Healthy Friday: More and more Vegan

This is no regular Food Friday and I actually wanted to post this on a healthy wednesday, but since I moved to New York almost three weeks ago, things are a bit crazy over here and I barely find time to really embrace myself into blogging! Just so you know, there will be some changes in the next couple of months and I am not sure, if I will be able to post on specific weekdays.

Still, no excuses and I really wanted to share this important fact with you. Well, okay, this is not big news because some of my friends did sense that, but I do eat more and more vegan now. How come? I tried several times last year, but was never able to stick to it for more than a week. And then, something happened to my skin. After my summer in Berlin, I started getting eczema and it was really bad, so bad that my skin turned completely white and dry because I could not resist scratching. I never had it before and after a few check-ups with my doctors and failed treatments with creams, I took the chance and just try it.

McCarren Park Greenmarket

Brooklyn, NY

Let's go vegan for 30 days, strict. As you know, I already did tend to more vegan and vegetarian food since I post them in my food friday recipes, so this was actually not that hard for me. But, I have to say, it was very benefical to not stay with my parents and their Vietnamese cooking, therefore I was forced to cook for myself when I spent that month in Berlin. Additonally, I did not consume dairy before, and I could definitely live without cheese. So, the 30 days turned out to be very experimental and at the end very eye-opening. My skin got better and better and it seemed like my eczema was gone.. for good... until life becomes stressful again and your body shows it to you.

Nevertheless, it's been around three months now and I would say that I am still 80% vegan. Why only 80%? Because I do have my exceptions. The very first month was strict, but then later, I figured out for myself that most of the time and especially when I am cooking for me, I can definitely stay vegan. But you know what, there are situations such as birthday parties, having food at home with your parents etc., where I do not ask whether there is egg or milk inside the birthday cake or the spring roll. I would either bring my own food or just eat with my friends and family because I don't want to make a big deal about my lifestyle and we still want to be social, right?! If friends came over to my place, it would totally be all-vegan. And why not back to meat? Not only did my skin turn better, but in general I feel better, too! :) 

So amazed by the COLORS! *.*

Here are some tips to start out with veganism: 

1. Start small, try a day, then a week, 

then a month and if it suits you, keep going 

2. Of course, it helps when you're open-minded 

and want to learn more about this lifestyle  

3. Inform yourself to get the right nutrients and 

also protein from your vegetables and fruits

4. Don't try to convert people, 

always be nice and open, too!

5. You can substitute everything:

cow milk with soy/almond/hemp/flax milk

eggs with soy milk/bananas/other fruits etc.

 cheese with almond butter/ cashew butter

6. Be creative! Look up amazing recipes on the WWW, 

find some of mine here

.. and most of all: don't be too harsh on yourself, this should be about your health and food should be fun and enjoyable!

Happy Experimenting!

Food Friday: Strawberry x Mango Juice

What's better than a healthy, nutrient-dense juice to freshen up yourself in this heat ;-) ? Well, okay, maybe a pool or a visit to the lake, but since I'm in the middle of Berlin, I need to hydrate my body from the inside out, and if it's not a green juice, which is more vegetable loaded, maybe a sweeter one? :)

In addition to that, Strawberry Season is almost over!! So go out, grab your bike or board and ride to the next organic supermarket to get the last strawberries this summer! Here comes the Strawberry x Mango Juice:

Ingredients:

Half a mango,

some strawberries,

slices of ginger.

Another fruit if you like,

in here it's half an apple.

Chia Seeds & Goji Berries.

1. Slice up everything into small chunks or cubes, blend in with your blender or food processor.

2. Add some chia seeds and goji berries on top of the juice. You can easily stir in the chia, so it mixes in your red juice ;-)

And that was it! 

Super-easy to make, and sweet in taste :)

Have a wonderful & sunny weekend guys ♥

Healthy Wednesday: Superfood Goji Berries ♥

For today's healthy wednesday, I wanted to introduce you to my favorite dried fruit called Goji Berry. It might also be my favorite superfood because it's so yummy!! *.* (my taste ;-) and a power snack mixed with some almonds and maybe dark chocolate :) So, here are some interesting facts about Goji Berries and some tips on how to use them. 

