Alles Liebe zu Weihnachten und einen guten Rutsch ins neue Jahrzehnt!!!!
So oldest J came home from school today with his first ever D, – in English *yikes*
Is there any vegan teen out there who would want to help him practise English / be his penpal?
Oldest J is now 13 (finally), he likes to read (Fantasy mostly like Eragon, Warrior Cats, Harry Potter and the likes).
He plays the cello and is currently trying to put any possibly interested future penpals off by forcing me to tell you he likes to play Yugioh. He also likes mangas and most stuff kids his age like.
Oldest J is not really into sports, but likes to go for long walks with Pelle, our furry family member #1.
Well, I am off again to torture him with some more exercises.
Maybe you know someone who would be interested to write?
Please help us 
English text at the bottom
Jepp, mein Blog ist kaputt und ich weiß nicht, warum. Arbeite an einer Lösung….
Dafür habe ich gestern lecker gegessen
Grünkohl nach Art meiner Mama
Nja, meine Mama hat nie wirklich kochen „gelernt“, mag keine Zwiebeln, und Gemüse gab es, wenn, aus der Dose, dem Glas und an besonderen Tagen auch aus der Tiefkühltheke.
Eine Sache, die sie aber wirklich immer gut hinbekam, war Grünkohl.
Ich habe mich hier soweit möglich, an ihre Art der Zubereitung gehalten, – das Rezept ergibt ein relativ salziges Eintopfgericht, was daran liegt, dass immer Tonnen von Pökelgut von Anfang an mitgekocht wurden. Traditionell wurde wegen Mamas Zwiebelaversion, zum Schluss eine dicke Zwiebel in Ringe geschnitten, in ausgelassenem Speck gedünstet und das reine Speckfett wurde dann untergemengt.
Nicht nur, dass ich Zwiebeln liebe und sie deshalb von Anfang an mitkoche, ist bei dieser veganen Variante anders, – natürlich gibt es bei mir nur köstlich gerösteten Räuchertofu, – allerdings ist der ein wenig getuned 
Zutaten: (für 4 Grünkohl-Esser)
1 T Rapsöl
1 kg TK Grünkohl (so geht man neben der Bequemlichkeit auch auf Nummer Sicher, das der Grünkohl seinen Frost bekommen hat, – clever, was?)
1 c gehackte, gelbe Zwiebeln (so 1-2, je nach Größe)
2-3 Lorbeerblätter (ich hatte so Zwerge, da waren’s 3)
3 c Gemüsebrühe
¼ t schwarzer Pfeffer
1 t Liquid Smoke
1 ½ – 2 ½ t Salz (hängt von der Salzigkeit der Brühe ab, – außerdem saugen die Kartoffeln sehr viel auf)
Wer kein Liquid Smoke besitzt, ersetzt dieses UND das Salz durch Rauchsalz, nimmt also erst einmal 1 ½ t Rauchsalz und entscheidet dann, ob er den Rest durch gewöhnliches Salz abdeckt oder doch durch Rauchsalz!
In einem großen Kochtopf das Öl erhitzen und die Zwiebeln anschwitzen.
Grünkohl, Brühe und Gewürze hinzufügen. Wieder aufkochen lassen und auf mittlere Hitze hinunterschalten.
Deckel auf den Topf und weiter geht’s:
4 lbs Kartoffeln schälen und würfeln (Fingerkuppen-Größe)
nach ca. 30 Minuten zufügen. Temperatur hochschalten, bis alles wieder kocht, dann wieder auf mittlere Temperatur runterschalten auf mittlere Temperatur. Deckel drauf!
Nach weiteren 15 Minuten
3 – 4 vegane Mettenden (Rezept folgt)
hinzufügen.
Nach weiteren 15 Minuten schauen, ob die Kartoffeln weich sind. Evtl. 5 Minuten länger kochen.
Dann die Mettenden und die Lorbeerblätter entfernen.
Lorbeerblätter wegwerfen, Mettenden in Scheiben schneiden.
Das Grünkohl-Kartoffel-Gemisch nachlässig mit dem Kartoffelstampfer bearbeiten.
