Vegan Blueberry Cake

This is the season These famous words announce Christmas. This is the season for another joyous feast. It is this time the Resurrection of Jesus we commemorate so with this recipe I want to celebrate a new beginning. It smells like spring in between the rain und snow showers and the sun is so much stronger. So we hope she helps us each day to become more energetic and lets throw a colorful scarf around the neck instead of a grey one.
 How did I end up trying a vegan no bake cake? A long time spent in research !

I must admit that I suspected the meatless, alternative foods for the longest time as a strange crowd who might hide some dark secrets. One cannot just skip over the eggs and steaks off as if they were something poisonous. I've since come to the conclusion that a good balance in everything is the key, more raw food helpings can only benefit you, lets say half of what we eat can be raw.

The Vegan is a connoisseur and loves to eat well, nourishing the body with fresh enzymes the digestive system knows and recognizes and is able to process. It is called for many good reasons "The Diet That Makes You Glow" in a very positive way, your skin radiates after only a few months and chronic illnesses that are related to your diet can be minimized and will eventually disappear. Hunger attacks that make us eat the junk usually packaged in a foil and advertised to us in bright colors will disappear. It takes time and a portion of good will but if you give it a try you will see the those positive changes and the cravings will be gone as well. All of a sudden you find yourself with a watery mouth standing at the vegetable and fruit stand buying way too many cucumbers, carrots, kale, mangoes, apples, pommegranates ...

I hope I got you interested in a recipe that contains - yes ? What ? Nothing of the usual cake type ingredient, just pure and nutritious yummy flavors and with a blender, you are all set to "assemble".

YOU NEED

Makes a tiny 12cm diameter cake. 

Crust:

100 gr | 1/2 cup pitted fresh dates (or soaked for 15 min in warm water then drained)
85 gr | 1/2 cup ground almonds 
25 gr shredded coconuts 
1 tbsp cocoa powder, raw quality
1 pinch of salt 
1 tbsp ristretto (strong coffee)

Filling:

325 gr | 21/2 cups cashew nuts (soaked over night and drained)
4 tbsp of fresh lemon juice 
6 tbsp melted coconut oil
200 ml | 2/3 cup full fat coconut milk
6 tbsp agave sirup    
50 gr | 1/2 cup frozen but thawed blueberries ( if they are too cold the coconut oil hardens too quick again)

Assemble

Put almonds in a food processor with the dates, coconut, cocoa powder, salt and pulse until you get a paste add the coffee and scrape the sides down, plus again. 
Press the paste into a 12 cm spring form. Mine has a ring and the base can be pressed up to disassemble. I love it is perfect as well for cheesecakes and Ice-cream cakes as it is tight enough to not leak! So cool. Then freeze the crust, now you can start to prepare the filling.
In a sauce pan heat gently coconut oil (on 2,5-3 max - remember all raw food needs to be heated gently and stay under 43°C best is 40°- 42°).

In a blender mix all ingredients until as smooth and creamy as possible and pour over the crust. Wrapped with plastic foil freeze the cake on an even surface now for at least 4 hours or over night. You can prepare your cake I guess as long as 2 weeks ahead of time, remove the cake from the form and let thaw at least 20 minutes before serving, or an hour in the fridge before you plan to serve your dessert. Decorate with violets and blueberries. 
 

It is a kind of 'semi freddo' if you like, but will be firm enough if you eat it at room temperature. Why I love this recipe? I am so happy to make something so delicious and decorative looking without any of the "natural" patisserie ingredients such as refined sugar, flour and eggs. I still love bakery and pastry products and will for sure post more of my favorite recipes but this one is a guilt-free alternative that can absolutely compete with its more 'sinful' buddies.

Porcelain by Augarten Wien

Avocado Zucchini Sugo

Spring is making progress every day and, honestly, next to Summer, winter, and not to mention fall, it is my favorite time of year. Seems like I cannot make up my mind? True, I love all the seasons for their various foods, the feelings they bring and especially the different light.

