Delicious carrot cake

 
I have always loved carrot cake, but I have never found a vegan alternative, which would resemble the original one.  This has changed, when a friend of mine, Maren, baked the PERFECT carrot cake for my bachelorette party. I instantly fall in love with this cake and have made it a couple of times since then :) 
She found the recipe on the internet and I made a few modifications to it. 
This cake has the perfect consistency, it is fluffy, moist, but sticks together at the same time. Give it a try, I am sure you and your family will love it :-)

Here is what you will need:
 - 400 grams carrots
 - 400 grams of spelt flour
 - 1 package of baking powder
 - 1/2 tsp of baking soda
 - 200 grams raw brown sugar
 - 100 grams chopped nuts (walnuts, almonds or hazelnuts)
 - 1 tsp pure vanilla powder (or vanilla sugar - in this case use less raw sugar)
 - 1 tsp cinnamon
 - 1/2 tsp cardamon (optional)
 - 1/4 tsp ginger powder
 - a pinch of salt 
 - a few drops of natural orange essence
 - juice of 1 lemon
 - 175 ml cold pressed sunflower seed oil (or coconut oil)
 - a little bit of powder sugar
 
Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 165° on circulating air, or 180° top and bottom heat. 
2. Peel and wash the carrots. Grate them into small, fine pieces. I used a food, which made this step much faster :)
3. Add the carrots to a mixing bowl, add the oil, lemon juice and orange essence. Mix well and set aside at least for 10 minutes. 
4. In a separate bowl mix together the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, cardamon, ginger powder, salt.
5. Add the carrot mix to the dry ingredients and mix well. Use your hands to mix the dough together. It takes a while until all ingredients are mixed, so stay with it, it will nicely come together :)
6. Take a rectangular cake pan (or whatever pan you have at home) and coat is thinly with coconut oil.
7. Pour the dough into the pan and press is slightly with your fingers, evenly distributing it throughout the pan.
8. Bake on 165° for about 60 minutes. 
9. Leave the cake inside the pan for about 10-15 minutes. After that, take it out from the pan and leave it on a rack to cool.
10. I didn't put an icing on the top of the cake, as I found it already sweet enough. If you like, you can add a bit of powder sugar on the top of the cake just before eating.  
    
    Enjoy :) 

 

 

ps: this is a view from the terrace where I took the pictures in the Sunset. Every day I am grateful to live in such a breathtaking place <3

Black bean dip

Hi there:) I made a quick black bean dip this morning for a spread on our lunch wraps. It turned out pretty good, so I thought of sharing it with you.

What will you need: 
- approximately 1 cup of black beans
- zest of 1/2 lemon
- juice of 1/2 lemon, freshly squeezed
- 1/4 tsp salt
- pinch of black pepper
- 1 tbsp flax seed oil
- 4-5 dried tomatoes in olive oil
- approximately one heaping tbsp olives, coated with Provence herbs 

Method:

1. Soak the black beans in approximately 3 cups of water overnight (at least 12 hours).
2. In the morning rinse the beans with fresh water and cook them in a pressure cooker for around 15-18 minutes. If you don't have a pressure cooker, then cook the beans as it is shown on the package.
3. When beans are cooked, rinse them once again under fresh water and add them to a food processor with a S-blade. 
4. Add all other ingredients and process until smooth, but still a bit chunky. 
5. Use for dips with veggies, on a wrap or spread on a bread :)
6. Enjoy :) 
   
   

Home-made almond milk

As much as I believe that plant-based milks are wayyyyyyyyy better for your health than cow's milk, I can understand, that they are not affordable for all. The plant-based alternatives of milks can be 3x more expensive, than the regular cow's milks.. 
However, making almond milk at home could be a great solution for you:) It is really very very easy to make.  All you will need is a quite good blender and a fine strainer, or cheesecloth. You can use any nut you like, hazelnuts work very well too :)

What will you need:
- 1.5 cups of almonds
- 3 cups of water (plus water for soaking)
- 3-4 dates
- 1/4 tsp of vanilla
- 1/4 tsp of cinnamon
- a pinch of nutmeg
- a pinch of salt
- some maple syrup, if you like the milk more sweet 