Die Konsistenz sollte etwas sämiger werden, Kartoffelbrocken sind aber um der Authentizität willen gewollt
Jetzt:
1 T Rapsöl
200 g Räuchertofu, gewürfelt
1 t Brühepulver
ein paar Prisen Salz
ein paar Spritzer Liquid Smoke (oder beides wieder durch etwas Rauchsalz ersetzen)
2 Prisen schwarzer Pfeffer
In einer Pfanne das Öl erhitzen, den Räuchertofu golden braten, mit Brühepulver und Gewürzen überstäuben, etwas weiter rösten, dann unter den Eintopf mischen, die Mettenden-Scheiben wieder hinzufügen. Vorsichtig vermengen und servieren.
Evtl. Senf dazu reichen, – aber meinem Männe war es würzig genug J
Übrigens schmeckt Grünkohl aufgewärmt am nächsten Tag (dann heißt er Braunkohl) nochmal so gut J
Mettenden 2.0 (so ca. 17 Würstchen)
Ich hatte ja schon ein Mettwurst-Rezept ausgetüftelt, mit dem ich „eigentlich“ zufrieden war.
Aber da ich mir in den Kopf gesetzt hatte, dass die Mettenden im Eintopf mitköcheln sollten, musste etwas „Festeres“ her.
Hatte noch Bulgur vom letzten Kisir übrig und dachte mir, … – warum nicht?
Und es hat funktioniert.
Die Mettenden schmecken, wenn auch etwas fester, als wenn sie noch einmal nach dem Dämpfen geköchelt würden, auch so sehr gut.
Sagen J und J.
Also, Beschwerden an meine Söhne
In einer großen Schüssel die trockenen Zutaten gründlich mit einer Gabel vermengen:
2 ¼ c Gluten
½ c Bulgur (Cigköftelik)
½ c Hefeflocken
2 t Knoblauchpulver
4 t Brühepulver
3 t schwarzer Pfeffer, grob gemahlen (oder 1-2 t fein gemahlener)
2 t Zwiebeln, granuliert
1 t Salz
¼ t Muskatnuss, gemahlen
½ t Zitronensäure
2 T Senfsamen
3 ½ T geräuchter Paprika, mild
in einer anderen Schüssel die nassen Zutaten mischen:
2 ¼ c Wasser, KALT !!! (evtl. noch 1 – 2 t Brühepulver extra an die Trockenmasse geben)
2 t Senf (gerne Rotisseur, körnig)
2 T Rapsöl
1 T Sojasauce
1 t Liquid Smoke
Den Dämpfer vorbereiten.
Die trockenen Zutaten gründlich durchmischen, damit sich keine Gewürznester verstecken.
Die nassen Zutaten in die Trockenmasse geben, mit einer Gabel locker vermengen. Der Mix soll nur eben durchfeuchtet sein und es sollten sich keine Glutennester verstecken.
Nun benutze ein ¼ Maß und löffle so etwas „Teig“ auf ein Stück Alu-Folie.
Forme den Teig locker in eine Wurst ähnliche Form und rolle ihn dann stramm mit der Alu-Folie in ein Würstchen. Die Enden wie bei einem Bonbon FEST verdrehen.
Dies wiederholen, bis aller Teig aufgebraucht ist-
Dann die Alu-Bonbons in deinen Dämpfer werfen und für 20 Minuten dampfen (länger schadet nicht, – ich lass sie immer noch etwas auf dem ausgeschalteten Herd im Topf stehen),
Feddisch.
Schmeckt auch gut in Scheiben auf würzigen Pfannekuchen….
ENGLISH TEXT !!!
Yup, I broke my blog and don’t know how 
I am working on a solution (alternative blog) , – but yesterday I had some tasty dinner
Kale, like my Mama used to make it
So my mom never really learned how to cook, hates onions and vegetables, if served at all, were from a can, a jar or on special days from the freezer.
But one thing she could really make well was Kale.
I have stuck as close to her way of preparation as possible, – this recipe makes a quite salty stew, which is a result from the original recipe calling for tons of salt-cured meats and sausages to be cooked in the stew right from the start. Traditionally, due to my mom’s aversion to onions, she would sweat a sliced big onion in a puddle of sautéed bacon grease, then dump that “fragranced” grease with the bacon bits in the stew and mix it in.
