CarrotsKitchen

The best gluten-free Carrot Cake

Posted on January 3, 2020February 7, 2021 by Carolin Vater

So, here it finally is: the recipe to my signature dish – my gluten-free carrot cake.

I thought long & hard, if I really wanted to share this recipe on social media, before releasing it. Here it is now, though. I only left out my secret spice mix – so feel free to get creative, if cinnamon is not “enough” for your taste buds.

This cake is a real treasure, because it is so simple, but so delicious. I’m making this cake a good 10-15 times a year… basically, every time I’m with my family or I need a little “pick me up”.

So, lovely reader – I hope you’ll enjoy it!

My German readers are probably thinking: “Why carrot cake? It’s an easter cake!” Well, the might be so in Germany, but it just is my favourite cake, so why only make it once a year for easter?! There are also several variations possible for this cake – so just continue reading below! 😊😊

Don’t like gluten-free Carrot Cake? Well, you should try this one first, but if you’re still not convinced, try my cheese cake or courgette-chocolate cake.

Recipe Variations

Flour:

Ground nuts are usually quite expensive, so if you want to make this cake a little bit cheaper, you can replace another 50-100g of ground nuts with flour. I would stick to the ones you’re already using (rice flour + tapioca starch in my case).

I also tried using golden millet flour, cornstarch, cornflour, buckwheat flour & brown rice flour. They all worked fine, actually every combination works fine. It’s a great recipe for using up all your “left-over” flours, the bits and pieces that are just piling up in your cupboard.

Vegan:

In all honesty, I haven’t tried making it vegan, but you have 2 options which should work: either use aquafaba as an egg white substitute or buy some “egg replacement” in any organic supermarket. As for the egg yolk, you can make a flax or chia egg instead. I, personally, don’t like using aquafaba or egg replacer, as my diet is based on a natural approach. Therefore, I don’t want any additives or chemicals in my food. But feel free to try it & I’d be happy to hear how it turned out. 🙂

Nuts:

Many people do have nut allergies, but can eat some of them. Simply replace with the nuts you’re not allergic to. The ideal replacement for almonds would be pecans. Nevertheless, you may use whichever you like & simply grind them with your food processor.

Glazing:

As for the glazing, I’m personally not a fan of frosting, cause it’s very thick & way too creamy & heavy for my taste. if you do prefer a frosting though, you can replace my glazing with a basic cream cheese & lemon juice frosting. The vegan option would be a cashew frosting (also with added lemon juice). I wouldn’t leave out the lemon though, as this gives the exact right balance between sweet & nutritious.

Print Recipe

The best gluten-free Carrot Cake

the very best gluten-free carrot cake & my signature dish

Prep Time30 mins

Cook Time1 hr

Total Time1 hr 30 mins

Course: cake, Dessert

Cuisine: gluten-free

Keyword: gluten-free, lactose-free, soy-free

Servings: 12 pieces

Ingredients

Batter

500 g organic carrots
200 g ground almonds
200 g ground hazelnuts
50 g rice flour
50 g tapioca starch
150 g roughly chopped walnuts
2 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp cinnamon
1 pinch salt
200 g coconut sugar
6 eggs
50 g olive oil
1/2 lemon zest & juice

Glazing

3 tbsp lemon juice
200 g icing sugar coconut icing sugar if you can find it
2 tbsp chopped & roasted nuts to sprinkle on top

Instructions

Batter

Before we start with the actual preparations for the cake, let's start by pre-heating the oven to 180 degrees & greasing a ~24cm tin. I normally add baking paper to the bottem, as the cake is quite moist & it'd be difficult to get it off the tin after baking, otherwise.
Let's start with grating the carrots, as fine as possible. I would usually use my food processor. Add them to a large bowl with the ground almonds & hazelnuts, walnutds, flour, starch, baking powder & cinnamon.
Next, in a seperate bowl, mix the egg yolks with the coconut sugar until creamy, almost a little foamy. Add the olive oil, lemon juice & zest. Mix, preferably, with a wooden spoon.
In another seperate bowl beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff.
Last but not least, add the sugar-egg yolk mix to the flour-carrot mix. Mix well with the wooden spoon. Afterwards, fold in the eggwhites carefully - the more cautious you're with this, the better the baked cake.
Bake for ~60 minutes - the cake will rise quite a bit, so don't choose a tin too small (I used a 24cm tin). Once finished, let it cool completely before adding the glazing. You can take off the outer part of the tin direcly, so the cake won't stick to it lateron.

Glazing

Mix the icing sugar with the lemon until thick & creamy. Add it to the top of the cake. If you want, you can add some marzipan carrots & some chopped & roasted nuts. You could also make little flowers from another carrot & place it on top. Next - Enjoy.

After having spent 6 months building this page, creating recipes, thinking of marketing strategies, having server issues, learning how to code & at the same time, studying & working, I was offline for the month of December. I’m honest, it has been a real challenge to keep going at times, as 24 hour-days simply don’t seem to be enough.

Nevertheless, I am very proud of the results of my blog, as well as my instagram & I started building a real community.

