Tag Archive for: dairy free

Strawberry Gin and Tonic

Learn this easy recipe for a fruity strawberry gin and tonic with homemade strawberry simple syrup. Only a few simple ingredients but so much flavor!

Learn this easy recipe for a fruity strawberry gin and tonic with homemade strawberry simple syrup. Only a few simple ingredients but so much flavor!

When it comes to cocktails nothing beats a good gin and tonic if you ask me. If you’ve scrolled through this page a bit, you’ve noticed I have a thing for this lovely refreshing cocktail. For further ideas, you can check my Pink Grapefruit Gin and Tonic or Elderflower And Passion Fruit Gin And Tonic. This time I have a delicious Spring gin and tonic with a homemade strawberry simple syrup.

Before trying to make my first homemade syrup, I was a bit scared to try, but these are extremely simple to make. Hence the name ‘simple’. Literally, just bring everything to a boil, let simmer for fifteen to twenty minutes, and chill. That’s it! You can really go crazy with flavors here and invent your new flavor combos.

Once you have the syrup, you can use it for this cocktail, some other cocktail, dilute it with water and drink like that, use in desserts or pour over your favorite ice cream. So many choices!

If you’re going to make this gin and tonic, you can mix the syrup with gin and a regular tonic or you can make it a bit extra and choose pink tonic water. It will really enhance the flavor of your gin and tonic and add a little more color as well.

Before we go on with the recipe, I want to give you an update on one of the projects me and my hubby are working on lately. It’s fermenting our own ginger beer. We’ve had lots of success and now we’re experimenting with different flavors. We’re gonna do a bit more experimanting and testing and then I will also share some recipes and tips about fermenting your own drinks. How would you like that?

Anyhoo, let’s make the cocktail!

Learn this easy recipe for a fruity strawberry gin and tonic with homemade strawberry simple syrup. Only a few simple ingredients but so much flavor!
Learn this easy recipe for a fruity strawberry gin and tonic with homemade strawberry simple syrup. Only a few simple ingredients but so much flavor!
Learn this easy recipe for a fruity strawberry gin and tonic with homemade strawberry simple syrup. Only a few simple ingredients but so much flavor!

Tag #useyournoodles so I can see your beautiful UYN creations. Also, stay in touch on Facebook and Instagram or subscribe to get the recipes directly to your mailbox ♥

Learn this easy recipe for a fruity strawberry gin and tonic with homemade strawberry simple syrup. Only a few simple ingredients but so much flavor!
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Strawberry Gin and Tonic

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Cooling time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 25 minutes
Servings 1 serving
Author Anja Burgar

Ingredients

Cocktail

  • 30 ml gin chilled
  • 90 ml tonic water (regular or pink) chilled
  • 30 ml strawberry simple syrup chilled

Strawberry Simple Syrup

  • 250 g strawberries (½ lb)
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup sugar

Instructions

Strawberry Simple Syrup

  1. Place all syrup ingredients into a saucepan. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and let cook for 15-20 minutes until strawberries are very soft and the lliquid has become deep red.

  2. Strain the syrup through a mesh sieve making sure not to press down the strawberries.

  3. Leave the syrup to cool to room temperature then move to the fridge and wait at least an hour to chill. You can use the leftover strawberries as ice cream garnish.

Cocktail

  1. Place 30 ml of the strawberry simple syrup into the bottom of a cocktail glass. Add a handful of ice. Then pour over the gin and finish with regular or pink tonic water.

  2. Serve immediately.

Learn this easy recipe for a fruity strawberry gin and tonic with homemade strawberry simple syrup. Only a few simple ingredients but so much flavor!
Learn this easy recipe for a fruity strawberry gin and tonic with homemade strawberry simple syrup. Only a few simple ingredients but so much flavor!

Shaved Asparagus Salad With Lemon Vinaigrette

A refreshing salad like this shaved asparagus salad with a simple lemon vinaigrette is a healthy delicious early Spring treat!

A refreshing salad like this shaved asparagus salad with a simple lemon vinaigrette is a healthy delicious early Spring treat!

I love my salads to be very flavorful and exciting. There I said it!

Slovenia is a country where green leafy salad is eaten at every lunch. There’s no way any Slovenian will make lunch and not serve it! But it can get boring after eating a plain old green salad that for years. So I like to add my little twists to make a green salad a little extra.

For this shaved asparagus salad, I’ve added, well… obviously some asparagus. Asparagus is extremely delicious and nutritious. It is loaded with fibers, folate, and vitamins. And if you didn’t know you can eat them raw, you now know! They are amazing raw, just as they are cooked.

A refreshing salad like this shaved asparagus salad with a simple lemon vinaigrette is a healthy delicious early Spring treat!
A refreshing salad like this shaved asparagus salad with a simple lemon vinaigrette is a healthy delicious early Spring treat!

For this recipe we are going to shave them with a vegetable peeler, so we get very thin strips of asparagus that are very delicate and still incredibly flavorful. You are going to end up with some leftover asparagus parts, and you can easily use them to make a delicious soup or use it to make vegetable broth.

I’ve added some extra stuff in there as well, to add some more flavor and crunch. We’ve got some pancetta, radishes, pine nuts and optionally you can add a hard-boiled egg on top. What a delicious combo.

For the vinaigrette, we only need a few simple ingredients and I can’t stress enough how only a couple of simple ingredients can make an explosion of flavor. So for this vinaigrette, you only need extra virgin olive oil, fresh lemons, garlic, salt, and pepper. This is such a versatile dressing. Very simple and it goes with almost any salad!

A refreshing salad like this shaved asparagus salad with a simple lemon vinaigrette is a healthy delicious early Spring treat!
A refreshing salad like this shaved asparagus salad with a simple lemon vinaigrette is a healthy delicious early Spring treat!

Tag #useyournoodles so I can see your beautiful UYN creations. Also, stay in touch on Facebook and Instagram or subscribe to get the recipes directly to your mailbox ♥

A refreshing salad like this shaved asparagus salad with a simple lemon vinaigrette is a healthy delicious early Spring treat!
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Shaved Asparagus Salad with a Lemon Vinaigrette

Course Salad
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 400 g fresh green asparagus
  • 100 g fresh baby leaf salad (any kind you like or a mix of salads)
  • 4 radishes
  • 70 g pancetta cubed finelly
  • 2 TBSP pine nuts

Lemon Vinaigrette

  • ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 TBSP freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • a generous pinch of crushed black pepper

Extra topping (optional)

  • 2 hard-boiled eggs

Instructions

  1. First, prepare the vinaigrette. Finely chop or crush garlic in a bowl and add the rest of the ingredients. Mix well.

  2. Use a vegetable peeler to make thin slices of fresh asparagus. There will be some leftover asparagus, which you can't shave. You can set those aside and use them for soup or some other recipe.

  3. Finely slice radishes.

  4. Chop pancetta into small cubes. Place them in a skillet and cook over low-medium heat until the fat has rendered out and the pancetta has crispen and got some color.

  5. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels.

  6. Place shaved asparagus, fresh baby leaf salad, and sliced radishes into a big salad bowl. Pour over the vinaigrette and mix well. Add crisp pancetta, pine nuts, and sliced eggs on top.

  7. Serve immediately.

Serching for more asparagus recipes?

A refreshing salad like this shaved asparagus salad with a simple lemon vinaigrette is a healthy delicious early Spring treat!

Vegan Peanut Butter And Strawberry Ice Pops

Brining Spring vibes with these delicious creamy peanut butter and strawberry ice pops. Super easy and super flavourful!

Brining Spring vibes with these delicious creamy peanut butter and strawberry ice pops. Super easy and super flavourful!

Are you just as excited about warmer weather as I am? Although I’m a big Winter person, I’m already dreaming about green meadows and walks across blooming fields. Being able to walk barefoot and eat a ton of strawberries!

With my mind already heading towards these warm days, I’m bringing this very simple strawberry ice pops recipe. I can’t wait for fresh homegrown strawberries. And I start craving them every March.

This ice pops are completely vegan and extremely easy to make. Plus, who doesn’t love ice pops. My son thinks they are the most fun form of ice cream there is.

Brining Spring vibes with these delicious creamy peanut butter and strawberry ice pops. Super easy and super flavourful!

What do you need for these peanut butter and strawberry ice pops?

All you need is some fresh strawberries, although frozen ones work too. I just prefer to use fresh ones if I can get them to be sweet and flavorful enough. Right now, they’re not in season so not all of them will be good. If you can’t get good fresh ones, then frozen are a better option. Frozen strawberries are frozen in their ripe state so they have plenty of flavor!

Next you need some quality peanut butter. I always make sure I get a 100% peanut butter and avoid using peanut butters with added palm oil, sugar or atrificial ingredients.

You will also need some form of a plant-based milk. I like my creamy oat milk, but you can use any that you like. Just keep in mind that if you use any milk that has very strong flavor, such as coconut milk, you will probably end up tasting it in the final ice pops.

