We moved!

As you might have noticed: There were no new posts on this blog in the last weeks. That's not because we were so lazy (well, maybe also a little bit ;) but because we moved our blog to wordpress and our own URL! :)
You can find it now HERE: http://blog.dogdaysofsummer.at/

We're looking forward to you all! :)


Wir sind umgezogen!
Wie wir vielleicht mitbekommen habt, ist unser Blog seit ein paar Wochen recht leer. Das liegt nicht daran, dass wir so faul sind (oder zumindest nicht nur ;), sondern daran, dass wir jetzt eine neue URL haben und unser Blog von Wordpress gehostet wird! :)
HIER könnt ihr ihn finden: http://blog.dogdaysofsummer.at/

Wir freuen uns auf euch!

Vegan Banana Buckwheat Pancakes with Peanuts

These delicious pancakes are the perfect start in the morning. They are gluten-free, vegan and just great: Fluffy, banana-ish with a strong taste of peanuts and cinnamon and – the best part for me here in a flat without kitchen-equipment – you don't need any machines, just a bowl and a spoon. 

Invite your friends or bring these to the next brunch – everyone will love them, no matter if vegan or not!

Note:

Since I'm in Prague my peanut butter affection just increased. I know I should stop but I won't until another glass is empty – and then hopefully I won't buy the next until the following week, haha. But I can't help, it's just too good. When buying your peanut butter read the ingredients carefully: You should be able to finish within a second as the only two ingredients allowed are peanuts(!!) and salt (if not possible in another way). 

Added sugars, palm oil or even artificial additives don't belong in your nut butter just as they don't belong in your body. 

What you need: 

 For the pancakes:

* 3/4 cup buckwheat flour

* 1/2 cup oats

* 1 cup coconut milk mixed with water (or any other plant-based milk)

* 1 1/2 bananas (the riper the sweeter)

* 1 tsp baking powder 

* 2 tbsp ground flax seeds + 6 tbsp water

* 1/2 tsp cinnamon 

* Pinch of salt 

* Optional: 1 tbsp sweetener of choice 

* Oil for the pan

For the peanut syrup:

* 1 tbsp peanut butter (100% peanuts)

* 2 tbsp hot water

* 1 tbsp maple syrup

As decoration:

* Peanuts

* 1/2 banana

* Cinnamon

How to make it:

1. Start with soaking 2 tbsp flax seeds into 6 tbsp water. Set aside for at least half an hour – the longer the better. 

2. Put the oats into your milk and let it soak for a few minutes. Mash the bananas with a fork.

3. Put the dry ingredients (buckwheat flour, cinnamon, salt and baking powder) in a bowl. Now add all the other ingredients for the pancakes: soaked oats + all of the milk, mashed bananas, flax-egg and sweetener, if desired. The batter should be viscous as the pancakes break otherwise. If it's too liquid add some buckwheat flour.

4. Heat oil in a pan and bake your pancakes over medium heat until golden-brown. 

5. In the meantime mix peanut butter, hot water and maple syrup together in a small bowl and set aside.

6. Put your pancakes on a plate, pour the syrup over it and decorate with peanuts, banana slices and cinnamon. Enjoooooooooy! *_*

Credits:

Idea, Words, Photographs: Diana Ranegger

Homemade Oat Milk (or any other plant-based Milk)

When it comes to vegan food Austria is a highly developed country. Really, I mean it – and I saw it myself after I've moved to Prague: Plant-based milk for example, was about 4 Euros in a shop near my flat. Damn!

So what can you do if you have such an expensive problem but don't want to abstain from your daily portion of plant-based milk? Well, the answer is so ridiculously simple: Make it yourself!

Note: I found a pretty cheap one at – yes, it's no Czech chain – dm in Prague. Just in case you are in my position. But homemade is better anyway.

What you need:

* 1 cup oats

* 3 cups water

* 1/8 tsp cinnamon

* 1/8 tsp vanilla

* Pinch of salt  

* Optional: Liquid sweetener of choice (or 1-2 pitted soft dates such as medjool dates)

How to make it:

1. Soak your oats for a few hours or over night in a huge bowl of water. 

2. Now take a sieve, put the oats in it and wash and rinse them very well until the flowing water is clear. 

3. Put them into a blender and add the 3 cups water and sweetener, if desired. Then blend until very smooth. Now you just have to filter it through a sieve or a wet dish towel and fill the milk into a bottle. Add vanilla, salt and cinnamon, shake well and enjoy!

