an understated apple cake.

sad reality for this muffin lover: muffin tins are a pain to clean by hand. this is inherently related, of course, to the other sad reality of this kitchen, which is that it is not equipped with a dish washer. scrubbing dishes was never really an issue until i started baking. bowls, whisks, pans, measuring cups and spoons -  the sink would go from empty to overflowing in minutes flat. now i do my best to minimize the number of kitchen appliances necessary to create something tasty and wholesome. which is why you'll probably never encounter something like this if you hang around these parts. 

however, if you're looking for simple and minimal post-clean up baked goods, then you've clicked your way to the right blog! this low-maintenance and very comforting apple cake could be used to make muffins as well. it can also be veganized by substituting in about 1/4 cup applesauce for the egg. the cake stays good for days without drying out and makes an excellent potluck contribution. that said, my level of enjoyment was highest when i consumed it straight out of the oven.

summer apple cake

2 medium apples, peeled, cored and diced
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 egg

preheat oven to 350 F. mix all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. add in the yogurt, egg, and oil and mix well. fold in the apples and vanilla extract and mix well. pour into a greased baking dish and bake for about 50 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. 

roasted portobello burgers.

even though it was only four years ago that i took the plunge from being a carnivore to a vegetarian, i very distinctly remember not liking red meat at a young age. it wasn't that i was morally opposed to it (could be giving this 10-year-old a tad too much credit!) or dreaded it like the plague. my heart would just sink a little when my mom mentioned burgers or steak for dinner. furthermore, as a young and budding culinary connoisseur, my exquisite taste drew me to other, more decadent, healthy and nutritious dishes, like mac'n'cheese or panda express. 

if only i'd known about portobello mushrooms back then.

or maybe i did know about them, but they also weren't cutting it (i mean, it's hard to compete with noodles in the shape of cartoon characters and cheese that comes from a powder). i'm glad i've finally come to my senses.

this recipe could not be simpler or more flavorful. a simple herbed marinade, a few plump mushrooms and buns, and some fresh, raw vegetables to go on top. we roasted our mushrooms in the oven, but a grill would give them a really nice smokiness and expedite the cooking time. the minimalist burger you see here is topped with some cucumbers, tomatoes, and onions. but some melted provolone, a dollop of mustard, or a scoop of hummus or guacamole would be very welcome additions.

roasted portobello burgers

inspired by green kitchen stories

3 portobello mushrooms

3 buns of your choice (featured above is a spelt ciabatta roll)

1 tomato, sliced

1/4 cucumber, sliced

1/2 onion, sliced

for the marinade:

2 tbsp olive oil

1 fresh rosemary sprig, finely chopped

1/2 tbsp fresh thyme, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 juice of a lemon

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

start by cleaning the mushrooms with a slightly damp kitchen towel. remove the stems and pat dry.

prepare the marinade by chopping the rosemary and thyme and mincing the garlic. place in a small bowl and add the olive oil, lemon, and salt and pepper. mix well.

assemble the mushrooms in a baking dish and brush with half of the marinade on both sides. place in an oven of 180 C and let roast. after about 10 minutes, remove them and re-apply the marinade. flip them over and place back in the oven for another 10 minutes.

remove from oven and test if they are ready by cutting off a slice. they should be juicy and the knife should cut through them without a problem. throw buns in the oven for a minute to warm or grill them.

assemble your burger as desired. eat alongside a salad, some more grilled vegetables, or my favorite: sweet potato fries.

summer squash and leek soup.

yesterday was the perfect summer day.

my friend holly stopped by bremen for a visit, and i did my best to prepare a day full of stereotypical activities associated with daily life in a small, historic european city. as you can imagine, there was a lot of quaintness to pack in.

we kicked things off with a morning trip to the farmer's market, which was not only excessively charming, but also led me to the discovery that portobello mushrooms do indeed exist in germany. a sale on summer squash also obviated having to make any decisions about what to prepare on what i knew would be a cool, breezy evening. after a stroll through the old town, we sat down to a quiche and fresh vegetable picnic in the park. the pond, lilly pads, birch trees, and countless families ducky families helped set the mood.

we rounded out the afternoon with chocolate marzipan gelato (what else?!) in the marketplace and a mandatory visit to the bremen city musician statue. i'm horrified by the number of times i've taken this absurd picture clutching this silly donkey's legs.

