the cream of the crop

Good late saturday morning! Doing fine?

Today, I brought you guys a raw and vegan dedication to all the sweet tooths out there with a little help from my best friend, the avocado. It seems as if I was just not capable of cooking without him lately.

Guys, there are moments, phases or days where actions speak louder than words. Today is such a day. I have had a frustrating week concerning running-practice and I really do not know how to make these 20 km with a left knee that is behaving like an old diva. So let's better turn to more pleasing stuff: the recipe I brought you and, basically, avocadoes! I mean, those green, fatty, pear-shaped little guys are just so talented in the kitchen! Up to now I have always used them for salty snacks. But it turned out that they make utterly loveable companions for sweet stuff, too (especially in vegan kitchen, which I am again indulging to today)!

However, we should not forget the second multi-talent used for the creamy comforters that will hopefully soon accompany you, my dear fellows, as well: silken tofu!

I have always been very skeptical towards this wobbly, indefinable thing. But I have definitely made friends with good guy silken tofu for it is thanks to him that you won't be able to distinguish the vegan recipe from today from a non-vegan one!

Oh, and finally, I have added some coconut flower sugar my Mom bought me, in order not to sweeten the lovely thing I created with empty calories only. (Sounds good, doesn't it?)

So after all this fulsome praise, let's finally reveal what the praiseworthy actually is!

Let's summarize: In main parts we have avocadoes and silken tofu. Then, there's coconut flower sugar, agave syrup. oranges, vanilla and, of course, chocolate! Last but not least, the little dessert-beauty is vegan, supereasy to prepare and healthy! What more could one want?

Try this:

vegan chocolate-orange-cream with coconut-flower-sugar and vanilla

ingredients:

2 ripe avocadoes

400 g silken tofu

75 g coconut flower sugar (raw cane sugar works just as well)

75 g agave syrup (you might also like to add some more, depending on the size of your sweet tooth)

1 teaspoon vanilla bean powder

2 oranges, zest and juice

150 g dark chocolate

preparation:

1. blend avocadoes, silken tofu, orange juice and zest and vanilla bean powder in a mixer

2. melt chocolate with agave syrup and coconut flower sugar

3. add chocolate to avocado-cream and stir well

4. refridgerate for 1-2 hours

ENJOY!

personal superbowl

Heyo, healthy guys out there! How are you?

In order not to lead anyone on here, I think I might need to mention already at this point that the sweet tooths amongst you will again not (yet) be satisfied today! But, with the highest hopes (and also quite proudly), I present you a sneak peek of what I created today, which, of course, should make you wanna read on enthusiastically.

And, people, I have a wonderful, healthily sweet and sweetly healthy recipe for you up my sleeves which will soon follow this fresh and energizing post. So, enough of the self-adulation!

I have just passed my first of 6 weeks "20-km-running-practice" and I must say it went astonishingly well. Conclusion so far: terrible muscle-ache in my calves, 1 cramp, 32 km, 1300 stair-steps and 209 min. of running (or nice-try-running or creeping or stamping). After that, I consider applying to the "academy of silly runs", by the way.

Anyways, I had to realize today that good old Sir Spring might be a bit bitchy upon us next week. And, of course, the rainiest and coldest of all days will be Thursday. Exactly when I am having an all-day geography excursion to watch river systems (water from above, water from below, let's go the whole hog). 

So, this means: eat right, sleep well and fight those various "catch-a-cold-easily"-offers!

This vegan, fresh and healthy little warrior is a very good start to this:

Vegan young purslane-salad with grapes, parsnip, pomegranate, avocado, roasted eggplant, caramelized kernels and orange-curry-garlic-dressing 

You might now wonder how I got the idea of mixing so many different things. Well, this might have happened for two reasons. First of all,  I had a lovely, curly headed, male help in my kitchen. And secondly, I had this help (with quite a different taste than mine) accompany me to purchase the ingredients.

So, that's what came out and I must say it all gets together very well. But, of course, I won't force you to include all of the ingredients (I will just very insistently recommend it to you).

RECIPE:

ingredients (4 people, starter)

6 handful young purslane

1 eggplant

1 large parsnip

1 avocado

1 pomegranate

24 grapes (seedless)

8 tabelspoons kernels

2 teaspoons raw cane sugar

2 dl olive oil

1 dl orange juice

0.2 dl lime juice

2 teaspoons soy sauce

1 garlic clove

1 teaspoon yellow curry powder

salt, pepper

2 teaspoons cumin

preparation:

1. preheat the oven on 200°C , finely slice eggplant and parsnip, put on a baking sheet, add some olive oil, cumin and salt and roast in the oven for about 10 minutes

2. in the meantime, wash purslane and then preheat a pan to roast the kernels with raw cane suagr and 1 teaspoon of water for about 5 minutes

3. finely slice avocado and cut the grapes in half

4. try to get thes pomegranate-seeds out of their surroundings. Not easy, guys!

5. mix olive oil, pressed garlic clove, orange and lime juice, curry powder, soy sauce, salt and pepper to an awesome dressing. Very easy, guys!

6. Serve everything on the same plate and try not to forget anything!

7. Phu, you made it! Enjoy!!!

See you, lovely cookery-addicts! Wish me luck for round 2 of my running-challenge! 
Follow on 
INSTAGRAM: @flavourrunner

flavour runner

Hey there, (shrinking number of) fellow readers!

How are you? So sorry I am somehow freezing you of at the moment. My personal busy-and-stressed-factor increases proportionally with the number of weeks passed at University. BUT! I have an announcement to make. One that will hopefully also influence you,

beloved cookery addicts out there, a bit (don't worry, it's most probably not gonna hurt you!).

Dramatic pause. Another dramatic pause. 

I am going to try to survive a 20-km-run within 6 weeks. Don't know which scumbag came up with this glorious idea. Oh yes, I do, it was me! 

And, turning this brave plan into reality, I will defintely need to adapt my

nutrition a bit (which, logically, is the part which will also influence you guys). I mean, I have my role-model-moments in my second home aka kitchen, but I do also have other, well, less glorious phases (Did anyone say cupcakes? or frozen yogurt? or tons of almond butter?). 

So, after Day 1 of my (crackbrained?) project, which comprised a 60 minutes up-hill-down-hill run, I decided to go for an extra healthy snack with two ingredients that are especially recommended for runners: salmon and avocado. Thank god, I do not only love sweet, sticky dentist's-nightmares but also superfresh omega-3-bombs.
Oh, and if anyone of you should happen to be interested in my (longingly anticipated) progress and even more healthy recipes, muscle-ache complaints and whatever bothers me, please follow me on INSTAGRAM:
@flavourrunner

And although I do definitely not expect you to follow my example and to run like a raving loony, I really do hope you will prepare this awesomely quick and healthy lunch-snack and think of me (just a little bit).

Avocado-Salmon-Salad with Sesame-Lime-Cumin-Dressing and Origano

preparation:

1. finely slice avocado

2. mix soy sauce, sesame oil, juice of lime-half, curry powder, cumin and pressed garlic clove

3. arrange everything on a plate, top with dressing and origano

As easy as it gets, right?

WISH ME LUCK, PEOPLE!

More about me, my kitchen and challenges on instagram: @flavourrunner

true colours

Hey there! Doing fine, beloved cookery-addicts?

For once, I will leave away all the moaning and complaining about my personal boredom and the frustrating weather. Because, first of all, I am going on a short trip to Boston next week (see you there, US-readers!), which leaves me with utter pleasant anticipation instead of boredom and, secondly, I really want to get straight to the superawesomely colourful recipe I brought along today!

What you see here is another attempt at eating healthy AT LEAST every once in a while. And another attempt at making this blog seem exemplary. But don't worry, sweet-tooths, I'll hide a very rich and sweet recipe soon again on this blog. So, honest as I am I need to admit that my everyday diet does not at all look as "comme il faut" as this beautiful dish here. But I guess you knew that already.

And whenever I want to prepare a healthy meal, I decide to go for Asian-style. Preparing it that way, with all the lovely scents Asian Kitchen offers (lemongrass, lime, ginger, garlic and sesame, in this case), even the healthiest dish tastes like a feast.

And so I grabbed all the veggies I could find in our tiny little kitchen, bumped into a lovely piece of smoked salmon on my way and met a few sticks of lemongrass and: born was the idea of a new recipe!

So here is my superhealthy, superfresh, supercolourful, supereasy, supertasty (superwhatever, insert a suitable adjective of your choice) lunch-recipe for you:

tepid cucumber-pepper-avocado-salad with cilantro-yogurt, smoked salmon and sesame-lime-garlic dressing

ingredients (2 people)

4 mini cucumbers

1 pepper

1 avocado

200 g smoked salmon

6 tablespoons yogurt

1 handful cilantro

0.5 dl sesame oil

3 tablespoons sesame seeds

3 garlic cloves

4 tablespoons soy sauce

1 lime

1 stick lemongrass

1/2 teaspoon gingerpaste or fresh ginger

pepper

preparation:

1. preheat a pan with 4 tablespoons sesame oil and finely slice cucumbers, lemongrass and pepper, then roast them for about 4 minutes together with sesame seeds and 2 pressed garlic cloves, 

2. deglaze with 3 tablespoons soy sauce and put aside

3. mix lime juice with sesame oil, add 1 pressed garlic clove, 1 tablespoon soy sauce and ginger paste and stie well

4. miy yogurt with hashed cilantro and pepper

5. slice the avocado finely

6. arrange everything on a plate and top with dressing and yogurt! If you miss the carbohydrates, enjoy with rice or soba-noodles!

SEE YOU, PEOPLE! Stay as healthy as possible! ;-)

Salt, Pepper and Cumin

Hi there guys!

How are you? I am still as lazy as can be. Sorry for that one, I should stop rubbing that in, right?

So, what am I doing right now? I guess kinda everything that makes me feel useful in some way: sports, cleaning the house, side-jobs, and, of course, creating new recipes for you guys.

You already know my soft spot for cumin, don't you? (And the HIMYM fans amongst you will also have gotten the title, right?).

So, I really do know that cumin is a matter of taste. But the recipe I created for you combines so many different, lovely tastes that you might like to give it a try.

There are many positive aspects to it anyways: It emerged out of a try to do some left-over recycling. It took me at most about 10 minutes to prepare it. It is healthy. And it is colourful.

And well, I know it is the third salty recipe in a row. But I really hope that you are, just like me, still fed up with sweets thanks to Christmas and New Year's Eve. If not, feel free to complain, you sweet tooth-owner! 

My sister had prepared a lovely lamb-peanut-stew with sweet potatoes on monday and being left with tons of sweet potatoes, I have decided to reuse them for the following, quick, supertasty lunch:

roasted sweet-potato-tomato-mush with soy sauce, soft egg and cumin-pepper-curd

ingredients (2 people)

1 large, cooked sweet potato

12 cherry tomatoes

2 garlic cloves

200 g curd

4 teaspoons cumin

4 teaspoons sweet soy sauce

2 eggs

pepper

salt

herbs

olive oil

preparation:

1. preheat olive oil in a pan, then roast the roughly mashed sweet potato, cherry tomatoes and pressed garlic cloves, add sweet soy sauce, salt and pepper and put aside

2. roast eggs from both sides, about 2 minutes, making sure the egg yolk remains half liquid

3. mix curd with cumin, salt and pepper

4. serve everything together, adding your favourite herbs

See you, guys! And stay productive ;-)

Love, Flo

vitamin fireworks

Hello guys! Happy new year! (Sorry for this one, I guess you can't hear it anymore by now, can you?)

I must admit that, once again, the frame conditions of my recipe today are not quite creative. It's healthy, light and vegan. And, tell me, who does not preach healthy, light and vegan food after Christmas? 

I have stopped having resolutions for the coming year a long time ago. But nonetheless I like to use the first day of the new year to start afresh in terms of nutrition. And after tender parlinés and crunchy cookies, mellow meat and tons of melted cheese for Christmas, "to start afresh" logically means "to eat healthy again". 

So, in hope that you are also kinda swimming with the tide at the moment AND in even greater hope that you are not fed up with fireworks, I created a vegan, superhealthy, colourful and tasty vitamin-fireworks-salad for you today!

Although it's as healthy as can be, it won't harm you, I promise!

After-Christmas-Vitamin-Fireworks

rocket-peppercress-salad with avocado, roasted pepper, tomato, cucumber and carrot, topped with agave-roasted kernels and mustard-lemon-dressing

ingredients (2 people):

2 handful of rocket

1 handful of peppercress

8 cherry tomatoes

2 baby cucumbers

4 baby carrots

1 pepper

1 avocado

1 large lemon

6 tablespoons kernels

0.75 dl olive oil

1 garlic clove

2 teaspoons mustard

2 teaspoons agave syrup

salt, pepper

preparation:

1. preheat a pan with some olive oil, cut lemon in two halves and cut off two thin slices, then roast the lemon slices golden brown and put aside

2. slice pepper and roast golden brown in the same pan, put aside

3. Last but not least, roast the kernels with 1 teaspoon agave syrup and some salt and pepper

4. Mix juice of the lemon with 0.75 dl olive oil, mustard, pressed garlic clove, 1 teaspoon agave syrup, salt and pepper

5. slice carrots, avocado tomatoes and cucumbers

6. arrange everything on a plate, sequence doesn't play a role, however, I'd advise you not to put the sauce on the plate first ;-)

However unhealthy you might have been feeling after Christmas, you will definitely forget all your worries when eating this salad!

Anyways, despite the superhealthy feeling I got now, I guess I should take up sports again, right?

Whatever, I hope you guys had a pleasant start into the new year and I wish you all the best (and most tasty and healthy meals) for the time coming!

See you soon!

xoxo, Florence

Fall(ing) for summer

Hi there guys! Everything all right?

It seems as if summer had decided to come back for a few more days (for a last good-bye?)!

So, although I wanted to celebrate the first ones of my beloved autumnal signs such as chest nuts, pumpkins, spices and coloured leaves, I decided to create a last but fantastic food-hommage towards summer (who actually wasn't part of my life very much these holidays).

Guys, some time ago I already told you about the perks of being a flight attendant's daughter. I could make use of those advantages once more this weekend. My Mom had gone to a lovely market during her stay in Boston and brought me the most beautifully coloured veggies!

As I have got quite a lot of homework to do for my Geography studies (Thanks, Mrs. human geography!), I will not get chatty today and just give you this superhealthy, refreshing, colourful and summery recipe I created for you yesterday (already looking forward to autumnal menus in my heart):

Garlic-Moghrabieh-Couscous with summery veggies, Kale, Limes and Peppermint

Ingredients (4-5 people)

230 g Moghrabieh (pearled couscous)

270 g couscous100 g prosciutto crudo

4 tablespoons butter

8.5 dl bouillon

4 handful peppermint

4 limes

2 lemons

4 handful basil

4 handful baby kale

6 colourful tomatoes

4 mini aubergines

2 yellow zucchini

1 dl olive oil

8 garlic cloves

2 tablespoons cane sugar

salt, pepper

Preparation:

1. roughly slice veggies, 1 lemon and 2 limes and mix with olive oil, 2 pressed garlic cloves, salt, pepper, 2 handful of peppermint, 2 handful pf basil and cane sugar, spread on a baking sheet

2. melt 1 tablespoon butter in a pot, add 6 pressed garlic cloves and pearled Couscous and roast until golden brown, add Bouillon and juice of remaining limes and lemon and let simmer for 5 minutes

3. in the meantime, put veggies in the oven, roast on 220° for 15 minutes

4. After 5-7 minutes, add Couscous to pearled Couscous and turn down the heat, stir well and add kale, peppermint, 3 tablespoons of butter and basil

Serve veggies and Couscous all together and enjoy this summery meal!

summer self-made

Hi there guys!

Today's the first day of a new semester at University and guess what: I woke up one hour too early! I must be really loooking forward to this!

Well, actually I am. However, I guess this means that I will not be able to create time-consuming recipes like the one I brought about today for a long time coming. Instead I'll be writing papers, presentations and essays. Yeah.

Be prepared for alphabet soup instead!

So as I enjoyed my last free week, I have decided to make pasta all by myself. Now you should know that I have done so many times before (without a pasta machine, for I do not see why I should pay half a fortune for things like that) and, actually, the result resembled everything from dry, water-cooked bread to slimy worms. Is she exaggerating again? No, unfortunately she isn't.

But this time, baby,..............It worked! And how well it worked (sorry for self-complimenting me). I may proudly announce that I have finally been able to create an easy and enjoyable pasta recipe which does not at all require pasta machine!

Celebrate with me guys!

So what have I got for you today? I did not prepare any pasta for you, that would have been boring, wouldn't it? Instead, I teamed up with my spices and I prepared a:

Yellow-Curry-Pasta with Tomato-Pepper--Thaibasil-Cumin Sauce

ingredients (4 people)

4 eggs

4 tablespoons olive oil

4 tablespoons water

375 g spelt flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon yellow curry powder

*****

2 violet peppers

3 large tomatoes (I took a special, orange-coloured species)

2 garlic cloves

50 g butter

1 large onion

1 tablespoon Cumin

1 teaspoon yellow curry powder

2 handful of thai basil

preparation:

1. mix eggs, flour, salt, curry powder, olive oil and water to a sticky dough (add water or olive oil if too dry) and work well

2. spread a lot of flour on a large table (you will definitely need the space) and roll out half of the dough about 0.5 mm thick (it must be really thin!)

3. spread flour on the dough and roll it together carefully. then cut off slices of about 1cm (see picture) and unfurl carefully. Continue like that and put the finished noodles on baking sheets (or where ever it works best for you)

4. bring water to a boil, in the mean time, melt butter and slice peppers and tomatoes

5.  roast onion, curry powder and cumin in the melted butter, then add tomatoes and pepper and, last but not least, pressed garlic cloves, let simmer

6. cook pasta for 4-5 minutes, add some butter before serving in order to prevent them form sticking together

7. add thai basil and salt to sauce and finally ENJOY!

SEE YOU GUYS! wish me luck for my papers and stuff ;-)