FOOD – Coco, Lime & Love

Vegan cheese recipe #1: the easiest mozzarella, ever

We recently posted the story of Zoé’s dad who was a farmer and who turned vegan (cf our blog post about it here). In a way we encouraged him to go vegan and he inspired us to make our own vegan cheese. Today we would like to share with you our first recipe: a vegan mozzarella.

Good for you and your wallet

Easy, healthy, tasty and.. inexpensive. The vegan lifestyle is reputed to be pricy and it doesn’t have to be true.

Vegan mozzarella everywhere, please!

You can eat this healthy and yummy mozzarella cold on bread but also in the oven to get a kind of hot goat cheese. You can enjoy it on toasts or salads, pizzas.. It won’t really melt but tastes delicious accompanied with a balsamic cream.

Variations

This recipe is for a plain mozzarella but you can try different variations like figs, herbs, spices, walnuts,…

One of our favourite spice brands Herbaria sent us a BBQ mix and it happened to have a great taste in our mozzarella.

You just need to add your favourite ingredient(s) in the sauce pan before you pour it into your bowls. To decorate it properly don’t forget to put the ingredient you want to see in your mozzarella at first in the bowl. In that way it will be on top when you turn your bowl and get your final product.

The easiest vegan mozzarella, ever.

125 g silken tofu
100 g soy yoghurt
150 ml soy milk
3 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp corn starch
1 tsp agar-agar
1 tsp salt
30 g melted coconut oil*

Put all your ingredients except the coconut oil in a high speed blender for one minute until it get smooth
Add the melted coconut oil to your blender and mix for one more minute
Transfer to a skillet or small saucepan, heat over medium heat and start to whisk. It will start to bubble and thicken. Keep stirring to avoid your pan burning from the bottom. After 10-15 minutes the texture should be thick enough.
Pour the mixture into moulds or bowls (depends on the form you want for your mozzarella)
Let it cool for a bit and then put it in the fridge for around 2 hours

*This recipe is versatile and so you can easily make a oil free version. Just skip the coconut oil and the consistency will still become firm, only the taste will change.

Don’t hesitate to comment this post if you have any question! If you need more inspiration find all our other recipes right over: there.

Porridge topped with roasted nuts & chocolate

A decadent and comfortable vegan breakfast aka the best way to start the day. Already know the German brand Nucao? We absolutely love their products! As dessert, snacks or even for breakfast. Their hemp chocolate bars are raw, vegan, refined sugar free, fair and organic. If you want to know more about this awesome company: go check out their website right here. If you want to order don’t forget to use our promo code cocolimeandlove to get 15% off.

We can’t stand long recipe introductions so let’s start straight away with a super simple ground porridge garnished with our favorite toppings!

Freshly ground spiced porridge

topped with fresh pineapple, roasted nuts, peanut butter & our favorite raw chocolate – NUCAO!

PORRIDGE

160 gram gluten free oatmeal
700 ml plant based milk ((we used soymilk))
2-3 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp of your favourite spices ((e.g. cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, star anis, cloves..))

TOPPING

¼ of a fresh pineapple
1 NUCAO chocolate bar ((we used the espresso one –perfect for breakfast))
50 gram cashew nuts
2 tsp cacao nibs
3 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp peanut butter
2 tbsp hemp seeds

Place the oats in your blender and blend for less than 5 seconds, until you get the desired consistency: you want it quite fine but not like flour
In a small saucepan over low heat add the milk and the ground oats
Add your spices
Let it cook for about 5 minutes until it gets thick
Meanwhile place a pan on low heat and add the cashews. Stir and check them from time to time because they can burn really quickly. You want them to get a nice golden colour all around
When they’re ready put them aside and let them cool down
Portion the porridge into 2 bowls and start with your topping
First cut the pineapple into small pieces and arrange them nicely in the middle of the bowl
Next to it place the Nucao bar. The porridge should be still warm so the bar will partially melt
Arrange the rest of the toppings in all the empty spaces
Lastly, pour the maple syrup on top of everything and enjoy!

