Hola!

You have probably noticed my absence over the past two weeks and I do apologize but I am on vacation! My sister Chloé and I went to Marbella with Gabriel and his family and we're all having a blast!
The weather is amazing and I love spending all this time at the beach with my beloved ones. We basically spend all our days down by the sea and I'm enjoying it so much! The Spanish food is delicious, too, Gabriels mamá is probably the best cook I know (besides my mum) and I'm learning a lot from her... :)
I guess I won't be having too much time for blogging during the rest of my vacation which is the next 2 weeks and I apologise for that in advance...
I promise I'll be back with some super delicious new recipes soon!

xxx Allison

The Magnolia Vanilla Cupcake

Today is my little sister's birthday (Happy birthday, Chloé!!! Gosh, 18, I feel like you were running around the house playing fairy and bewitching anything that crossed your way just yesterday...) and since we were in New York on her birthday last year and she loved the cupcakes at the Magnolia Bakery so I decided to try and make her some of my own.
I actually used the original vanilla cupcake recipe I found on Popsugar.com (click here to watch the video).
Now, obviously my cupcakes weren't quite as delicious as the original Magnolia ones, but they were really good even though I did improvise a little bit with the icing and used cocoa instead of food colour. Oh, and that red blotch on the icing is supposed to be a heart... It definitely looks better from above!
So, here's the recipe:

Ingredients (12 cupcakes):
- 110g butter (room temperature)
- 2 large eggs
- 120ml whole milk
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 90g self-raising flour
- 75g cake flour
- 225g sugar


Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a cupcake pan with paper liners.
2. Mix all dry ingredients (flour, sugar) in a bowl.
3. Chop the butter into cubes and gradually add it to the mixture. You should have a sand-like consistency.
4. In another bowl, whisk the eggs. Add half of them into the mixture.
5. Add the milk and the vanilla extract to the remaining bit of the eggs and pour the mixture into the other bowl. Keep mixing on medium speed for 2 minutes.
6. Scoop the batter into the cupcake pan. Bake for 20 minutes.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting:
- 115g butter (room temperature)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 250g icing sugar
- 3 tbsp milk (if you use cocoa like me, you will need a little more)
- 2 tbsp cocoa / food colouring

1. Cream the butter and add the vanilla extract.
2. Gradually add the sugar. When the mixture starts to thicken, add a little milk.
3. Beat for about 2-3 minutes, then add the cocoa or food colouring and, if needed, more milk.


And you're done!

I feel like my icing was a little too thin because I added too much milk, but apart from that it was pretty good. I have to admit I'm not a fan of the original butter cream frosting just because it's so sweet but if you don't eat more than one cupcake at a time, it's perfectly fine. ;)

What's your favourite birthday cake?


xo Allison

Go Veggie?

Today I decided to write something about vegetarianism because I've always got lots and lots of questions about it from so many people. Why am I a vegetarian, are there any benefits and what do I eat?
A lot of people have asked me "So you only eat vegetables?", and, clearly, that's not all I eat! I am not a vegan, I am an ovo-lacto vegetarian, which means that I do eat eggs and dairy products. I think it's alright to eat organic eggs and dairy products as I believe that the 'production' of those does not do any harm to the animals. What I do not eat at all is meat or seafood or any by-products of animal slaughter like gelatin.
I've been a vegetarian since I was 14 so I really cannot imagine going back to eating meat again and I do believe it will always be like that.
And here's why: First and foremost, I just think that no living creature should be killed for whatever reason, I would never have a human killes, and I believe that humans and animals are equal. It is simply cruel how animals are kept and tortured in tiny cages and pens. I cannot imagine why anyone would eat another living creature if there are other ways to survive... Especially nowadays where people eat so much more meat than they could ever possibly need.
It's not even healty! A long-term study of the Cornell University confirms that 80-90% of heart diseases, cancer and other degenerative diseases can be avoided by following a vegetarian diet.
Furthermore, livestock farming causes a large percentage of the greenhouse gases that cause global warming. I think becoming a vegetarian is a good thing to do in order to prevent global warming and save our planet!

Going veggie is really not that difficult. I did it pretty much overnight and it worked for me. Now, I have to admit that I was never a huge fan of meat, so it was easier for me than it might be for others, and also my sister Chloé did the whole thing with me so we supported each other. (Chloé is also still a vegetarian!)
You can also do it gradually, though. A friend of mine first stopped eating red meat, then, after a few weeks, she cancelled out the poultry, and after about two months she renounced her beloved seafood. This method might be easier if you want to take it slow and get accustomed to the vegetarian life style.

