#it’s the perfect all-rounder for a bread add on to make your bread experience more fun of u don’t want to go the salty buttery route

[forgetme-eternally-blissfully]

strawberry cream cheese fucks so good like it should be illegal how good it is why does no one talk about strawberry cream cheese why is this not even a topic anywhere why does no one know about the wonders of strawberry cream cheese. like it’s so versatile and yet no one mentions it. as if it doesn’t exist. doesnt the strawberry cream cheese mean something? to someone? does anyone else know about this? why has this gone untouched for so long? it’s amazing and yet it’s an unsung hero. where are the strawberry cream cheese lovers I need to find my people

[corkyportwineofficialbkdh95-blog]

6 Food and Wine Pairings Tips for Summer - Easy Wine ...

The Basics Of Pairing Wine With Food - How To Cooking Tips ....

February 1, 2013 - Updated on April 1st, 2020 Ever before sink your teeth right into a maple bar donut and also follow it with a sip of straight black coffee? If you haven't, you require to. The sweet as well as fat of a donut is the perfect praise to bitter warm coffee. You'll never want to add milk as well as sugar once again.

Adhere to the straightforward collection of standards listed below to make the most effective white wine and food pairings in your home. All of our prints are made making use of light-fast archival Corky Port Wine soy-based inks on recycled paper. Made by wine-lovers in Seattle, WA. Free shipping available. The number one standard is to highlight the most effective qualities of a wine.

Focus on the features that you intend to champion and see to it that the red wine will certainly shine instead of battling versus the food. Considering that our tastebuds are really sensitive to resentment, it is essential not to bewilder that level of sensitivity by coupling bitter food with high tannin white wine. Green Beans with Cabernet Sauvignon will multiply bitter tastes.

As a general regulation, make certain that the red wine is sweeter than the food it is accompanying and you will have an effective wine pairing. If the wine is much less sweet than the food it's matched with, it will have a tendency to taste bitter and also tart. This is why Port red wine is best with dessert.

Table & Vine Pairing Food & Wine.

As an example, a salad with vinaigrette is much better with an additional brut Sparkling wine than a buttery Chardonnay. Ever hear that vintage red wine is much better with food? On their very own, vintage glass of wines can be extremely natural as well as sharp. However, when you pair an earthy wine with something a lot more earthy like mushroom stroganoff, after that the white wine tastes much more fruity.

Excellent news: When matching food and red wine, you don't need to learn challenging systems for picking the appropriate bottle to boost what you're consuming. This is not brain surgery. A couple of simple guidelines will aid you make effective wine-and-food pairings. Naturally, it's fun to experiment as well as fine-tune, as well as with experience you might have the ability to produce magnificent suits that significantly improve both the recipe and the white wine.

The three crucial rules when it concerns wine-and-food pairing are: Choose a red wine that you would certainly desire to drink on its own, as opposed to wishing a food suit will improve a white wine made in a design you don't such as. By doing this, also if the pairing isn't best, you will still appreciate what you're drinking; at worst, you might require a sip of water or bite of bread between the dish and the glass.

Consider the weightor body, or richnessof both the food and the white wine. The wine and the meal must be equivalent companions, with neither frustrating the other. If you stabilize both by weight, you increase the probabilities substantially that the pairing will do well. This is the secret behind numerous traditional wine-and-food matches.

Wine Pairing Basics: Two No-fail Tips - The Winc Blog.

Hearty food needs a hearty wine. Cabernet Sauvignon enhances smoked lamb chops due to the fact that they're similarly energetic; the dish would run roughshod over a crisp white a glass of wine. On the other hand, a light Soave washes down a subtly seasoned poached fish because they are equals in delicacy. Exactly how do you identify weight? For the food, fatincluding what comes from the cooking technique as well as the sauceis the main contributor.

( Red wines with much less than 12 percent alcohol tend to be lighter-bodied; those with greater than 14 percent are larger.) If you're not acquainted with a white wine, consult our listed here. This is vital to fine-tuning red wine pairings. Identify the leading personality in the dish; usually it's the sauce, flavorings or food preparation technique, instead than the cornerstone.

