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The Best Mushroom Potato Risotto

Posted on April 15, 2021April 15, 2021 by Carolin Vater

The first thought, that’s probably come to your mind is: “Why The Best Mushroom potato Risotto?”.

Well, as you might know, I absolutely loveeeee Risotto. Any kind of Risotto, to be honest. As a side, as a main, as a starter. With or without meat or fish. I simply love it. And I cook it a lot. So what happened to “classic” Risotto? Well, it so happened, that between lockdowns, I spent 3 weeks in Milan, last autumn. Historically, Milan is world-famous for their Risotto Milanese and it was my great desire to go out, eat it & most of all, bother a chef into showing me how it’s done properly – but then the Rona happened….

So, instead, I let myself be inspired, as much as possible by my surroundings. Looking into restaurants, through their closed doors, strolling down the streets, peaking at menus, I might’ve tasted & cooked “at home”. There was that one day, when I had everything to make a great vegetable Risotto – apart from Risotto rice. What a bummer!!! Nevertheless, Italian cuisine is about taking basic ingredients & highlighting their amazing natural flavour, without overpowering it with too many spices and I had potatoes at home. Potatoes, similar to rice, have quite a high starch content. So I wondered, what would happen, if I just cut the potatoes into teeny tiny squares & cooked them the exact way, that I would cook a classic Risotto.

One thing led to another & The Best Mushroom Potato Risotto was born!! Below you can have a look at my very first try (& I actually believe it was so spontaneous & so improvised, that it was the best I’ve ever made!).

Recipe Inspiration

Now, from my first try in Milan to the recipe, you’ll find below, there were another few tries in-between. I also figured, that it’d be a great dish to bring some much needed variety to the winter season. If you’re like me & you’re trying to mainly eat seasonal and regional products, you’ll be bored come December. So, I’ve thought about the basic winter veggies & how they could be combined into something a little more exciting & came up with a mix of root vegetables as a base. Different types of cabbages as the actual “veggie component” & mushrooms as an umami-packed topping.

I really, really hope, you’ll love this dish as much as I do. I am looking forward to your reactions & comments to it. Possible substitutions can be found below the recipe!! ✌🏻

Print Recipe

Potato Risotto with cabbage, kale & mushrooms

Using multiple root vegetables & cabbage, as well as kale & mushrooms, this dish combines some of the best the winter has to offer.

Prep Time30 mins

Cook Time30 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: gluten-free, Italian, Mediterranean, vegetarian

Keyword: gluten-free, regional, seasonal, vegetarian

Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

6 medium potatoes
1 yellow beetroot
1 beetroot
1 large carrot
1 stalk celery
1 red onion alternative: 1-2 shallots
2 garlic cloves
1/8 red cabbage
6 leaves kale
1 handful flower sprouts
6-7 king oyster mushrooms
50 g parmesan cheese vegan option: nutritional yeast

Liquids

3 tbsp olive oil
75 ml tequila or vodka or white wine
300 ml vegetable broth
4-5 tbsp aceto balsamico

Spices & herbs

salt & pepper to season
pinch freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp chili flakes
2 twigs rosemary
3-4 cloves

Instructions

For this specific version of the recipe, I would recommend you to start by cutting everything & placing it into small bowls.
The potatoes, beets & carrots should be the same size and should be cut into small squares.
The red cabbage should be cut into slices, the kale roughly chopped & the flower sporuts halfed.
The onion, garlic & celery should be finely chopped & the mushrooms cut into slices.
While you're preparing for cooking, heat the broth, measure the tequile (or alcohol of your choice) and get out 2 pans & 2 pots.

Risotto

You start preparing this risotto as you would any risotto, by adding some olive oil & butter to a large pot & sauteeing first onions, then garlic & celery. Next, you add the beets & carrots. After 2-3 minutes, you can add the potatoes. Sautee for another ~3 minutes, then add your rosemary & the tequila.
Once the tequila has evaporated, add your first ~150-200 ml broth, stir the risotto. Let it simmer on low heat & make sure to stir it regularly. As soon, as the liquid reduces, add more broth, one ladle at a time.
It should take the beets, carrots & potatoes around 15-20 minutes to cook. Try them, but make sure, they're not getting too soft.
Once done, add some butter & parmesan, season with salt, pepper & nutmeg. Stir & set aside, with the lid on, for 2-3 minutes.

