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Vegan Duck: A Recipe for the Alternative Christmas Roast

Vegan duck based on seitan, with side dishes such as potato dumplings and red cabbage – and you have a delicious Christmas menu without any animal cruelty. With this recipe you can prepare the plant-based Christmas roast.

Whether for Christmas, Easter or another special occasion such as a birthday: On some days, a fine meal is simply part of it. You don’t necessarily need an animal for a juicy roast. We will show you how to prepare and serve vegan duck.

Vegan Duck: The basis for the recipe

Theoretically, you can also make seitan yourself and use it to make your own vegan duck – but this takes time and skill. It’s faster if you use ready-made products. Some manufacturers now have vegan seitan-based duck in their range. This is similar in consistency and appearance to a duck breast fillet – and with the right preparation, it tastes the same. We recommend, for example, the vegan duck from Veganz. You should plan around 500 grams of vegan duck for three to four people.

You can serve the vegan duck with side dishes of your choice. Potato dumplings and red cabbage as well as a dark gravy are ideal for a classic Christmas menu. We’ll show you how to do it.

Ingredients for the vegan duck:

500 g vegan duck

Vegan duck with red cabbage: Recipe for the side dish

It is best to start the menu with apple and red cabbage: this tastes particularly delicious if it can still infuse a bit. For about four large servings you need the following ingredients:

a red cabbage (medium size)
2 onions
oil for frying
3 apples
3 oranges for squeezing or 250 ml orange juice
250 ml red wine
500ml of water
2 bay leaves
6 juniper berries
4 cloves
1 tsp cinnamon
pepper
Salt

Potato dumplings with vegan duck: recipe instructions

You will also need the following ingredients for about twelve smaller potato dumplings:

1 kg of potatoes
250 g potato flour
150-200 ml lukewarm water
Salt

Vegan gravy for the duck: recipe

To ensure that the vegan duck tastes juicy, a hearty gravy is a must. The porcini or shiitake mushrooms in the sauce provide the umami taste. For the vegan version you need these ingredients:

600-700 ml vegetable stock, preferably homemade
30 g dried porcini mushrooms (or 200 g fresh mushrooms such as button mushrooms or shiitake)
2 medium onions
3 cloves of garlic
2 tbsp organic olive oil
3 tablespoons cornstarch or flour
1 tsp thyme
3 tsp rosemary
salt and pepper to taste
fresh parsley for garnish (optional)

Roast and serve vegan duck: instructions

When you have prepared the side dishes and sauces, you can prepare the vegan duck:

Heat enough oil in a pan and then add the vegan duck breast fillet pieces.
Fry the vegan duck on all sides for several minutes until it is crispy.
Remove the roasted duck pieces from the pan and place them in the warm gravy until ready to serve. Tip: Leave the vegan duck in the sauce for a few minutes. So it absorbs a little more aroma and tastes particularly juicy in the end.

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Vegan Ramen: The Noodle Classic, But Without Animal Products

Vegan ramen is a delicious twist on the Japanese dish. Here you can find out which ingredients you can use to prepare the pasta classic without any animal products.

If you want to eat vegan ramen, you can easily modify the traditional noodle dish with a few ingredients. The combination of fresh wheat noodles, a spicy aroma and crunchy vegetables conjures up a tasty and healthy meal.

In this article you will learn everything you need to know about ramen and how you can easily cook vegan ramen.

What is ramen?

Vegan ramen is a twist on the classic ramen. Ramen is a traditional noodle dish from Japan. Translated, it means something like hand-pulled noodles. Ramen is the name for the thick wheat noodles made from wheat, salt and water. At the same time, ramen is the name of the classic soup dish that is prepared with noodles, broth and meat, fish or tofu.

Ramen also lives from a fine seasoning. The recipe uses miso: a flavorful paste made from fermented soy. It is suitable for seasoning various Asian dishes, or can simply be prepared as miso soup.

Vegan ramen with different toppings are particularly tasty. Serve with fresh seasonal vegetables such as cabbage, broccoli or edamame. In our Utopia seasonal calendar you can always read which vegetables are currently available from regional cultivation.

When buying your products, make sure that they come from organic farming. In this way you support sustainable agriculture that does not use chemical fertilizers and chemical-synthetic pesticides. If possible, buy at your regional weekly market to support the farmers of the region.

You can get the somewhat unusual ingredients, such as shiitake mushrooms, miso or smoked tofu in a well-stocked health food store.

