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Potato and Vegetable Pan: A Simple and Vegan Recipe

With a vegan potato and vegetable stir-fry, there is a delicious dish on the table at any time of the year. Depending on the season, you can add other local vegetables to the potatoes. Here you will find the recipe and inspiration for every season.

This autumnal and wintery potato and vegetable pan is quick to prepare. It does not contain any animal products – instead, legumes provide a portion of vegetable protein. If you don’t have chickpeas on hand, you can also use sweet lupins, kidney beans, kidney beans or lentils.

If possible, make sure to buy the ingredients for the potato and vegetable pan in organic quality. This is particularly important for potatoes, since conventional agriculture relies heavily on toxic chemicals in potato cultivation. By opting for organic ingredients instead, you can support more sustainable agriculture that does not use synthetic chemical pesticides that can harm the environment, animals and people. Seals such as Bioland, Naturland or Demeter offer you orientation when shopping.

Recipe for the potato and vegetable pan

Ingredients:

500 g potatoes
3carrots
250 g Brussels sprouts
3onions
2 clove(s) garlic
2 sprigs of thyme
2 tablespoons frying oil
150g jarred chickpeas
2 tablespoons vegan cream cheese or almond butter
salt and pepper

Directions:

Wash the potatoes and carrots that are as small as possible and rub them thoroughly with a kitchen towel if necessary. Wash the Brussels sprouts as well, removing any dry or brown leaves.
Halve the potatoes, thinly slice the carrots and halve the Brussels sprouts.
Peel the onion and the garlic cloves. Quarter the onions and finely chop the garlic.
Wash the thyme and shake dry. Pluck the leaves from the branch and roughly chop them.
Bring salted water to a boil in a saucepan. Cook the potatoes in it for about ten minutes and then drain them.
Heat the oil in a pan. Sauté the onions and garlic in it until translucent. Then add the remaining vegetables and the pre-cooked potatoes. Fry everything for about five minutes.
Now add the thyme leaves and the drained chickpeas. Sauté everything for another three minutes.
Finally stir in the vegan cream cheese or almond butter and season the potato and vegetable pan with salt and pepper.

This is how you prepare the potato and vegetable pan seasonally and regionally

You can get regional potatoes all year round. Potatoes from local cultivation are available as stock from November to May, and fresh from the field from June to October.

Together with other seasonal vegetables, you can use them to prepare a delicious vegan potato and vegetable pan that is suitable for every season:

Combine the potatoes with asparagus and kohlrabi in spring, for example.
In summer you can use peppers, tomatoes and zucchini for a Mediterranean potato and vegetable pan.
When autumn comes, mushrooms and squash go well with potatoes.
Winter is when root and tuber vegetables like beets, parsnips and parsley root are in season.

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Vegan Chop Suey: Recipe with Lots of Vegetables

Chop suey is also vegan and a delicious classic of Chinese cuisine. We’ll show you how to prepare the dish without any animal products.

The best way to prepare vegan chop suey is in a wok. Alternatively, you can replace this with a large pot. The chop suey sauce gets its spiciness and intense aroma primarily from the thickened soy sauce. Ginger, garlic and the hot paste Sambal Oelek are also used in our recipe.

Since the vegan chop suey consists almost entirely of vegetables, you need the most time for cutting during preparation. So if you don’t have the time, you can prepare the vegetables the day before. The mixing, cooking and seasoning of the ingredients is then relatively quick.

Make sure the vegetables are organic if possible. This is not only better for the environment, but also for you. No harmful chemical-synthetic pesticides are used in organic farming.

For your chop suey you also need vegetable broth. You can prepare these yourself.

Vegan Chop Suey: An easy recipe

Ingredients:

3onions
4 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tbsp tomato paste
2Chicory
2peppers
2carrots
2 clove(s) garlic
200 g green beans
10 ginger
120 mlsoy sauce
400 ml vegetable broth
1 teaspoon Sambal Oelek
3 tablespoons starch
400 gbean sprouts

Directions:

First cut the onions into small pieces. Heat 1 tbsp sesame oil in a wok and fry the onion together with the tomato paste.
Then wash the chicory, cut it into small pieces and fry it in a separate pan with 2 tablespoons of oil.
Now cut the peppers and carrots into small pieces and chop the garlic into fine pieces.
Add the garlic and chicory to the sautéed onions.
Then fry the carrots, peppers and beans in the pan with the remaining sesame oil. Put everything in the wok or large pot.
Mix the cornstarch with some water in a small bowl. Now cut the ginger into small pieces and add it to the chop suey together with the soy sauce, the vegetable stock, the sambal oelek and the cornstarch.
Let the whole thing simmer for a moment and then add the bean sprouts. Chop suey tastes particularly delicious with fried noodles or rice.