As a vegetarian you do not eat only vegetables and I can not stress enough how many great vegetarian recipes there are (you have seen some on this blog)!
Nowadays you won't have any problems finding places to eat either, there are so many cool vegetarian restaurants! Two of my favourite places in London are The Gate Restaurant and Mildreds, which both have amazing international dishes and a cosy ambience which is ideal for a nice dinner with a group of friends. My favourite veggie restaurant in Paris is Le Grenier De Notre Dame with its delicious dishes and typical Parisian ambience. These places are definitely worth a try!

Now, that's all I've been wanting to talk about for today (it's got quite a lot actually :D...) but if you have any more questions, feel free to ask!

xo Allison

Couscous Salad

Today I've got a lovely light summer recipe for you. I tried this for the first time today and I was pleasantly surprised. I cannot tell you exactly how much couscous I used because there was only a bit left in the bag, but I guess it was about 150-200g. And I also have to tell you that it turned out to be a little more than I'd thought it would... Couscous does absorb a lot of water, so make sure you don't take too much!

I proportioned the masses of the other ingredients and it turned out just fine. It's a delicious salad for summer, very fresh and light!

Ingredients (makes about 6 servings):

- ca. 150-200g couscous

- 2 large tomatoes

- 1 spring onion

- 1 onion 

- 180g feta cheese

for the dressing:

- 3 tbsp olive oil

- 2 tbsp lime juice

- 1 tbsp honey

- 1 tbsp water

- 1 tsp mustard

- 1 garlic clove

- pepper and salt

Directions:

1. Put the couscous into a bowl and gradually add hot water. Make sure you don't add too much, the couscous should just be covered with a thin layer of water, it will all be absorbed. Wait a few minutes and then check if it's soft but still with a very slight bite.

3. Dice the tomatoes, the onion, the spring onion and the feta cheese and add everything to the bowl.

4. Now it's time to make the dressing. Mix the olive oil, the lemon juice (you can also use concentrate), the water, the honey and the mustard and stir well. Press the garlic and add it to the mixture. Add about 1/2 tsp of each salt and pepper. Stir again.

5. Now you can add the dressing to the salad and mix everything up well. 

Done!

I hope you like it as much as I did!

Do you know any fun summer salad recipes?

xx Allison

I've solved the pancake mystery!

Just in case you haven't read my last post, Gabriel made me pancakes for breakfast the other day and when I asked him for the recipe he actually said he had improvised... Now, is it just me or is that strange for a guy that does not cook all too often? :)
I would not stop asking, though, and so he tried to remember how he made those delicious little pancakes.
And here's all you need:

- 200g flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp vanilla sugar
- 1 pinch of salt
- milk

1. Mix the flour and baking powder in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix the beaten egg and the vanilla sugar, add a pinch of salt.
2. Combine everything in a bowl and gradually add milk until the dough has a creamy consistency.
3. Heat some oil in a pan and bake the pancakes for 1 or 2 minutes on each side.

I found the recipe surprisingly simple, so it's great if you want to prepare a quick and delicious breakfast. You can eat these pancakes the American way with maple syrup or, what I like to do sometimes, with Nutella. Trust me, it's heavenly!

Enjoy your next pancakey breakfast! :)

xx Allison

I'm back with breakfast in bed!

Hello everybody!
 I haven't postet anything in quite a while now because Gabriel and I went to Madrid! We just came back last night which was when I realised that I hadn't even told you I was going to be absent for a few days. Sorry for that!
Anyways, we had a wonderful time visiting Gabriel's family in Spain, the weather was nice and it was just great seeing everybody again after almost a year. It feels like seeing my own family everytime I'm there! Of course we also had some pretty amazing Spanish food which I will definitely be showing you in the next couple of days.... Look out for some original family recipes!
So, this morning I was still really tired from the flight and I couln't believe my eyes when Gabriel brought me some homemade American pancakes with maple syrup, coffee and  orange juice to bed! Isn't he just the sweetest guy? You might think he has a guilty conscience, haha! Look at these:

They were delicious and since I usually just have crêpes I really enjoyed these sweet pancakes with maple syrup. I obviously asked Gabe for the recipe immediately and guess what he said. "I just kinda improvised." Seriously? To be honest, I think he was just trying to impress me and actually looked for the recipe online, heehee :) But anyways, they were absolutely delish!

