Categories
Snacks & Sides

Homemade Sauerkraut

Wanting to make sauerkraut but don’t know how? You are at the right place – roll up your sleeves, get your cabbage and let’s start

Hi Everyone,

For today we have such a tasty & easy recipe and it’s Sauerkraut! Next to cabbage and some salt, get those muscles ready! The process from cabbage to sauerkraut will take a minimum of 2 weeks (to make it sour enough) but can be stored for much longer – as long as it’s in a cold and dark place.

INGREDIENTS:
In this recipe you will need the following ingredients:
– 1 cabbage (but use as many as you want)
– salt (2% of the cabbage weight)
– 1 small carrot
– 1/4 of a red bell pepper
– 2-3 garlic cloves
– 1/2 tbsp of mustard seeds

The traditional Sauerkraut is just made from cabbage and salt – so go ahead if you like it just that way!

PREPARATION:
To start off let’s cut the cabbage in half, take the hearths out and then nicely shred it – by knife, mandolin, shredder, or food processor.
Once done, transfer it into a bowl and weigh the cut cabbage – now you will know how much salt you need.
We got 950g of cabbage, so 2% would be 19g of salt!

950 x 0,02 = 19

Put the salt into the bowl and leave it for 10 minutes.

Now it’s time for the thought part start squeezing the cabbage to the point that it’s not crispy anymore and that a lot of water came out – it will take at least 10 minutes.

Go ahead and cut the carrot, pepper, and garlic and then add them to the cabbage together with the mustard – mix it well together!

Fill your glass container with the cabbage and top it up with the brine that is left and now firmly pack the cabbage mixture into the container – press it together so you have at least 1 inch of water covering the cabbage.
It’s very important that the cabbage mix stays submerged under the brine (so it doesn’t go off) so use a weight to keep it down – in this case, I just used a food bag filled with some water.
Store the sauerkraut in a dark and cold place and release the air from the container 3 times a week (scum will occur on top of the liquid – just remove it).
The fermentation is complete when the bubbling stops – you can then store it in containers in the fridge and use it for up to 3 months.

You can also use a fermenting crock (vessel) that is much easier to use (a very good buy if you are planning to make sauerkraut more often) – the water seal on top allows gasses to escape but prevents anything from coming in!

As mentioned at the beginning of the post, the sauerkraut will be ready for use already in two weeks!

Enjoy!

Cheers,

Vito

For a video tutorial, check the link below:

Categories
Lunch & Dinner

Mushroom Sliders

Need a new idea for your lunch/dinner menu?? Follow along with our new recipe and make these delicious mini mushroom sliders.

Hi Everyone,

In this post, I am going to show you a great recipe for mushroom sliders. It serves 3 people and takes about 35 minutes to prepare.

INGREDIENTS:
The ingredients that are needed are as follow:
– 400g of mushrooms (we used champignons)
– 2,5 tsp of salt
– 1/2 can of jackfruit
– 2-3 cloves of garlic (finely cut)
– a bunch of chives (finely cut)
– 3 tbsp of nutritional yeast
– 1 tsp of chili flakes
– 1/2 tbsp of paprika powder
– 1,5 tsp of pepper
– 4 tbsp of pea protein
– 1 tbsp of corn starch + 3 tbsp of water
– 1/2 cup of oats

PREPARATION:
Start off by chopping all the mushrooms fine and placing them into a bowl with 2,5 tsp of salt. Let it rest for 15-20 minutes and then go ahead and squeeze as much water as possible out of it.

Now get half of the content of a can of jackfruit – clean all pits and hard bits out of it – also squeeze the excess water out of it. Add the jackfruit to the bowl of mushrooms.

Add all the rest of the ingredients from the list to the bowl (besides corn starch & oats) and mix well together – then add the corn starch with water & oats to the batch and mix once more.

You can now form a little mushroom slider out of the mix!

Cook on sunflower oil for about 3 minutes.

Ready to serve it, enjoy!

Vito

For a video tutorial, check the link below:

Categories
Lunch & Dinner

Meatless Loaf

Looking for a nice meatless loaf recipe that the whole family will LOVE?? Check out our new recipe, follow along, and enjoy!!!

Hi Everyone,

Welcome back to the blog!