This is a particularly good way to make vegan chop suey

If you want to prepare the vegan chop suey with noodles, you can find the typical Asian fried noodles in the supermarket. However, these are often prepared with egg.

You can also vary the ingredients according to the season and regional availability.

For example, you can replace chicory with white cabbage when the cabbage is in season.
Depending on your taste, you can also use other vegetables for your chop suey. For example, broccoli or leeks go very well with it.
In the Utopia seasonal calendar you can check when is the best time for which vegetables: Seasonal calendar for vegetables and fruit: Think Global, Eat Local!
Classic chop suey usually comes with chicken, shrimp, or pork. Just as delicious, much more environmentally friendly and cruelty-free, the chop suey works with tofu, soy strips, kidney beans or mushrooms instead.

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Food

Vegetable Goulash: Vegan Recipe for the Hearty Dish

The vegan vegetable goulash tastes hearty and hearty – without any meat. We’ll show you which ingredients you can use for the plant-based alternative and present a delicious recipe.

This vegan vegetable goulash is a delicious alternative to the traditional meat dish. In other recipes such as the vegan goulash or the jackfruit goulash, we replace the meat with plant-based alternatives. The vegetable goulash does not contain any meat substitutes and tastes especially good with fresh and crunchy vegetables.

Here you can find out what you should look out for with the ingredients and how you can easily prepare the dish yourself.

The best ingredients for the vegetable goulash

A few ingredients should not be missing so that the vegan vegetable goulash tastes just as hearty as its traditional counterpart:

Gherkin water and gherkins give the goulash its spicy and slightly sour taste. They provide variety alongside the traditional ingredients.
Red wine: The red wine brings the hearty aroma to the vegetable goulash. By deglazing at the beginning, the alcohol boils away and a hearty note remains.
Fresh vegetables: The fresher the vegetables, the crunchier and more flavorful your vegetable goulash will be.
Flour: The flour will help you make your goulash thick. The result is a creamy, full consistency. If you are following a gluten-free diet, use cornstarch or a cornstarch substitute as an alternative.
When buying your products, make sure that they come from organic farming. So you can be sure that no chemical-synthetic pesticides pollute the soil and your food. Organic seals such as Bioland, Naturland or Demeter are a good indication of sustainable purchasing.

Tip: Buy your vegetables at the regional weekly market or, for example, grow your own balcony vegetables. Tomatoes and peppers are in season from August up to and including October, so you are acting in the most sustainable way if you include vegetable goulash in your menu during this period. You can get an overview of the seasonality of vegetables and fruit in our seasonal calendar.

Vegetable goulash: How to prepare it

Ingredients:

1 large onion
200 g tomatoes
300 large peppers
2 carrots
5 pickles
2 clove(s) garlic
4 EL vegetable oil
3 tablespoons flour
2 tbsp tomato paste
200 mlred wine, dry
50 ml pickle water
500 ml vegetable broth
2 tablespoons mustard
1 pinch(s) of salt
1 pinch(s) of pepper

Directions:

Wash and peel your vegetables as needed. Cut the peppers, carrots, tomatoes and onion into bite-sized pieces. Finely chop the garlic. Cut the pickles into small cubes.
Heat the vegetable oil for frying in a large saucepan.
Sweat the onions in it until translucent. Add the garlic and the pickles and sauté for another three minutes.


Dust everything with flour and mix the ingredients in the pot with the (homemade) tomato paste. Sauté everything for two minutes until the tomato paste turns slightly brown.
Deglaze everything with red wine and cucumber water. Stir in the liquid slowly so that no lumps form.
Now add the vegetable broth to the pot along with the vegetables. Mix the ingredients together evenly and let the goulash simmer for 20 minutes. Stir occasionally to keep the sauce from thickening at the bottom.
Season the goulash with mustard, salt and pepper to taste.

Tip: Garnish the vegetable goulash with fresh herbs and serve with fresh flatbread, bread dumplings or boiled potatoes.

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Self-catering Balcony: These Tips Will Help You

With a self-catering balcony, you can live at least partially self-sufficient and grow your own groceries. In this article, we will show you what you should consider.

With a self-sufficient balcony, you not only use the balcony area for ornamental plants, but also for fruit and vegetables that you have sown yourself. This allows you to become more mindful of your food. After all, you can see for yourself what process a plant has to go through before it finally bears fruit.

In addition, you can consciously do without chemical-synthetic pesticides and synthetic fertilizers and feed yourself in a climate-friendly way with regional food from the self-catering balcony.