Prepare ramen: A vegan recipe

The vegetables in this recipe are suggestions and can be modified as desired. Find out which vegetables are in season at the moment and cook with fresh ingredients from the region.

Ingredients:

15 g shiitake mushrooms, dried
2spring onions
2 clove(s) garlic
50 g fresh ginger
100 g fresh shiitake mushrooms
1carrot
100 g edamame, peeled
1pak choy
4 tablespoons sesame oil
30 g miso paste
4 tbsp soy sauce
1.8 l vegetable broth
350 grams of ramen noodles
300 g smoked tofu
1 pinch(s) pepper, coarsely ground
50 g toasted sesame seeds
1 handful of fresh herbs of your choice

Directions:

Soak the dried shiitake mushrooms in a bowl of hot water for 12 minutes.
Then catch the broth and cut the shiitake mushrooms into small pieces.
Wash and peel the vegetables. Chop the spring onions and garlic and finely grate the ginger. Cut the mushrooms, pak choi and carrot into fine strips.
In a wok or large saucepan, heat 3 tablespoons of the sesame oil. First stew the spring onions, garlic, ginger and the dried shiitake mushrooms in it.
Now add the miso paste and the soy sauce. Let everything continue to simmer for two minutes.
Deglaze everything with the mushroom decoction. Add the vegetable broth and let it simmer for 10 minutes on a low heat.
Now add the carrot, edamame and pak choi to the broth and let it simmer for five minutes.
Add the fresh shiitake mushrooms to the soup. Cook them for another five minutes.
Prepare the ramen noodles according to package directions.
Cut the smoked tofu into small cubes and fry it in a separate pan with the remaining sesame oil until crispy.
Serve the ramen noodles in a deep plate along with the vegetable broth and tofu. Decorate the vegan ramen with fresh herbs, ground pepper and roasted sesame.
Tip: Serve with the vegan ramen soy sauce and sesame oil. You can season the ramen as you like.

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White Chocolate Mousse: Classic and Vegan Recipe

White chocolate mousse is a sweet and creamy dessert. You can find out here how you can prepare the fluffy dessert vegetarian and vegan.

Mousse au chocolat is not only available in dark chocolate, but also works with the white counterpart. Since it is quick to prepare but has to rest for a long time, you can prepare it particularly well. This is useful, for example, for a menu evening with a small group of friends or family.

We will show you a vegetarian recipe and a purely plant-based version for white chocolate mousse. You can add more or less sugar to both recipes, depending on your taste. A lot of sweetness comes from the white chocolate. So that the dessert is also visually convincing, you can serve it with mint and fresh fruits such as berries.

White Chocolate Mousse: Tips & Hints

We recommend using organic food for the recipe. Organic certifications such as those from Bioland or Demeter indicate that farmers have complied with certain requirements for environmental protection and animal welfare. For example, you can be sure that the products are free of chemical-synthetic pesticides. In the case of the vegetarian variant, also make sure that the eggs are not shredded.

You can also buy organic chocolate. When it comes to chocolate, you should also make sure that it is fairly traded. This ensures that human rights and fair working conditions are observed in the production chain. So pay attention to the Fairtrade seal when buying.

Tip: For the white mousse au chocolat, all the ingredients should be cold. So only take them out of the fridge just before you use them.

For the vegan version, we use aquafaba, the drained water from chickpeas from a can or jar. Alternatively, you can make your own aquafaba by skimming off the cooking water (not the soaking water!) from dried chickpeas. You can then use the chickpeas to prepare delicious dishes. For example, you can make hummus yourself, serve roasted chickpeas as a snack, or cook a chickpea curry. For example, you could make a chickpea main course and serve vegan white chocolate mousse for dessert.

White chocolate mousse: recipe

Ingredients:

2organic eggs
1 pinch(s) of salt
2 pieces of vegetarian leaf gelatine from agar-agar
100 g white chocolate
25 gsugar
1 packet(s) of vanilla sugar
200 g of whipped cream

Directions:

Separate the eggs. Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff and place in the fridge.
Soften the gelatin sheets in cold water according to package directions.
Crush the white chocolate and melt it in a water bath. Make sure that the chocolate doesn’t get too hot, otherwise it will no longer be usable.
Add the softened gelatine leaves to the melted chocolate and stir until the two ingredients are completely combined.
Beat the egg yolk together with the sugar and vanilla sugar until fluffy.
In another bowl, whip the cream until stiff.
Mix the egg yolk and sugar mixture with the melted chocolate. Do this quickly and stir quickly.
Get the beaten egg whites out of the fridge and carefully fold them into the mixture.
Pour the white chocolate mousse into a bowl or several containers, depending on how you want to serve it. Place the mousse in the fridge for at least three hours.

