Seasonal chestnut pancakes

I am a total pancake fanatic. If I could I would have them every morning. This version is gluten free, using chestnut flour which considering the season I thought pretty appropriate. I also add a little lupin flour as it contains lots of plant protein.

Lupin is a totally cool vegetable protein source. Very underrated even though it is nutritionally a hard hitter. It's a great source of vegetable fiber, aiding in digestion, lowering cholesterol levels and supports general intestinal detoxification. Contains substantial levels of vitamin B's; thiamin, which is essential for converting carbs into energy and for brain cell membranes, and folate, used for proper DNA replication. Zinc, for immune function and magnesium which helps muscles recover after a work out as well as supporting bone strength. However it should be noted that allergic reactions have been had by those with peanut allergies.

The ground flaxseeds I use in these pancakes are also a great source of dietary fiber. Grinding them makes their fiber absorbable as it is not while they are kept whole.
It's always best to grind your own flax seeds, as they go rancid very quickly making them harmful rather than beneficial nutritionally. To grand them flat seeds simply whizz them with any type of food processor.


Ingredients for 4 pancakes:
2 dl chestnut flour
1/2 dl lupin flour
1/2 dl ground flax seeds 
pinch of salt
2 eggs
2-2,5 dl plant/rice milk
1,5 tbsp ghee or coconut oil

1. Begin by mixing the eggs then adding half the milk, mix. 
2. Mix the dry ingredients and then add 1/3 to the egg milk mix, whisk till it's lump free. 
3. Now add the remaining flour and the melted fat of choice. 
4. Heat a medium to large sized frying pan, add a little fat and using a tissue spread the fat out evenly in the pan. 
5. Once the pan is sizzling hot, drop 1dl of the pancake mix into the middle of the pan and then slowly roll the pan so that the batter spreads a little towards the pans edges. Turn down the heat. You want a round-ish shaped pancake. The first pancake always needs a little extra time in the pan. Flip it over once you see that the top has congealed (no longer runny)and the edges are cooked  (hard but not burned). Flip the pancake and cook for a few seconds. 
6. Repeat this process with the rest of the batter, only the rest of the pancakes should need less cooking time than the first. 

I love to serve my pancakes with a chia berry compote. The chia seeds are great at soaking up liquids so my defrosted (frozen) berries get turned into a thick sauce instead of a wet mess. Chia seeds are a brilliant way of getting you those much needs Omega-3 fats.

Slices of banana or pear are also a great topping, as well as hempseed for more plant protein. A sprinkle of cinnamon adds to the seasonal flavour, as well as helps stablize blood sugar. 

Soaked prunes, dates or maple syrup are my usual choice of sweetners. 

Huevos Rancheros revisited

I have posted this recipe before, Huevos Rancheros.

This version uses Portobello mushrooms to replace the chorizo sausage, making it both gluten free & vegetarian. So now everyone can enjoy this dish!

Follow the original recipe read here - http://meandmyfood.blogspot.nl/2012/11/huevos-rancheros.html

The main difference will be that you do not fry the sausage or tortilla instead you fry the portabello in a little coconut oil (make sure it's flavourless) on a low heat for 5-6min. The mushrooms will release some water. Season with salt & pepper and drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil over once you plate.

Ceasar salad

Simple classic. Ceasar salad. Crisp, creamy, salty. I added broccoli, chicken and a soft boiled egg taking it from the level of lunch/starter to a filling satisfying dinner dish. You have to be in the mood for this dish, it is rich and it is heavy but may crave it once in a while as I do then nothing else will do.

Basically the 3 main star ingredients of this dish is the anchovy, parmesan and gem salad. If you don't have these you can't make this salad. It's that simple. If you know me you know I play around with traditional recipes all the time, as I have with this one too, but these 3 cannot be changed or replaced or left out. Now that that's clear we can move onto the recipe:

Ingredients for 2 servings
100 grams fresh parmesan (non of that powder, dried stuff)
3 baby gem heads
1/3 broccoli head
1 boiled chicken file (boil a chicken file in water, until cooked through)
salt & pepper

dressing:

1 biological egg

1 tsp white wine vinegar

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp dijon mustard 

6 anchovy files

1 dl extra virgin cold pressed olive oil (mild)

1/2 garlic clove

pepper

Important for the dressing, all the ingredients need to be somewhat room temperature, to avoid the chance of it splitting. 

1. Wash the gem salad and the broccoli. Dry the salad leaves.
2. Steam or boil the broccoli, I like mine al dente so I make sure to take it off the heat while it's still somewhat stiff and hard, this because it will continue to cook after you strain it. 
3. Soft boil an egg.
4. Place all the dressing ingredients, save the olive oil, in a blender, blend. Then once combined add the olive oil, slowly. Taste and add more acid or mustard if you feel it might need. 
5. Place the gem salad leaves in a bowl along with the broccoli. 
6. Shred the chicken on top of the salad and place the soft boiled egg on top. 
7. Add the dressing and finally grate or shave parmesan on-top of the salad. 

A final grind of pepper is recommended.

Pesto Salad

This is one of those salads where I just use what I have in the fridge. The key ingredients here is the soft boiled egg, avocado & the pestos dressing.  YUM!!! I am truley a pesto freak. Can't get enough of it, same goes for my mum &

sis. We love to pill it on and down our food in it.

The rest just needs to be some basic salad ingredients. I happened to have some left over seaweed (no idea what the name for it is..it's salty & crunchy and needs to have a quick, blanch - dip in boiling water). 

So here is the recipe - salad for 1:

1 fresh biological egg (this will make a difference to the taste)
1/2 avocado
1 tbsp black olives (kalamata or other strong flavored olive, again this will improve the flavor so don't get the cheap-o tinned version)
1/3 cucumber or 2-3 radishes
3-4 cherry tomatoes
Salad leaves - I used water cress for it's slightly peppery flavor
* optional seaweed "sticks" (sorry cannot find name for this...) it is not essential to the salad so don't go crazy trying to find it.

for the pesto dressing:
1 tight handful of fresh basil leaves
1/2 tbsp roasted pine nuts
2 roasted walnuts
3 smoked (unsalted) or roasted almonds
NUTS- you could also just choose to use 1 type of nut which could save you on shopping & effort. I just have all at home always so for me it's an easy choice.
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp parmesan (for pesto & pasta I use more parmesan but this is a dressing and needs to be loose)
salt & pepper
juice from 1/2 lemon (this to add acidity and loosen up the pesto making it more fluid to pour as a dressing)

1. * this first step is only for it you choose to add the seaweed to your salad. Heat a small sauce pan of water. Once it boils add the seaweed sticks. Pull the water off the heat immediately and fish out the seaweed. They just need a quick 'dip', blanch in cooking language. Pour into a sieve and then rinse in cold.
1/2. In another pan place your egg and cover with water. Bring to a boil then lower the heat to a simmer. Time the cooking - the egg needs max 7min but no less than 6min. Be precise.
3. While the egg cooks, place all the ingredients for the pesto in a blender, blend and then taste. Add more seasoning or nuts or cheese if you feel the need. Just remember this is not a thick paste it's supposed to be a dressing.
3. Check your egg time. Slice your cucumber/radish, avocado and tomatoes.
4. Plate the a handful of salad in a bowl and add the cucumber/radish, avocado, tomatoes ontop.
5. Once the egg is done, rinse for a minute under cold water to stop it from cooking further.
6. Now place the seaweed atop the salad, the drizzle the dressing over the top and finally half the egg and sit it on the top.

Chocolate hazelnut cake

This cake has become a bit of an obsession. Not only because it contains chocolate but because I have been working in hight & consistency for a long time. I am now finally happy having finally found the right amounts and measurements.


Here are those measurements:

4 eggs
200 grams 70% chocolate
150 grams butter*
400 grams of hazelnut flour (blend preferably roasted & shelled hazelnuts in a blender. blend till you end up with a flour)
pinch of salt
2-3 tbsp sugar**
optional - 1 dl walnuts

*You could replace this with coconut oil - but then use between 80-100 grams. I have not tried it myself but it's worththe try if you dont want to use butter. Although I cannot promise the same final result as with butter.

**I use palm sugar because it contains more nutrients than regular cane. 

1. Pre-heat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius. 
2. Melt the sugar & chocolate over a bain-marie (place a metal bowl over a pan filled with water. The water should not touch the bowl, you dont need a lot of water)
3. Whisk the eggs and sugar till fluffy
4. Add the somewhat cooled off butter & chocolate
5. Add the hazelnut flour, mix. 
6. Finally add the walnuts
7. Grease a cake form and then pour the cake mix into it
8. Place in the middle of the oven for 35-40 min. The cake should be solid around the edges and still soft in the middle. 
9. Allow the cake to cool and sit for at least 1 hour. If it's cold outside then put it out. Preferably you have the patience, once it's cooled enough to place it in the fridge then let it sit over night. That will only improve it's taste. I myself never have that patience. Luckily it's a bit cake and it's very rich so you will have plenty over to both place in the fridge & have a slice out of the over. 

