Party Food

Last night, Sebastian and I went a roof-top barbecue at my friends Zoe and Jan’s house. Although I told myself before going, “you will take tons of photos to capture this day and your wonderful life abroad,” I didn’t. My camera didn’t even come out of the bag. Such a shame.

Anyways, I do have some photos for you, we’ve got the pre-party food preparation… and the post-party food recuperation.

Let’s start at the very beginning!

Because we were going to a barbecue, marinated veggie kebabs were in order.

I started out by cutting up chunks of smoked tofu, red pepper, zucchini and onions. Rhythmically skewed, the kebabs were ready for a bath in some ridiculous flavor.

I then made a marinade out of fresh thyme, fresh lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. All mashed up together, it was kebab bath time.

Lookin’ good! I love how dainty the thyme leaves are.

I left the kebabs to sit in the refrigerator for about 2 hours before going to the party. They grilled beautifully over the hot coals.

I also brought along a huge batch of my Worthy Caprese Salad

This is a 9×13 cake pan with a double layer of tomatoes, mozzarella, basil oil and balsamic vinegar. I was shocked how quickly this whole pan was eaten up. Every last piece of mozzarella was gone. I’m telling you, people love this!

We had so much fun at the barbecue. The food was good. The view was wonderful. The company made the night. I am so lucky to have such an amazing group of friends over here. Truly blessed, really.

Unfortunately, the good times last night made for hard times this morning.

Now we begin the transition into party-food recuperation.

I sometimes wonder if I am allergic to alcohol. If I drink wine, I’m fine. If I drink two or more glasses of anything else, I’m sick as a dog the next day.

Kate brought a very British alcohol called Pimm’s to the party last night, complete with a buffet of mix-ins like cucumber, lime, lemon and mint. I only had 3 drinks, wasn’t even tipsy, but felt sick as a dog this morning.

Sebastian was also feeling sick this morning… but with good reason.

Nothing settles an upset stomach like a broth-based soup.

Into the pan went water, vegetable bullion, 2 celery stalks, 1 carrot and alphabet noodles. Once the veggies and noodles were cooked, the bowls were topped with fresh parsley.

 

Matching soup with toasted bread for dipping.

I’m feeling much better now!

Have a happy and well Sunday!

Read Full Post »

Vegan Banana Bread Pancakes

For some reason, banana bread has been heavy on my mind lately.

Warm, sweet, sticky banana bread.

Between getting ready for the new school year and savoring every last bit of summer, I’ve not taken much time to bake.

So, my dreamy banana bread was turned into something a little more manageable and less heat-producing. (It’s finally hot again in Germany.)

Makes 10 pancakes

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup spelt flour
• 1 Tbsp. cornstarch
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 1 Tbsp. ground flax seed
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Wet Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups milk of choice (I used oat milk)
• 2 Tbsp. coconut oil (melted), or oil of choice
• 1 Tbsp. maple syrup
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1 large banana, mashed but with lumps

Method

1. In a  large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the liquid ingredients. Whisk the liquid mixture into the dry mixture until just combined. If your mixture looks too runny, add a little more flour. If it looks too dry, add a splash of milk.
2. Preheat a non-stick skillet over medium heat for at least 2 minutes. Pour the batter, 1/4 cup at a time, onto the warm skillet. Cook until bubbles appear and the edges are set. Flip and cook the other side.
3. Serve with extra banana slices and nuts, drizzled with maple syrup.

These certainly hit the spot and made me temporarily forget about real banana bread. Give them a try, the ingredient list seems long, but they are so simple to make.

Read Full Post »