Cabbage & Mushrooms

While the risotto is simmering, place a pan on the stove & heat it to medium heat. Add some olive oil, then the red cabbage. Add the cloves & let it cook for a couple of minutes, until it starts getting soft. Next, add the balsamico vinegar & let it reduce.
Move the red cabbage to one side of the pan & add the kale & brussle sprouts to the other. Season everything with salt & pepper & cook for roughly 4-5 minutes.
Heat a pan to high heat, add some olive oil, butter, rosemary & 1 garlic clove. Then add the mushrooms & cook on high heat until they're getting some colour. Add some chili flakes & cook for another minute.

Finishing

To serve, first add the risotto on a plate, then add some cabbage & top with mushrooms. Add some freshly grated parmesan & a sprinkle of freshly ground pepper & enjoy.

Substitutions & other ideas

My first try of a Potato Risotto was at the beginning of October, in Milan. At the time, courgette and other veggies were still in season, which made a great combination. I used potatos, carrots, tomatoes & courgette & cooked it all in one pot. This makes the dish a one-pot dish, great for hectic & short evenings, when you don’t feel like cleaning an entire kitchen’s equipment. 😂

If you want to go vegan, you can just omit the parmesan cheese or replace it with vegan hard cheese. What it does, is that it brings a little umami kick & some creaminess to the dish, but it’ll be just as good without (I’ve tried it!!).

If you’re not drinking alcohol, or you simply don’t want to use tequila, just omit or change to your liking. Possible substitutions may include sparkling wine, champagne, gin,… whatever floats your boat, really!

There are just a few more things to say…

First, of all, I really hope you enjoyed this recipe & I hope you’ll make it soon. If you do, please let me know how it goes. 😍😍

Also, as you might know, I am raising some money for a good & professional food processor. If you want, you can support me here.

Happy cooking,

Carolin 💕

P.S. If you don’t wanna miss out on recipes, you can subscribe to my newsletter .

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 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 💕

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

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

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

Recipe Inspiration

The Recipe: The Best Mushroom Potato Risotto

Potato Risotto with cabbage, kale & mushrooms

Ingredients

Liquids

Spices & herbs

Instructions

Risotto

Cabbage & Mushrooms

Finishing

Substitutions & other ideas

My kind of healthy nutrition

The "National Day of Healthy Nutrition" Recipe

Healthy Buckwheat & Veggie Bowl

Ingredients

Instructions

Possible Substitutions

Dried lentils:

Raw potatoes:

Kale:

Walnuts:

Cranberries:

Proteins:

Recipe: The Best Vegan Potato & Kale Salad

The Best Vegan Potato & Kale Salad

Ingredients

Instructions

Notes

Last but not least...

What about us Vegans?

Gluten-free Sourdough Waffles

Equipment

Ingredients

Topping Ideas

Instructions

Chocoholic?

Fluffy Gluten-free Sourdough Pancakes

Ingredients

Instructions

For overnight sourdough pancakes

Notes

Gluten-free Cheesecake

Equipment

Ingredients

Topping

optional

Instructions

Alternative Topping: Berry Glazing

Vegans welcome

Why ferment something?

Fermented Buckwheat Cashew Porridge

Ingredients

Instructions

Roasted Cauliflower with Lentils & Rice

Ingredients

Roasted Cauliflower

Veggie & Lentil Rice

Side

Instructions

Roasted Cauliflower

Paprika & Lentil Rice

Spinach side

How to serve the dish

Quinoa Buckwheat Granola

Ingredients

Instructions

A little ingredient recommendation

Mediterranean Pasta & Rocket Salad

Ingredients

Instructions