At this point, I want to give special thanks to Steffi from Kochtrotz, who although she has soooo many followers, always took the time to answer all my questions & took a real interested in my ideas. I learned a lot from her book & her very informative posts. Hopefully we’ll be able to organise a get-together in the future, Steffi!

For 2020, my goals are easy: finish my nutrition certificate, get my barista certificate, publish more recipes, giving a better insight into living with food intolerances & starting to educate & coach people on personalised nutrition.

I hope to see you along the way! I wish you all a happy new year & a lot of energy for 2020!

Enjoy my gluten-free carrot cake, eat well, drink good coffee & relax!

Love, Carolin

Pumpkin & Ginger Soup

Posted on November 11, 2019February 7, 2021 by Carolin Vater

Although I ended up not posting for a while now, I’m back on track & I want to share my Pumpkin & Ginger Soup Recipe with you.

I ended up making this, while I was sick with a head cold & remembered, that Ginger is beneficial against inflammations. So, off I went & decided to use my leftover veggies & some ginger in order to make a soup.

(Also very good for you: Some fresh Ginger & lemon tea. Add some honey or agave to sweeten it.)

I really love soups, because if you blend it, you can really add all your leftovers, especially the ones that don’t look so good anymore. More importantly, you can also add some of those veggies you don’t really like, but that are really good for you. It’s a real win-win situation!!

As always, my Pumpkin & Ginger Soup is gluten-free & free from additives. It is also free from lactose & soy & it’s vegan. The colour & smoothness, solely comes from blending it properly & adding enough water. If you think your soup is a little bit too thick, just add a little bit of hot water.

For those, who prefer intense & strong flavours, you can increase the chilli, rosemary & ginger amount – but don’t overdo it. Ginger becomes more intense the longer it cooks & suddenly all you taste is ginger.

Now, without further ado: THE RECIPE ⬇️⬇️

Print Recipe

Pumpkin & Ginger Soup

a warming pumpkin & ginger soup to beat the cold feeling of autumn storms.

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time30 mins

Total Time45 mins

Course: Main Course, Soup

Cuisine: gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian

Keyword: gluten-free, lactose-free, soy-free, vegan, vegetarian

Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

1 small pumpkin / squash
3 small potatoes
2 small carrots
1/4 celeriac root
1 onion
3 cm ginger root
3-4 tbsp olive oil
2 bay leaves
salt & pepper
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp nutmeg
2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
1 litre water
2 tsp veggie broth organic, no added sugar or artificials
1 clove garlic
1 tsp chilli flakes or more if you like
3 twigs rosemary

Instructions

First things first: Place a big pot on medium heat. While heating up, you can cut the onion, the garlic & ginger. (As you will puree the soup, they don't have to be the same size, so just get it in there!)
Once the pot is warm, add 2 tbsp of olive oil & the onion. Roast for a little bit, before adding the garlic & ginger. Let both caramelise for about 3 minutes.
While the onion & garlic caramelises, you should cut the carrot & celeriac root, as they tend to take longer then the other ingredients. Cut them into small cubes, but don't be to picky about it - remember, we will puree the soup lateron. Once cut, add them to the pot & stir every now and again. Let them roast for another 3-4 minutes.
Next on the list: Potatoes & Pumpkin. You can cut both into the same size & add it once you're finished. Keep stirring everything, so it all roasts equally well.
Now you can add the rosemary (just the way it is, no need to get the leaves off), the bay leaves, season with all the remaining spices & stir again.
Add the veggie broth & water. Stir well & reduce to low heat. Let it simmr for 20 minutes (the longer the better...). Once everything is soft, you can puree / blend it.
Serve with pumpkin seeds, olive oil, some bread on the side and topped with some sprouts. 🙂 Enjoy & Share this recipe. 🙂

Pumpkin Soup Again?

While I appreciate that there are many pumpkin soup recipes out there, this one is special, as it combines the different flavours so well. I also made a bunch of other pumpkin recipes, but I’m working through my backlog & simply haven’t managed to upload any others yet.

Stay tuned, though, for my lentil & pumpkin stew, as well as my quinoa bowl with roasted pumpkin & roasted pumpkin hummus. Oh, and I forgot – Pumpkin Risotto!! Yayyyy, it’s pumpkin season!!

My bread, btw, is a recipe from Steffi (Kochtrotz.de) & it’s the first gluten-free toast I ever made!! 😊

What else?

You want something else, that involves pumpkin? Simply drop me an email or contact me on Insta. You can also, just leave a message in the comments below. 😊

Now, as always, I hope you enjoy this recipe & please share your versions of it with me.

For more recipes, simply click here.

I wish you a lovely week.

Happy cooking,
Carolin 💕

Gluten-free Sourdough Waffles

Posted on October 24, 2019February 7, 2021 by Carolin Vater

Gluten-free Sourdough Waffles – need I say more?!

