Plant sushi with brown rice and yummy fillings

The perfect thing to make during a dinner with friends, prepare all the fillings (or whatever fillings you fancy today) and sit down together to make your rolls! However - these rolls I made a not-at-all-ordinary week day when I came of and found some leftovers in the fridge. So, it works very well for 1 person meals too!

Plant sushi with brown rice and yummy fillings

Makes about 60 pieces

Ingredients

6 nori sheets

6 dl brown rice

1/2 tsp salt

Filling 1 - Tahini dressed black kale / red cabbage / pickled ginger / avocado

100 grams black kale

1 Tbsp light tahini

1 Tbsp water

salt to taste

100 grams red cabbage

1 fresh ginger

1/2 dl apple cider vinegar

1/2 dl water

1/2 avocado

Filling 2 - Pickled carrot / black garlic hummus / chives / apple / avocado

2 carrots

1/2 dl apple cider vinegar

1/2 dl water

1 can (á 230 grams drain weight) pre cooked chickpeas

1 Tbsp light tahini

1/2 dl water

2 black garlics (fermented garlic, can be bought in delis and online. If you cannot find black garlic you can bake a regular garlic bulb instead and use a few cloves from that one, se notes in the end of the recipe *)

salt to taste

1 pinch of chives

1 red apple

1/2 avocado

For serving

Furikake (Japanese spice blend. I developed a blend for my friends at GRANIT. You can also make your own; blend 2 Tbsp white and 2 Tbsp black sesame seeds, 1 Tbsp dried chives, 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast, 2 Tbsp dried seaweed and 1 tsp flakey salt)

Tamari / soy sauce

green pea tempeh (stir fried tempeh / tamari / fresh parsley)

cucumber salad (slices cucumber / tamari / chili flakes)

How to

Rinse the rice in cold water a couple of times. Then add new water (I good help is to always have about 2 centimeters between the uncooked rice and the water surface in your pot, the rice always gets perfect that way!), salt and bring to a boil. Simmer until rice is ready. Let cool.

Filling 1) Remove the tough steam from the black kale, chop the rest in smaller pieces. Whisk together tahini, water and salt. Toss around with the black kale. Finely shred the red cabbage. Scrape off the ginger peel using a small spoon. Cut the ginger in thin slices. Bring vinegar and water to a boil, add the ginger, remove from heat, put on a lid and let sit for minimum 20 minutes. Peel and deseed the avocado, and slice it thinly.

Filling 2) Scrub the carrots and slice thinly - OR preferably use one of my favourite kitchen tools; a julienne peeler to get thin strips in seconds. Bring vinegar and water to a boil, add the carrot, remove from heat, put on a lid and let sit for minimum 20 minutes. Rinse the chickpeas. Mix all the ingredients for the hummus together using a mixer or food processor, until smooth. Salt to taste. Slice the apple thinly. Peel and deseed the avocado, and slice it thinly.

Put a nori sheet on a clean kitchen towel. Top a nori sheet with a layer of cooked brown rice, leaving about 1 centimeter at either of the short sides, and flatten gently. Wet your fingers in dipping water if rice starts to stick to your fingers when pressing down on the sheet. Place the filling at the middle of rice (on the width). Then start to roll the whole thing together by folding in the side where you have rice all the way out. Continue to roll together, hold the filling down using your fingers, and keep a gentle pressure on the roll during the whole rolling (you’ll get help from the kitchen towel here, traditionally you’d use a bamboo mat but if you don’t have one a towel work fine). Put som water on the free part of the nori sheet and roll together, this with make the nori sheet to stick together. Do the same thing with the rest of the sheets / rice / fillings. Slice the rolls in 10 pieces / roll.

• Whole baked garlic. Remove the outer layer ot the garlic peel, however you still want the bulb to stick together. Brush with oil all around and bake in the oven at 175°C for about 30 minutes. Let cool and then press out the smooth garlic. When baked the garlic get’s a lighter taste to it, so you can use more cloves then if you were using raw. I often have a whole baked garlic when makes for example hummus!