Method: 

Enjoy :)

Autumn pumpkin soup

Pumpkins, pumpkins and more pumpkins this season :) I can't remember the exact type of the pumpkin I used, but it was the one which is good for soups and you can buy normally in a supermarket or even better, from a farmer :D It was already cleaned from the seeds, so I just had to peel, wash and cut it into cubes.
This soup was a result of our gardening party, which turned out to be a great idea. Our friends came to help us with the garden and we made dinner for them :) Everyone was happy in the end, and it was such a nice and natural way to bound with our friends. We are looking forward to the opportunities when we can give this favor back to them :))

This soup is very easy, basically toss everything in the pot and cook/mix together..  

Serves: many hungry tummies (around 10 portions)

What will you need :

- 500 grams of pumpkin
- 500 grams of carrots
- 3 potatoes
- 3-4 dried tomatoes
- 5 cm fresh ginger  
- water
- salt, pepper
- 1 tbs walnut oil (or pumpkin seed oil)
- 1 1/2 tbsp Tamari sauce
- 1 tbsp vegetable broth
- 2 tbsp vegetable curry
- 1 tbsp turmeric
- 1/2 tbsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp cinnamon


Method:

1. Peel the pumpkin and cut the flesh into cubes. If you have a pumpkin with seeds inside, please remove the seeds first with a spoon. Put the flesh into a big pot.
2. Wash and peel the carrots and potatoes; cut them into bigger slices. Peel the ginger, cut it into smaller pieces and add all (carrots, potatoes and ginger) into the pot with the pumpkin waiting :)
3. Add as much water that it just covers the veggies in the pot. Turn the heat to high and wait until the soup starts boiling. Meanwhile, add the spices: vegetable broth, turmeric, cumin seeds, cinnamon, curry and salt.
4. Once the soup is boiling, reduce the heat to medium and cook for around 15 - 20 minutes, until the pumpkin becomes soft.
5. When the pumpkin is soft, turn off the heat. Add the Tamari sauce, walnut oil, dried tomatoes and pepper. Take the immersion mixer and mix the soup until smooth.
6. Top with pumpkin seeds and pumpkin seed oil, if you have at home. Serve hot...

Enjoy :))

- 

Zucchini zoodles with pumpkin sauce

It's autumn and it means I am making all kind of dishes using pumpkin :) I absolutely LOVE pumpkins, there are so many dishes which you can make out of them. Sauces, soups, veggie dishes, even desserts! This time I made these Zoodles (zucchini noodles) with some pumpkin sauce. The recipe is very easy, the only thing which takes a bit of time is to roast the pumpkin.

Here is what you will need:
- 1 medium pumpkin
- 1 tbsp curry
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 250 ml oat cream
- 3-4 dried tomatoes
- salt and pepper
- 1 tbsp of walnut oil
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp tamari
- hot water 
- 2 medium zucchinis
- 2 tablespoons of sunflower seeds, a little bit of oil

 Method:

1. First, cut the pumpkin into half, then remove the seeds with a spoon and place the pumpkin to a baking dish filled with water, covering about 2-3 cm of the bottom of the pumpkin. Preheat the oven to 180° Celsius and bake the pumpkin uncovered 45-60 minutes, or until tender.
2. When the pumpkin is ready and has cooled down, scoop out the pumpkin flesh into a mixing bowl. Discard the skin.
3. Add the spices (curry, turmeric, salt and pepper), tamari, walnut oil, apple cider vinegar, dried tomatoes and oat cream to the mixing bowl. Start mixing everything together using an immersion mixer, while adding as much water as you need to get a similar consistency as in the picture (not too liquidy but not too solid, something in between).
4. Spiral the zucchinis with a spiralizer. If you don't have one, you can use a simple potato peeler to get thin slices :) If you like, just use normal pasta :)
5. Heat a tiny bit of oil (I use coconut oil) in a pan to medium heat, add the sunflower seeds and roast until the seeds become golden. 
6. Assemble the dish by placing the Zoodles in the middle of the plate, adding the pumpkin sauce . Top with the roasted sunflower seeds.