For my food photography I prefer the days with lots of natural light and I think you can see right here, how well the green stands out - almost unreal. This is because the recipe is entirely raw, apart from the noodles themselves. But if you like, you could make zucchini noodles with a spiral cutter for a carb-free, gluten free, vegan dish that will satisfy your appetite and nourish your body with essential vitamins, minerals and enzymes.

You Need

1 organic zucchini
60 gr organic spinach, washed
1 avocado, peeled and pitted
1/2 cup pine nuts
salt, chili
1 tsp fermented garlic
2 tsp lemon juice
water
1/3 cup organic olive oil, NOAN
 

All of the above goes into a blender and the amount of water you add depends on the consistency of the sugo.  I used 1 cup maximum or less.  When I asked my friend Birgit if she wanted some of the sugo and sent her the photo she said I WANT IT PLEEEEASE ! It is so delicious ! So ask her please or try it yourself it is easy to make and a sure success. Pour the sugo over cooked and drained fresh pasta and serve, drizzled with olive oil and with some pine nuts on top. 

Egg White Omelette with Avocado Fan

You Need:

for 4 hungry brunchers or equivalently more:

10 whites of fresh organic eggs
smoked sea salt 
fresh pepper or chili from the mill
butter for the pan
1/2 cup leaves of fresh chives chopped

2 medium sized avocados
1/2 red onion
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice 
1 tsp maple sirup
salt, chili

• Before you make the egg white omelette: cut the red onions in thin slices and stir fry them in the pan with some butter until tender, but not brown. I love them when they are still firm but have lost their strong taste. Remove them from the pan and let them cool.
• Cut the avocados in slices and brush them with the marinate of olive oil, lemon juice, salt and sirup and chili before you combine them with the completely cooled  onions. 
• To make the scrambled eggs, whisk the egg whites with salt and pepper in a bowl. I make individual omelettes in a small pan for one portion per person. Heat your pan on medium to high, melt 1 tsp butter and pour the egg whites into the hot pan not stirring in order to cook evenly a little lifting and making holes can help the liquid seep to the bottom make sure that you do not overcook The omelette must not be turned it is better when only crisp on the outer side. 

To assemble, fill one half with a tbsp of the cooked and marinated onions, top with one half of a fan like cut avocado, fold over and sprinkle with the chopped fresh chives and serve warm with fresh white bread or toasted dark slice of bread. Sprinkle a little olive oil and lemon juice over the dish.

Green Mayonnaise Dressing

None of the photos needed photoshopping ... the colors are like you see them - BEAUTIFUL !

Dressings are my kind of thing when it comes to salads. I often try something different as you already know. Remember the Avocado Poached Egg Salad with Grapefruit? I love that dressing!

Today I wanted to convince my family of eating frisée salad, which is difficult to love because it is kind of bitter and chewy, best thing about it is, that it looks fun - at least for decoration under raw meat my husband and son thinks. What a difficult plan I had in mind but believe it or not they ate it all and each time they like it the recipe passes and can be published. Tough crowd !

You Need:

Dressing:
50 gr fresh corn salad, washed 
4 tbsp organic olive oil from NOAN
1/2 orange, juiced
1 -2 tbsp agave sirup
1/2 avocado
1 tsp light colored miso paste - optional
1 tsp white vinegar
Garlic, salt and chili 

+
1/2 a head of a curly endive salad or frisée salad, washed
1/2 a ripe mango, peeled and in slices

Mix everything for the dressing with an immersion blender until you get the consistency of mayonnaise. The Miso paste is a a great seasoning for a lot of dishes, dressings, soups and sauces and keeps in the fridge very well. Season with salt and garlic paste. I use this fermented garlic, that is lightly salted and much better to digest than the fresh garlic.Season to taste and drizzle over your salad, the sliced mango brings some sweetness to it and eliminates the bitterness. The oil I use for many years now is called NOAN and the story behind it will inspire you, the oil is absolutely amazing and I buy it by 5 liter canisters.

This is an egg free, healthy and tasty alternative to mayo and looks just like spring itself.

DD TIP:
Try the mayonnaise once as a dip in summer for your raw vegetables ! You can substitute the corn salad with other salads but it is the greenest, spinach will work just as fine.