Self-catering balcony: make a plan

With a self-sufficient balcony you get a little closer to self-sufficient life. However, you will not become completely independent of the food trade. You will still have to buy many foods such as oatmeal, legumes or nuts. However, you can harvest fruit, vegetables and herbs yourself.

In order to equip your balcony as efficiently as possible, you should draw up a cultivation plan. For example, you can grow plants on several floors (e.g. on a plant shelf or on a plant ladder) on the small balcony area. A so-called vertical garden is ideal for herbs and salads in particular. You can find inspiration for this here: Urban Gardening: Tips for growing vegetables on your balcony.

Then you should consider which types of fruit and vegetables are suitable for your self-catering balcony. This mainly depends on the cardinal direction:

A lot grows on the south-facing balcony. However, you should also ensure there is enough shade, especially on hot days. For example, tomatoes, beans, strawberries, columnar fruit, herbs, zucchini and peppers are suitable for the south-facing balcony.
On a north-facing balcony, you have a little less choice. For example, lettuce, spinach, chard, kohlrabi and radishes grow here. Be careful not to place the plants in the pot directly on the cold ground. You also have to water less here.
With an east or west orientation, you can experiment a bit and place sun-loving plants in particularly sunny locations and other plants in shady corners. If necessary, you can also rotate the plants regularly.

Self-catering balcony in tune with the seasons

Depending on the season, you can harvest and sow different plants and take other precautions on the self-sufficient balcony:

In spring you can sow radishes, lettuce, spinach, chard and parsley from March. From April, peas, potatoes and nasturtiums will be added. Alternatively, you can put local herbs and salads on the balcony as young plants. You can now grow tomatoes indoors. In general, spring is the time for planting and sowing!
Above all, you should use the summer to water plants with organic fertilizer according to their individual needs, to water them appropriately and to check them for pests. In addition, now is the time to regularly pinch tomatoes and harvest ripe fruit. From July you can still sow some types of vegetables, which will then ripen in autumn. These include beets, fennel, radishes, chard and salads.
In early autumn you can still harvest many fruits from the summer time on the self-catering balcony. A few plants can still be sown in September, such as lamb’s lettuce, spinach, chard and parsley.
In winter you can still harvest some chard and a few local salads and herbs. Otherwise, calm will return to the balcony after the first frost. Now you should prepare your plants for the winter, possibly cover them up and water them only slightly. From February you can grow chili and paprika indoors and plant chives.

Preserve vegetables and fruit from the balcony

When the crop is particularly plentiful for a particular crop, preserving the food is important. If you take good precautions in summer, you will still have regional fruit and vegetables ready in winter. You can use different methods for this:

First of all, make sure that you store fruit and vegetables appropriately depending on the variety. Some prefer the cool temperatures in the fridge, while others like room temperature.
You can also freeze the harvest from the self-sufficient balcony. To do this, you should wash them well and sort them beforehand, i.e. sort out any vegetables or fruit that are no longer good.
Alternatively, you can boil fruit and vegetables, put them in sterilized jars, seal them airtight and let them cool down.
Many types of vegetables are suitable for pickling in oil or vinegar. You can also ferment the vegetables in salted water.

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Planning a Self-sufficient Garden: You Should Consider This

You should plan a self-sufficient garden well so that it works for you. Then it can be an important tool for a more self-determined and sustainable life. Here you can find out more about the most important tips.

More and more people want to live more independently of the economy and the state, focus more on nature and combine sustainability, health and nutrition. You can put this into practice with the help of a self-sufficient garden, for example.

In this article we explain how you can provide yourself with fruit, vegetables, herbs and nuts.

Self-sufficient garden: questions to get started

These relevant questions should accompany you if you are seriously considering becoming a self-sufficient person:

What level of self-sufficiency would you like to have? In other words, what percentage would you like to take care of yourself and what would you have to buy additionally?
In which areas of daily needs would you like to live self-sufficiently? Just fruit and veg? Or, for example, with honey and eggs?
What is your eating style now and how would it need to change if you were self-sufficient? Would it be possible for you to do all of this yourself?
How much garden space do you have available?
How much time can you take to work in your self-sufficient garden?
How much strength, endurance and patience do you have? Are you aware that self-sufficiency also means being outside at any time of the year?
Who would like to help in the self-sufficiency garden? It’s easier when you can share tasks and work.
Which methods do you want to work with? Is classic vegetable cultivation in rows something for you? Do you already know market gardening? Would you like to work with mixed cultures or even with the principles of permaculture?