   Enjoy :-)

Breakfast to-go

 

Have you ever woken up late? or just didn't have time to eat breakfast before going to work/school? Ending up skipping the breakfast rather than being late?
I am sure you have, just like me :) 
Well.. I have good news for you, with this breakfast to-go you will not need to skip the "most important meal of the day" again: you can just take it with you on the road. Even better news is that it only takes literally 3 minutes to prepare :) You can then assembly it at work or wherever you are, and eat it when you have time. Perfect, isn't it? :)


What will you need:
- 1/2 cups of gluten-free oats
- 1 tbsp chia seeds
- 1 tbsp of hemp seeds
- a handful of a mixture of dried fruits (mulberries, pineapple, goji berries - or whatever berries you have at home)
- 200 ml of millet milk (or any plant-based milk you like)
- 1 banana (optional)  

Method:

1. Place all dry ingredients into a glass, which can be easily sealed (oats, chia and hemp seeds, dried fruits). 
2.  Pour the milk into a smaller glass. I used an old smoothie glass for this:)
3. Pour the milk over the oats once you are ready to eat. Top the oats with the sliced banana. Wait a few minutes until the oats soak up the milk. If you need more liquid, just add a bit of water (warm if you like).  
4. Enjoy this quick and healthy breakfast wherever you go :)

Tempeh bowl

This Tempeh bowl was a result of mix & match of the leftovers from the fridge :) There were some leftover cooked potatoes, some salad, Swiss chard from the garden, and a package of Tempeh. The potatoes needed a bit of refreshment, therefore they were baked in the oven... and for the rest, check out the recipe below :)

What will you need:
Serves 3-4

- 1 package of Tempeh (usually comes in 200 grams)
- 1 kg of potato
- 1 tbsp of Provence herb mix 
- 4-5 Swiss chard leaves
- 1 head of summer salad 
- salt and pepper according to taste
- 1 tbsp coconut oil 
- some olive oil, if you bake the potatoes
- 1 onion
- 1 clove of garlic

Method:

1. Wash and cook the potatoes until soft without removing the skin. I usually eat potatoes only cooked in slightly salted water. The potatoes were from a day before already cooked, so we decided to bake them. For baking, preheat the oven to 200° and lay the potatoes onto a baking paper in a baking pan. Slightly sprinkle with olive oil, add the herb mix evenly distributed, and bake until skin becomes brown and crispy, around 30 minutes (depends on the oven). Add slices of onion, if you like.
2. To prepare the Tempeh, cut it into slim pieces. Preheat 1tbsp of coconut oil in a pan and sauté the Tempeh 2-3 minutes on both sides,  until it becomes golden brown.
3. To prepare the Swiss chard, wash and cut it into 2-3 cm pieces. Together with the garlic add it to a pan with a little bit of water and simmer for a few minutes. 
4. Wash the summer salad and separate the leaves into smaller pieces with your hands.
5. Assemble the dish on your plate by adding a portion of potatoes, Swiss chard, salad and Tempeh. We added a leftover of guacamole, for which I will make a separate recipe :)
   Enjoy :)

Summer lunch with zucchini Zoodles

Hi everyone. I don't know how is it in your country, but it is REALLY hot in Switzerland. I am enjoying the weather though, for the first time it feels like real summer here :) 
Saying that, do you as well feel, that in the hot days you don't have cravings for warm dishes? When it is hot, it is natural to crave more cooling foods, such as raw veggies :) 
So, today we prepared a dish with raw zucchini noodles. Zoodles are easy to prepare, and a great way to eat up the ever coming zucchinis from your garden (or neighbor's garden :)
After having this goodness full of veggies, you will feel refreshed and light, ready to continue your day in the high temperatures. 