Pot au Chocolat

The time we now have to endure until Easter is called lent. Lent is a way of excusing oneself from certain invitations: Sorry we are not much fun these days, we don't drink or eat. Please understand, ... you know ... it is lent, .... YES! 

Or the ones who say: Well, if I fast of anything this year it is taking an elevator! I only take the steps! 

Or This year for the entire lent I will commit myself to the kiwi-diet : Everything but kiwi.

So here is my suggestion. Anything goes as long as it is hard to discipline yourself for it. 
Fast! Fast of meat, fast of dairy products, fast of TV ( a good one! ), fast of sport if it is your "god" or fast of sarcasm, pride or snappy comebacks.

In case sugar is on your list: here is a recipe you can still make and stay in your parameters.

Print recipe

You Need:

400 gr | 2 cups heavy cream
350 gr | 12 oz dark chocolate of the best kind at least 53%
4 large eggyolks
3 tbsp dark rum or cognac of good quality ( I used a ron zaccapa )
3 tbsp unsalted butter, you an always add coarse salt for more flavor

Heat the cream in a saucepan over medium to high heat until bubbles come, remove from heat and drop in the chocolate. I use small chocolate pellets, if you use normal chocolate, please cut it in small pieces before you add it to the hot cream. 

Wait 1 minute, then begin to stir and stir until all of the chocolate is dissolved. Stir the egg yolk until creamy add 2-3 tbsp of the hot chocolate cream to the egg yolks to temper them spoon by spoon. Then add the yolks to the rest of the chocolate cream and stir until all is combined smoothly with a whisk. Add the rum or cognac stir and add the butter to give the chocolate a shiny surface. Fill little ramekins or small espresso cups 3/4 and refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight covered with cling wrap. This makes a perfect dessert after a long meal because it is not sweet but will satisfy your appetite for a dessert. It can be pepped up with a little sea salt or ground coffee beans! The fun is you can decorate it just as you like, try any of the below versions:

• whipped cream
• berries
• caramel cream
• gold leaves .... - yes !
 

Oven Roasted Asparagus

For the first time in years, I had a stretch of several seasonal illnesses. The reason for not cooking, not exercising, not traveling or going out at all .... yes, it hit me full force. And I am usually downplaying stuff that bothers me, of course not to my closest family, here I allow myself to let go of my frustration but to the outside world I try not to whine too much. 

Today the sun is out helping me to forget I should be in Florida and due to the fact that everyone in my family spoils me with beautiful cookbooks for all occasions, I had plenty of time to flip through them while not being able to make or eat any of it, one easy recipe I can give along inspired by Mimi Thorisson and her first book called 'A Kitchen in France'. For those of you who love the french cuisine this book is a highlight, with stunning family scenes, decorated oak tables, French countryside charm. Their many dogs and 7 kids keep you entertained and inspired throughout all of the pages. Mimi has a simple green asparagus dish I tried and loved. I just left away the prosciutto she used to keep the portions together. She cooks a lot of meat, which is very French but not my favorite. So please go get the book if you need a side dish for your asparagus, as I would call it #fromwhereistand .

You Need:

500 grams green asparagus, washed, cut the stems 2 cm
a bunch of fresh chervil
Parmesan shavings
Coarse sea salt
olive oil

Fresh ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 200°C | 400°F 

Usually fresh green asparagus doesn't need peeling, so please don't you would only loose the best part of it to the bin.

Place 5-6 stems on a parchment paper, repeat with the rest of your bundle. place the chervil generously on the middle, drizzle with olive oil, salt and the parmesan shavings. and let bake for 20-25 minutes depending on the diameter of your asparagus. It is one whenever you love it best, more crispy or more tender. Finally serve it with fresh pepper from the mill. Simple, time saving, and healthy for the many occasions you will get when the season for asparagus hits home. 

Don't you just love the longer days and the stronger sun ? I enjoy it so much !

Please, Spring Come !!!

Zucchini Blossoms Filled with Cashews

Each time I see these pretty flowers I become aware of the abundance of produce we have available and how crazy it is to eat the bud before it turns into a zucchini. Then some one explained to me that before the production sets on selling the vegetable they use the early days to sell the flowers as well, they will soon grow them into vegetables as well! I hope it is true. They have a nutty flavor and are great in salads without frying them in excess oil.