You also need some Medjool dates to sweeten the ice pops and make them nice and creamy. I like to soak them in hot water before I blend them together with milk and peanut butter, because I find it a bit easier for a blender (especially a not-so-powerful one) to make a smooth purée.

If you feel like decorating your ice pops, you can add some melted vegan chocolate and a sprinkle of freeze-dried strawberries once they firm up in the freezer.

Let’s make them!

Brining Spring vibes with these delicious creamy peanut butter and strawberry ice pops. Super easy and super flavourful!
Brining Spring vibes with these delicious creamy peanut butter and strawberry ice pops. Super easy and super flavourful!
Brining Spring vibes with these delicious creamy peanut butter and strawberry ice pops. Super easy and super flavourful!

Tag #useyournoodles so I can see your beautiful UYN creations. Also, stay in touch on Facebook and Instagram or subscribe to get the recipes directly to your mailbox ♥

Brining Spring vibes with these delicious creamy peanut butter and strawberry ice pops. Super easy and super flavourful!
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Vegan Peanut Butter And Strawberry Ice Pops

Course Dessert
Keyword ice cream
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Cooling Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 40 minutes
Servings 10 1/3 cup ice pop mold
Author Anja Burgar

Ingredients

  • 400 g fresh or frozen strawberries
  • 3 TBSP sugar
  • 10 medjool dates de-pitted
  • 1 cup plant-based milk of choice
  • 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
  • hot water for soaking
  • vegan chocolate for decoration
  • freeze-dried strawberries for sprinkling

Instructions

  1. Clean the strawberries and remove the greens. Cut into small chunks and place in a saucepan. add sugar and cook on medium heat for 15-20 minutes. Remove from the stove and leave to cool to room temperature.

  2. Meanwhile, soak de-pitted Medjool dates in hot water for 10-15 minutes, then drain and place in a blender. Add plant-based milk of choice and peanut butter and blend into a fine paste. Leave in the blender until the strawberries are cooled.

  3. Add cooled strawberries to the blender and blend until smooth.

  4. Divide into ice pop molds and pop a stick into each.

  5. Place in the freezer until solid.

  6. Once they are firm, take them out of the molds and sprinkle with melted chocolate and freeze-dried strawberries.

Brining Spring vibes with these delicious creamy peanut butter and strawberry ice pops. Super easy and super flavourful!
Brining Spring vibes with these delicious creamy peanut butter and strawberry ice pops. Super easy and super flavourful!

Elderflower And Passion Fruit Gin And Tonic

Fresh passion fruit and delicious floral elderflower syrup give this refreshing elderflower and passion fruit gin and tonic recipe a sweet valentine’s day twist.

Fresh passion fruit and delicious floral elderflower syrup give this refreshing elderflower and passion fruit gin and tonic recipe a sweet valentine's day twist.

Did you notice that Valentine’s day is next week!!!??

Luckily I have a lovely cocktail ready for a romantic dinner. Even though most of the world is still in one or another form of lockdown, we still deserve some splurging, right?

A nice dinner with the best dessert ever. And of course this elderflower and passion fruit gin and tonic!

I love gin and tonic because it’s so easy to make. Basically, all you need to do is add some ice in your cocktail glass, add all the ingredients and enjoy 🙂

This time, I’ve given it a bit sweeter twist with fresh passion fruit, which I absolutely love, and homemade elderflower syrup. However, if you don’t have a homemade one, a storebought is just as fine.

This combination of flavors and sweetness with the biterness of gin and tonic is in my opinion the biggest selling point of this cocktail.

If this floral flavor is not your jam, I have a more citrusy grapefruit gin and tonic recipe as well.

Fresh passion fruit and delicious floral elderflower syrup give this refreshing elderflower and passion fruit gin and tonic recipe a sweet valentine's day twist.
Fresh passion fruit and delicious floral elderflower syrup give this refreshing elderflower and passion fruit gin and tonic recipe a sweet valentine's day twist.

A good gin and tonic is made with quality gin and quality tonic as well. Keep in mind that your gin and tonic will only be as good as the ingredients put in. This doesn’t mean you need to go with the most expensive stuff. However, the cheapest plastic bottle drinks are probably lower quality than you want in a gin and tonic. So, I encourage you to explore, which flavors you like.

Most of simple gin and tonics include some amount of citrus flavor. For my Valentine’s day elderflower and passion fruit gin and tonic, I passed on adding citruses. I used my elderflower syrup that already included some lemons. Most elderflower syrups do.

Plus, I really wanted to create a more feminine floral/tropical cocktail. But, if you feel like adding a hint of citrus go ahead and squeeze in a bit of lemon juice!

Fresh passion fruit and delicious floral elderflower syrup give this refreshing elderflower and passion fruit gin and tonic recipe a sweet valentine's day twist.
Fresh passion fruit and delicious floral elderflower syrup give this refreshing elderflower and passion fruit gin and tonic recipe a sweet valentine's day twist.
Fresh passion fruit and delicious floral elderflower syrup give this refreshing elderflower and passion fruit gin and tonic recipe a sweet valentine's day twist.

Tag #useyournoodles so I can see your beautiful UYN creations. Also, stay in touch on Facebook and Instagram or subscribe to get the recipes directly to your mailbox ♥

Fresh passion fruit and delicious floral elderflower syrup give this refreshing elderflower and passion fruit gin and tonic recipe a sweet valentine's day twist.
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Elderflower And Passion Fruit Gin And Tonic

Course Cocktail, Drinks
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 1 cocktail

Ingredients

  • ice
  • 2 ounces quality gin (1/4 cup / 60ml)
  • 4 ounces quality tonic water (1/2 cup / 120ml)
  • 1 fresh passion fruit
  • 1-2 tsp elderflower syrup

Instructions

  1. Fill the cocktail glass with ice.

  2. Add the flesh of fresh passion fruit and elderflower syrup to the glass.

  3. Pour over gin and finish with pouring over the tonic.

  4. Gently stir to combine.

Notes

Homemade elderflower syrup recipe

Fresh passion fruit and delicious floral elderflower syrup give this refreshing elderflower and passion fruit gin and tonic recipe a sweet valentine's day twist.
Fresh passion fruit and delicious floral elderflower syrup give this refreshing elderflower and passion fruit gin and tonic recipe a sweet valentine's day twist.

Summer Berry Pavlova

The best Summer berry pavlova is when fresh summer berries meet a crisp and chewy meringue and some fresh whipped cream.

The best Summer berry pavlova is when fresh summer berries meet a crisp and chewy meringue and some fresh whipped cream.

We’re super excited here because of all the Summer berries. We only grow strawberries, blueberries, and red currants at home, but our family, friends, and neighbors have others as well, so we go pick them up almost on a daily basis. This year is a very good year for all kinds of berries. There are so so many of them everywhere and I’m not complaining 🙂

So last week I had this huge amount of all the colorful berries so I made pavlova. Because there’s no dessert that screams summer like a pavlova. Don’t you agree?

Although I really love a chocolate pavlova, Summer screams for a more refreshing version like this berry pavlova. Just a little bit of cream, fresh summer berries, and quick homemade berry syrup. I mean, aren’t berries and cream the best flavors of Summer?

This recipe makes more syrup than is necessary, because it’ very hard to make syrup from a very small amount of berries. But you can store it in the fridge and use on ice creams, fruit salads, coctails or simly make a refreshing drink by diluting it in some cold water 🙂

So is this berry pavlova hard to make?