Here is what you need:
servers 3 people

For the Spaghetti
- 1 bigger zucchini
- 1 smaller head of cauliflower
- 1/2 head of broccoli
- 3 carrots

For the sauce: 
- 2 medium tomatoes
- 3 dried tomatoes
- 4-5 basil bigger leaves
- 2 tbsp white almond butter
- water  
- salt and pepper according to taste

Method:

1. Spiralize the zucchini with a spiralizer. If you don't have one, don't worry, you can use your peeler to cut the zucchini into thin slices.
2. Wash and cut all other veggies (cauliflower, broccoli and carrots). Add it to the zucchini noodles
3. Place all ingredients for the sauce into a deeper bowl, where you can use the immersion mixer.  Gradually add the water as you start mixing the ingredients. Add as much water, that a fluid sauce is created.
4. Pour the sauce over the zucchini... voaallaaaaaaa , your lunch is ready :)
5. Smile, share and enjoy :)

ps: I couldn't resist to add a spoon of spelt noodles to the lunch, just to try how is it.. it was great :)

Creamy green smoothie

Here is an easy smoothie recipe I made yesterday with my friend Gabriela after practicing yoga :) It tasted delicious and refreshing :)

Here is what you need:
- 2 cups of mixed lettuce leaves (green and purple)
- 1/2 cucumber
- 1/2 avocado
- 100 grams frozen raspberries
- 1 apple
- 1 frozen banana

Method:

1. Add the lettuce and cucumber to the high speed blender and blend on high until smooth
2. Add the apples and raspberries and blend it until everything is well combined
3. Add the banana and avocado at the end to create a smooth texture
4. enjoy and share with a friend on a nice terrace :)

We enjoyed the smoothie on the terrace of my place having a nice talk :) Here is a picture to show the amazing view. I feel very blessed to live here :)

Summer Kohlrabi salad

This salad is super easy to prepare and is perfect for hot summer days :=) It only takes a few minutes to prepare, and your dinner is ready :) I used a spiralizer to cut the zucchini and the kohlrabi, but you can as well use a slicer or a shredder to get very thin pieces.
 
Serves 2:
What will you need:
For the salad: 

- 1 kohlrabi
- 1 medium zucchini
- 1 avocado
- 1 red bell pepper
 
For the dressing:
- 2 tbsp white almond butter
- juice of half a lemon
- a little mineral water



Method:

1. Peel the kohlrabi and create "snale" shape with a spiralizer.
2. Wash the zucchini and use to spiralizer to create spaghetti like shape.
3. Wash the bell pepper and cut it into small cubes.
4. Cut the avocado into small cubes. Mix everything together in a big mixing bowl.
5. Mix all ingredients for the dressing. Add some mineral water if the texture is too thick.
6. Pour the dressing over the salad, mix well.
7. Enjoy :-)

Spring radish salad

Hello there ... I am back :) It has been a really long time since I have posted anything, but I had a few good reasons...I spent one amazing month in India, studying yoga and I recently got married too! :) So many new things are happening, for which I am deeply greatful for. 
I am back in my "real" life now and starting with recipes again :) 
For a starter, let's have an easy spring salad, shall we? :)

Here is what you will need:
For the salad:
- 1 head of Romain lettuce
- a bunch of mixed salad leaves
- 5 -7 radishes, cubed
- 10 - 12 cocktail tomatoes
- 1 can of kidney beans

For the dressing:
- 1 tbsp of tahini
- 1 tbsp tamari
- juice of 1/2 lime, freshly squeezed
- 1/2 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tbsp sparkling mineral water 

1. Wash everything for the salad. Cut the radishes into small cubes and cut the tomatoes to halves.
2. Open the can of beans (this time I didn't have soaked beans, so I just used a canned one), make sure that you rinse the beans very before using.
3. Toss everything together in a big salad bowl.
4. In a small mixing bowl mix all ingredients for the dressing together. Pour it over the salad mixture and massage the dressing into the salad with your hands. It's great to feel your food, while you are preparing it:)
5. Smile and enjoy:)

Gluten-free veggie millet bowl

Hi hi hi :) What about having a super easy super healthy dinner tonight? I say yes :) And you? 
Here is some inspiration to make a quick and healthy dinner or lunch. Don't worry too much if you don't have the exact veggies at home, you can always replace the veggies to whatever you have in you fridge. That is what I love about these recipes :) Mix & Match veggies are the best :)
So let's see how to make it:

This recipe serves around 3-4 people.
What will you need:
- 1 cups dried millet
- 5 carrots
- 1 small zucchini
- 1/4 head of red cabbage
- 200 grams smoked tofu