Goji Berries are known for

- a balanced Chi

- a high concentration of vital substances

- rich in Enzymes & Antioxidants

- rich in Vitamin C, E & Vitamins of the B-group

- they contain even more iron compared to spinach 
- it is said that goji berries are good for your eyes
- they strengthen your immune system 
- they aid in a healthy digestion & detox 

In China, they call Goji Berries the fruit of longevity. The plant is very resistant and is able to grow in many conditions, either in a warm or damp climate. The taste is sweet and bitter at the same time, so it might not be something for anyone, but give it a try ;-) 

The ones I have bought here are from China, NingXia Province and organic, you can find them in any organic health/supermarket or online health food retailer. And although they are pricey (in Germany, you get 250g for around 8€), they can help you to feel healthier in many ways. Of course, not only eating goji berries will make you happy & healthy, but e.g. for me, it was the best snack during my exams and papers. You can also add them to your everyday muesli, oatmeal or even juices and salads. I always sprinkle them on top of my raw x vegan oatmeal and have some in my bag for a healthy snack :) So, what about you? Have you ever had Goji Berries before and do you like them?

The Bread Exchange Experience

How do I know about the Bread Exchange, Malin and friends asked me. Well, I think the first time I read about her and the project was in a blog back in 2010, and at that time I think, she wasn't as big as she is now.. In the recent years she became more recognized and is featured in many magazines and newspapers. 

But what is the Bread Exchange all about and why was I interested in one of her breads? Malin Elmlid, Swedish, but living in Berlin is fascinated by the craft of bread making and was curious about how to make bread without any yeast, only salt, flour and water, pure and traditional. As you might know, I am baking my breads with yeast because I do not have the time to knead the dough all day. Additionally, I've never tried sourdough before, therefore I was curious about the taste of her breads because she does actually take her time (maybe 24hours) to knead and bake breads. Her project is about trading in her bread for special things or experiences, but not money. I recommend you to read her About & FAQs to learn more about it.

So this wednesday, when I was doing some email & blog stuff, I saw on facebook that she posted that she's having a break from bread making until the end of July, but has right now a rosemary bread in the oven. Who is interested? Definitely, I was! (I am right now in Berlin and spending some weeks here before I take off for a big journey). I thought about what to trade in and let her know :)

This was it. I traded in some chili powder and spices from the Sudan and self-grounded organic rye flour. Yeah, crazy, my boyfriend just bought a flour mill and now, we're making our own flour by hand :D Yes, it takes a long time, but it's fun and worth it ;-) Malin was really nice when we met and I was amazed about the shape and the look of the bread with its imprint of leaves on top, never have I seen such a beautiful one!

How did it taste? :) I brought it home and couldn't wait to share it with my friends, it tasted a bit sour, different from mine, but really delicious and hearty. My friends enjoyed it with some butter and I had it with avocado, but this bread can be also enjoyed plain. 

So if you're a breadlover as I am and want to have such a delicious-and-yummy experience, subscribe to Malins Blog or FB Page and maybe you'll be the next one who gets the chance to trade in something for one of her unique breads :) 

P.S.: Malin is also bringing out her first book 

about the Bread Exchange in the US and in Europe in October ;-)

Food Friday: Green Lunch Inspiration

Ahhhh!!! My mum found arugula in our garden :) :) Why this makes me so happy? Because I love ♥ arugula and the best thing about it is: we did not actually plant it :) It just grows.. everywhere! So, I did not intend to post anything today because I really really need to study, but I thought: well, now I made this beautiful salad, at least I want to post the pictures ;-)

There's no real recipe behind this, but just a little Lunch Inspiration for you guys :) I've mixed the arugula with regular lettuce, dandelion leaves, pieces of cucumber, tomatoe, red pepper, different seeds'n nuts like pumpkin, linseed, sunflower, pine nuts, almonds and sprinkled Goji Berries on top :) You can have some Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar with it. I often have salads for lunch, so this is what I just made myself for today :) I am really excited about the fact that the arugula is growing from nowhere in our garden, so that I wanted to share this with you :)

Even very small things can make you happy, 

just open your eyes and go explore :)

Thank you Nature ♥

And if you're also an avocado lover like me, 

spread it on some homemade bread and 

you'll have the perfect lunch :)

Happy Weekend and take care ♥

 