The good thing about Pavlova is that it’s actually pretty easy to make, once you know a few basics:

  1. Know your oven. I was baking it in my mom’s oven (since my oven is dying and the temps are all over the place). I almost never bake in her oven so I’m not used to it and the first pavlova came out too baked on the outside (brown). Nothing wrong with that actually, it still tastes good, but I wanted a nice snow-white pavlova (we ate the brown one too, of course)
  2. Humidity. Very humid weather can mess with your pavlova. If your pavlova fails, this could be the reason.
  3. Timing. Timing really depends on how thick your pavlova is and also the temperature you’re baking at. Since you shouldn’t open the oven while baking, you should do some research on timing or follow the recipe 🙂
  4. Really beat in the sugar. The sugar needs to completely dissolve otherwise the eggwhites will turn liquid and you’ll end up with a weeping pavlova.
Summer Berry Pavlova
Summer Berry Pavlova
Summer Berry Pavlova
Summer Berry Pavlova
The best Summer berry pavlova is when fresh summer berries meet a crisp and chewy meringue and some fresh whipped cream.
The best Summer berry pavlova is when fresh summer berries meet a crisp and chewy meringue and some fresh whipped cream.
The best Summer berry pavlova is when fresh summer berries meet a crisp and chewy meringue and some fresh whipped cream.
The best Summer berry pavlova is when fresh summer berries meet a crisp and chewy meringue and some fresh whipped cream.
The best Summer berry pavlova is when fresh summer berries meet a crisp and chewy meringue and some fresh whipped cream.
Summer Berry Pavlova

Tag #useyournoodles so I can see your beautiful UYN creations. Also, stay in touch on Facebook and Instagram or subscribe to get the recipes directly to your mailbox ♥

The best Summer berry pavlova is when fresh summer berries meet a crisp and chewy meringue and some fresh whipped cream.
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Summer Berry Pavlova

Course Dessert
Keyword berry pavlova, meringues, pavlova, summer pavlova
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Resting time 5 hours
Total Time 6 hours 40 minutes
Servings 8 slices
Author Anja Burgar

Ingredients

Meringue

  • 3 large egg whites (100g)
  • 3/4 cup caster sugar (150g)
  • 1 tsp corn starch
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • pinch of salt

Berry Syrup

  • 2 cups strawberries cubed (250g)
  • ½ cup sugar (100g)
  • 2 TBSP lemon juice or white vinegar

Other ingredients

  • 1 cup whipping cream (250ml), use coconut cream for a non-dairy version
  • 2 cups fresh Summer berries

Instructions

Meringue

  1. Preheat the oven to 130°C. If you're using a fan oven, shut off the fan. Draw a 18cm circle on a baking paper and place it on a baking tray.

  2. Beat eggwhites and a pinch of salt until stiff but not dry. Then add caster sugar a tablespoon at a time. At the end add the lemon juice or vinegar and cornstarch. Beat gently until thick and glossy. You can make a test if the meringue is done: place a bit of the meringue between two fingers and see if you can feel the sugar. If you can still feel some sugar, then you need to beat them a little longer until you can't feel the sugar no more.

  3. Spread the meringue evenly into a circle, making the edge a little higher that the center. Alternatively, you can pipe the meringue onto the paper for a different look.

  4. Move into the oven and reduce the temperature to 100°C. Bake for about 90 minutes. It should look crisp on top and feel dry, but when you press it you should feel soft in the centre.

  5. Turn the oven off, open the door slightly and leave in the oven to cool overnight.

Berry Syrup

  1. Place all ingredients in a saucepan and cook for 15-20 minutes until the syrup starts to thinken. Leave to cool completely, befor pouring it over pavlova. The syrup will thicken more as it cools down.

Assembling the cake

  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment add the heavy whipping cream and whip until soft or stiff peaks form (depending on your taste).

  2. Top the cooled meringue with cream right before serving. Top with berries and pour over a little berry syrup.

  3. If you're not eating the entire pavlova at once, it's better to pour syrup on cut pieces separately, otherwise the pavlova will get soggy. If you store an assebled pavlova, take into consideration that it will get softer.

  4. Store a non-assembled pavlove covered on the counter (not air-tight) for 1-2 days before assembilng.

The best Summer berry pavlova is when fresh summer berries meet a crisp and chewy meringue and some fresh whipped cream.
The best Summer berry pavlova is when fresh summer berries meet a crisp and chewy meringue and some fresh whipped cream.

Refreshing Cucumber and Peach Salad

This refreshing Cucumber and peach salad is the perfect intro to Summer! With some prosciutto, feta cheese, and spicy basil dressing it’s a winner!

This refreshing Cucumber and peach salad is the perfect intro to Summer! With some prosciutto, feta cheese, and spicy basil dressing it's a winner!

Yay! It’s officially Summer and that’s my favorite season for salads (and cocktails).

Eating fresh veggies and fruits topped with a bunch of goodies and a delicious dressing is my Summer jam. If it’s your too, keep reading!

The other day I had some cucumbers left from a photoshoot and then my husband brought some very ripe nectarines and I got the idea of putting those together since I love fruits in salads. So I tried this salad and it was so good. Okay, I called it a peach salad and that’s because I actually love peaches just a tad more than nectarines, but the fruits in the photos are nectarines. You can use both, of course 🙂

This refreshing Cucumber and peach salad is the perfect intro to Summer! With some prosciutto, feta cheese, and spicy basil dressing it's a winner!
This refreshing Cucumber and peach salad is the perfect intro to Summer! With some prosciutto, feta cheese, and spicy basil dressing it's a winner!
This refreshing Cucumber and peach salad is the perfect intro to Summer! With some prosciutto, feta cheese, and spicy basil dressing it's a winner!

Peaches, cucumbers, prosciutto, feta cheese, fresh basil, and spicy basil dressing. I call this a perfect Summer salad. Fresh crunchy cucumbers go so well with soft and sweet peach and I loved it so much I even made a recipe video for the very first time! I’ll be sharing it soon…

I was hoping June would be a little better this in terms of weather, but I was so wrong. Yesterday was the first day of June when we could actually be in shorts the entire day. But otherwise, we had so much rain and wind it almost felt like Autumn. Not very Summery at all. So weird!

Anyway, I’m pretty sure this cucumber and peach salad will scare the bad weather away. And I also can’t wait for fresh tomatoes to grow in our garden, so I can make my spicy goat cheese pesto pizza.

This refreshing Cucumber and peach salad is the perfect intro to Summer! With some prosciutto, feta cheese, and spicy basil dressing it's a winner!
This refreshing Cucumber and peach salad is the perfect intro to Summer! With some prosciutto, feta cheese, and spicy basil dressing it's a winner!
This refreshing Cucumber and peach salad is the perfect intro to Summer! With some prosciutto, feta cheese, and spicy basil dressing it's a winner!

Tag #useyournoodles so I can see your beautiful UYN creations. Also, stay in touch on Facebook and Instagram or subscribe to get the recipes directly to your mailbox ♥

This refreshing Cucumber and peach salad is the perfect intro to Summer! With some prosciutto, feta cheese, and spicy basil dressing it's a winner!
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Refreshing Cucumber And Peach Salad

Course Salad
Keyword cucumber salad, peach salad,
Prep Time 10 minutes
Servings 2 servings (as a side)
Author Anja Burgar

Ingredients

  • 1 cucumber
  • 1 peach
  • 1/4 cup feta cheese crumbled
  • 2-3 slices prosciutto
  • 1 bunch of basil
  • 1/3 cup oilve oil
  • juice of 1 lime
  • ½ tsp chili flakes
  • pinch of salt

Instructions

Spicy Basil Dressing

  1. Set a few basil leaves aside and chop the rest.

  2. To make the dressing mx olive oil, lime juice, salt, chili flakes and chopped basil

Cucumber And Peach Salad

  1. Cut cucumbers and peaches into ½cm (1/4 inch) slices. Place them into a salad bowl.

  2. Add crumbled feta cheese, prosciutto torn into smaller slices and the basil leaves that you set aside.

  3. Drizzle with the dressing.

This refreshing Cucumber and peach salad is the perfect intro to Summer! With some prosciutto, feta cheese, and spicy basil dressing it's a winner!

Homemade Wild Garlic Pasta Dough

This homemade wild garlic pasta dough recipe is easy to follow and tastes incredible. With a gentle herbal flavor and the most amazing color, it’s going to freshen up these early Spring days!

This homemade wild garlic pasta dough recipe is easy to follow and tastes incredible. With a gentle herbal flavor and the most amazing color it's going to freshen up these early Spring days!

It’s that time of the year again. Yeah, it’s wild garlic time!

Despite what’s happening in the world right now, I can still go to the nearby forest and pick some wild garlic and for that, I’m so so grateful. If you’ve seen my wild garlic sandwiches or wild garlic risotto recipes, you know I’m obsessed with wild garlic. I can’t get enough.

So this year I’ve tried making wild garlic pasta. Although I love pasta that actually has herb particles inside, I wanted to make pasta that has a very uniform color, while still having that delicious wild garlic flavor.

And it turned out amazing. Mildly herbal and so incredibly tender.

This homemade wild garlic pasta dough recipe is easy to follow and tastes incredible. With a gentle herbal flavor and the most amazing color it's going to freshen up these early Spring days!
This homemade wild garlic pasta dough recipe is easy to follow and tastes incredible. With a gentle herbal flavor and the most amazing color it's going to freshen up these early Spring days!
This homemade wild garlic pasta dough recipe is easy to follow and tastes incredible. With a gentle herbal flavor and the most amazing color it's going to freshen up these early Spring days!
This homemade wild garlic pasta dough recipe is easy to follow and tastes incredible. With a gentle herbal flavor and the most amazing color it's going to freshen up these early Spring days!
This homemade wild garlic pasta dough recipe is easy to follow and tastes incredible. With a gentle herbal flavor and the most amazing color it's going to freshen up these early Spring days!
This homemade wild garlic pasta dough recipe is easy to follow and tastes incredible. With a gentle herbal flavor and the most amazing color it's going to freshen up these early Spring days!
This homemade wild garlic pasta dough recipe is easy to follow and tastes incredible. With a gentle herbal flavor and the most amazing color it's going to freshen up these early Spring days!
This homemade wild garlic pasta dough recipe is easy to follow and tastes incredible. With a gentle herbal flavor and the most amazing color it's going to freshen up these early Spring days!