- 1 tbsp coconut oil

Dressing:
- 1 lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
- salt and pepper
- 1 tbsp tamari soy sauce (gluten-free soy sauce)
- 1 tbsp Provence herb mix

Method:

1. Cook the millet with 2x as much water for about 15 minutes or so (until water evaporates). Add salt and home made broth, if you have. When done, rinse the millet with cold water, so the grains don't stick together. Set aside.
2. Drain and cut the tofu to small cubes.
3. Wash and slice the carrots. Wash the zucchini and cut it to cubes. Wash the cabbage and slice it as well.
4. Put some water in a frying pan and add the carrots. Cover and cook on medium for 3-4 minutes. Discard the leftover water.
5. In a different mixing bowl mix all ingredients for the dressing. Mix the millet, carrots and the other veggies in a bowl and add the dressing. Mix well.
6. Serve and enjoy :) 

Mixed bliss balls

I call these balls bliss balls, because first of all they are super easy to make, that's bliss #1, second of all they taste AMAZING, that's bliss #2, and third of all you can make a nice gift to your friends with them so they as well feel the happiness :) That's bliss #3.. enough reasons to make them right away :))
Ouh and I forgot... they are super healthy, 100% gluten free, dairy free, egg free, great to just snack on them when you have a sweet tooth, or as a post-workout snack :) ... bliss #4, 5, 6, 7... :):):)  

What will you need:
- 1 cup cashew nuts, soaked for 2-3 hours
- 2 cups dates, soaked for 30 minutes
- 3/4 cups almonds, soaked overnight
- 10 grams cocoa butter (or coconut oil)
- 60 grams wild dried apricots
- 1 tbsp chia seeds
- pinch of salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ginger powder
- pinch of cardamon
- 1 tsp date syrup (or maple/agave syrup)
- coconut shred, sesame seeds, thinly cut almonds for coating

Method:

1. Rinse all soaked nuts and dates, set aside.
2. Melt the cocoa butter on a bed of hot water.
3. Place the cashew nuts, chia seeds, date syrup, melted cocoa butter together with the dates, apricots and spices to the food processor. Process until a smooth, sticky paste is formed and everything is well combined. If the paste is too dry, you can add more date syrup or a bit of water.
4. Add the almonds and pulse a few times, so the almonds are not completely processed and some coarse pieces reamin in the paste.
5. Take a small portion from the paste and form small balls between your hands.
6. Coat the balls with coconut shred, sesame seeds or cut almonds .. as you like :).

I prepared small bags with mixed bliss balls in them and gave them to my friends :) You can make them too and make someone else happy :D 

Gluten-free broccoli-cabbage-millet bowl

I have made this colorful nourishing bowl today for lunch. Hmmmmm, it was tasting amazing :) If you prepare this recipe, please use a good quality tahini, as some of them can be very bitter. I didn't know this, until a friend of mine Vanessa explained to me, that not all Tahinis are the same. I trust her, because she is really an expert ;) So I bought a different brand, and wow, I discovered a whole new world of taste :) Thank you Vanessa :):)

So here is the recipe, which serves 3-4 people.

What will you need
- 1 1/2 cup dried millet
- 500 grams broccoli
- 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas
- 1/2 head of smaller red cabbage
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds 
- 1 medium onion
- 1 tsp coconut oil
- salt and pepper
 
For the dressing: 
- 1/4 cup lemon juice

- 1/4 cup Tahini (high quality)

- 1 tbsp maple syrup

- 1 tbsp water
- 1 tbs Tamari (gluten-free soy sauce)

1. Cook the millet according to instructions on the package. I add as well my mom's vegetable broth, which gives it an even finer taste.
2. In a saucepan heat the coconut oil on medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until translucent. 
3. Add the broccoli, cabbage and chickpeas and sauté for about 3 minutes. Add salt and pepper.
4. Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl combine all ingredients for the dressing. 
5. Add the dressing to the saucepan with vegetable mix and cook for more 2 minutes. Turn off the heat.
6. Add the cooked millet and combine well.
7. Serve hot and sprinkle with sesame seeds 

Enjoy :)

Mango avocado salad

This salad is absolutely on the top of the list of my favorite salads! I love it and make it at least once a week :) It is super easy to make, satisfying as a separate dish or as a starter. I hope you will start making this salad too, it really worth to give it a try ;)

