Courtney's Kitchen

Cafe Affenbrot, Luebeck

2007-06-21T12:41:00.000+02:00

I recently returned to Luebeck for a 3-hour tour to refresh my memories of the city (lived there, briefly, in 1999). I was a vegetarian while staying there, not vegan, and we would spend hours there every Sunday eating marzipan cake at the Niederegger cafe. Since I couldn't indulge this time (marzipan might be vegan, but the cakes it covers sure are not), I strolled out to the canals (the inner city is an island, and quaint little one at that) and stumbled into a unique warehouse building that I hadn't seen all those years ago. Inside was a hotel, a natural skincare shop, a bike store, a bioladen, and a veggy cafe. Hurray!

The waiter at Cafe Affenbrot had some problems understanding what was and wasn't vegan (offering yogurt as a vegan dessert isn't exactly kosher in my book), but they had delish sandwiches and coffee with soy milk. And they played the Guru Jazzmatazz, so I have to let it be known that this place existed. Who would've thought, all those years ago, that while I was sitting in the wrong cafe, gorging on cakes served by elderly ladies in drindls, I could've been enjoying tofu burgers and mini falafels with the rest of Luebeck's trendy, nature-loving crowd?

I haven't got any pics of the place, but here are two of Luebeck's most famous sites, the sinking Holstentor, gate to the island city that was never invaded, followed by the Buddenbrooks house, made famous by Thomas Mann:

If you're ever in Germany, I do suggest a visi on your way through to the refreshing, clear waters of the Baltic.

Picture of that Thai Pizza

2007-05-29T23:56:00.000+02:00

This was seriously the best meal I've made in a long time. You should try some. Doesn't it look yummy?

Thai Pizza

2007-05-17T14:16:00.001+02:00

Whenever I don't get enough fat in my diet (which is, like, every day), I get serious cravings for chocolate. Thing is, I don't like it as much as I claim to; it just seems to fill a need (gives me fat), albeit with terrible side effects (gives me sugar-related side-effects that include awful mood swings and intense desire for more).

After nearly vomiting on chocolate last week, I dechttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifided to try new ways of getting fat; two of the best sources (besides avocado, of which, only the Israeli kind are available here and I boycott non-local non-ripe produce) are coconuts and peanut butter. Inspired by a recipe at , I tried my hand at Thai Pizza.

I made a tofu topping, but this might work better with broccoli if it's in season.

Crust:
2 cups non-gluten flour (rice or a mix of corn/rice)
1/4 c warm water
pkg of yeast
sprinkle of sugar

Add yeast to water and sugar. Let yeast work its magic for 20 minutes (there should be lots of bubbles). Add flour, knead, and roll into crust. Let rise for 45 minutes (as you can see, this is a thin crust, so not much rising happens); bake at 350 for about 15 minutes to stiffen the crust.

Pizza Sauce:
14 oz. coconut milk
2 TBSP Thai red curry (without fish or shrimp sauce)
sprinkle of lemon grass
sprinkle of salt
2 TBSP peanut butter
6 leaves, fresh basil, chopped

Add ingredients to sauce pan; heat over med. heat about 20 minutes, until the milk thickens. Spread lightly over crust and return to oven for 5 minutes (this prevents the crust from getting too soupy). It should look a bit orange after baking; add more of the sauce afterward, though not all (use tomorrow with soba noodles); if it looks like too much it probably is.

Topping:
1/2 zucchini
1 carrot
1/2 red pepper
200 g. tofu
2 green onions

You can either chop these veggies and add them raw or mix up a sauce to marinate the tofu and zucchini (combine 2 TBSP water with 2 TBSP soy sauce, 1 tsp sesame oil, a bit of shredded ginger, 2 leaves of chopped basil; mix and marinate) and fry them gently beforehand. Either way, cover crust with veggies and bake 20 minutes at 350.

Have you seen this yet...?

2007-05-14T10:21:00.001+02:00

Rumor has it that my article on vegan dining is now out on newsstands, though for some reason, my copy of the magazine is stuck at the post (along with countless other letters and packages). Have any of you seen it yet? Will you share it with me?

Marzipan Cupcakes

2007-05-13T13:59:00.000+02:00

Marzipan and I have something of a love/hate relationship. The hubby loves it. Me, well, not so much. It's sugar - a plus - but I think the flavor ruins the chocolate. But every year for the last how many years, I try to make a vegan cake with marzipan for the hubby. When we lived in Luebeck 8 years ago, we spent leisurely Sundays having kaffee and kuchen at the Niederegger Factory/Cafe, and the hubby loved the non-vegan marzipan cakes there. I've tried desperately to replicate it, but this almond-sugar paste is tricky. It's best as a frosting but doesn't hold together well without gelatin. Use globs of it, and you've got an instant sugar headache with a nasty almond aftertaste. My solution: Marzipan Hostess Cupcakes.

