Plant-based nutrition is healthy, even Obelix knows that – but he still can’t keep his hands off the wild boar. For all vegetarians, flexitarians and obelixes, “Doc Fleck” has expanded vegan basic recipes with a certain extra: No “always just leaves”!
A plant-based diet is healthy and sensible. (Almost) all of us know that, even the steak fans. But what does it look like on our plate? Ideally, it should be filled up to half with vegetables, salads and/or low-sugar fruit. Is that him? no Or mostly not. Only sometimes.
And again no: Vegans are neither lettuce bitches nor carrot monsters. They simply eat healthier and live more consciously than many (most?) of us. I don’t want to give up meat, fish, eggs, cheese and butter completely either; limit the consumption of these foods in favor of more vegetables on the plate. But probably not often enough; I’m probably still a kind of flexitarian light version. On the way to becoming a flexitarian, a number of old habits go overboard – especially cooking and preparation habits. Sometimes you need a little support, inspiration, ideas … recipes. Now here comes Dr. medical Anne Fleck comes into play.
With her latest book “It’s hardly healthier”, Germany’s renowned preventive and nutritionist Anne Fleck gives us the tools for a healthy, enjoyable and balanced diet. With “Doc Fleck”, known from their bestsellers and from TV shows, everything revolves around healing, alleviating and preventing illnesses through the right food. Her credo: Healthy nutrition must be casual, fun and taste really good. “It’s hardly healthier” was published by Becker Joest Volk Verlag and contains over 80 basic vegan recipes. The highlight: Optional mini-portions of meat or fish ensure an ideal supply of nutrients. All recipes were made by Dr. Anne Fleck and the multiple award-winning cookbook author Bettina Matthaei. The basic recipes are completely plant-based, while the additional options compensate for potential nutrient deficiencies even with occasional consumption – a dream for flexitarians!
In the book there are recipes for main dishes, salads, bowls, soups, small dishes, desserts, breakfast, smoothies, breads, spreads, power bars and power balls. Anne Fleck wouldn’t be “Doc Fleck” if she didn’t have lots of health tips to hand out – in addition and without a prescription! For example, I now know why bananas improve mood and make it easier to fall asleep, why kiwis should not be eaten with dairy products or that a lot of the anti-inflammatory papain is mainly found in papaya seeds and how I can use it.
The recipes are supplemented by many excursions into the world of vegan nutritional components. It’s not just about interesting facts about legumes and mushrooms, herbs and spices, tofu and co., algae, sprouts, nuts, oils, etc. In these digressions, the authors also explain how you can ferment white cabbage, almonds and nuts yourself, for example and pulses “activated”, how sprouts and microgreens from kale, rocket, broccoli, radishes and radishes thrive on the window sill or how fiber deficits that can occur despite a diet rich in plants can be compensated for.
No matter how we eat: deficits in fiber, vitamins, trace elements and minerals can occur – more often than we would like. “Micronutrient deficiencies that have been misunderstood for years are the hissing fuse for chronic diseases. With an optimal nutrient balance, a lot of health can be maintained, diseases can be alleviated or even overcome. That is why you need an ideal supply of nutrients in your daily meals,” writes Dr. Spot. “The guidelines of the German Society for Nutrition (DGE) and other international publications refer to the risk of nutrient deficiencies. Above all, vitamin B12, vitamin D, long-chain omega-3 fatty acids (docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid), calcium and iodine, zinc, selenium and Iron and protein are considered potential shortages in an exclusively vegan diet. This fact should not be underestimated. However, in practice I also see omnivores with severe lack of vital substances. So each of us needs a critical, loving look at the plate and the supply of vital substances.”
This gap in nutrition can be closed by the book “It’s hardly healthier”. Flexitarians will find everything their hearts desire (from time to time) here: chicken and beef, prawns and scallops, Serrano ham and bacon, mozzarella and halloumi, pike-perch and trout. Anyone who thinks that these portions of the flexitarian extras are in the nano range is wrong. Some examples: 150 g prawns, 250 g chicken breast fillet, 100 g feta, 150 g tuna, 100 g pecorino cheese, 2 zander fillets, 1 ball of mozzarella, etc. The information is always for two servings. The extras should be sufficient, because the ingredients from the vegan basic recipes are already filling on their own.
