AutumnWinter en

Above & Beyond Earth [vegan]

„Wat wör dat janze Levve wäät, wammer sich kein Freud dran mäht.“ – Saying from Cologne

[What would life be worth, if one wouldn’t enjoy it.
Meaning: Enjoy your life, you only have one! Basically, a very classic version of YOLO]

My year started rather bumpy, but I guess this way I have a lot of chances to improve it. This months’ recipe is a homage to my beloved grandmother, who sadly passed away this January. However, this month would have been her 89^th birthday and I thought, what better way to celebrate her last 88 years on this planet than to cook a meal she’d love. My Granny was born and raised in Cologne and even though she and my Granddad moved to the countryside in the 70^th, there was no way for her to deny where she came from. You could hear it when she spoke and in general, every inch of her was so very “kölsch” (the German word for something from Cologne). She loved her hometown very much and so did she love the culinary side of Cologne, with all its’ classics. Up to her death, she would always try new and exciting dishes but also never said no to a traditional dish. My personal favourite from "Culinary-Cologne" is “Himmel un Ääd” (Sky and Earth). Sky stands for apples (apple sauce) and earth for potatoes (mashed potatoes). Traditionally the mashed potatoes are made with butter and cow’s milk and the mash is topped with fried Flünz (a special kind of black pudding). But (and I know I keep on repeating this every month, but it’s just true!) I really don’t miss anything in this recipe, you have creamy mashed potatoes, sweet apples and crunchy onions! Do you really need anything else in a dish? So, enough of my monologue, let’s get started!

Today's piece of happiness:

All you need: (for 4 portions)

Earth:

1 kg potatoes

4 tbsp. unsweetened plant milk (I used unsweetened almond milk)

2 tbsp. margarine

Salt, pepper and nutmeg for seasoning

3 onions

50 ml oil (I used sunflower oil)

1 tbsp. margarine

Sky:

1 kg apples

2 tbsp. margarine

2 tbsp. brown sugar

1. Step:

Peel the potatoes and cut them into quarters. Peel the onions as well and cut them into thin half-rings and then cut the apples into thin slices.

2. Step:

Put the potatoes in water and let them cook until they are soft (approx. 20-30 minutes).

3. Step:

While the potatoes cook, put the oil and one tablespoon of margarine in a frying pan.
If the mixture bubbles like this:

Add the onions and divide them into the half-rings, just like that:

Now fry the onions for approx. 5-10 minutes at maximum heat, until they are crunchy. It should look, more or less, like this:

When this is done, put the onions on a paper towel to drain the excess fat.

4. Step:

For the sky part: 😇
Melt two tablespoons of margarine, at medium heat, and then add two tablespoons of brown sugar. When the sugar is dissolved, add the apple slices and caramelise them for a couple of minutes (approx. 5 minutes). Don’t let the sugar and margarine get too hot, as you might end with slightly bitter tasting apples – not that I speak from experience 😏

5. Step:
When the potatoes are done, strain off the water and add three tablespoons of milk and two tablespoons of margarine to the potatoes.

Mash the potatoes. I really recommend using a gadget like this and not an electric one, to achieve the best mash consistency. You might want to add another tablespoon of milk or even some more margarine, to get the consistency you like. When you have the consistency you like, season the mash to taste with salt, pepper and some grounded nutmeg.

6. Step:

Time to EAT! Top the mash with the onions and apples and enjoy your meal!

TIPP: If you need an even faster version, you can replace the apples with ready-to-eat apple sauce, that tastes also really good!

Here we go, I'm delighted to tell you: you have done it! Now go on and enjoy your self-made piece of happiness ♥
I personally love this classic and whenever I need comfort food, this is one of my go-to recipes. I love changing my childhood classic so that I still can enjoy them now, simply in their 100% cruelty-free version. It’s just one of my happy-making recipes and I hope you like it, too.
Have a great February and I’m really looking forward to seeing you in March. Until then:
Do not forget: Happiness can be delicious, so go on and spread some feliciousness ❤️

Love, Miss Felicious XXX