TIP:
You can adjust the recipe and make whatever milk you like – just replace the oats by almonds, cashews, hazelnuts or whatever. 

If you use rice, spelt or millet, it's recommendable to cook the grains instead of just soaking them as it would take ages (besides you have flakes). Have fun experimenting!

Credits:
Idea, Photographs: Clarissa Kober | Words: Diana Ranegger

Mouth-watering "Buddha-Bowl" with roasted Chickpeas

As I'm working from home often (my bed = my office) I need food that can be eaten in "bumpy" areas, too. So I came up with the idea of a vegan Buddha Bowl containing everything I love: Sweet beetroot-bites, fresh greens, crunchy carrots and hearty peanut-chickpeas. It may take some time but it is the perfect eating-in-bed-lunch and just de-li-cious. You have to try it. I mean it.

What you need: 

For the chickpeas:

* 1 big handful dried chickpeas (or 1 can)

* 2 tbsp peanut butter (sugar-free)
* 1 tsp curry powder
* 1 handful peanuts
* 6 tbsp hot water
* 2 tbsp shredded coconut 

For the bowl: 

* 1/2 small beetroot
* 1/2 small pumpkin
* 50 g tofu (optional)
* Fresh greens (I used spinach but take whatever you want)
* 1/2 carrot

For decoration:
* Sprouts (from beans, cress, alfalfa,...)
* Seeds (I used hemp seeds but sesame e.g. is also great)

How to make it:

1. Soak the chickpeas over night and cook them on the next day until they are soft. (You can skip this point if you use a can of chickpeas).

2. Cut the beetroot, tofu and the pumpkin into small bite-sized pieces.

3. Put peanut butter, curry powder, coconut and hot water in a small bowl and stir until combined. Use more water if you need some. Add the chickpeas to half of the mix and stir again until all are covered with the peanut-sauce.

4. Now put beetroot, tofu, pumpkin and chickpeas on a with baking paper covered baking sheet and let it roast at 190°C until chickpeas are golden-brown and crunchy. 

5. In the meantime cut the carrot into thin strips and wash your greens.

6. Now take your bowl and put all your delicious ingredients in it. Cover with the rest of your peanut-butter-curry-sauce, decorate with sprouts and seeds and enjoy!

Photos on the laptop are from our Dogdays of Summer Pinteres board and don't belong to us.

Credits:
Idea, Words, Photographs: Diana Ranegger

Sustainable Sunday: Wooden Tooth Brush

As there is so much trash in this world we try to do everything to reduce our daily amount of plastic. In this series we will show you some cheap and easy ways to do the same – try them, every step counts! :)

The one thing (nearly) everyone of us does (nearly) every day at least once is brushing our teeth. As you should change your tooth brush quarterly you collect a lot of plastic trash – including the packaging. Thus we tried an alternative: Wooden tooth brushes!

Clarissa found her brushes in the internet, I even found some at a local retailer in our city. They cost around 3-4€ (mine was 3,30€ I think) and consist of vegan and biodegradable materials.

Positive aspects 
1. The most important thing is the sustainable aspect: You neither have plastic packaging nor a tooth brush out of plastic. If you throw your brush away you can just put it into the organic waste trash bin as it is 100% biodegradable. And healthier for sure.
2. Seriously. What's the most visible difference between plastic and wooden tooth brushes? Right! The wooden ones are looking good! No childish plastic things in shitty colours anymore, but clean and simple shapes.
3. I have to admit – you have to get used to the wooden smell. But since I've grown accustomed to it I really like it: Both, smell and taste.
4. Of course there are cheaper tooth brushes but the wooden ones are really affordable and the material definitely worth the price.

Negative aspects

1. As the bristles aren't welded they can fall out – it happened with one of the holes in my tooth brush. The others stay at their place.
2. Clarissa made another negative experience: One of her brushes started to break in half, which didn't happen to mine.