The caramelized, earthy tastes of the previous tilt it toward a soft, flexible red, while the simplicity and citrus tastes of the latter require a fresh white. As soon as you've taken into consideration these three important guidelines, you can get even more comprehensive if you desire and consider other nuances of the wine.

As well as of training course, there's the alcohol, which can feel softer in smaller sized quantities, more challenging in higher ones. Merlot stand out from whites in two primary means: tannins and also tastes. Tannins are compounds that provide structure as well as texture to a wine; they are accountable for that astringent experience you feel on the sides of your cheeks, just like when you consume alcohol a solid favorite.

Five Quick Wine Pairing Tips For Valentine's Day.

White as well as red white wines share many typical fragrances and also flavors; both can be spicy, buttery, tough, earthy or flower. But the apple, pear as well as citrus flavors in many white red wines seldom turn up in reds, as well as the dark currant, cherry as well as plum tastes of red grapes normally do not show up in whites.

Components in a recipe can highlight or reduce the acidity and also sweet taste of a red wine, and also the bitterness of its tannins. High levels of acidic active ingredients, such as lemon or vinegar, for instance, benefit high-acid red wines by making them really feel softer as well as rounder in contrast. On the various other hand, sharp food can transform balanced glass of wines loose and flabby.

Tannins engage with fats, salt and also spicy flavors. Rich, fatty meals such as steak lessen the assumption of tannins, making a robust red wine such as a Cabernet appear smoother, as do lightly salted foods like Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Nonetheless, extremely salty foods enhance the assumption of tannins and also can make a red white wine appear extreme as well as astringent; salt furthermore emphasizes the warm of a high-alcohol white wine.

This is where pairing can be countless fun. The aromatics of a glass of wine usually advise us of foods such as fruits, natural herbs, flavors and butter. You can develop a good suit by consisting of ingredients in a meal that echoand consequently emphasizethe scents and also flavors in a red wine. For a Cabernet, for instance, currants in a dish may bring out the a glass of wine's characteristic dark fruit flavors, while a pinch of sage could highlight tips of natural herbs.

[the-grumpy-panda]

Junkfoodio Rambleosa!