dropping holly off at the train station that evening, i felt a sense of accomplishment: i made bremen look cute!

granted, it wasn't just me. the weather was certainly a deal sealer. summers in bremen - when they aren't acting out of line with rain and wind and clouds - offer a nice mix of warm days complemented by cool, bright evenings. this soup is perfect for such a night. the spices add a bit of a kick without overpowering the squash, and the carrots add a much appreciated sweetness. you could also throw a potato (or a sweet potato!) in for a thicker base. personally, in the summer, i prefer a thinner soup and a hunk of ciabatta on the side for heartiness.

summer squash and leek soup

2 tbsp olive oil

3 cloves garlic

1 onion, diced

1 tbsp cumin seeds

1 leek, cleaned (!!) and diced

2 carrots, chopped roughly

3 deliciously plump summer squash, chopped roughly

5 cups vegetable broth

1 tbsp ground cumin

1 tbsp ground coriander

1 tsp curry

1 tsp turmeric

salt and pepper to taste

garnish:

¼ cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

¼ cup fresh basil, roughly chopped

¼ cup fresh mint, roughly chopped

start by making your vegetable broth. i let some old carrot stubs and hunks of garlic and ginger simmer for a half hour to make mine, but you can also use pre-made stock or a powder.

when the stock is ready, take a large pot and heat the olive oil. add the garlic, onion, cumin seeds, and a pinch of salt. sauté until soft and pungent (about 10 minutes). add squash, carrots, leeks and stock, and bring to a boil. reduce heat and let simmer partially covered for about 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and almost falling apart. remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes (depending on your patience level!).

work in batches to puree the soup in a blender until smooth or just slightly chunky. transfer the puree back to a pot and thin with water if you like. add the ground cumin, coriander, curry, and turmeric. season with salt and pepper. simmer for 3-5 minutes.

chop fresh herbs and mix together in a bowl for garnish. serve soup immediately a dusting of herbs (and a small swig of olive oil, if so desired).

the highs and lows of macarooning.

where have i been?! june was a crazy month spent frolicking around berlin from the early mornings to the late evenings. i really wish i could say that - amidst the chaos - i was able to cling to some normalcy through healthy, natural home-cooking. but the sad truth, my dear foodies, is this: way more than half of my meals were consumed outside of anyone's kitchen. that's right: i ate out. a lot.

to be fair, berlin has excellent culinary options! especially for an aspiring vegan or vegetarian, you'll rarely be left stranded empty handed (or stomached). still, i was starting to miss winding down my days by preparing meals from scratch, as well as sitting down peacefully to share them with someone. 

i also started missed baking! and while i've been holding back posting about these delicious macaroons for a while now, i'm glad to be making my reappearance (granted, onto my own blog..) with this recipe. 

the day i decided to make macaroons, i got a bit antsy about trying out something new and decided therefore to test out a few recipes. while the pictures above testify to the success of one of them, the photo below tells the story of 2nd baking attempt gone very, very awry.

presenting macaroon pancakes...

i wish i could say i know what went wrong with this poor batch. but truth be told, i haven't a clue. could have been the condensed milk, or perhaps a faulty measurement on my part. and while obviously i still devoured the entire batch in record time, i was happy to have the other less aesthetically disturbing batch on hand to offer friends and family. and the ridiculously easy recipe to share with you here!

choco-dipped coconut macaroons
as seen on epicurious

1 large egg white
1 tablespoon white sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
3/4 cup sweetened coconut flakes
pinch of salt
100 g melted chocolate

preheat oven to 300 degrees F. grab a sheet of parchment paper.

stir together egg white, sugar, vanilla extract, almond extract, and a pinch of salt until combined. stir in the coconut flakes. divide mixture in four and using your hands, make four macaroon mounds. drop onto the parchment paper with about 2 inches of space between each one.

bake until the tops are starting to get oh so slightly golden, which should take approximately 15 to 20 minutes. remove and let cool. you can also leave the macaroons as they are now. but if you want to take things to the next level....

melt 100 grams of chocolate - i used semisweet chocolate chips. you can do this over the stove or in the microwave. once the macaroons have cooled for about 20 minutes, dip their bottoms in the hot and gooey chocolate. let them rest on their sides on the sheet of parchment paper until the chocolate has hardened.

try not to consume the entire batch all at once.