Food Friday: Green Juice #1

Hey guys! Sorry for my lack of posts this week, but I still have a Food Friday in store for you :) I've been juicing a lot lately since the weather is becoming warmer and a variety of delicious fruits are available on the market. I guess, there will be a Juice-Series because another one is already shot as well :) Read about the benefits of green juices in a previous post here. Today, I am showing you a more vegetable-loaden juice which is perfect for anyone who needs to get back on track or maybe is suffering from a cold right now, is the weather changing every hour at your time zone, too? Crazy, right? Anyways, here comes the Spinach-Fennel-Ginger-Apple Juice :)

Ingredients for 1-2 glasses:

Spinach as a base

1/2 Fennel

1/2 green Apple for sweetness

slices of ginger

water as much as you like :)

1. Cut the vegetables and fruits into small chunks or slices.

2. Mix everything up with your blender :)

3. That's it! Add some Superfoods like Goji Berries, Chia Seeds or Almonds on top to garnish or blend in with your juice.

If you find it too hearty, add more apple as you like. 

I chose Fennel and Ginger because they are amazing for your throat, you know fennel tea? Yeah, but the raw vegetable is even better! And I also eat tons of ginger whenever I don't feel well, so pack this in your juice, lunch and dinner and you will feel better afterwards :)

Have this juice to kick off your day and get well soon :)

Happy Weekend ♥

Food Friday: Vegan Tomatoe Spinach Mushroom Quiche

Hey guys! For anyone following me on Instagram & Facebook, I've decided to postpone the Green Juice Recipe to next week and show you a wonderful dish for Mother's Day instead :) Sorry that I'm a bit late, it's 11pm in Germany right now, but there's still time to get the ingredients tomorrow and bake it Sunday Morning ;-) 

What is actually the best gift for your mum? I believe no material things but rather time, attention, a walk in nature or only you. You being there for her, being grateful and pampering her, so what about cooking for her and your family? :)

So, this Food Friday Recipe was adapted by the Vegan Food Blog Oh She Glows and I was really curious how everything turned out because I wanted to do a Vegan Quiche with Tofu for such a long time now. As usually, I transformed it a bit and did not use all the ingredients stated. I also thought that it sounded a little bit of too much an effort, but except from the cutting your vegetables into small pieces, it's actually not :)

Ingredients:

For the crust:

1 cup almonds, ground into flour

1 cup oats, ground into flour

2 teaspoons of dried herbs, 

I've used the Organic Italian Mixture from Sonnentor

1/2 tablespoon salt

2 tablespoon olive oil

1o (less or more) tablespoons water

whole-grain flour (if needed)

For the filling:

1 block tofu (400g), I usually get tofu from an Asian Food Store

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, sliced

3 garlic cloves, sliced

1/2 cup of dried/fresh herbs

some dried tomatoes

1 cup of spinach

salt & pepper to taste ;-)

1. Preheat the oven at 375F (190°C). Start with the crust, ground the almonds and the oats, mix them together and stir in the other ingredients. I mixed it thoroughly with a spoon. The crust need to be sticky, so that you can easily press it on your quiche/tart pan. Place the pan into your oven and let the crust bake for about 10minutes until it's a bit brown. Let the crust cool down after baking.

2. Well, I actually wanted to show you the block tofu, but forgot to take pictures before I already pressed it :D Anyways, put the tofu in a clean towel and press the water out, put it in your food processor and mix until it has a creamy texture! 

3. Chop all your vegetables and cut them up into thin slices. Put oil into your pan and stir fry the onion, garlic and mushrooms. Add the herbs, the tomatoes, the spinach and season as you like :)

4. After stir-frying your vegetables, remove the pan from the heat and mix in the creamy tofu into the pan, mix and taste :) See if you like it or not, add salt & pepper here and there, and if you want to add some seeds :)

5. Spread the filling evenly onto your crust and place it in the oven at the same temperature 375F (190°C) for about 30minutes. That's it :) Let the Quiche cool down for 15minutes and enjoy with some green salad! 

Except from preparing the ingredients, this dish was super easy to make and it was super-duper-mega-delicious!!! My friends, who had this for dinner tonight, really liked it and couldn't tell that this was vegan :) I really want to try this with different vegetables now :) and I also fell in love with the nutty crust, I just love almonds and this is such a great healthy dish without any excess of eggs and cheese. Tofu, you became my next best friend because I've never used you in a non-Asian dish :) Enjoy cooking my loved ones!