Basic nutrition and self-sufficiency

If you just want to feed yourself using your self-sufficient garden, you should first find out how much food you need in a day. A food diary can help you with this. Your approximate basal metabolic rate can also serve as a guideline. This indicates how many calories you burn per day at rest.

According to the DGE (German Society for Nutrition), the average calorie requirement for men aged 25 to 51 is 2700 calories on average and for women of the same age 2100.

When creating your menu, you should also make sure that you consume sufficient micronutrients and all macronutrients (i.e. fats, proteins and carbohydrates) in a balanced amount.

How much space do you need for a self-sufficient garden?

How much space you need for a garden that you can completely take care of yourself depends on many factors. The soil conditions and the type of crops cultivated play a role here, for example. The numbers given here give you a first orientation:

Vegetables and herbs: The DGE recommends eating 400 grams of vegetables per day. That would be around 150 kilograms per year. You should plan a little more for the cultivation. Then you are well prepared if there is a loss in earnings. So if you plan on 180 kilograms per year, you need an area of ​​at least 60 to 70 square meters for the vegetables. The potato is probably the most essential staple food for self-sufficient people. It has high nutritional value and is easy to grow relative to grain. One person eats around 60 kilograms of potatoes a year. This corresponds to a bed area of ​​30 square meters.

Fruit: The recommended amount of fruit per day is 250 grams. That is approximately 90 kilograms of fruit per year. Here’s an interesting comparison: A well-tended standard apple tree produces around 100 kilograms of apples a year. However, it takes a few years for an apple tree to reach this stage. Therefore, it is advisable to grow different fruit trees and shrubs. In order to provide yourself with the amount of fruit mentioned above, you should calculate at least an area of ​​​​80 square meters.

Nuts and seeds: You should also plan some space for this indispensable source of protein and fat. Native walnut species are: hazelnut, walnut and chestnut. It also includes beechnuts and acorns. These nuts were formerly brought in as a food source in times of need and are edible under certain circumstances. A mature hazelnut bush, for example, provides you with about 3 kilograms of hazelnuts per year. They are well suited for planting at the edge of the garden. For a hazelnut tree you need about 20 to 50 square meters. You should plan 80 to 100 square meters for a walnut tree.

Note: The required size of your self-sufficient garden ultimately depends on the extent to which you want to be self-sufficient and whether and to what extent you buy additional groceries.

How much time for the self catering garden?

If you are planning a self-sufficiency garden, you also need to know what time capacities you have. The time of day also plays a role. If you only have time in the evenings, it can be difficult in winter. Your soil quality is also a factor affecting time. For example, if you’re lucky enough to have nutrient-rich soil, you don’t have to go to extra lengths to improve soil quality.

Some self-supporters report that they only need an average of 3 hours of work per week to feed two adults and one child. You can definitely do that with certain gardening tricks. But just when you start building a self-sufficient garden, you will have to plan more time. This also includes the research time.

How much time you will need exactly, you have to find out for yourself at the beginning. A garden diary can help you with this. This way you can plan step by step better and better how much time you have to spend on certain activities.

These plants are suitable for cultivation

Plants that grow well without much effort are particularly suitable for a self-sufficient garden, especially at the beginning. These include, for example:

Radish,
chard,
Pumpkin,
Zucchini,
Spinach,
Arugula,
bush beans,
Jerusalem Artichoke,
Potatoes.

Different plants also contain different nutrients. They can be broken down into three categories:

Plants rich in carbohydrates: for example potatoes, corn, carrots, all types of fruit;
Plants rich in protein: for example French beans, broad beans, peas, soybeans, walnuts, hazelnuts;
Plants rich in fat: sunflowers, flax, poppies, walnuts, hazelnuts.

A seasonal calendar gives you the best orientation as to which regional fruits and vegetables you can grow and harvest in which month. The storage periods are also indicated in the Utopia seasonal calendar. In order to fully plan your self-sufficient garden, you should first think carefully about which plants are suitable for which part of the garden. Take the time to read, research and share with others! Your region, climatic conditions and soil conditions are also important when choosing your plants.

Note: In order to be able to eat food from the self-sufficiency garden all year round, you must store it well or preserve it in some other way. To do this, you can boil, dry, ferment, salt, sour or sugar vegetables or fruit. For example, you can make pickled cucumbers, dried tomatoes, sauerkraut, dried fruit, jam, mush or chutney.

Material and equipment for the self-sufficiency garden

Before you start your project, you should get some important things. With the right material and high-quality gardening tools, your work will be much easier.

