
Ha ha, my dad and I totally fought over the Borscht and the last Pierogis. I was like "Now I finally know what my sister feels like on Christmas Eve... the fear of not getting one's comeuppance." Because she always inhales Pierogis within a matter of minutes ;)

Mashed Cauliflower Goodness

Thanks to a certain Chocolate Covered Vegan I got to enjoy a great dinner last night. I made it again tonight, but this time I added a cup of brussel sprouts and cooked some spinach to go with it. Not that it needed more additions as it tasted awesome yesterday aswell.



Katie, this rocks!!! Thank you so much.
I made a little too much though. But guess what I'll heat up in the microwave at work tomorrow for lunch? ;)

Mini Crustless Tofu Quiches

I made Susans Mini crustless Tofu Quiches.



They smelled great, but sadly they came out a little too soggy =(



My best friend liked them anyway. And he finished my Peach Pear Cobbler, totally drooling over it. I really liked that dessert aswell! He also got the last two Vanilla Cupcakes and yumm-ed nonstop while eating. Success at last, I'd say =)
He will also be my new test person. He has nothing against vegan food. His uncle owns the restaurant I posted about before. Cooking and baking for him will be so much fun!!!

I think I'll make Blueberry Scones now. Or Blueberry&Raspberry, because I have almost no blueberries left.

Low-Fat Vanilla Cupcakes and homemade Jam

I just made VCTOTWs Sexy Low-Fat Vanilla Cupcakes.



Filled with jam, topped with chopped 85% cocoa chocolate, crushed cashews and a dried cranberry.



Homemade jam. It's so fruity, unbelievable. I doubt I'll ever buy jam again.



And it's so easy. I used 2 cups mixed berries, 1 cup raspberries, 1/3 cup sugar and 2 grams Bindobin. Mix everything in a blender and tadaa - you have delicious selfmade jam.

[edit] Aww, I just brought my mom some jam for breakfast. She was eating bread with plain peanut butter and when she topped it with my jam and took a bite her eyes lit up "Wow, how did you do this? This tastes great!!! Here, try it!" handing it over to my dad. Ha ha, so sweet!
My dad prefered to eat my Peach Pear Cobbler with ice-cream for breakfast instead!

Peach Pear Cobbler, Scrambled Tofu & Cooking/Baking Plans

Ohh, this way so good. All the cinnamon! And the perfect combination of pears and peaches with it. Yum yum! I didn't have any all-spice the recipe asked for so I added some nutmeg instead.



After the Peach Pear Cobbler I made after work I had satisfied my sweet tooth, but again I needed something hearty.

I can now oficially say that I am no longer a Tofu Scramble virgin!!!
I used VWAVs Veggie Tofu Scramble recipe as a basic, but since I don't like mushrooms I replaced them with some cauliflower and added red, yellow and green bell pepper.
I am rather surprised by the Tofu Scramble. The Tofus consistence is exactly like chicken... that kind of freaks me out, because the main reason why I was vegetarian for almost all my life is that I don't like the taste and the consistence of meat. It was good nevertheless. Next time I'll use more spices, definitely more vegetables and cruble the Tofu into smaller pieces or simply use less.



I decided to make a little list. I really hope that I'll manage to get everything done on time the way I have planned here.

Ohh, I just discovered that we have a microwave at work. It's like right there on the kitchen counter, don't ask me how I could overlook that. Yay, that means no more buying expensive and not necessarily very tasty/nutritious lunch! I can cook my own vegan dinner and just take it to work the next day =D


Cooking/Baking Plans
(hearty | sweet)

Saturday

* Mini Tofu Quiches (uses up silken Tofu)
* Blueberry Scones
* Jam

Sunday

* Pierogis + Borscht
* Double Chocolate Chip Cookies (as a gift for a friend)

Monday

* Mashed Cauliflower + Garlicky Broccoli + Green Asparagus
* Banana Chocolate Pudding Brownies

Tuesday

* Sundried Tomato Hummus
* Green Soy Tagliatelle + Roasted Brussel Sprouts + Mustard Sauce

Wednesday

* sth. with Kale (Any suggestions? I've never made anything with kale before so I could need some advice)

Thursday

* Mocha Chip Muffins
* Soy Sprouts + Scrambled Tofu (or chickpeas)

Like I said, this is just a plan, we'll see whether I'm gonna stick with it or end up cooking/baking something completely different ;)

Now I'll make some Vanilla Raspberry Cupcakes with before my boyfriend arrives.