White mousse au chocolat: That’s how it’s vegan

Ingredients:

140 g vegan white chocolate
240ml Aquafaba
0.5 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp sugar
1 packet(s) of vanilla sugar

Directions:

Chop the chocolate into small pieces and melt them in a water bath. Don’t let it get too hot or it will become unusable.
Drain the chickpea aquafaba and catch it in a large bowl.
Beat the aquafaba for several minutes until fluffy and quite stiff. Meanwhile, stir in the baking powder. This makes it easier to pitch. Finally, add the sugar and vanilla sugar while stirring.
Now fold the whipped aquafaba into the melted, slightly cooled chocolate.
Divide the white mousse au chocolat into small glasses or bowls and place in the fridge for at least three hours.

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Make Mocha Beans Yourself: This is How the Chocolates Go Vegan

You can make mocha beans yourself from just six ingredients. We will show you how to make marzipan pralines vegan and gluten-free.

Mocha beans are chocolate pralines with a coffee note. You can use the beans to decorate cakes or for snacking. If you buy the beans in the supermarket, they are usually packed in plastic and cardboard. You can avoid the packaging by making the mocha beans yourself. You can also use high-quality chocolate and coffee to produce a particularly tasty and non-toxic product.

Since cocoa beans and coffee beans are grown in areas near the equator, you should look for the Fairtrade seal when buying. Among other things, the seal improves the working and trading conditions of smallholders. For example, they receive a cost-covering price guarantee. There is also a ban on the use of certain pesticides on the plantations.

Finding sustainable coconut oil, on the other hand, is not always easy. You can also pay attention to fair trade here, as well as the organic seal to avoid chemical-synthetic pesticides. In addition, there are now coconut oils that have received awards from the Rainforest Alliance.

Make mocha beans yourself: This is how the chocolates are also vegan

Ingredients:

200g marzipan
150 grams of chocolate
80 coconut fat
3 tsp ground coffee
2 teaspoons coffee liqueur
2 tbsp powdered sugar

Directions:

First cut the raw marzipan mixture into small pieces so that you can knead all the ingredients more easily.
Now put all the ingredients except the chocolate and coconut oil in a bowl and knead everything together. You can also make the coffee liqueur yourself.
Now form small oval beans from the marzipan-coffee dough and place them on baking paper.

After shaping, you can use a skewer to press small, long grooves into the beans.
After that, cool the beans and start melting the chocolate and coconut oil together.

Now cover the beans with chocolate. It makes sense to only glaze the underside of the beans, let them dry and then glaze the entire bean. Place the beans, bottom side up, on the baking sheet. Now brush the undersides with the chocolate icing. The chocolate may take 15 minutes to set.

Once the chocolate has set, you can glaze the top of the beans. Place the beans on a fine grid. This way, the excess chocolate can run off later and the finished pralines look nicer. Note: The small chocolates will slip through the normal oven grates. To avoid this, you can simply place two grids on top of each other. You should place a piece of baking paper substitute under the grid or place a flat plate. This way you can catch and recycle the chocolate that runs down.
If the beans are completely covered with chocolate, you should quickly put them on a plate or on a piece of baking paper. If the chocolate sets while the beans are still on the grid, they could stick to it.

Now all you have to do is set the chocolate. Let the beans set in a cool place for about an hour.

Use up the leftover chocolate

If you make the mocha beans yourself, there will be chocolate left over at the end because it runs down when glazing, for example. You should not throw away these leftover chocolates, but reuse them. How to use up leftover chocolate:

in a chocolate fondue
as a chocolate glaze on a vegan chocolate cake
as broken chocolate
in a drinking chocolate
as a chocolate sauce for desserts or ice cream
in a vegan chocolate salami.

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Vegan Brunch – Recipes and Ideas for a Vegan Buffet

At a vegan brunch you can discover the whole variety of vegan cuisine. From savory to sweet – here are our tips for a vegan breakfast buffet.

It doesn’t matter whether you eat a plant-based diet or not – it’s worth discovering vegan cuisine. A brunch offers the perfect opportunity: Here you can try both vegan breakfast dishes and lunch. There is almost nothing that doesn’t fit on a brunch buffet: from bread and muesli to soups and salads to sweet treats, we’ll show you simple and delicious recipes for a vegan brunch.

