Monthly Archives: August 2012

Very Berry Vanilla Yogurt Cake

30 Thursday Aug 2012

Posted by in Playful food and photos

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Finally: The cake from the header. Yes, I know, you had to wait quite a while for this. And some people have asked me about it. Well… here it is!

 

Don’t worry, he got his peace of the cake!
It was my birthday cake this year. I wanted a summery light and refreshing cake. A cake that doesn’t make you feel yucky after one peace.  As it was summer, it was obvious that there had to be a lot of fruit in this cake!

 

So, that was all I knew before I made the cake: A lot of fruit, some yogurt and a vanilla cream. Yes, I can work with that. The result: Very Berry Vanilla Yogurt Cake.
Creativity can be so yummy!

Very Berry Vanilla Yogurt Cake

  • 3oog / 1 1/4 cups / 10,5 ounces soy yogurt (I recommend to weight the yogurt)
  • 200g / about 1 1/4 cups / 7 ounces mixed frozen or fresh berries (I recommend to weight it)
  • dry sweetener to taste
  • 2 tsp agar agar powder or 2 tbsp agar agar flakes
  • 1 vanilla pudding mix (like Dr Oetker organic vanilla pudding. For Germany: Ruf Vanilla pudding)
  • 1 cup soy creamer (Germany: Alpro Cuisine) or canned coconut milk
  • 1 cup soy milk
  • 1,5 cups vegan graham cracker crumbs (or any other vegan cookie. “Zwieback” works, too)
  • 3-4 Tsp melted Earth Balance / Alsan

Mix Graham crackers and Earth Balance in a bowl. Use your fingers to press the mixture evenly into the buttom of your plate.
Now prepare the Vanilla Cream: Prepare the Vanilla pudding according to the instructions, but use half a cup of creamer (or coconut milk) and half a cup of soy milk. Pour the pudding on top of the crust and let it cool down in the refrigerator.
Time to prepare the yogurt layer! Blend the mixed berries. Put the blended berries in a pot and boil them up with the agar agar (don’t forget to stir a lot!). Finally, mix the yogurt and the warm berry mixture in a bowl. Add sweetener to taste (you cold either use stevia, xylit, cane or coconut sugar. Don’t use liquid sweetener cause the yogurt might get thick if you do) Pour the yogurt berry mixture in your pan on top of the vanilla cream. Let the cake cool down in the refrigerator (it takes about 6  hours for the agar agar be completely thick. Don’t remove the cake from the pan before completely cooled down.)
Once the cake is firm and cooled down, you can remove it from the pan and decorate it! Be creative! (Remember: Being creative can be really yummy!)

I think my little friends have discovered something in my kitchen…

And here’s a piece of the cake with both it’s layers.

Just to give you an idea what it looked like!
You can use any kind of yogurt and any kind of milk you want. However, I’d recommend to weight the yogurt and the berries. Weighting the ingredients is more exact and will yield to the best results when using agar agar.

Have you ever made a vegan yogurt cake? (Or: Have you ever made a yogurt cake in the first place?) You should! It’s fun and it’s delicious!

 

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Banana Cookie Dough Blizzard

26 Sunday Aug 2012

Posted by in Playful food and photos

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Do I have to say more?

You can’t imagine how excited I was when I thought about my own twist on the traditional blizzard. Big chunks of cookie dough. A creamy base made from frozen bananas and even more cookie dough. Heaven.

I’ve had some trouble to explain to my not American friends what a blizzard actually is though! Might have been the hardest part of making my own blizzard (you see, making your own blizzard is really easy!). I started to describe it as something like a milkshake with big chunks of something, like cookie dough! The consistence is somewhere between soft serve and milkshake. It’s a little to thick for a milkshake and the cookie dough chunks are a little too big for a milkshake. It is a… well, a blizzard! (That was the point where I just gave my friend a blizzard for test tasting. He liked it.)