Everyone feeling, like I’m overdoing the whole sourdough thing a bit? Might well be, but it’s so essential in the gluten-free kitchen. The thing is, that gluten-free flours don’t rise naturally & also they don’t stick together naturally (the missing gluten part and all that…). If you add some sourdough to your mix though, you’ll be surprised how well the dough forms and how well these waffles (or whatever else you’re baking) rises. Really, you should try it. They even convinced my gluten-eating family: “They don’t even taste gluten-free.”. Probably one of the nicest compliments a gluten-free cook can get…

What about us Vegans?

While I try to eat as little animal products as possible, it is quite the challenge to bake gluten-free & vegan. I’ve tried a few thing and they were okay, but every now & again I indulge in a little “proper” soul food. BUT:

you can replace the egg-whites with aquafaba.
and the egg yolk with flax eggs (2 tbsp ground flax seeds + 6 tbsp water in this case)
you could also try and use 2 mashed bananas. It won’t raise as much, but it’d be tasty af (I’d reduce the sugar amount in this case though, or it could become too sweet)

Now, without further ado, the recipe ⬇️⬇️⬇️

Print Recipe

Gluten-free Sourdough Waffles

Very delicious waffles, that will make everyone around you quite happy. Doesn't matter if you serve them for breakfast or tea-time. They're an all day kind of dish.

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time15 mins

Resting Time30 mins

Total Time1 hr

Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: gluten-free

Keyword: breakfast, gluten-free, lactose-free, organic, soy-free, vegetarian, wholefood

Equipment

Waffle Maker

Ingredients

200 g (brown rice) sourdough starter from the fridge
150 g brown rice flour
150 g buckwheat flour
50 g white rice flour + some more, if too liquid
75 g coconut sugar
200 g oat milk (or any other) + some more, if too thick
2 eggs seperated
1 pinch salt
2 tbsp coconut oil very soft or melted
2 tbsp cinnamon
1 tbsp vanilla sugar / extract
1 tbsp baking powder

Topping Ideas

berries
apple puree
yoghurt
icing sugar

Instructions

Start with adding your sourdough starter to a bowl & add the brown rice flour. Mix it well (it will be quite dry).
Next, add the buckwheat & white rice flour & baking powder, as well as the egg yolks, milk & coconut sugar. Mix until everything's incorporated.
Last, but not least, add the coconut oil & cinnamon & vanilla sugar / extract & incorporate.
Now, add the pinch of salt to your egg whites and bbeat them until stiff and fold them into your waffle dough. The dough is going to be quite thick, which is perfect for waffles.
Bake the waffles as per instructions on your waffle maker & serve topped with icing sugar, yoghurt, berries and / or apple (or other fruit) puree.

Chocoholic?

Well, me being me, I got a little carried away & decided I wanna change it up a litte. If you want to do the same follow these steps just before baking the waffles:

Take enough dough for 2 waffles & add it to a separate bowl.
Add 2 tbsp of baking cacao to that bowl & mix well.
Now to get the marble look, add the normal dough to the waffle maker first, but don’t spread it out evenly, just drop a few bits here & there.
Then, fill the holes with the cacao dough
Bake as usual & enjoy.

Not chocolatey enough? Yea, not for me either. I made a waffle from the cacao dough itself & it was a fabulous idea. For the extra chocolate satisfaction, I can recommend adding some chocolate spread, chocolate chips or some. cacao nibs to the dough before baking it. 😍

I hope you guys enjoyed this recipe. Let me know how you get on making my gluten-free sourdough waffles (below in the comments or use #carroskitchen on instagram). You can also follow me on Instagram so you won’t miss any updates.

For more recipes with sourdough, try my sourdough pancakes.

For any other recipes, click here.

Happy Eating & until next week,

Carolin 💕

Gluten-Free Sourdough Pancakes

Posted on October 17, 2019February 7, 2021 by Carolin Vater

“Oh, lovely Sunday, you’re my favourite of all days, please give me gluten-free sourdough pancakes!”

As Sundays are my favourites, I tend to celebrate them with a big brunch. A highlight are my gluten-free sourdough pancakes, which taste just like “real” American pancakes.

I love to prepare a big brunch, because I also celebrate life & everything I am currently happy for. I tend to take some time for myself. My Sunday brunch is an entirely stress-free zone and I avoid looking at my phone, the laptop or anything else. It’s just me, my pancakes & some music.

A lot of you are probably thinking: “Why more breakfast recipes?!”. Well, to be honest, I only recently made these pancakes for the first time and they’re the best gluten-free pancakes I’ve ever met. Now, for me, this was reason enough to post them. Also, a couple of days ago, it was #worldpancakeday – so this is my contribution. Without further ado: The Recipe! ⬇️⬇️

Print Recipe

Fluffy Gluten-free Sourdough Pancakes

Gluten-free pancakes, that don't even taste gluten-free. Fluffy, delicious & so easy!!