Baked goods, spreads, and dips for vegan brunch

A brunch includes freshly baked goods, preferably homemade bread. Conveniently, many bread recipes are vegan. This does not necessarily apply to bought bread – some varieties contain skimmed milk powder, for example.

You can spread and top the pastries with store-bought sweet or savory spreads and cold cuts – or you can make the vegan spreads yourself, for example based on legumes or sunflower seeds.

A cashew aioli dip is quick to prepare and goes well with a vegan brunch. For four servings you need the following ingredients:

180 g cashew nuts, soaked in water for about two hours
two tablespoons of lime juice
two cloves of garlic
two tablespoons of water, maybe more
two tbsp yeast flakes
salt and pepper
That’s how it works:

Drain the cashews and place them in a blender.
Add the remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly.
If the dip is still too thick for you, you can add a little more water – in the end it should have a creamy consistency.
Season the dip with salt and pepper.

Sweets for brunch: fruit, cereal and pancakes

Fresh fruit provides a balance to the hearty start to the day. You can serve it with vegan pancakes, for example, or use it in Bircher muesli. The muesli can be prepared the day before, is healthy and also tastes delicious in the vegan version. You can vary the fruits specified in the recipe depending on the season.

For four small portions of vegan Bircher muesli you need the following ingredients:

8 tablespoons oatmeal
200 ml plant-based milk (e.g. oat milk)
a tart apple
250 g soy yoghurt
1 tbsp maple syrup or other vegan sweetener
2 tbsp fresh blueberries
eight almonds or other nuts
a pinch of cinnamon
How to prepare the muesli:

Mix the oatmeal with the milk and refrigerate overnight.
Finely grate the apple and mix it with the oatmeal.
Divide the mixture between four glasses, top with the soy yoghurt and garnish with the remaining ingredients.
You can also serve the muesli in a large bowl for a buffet.

Vegan vegetables, soups and salads

What would a vegan brunch be without all those delicious veggies? You can serve many of them raw with a dip or raw in a salad, for example as pinzimonio. A filling and refreshing salad classic is the bulgur salad tabbouleh. Pickled vegetables also taste delicious and are easy to prepare.

Between all the cold dishes, a warm soup comes in handy. How about a parsnip cream soup, for example?

For four servings you need:

300 g parsnips
300 g mealy potatoes
an onion
1-2 tbsp olive oil
about 500 ml vegetable stock
250 ml coconut milk
Salt pepper
half a bunch of flat-leaf parsley
That’s how it’s done:

Peel and dice the parsnips, potatoes and onion.
Heat the oil in a saucepan, add the diced vegetables and sauté over medium-high heat for a few minutes. Stir every now and then so that nothing burns.
Pour in the vegetable broth and let the soup simmer for about 20 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
If you prefer a finer consistency, puree the soup and strain it through a sieve. Add the coconut milk and let the soup simmer for another five minutes. Season the soup with salt and pepper.
Wash and chop the parsley and garnish the finished soup with it.

Vegan dessert for brunch

A delicious dessert rounds off your brunch. For example, try a vegan carrot cake or vegan truffles made from dates, almonds and cocoa: make your own energy balls. Vegan mousse au chocolat is also very easy, for example based on silken tofu. You can conveniently prepare them the day before.

For eight servings you need the following ingredients:

550 g silken tofu
100 g fair and vegan whole milk and dark chocolate each (if you like it particularly chocolaty, you can increase the proportion of dark chocolate)
2-3 tablespoons agave syrup or another sweetener
Spices as desired, for example chili, orange peel, ginger powder or cinnamon
Chopped and toasted nuts for garnish, if desired

How to prepare the mousse:

Drain the silken tofu and pass it through a sieve.
Melt the chocolate in a water bath along with the agave syrup.
Whip the mixture with the silken tofu until creamy and season to your taste.
Place the mousse in the fridge overnight.
Garnish the mousse with the chopped nuts before serving.
This goes well with fresh fruit, a fruit sauce or a fruit mirror without gelatine, for example.

Drinks for brunch: Vegan thirst quenchers

In addition to all the delicious food, of course, the drinks should not be missing. With fair coffee (you can easily replace the milk with plant milk), fair tea and water, you won’t go wrong.

Juices also go well with a brunch buffet, but beware: not all juices are vegan. Gelatine is often used for clarification – this also applies to many beers and wines, by the way. So check if the juice uses a vegan gelatin substitute.