Well, not only do I love me some onions, which I cook in the stew right from the start, no, of course I only use deliciously roasted smoked tofu, – BUT in a slightly “tuned version”
You need: (for 4 Kale-Eaters)
1 T canola oil
1 kg (2 lbs) frozen, prepared kale (next to being mighty comfortable, thus you are sure your kale has been licked by frost, which is said to do wonders for its taste. Clever, huh?)
1 c cubed, yellow onions (1-2, depends on size)
2-3 bay leaves (mine were dwarfish, so I used 3)
3 c veggi broth
¼ t ground black pepper
1 t Liquid Smoke
1 ½ – 2 ½ salt (depends on how salty your broth is, – plus, the potatoes need a lot of it)
Don’t own Liquid Smoke, but have smoked salt? Sub someked salt for Liquid Smoke PLUS the salt used in this recipe , use 1 ½ t smoked salt in the beginning and then decide if you want to use more or all smoked salt for the rest of the salt called for in this recipe or stick to regular salt !
In a big pot, heat the oil and sweat the onions.
Add kale, broth and spices. Bring back to a boil and then turn down heat to medium.
Put on lid and on to the next step:
Peel and cube (size of a fingertip):
4 lbs Kartoffeln
add to stew after ca. 30 minutes. Crank up temperature until everything is merrily bubblin, then turn down heat to medium.
Don’t forget that lid!!!
After another 15 minutes add:
3 – 4 vegan Mettenden (Stew Sausages / smokey salt cured sausages recipe 2.0 follows)
After another 15 Minutes check if the potatoes are soft. Maybe cook for another 5 minutes or so.
Then take out bayleaves and Mettenden.
Throw away bay leaves and cut up Mettenden in thicker slices.
Idly work that stew in the pot with a potato masher.
You want it to be a bit thicker, – but for authenticity’s sake you want those potato lumps!
Now
1 T canola oil
200 g (1/2 a package) smoked tofu, cubed
1 t veggie broth powder
a few pinches of salt
a few dashes of Liquid smoke (or sub smoked salt for both)
2 pinches of ground black pepper
Heat oil in a skillet, roast smoked tofu until golden, sprinkle with broth powder and spices, roast some more then mix into stew, add slices of Mettenden
Mix carefully and serve.
Maybe serve with some mustard at the side, – but for the hubster it was hot enough J
BTW reheated the next day Grünkohl (green cabbage) tastes even better (only then it’s called Braunkohl, – brown cabbage) J
In einer Pfanne das Öl erhitzen, den Räuchertofu golden braten, mit Brühepulver und Gewürzen überstäuben, etwas weiter rösten, dann unter den Eintopf mischen, die Mettenden-Scheiben wieder hinzufügen. Vorsichtig vermengen und servieren.
Evtl. Senf dazu reichen, – aber meinem Männe war es würzig genug J
Übrigens schmeckt Grünkohl aufgewärmt am nächsten Tag (dann heißt er Braunkohl) nochmal so gut J
Mettenden 2.0
Stew Sausages 2.0 (makes 17 links)
Well, I’d already concocted a recipe for stew sausages, which I really „liked“, but for this recipe I felt a need for a sausage I could plop into my stew and have it cook in it for some time, – and my first recipe was definitely to soft, to crumbly for such an enterprise.
Plus I had some left-over bulgur from our last Kisir dinner and I thought, – why not?
And it worked!
The sausages are, if quite a bit denser, tasty right out of the steamer with no extra cooking in a stew.
Word by J and J.
So send any complaints to them
Mix:
2 1/4 c water
2 T canola oil
1 T soysauce
1 t liquid smoke
2 t rotisseur mustard
in a dry, bigger bowl mix:
2 1/4 c gluten
½ c bulgur (Cigköftelik)
½ c nutritional yeast
2 t garlic
4 t veggie broth powder
3 t black pepper, coarsely ground (or 1-2 t finely ground)
2 t granulated onions
1 t salt
¼ t nutmeg, ground
½ t citric acid
2 T mustard seeds
3 ½ T smoked paprika, mild
Prepare your steamer device of choice.
Mix dry ingredients thoroughly to avoid pockets of spice in the finished product.