Your equipment for wind and weather: rubber boots, rain jackets and trousers and gardening gloves (e.g. with natural rubber) are essential. Because you will be kneeling on the floor a lot, knee pads or a knee pillow are useful.
Garden tools: Spades, rakes, rakes, pruning shears, garden shears, hoes, shovels, brooms, knives and weed pullers are the most important garden tools. You can use a lawn mower or even a sickle or scythe for mowing. A ladder, several buckets, a watering can and a wheelbarrow are also among the most important utensils. It is best to look for used equipment to save money and resources.
Planters: Cultivation pots and plant pots of different sizes are essential. Use eco-friendly options whenever possible. Read also: Avoid plastic plant pots: 8 alternatives. If you buy eggs, you can use the egg cartons as breeding pots.
Larger purchases: A self-sufficient person should also create a cold frame, a greenhouse, a planting table, raised beds, a warehouse or a storage cellar and a compost. For your storable harvest, stackable crates come in handy. You should also organize irrigation water.

Self-sufficient garden: conclusion

Complete self-sufficiency from your own garden is almost impossible these days. This would require a lot of compromises and hard work. There are also weather conditions and crop failures.

Nevertheless, there are many reasons to venture into a self-sufficient garden. No one can take away the knowledge and skills you acquire with it. Self-sufficiency makes sense, especially when it comes to fruit and vegetables: In 2020, German agriculture only produced 22 percent of the fruit and 37 percent of the vegetables that were offered for sale. The rest was imported from other countries. If you want to be less dependent on this global industrial agriculture, a self-sufficient garden is a good option.

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Dirty Dozen: 12 Fruits and Vegetables You Should Buy Organic

Many pesticides: beware of the “dirty dozen”

Critics like to argue: “Organic vegetables and fruit do not have more vitamins and nutrients than conventional products and are therefore not healthier.” And even if organic contains fewer traces of pesticides – for conventional products there is still a legal one Limit.

In fact, many pesticides are still insufficiently researched, especially in combination with each other. Despite only a few studies on pesticides, not only are the maximum values controversial, they are also often exceeded – as studies by the Federal Office for Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL), among others, show again and again. We explain which foods are particularly affected – you’d rather buy our “Dirty Dozen” organic.

1st place in the dirty dozen: fresh herbs

Strictly speaking, herbs are neither fruits nor vegetables. But the latest figures from the BVL from 2020 clearly show that you have to be careful when shopping here. Residues of several pesticides were found on almost two thirds of the 120 samples examined – up to fourteen different types on a single sample!

More than 12 percent even contained more residues than permitted by law. Pennywort from Sri Lanka was particularly often the subject of complaints, but coriander and parsley were also affected.

Pomegranates: Every 10th above maximum level

Pomegranates exceed the pesticide limit value more often than any other fruit, according to the latest study by the BVL from 2022: almost 11 percent of the 118 samples analyzed in 2020 were above the maximum residue level.

In addition, exotic fruits often have to be imported over long distances. Therefore, buy them rarely and only in organic quality. Or rather grab regional fruit in the supermarket. You can read when something is in season in the Utopia season calendar.

Extremely loaded frozen blackberries

Blackberries are only in season from July to September. The rest of the time we either use imported goods – or frozen blackberries. But both have disadvantages:

Imported berries can have a lousy carbon footprint, depending on the route and vehicle used. And you have to be particularly careful with frozen blackberries: According to the BVL, 3 out of 4 are contaminated with multiple pesticides. Up to 11 different pesticide residues were found on individual samples, 9 percent even exceeded the legal maximum. It is better to plant blackberries yourself and then freeze them – preferably without plastic.

Pesticides on Vegetables: Beans

Legumes are actually healthy. Unfortunately, the vegetables often contain more pesticides than permitted. In the case of beans (with pods), 6 percent of the samples tested by the BVL were above the legal limit. For dried beans it was over 4 percent.

Homegrown beans are guaranteed pesticide-free. They grow in semi-shade, either in beds or on the balcony.

5th place in the Dirty Dozen: peppers and chillies

According to the BVL, more than 4 percent of the paprika and chilli samples examined contained higher pesticide residues than permitted. More than half was also repeatedly contaminated – with up to 32. Different pesticides.

It is therefore better to buy paprika in organic quality: Organic farmers are not allowed to use synthetic pesticides. Here you can find out what the EU organic seal is all about.

Grapefruit, pomelos, sweeties

Grapefruits are a critical case: the BVL examined them together with grapefruits and sweeties. In the tests, more than 3 percent of the samples were above the legally regulated maximum value for pesticides. In addition, 66 percent of the brands examined contained several chemicals at the same time. In 2019, the values were even higher. If you use organic grapefruit instead, you are on the safer side.

