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katharina.kuehr

Creamy Vegan Summer Pasta

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This Summer Veggie Pasta is going to be your new weeknight favorite. It is so simple to prepare but yet so flavorful and nutrient dense. Seasonal summer vegetables in a light and creamy coconut sauce with our all-time favorite carb – pasta!

I was going to our local farmers market and I saw all the fresh veggies. Mushrooms, tomatoes, rhubarb, potatoes, peas, like every summer vegetable I could think of. When walking by that it just made me really want to eat all of them at once. I love going to local markets since buying products there is way more sustainable.

Later, I wasn´t sure what to make with the huge basket of vitamins, so I thought about pairing it with pasta, because with pasta you can never go wrong. Sure, this dish is not a traditional Italian pasta dish as it is made with coconut milk – but I promise you, it is at least as delicious as in Italy.

It is really simple to prepare, which is perfect after a long and hot day of work. The recipe only requires 9 ingredients, which you are very likely to have on hand anyway. For the peas you do not have to use fresh ones – you can go with frozen instead, same with the corn, you could use frozen or canned one instead of fresh one. If you do not have some of the vegetables on hand but still want to make this recipe, feel free to simply substitute one ingredient for another.

I would recommend using normal wheat or whole wheat pasta for this recipe since it brings out the flavor most. If using a rather dry pasta like chickpea pasta I would recommend using more coconut milk to not make the dish taste dry.

I think this is a great recipe if you are a vegan and want to in cooperate more veggies into your diet without giving up the good taste of pasta or even if you are not vegan or vegetarian but want to create a plant-based recipe. I hope that you will enjoy this dish and if you do so be sure to tag me on Instagram with @unptcuisiniere when sharing it!

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Creamy Vegan Summer Pasta

This is a really delicious summer pasta recipe that will safe you your weeknights. Super falvorfull, quick, simple, and vegan

Course Main Course
Prep Time 6 Minuten
Cook Time 10 Minuten
Total Time 16 Minuten
Servings 2 people
Calories 763 kcal

What you will need

  • 250 g pasta
  • 1 tbsp Olive oil
  • 2 stalks spring onion
  • 100 g cherry tomatoes
  • 100 g corn cooked or canned
  • 100 g chanterelles
  • 160 ml coconut milk
  • 1 handful basil

How to

  1. Bring the water for the pasta to a boil. Add a lot of salt and cook the pasta according to the package instructions. In the meantime finely chop up the spring onions. Half the cherry tomatoes and mushrooms. Then heat up the olive oil in a big pan. Once hot sweat the onions in there for about 2 minutes. Add all the other vegetables and let cook for another 4-5 minutes. If needed add some more water or oil to help cook. Once the vegetables are mostly cooked through, add the coconut milk and some water to thin out the sauce.

    Reserve one cup of pasta water and drain the rest of the pasta. Add it into the pan with the sauce along with a little of the pasta-water. Here it really matters which type of pasta you have chosen to use. If it is a ather dry pasta, I would recommend adding more water.

    Serve with some fresh basil leaves and enjoy!

Notes

if you are not vegan, a great idea is to add some crumbled feta cheese on top for more flavour and texture. If you are recreating this dish be sure to tag me on instagram with @uneptcuisiniere.

Tomato Sauce (V,SF,S)

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Tomato season – aka my favorite season – is finally here! Isn´t it the best time of the year when there is red, yellow, orange, and green balls in every size around? Every restaurant offers fresh tomato dishes and there is no excuse needed for snacking on small tomatoes all day long? Yep – it is the best time of the year.

Tomatoes are my favorite fruits (Yes, they are fruits! Berries to be exact)! have been eating them every day since I have been little. My mom used to buy baskets of small cherry tomatoes at some point in the morning, and by the time she wanted to prepare dinner they were all gone. I don´t know how often it has happened that I´ve snacked all the tomatoes away that we would have needed for dinner. Too often!

