Some kind of cozy

 Hi, Y'all!

Our first bags and boxes are packed, decorative knickknacks already gone - not very cozy, I have to admit. Therefore, it's even more important to have some yummy feelgood food and create some comfy atmosphere that way.

Last week I finally found the smoked paprika powder in our local supermarket, and I had to give that vegan version of sausage spread a second try. You might remember: The first attempt was an epic fail due to the lack of smoked paprika which I substituted with normal paprika powder - I just had to do better...

And the second version was much better, indeed - good texture, spreads perfectly, and the optics are great, too. Regarding spices I meant it very well - and it turned out really spicy. But served with a rich rye bread and some pickles it is awesome! And here is said bread: 

It was around Christmas when we turned to almost-vegetarians. We didn't consume much meat before, but now we can mostly do without. But I'm not dogmatic about it: If we order food and are in the mood for Kebab, then Kebab it is. Or we would like to have some fish, then I make it, too. Neither do I want to convert somebody, nor do I want to be converted. I only think that everybody can and should contribute to avoid industrial mass animal farming, and each step away from that is a step into the right direction.  

Besides, I realized that our menu had turned very predictable. I guess, anybody can relate to that phenomenon. You've got your standards, they are quickly made, you know all the ingredients by heart, and you don't need to pull out a cookbook for them. That's fine, no question, but to have some variation here and there might be nice. Thus our focus on a more vegetarian diet indirectly might lead to a larger variety of recipes. I like that!

Yesterday we had so-called carrot fries. Tbh - they were simply carrot sticks mixed with olive oil, garlic powder and shredded Parmesan cheese. Baked in the oven and served with a yogurt dip with garlic and lemon, but without a picture - was gone too fast! :-)

Today, however, I've got a photo for you:

Cauliflower steaks (I know, that steaks are something different, but I also say oat milk although I know, there is no milk inside) served with baked potatoes and the leftover yogurt dip from yesterday.  

You simply have to cut the cauliflower into thick slices (and leave the stem to hold the slices together). Coat each side with garlic butter and put them in the oven for 20 min. After half of the time turn them to get it nice and brown on each side. Top it with some basil pesto, and it is truly delish! OK, far from low-fat, but you can't have it all, can you?

And here's something for your sweet tooth: vegan nut braid! Basically you prepare a sweet yeast dough and coat it with a mixture of nuts, sugar and plant milk. The recipe called for 50 g walnuts and 200 g hazelnuts, but my pantry wanted it the other way round. Therefore, the filling was less sweet due to the higher amount of walnuts in it. But it was awesome nevertheless. 

Here is the plain dough:

Then with the nut filling/topping:

Then you have to roll it, cut the roll lengthwise and place both halves with the open cuttings next to each other, in order to twist them afterwards. 

You could place it on a baking sheet as is, but I put it in a loaf pan to make slicing easier. Here's how it looks: 

I opted against some frosting, but it was so fluffy and rich, and the contrast between the soft dough and the crunchy nuts created sheer awesomeness! That calls for many happy returns :-)

And with that being said I wish you a happy, cozy and comfortable weekend!!!