Everyone I spoke to about this great recipe asked my where I managed to find these flowers at this time of year, and I had to admit it was at a special market for gastronomy, so don't give up, and PIN it in case you don't find any right now, and try to make it as soon as they are available in all stores! They are also Raw Vegan and can be served for those who love this kind of healthy approach on food.

You Need:

12 Zucchini flowers
alfalfa sprouts
lemon juice
olive oil
coarse sea salt

1 fresh zucchini, mixed with
salt,
1 tbsp olive oil,
chili,
1 tsp lemon juice ,
1 tbsp miso paste and
a little soy milk (or oat milk or heavy cream if you like)

Filling:

3 cups soaked cashew nuts ( soak in water for 3-4 hours)
1 tbsp garlic paste or 1 tsp fresh garlic 
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
salt

This is an easy and a really impressive salad for guests, just by the looks of it. Usually chefs fill the flower and fry them, but I thought they would be much prettier if enjoyed raw. The filling is made entirely in the blender and then squeezed into the flower with the aid of a decorating bag. Done! Prepare the filling days ahead and refrigerate to save time.

I set them on a bed of zucchini puree, also made in your blender, sprinkle your alfalfa sprouts all over the plate and place your flowers on it, drizzle with olive oil, cashew nuts and coarse salt. 

Coconut Lemon Cake

These Persian Buttercups are the most beautiful roses. They are so delicate and mesmerizing, with a subtle fragrance and their leaves feel like silk. 
When I look outside my window I can barely see the next house, it is snowing and the wind was so strong that in no time everything was white and one cannot even see anything down the street . Driving is insane and stopping the car a "lasting" experience ... better stay home, cosy and safe and enjoy a tropical cake with coconut and lemon icing. This recipe is from Monika, a friend from church, and I just adapted it for us. It is really easy and quickly made, you can leave the lemon icing away if you prefer, but it adds a great deal to the taste.

You Need:

250 gr plain yoghurt 3,6%
160 gr | 3/4 cups caster sugar
3 organic eggs
1/8 of a liter | 8 tbsp vegetable oil
100 gr | 1 cup dried coconut flakes
100 gr | 2/3  bread crumbs ( You can use the gluten free of course)
peel of one organic lemon ( just the yellow, the white is bitter)
1 tbsp baking powder
salt, vanilla, a dash of rum( optional)

ICING:
2 tbsp juice from a lemon
1 cup icing sugar

Mix all ingredients one by one and pour into a small, buttered form. I used a round one, but you can also use a loaf pan form. Bake at 180°C | 360 °F for 40 minutes or until a chopstick comes out clean when you test the cake. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.

The icing is very simple, just stir until all lumps are dissolved and drizzle it over the cake in any direction, just as you like it. I used a piping bag and cut a bigger opening with my scissors. The icing should have a fairly sticky texture, in case it tourney out to liquid, add more icing sugar. Then the result will be a perfect white decoration on your cake and a sour sweet sensation on the tongue.

This dough is perfect as well for cupcakes and great if you have kids over, then I recommend to leave the rum away, of course.

Zucchini Pine-nut Salad

Well I should be making dinner, but who will blame me for sitting right here to write the recipe for this post, comfortably in my chair and enjoying these photos. I love them I hope you do too. At my son's school we had Teacher Appreciation Lunch this week and every parent had to bring in a dish according to the last name initial so we were down for "Savory". 

I had way too many ideas and I am so glad it was not "Sweet", because it is much harder to be healthy with sweet than with savory. So when I went shopping and saw these beautiful organic zucchinis I grabbed a load and while picking the nicest I realized I must have inspired another lady who in fear of probably getting none, stared at me with a rather unfriendly smile. I left 6 zucchini and headed over to the scale with 3 kilograms  ... that makes 15 zucchinis, or more .... then she took the rest! Good for her and I hope she made something yummy, sharing is civil I suppose ...

Here is one more challenge after fighting for your lot: most ingredients are a no go if it comes to school: walnuts, hazelnuts, gluten, histamine, ... you name it they will not be able to eat it ...