Tomatoes do not only taste ah-mazing!, but they are also super healthy. Unlike other fruits or vegetables tomatoes do not loose nutritional value when being cooked. They do loose vitamin C, but their content of their beneficial trans-lycopene increases immensely when being cooked. They offer a great spectrum of vitamins and antioxidants, are heart healthy and reduce your blood pressure. They are loaded with vitamin C, potassium, folate, and vitamin K. They are super hydrating and contain about 95% water. They are also super skin-healthy and can help to prevent sunburns. I loved eating them before I knew all of those nutritional benefits but now I love it even more to in cooperate them into my diet!

This sauce recipe is pretty traditional as you would find it in Italy. It is made with celery and carrots, as done in the home country of tomato sauce, but I believe that this also is a great way to sneak in more vegetables. You cannot taste the celery or the carrot in the sauce but it still adds a nice earthy note to the sauce.

The fresh oregano and basil add a fresh flavor and the chili, which is optional, give the sauce a spicy kick. But be careful with the amount you add in, and the spiciness of the chili as you can easily go overboard with it. When I made this recipe I added a whole lot of chili flakes (which I have stupidly never tried before), and the sauce turned out sooo spicy. My family and me were sweating quite a lot when eating it hahaha, so be careful!

Some people like to add sugar into the sauce to make it sweeter but I do not think that this is necessary when using the right tomatoes. If you buy the tomatoes make sure to ask which ones are best to use for sauces as different tomatoes have different qualities. Another tip of mine when cooking with tomatoes is salt! Salt is the key to bring out the flavors in tomato sauce. Best to use is salt that is very little processed such as Himalaya salt or sea salt.

I decided to use fresh onions and garlic in this recipe as I always prefer the fresh products over the powder. I believe that the powdered spice version is a great substitute when only cooking a small amount or when wanting to spice something only a little but I personally prefer fresh vegetables. They just add more flavor and texture into the dish.

This tomato sauce could be served very well traditionally, with pasta or I do really like it with meatballs to. It can also be used to make a shakshuka or even in an Indian curry, like Tikka Masala. I like to prepare a rather big batch of it, so I can freeze it easily and just heat it up whenever I need it or am in a rush. Simply stored in the fridge it would last for about 1 ½ to 2 weeks.

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Italian Tomato Sauce (V, SF, S)

This is a very easy recipe for a traditional recipe for our loved tomato sauce. Only a few ingredients and packe with flavor to make use of the delicious red fruits that are in season right now. (Vegan, Sugarfree, Seasonal)

Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 15 Minuten
Cook Time 15 Minuten
Simmer Time 1 Stunde 30 Minuten
Total Time 2 Stunden
Servings 8 people
Calories 117 kcal

What you will need

  • 1,5 kg tomatoes about 4 medium to big ones
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 red onions
  • 4-5 cloves garlic
  • 1 carrot
  • 2 sticks celery
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tbsp salt at least! Preferably sea salt
  • chili flakes as desired
  • 1/2 tbsp pepper
  • 1 handful oregano
  • 1 handful basil

How to

  1. Start by removing the green stem from the tomatoes. Then turn the tomato around so that the top side, where the stem has been is facing down. Take a sharp knife and carefully slice a small cross into the skin. This will help you later when cooking and peeling.

  2. In a pot bring water to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Place the tomatoes into the pot and let them simmer for about 30-45 seconds. Flip them around and simmer for another 30-45 seconds. Take them out and transfer them into an ice bath so they cool quickly.

  3. While the tomatoes are cooling, finely peel and chop up the onion and the garlic and set them aside. Peel the carrots and chop it up along with the celery. Heat up the olive oil in a big pot. When hot add the onion and garlic and let sweat for about 2 minutes on medium heat.

  4. Take the tomtatoes out of the ice bath and you will notice that the skin has taken off a little where you have cut the tomatoes before. You can now easily peel of the skin, you wont need it anymore. Cut the tomatoes into chunks and add them to the other vegetables in the pot. Let that simmer for about 20-30 minutes.