Find all our other recipes over there

The happy vegan café: Lone Wolves Organics

As soon as you enter this cute vegan café you can feel the love all around the place. Not only the love between the two owners Sam and Lois, but also the passion they put into their work. The decoration is charming, the good vibes are in every piece of the walls and last but not least: the menu is creative, healthy and delicious.

Good vibes

We felt like we were near the ocean, somewhere in Australia, ordering a refreshing juice after a surf session. The weather and the lovely British accent of the owners quickly reminded us we were in the U.K. Their friendliness gave us such a perfect impression of the place.

We have been to so many different restaurants and cafés and the menu was never the real reason why we wanted to come back. There are plenty of cafés with huge potential but to us the negative attitude of some of them ruined everything. No matter how good the meals or drinks might be.

Lone Wolves Organics is one of the places where you instantly feel good. Sam and Lois don’t pretend: their smiles and amazing aura show you how welcome you really are.

Delicious food and drinks

But what about the food? We loved it! Our favourite for breakfast: a delicious avocado brazil nut pesto bagel – or a delicious gluten free bread instead.

The menu also offers different fresh juices, healthy shots and smoothies. The hot drinks contains clean ingredients and superfoods like maca, lucuma… The lunch menu is rotating and you find for example a ramen soup, thai coconut noodles soup, chana palak. You can also enjoy some sweet treats like banana bread or a peanut butter raisin bagel.

Their instagram account and website show perfectly the good stuff you can find here, so don’t hesitate to check it out. If you’re living or traveling in Essex you should definitely visit this beautiful and happy place. We personally can’t wait to come back again and try the items on their menu we don’t already know.

To the lovely Sam and Lois: thank you for your warm welcome guys, keep up the great work, it has been a pleasure to meet you.

Find all our other travel posts right there

We found the best vegan croissant in England

As you know I, Zoé, spent my whole childhood in the South of France and if I had to choose one thing in which my country excels, it would definitely be the croissant. This worldwide famous pastry is not just a cliché but also the classic childhood memory of almost every French kid. Croissant, chocolatine*, pain au raisin: I loved them all. My favourite moment to enjoy these treats was le goûter. This is the moment when grandparents pick their grandchildren up from school with a little paper bag full of treasures, the time to calm down and enjoy sweet things sitting in a park or back at home. I would dip my pastry into hot chocolate and let all the crumbs fall all over me.

The end of the croissant

Then I became a young adult. A poor student. I exclusively fed myself with cheap stuff, like noodles and… noodles. No money for croissant. Three years later I left Toulouse for Berlin and became vegan. A vegan croissant wasn’t easy to find and not so good anyways. No offense to the Germans. And so delicious French pastries were from this moment, definitely out of my life.

But years after, during a trip to England with my girlfriend, our friends Becky and Chiko, told us about Cradle. They said the owner of this vegan Café is a French baker and sweared his pastries were incredible. That whet my curiosity. They drove us there. I opened the door and the smell instantly brought me to my childhood. The flour in the air, the fresh bread, the pastries: I was back in France, waiting in a bakery to get a pain au raisin and some candies after a long day at school.

Best vegan croissant, ever.

We ordered all the different pastries and our friends were right: they were out of this world. Just close your eyes and imagine a fresh baked vegan croissant early in the morning: heaven.
The hot chocolate I had as well, turned out to be possibly the best I have ever had. Strong, sweet, dark, creamy: a dream. After this champion breakfast we had a gluten-oil-sugar kind of hangover and felt like sh*t. But it didn’t matter. It was worth it.