Many do not know how to store grapefruit properly and have to throw the fruit away after a few days. That won’t happen to you with our tricks: store food properly.

Black and green tea

Pesticides are not only sprayed on fruit and vegetables. Tea from conventional cultivation is also often affected – according to the BVL study, around 3 percent of the more than 300 samples were above the permitted pesticide content.

So do yourself and your body a favor and grab certified varieties with an organic seal – and preferably a fair trade product. Because there are practically no living wages in the tea industry, trade unions and works councils are hindered and even prevented in many places. More information: The bitter truth about tea.

Pesticides on vegetables: lamb’s lettuce by the dirty dozen

If you have your own vegetable garden, you can easily plant lettuce yourself. Otherwise, it’s best to use organic lettuce, because vegetables like lamb’s lettuce often contain a colorful mix of pesticides.

Almost half (46 percent) of the varieties examined by the BVL contained traces of various pesticides. Lamb’s lettuce samples were even several times above the permitted maximum level.

Tip: Even without a garden, you can grow lettuce for the balcony.

Exotic Fruit: Oranges by the Dirty Dozen

Anyone who buys oranges is probably buying a cocktail of pesticides, because more than 70 percent of the almost 300 samples examined showed several pesticides at the same time – up to 16 different ones were found on the fruit. Some also contained more residues than allowed.

It is therefore better to buy oranges (and orange juice) organic – and with a Fairtrade seal. This stipulates, among other things, that harvest workers receive at least the minimum wage and excludes many particularly dangerous pesticides.

Pesticides on vegetables: zucchini

Organic is also the better choice for zucchini. This is also shown by figures from the Chemical and Veterinary Investigation Office (CUVA) in Stuttgart. More than half of the conventional zucchini examined in 2021 was repeatedly contaminated with pesticides. Just as with the investigation by the BVL, some samples had to be rejected.

In 2019, the CVUA Stuttgart proved that organically produced fruit and vegetables are actually much less polluted. But organic is also recommended for meat, milk and eggs.

Cherries: Pesticide mix to almost 90 percent

No other fruit was so often contaminated with several pesticides: around 89 percent of the cherries examined by the BVL contained up to 15 different pesticide residues. Some of the samples contained more residues of certain pesticides than permitted by law. The effect that such a pesticide mix can have on our body has not yet been sufficiently researched.

Since cherries are native to Germany, you can use local products in season. Or plant your own cherry tree in the garden. You can can your harvest and make it durable.

#12 in the Dirty Dozen: Kiwis

Before kiwis end up in our supermarket, they often travel long distances. The fruits are mostly imported from Italy, but many also come from New Zealand.

For the sake of the environment, you can pay attention to the country of origin when shopping. An organic seal for the sake of your health, because: The BVL has also repeatedly complained about kiwis because they contained more pesticide residues than permitted. That’s why you should never eat conventional kiwis with the skin on – even though it’s actually edible.

Especially popular: be careful with strawberries

In the 13th place, another tip: you can’t snack on conventional strawberries without worrying. Too many fruits are hanging from the overgrown plants and they are too close to the ground. Only with a lot of chemicals can the berries survive against pests. Therefore, the BVL found residues of various pesticides in almost 80 percent of the 529 samples. So be especially careful with strawberries – and when in doubt, go for organic.

Another problem: Even if you bought the fruit locally – if possible without plant toxins – they usually don’t last very long.

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Torshi: This is How You Can Pickle Vegetables

Torshi is Persian-style pickled vegetables. The recipe is ideal for preserving vegetables longer. Here you can find out how to make torshi yourself.

Torshi is widely used in Middle Eastern, Eastern European and Central Asian cuisines. The name Torshi derives from the Persian word “torsh” for “sour”. For torshi, vegetables such as white cabbage, cauliflower, carrots, aubergines, peppers, cucumbers and pumpkin are often marinated in a vinegar-salt brine together with garlic.

Torshi is particularly popular in Iran. There are hundreds of different types of torshi, reflecting local traditions and served for different occasions.

Torshi is ideal for processing seasonal vegetables and preserving them. Especially in summer it is a good idea to help yourself to the abundance of regionally available vegetables and make torshi out of them. In our seasonal calendar you can see when which vegetables are in season. We recommend buying organic vegetables whenever possible. In this way you support ecological agriculture that does not use chemical-synthetic pesticides and thus protects nature, biodiversity and health.

Recipe: How to make torshi yourself

The recipe yields about a liter of torshi. Have several small, sterilized, screw-top jars handy. Also make sure that you dry the vegetables as well as possible before you put them in the jars. This will avoid adding too much water to the mixture, which could cause the torshi to go moldy.