In this post, we are going to show you how to make a Meat-Less-Loaf.
It’s packed with protein, serves 4 people and is ready in an hour and a half – and it’s more than worth it!

Also, it’s Gluten-Free!!

For the loaf, we will need a Texas BBQ glaze and you can find the video recipe on the following LINK.

INGREDIENTS:
– 50g of black beluga lentils
– 50g of lentil verts (but you can use any type of grains = 100g)
– 1 can of mixed beans
– 40g of sundried tomatoes
– 1 medium-sized carrot
– 1 medium-sized onion
– 1/2 red bell pepper
– 1 celery stick
– 2 garlic cloves
– 3 mushrooms
– 1 tbsp of salt
– 1,5 tsp of pepper
– 1 tsp of ground cumin
– 1,5 tsp of dried paprika
– 3 tbsp of nutritional yeast
– 3-4 tbsp of tomato paste
– 5 tbsp of milled chia seeds
– 1,5 cup of oats
– 1 cup of Texas BBQ sauce

PREPARATION:
To start off, go ahead and cook the lentils (once boiling, cook for 12-15 minutes on low heat).
Your next step is to cut all the vegetables – you don’t need to cut them super fine, as you will blend them afterwards.

Preheat a pan with some cooking oil and add: onion, carrot, bell pepper & celery – saute for 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and saute for an extra 2 minutes – add garlic and then all the spices (from the recipe list leave: mixed beans, sundried tomatoes, chia seeds & oats).
Once all warmed up, take off the stove and add the mixture to a food processor, together with the drained mixed beans and sundried tomatoes – blend well!
Place the mixture into a bowl and add the oats and chia seeds – mix well and place the mixture then into a Bread/Cake Mould (line it up with parchment paper) – press the mixture firmly and then brush some BBQ sauce on top – place in a preheated oven on 180°C (360°F) FAN for 25 minutes. Take it out from the mould and place it on a baking tray (this is really up to you how to do it – just be careful) – brush on with some BBQ sauce and put back into the oven for another 12-15 minutes.

All done! We recommend serving this meatless loaf with some homemade mash potatoes (you can find the recipe on the LINK) and some grilled spring onions!

Happy Thanksgiving and let us know your thoughts on this recipe!

Enjoy!

Vito

For a video tutorial, check the link below:

Categories
Favourites Lunch & Dinner

Vegetable Spring Rolls

Looking for THE BEST spring roll recipe, that is super easy to follow?? You are in the right place, check it out and follow along!

Hi Everyone,

Welcome back to the blog!

In this post, we are making vegan spring rolls, that I really love – I mean: Who wouldn’t?! 🙂

INGREDIENTS:
– spring roll sheets (check if vegan, lots of them contain milk)
– 1/2 cabbage (I used pointed cabbage/i f white cabbage use 1/4)
– 3 medium-sized carrots
– 1/2 red bell pepper
– 1,5 tbsp fresh ginger (fine chop)
– 1 tsp of salt
– 1,5 tsp of pepper
– 1 tsp of chili flakes
– 2 tsp of garlic powder
– 1,5 tbsp of soy sauce
– 1,5 tsp of sugar
– 1 tbsp of sesame oil
– 1 tbsp of corn starch
– 30g of rice noodles

PREPARATION:
To start off, if the spring roll sheets are frozen, take them out 1 hour prior to starting to cook.
Place the rice noodles into a bowl and soak them in boiling water for 1:30 min and then drain, wash in some cold water, and then cut into 2cm (1 inch) long pieces.
The next thing is to cut the veggies julienne cut and chop the ginger very fine.

Now, heat up a pan and add some cooking oil (sunflower) to it. Once the oil is warmed up add the bell pepper & carrots to it and saute for 1-2 minutes. Add cabbage and then the rest of the ingredients (except the corn starch) – cook for another few minutes. At the very end, add 2 tbsp of water to the corn starch, mix it and then add to the pan – stir and take off the hob.

You are now ready to start making the spring rolls!

Mix 2 tbsp of corn starch some water that will be used as ‘glue’ to bind the ends of the spring rolls.