*there is a pastry war in France. The majority of the country says that chocolate pastries are called “pain au chocolat”. So the minority is resisting the oppression from the North and still calls it “chocolatine”. I’m from the South West. We think that “pain au chocolat” doesn’t make any sense, since it means “chocolate bread” and that this delicious pastry is not a freaking bread with chocolate in it. “Chocolatine” is just a cute and melodic word, with the word chocolate in it. So here is my advice, if you meet French people, for example at a dinner: just start the debate proclaiming your love for their chocolatines. The evening’s entertainment will be assured.

Find all our other travel stories and tips right there.

Places to eat in Berlin : our top 10

A good place for us is more than just having good food, it’s also about the feeling you leave with. The smile the waiter gave you. The love you found in every corner of the location. The crumbles of tasty food you still have on the corner of your mouth. The smell of creative and ethical food that follows you when you close the door. Berlin has a lot of places like that and we are gonna tell you which ones are our favorite.

1) Place to take

After a huge deception this first place is to take! We would be happy to hear all your recommendations 😉

2) Con tho

Warning! Amazing restaurant! Well to be honest our first time there was a very particular day for us, very emotional and an important day in our relationship. So it could be biased to say it was fantastic… BUT we went there again, and again, without any particular reason and felt the same each time. In Con tho you first notice that the menu is extremely interesting and more than affordable. At this point we thought it was too good (or too cheap) to be true. But then the meals came. We suddenly felt like we were in a fancy expensive restaurant. It looked just amazing. And the taste? Even better! Each starter we ordered was tasty, fresh and creative. You should definitely give it a try!

3) Seoul Kitchen

I don’t know about you but we LOVE Korean Food! The idea of a good bibimbap makes us so excited. Every single time. So here is one of our favorite Korean restaurant in Berlin : Seoul Kitchen.

Located in the heart of Friedrichshain and a few meters from the vegan mall it is a strategic place to visit during your stay in Berlin. Take a seat, make yourself comfortable and ask for a tofu bibimbap without egg. When your meal arrives : relax and enjoy the crackling of the hot pan while observing the vitality of the Warschauer Street through the window. The friendliness of the staff makes the atmosphere even better. They also have Japanese food so if you have space for a starter (and you should) try their avocado maki : out of this world.

4) Hummus and friends

It’s crazy how every single place on this list reminds me of all the dates Mimi and I had together. Each one corresponds to a particular moment of our relationship, all so special.. But that’s another story! This restaurant has „hummus“ in it’s name, do I need to say more? ? Traditional hummus, roasted cauliflower, baked eggplant, good wine, nice atmosphere… Convinced?

5) Markhalle neun : street food Tuesday

Once a week the Markhalle neun in Kreuzberg host a great street food market with a lot of different stands from all over the world. You can find a lot of different plant based options and it is difficult to choose one unique meal. Our strategy: go around the market and make a list of our favorite. Then we’ll pick the three best and share all of them with each other. And then we’ll select one or two desserts. With all these flavors you always go home with the feeling you just had a world tour through your mouth!

6) Valladares

What a cute vegan place! Super nice employees, nice atmosphere and delicious meals. What more could we ask for? We really liked the chili sin carne and the Tarte flambée. You can also find pulled jackfruit burger, lasagnes and burritos,… The back area is like a grandma’s living room with comfy armchairs so you can enjoy a hot drink while reading a good book on a rainy afternoon. Need one more reason to go there? They have a cute delicatessen shop with good products for fair prices.

7) Jivamukti Canteen

We found this place by accident and love it every time we have visited! The atmosphere is relaxing, the location (hidden in a backyard) is beautiful. What can you get there? A lot of healthy smoothies and juices, awesome sandwiches, delicious hot drinks, raw desserts, sugar free desserts, soups and much more! The perfect secret place to have a cozy healthy moment in Berlin!

8) Let it be

Let it be is a cozy vegan restaurant you can find near to the Sonnenallee, in the area of Neukölln. The perfect place to eat delicious crepes & burgers and enjoy your time with friends & good beer! The staff are super friendly, the atmosphere warm and the location creative. Give it a go!

