Breakfast glory baked oatmeal

I jumped on the band wagon of baked oat meal. I knew I would like it, turns out I love it. Its like pie for breakfast. Who won't like that?

The great thing with this recipe is you can change out the nuts for others (hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans, almonds) and you can change out the berries for apple, pear, banana. Even the spaces you can combine or exchange. I bet some lemon zest would be a great addition too.

Serves 4:

2 dl oats / spelt flakes or rye flakes
2 tbsp pumkin seeds
2 tbsp sunflower seeds
1 tbsp flax seeds
pinch of salt
1 tsp cinnamon or cardamon (or a mix of both)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 egg
2 dl milk (I used rice milk)
1/2 tbsp melted coconut oil
1 dl frozen berries
1 tbsp maple syrup or honey

1. Heat your oven to 180C. 
2. Mix all the dry ingredients. 
3. Mix the wet ingredients.
4. Grease an oven form (I used 20 cm round form)
5. Pour the dry ingredients into the form, then pour over the wet. 
6. Bake in the oven for approx 20-30 minutes. 

I enjoyed mine with goats yoghurt and a pear vanilla compote. If you want to be decadent serve it with fresh whipped cream and a drizzle of maple syrup. 

Peach and Prune, Almond Pie

I love fruit pies, this pie you could change out for other seasonal fruits for other times of the year. You could even thaw frozen berries and add them, only I would first toss them in some starch flour (potato or other similar binding flour) to soak up access moisture form the berries.

The pastry is made of almond, oats, spelt (dinkel) flour, butter and a tbsp of sugar.

Fruit:
500 grams fruit of your choice
+/- 1 dl sugar (I used palm sugar) - depending on the fruit you use you might need more or less sugar.
1 dl almond slivers

Pie dough:
1,5 dl spelt (dinkel) flour
1/2 dl oats
1 tbsp sugar
70 grams butter
1 dl almond flour (ground almonds)
1 dl almond flakes

1. Wash the fruit and slice into bite size pieces. Mix in a bowl with the sugar and allow to marinate while you prepare the dough. 
2. Place all the dry ingredients in a bowl and then add the butter. Nip and crumble the butter into the dough. Crumble and mix till all the butter has been absorbed and you are left with a dough. 
3. Allow the dough to rest in the fridge for at least 15min. 
4. Pre heat your oven to 180C. 
5. Roll out the dough between two baking papers then carefully place the thin dough into a pie form. 
6. Add the fruit to the pie and then top with the almond slivers (which will toast in the oven and come out crisp and golden).
7. Bake the pie for approx. 35-50min. Depending on the fruit you use, berries have a shorter baking time while apples and pears need longer.

Serve the pie with whipped cream, vanilla ice cream or vanilla custard. 

A sort of Bircher muesli

I grew up with this version of bircher muesli, not then knowing it's name. It's been an old time favorite since then and comes back every so often when I am reminded of it. To me this is a sort of porridge substitute. Perfect summer breakfast. The grains, oats, raisins, seeds and nuts all  plump up do to the soaking but rain more of their texture than a regular porridge. 

Normally bircher muesli is made buy soaking oat, rainsins, seeds and nuts (dry muesli mix) in yoghurt, lemon juice sometimes in apple juice. I have also seen versions using soy or rice or almond milk in place of yoghurt. I grew up with water being the soaking liquid, and that's what I still use now with the addition of a little lemon juice. 

Now for the health aspect to this dish. Apparently the body can better absorb and digest both nuts, seeds and grains if they have been soaked or cooked. Even more so soaked as they then retain all their nutrients which are otherwise lost in the heating process. You might have heard of sprouting seed, grains and nuts, this is a nutritional approach to getting the very best out of these products. It's called eating living food, which in itself means higher nutritional benefits. Soaking the muesli is a step towards sprouting, so again higher nutritional value. In addition eating oats and other whole grains helps reduce bad cholesterol levels and also helps maintain a steady blood sugar level which in turn means you stay full longer. 

The great part is you can make endless variations to the muesli mix. You can even make it gluten free by using rice flakes, quinoa flakes, amaranth flakes, buckwheat, and oats (just make sure they have not been processed in combination with other gluten containing grains).

You can replace the raisins for cranberries, goji berries, dried blueberries, dried apricots and or figs, or any other type of dried fruit. 

You can replace the flax seeds for chai or use both. 

You can mix various grain flakes such as rye, buckwheat, spelt, kamut etc..

I usually keep the mix for 2-3 days, I think you can keep it for 4-5 days but I wouldn't try longer than that. It's easy enough to make the night before so large batches are not really necessary. 

Ingredients for 2 portions - the portions will almost double in size once soaked: 

2 dl mixed grains (oats, buckwheat, rye)

2 tbsp sunflower seeds

2 tbsp flaxseeds

2 tbsp dried fruit (if you use larger fruits then I would recommend dicing them into raisin size)

squeeze lemon juice (approx. 1-2 tsp)

4 dl water or yoghurt or milk (almond, soy, rice, oat)* 

you could also decide to use half & half the amount of liquids with water 

1. Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl large enough to allow for the liquid to be added without over flowing, or use a tupperware. 
2. Add the lemon juice and mix.
3. Add the water or other liquid, mix and place in the fridge over night. 

Enjoy with yoghurt or other milk of your choice. I love to add some fresh summer fruit to give it some additional sweetness and color.  

Blueberry porridge..for all my fellow health freaks

We have all heard the miraculous health aspects of blueberries, they are what is called a super food. I guess that's why they are so expensive. I usually cheat and buy frozen berries, especially in winter as the fresh ones can't have been grown naturally so I think they don't contain nearly half of what they should when they are grown outdoors during a sunny & rainy Northern European summer. Studies have shown that freezing blueberries does not damage their super food powers, read more here.

Here are just a few of it's benefits...

- Full of antioxidants - which help protect our cellular structure & DNA system from free radicals - in layman's terms this means it helps keep everything from your skin to your organs and everything inbeteen healthy
- They can help improve memory
- Contain vitamin K - which
- Contain vitamin C - which we all know helps us fight colds which are abundant at this time of year
- Contains manganese - which among other things promotes strength in bones

Back to the recipe.

I have made a variation of this porridge before, which is also a post on this blog. However, the difference between this version and the last is that pearled barley has been added here. Which gives the porridge an even more soft and creamy texture. I also added quinoa, only because I had left overs from the night before and it's another healthy (high in protein) addition.

I also added hemp seeds (high in amino acids, protein, omega 3-6....etc) & golden flax seeds which are meant to contain higher levels of omega-3 than the regular brown version.

I used maple syrup to sweeten, which is also another very mineral rich sweetener. So you see this is like a super duper healthy start to your day. The best part is it should keep you going till lunch without any midday snack cravings.

Smoothies & Juices

Strawberry, banana, mint, ginger, apple juice

This is how I like to start my mornings lately with a big glass of blended fruits and juice. All you need is a blender and some fruits, yoghurt or alternatively soy or other nut milk or even apple, pear or mixed fruit juice. Blend, e voila!

Blueberry, banana, apple, soymilk

As I recently learned the high nutritional value of bee pollen (yellow pearls), chia seeds (grey poppy-like seeds) and hemp seeds (white/green seeds) I add them just for the added pleasure of knowing I am feeding my body the best it can get. These seeds are so called super raw foods, full of good minerals, amino acids etc. If you're a vegetarian then these are highly recommend.

I also love to add fresh ginger as it adds some spiciness that helps me wake up and feel fresh. Ginger is also another super healthy vegetable, read more here.

Sometimes I also add some muesli to add a lasting fullness.

I sometimes make this as a midday snack and even in evenings as a dessert.

Rhubarb compote, granola, vanilla ice cream & whipped cream

I love rhubarb, if cooked correctly its sour & sweet, refreshing & comforting. I learned to cook rhubarb with strawberries at the first cafe I ever worked at. Somehow the strawberries help to sweeten the otherwise extremely sour rhubarb and as we all know I don't like to use a lot of sugar and this is possible when adding strawberries. For this compote I used 1,5 dl sugar, 1tsp honey and 1 tbsp vanilla sugar.

The beautiful this with this compote is its super simple to make and it can be used for your morning yoghurt, eaten just with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, become the filling for a pie and be spread on toast.

Summer Cake

This cake is the perfect summer birthday cake or high tea cake or if your in the mood for something fresh, sweet and tangy. You can also make it in the winter to bring back the flavor of summer.

I based this on my childhood birthday cake, it also had a middle section filled with mashed banana. I created a almond cake as the base and added mashed raspberries for that tangy summer feel. The cake is topped with a vanilla & lemon rind cream. Served in the sun with your favorite tea of choice, heaven.

Zingy - Lemon, almond poppyseed cake

This cake came to my on a rainy Sunday. I was craving an afternoon cake and I happened to  have an abundance of lemon's, some almond flour and the poppy-seed's where just a perfect addition. The result was a zing-y and meltingly soft and moist cake. the best part was that I used agave (natural sweetner made from wild cactuses) and half butter half safflower oil, making it in my opinion one of my best "heathier" cake ventures!!

Rhubarb & Strawberry compote

This is so simple and so delish! I use it to serve with pavlova or just on-top of some good quality vanilla ice cream or even just on it's own. Summer flavors, heavenly.

Pavlova - Summers dream

I have tried making this many many times and always I fail. My own fault as I cannot help but want to add chopped nuts to the very very delicate eggs white and sugar mix that makes up this simple, beautiful and mouth watering dessert. It is my husbands childhood favorite and therefore I am now trying to make it once more, on our 1 year wedding anniversary.

I have looked up many recipes and finally i have found one that has worked! very important it to use a steel instruments while handling the egg mix, no humidity or dust can be on any equipment or this egg mix will fail. Also the sugar cannot be large grained, the finer the less risk you run of failing.