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Vegan Hot Dogs: Carrot Dogs Recipe

You can easily make vegan hot dogs yourself. In this recipe, we show you how to make carrot dogs using carrots and other ingredients.

Vegan hot dogs

These Carrot Dogs consist of a carrot sausage that is cooked, marinated and fried. The bun for the vegan hot dog consists of spelled yeast dough.

You can also buy ready-made hot dog buns from the grocery store. However, home-baked rolls are usually less processed and therefore healthier. They also have lower CO2 emissions.

Tip: You can use the preparation time optimally by preparing the carrots while the yeast dough is resting.

Ingredients:

600 g spelled flour (type 630)
350 ml warm water
1 tsp salt
1 tablespoon oil 1 cube fresh yeast

Directions:

Weigh all the ingredients and put them in a bowl. Crumble the yeast into small pieces so that the yeast is evenly distributed.
Knead the yeast dough for five to seven minutes. If the dough is still sticking to your fingers, you can add a tablespoon or two of flour.
Cover the dough in the bowl with a towel and let it rise in a warm place for 45 minutes.

After the resting time, the yeast dough should have doubled in size. Knead it well again and divide it into six equal pieces. Then form the individual pieces into small oblong buns.
Then place the buns on a baking sheet and cover the whole thing again with a cloth. Now let the yeast buns rise for another 30 minutes.
Put the baking tray in the oven and turn it on at 200 degrees convection. You don’t need to preheat the oven for this recipe.
Bake the buns for 20 minutes and then let them cool. To check if the buns are done baking, you can tap the bottom. When a hollow sound is heard, they’re done.

Cook the carrot for the vegan hot dogs

Now only the vegan carrot sausages are missing so that the Carrot Dogs are ready. You can prep them while the buns are rising or baking, saving you time.

Ingredients:

6carrots
1 tbsp vegetable broth
10 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp smoked paprika
2 tbsp hot peppers
2 piece ginger (thumb size)
2 clove(s) garlic
3 tbsp oil
600 ml water
1 pack(s)Hot Dog Pickles
6 tablespoons roasted onions
3 EL mustard
4 ELKetchup

Directions:

First peel the carrots and put them in a saucepan.

Add 500 milliliters of water for each tablespoon of vegetable stock to the saucepan with the carrots. Turn on the stove and bring the water to a boil.
Cook the carrots for about 10 to 15 minutes. As a test, you can try to carefully poke a fork into the carrot. If you can stick a fork through the carrot, the carrots are done.
Drain the hot water and leave the carrots in the pot.

Cut the garlic cloves and ginger into small pieces. Now mix all the other ingredients for the marinade together.

Then pour all the ingredients over the carrots and add another 100 milliliters of water.
Leave the carrots in the spice marinade for an hour.
Then take the individual carrots out of the pot and put them in a pan.
Fry the carrots in the pan over high heat for about 10 minutes. Turn them regularly so they don’t burn.
Finally, remove the carrots from the pan.

Complete vegan hot dogs

Now you can fill and serve the vegan hot dogs. To do this, cut the buns lengthwise and top them with the cucumbers. Then place the carrot in the hot dog bun and top with homemade ketchup and mustard, if you like. Finally, sprinkle the fried onions on the finished vegan hot dog.

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Treated Fruit isn’t Always Vegan: What to Look Out For

Treated fruit is not always vegan, because the glazing agents often contain animal components. You can find out what they are and how to recognize them here.

Basically, fruit is one of the foods that are part of a balanced vegan diet. For the optics and a longer shelf life, however, fruit is often treated with coating agents. These agents slow down the ripening process because they allow less oxygen to penetrate and less moisture, smells and flavors to escape.

There are different types of coating agents that are either of vegetable, animal or synthetic origin. According to this, fruit treated with animal products is, strictly speaking, no longer vegan.

All possible types of fruit can be post-treated. These include, for example, apples, pears, strawberries, bananas, tangerines, oranges, lemons, bananas, mangoes, melons, pineapples and avocados.

Treated Fruit: These remedies are used

Glazing agents are among the food additives, which is why each agent is assigned its own E number.

