Romanesco Broccoli & Fusilli Stir-Fry

The first time I ate a Romanesco was in Paris five years ago. I was fifteen years old and spend my whole vacations at the place of my best friends dad Jérôme. He lived right in the centre of this beautiful city of love and I might had the best view on the Eiffel Tower out of my window.
Parisians have the unfamiliar habit of eating at later times than Germans do, so we usually had lunch at 3pm and dinner at midnight. Every single day Jérôme threw some veggies for lunch together and paired it with whole grain pasta and thinned tomato puree. Even though it was a very simple meal it tasted delicious, fresh and crisp. I've never seen a Romanesco before and was literally flashed by it's artistic structure and it's bright green color. At that time I was not the biggest addict of veggies but the Romanesco made me eat tons.

When I found out that our local market sells Romaneso I played around with some variations of Jérôme's version. This colorful stir-fry was the tasty result. I didn't use whole grain pasta in this but noodles made of peas (though normal pasta would work too). You can find them in your local health store and they are definitely worth a try. The sauce is made from nut butter and sun-dried tomatoes with a hint of chili.

Romanesco Broccoli & Fusilli Stir-Fry
for 2 persons

1 Romanesco
150g pea or whole grain Pasta
1 Tbsp Sultanas
4-5 sun-dried Tomatoes
1 Tbsp Cashew Butter
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
3 stems of flat-leaf Parsley
Chilli flakes
Salt to taste

In a small bowl pour 100ml of boiling water over the Sultanas and set aside. Then separate the romanesco in florets. Cook the pasta following the package instructions. In another mixing bowl blend the sun-dried tomatoes, the cashew butter, one Tbsp of olive oil and a pinch of chili together with 100ml of water and set aside too.
Heat up the remaining olive oil in a frying pan and sear the romanesco for about 3 minutes. Cover and let it steam on low heat for another 15 minutes. At least just add the pasta, the sultanas plus their water, the sauce and finely chopped parsley to the romanesco and stir well until combined.

Mango & Coconut Chia Pudding

The past weeks a not going snow layer covered the north of Germany. Normally the ocean makes our winters smooth and mild but not this year. The sudden drop in temperature came very unexpected and late. In this region people do not really know how to handle smidgens of this cold, white and fluffy snowman-building-material. So it felt like a mini emergency condition with a nearly breakdown of our transport-system.
I have to admit that I barely noticed the situation outside. I was entrapped right in the middle of my exams, cut off from everything fun. Now and then someone send me a message complaining about feeling like an Eskimo.

The snow left as fast as it came and the new appearance of green grass made me crave summery food. The story behind this breakfast recipe.

This huge glass of chia pudding tastes like a sunbath on an exotic island. It is the perfect combination of fresh coconut, sweet mango and a touch of passion fruit. Prepared within minutes and unbeatable as a to-go breakfast. The best about this combination is the topping. The layer of mango is a sweet extra that makes this breakfast does without any sugar. The passion fruit gives an exotic feeling and the frozen blueberries on top make the twist. My dad loved it even though chia seeds aren't his favorite because of their slimy consistency.

Mango & Coconut Chia Pudding
Serves one

1 Cup Coconut Water
1/2 ripe Mango
2 Tbsp shredded Coconuts
3 Tbsp Chia Seeds

(optional for topping)
1 Passion Fruit
1/4 ripe Mango
1/4 Cup frozen Blueberries

Blend the coconut water together with the Mango. Add the shredded coconut and the chia seeds and stir well until combined. Put the mixture in the fridge and let it rest for about 2 hours or over night. I topped the chia pudding with some pureed mango, passion fruit, some frozen blueberries and a sprinkle of shredded coconut.

German Christstollen

The advent season starts tomorrow and my christmas bakery started today. In Germany we traditionally celebrate all four Sundays in advent with a fruit loaf called Christstollen or Stollen. Since I remember my mum is baking several batches of Stollen in the end of Oktober and hides it, covered with a dish towel, in the furthest corner on top of her wardrobe. And then when the loafs are almost forgotten she surprises family and friends with homemade goodness on the first Sunday in advent.

The original recipe is made with candied lemon and orange peel and lots of rum and sugar. This helps making the bread long-living and developing it's full aroma. But since I really do not like these ingredients I'm used to bake my own version of this festive German christmas cake. I just skip the waiting process and bake it a few days before advent.

Don't let the seeming simplicity fool you. This loaf is filled with heartwarming spices and pure christmas spirit. But hey this should not mean that you can skip all these christmas songs and gingerbread cookies and hot chocolates.

German Christstollen
makes one loaf

500g whole spelt flour
1 pack of fresh yeast
1 tsp honey
75ml warm plant-based milk (I used oat)
200g raisins

160g soaked almonds
150ml plant-based milk
10 dates
1 tbsp orange zest
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cardamom
1 vanilla bean
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground ginger


Place the spelt flour in a large mixing bowl and make a little hole in the center. Warm up the milk on the stove together with the honey and yeast until dissolved. Pour the milk into the hole of the spelt. Mix the liquid a little bit with the surrounding flour. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and set aside. Put the remaining ingredients (except the raisins) in a blender and blend until a smooth paste is formed. Now add the spiced almond paste and the raisins to the bowl of flour and yeast. Knead the dough until everything is well combined and a non-sticky ball is formed. The whole spelt flour need more time of kneading than usual flour. Cover with a kitchen towel and allow the dough to rise for about an hour. Knead again and form a loaf on a lined baking sheet. Let it rise for another 30 minutes.   Preheat the oven to 180° C and bake for 30 minutes.

