The Taste of Summer

Indroducing this new category, I want to share my favorite vegetarian and vegan summer recipes.

Watermelon Salad with Feta Cheese and Mint

  

Feta cheese and watermelon seem to be an odd combination, but trust the chef: The salty and sweet flavors go very well together.

• cubed seedless watermelon
• juice of one lemon
• chopped fresh mint leaves
• salt and pepper
• crumbled Feta cheese 

 Combine all ingredients, enjoy.

Spicy Corn-Coconut-Soup with Lime (vegan)

 

• one can of corn (435 grams/ 15 oz)
• two scallions
• three garlic cloves
• some olive oil
• crushed red pepper (I always use pul biber)
• some salt
• 550 ml vegetable broth 
• 200 ml coconot cream
• one lime
• parsley or cilantro (optional)

Put the thinly sliced scallions and the pressed garlic into a sauce pan with hot olive oil. Add the corn and let it brown a little bit, then season with salt and pul biber. Add the vegertable broth and coconut cream, cook for ten minutes. Purée the soup with an immersion blender. Zest the soup with some lime juice and parsley or cilantro. [This recipe is taken from Tim Mälzer's Greenbox]

Zucchini-Spaghetti Carbonara Style (vegan)

• 100 grams (3.5 oz) white almond butter
• half a bunch of parsley
• 160 grams (2.6 oz) of smoked tofu
• one onion
• one garlic clove
• one tablespoon lemon juice
• lemon zest
• five zucchini
• some olive oil

Blend almond butter with 240 ml of water. Chop the parsley and cut the tofu into tiny cubes. Heat the olive oil in a pan, then stir-fry the tofu, minced onions and garlic for a couple of minutes. Add the lemon zest, almond milk, lemon juice an parsley - let the sauce thiken. Prepare the zucchini-spaghetti by using a spiral slicer (my favorite kitchen tool!). Mix them with a hint of oil and and heat them in a pan, then add the sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste. [I slightly changed Attila Hildmann's favorite recipe which has also become one of my favorites]

Veggie-Quinoa-Chickpea-Salad (vegan)

• two zucchini
• two bell peppers (whichever color you prefer)
• some dried tomatos
• mint
• 60 grams (2.2 oz) quinoa
• one can of chickpeas
• dried italian herbs
• juice of one lemon 
• some olive oil
• pepper and salt

Roast the veggies in a pan. Cook the quinoa for about ten minutes (use about 2 1/2 times as much water than quinoa), then let it simmer for another five minutes until all water is soaked up. Mix quinoa, vegetables, rinsed chickpeas and dried tomatos. Let it cool down a little bit, then add the lemon juice and some olive oil (optional, the salad might be already oily enogh depending on how much oil you used for roasting them). Season with pepper and salt as well as some dried herbs (I love this mixture).

Lentil Bolognese Sauce (vegan)

• 60 grams (2.2 oz) of red lentils
• two cans whole peeled tomatos
• some vegetable broth
• three celery stalks
• three large carrots
• some tomato paste
• one onion
• one garlic clove
• some olive oil
• dried italian herbs
• fresh basil 
• salt and pepper
• parmesan (if you're not a vegan)

First add the minced onion and garlic to the hot oil, add the sliced vegetables, then stir-fry everything with the red lentils for another minute and combine with canned tomatoes, tomato purée and let it cook for about 20 minutes, add vegetable broth when it starts to thiken. Season with salt, pepper and herbs. Tastes best with whole grain pasta. Top with cheese.

Homemade Pomgranate-Lime-Mint-Lemonade

• two limes
• juice of one lemon
• pomegranate syrup
• mint
• soda water
• ice cubes

Cut the limes into quarters, put them into a glass und crush them with a spoon or pestle. Add the syrup, lemon juice, mint, ice cubes and water. Cheers!