This is almost all I have left of this most recent junk food splurging madness. This write up might be slightly longer than usual as a result, but not as long as it could have been. I might be able to squeeze yet another ramble out of what's left. You're welcome. Or I may simply decide enough is enough and forego any more food musings. You're twice as welcome. Some of these may not be all that new/exclusive/limited/whatever by the time this hits the wonders of the internet press, but they are new to me as of this writing. If they've been out awhile, this is simply the first time I stumbled across them while out and about. So let's just get to it. -Thomas' S'mores Mini bagels! A slight chocolate smell, as if they were lightly dusted with cocoa (they're not) but no real s'more flavor. There's a light chocolate flavor in the aftertaste, but it's not enough to make these memorable or worth seeking out. -How will the Thomas' S'mores English Muffin fare, then? To begin, it's a sickly cocoa color, so at first glance at least it appears that it may be chock full of flavor. It smells like a doughy s'more, so that's a good start. The flavor is definitely closer to a s'more than the mini bagels, but it doesn't quite get it right. Again, it's too... doughy. If that makes sense. Maybe s'more just isn't a flavor that translates to bread products. These were still enjoyable overall, though, and were good all warm and toasty with a dab of butter. Definitely the one to try. -Triscuit Ginger & Lemongrass! Is there a greater food complexity than Triscuits? It seems we all wake up one day after reaching a certain age, and we just instinctively, and suddenly, like Triscuits. If this rule doesn't apply to you, then a-ha! You are an android, and you have failed my fail proof method of sussing you out. This particular Triscuit could prove problematic. I'm of a mind to think it will either be heinous, or not so bad. So far, Triscuits have been pretty consistent in making their off color ventures relatively successful, so the odds are in their favor. Everything about this particular version turns out to be... faint. There are very faint notes of ginger and lemon upon opening the bag, but you must take a deep breath in. There is a very faint ginger and lemon taste when chewing, but it recedes rather quickly. These work okay enough, and I enjoyed them as is, but this is one Triscuit that truly begs to be topped with something, where the faint ginger and lemon aspects would play a small part to a whole. These may also work well crumbled into a soup of sorts. -Triscuit Fig & Honey! These gave me an audible "Oh!" moment when I first saw them on the store shelf. I never knew I needed this until it was presented to me. Unfortunately, I was slightly let down by the experience once I opened the bag. There is a light fig aroma to be detected, but it could also be perceived as an earthy tone. It's not that it's bad, it's just not the sweet kick I was expecting to take in. The first few bites are also the same, a light fig/earthy presence that doesn't impress or dissuade. Then the honey note kicks in, and it has a burnt or old aspect to it that doesn't play well on the tongue. I suppose Triscuit was due for a misfire, but I wouldn't have guessed this would be the one. Overall, it's still an okay snack, and it too may best be served with an accompanying topping, but I'm less inclined to explore that option than I was with the Ginger & Lemongrass ones. -Utz Grilled Hot Dog potato chips! Oddly enough, upon first whiff these remind me ever so slightly of the Crab Chip that Utz (and others) produce. Which is peculiar for a hot dog flavored chip. If you're not familiar with the crab chip, it's a chip made with Old Bay seasoning. If you're unfamiliar with Old Bay, then you are not from, or have never visited, the East Coast. It's a staple seasoning blend, and over the last few years it has grown quite noticeably, and one can find "crab seasoning" on all sorts of food items. It was fun at first to see someone put it on a chip, and it's not bad on a chicken wing, but purists will maintain it's strictly for seafood, with crabs (obviously) being the absolute number one use. Followed very closely by shrimp, then followed by every other type of seafood. But I digress... heavily. Taste wise, the first thing I notice is salt. These are quite salty. The second thing I noticed was a heavy smoke flavor, which isn't the most pleasant thing to get from a chip, but I must admit it does make me think of something being grilled. The last flavor that is at play here is mustard. Underneath the salt and the smoke is a clear and distinct mustard element. I like the mustard part actually, and am sad it comes after the too much salt and smoke parts. I can't say it distinctly reminds me of a hot dog, but a grilled something or other element is there. -Utz Cheeseburger potato chips! Will these best the not quite right hot dog chips? Let's see. First whiff gives me a very faint ketchup odor, but one that is overpowered by a pickle aroma. Taste wise, I would have to say the same. They taste like a dollop of ketchup that was mixed with some pickle juice, and at the tail end there is also a salty cheese element that comes out. I don't get any smokiness like the hot dog one, so the cheeseburger or grill element is missing. As they stand, it's a weird ketchup/pickle/cheese chip. It's not gross, but they're rather forgettable, and after eating a few I noticed that again, these are quite salty. It left out in a bowl with no labeling, I imagine most would think