Since the wild garlic flavor is very mild and delicate I suggest a very mild sauce. We made rosemary butter and added some parmesan cheese and some chopped fresh wild garlic and that’s it. It makes a perfect light Spring lunch.

What if I can’t find wild garlic?

I hope you have access to forest and wild garlic these days. If not, this recipe would also work with spinach or some other baby greens.

The most important thing is to keep the flour to water ratio and you’ll be fine 😀

This homemade wild garlic pasta dough recipe is easy to follow and tastes incredible. With a gentle herbal flavor and the most amazing color it's going to freshen up these early Spring days!
This homemade wild garlic pasta dough recipe is easy to follow and tastes incredible. With a gentle herbal flavor and the most amazing color it's going to freshen up these early Spring days!
This homemade wild garlic pasta dough recipe is easy to follow and tastes incredible. With a gentle herbal flavor and the most amazing color it's going to freshen up these early Spring days!

Tag #useyournoodles so I can see your beautiful UYN creations. Also, stay in touch on Facebook and Instagram or subscribe to get the recipes directly to your mailbox ♥

This homemade wild garlic pasta dough recipe is easy to follow and tastes incredible. With a gentle herbal flavor and the most amazing color it's going to freshen up these early Spring days!
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Wild Garlic Pasta Dough

Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian, Mediterranean
Keyword homemade pasta, pasta, wild garlic, wild garlic pasta
Prep Time 30 minutes
Resting time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 4 people
Author Anja Burgar

Ingredients

  • 250 g all-purpose flour
  • 150 g wild garlic
  • pinch of salt

Instructions

  1. Cook wild garlic in boiling water for around 30 seconds until it gets soft. Drain the wild garlic, but keep some of the liquid.

  2. Use a food processor to mix wild garlic finely. If necessary add some leftover water from cooking one tablespoon at a time.

  3. Use a strainer to squeeze out the liquid from the wild garlic paste. You should be left with 120g of strained liquid. If you don't have enough you can add some leftover water from cooking wild garlic.

  4. Mix flour, salt and strained green liquid and mix with a fork. When it starts coming together start kneading. At first, the dough will feel very dry, but after about 10 minutes of kneading it will become softer.

  5. When the dough is soft wrap it in plastic wrap and leave at room temperature for 30 minutes.

  6. After resting it is ready to shape. You can use it for any kind of pasta.

If you're making noodles…

  1. Cut the dough in half or quarters.

  2. Use your hands or a rolling pin to just slightly flatten the dough, then use a pasta machine on the widest setting (usually marked as '1') to roll it out.

  3. Fold the dough into thirds lengthwise and run it through the machine two more times, doing the folding each time. Then continue rolling the pasta gradually through narrower settings, until you've come to the desired thickness. I like my pasta to be rolled to thickness number '5'.

  4. Use the same machine to cut the pasta into noodles. Alternatively, you can lightly flour the pasta, roll it and cut into strips with a knife.

  5. Once you have your pasta cut, lightly flour it and make noodle nests. Leave them to dry for 30 minutes or longer if you want to dry them completely.

This homemade wild garlic pasta dough recipe is easy to follow and tastes incredible. With a gentle herbal flavor and the most amazing color it's going to freshen up these early Spring days!

Juicy & Smoky Plant-Based Cheeseburger

This Juicy & Smoky Plant-Based Cheeseburger recipe is all about smoky flavors and freshness. These vegan burgers include the most delicious vegan mushroom bacon and quick homemade pickled radishes.

This Juicy & Smoky Plant-Based Cheeseburger recipe is all about smoky flavors and freshness. These vegan burgers include the most delicious vegan mushroom bacon and quick homemade pickled radishes.

Here we go with another burger recipe!

I love my beef burgers but today I have a special plant-based recipe for you.

When Nataša from The Amaze burgers wrote to me and asked if I wanna try their pea-protein burger patties I felt really excited to try them out. And I was excited to make an entirely plant-based burger.

My first thought was it needs to have a smoky taste and something that resembles bacon. So after a bit of testing, I decided on making my own mushroom bacon. And it tastes delicious. Why haven’t I tried this before? I’m pretty sure this is going to be my favorite topping form now on.

And to add some tang, I made quick-pickled radishes. Super easy and so so delicious. It adds some nice freshness and crunch to the burger.

As far as the patty goes I used the Amaze patty but you can use any patty you like such as bean or chickpea patty.

This Juicy & Smoky Plant-Based Cheeseburger recipe is all about smoky flavors and freshness. These vegan burgers include the most delicious vegan mushroom bacon and quick homemade pickled radishes.
This Juicy & Smoky Plant-Based Cheeseburger recipe is all about smoky flavors and freshness. These vegan burgers include the most delicious vegan mushroom bacon and quick homemade pickled radishes.
This Juicy & Smoky Plant-Based Cheeseburger recipe is all about smoky flavors and freshness. These vegan burgers include the most delicious vegan mushroom bacon and quick homemade pickled radishes.
This Juicy & Smoky Plant-Based Cheeseburger recipe is all about smoky flavors and freshness. These vegan burgers include the most delicious vegan mushroom bacon and quick homemade pickled radishes.

So what’s in this delicious plant-based cheeseburger?

Nothing but the best 😀 And it’s all about color, smoky flavor and freshness. Just like I love my burgers. So here’s what’s in these burgers:

  • a delicious soft burger bun,
  • some baby spinach or arugula,
  • plant-based burger patty,
  • vegan cheese,
  • vegan mushroom bacon,
  • homemade pickled radishes,
  • and smoky BBQ sauce.

Okay, I know you’re probably hungry by now, so let’s just head to the recipe.

This Juicy & Smoky Plant-Based Cheeseburger recipe is all about smoky flavors and freshness. These vegan burgers include the most delicious vegan mushroom bacon and quick homemade pickled radishes.
This Juicy & Smoky Plant-Based Cheeseburger recipe is all about smoky flavors and freshness. These vegan burgers include the most delicious vegan mushroom bacon and quick homemade pickled radishes.
This Juicy & Smoky Plant-Based Cheeseburger recipe is all about smoky flavors and freshness. These vegan burgers include the most delicious vegan mushroom bacon and quick homemade pickled radishes.

Tag #useyournoodles so I can see your beautiful UYN creations. Also, stay in touch on Facebook and Instagram or subscribe to get the recipes directly to your mailbox ♥

This Juicy & Smoky Plant-Based Cheeseburger recipe is all about smoky flavors and freshness. These vegan burgers include the most delicious vegan mushroom bacon and quick homemade pickled radishes.
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Juicy & Smoky Plant-Based Cheeseburger

Course Main Course
Keyword mushroom bacon, plant-based burger, vegan burger
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Cooling time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings 4 burgers
Author Anja Burgar

Ingredients

Mushroom Bacon

  • 250 g mushrooms (button mushrooms, shitake…)
  • 2 ½ TBSP olive oil
  • 2 TBSP soy sauce
  • ½ TBSP maple syrup
  • ½ TBSP smoky BBQ sauce
  • ½ TBSP smoked paprika (or additional BBQ sauce)

Quick home-pickled radishes

  • 100 g radishes
  • ½ cup apple cider vinegar
  • ¼ cup water
  • 3 TBSP unrefined cane sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Other ingredients

  • 4 burger buns
  • 4 plant-based burger patties
  • 8 vegan cheese slices
  • ½ cup smoky BBQ sauce
  • a bunch of fresh baby spinach

Instructions

Mushroom Bacon

  1. Preheat the oven to 170°C and line a baking sheet with baking paper.

  2. To prepare the marinade, place all mushroom bacon ingredients except mushrooms in a small bowl and mix until well combined.

  3. Clean mushrooms with a brush and remove stems. Cut mushroom tops into thin slices, about 3-4 mm.

  4. Place mushroom slices in the marinade and gently toss to cover all mushrooms from both sides.

  5. Transfer mushroom slices to the lined baking sheet making sure there's not too much excess marinade on the mushrooms.

  6. Roast in the preheated oven for ten minutes then flip the mushrooms and bake for another 10-15 minutes. The mushrooms should be a bit crunchy on the edges and they will firm more after they cool. If you see mushrooms burning, lower the heat and bake for a longer time.

Quick home-pickled radishes

  1. Wash radishes and remove the greens.

  2. Place all ingredients in a small saucepan, stir well and bring to a boil. Cook for 2-3 more minutes over medium heat, then let cool to room temperature.

Making the burgers

  1. Cook your vegan burger patty as per instructions, adding two slices of vegan cheese two minutes before finishing, covering the skillet to help melt the cheese if necessary.