Now add wet mix to dry mix, mix loosely using a fork, – only until everything is moistened. (Try to avoid pockets of gluten.)
Using a 1/4 c measuring spoon, drop some of the mix on a piece of aluminium foil. Loosely shape into a slight sausage form, then tightly roll up into a sausage with the alu foil. Tightly turn ends closed.
Repeat until all mix is used.
Plop sausages in steamer, steam for 20 minutes.
Yes, we are still alive (but barely so mwahaha), having fought off most of the bugs FINALLY!!!!
Still have a stuffy chest, but at least I am slowly recovering from “the very rare side effect” the medication had I got for my flu turned bronchitis. Only 1 in 10,000 experiencing some kind of side effect gets it, – now call me lucky lady and wipe that smirk off your face *pfff*
It really feels like a joke when you get sicker from the medicine (which I have been given without experiencing any side effect repeated times for years, to top it all off) than from the bug it should fight, so, – keep that smirk, all right
Well, all the goings on made it very hard to leave the house and mail out the chocolates, so I have to apologize for being so late. Only now I am starting to get strong enough to run (ha! crawl!) errands and not totally crash after that (but please don’t come over after 3 PM because that is when I start to crumble…), so the prizes should be out tomorrow !!!
Kelly and stellatex, should you read this, I still haven’t found your addresses, – would you send me them ? … pretty please? Addy is itstartedwithafishATgmailDOTcom
But now about the most wonderful thing I have ever taken part in (yet? … and besides the MoFo, – but then it’s closely related ) since going vegan:
Lindsay’s Vegan Carepackage Swap !!!!
While perusing my Vegan Mofo Blog subscription I stumbled upon Lindsay’s blog Cooking for a vegan lover, and there I saw her inviting other vegans to join in her Vegan Care Package Swap.
Noticing that the deadline was still a day away, I tried my luck and, – yep, I was allowed to partake and the next day I got the addy of my swap partner Kathi . Wooohooo.
Well, I had planned to send her a lot of selfmade stuff like Fudge Babies, Stollen, Plätzchen (Christmas cookies), – but I simply couldn’t get ANYTHING done. Good that I started right after receiving Kathi’s address to gather things while shopping in body and online. Though my “failure to produce” still bugs me, I am happy that I got the package out in time (if on the last possible date *cough*).
Chance had it, that when oldest J and I returned from our closest “post store” ( I just hate these whatever-stores with a post nook, – but this time it was THE HORRORS !!!! Folks were queuing out in the street!!! I’d never have made it without my precious oldest son. Thank you, Bink!), Kathi’s parcel was waiting for me ! YAYYYY!!!!
Now trying to be a good sport, I told the hubster to put it on top of our wardrobe. I was guessing my parcel would arrive on Monday (which it didn’t. Bugger! It arrived only yesterday *grmbl*) and I vowed not to open it before that.
It was HARD,- every night going to bed I stared at the enticing, be-snowflaked box – but I kept my promise and opened the parcel on Monday.
This was just the best !!!!
The box was full of goodies I had never dared to buy “just for testing”, – because though I may be brave trying new things, – I am also a chicken to actually start testing (yup, I am Gemini, – how’d you guess???). Of course I immediately had to defend my treasure the moment I opened the box (you gotta love kids), but I was able to take a picture before any harm was done *grin*
And when I say Kathi spoilt me, I mean she spoilt me rotten! I have turned into a decadent bourgois, what with me sitting in my Lavera Spa-ified bathtub, nibbling on dark chocolate wafer rolls topped with whipped cream… and, – have you ever tried a slice of bread with a shmear of Chocoreale topped with whipped Soyatoo?
Or you will be lost to the simple life, – just like me!
Heavenly, is all I can say.
Plus, thank you so much, you two ladies:
Lindsay, for starting this swap and giving me the chance to be a part of it
and
Kathi, for being such a great swap partner and treating me to such great goodies!
And for baptizing your cats Toe and Foo.
That was really the icing on a perfect day
So, what’s up, – smells like we have to start a GERMAN CAREPAGE SWAP (with the possible addition of interested vegans from our neighbouring countries?) what do you think?