9) Neni/Monkey bar

This beautiful restaurant located on a rooftop has a colorful Middle Eastern menu with some delicious vegan dishes. You can order some Lebanese and Syrian specialities like fresh falafels with mint and tahin, smoked eggplant purée with pita bread, oven roasted bell pepper, nuts and pomegranate syrup, three different types of hummus, chickpea salat,… Sounds good right? The view of the city you have from the 10th floor is really beautiful and makes your time there even more special. Top Tip: go in the evening when the sky is dark and the lights of the West City are on.

10) 1990

1990 is a Vietnamese vegan place next to the Boxhagenerplatz, in the heart of Friedrichshain. On the menu you can find a lot of starters to share with your date, friends or with yourself…sharing is not always caring, right? The food and presentation are really good, the staff kind and thoughtful.

Did you enjoy this Berlin restaurants top 10? You might also like our top 10 Netflix show right here.

Decadent breakfast : triple chocolate tahin porridge

Vianne: And these are for your husband. Unrefined cacao nibs from Guatemala, to awaken the passions.

Yvette: Psshh. You’ve obviously never met my husband.

Vianne: Well, you’ve obviously never tried these.

From the movie Chocolat

NUTTY TRIPLE CHOCOLATE PORRIDGE

Hot, warming perfect winter breakfast for all the chocolate lovers out there

PORRIDGE

250 grams of oatmeal
3 dates
300 ml of plant based milk ((or water))
½ tsp of ginger bread spice
a pinch of salt

Topping

2 squares of dark chocolate ((we use 100% cocoa choc))
cacao nibs ((you decide how much))
cashews and walnuts ((as much as you want))
2 Tbsp of tahini
2 Tbsp of maple syrup
2 tbsp sugar free chocolate sauce (we used sweet freedom choc shot)

PORRIDGE

In a small saucepan over high heat add oats, milk, a pinch of salt and stir
When it comes to a boil, reduce to medium heat
Cut the dates in small pieces and add them to you pan – so they can sweeten the porridge while cooking
Now cook until thick and creamy
Remove from stove top (add a little more milk if it’s too thick)

TOPPING

Use all the topping and garnish it on top of your oats as you like it – enjoy!

Did you enjoy it? Find all our other recipes here.

Vegan meringues

Cosmic vegan meringues

I believe in pink. I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing, kissing a lot. I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day and I believe in miracles.

Audrey Hepburn

VEGAN MERINGUES

The perfect present : these vegan meringues are not a lot of work, you don’t need a lot of ingredients but the result is impressive.

120 ml of aquafaba ((chickpea brine))
½ tsp of vinegar ((white or red wine))
125 grams of cane or coconut sugar
1 medium fresh beetroot

If you have a juicer, juice your beetroot. If not, mix it in a blender with a little bit of water and then squeeze all the juice in a nut milk bag or kitchen towel out of it. You need about 3-4 tbsp of juice.
Add your chickpea water to a mixing bowl and place it on your stand mixer using a whisk attachment (if you don’t have one use a hand or stand mixer)
Add your vinegar
Turn the machine on and let it whip for a while (it can take up to 5 minutes)
To test if your aquafaba is ready, gently turn the bowl upside down.
If it’s all firm and does not move you can start adding sugar but do this step very slowly, tablespoon by tablespoon
The mixture should become glossy and thick
Preheat the oven to 100 °C
Take an icing bag (if you don’t have one you can take a small plastic bag and cut a little hole in it)
Trickle ½ tsp of beetroot juice inside making sure it coats the insides of the bag
Now spoon meringue mixture into the bag
Squeeze small blobs onto the tray (leave some space in between each)
Bake for about 75 minutes
Turn the oven off but leave the meringues inside with the door slightly open for another 45-60 minutes
Store the meringues in an airtight container

You can find all our other recipes right here!