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time15 mins

Resting Time30 mins

Total Time1 hr

Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American, gluten-free

Keyword: breakfast, gluten-free, soy-free, vegetarian

Servings: 10 pancakes

Ingredients

200 g sourdough here: brown rice sourdough
120 g coconut milk
2 tbsp coconut sugar or4 tbsp maple syrup
100 g brown rice flour
100 g ground almonds / almond flour
2 tbsp coconut oil + some more for frying
2 eggs
4 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp cinnamon
pinch salt

Instructions

Before you do anything else today, start mixing the dough as it has to rest for 30 minutes.
To start the pancakes, mix sugar / maple syrup, eggs & butter until creamy.
Next, add the remaining ingredients, one at a time and mix until everything is fully incorporated. It should be a thick dough, just like usual pancake dough. If it's a little too thick, you might add some more milk.
Before we continue, let the dough rest for roughly 30 minutes. Ideally to prepare the table, get dressed, have a shower or whatever else is part of your morning-routine. 🙂
Now, after 30 minutes, place a pan on medium heat and add some coconut oil, once hot. Add pancake dough, one at a time & fry for roughly 2 minutes on each side.
Place finished pancakes on a plate & store in an oven on 50 degrees until all of the pancakes are finished.
Serve with fresh fruits, some seeds, cacao nibs & maple syrup. If you're feeling creative, you might even wanna add some apple puree* - you've got 30 minutes resting time you could use to make some. 🙂 (I always prepare some ahead of time and have it stored in the freezer / fridge). You might also add some whipped cream (vegan or not) or clotted cream.

For overnight sourdough pancakes

Mix Sourdough with 100g rice flour & 100g water and let it rest overnight. Proceed with the rest as above.

Notes

*Apple puree

For the apple puree, simply cut 1 kg apples. Add them to a pot and add a little water - just about 1cm. Also, add some cinnamon, around 2 tbps. Let the apples cook with the lid on for roughly 20-30 minutes, until soft. Either puree with a food processor or a blender and store in glass jars. If you want to keep it longer then a week, it's better if you freeze them.

As for the apples, I use whichever ones I get from the market, but remember green ones are slightly sour & red ones are slightly sweeter. You could also mix them.

Now, I’m obviously wondering, what your favourite pancake recipes are. So please don’t hesitate and tell me; just use the “comment” space below. 🙂 Also, please comment below, if you have any further questions or if you made these pancakes and you took a picture. I’d love to see your results.

For all those, disappointed, because this is not a French Crepes recipe: Don’t worry. There’ll be one very soon! 🙂

Now everyone, I hope you enjoyed this recipe. You might also enjoy my Quinoa Buckwheat Granola as addition to your Sunday Brunch.For all other recipes, click here.

If you never wanna miss an update, follow me on Instagram and Facebook or sign up for my newsletter on the top of this page. ⬆️⬆️

Happy Cooking & until next week,

Carolin 💕

Gluten-free Cheesecake (family recipe)

Posted on October 10, 2019February 7, 2021 by Carolin Vater

Gluten-free Cheesecake – that’s where dreams come true. Cheesecake is a real comfort food & takes me back to my childhood, when we used to invite the whole family over, on Sundays, for “coffee-time”.

Me, personally, I prefer the “classic Germany” style cheese cake & not so much the American style with all that cream cheese, which feels kinda heavy & thick. Also, if you don’t actually bake a cake, how’s your entire flat/ house/ … gonna smile like cake & really makes you look forward to eating it? Right?!

Therefore, my recipe, which is an old family recipe, is gluten-free, fluffy & light. Bake for a little over an hour, until lightly browned. And also: It’s soooo delicious – I mean, obviously. 😉

I’ve also included another variation for the topping. I like the classic one, but sometimes I go a little fancy on my cakes. Both variations are lovely & maybe you could just split the cake in 2 and try it out!

Now, without further ado, as I’m sure you only wanna know about the recipe, not my family history: THE RECIPE for my delicious gluten-free cheesecake. 😊

Print Recipe

Gluten-free Cheesecake

Our family recipe! Naturally gluten-free & perfectly moist.

Prep Time30 mins

Cook Time1 hr 15 mins

Total Time1 hr 45 mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: German, gluten-free

Keyword: gluten-free, organic, soy-free, vegetarian

Servings: 1 28 cm cake

Equipment

28 cm cake tin

Ingredients

50 g butter (unsalted) plus some more for greasing the tin
6 medium eggs
300 g sugar
1 medium sized lemon (zest & juice)
1 kg full fat quark / curd
150 g millet semolina + some for the tin
50 g millet flour (golden is best)
2 tbsp starch (tapioca or corn)
1 sachet vanilla sugar
1 sachet baking powder
pinch Salt

Topping

2 tbsp melted butter
2 tbsp icing sugar

optional

500 g frozen berries any mix you like
5 sheets gelatine
2-3 tbsp sugar / sweetener of choice

Instructions

Start with greasing your tin & adding some semolina so the cake won't stick to the tin later. Next, pre-heat your oven to 180 degrees.
Before starting the batter, start with beating the eggwhites with a pinch of salt until stiff.
Now, for the batter, start mixing the butter, eggyolks, sugar & vanilla sugar until fluffy. Add the lemon zest & lemon juice and mix again. Then, add the quark & mix, on low speed, until fully incorporated. Repeat with the semolina.
Next, add the flour & baking powder mix slowly, while mixing. Make sure the flour is sifted beforehand & mixed with the baking powder. Last but not least fold in the eggwhites very carefully. Make sure to use a spatula or whisk as to keep it light & fluffy.
Add to the prepared tin & bake for 65-75 minutes. Use the "toothpick" method to check if the cake is done. Once done, carefully apply the melted butter & dust with the icing sugar. Make sure to do this right away, as it'll leave a lovely crust once cold
Let the cake cool completely, before eating. Ideally let it rest inside the oven (thanks for the tip Steffi, from Kochtrotz - you can find her gluten-free cheese cake, here.)