This picture doesn't do these cupcakes justice. ... They have been, by far, my favorite treat - so rich that I couldn't eat them all in one day, and in fact, they remained for three days after the hubby's birthday. And the idea was quite novel:

Make your favorite chocolate cupcake recipe (I used one by Fran Costigan, who uses maple syrup instead of sugar, but I've heard the cookbook Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World has many delicious ones too). Fill the cupcake holders only halfway. Slice marzipan (a raw-marzipan loaf works best) into quarter-sized balls and drop on top of the cake. Finish filling with cupcake batter. Cook. Frost. Then, for fun, add another slice of marzipan on top. It sounds so ridiculously silly, but seriously, chocolate + marzipan has never been so much fun.

Govindam

2007-04-22T11:27:00.000+02:00

Twice last week, I found myself at the local Ayurvedic restaurant, Govindam. It's run by a really lovely couple and though the set-up is more like a fast food with a backlit menu behind the deli-style counter, the atmosphere is all peace.

The first time I went alone because I had an hour between classes and it's in a central neighborhood - right between Zulpicher Platz and Barbarossa Platz. I ordered the daily menu, which came with soup and rice and chapati and sugar-nut dessert (all vegan, perchance, though some days the Mittagstisch is just vegetarian). It doesn't look all that appetizing here but the chutneys made the eggplant delicious.

The second time I went with my husband and had a vegan doner. We go just to see we had a doner, really, because we feel left out here in Turkish Germany, not being able to partake of the doners. But this one was especially delicious... no leg of lamb being hacked and dripping over the french fries.

We've been before and we'll go again just because we always feel so good after eating here and it doesn't break the bank - just 2.50 for the doner. Though sometimes I wish I could just make this stuff myself. I mean, how hard can making tamarind chutney be?

Ueber-Healthy Apple Amaranth Muffins

2007-04-21T12:07:00.000+02:00

My first concoction in weeks...

2 c. flour (I used 1 c. spelt, 1 c. whole wheat)
1 tsp baking powder
sprinkle salt
1 c. rolled oats
1/4 c. flax seeds
1/2 c. roasted amaranth (put in a hot pan and stir for about 10 minutes, until they brown)
1 TBSP cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cloves

Combine all of these ingredients in a bowl and mix well.

In another bowl, mix...

3/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. oil
1/2 c. rice or soy milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 TBSP apple cider vinegar
1-1/2 c. applesauce*

*My applesauce was homemade - 3 small granny smith apples but into my juicer with a bit of water; if you use this, you may need to add more milk to make it wetter.

Then, pour these wet ingredients into the dry (slowly, stirring well). If this looks thick, you may need to add a bit more milk or water. If thin, add more oats. It will look lumpy in any case. Chop 3 apples into bite-sized bits and add them at the end (Raisins might be good here too). Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

Feel free to eliminate the amaranth and flax but then you can only call them Healthy Apple Muffins...

The Kitchenette

2007-04-15T10:02:00.000+02:00

Working 12 hours a day doesn't give me much time to cook, which means I've been spending more time in restaurants than in my own kitchen. Last year, this would have killed me ... all my adventures in vegan dining in Cologne led to spaghetti sauce made with chicken broth or bland Mexican food consisting of broccoli tacos in pastry-puff tortillas (see German chimichangas, about half-way down the page). When I did finally discover a vegetarian restaurant, I had to fight to get vegan offerings (which meant a salad with potatoes, a favorite German veggie dish that leaves me lethargic).

Then a few months ago, a student told me about The Kitchenette, a hole-in-the-wall veggie deli just two blocks from Media Park, where I teach sometimes. Only open during the week, the deli's got a cold buffet with about 10 different noodle and rice salads (choose 3 for 4 Euro) and a tiny kitchen to cook up spaghetti, salad, and other veggie dishes.

On Friday, I gave the place a try, and though the food was scrumptious, it was the first Stehcafe I'd tried to eat at and the place got a bit crowded during lunch time. While I stood at 1 of only 4 tables, suited professionals and student interns elbowed in and in typical German fashion, rushed the counter instead of forming a queue. I was lucky enough to have arrived early and not been a part of that mess, but that didn't make me lucky enough to enjoy the peanut-chickpea salad I'd got. Before I knew it, the crowds had descended on my table and while I, the Ami who desperately requires elbow space, tried to enjoy the salad, the newcomers fit together like puzzle pieces (no personal space needed) and squashed me out of my requisite three feet.