Now take one sheet and lay it on a flat surface, while having a corner pointing towards you. Take a handful of filling and place it in 2-3 inches from the edge and then take the corner and fold it over the filling. Now, pull it a bit towards you and roll it to the middle. Fold both sides towards the center and then roll it once more – make another fold on the sides, so they won’t be ‘hanging’ out.
Once you have 1,5-2 inches left from the end, take some of the glue mix on your fingers and spread it on the remaining sheet – finish off.

Once you have made all of the spring rolls, take a saucepan and fill it with about 1-1,5 inch of cooking oil – don’t put too many rolls at once (more than 4), so the oil doesn’t cool off.

I know you will like this one, so Enjoy!

Cheers,

Vito

For a video tutorial, check the link below:

Categories
Favourites Snacks & Sides

Sun-Dried Tomato & Basil Pesto

Looking for an easy way to make delicious pesto – tomato or basil? You are in the right place, follow along, and make it yourself!

Hi Everyone,

Welcome back to my blog!!

Today I am going to make a couple of delicious pestos: sun-dried tomato & basil pesto.

You can use these for various things as: pasta, spreads, dips, salads; and it keeps for about 5 days if properly stored (airtight container – refrigerated).

SUNDRIED TOMATO PESTO recipe

INGREDIENTS:
– 150g of sundried tomatoes (drained from oil)
– 50g of quinoa (cooked)
– 50ml of olive oil
– 50ml of water
– 1 tbsp of maple syrup
– 1 tbsp of lemon juice
– 1,5 tsp of salt
– 2 tsp of pepper
– a pinch of chili flakes
– a bunch of chives
– 5-6 garlic cloves (roasted)
– 25g of walnuts

PREPARATION:
Cook the quinoa in cold water, once up to boil, lower the heat, and cook for 15 minutes.
Roast the garlic cloves (skin on) in the oven for 18-22 minutes on 180°C (360°F) FAN option.
Drain the tomatoes from their oil – you can keep the oil for cooking or salads (great umami taste!).
Once the garlic is roasted, clean it and also drain, and then wash the quinoa in cold water.

Now, it’s time to blend it together, add all the ingredients except for the quinoa, and give it a good blend. Stop halfway to scrape the sides of the blender using a spatula.
At the very end, go ahead and add the cooked quinoa to the pesto, and give it just a quick blend!

One pesto down, one more to go 😉

BASIL PESTO recipe

INGREDIENTS:
– 4 cups of fresh basil
– 1-1,5 tsp of salt
– 1,5 tsp of pepper
– 3 tbsp of nutritional yeast
– 1/3 cup of olive oil
– 1 tbsp of lemon juice
– 50g of roasted pine nuts
– 2 cleaned garlic cloves

PREPARATION:
First, roast the pine nuts in a pan with NO oil!
Your next step is only to put all the ingredients into a blender and to nicely blend it all together!

Enjoy and don’t forget to check out the upcoming video this weekend, where we will be using these pestos to make a filling for homemade arancini.

Enjoy!

Cheers,

Vito

For a video tutorial, check the link below:

Categories
Lunch & Dinner

Mixed Lentil Pie

Are you looking for a new Sunday lunch recipe for the whole family?? Bingo! Check out our new recipe that is packed with protein!!

Hi Everyone,

In this post, I am showing you how to make a mixed lentil pie, that everyone at your Sunday lunch table will love and is also packed with protein!

INGREDIENTS:
To start off, you will need the following vegetables:
– 2 medium-sized onions
– 3 medium-sized carrots
– 2 celery stick
– 1 sweet pepper
– 1 eggplant
– 8 medium-sized potatoes

The lentils that are used in the recipe (but you can do any lentils – approx. 300g):
– 70g of black beluga lentils
– 70g of lentils verts
– 70g of red lentils
– 70g of green lentils

The rest of the ingredients:
– 1 can of red kidney beans
– 1 can of chopped tomatoes
– 2,5 tsp of salt
– 2 tsp of pepper
– 2 tsp of chili flakes
– 2 tbsp of nutritional yeast
– 6 tbsp of milled chia seeds
– 1 tbsp of maple syrup

PREPARATION:
Go ahead and start cooking your lentils in cold water on low heat (once it starts boiling cook for another 15-20 minutes). Then, chop all the vegetables into smaller pieces, except the potatoes that have to be cut into thin slices.
Now you can heat up some oil in a pan (high heat) and add all the vegetables (not the potatoes) and saute them for 5-7 minutes and then add the rest of the ingredients (including lentils), stir it well, and cook on low heat for another 5 minutes.
Once the mixture is taken off the hob, spray some oil on the bottom of the baking tray and then put a layer of potatoes in – put some salt and oil on top and make your second layer, including a layer on the sides of the baking tray. Now it’s time to put the mixture in and then finish it off with the rest of the potatoes.
Preheat your oven to 180°C (360°F) on the fan option and bake it for 45-50 minutes.