Coating agents of animal origin include:

Beeswax (E901) is produced from the comb of honey bees. It is a valuable raw material with many areas of application.
Shellac (E904) is formed when certain species of scale insects convert plant sap into a resinous mass. Shellac also offers many possible uses, for example as a coating for tablets or a cosmetic ingredient.
Plant-based coatings include:

Carnauba wax (E903) comes from the leaves of the Brazilian carnauba palm. Carnauba wax is not only used as a coating agent, but has many other uses, for example in cosmetics or cleaning agents.
Candelilla Wax (E902) is made from the leaves and stems of the Candelilla plant.
Synthetic coatings include:

Esters of glycerol from root resin (E445)
Polyethylene wax (E914)
Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids (E471) can come from vegetable, animal or synthetic production. Usually, however, soybean or canola oil serve as a source.

Fruit glazing agents can often consist of a mixture of synthetic and natural waxes.

Here’s how to identify and avoid treated fruit

You can sometimes recognize glazing agents by the fact that the fruit is very shiny. Treated fruit is always labeled in one way or another.

On the one hand there is the indication “waxed”. This labeling is used when the coating agents are additives

E 445, 471, 473, 474, 901-905 and 914
acts. Another way of labeling treated fruit is for retailers to

class of the food additive and the name of the additive or the E number
brag. If the fruit being treated is citrus, you will recognize this by statements such as

“treated with E471 or E473”.


You can use this information to check whether the coating is vegan. In principle, fruit is not labeled vegan.

The indication “untreated” means that the fruit was neither preserved nor waxed after harvesting. However, this information does not prohibit the use of plant protection products during the growing season. This means that the fruit may well be contaminated with pesticides.

In short: To avoid animal coatings, pay attention to the E901 and E904 labels. E741 can also be animal products.

It is easiest if you choose your fruit in organic quality. After all, it is not allowed to treat organic fruit. At the same time you can avoid chemical-synthetic pesticides.

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Jackfruit Goulash: This Vegan Dish is a Success with this Recipe

The jackfruit goulash tastes just as hearty as its traditional counterpart – and without any meat. We show you which ingredients you can add to the plant-based alternative and present a recipe in more detail.

Jackfruit goulash is a hearty dish and goes particularly well with winter cuisine. You can also prepare vegan goulash with tofu or soy strips. The corresponding South Asian fruit is used in the jackfruit goulash. The recipe is quick to prepare and may even convince non-vegans. We will also tell you which ingredients are suitable in addition to jackfruit and what you can combine well with the goulash.

Jackfruit Goulash: Key Ingredients

For a successful jackfruit goulash, not only the aromatic taste, but also the right consistency is crucial.

Green, unripe jackfruit is particularly well suited as a meat substitute, as it is almost tasteless and the consistency is reminiscent of real pieces of meat. Buying jackfruit fresh is not that easy. You often have to be lucky to occasionally find them in well-stocked wholesale markets. Alternatively, buy canned green jackfruit. It serves the same purpose, lasts longer, and is easier to obtain.

However, jackfruit has to cover very long transport routes to get to Germany and therefore causes high CO2 emissions. Therefore, only use jackfruit occasionally in the kitchen. Local alternatives can include locally grown tofu, soy, seitan and lupine.

In addition to jackfruit, the insider tip in this recipe is the broth of sour, pickled cucumbers. The pickles give the jackfruit goulash a fine flavor that is very similar to the hearty meat goulash.

When buying your ingredients, always make sure that they come from organic farming. In this way you support sustainable agriculture that does not use chemical pesticides. You can get organic ingredients in organic shops or at the weekly market. Organic seals such as Bioland or Demeter are a good indication of sustainable purchasing.

Jackfruit goulash: recipe

Ingredients:

250 g canned jackfruit
200 g tomatoes
350 large peppers
1 piece onion
2 clove(s) garlic
4 tbsp oil
3 tablespoons tomato paste
200 mlred wine, dry
700 ml vegetable broth
2 tbsp soy sauce
60 ml gherkin stock from pickles
6 large gherkins
1 pinch(s) of salt
1 pinch(s) of pepper

Directions:

Drain the canned jackfruit in a colander. If necessary, cut the jackfruit into smaller, bite-sized pieces.
Wash the tomatoes and peppers. Cut them into small cubes. Peel onion and garlic. Finely chop the garlic and cut the onion into thin strips.
Heat two tablespoons of oil in a pan. Fry the jackfruit in it over high heat for about five minutes.
Add onion and garlic to the jackfruit. Fry them for two minutes until translucent.
Heat the other 2 tablespoons of oil in a large saucepan. Add the jackfruit and onions from the pan along with the tomato paste. Roast the ingredients in the pot for at least four minutes. Let the tomato paste roast well so that the aroma can develop.
Deglaze everything with the red wine. Add the vegetable broth, soy sauce and cucumber stock. Let the ingredients boil.