I'd definitely visit again, though not between 12.30 and 1.30, unless I'm getting a to-go. Because with my elbows pinned at my sides and a plate held below my chin for easy access shoveling, I may have eaten in record time but I sure didn't enjoy the food.

Jerk Seitan

2007-04-07T11:30:00.000+02:00

I can't credit this as my own recipe - we found it on Vegweb - but this jerk seitan is so so so good, I have to share. Just remember to use a lot of soap to get the habanero spice off your hands after you've sliced it...

As you can see from the pics, we paired it with homemade french fries and a kale/corn/red pepper mix that reminded me of home.

RAW Coleslaw

2007-03-18T21:07:00.000+01:00

Just for Eu...

1 small head purple cabbage, shredded
1 large unpeeled cucumber, diced
2 large shredded carrots
1/4 cup shredded onion

1-1/2 Tsp cumin
4 TBLS lemon juice
2 diced tomatoes
3 TBLS Shoyu (soy sauce)
1/3 c olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

Toss first four ingredients in a bowl. I used my conical juicer to shred the cabbage finely, but shredding or cutting into manageable pieces is okay too. Make sure they mix well.

Combine the remaining ingredients in a small bowl, then pour over the veggies, tossing well to coat.

Can be served immediately, but waiting a few hours helps the flavors absorb.

Bon Apetit!

Really Easy Risotto

2007-03-18T18:26:00.000+01:00

The key to risotto, I discovered today is using the right rice: Arborio. Don't try and mix a little brown rice in, either, unless you like crunchy rice.

1 c arborio rice
1 TBLS margarine (we get a sunflower oil-based one, but an olive or soy kind would work too)
1 c green beans
2 carrots
6 button mushrooms
3 c veggie broth (or 3 c water + 1 veggie broth cube)
6 cherry tomatoes (optional)

Slice carrots and mushrooms and set aside.
Melt margarine in a saucepan over medium heat. Sprinkle rice over butter and stir for 1-2 minutes, coating rice grains in margarine. Add carrots, mushrooms, and green beans. Pour in broth or water, add a sprinkle of salt, and stir until well-mixed. Keep on medium heat and stir every 3-4 minutes. Turn heat to low when the mixture begins to bubble. You may need to add about 1/2 c. more water. Add cherry tomatoes whole. Keep covered, but be sure to stir every 3-4 minutes to keep from burning. This takes about 30 minutes to cook; you'll know it's done by the thick-thick consistency of the rice.

Indian Peanut-Sauce Eggplant

2007-03-16T11:09:00.000+01:00

I wanted to make African groundnut stew last night but didn't have all the ingredients. Tired of the old standbys, I went to Vegweb and got a winner of a recipe for spicy peanut gravy over eggplant. My modified version:

1 eggplant, diced, salted for 20 minutes to sweat
1 carrot
1 c. frozen peas
1/2 red pepper

Sauce:
1 c peanut butter
1/2 c coconut flakes
1/4 c sesame seeds
1/2 c water
1/4 c tamarind sauce
1 TBLS tumeric
1 hot chili pepper
salt

Dice the eggplant, carrot, and red pepper and fry in peanut or veggie oil for about 10 minutes or until the eggplant gets soft and turns brown. Add the peas and cook about 5 minutes more, making sure the veggies don't stick to the pan.

While that's cooking, mix the sauce ingredients together, adding enough water to make it a gravy and not a cake. Pour the sauce into the pan with veggies and let ingredients combine for about 5 minutes. You may need to add more water to keep the sauce from getting too thick.

Serve over rice.

PS This makes about 4 large servings but is incredibly filling so could be used for 6.

Craftista in Cologne

2007-03-16T11:07:00.000+01:00

I'm so excited about this place, I have to cross-post. Any vegans in Cologne reading this blog? Feel like meeting up for a cupcake?

After a year of looking for a cafe to spend Sunday mornings sipping away at, we've found the ideal place only a short bike ride away: Craftista. It's, funny enough, located just two blocks from our old abode and three from a new store in town called English-Books-and-Tea. Guess we moved away too early. It's also, ha ha ha, the only vegan place in town. Just when I committed myself to losing the 10 extra pounds I've gained and getting back into shape, a totally vegan cafe serving carrot cake and slices of Donau Welle - a cherry laced cream-topped torte - shows up. So now I've cut out chocolate completely in order to save my calories for our weekly visit there. I only wish they'd opened before I wrote that Veg Germany article lamenting the lack of vegan places nearby. The topper of it all is that the owners are younger than me, cooler than me, and one of them used to spend summers in Milwaukee.

PS For non-vegan hipster visitors to Cologne, this place is also a record shop and store, one of the best places to get your indy goods.

Bulgur Pilaf

2007-03-10T23:19:00.000+01:00

Inspired by our recent trip to Turkey

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium-sized (10" long) zucchini
1 medium eggplant
2 carrots
6-8 button mushrooms
basil
oregano
salt
1 cup Bulgur, soaked in 1 cup water
1 bouillon cube for veggie broth
8 oz. Tomato sauce or 2 oz. Tomato paste, mixed with equal amount of water
Dice eggplant, coat with salt and let it sweat for at least 20 minutes.

Pour oil into wok or high-sided skillet and put on medium heat. Chop zucchini and carrots into medallions or dice them. Chop mushrooms. Throw veggies – including the eggplant, drained of its sweated water – into the skillet and fry for about 5 minutes (the eggplant should turn gray and the zucchini should get soft and brown). Add basil and oregano before pouring Bulgur with its soaking water over the vegetables. Stir well. Add 1 cup of water with the bouillon cube, then let cook over medium-low heat with lid on for 10 minutes. Remove lid, add tomato sauce and salt and stir. Taste here to see if bulgur is soft. If not, cook 10 more minutes over medium heat. If it is soft, cook 5 more minutes until flavors absorb.

Guten Apetit!

Serves 4.

Curry Cauliflower Chowder

2007-03-10T23:16:00.000+01:00

One of the quickest, simplest recipes I have, inspired by the insipid color of cafe au lait paint we just put on our apartment walls (which, when combined with the red walls looks a bit like McDonald's, but, as D pointed out, a "classy, European McDonald's).

1 onion
6 medium potatoes
2 carrots
1 head cauliflower
1 cup yellow lentils
4 cups of vegetable broth (or 1 bouillon cube in 4 cups of water)
2 Tbsp. curry (your choice, but I used a non-spicy yellow)
salt

Soak in the lentils in water for at least an hour beforehand (we like to soak for 8 hours, then let them dry for a day so they sprout a bit, but as long as they're soft, it doesn't matter.

Fry onions for a few minutes in the bottom of a soup pot. Then, add water/broth and bring to a boil. Dice potatoes and carrots and put into water. Cook over medium heat until potatoes are soft – about 20 min, depending on how finely chopped they are.

While the potatoes are cooking, pull cauliflower into small pieces and roast in a 350 degree F oven with salt and a touch of olive oil. After potatoes are cooked, add half the cauliflower to the soup pot, reserving the other half.

Blend with the potato mixture with a hand mixer, food processor, or, for best results, put into a Samson juicer with the non-juicing cone put on. The mixture should be a bit liquidy; add 1 or 2 more cups of water if it looks like mashed potatoes.

Add yellow lentils and curry and cook for about 15 more minutes or until the lentils are chewy. Be sure to check consistency, as the lentils will soak up some of the water and you may need to add a touch. To garnish, top with the remaining cauliflower.

Serves 2 very hungry vegans or 2 + child

Disappearances

2007-01-29T17:59:00.000+01:00

Sorry to disappear right after I got this stupid thing up. Life interferes. Still, vegan cooking doesn't stop. And more recipes will soon appear, I promise.

But for now - has anyone noticed a decidedly vegan bent to the NYTimes lately? Is this a new thing, profiling a vegan cupcake baker (last week's article on the post-punk kitchen) and now this:
It begins Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.

Deal.

Spanish Rice

2007-01-13T21:02:00.000+01:00

I guess this should've gone with the eggplant enchilada post, but really this could be a meal by itself if you added beans. And I know, it's simple. But simplicity is better than nothing and I haven't had the time to go gourmet today (besides, Saturdays have officially become the hubby's cooking day).

2 TBLS oil
1 medium onion, minced
2 cloves, garlic
1 jalapeno or other spicy pepper
1 tomato, diced
1/2 small red pepper, diced
1/2 small green pepper, diced
Corn scraped from 1 ear
basil*
oregano*
cilantro*
1 c. rice (this is with long brown, not instant rice; if you use something else, adjust cooking time and broth according to the package)
2 c. veggie broth OR
2 c. water and 1 tomato soup boiullion cube (found in Turkey but not in Germany, so I don't know if it's everywhere but it really makes the rice taste better than just plain-old veggie broth)

*best if fresh (which would mean chopping the leaves of about six stems of cilantro, and two of the others); otherwise, a pinch of the dried stuff will do

Heat the oil in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Mince onion and garlic (or squeeze the garlic, if you've got a press). Fry for a few minutes, stirring often with a wooden spoon to keep from browning. Add the peppers, and, if using dried herbs, throw those in too. Fry for about 5 minutes, then add rice. Stir the rice around to absorb the oil and spices. Toss in the tomato, then add veggie broth (or water + bouillion if you find those cubes). Cover and let the mixture come to a low boil (should be about 10 min.). Stir, then reduce heat to low. Cook covered for about 25-30 minutes, then add corn, and, if using fresh herbs, add those now.