So I hope they liked my salad, as probably the greenest and healthiest on that buffet table.
I made it the day ahead and added the dressing and toppings before school in the morning.  

You Need:

1,5 kg organic zucchini for a party of 8
some olive oil

3 tbsp lime juice and
1 tip of the knife of grated peel from the lime
3 tbsp organic olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp agave sirup or maple sirup
salt, fresh pepper

3 sprigs of fresh basil
3/4 cups pine nuts
lots of parmesan shavings

Cut the washed zucchini length wise and then in 4 mm think slices. Quickly stir fry over high heat in a little bit of olive oil, batch by batch. Too many in the pan will make them soggy. If they turn dark every here and there that is pretty I think, but be careful you need them to be very crisp. That is why high heat and quick turning is best. Let them cool completely and mix the dressing. Mix well and pour it over the zucchini, let marinate for a bit and sprinkle the pine nuts, basil leaves and parmesan shavings with a little extra olive oil over the salad for decoration. Some extra fresh pepper! 

I love freshly baked hot ciabatta with olives or herbs with a salad so fresh and green and lemony. Maybe at the next summer party with a tender white fish from the grill - oh ya !

Cannelés - French Custard Cakes from Bordeaux

A recipe known since the 1700s and back then strictly regulated in terms of how many bakeries were allowed to produce this sensational type of pastry, it is now again hyped and can be bought in french pastries in batches of 8 or 12. The outer crust is crisp due to the caramelizing of the sugar the centre soft and flavorful. Best for snack with champagne, served along with tea or wine either white or red, and even found on breakfast menus. I fell in love it while visiting Sophie and we went to Maison Kaiser on 3rd Avenue between 74th and 75th Street last fall. The history of this recipe inspired me for the food photography. A little hard to tell since back then none took photos and it took a long time until they would take photos of food ....
I adopted the recipe from many I researched on the internet. There are even videos that show the full procedure like the one of Bruno Albouze. I loved in particular the pretty copper molds they had ! but mine work just as fine and won't topple over ....

The funniest thing is to watch the cannelés grow out of their molds and some might even stay up as if they had outgrown their shoes.

The best advice is fresh eggs and long resting for the dough. Everything else is pretty easy. Oh and of course a really good rum! makes all the difference !

No worries, the look is a bit frightening, they do look dark but remember the crust must be crips due to the caramelization of the sugar. Devine if you get one still warm!

You Need:

500g | 2 cups | 50cl whole milk
50g | 3.5 tbsp butter
1 vanilla bean or 3-4 tsp vanilla extract
100g | 3/4 cup +1 tbsp plain flour
250g | 2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp sea salt
2 large eggs (use really fresh eggs, they make a difference.)
2 large egg yolks
1/4 cup rum, a really good one 
 

Heat the milk, butter, and vanilla bean (that you cut in half and scrape the seeds into the pot) over medium and bring to a boil, and with the help of a thermometer 85°C | 185°F. Remove from heat and let cool down while you get to the other ingredients.

Measure and then sift together the flour, powder sugar and salt.
Mix the eggs and yolks with a fork, don’t beat.

Temper the beaten eggs little by little with the warm milk-butter-vanilla mixture. This way the eggs will not cook and lump. Do not remove the vanilla bean. Pour the warm milk mixture into the bowl containing the dry ingredients, and gently stir together until well blended.

Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 days, the longer the better. I know that sounds an awful lot but It is really worth the wait.

Strain the lumpy batter (over a fine-mesh strainer) into the large enough can, pressing the lumps through until you get a totally lump-free batter. Add the rum and stir until combined. Cover the container with plastic wrap and place in the fridge to rest for 48 hours. If you can remember it, stir it once after 24 hours and put it back in the fridge to continue to rest.

Grease the special molds generously and fill with the batter 5 mm short oft the edge and bake at 220°C | 428°F for 25 minutes, then lower the heat to 190°C | 375°F for another 30 minutes. Let them cool 5 minutes and remove them from the mold, they come out easily, do not use a knife, you will most likely destroy your cannelés and the mold. Serve warm and enjoy the admiration.