Alternative Topping: Berry Glazing

If you prefer a fruit topping, such as the one below, let your cake sit and allow to cool down.
In a small casserole, heat the frozen fruits with a little lemon juice, 1 tbsp water & the suggar (if added). Let the berries simmer for a couple of minutes, until soft & juicy.
Next, add the gelatine sheets to cold water (or follow instructions on back). Leave them in for 5 minutes.
While waiting for the gelatine, you might want to strain the berries, as the berry glazing will become much nicer without all the seeds. Really get into it though, as not to waste anything. (I used the remainders, including the seeds, in my porridge the next morning - no need to waste it!)
Once strained, pour back into the casserole & add the gelatine. Mix until fully incorporated & add to the cake. Either leave the cake in the tin, so nothing will run down the sides or be really, really careful. The higher the glazing, the yummier - for me at least.
Store in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Vegans welcome

Now, I know this cake isn’t vegan & I personally am not 100% vegan. There are some exceptions, such as this cake. Nevertheless, IF I use animal products, they come right from the best organic farm there is (Demeter, from our neighbours). Nevertheless, if you want it vegan, it should work replacing the quark with a vegan version & the butter with margarine or any other vegan butter. This won’t be a problem & I’ve tried it before. (If the quark is very watery, make sure to strain it before using it.)

The difficulty lies within replacing the eggs. You can try use a mix of flax eggs & aquafaba. I gotta let you know though, that I haven’t tried it on this recipe yet.

If you want to make my berry blazing, you can replace the gelatine with agar-agar – no problem. 😊

Now, Ladies & Gentlemen, I guess you’re already at the supermarket , buying everything you need to make this delicious gluten-free cheesecake. Also, I do hope you guys love this cake as much as I do. It really is one of my favourites and it makes me happy as soon as I smell that cake.

Any questions or comments? Leave them below or contact me on Insta or here. As always, show me how your cake turned out via the comments below or on social media! I’d love to see your versions of my gluten-free cheesecake.

Want more dessert? How about my gluten-free crumble or chocolate & courgette- cake? For all other recipes, click right here.

There’ll be a new recipe next week.

Until then, happy baking.

Love, Carolin 💕

Vegan Lentil Stew with Tofu

Posted on October 3, 2019February 7, 2021 by Carolin Vater

Today, I present you my hearty vegan lentil stew with tofu. As I am born in autumn (missed winter by 2 days), I love this season and I love the food that comes with it.

As for the lentil stew, I’ve always loved it and I have tried it many different ways: The classic German (northern & southern style), Spanish Lentil Stew and even Indian Lentils… I love every single one of them!!

Now, after I decided to focus on a plant-based diet, I had to find a replacement for sausages & meat (in German Lentil Stews) and chorizo (in Spanish Lentil Stews). Why do I need a replacement? To be honest, the sausages, meat & chorizos add a lot of flavour. If you simply prepare it without an alternative, it just doesn’t turn out as delicious. Therefore, thank god for smoked Tofu, which I add along with sun-dried tomatoes.

For the Carnivores...

My Hearty Vegan Lentil Stew with Tofu is one of my family’s favourite dishes and during autumn & winter, I’m asked to cook it regularly.

Sometimes, around Christmas though, I do use organic chorizo from the butcher. We usually spend Christmas in Mallorca where you can get good chorizo almost everywhere. It does give a more intense flavour – so for all carnivores out there: simply replace the Tofu with Chorizo. Make sure you roast the chorizo slowly, but properly.

Print Recipe

Vegan Lentil Stew with Tofu

Something to convince even the biggest vegan sceptics. Hearty Vegan Lentil Stew with Tofu. The perfect Autumn Food. As always, gluten-free.

Prep Time30 mins

Cook Time1 hr

Soaking Time3 hrs

Total Time4 hrs 30 mins

Course: Main Course, Soup

Cuisine: gluten-free, Mediterranean, vegan, vegetarian

Keyword: gluten-free, lactose-free, vegan, vegetarian, wholefood

Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

1 cup brown lentils
2 cups water
3 tbsp olive oil
1 red onion
1 garlic clove
2 medium carrots
1 small green pepper
0.5 jar sundried tomatoes in olive oil
0.5 smoked tofu
1 tsp vegetable broth
2 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp cumin
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 l water

