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