they're either a pickle chip, or some kind of cheese and onion flavor. -Little Debbie PB Rounds! A fudge dipped peanut butter sandwich cookie. Well, isn't that cute? They've scored the top in the method of a traditional peanut butter cookie. It also tastes like a peanut butter cookie dipped in chocolate, so there's nothing else to add about it. It was good, and if you like peanut butter cookies dipped in chocolate, give this one a spin. My one complaint is that the cookie parts were a little too thick. This needed to be an ever so slightly thinner treat. Well, now that I think about it, I have another complaint. The peanut butter is a little too sugary and fake. It won't stop me from finishing the box over some time, but I do wish it was slightly less artificial as well. But it's a snack cake from Little Debbie. It's going to be fake, and at worst a bad Little Debbie treat is still alright enough to eat, so why am I complaining? -Keebler Lemon Cream Pie Fudge Stripe cookies! Almost nothing to say about these. They are exactly what they promise to be. A lemon cookie with some icing. They're good, and if you like such things, they're worth a taste.   -Hostess Summer Berry Donettes! Smell like blueberries, taste like raspberries and have the color of some kind of sangria Kool-Aid. They are however, quite tasty with a very nice moistness level. They don't seem as thick as other donettes I've had. They seem a little flatter and a litter rounder. Or I'm just crazy. I like these a lot. -Pop-Tarts Frosted Chocolate Sugar Cookie. No exclamation point. Pop-Tarts deserve no exclaims, certainly no acclaim. Dry. Dusty. Tasteless. Sad. Drywallesque.  I imagine these are merely left over World War I rations Kellogg's repackaged and then painted pictures on. Oh, yeah. For whatever weird reason these have villains from the DC comics realm plastered on them. The one I begrudgingly took a solitary bite from had someone named Cheetah on it. I don't know who that is, but she looked like a sexy Thundercat and was in a bikini. That's the only exciting thing about this travesty of a treat. But aren't Pop-Tarts meant to be for kids? Why are you pasting nearly naked, top heavy cat ladies on a kids food item? They're eating a Pop-Tart, for crying out loud! Their young little lives have already been messed up enough! Don't warp their brains, too. Shame at you Kellogg's. -Jolly Rancher Green Apple Pop-Tarts. They did it. Those crafty bastards actually did it. Foil wrapped HATE that you can buy for roughly three bucks a box. With the added stank of a green apple candy flavor, the worst candy flavor. I tried one, and if I saw these in a bunker I was to live in after a nuclear fallout, I'd go back outside and take my chances instead. To be honest, if I even see these on a store shelf again, it might cause me to spontaneously diarrhea all over the store and anyone therein while simultaneously setting fires in the hopes it erases these foul and vile things from the planet. If the judge and jury at my impending trial has tasted one of these, there is no way I'll be convicted. Eat this damn thing at your own peril. -Jolly Rancher Cherry Pop-Tarts. To be fair (immediately previous comments excepted) there are a couple of the fruit Pop-Tarts that are just barely passable as an edible entity that I can get through without too much fuss. This isn't one of them. Of the three here, it's the one that didn't make me want to decide to live solely on plain oatmeal, but there's a tartness to it that I didn't find appealing. I haven't had a Jolly Rancher candy since I was kid, and have no recall of their flavor, so maybe this tartness is in fact a component to the candy they were able to get into the tart. If so, good for them. For me, this tastes like a lemon/cherry Pop-Tart which leans too heavily on the lemon. Maybe that sounds good to others, and were it a real pastry I'd probably like it, but in Pop-Tart form,  I'll pass.   -Strawberry Nut M&M's! A tasty little devil, with flavor profiles in perfect proportion. Unlike some of the specific seasonal fare M&M tries, this one seems like someone actually worked at getting the balance right. If you like peanut M&m's and you like strawberry flavoring, this is a good match. The only complaint is I felt more than a handful was too much with this one. This is a snack best done in small doses, so a bag may last you a little while. -Krispy Kreme Glazed Birthday Cake Mini Crullers! Well, I can't say these don't taste like a birthday cake. The problem is they taste very much like a stale sheet cake one would get at the not so great grocery store you never really go to, but it's on the way to work and you have to bring something for the office party and you just don't have time for anything else. -Twizzlers Key Lime Pie twists! They do taste like a key lime pie, surprisingly enough. However, the gummy/chewy aspect of these make them a bit gross somehow. It's just not right. Softer than a normal Twizzler, it's like having a glob of melting putty in your mouth. I give them credit for getting the flavor right, but a solid pass for the experience as a whole. -Twizzlers Orange Cream twists! These taste like orange medicine. Do not like. Don't want. Moving on. Nope. No moving on. That's a wrap! I've said all I can say and my brain is on full sugar crash mode and barely functioning. Seems I forgot the obligatory sexist comment about some female celebrity, though. Hmm. Um. Tonks (Natalia Tena) from the Harry Potter movies can Hufflepuff my Slytherin anytime. Good enough? Way too much? Eh. I'm going to bed.

[thegloober]

Green Kitchen Stories

Green Kitchen StoriesVegan Aubergine Polpette – Three WaysSwedish Breakfast + Win a trip to Sweden!Creamy Spinach Penne with WatermelonDanish Summer TacosSmörgåstårta – Savory Rye Sandwich CakeSmashed Cookie Salad with StrawberriesVegan Sesame Crusted Avocado SaladGreen Pancakes – Three WaysRhubarb, Ginger & Strawberry SoupSpring Picnic Bread

http://www.greenkitchenstories.com The healthy vegetarian recipe blog Sat, 13 Oct 2018 19:24:07 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.4.16 http://www.greenkitchenstories.com/vegan-aubergine-polpette-three-ways/ http://www.greenkitchenstories.com/vegan-aubergine-polpette-three-ways/#comments Fri, 12 Oct 2018 11:06:56 +0000

Vegan Aubergine Polpette – Three Ways

Our first thought was to do a classic Lady and the Tramp Spaghetti and Meatball dish with this polpette recipe, but then we decided that it was too expected. So here is instead another spin on our one makes three-series. Where we use one staple food in three different recipes. We really love this series because it reflects so much how we actually eat. It’s not always an entirely new meal every day but more of a flow where the same components are repeated with new pairings. These polpette or vegan meatballs are perfect for this. They are good on their own – tender and very flavorful. And they are also insanely versatile, rolled into a wrap, tangled into pasta, paired with a spicy tomato sauce and hummus or tossed in a crunchy vegan take on a caesar salad.

Vegan Aubergine Polpette Makes around 40 balls

2 medium sized aubergines 2 red onions 4 tbsp olive oil 100 g / 1 cup almond flour 120 g / 1 cup cooked lentils 4 tbsp pickled capers, drained and finely chopped 2 tbsp raisins zest from 1 lemon 15 leaves basil leaves salt

Preheat the oven to 200°C  / 400°F. Peel and chop the onion finely and chop the aubergine into small dices. Stir fry both in a large skillet with the oil for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until very soft. When soft, add to a food processor with the rest of the ingredients. Pulse a few times to mix everything together. You want a very chunky sticky texture but don’t pulse too much or you’ll end up with a mushy mixture. Remove the knife blades and shape 30-40 small balls with your hands. Place them on a baking tray covered with baking paper and bake for 25 minutes. Store in the fridge or freeze them.

Scroll down for three ways to serve them.

Hummus with spicy tomato sauce, polpette and cucumber salad

1 batch vegan aubergine polpette (see recipe above) 1 batch Hummus, see this recipe or store-bought hummus

Spicy tomato sauce Serves 4

1 tbsp olive oil 1 red onion 1 garlic clove 1 tsp cumin 1 tsp harissa paste (or 1 red chili) 2 x 400 g tins tomatoes 1/2 tsp sea salt, to taste

Heat the oil in a large sauce pan on medium heat. Peel and finely chop the onion and garlic and add them to the sauce pan  together with the spices. Let sauté for a few minutes until soft not browned and then add  the tomatoes and salt. Let cook for at least 20 minutes, until rich and fragrant. It will become sweeter and rounder in flavour the longer you leave it on. Store the sauce you are not using tonight in glass bottles in the fridge.

Cucumber salad ½ cucumber 2 tsp olive oil ½ lemon, juice + zest 1 pinch sea salt 1 small handful fresh dill

Finely dice the cucumber and place in a bowl. Add olive oil, lemon juice and zest, salt and dill and toss to combine.

Arrange the hummus in shallow bowls and make a well in the middle. Place a couple of spoonfuls tomato sauce in the well, add a few aubergine polpette and a few spoonfuls cucumber sallad.

Vegan Wrap with Polpette, Ajvar and Krauts Serves 4

4 wrap breads / tortilla breads, gluten free or whole grain 4 lettuce leaves 4 cavalo nero or kale, stems removed 1 cup cooked white quinoa 4 tbsp ajvar dressing 1/2 cucumber, cut into sticks 4 tbsp sauerkraut (see recipe here) 1 batch aubergine polpette (see recipe above)

Place one lettuce leave and one kale leave on each tortilla bread, then place 2-3 tbsp quinoa in the middle, a dollop ajvar, cucumber slices, sauerkraut and top with a couple of aubergine polpette. Fold the top and bottom edges over the filling. Roll the whole tortilla from left to right to wrap in the filling. Roll some parchment paper around them and tie with a string to hold them together.

Vegan Ceasar Salad with Polpette Serves 4

1 head Cosmopolitan lettuce 1 batch aubergine polpette (see recipe above) 2 avocados, stone/peel removed and sliced 2 small apples, cored and sliced 2 tbsp sunflower seeds, toasted

Dressing 1/2 cup / 125 ml cold pressed neutral oil (organic rapeseed) 1/2 cup / 125 ml soy milk, unsweetened 2-3 tsp lemon juice 1 tsp dijon mustard 1 tbsp pickled capers, drained 1 large pinch salt

Add all dressing ingredients to a tall glas or blender cup. Mix with a stick blender on high speed for about 15 seconds or until you have a creamy white dressing. Taste and adjust the flavours to your preference. Add more oil and blend again if you like it thicker.

