Cinnamon fried winter apples with nutty crumble

A sweet finish to your dinner. Sweet and juicy winter apples from the garden under a crumble made of fresh dates, almond flour and oats flavoured with vanilla powder and cardamom. Serve with a plant based yoghurt and some fresh lemon balm! 

This is a recipe my me for Swedish food magazine "Mitt kök" (My Kitchen) from last year. Foto by Fanny Hansson. 

Cinnamon fried winter apples with nutty crumble

6 portions

Ingredients

700 g winter apples

1 tsp cinnamon 

1 pinch himalayan salt

2 tbsp cold pressed coconut oil

Crumble

3 dl rolled oats

1 dl almond flour

1/2 dl almonds

1/2 tsk cardamom 

1/2 tsk pure vanilla powder

10 fresh dates, pitted

1/2 cold pressed coconut oil

For serving

2 dl plant based yoghurt, unsweetened 

fresh lemon balm or fresh mint 

How to

Pre heat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius. 

Core and cut the apples in smaller pieces. Fry in coconut oil, cinnamon and salt on medium heat until soft, sweet and fragrant.  

Pitt the dates. Mix all the ingredients for the crumble until crumbly in a food processor. Add the whole almonds in the end to get bigger nutty bites. 

Divide the apples in 6 small cake tins (or in one big cake tin). sprinkle over the crumble. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until the crumble is golden and crisp. 

Let cool for a couple of minutes. Serve with lemon balm. 

Tips and tricks! Make ahead. Fry the apples, mix the crumble and put everything together. Then just bake the tartlets before serving! 

Golden sorghum salad with roasted broccoli, butternut squash, herb hummus and hazelnuts

A what's-in-the-fridge-lunch. Use a bunch of veggies that you like (including nice and unprocessed carbohydrates, some kind of plant based protein, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals), cook them in different ways for texture and maybe add something unexpected or fun - like sorghum cooked in turmeric and cumin for colour and flavour - and you're in for a treat. It doesn't have to be any harder then that to cook healthy, delicious and exciting every day food! 

Golden sorghum salad with roasted broccoli, butternut squash, herb hummus and hazelnuts

Serves 2

Ingredients

1 dl uncooked sorghum (Double or triple to get your meal prep going!)

1/2 tsp ground turmeric

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 broccoli

1/2 a butternut squash

1 small courgette 

2 handfulls of chopped kale 

2 tbsp roasted, peeled hazelnuts (make sure to remove the peel by toasting them in the oven and then rubbing them off wrapped in a clean tea towel if you can't find already peeled as it can be a bit bitter) 

2 tbsp cold pressed olive oil 

fresh herbs of your choice to serve (I used Thai basil)

Herb hummus

4 dl pre cooked chickpeas (about 1 can/230 grams)

2 tbsp tahini 

1/2 dl water 

1/2 garlic clove

2 handfulls fresh herbs of your choice (I used parsley and basil)

1 tbsp good quality cold pressed olive oil 

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

How to

Pre heat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius. 

Cook the sorghum according to instructions on the packaging, adding 1 tsp turmeric and 1/2 tsp cumin to the cooking water. 

Rinse and cut of the steam from the broccoli florets. Tear the florets in to smaller pieces. Use a vegetable peeler to remove the tough outer layer of the stem, cut the rest of the steam in cubes. Peel the squash and remove the seeds, cut in to small cubes. Put on a baking sheet, drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil, sprinkle with a pinch of salt and roast in the middle of the oven for about 15 minutes, until broccoli gets crisp around the edges and squash gets soft. 

Wash and spiralize the courgette using a spiralizer, julienne peeler or a vegetable peeler. Rinse, dry carefully and then massage the kale with 1 tbsp olive oil and a pinch of salt until it gets all silky and soft.  

Hummus: Mix tahini and water until creamy. Add the rest of the ingredients, except for the oil, and mix until smooth. Add the oil and pulse a few times, salt and pepper to taste. 

Layer the different components on two plates. Serve with hummus and fresh herbs. 

Red rice salad with yellow beets, Jerusalem artichoke and butternut squash patties

Red rice salad with baked yellow beets, Jerusalem artichoke and butternut squash patties

4 portions

Ingredients

2 dl red rice, uncooked

400 grams yellow beets

200 grams Jerusalem artichoke

100 grams red cabbage, shredded 

1 handful of fresh parsley, chopped 

70 grams mixed salad leaves

1 tbsp cold pressed olive oil 

salt and pepper

Butternut squash patties

5 dl butternut squash or pumpkin fibers *

4 dl/320 grams cooked chickpeas

1/2 sorghum flour (you can also use oat flour/quinoa flour/buckwheat flour)

1 dl fresh herbs of your choice (I used parsley + basil), or 2 tbsp fresh frozen

1 dl pepitas 

Topping

Turmeric toasted cashews **

Cress  

How to

Pre heat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.

Cook the rice according to the instructions on the packaging. 

Mix the pepitas coarsely. Mix the ingredients for the pumpkin patties to a smooth batter using a immersion blender or a food processor. For in to patties, turn around in the pepitas. Put on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for about 15 minutes, until patties are firm and the pepita coating get lightly golden. If you want a really crisp coating you can fry the patties for about 1 minute on each side after baking in the oven. 

Peel all the yellow beets except for one. Cut in to chunks. Slice the last yellow beet thinly using a mandoline, or a sharp knife. Wash and scrub the Jerusalem artichoke very well, making sure no dirt is left. Slice thinly. Put beets and artichokes on a baking sheet, drizzle with oil and roast in the oven for about 20 minutes, until beets are tender, and artichokes are soft with crispy skin.

Mix all the ingredients for the salad, serve with the patties. Top with cashews and cress. Preferably serve the salad with a creamy spread

* With "fibers" I mean what you get left after juicing vegetables, for example butternut squash if you're making my Butternut squash chia pudding. If you don't have any "pure" vegetable fibers you can also use puré of whichever veggie you want (pumpkin/carrots/beets). If so you might have to add som more flour to get the patties to stick together. 

** Toast 1 dl cashews tossed with a splash of cold pressed olive oil, a pinch of sea salt and two (or three) pinches of ground turmeric for about 10 minutes in the oven at 175 degrees Celsius. 

Favourite cracker spreads

Seed cracker is one of my big obsessions. It's a staple in my kitchen and I make a batch every other week to make sure I always have some at home. I like them with a creamy avocado and sprouts for breakfast, as a side to a hearty salad or delicious soup, as a nibble during a party or just as they are. Nutty, crispy and yummy. No matter when they are served a creamy spread goes very well with them. And creamy spreads is just what this blog post is about. 

These two are easy to make, contains lots of nutrition and flavour AND can be stored in the fridge for quite a few days. Make a big batch and keep some for upcoming breakfasts, lunches, afternoon snack moments and dinners. Except from having the spreads on a crispy cracker they could also be served to a hearty salad or in your favourite wrap. 

* The cracker above is "Oat and walnut cracker" from my cookbook The new green salad.

Pea and cilantro hummus

250 grams green peas 

2 tbsp tahini (I prefer the light one here, made of raw sesame seeds instead of toasted) 

1/2 dl water 

1 big handful of fresh cilantro 

1/2 dl cold pressed olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

fresh or dried cilantro for garnishing 

Carrot and tarragon hummus

4 dl/320 grams cooked chickpeas

250 grams cooked/steamed/baked carrots

2 tbsp tahini (I prefer the light one here, made of raw sesame seeds instead of toasted) 

1/2 dl water

1 small garlic clove, minced  

1 tsp dried tarragon

2 tbsp cold pressed olive oil

salt and pepper to taste 

sesame seeds + cold pressed olive oil for garnishing  

How to

Green pea and cilantro hummus: Mix water and tahini until creamy using an immersion blender or food processor. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until creamy. Salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with cilantro before serving. 

Carrot and tarragon hummus: Mix water and tahini until creamy using an immersion blender or food processor. Add the rest of the ingredients, except for the olive oil, and mix until creamy. Add the oil and mix to combine. Salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with sesame seeds before serving. 

DONE! 

Almond and apricot bliss balls with wintery spices

Sweet, tangy and chunky at the same time. This is my favourite seasonal bliss balls which I make with toasted almonds, dried organic apricots and all my favourite wintery spices. Make a big batch and store in the freezer - ready to be taken out and served whenever during the upcoming season! 

I make my own "wintery spices blend" that I use both for bliss balls like these but also in hot and cold porridge and hot drinks throughout the season. Try making your own (or use my "recipe" below), using your favourite spices, or by blends like "ginger bread spices" found in the grocery store. 

Almond and apricot bliss balls with wintery spices

Makes about 14 bliss balls

Ingredients

2 dl almonds (preferably toasted for extra flavour) 

1 dl oats (use gluten free if gluten intolerant)

1 dl shredded coconut

12 dried organic apricots

2 tbsp cold pressed coconut oil

2 tbsp freshly pressed orange juice (optional) 

1-2 tbsp almond milk or water (optional)

1 tsp ground cinnamon 

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp ground cardamon

1 pinch ground cloves

1 pinch sea salt 

How to

Pulse almonds, oats, shredded coconut and spices until coarsely chopped * in a food processor. Add the apricots and mix until crumbly, then add the coconut oil and orange juice and mix just until the mixture sticks together. You might have to add a bit of almond milk or water (especially if not using orange juice. This usually depends on how big/soft the apricot are)  to get it to stick together. You want to mixture to be slightly sticky. 

Form mixture in to balls and roll in shredded coconut. Place in the fridge and served slightly chilled - thats how I like them best! 

* I like having quite big bites of almonds in my bliss balls! You could also mix until a flour like mixture before adding your wet ingredients, this will give your bliss balls another consistency. 

Red quinoa and roasted red cabbage salad with butternut squash, apple and herb baked falafels

To bake big chunks of red cabbage in the oven until soft but tender is my favourite way to cook red cabbage. In this salad I toss the cabbage around with some quinoa, small bites of butternut squash, thinly sliced apple and herby falafels! 

I roll my falafels in sesame seeds and bake them all at the same time at a baking sheet in the oven. Makes them really crisp but still healthy! You could serve this salad with an avocado dressing or any nut dressing that you like, but I actually prefer to just drizzle a really good cold pressed olive oil over the whole thing. 

Roasted red cabbage salad with butternut squash, apple and herb baked falafels

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 medium red cabbage 

1 small butternut squash 

2 dl red quinoa, uncooked 

1 apple 

100 grams mixed salad leaves 

Baked herb falafels

450 grams pre cooked white beans (2 packages or 8 dl) 

1 dl sunflower seeds (preferably toasted)

2 dl fresh herbs of your choice 

1 dl sorghum flour (quinoa-/buckwheat-/oat flour works just at fine)

1/2 tsp himalayan salt

2 tbsp cold pressed olive oil 

2 pinches freshly ground black pepper 

1 dl sesame seeds for coating 

How to

Pre heat the oven to 200 degrees. Mix white beans, sunflower seeds, herbs, flour, oil, salt and pepper until a sticky and semi smooth "batter" - you want to keep the texture from the sunflower seeds! Ad a bit of water if to dry, and a bit more flour if to wet. Let sit for 20 minutes, this helps the falafels stay together even better when rolling/baking/eating. Form in to falafel, about 20 pieces, and roll in sesame seeds. Place on a oiled baking sheet and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until crispy on the outside. 

Remove the stalk bit from the cabbage and cut the rest in to big chunks. Brush with oil and place on a baking tray. 

Peel (start with removing the ends, then cut the squash in half lengthwise, and then in half on the width. Carefully cut of the peel using a sharp knife), scrape out seeds and stringy bits and cube butternut squash  Drizzle with oil and place beside the cabbage. Bake in the oven until both cabbage and squash gets soft and golden around the edges, takes about 20-25 minutes. 

Cook the quinoa according to instructions on the packaging.  

Thinly slice the apple using a mandoline, or a sharp knife. 

Mix cabbage, squash, quinoa, apple and salad leaves. Serve with herb falafels and drizzle with your favourite cold pressed oil! 

Beluga lentil and naked oats salad with cinnamon roasted carrots, black kale and pecans

This is perfect way of enjoying all the wonderful winter flavors that are around this time of year. Great texture, warming flavors and lots of healthy goodies in one plate is how I would describe this pretty salad. I used one of my favorite grains, naked oats, and beluga lentils as the base for this salad. The naked oats needs to soak for a few hours before cooking, so this one needs a bit of preparation. But it’s well worth it! I often cook a lot (both naked oats and beluga lentils) at the same time and store some in the fridge. Then I have a great base for all sorts of salads at any time.

Crispy-on-the-outside-soft-on-the-inside-carrots, crispy kale, soft and warming apples, nutty pecans and sweet cranberries all add to the whole winter feeling in this salad. I finished it all off with another thing I always have in the fridge – my herb dressing. It’s super easy and makes any sallad or dish really yummy.

Serve the salad as it is or with a piece of goat cheese, or as a side salad to your winter dinner. Why not put in on your christmas dinner table? I hope you really enjoy it! 

Beluga lentil and naked oats salad with cinnamon roasted carrots, black kale and pecans

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 dl beluga lentils

1 dl naked oats

4 medium sized carrots

250 grams black kale

2-3 garden apples

50 grams pecan nuts (approx. 1 dl)

60 grams dried cranberries (approx. 1 dl), preferably without sugar

Herb dressing

1 dl cold pressed rapeseed oil

1/2 garlic clove

1 tsp lime juice

1 dl of your favorite fresh herbs (or 3 tbsp frozen)

sea salt, black pepper to taste

How to

Preheat the oven to 225 degrees celsius. Cook the naked oats and beluga lentils according to the instructions on the packaging (naked oats needs to soak for at least one hour before cooking).

Peel and cut the carrots in to chuncks. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper. Wash and tear the black kale in to bits, massage with olive oil, salt and pepper. Cut the apples in to chunks and season with cinnamon. Put the carrots on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for about 25 minutes. Turn the carrots half way through. When 10 minutes remains, lower the temperature to 200 degrees, and add the black kale and apples. Bake until the kale are crisp.

Mix all the ingredients for the herb dressing in a mixer, or using a immersion blender. 

Mix the roasted carrots, kale and apples with the naked oats and beluga lentils. Put on a big plate, sprinkle with pecans and dried cranberries. Drizzle with the herb dressing. Serve and enjoy!

Butternut squash chia pudding with apple compote

There are a few kitchen tools that I cannot be without. My knifes, my immersion blender and my mandoline. And then there are the ones that I would rather (really) not be without - like my food processor and high speed blender. Cooking gets even more fun when you have good conditions! Anyhow, I now have a new friend in the kitchen - one of those tools that make the cooking even more fun, creative and let you discover a bunch of new things you can do - especially when it comes to plant based food. I'm talking about my new dear slow juicer that I got from kitchen store Bagaren och Kocken in Gothenburg.

The brilliant thing about a slow juicer (which crushes the ingredients and then presses them through a fine mesh strainer which further more preserves most of the enzymes and nutrition - good thing) is that you can extract both vitamins and fibers from not only bigger fruits and vegetables but also from leafy greens, herbs and nuts. Imagine adding that to your breakfast, lunch, afternoon smoothie or dessert! Or how easy it could be making a batch of super nutritious turmeric and ginger shots.  

As I love vegetables I've been experimenting and been slow juicing other things than the obvious fruits. As it's winter squash and pumpkin season I wanted to use them in a new way. The thing is, when I have my "Thess food talks" I often talk about discovering other areas of use for your favourite vegetables then the most obvious ones. That's how I came up with this recipe - a savoury and seasonal chia pudding made from slow juiced butternut squash! 

Butternut squash chia pudding with apple compote

Makes two bowls 

Ingredients

4 tbsp chia seeds

2 dl freshly slow juiced butternut squash 

1 dl water 

1 dl coconut milk

1 tsp ground cinnamon 

1/2 tsp ground cardamom

1/2 tbsp ground turmeric 

1/2 tbsp ground ginger

2 pinches ground cloves 

1 tbsp honey (use maple syrup for a vegan option) - optional, for a sweeter touch  

Topping

1 sweet winter apple 

1 tbsp cold pressed coconut oil

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 

oat yoghurt 

pecans 

dried pomegranate seeds

semi ground pepitas 

fresh mint 

How to

Peel the butternut squash, scrape out the seeds and cut the squash in to smaller pieces. Put in your slow juicer. Whisk together 2 dl of the smooth juice (save the squash flesh and use as a base for delicious veggie patties, stay tuned for that recipe next week!) with the rest of the ingredients for the chia pudding. Let sit for about 30 minutes until creamy. Stir half way through to avoid clumps.  

Wash and cut the apple in half, remove seeds and cut in to smaller pieces. Fry on medium heat in coconut oil and cinnamon until soft. You might want to add a splash of water if gets to dry. 

Divide the chia pudding in two serving bowls. Top with a dollop of oat yoghurt, the apple compote and your choice of dried fruit, berries and nuts/seeds. I used pecans, dried pomegranate seeds and semi ground pepitas. Garnish with fresh mint.

Enjoy! 

Quinoa and tofu salad with roasted sweet potatoes

A normal day at my apartment involves opening the fridge to see what veggies the upcoming lunch or dinner might involve. The day I came up with this salad I found sweet potato, half a cauliflower head, a bunch of parsnips, some baby spinach and tomatoes from my parents garden. Together with some quinoa (that I always have at home, often already cooked), a good quality cold pressed olive oil (also a staple at my home) the lunch was served! 

Quinoa and tofu salad with roasted sweet potato

Serves 4

Ingredients

270 g extra firm organic natural tofu

2 small sweet potatoes 

6 parsnips 

2 dl uncooked black quinoa

1 small cauliflower 

250 g plum tomatoes 

100 g baby spinach

1 tbsp cold pressed coconut oil (preferably taste neutral)

Topping

1 handful of pecans 

good quality cold pressed olive oil to drizzle 

flakey salt 

How to

Drain the tofu well and wrap in layers of kitchen roll. Then place in between two chopping boards and put something heavy on top. This is to press out all the excess water so you get a really firm tofu, which will then soak up all the flavours it will be mixed with really well. Let sit for at least 15 minutes, but the longer the better. Tear the tofu in to smaller pieces. Whisk together tamari and paprika powder, and pour over the tofu. Let marinate for at least 15 minutes. Fry in coconut oil right before serving until lightly brown and crisp. 

Pre heat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Wash the sweet potatoes and parsnip well(when using organic vegetables keep the peel, does a lot both for flavour and texture!) and cut potatoes in to big chunks and parsnips in to big slices. Put on a baking tray and toss around with some olive oil. Roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes, until potatoes and parsnips are nice and soft (I like my parsnips to be kind of al dente though), tossing everything around half way through. Sprinkle with dried ramson, ord your favourite herb, ones roasted.  

Cook the quinoa according to the instructions on the packaging. Shave the cauliflower using a mandoline, a cheese slicer or a really sharp knife. Wash and cut the tomatoes in the middle. 

Toss tofu, sweet potato, parsnip, quinoa, cauliflower, tomatoes and spinach together. Drizzle with olive oil. Topp with pecans and sprinkle with your favourite flakey salt! 

Curried carrot and coconut soup - with courgette and parsley topping

This pretty thing, a creamy soup to lighten up the darker season that awaits here up in the north, is exactly what I need this time of year. The moment of cuddling up in the sofa with a warming, nourishing and comforting bowl of soup in my hands, looking out over a landscape with the most colourful leaves is one of my favourite things about the autumn. 

 

Curried carrot and coconut soup - with courgette and parsley topping

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

1 yellow onion

1 tsp ground turmeric

1/2 tbsp paprika powder 

1/2 tsp chili flakes 

1 tbsp freshly grated ginger 

5 big carrots

2 dl red lentils 

400 ml coconut milk 

600 ml water

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

2 tbsp cold pressed coconut oil 

salt to taste 

Courgette and parsley topping

2 small courgettes

1 tbsp cold pressed sesame oil

1 handful of fresh parsley 

2 tbsp sesame seeds

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 

How to

Peel and finely chop the onion. Fry in coconut oil, on medium heat, until soft in a big pot.

Add the ginger and all the spices and let fry for another minute until spices become fragrant. Wash the carrots and cut in to smaller pieces. Rinse the lentils.

Add carrots, lentils and water to the pot. You might want to add a bit more water - all of the carrots should be covered with water! Let simmer for about 20 minutes, until carrots and lentils are soft. Remove from heat and mix until completely smooth using an immersion blender. Add the coconut milk and apple cider vinegar, bring back pot to the heat, and let simmer for another 5 minutes. Add more spices and salt to taste. 

Topping: Spiralize, or finely chop, the courgette. Chop the parsley. Mix courgette and parsley in a bowl, drizzle with sesame oil, sprinkle with sesame seeds. Give it a toss. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve as topping, together with some extra sesame seeds, on the soup. 

Good luck! 

Berry smoothie and coconut chia bowl with granola

This is not only breakfast art, but also a great flavour and texture combination. The smooth berry smoothie together with the creamy chia pudding plus the crunchy granola! During weekends when a have a bit more time I love to make this for breakfast or brunch, sometimes I even serve it as a dessert! Also, one last thing before I'll let you run off to the kitchen to start mixing, try using other berries than raspberries for variation - any berry works just as fine! 

Smoothie and coconut chia bowl with granola

Makes 2 bowls

Smoothie

1 ripe avocado 

1 green banana, cut in pieces and frozen 

2 dl frozen raspberries 

2 tbsp nut milk

1 fresh date, pitted 

Coconut chia pudding

1 dl coconut milk

1 dl water 

2 tbsp chia seeds 

A good pinch of pure vanilla powder 

Granola

4 dl seeds/nuts/grains (rolled oats/pumpkin seeds/sunflower seeds/hazelnuts)

1 tbsp cinnamon

1 tbsp cardamom 

1 tsp pure vanilla powder

1 good pinch Himalayan salt

1 dl water

2 tbsp cold pressed coconut oil

3 fresh dates, pitted

1 dl toasted coconut flakes

2 tbsp cacao nibs 

1 dl dried berries/fruits (raisins/blueberries/goji berries)

How to

Whisk together all the ingredients for the coconut chia pudding. Let sit for about 30 minutes until creamy. Stir half way through to avoid clumps. 

Mix all the ingredients for the smoothie in a mixer until smooth. 

Divide smoothie and chia pudding in to two bowls. Top with granola and freeze dried berries 

Preheat the oven to 175 degrees Celsius. Mix your choice of seeds/nuts/grains (I used a mix of chopped hazelnuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, rolled oats), cinnamon, cardamom, pure vanilla powder and a good pinch of Himalayan salt in a mixing bowl.

Bring water, oil and dates to a boil. Let simmer for 1 minute. Mix until completely smooth using a hand blender. Add to the mixing bowl and mix everything together using a wooden spoon until every bit gets covered. Spread out on a baking sheet and toast in the oven until crispy and golden, stirring every now and then, for about 30 minutes.

Let cool. Add 1 dl toasted coconut flakes + cacao nibs + your choice of dried berries/fruits (I used goji berries + raisins).

Buckwheat chocolate bliss balls with blueberry and coconut

I really love almonds, nuts and seeds. As a snack, on top of a salad, on my morning porridge, mixed to a nut butter and in raw desserts. Nuts contain LOTS of greats nutrition, and they also contain a lot of fat. Good fat, but still, even good things can be to much. Therefore I like to sometimes use toasted buckwheat whenever I make raw desserts or bliss balls for afternoon snack. Buckwheat groats contains lots of great nutrition, but less fat then nuts and seeds. And also - the toasted buckwheat gives a delicious crunchy texture, and it's gluten free. 

So, I came up with a simple recipe for a perfect and delicious little ball with buckwheat instead of the commonly used nuts or seeds. This buckwheat bliss ball is the perfect “fika” but also a great afternoon snack. I made them the other day, during one of the retreats here in France this summer - and everybody loved them. The chocolate together with the blueberry is a really tasty combination. And the tiny bit of sea salt that I always add makes all the difference. 

A few things to have in mind is: add more cacao for an even more chocolaty flavor, add more blueberry power for even more of a berry taste, and more dates for a sweeter touch. Mix it until you make it - so to speak! 

Enough writing. So, here is the recipe for these little ones, hope you like them! 

Buckwheat chocolate bliss balls with blueberry

Makes about 20 bliss balls

Ingredients

2 1/2 dl dried whole buckwheat groats (buy toasted ones if you find in your store, then you kan skip the first instruction below on how to toast them yourself)

3/4 dl cacao 

2 tbsp blueberry powder 

A pinch of flakey salt 

10 fresh dates, pitted 

2 tbsp cold pressed coconut oil 

1-2 tbsp water

Shredded coconut for rolling

How to

Put the buckwheat in a fine mesh strainer. Bring some water to a boil and then pour over the buckwheat. Rinse with cold water and let drain for a few minutes. Toast in a dry pan, on medium heat, until golden and crisp. Let cool. 

Mix buckwheat, cacao and blueberry power until some of the buckwheat has been crushed. I like my bliss balls to have quite a few whole buckwheat groats left as I like the crunchy consistency, but you can also mix until a flour like consistency. Add dates, coconut oil and water, mix until a dough. You might want to add a bit more water to get the dough to stick together. 

Form the dough in to about 20 balls, roll in shredded coconut. Put on a plate and let chill in the fridge for at least 30 minites before serving. Allowing time in the fridge (or freezer if you cannot wait to dig in!) will make them even more firm and - if you ask me - even tastier!

Crispy kale with nori and sesame

Kale. I like (love) kale in every possible way you can have it. Therefore I was beyond happy yesterday when I visited the amazing Ugglarps Grönt, a renown farm shop in the southern part of Sweden where I was wandering around the unbelievable brassicas fields. There they grow not only kale but every type of brassica that you could think of. Got a lot of inspiration for the upcoming season ot say the least.

Thinking of,  and writing about, kale I wanted to share with you one of my favourite ways to have it - baked until perfectly crisp! To get the kale really crisp you need to have a little trick down your sleeve. Scroll down to read more! 

Crispy kale with nori and sesame

Serves 1-6, all depending on how and when you serve it (as a Friday snack when hanging out with yourself, topping on a salad etc)

Ingredients

250 grams kale

2 tbsp cold pressed coconut oil

2 tbsp sesame seeds, preferably a mix of white and black ones

1 tbsp nori flakes 

1 tsp flakey salt 

How to

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celsius. 

 Wash the kale and remove the stalk. Tear the leafs in smaller pieces and put on a oven tray. Dry the kale carefully (!) with a clean kitchen towel. This is the secret part, by drying the kale completely before you massage it with the oil the kale will bake and not steam, which will happen if you have wet kale. Baked kale = really crisp. Steamed kale = impossible to get crispy. 

Blend sesame seeds, nori and salt. If you can't find nori flakes you can finely chop a nori sheet, or even better mix in a food processor. Massage the dry kale with coconut oil until every part is covered. Sprinkle with the sesame and nori mixture. Give it a toss.  

Bake in the middle of the oven for 10-15 minutes, until the kale is crisp. Make sure to stay close as the kale can easily burn if in the oven for to long. Toss it around every now and then to get evenly crisp kale. Let cool. 

Tomato salad with citrus dressing, toasted buckwheat and Thai basil

What you are now about to get the recipe for is a perfect example of how a simple vegetable can turn in to a delicious dish, with hardly any work at all. It's all about using vegetables in season, the flavour then is really rich all by itself and all you need to do is to serve and enjoy.

So, when it's season for the Swedish garden tomatoes (one of my favourites!) and you can find tomatoes in all kind of shapes, colors and textures at your local greengrocer I often make a simple tomato salad - beautiful and very delicious. This one is perfect as a starter, side salad or tapas! The sweet tomatoes goes very well the the sourish dressing, the crispy topping and the kind of sharp Thai basil. Serve on it's own, or together with some sourdough bread and sheep cheese.  

Tomato salad with citrus dressing, toasted buckwheat and Thai basil

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

1 kg mixed garden tomatoes

2 tbsp freshly pressed organic grapefruit juice

2 tbsp freshly pressed organic lime juice

zest from 1 organic lemon

2 tsp tamari

1 dl Thai basil

1/2 dl buckwheat groats

1/2 dl finely chopped chives 

flakey salt and freshly ground black pepper 

How to

Mix citrus juice, zest and tamari with a fork to a marinade. Set aside. 

Wash and slice the big tomatoes, cut the smaller ones in half. Put the tomatoes in a bowl and pour over the citrus marinade and half of the Thai basil. Let marinate for at least 15 minutes in room temperature. 

Put the buckwheat in a fine mesh strainer. Bring some water to a boil and then pour over the buckwheat. Rinse with cold water and let drain for a few minutes. Toast in a dry pan, on medium heat, until golden and crisp. Let cool. 

Place the tomatoes on a big flat plate. Pour over the marinade. Sprinkle the rest of the Thai basil, chives and buckwheat. Sprinkle with flakey salt and some freshly ground black pepper! 

* Recipe by me for OTW on behalf of Göteborg-Posten. The recipe was first published in the weekend magazine Två Dagar, distributed by Göteborgs-Posten, August 16th 2017. 

Leftover veggie and coconut soup

I often end up with small bits of pieces of all kinds of different veggies and leafy greens in my fridge. That's the life of a food creator who spends her days test cooking all sorts of different foods and tries out new combinations and vegetables all the time...But, I suppose, that the whole thing about ending up with a bit of this and a bit of that is the case for a few more out there! SO, what do you do with a couple of tomatoes, one small piece of fennel, 1/4 of a butternut squash and some garlic? You mix it into a soup!! Since this is a leftover soup I don't have any exact measurements, but I do have a trick which makes this recipe foolproof anyway. Scroll down and you'll see! 

Something I really like about this kind of recipes, where you don't have an exact recipe when it comes to measurements but only a list of the actual ingredients, is that even if you use the same veggies to make the same soup a couple of week after it will most likely taste a bit different because you will most likely use another amount of the components, without even thinking of it! Voilá, you have a new soup. It's like magic. Kind of anyway! And, to calm you down, soup is one of the best go-with-the-flow-foods I can think of. If you mix a bunch of yummy things in to a soup it can hardly go wrong. Just start out with a little amount of water, or whatever liquid you're using, and maybe add more later on - then you can be sure will get a creamy and delicious brunch, lunch or dinner soup in not too long at all! 

PS. Of course you can make the soup using more of everything, instead of waiting until you only have small bits an pieces left! 

Leftover veggie soup

Serves 2-4 (depending on how much leftovers you find in the fridge!)

Ingredients

1 onion

1 garlic clove 

1/2-1 tsp each of ground turmeric and ground paprika powder (depending on how much veggies you use. Start with the smaller amount and add more to taste when mixing the soup together)

2-4 big tomatoes

butternut squash 

fennel

water

full fat coconut milk

1/2-1 tsp pure maple syrup (optional, but a tiny natural sweet touch develops all of the other flavours in a nice way. You could also use the same amount of honey, note that it won't be vegan though)

a pinch chili flakes 

a handfull of fresh parsley

cold pressed coconut oil

Himalayan salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Topping

toasted coconut flakes

hemp seeds

pomegranate seeds

fresh parsley 

How to

Peel and finely cut the onion and garlic. Fry in a saucepan, in some coconut oil, until soft. Add the turmeric and paprika powder and stir around. 

Wash and chop the rest of the vegetables in similar size pieces. Add to the onion. Fill up the saucepan with water so everything is just about covered (this is the foolproof part! No measurements needed. If you make a bigger batch just add more water!). Bring everything to a boil and let simmer for about 20 minutes, until veggies are soft. Remove from heat, add a big splash of coconut milk (about 1/2 dl for every portion, at least) and mix until smooth using a immersion blender. Add more water and/or coconut milk and mix until smooth and creamy. Add the parsley and chili flakes and pulse a few times. Salt and pepper to taste. 

Serve the soup with a few toppings that bring crunchiness (toasted coconut flakes), nuttiness (hemp seeds) fruitiness (pomegranate seeds), freshness (fresh parsley) - that will satisfy both the eyes and the tummy! 

Let me know how your soup turned out! Maybe you added some extra veggies, or some other toppings? I'd love to hear from you! 

Love, Therese

White bean dip with mushrooms and herb pesto

Sometimes simplicity is what makes a dish (big or small) really good. Like with this recipe. A simple white bean dip, topped with some pan fried mushrooms, a delicious yet simple pesto and a handful of mâche lettuce for some extra freshness. Together with some seed crackers or crisp bread from my cookbook The new green salad this is really YUMMY! 

I would serve this as a starter, as a side to any dinner or as a great part of a weekend brunch with family and friends! Or, as I will do later today, as a light evening snack. You can also make a big batch and store some of it in the fridge, then you have the perfect spread to your breakfast crisp bread or filling for a hearty wrap sorted out for the next couple of days. 

Photo by dear Fanny Hansson. 

White bean dip with mushrooms and herb pesto

Serves 2 two as a starter/snack, or 4 as a side

Ingredients

230 g cooked giant white beans (about 4 dl cooked)

2 tbsp tahini 

1/2 dl water 

1/2 cold pressed olive oil

a small handful of fresh tarragon 

250 grams mushrooms of your choice (preferably chanterelles when they're in season!)

70 grams mâche lettuce

flakey salt and freshly ground black pepper 

Herb pesto

1 1/2 dl cold pressed olive oil

1 small garlic clove, minced

2 dl mixed fresh herbs

1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

flakey salt and freshly ground black pepper 

To serve

seed crackers or oat crisp bread (recipe in my book The new green salad) 

cabbage (really nice to cut in pieces, similar to the size of a cracker) or endive

How to

Soak and cook the white beans according to instructions on the packaning (PLAN & PREP. Make a big batch if you're in the making and keep some of it in the fridge for salads, dips or soups fillings during the next few days. Or even put them in the freezer, in small bags, for other occasions through out the next weeks). If using pre cooked beans rinse them well. Mix tahini and water in a food processor until smooth and fluffy. And the white beans and mix until smooth. Add the oil, lemon juice and tarragon. Mix until completely smooth. Salt and pepper to taste.   

Brush and cut the mushrooms in quarters. Drizzle some oil in a frying pan and fry the mushrooms on medium heat until soft and lightly golden. 

Mix all the ingredients for the herb pesto in a food processor or immersion blender. Add more oil for a runnier texture. Salt and pepper to taste. 

Put the white bean dip in a bowl, top with mushrooms, drizzle some herb pesto and top with a handful of mâche. Serve with some seed crackers, cabbage or endive! 

Roasted cauliflower with lemon yoghurt sauce

Roasted cauliflower with lemon sauce

A green side ready in no time. Yummy cauliflower and crisp white beans make a perfect match together with a tangy yoghurt sauce. 

Ingredients

1 big cauliflower

1 package of white beans

olive oil

flakey salt 

Lemon yoghurt sauce

2 dl plant based yoghurt or fraîche of your choice (my favourite is the ones made of oats)

1 organic lemon, juice + zest 

fresh Thai basil 

flakey salt and freshly ground black pepper 

How to

Pre heat the oven to 200 degrees. Remove the outer thick leafs from the cauliflower, but keep the lighter ones as they are delicious to roast! Tear the cauliflower in to smaller pieces and put on a baking dish. Rinse and drain the white beans, put on the baking dish with the cauliflower. Drizzle everything with olive oil and sprinkle a pinch of flakey salt.

Roast in the oven 15-25 minutes (depending on how big pieces you've got) until cauliflower gets lightly browned, and the beans really crispy. Let cool for a few minutes.

Mix the yoghurt or fraîche with lemon juice and zest, salt and pepper to taste. 

Serve straight from the baking dish, drizzled with lemon sauce (and maybe some extra lemon zest!) and sprinkled with fresh Thai basil.

Photo by talented Fanny Hansson, from one of our creative projects a few weeks ago. 

Roasted beets with fresh raspberry vinaigrette and toasted buckwheat

This i the perfect side dish for Swedish midsummer which is coming up in a few days time. To be honest its the perfect side dish for any occasion, year around. Roasted beets tossed in a fresh raspberry vinaigrette sprinkled with toasted buckwheat. Really simple, and really delicious! Choose beets in season, that will give the best flavour (and it's a good thing for our planet), and let this pretty side salad brighten up your table! 

Recipe from The new green salad. Photo by Fanny Hansson. 

Roasted beets with fresh raspberry vinaigrette and toasted buckwheat

Ingredients

1,2 kg mixed beets (use the ones that are in season now, and that you'll find in your grocery store) 

1 tbsp cold pressed rapeseed oil

2 pinches mineral salt 

1 pinch freshly ground black peppar 

Raspberry vinaigrette

2 tbsp white vine vinegar 

1 tbsp cold pressed rapeseed oil 

1/2 tsp whole fennel seeds, ground up slightly 

10 fresh raspberries

mineral salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 

Topping

1/2 dl dried buckwheat groats 

cress (optional)

How to

Pre heat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius. 

Peel and cut the beets in chunks. Put on a baking sheet, drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt and peppar. Stir together and roast the beets in the oven for about 30 minutes, until beets are tender but still got a crispy core.  

Mash the raspberries with a fork and whisk together with white wine vinegar, 1 tbsp cold pressed rapeseed oil, 1/2 tsp fennel seeds (lightly grind them first) and salt to taste. 

Rinse the buckwheat groats with hot (as in was just boiling) water. Drain well. Toast in a hot, dry frying pan until dry and crisp. 

Let your roasted beets cool down slightly, then toss together with the raspberry vinaigrette. Topp with buckwheat and cress. Enjoy! 

Green super smoothie with fennel and buckwheat

I really like smoothies. Smoothies that are filled with vitamins, minerals and fibres - and feels like a proper meal. I always blend my smoothies in a high speed blender, instead of only juicing, as that makes my smoothies even more nutritious - plus it gives them a nice and quite thick but still smooth texture which I like! This green super smoothies is made of not only fruits (which tastes very yum, but isn't very good when you want a proper meal) but lots of veggies too!! Thats the recipe for a filling smoothie. 

Whenever I start my mornings at location when styling I always bring a smoothie just like this one. 

sweet hint of kiwi. 

Photo by photographer Fanny Hansson. 

Green super smoothie with fennel and buckwheat

2 big glasses

Make sure to use organic ingredients, 

Ingredients

1 avokado 

1 green banana 

1 fennel 

1 dl soaked and rinsed buckwheat groats 

2 hand fulls of baby spinach 

1 kiwi 

2 tbs freshly squeezed lime juice (if you've got a high speed blender you might want to add the whole lime, peel and all) 

4 dl water plant based milk of your choice (or water) 

How to

Peel, pit and scoop out the avocado. Peel the banana. Trim of the fennel stalks, plus a little bit at the bottom of the bulb to remove any rough root bits. Rinse the buckwheat. Put all the ingredients in a blender (preferably a high speed one as that will make your smoothie unbelievable smooth!) and blend until creamy. Add extra plant milk for a runnier texture (OR, less if you want to eat it as a smoothie bowl! Then make sure to use frozen banana, and maybe even frozen avocado, for best result), 

Carrot patties with ginger, herbs and drizzled lemon tahini dressing

These little delicious bites are easy to make, filled with nutrition and are really easy to make. They make the perfect finger food for the party, can be served as a satisfying topping on a salad or filling in a wrap. Try flavouring the patties with any herbs you prefer, I used cilantro and parsley is it was the ones I hade on my windowsill. Plus I really like them.

The tahini dressing that I drizzle over right before serving is a twist on one of the favourites from my book The new green salad, and it goes very well with the ginger and cilantro. I've made these patties vegan by using a "chia egg" (which is really 1 part chia seeds + 3 parts hot water, mixed and soaked it takes a texture similar to regular egg), if you prefer to use regular egg a medium one would be just enough. 

These carrot patties will for sure be one of the staples in my fridge this summer. Make a double (or why not triple!) batch, keep some in the fridge and some in the freezer. That will make you settled for a couple of weeks! Hope you like them! 

Photo by Fanny Hansson. 

Carrot patties with ginger, herbs and drizzled lemon tahini dressing

Makes about 20 small patties

Ingredients

7 dl finely grated carrots (about 5 medium carrots) 

2 stalks spring onion 

2 tsp grated fresh ginger 

a big handfull of fresh cilantro 

a big handfull of fresh parsley 

2 dl rolled oats (gluten free if gluten intolerant) 

2 tbsp cold pressed olive oil 

1 tbsp chia seeds + 3 tbsp hot water 

2 pinches mineral salt 

Lemon tahini dressing

1/2 dl light or regular tahini *

zest + freshly squeezed juice from 1 lemon (more to taste)

1/2 a garlic clove 

1/2 - 1 dl water (depending on how thick you want it) 

mineral salt 

How to

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Peel and finely grate the carrots. Thinly slice the spring onions. Scrape away the peel from the ginger using a spoon, then finely grate it. Roughly chop the fresh herbs. 

Put the chia seeds in a small mixing bowl. Bring 1/2 dl water to a boil (don't let it boil for to long as that will make the water evaporate, you only need to make sure the water is hot), pour over the chia seeds, stir and let sit for about 5 minutes until the mixture takes on a jelly like consistency. 

Place carrots, spring onion, ginger and herbs in a mixing bowl. Add oats, olive oil, chia egg and salt. Stir well to combine. Let sit on the kitchen counter for at least 20 minutes to allow the mixture to set, this is important for the patties to hold together - and for getting the lovely texture!  

Form the mixture in to about 20 small patties and put on a baking sheet. Bake in the middle oven the oven for about 15-20 minutes, until patties are firm and edges are a bit crispy. 

Lemon tahini dressing: Mix together all the ingredients until a creamy dressing. Salt to taste. 

Serve patties with the lemon tahini dressing and fresh herbs! 

* There are also the dark tahini, made of roasted sesame seeds. I prefer the lighter one, made of plain sesame seeds, as it has a rounder and more gentle taste to it.