  2. To assemble the burgers, cut burger buns in half. Spread a tablespoon of BBQ sauce on each half of the buns.

  3. Place some spinach leaves on the bottom bun. Place burger patty with melted cheese on top. Add mushroom bacon, pickled radishes, and some more spinach. Top with the other half of the bun and serve immediately.

This Juicy & Smoky Plant-Based Cheeseburger recipe is all about smoky flavors and freshness. These vegan burgers include the most delicious vegan mushroom bacon and quick homemade pickled radishes.
This Juicy & Smoky Plant-Based Cheeseburger recipe is all about smoky flavors and freshness. These vegan burgers include the most delicious vegan mushroom bacon and quick homemade pickled radishes.
This Juicy & Smoky Plant-Based Cheeseburger recipe is all about smoky flavors and freshness. These vegan burgers include the most delicious vegan mushroom bacon and quick homemade pickled radishes.

Mediterranean Style Mussels In Wine Sauce

This Mediterranean style mussels recipe is the easiest and super delicious! With just a few simple ingredients you get maximum flavors. Wine, garlic, and parsley make the most delicious sauce.

This Mediterranean style mussels recipe is the easiest and super delicious! With just a few simple ingredients you get maximum flavors. Wine, garlic, and parsley make the most delicious sauce.

I’ve been scared of cooking mussels for a very very long time. In fact, I’ve just recently discovered how easy they are to make.

So how did I even get started?

We took our son out to eat some seafood and we ordered mussels after years of not eating them. He loved them so so much and we did as well. After that, I felt inspired and wanted to try them out. There’s one recipe that excites me the most and it’s this recipe. I’ve tested a few over a few months and wrote my own, like I make it.

The recipe is really a very popular way of cooking mussels in this part of the Mediterranean, where I’m from. This is just a variation and there’s also one with tomatoes, but I don’t think I’ve ever tried that one. Note to myself: make the tomato version!

This Mediterranean style mussels recipe is the easiest and super delicious! With just a few simple ingredients you get maximum flavors. Wine, garlic, and parsley make the most delicious sauce.
This Mediterranean style mussels recipe is the easiest and super delicious! With just a few simple ingredients you get maximum flavors. Wine, garlic, and parsley make the most delicious sauce.

Okay, so this Mediterranean style mussels recipe is literally the simplest dish you’ll ever make. And also one of the most delicious ones. Just imagine the flavors of the sea mixing with some good wine, garlic, and parsley. Doesn’t it already sound so delicious?

It only takes you a few minutes to prep and a few minutes to cook. The only thing that requires a bit more work is cleaning them, but it’s actually really easy.

So how do you clean the mussels?

First, make sure you buy fresh mussels. They should smell like the sea. I tried googling how long the mussels really last but the answers are so different. Since I don’t live next to the sea, I can’t get them straight from the water. This would be amazing and if you have that chance, I recommend buying them the same day they were harvested.

For the unfortunate ones: I tend to buy them if they are a day old and no more. Then I prepare them the same day or in the worst-case scenario the next day.

When it comes to cleaning the mussels, first you need to throw away dead or damaged mussels. Toss the mussels with a broken shell. If the shell is open tap it lightly against the counter and if the mussel starts to close after a few seconds, then it’s alive and you can keep it, if not, toss it. If the mussel is closed and the shell is not damaged it’s good to go.

After you’ve tossed away the bad ones, pour some water in a bowl and add a bit of salt. Place mussels in the salted water and wait for 30 minutes so they can release all the dirt which has accumulated inside the shells.

And that’s it. It’s very easy and so worth the extra few minutes of cleaning them.

This Mediterranean style mussels recipe is the easiest and super delicious! With just a few simple ingredients you get maximum flavors. Wine, garlic, and parsley make the most delicious sauce.
This Mediterranean style mussels recipe is the easiest and super delicious! With just a few simple ingredients you get maximum flavors. Wine, garlic, and parsley make the most delicious sauce.
This Mediterranean style mussels recipe is the easiest and super delicious! With just a few simple ingredients you get maximum flavors. Wine, garlic, and parsley make the most delicious sauce.
This Mediterranean style mussels recipe is the easiest and super delicious! With just a few simple ingredients you get maximum flavors. Wine, garlic, and parsley make the most delicious sauce.

Tag #useyournoodles so I can see your beautiful UYN creations. Also, stay in touch on Facebook and Instagram or subscribe to get the recipes directly to your mailbox ♥

This mussels recipe is the easiest and super delicious! With just a few simple ingredients you get maximum flavors. Wine, garlic, and parsley make the most delicious sauce.
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Mediterranean Style Mussels In Wine Sauce

Course Main Course
Cuisine Mediterranean
Keyword mussels, steamed mussels, wine sauce
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Resting time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Author Anja Burgar

Ingredients

  • 1 kg fresh mussels
  • 2 TBSP olive oil
  • 5-6 garlic cloves finelly chopped
  • 2 TBSP chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 cup white wine
  • 3 TBSP breadcrumbs

Instructions

Cleaning the mussels

  1. Before cleaning the mussels be sure to only keep the ones that are alive. If the mussel is closed and the shell is intact, keep it. If the shell is open tap the mussel lightly against the counter and wait a few seconds. If it starts closing, this means the mussel is alive. If nothing happens toss it.

  2. Scrub the mussels to remove any debris or mud. Remove the "beard" of a mussel, which is the thick cluster of hair on one side of the mussel.

  3. Place mussels in cold lightly salted water for thirty minutes. In this time they will release the grit and dirt from inside the shell.

  4. After thirty minutes remove the mussels from the water and give them a quick rinse.

Cooking the mussels

  1. In a large pot, fry chopped garlic in olive oil for about a minute stirring constantly.

  2. Add wine, chopped parsley and breadcrumbs to the pot and wait until it boils. Add cleaned mussels. Cover and lower the heat. Let steam for 10 minutes. Only eat the mussels that have opened. Toss the closed ones.

  3. Serve warm with some bread or pasta.

This Mediterranean style mussels recipe is the easiest and super delicious! With just a few simple ingredients you get maximum flavors. Wine, garlic, and parsley make the most delicious sauce.
This Mediterranean style mussels recipe is the easiest and super delicious! With just a few simple ingredients you get maximum flavors. Wine, garlic, and parsley make the most delicious sauce.

Vegan No-Bake Pomegranate Coconut Pie

A simple and easy Valentine’s day dessert – a rich pomegranate coconut pie that doesn’t require any baking.

A simple and easy Valentine's day dessert - a rich pomegranate coconut pie that doesn't require any baking.

Hello February!

In a blink of an eye, we’ve arrived in the second month of the year. Omg, time flies!

This month we have a bunch of celebrations in Slovenia. First, we have a national holiday, when we celebrate the life and work of our biggest poet. It’s this Saturday, so we’ll be heading to the city for the celebration.

Then there’s Valentine’s day. It’s not really a traditional Slovenian holiday, but it’s quite popular anyway 😀 We have our own ‘Valentine’s day’ in March.

And at the end of the month, there’s the carnival. I can’t wait for it and I also can’t wait to try making sourdough doughnuts. Oh yeah, I’ve made my first (non-failed) sourdough starter last week and baked one bread already. It didn’t turn out perfect but it was delicious anyway.

So yeah, my mission is to bake more things with sourdough. And hopefully also share some recipes here as well.

A simple and easy Valentine's day dessert - a rich pomegranate coconut pie that doesn't require any baking.
A simple and easy Valentine's day dessert - a rich pomegranate coconut pie that doesn't require any baking.
A simple and easy Valentine's day dessert - a rich pomegranate coconut pie that doesn't require any baking.
A simple and easy Valentine's day dessert - a rich pomegranate coconut pie that doesn't require any baking.

Enough of me blabbing about holidays 😀

Let’s talk about this amazing recipe for this lovely pomegranate coconut pie. I made it with Valentine’s day in mind. You know the reds, whites, and pink. They remind me of Valentine’s day. And it’s a dessert. Can there really be Valentine’s day without a dessert?

Uhm, no!

Let’s talk about failure first. I had this idea about taking some beautiful photos of a white pie on a blue backdrop. Then suddenly my recipe changes and the pie no longer was only white. It also had red aka pomegranate. So when I took the photos of this pie I was unhappy with the results. It was so blah. I can’t even explain.

So I took it on another backdrop – this beige one. And I loved those so much.

But this wasn’t the only failure with this pie. At first, I wanted to make the coconut layer with coconut milk and cashews and I hated the texture and the taste. Too much cashew taste and not enough coconut. So I decided to add some white chocolate and use coconut paste instead of milk, just to make it even thicker than the creamy white stuff that forms when you’ve placed a can of coconut milk in the fridge.

And OMG this cream turned out better than I imagined!

I need to try making a cake with this cream. I’m pretty sure it would be just as amazing as this pomegranate coconut pie.

A simple and easy Valentine's day dessert - a rich pomegranate coconut pie that doesn't require any baking.
A simple and easy Valentine's day dessert - a rich pomegranate coconut pie that doesn't require any baking.
A simple and easy Valentine's day dessert - a rich pomegranate coconut pie that doesn't require any baking.

So how do you make this pomegranate coconut pie?

It’s fairly easy and straightforward.

First, you make the pie base with rolled oats, coconut flakes and ground almonds (or almond meal), coconut oil and dates. I just love the coconut and almond combination!

Then you make a pomegranate jelly using only pomegranate juice (bought or freshly squeezed) and agar-agar. You can use gelatine if you’re not vegan.

In the end, you make a coconut paste using creamed coconut and mix it with melted chocolate. Done! As simple as that.

The only thing you need to be aware of is that you’ll need to wait between each layer for it to set. So first you make the base and let it harden in the fridge. Then you make the jelly and wait again for it to set. In the end, make the coconut filling and wait again.

So not a lot of work, but a bit more waiting! You can watch your favorite series in the meantime or read a book 😀

A simple and easy Valentine's day dessert - a rich pomegranate coconut pie that doesn't require any baking.
A simple and easy Valentine's day dessert - a rich pomegranate coconut pie that doesn't require any baking.

Okay, let’s just make the pie!

Tag #useyournoodles so I can see your beautiful UYN creations. Also, stay in touch on Facebook and Instagram or subscribe to get the recipes directly to your mailbox ♥

A simple and easy Valentine's day dessert - a rich pomegranate coconut pie that doesn't require any baking.
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Vegan No-Bake Pomegranate Coconut Pie

Course Dessert
Keyword coconut pie, pie, pomegranate coconut pie, pomegranate pie
Prep Time 30 minutes
Resting time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Servings 10 inch pie
Author Anja Burgar

Ingredients

Pie base

  • 1½ cup rolled oats
  • 1 cup shredded coconut
  • 1 cup ground almonds or almond meal
  • 9 Medjool dates soaked in warm water for 15 minutes
  • 5 TBSP coconut oil
  • ¼ tsp salt

Pomegranate jelly

  • 1¼ cup pomegranate juice
  • 1 tsp agar-agar

Coconut filling

  • 150 g creamed coconut coconut oil removed
  • 200 g vegan white chocolate
  • ½ cup + 2 TBSP water

Instructions

Pie base

  1. In a food processor blend all pie base ingredients into a sand-like texture that's slightly sticky

  2. Press into a 10-inch pie pan and set in the fridge to chill.

Pomegranate jelly

  1. Once the pie base is set, mix pomegranate juice and agar-agar in a saucepan and mix well.

  2. Place over a medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Simmer for a minute or two then remove from the stove.

  3. Leave a few minutes to cool just a little bit then pour into the set pie base and leave to set to room temperature.

Coconut filling

  1. Once the pomegranate jelly is set make the coconut filling.

  2. First, crumble creamed coconut into a food processor and add water. Blend until smooth.

  3. Meld white chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of boiling water.

  4. Once the chocolate is melted remove from the stove. Add coconut cream one tablespoon at a time, mixing well after each tablespoon.

  5. Pour the cream on top of the pie and place it into the fridge to set.

Serving

  1. Take from the fridge 30 minutes before serving.

A simple and easy Valentine's day dessert - a rich pomegranate coconut pie that doesn't require any baking.

Chewy Almond Butter Cookies

These most delicious vegan chewy almond butter cookies are made with no refined sugar and almond butter. A yummy cookie that is super soft!

These most delicious vegan chewy almond butter cookies are made with no refined sugar and almond butter. A yummy cookie that is super soft!

Hey hey!

Have you started your Christmas baking yet?

I did some Christmas baking already and I have some more planned in the next couple of weeks. I made some classic vanilla cookies, honey gingerbread cookies, and these delicious chewy almond butter cookies in collab with Rok’s Nut Butter.

I started with a recipe that I usually use to make peanut butter cookies and I need to share that one with you too, hopefully soon 🙂 I changed a few ingredients and made them with dates, unrefined cane sugar a little bit of flour, baking soda, almond butter, and a flax egg.

It’s a recipe that you can whip up in 5 minutes. All you need to do beforehand is make a flax egg and soak dates for 15 minutes.

You mix it all up, make small balls and squash them with a fork to get a beautiful texture on top.

These most delicious vegan chewy almond butter cookies are made with no refined sugar and almond butter. A yummy cookie that is super soft!
These most delicious vegan chewy almond butter cookies are made with no refined sugar and almond butter. A yummy cookie that is super soft!

So are you excited about December and the upcoming holidays?

I decided to do a more relaxed Christmas this year, because I don’t want to be stressing about Christmas gifts and shopping. I prefer to spend that time with family and friends, spent more time with my son and hopefully go to a cottage with my family. Let’s just hope there’ll be some snow. It doesn’t look very promising, but hey, at least we’ll be together, right?

So for Christmas gifts, I decided to make something homemade. Something small and with love, maybe some homemade hot chocolate mix! Tell me, are you into homemade gifts?

These most delicious vegan chewy almond butter cookies are made with no refined sugar and almond butter. A yummy cookie that is super soft!
These most delicious vegan chewy almond butter cookies are made with no refined sugar and almond butter. A yummy cookie that is super soft!
These most delicious vegan chewy almond butter cookies are made with no refined sugar and almond butter. A yummy cookie that is super soft!

One more thing… there’s a giveaway going on on Instagram. See the latest photo in my feed to find out how to enter 🙂

Good luck!

Tag #useyournoodles so I can see your beautiful UYN creations. Also, stay in touch on Facebook and Instagram or subscribe to get the recipes directly to your mailbox ♥

The most delicious chewy almond butter cookies that are made with no refined sugar and almond butter. A yummy cookie that is super soft!
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Chewy Almond Butter Cookies

Course Dessert
Keyword almond butter, almond butter cookies, Christmas cookies
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 6 minutes
Wait time 15 minutes
Total Time 26 minutes
Servings 25 cookies
Author Anja Burgar

Ingredients

  • 1 cup almond butter
  • 6 TBSP all-purpose or wholewheat flower
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 cup unrefined cane sugar
  • 4 Medjool dates (pits removed, cut in quarters and soaked for 15 minutes)
  • 1 flax egg (1 TBSP crushed flax seeds + 2 1/2 TBSP hot water, leave to soak for at least 15 minutes or until sticky)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and line a baking tray with baking paper.

  2. Use a food processor to mix soaked dates and flax egg until almost smooth. It doesn't need to be silky.

  3. In a big bowl mix flour and baking soda. Add all other ingredients and mix with a spoon until you get a uniform batter.

  4. Use approximately 1 TBSP of batter for one cookie. Use the palms of your hands to form balls and place them on a baking tray at least 10cm (4 inches) apart.

  5. Use a fork to smash them twice in a 90° angle, so you get a grid pattern on top.

  6. Bake in a preheated oven for 6-7 minutes. They look unbaked and very soft when you take them out, but they harden as they cool.

These most delicious vegan chewy almond butter cookies are made with no refined sugar and almond butter. A yummy cookie that is super soft!

Vegan Roasted Pumpkin Curry

This vegan roasted pumpkin curry recipe is super comforting and is a proper late autumn dish. Nothing beats mixing pumpkin with coconut milk and fragrant spices.

s vegan roasted pumpkin curry recipe is super comforting and is a proper late autumn dish. Nothing beats mixing pumpkin with coconut milk and fragrant spices.

Guys, I’m sharing one of my favorite autumn comfort foods – a pumpkin curry. And guess who also loves pumpkin curry? My friend Tereza from Tereza’s Choice. We created this recipe together and oh fun this was. Okay, it was also a bit stressful, since I accidentally erased ALL the images from the card on my camera!! We almost finished shooting and this happened. So I almost couldn’t share this recipe with you this week or at least not with photos. Luckily my dear brother found a way to get those files back.

And drrrrumroll! Me and Tereza have another recipe for you and we’ll share it soon 🙂

s vegan roasted pumpkin curry recipe is super comforting and is a proper late autumn dish. Nothing beats mixing pumpkin with coconut milk and fragrant spices.
s vegan roasted pumpkin curry recipe is super comforting and is a proper late autumn dish. Nothing beats mixing pumpkin with coconut milk and fragrant spices.

Are you drowning in pumpkins? We are here, but I don’t mind that. I love pumpkins and I never get tired of eating them. They are so versatile. You can use them in savory or sweet dishes. They are super healthy and soooo easy to prepare and really quick too. Who doesn’t love that?

My preferred way to cook pumpkins is to roast them. I roast them, when I make pumpkin soup, I roast them when I make pumpkin cupcakes, I roast them when I make pumpkin risotto… You get the picture! I love how roasting brings extra sweetness and depth from the pumpkins.