Baked pumpkin with crispy chickpeas, herby cauliflower mash and lingonberries

A dish where everything is cooked at the same time - on the same oven tray! Really easy, warming and comforting autumn winter food. Try roasting your cauliflower next time before mixing it to a mash - makes it taste even more! And oh - you might want to make a double batch of the kale crisps as they are to die fore and I’m pretty sure you’d want a couple of handfuls to snack on after dinner too!

Happy cooking,

Thess

Baked pumpkin with crispy chickpeas, herby cauliflower mash and lingonberries

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 pumpkin, I used Hokkaido

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1 big cauliflower

200 grams kale

1 dl fat oat mylk, heated

1 Tbsp fresh frozen parsley

2 packages (á 230 grams drained weight) pre cooked chickpeas

1 tsp ground cumin

flakey salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

rapeseed oil

Lingonberries

200 grams lingonberries, thawed

1-2 Tbsp maple syrup

For serving

Fresh parsley

How to

Pre heat oven to 175°C. Wash the pumpkin, cut in half, deseed (Save, wash, dry and then toss with a tiny bit of oil and salt and then toast until crispy in the oven at 125°C) and then slice. Brush with oil all around and sprinkle with ginger and cloves.

Remove the leaves from the cauliflower, if the outer ones are really big and rough you can through them away but otherwise they are really yummy to eat. Cut the bigger ones in smaller pieces. Tear the kale in smaller pieces. Massage the cauliflower leaves and kale with a tiny bit of oil.

Tear the cauliflower in smaller florets. Brush with oil. Put pumpkin and cauliflower in a baking dish and bake in the oven for 25 minutes. Add the cauliflower leaves and 2/3 of the kale when 10 minutes remains, roast until crispy and lightly golden.

Mix the cauliflower florets to a mash with the heated oat mylk and parsley. Salt and pepper to taste.

Rinse the chickpeas. Dry and then fry in a bit of oil in a frying pan until lightly golden and crisp. If you have a lid use it - the chickpeas tend to pop everywhere. Remove from heat, toss with cumin and salt.

Thaw the lingonberries, mix with maple syrup (to taste) using a fork.

Serve the pumpkin with the cauliflower mash, cauliflower and kale crisps, the rest of the massaged kale, crispy chickpeas and lingonberries. Garnish with fresh parsley.

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

Herby potato mash with green pea tempeh and courgette stir fry, tahini beet dressing and crispy salad

Potato + rapeseed + herbs = true love. Instead of mixing my potatoes to a smooth mash I like to keep it quite chunky. Serve with a super simple stir fry and a dressing to always remember! It actually feels a bit strange (yet awesome) to drizzle over such a colourful thing over your food! Try for yourself!

Herby potato mash with green pea tempeh and courgette stir fry, tahini beet dressing and crispy salad

Servers 4

Herby potato mash

400 grams new potatoes or small potatoes

1 Tbsp cold pressed rapeseed oil

1 organic lemon, zest + juice

2 handfulls fresh parsley

flakey salt and freshly ground black pepper

Green pea tempeh and courgette stir fry

250 grams green pea tempeh (or any tempeh of your choice) *

1 big courgette

2 spring onions

1 tsp cold rapeseed oil

1 Tbsp tamari, or any other soy sauce

cress

flakey salt and freshly ground black pepper

Tahini beet dressing

1 raw beetroot

1/2 dl / 0.2 cups light tahini (I like to use the light one for dressings rather then the darker one - made of toasted sesame seeds - as the dark one can taste a bit sharp)

3/4 dl / 0.3 cups water

1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tsp maple syrup

sesame seeds and dried flowers for garnish

flakey salt and freshly ground black pepper

Crispy salad

70 grams mixed leafy greens

1 handfull of radish

50 grams red cabbage

1 Tbsp toasted rapeseeds

How to

Scrub the potato, cut bigger ones in half. Boil potatoes until soft, takes about 15-20 minutes. Drain then mash with oil and lemon by hand using a potato masher until your preferred texture. Chop the parsley roughly and add to the mash. Salt and pepper to taste.

Crumble the tempeh. Slice the courgette and spring onion. Fry courgette and onion in a bit of oil until soft. Add the tempeh and fry for another few minute until it get a nice golden color. Pour over the tamari and let in sink in. Remove from heat. Salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with cress.

Peel the beetroot, cut in smaller pieces. Mix with rest of the ingredients for the dressing in a high speed blender or food processor until completely smooth. If you don’t have a high speed blender it might be a good idea to grate the beetroot before mixing it all together as that will help getting a smoother dressing. Salt and pepper to taste. Add more water for a more runny dressing.

Slice the radish and red cabbage thinly. Toss together with the leafy greens, drizzle with some cold pressed rapeseed oil and sprinkle with rapeseeds.

Serve the mash with the stir fry, dressing and crispy salad!

Enjoy!

• Tempeh is traditionally made of soy beans which is fermented and, furthermore tempeh often comes in small blocks, similar to but more firm then for example tofu. Now days you can find a few different types of tempeh in many supermarkets and organic stories.

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

Pumpkin tray with pea pesto, yoghurt and fresh herbs

So, the the idea with this dish is to start with a veggie (preferably in season) which you bake and then top with some legume pesto/hummus/bean spread etc. Serve it as a side to your dinner, part of a buffet or add a handful of cooked or soaked grains (oats, spelt, sorghum etc) or pseudo grains (quinoa, buckwheat) to make it a filling and complete dinner!

Pumpkin tray with pea pesto, yoghurt and fresh herbs

Serves 4 as a side

Ingredients

1 butternut squash or pumpkin such as Hokkaido pumpkin *

Pea pesto

250 grams green peas

1/2 dl / 0.2 cups pepitas/pumpkin seeds

2 handfulls of fresh basil

1 Tbsp nutritional yeast

1 Tbsp cold pressed olive oil

salt and freshly ground black pepper

For serving

Cammelina seeds **

fresh basil

red cabbage, raw shaved

How to

Pre heat the oven to 175°C / 350°F. Wash and cut the pumpkin in smaller pieces (but not too small - I like to serve quite big chunks!). Put on a baking tray and bake in the oven for about 25-30 minutes until soft and sweet. When baking pumpkins, butternut squash and courgettes I usually don’t use any oil since they contain quite a lot of water as it is! However - for that extra shiny cover and some crisp brush with oil before baking in the oven.

Mix all the ingredients, except for the pumpkin seeds, for the pesto in a food processor until your preferred pesto texture. Add the pumpkin seeds and pulse a few times. Salt and pepper to taste.

Add bid dollops of pea pesto straight on top of the pumpkin, drizzle over som yoghurt and sprinkle with camelina seeds!

* Other yummy things to put on your tray could be: cauliflower, new potatoes, courgette, aubergine, carrots and sweet potatoes JUST TO MENTION A FEW. Feel free to add your favourites below!

** Camelina seeds are fiber and protein rich tiny seeds which roasted taste a bit nutty. Gives a nice texture on top of salads, crisp bread toppings or porridge! Great to add to your smoothie as well. Also I've heard it can be used as a egg replacement but never tried it - any of you who’ve done it?

Cashew ice cream bites with crispy chocolate coating

Most times when I make “raw desserts” like these ones I use buckwheat in the base as I think it can get quite “heavy” and almost too filling if there is nuts and seeds in the whole thing. PLUS the toasted buckwheat gives a great crispy texture!

This goodies takes a bit of preparation or - more accurately - that you have time to do the cake the day before you’d want to serve/enjoy it. Mostly because the cake needs a good 8 hours or too so set in the freezer. The steps before though doesn’t take much time at all and aren’t tricky. So - let’s get baking right this second so that you could enjoy a bite or two (or 5) tomorrow!

Cashew ice cream bites with crispy chocolate coating

Makes 12

Chocolate layer

4 dl / 1.6 cups whole buckwheat groats

24 fresh dates, pitted

1 dl / 0.4 cups cacao, preferably raw

2 pinches sea salt

3 Tbsp light tahini *

Ice cream filling

3 dl / 1.2 cups cashew nuts, soaked for 2-4 hours

2 dl / 0.8 cups coconut milk or oat cream

10 fresh dates, pitted

1 tsp pure vanilla powder

1 pinch sea salt

100 grams frozen (or fresh if in season and locally grown) blueberries, thawed

25 grams freeze-dried berries, for example raspberries and strawberries

How to

Soak the cashews for 2-4 hours.

Pre heat the oven to 175°C / 350°F.

Put the buckwheat in a fine mesh strainer. Bring about 5 dl of water to a boil. Pour over the buckwheat, then rinse with cold water. Put the buckwheat on a baking tray, toast in the oven until dry and crisp - takes about 10-15 minutes. Stirr every now and then.

Mix the toasted buckwheat for a minute in a food processor. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix to a dough. You might want to add a bit more water if the dough feels too dry. Divide the dough in half. Roll the doughs, one at a time, in to thin “sheets” between two baking papers using a rolling pin. You want the sheets to be the same size as the bottom of a small baking tin which you’ll use to freeze the ice cream bites in. Put one sheet in the bottom of the baking tin (with a baking paper underneath). Put in the freezer for 30 minutes.

Rinse and drain the cashews. Mix with the rest of the ingredients - except the blueberries - until completely smooth using a blender. Pour 2/3 of the mix on top of the chocolate base. Add the blueberries to the blender and mix until completely smooth once more. Pour over the cashew base. Sprinkle over the freeze-dried berries. Put in the fridge for 2 hour. Take out, and finish by adding the second crispy chocolate layer on top, lightly press in down. Put back in the fridge and let sit over night.

Remove from the fridge and cut in to small pieces, to get the prettiest pieces it’s easiest to cut them straight out of the freezer - however I prefer to wait 5-10 minutes before serving. It’s THE BEST, trust me! Even though it’s reallyyyyy heard not to start eating them straight away…

HOPE YOU LIKE THEM!

*If you cannot find light one I’d suggest you’d use cashew butter instead, as a dark tahini will give to much flavour here - we want to get the “humble” flavour/quality wihich both light tahini and cashew butter have - unlike other nut/seed butters (which I LOVE too, but just not here).

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!

Socca with kale pesto & mushroom and apple stir fry

A south European savoury pancake made of chickpea flour that goes perfectly well with a LOT of different dips, salsas, stir fries and compotes! Here I’ve made a filling out of the seasons finest; kale, mushrooms and sweet winter apples!

Socca with kale pesto & mushroom and apple stir fry

4 portions

Ingredients

2 1/2 dl / 1 cup chickpea flour

3 1/3 dl / 1.4 cups water

1 pinch salt

600 grams forrest mushrooms

2 winter apples

1 package of pre cooked butter beans

1 handful of fresh parsley, chopped

cold pressed coconut oil for frying, flavour free

Kale pesto

100 grams fresh kale

1 handful of fresh parsley

1 small garlic clove

1 dl / 0.8 cups cold pressed rapeseed oil

1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

2 Tbsp nutritional yeast

1 dl / 0.8 cups pepitas/pumpkin seeds

salt and freshly ground black pepper

For serving

Fresh parsley

sprouts

How to

Mix together the chickpea flour, water and salt. Let sit for 15 minutes. Heat a frying pan to medium heat. Add a drizzle of oil and a thin layer of batter. Fry for a couple of minutes, then turn around and fry for another minute. Do the same with the rest of the batter.

Cut away the thick bottom steam of the kale, tear the leafs in to smaller pieces. Mix all the ingredients, except for the pepitas, for the pesto until smooth. Add the pepitas and pulse a few times. Salt and pepper to taste.

Brush the mushrooms. Dice the apples. Rinse the beans. Fry everything in a tiny bit of oil until it get a nice lightly golden color. Salt and pepper to taste. Add the parsley.

Serve the socca with kale pesto, mushroom and apple stir fry and some sprouts!

Recipe for Coop Sverige. Photo by Magnus Carlsson.