    When the liquid has reduced and thickend pour the cooked tomato-vegetable mix into a blender. If you prefer to have some tomatoe chunks in you sauce, then reserve some of them and set them aside. Blend the rest until smooth and pour back into the pot along with the chunks if you reserved some. Add the tomato paste, salt, pepper, oregano, and chili.

    Let the sauce simmer at low heat for another 45 minutes at least. The longer the sauce simmers, the more the flavor will come out, this can be simmered for several hours if the time is available.

    A few minutes before chop up the basil and add into the sauce. The sauce can be served with pasta, rice, meatballs or anything you like. The sauce can be stored in the fridge for about 1 1/2 to 2 weeks. It can be kept in the fridge for several months, just thaw before using and heat it up again.

  5. I hope that you will enjoy the recipe!

Triple Berry Breakfast Jars

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Summer in a jar

I loooooove breakfast. For me breakfast is my favourite meal of the entire day. If it was for me, I´d eat breakfast food all day long. Chia puddings, oatmeals, pancakes, eggs, avocado toasts, .. I mean – what do you need more?

breakfast the first thing in the morning we give our body after a long rest, it is something we re-fuel our energy cells, and the way we start the day. With breakfast we set the attitude for the rest of our day. If we start our day with a healthy and balanced meal, we tend to be healthier throughout the day and make smarter decisions.

Skipping breakfast is not an option for me as I then get hungry an hour after I got up latest, and I get super tired. I just need something in the morning to give me energy and fill me up. I used to eat something in the morning, like a simple bread with butter and jam, which was good in that moment and gave me energy. After an hour though, I tended to get tired and hungry again, as such a breakfast was really high in sugar and very low in fibres.

These Triple Berry Chia Pudding Breakfast Jars (what a long name!) are the complete opposite. Chia seeds are a real superfood and packed with tons of vitamins, as well as fiber, actually more than most fruits and vegetables. It has 10 grams of fiber per 25 grams serving! The little seeds also contain a good amount of protein and healthy omega 3 fats (more than salmon), which makes us feel full for longer. The small seeds may lower your risk in heart diseases, and lower your blood pressure, as well as they are going to boost your digestion due to the fiber.

Not only the chia seeds provide great nutritional value but also the fresh fruits, which contain a ton of vitamins, antioxidants, and fiber. They are consumed raw in this recipe, which keeps all of their vitamins. The greek yoghurt is also a great source of protein and healthy fats, and the sugar-free granola add some carbs and crunch without any added sugar.

What I really like about this breakfast is that it is super simple and easy to prepare. The chia pudding has to be prepared the night before, and in the morning it is all just thrown together into a jar or bowl and ready in 5 minutes. Just add the fresh fruits, yoghurt, and granola and assemble.

This also is a great recipe for meal prep. If it is packed into mason jars or a bento box it is easily potable and can be prepared the night before or a few days before. I would not prepare it more than 2 days ahead as the berries will get mushy and will rotten faster. Also the granola should be kept separately as it won’t be crispy if added to the yoghurt and pudding ahead of time.

All in all, this is such a nutrient – dense breakfast, which will keep you full for several hours and satisfy your tummy for a great start into your day.

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Tripple Berry Breakfast Jars

A delicious and nutrient-dense breakfast for a great start into your day! Gluten- and refined sugar free, seasonal, and as a vegan option available.

Course Breakfast
Prep Time 10 Minuten
Resting time 4 Stunden 10 Minuten
Total Time 4 Stunden 20 Minuten
Servings 2 people
Calories 246 kcal

What you will need

Chia Pudding

  • 50 grams chia seeds (1/4 cup)
  • 250 ml almond milk (1 cup)

For the jars

  • 100 grams yogurt can substitute for plant based yogurt for a vegan option
  • 1 handful blueberries can be frozen
  • 1 handful raspberries can be frozen
  • 2 tbsp granola sugar-free preferably
  • 4 strawberries
  • edible flowers for decoration (optional)

How to

For the Chia Pudding:

  1. Combine the chia seeds and the almond milk in a rather flat container. Stir to combine and place in the fridge. Take out after 10 minutes. You will see that it has thickened slightly. Stir through again to make sure that the chia seeds wont stay at the bottom. Then return to the fridge and keep in there for at least 4 hours but best overnight to let it thicken.