Curries are such a great comfort food because they are quick and easy to make and because of all the spices and flavors. I usually make my own curry spice blend, but you can use your own or a bought one. I find using the curry blend that’s available in stores here in Slovenia is very strong and makes each dish taste the same. So I try to avoid it and usually make my own in a coffee grinder.

s vegan roasted pumpkin curry recipe is super comforting and is a proper late autumn dish. Nothing beats mixing pumpkin with coconut milk and fragrant spices.
s vegan roasted pumpkin curry recipe is super comforting and is a proper late autumn dish. Nothing beats mixing pumpkin with coconut milk and fragrant spices.
s vegan roasted pumpkin curry recipe is super comforting and is a proper late autumn dish. Nothing beats mixing pumpkin with coconut milk and fragrant spices.

Okay, I’m not going to bore you with the details. The recipe is pretty easy and straightforward. Basically foolproof 😉

Tag #useyournoodles so I can see your beautiful UYN creations. Also, stay in touch on Facebook and Instagram or subscribe to get the recipes directly to your mailbox ♥

s vegan roasted pumpkin curry recipe is super comforting and is a proper late autumn dish. Nothing beats mixing pumpkin with coconut milk and fragrant spices.
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Vegan Roasted Pumpkin Curry

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Author Anja Burgar & Tereza Poljanič

Ingredients

Curry

  • 2 TBSP coconut oil  (or grape seed oil)
  • 1 onion
  • 2 TBSP fresh ginger minced
  • 2 TBSP garlic minced
  • 2 TBSP curry spice blend (link to recipe in notes)
  • 1 pumpkin or butternut squash peeled and cubed
  • 1 can full fat coconut milk
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 TBSP lemon juice
  • 200 g firm tofu

Serve

  • coconut yogurt
  • 2/3 cup roasted cashews
  • chopped parsley
  • flatbread (link to recipe in notes)

Instructions

  1. First set your oven to 220 degrees Celsius.

  2. Peel and cube the pumpkin, transfer to a baking tray and lightly oil. Put in the oven for at least 20 minutes until soft.

  3. Meanwhile, heat a large pot over medium heat. Once hot, add coconut oil, onion, and ginger. Sauté for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.

  4. Add the curry spice blend and fry for another 2 minutes.

  5. Next up add the garlic and sauté for another minute.

  6. Then add the coconut milk, bring to a simmer over medium heat. Once simmering, slightly reduce heat to low and cover. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

  7. At this time, check on your pumpkin, if it’s soft, transfer it to a blender and blend with a bit of water until smooth. Add to your pan and coconut milk and adjust the flavor with salt and lemon juice. Don't be shy with seasonings – this curry should be very flavorful.

  8. Leave aside and fry your cubed tofu on 3 Tbsp coconut oil until it gets a beautiful brown crust.

  9. Serve as is or with flatbread, over rice, quinoa, or buckwheat. This dish gets elevated with the addition of some coconut yogurt, cashews, and parsley for serving.

  10. Best when fresh, though leftovers will keep in the refrigerator up to 3-4 days. Enjoy!

Notes

Recpe for Hot Curry Spice Blend here.

Recipe for Herbed Buckwheat Flatbread here.

s vegan roasted pumpkin curry recipe is super comforting and is a proper late autumn dish. Nothing beats mixing pumpkin with coconut milk and fragrant spices.

Hibiscus Poached Pears with Vanilla and Pink Peppercorns

An easy but really fancy dessert like this hibiscus poached pears is guaranteed to amaze at any party!

An easy but really fancy dessert like this hibiscus poached pears with vanilla and pink peppercorns is guaranteed to amaze at any party!

Hey you! Do you know what’s today?

It’s our anniversary! YEP, Me and my blog celebrate our 4th anniversary 🎉 Even though we spend a year and a half apart we got together last year and now we’re besties again!

I’ve got some cool stuff to share for this special occasion. First, we have this amazing fancy-schmancy recipe, but we’ll get to that in a minute.

And now to the news, I couldn’t wait to share it with you!!! I’ve been asked so many times lately if I teach 1-on-1? So no I officially opened 1-on-1 online coaching sessions for everyone who wants to learn food photography and food styling with me. Besides online coaching, I also offer in-person workshops for everyone close to Slovenia or willing to travel. So if you’re interested in any of these topics hop on to my workshops page.

Okay, now that we’ve got this out of the way let’s focus on these hibiscus poached pears. Who’s with me? 🙋

An easy but really fancy dessert like this hibiscus poached pears with vanilla and pink peppercorns is guaranteed to amaze at any party!
An easy but really fancy dessert like this hibiscus poached pears with vanilla and pink peppercorns is guaranteed to amaze at any party!
An easy but really fancy dessert like this hibiscus poached pears with vanilla and pink peppercorns is guaranteed to amaze at any party!
An easy but really fancy dessert like this hibiscus poached pears with vanilla and pink peppercorns is guaranteed to amaze at any party!

You know me, I love simple desserts. Okay, I love the complicated ones too, but I’m over the moon when a dessert (or any dish for that matter) is AMAZING but it takes like no effort at all. Well, this is this dessert. Sounds real posh, but trust me no skills are needed at all!

Lots of poached pears recipes require poaching in wine and that’s delicious too, but hey, nothing wrong with choosing a different path every once in a while. Especially if you’ve got kids!

What you’ll need for these hibiscus poached pears is:

  • firm pears
  • dried hibiscus (loose or in a teabag)
  • a vanilla pod
  • some pink peppercorns, and
  • honey

I served them on vanilla yogurt (you can have vegan too), but if you feel like making some homemade vanilla custard, that’s awesome too.

An easy but really fancy dessert like this hibiscus poached pears with vanilla and pink peppercorns is guaranteed to amaze at any party!
An easy but really fancy dessert like this hibiscus poached pears with vanilla and pink peppercorns is guaranteed to amaze at any party!

I’m not going to keep you from the recipes much longer, just a few quick tips and we’re on.

Tips to cook amazing poached pears

If possible use pears that are firm and not too ripe. If they are too ripe, they might fall apart and not look as pretty. They’ll still be good, though.

Turn the pear halves around every once in a while so they have an even color and they cook more evenly.

That’s it! So so simple!

Let’s cook!

Tag #useyournoodles so I can see your beautiful UYN creations. Also, stay in touch on Facebook and Instagram or subscribe to get the recipes directly to your mailbox ♥

An easy but really fancy dessert like this hibiscus poached pears with vanilla and pink peppercorns is guaranteed to amaze at any party!
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Hibiscus Poached Pears with Vanilla and Pink Peppercorns

Course Dessert
Keyword poached pears
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 8 servings
Author Anja Burgar

Ingredients

  • 4 firm pears
  • 4 cups water
  • 4 hibiscus teabags (equals 4 teaspoons loose hibiscus flowers)
  • 2 TBSP honey
  • 1 vanilla pod
  • 8 pink peppercorns
  • 4 cups vanilla yogurt
  • chopped nuts for topping

Instructions

  1. Place all ingredients but pears in a pot large enough to fit 8 pear halves and bring it to a boil. Let simmer for 5 minutes, while you prepare the pears.

  2. Halve pears and remove skins and pits.

  3. Add pears to the pot cover and cook for 20-25 minutes turning them around every 5 minutes so they get cooked evenly.

  4. Remove the pears from the pan and cook the liquid for another 10-15 minutes, to reduce it to a desired consistency.

  5. Serve with vanilla yogurt, reduced sauce (or vegan vanilla yogurt) and some chopped nuts.

An easy but really fancy dessert like this hibiscus poached pears with vanilla and pink peppercorns is guaranteed to amaze at any party!

Iced Beetroot Chai Latte (+ Warm Verison)

Treat yourself with an iced beetroot chai latte – a perfectly refreshing and fragrant autumn drink!

Treat yourself with an iced beetroot chai latte - a perfectly refreshing and fragrant autumn drink!

Even though it’s getting quite cold here, I still love me some cold drinks. Let me tell you a little secret. This drink is actually delicious warm as well as cold. I can’t decide which one is better but I decided to go with the iced version for this post since I just love seeing some ice cubes in a drink. They are so photogenic 🙂

So what is it?

This iced beetroot chai latte is a perfect mixture of earthiness from beetroot juice, herbal flavor from rooibos tea, spiciness from chai spices, sweetness from honey, and creaminess from milk. I don’t drink a lot of milk, it doesn’t do me well, but I make exceptions once in a while. Or I use any nut milk, which works beautifully in this recipe.

Treat yourself with an iced beetroot chai latte - a perfectly refreshing and fragrant autumn drink!
Treat yourself with an iced beetroot chai latte - a perfectly refreshing and fragrant autumn drink!
Treat yourself with an iced beetroot chai latte - a perfectly refreshing and fragrant autumn drink!
Treat yourself with an iced beetroot chai latte - a perfectly refreshing and fragrant autumn drink!