Instructions

Start with adding the lentils to a bowl or pot and add the 2 cups of water. Next, top with a lid or towel (if using a bowl) and leave for a couple of hours. I usually leave it for about 2-3 hours.
Once, the lentils have soaked, pour them through a collander and let them drain until you're ready to add them to your stew.
Afterwards, put a wide pot onto medium heat, add olive oil as well as the chopped onion and garlic. Sweat the onion and garlic until soft. Next, add the chopped carrot and roast for another 5 minutes. Last, but not least add the chopped pepper and roast for another couple of minutes, before adding the chopped sun-dried tomatoes and tofu, cut in small squares.
Keep stirring regularly for another 2-3 minutes, then add the lentils. Season with vegetable broth, cumin, smoked paprika, salt & pepper.
If you have some leftover red wine, you could add it now and deglaze the ingredients. If you do, make sure your pot is on medium-high heat and let it evaporate almost completely.
Next, add the water & chopped tomatoes. Let it simmer for at least 1 hour. (The longer it simmers, the better it's going to taste.)
Season with the already added spices, if needed. Serve with some bread* & top with different seeds.

Notes

I used WunderBrod from Bauckhof - get it here.

Soooo, I hope all of you are hungry now & eager to start the soup season. Now, if you try my recipe, I’d love for you to leave a comment. Alternatively, you can share your pictures here or on Instagram. Remember to use the hashtag #carrotskitchen when you do, though.

If you want to prepare something for a special occasion, try my whole roasted cauliflower.

For all other recipes, click here.

Don’t forget to check out this amazing bread from Bauckhof: get it here. (unpaid advertisement)

As always, I hope you enjoy my recipe. If there are any autumn recipes you want me to post, just leave a comment below.

Until next week & Happy cooking.

Love, Carolin

Fermented Buckwheat & Cashew Porridge

Posted on September 19, 2019February 7, 2021 by Carolin Vater

My Fermented Buckwheat & Cashew Porridge is ideal if you wanna just change things up every now and again. As you prepare it the night before (or even 2-3 nights), it’s also great for those very early mornings and you just can’t be bothered with doing anything at all.

You can also vary it and adjust it to your personal likings quite easily. You can use any nuts (without skin) that you want and you can substitute the nut butter, yoghurt & fruits for your personal favourites. This way you can make this dish 100% yours. And don’t forget, that you can use any toppings you like. Simply bear in mind, that berries are full of fibre & polyphenols and are therefore perfect if you want to keep your breakfast healthy, as well as delicious.

Why ferment something?

Now, maybe you’re wondering: “Why would you ferment your breakfast?”

Well, that’s actually quite and easy answer. Once you ferment the buckwheat, all the positive nutrients multiply and the buckwheat becomes some sort of super grain. I mean, why wouldn’t you want something delicious you’re eating to be super healthy as well, right? You can make this with sprouted buckwheat, too. Simply wash & drain your buckwheat groats every 8 hours, after soaking them overnight. They should be ready after 2 days. Once fully sprouted, the amount of nutrients is even higher. Also, make sure not to use water with chloride in it as it’s stopping your body from absorbing the beneficial nutrients.

I will publish an entire blog entry in relation to this topic soon. Stay tuned!! 🙂

Print Recipe

Fermented Buckwheat Cashew Porridge

10-Minute Raw Fermented Buckwheat Porridge

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time5 mins

Resting time8 hrs

Total Time8 hrs 15 mins

Course: Breakfast

Keyword: glutenfree, lactose-free, soy-free, vegan, vegetarian

Servings: 1 serving

Ingredients

1/2 cup buckwheat groats
1/2 cup cashews (or anyother nuts without skin)
0.5 l almond milk (or any other nut milk)
1 tbsp almond butter
3 dates
berries as topping
mango as topping
1/2 banana

Instructions

Firstly, we start with soaking the buckwheat groats. The night before you want to eat it, wash the buckwheat until the water runs clear. Then, place it into a bowl with water. The water should be 1 cm above the groats as they will expand overnight. Place a kitchen towel or plate over the bowl and leave to soak overnight. Place the cahsews in a different bowl, covered with water, and also soak overnight.
Before preparing the porridge, place the dates in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Let them soak for about 5 minutes.
While the dates are soaking, drain the buckwheat groats and cashews and place them into a food processor or mixer, together with the banana, dates, almond butter and almond milk. Mix until smooth & creamy.
Serve in a bowl, topped with different berries, some mango and different seeds.

I hope you enjoy my fermented Buckwheat & Cashew Porridge & I’d love to see your versions of it.

For more breakfast recipes, such as my instant porridge recipe, click here.

For all other recipes, click here.

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Until next week,

Love Carolin

Blueberry & Almond Overnight Oats

Posted on September 12, 2019February 7, 2021 by Carolin Vater

My Blueberry & Almond Overnight Oats are a real lifesaver – they’re high in fibres, antioxidants & energy, but also they literally don’t take ANY time in the morning (’cause you prepare them the night / a couple of nights before).

Just remember the last time you woke up, it’s 08:45 am and you realised you overslept. So you rushed out of bed, threw some clothes on & rushed out of your house – without breakfast. Who doesn’t know this moment?! Well, with overnight-oats, at least now you’re able to have some some breakfast without leaving first, or maybe on the way to work or even at your desk – BUT you won’t miss out on breakfast or compromise for something unhealthy from the shop down the street.

Also, as my blueberry & almond overnight oats come in a jar, you can take them anywhere you like and eat them whenever you feel like. Therefore, I tend to eat them as a snack as well. Simply divide in half and you have your perfect afternoon snack. Additionally, I have a small portion of it before I go to the gym in the mornings. That way, I avoid working out on an empty stomach. 😊

Print Recipe

Blueberry & Almond Overnight Oats

Prep Time5 mins

Resting Time4 hrs

Total Time4 hrs 5 mins

Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian

Keyword: breakfast, gluten-free, organic, vegan, vegetarian

Servings: 1 serving

Author: Carolin Vater

Ingredients

2 tbsp oats certified gluten-free, if applicable
1 tbsp chia seeds
1 tbsp finely chopped almonds
a handful blueberries
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp Almond joghurt
vegan milk (ideally almond milk)

optional

1 tbsp almond butter only add, when everything already mixed

Instructions

Firstly take a 200ml marmelade glass and add the oats. It's very important to start with the oats. Should you start with the chia seeds, they will stick to the bottom of the glass and don't really mix well.
Next, add everything else apart from the blueberries (and almond butter if you use it). Put the lid on & shake well.
Add the blueberries (& almond butter, if you're using it). Shake well again.
Place in the fridge for 4-5 hours or overnight.
Enjoy straight from the fridge or take out a little before. Top up with some more blueberries or granola and enjoy as a wholesome breakfast, snack or dessert.

As you already know, breakfast is my favourite meal of the day, which is why I am posting so many breakfast recipes here. My Blueberry & Almond Overnight Oats are no exception and, when working, I tend to have them 2-3 times a week. I even prepare them ahead of time for my entire family if we have a lot of busy mornings scheduled.

As always, I hope you love this recipe as much as I do. Go ahead, try it & let me know if you like it.

If you’re looking for more breakfast recipes, try my Granola or Porridge recipes. You can find all my other recipes here.

I am also happy for any suggestions, should you be missing any breakfast essentials you wanna eat the CarrotsKitchen Way.

Until next week & happy cooking!

Love, Carolin

Roasted Cauliflower with Lentils & Rice

Posted on September 5, 2019February 7, 2021 by Carolin Vater

Want to win over your meat-eating friends to the side of vegetarians? Then, you should try my Roasted Cauliflower with Lentils & Rice. It’s a hearty, delicious & 100% filling dish. No one will feel like they need something else afterwards. I call it the perfect “vegetarian starter dish”, because no one ever really misses meat, when eating it. So it’s perfect for everyone who wants to switch to a more plant-based diet.

Further, it’s great, if you want to cook something out of the ordinary, e.g. for a special occasion like a dinner party, birthday, etc (or even Christmas). You might say it’s a dish to blow minds, really. Also, it is easy to prepare & naturally gluten-free, but a real joyride for your tastebuds. Full of fibres, proteins & polyphenols.

The last time, I made this dish, I made it for some friends and they were so impressed by it, that I decided it had to go up on my blog. Now, as it takes quite a while to cook, particularly the cauliflower, I don’t cook it too often. It does perfectly replace a Sunday roast, though.

As I mentioned, you can even make a Christmas-dish out of it. Simply vary the herbs & spices. You might want to add cinnamon, nutmeg, clove and/or star anise to the dish, in order to make it more suitable for Christmas. For the lentils, you can add a whole cinnamon stick to it, while cooking. Replace the paprika with Brussel sprouts (or other winter vegetable). Et voila, your perfect Christmas Roast. 🙂

Print Recipe

Roasted Cauliflower with Lentils & Rice

a whole roasted cauliflower with rice, lentils & a juicy tomato sauce.

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time1 hr 15 mins

Total Time2 hrs

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: gluten-free, oriental, vegan, vegetarian

Keyword: gluten-free, organic, vegan, vegetarian

Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

Roasted Cauliflower

1 whole cauliflower
3-4 tbsp olive oil extra virgine
1/2 lemon juice
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp cumin
1 cup water
0.75 can chopped tomatoes
1 handful coriander
1 handful parsley

Veggie & Lentil Rice

1 cup rice any will do
1 cup lentils brown or green are best
3 cups water
1 onion
0.25 can chopped tomatoes
1 clove garlic
1 paprika
2 tbsp tomato puree
1 tsp veggie stock powder
salt & pepper to season

Side

1 bag spinach
1 clove garlic
salt & pepper to season

Instructions

Roasted Cauliflower

As the cauliflower will need the longest time to be fully cooked, we need to start with preparing it first. Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees.
Next, in a small bowl, mix olive oil, lemon juice, finely chopped garlic, salt, pepper, cumin & paprika. Cut the cauliflower stalk, if necessary & place the cauliflower with the stalk down into a baking dish.
Take the marinade and rub the cauliflower with it. You'll get the best taste, if you really message it in properly. Place the cauliflower into the middle of the baking dish and cover the entire dish with aluminum foil (or a waste-free alternative). You might also use a casserole dish with a lid. Bake for about 40 minutes with the lid. (If the cauliflower is especially large, you may need to adjust the baking time a little.) Bake another 20 without lid / alumium foil, so the cauliflower can brown properly.
Last, but not least. Add chopped tomatoes, water, chopped coriander & parsley and some salt & pepper directly to the baking dish / casserole. Bake for another 10 minutes, so the sauce can soak up all the spices.