Never forget, Mother's Day is actually every single day!

Happy Weekend! ♥

Healthy Wednesday: Explore Nature

It's getting warmer outside and I'm spending a lot of time with activities like running, yoga, skating and just being out in nature :) Last weekend, I joined a small hiking tour to explore some herbs and had the urge to hug a tree :) I definitely need to do this more often, why? Spending some time, a few hours in nature has many benefits to your health and overall well-being:

1. You will be able to breathe in and out fresh air again :) 

Far away from exhaust gas from cars and urban areas/cities.
Japanese people practice 'forest bathing' regularly, 
which lowers cortisol, blood pressure and pulse rate. 
Read on here.

2. You will feel more content, grateful,

 grounded and at present. It is fuel for your soul
and you will feel signs of happiness :)
Especially people who live and work in big cities,
should get outside every single day.

3. Mother nature will give you new energy to revitalise again.

4. Movement like walks, hikes and so on 

will stimulate your metabolism. 
Studies found out that being out in nature 
increases your vitality and energy.

5. And there is so much more, you only need to step outside

 and go find your little forest close to your town or city.

I love and cherish these moments outside. After such hikes, I'm always in a good mood and feel positivity all over me :) In nature, there's no bad or good, no doubt, no fear, no failure, only what is there is: Beauty. What about doing something with people you like, doing something outside and exploring your local surroundings, and hey it's for free!!! And the most precious thing you'll need for is: Time. 

Never stop being curious because there might be something beautiful :) Here are also two super interesting posts on how to live healthy up to 100 years of age (also by hiking and being out in nature every single day or week) and an amazing video about Nature, Beauty and Gratitude.   

Embrace the little things in life and 

be grateful for what we have today :)

Food Friday: Eat your Dark Leafy Greens ♥

Why? Because the Greens, Chlorophyll and Bitter Substances are beneficial for our well-being and health. I don't know how it is with you, but whenever I am sick, I don't feel any appetite of heavy meals but rather the need to eat something fresh, fruits and salads raw :) Raw because that's the most natural and best state for your greens to keep its minerals and nutrients. Today, I just wanted to show you some inspiration for your future salads ;-) And did you know you CAN eat Sunflowers and Dandelions? The blossoms, the buds and young leaves are the best part of it because they are full of vitamins, find these out in nature and sprinkle on top of your salad :) And don't forget to send some Thank Yous to Mother Nature when you go collecting Sunflowers!

Well, you don't actually need much for your own salad. The only thing you need is a tiny bit of time and preparation :)

Ingredients:

different types of vegetables, 
lettuce, leaves and fruits,

seeds, nuts, herbs,

maybe cheese? maybe spelt? 
Anything you like and have at hand :)

1. Have a dark, leafy green base like these Indian Lettuce (dt. Postelein) or Lamb's Lettuce (dt. Feldsalat) or Arugula (dt. Rucola) or even Spinach. I always prefer these instead of normal, iceberg lettuce because normal lettuce only contains water and not so much of the bitterness and its own taste, but of course it is better than nothing ;-)

2. Cut up some vegetables like Zucchini, Tomatoes, Cucumbers, and fruits, whatever you prefer and have at hand: Strawberries, Apple, Kiwi?

3. Cut up some herbs, put them on top with nuts (I love almonds in my salad!), seeds and maybe Chia Seeds? Add anything you like :) Be it cooked Spelt, feta cheese for a more hearty salad or more fruits for a summery and sweet one :)

4. A fast and easy dressing would be only two tea spoons of Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar, that's it for me :) If you like, you can season or use a different dressing ;-)

The very first picture of the salad was only out of Indian Lettuce, Seeds, Sunflower Blossoms & Buds, and Nettel, yes you can eat these, too :) Just cut them up in very small pieces! 

The more colorful salad is made out of Indian Lettuce, Zucchini, Red Pepper, Strawberries, Sunflower Seeds, Pumpkin Seeds, Almonds, Chia Seeds and a bit of Cilantro. I am also eating more and more plants, less and less animal products and I do feel much better now :) When the temperature is climbing up higher, I am also more up for salads and fresh ingredients. Oh and sorry for the overload of food pictures, I just LOVE taking them with my new camera and want to share them with you :) 

Mix and match your own salad and happy chewing ♥