Serves: 2-3

What will you need:
Salad:
- 2 avocados
- 1 ripe mango
- 3 cups of mixed salad
- 2 tbsp sunflower seeds

Dressing:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp hemp seed oil (if you don't have, use another oil, which you like)
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- salt, pepper
- 1/2 freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice  

1. Cut the avocados and mango into small cubes. 
2. Wash and drain the salad.
3. Toast the sunflower seeds on a nonstick pan until golden brown.
4. Mix all ingredients for the dressing and massage it into the salad.
5. Serve and enjoy :)

Purple lentil quinoa

Hello everyone. This time I have an interesting recipe for you, which actually came out of my partner's head :)  The recipe is very easy and can be varied. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did:)
Yields to 3-4 servings.

What will you need: 
- 300 g quinoa
- 750 ml water for quinoa
- 2 tbsp mom's vegetable broth
- 1/2 head of a red cabbage
- 5 tbsp sunflower seeds
- 2 ripe avocados
- 1 cup of brown lentils, soaked overnight
- 2 tbsp white almond cream
- 50 ml water
- salt and pepper

Method:

1. Cook the quinoa according to the instructions on the package. I like to add 2 tbsp of my mom's vegetable broth, which makes the quinoa tasting even better :)
2. At the same time rinse the lentils and cook them in a separate pot according to the instructions on the package.
3. Next, add the cabbage into a pan which is filled with water up to about half a centimeter. Cook the cabbage on medium heat with a closed lid, until the water is gone. 
4. Meanwhile, in a separate mixing bowl mix almond cream with water, salt and pepper. Pour it over the cabbage mix. Turn off the heat.  
5. Add the cut avocados to the cabbage. 
6. In a separate pan toast the sunflower seeds on a little oil until they become golden brown. Add a little salt on top. Pour it over the cabbage mix.
7. Serve the cabbage mix on the top of the quinoa, or mix everything together. 

Enjoy :)

Valentines day raw cake

Do you celebrate Valentines day?  We don't really make it a special day, as we think that we should express our love not only on one particular day, but whenever we feel like giving a nice love gesture or a little gift to each other :) And that is certainly more often, than only one day in a year :):):)
Nevertheless, it was a good excuse to make another raw cake, this time with less nuts and more avocados :)

What will you need:
For the crust:
- 1.5 cups of dates
- 2 cups of walnuts
- 1 tsp vanilla
- pinch of salt
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tsp cocoa

For the filling:
- 0.5 cups of dates 
- 1 cup of cashews 
- 3 avocados
- 1/2 cup of melted coconut oil  (or 12 tbsp)
- 200 grams frozen berries
- 1 tbsp psyllium husk 
- 1/2 cup or rice milk (or more, if needed)
- 2 tbsp agave nectar
- 2 tbsp raw cocoa powder
- pinch of vanilla 
- pinch of salt


Method:

1. Melt the coconut oil by simply putting the whole jar in a pot filled with hot water. Wait until the coconut oil melts. 
2. Crust: Place the dates and the coconut oil in a food processor and process until a smooth paste is formed. Add in the walnuts, salt and vanilla and pulse a few times, so the walnuts stay chunky. Press the dough firmly into the bottom of either a cake or pie form. Put the crust to the freezer to set for approximately 30 minutes.  
3. Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Place all ingredients into a high speed blender but LEAVE the cocoa out. Blend on high until a very smooth and creamy batter is formed. If you need, add more rice milk (or liquid sweetener for a sweet tongue :) to the paste. If you don't have a blender you can as well use a food processor. 
4. Take about 3 tbsp of the batter in a separate bowl for decoration.
5. Add the cocoa powder to the blender, and process until everything is mixed well together.
6. Pour the filling over the crust, distribute evenly using a spatula or by shaking the form side to side.
7. Take the paste for decorating, which you have previously separated (in step 4). Put it into an icing kit, and decorate your cake following your own fantasy :)
8. Place the cake to the fridge and refrigerate at least for 3-4 hours. The best is to refrigerate overnight, covered.
9. Serve the cake immediately after taking out from the fridge.