Conclusion

Of course wooden tooth brushes aren't perfect and they have their minor defects but they are good-looking, good-smelling and perfectly sustainable. So try it, maybe it's the perfect alternative for you!

Credits:
Idea: Clarissa Kober and Diana Ranegger; Words, Photographs: Diana Ranegger

Valentine's Day Surprise: Red Love Smoothie

Croissants sind zu schwer für dich, zu fettig oder zu süß? Hier haben wir eine andere Frühstücksidee für diesen Valentingssonntag. Viel gesünder und trotzdem extreeeem lecker ♥

Croissants are too rich for you? Here is another breakfast idea for this Valentine's Day Sunday. Much healthier but still soo delicious ♥

Das brauchst du:

* 1 kleine, gekochte Rote Rübe

* 1 1/2 Hände voll Himbeeren

* 200 ml Reis-Kokos-Milch oder Hibiskustee für die leichtere Variante mit mehr Farbe

* 1/2 Mango

* 1 Banane

* Vanille

* Kaki

* Hanfsamen

* Erdnüsse

* Ingwer- und Lucumapulver

* 1 small, cooked beetroot

* 1 1/2 hands full raspberries

* 200 ml rice-coconut-milk or hibiscus tea for the light version with more colour

* 1/2 mango

* 1 banana

* Vanilla  

* Persimmon 

* Hemp seeds

* Peanuts

* Ginger- and lucma powder

So gelingt es bestimmt: 

1. Mixe alle Zutaten für den Smoothie zusammen und dekoriere ihn anschließend mit Kakischeiben, Hanfsamen, Erdnüssen, Ingwer- und Lucumapulver. Am besten zu zweit genießen ♥ 

1. Put all the ingredients for the smoothie into a blender and blend until smooth. Decorate it with persimmon slices, hemp seeds, peanuts, ginger- and lucma powder. Enjoy with someone else ♥ 

Credits:

Idea, Photographs, Words: Diana Ranegger

Valentine's Day Surprise: Homemade vegan Croissants

Überrasche deinen Schatz (oder dich selbst) mit hausgemachten, veganen Erdnuss-Schoko-Croissants – lecker und so einfach, dass sie bestimmt jede/r hinbekommt! (Wahrscheinlich auch etwas hübscher als meine, haha... ;)

Surprise your valentine (or yourself) with some homemade vegan chocolate-peanut-croissants – delicious and so easy, I'm sure everyone is able to make them! (And maybe a bit better-looking than mine... ;)

Das brauchst du:

* Veganen Blätterteig (sehr viele Blätterteige sind von vornherein ohne Milch und Ei)

* Veganes Schokoladenmousse oder Schokolade

* Erdnussbutter oder Erdnussmousse

* Zimt
* Viel Liebe ♥

* Vegan puff paste

* Vegan chocolate mousse or just vegan chocolate

* Peanut butter

* Cinnamon

* Loooooots of love ♥

So gelingen sie bestimmt:  

1. Den Ofen auf 200° Celsius vorheizen. Schneide den Blätterteig in Quadrate und gib genügend Schokolade und Erdnussbutter auf jedes Rechteck. Verfeinere die Mischung mit etwas Zimt.  

1. Preheat the oven to 200° Celsius. Cut your puff paste into squares and put enough chocolate and peanut butter on it. Top it with cinnamon.

2. Jetzt die Quadrate zu Croissants rollen. Wenn du so viel Füllung wie möglich haben willst, kannst du sie auch einfach falten und die Ränder zusammendrücken.

2. Now roll the squares into croissants. If you want as much chocolate-peanut-mousse as possible, just fold them instead of rolling them.

3. Die Croissants etwa 20 Minuten backen. Danach lässt du sie noch etwas auskühlen und schon kannst du jemanden überraschen, den du gerne hast ♥

3. Bake your croissants for about 20 minutes. Let them cool and surprise someone you love ♥

Credits: 

Idea, Words, Photographs: Diana Ranegger

Be my Valentine ♥

Enjoy Valentine's day in our beautiful Valentine's Day Collection. Shop by clicking HERE.

