vegan Archives - CarrotsKitchen

Tag: vegan

National Day of Healthy Nutrition

Posted on March 7, 2021March 7, 2021 by Carolin Vater

So, today is the national day of healthy nutrition, here in Germany. I wanted to add something to it, so I’ve created a new recipe. As I think it’s very important to integrate a healthy nutrition into any kind of lifestyle, it’s also a meal prep recipe!!

My kind of healthy nutrition

For a while now, I’ve been working on eating more regional produce. This winter has been (and still is) quite tough… Here, in Germany, there’s not a whole lot to eat during winter… Different kinds of cabbage, beets, potatoes, carrots, the occasional Jerusalem artichoke. Fruit wise, pears and apples are everything there is – I am dying to eat some fresh berries!!! it gives me all the joy in the mornings…

Eating this way, however, made me challenge myself a lot. I had to come up with soooo many different ways to use up the kilos and kilos of cabbage…

For those who know me, I’m really not that big a fan of cabbage…

Nevertheless, I tried numerous vegan filled cabbage rolls, slaw versions, cabbage soups (that was a challenging one for me, as my boyfriend can confirm, haha). Cabbage as a side, in vegan cream sauce, with mushrooms,… the list goes on! I’ve taken a liking to some of it now.

Jerusalem artichokes on the other hand? Well, I don’t know why they’re so “in”… You can’t make a puree out of them, because the inulin will just end up making the whole thing super sticky. This makes a great ingredient for gluten-free bread though. I mean, loads of people just buy inulin and add it as a binding agent… how bout just grating it and adding it to your bread next time? (Really adjust your psyllium though!!!).

The "National Day of Healthy Nutrition" Recipe

So, after trying so many different things, I kinda needed some soul food… so, I’ve created a coconut-apple-cake (recipe coming soon) and a buckwheat bowl. Buckwheat is a regional grain (thank god!). It has a distinct nutty flavour, so whatever you’ll add to it, you already have a fantastic base. In the light of national day of healthy nutrition, I therefore created this new recipe: my Healthy Buckwheat & Veggie Bowl. Full of YUM!!!

Print Recipe

Healthy Buckwheat & Veggie Bowl

Regional & Seasonal products united in a fantastic & versatile meal prep bowl!

Course: Main Course, Salad

Cuisine: gluten-free, oriental, vegan, vegetarian

Keyword: gluten-free, organic, regional, seasonal, vegan, vegetarian

Ingredients

1 cup buckwheat groats
1 tsp vegetable broth
50 g dried & chopped tomatoes or more if you like 🙂
1 large carrot
1/2 cucumber
3 spring onions
100 g dried cranberries
3 tbsp olive oil
salt
pepper
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cinnamon
tiny bit of chilli flakes
1/2 lemon
1 handful hazelnuts

Instructions

Let's start the buckwheat bowl, by cooking the buckwheat.
In a small pot heat 2 cups of water (use the same cup you use for measuring the buckwheat!!) and add the dried tomatoes and vegetable broth. As soon as the water starts boiling, add the buckwheat groats and reduce heat to low heat, with the lid on. It should only simmer, similar to cooking rice, really. Make sure not to stir the buckwheat while cooking.
Let it simmer until almost all the water has evaporated. Then turn off the heat, set aside the lid & let the buckwheat rest and cool down a little.
While the buckwheat cooks, you can start chopping up the carrot into small pieces and crush the garlic. Heat a pan to medium-high heat and add 2 tbsp of olive oil. Add the chopped carrot and heat it slowly. You want to draw out as much of the carrots sweetness as possible. Season with salt, pepper, cumin, cinnamon and chili flakes and add the crushed garlic. Slowly roast until cooked through.
While the buckwheat is cooling down & the carrots are in the pan, you can take a large bowl and add the cranberries. Also slice the spring onions and cut the cucumber into small pieces and add to the bowl. Roughly chop the hazelnuts and also add them. (You could roast them in the pan before, if you'd like). Add juice of 1/2 lemon and 1 tbsp of olive oil.
Finally, add the cooled buckwheat & carrots. Serve on it's own or with hummus, feta cheese, fried tofu or tempeh. Store in the fridge for 3-4 days.

You could also caramalise it, if you want. As this recipe is created for the national day of healthy nutrition, however, i’ve decided not to use any sweeter at all.

According to the season and your home, you can also exchange the added ingredients whichever way you like. The basic components of the recipe are the following way: The carrots provide the sweet component of this dish, the buckwheat the more bitter parts, the acidity comes from the lemon and the freshness is brought by the cucumber. Just keep that in mind when exchanging parts of it. 🙂

Happy cooking & please leave your feedback & questions below! For more recipes sign up for my newsletter & check out my other recipes or follow me on Instagram.

💕

The Best Vegan Potato & Kale Salad

Posted on February 8, 2021February 7, 2021 by Carolin Vater

Last week, I’ve made The Best Vegan Potato & Kale Salad salad. A couple of days ago, I received the request to publish a dish which makes you feel full long. In event of my recently published meal-prep ebook, I decided to make it a meal-prep recipe. It is also a meal, that qualifies as seasonal, regional, gluten-free & vegan – isn’t that just the best f****** combination ever? It’s made with potatoes, lentils, kale & tomatoes.

Therefore, today, I am showing you how to prepare The Best Vegan Potato & Kale Salad ever. I am also including several substitution options, in order to adapt it to other seasons and to make the preparation even faster, depending on your personal circumstances.

Possible Substitutions

As promised, please find the possible substations below.

Dried lentils:

First of all, the lentils. In order to make the preparation quicker, you could use pre-cooked lentils. Just make sure to wash them before using them. The liquid is usually a bit starchy & full of FODMAPS, which can irritate the stomach. You may use any type of lentils, you’ve got left in your cupboard , Just be aware, that the cooking time varies for different types of lentils.

Raw potatoes:

You could use pre-cooked baby potatoes, if you can find them, to decrease preparation time.

You could also use sweet-potatoes, Jerusalem artichokes or even pumpkin instead of regular potatoes, in case you can’t or don’t want to eat them.

Kale:

Any leafy green is suitable, really. As it’s a winter green & grown in my area, I like to use kale. But you could perfectly use rocket leaves, spinach or even lamb’s lettuce. I also like the taste of kale. Sautéed for a short while, it retains its texture yet gives off an incredible taste. Substituting it, I would most likely go for rocket leaves, I think, as they provide a lovely nutty flavour.

Walnuts:

You can use any nuts you like. So make use of what you’ve got left over in your cupboards, depending on your preferences, food allergies, etc. You can also mix different nuts. A lovely addition, in my opinion, are toasted almonds or pine nuts.

Cranberries:

It’s the same for cranberries, really. It makes sense, though, to use small dried fruits or cut them into small pieces. I’d recommend raisins or apricot, as they’ve got a little acidity. Other dried fruits, like dates, can be really sweet, which could lead to an overpowering sweetness for the overall dish.

Proteins:

If you want to add an extra portion of proteins, I can recommend some pan fried tofu or some feta cheese.

Recipe: The Best Vegan Potato & Kale Salad

Print Recipe

The Best Vegan Potato & Kale Salad

The Best Vegan Potato & Kale Salad is perfect for meal-prep. Super nutritious and full of fibres and complex carbs. Seasonal & regional products, making a fully gluten-free & vegan meal.

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time30 mins

Total Time45 mins

Course: Main Course, Salad

Cuisine: gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian

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

Servings: 4 portions

Ingredients

15 baby potatoes
200 g dried green lentiles
250 g kale
1 red onion
2 cloves of garlic
150 g walnuts
100 g cranberries
2 bay leaves
3 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp balsamico vinegar
1 lemon
salt
pepper
maple syrup
cumin
1 tsp mustard
150 g cherry tomatoes

Instructions

---- Should you use pre-cooked lentils & potatoes, please skip this step ----
First of all, we have to cook the lentils & potatoes. Let's start with the potatoes. Please wash them & add them to a pot with salted water. There is no need to peel the potatoes. Bring to a boil & reduce to low heat. Let them simmer for around 15-20 minutes (until done, but not too soft). Next, on to the lentils. Add 1.5 cups of water to a cup. Add salt & the bay leaves. Bring to a boil and add the lentils. Let them simmer for around 15 minutes, on low heat.
Once, the potatoes & lentils are cooked, drain them & let them rest for a minute.
While the lentils & potatoes are cooking, cut the onion into slices and chop the garlic into small pieces. You should also wash & cut the kale at this point. Half & quarter the cherries tomatoes. Make use of the time, you're waiting!!
Pour the cooked lentils into a bowl & add 2 tbsp of olive oil, the juice of half a lemon and the tomatoes.
Put a pan on medium-high heat & add the walnuts. Be careful not to burn them. Once they've taken some colour, get them out and chop them up roughly.
Now, that the pan is hot, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to it. Add the potatoes & roast until they start to get brown. Turn down the heat to medium & add the onions. Sautee them for 2-3 minutes, then add the garlic. Add the kale & sautee for another 2-3 minutes.
Season with salt, pepper, cumin and smoked paprika. Add 3 tbsp of balsamico vinegar, for sweetness & acidity. Let it reduce for a minute, then add everything to the bowl with the lentils & tomatos. Add the chopped walnuts and cranberries & mix everything.
The dish is already great that way, but i recommend you to add some of my vinaigrette (see in notes) when you eat it.

Notes

For my vinaigrette, please check my following recipe: Quick & Easy Endive Salad (gluten-free)

Last but not least...

Lastly, if you want to learn more about Meal Prep – what it is & how to do it & you want to try more recipes, check out my Meal Prep eBook.

I’ve included 5 recipes, a printable weekly meal planner and shopping list. I’ve also added the most important tips and a list of things you should always have at home.

I also want to let you know & you might know this already, that I focus on recipes, which are naturally gluten-free & so is this one. Furthermore, it has a lot of complex carbs, is high in fibres & very low in sugar. Eating it for lunch, it should keep you full for the rest of day. If you feel, you want to add an extra amount of protein, please feel free to do so.

I hope you’ve enjoyed the recipe for The Best Vegan Potato & Kale Salad. If you try it, I’d love to get your feedback, in the comments below. As always, if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Happy Cooking,

Carolin 💕

Gluten-free & Vegan Banana Bread

Posted on January 24, 2020February 7, 2021 by Carolin Vater

Banan Bread

What better way, than to start my holidays with a gluten-free & vegan banana bread? That’s right, there’s no better way. That’s why I decided to finally publish my own banana bread recipe.

It’s a very basic recipe, which doesn’t need any additives, sugar, gluten, eggs, soya or anything else. It’s the perfect bread for almost anyone with food allergies or intolerances.

Why doesn’t it need any of those additives? Well, because there are 6!! bananas mixed into the dough. I know, it sounds a lot – but let’s be honest: it’s a BANANA bread. The bananas make the dough sweet & perfectly sticky.

One of the most important things about the recipe is, that you should do everything by hand. That means, mash the bananas with a fork – yes, all 6 of them. Mash them well, until it’s almost like a thick smoothie. I also recommend using a spatula for mixing the rest of the dough later on. Using a food processor & electric mixer will destroy too much of the structure & the bread won’t turn out as great. Just trust me with this.

Print Recipe

Gluten-free & Vegan Banana Bread

inspired by hawaiian banana bread with very little ingredients, a lot of bananas & buckwheat flour.

Prep Time30 mins

Cook Time1 hr

Total Time1 hr 30 mins

Course: Breakfast, cake, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: gluten-free, vegan

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

Servings: 1 loaf

Ingredients

6 bananas almost completely brown!!
200 g buckwheat flour
75 g tapioka starch
20 g baking powder
200 ml almond milk or any other plant-based milk
3 tbsp maple syrup or any other syrup
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 pinch salt
150 g chopped walnuts

Topping

1 banana cut into half
3 tbsp finely chopped nuts any nuts will suffice (great way to use any leftovers)

Instructions

Before starting with the banana bread itself, pre-heat your oven to 180 degrees & prepare your loaf tin with baking paper.
Start with adding the 6 bananas to a large bowl & break them into smalelr pieces with your hands. Next, mash them with a fork until creamy. This step is really important, as the banana is what makes the bread stick together. You could use a mixer, but it is THAT much better when using a fork & mashing them slowlely.
Next, add the maple syrup & almond milk & mix with a spatula. Again, using a mixer is possible, but the results are better doing it by hand.
Last, but not least, add all the remaining ingredients, apart from the chopped walnuts. Mix the dough until well combined & quite goeoey. I hate to repeat myself, but if you still can, mix it by hand, please.
As a last step fold in the chopped walnuts & transfer everything to your prepared loaf tin.
Top the banana bread mass with the chopped nuts & the banana. Make sure to press the banana slightly into the dough, so it doesn't burn.
Bake for aroung 60 minutes. Take the banana bread out of the loaf tin immediatly, as to allow any excess moisture to evaporate.
Enjoy! 😊

Ingredient substitutions

So, once you reached this point, you’re probably asking yourself if you can exchange some of the ingredients… Yes, you can. Here’s a list of what & how:

Buckwheat flour: You could exchange it for brown rice flour or chickpea flour I would start with using 175g first as they need more water & if you need add some more almond milk.
Tapioca Starch: You can use any starch, but tapioca will have the best results. Try adding 50 grams of potato or corn starch & after that go tbsp by tbsp.
Maple syrup: While Maple syrup has a very unique taste, which fits perfectly with the nutty buckwheat, the walnuts & banana, you can use any syrup, from agave syrup through coconut sugar syrup to rice syrup.
Walnuts: You don’t have to use any nuts at all. I, personally, just really like the crunch & texture & also the taste of anything that combines maple, banana & walnut is a dream come true to me.

There’s also the possibility to make cupcakes out of this dough, but make sure to use a non-stick cupcake try, because it WILL stick to the usual paper inlays. Also the dough will be good for around 24 cupcakes. You could also use 2 smaller loaf tins.

Banana Bread Cupcakes
gluten-free vegan banana bread

With my gluten-free & vegan banana bread recipe I’m leaving for holidays & I will be back with a new recipe in February.

I hope you’re enjoying this recipe & as always leave comments, should you have any questions or you wanna share your results.

Feel like baking something else? Try my CarrotCake.

You can find all my recipes here.

Have a lovely day.

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.

If you wanna stay up to date, simply sign up for my newsletter above or follow me on Instagram.

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

Quinoa Buckwheat Granola (gluten-free)

Posted on August 15, 2019February 7, 2021 by Carolin Vater

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day! Naturally, it should be celebrated and consumed with a lot of time and without any stress at all. Don’t you think it is important to start relaxed into the day? Won’t the rest of the day be better as well? As work and everything else is already stressful enough, let’s create 15 minutes of peace to enjoy my Quinoa Buckwheat Granola and start into the day – the right way.

My Quinoa Buckwheat Granola is one of my everyday breakfasts as it’s east to prepare, very satisfying & nutritious. Therefore, it’s suitable for those days, when you don’t have the time to make scrambled eggs, porridge or pancakes, but you still want something great for breakfast. Something, that’ll leave you satisfied, happy & motivates you for the entire day.

The preparation of my Quinoa Buckwheat Granola itself is also easy & can fit everyones needs. Furthermore, it is very easy to adapt to the ingredients you’ve already got at home. In conclusion, there’s no need to go shopping only to make Granola.

Print Recipe

Quinoa Buckwheat Granola

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time45 mins

Total Time1 hr 5 mins

Course: Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine: gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian

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

Servings: 20 servings

Ingredients

100 g buckwheat groats
150 g quinoa (raw)
150 g rolled oats or other flakes, such as millet flakes
100 g pumpkin seeds
75 g sunflower seeds
50 g chia seeds
100 g mixed nuts (roughly chopped)
75 g coconut chips
100 ml maple syrup or date / agave syrup
75 ml coconut oil
1 tbsp cinnamon
100 g raisins or mix cranberries & raisins
50 g dried apricots (finely chopped)

Instructions

First, rinse the quinoa well until the water runs clear. Next, place the quinoa and 300 ml water into a pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, bring the heat down and let it simmer for around 12 minutes with the lid on. If there's still a lot of water left after 12 minutes, take the lid off and leave on heat until no water is remaining. We want a well-cooked, but fluffy quinoa. Therefore, please refrain from stirring the quinoa too much while cooking. Once done, transfer it to a mixing bowl and let it cool.
Next, set a pot with the oil, syrup & cinnaom on low heat. While this slowly heats up, you can add your buckwheat groats, oats, seeds, nuts & coconut chips to the quinoa. Pour in the oil & sirup mixture, combine well and let it soak for about 10 minutes.
Finally, add the mixture to a baking sheet, laid out with parchment paper. I usually spread it around 1 cm thick, but it depends on the size of your baking tray. (If you have enough Granola for more than 1 tray, but not enough for 2, I'd add it all together.)
Bake the granola at 160 degrees for 20 minutes. Sir it and bake for another 20 minutes. If it's getting too dark, simply turn down the heat to 140 degrees. (Remember to increase your baking time, if you have more granola on 1 baking tray. You can probably add another 10-15 minutes, giving it another stir after the second 20 minutes.)
Take it out, add the dried fruits and leave it to cool completely. Store it in an airtight container for 4 to 6 weeks.
Enjoy with loads of fresh berries & nut milk or some yoghurt.

A little ingredient recommendation

With time, I tried many different brands & I am set on some favourites now. Please find some recommendations below (affiliate advertising):

Quinoa tricolour (As the consistency is much better)
Millet flakes
Oats

If you have any other favourites, let me know in the comments below! 🙂

I don’t know about you, but I am certainly hungry now!

As always, if you try out my recipe, I’d love to see your version of it!!

Happy Cooking,

Carolin 💕

P.S.

For more breakfast recipes check out my glutenfree porridge.

Mediterranean Pasta & Rocket Salad (gluten-free)

Posted on July 25, 2019February 7, 2021 by Carolin Vater

Another summer day, another salad – My Mediterranean Pasta & Rocket Salad.

Trust me, once you ate it, you won’t be able to survive the summer without it. It’s perfect as a side dish for a barbecue with friends & family or as a main dish on it’s own. Delicious warm as well as right from the fridge, should you wanna make it ahead of time.

Dried tomato, olives & rocket make the perfect combination for a mediterranean flavour. Raw courgette, one of my favourite salad ingredients, also finds a place in this salad and delivers important nutrients.

Which pasta do I use? And why? Well, I usually use Farfalle or Fusilli for pasta salad. Their unique shape makes it easier for the oil, spices & flavours to stick to every single piece, so the overall taste is usually way better balanced.

I can especially recommend the pasta from Schaer and Barilla is also a great choice. You can order them here & save some money.

Schär Pasta Fusilli

Barilla Fusilli gluten free

If you want a healthier option, try red lentil (or other vegetable) pasta. Just make sure to undercook them slightly, as they will become a little bit softer after being cooked.

Red Lentil Pasta Barilla

Print Recipe

Mediterranean Pasta & Rocket Salad

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time10 mins

Total Time30 mins

Course: Main Course, Salad

Cuisine: glutenfree

Keyword: glutenfree, vegan, vegetarian, wholefood

Servings: 2 servings

Ingredients

250 g short glutenfree pasta (e.g. Penne)
1 small courgette
1/2 packet rocket salad
2 spring onions alternatively 1 shallot
1/2 glass sundried tomatoes in olive oil
1/2 can olives without stones (green or black)
2 tbsp olive oil + some of the oil from the dried tomatoes
salt & pepper
3 tbsp pine nuts
1/2 Feta Cheese (if not vegan)

Instructions

Start with cooking the pasta. Use 1 litre of water & 1 heaped teaspoon of salt per 100g of pasta. Add the pasta once the water is boiling and cook the pasta without the lid. It should take roughly 8 minutes, but check on the package. Don't overcook the pasta, they should be perfectly al dente for the salad. Once fully cooked, pour into a colander, add to a salad bowl and mix with the of olive oil.
While the pasta is cooling down, cut the courgette into small pieces and add to the bowl. Make sure to take out the watery bit in the middle of the courgette, otherwise the salad will later become watery. Cut the spring onions and olives into rings and the tomatoes into small pieces.
Add everything to the bowl, season with salt, pepper & a little of the tomatoe oil. Lastly, add the rocket (wash if not washed) & pine nuts, mix everything & enjoy.
For non-vegans, you might add some feta-cheese or goats-cheese. Foe vegans, some vegan feta could be a great addition. You can also roast the pine nuts, for some extra flavour.

I don’t know about you, but only writing this and adding all these pictures, I got really hungry. So I’m gonna eat a bowl of this delicious salad now. I hope you like the recipe as much as I do. If you do & if you make it, I’d love to hear about it and see a picture. Should you have any questions, just add a comment below! 🙂

Happy cooking,

Carolin

P.s. If you want any more salad recipes check out the below:

Quinoa Salad

Endive Salad