It’s that good. I had it for breakfast…

Banana Cookie Dough Blizzard
2-3 servings 

  • 3-4 frozen bananas, very ripe
  • about 2 tbsp Almond milk
  • 1/2 batch cookie dough

Put the frozen bananas in your blender or food processor.  Process bananas, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl if necessary. (When you make this in a vita-mix, use the tamper). Finally, add some cookie dough and process until combined. (I used about 6 cookie dough balls. It depends on the size of your cookie dough balls though. Use as many as you like!). You should have a soft serve type consistency when done. If think the mixture is still to think, add some almond milk and process again. Pour the blizzard into a glass and stir in your desired amount of crumbled cookie dough. Crumble some cookie dough on top, too!  Serve your homemade blizzard with a spoon.

I never thought making my own blizzard could be that easy!

All the cookie dough goodness!

On a personal note: I created a facebook page for this blog and I’d be glad if you like it! =)

All lovin’ no oven!

23 Thursday Aug 2012

Posted by in Playful food and photos

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Who doesn’t love cookie dough? I mean, seriously! I never quite understood why some people actually bake cookie dough! As I didn’t grow up with cookie dough treats, I’ve told you about my excitement when found out about cookie dough ice cream before…

And isn’t cookie dough the most playful food ever? You make any shape from dough, using your hands or cookie cutters and eating half of the dough while doing so…

Yes, you can do really exciting, creative shapes… or you can just form balls like I did. Yummy, rich, buttery cookie dough balls. Not your average cookie dough though! This is a healthier, almost raw version! But as delicious.

RAW Cookie dough 

  • 2/3 cup cashews
  • 1/3 cup rolled oats
  • 2 tbsp agave
  • 1 tbsp whole cane sugar (for the typical cookie dough flavor. Can be replaced by brown cane sugar or more agave)
  • dash natural vanilla powder or a piece of a vanilla bean
  • optional: chocolate chips

Put all the ingredients (except chocolate chips) in a heavy duty blender (use the tamper) or a food processor and mix. Once all the ingredients are combined, you can either add chocolate chips by hand or put them in your blender / food processor and mix for a few more seconds.
Form the cookie dough into any shape you like. Don’t forget test tasting!

Want something more special? What about cookie dough banana sandwiches?

Trust me, it’s a perfect combination.

It’s delicious. Take care. You might have to share. Maybe double the batch? You could also dip either the cookie dough balls or the sandwiches in chocolate! (I wasn’t feeling like chocolate though. Plain cookie dough is as good as the chocolate ship version though!)
And stash some bananas away! There will be a new twist on banana ice cream later this week…

RAW Frozen Hot Chocolate – Serendipity in a glass

19 Sunday Aug 2012

Posted by in Playful food and photos

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Finally, summer arrived where I live! We have a few really hot days right now, and I am happy to enjoy them with my exams being over by now!

And the best part: hot summer days are the perfect time for frozen treats!!!
Delicious frozen treats melting away in your mouth… or in your hands, if you don’t eat them fast enough!

So, I have some really exciting news: RAW frozen hot chocolate!
Do you know Serendipity in New York? It might be the one place every chocoholic has to visit once in their life… Long ago, I tried some from a chocoholic friend and I had to admit that it was really delicious! In fact, I’d have loved to eat (or drink?) one myself… if it was not winter. I am a cold blain, I would have been cold all day! But know it’s summer! I could have a frozen hot chocolate! Okay, New York is  not close and Serendipity is not vegan… so… I make my own frozen hot chocolate! A RAW vegan frozen hot chocolate! However, frozen hot chocolate always reminds of New York City. So that’s why I put the little statue of liberty next to it!

Making your own frozen hot chocolate is easier then you might think! Your freezer does most of the work…

RAW Frozen Hot Chocolate

  • 50g (just under half a cup) Cashews
  • 50g (just under 1/2  a cup) Almonds
  • 450ml (2 cups) water
  • 3-4 tbsp cocoa powder
  • stevia, agave syrup or any other sweetener to taste
  • tiny dash of salt
  • 2 tbsp nut milk (store bought or just keep a few tbsp from the nut milk you will make for this recipe)

Put the nuts, water, cocoa and salt in a blender an mix. Strain the milk through a nut milk bag (a laundry bag, a cheese cloths or even a kitchen towel works, too! I always use a laundry bag!) This is like heavy chocolate cream made from nuts! Sweeten the milk. It should be slightly oversweetend, the finished product will be less sweet. Put in ice cube trays, ice cube bags or flat containers and freeze! Once it’s frozen, put the ice cubes in your blender (your blender should be able to crush ice), add 2 tbsp nut milk and mix again! I used a vita-mix and pushed the mixture into the knives with the tamper. This will yield the best results… however, I guess this will also word with any blender that can crush ice!