Na, wie wär’s mit einem deutschen Care Paket Tausch (vielleicht mit der Möglichkeit für interessierte Veganer aus den direkten Nachbarländern teilzunehmen) ?
Sagt mal, was ihr davon haltet
yes, – we have caught yet another bug.
Ah well, better now than right before Christmas, which is usually the time I lose my voice, run a Mt. Everest of a fever and still manage to get everything done in time ( umm, EVERYthing is maybe too much said, – but the most necessary things would be true).
So, who knows, – this Christmas might actually be more of a Christmas than the Christmasses past…
Well, today my favourite postman made my day.
He brought me my newest cookbook.
And I am totally in love!!!
I feel like I will never need another cookbook in my whole life.
I have already told J and J that they will get one each for when they will move out (it WILL happen one day, right?), – I am sooo positive that I will be cooking most of our meals from that cookbook!
Only thing that bugs me is, I pre-ordered the book way back in April for almost €18 and now you get it for €13,99. *grmbl*
———
But petty problems, thinking of Robert Enke’s family.
His suicide and now public depression in the years before he took his life, hit home very hard. And though I don’t feel in any way apt enough to write about this, – I just can’t help it. So please forgive me and simply don’t read on, – this is even more verbal diarrhea than my usual ramblings….
My mom’s grandmother ( I was 6 a the time) and my mother’s sister both committed suicide, and about every female in my mom’s family suffered / suffers from some form of depression / bipolar / borderline disorder. Yes, even I have my “difficult times”. Though I must say that the big doses of Vit B12 I am taking since going vegan seem to help in that “the black holes” I tend to fall in seem if not less black, less wide. Which is actually something I have suspected for a few years, ever since I read about the problems, a lack of Vit B 12 can have on your psyche. So I went ahead and used Vit B 12 supplements even before going veg. Only now I use much higher doses and THAT seems to help a lot.
But that vitamine business is really not why I started talking about Robert Enke’s death.
It’s just so close to home…
I know how hard such a choice can be for those left behind.
My aunt actually drank some acidic cleaner and beseeched her daughter (then 13) to not tell anyone while fouling the sofa with bloody diarrhea and vomitting blood.
She then was taken to hospital where she begged my mother not to tell about her ongoing (to that day 20 years!) battle with her bipolarism. And my mom obeyed, – somehow believing her (wanting to?), that this was an accidental mishap – and that she would never ever take her life.
And once again she swore on my cousins’s, her daughter’s, life.
Only to jump from the 9th floor balcony, as soon as she got a chance to leave her room.
Her daughter has been fighting for her own mental health ever since.
My heart definitely goes out to Robert Enke’s family.
I hope they can find the right balance between anger, grief and understanding to help them deal and hopefully consequentially, heal.
And my biggest wish is for society to finally understand that depression and the likes ARE diseases, – just as horrible and dastardly as, let’s say – cancer.
I guess no-one would advise a cancer patient to “suck it up” and that he “simply has to WANT” to feel better, to be healed….
Sure, from my own experience I know that the latter, the “want” thing, is something that can really help you recover… somewhat… BUT, – I also know, how HARD it is to get to that point to actually be ABLE to “just want” and trust your self enough to try it.
It is so easy to put all of this off and call it a weakness, those suffering from it lazybones.
And then, to avoid this, you start putting up appearances, wearing masks, - until you just can’t go on anymore.
Sometimes you can get help.
Sometimes you can’t. Maybe for fear of what you may lose, be it the adopted child, the respect of others, love…..
And then you jump.
——————
My heart also goes out to the driver of the train that Robert Enke chose to kill him.
In therapy I met a man who had been the man steering such a train.
It was his second time in hospital. He had just returned to work from many months of therapy after he had hit the first suicidal person with his train, only to hit another one on his first day back on the tracks.
I cannot begin to imagine what you are going through now.
Life will never be the same.
I wish everyone healing and understanding, – love of others, not overbearing, but uplifting, – friends who willknow when to talk and when to be silent. Friends wo will not tell you to “move on” and “but life goes on”, when you get a backlash of your grief sometime later.
I feel time doesn’t heal, – but once you have come up for air again, time gets a chance to squeeze in new experiences between all the pain.
I wish you many good experiences to squeeze in.