Vegan cuisine has long been established – and of course the food industry and trade have reacted and opened up this market for themselves. But a healthy mistrust is required here, a closer look makes you smart. In the small print on the packaging we find sugar and sugar substitutes, artificial flavors, colourings, etc. “What is sometimes offered as healthy and vegan in colorful marketing promises should not be expected of your body in the long term. Vegan nutrition is beneficial to health when it is off unprocessed fresh foods high in vegetables and is sailing the cliffs of nutrient deficiency,” writes Dr. spot on it. “It is important to me that you and your loved ones enjoy a long life in the best possible health – without a heart attack, without a stroke, without being overweight, without arthrosis and free from autoimmune diseases, pain, diabetes, dementia or cancer. That’s why we focused on this point on nutrients that are neglected, especially in years of vegan and one-sided nutrition.” These would be: vitamin B12, iodine, omega-3 fatty acids, selenium, calcium and vitamin D3. Anne Fleck goes into detail about these important nutrients, explains why they are important, which foods contain them and how a deficiency can be compensated for.
The range of vegetables is large and you are often spoiled for choice at the weekly market. After all, not all vegetables are created equal! The magic word is “dark colourful”: the darker and more intense the color of the vegetable, the more sustainable its inner values. dr In the book, Fleck trawls through the colorful basis of our diet, from broccoli to onions. She also lists lesser-known ingredients and where to find these products. The recipes worked out by Bettina Matthaei are perfectly balanced and guarantee an adequate supply of nutrients. “And something else is important,” emphasizes “Doc Fleck”: “Your diet should suit YOU.” The dish on the plate should taste so good “that even Obelix would voluntarily forego his daily portion of wild boar”.
Nutritional values ??per serving: Vegan basic recipe: 513 kcal, F 32 g, carbohydrates 18 g, B 19 g, AD 34 gFlexitarian extra: 97 kcal, F 6 g, carbohydrates 0 g, B 0 g, AD 11 g
Vegan basic recipe (preparation time 35 minutes): Cook the black bean spaghetti in salted water for about 6 minutes or according to package directions, then drain.
Meanwhile, toast the sesame seeds in a pan without adding fat until fragrant. Let cool down.
First cut the nori sheet into thin strips and then crosswise into small pieces.
Mix the almond butter, miso and 1 tsp harissa paste with the broth, add the remaining harissa paste to taste.
Peel the carrots, use the spiral cutter to form spirals that are as thin as possible and cut into pieces about 10 cm long. Heat the oil in a pan and stir-fry the carrot spirals for 3 minutes. Add the spaghetti, stir-fry for 1 minute, then pour in the almond sauce and simmer for another 3-4 minutes until the carrots are al dente.
Meanwhile, rinse the cilantro, pat dry and chop.
Season the spaghetti mixture with salt, pepper and possibly more harissa paste and sprinkle with coriander. Mix together the sesame and nori and sprinkle on top.
Flexitarian extra: scallops (preparation time 10 minutes) 125 g shelled scallops (without roe) dab dry, salt, pepper and roll in 2 teaspoons rice flour. Wipe off excess flour. Heat 1 tbsp peanut oil in a skillet and sear the scallops over a good medium-high heat for 3 minutes until golden all over, well sealed on the outside but still translucent on the inside.
Tip: Roughly chop up several nori sheets and chop into fine flakes in a food processor. Then store in a jar.
Nutritional values ??per serving: Vegan basic recipe: 425 kcal, F 36 g, KH 10 g, B 12 g, EW 15 gFlexitarian extra: 59 kcal, F 5 g, KH 0 g, B 0 g, EW 4 g
Vegan basic recipe (preparation time 30 minutes): Remove the leaf veins from the kale, tear into small pieces, wash and spin dry. Knead in a bowl with a pinch of salt until smooth, then drizzle with ½ tbsp olive oil and massage in thoroughly.
Peel the carrots, process them into thin spaghetti with the spiral cutter and cut them into pieces 4-5 cm long. Alternatively, use a vegetable peeler to peel off thin ribbon noodles.
Heat the remaining oil in a large skillet and fry the carrots over high heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly, until very tender to the bite. Season with salt and pepper, remove from the pan and let cool.
