Baked green pea falafel with green pea spread, garden bean salad and baked pumpkin

In collaboration with koket.se

This really is falafel the Plant based by Thess way; made with pre cooked peas or beans + spices and sometimes grated root veggies, rolled in sesame seeds for crisp and baked in the oven! Easy PEAsy!

Serve this as a light(er) lunch or dinner, add some cooked grains for a even more hearty meal. Also, I love serving my falafels with a seasonal salad with leafy greens, baked root veggies, toasted nuts and seeds and some yummy dressing (like this one), also works very well for a smaller buffet! And never forget the wrap, falafels are awesome to put in a wrap! My favourite is to wrap up using cabbage leafs, crispy and YUM!

A few weeks ago I took this online course (as you probably would know by now if you’ve read my previous post) called “Skapa magi med grönsaker” from Kökets kurser! As an already conquered veggie lover I still enjoyed the course a lot and really enjoyed learning new stuff from talented Swedish chef Paul Svensson himself! He teaches you everything he knows about creating magic with vegetables - and believe me it’s A LOT!

Do you also want to learn more about cooking with veggies? Learn how to prepare them and what to make with parts of the veggies that are often (unfortunately) thrown away? Plus get lots of recipes? Then this course is probably for you! Take it, be inspired and make your twist on the dishes - like I did here!

Curious for more? Here you can read more, and If you want you can use the code “THESS” when ordering your course to get SEK 50 off! The code is valid until January 31st. HOPE YOU LIKE IT!

Baked green pea falafel with green pea spread, garden bean salad and baked pumpkin

serves 4

Ingredients

250 g green peas, thawed if frozen

10 cm leeks

1 dl / 0.4 cups rolled oats

2 garlic cloves

1/2 green chili

1 handful of fresh parsley

1 package (á 230 g) pre cooked chickpeas

1 tsp coriander seeds, ground

1 tsp cumin seeds, ground

1 tsp salt

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 dl / 0.4 whole sesame seeds for rolling

1 Tbsp cold pressed rapeseed for baking

Baked pumpkin

1 pumpkin, such as Butternut or Hokkaido

1 tsp sambal oelek

1/2 Tbsp coldpressed rapeseed oil

Green pea spread

250 g green peas, thawed if frozen

3 Tbsp cold pressed rapeseed oil

1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

salt

Garden bean salad

300 g mixed garden beans (haricot verts, yellow beans, broad bean, sugar snap etc), when you cannot find fresh ones from near where you live you can use frozen ones!!

1/2 Tbsp coldpressed rapeseed oil

1 shallot

salt

For garnishing

fresh mint + parsley

rapeseeds or sesame seeds

How to

Pre heat the oven to 200 degrees celsius / 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Thinly slice the leeks, then thoroughly rinse it. Peel and finely chop the garlic. Cut and deseed the chili. Chop the parsley. Rinse the chickpeas. Mix all the ingredients for the falafels in a food processor until smooth. Form falafels, roll in sesame seeds, brush with oil all around and put on a baking tray. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, roll around and bake for another 10 minutes.

Cut, peel and deseed the pumpkin. Cut in smaller pieces. Topps with sambal, oil and a pinch of salt. Put on a baking tray and bake until soft, takes about 20 minutes. If you have a hot air oven you can bake the falafels and pumpkin at the same time!

Mix the ingredients for the green pea spread. Salt and peppar to taste.

Parboil the beans for 5-7 minutes if using fresh ones. Put in cold water. OR thaw the beans if using frozen ones. Peel and chop the onion. Fry in a bit of oil in a frying pan until soft. Add the beans and fry for a couple of minutes. Remove from heat.

Divide the spread on 4 plates. Top with bean salad, pumpkin and falafels. Garnish with fresh herbs and seeds.

Apple baked cauliflower with sauerkraut hummus and stir fried kale salad with quinoa

In collaboration with koket.se

Playing with textures and flavours, inspired by an online veggie course that I did last week! LOVED IT.

Want to learn more about cooking with veggies? How to prepare them, combine them and what to make with parts of the veggies that are normally (unfortunately) thrown away? Then check out the new course “Skapa magi med grönsaker” (course is held in Swedish) from Koket.se. Talented Swedish chef Paul Svensson teaches you everything he knows about creating magic with vegetable - and believe me it’s A LOT! During the course you get plus lots of recipes! I cuddled in my sofa and did the whole course in one go - before heading to the kitchen to put my all plant based touch on the recipes - and out came this one here!

Curious for more? Here you can read more, and If you want you can use the code “THESS” when ordering your course to get SEK 50 off! The code is valid until January 31st. HOPE YOU LIKE IT!

Apple baked cauliflower with sauerkraut hummus and stir fried kale salad with quinoa

4 portions

Ingredients

1 cauliflower + leafs

1 onion

200 g forrest mushrooms

2 cm fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped

2 dl / 0.8 cups appelmust

1 tsp ground cumin

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Sauerkraut hummus

1 package (á 230 grams drained) pre cooked chickpeas

1 dl / 0.4 cups sauerkraut

1 twig of thyme

1 Tbsp cold pressed rapeseed oil

1/2 dl / 0.2 cups broth from cauliflower

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Stir fried kale salad with lingonberries and quinoa

300 grams fresh kale

1 Tbsp coldpressed rapeseed oil

2 dl black quinoa, uncooked

100 grams frozen lingonberries, thawed

2-3 Tbsp horseradish (optional)

Chickpea croutons

1 package (á 230 grams drained) pre cooked chickpeas

1/2 Tbsp cold pressed rapeseed oil

1 pinch of saly

For serving

fresh thyme

How to

Pre heat oven to 175 degrees Celsius / 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Cut away the leaves from the cauliflower. Peel and cut the onion in smaller pieces. Crumble the mushrooms. Put leaves, onion, mushrooms, ginger, applemust and cumin in a pot (big enough to fit the cauliflower head), add enough water to cover everything. Bring to a boil and let simmer on low heat for at least 30 minutes - preferably an hour or more. The longer the broth get to simmer the more flavour it will get!

Add the whole cauliflower to the pot, bottom part down. Let steam for about 15-20 minutes (depending on size of cauliflower), until the cauliflower has an inner temperature of 80-86 degrees Celsius / 176-186 degrees Fahrenheit. If you don’t have a cooking thermometer you can use a sharp knife to know when it’s soft yet still has an al dente core. Remove the cauliflower from broth. Cut in 4 pieces. Strain the broth (save the rest and use as a base the next time you mix up a soup - will make the best base ever!). Salt and pepper to taste.

Pre heat oven to 175 degrees Celsius / 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Rinse the chickpeas. Dry them and then mix with oil and salt. Put on a baking tray and roast in the middle of the oven until crisp.

Cook the quinoa according to instructions on the packaging. Cut away the thick bottom steam of the kale, tear the leafs in to smaller pieces. Massage with oil, then fry for a couple of minutes. Mix with quinoa, lingonberries and horseradish. Salt and pepper to taste.

Put a cauliflower piece in a semi flat bowl, pour some broth over. Add the sauerkraut hummus and kale salad. Topp with chickpea croutons and thyme.

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.

Cauliflower and chanterelle soup with crispy beans and apple topping

Cauliflower and chanterelle soup with crispy beans and apple topping

4 portions

Ingredients

1 cauliflower

2 shallots

1 garlic clove

2 red apples

150 gram chanterelles (or the corresponding amount dried mushroom. 80 gram dried per 500 gram fresh is a good “rule” to have in mind)

10 dl / 4 cups water

2 dl / 0.8 cups oat mylk

1/2 dl / 0.2 cups parsley, finely chopped

1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

2 Tbsp cold pressed olive oil

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Topping

1 red apple

230 gram pre cooked cannellini beans

1 Tbsp cold pressed olive oil

1/2 dl / 0.2 cups parsley, finely chopped

edible flowers (optional)

How to

Remove the leafs from the cauliflower, trim off the woody ends of the stem. Rinse, dry and give a toss together with some oil and a pinch of salt. Set aside. Tear the cauliflower in smaller pieces.

Cut the apple in smaller pieces (seeds removed). Brush the chanterelles, then parboil them for 3 to 5 minutes in a saucepan. Add some oil, shallot and garlic and fry for another minute until the onion is soft. Add the cauliflower, apple, water and oat mylk and bring to a boil, simmer for about 10 minutes, until all is soft. Remove from heat, add vinegar and parsley and mix until smooth using an immersion blender. Salt and pepper to taste.

Pre heat the oven to 175 degrees Celsius / 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Put the cauliflower leaves on a baking tray, without the leaves touching each other, and roast in the oven until crispy - takes about 10 minutes.

Rinse and drain the cannellini beans, dry with a piece of kitchen paper (starting off with dry beans will make it easier to get really crisp beans when roasting them). Mix with some oil and a pinch of salt. Cut the apple in small pieces. Stir fry the beans in a pan until golden and slightly crisp. Add the apples and fry for another minute. Add the parsley. Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve the soup topped with the bean fry, crispy leaves and maybe som edible flowers!

Photo by Magnus Carlsson

Saffron quinoa with brassicas, avocado and pomegranate

Here comes one of my favourite salads for the winter season. Flavours and veggies that reminds me of candlelit dinners, cosy mornings and Christmas gatherings - all tossed together in to this recipe!

If you ask me every festive buffet requires a semi raw salad - a salad where at least most of the components are raw - great thing as that will add lots of texture and freshness which goes very well with basically anything. Cook the quinoa prior to serving and massage/shave/slice/deseed the rest of the components (preferably put the brassica i ice cold water to get them really crispy!)- then just toss it all together just before serving!

Saffron quinoa with brassica, avocado and pomegranate

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

3 dl / 1.2 cups white quinoa

0.25 grams saffron, ground

100 gram kale (you might want to use black kale instead of kale if you’re pairing this one with my pumpkin tray recipe from the previous post)

50 gram red cabbage

1 fennel

1 avocado, sliced

1 pomegranate, deseeded

1 dl / 0.4 cups mixed seeds and nuts, toasted

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

flakey salt

How to

Cook the quinoa according to instructions on the packaging, together with the saffron.

Cut away the thick bottom steam of the kale, tear the leafs in to smaller pieces. Since they’ll the added raw to the salad you want the pieces to be quite small. Massage with olive oil and a pinch of salt until silky.

Shred the red cabbage thinly using a mandoline, a vegetable peeler or a sharp knife. Trim the fennel bulbs, then shred thinly on the width using a mandoline/vegetable peeler/sharp knife. Put cabbage and fennel in ice cold water for 20 minutes - this will make them extra crispy!

Toss together the cooked saffron quinoa, kale, cabbage, avocado, pomegranate and seeds/nuts!

* This is a recipe from “Två Dagar” distributed by Göteborgs-Posten. Photo by Stefan Edetoft

Roasted pumpkin with kale, lingonberries, dijon dressing and pecans

This is the kind of food I’ll put on our Christmas table year after year - hearty salads with seasonal veggies and delicious dressings! I like to make a couple (or more…) of them, with different components, and one or two dressings/hummus/dips on the side!

This kind of food is very smart festive food as it feeds both few as well as many, depending on how many you’re cooking for. And it doesn’t take much time at all to cook it - just put it on a tray and the oven will help you do the rest! No matter if you have a Christmas table with exclusively plant based dishes - or if you want to keep room for your families traditional dishes food like this can be served. Why not make this an onwards classic in your home?

Roasted pumpkin with kale, lingonberries, dijon dressing and pecans

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 small muscat pumpkins

400 gram kale

75 gram pecans

2 dl / 0.8 cups lingonberries

1/2 Tbsp cold pressed rapeseed oil

Dijon dressing

1/2 dl / 0.2 cups dijon mustard, unsweetened

1 dl / 0.4 cups cold pressed rapeseed oil

1/2 dl / 0.2 cups water

1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tsp maple syrup, optional for a sweeter taste

salt and freshly ground black pepper

How to

Pre heat the oven to 175 degrees Celsius / 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Wash and cut the pumpkins in half, scoop out the seeds using a spoon (save the seeds for roasting) them and cut the rest in slices. Put on a baking tray and roast in the oven for 30 minutes, until the pumpkin is soft.

Cut away the thick bottom steam of the kale, tear the leafs in to smaller pieces. Massage with olive oil and a pinch of salt until silky. Add to the pumpkin tray together with the pecans when 5 minutes remains and bake until kale is soft - and some of it a bit crisp as that is delicious - and pecans crunchy!

Mix all the ingredients for the dressing. Salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle over the tray. Sprinkle with lingonberries.

Happy season!

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

Loveable (raw)yum

This is my - semi raw - take on a Swedish classic called Kärleksmums. Chocolaty, slightly salty, sweet, crunchy, creamy and PACKED with plant based protein!

The recipe is from my second book The new green protein where I call them “Kärleksfulla (raw)mums”. That’s not all, it’s also my first ever recipe shared in a live television show! This very morning that happened! So, let’s just say that from this day on this cake will be quite special - not only because it’s yummy and works for as well fika as an afternoon snack but also because it reminds me to sometimes take a step back and enjoy the feeling of reaching milestones. And appreciating where hard work has taken me. Well done!

So, I’ll probably make another batch as soon as I get home (the friendly people at SVT enjoyed it all) and spend the rest of the evening with a couple of blankets, lit candles and all my new cookbooks that have finally reached me!

I know you wonder about the recipe. Here it comes!

Loveable (raw)yum

12 pieces

Base

2 dl / 0.8 cups toasted whole buckwheat *

1 dl / 0.4 cups pepitas

1 dl / 0.4 cups raw cacao

10 fresh dates, pitted

2 Tbsp cold pressed coconut oil

1-2 Tbsp water

Ganache

2 Tbsp cold pressed coconut oil

1/2 dl / 0.2 cups raw cacao

3/4 dl / 0.3 cups water

8 fresh dates, pitted

1 pinch unrefined salt

1/2 dl / 0.4 cups shredded coconut

How to

Mix all the dry ingredients until a fine crumble using a food processor, it’s nice to keep some of the buckwheat whole as that will give an extra crunch! Add dates, oil and water and mix in to a dough. Press out the dough in a small baking tray, put in the fridge.

Melt the oil on low heat. Mix all the ingredients for the ganache, except for the shredded coconut, until completely smooth. Preferably use a high speed blender if you have one - or continue mixing using a food processor - this might take a bit more time.

Spread the ganache over the base, sprinkle over the shredded coconut. the cake in the fridge for at least 20 minutes before serving. I even keep mine in the freezer as I love my bite properly chilled!

ENJOY!

• Toasted buckwheat: 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. 

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

Roasted pumpkin and carrot salad with carrot top pesto, wild rice, apple and raw fennel

Salad is my religion. It’s what I eat pretty much all the time (and they basically never look the same!!), what best describes my food philosophy; a plate or bowl PACKED with yummy stuff in different colors, flavours and with all the textures you want in a meal. And of course it’s also filled with nutrition - because that’s how I love to cook!

Happy cooking!

Roasted pumpkin and carrot salad with carrot top pesto, wild rice, apple and raw fennel

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 Muscat pumpkin

500 g carrots

250 g kale and purple kale, a mix of them both or your choice

2 dl / 0.8 cups wild rice

3 apples

1 fennel

1/2 dl organic raisins or chopped organic apricots

100 g mixed leafy greens

edible flowers, optional - but very pretty!

cold pressed olive oil

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Carrot top pesto

Carrot tops (if you cant get hold of carrots with carrot tops you can use 2-3 handfuls of parsley or baby spinach) + the fennel fronds

1 dl / 0.4 cups parsley or cilantro

1 garlic clove, grated

1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

1/2 dl pepitas

1 dl cold pressed olive oil

salt and freshly ground black pepper

How to

Cook the wild rice according to instructions on the packaging.

Pre heat the oven to 175 degres Celsius / 350 degres Fahrenheit.

Peel, remove the seeds and cut the pumpkin in slices. Scrub the carrots. Put on a baking tray, toss around with a drizzle of oil. Roast in the oven for about 20 minutes, until the veggies are slightly golden and crispy around the edges but still have that al dente taste to them. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Lower the heat to 150 degres Celsius / 300 degres Fahrenheit. Cut away the thick bottom steam of the kale, tear the leafs in to smaller pieces. Massage with olive oil and a pinch of salt until silky. Spread out on a baking tray and roast in oven for 7-10 minutes, until the kale is crispy.

Carrot top pesto: Mix all the ingredients, except for the pepitas, until a smooth pesto. Add the pepitas and mix until a crunchy consistency. Salt and pepper to taste.

Shave the fennel (make sure to use the WHOLE fennel - the stalks as well!) thinly using a mandoline, or a sharp knife. Slice the apples on the with. Toss around with a Tbsp of the pesto.

Layer the leafy greens, wild rice, baked vegetables, fennel, apples and raisins on a big plate. Top with dollops of pesto.

ENJOY!

Photo by Magnus Carlsson

Hearty curry stew with aubergine, pumpkin and kale

The great thing about a stew is that is can be made with lots of different veggies - for example the exact veggies that you happen to have at home! These days I want to have pumpkin in almost everything - and so I added them to this stew as well.

Adding some pre cooked legumes when the stew is almost done is a great way to add som extra protein (and taste!). And then I always want to add something green - kale is a favourite! Best thing is to add the kale once you have removed the pot from the heat, that way the kale will stay green and perfectly soft.

You could serve the stew just like it is, or with your choice of grain och pseudo-grain; like sorghum, quinoa, naked oats or millet, for a even more filling meal.

And last but not least - don’t forget the golden rule when it comes to stews; they are even better the day after when the flavours have had the chance to REALLY evolve!! Now, time to cook.

Hearty curry stew with aubergine, pumpkin and kale

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 tsp cumin seeds

2 tsp coriander seeds

2 tsp caraway seeds

2 Tbsp paprika powder

1 onion

1 garlic clove

1 aubergine

1 small pumpkin, Hokkaido or Muscat

1 Tbsp fresh ginger, grated

500 g crushed tomatoes

400 ml coconut milk

230 g / 4 dl / 1.6 cups pre cooked chickpeas

100 g kale, rough stalk removed and leaves shredded

2 Tbsp cold pressed coconut oil

salt and freshly ground black peppar

For serving

2 dl / 0.8 cups sorghum, uncooked

fresh cilantro

How to

Cook the sorghum according to instructions on the packaging.

Fry the spices in the oil in a thick bottom pot at medium heat until fragrant. Peel and finely chop onion and garlic, add to the pot at fry until soft.

Cut the aubergine in bite size pieces. Wash the pumpkin then half it, remove seeds and cut in to bite size pieces. Add the aubergine and pumpkin to the stew. Fry for 2 minutes together with the ginger. Add the crushed tomatoes and coconut milk. Bring to a boil and and let simmer for 20 minutes, until the aubergine and pumpkin have softened. Salt and pepper to taste.

Rinse the chickpeas. Add to the stew together with the kale. Remove from the heat and let sit for 15 minutes before serving.

Serve the stew together with cooked sorghum and cilantro.

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

Buckwheat carrot porridge with - lots of things

Ever heard of brinner? That’s a word for “Breakfast for dinner”. Genius if you ask me as breakfast is a favourite and when making a hearty breakky if works for any time of the day! I know this blog is starting to look like an all porridge feed but as I really wanted to share this one, with soaked buckwheat groats and fresh ginger in it, I figured there just have to be another porridge recipe here! So, enjoy - my latest porridge craving coming up below!

Photo by Agnes Maltesdotter

Buckwheat carrot porridge with - lots of things

Serves 2

Ingredients

1 dl / 0.4 cups rolled oats

1 1/2 dl / 0.6 cups whole buckwheat groats, soaked over night or for at least 8 hours + preferably also sprouted *

3 dl / 1.2 cups water

2 dl / 0.8 cups unsweetened plant mylk of your choice

2 carrots, peel still on and finely grated

1 Tbsp fresh ginger, grated

1 tsp ground turmeric

a pinch of salt, preferably unrefined

Topping suggestions (pretty much everything works here)

kale powder (yes you read it, dried kale mixed in to a lovely powder!)

sweet cocktail tomatoes

tahini

shredded coconut

dried organic fruits and berries (such as goji berries, mulberries, apricots)

walnuts

How to

Rinse the buckwheat thoroughly. Bring oats, water, mylk, carrot, ginger and spices to a boil, let simmer for 2 minutes. Add the buckwheat and simmer for another minute. Stir every now and then to get a creamy porridge. Maybe add a bit more water/mylk to get you desired consistency. Salt to taste. Let the porridge cool slightly then top with your favourites!

* How to soak whole buckwheat groats: Put the groats in a bowl and fill with the double amount of water. Add 1 Tbsp for every 5 dl / 2 cups (this helps the soaking process). Let soak over night or for at least 8 hours. Rinse well and drain. Now your buckwheat are ready to be eating - but if you have time you can also sprout them! If so put them in a fine mesh strainer (or in a sprouting jar) and let sprout for at least 24 h, rinse with water 2 times daily until your groats grow a teensy little tail! Store, well drained, in a jar in your fridge.

Oat scones with tahini and mashed avocado

Photo by Agnes Maltesdotter

Scone love

Having a favourite scone recipe in the back of your head is a winner. In under half an hour you can have freshly baked bread for your weekend breakfast or brunch, something to go with your evening soup or - my fave - something to carry on your picnic in to the woods!

I find these ones to be the right combination of crumbly, sweet…and slightly addictive. They’re easy to make and I really think you should try them! I have this recipe as my base recipe and then sometimes change what flour I’m using depending on what I have at home/what flour that is available/to fit any allergies etc. I shared my Almond flour version of these scones over at my friends at Food Pharmacy - something to check out as well!

AND one last thing, these scones can also be served as a savoury dessert together with some coconut cream (or yoghurt) and a berry/fruit compote or chia berry jam! Delicious!

Oat scones with mashed avocado

6 servings

Ready in: 25 minutes

Ingredients
6 dl / 2 1/2 cups cups oat flour (or a mix of your favourite flours, I sometimes use 1/3 buckwheat flour or 1/3 almond flour)
1/2 dl / 0.2 cups rolled oats
1 Tbsp potato starch
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
3 Tbsp chia seeds
1/2 tsp salt
a handful dried fruits or berries, such as organic mulberries and goji berries
5 Tbsp cold-pressed rapeseed oil
2 dl / 0.8 cups oat mylk, or any plant based mylk of your choice

For serving

1 ripe avocado, smashed in to a chunky spread

tahini

How to

Pre heat the oven to 175 degrees.

Mix all the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Add the oil and mylk and blend in to a sticky dough. Try not to kneed it, but only blending it together, this will give you more fluffy scones!

Form scones using two spoons and put on a baking sheet. Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes, until the scones are lightly golden around the edges.

Serve the scones straight from the oven, with some (lots of) tahini and smashed avocado. ENJOY!

2 ingredient Apple compote

This time of year I have apples in most of the food I cook; grated in my morning porridge, mixed in to a creamy soup, dried in pieces for my granola, cut in half and baked until soft and sweet then serve with toasted seeds and a dollop of whipped coconut cream, cut in pieces and tossed together with root veggies….

AND cooked in to delicious natural sweetened apple compotes. It’s super easy to make and can be served with lentil stews, porridges, as a dessert with coconut cream and granola and lots more!!

2 ingredient Apple compote

Yields; depends on how much apples you get hold of!

Ingredients

Seasonal apples, of different kind and in different colors

ground ginger/cardamom/cinnamon

1 pinch of flakey salt

How to

Core the apples and cut them in to pieces. Put in a sauce pan and add water just enough to cover the bottom, but not covering all of the apples. Bring to a simmer and then gently simmer for 5-15 minutes (depending on how much apples you use), until the apples are soft. Mash the apples in to a compote using a fork. Add your choice of ginger/cardamom/cinnamon - or all of them! Salt to taste. Let cool. Put in an air tight glass jar.

The compote can be stored in an air tight glass jar for up to 5 days in the fridge. If you’re making a bigger batch you can put a bunch of filled glass jars in the fridge - and take out one every week! Also - it’s a great idea to freeze in portion sizes using ice cube molds - perfect to take out and put on your morning porridge!

Raw chocolate ganache

Raw chocolate ganache

Frosting for 1 cake

Ingredients

8 fresh dates, pitted

1/2 dl / 0.2 US cups cold pressed coconut oil

3/4 dl / 0.3 US cups water

1/2 dl / 0.4 US cups raw cacao

1 tbsp ground cinnamon

a good pinch of flakey salt

How to

Mix all the ingredients for the ganache until completely smooth in a high speed blender. Add more salt to taste.

Spread on top of any cake, for example my buckwheat base used in the recipe for my Tahini and caramel mousse truffles, and chill well before serving.

Baked cabbage with shaved fennel, apple, herb oil and toasted sunflower seeds

This is a salad perfect for a festive buffet - or a side to any meal really! The simplicity of baked cabbage, the flavours and textures which arises when being baked is extraordinary!! It’s silky, sweet and just v.e.r.y. tasty! Drizzle the whole thing with a lovely green oil and toss with a couple of hand fulls of shaved crispy vegges and fruits for great textures and flavours - and you’re good to go!

During winter I would probably use kale (which I massage with cold pressed rapeseed oil and a pinch of salt) instead of the fennel - and when you want to vary the recipe you can use any citrus fruit instead (or together with the) of the apples. Anyhow - the cabbage is key!

Baked cabbage with shaved fennel, apple, herb oil and toasted sunflower seeds

Serves 4-6 as a side salad

Ingredients

1 cabbage (preferably fresh cabbage, or pointy cabbage)

1 fennel

2 red apples

1 dl / 0.4 US cups sunflower seeds

1 tbsp rape seed oil

fresh thyme for garnish

Herb oil

1 dl / 0.4 US cups cold pressed rapeseed oil

1 dl / 0.4 US cups fresh herbs (e.g parsley, thyme, mint)

1 garlic clove

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

salt and freshly ground black pepper

How to

Pre heat the oven to 175 degrees Celsius / 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut the cabbage in pieces, drizzle with oil. Put on a baking tray and bake in the middle of the oven for 30 minutes, until the cabbage is all silky and sweet - but still have that bite to it. Let cool.

Put the sunflower seeds on a baking tray. Toast in the middle of the oven for 10 minutes, until a nutty aroma fills the kitchen. Stir around halfway through. Let cool.

Mix all the ingredients for the herb oil (I tend to use the herbs I have at home, so every herb oil gets different). Salt and pepper to taste.

Toss the cabbage with half of the herb oil. Shave the fennel and apples using a mandoline, or slice thinly using a sharp knife. Layer the cabbage, fennel and apples and most of the sunflower seeds on a serving plate. Drizzle som extra herb oil on top and sprinkle with the rest of the sunflower seeds. Garnish with fresh thyme.

Recipe was first published in The Gothenburg-Post/Två dagar. Photo by Fanny Hansson.

Creamy carrot cake porridge with avocado, apple, tahini and tomato

Porridge season is here for sure, and I’m having a warming bowl of this hearty creaminess as often as I can. I like mine best - no matter if I have it for breakky / brunch / lunch at home / light dinner - cooked with lots of warming and nourishing spices and gated veggies, and of course I top it with LOTS of savoury toppings!

Creamy carrot cake porridge with avocado, apple, tahini and tomato

Serves 2

Ingredients

2 dl / 0.8 US cups rolled oats

4 dl / 1.6 US cups water

2 dl / 0.8 US cups oat mylk

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp ground cardamom

1 tbsp chia seeds

2 carrots, finely grated (grated butternut squash and/or courgette is a few other favourites!)

For serving

1 avocado

1 autumn apple

tahini

chia seeds

flakey salt + freshly ground black pepper

How to

Bring oats, liquids, spices and chia seeds to a boil. Let simmer until creamy, while stirring throughout. You might want to add more liquid or let it keep simmer to get your desired consistency.

Add the carrots and let simmer for a few seconds. Remove from the heat.

Divide in two bowls. Top with sliced avocado, apple and tomatoes. Add a big spoon of tahini. Sprinkle everything with flakey salt and chia seeds - the avocado likes to get a sprinkle of pepper as well!!

Breath. Be here. Enjoy!

Roasted carrots and parsnips with ginger tahini dressing and pomegranate

Roasted baby carrots + baby parsnips. Drizzled with a ginger tahini dressing. And sprinkled with toasted almonds, lots of fresh herbs and fruity pomegranate seeds. Easy peasy planty side for ANY occasion!!

AND, if you want to make it a main dish you could serve with some cooked grains of your choice (quinoa, wild rice, sorghum, millet etc) and some kind of protein packed spread, for example my sweet potato and roasted garlic hummus (might be my favourite one in the world) or my Pea and cilantro hummus.

Roasted carrots and parsnips with ginger tahini dressing and pomegranate

4-6 servings, as a green side

Ingredients

500 g new season/baby carrots/carrots bought in a bunch (you could use any type of carrot really, but I find that the baby ones are even better for this recipe as I prefer to roast them whole - and with the peel on)

10 baby parsnips (see note on carrots above, same thing here)

2 dl / 0.8 US cups fresh parsley

2 dl / 0.8 US cups pomegranate seeds

1 dl / 0.4 US cups almonds

1 tbsp rapeseed oil

unrefined sea salt

Ginger tahini dressing

1/2 dl / 0.2 US cups light tahini (I prefer to use tahini made of non roasted sesame seeds as the flavour is not as sharp as if you would use a dark tahini)

3/4 dl / 0.3 US cups water

zest from 1 organic lemon + 2 tbsp freshly pressed lemon juice

1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated

unrefined sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

How to

Pre heat the oven to 175 degrees Celsius / 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the carrot tops if there are any (these ones are GREAT to use in a home made pesto, smoothie or herb hummus!). Scrub the carrots and parsnips (if the peel on the parsnips is too thick you might want to peel them - otherwise it’s great to leave on).

Put the root veggies on a baking tray and drizzle with oil. Sprinkle with salt. Roast in the middle of the oven for about 35 minutes, until they are slightly golden and the peel is slightly crispy.

Put the almonds on a baking tray. Roast in the middle of the oven for about 10 minutes, until a nutty aroma fills the kitchen. Stir around halfway through. Let cool.

Mix all the ingredients for the ginger tahini dressing using a blender/immersion blender. Salt and pepper to taste.

Put the roasted veggies on a serving plate, drizzle over ALL (important part, the dressing is great) the dressing. Sprinkle with chopped parsley, almonds and pomegranate seeds. And some flakey salt!

Best,

Thess

Recipe was first published in The Gothenburg-Post/Två dagar. Photo by Fanny Hansson.

Roasted butternut squash and parsnip salad with turmeric cauliflower, shaved fennel and kale crisps

Photos by Anges Malterdotter

Roasted butternut squash and parsnip salad with turmeric cauliflower, shaved fennel and kale crisps

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 butternut squash

1 cauliflower

250 g parsnips

200 g kale

230 g (about 4 dl / 1.6 US cups) pre cooked chickpeas

1 fennel

1 tsp mild curry blend (choose your favourite!)

2 tsp dried cilantro

1 tbsp cold pressed olive oil

flakey salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Avocado mash

2 avocados

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar 

a handful of fresh mint, finely chopped

flakey salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

How to

Pre heat the oven to 175 degrees celsius / 345 degrees Fahrenheit.

Peel, remove the seeds and dice the butternut squash in 2x2 cm pieces. Tear the cauliflower in to smaller florets (and keep the light leaves - the are delicious to roast as well). Scrub the parsnips, cut in half. Rinse the chickpeas, then dry them with kitchen paper. 

Cut away the thick bottom steam of the kale, tear the leafs in to smaller pieces. Massage with olive oil and a pinch of salt until silky. Put half of the kale on your serving platter, the rest is going in to the oven when about 5-7 minutes remains on the roasted veggies.

Put the butternut squash, cauliflower, parsnips and chickpeas on a baking tray (separated), drizzle with olive oil. Massage the cauliflower florets + leaves and chickpeas with the curry blend. Roast in the oven for about 20 minutes, until the veggies are slightly golden and crispy around the edges but still have that al dente taste to them. Add half of the massaged kale when 5-7 minutes remains. Toss everything with the dried cilantro once out of the oven.

Shave the fennel using a mandoline or cut thinly using a sharp knife. Peel and pit the avocado, mash, with vinegar and finely chopped fresh mint, using a fork. Salt and pepper to taste.

Layer all the ingredients on a big serving plate. Top with dollops of the avocado mash. Sprinkle with flakey salt.

Mamas turmeric and ginger super shot

We all know that adding as much nutritious food to your day as possible is a great thing. And drinking a home juiced super tasty and refreshing elixir (kind of) is one of those things helping you get there!

As a person crazy about textures I prefer to eat my food instead of drinking. But if (when) you do find it hard to reach an high enough intake of fruits and veggies during a day (The Swedish National Food Agency recommends 500 g fruits and veggies per day. Preferably half of it being fruits and half of it veggies), we all have those days I’m sure, drinking a veggie shot can be a great way to add some of those grams.

A combination of eating whole veggies and fruits + drinking smoothies (where the whole ingredients are mixed) + drinking shots and veggie juices is a great way to make sure you get all the nutrients your body wants.

If you like to make your own shots and veggie juice I can highly recommend to invest in a slow juicer. What’s the deal with a slow juicer then? And what’s the difference from a more traditional centrifugal juicer? I’ve sorted it out - very briefly - below!

Both a slow juicer and a centrifugal juicer will give you nourishing juices, but a slow juicer is even more gentle to the things your juicing; furthermore using a slow juicer will keep even more of the nutrients + using it will give you the highest juice yield.

I’ve got a Witt slowjuicer and it’s brilliant! To be honest my mum is the most frequent user, she comes home to me every other week making shots for everyone i the family - and this is her favourite recipe! Enjoy!

Mamas turmeric and ginger super shot

Makes 1 bottle, about 750ml

Ingredients

50 g organic fresh turmeric

250 g organic fresh ginger

2 organic carrots

2 organic lemons

2 organic oranges

5 dl / 2 US cups water

1 pinch of freshly ground black pepper

How to

Peel the citrus fruits (I find the peel to be a bit too tough for the slow juicer). Cut everything in smaller pieces and put in your slow juicer or centrifugal juicer *.

Blend the golden juice with black pepper and water. Pour in a bottle and keep in the fridge, stays well for up to 7 days. Shake before serving.

• Make sure to read the instructions on the manual before using it as different manufactures may have different recommendations on how use their products.

Swedish Chokladbollar By Thess

To make sure we’re all in the game: “Chokladbollar” is the Swedish word for this brilliant and VERY traditional no bake little treat. Directly translated it means chocolate balls, and that it just what they are!

For years I’ve been making several types of raw food bliss balls (no grains, only nuts/seeds etc), then I remembered that I’ve eaten the most delicious chokladbollar every other day when growing up. Chokladbollar might be the one thing ALL Swedish kids learn to bake as soon as they kan stand on a stool (so they reach the countertop).

Anyway, I went back to the roots, made a batch of classic ones - but with a #plantbasedbythess twist. And to be honest they are great. No fuss.

Swedish Chokladbollar

By Thess

Ingredients

Makes about 20-24 balls

🌿3 dl / 1.2 US cups rolled oats

🌿12 fresh dates, pitted

🌿1/2 dl light tahini or almond butter

🌿1 dl / 0.4 US cups raw cacao powder

🌿1 Tbsp brewed coffee

🌿1/2 tsp ground cinnamon or vanilla powder, optional

🌿A good pinch of flakey salt

🌿Shredded coconut for rolling 

How to

Mix all of the ingredients until smooth (you want it to be sticky but rollable) in a food processor. Add a bit water or oat mylk (any plant mylk really) if it feels too dry, or a bit more rolled oats if it feels to wet.

Form in to balls. As big or small as you want. Basic knowledge - if you make smaller ones you can eat many and you get more (!) coconut coating.

Put shredded coconut in a bowl, add a few balls at a time and give the bowl a good shake so the balls get all covered. OR even smarter - use a bowl with a lid, then you can give it a proper shake!!

Let the chokladbollar sit in the fridge for about an hour before eating. Best when chilled! Eat within a couple of weeks (you will never be able to keep them for that long. Trust me on that one!).

Good to know!

The chokladbollar can be stored in the freezer if you want to keep them for longer, or make in advance in you have a fika coming up.

Carrot and courgette stir fry with sorghum, cabbage and avocado + kale marinated lentils

A stir fry is something a make all the time, but they close to never look the same! I take whatever veggies I have at home, grate some of them and cut some of them. I fry the greens with garlic and ginger (those two are pretty much always the same. Never get tired of them) for a few minutes, mix with any pre cooked cereal or pseudo cereal that I have at home, add some fresh herbs, salt and pepper. Might add an avocado on top + some extra (pre cooked) lentils or beans that I've just marinated.

So, the key to having the dinner, lunch or whatever ready in 15 is to have a few things sorted out the day before. And it's really (REALLY) easy bits. Cooking any/a couple of cereals or pseudo cereals (quinoa, buckwheat, sorghum, millet, naked oats, brown rice, red rice, wild rice...you get the point!) + any/a couple of legumes. Then you're ready to create masterpieces in just 15 minutes the days ahead. But if you have not pre cooked anything you don't have to feel down, you can do it all at the same time too. 

Anyways - here comes the recipe!!

 

Carrot and courgette fry with sorghum, cabbage and avocado

Served with kale marinated beluga lentils

4 people

Ingredients

6 carrots

2 courgettes

1 yellow onion

1 garlic clove

2 tbsp fresh ginger, grated

4 dl cooked sorghum (naked oats, quinoa, wild rice, brown rice etc works just as fine) (equals about 2 dl / 0.8 US cups uncooked lentils)

1/4 cabbage 

1 tsp turmeric

1/2 dl / 0.4 US cups fresh parsley, finely chopped

4 dl cooked beluga lentils (equals about 1 1/3 dl / 0.6 US cups uncooked lentils)

1 tbsp cold pressed coconut oil

Kale (pesto) marinade

3 dl / 1.2 US cups kale leaves, teared in to smaller pieces

1 dl pepitas, preferably toasted

1 dl cold pressed olive oil

1 small garlic clove

1 tbsp nutritional yeast * (optional)

flakey salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For serving

2 avocados

toasted buckwheat groats (learn how to make them here)

How to

Scrub and grate the carrots. Cut the courgette in smaller pieces. Finely slice the cabbage using a mandoline or vegetable peeler or just slice using a sharp knife.

Peel and finely slice the onion + garlic, fry in coconut oil until soft and fragrant in a frying pan with high sides (or use a wok pan if you have one!). Add the carrots and courgette and fry for a couple of minutes. Add the sorghum and turmeric, toss around until everything is golden, lovely looking and has a nice temperature.

Add the cabbage + parsley, toss around. Salt and pepper to taste.

Mix all the ingredients for the kale pesto. Salt and pepper to taste. Toss around with the beluga lentils. 

Serve your stir fry with lentils, avocado and sprinkle toasted buckwheat (or any nuts/seeds) on top. Other things that would be nice to add could be sprouts/shots/microgreens, baby spinach. 

Mindfully ENJOY! 

* Nutritional yeast is a deactivated yeast which is high in protein and contains some B-vitamins and also have traces of other vitamins and minerals. The yeast is flakey and yellow and has a nutty/creamy/cheesy flavour. Can be used in plant based cooking (in sauces, lasagna, on kale chips, popcorn and as one of the main ingredients when making vegan parmesan - just to mention a few!). You find nutritional yeast in natural/health food stores and online.