I realized I don’t drink enough beetroot juice, although I love it. So I was messing around a while ago, mixing it with some spices and teas that I love in this cold cold weather and this came out. I’m a huge fan of rooibos tea. I didn’t know it went so well with beetroot, but it’s truly a brilliant combination.

I love using beetroot in both savory and sweet dishes in the cold months. I love it grated and fried with onions as a side dish and I also love the chocolate beetroot cupcakes. I can’t get enough of them! I wanna know what you love to make with beetroot? Let me know in the comments!

On a different note, I realized that it’s been a month since I posted a recipe. I have something special coming up and hopefully, I can reveal it to all ya in a week or two! If you don’t wanna miss the big new regarding food photography be sure to subscribe to my photography mailing list and you’ll get the info right in your mailbox.

Treat yourself with an iced beetroot chai latte - a perfectly refreshing and fragrant autumn drink!
Treat yourself with an iced beetroot chai latte - a perfectly refreshing and fragrant autumn drink!
Treat yourself with an iced beetroot chai latte - a perfectly refreshing and fragrant autumn drink!
Treat yourself with an iced beetroot chai latte - a perfectly refreshing and fragrant autumn drink!
Treat yourself with an iced beetroot chai latte - a perfectly refreshing and fragrant autumn drink!

Tag #useyournoodles so I can see your beautiful UYN creations. Also, stay in touch on Facebook and Instagram or subscribe to get the recipes directly to your mailbox ♥

Treat yourself with an iced beetroot chai latte - a perfectly refreshing and fragrant autumn drink!
5 from 1 vote
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Iced Beetroot Chai Latte

Warm version in the notes.

Course Drinks
Keyword beet iced latte, cold drink, iced latte
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Author Anja Burgar

Ingredients

  • 3 cups beetroot juice
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 rooibos tea bags
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 5 cloves
  • 5 peppercorns
  • 5 ginger slices
  • 2-3 TBSP honey
  • 1 cup milk (or nut milk for vegan version)

Instructions

  1. Boil the water. Remove from the heat and place two rooibos tea bags, cinnamon stick, cloves, peppercorns and ginger slices in the boiling water. Cover and let steep for 10 minutes. Strain the liquid, add honey and let cool.

  2. Once the infusion is cooled, add it to the beetroot juice and mix well.

  3. Pour into 4 glasses and add milk and ice cubes.

Notes

If you want to make a warm beetroot chai latte, cook the infusion as in the instructions above. Once you’ve strained the liquid add it to beetroot juice and cook just until it starts to simmer. Add honey, pour into cups and add milk.

Treat yourself with an iced beetroot chai latte - a perfectly refreshing and fragrant autumn drink!

Vegan Cherry Almond Ice Cream Sandwiches

Wrap your hands around something wonderful with this vegan cherry almond ice cream between two delicious almond chocolate cookies.

Wrap your hands around something wonderful with this vegan cherry almond ice cream between two delicious almond chocolate cookies.

Can you imagine Summer without ice cream? Hmmm… I can’t, even though I wasn’t always a huge fan of ice cream. I think I talked about it in one of my old posts. 

Now,  I can’t imagine how I’d survive the Summer heat without ice cream at least once a week. 

Since I don’t have an ice cream machine I always make a no-churn version and I even have a little trick to make a no-churn ice cream creamy with no lumps of ice. 

How do I make my no-churn ice cream smooth?

I’ve come to the conclusion that the best way is to blend the mixture again after it has frozen halfway through. I mix with a spoon once after an hour. Then,  after another hour I take the ice cream out and mix it again in my blender. This mixed the ice crystals that form at the edge of the container and make it nice and smooth again. Then I return it back to the freezer and leave to freeze until done. Honestly, I think the consistency is super similar to the machine made ice cream. I’m all about gadgets, but who’s got the place?! 

Wrap your hands around something wonderful with this vegan cherry almond ice cream between two delicious almond chocolate cookies.
Wrap your hands around something wonderful with this vegan cherry almond ice cream between two delicious almond chocolate cookies.
Wrap your hands around something wonderful with this vegan cherry almond ice cream between two delicious almond chocolate cookies.
Wrap your hands around something wonderful with this vegan cherry almond ice cream between two delicious almond chocolate cookies.

I created this recipe in collaboration with Tereza from Teresamisu. If you missed the last recipe we created together,  here is our delicious Vegan Pea And Asparagus Pie. 

We decided to use sweet cherries as the base for the recipe and start from there. Tereza is known for creating healthy dishes and a lot of them are vegan. So I was totally on board with trying to make vegan ice cream but my first thought was NO COCONUT. I love coconut,  don’t get me wrong,  but I hate to see sooooo many vegan ice cream recipes based on coconut milk. I was thinking there’s a way to make delicious ice cream without it,  for sure. So cherries got me thinking. Almonds are the first thing that came to mind and man I’m glad I went that way! 

Oh and btw, I have a coconut ice cream recipe in store for one of the next posts 😉 but that one is meant to have a coconut flavor!

Wrap your hands around something wonderful with this vegan cherry almond ice cream between two delicious almond chocolate cookies.
Wrap your hands around something wonderful with this vegan cherry almond ice cream between two delicious almond chocolate cookies.
Wrap your hands around something wonderful with this vegan cherry almond ice cream between two delicious almond chocolate cookies.
Wrap your hands around something wonderful with this vegan cherry almond ice cream between two delicious almond chocolate cookies.

This is basically a marzipan ice cream. I like marzipan and if you love it too,  you are going to love this cherry almond ice cream sandwiches!

Tereza created the recipe for the cookies and guess what? She also used almond butter without us even discussing the recipe. Talk about soul sisters 🤣

You know what,  I’m not gonna blab for much longer. Let’s just get to the recipe. Happy beginning of the Summer,  everyone! 

Tag #useyournoodles so I can see your beautiful UYN creations. Also, stay in touch on Facebook and Instagram or subscribe to get the recipes directly to your mailbox ♥

Wrap your hands around something wonderful with this vegan cherry almond ice cream between two delicious almond chocolate cookies.
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Vegan Cherry Almond Ice Cream Sandwiches

Course Dessert
Keyword ice cream
Servings 5 ice cream sandwiches
Author Anja Burgar & Tereza Poljanič

Ingredients

Cherry Almond Ice Cream

  • 1 cup medjool dates (about 10 medjool dates), pitted
  • 2 cups almond milk (500ml)
  • 1 cup almond butter (250ml)
  • 2 cups cherries (350g), pitted
  • 2 1/2 TBSP cane sugar

Almond Cookie

  • 1/2 cup maple syrup or honey for non-vegan version
  • 1/4 cup almond butter, peanut butter or tahini (90ml)
  • 3/4 cup walnuts (or any other nuts), blended into a flour (90g)
  • 1 1/2 cup cup buckwheat flour (150g)
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 3 TBSP cocoa powder

Instructions

Almond Cookie

  1. In a bowl, mix up maple syrup and almond butter until fully combined. Mix in ground walnuts until fully combined. In another bowl, combine flour, baking soda and raw cacao. Add it to the almond mixture. The mixture will be thick and sticky so it’s best to use your hands.

  2. Roll out the dough and use a cookie cutter to get the desired shape. Make small dents on the surface of the formed cookies for decoration if you wish.

  3. Place the tray in the fridge for 30 min while you pre-heat the oven to 175°C.

  4. Bake for 10-12 mins. Remove the biscuits from the oven, transfer them to a cooling rack and let them cool down completely before assembling the sandwiches.

Cherry Almond Ice Cream

  1. First, make the cherry jam. Place pitted cherries and cane sugar to a blender and mix until smooth. Pass the mixture through a sieve and discard the solids that remain on the sieve. Place the cherry juice in a small pot and bring to a simmer, then let simmer for 10 minutes. Let cool at room temperature.

  2. Then prepare the ice cream base. Add dates and half of the almond milk to a blender and mix until smooth. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until smooth.

  3. Transfer the ice cream mixture to a loaf pan or small baking tray with high sides. Freeze for two hours, mixing once after an hour. After two hours scoop out the half-frozen mixture to a blender and mix until smooth. This way you get rid of big lumps of ice.

  4. Transfer half of the mixture back to the same pan, then add half of the cherry jam and use the
    backside of a spoon to make some swirls. Place the rest of the ice cream mixture on top and add the rest of the cherry jam. Repeat the swirling and freeze until scoopable.

Assembling The Sandwiches

  1. When the ice cream is frozen enough to form scoops make large scoops and place them over cookies. Cover with another cookie. Place ice cream sandwiches on a tray and save in the freezer.

  2. Leave them at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before serving.

Wrap your hands around something wonderful with this vegan cherry almond ice cream between two delicious almond chocolate cookies.