Credits:
Photographs: Lumikki Photography | Johanna Bauer; H&M: Lena Wurm; Model: Thomas Amon and Helena Pichler; Assistance: Jasmin Stadler 

Chocolate-Peanut-Porridge with fresh Fruits

Du brauchst einmal etwas Warmes am Morgen? Probier doch mal diesen wunderbaren Porridge: Schokoladig, erdnussig und ohne Zucker – was will man mehr? ;)

You need something warm in the morning? Try this delicious porridge :)

Das brauchst du: 

* 5 EL Haferflocken oder Haferflockenmehl
* Reismilch
* 1 EL Kakao, ungesüßt
* 1 EL Erdnussmus, ungesüßt
* 1 sehr reife Banane
* Zimt

Als Topping:
* Mango
* Kaki
* Gefrorene Himbeeren
* Hanfsamen, Erdnüsse

* 5 tbsp oats or oatmeal
* Rice milk
* 1 tbsp raw cacao 
* 1 tbsp peanut butter, unsweetened 
* 1 very ripe Banana
* Cinnamon

As topping:
* Mango
* Persimmon
* Frozen raspberries
* Hemp seeds, peanuts

So gelingt es bestimmt:

1. Haferflocken, Kakao, Zimt, Erdnussmus und Reismilch in einen Topf geben. Solange erhitzen und köcheln lassen, bis die Haferflocken weich sind. 

2. Die Banane zerdrücken und zum Porridge geben.

3. Jetzt nur noch in eine hübsche Schüssel geben und mit Mango, Kaki, Himbeeren, Hanfsamen und Erdnüssen (oder was du auch immer gerne hast) garnieren. Fertig!

1. Put the oats, cacao, cinnamon, peanut butter and rice milk into a pan. Cook until the oats are soft. 

2. Squash the banana and add it to the porridge. 

3. Put the porridge into a bowl and top it with mango, persimmon, frozen raspberries, hemp seeds and peanuts (or whatever you like). Enjoy!

Credits:
Idea, Words, Photographs: Diana Ranegger

Raspberry Green Tea Smoothie Bowl

Um meine morgendliche Flüssigkeitsdosis zu erreichen, muss ich öfters ziemlich schummeln, zugegeben. Denn so lecker Grüntee mit Ingwer und Limette auch schmeckt – im Smoothie ist er einfach besser! Probiert es selbst :)

I have to fool myself very often to get my dose of liquid in the morning. And even if green tea with ginger and lime tastes yummy – it's better in a smoothie. Try it yourself! :)

Das brauchst du: 

* 1 Hand voll gefrorener Himbeeren

* 1/4 Ananas, in Stücke geschnitten

* 1 Banane
* 1/2 TL Matcha Tee

* Ca. 1/4 Liter abgekühlter Grüntee (Inger-Limette)

Als Topping:

* Gefrorene Himbeeren

* Getrocknete Maulbeeren (gibt's in vielen türkischen Läden, oft auch verpackungsfrei)

* Hanfsamen

* Leinsamen

* A handfull frozen raspberries

* 1/4 pineapple, cut in pieces

* 1 Banana
* 1/2 tsp matcha tea

* About 1/4 liter chilled green tea (ginger-lime)

As topping:

* Frozen raspberries

* Dried mulberries (you can find them in many Turkish shops, often without plastic packaging)

* Hemp seeds

* Flax seeds

So gelingt es bestimmt: 

1. Mixe alle Zutaten für den Smoothie zusammen und garniere ihn anschließend mit Samen und Beeren. Fertig!

1. Put all the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Garnish your smoothie bowl with seeds and berries and enjoy!

Credits:
Idea, Words, Photographs: Diana Ranegger

Good-Luck-Winter-Spring-Rolls

Ich liebe Essen und Kochen (manchmal zumindest) aber meistens esse ich leider das selbe: Kokos-Gemüse-Curry. Es geht schnell, ist einfach und lecker.

Als ich dann dieses Rezept entwickelte, war ich hocherfreut, weil es ebenfalls extrem gut schmeckt, schnell zubereitet, und nebenbei auch gesund ist!