Hopefully one day you will find something as trivial as a new cookbook as exhilarating as this weird mama.
All my love.
—-
and back to the old programme from my next post on *promise*
Okay, so this may be an old hat for all you seasoned pro veg*ans, – but I finally got around to making Bryanna’s cheezes!!!!
Yes, even being sick can have a positive side, when you have run out of sausage slices and No-Muh-Chäs and can’t leave the house to shop for new stuff, as long as you have a pantry full of stuff “you’ve been meaning to use for quite some time”, for cashews, carrageen and agar powder… and your appetite is stronger than all your doubts you might have in your own abilities, – and in your palate lol
I was ready to try it all. I didn’t care if I failed or succeded, – I NEEDED something different to jam and choc sprinkles.
I could only win.
And win I did, – WE did. Not only did the whole family win because of the tasty toppings we now have for our sandwiches, but this time it was really WE who did it, because the hubster helped so much, – as rotten as I’m still feeling, – without his help I wouldn’t have made it.
Which is really pathetic, because it is so simple to make these cheezes!
No planning beforehand necessary for the soaking of the nuts etc.
Okay, thus the cheezes are not raw, – but even younger J loves them and he is VERY hard to convince, re: vegan alternatives.
on the left : PiriPiri Jack
on the right: Gruyère
spread on toast
yup, you can slice it
older J’s favourite cheeze
*quack* he can’t get enough of it
no time for commenting
*swoon* This is SO tasty!!!
I will surely be experimenting with these cheezes, older J asked for a cheeze with walnuts, – younger J loves his PiriPiri Jack cheeze, – I will tackle the cheddar next and a Gruyère with black pepper… maybe I’ll even come up with an own version of the hubster’s favourite cheeze spread with rum, hazelnuts and crushed pineapples….
Thank you SO much, Bryanna!!!
But so far, even being sick, we are quite some happy campers now
(with some spinach, a few bell peppers and beetroot in the fridge and pumpkins in the basement, we will surely make it through another week of no real shopping, should I be forced to stay inside longer.)
The boys are much better and back to school again and the hubster is still going strong.
Next time, I’ll be a boy.
Yup, still sick, – still no shopping.
On days like these I am forever grateful for my overflowing “pantry”.
So with what little energy I had, I nevertheless came around making some stew sausages, which I wanted to remind of smoked “Mettwürstchen“, both in taste as in texture, and lentilsoup, – which I hoped would taste like my granny’s (and in the end, thanks to some drops of Maggi, the magic potion, it did).
Actually I had a hankering for my granny’s brown bean soup (talk about comfort food), – but due to the poor shopping possibilities (I had my hubby ransack 4 stores the other day to find an ingredient for some Vegan in the Sun testers the other day, so I really wouldn’t have wanted to ask him for help again, – besides, – he was still at work when the hankering struck… and I needed my soup soon, and lentils don’t need to soak, and, – my gran used to make lentil soup, too, so… gosh, did I really write all that down? – I truly am sick.)…er, uh, – well, I opted for lentil soup.
So, first of all I had to come up with a recipe for those “Mettwürstchen”.
Now, I didn’t really get the stick-together-but-still-crumbliness I was aiming for, but crumble the sausages did, – maybe more than some may like them to, so I wrote down a less crumbly version, too). I have to thank Bryanna for suggesting using TVP when I asked for a way to get less dense sausages on another occasion. You’ve really given me courage to just take the plunge and experiment. Thank you!
And I don’t want to imply these sausages are good, – but the family love them and want me to make them a lot, – they even eat them on bread (if I let them…)
These sausages are mighty hearty, smokey and maybe a bit too salty for you, – but that is the way a Mettwürstchen, that is used in stews and sauerkrauts, – they are used to give a lot of their taste to the stew / soup.
Stew Sausages (makes links)
1 c dry TVP / TSP granules (for less crumbly sausages, use 1/2 c – 2/3 c)
2 c veggie broth, hot (should be double the c of TVP /TSP you use, so change accordingly)
1 t garlic powder
1 t rotisseur mustard (grainy)
2 t smoked paprika
1 t coarsely ground black pepper
1/4 t citric acid
Soak TVP in seasoned, hot veggie broth for ca. 10 minutes, then drain and squeeze, KEEP LIQUID!!!!