Some rices differ than others, so if it still looks watery, keep the heat on, cover the pan and let it cook for another 5-10 minutes. If it looks dry, take it off the heat but keep it covered for 5 minutes to let the flavors absorb.

Extreme Vegetarian

2007-01-11T15:41:00.000+01:00

Sometimes I like mainstream media for talking about issues that are important to me. I kind of dig that the Ethical Man on BBC's Newsnight has gone vegan for a month. He's doing it in order to consume less energy, not necessarily for health. So why does he have to say stupid stuff, like this:

My problem has been eradicating all these inefficient animal proteins from my diet. Take my very first day of vegan living, New Year’s Day.

I hadn’t prepared very well and hadn’t got any margarine in. The local corner shop, a Londis, was open and they stock a good range so I wasn’t too worried. But as I worked my way through the eight or so different varieties of margarine I was amazed to find that every single one contained milk or dairy products in some form.

Right, well, maybe you could just not put margarine on your toast? I mean, if you're saving energy, don't you think margarine's not a great idea? All the processing and the plastic tubs and all? I'm too picky, I guess.

Then there's this article in the New York Times today called "Uncruel Beauty" about veganchic, which begins with this fine example:

HADASS KANTOROWICZ is on the fence. “I eat less meat than I used to,” said Ms. Kantorowicz, a self-described tantric healer who stopped in last week at Organic Avenue, a vegan general store in downtown Manhattan. “I’m definitely a lot more conscious than I used to be.” While she appreciates the virtues of a meat-free diet, she stops short of embracing a vegan way of life, one that would ask her to forsake a croc-embossed bag or patent leather pumps. “And I’m not ready to wear hemp,” she confided.

Do all vegans really wear hemp? Yes, it is one thing to ask someone to get rid of a crocodile handbag. Another entirely to offer the only alternative as hemp. Ugh. No wonder so few people respect my decision to be vegan.

Eggplant Enchiladas

2007-01-10T11:11:00.000+01:00

Filling:
4 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 medium onion
1 green bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
1 carrot
1 eggplant
1 tomato
1 jalapeno or other spicy pepper
oregano
basil
nutritional yeast (if you have it, and want a vitamin boost)
salt

Wraps:
6 flour tortillas
1 8 oz tomato sauce
dash, chipotle or other spicy pepper seasoning

Garnish:
1 Avocado, mashed, with salt, lemon juice, and oregano added
shredded lettuce
diced tomato

Cooking
30 minutes before you start to cook, sweat the eggplant (dice it, then lay it flat in pan or on a cookie sheet, sprinkle salt on it, and watch the beads form; 30 minutes later, dry it off with a towel). While it's sweating, dice all the other veggies for the filling. Put a bit of oil in the skillet, then toss in garlic and onions and begin to fry over medium heat. After 2 minutes, add carrot, fry, wait a few minutes, then add eggplant. Let this brown well - it could take 10-15 minutes - before adding peppers. Fry for 5-10 minutes, then add spices and tomato. While all that's cooking, in another flat-bottomed skillet, pour the tomato sauce and warm over medium heat. Add salt and the chipotle and a touch of water and apple-cider vinegar. Get that nice and hot, then turn off both burners.

Preheat oven now to 350 (175 c), and put a touch of oil at the bottom of a casserole dish (I use a 9 x 13 glass dish). Place one tortilla in the tomato sauce gently (don't let it sink into the sauce, you only want a light coating and you don't want the tortilla to disintegrate), then flip it over. Make sure there's a bit of sauce on both sides. Then scoop the filling into the tortilla. I usually make an even 2" strip through the middle of the tortilla. Try to wrap the sides around the filling, then use a spatula to move the tortilla to the pan. Don't worry about the enchiladas being wrapped tight yet; as the bulk of them are shoved into the dish, they squeeze together nicely. Repeat this for as many tortillas as you have, as long as you have filling. If you have leftover tomato sauce, pour it on top of the enchiladas.

Bake at 350 for about 15-20 minutes (though if the edges of the tortillas start to blacken, take it out earlier).

Top with shredded lettuce, tomato, and mashed avocado. Serve with Spanish Rice.