You are ready to serve it, enjoy!

Vito

For a video tutorial, check the link below:

Categories
Lunch & Dinner

Vegetable Soup With Semolina Dumplings

Looking for a simple and delicious veg soup recipe?? You are at the right place! Check out our new recipe and make it for yourself!

Hi Everyone,

In this post I will show you how to make a super easy and healthy vegetable soup, that will be served with semolina dumplings.

INGREDIENTS:
– 2 medium-sized onions
– 3 medium-sized carrots
– 3 medium-sized parsnips
– 4 celery sticks
– 4 small potatoes
– 1 eggplant
– 2 vegetable stock cubes

PREPARATION:
To start off, chop all your vegetables: fine chop onion carrots, and the rest in cubes. Saute the onions and carrots for a few minutes on high heat and then add the rest of the vegetables to the pot – mix them up and top up with cold water.
Cook the soup on low heat for an hour and a half – add the vegetable stock cubes a few minutes prior to taking it off the hob.

In the meantime let’s prepare the semolina dumplings, the ingredients that you will need are:
– 100g of wheat semolina
– 1,5 tsp of egg replacer
– 1,5 tsp of salt
– 1,5 tsp of pepper
– 1,5 tbsp of nutritional yeast
– 1 tbsp of olive oil

Wisk the egg replacer in a bowl with 3,5 tbsp of water, and after that add the rest of the ingredients and make a dough out of it. Once done, make little dumplings and then cook them in water for 45 minutes.

When your soup is cooked, separate in another pot 1/3 of it and add into the 1/3 of soup the following ingredients:
– 1,5 tsp of salt
– 1,5 tsp of pepper
– 1,5 tbsp of olive oil
– 1,5 tbsp of vegan butter

Now go ahead and blend it – serve it with the dumplings and some fresh parsley & soy cream (this serves 3).

I usually freeze the rest of the soup for another day 🙂

Enjoy!

Vito

For a video tutorial, check the link below:

Categories
Snacks & Sides

Cauliflower Snacks

Are you looking for a nice vegan snack for any occasion? Make yourself these nice cauliflower snacks in delicious coatings! Enjoy!

Hi Everyone,

In this video, I will show you how to make great cauliflower nuggets, that is a great snack for any occasion 🙂 You can bake or fry them, that is totally up to you (but I liked the healthier option of baking).

INGREDIENTS:
– 1 small cauliflower (approx. 700g)
– 1,5 tsp of salt
– 1/2 tsp of black salt
– 1,5 tsp of pepper
– 1,5 tbsp of nutritional yeast
– 1,5 tbsp of olive oil
– 1,5 tsp of egg replacer (with 50ml of water)
– 100g of regular flour (or gram flour if you want a gluten-free recipe)
– 3 coatings are used: Poppy seeds, sesame seeds, and bread crumbs

PREPARATION:

To start this recipe off, shred your cauliflower on the small-hole side of the box grater – once done, add the regular salt to it so the cauliflower can release its water!
In the meantime, prepare the egg replacer by adding 50ml of water to the powder and then give it a good whisk.
Now you can take a thin cloth (if you have it), or just a strainer and squeeze as much water as possible out of it!
Once done, add the cauliflower to the egg replacer along with the rest of the ingredients (except flour) and give it a good mix – now you can add flour and make a nice dough.
Your next step is to form small ball nuggets and then roll them into your favorite coating 🙂

In case you are baking them, place them on a baking tray with some baking paper, and preheat your oven to 180°C (360°F) – bake them for 15-20 minutes.

In case of frying them, just keep in mind not to heat up the oil too much, as they are fairly quickly done!