Summer breakfast

This is a dream, fresh summer fruits rolled in a french crepe. Strawberries, raspberries, peach, blueberries, blackberries, all those summer sun ripened fruits that burst with juice and flavor. I added a drizzle of honey or better still maple syrup. You could add a tiny little lemon juice over the fruit and honey/syrup just to add that little bit of zing.

Find the recipe for crepe/pancake as in the sweets section of my blog, it was actually my first post!

Enjoy

Rhubarb Raspberry pie

OK, this was a try-out, and it didn't taste at all as good as it looks. But I think this some tweeks here and there it could be a master piece, thus my posting this recipe for you all to try to improve.

1 pie:

pie crust:
3 dl unbleached flour (I used white spelt flour)
05, tsp salt
100gram cold butter
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla sugar
1 egg

For this pie crust don't be tempted to use whole wheat flour entirely, perhaps half white and half whole wheat.

dough:
1. Heat your oven till 180 C.
2. Place the flour, butter and sugars in a bowl, mix with your finger tips till it becomes a dough.
3. Add the egg and use a fork to mash it into the dough.
Place the dough in the fridge while you make the rest.

rhubarb:
4-5 rhubarb stalks
4-5 dl water
2 dl sugar (unbleached)
2 tsp vanilla sugar or vanilla pod halved

1. Chop the rhubarb into thirds.
2. Place the rhubarb in the water with the sugars/vanilla pod and bring to a boil.
3. Allow this to slowly boil/simmer on a low heat till the rhubarb has gone soft and still holds its form.
4. Drain the rhubarb carefully so as not to break their form. I saved the boiling water, thinking it could make a nice cocktail (prosecco/champagne) mixer. I still have not tried this but the juice is in my fridge as I write this. So if no other blogs are posted after this one then you will know NOT to use the boiling water. just kidding.

almond or hazelnut paste:
100 gram nuts
0,5 dl sugar
1 egg yoke

1. mix the nuts in a blender, till they have become a flour.
2. add the sugar and the egg yoke, mix till a thick sweet nutty flavored consistency. Yes you need to taste. If not sweet enough add more sugar! it should almost be as sweet as a good quality marsipan, sweet but not sickly.

Putting it all together:

1. Take the dough and either roll it out (in-between cling film so it doesn't stick to your rolling pin) or spread it out with your fingers, less pretty result as you see in my pic. Make sure you get the dough up high along the sides of the pie form.
2. Spread the nut paste on the bottom of the pie
3. place the rhubarb on top of the nut paste
4. Put the pie in the oven for about 25-30 min. The crust should be golden and crisp.
5. set aside to cool slightly.

6. Take your raspberries and spread them ontop of the rhubarb on the pie!

serve with whipped cream, vanilla custard, creme fraiche (sweetened with a little brown sugar or vanilla sugar) or even vanilla ice cream!

Hazelnut caramel crunch over poached pear & cream

This dish came out of a craving, its very off my usual cooking style, but man it was Goooooood.

Ingredients for 2

2 pears (I used conference)

1 dl whipped cream 

1 tsp vanilla sugar or de-seed a vanilla pod

1 cinnamon stick

lemon zest

1 dl hazelnuts (preferably roasted with the shell/skin off) / peacans / brazil nuts 

pinch of salt

grind of pepper

2 dl sugar

1. Peel the pears and place them in a pan, covered with water. Add the stick of cinnamon and a slice of lemon zest. Allow to cook till the pears are soft. 

2. Roughly chop the nuts.

3. Slowly heat the sugar, in a thick bottomed pan, the sugar will slowly melt. Stir throughout this process, to prevent burning. Add a pinch of salt & grind of pepper. Stir till the sugar has become a caramel. Make sure the be careful, this is VERY hot and burns badly. 

4. Place the nuts on baking paper. Then pour the carmel over them. Let it cool and harden.

5. Whip the cream, not too hard, adding the vanilla sugar or seeds from a pod (add a pinch of sugar if using the vanilla pod)

6. Chop up the caramel nut brittle. Place a pear in a bowl adding the whipped cream on top and then sprinkle the brittle over the top. 

Like? 

A healthy start

This is just too easy, and it will make you feel so healthy and revitalized, something we can all use here as the winter drags on.

On another note, has anyone noticed that the evenings are getting lighter by the day? 17.31 now and its still light! This is something all the light sensitive Swedes, such as myself, are very attentive to.

Use any fruit you have at home, I had:

1 banana
1 apple
1 orange
a few crushed frozen raspberries
the following nuts & seeds are not necessary but to me they had a level of crunch and bite. Also all the these are good for you in one way or another, so why not throw them in too?
0,5 tbsp flax seeds
0,5 sunflower seeds (or pumpkin seeds)
a few chopped almonds (or roasted hazelnuts, walnuts etc).
You could also add some dried coconut flakes for added depth to flavor.

1. Chop the fruit, add the toppings you like/want.

Done.
Super simple and oh so good.