cooking

Beet-Potato Two Colored Gnocchi

November 19, 2014 by Zizi

Thanks to Fiji Water to sponsor this partner post about “Perfection Takes Time”. All the opinions written in this post are my own.

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It takes a lot of time to make the perfect gnocchi… at least for me. Especially if the cute, little gnocchis are two colored: red from the beet and yellow from the potato. Aren’t they beautiful?

When I was thinking what to “create” for this campaign, gnocchi came to my mind. Whenever I make gnocchi, it takes a lot of relaxing time, persistence and patience to roll the dough into the perfect “ropes” on a lightly floured surface. I think a dish that takes time to make, deserves a simple serving… I tossed these two colored little potato pillows with extra virgin olive oil and topped with shaved Pecorino, a pinch of freshly grated black pepper and you are in heaven.

On a Saturday or Sunday morning if the weather is gloomy and cloudy, go to the kitchen and make these delicate, light gnocchi. I’m not saying it’s going to be easy… but the end result… oh my, yum!

Fiji Water trickles down through the layers of volcanic rock over time and gathers minerals and electrolytes along the way that create Fiji’s soft smooth taste – slow cooking and baking often brings out the most amazing flavors and scents of almost any ingredient. This process is what the “Perfection Takes Time” campaign is all about. The fact that sometimes, slower is better.

I learnt this recipe from a Hungarian chef, Viktor Segal who I tested a recipe for his first cookbook for.

Get this and many other “Perfection Takes Time” recipes here or visit Fiji Water’s homepage.

The First Birthday Cake

April 30, 2014 by Zizi

We have reached a huge milestone… or at least this is what I think. Adam is one year old!!! Oh My! How could this happen? I remember the first days when I had problems with the breastfeeding and now he is one year old! Everything happened so quickly. Being a parent can be wonderful and rewarding, but it can also be difficult and unpleasant. This is what Ivan and I learnt in the last year.

On this beautiful day we had a quick porridge breakfast together then Adam got a few small presents and got his first birthday cake. I cooked a vegan pancake cake for him without sugar of couse. See the photos below how Adam enjoyed his birthday cake. It was kind of the most adorable thing I have ever seen. (Plus, recipe of the cake is at the end of the post.)

We love you, Adam! Mom & Dad

“Let me see what mom cooked for me! “

“Oh, la la! As a French would say…”

“Oh My! This is so exciting!”

“Yum!”

“This is getting more delicious!”

“Mom, you are a super talented chef! I love you so much!” 🙂

Vegan Banana Pancake Cake With Vegan Chocolate Ganache

I used carob powder to make the ganache. Carob is a tropical pod that contains a sweet, edible pulp and inedible seeds. After drying, the pulp is roasted and ground into a powder that resembles cocoa powder, but does not have the same flavor and texture of chocolate. Carob is naturally sweet, low in fat, high in fiber, has calcium, and most importantly no caffeine – that’s why I chose to add this to Adam.

Ingredients (to make 8-10 pancakes)

For the pancake
– 2 ripe bananas, smashed with a fork
– 40 g whole wheat spelt flour
– 60 g white spelt flour
– 150-200 ml rice milk (you can use oat or almond milk too)
– 1 tablespoon baking powder
– 1/2 vanilla bean, split and seeded
– coconut oil for cooking

For the chocolate ganache
– 1 medium ripe avocado, pitted
– 2 ripe bananas
– 2-3 tablespoons carob powder (you can use cacao powder)
– 2 tablespoons almond butter
– small amount rice milk

Method

Place the ganache’s ingredients into the kitchen blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Place it in the fridge to chill.

In a bowl mix together the flours, baking powder and vanilla. Add the smashed bananas, rice milk. Give the mixture a stir, combining the ingredients until mixed and smooth (if you find it too thick add a bit of rice milk 1 tablespoon at a time). Set aside for 5 minutes to allow the batter to rise.

Prepare a non-stick pan with 1 teaspoon coconut oil on medium heat. Spoon batter into pan, forming a pancake. Cook until lightly brown on the bottom. Turn and brown the other side. Let the pancakes cool.

To build the cake, place one pancake on a plate, spread some chocolate ganache on pancake and top with another pancake. Keep doing this until you’ve used all the pancakes. Keep some cream back for the top.

Vegan Bean-Oat Burger

March 2, 2014 by Zizi

It’s difficult to find really good vegetarian or vegan burgers in Hungary. At most places the only vegetarian options are made with cheese or mushroom. Restaurants and cafes are not very open to try new recipes and serve the needs of vegetarian customers. Although veggie burgers are a vegetarian delight, but meat-eaters are sure to love them, too.

This vegan beat-oat burger comes from a Hungarian vegetarian cookbook that was written by a vegetarian friend of mine. It satisfies your appetite for a great-tasting veggie burger that’s easy to make and it’s healthy because of using wholesome ingredients to make. Either you are a vegetarian or not , you will love this burger!