Ingredients:

1 small eggplant
1 small cauliflower
3carrots
1 green pepper
1chili pepper
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp dried mint
0.5 tsp dried tarragon
0.5 tsp ground pepper
0.5 tsp ground turmeric
200 ml white wine vinegar (alternatively: apple cider vinegar)
Salt

Directions:

Wash the vegetables Slice the eggplant and carrots, break the cauliflower into florets and cut the stem into chunks. Cut the peppers into bite-sized pieces and the chilli into rings. Peel the garlic cloves and cut them into quarters.
Bring salted water to a boil over medium heat. Add the cauliflower and carrots and blanch for 2-3 minutes. Take the vegetables out of the pot with a slotted spoon and let them drain well in a colander. Blanch the eggplant in the same cooking water. It only takes a minute.
Put all the vegetables in a bowl and mix them with the herbs and spices.
Pour the mixture into glasses and squeeze them firmly so that they come to an inch below the rim.
Fill the glasses with the vinegar so that the vegetables are completely covered. Sprinkle a teaspoon of salt on the vegetables for each glass. Then close the jars tightly.
Let the torshi steep in a dark, cool place for 3 to 4 weeks. The longer you let it steep, the more flavorful the torshi will be.

Tips for your torshi

When unopened, the torshi can be kept for at least half a year. Store opened jars in the fridge and use the torshi within a week. Make sure you always remove the torshi with a clean spoon so that as few germs as possible get into the glasses.

You can modify the torshi as you like:

  • Try other vegetables, such as cabbage, cucumber, beans, and squash
  • Add other spices like cinnamon or cumin

Traditionally, torshi is served as an appetizer, but you can also use it as an accompaniment to other dishes. For example, it tastes good with chickpea soup, Arabic bread, ful medames, an Arabic bean stew, or with vegan meatballs.

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Cooking Tips

7 Tips for Cooking Vegetable Salads

In the vegetable season, it’s not something that you want, but you just need to prepare delicious vegetable salads. Their useful properties are known to all, this is fiber necessary for good digestion and bowel cleansing, and vitamin complexes. Vegetable salads, seasoned with oil, are especially healthy, they are light and will make up a summer diet if you are planning to lose weight. For the preparation of salads, we used the simplest and most affordable vegetables, salad dressing, vegetable oil.
You can just cut and mix vegetables, but this is a recipe for an ordinary salad, and if you lay out the vegetables and arrange them a little more original, then the salad from the usual vegetables looks different.

  1. Whatever the purpose of the salad, festive or for every day, when preparing it, you should follow the rules for the preparation and processing of products. Be sure to wash the vegetables. Potatoes, carrots, beets with a brush under running water. It is imperative to wash the greens for the salad: dill, parsley, sorrel, spinach are soaked in a container with cold water for at least 2 hours. At the same time, periodically changing the water. After that, the greens are washed well under running water.
  2. With this method, all the sand and insect eggs are well behind the leaves. Cucumbers and dill are washed immediately before processing. If there is a radish in the salad, then the skin is removed from the white, and the tail and tops of the red are cut off. If boiled vegetables are used to prepare the salad, they need to cool well. When boiling beets and carrots in the same bowl, the color of the vegetables may change, so cook each vegetable separately.
  3. Eggs for salad should be hard-boiled well, boil them for at least 10 minutes (like cutting eggs). It is more convenient to peel boiled vegetables warm. If you need to boil green beans, know that they are put in boiling water, so they will not lose color. Cooking should only be done from completely cooled foods. When laying vegetables in a salad in a warm state, the salad quickly deteriorates.
  4. The method of cutting food is of great importance for preparing salad. Vegetables for salads should be cut into even and thin slices. Slices of cucumbers, potatoes, carrots should just show through. In this cut, vegetables are well saturated with salad dressing. The salad will be deliciously cooked. The salads are mixed very carefully so as not to break the slices and the pieces do not lose their shape. In many salads, vegetables are laid out in layers, while each layer is coated with dressing.
  5. Vegetables for salads can be prepared in advance, and it is advisable to prepare a salad right before serving, so that it does not lose its attractiveness and does not swell. Uncomplicated salads, such as cucumbers, tomatoes, green leaves, are cut directly into a salad bowl and seasoned in it. Other salads are mixed in large bowls, blended, seasoned, and carefully placed in a salad bowl so as not to stain the edges.
  6. Top salad, ready to serve, is decorated with roses, figurines or slices of those products that are in the salad. A salad laid in a slide can be decorated with a mayonnaise net. If the smell of garlic is needed in the salad, it is not necessary to add it there, it is enough to put the whole clove on the bottom of the salad bowl.
  7. This will not give a harsh garlic flavor, but rather a savory aftertaste. When serving, you must also serve a spoon for the salad. Salads can be prepared not only from fresh vegetables, but from pickled and pickled vegetables, as well as with the addition of meat and fish. Vegetable salads can be used as side dishes for various dishes.
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Angola

Caldeirada (Fish and Vegetable Stew)

What is Caldeirada?