Tell me if you'd like to see the recipe for these!

xo Allison

Banana Milkshake

Since I still had a few bananas that were actually starting to get a little brown already, I decided to make a milkshake out of them. Actually, banana shakes taste sooo much better with overripe bananas as they're much more aromatic. I prefer eating bananas when they're still a tiny bit green, but this is what I make out of my overripe bananas:

Ingredients (2 glasses):

- 3 bananas

- about 300ml milk (depending on your taste)

- 2 tsp vanilla sugar

Directions:

Now this is easy: throw everything into a blender and blend until you have a nice milkshake!

I just love milkshakes and smoothies and the vanilla sugar makes them even more delicious....
Enjoy!

xx Allison

Curd Cheese Rolls

Ah, childhood memories... My mum used to make these sweet little curd cheese rolls all the time when my sister and I were younger... They were our favourite! They're not just bread rolls but they taste really fresh and a little sweet thanks to the curd cheese and the sugar. I think they're great for breakfast or just as a little snack and they're reeeally delicious!

Ingredients (ca. 10 bread rolls)

- 225g curd cheese

- 90g sugar

- 9 tbsp milk

- 9 tbsp oil

- 450g flour

- 2 tbsp baking powder

Directions:

1. Mix the flour and the baking powder and stir well.

2. Mix the curd cheese, the sugar, the milk and the oil in another bowl and stir. Then, add the flour/baking powder mixture.

3. Knead the dough and form little bread rolls.

4. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes on 200°C.

And that's it already! It's such an easy recipe, you could bake them while you're preparing breakfast and you can keep them for about 2 days. You just have to try this recipe! Have fun!

What used to be your favourite dish when you were little?

xx Allison

Spaghetti With Tomatoes And Mozzarella

This is one of my favourite recipes ever because a) it is super simple, b) it takes 10 minutes to make, and c) it is super delicious!
I love tomatoes and mozzarella and in combination with the pasta it is to die for! This is great when you don't have a lot of time or you just don't feel like standing in the kitchen for hours (which, honestly, I don't feel like very often...) Sooo, let's get startet!

Ingredients (2-3 servings): 
- 250g spaghetti
- 1 can crushed tomatoes
- 1 onion
- 1 garlic clove
- 50ml cream
- parmesan (depending on how much you like)
- olive oil
- basil
- salt and pepper

Directions:
1. Start with cooking the spaghetti (they are going to take 8-10 minutes until they're al dente)
2. Meanwhile, dice the onion and the garlic. Heat some olive oil in a pot and roast the onion and the garlic until the onions are slightly translucent.
3. Add the tomatoes and cook for a few minutes, then add the cream, grate the parmesan and add that, too. You can use however much you like, but personally I find it tastes better with a bit more parmesan.
4. Add salt and pepper.
5. Now you can mix the pasta with the sauce in a bowl and add little chunks of mozzarella. Leave it for a minute so it can melt into the sauce a little.
Sprinkle a few basil leaves over the pasta and you're done!

When I was younger I made this almost every day for a few months just because it is such an easy dish and it tastes amazing even though it's a super quick recipe. Basically, this is how I started cooking! Now that I've improved my skills a little bit, I often go for something a little more challenging, but I still love this recipe... Gabriel absolutely loves it, too, so I make this a lot when he comes over for dinner.
Anyways, you should definitely try it out, I hope you like it!

What was the first dish you made when you first started cooking yourself?


xoxo Allison

Strawberry Crumble

Today I am showing you another sweet recipe. Well, what can I say, I just have a sweet tooth! For spring I really love fruity pies and tartes, so this strawberry crumble is exactly what I like! I made some eggnog whipped cream to go with the crumble which was also delicious!

I always find it hard to find a pie recipe which is nice for the summer, too, because I actually prefer ice cream when it's hot... but this strawberry cruble actually works really well!

Enjoy!

Ingredients: 

- 350g strawberries

- 1 orange

- 130g sugar

- 90g butter

- 150g flour

- 1 tbsp starch

- 150ml cream

- 4 tbsp eggnog

- 3 tsp vanilla sugar

Directions:

1. Dice the strawberries. Squeeze the orange.

2. Cook the orange juice, 40g sugar and the starch and stir until it has a creamy consistency.

3. Now, add the strawberries and simmer for 5 minutes, then take the pot off the heat.

4. Meanwhile, knead the flour, the remaining sugar and the butter until you have nice crumbles. Let them cool for 10 minutes.

5. Grease the baking dishes, fill them with the strawberry mix and add the crumbles.

6. Put in the oven for 30 minutes on 180°C.

Meanwhile, whip the cream, add the eggnog and the vanilla sugar and gently stir.

Done!

I hope you like this recipe!

xx Allison