Trying Veganism
exploring the world of vegan cookingArchiv für asparagus
Cabbage Rolls & Sauerkraut
Mhh, this leftover stuffing did a good job serving as a filling for cabbage rolls!
I love this meal, despite of the smell that lingers in the kitchen afterwards.
Equilinia-Veggie Stuffed Bell Peppers
A winner!!!
My mom said „Oh, yummyyyy!“ between each and every bite and my fathers only complaint was that it wasn’t salty enough. They both really appreciate the fact that I cook for them. In particular that I cook very healthy!
My mom said after dinner „That’s what I love about meals like these… you don’t feel so full and bloated afterwards!“
My father already thought of additions „Falafel would taste great with this!“
My boyfriend came over with a steak (the sight of that bloody red piece of flesh seriously made me sick) and fries his mom got him that he wanted to make for dinner.
He asked if he could have a stuffed pepper first and inhaled it within a matter of minutes!
Another dinner he really enjoyed, because after he ate his steak and fries – he kept complaining that the steak didn’t taste good because it wasn’t medium anymore – he asked if he could have another plate of my delicious vegan veggie food! Well that’s not how he put it, ha ha! But he wanted more of it.
So he got it, topped with fresh basil! Mhhhhhh!!!!
The stuffing itself would have made a delicious dinner. I bought this Uncle Bens mix a while ago (a mixture of brown & wild rice, spelt, oats, barley, rye & wheat) and mixed it with the following:
Ingredients
1 can mushrooms, finely chopped added to 2 medium sauteed onions, seasoned with salt & pepper
1 cup asparagus, chopped
1 green and 1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes
1/3 cup paprika-hot pepper spread (based on sunflower seeds)
1/3 cup tomato puree
1/3 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
I prepared the mushrooms seperately, sauteed the bell pepper with the asparagus and just cut the fresh tomatoes in small pieces and folded them into the rice mixture along with the basil.
I preheated the oven to 428°F
Then I cut the bell peppers in half. I didn’t fill whole ones because that would’ve made only three. That way we had six =)
I filled the halfs with stuffing, lined them up in the baking dish I had filled with about 1/3 cup tomato puree (I’d usually use half a can of tomatoes but I only had a pack of tomato puree on hand), put more filling into the middle of the dish (I still have leftovers – my mom had the fantastic idea last night to make cabbage rolls with the stuffing, I LOVE IT!) and poured the rest of the tomato puree (I used one pack, 1/3 cup for the stuffing) over it.
Covered it up and baked it for about 25 minutes.
Mhhh, can’t wait to have that in cabbage rolls =)
Garlic-Thyme String & Black Beans with roasted Garlic Zucchini, Asparagus & Tomatoes
String Beans with lots of garlic and thyme… that has always been my favorite side dish.
This time I added some black beans which I found in the freezer. Fit very well =)
What a delightful garlic scented dinner! This is a rather fast meal if you have canned beans on hand. Both dishes only need about 15 minutes to cook so they are done at the same time and can be enjoyed right away!
My parents savoured this and my dad asked for more, but I had to disappoint him because I didn’t cook that much. Ah well, next time! But I really appreciate it that they enjoy my food and are always willing to try and to comment on everything I make.
So this serves 2-3 I’d say. Or one very hungry person.
Garlic-Thyme String & Black Beans
Ingredients
2-3 Tbsp. water (or more as needed)
1 medium/big onion (I prefer a big one)
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 can string beans, drained
1 1/2 cup black beans, cooked
thyme (at least 1 Tbsp., but do as you please)
salt & pepper, to taste
1. in a saucepan sautee the onion in water for a few minutes, then add the garlic
2. add the string beans, sprinkle with thyme, some salt & pepper, stir, cover and cook on low-medium for 13 minutes
3. after 13 minutes add the cooked black beans, stir and season with more salt & pepper if needed
4. cover again and cook for 2 more minutes
Roasted Garlic Zucchini, Asparagus & Tomatoes
Ingredients
1 zucchini
1 cup asparagus
2 cups cherry tomatoes
1 clove of garlic, minced
1. preheat the oven to 350°F
2. cut the veggies, line them up on a rimmed baking sheet, sprinkle with garlic, salt and pepper
3. roast for 15-20 minutes
My parents had a sunflower seed pita pocket to go with it.
And I finally made a recipe index, check it out if you like!
Spinach Tortellini, my magical place & something that made my day
I just cleaned up my kitchen, so now it’s about time to show you where the magic happens!
If I should get myself to throw out the couch already I’d have more space, space I need actually. But I love my couch too much ♥ Some day, some day…
For dinner 2 days ago I had the following.
There were no nice tomatoes available at the supermarket so I bought a jar of Bertollis Basil Sauce. I usually don’t like to buy something like pasta sauce, because you can easily make it yourself. But this one tasted quite good. Nevertheless I had to add vegetables of course: zucchini, bell pepper, asparagus, broccoli, scallions.
Last night I had the tortellini again, with the same veggie-pimped sauce. I also made spaghetti and Pesto (which was delicious), but I totally forgot to take a picture *slaps*
I’m on vacation for 2 weeks now though so hopefully I’ll start cooking more. My parents already mentioned that they like the idea of me having dinner ready every night for the next days when they come home from work, ha ha 
I have a loooooong list of things to try so finding recipes shouldn’t be hard.
And now it’s time to squeal like a little kid… LOOK WHAT I GOT! He he.
Thank you so so much, Jennifer!
I feel incredibly honoured that people enjoy this blog and reading your lines absolutely made my day =) Thank you SO much!!!
There are so many vegan blogs out there I enjoy, and yours is definitely one of my all-time favorites!
Here’s also a small list of blogs I visit frequently and enjoy a whole lot:
There are many more… Like Jennifer said I think we can rate the vegan community ‘E for Excellent’.
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 =)
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!