Lime rice pudding

LIME RICE PUDDING

with grilled apples & a nutty topping – the perfect comfort winter breakfast

PORRIDGE

250 grams pudding rice
1 litre soy milk ((or any other milk alternative))
zest from 1 organic lime
a pinch of vanilla
2 tbsp of your favorite sweetener ((e.g. maple or agave syrup))
sea salt

TOPPING

1 apple sliced
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp coconut oil
1 handful of chopped almonds
12 dates
2 tbsp nut butter ((almond, cashew, peanut…))
2 tbsp maple syrup

Place the rice in a large pot, add the other ingredients except for the sweetener
Bring it to boil and let it cook quietly for 5-10 minutes.
Cover your pot with a lid and turn the heat down and allow to cook for about 20-25 mins so that the milk should have been absorbed but the rice is still firm
Once the rice has the perfect consistency add your sweetener
If it’s too thick, you can add a little bit more milk & stir until it’s creamy again
Take a pan, on medium heat, add coconut oil and apple slices
Sprinkle some cinnamon on top of the apples
Turn the apples over after 30 seconds
In another pan without oil add the chopped almonds on medium heat
Make sure to move them so they don’t burn
When the apples get soft and all sides are golden they are done
Same with the almonds – wait until nice and golden
Now arrange the rice pudding in two bowls
Add the grilled apple slices on top as well as the almonds
Add 6 dates each
Sprinkle nut butter, maple syrup and chocolate sauce on top, and… enjoy!

Need more inspiration? You can find all our other recipes right there!

Peanut butter vanilla smoothie bowl

Your body is a temple, but only if you treat it as one.

Astrid Alauda

PEANUT BUTTER VANILLA SMOOTHIE BOWL

What do we eat the most? Definitely smoothie bowls, we just can’t live without them.

SMOOTHIE

4 frozen bananas
1 cup almond milk
3 tbsps peanut butter
½ tsp vanilla extract

TOPPING

2 bananas sliced
2 fresh figs
2 dried figs
4 dates

Combine bananas, almond milk, peanut butter and vanilla in a blender (we use our Vitamix)
Mix until completely smooth (the mixture should be thick)
Divide the smoothie in two bowls and arrange your topping as you want.

You can find all our other recipes right there!

Mac and Cheese

Mac and cheese every single day.

Amazing, creamy, flavorful gluten-free mac ‘n’ cheese made with 8 simple and healthy ingredients! The perfect meal when it has to be simple and quick.

MAC & CHEESE

Amazing, creamy, flavorful gluten-free mac ‘n’ cheese made with 8 simple and healthy ingredients! The perfect meal when it has to be simple and quick.

SAUCE

3 large potatoes
2 carrots
3 tbsp nutritional yeast

PASTA & TOPPING

200 grams cauliflower
200 grams mushrooms of your choice
1 sweet potato
500 gram of your favorite gluten-free pasta ((rice, corn, chickpea, lentil…))
2 handfuls of fresh baby spinach
one avocado
sesame seeds

Cut the cauliflower into bite size pieces, wash them, sprinkle some oil and salt and put them on a baking sheet
Do the same with the mushrooms and sweet potato
Put them all in the oven for about 15 mins on 200 degrees
Bring two pots of water to boil
Peel the potatoes and carrots and then cut them into little squares
Add potato and carrot squares with some salt to the boiling water
Cover it and wait until everything is soft.
Meanwhile add pasta to the other pot of boiling water and cook according to package instructions
When the cooked veggies are done add them to a blender
Add nutritional yeast, some salt and mix for about 2 minutes, until it has a super creamy and cheesy consistence
Add the sauce to the cooked pasta and toss to combine
The main dish is now ready – portion it into two bowls
Now you can start with the topping. Begin with the roasted veggies – they should be ready by now, get them out of the oven and arrange them nicely on top of your mac and cheese. Add one handful of spinach to each bow. Cut the avocado in slices and them on top of it. Garnish your dish with some roasted sesame – enjoy!

You can find all our other recipes right there!