Homemade Healthier Nutella

Let us be honest. Nutella is somehow magical. With it's creamy consistency, it's chocolaty flavor and it's nutty base it is one of the tastiest things on earth to put on a slice of fresh rye. Sometimes it is quite hard not to loose self-control and scoop out the whole jar. I can barely remember little me sitting at breakfast with a completely messed up nutella face. Happy and satisfied, equipped with a big spoon.
Today I make my own jars of homemade Nutella. A healthified version without palm oil, dairy and refined sugars. Definitely so worth a try!

Hazelnuts do magic. When I discovered that Nutella is nothing more than a flavored nut butter my brain went crazy with ideas. So I started experimenting and came up with this yummy favorite. Even writing about it is so mouthwatering. This recipe is made with only four ingredients and the secret power of your oven.  Did you ever roast hazelnuts? It is amazing how they evolve their nougat-aroma within these few minutes of heat. You will want to eat them right from the baking sheet because they are so tasty. And the roasting process also makes it much easier to remove their skin. Win-win I would say. With a linen-cloth you can rub off the remaining skin afterwards and there you go.

When the nuts are roasted and peeled it is time to blend them. My secret ingredient: patience. According to the power of your food processor or blender it will take some time until the nuts become their creamy and melting consistency by setting free their oil. Don't worry if it seems pointless. Your mixture will end up heavenly smooth. Even when it takes twelve minutes.

Normally I would suggest to use a food processor for this step, since this kitchen tool is made for shredding nuts and grains. But I do not own a food processor. Instead I use a high power blender. It works perfectly and the result is amazing.

Homemade healthier Nutella
fills one jar

200g Hazelnuts
8 Dates (when dried soak them for an hour)
1 Vanilla bean
3 Tbsp Cacao Powder


Preheat your oven to 175° Celsius. Spread the hazelnuts on a lined baking sheet and roast them for about 15 minutes. Let them cool and remove the skin by rubbing it off with a linen-cloth or a dishtowel. Put the nuts into a food processor or high power blender and blend until the mixture becomes very creamy (at this point keep on blending several minutes more). Then add the pitted dates and mix again until smooth. At least just scrape out the pith of the vanilla bean and add it together with the cacao.

You can store the Nutella in an air-tight container up to a month. Oil can settle on the surface.

Creamy Millet Porridge

I have to admit that I have a very serious addiction to porridge! Especially in the colder seasons. Sometimes I wish that I could eat it for every meal, that's how much I love it. It is so creamy and warming and soothing. Like eating a giant hug right in the morning. The best you can start your day with. You can make it in so many variations and top it with your favorite things to create something insanely delicious.

As a student my mornings tend to be very busy. I try to sleep as long as possible but at once I want to take myself enough time for an energizing breakfast. This millet porridge is an absolute savior on days like this. When you precook some millet it will only take a minute in the morning to prepare.

The millet takes about 30 minutes to cook. You can precook an amount for the week or the evening before serving and store it in the fridge.  Then just add a few toppings and it is ready to enjoy. If you would like to eat your porridge warm you can heat it up in the microwave or on the stove. But I promise, cold it tastes delicious as well.

Creamy Millet Porridge
for 2 persons 

150g Millet
500ml Hot water
1 tsp Salt
2 tbsp Honey 

100ml Milk of your choice (I used rice-milk)
1 tbsp Flax seeds
2 tbsp Cranberries
1 tsp Cashew butter
1 tsp Cacao nibs

Combine the millet together with the hot water in a pot. Cover it and let it simmer for about 30 minutes. When the water is absorbed too fast, add a little bit more. Then add the salt and the honey and stir well. Portion the millet among two bowls. Pour over the milk and sprinkle the other ingredients on top.

A Place Of Stories

Today is the day. It's the first post entry on my own food-blog. And to be honest I really have no idea what to write about on this very special first day of blogging. All I feel at the moment is the excitement about my own platform of sharing.

But first things first I will tell you some facts about me. I don't want to bore you with too much personal stuff but I kinda feel responsible for telling you who is writing these lines.

Hi, my name is Jana. I am a 20-year old girl born and raised in Germany. Beneath studying I work in a small media agency. I spend a lot of my free time with photography, cooking and here and then also with some crafting. When I asked people to describe me in a word they answered 'creative head'. But actually I think I am just a very curious and open minded person who loves to discover new things. Another passion of mine is to travel. Whenever there is time I pack my bags and explore new places. What I bring back home with me are new experiences and inspiration. Sometimes I also take some souvenirs with me but mostly I just try to keep the atmosphere however possible. At this point it comes to food. To me food is a language. It communicates by flavors, spices and aromas and it connects us. When we eat, we come together. So it stands to reason that I tell my friends about my trips by cooking up some cultural describing recipes.

Well, here it is: miljanii. A place where I gather my all-time favorite and very personal meals. A place where I will spend lots of rainy autumn-afternoons, cold winter-nights and warm summer-evenings. My place of stories.
Let's see which way this blog-story will go!