Paprika & Lentil Rice

First, chop the onion, garlic & paprika. It can be as small or big as you like. I tend to chop the paprika into bigger chunks as I like them to stay a little bit crunchy. Wash the lentils in a colander. (Otherwise the lentils might get a little too starchy.)
Next, place 1-2 tbsp olive oil into a pot, add the onion, garlic & paprika and roast for about 2-3 minutes. Add the tomatoe puree, salt & pepper. Once fully incorporated add the water.
When the water starts to boil, add the vegetable stock, rice & lentils. Turn the cooker down to low heat & cook the rice & lentil mix with the lid on, until most of the water has been soaked up. Take the lid off and add the chopped tomatoes. Leave simmering, on very low heat, until the cauliflower is done.

Spinach side

Heat a big pan. Crush the garlic clove with a big knive and add to the pan, together with the spinach. Put a lid on an leave until spinach starts shrinking. The spinach should be done within 2 minutes.

How to serve the dish

Place a big spoonful of the rice-lentil mix on a plate, place some spinach on top. Add the cauliflower on top of it & finish off with some of the tomato sauce from the cauliflower dish.

This Roasted Cauliflower with Lentils & Rice is one of my absolute favourites to impress people. If you wanna impress someone even more, try making my plum crumble or my Chocolate-Courgette Cake as a dessert. I’m sure your dinner guests will be in heaven. 🙂

As always, I’m happy to see your version of this dish and I’m happy for any suggestions you might have. I can only say, that my roasted cauliflower with lentils & rice is one of my absolute favourites.

I’m also happy to know, what kind of recipes you want to see on my blog going forward. Simply comment below or send me an email here.

P.S. you can find all my recipes here.

You could also follow me on instagram, right here.

Happy Cooking & until next week.

Love, Carolin

Oat & Buckwheat Plum Crumble

Posted on August 22, 2019February 7, 2021 by Carolin Vater

Why Gluten-free Crumble?

Using oats & buckwheat flour for my gluten-free crumble was an easy choice – first, oats are often used in “normal” crumble & second, buckwheat has a lovely nutty flavour. Long story short, my Oat & Buckwheat Plum Crumble was born. But why Crumble? Well, aside from having lived in the UK, where I ate it many many times, it’s easy to prepare ahead of time, it’s delicious even cold (great as a quick breakfast the next morning) & it’s simply delicious. There aren’t many things I enjoy as much as a good crumble. The soft, gooey & warm filling with the crunchy, yet buttery topping… it’s simply amazing.

I, personally, am a big fan of plums, but you could use any combination of fruit really… A classic is apple crumble. Just make sure to either sauté the apple pieces in a saucepan before or cut them small enough to fully bake in the oven. You can mix apple & pear, apple & blueberries, make a berry crumble with loads of different berries – really, use your favourites.

Print Recipe

Oat & Buckwheat Plum Crumble

easy, gluten-free & vegan crumble - the perfect dessert for any kind of dinner

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time30 mins

Total Time45 mins

Ingredients

Crumble Filling

1 kg plums
1 tbsp cinnamon
1-2 tbsp brown sugar / coconut sugar or whatever sweetener you like

Crumble Topping

100 g butter / organic vegan margarine
200 g gluten-free oats quick or instant oats (they should be small)*
100 g buckwheat flour or any other gf flour**
50 g sugar
1 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp cinnamon
2-3 tbsp almond slices

Instructions

First, pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees. Next, cut the plums into small pieces. Add them to a bowl, together with the cinnamon & sugar. Mix & fill into a casserole dish & set aside.
Finally, place the butter (it shouldn't come straight from the fridge, yet not too warm either), oats, buckwheat flower, spieces & sugar in the bowl & mix well until it starts to crumble. I find, it works best, simply using my hands. If you think it's still to wet, simly add a little more buckwheat flour or some more oats. If it's too dry, add a tablespoon of butter.
Add the crumble to the casserole, top with some fine almond slices & place it in the middle part of your oven. Cook roughly 20-30 minutes, until the crumble becomes a little brown.
Once finished baking, top with some puffed quinoa or millet if you like. Serve with vegan whipped cream (such as coconut cream) or some custard. I can also recomment vanilla or cinnamon ice cream.

Notes

* I like using half millet flakes & half oats. Gives them a lovely taste & millet flakes tend to be smaller, which makes a finer crumble.

** You can use almost any gluten-free flour. Only corn flour & coconut flour will be difficult, as they need way more moisture than other flours, so you would need to adjust the butter amount accordingly.

I do hope you’ll love this recipe as much as I do. If you do try my gluten-free oat & buckwheat plum crumble, let me know in the comments below or send me an email here. For more recipes click here.

Happy Baking & Cooking. Until next week.

Love,

Carolin