For the Jars:

  1. The next morning take the chia pudding out of the fridge. Place he blueberries at the bottom of the jars. Top them with a layer of the chia pudding. In a small bowl mash the rasberries with a fork and add them on top of the pudding. Sprinkle one tablespoon of ganola into each jar, and pour the yogurt on top of it. Cut the strawberries into small pieces and place them at the top, along with some blueberries and edible flowers.

    Enjoy!

Rhubarb Compote (V,GF,S)

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Rhubarb season is almost over and this is a perfect recipe to round up and finish the season. Such a simple and quick recipe because, let’s be honest, with this nice weather who likes to spend their entire day cooking. It is finished in 30 minutes, and only 4 ingredients but still super flavourful.

What I love about this compote is that it is so versatile. It is sweet but still contains the slight sourness of the rhubarb. This makes it such a great addition to ever dish. You can use it in addition to your breakfast with yoghurt and chia pudding, or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream as a quick dessert. But if you wanna go a bit more creative, go ahead and add it to a grilled chicken or halloumi and use it as a chutney.

I am actually pretty new to cooking with rhubarb, and this is the first recipe I created myself with it. I think it is a bit tricky to come up with recipes. I actually just wanted to make a rhubarb side dish, where you can still eat all the chunks but then I forgot I on the stove and it turned thicker and got creamier. It turned into this delicious compote.

I really love the flavour of this vegetable (yes, it is a vegetable) because it is slightly sour but it can be enjoyed so well as a sweet dish too. It contains a lot of vitamin C and vitamin K as well as fiber. It also is a great source of antioxidants. If you want to make this a healthy compote, without sugar, you can substitute the sugar for stevia or erythrit.

You do NOT HAVE to peel the rhubarb but I prefer to do it. As I did not grow the rhubarb myself, I do not know which dirt got onto the skin, which is probably not all going to be removed by washing. That is why I decided to peel it but it is not necessary. It can actually be consumed raw but if done so, it has a pretty sour flavour, that´s why it is hardly found raw and often used in desserts with sugar.

For this recipe, I recommend using stalks that are very red-pinkish and not green, as it gives the compote a prettier colour. The more intense the colour of your rhubarb is, the nicer will the colour of your finished product be. If the stalks are more green than red, then it will turn into a light pink colour. Also if you prefer the compote sweeter or less sweet, you can simply adapt the amount of sugar you add into it.

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Rhubarb Compote

This compote is the perfect add-on for yoghurt, ice cream, chia pudding or anything rather sweet you can think off … even cake! perfect vegan and seasonal summer dish.

Course Dessert
Prep Time 10 Minuten
Cook Time 15 Minuten
Total Time 25 Minuten
Servings 12 tbsp
Calories 24 kcal

What you will need

Makes 2 jars å 250ml

  • 4 stalks rhubarb
  • 60 g sugar
  • 0.5 lemon juice
  • splash water

How to

  1. Peel the rhubarb stalks, so that the outest layer is off. Then cut them into 3cm (1 inch) cubes. Place them into a pan along with the suagr, the juice of half a lemon, and a splash of water to help it cook.

    Bring it to a boil, then lower the heat. let it simmer for about 10 more mintues, until some rhubarb chunks have broken down, and some are still in shape but soft. You should be able to stab through with a fork easily. The compote should have reached a creamy consistency. Pour it into 2 jars who have been washed out with boiling water peviously. Let cool completetly at room temperature and then store in the fridge. It will last in the fridge for at least 4 weeks.

    Serve it over yoghurt for breakfast or with ice cream as a dessert option.

 If you have any questions don’t hesitate to ask me! And if you recreate the recipe be sure to tag me on instagram with @happyfoodkitchen! I hope you enjoy it.
Xx Katie