Mix the almond butter with 50 ml water until smooth, add the lemon juice and zest, salt and pepper. Halve the amount. Mix one half with turmeric and the other half with spirulina powder.
Divide the kale between two plates and arrange the carrot spirals next to them. Spread turmeric dressing in blobs or strips on the kale, drizzle the spirulina dressing over the carrots. Roughly chop the almonds and sprinkle on top. Garnish with sprouts if you like.
Flexitarian extra: crispy bacon strips (preparation time 3 minutes plus approx. 10 minutes baking) Preheat the oven to 200 °C for circulating air. Place 4 strips of bacon (10 g each) on a baking tray lined with baking paper, press down and bake in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes until crispy. Remove from the oven and drain on kitchen paper. Serve as whole slices on the salads or break into pieces and sprinkle on top.
Nutritional values ??per serving: 441 kcal, F 27 g, KH 19 g, B 7 g, EW 26 g
Preparation (preparation time 15 minutes): Stir the yoghurt with the cashew butter, sambal oelek and a pinch of salt until smooth.
Halve the tempeh and cut into thumb-thick strips.
Heat the coconut oil in a pan and fry the strips for 4 minutes, turning them after 1 minute so that they are crispy and golden brown all over. Deglaze with the tamari and toss in it until the liquid has completely evaporated.
Serve the tempeh strips with the dip.
Tip: This goes well with raw vegetables such as carrot, kohlrabi or celery sticks as well as strips of pepper and, as an aromatic garnish, cress, sprouts or other microgreens or simply fresh herbs of your choice.
Doc Fleck’s health tip: Unlike other soy sauces, Tamari does not contain wheat and is therefore gluten-free. In addition, tamari is sugar-free and free from other ingredients such as thickeners, preservatives, flavorings and yeast. For the production, soybeans are ground and processed into a mash (“koji”) with the help of special bacteria. This is mixed with salt and water and then traditionally fermented in cedar barrels. The protein in the soybeans is converted into amino acids, which are responsible for the color and typical taste. Nowadays tamari is often chemically produced. It is worth looking for products with traditional production and organic quality. For people who cannot tolerate wheat or soy, there is an alternative, a seasoning sauce made from lupins, salt and water, or the so-called aminos, which are made from coconut blossom juice and are reminiscent of a sweet soy sauce.
Nutritional values ??per piece/portion: Vegan basic recipe: 181 kcal, F 10 g, KH 13 g, B 7 g, EW 8 gFlexitarian extra: 90 kcal, F 6 g, KH 1 g, B 0 g, EW 7 g
Basic vegan recipe (preparation time 25 minutes plus 5 minutes soaking, 45 minutes baking and cooling): Peel the carrots and parsnips, cut them roughly into pieces and chop them in a food processor to a little more than the size of a grain of rice. Wash Hokkaido and cauliflower, pat dry and also chop finely.
Heat 1 ½ tbsp oil in a large pan and stir fry the chopped vegetables over high heat for 5 minutes to evaporate as much moisture as possible. Stir in the chia seeds, season generously with Kala Namak, spices, nutritional yeast and mushroom powder, if you like, and leave to cool.
Rinse the parsley, pat dry and roughly chop. Roughly chop the pumpkin seeds as well and mix both into the fried vegetables.
Put the chickpea flour in a bowl and sift in the baking powder. Mix the oat drink and apple cider vinegar, pour in and mix. Mix the vegetables into the rather firm sticky dough and leave to swell for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 170°C.
Grease the muffin tin with the remaining oil, pour the batter into the wells and bake in the preheated oven (middle) for 45 minutes.
Remove from the oven, let cool in the tin for about 10 minutes, remove the muffins and let cool completely on a wire rack.
Flexitarian extra: cream cheese and parmesan frosting (preparation time 10 minutes) Finely grate 50 g of parmesan. Mix with 100 g double cream cheese and 125 g low-fat quark and puree until smooth with a hand blender. If necessary, add 1-2 tbsp water. Season generously with 1 teaspoon of paprika, 1-2 pinches of cayenne pepper, some salt and freshly ground black pepper. Pour into a piping bag and top the muffins with it.
Heidi Driesner wishes you a lot of fun reading and trying out – and from now on wild boar only on Sundays!