Vegan Bean-Oat Burger

Ingredients (depending on size, it makes 12-20 patties)

– 125 g rolled oats, soaked in lukewarm salty water for 30 minutes
– 1 can of beans, drained and puréed
– 80-100 g whole wheat bread crumbs
– 1 onion, chopped
– 3 cloves garlic, chopped
– 1 medium carrot, chopped
– 1/2 a medium sized celery root, chopped
– small bunch of parsley, chopped
– 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
– 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
– 1 teaspoon oregano
– salt, pepper
– olive oil
– serving: salad, mustard, ketchup, sliced red onion, sprouts, ciabatta or rolls

Method

Drain the soaked oat for a few minutes through a fine strainer. In a food processor chop all the vegetables (onion, garlic, carrot, celery).

In a pan heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and saute onion, carrot and celery. After 2-3 minutes add garlic and a few pinches of salt. Saute for a few more minutes. Set aside to cool.

In a bowl mix together the soaked and drained rolled oats with puréed beans, sauted vegetables, parsley and season with lemon juice, mustard, oregano, salt and pepper. Add breadcrumbs and let it sit for 5-10 minutes. Form pingpong ball sized balls from the mixture, flatten them with your palm or a spoon. Place the formed patties on a tray.

Heat 1-2 teaspoons olive oil in a pan, add patties and cook for about 5-7 minutes until golden brown. Flip the patties and cook them on their other side until golden. Cook the remaining patties too. Serve with ciabatta or rolls and with vegetables, ketchup, mustard.

Vegan Apple Cinnamon Pancake With Maple Syrup

November 10, 2013 by Zizi

Oh, pancakes Sundays, where are you now? I don’t have too much time to make pancakes in the morning nowadays but once in a while I do. I love experiencing with different flavours so this time I made pancakes with apple and I added a touch of cinnamon too. There is no any sweetener in the pancake dough so it is sugar-free. At the end I couldn’t help myself… I poured off the pancakes with maple syrup! 🙂

You can find more pancake recipes here.

Vegan Apple Cinnamon Pancake With Maple Syrup

Ingredients (makes about 10)

– 1 cup whole spelt flour
– 1/2 cup and 2 tablespoons white spelt flour
– 1 and 1/2 tablespoons baking powder (alkaline free)
– 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
– 1 and 1/2 cups oat milk (any kind of non-dairy milk you prefer)
– 2 tablespoons coconut oil
– 1 medium apple, peeled, cored, grated
– pinch of salt
– maple syrup

Method

In a bowl mix together the dry ingredients: flours, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. In another bowl mix together oat milk, coconut oil and grated apple. Give each mixture a stir then add the wet to the dry combining just until mixed (if you find it too thick add a bit of oat milk 1 tablespoon at a time). Set aside for 5 minutes to allow the batter to rise.

Prepare a non-stick pan with 1 teaspoon coconut oil on medium heat. Spoon batter into pan, forming a pancake. Cook until lightly brown on the bottom. Turn and brown the other side.

Serve the pancakes with maple syrup. Yum!

Red Lentil Sauerkraut Soup

November 3, 2013 by Zizi

This soup is called korhelyleves in Hungarian. Is is originally a meaty cabbage soup that is often eaten on New Year’s Day. Korhely often refers to a person who likes to drink alcohol and as a result is lazy and careless. Sour cabbage (sauerkraut) soup is thought to relieve the symptoms of a hangover, and this is probaby the reason why this traditional Hungarian soup is so popular on New Year’s Eve and also called korhelyleves.

Sauerkraut is made by a process of pickling called lacto-fermentation that is analogous to how traditional (not heat-treated) pickled cucumbers and kimchi are made. The cabbage is finely shredded, layered with salt and left to ferment. Fully cured sauerkraut keeps for several months in an airtight container stored at 15 °C (60 °F) or below. It is extremely high in vitamins C, B, and K; the fermentation process increases the bioavailability of nutrients rendering sauerkraut even more nutritious than the original cabbage. It is also low in calories and high in calcium and magnesium, and it is a very good source of dietary fiber, folate, iron, potassium, copper and manganese.

I love this soup especially during cold months so I cook it quiet often. Of course, mine is a vegan version and I usually add vegan what sausage to the soup which gives a great smoky flavor to the soup.

Red Lentil Sauerkraut Soup

Ingredients (serves3-4)
– 1 onion, chopped
– 3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
– 2 medium carrot, grated
– 200 g red lentil
– 200 g sauerkraut
– 1 and 1/2 liter water
– 2 bay leaves
– vegan wheat sausages (optional)
– salt
– sunflower oil
– sour cream/soy yoghurt for serving the soup

Wash the sauerkraut well in cold water and chop them.

In a pan heat 3-4 tablespouns sunflower oil and saute the onion and garlic for a few minutes. Then add the grated carrot, red lentil and just enough water to cover. Season with salt, add bay leaves, wheat sausage (if you use) and sauerkraut. Put a lid on top and simmer for 20 minutes.

Serve the soup with sour cream or soy yoghurt.

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