Put the tomatoes and peppers in the pot. Cook all ingredients for 20 minutes on low heat.
Cut the pickles into cubes and add them to the goulash five minutes before the end of the cooking time.
Season the finished jackfruit goulash with salt and pepper.
Serve the jackfruit goulash with fresh bread, potatoes or potato dumplings. Sprinkle some fresh parsley over the goulash as a garnish.

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Vegan Proteins: the 5 Most Important Sources

Vegan proteins can be found in many foods. But it’s not just the protein content that counts, but also the biological value. We show you the most important vegan protein sources and how to combine them.

Basically, as a vegetarian or vegan, you don’t have to be afraid of a protein deficiency as long as you eat a balanced diet. Because there are enough vegetable protein sources that automatically cover your needs with a varied diet. According to the German Society for Nutrition (DGE), the daily requirement for an adult is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight. For a person weighing 70 kilograms, this corresponds to 56 grams of protein.

Vegan proteins: The right combination is crucial

Compared to animal proteins, vegan proteins cannot be used by the body as easily because, in contrast to the body’s own proteins, they usually do not contain all nine essential amino acids in sufficient quantities. In the case of animal protein, on the other hand, the amino acid profile is complete – this is referred to as a high biological value. It is therefore important that you combine different vegan protein sources: Different vegan proteins contain different amino acids. Together they complete the amino acid profile.

Combinations of grain products (preferably whole grain) and legumes or nuts and seeds are ideal. For example, wholemeal bread with hummus, rice as an accompaniment to chilli sin carne or nut butter in muesli provide an optimal protein combination. It is completely sufficient if you consume the various protein sources spread over the day or several days. They do not have to be present together in one meal.

In the following we will introduce you to the most important vegan protein sources and their protein content. The information comes from the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) and relates to the protein contained per 100 grams of the food.

Vegan proteins from legumes

Soybeans: 36.7 g (dried)
Tempeh: 20 g
Tofu: 9-18g
Kidney beans: 23.7 g (dried)
Black beans: 22.9 g (dried)
Chickpeas: 10 g (dried)
Lentils: 25 g (dried)
Peas: 5.6 g (raw)
Lupine seeds: 36.2 g (raw)

Soybeans are particularly valuable as a vegan protein source because they contain all the essential amino acids. Soy protein is comparable to animal protein in terms of its biological value.

Beans and chickpeas are high in the essential amino acids lysine and threonine. Lentil and pea proteins also contain a lot of lysine. This makes them a good addition to cereal proteins, in which this amino acid is almost completely absent. The fiber and low fat content also make legumes a comparatively low-calorie source of protein.

Lupine protein contains all the essential amino acids and can be used by the body just as easily as soy protein. It is particularly rich in lysine and tryptophan, which are rarely found in grain. Lupine flour is therefore an ideal supplement to conventional types of flour. When baking, you can simply replace a small part of the flour with lupine flour.

Vegan protein source: nuts

Peanuts: 26.7 g
Almonds: 20 g
Pistachios: 20 g
Cashew nuts: 17.9 g

Nuts are an extremely healthy source of protein because they also provide many vitamins and unsaturated fatty acids. The frontrunner is the peanut, which is actually not a nut at all, but one of the legumes. However, due to their high calorie content, you shouldn’t eat more than a handful a day. This means that nuts are not suitable for covering your basic protein needs, but they are a valuable supplement.

Seeds provide valuable vegan proteins

Hemp seeds: 33.3 g
Pumpkin seeds: 24.2 g
Sunflower seeds: 20 g
Sesame: 20 g
Flaxseed: 20 g
Seeds not only contain a lot of protein, they are also rich in vitamins and nutrients. Hemp seeds score with a complete amino acid profile, making them a high-quality source of protein. However, lysine is only found in small amounts, which reduces the protein value again. The hemp flour made from the seeds contains slightly less fat and is easier to digest.

Hemp seeds are also used to make hemp protein – a vegan protein powder that contains less fiber and healthy fats than seeds.

Vegan proteins from pseudo grains

Quinoa: 14.3 g (uncooked)
Amaranth: 13.33 g (uncooked)
Buckwheat: 12 g (uncooked)

Pseudo-cereals are an excellent gluten-free protein source that also provides other valuable nutrients. Unlike grain, amaranth contains a lot of lysine. In addition to grain, it is best to use pseudo-grain again and again – this way you improve the biological value of the proteins.