Also lass dich von der langen Zutatenliste nicht abschrecken. Du kannst sie nicht nur nach Belieben abändern; die Winterrollen geht auch wirklich ganz schnell und sind kinderleicht. Ehrlich! :)

I love food and cooking (well, sometimes) but most of the time I eat the same: Coconut-vegetables-curry. It's fast, easy and yummy.

When I came up with this recipe I was overjoyed because it's also simple, healthy and soooo delicious! So don't be put off by the long grocery list, you can vary easily; the winter rolls are easy-peasy and cooked very fast – promised! :)

Das brauchst du: 

* Reispapier

Für die Füllung:

* Karotten
* Salat
* Rotkraut
* Frischer Koriander

Außerdem eventuell:

* Kohlrabi
* Karfiol
* Avocado
* Mango
* Reisnudeln
* Sesam
* Erdnüsse

Für den Tofu: 

* 200 g festen Tofu
* 1 gehäufter TL Erdnussmus
* 1 Schuss Sojasauce
* 1 Schuss Ahornsirup
* Sesam (schwarz und hell) und Kokosflocken
* Öl für die Pfanne

Für die Sauce:

* 1 EL Sojasauce
* 1 EL Ahornsirup
* 5 EL Wasser
* 1 gehäufter TL Erdnussmus oder Erdnussbutter


* Rice paper

For the filling: 

* Carrots
* Salad
* Red cabbage
* Fresh coriander

And if you want: 

* Kohlrabi
* Avocado
* Mango
* Cauliflower
* Rice noodles
* Sesame
* Peanuts

For the tofu: 

* 200 g super-firm tofu 
* 1 heaped tsp peanut butter
* 1 dash soy sauce 
* 1 dash maple syrup
* Sesame (black and light) and ground coconut
* Oil for the pan

For the sauce: 

* 1 tbsp soy sauce
* 1 tbsp maple syrup
* 5 tbsp water
* 1 heaped tsp peanut butter

So gelingt es bestimmt: 

1. Den Tofu in Streifen schneiden und mit etwas Öl in einer Pfanne an allen Seiten goldbraun anbraten. Danach mit Sojasauce benetzen und schnell Ahornsirup und Erdnussmus hinzufügen. Solange rühren, bis alles gut vermischt ist. Sesam und Kokosflocken darüber streuen, noch einmal ganz kurz anbraten lassen und zur Seite stellen. 

2. Unterdessen Wasser zum Kochen bringen und die Reisnudeln darin weich werden lassen (geht ganz schnell), danach auch die Reisnudeln zur Seite geben. Das Wasser nicht entfernen, das kannst du im nächsten Schritt gleich wieder verwerten.

3. Ein Reispapierblatt nehmen, in das noch heiße Wasser tauchen, bis es weich ist und danach auf ein sauberes Tuch legen. In die Mitte nach Belieben Gemüse, Obst, Tofu, Nüsse, Samen, Kräuter und Reisnudeln stapeln und danach ins Reispapierblatt rollen. So oft wiederholen, bis alle Zutaten aufgebraucht sind.

4. Jetzt nur noch die Zutaten für die Sauce verrühren. Ich hab das ganze noch etwas erhitzt, damit sie sich besser vermischen und schon bist du fertig mit deinen winterlichen Frühlingsrollen :)

1. Cut your tofu into strips and roast it gently with some oil in a pan until golden-brown. Moisten the strips with soy sauce and add both, maple syrup and peanut butter. Stir until everything is mixed well. Sprinkle the tofu with sesame and coconut, roast it again for one or two minutes and set aside.
2. Meanwhile boil some water and cook the rice noodles until they are soft (be careful, doesn't take long) and set them aside, too. Don't pour the water away, you need it for the next step.
3. Take a sheet of rice paper and dip it into the hot water until it's soft. Then lay it on a clean kitchen towel and fill it with tofu, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, herbs and rice noodles before you roll it up. Repeat this step until all your ingredients are gone.
4. At the end pour all the ingredients for the sauce into a small bowl and stir well (heat it, it may work better when it's warm). Now you have finished and can enjoy your winter-spring-rolls. Bon appétit!

Credits:
Idea, Words, Photographs: Diana Ranegger