Better than Nuttela

Last week at Kafe X, a volunteer made her own version of Nuttella but it was made with roasted almonds rather than hazelnuts, and it was AMAZING! I was feeling inspired and tried to do it myself, and then I started getting crazy and made some peanut butter, chi, date balls. 

The ingredient list is simple:

1. Coconut oil

2. Cocoa powder

3. Raw suger 

4. Vanilla (pulver) 

5. Fancy salt

You can start with a ratio Of 2:1 Cocoa power to coconut Oil and then add vanilla, sugar, and salt to taste

With this base in mind you can start to take it to the next level and add in nuts such as hazelnuts or roasted almonds, etc.

The chia seed date balls were on another level.

I combined the following ingredients: 

-coconut oil /kokosolie
-vanilla / vaniljepulver

-nuts
-coco powder
-raw sugar
-dates
-salt


-optional => pinch of cinnamon
-optional => peanut butter
-optional => chia seeds

 Normally, you would use a food processor and it would make your life a lot easier, but I don't have one here in Copenhagen, so I just used a bowl and a spoon.


I started with a pot of coconut oil on the stove on the lowest heat setting to melt the coconut oil. I turned off the heat and then started adding ingredients and taste testing every so often. Because I don't have a food processor, I toasted almond meal in the oven for 5 minutes with a bit of salt before adding it to the coconut oil.
 
Next, I added coco powder, vanilla, a bit of sugar, some dates, and salt to taste. You can never have too much vanilla, if you ask me. It was amaaaazing, but I wanted more!

 I had some Kikiriki Krem (peanut butter) left over from when I went to Croatia, so I added it to the mixture and then rolled spoonfulls of the mixture in some chi seeds for an antioxidant rich treat.

 Extra points if you put them in the freezer for an hour.

Top it off with a pinch of salt and you've got yourself some healthy, vegan, tasty treats! Enjoy!

Vegan Bavarian-style Pretzels

 I used Love &Lemons recipe to make my pretzels, although I did not measure any of the ingredients exactly. I just used my judgement and used it as a guide. I think they turned out really tasty! I ate them with mustard and a bit of olive oil.

Vegan Dinners in the People's Kitchen of Kafe X

Every Tuesday evening at 19.00 you can get a delicious vegan plate of food for only 20kr!

Last week, I volunteered for the first time and had a great time preparing the meal with the other volunteers. 

What's especially awesome about this place is that all the food is donated from local grocery stores in an effort to prevent food waste. Of course people are invited to get second helpings of the meal if they are still hungry after the first plate, and any food left over is up for grabs as well, so bring a tupperware and a bag so you can go home with some tasty goodies!

Guests are invited to BYOB and wash their own dishes at the end of the meal but its a really great place to meet like-minded people, have an inexpensive nul affald (zero waste) vegan dinner in Nørrebro. 

The place is located in the basement of Kafe X near the corner of Blågårdsgade and Korsgade.

I hope to see you there!

Quintessential Quinoa

My friend Monique made incredible quinoa one day and I nearly devoured the entire dish in ten seconds. I don't know if I replicated her recipe exactly, but I did my best, and it came out pretty tasty.

 

Ingredients:

1. Quinoa
2. 1 Lemon
3. Spices to taste
4. Olive Oil
5. 1 Avocado
6. Tomatoe
7. Red bell pepper
8. Sautéd mushrooms

Directions:
While your quinoa is boiling, sauté your mushrooms and dice up your peppers, tomato, and avocado.

Once your quinoa is done cooking, remove it from the pot and allow it to cool for a few minutes. Then, squeeze the juice from an entire lemon all over it, drizzle olive oil and toss it gently with a spoon until it is evenly dressed.

Give it a taste test and decide if you need to add more spices, lemon, or olive oil.

My spice blend is somewhat a mystery because all the words are in Danish and I haven't translated all of them yet, but it is on my to-do-list. I think it has garlic, onion, rosemary, oregano, etc. I also added a bit of pink Himalayan salt and pepper.

Once the quinoa is dressed to perfection and your mushrooms sautéed to perfection, you are ready to stir in your fixings:

Just gently toss the diced fruits and veggies with a spoon in your bowl of quinoa a few times and you have yourself a delicious meal that just so happens to be vegan and gluten free.

Enjoy alone or with a glass of wine. As my mom sometimes says, "age gets better with wine" :)

Kaffe Mint Bliss

This heavenly beverage is a tasty treat I love to make in loving memory (and copy-cat) of Philz Coffee in Berkeley, California.

I used to frequent their trendy coffee shop and treat myself to their fancy drinks when I was studying for an exam or trying to motivate myself to finish a research paper. I loved ordering their Mint Mojitos and the divine Mocha Tesoro mmmmmmm, oh how I miss it.

Anyway, now I make my own concoctions.

Ingredients:

1. Fresh brewed coffee
2. Dark brown sugar
3. Soy milk (vanilla if you have it)
4. Fresh mint (this is essential!)

The trick is to really shake up your soy milk for several minutes to make it really frothy and awesome. Philz served theirs over ice, but I don't have an ice maker here in Copenhagen yet, plus its -2 C outside so I'm cold enough as is!

Directions:

Put your brown sugar and fresh mint into a glass and muddle it with just a bit of coffee for several minutes. Then, pour in more coffee (about half way) and then top it off with frothy soy milk. Garnish it with a bit of sugar, cinnamon, or cacao powder (your choice) and a beautiful sprig of mint.

Enjoy with company :)

Loaded Sandwich with all the fixins'

You know the feeling, when all you want is a mega sandwich with everything imaginable on it.

Yeah, me too. I woke up knowing that lunch was going to be magnificent; there would be bacon, avocado, jalapeños, and some tasty spicy fried tofu.

Ingredients:

1. bread
2. jalapeños
3. avocado
4. tomato
5. vegan salami
6. spicy tofu
7. red bell pepper
8. vegan bacon (recipe found in blog)
9. special sauce (see below)
10. chives-to garnish

Sauce Ingredients (in food processor)

1. olive oil
2. fresh thyme
3. fresh basil
4. fresh lemon verbena
5. red bell pepper
6. jalapeños
7. avocado
8. lemon juice
9. season to taste 

Directions:

Prepare your vegan bacon and while it cools, fry your spicy tofu and vegan salami in the left over oil.

Then fry the red bell peppers while you toast your bread and smear your special sauce on both sides.

Load up your sandwich in whatever pattern you choose.

Slice in half and enjoy!

 

 

Frozen

Alex and I took the long way home the other day and rode our bikes through the charming park near our apartment (lejlighed) in Østerbro, København. It's been snowing for the past few days, but that didn't stop us from riding our bikes! We've just learned to make a few adjustments, scarves become face masks, and socks become something to be worn in layers of 3. All jokes aside (wait, who's joking it's below freezing here!) we are having a great time and I personally think that snow makes everything look like it's hiding under a blanket of magic.

The pond was partially frozen, and you could see tiny little bird foot prints all over it. Too cute! Of course we didn't walk on the ice like we did in Lapland, Finland last week, but it was nice to look at and enjoy with our senses. I'm really excited that we both have bikes now too because it makes it much easier (and warmer) to get around town together and explore. Classes start next week for me so I'm excited to learn more about what makes Denmark so unique, sustainable, and aesthetically pleasing. Stay tuned for more updates as we immerse ourselves into the Danish culture!