Cereals: staple food and vegan source of protein

Rolled oats: 12.5 g
Wholemeal spelled flour: 13.3 g
Wholemeal Wheat Flour: 12.9 g
Seitan: about 30 g (varies from product to product)
Rice: 8 g (uncooked)

It is often underestimated how much protein there is in staple foods such as pasta or bread. Since we usually consume large amounts of them, they make a decisive contribution to the protein supply. Although rice contains relatively little protein, this can be extracted through certain processes. This is how vegan protein powder is made from rice.

By the way: There is also protein in vegetables and mushrooms – for example 3.6 grams in mushrooms and around two to three grams in spinach and broccoli. That’s not a lot, but you can eat vegetables in much larger quantities than nuts. Vegetables also contribute to the protein supply.

Do vegans need protein powder?

Protein deficiency is quite rare in the western world and the protein requirement is usually covered with a balanced diet (regardless of whether it is purely plant-based or not). In fact, excess protein is more common than deficiency. In principle, protein powder is therefore not necessary for either a mixed diet or a purely plant-based diet. However, if you cannot cover your protein requirements through your diet for a specific reason – for example due to allergies or intolerances – vegan protein powders are a good help.

By the way: Spirulina algae are not suitable for increasing protein intake. The much-advertised superfood does have a large amount of easily digestible protein (about 60 percent). However, spirulina is sold as a dietary supplement and the recommended daily dose is only a few grams.

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Food

Vegan Jackfruit Curry: Spicy, Quick, Healthy

The jackfruit curry is a healthy and vegan alternative to Indian meat dishes. We’ll tell you which spices are best and how to cook a delicious curry with just a few ingredients.

Jackfruit curry is the vegan version of classic curry dishes that contain meat. You only need a few ingredients for this simple dish. The fresh spices are particularly important, and it is best to grind them before cooking. They develop an intense aroma that gives the jackfruit curry an Asian touch.

Jackfruit: The exotic meat substitute

As the name suggests, the jackfruit curry is based on the tropical fruit jackfruit. Jackfruit has become increasingly popular with vegans and vegetarians in recent years. The consistency is meat-like and the pulp tastes neutral. Thus, jackfruit is used in a variety of dishes and national cuisines.

However, jackfruit is a tropical fruit with a poor ecological balance: it mainly grows in India and Bangladesh. The long transport routes to Europe significantly increase CO2 emissions and contribute to a high ecological footprint.

Therefore, when shopping for the jackfruit curry, make sure that the jackfruit is organically certified. The start-up company Jacky F. offers sustainably produced jackfruit. The organic manufacturers Govinda, Taiga Naturos and Lotao also have jackfruit products in their range. You can get Jackfriut in well-stocked health food stores or in Asian shops.

If possible, buy the remaining products from organic farming and from regional cultivation. This reduces transport routes and CO2 emissions. In addition, organic-certified labels such as Bioland, Naturland or Demeter do not use environmentally harmful chemical-synthetic pesticides.

Jackfruit Curry: An easy recipe

In this recipe we use canned jackfruit. This is quick to prepare and often easier to find in stores than fresh fruit.

Ingredients:

1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 teaspoon of grenades
20 ginger
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp turmeric
1 green chili pepper
2 onions
2 pieces of tomatoes
3 tablespoons coconut oil
250 g jackfruit
100 ml water
1 tablespoon date syrup
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 handful of fresh coriander, chopped

Directions:

Place coriander seeds, cumin, and allspice seeds in a mortar and pestle. Paint the seeds until they crumble.
Peel the ginger and garlic.
Roughly chop the ginger, garlic, turmeric powder, and green chilli. Grind them together with the spice mixture in the mortar until you get a coarse paste.
Peel the onion, wash the tomatoes. Cut the onion into fine strips and the tomatoes into small cubes.
Heat the coconut oil in a large pan.
Sauté the onion in it for five minutes.
Add the spice mixture from the mortar and simmer over high heat for a minute.
Mix the tomatoes with the ingredients in the pan. Cover and simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, drain the canned jackfruit and cut into small, bite-sized pieces as needed. Put the jackfruit in the pan.


Mix the ingredients with the water. Let the curry continue to cook for ten minutes over medium heat.
Refine the jackfruit curry with date syrup and garam masala.
Garnish the finished jackfruit curry with fresh coriander and serve.
Tip: Serve the delicious jackfruit curry with some naan bread or chapati (an Indian flatbread). Of course, the classic rice goes well as a side dish with the jackfruit stew.

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