You will be rewarded with the most delicious frozen hot chocolate ever.

 

All right… this is serious food porn. It’s as delicious as it looks, I promise! It’s rich but not too heavy. And it’s healthy! Plus it’s a nice change to all those banana soft serve treats… (I do like bananas. But I don’t want everything to taste like bananas!)

 

Talking about frozen treats melting away…
As I found out, it’s really not easy to take photos of a frozen treat when it’s about 100 degrees and you don’t have an air conditioner… I would have loved to take more photos… to play around… but the Frozen Hot Chocolate had to be eaten before it melted, I hope you understand!

Make dough, not war!

16 Thursday Aug 2012

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Once upon a time, there was a war torn kingdom. The greedy king always wanted more land, more treasures. But when his soldiers came to the land of raw dough…

 

The land of raw dough was different though. There were no treasures they could fight for. But there were fearful figures like…

 

… rabbits. Yes. Don’t laugh. Compared to a lego figure, it is big. If you met a rabbit that’s bigger than you, you’d probably be afraid, too!

 

Once our little soldiers noticed that the rabbit wasn’t as dangerous as they thought, there was no reason to fight anymore. The rabbit was made from dough, after all. As everything else in this country. So, what to do?

 

Well, isn’t it obvious? Make dough, not war! Have your dough and eat it, too…

Raw dough
– The basic two ingredients recipe! 

  • 1 cup dates
  • 1 cup walnuts
  • optional: vanilla powder and / or cinnamon OR Indian Chai spice
  • optional: cocoa powder

This is as easy as it could be… first, grind the walnuts in your food processor or heavy duty blender (I use a blender). Once, they are powdered, put in the dates and mix until the mixture turns into a smooth dough! If you are using a blender, you have to push everything down with your tamper. It will only take about 3 minutes (or less, if your kitchen is more tidy than mine…) and you will have delicious raw dough! Form into balls… or use cookie cutters for any other shape!

Don’t ask about the rabbit. I just like rabbits, that’s all. I came up with this recipe while learning for my exams. I have a friend who always tells me to eat walnut when I have to learn. They are supposed to be good for your brain. Sounds reasonable. They look like brains, after all. So I decided to make a delicious raw dough from walnuts and dates. Brain food!

I added cocoa powder to one half of my dough. Both versions turned out great! I rolled some of the balls in sesame, some were dipped into self made chocolate and some were left plain.

Self made chocolate?

  • 1 tablespoon native coconut oil
  • 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • about 10 drops stevia (or 2 packets)

Melt the coconut oil, stir in the cocoa powder and stevia – that’s it. Life can be so easy.

Here’s the three versions I made.

 

And here are some more scenes from the land of raw dough…

 

even the evil knight preferred dough over war…

 

One more. Just because I like it.

Peace, love and … exams

13 Monday Aug 2012

Posted by in Just playful

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Just in case you are wondering: I am still here!

Usually, I don’t like non-food related post on a food blog… but oh well. You won’t see things like this that often, I promise!
As I said before, I am writing exams right know and hardly find the time to cook at all… let alone the time to take photos!

Here’s an old one though. One of my favorites. No food in here, sorry.

The Hippie might be the best minifigure ever. I wish they would also make a hippie girl! Gender and potential for identification, you know. Oh, I might be studying too much… let’s just say I really like the hippie!

I’ll be done with my exams on thursday and I am looking forward to be done (I am not looking forward to take the exam though, it’s gonna one of the hardest exams…)

So, afterwards… there’s time to create recipes, take photos and share them!!!

I though about posting some of my “exam recipes”, like the Ultimate Pre-exam shake, smart raw cookie dough, or my creamy quick polenta… I am also drinking a lot coffee on the bricks these days! Ironically, I am drinking a lot of calming tee, too… (yes, I am weird like that…)
Oh, and there will be the RAW frozen hot chocolate. And the yogurt cake you see in the header…
So many yummy recipes! I am looking forward…

Just to let you know what’s about to come!