Caldeirada is a traditional Portuguese dish that originated in the coastal regions of Portugal. It is a fish and vegetable stew that is cooked slowly for hours until the flavors of the ingredients meld together, resulting in a rich and flavorful dish. The name “caldeirada” comes from the Portuguese word “caldeira,” which means “cauldron,” as the dish is traditionally cooked in a large pot over an open fire.

Caldeirada is a versatile dish that can be made with a variety of fish and vegetables, depending on what is in season and available. The recipe typically includes a mix of fish such as cod, haddock, and monkfish, along with potatoes, onions, tomatoes, bell peppers, garlic, and white wine. The dish is finished with a sprinkling of fresh herbs such as parsley and cilantro.

Ingredients and Preparation

To make caldeirada, you will need a variety of fresh fish and vegetables, along with a few pantry staples. Begin by washing and chopping the vegetables into bite-sized pieces. In a large pot or Dutch oven, sauté the onions and garlic until they are soft and fragrant. Then, add in the bell peppers, tomatoes, and white wine and cook for a few more minutes until the vegetables begin to soften.

Next, add in the fish and potatoes, along with enough water to cover the ingredients. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for 30-45 minutes until the fish and vegetables are tender. Finally, add in the fresh herbs and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Tips for serving and pairing

Caldeirada is a hearty and satisfying dish that can be enjoyed on its own or served with a slice of crusty bread. It pairs well with a crisp white wine such as Vinho Verde or Albariño, which complements the fresh flavors of the fish and vegetables. Alternatively, you can pair caldeirada with a light red wine such as Pinot Noir or Beaujolais for a more robust flavor profile.

When serving caldeirada, be sure to ladle it into bowls and garnish with additional fresh herbs for a pop of color and flavor. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days, making it an excellent option for meal prep or a quick and easy weeknight dinner.

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Angola

Kizaka (Spiced Meat and Vegetable Stew)

Introduction to Kizaka: A Spiced Meat and Vegetable Stew

Kizaka is a delicious African dish that is popular in countries such as Cameroon and Nigeria. It is a hearty and spicy stew that is made with a variety of meats, vegetables, and aromatic spices. Kizaka is a crowd-pleaser, and it is often served during celebrations and gatherings. The dish is easy to prepare and can be customized to suit personal preferences.

Kizaka is a versatile dish that can be served with a variety of accompaniments, such as rice, bread, or yam. The rich, flavorful stew is perfect for cold, winter days, and it is a great way to warm up after a long day. With its bold flavors and unique combination of spices, Kizaka is a must-try for anyone who loves hearty, comforting stews.

Ingredients and Preparation of Kizaka

Kizaka is made with a variety of ingredients, including beef, chicken, or goat meat, onions, tomatoes, bell peppers, garlic, ginger, and a variety of spices. The spices used in Kizaka can vary depending on the cook’s preference, but they typically include paprika, thyme, curry powder, and cumin. The dish is typically made in a large pot or Dutch oven, and it is cooked on low heat for several hours to allow the flavors to develop.

To prepare Kizaka, the meat is first browned in oil and set aside. The onions, garlic, and ginger are then sautéed in the same pot until they are soft and translucent. The bell peppers and tomatoes are added next, along with the spices. The meat is then returned to the pot, and the stew is left to simmer on low heat until the meat is tender and the flavors have melded together.

Health Benefits of Kizaka: A Nutritious and Flavorful Dish

Kizaka is a nutritious and flavorful dish that is packed with vitamins and minerals. The vegetables used in the stew, such as onions, bell peppers, and tomatoes, are rich in antioxidants and other beneficial nutrients. The meat used in Kizaka is a good source of protein, which is essential for building and repairing tissues in the body.

The spices used in Kizaka are also beneficial for health. For example, ginger has anti-inflammatory properties and can help with digestive issues, while cumin has been shown to help with digestion and improve blood sugar control. Furthermore, the slow cooking process used in preparing Kizaka can help to preserve the nutrients in the ingredients, making it a healthy and nourishing dish.

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