You are ready to serve it, Enjoy!!

Vito

For a video tutorial, check the link below:

Categories
Lunch & Dinner

Vegan Bolognese

Ever wondered how to make delicious bolognese since transitioning to a vegan diet? You are at the right place, check out our post.

Hi Everyone,

In this post, I am showing you how to make vegan bolognese, and it can be done in about 25 minutes, so is great as a quick lunch option and you can also freeze it for those busy days!

INGREDIENTS:
– 2 small onions
– 3 small carrots
– 1 eggplant
– 70g of red lentils
– 100g of soy mince
– 2 tsp of salt
– 2 tsp of pepper
– 1 tbsp of mixed herbs (or use fresh thyme, parsley, and basil)
– 1/2 tbsp of brown sugar
– 1,5 tbsp of nutritional yeast
– 1 tbsp of olive oil
– 6 tbsp of tomato paste

PREPARATION:

Start off with the red lentils – cook them on medium heat and once the water starts boiling, cook for about 8 minutes, so you don’t overcook them!
Soak the soy mince in water for 5 minutes and then try to squeeze as much water as possible out of it – otherwise, it becomes mushy – and you don’t want that with your bolognese 🙂
Now you can go over to the vegetables – finely cut the onions and carrots, and cut the eggplant into smaller cubes – now you can saute them for about 7-8 minutes on high heat.
Lower the heat on the vegetables and add your lentils and soy mince to in and mix it all well together.
And then add all the seasonings with a cup of water – and let it simmer for another couple of minutes!

You are ready to serve it, Enjoy!!

Serve it with pasta the original way, or make squash spaghetti (but it tastes great with rice as well).

Vito

For a video tutorial, check the link below:

Categories
Lunch & Dinner

Sauerkraut Rolls

Hi Everyone, it’s nice to have you back!

Today I am showing you how to make a famous Balkan recipe, known as the Sauerkraut roll – but in a meatless way!

It will take about an hour and a half to prepare this dish and there is some work behind it – but it’s more than worth it as you can freeze them for those busy days for a quick lunch. This is usually served with mashed potatoes.

INGREDIENTS:
– 2 medium-sized carrots
– 2 medium-sized onions
– 2 tsp of pepper
– 2x 3 tsp of salt
– 2 tsp of dried paprika
– 1 tsp of chili flakes (knock yourself out if you like it spicier)
– 3 tbsp of tomato paste
– 4 Bay leaves
– 1/2 cup of green lentils
– 1/2 cup of rice
– 1/2 cup of buckwheat
– 50g of vital gluten (gluten flour) – but you can use another binder as pea protein instead
– 1 cup of passata
– and the queen of the day 1 whole Sauerkraut!

In case you can’t find a Sour cabbage, you can always do it with bell peppers.

PREPARATION:
You can start off with washing and cooking your grains in some salt – once you bring it up to boiling lower down the heat and cook for another 10 minutes.
Now you can chop the carrots and onions into small pieces. Heat up a pan and saute them for a few minutes. Place it into a bowl – the grains should be cooked by now, so drain them and add them to the bowl and give it a good stir.
The next step is to add the following ingredients: salt, pepper, dried paprika, chili, and tomato paste and mix it all together – the final step for the filling is to add the gluten flour.
Once done, start working on your Sour cabbage by carefully pealing of the leaves – don’t worry if you break some, just give them a wash and chop them up (they will be used).
Now, cut the hard stems from the middle of the leaves (if the leaves are bigger, you can cut them into half).
It’s rolling time!! This is the tricky part: take a leaf in your hand and take some filling on the upper edge of the leaf – fold the edges and start rolling – once rolled secure them by tucking in the sides with your thumb (this is tricky and don’t expect that they will all look perfect 🙂
Take a big pot and first place all the cut Sauerkraut on the bottom, follow with the cup of passata and salt and then start placing the rolls (but it’s important to squeeze them together as much as possible, so they don’t fall apart during cooking) – top it up with water, just that you cover all the rolls!
Put a lid on top and cook on medium heat for about 45 minutes.

In case you are doing this recipe with bell peppers, cut out the stem and fill them and then put them in a pot facing up!

You are ready to serve it, Enjoy!!

Vito

For a video tutorial, check the link below: