Happy June you guys!! I've really been enjoying the warm weather we've been having by going on hikes, picnicking by the lake and absolutely making the most of the balcony. Ah, I missed you summer! I'm also trying to incorporate some new favourites into my meal plans each week as I felt in quite a rut with the food I've been eating recently. As work is super busy at the moment one of the main requirements to my dinners is that it has to be reasonably quick or else I won't make it and resort back to "my usuals" or even some ready meals. So for this reason I used some "short cut" ingredients in this recipe and maybe that helps you a bit as well :) I also noticed it creates a bit less food waste, which is always a plus. But I'm rambling, let's get to the recipe :)

Ingredients:

for the dip:

To prep the vegetables I simply used a peeler to make little carrot ribbons. I thinly sliced the avocado, defrosted the edamame beans in some hot water and cut the spring onion into thin rings. Wash the baby spinach and dry thoroughly. Cut you tofu into cubes and fry in a pan until crispy (I used marinated tofu but plain works just as well or of course you can marinate it the way you prefer beforehand, but like I said I wanted to keep this recipe super simple and quick to make :) )

By using canned red cabbage I'm saving some time on chopping. I'm also more likely to eat all of it than I would be if I bought an entire red cabbage. If you prefer the crunch of fresh cabbage, go for it though :)

Soak your rice paper in warm water according to package instruction then lay them out one after the other on a wet dish towel to fill and roll. The wet towel is so important, because that stuff sticks to dry surfaces like you wouldn't believe! :)

Add all the vegetables as well as the tofu into the middle of the paper, garnish with the parsley, then roll. You best fold up the bottom bit over the vegetables, then pull the left side over the veggies to the right, fold the top in, then roll until you've got a perfekt little summer roll :) It does take some practise :)

For the dip, I wanted to make something different to your usual kind of heavy peanut sauce and decided to go for a tangy soy sauce based one. For this, in a bowl mix soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, maple syrup, chili flakes and sesame seeds. Grate in a bit of ginger and finally add some slices of spring onion, mix well and leave to infuse for a while if you've got the time.

I love to make these! I'm also getting faster at making them the more I add them to my meal plans so I'm sure I'll be having quite a lot of them over the summer! 

Do you like summer rolls? What's your favourite dip to serve them with? Leave me a comment and let me know :)

Lots of Love,
Jess xx

For these warmer, almost summery days we're having right now we all want lighter meals, that are quick and easy to prepare yet still filling. This Asian inspired glasnoodle salad is just that! You can easily adjust spice levels in this dish to your taste, prepare it the day before for an even quicker lunch the next day or even serve it as a side dish at your next BBQ.  The following recipe serves two.

You'll need:

Cook the noodles according to package instructions in some salt water.

Drain and wash the canned vegetables. Cut your spring onions into little rings using the white and the green parts. Chop the pepper into thin stripes and julienne the carrots.

In a big salad bowl, mix together the noodles and the vegetables.

In a separate bowl, prepare the dressing by combining soy sauce, spices, lemon juice and sambal oelek. Once well combined, pour over your salad and leave to infuse for about 20 minutes - or longer if you have the time - before serving. Sprinkle some sesame seeds on top for extra crunch!

And there you have it! The most delicious summer meal! :)

Are you gonna give this recipe a go? Leave me a comment to let me know how you got on :) 

What are your favourite meals for the hotter months?

These almond and orange cookies were the perfect sweet treat for a frosty but sunny weekend! They also made the house smell amazing! I had never tried making vegan egg replacement out of flax seeds before but found it to be super quick and easy and it worked so well! I'm definitely gonna keep using this in baking. If you wanna give these a go, here's what you'll need:

~100g dark chocolate (vegan)

In a small bowl mix the flax seed and water well, then set aside until it's turned into a very thick paste. This should take no more than a few minutes.

Meanwhile, chop some whole almonds into coarse pieces to coat your cookies with later on.

In a big mixing bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, orange zest, salt and flax seed mixture. Fold in your ground almonds and the almond slivers.

Preheat your oven to 200°C.

Divide your dough into 12 equally sized pieces and roll each one between the palms of your hands before gently pressing them into the chopped almonds from both sides. Place your cookies on a lined baking tray and bake for about 15 minutes or until lightly browned on top. Don't worry if they still feel soft when they come out of the oven, they'll firm up while cooling.

Leave them to cool completely while melting your chocolate in a bain marie. Decorate your cookies with the chocolate then leave to set.

So easy, so delicious!

Leave me a comment if you decide to make these and tell me how you got on :)

Anybody else sooooo ready for spring? We had some glorious sunshine here in Bavaria this week so I felt like making something deiciously summery and exotic. And nothing says summer and exotic holiday quite like a coconut & mango combination! To make this recipe feel a little more special I used black rice instead of your classic short grain rice. The black rice takes a fair bit longer to cook but trust me it's worth it - not only is it super delicious, it's also packed full of antioxidants.

Cook the rice in 700ml of water for about 30 minutes. Keep an eye on it and add more water if necessary. Add the coconut milk and sugar and cook for another 15 - 20 minutes until the rice starts to get the desired sticky consistency and has soaked up all the liquids. Take off the heat and let cool down.

Serve with fresh mango chunks as well as coconut chips and whatever you fancy as a topping - cocoa nibs would work great here too - as well as a splash of plant based milk. Now there's only one thing left to do: sit back, get some vitamin D and enjoy the fruits of your labour :)

What's the weather like where you are? Are you as desperate for more sunshine as I am?

Leave me a comment if you decide to try this and tell me how you got on :)