Fill kept liquid up to:
2 1/4 c water
to this add:
2 T canola oil
1 T soysauce
1 t liquid smoke
1 t rotisseur mustard
This mix should be cool before you can tackle the rest of the recipe.
in a dry, bigger bowl mix:
2 1/4 c gluten
1/2 c nutritional yeast
1t garlic
4 t veggie broth powder
2 t black pepper, coarsely ground
2 t granulated onions
1 t salt
1/4 t nutmeg, ground
1/4 t citric acid
1 – 2 T mustard seeds
1 1/2 T smoked paprika
Prepare your steamer device of choice.
Mix dry ingredients thoroughly to avoid pockets of spice in the finished product.
To wet mix add drained TVP.
Now add wet mix to dry mix, mix loosely using a fork, – only until everything is moistened. (Try to avoid pockets of gluten.)
Using a 1/4 c measuring spoon, drop some of the mix on a piece of aluminium foil. Loosely shape into a slight sausage form, then tightly roll up into a sausage with the alu foil. Tightly turn ends closed.
Repeat until all mix is used.
Plop sausages in steamer, steam for 20 minotsutes.
The sausage is very soft when fresh out of the steamer, – best used after a night’s chill in the fridge.
ya, I know, doesn’t look like it, but IS tasty
500 g brown lentils (2 1/2 c)
5 c water
1 1/2 c chopped soup veggies (part celeriac, part carrots and part leek)
3 bay leaves
Put in a big pot, bring to a boil, turn down heat and let simmer for 20 minutes.
Then add:
1,5 lbs potaoes, peeled and cubed (size of a fingertip)
3 c veggie broth
1/2 – 1 t black pepper, coarsely ground
salt to taste (I used about 1 t, due to the potatoes sucking it up)
1/2 – 1 t liquid smoke
Bring back to a boil, then turn down heat. Simmer for some 20 to 25 minutes more (until potatoes are done and lentils are easily squishable).
In a saucepan sweat:
1 onion, cubed finely in
1 T oil
until golden.
Add to soup.
In the same saucepan brown
4 stew sausages, sliced thickly in
1 T oil
Take bay leaves out of soup, add browned sausage slices and oil.
Stir carefully.
Serve.
Granny-style would be with a bottle of Maggi and sliced sourdough bread at the side.
I got all thumbs ups from the men in my family. Only hubster’s co-worker complained because of the garlic the following day *hrrm*.
Oh, and if you’ve got a hankering for something sweet after all this, I highly recommend Claryn’s Killer BananaBread !!!!
Gimmemo’!!!!
(and he wasn’t even missing his beloved chocolate!)
Best ever!
Yup, still sick, – still no shopping.
Hooray for potatoes and onions and apples (or in this case two glasses of applesauce in the pantry).
Reibekuchen are a rustic speciality of the area we live in, – but any potato-loving country has their own recipe and name for this simple, yet satisfying and kid-pleasing dish. I guess what makes ours so special is actually the way we eat them, – with applesauce may still be quite usual, – but what about sprinkled with cinnamon sugar? – or topped with sugarbeet molasses? Not scary enough? Why, then put the Reibekuchen between two slices of ryebread! (I have to admit, that is something I haven’t eaten yet, – but then I have never eaten liverwurst topped with sugarbeet molasses, either, – even when I was an omni… *shudders*)
So, okay, here is our “family recipe” for
Reibekuchen, veganized:
5 lbs potatoes, peeled (if organic, a good scrub will be sufficient)
1 yellow onion, peeled
1 1/2 T soy flour
7 T flour
1/2 – 1 t salt
pepper to taste ( I use about 10 turns of the pepper mill, – but sometimes I use more…)
optional: 1 T chopped, fresh parsley
oil for shallow frying
paper towels for draining excess oil
Grate potatoes and onion rather finely, stir in flours, salt and pepper.
Heat a finger’s width of oil in skillet, when oil is hot (a wooden spoon dunked in it will emit air bubbles),
put 2 T of the “batter” per Reibekuchen in the skillet ( most of the times I fit like 3 Reibekuchen in it) and spread carefully immediately. Not too thinly, though, – it should have about the size of a smaller hand (ideally longer than wide).
Turn heat down to medium, when edges are brown, flip Reibekuchen carefully over. (Remember, that oil is HOT !!!!)
Brown on this side, too, then put done Reibekuchen on a plate covered in paper towels to get rid of excess oil (always put a layer of paper towels between each layer of Reibekuchen).
Turn up heat on max again and continue as above until all “batter” is gone.
Serve Reibekuchen with applesauce ( and / or cinnamon sugar…)
Note: You will notice that after some time, the potatoe-batter will start “to sweat”. No worries! The flours will see to that (this is no Rösti, after all ), just stir in the liquid before you put a new portion of batter in the skillet
BTW, today is our neighbourhood primary schools “St. Martin Procession”, – I had planned to bake some “Stutenkerle” for that, – but then came the nasty bug…. but since I still have some Stollen to bake for advent, and a quick bread recipe to test, the boys asked, if we couldn’t bake some Stutenkerle just for us… St. Martin’s Day is not until the 11th, after all…
Well, looks like I will have some recipes more to share in the near future
oh yes, the other day I made some “Stew Sausages”, – the kids were delighted, so I guess another recipe is on its way
This Friday, Mila has been with us for 7 months.
Still no-one wants to adopt her.
While she is still quite scared of people and new situations, – and brash dogs, she has still made quite a progress from the panick-stricken dog she was upon arriving. When we had to carry her outside to pee, – otherwise she would not “evacuate” for days, – when a sign of our noticing her presence would result in her flying under our bed for shelter. When I would have her on a leash 24/7, in the house and in bed (where I would carry her so she would feel us being relaxed next to her), so she would do more than just try to hide, not moving, – like a statue…
Well, here is a little film I shot today with her (the lady in black), our dog Pelle and the younger J fighting for Eli, – the best elephant buddy in the whole wide world: (sorry for the bad quality, – don’t know what did that… still learning)
Thanx to Arnie, we had the most terrific tofu slices with our “whateverisrottinginthefridge” stirfry.
Since we are all now pretty much down with some kind of stuffy chest (except for the hubster, Master of His Body’s Unfailable Defenses) and feeling simply rotten, I haven’t enough energy to make something more decent, – but thanx to my new stay-in buddy Arnie, something in this was way MORE than just decent, – pretty damn awesome, to be precise:
Now I chopped up what I found in the fridge:
3 onions
2 red bellpeppers
1 lb mushrooms
… and drained a glass of mungbean sprouts
Stirfried everything one after the other (the tofu was last) in some veggie oil, scented with roasted sesame oil, splashing with some soysauce. My wok was out of reach, so I did everything in a nonstick skillet, putting each veggie after frying in a bowl, the fried tofu in another
and in the end put the veggies back in the skillet, then the tofu,
covered everything with a cooked package of chow mein noodles , mixed carefully, then served it.
…spoooky-looking grub…
At the table everyone could adjust the heat with sambal oelek (the Js chose sambal manis)
Well, not really impressive, but tasty, and with a nice smoothie at the side not too unhealthy, methinks
Please support us:
Herztier e.V. is a non-profit organisation that rescues dogs and cats from the streets of Mallorca and Mallorca's killing stations, the perreras.
In these stations, every dog, once a furry companion, often subject to abuse and utter violence, but often also pregnant females or young puppies, that were just thrown over the perreras' fences.
Of course, Herztier e.V. also supports pet neutering.Please support Herztier e.V. by a donation:
This year, due to several outbreaks of serious diseases and the poor state many of the dogs we rescued, Herztier e.V. is facing a serious financial situation. Unfortunately, with the current economical crisis, donations have not been as regular and substantial as in the years before.
Plus, - this year, the 5th year since the foundation of Herztier e.V., was definitely one of the hardest.Maybe I can help Herztier e.V. to survive.
Why?
I am forever indebted to the work of Herztier e.V. because without them, we'd never had the chance to meet our furry family members, Pelle and Hanna.
We have tried our best to support Herztier e.V's work from sheltering dogs (right now Mila) over working on their homepage to jumble sales and baking dog treats to collect money.
For the more joyous side of rescuing animals, please visit Herztier e.V.’s “Happyend – Blog”:
