Banana bread with coconut yoghurt, almond sauce and apple cinnamon compote

When I was in the making of my second book The new green protein I probably baked this banana bread at least 20 times. Over and over again, to make sure it got exactly the way I wanted. The perfect combination of sweet and savoury, moist yet not-as-moist-as-a-pancake and the perfect ratio of spices.

After all those baking sessions this one became a favourite and I more often then not have a loaf, sliced so I can take out 1 or 10 pieces, in my freezer for all kinds of occasions: weekend breakfasts, brunch, when having soup and I want something semi-sweet on the side, when I realise I don’t have any dessert to serve for tonights dinner party AND SO ON.

I use green banans for this recipe, just when they are soft enough to mash (if using too unripe ones they are hard as rocks), both because green bananas contain more fiber (instead of sugar) but most because I don’t like the super sweet banana flavour yellow bananas have. When using green this bread becomes both savoury AND sweet, and I serve then both as a dessert as pictured below - but also topped with hummus / leafy greens / avocado / cress / whatever! Both DELISH if you ask me!

So, done with the writing - time to bake some banana bread!

Banana bread with coconut yoghurt, almond sauce and apple cinnamon compote

Makes 1 loaf

Ingredients

3 dl / 1.25 cups oat flour

2 1/2 dl / 1.5 cups almond flour

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground cardamom

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

3 small green bananas

1 1/2 dl / 0.6 cups almond mylk

3 Tbsp chia seeds

1/2 dl / 0.2 cups cold pressed olive oil + extra for oiling the baking tin

Almond sauce

1/2 dl / 0.2 cups unsweetened almond butter

2 Tbsp water

a pinch of flakey salt

Cinnamon apple compote

2 red apples, cut in to pieces, peel still on

a splash of water

1 tsp ground cinnamon

a pinch of flakey salt

For serving

Coconut yoghurt

Ground cinnamon for dusting

How to

Pre heat the oven to 175°C.

Mix all the dry ingredients, except for the chia seeds, in a bowl.

Peel and mash the bananas until chunky.

Heat up the almond mylk, stirr together with the chia seeds, let sit for 5 minutes until you get your “chia egg”. Add to the dry ingredients, together with the banana mash and oil.

Oil a baking tin, put baking paper in the bottom. Pour in the batter. Bake in the middle of the oven for 55-60 minutes, until the banana bread turns golden. Take out, let cool for 5 minutes. Take out the loaf from the tin and put it on a cooling rack. Let cool completely. Slice it.

Mix the ingredients for the almond sauce until smooth. Salt to taste.

Fry the apple pieces in a splash of water together with the cinnamon until soft and sweet.

Serve a piece of banana bread with a dollop of coconut yoghurt, a big spoonful of cinnamon apple compote, drizzle with almond sauce and dust with cinnamon for a fancy look!

Hope you like it!

Trifle with berry sauce, coconut yoghurt and granola

One of those desserts (aka weekend brekky or brunch) which looks very pretty yet is super easy to make. The perfect combo! All the different components can be prepared, and be ready to put together right before serving!

When it’s apple season, or rhubarb season you could make an apple compote or rhubarb compote - or a combination OR a fresh berry and rhubarb compote instead! Well you get my point, the “sauce” can be done in quite a few ways!

Trifle with berry sauce, coconut yoghurt and granola

4 portions

Berry sauce

250 grams frozen berries (for example raspberries and lingonberries)

2 Tbsp water

2 Tbsp chia seeds

1/2 tsp pure vanilla powder

1 pinch salt

For serving

2 1/2 dl / 1 cup coconut yoghurt, or any plant based yoghurt of your choice

2 dl / 0.8 cups granola (for example my Sweet buckwheat granola with parsnip or my Sweet date granola if you want to make your own), or just a mix or toasted nuts and/or seeds

freeze dried berries and berry powder (optional)

Dried flower sprinkles (optional)

How to

Put the berries and water in a saucepan, bring to a boil and let simmer for 5 minutes. Mix until a sauce using an immersion blender. Pour the sauce through a fine mesh strainer to remove any seeds (save the seeds and put in your next smoothie!). Add the chia seeds, mix using a spoon to avoid chia seeds from clumping, let cool.

Layer the berry sauce, coconut yoghurt and granola in 4 glasses. Garnish with freeze dried berries, berry powder and flower sprinkles. Serve!

Recipe was first published in The Gothenburg-Post/Två dagar

The secret berry smoothie bowl

I love smoothie bowls. Because a) they are creamy and smooth 2) you can top with tons of things you love 3) they can be done in sooo many ways!! Usually I wouldn’t make a smoothie bowl during cold winter BUT I’ve had an revelation when it comes to smoothie bowls.

After years of making them smoothie bowls I just made my first one with CAULUFLOWER as the base. It’s AWSOME! The cauliflower gives that creamy touch, but without any cauliflower taste (I love cauliflower, but probably wouldn’t appreciate it in my morning smoothie bowl). A way of making a more locally produced smoothie bowl for me where I live, since we don’t have any bananas near by. LIKE IT A LOT!

Buy your organic cauliflower, tear it in to smaller florets, steam it for 10 minutes, let it cool and then freeze it. OR buy already frozen cauliflower from the grocery store!!

Now, let’s make a smoothie bowl! And cuddle up under a duvet when eating if it’s winter outside when you read this!

Secret berry smoothie bowl

Serves 1

Ingredients

100 g steamed and frozen cauliflower

125 g mixed berries, like blueberries and raspberries

1 Tbsp seed butter or nut butter, like tahini or almond butter

1 dl / 0.4 cups unsweetened plant mylk

1 Tbsp fresh ginger, grated

1 Tbsp berry powder, optional

Topping suggestions

seasonal fruit/berries

coconut yoghurt

dried flowers

walnuts

hemp seeds

How to

Thaw the cauliflower for 10 minutes. Mix all the ingredients in a blender until REALLY creamy! Maybe add a bit more plant mylk if it’s too thick for your taste or not smooth enough. Pour in a bowl, top with your favourite things. Preferably a lot of things. ENJOY!

Almond and oat scones with coconut yoghurt and strawberry chia jam

If someone would ask me what my perfect weekend morning would look like I would probably mention these. It's something special with freshly baked bread, I think is has something to do both with the love someone out in to it, the taste, the texture AND the lovely smell it gives to the whole kitchen - and even apartment if you have a quite small place like myself. 

Anyway, before you scroll down and start tossing ingredients together I just want to write that except from serving the scones with coconut yoghurt and strawberry chia jam as I did here, they are also very delicious served with savoury toppings, such as avocado and sprouts! Well, that's all, let's bake! 

Almond and oat scones with coconut yoghurt and strawberry chia jam

8 scones 

Ingredients

200 grams oats

100 grams almond flour

2 tsp psyllium seed husk

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1/2 tsp salt 

0.5 dl / 0.2 cups cold pressed coconut oil

0.5 dl / 0.2 cups almond butter

3 dl / 1.3 cups unsweetened almond milk 

Strawberry chia jam

2 dl / 0.8 cups frozen strawberries 

0.5 dl / 0.2 cups water

2 tbsp chia seeds

For serving

Coconut yoghurt

fresh basil 

How to

Pre heat the oven to 235 degrees Celsius / 440 degrees Fahrenheit. Cook the strawberries in a small sauce pan with the water for a couple of minutes. Remove from heat. Mix until smooth using an immersion blender. Add the chia seeds to the strawberry sauce, stir and let sit for 30 minutes, stirring every now and then to avoid clumping. 

Mix 2/3 of the oats to a flour. Mix all the dry ingredients in a baking bowl. Mix the rest of the ingredients in to a smooth mixture, pour in to the mixing bowl. Fold everything together in to a sticky batter. Form in to 8 scones and put on a baking tray. Bake the scones in the middle of the oven for 15-20 minutes, until they get lightly golden and crispy. Let cool for a bit

Serve the freshly baked scones with coconut yoghurt, strawberry chia jam and fresh basil. 

* This is a recipe from “Två Dagar” distributed by Göteborgs-Posten, published 10th of February 2018. Recipes, styling and photo by me. 

Green smoothie bowl with matcha chia pudding - and all the toppings you could ask for!

I'm a huge matcha fan. I love it in smoothies, as traditional tea, as coating on my chocolate bliss balls and - as pictured above - in my chia pudding! The combination of matcha and coconut is a really great match - especially with a naturally sweet green smoothie!  

Green smoothie bowl with matcha chia pudding

- and all the toppings you could ask for! 

2 portions

Green smoothie

1 big, or two small, green banana/s (peeled, sliced and frozen)

1 fennel bulb

1 avokado, peeled and pitted

1 kiwi (buy organic and keep the peel!)

2 handfuls of baby spinach

water

freshly squeezed lemon juice

Matcha chia pudding

1/2 creamy coconut milk

1 1/2 dl water

1 tsp organic matcha powder

1/2 tsp pure vanilla powder

2 1/2 tbsp chia seeds 

Topping suggestions

Fresh fruits or berries (I used kiwi and mango)

fresh herbs (for example mint, lemon balm or Thai basil)

puffed quinoa

cacao nibs

hemp seeds

shredded coconut

coconut yoghurt

How to

Start with the chia pudding: Bring water and coconut milk to a boil. Pour in to a jar and whisk together with matcha powder, pure vanilla powder, a pinch of Himalayan salt and chia seeds. Wait 10 minutes and then whisk again to prevent clumping. Cover and put in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.*

Mix together the ingredients for the smoothie in a high speed blender until completely smooth. Use water, a little at a time, to get your desired consistency. Add lemon juice to taste. 

Divide the chia pudding and smoothie evenly in two bowls. Top with your favourites! 

* If putting your chia pudding in fridge over night you don't need to heat up the liquid first - that's just a way to make the chia seeds soak quicker.

Saffron scones with coconut yoghurt and fresh fig compote

Saffron scones with coconut yoghurt and fresh fig compote 

Makes 10 scones

Scones

4 dl oat flour 

3 dl buckwheat flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda 

1 tbsp potato starch 

1 tsp himalayan salt

1/2 gram pure saffron, ground 

1/2 dl organic raisins (or dried organic apricots, cut in to small pieces)

75 g cold pressed olive oil

3 dl oat yoghurt 

Fig compote

8 fresh green figs 

1/2 organic orange, freshly squeezed juice + zest 

1 tbsp honey 

1 tsp chia seeds (optional, for a thicker consistency)

1 pinch pure vanilla powder 

To serve

coconut yoghurt 

fresh figs 

How to

Scones: Pre heat to oven to 225 degrees Celsius. Mix the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Mix oil and oat yoghurt, add to the dry mixture and combine quickly with a wooden spoon, the mixture should be quite sticky. 

Form in to 10 small scones, dredge with a bit of oat flour and put on a baking sheet. Bake in the middle of the oven for about 10-12 minutes, until scones are slightly golden and crisp on the top.

Fig compote: Wash and quarter the figs. Zest and squeeze the orange, put all the ingredients in a small saucepan and cook on medium heat until a compote, stirring all the time to avoid burning. 

Serve scones freshly baked with coconut yoghurt and fig compote. 

Happy holidays and lots of love! 

Recipe from a spread for Swedish food magazine Allt om Mat winter 2016. Photo by Jonny Lindh.