Kegeree - mackerel lemon rice

This is a dish that is close to my heart. It is a dish that involves indian spices with, in my eyes, the very European smoked mackerel. Its a brilliant combination of vibrance and smokiness. It will bring sunshine to the greyest and rainiest days, of which we have many here. 

Traditionally this dish is served for breakfast but I ate it for dinner, lunch would work too. 

There are many version on this dish, most using haddock and not mackerel. Most recipes include using curry also something I didn't. 

Here are the ingredients I used - feeds 2: 

2 hard boiled eggs 

1 file of smoked - deboned - mackerel

2,5 dl brown basmati rice 

3,5 dl water

half a thumb size piece of fresh ginger

1 dl green (frozen) peas

1 tbsp mustard seeds

1/2 tbsp turmeric powder

1 yellow onion

1/3 fresh red chili 

1 dl yoghurt

1 lemon - juice

drizzle of cooking oil or unflavored coconut oil

small handful of parsley

salt & pepper 

1. Begin by washing your rice, then pour into a pan and add 3,5 dl water add the turmeric. Use a lid. 
2. bring the rice to a boil and then turn down the heat till the lowest possible heat. Give the rice 1 stir and then leave for 15min. Do not stir again. 
3. Meanwhile peel and chop the onion, garlic, chili and ginger. 
4. Once the rice is done, set it outside with a lid to allow it to cool. Do not stir it at this point or it will turn into a starchy mess. 
5. Add the oil of your choice to a large frying pan, once hot add the onion, ginger and chili and mustard seeds. 
6. Fry these till they have a glaze and have softened slightly, add the mackerel and continue the frying. 
7. Season with salt & pepper. 
8. Now add the rice and fry for about 1min. Mixing all the ingredients, to make sure all the flavors mingle and mix.
9. Take the pan of the heat and add half the lemon juice, mix. 
10. Add the yoghurt, mix. 
11. Now plate the kegeree and sprinkle the chopped parsley ontop of each portion. 
12. Add more lemon juice if you like.

Huevos Rancheros

Admittedly this is not the most beautiful food photo I have put out on this blog but despite this it is a must to share. It's is a classic and I am addicted.

This is the perfect Sunday brunch, hang over cure, soul food.

Sticky, crispy chocolate chip cookies

Soft and gooey on the inside, slightly crunch on the outside, need I say more?

Let's just say I finally made the type of cookies I have dreamed of making, they hit the spot when you have a chocolate chip cookie craving.

Fluffy pancakes made from quinoa, oat, almond flour

This rates as angel food to me. With the added value of being healthy & gluten free! This is a recipe I have taken from one of my favorite food blogs, Sprouted Kitchen. I made my own adjustments but basicallty she is the one to credit if you make these.

Best carrot cake so far

What a triumph! Finally, I made a carrot cake that I have nothing but positive remarks about. It's moist but not oily, the nut quantity is perfect, the spices not over powering and the sweetness balanced.  Usually I always find something that could have been improved, removed or added.

My hypothesis is that its because I used a mix of almond & regular flour as well as grinding the cardamon seeds into powder making them more vibrant and fresh in flavor that pre-ground. Perhaps it also had to do with using dark syrup instead of sugar. I am sure Agave would be a perfect fit as well, however I do believe the syrup make it slightly more dark and rich. I might also be tempted to use whole wheat flour next time around.

Almond flour brownies (gluten free!)

This is angel food. Soul healing. with the added benefit of being gluten free, so in my mind healthier than white flour. As we all know my experiments with whole wheat, less sugar and butter, brownie attempts have been fruitless in achieving that scrumptious, finger licking, sticky, fudgey, chocolaty goodess that white flour, massive butter and sugar result in.

I have tried this almond flour brownie a few times and now I am finally content with the end result. The health benefit of chocolate/cacao not to be confused with cocoa can be read here. The higher cacao percentage in your chocolate the better for you.

Decadent summer salad

Not much needs to be said of this salad, it's delightfully decadent and full of summer. If these pics don't make it seem luxurious, then go ahead, make it and you surely will feel that naughty smile spread over your lips when you dig into it. of course there are endless variations that can be made to this salad, the egg could be poached, tuna could be added, olives, avocado, smoked mackerel, smoked salmon, roasted nuts; walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, hazelnuts etc...

Salad for 1:
1 handful of lima beans (I bought them in their pods, I had about 5 pods)
1 almost hard boiled egg
4-6 green asparagus (amount depends on how decadent you want to be)
1 handful of parsley leaves
1 handful of salad leaves
4-6 cherry tomatoes
2 tsp roasted pine nuts

Dressing for the purist:
drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
drizzle lemon juice
salt & pepper to taste

Dressing for the non purist - such as myself:
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp vinegar (balsamic or apple cider or white wine vinegar)
salt & pepper
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1. Wash all your veggies
2. Boil your egg to your preference, allow to cool. I hard boiled mine but you could also allow it to be runny. 
3. Place the lima beans in a pan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Allow to cook for 5-6min. 
4. Heat your grill pan, no oil needed. Test the heat by flicking some water drops on it, which should fizzle off the pan, thats when you add the asparagus. Lower the heat slightly. Allow the asparagus to sit on each side for 4-6 min so that they get charred.
5. Mean while, place the salad leaves in a bowl and add the halved cherry tomatoes
6. Pour the lima beans into a sieve and allow to cool slightly. I leave the outer skin on the lima beans, as i have this idea that that skins contains nutrients that I need but I know a lot of people prefer the skin take off, which is super simple, just push the beans out of the skin. 
7. Keep rotating the asparagus. 
8. Roast your pine nuts in a dry pan, keep the heat low, and have patience because once these delicate little nuts start to brown they burn very fast. 
9. Make your dressing, whisk so that it becomes a thick and integrated sauce so called an emulsion in cooking language. 
10. Build a mount of all the veggies top the salad & cherry tomatoes; lima beans, halved egg, pine nuts, asparagus. 
11. Drizzle the dressing of your choice over the top, enjoy!!

Chocolate, coconut, banana, pecan

This is the perfect indulgence for a chocolate lover such as myself. Its soft, gooey, chocolaty, & nutty with a hint of banana. The coconut adds a bit of juice & crispiness.

Blondies

This was the first time I made these little bindles of heaven. I love it, teeth rottenly sweet, with a chewy middle and a tiny bit of salt. YUM!

Broccoli Feta Quiche

I love quiche, my husband even more. I tend to make quiches mostly during the summer but sometimes as mine are usually filed with veggies, with a thin crust so really it's a very light dinner. Best served with a salad lathered in balsamic dressing. YUM!

The easy thing with this quiche is that the dough (hold your breath) its ready made! So unlike me, but it's something I picked up from my mother and it make the pie very light so the focus is more on the contents of the quiche. Quiche is great, cause you can fill it with anything, I love it with feta and sun dried tomatoes, such a good combo.

This quiche is with spinach, feta and mushrooms. You could also do it with pumpkin and feta and spinach or with leek and chevre. there are loads of combinations that are a great way to eat lots of veggies.

for this quiche you need (feeds 3-4 people)

500 grams frozen spinach, trust me for this dish go with frozen.
3-4 squares of frozen or fresh puff pastry
2 portabello mushrooms
1/2 broccoli
150-200 grams feta
6-8 sun dried tomatoes
1 egg
1 tbsp milk/soy milk/cooking cream
pinch of chili flakes
1/2 garlic clove
salt & pepper
3 stalks of fresh thyme
drizzle of olive oil to use to fry

Pre heat your oven till 180-200 degrees Celsius.

1. De-frost the frozen spinach and the puff pastry.
2. Slice the portabello mushrooms and fry the portabello with a little olive oil, add the dried chili, garlic and thyme. Fry till golden. 
3. Once the spinach is de-frosted squeeze out all the water. 
4. When the puff pastry is de-frosted stack the 4 squares of puff pastry on top of each other and roll out to right size you need for your baking form you need the dough large enough so that it will go slightly over the edges of your form. Fit the dough into your baking form. 
5. Beat the egg in a glass, and brush the inside of the quiche dough. Keep the left over egg in ther cup. 
6. Bake in the oven for 6-10min, so that the egg layer hardens thus forms a protective layer.
7. Place the spinach in the bottom of the form, season the top of it place the sun dried tomatos ontop of the spinach. 
8. Add the mushrooms. 
9. Add the broccoli, season again.
10. Crumble over the feta cheese. 
11. To the beaten egg add the milk/cream and add salt & pepper, pour it evenly over the top of the quiche. 
12. Bake the quiche in the oven for 50min-1hour. Check to make sure the egg mix has hardened, until this happens keep baking the quiche.

I love to eat this with a side of mixed salad with some slices carrot in it, to give crunch, drenched in a balsamic, dijon, garlic, olive oil dressing.

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.

Sweet Saffron Bread

This is a very traditional Swedish Christmas time favourite of mine. Saffron bread or rather Lusse Katt.
Sadly I couldn't get hold of the traditional ground saffron instead I got the stalks, which resulted in my not so yellow buns. Instead the bread was speckled with yellow flecks of saffron. They were still yummy though.

Traditionally this sweet bread is made in the beginning of December just before Santa Lucia* is celebrated.

*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Lucy's_Day