 

 

 

Coffee on the bricks!

06 Monday Aug 2012

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Coffee inside out.

Actually, it’s milk on the bricks. But it just doesn’t sound as good. ;)

This is one of the things I really love lately. It’s so simple, you don’t even need a recipe. It’s rather an idea than a recipe. But however… I have to admit… it is a great idea!
And I love this even though I am not a regular coffee drinker! Also, I do have to write exams right now… so a little extra caffeine is just what I need right now. Have I already whinned about writing exams? I think I have to make up for it. I have to write exams and I don’t like it.

Back to the things I like.

Back to the drink I love!

Who needs Starbucks anyway? I can make my own coffee. It tastes better. And I can make my own frappuccinos, too! (There’s will be another post on that soon…)

So… what did I do?

 

Well… I made coffee ice cubes! So, that’s my brand new toy: Lego brick ice cube trays! Did I mention that I love my new toy? I’m pretty sure I will use it more often…

 

Coffee on the bricks –
Ice coffee inside out 

  • VERY strong coffee, chilled
  • Almond milk
  • Sweetener to taste (I used stevia)

Alright, you don’t really need my “how to”, do you? Freeze the coffee using an ice cube tray or bag. Put the frozen ice cubes in a glass, pour milk over them – enjoy. Use as many coffee ice cubes as you like, depending on how strong you like your coffee. (As my regular coffee already is really strong, I should really not give you any recommendation on that!)

 

Here’s another one: Cocoa bricks! For a non-coffee version.

Cocoa on the bricks –
ice cocoa inside out

  • Cocoa powder
  • sugar / sweetener
  • Almond milk

Prepare a hot cocoa with about 3 times the amount of cocoa powder they recommend on the bag. Sweeten your cocoa! It should be really sweet. The mixture itself can be disgusting – in your drink it will be perfect! Pour in ice cube trays, freeze. Put a few cocoa ice cubes in a glass an pour milk over it – enjoy!

 

A deep sea diver observing penguins in my drink…

PENGUINS?

Penguins! I also made penguin ice cubes…

Did I mention that I really love this drink? (And… did I mention that I really don’t like writing exams in college?)

Not food-related: I just added a “follow me on pinterest” bottom to my page.
… I am gone. Have to learn for college  make more coffee ice cubes. Why does freezing always take so much time?

 

Golden Cheesecake – beware of the dwarf!

02 Thursday Aug 2012

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Cheesecake for breakfast.

Or lunch. Or dinner.

For each meal of the day!

I have admit that I had most of it for breakfast. The good message: This moist and sweet vegan cheesecake without added sugar is healthy enough to have it for breakfast!

It’s been a long time until I started to experiment with vegan cheesecake. This might be due to the high prices of tofutti (I did not make my own cream cheese  at that time…) and because I knew it could not taste as delicious as the original. However, I didn’t know how delicious it can be… why didn’t anyone tell me? You wanted it all for yourself?

I wanted it all for myself, too… it didn’t quite work out though. I should have known…

Dwarfs are greedy. And this golden cheesecake might be perfect for him. Dwarfs like gold.

I am so lucky that he was too small to take it away. He tried though. Dwarfs are not the smartest creatures…

Golden Cheesecake – no sugar, all the fun
healthy vegan cheesecake with no added sugar, Ø about 20cm / 8 inch 

  • about 6 soft dates, deseeded (can increase if you want it even sweeter)
  • 4 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup ( 125 ml ) orange juice or non dairy milk
  • 1 very ripe banana
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 package (350g) firm (or extra firm) tofu

Put all the ingredients in your food processor for blender (use your tamper!) and mix. Test-tasting allowed: If like it sweeter, add some more dates (or even some stevia). Pour into a slightly greased pan and bake for about  30-4o  min. (380 F / 200 C )

Yes, it’s that easy. Be patient (that’s the hardest part, honestly…) and let it cool down a little until you remove the pan.

On a personal note: I was really amazed by all your sweet comments and your feedback! This is still a very young blog and I didn’t expect so many people to visit it! I just want to say “Thank you” for visit my blog and for leaving your comments. Each comment makes me happy cause it means that people actually read (and maybe even like…) what I am doing!

I think he gave it up…