Tear the lettuce into bite size pieces and place in a mixing bowl. Add 2 tbsp vegan mayo dressing and toss to cover. Then transfer to a serving platter and arrange avocado slices, apple slices and aubergine polpette and last, scatter over toasted sunflower seeds.

]]> http://www.greenkitchenstories.com/vegan-aubergine-polpette-three-ways/feed/ 17 http://www.greenkitchenstories.com/swedish-breakfast-win-a-trip-to-sweden/ http://www.greenkitchenstories.com/swedish-breakfast-win-a-trip-to-sweden/#comments Wed, 03 Oct 2018 06:28:03 +0000

Swedish Breakfast + Win a trip to Sweden!

Hi! We had to take some time away from this space while finishing the manuscript for our next book but we are super happy to be back here blogging again. We have got a couple of fun recipes lined up for the next weeks but are starting off with our favorite meal of the day and a competition with a seriously AMAZING prize! Keep reading to see how you can win a trip for two to Sweden to stay at forest restaurant and resort Stedsans in the Woods.

First let us talk about this week’s recipe. If you are following us on social media you know how fond we are of porridge. Oat is the quickest and most common porridge grain but today we are sharing the recipe for another favorite – a simple and warming buckwheat and cardamom porridge topped with Swedish blueberries, nut butter and foamy oat milk. Buckwheat groats take a little longer to cook than oats but they provide a uniquely chewy and soft texture. We cook them with dried prunes or dates for a little sweetness and the trick for the best texture is to cook it until all water is absorbed. If you haven’t tried buckwheat porridge before, consider this your wake-up call!

And now on to the competition. In collaboration with Visit Sweden, we are giving away a trip for two to Stedsans in the Woods, a fantastic restaurant experience and resort in the middle of the forest.

To enter the competition, prepare a Swedish inspired breakfast (think porridge, muesli, berries, buttermilk, crisp bread, open faced sandwiches, boiled eggs etc) and share it on instagram using the hashtag #VisitSwedenFood.

Together with a jury from Visit Sweden, we will choose the best contribution and announce the winner on 1 November 2018. The competition is open worldwide.

The price includes flights/transportation for two people, transfer to/from Stedsans in the Woods and one night for two people in a double room at Stedsans in the Woods cabin/tent stay on Thursday, Friday or Saturday from May 2019. See what’s included here.

Buckwheat & Cardamom Porridge with Blueberries  Serves 4

1 cup / 200 g whole buckwheat groats 2 cups / 500 ml water 1 pinch sea salt ¼ tsp ground ginger ¼ tsp cardamom seeds (or ground) 3 dried prunes, stones removed and chopped

Toppings wild blueberries (thawed frozen works well) nut butter Oat milk, foamed hazelnuts, chopped hemp seeds

Rinse the buckwheat in hot water. Add buckwheat, water and the rest of the ingredients to a sauce pan, bring to a boil and lower the heat. Let gently simmer for about 20 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent it to sticking to the bottom of the pan. When the water is absorbed the porridge should be just about ready, but keep stirring for another minute or so to get the perfect texture. Serve in bowls topped with blueberries, nut butter, oat milk, chopped hazelnuts and hemp seeds.

Crisp Bread Sandwich Serves 4 

4 crisp breads or seed crackers 4 tsp butter (sub for olive oil for a plant-based alternative) 4-8 thin slices hard cheese (we use a variety called Prästost), use mashed avocad for a plant-based option ½ cucumber, sliced thinly 8 cherry tomatoes, sliced sprouts or mini greens salt & black pepper olive oil to drizzle

Spread the crispbread with butter. Add a few slices of aged cheese to cover and top with thin slices of cucumber and tomatoes. Sprinkle with mini greens, salt and pepper and drizzle with a bit of olive oil over.

This competition is arranged in collaboration with Visit Sweden. The value of the price is approx. 2 500€. Any tax will be paid by the winner.

]]> http://www.greenkitchenstories.com/swedish-breakfast-win-a-trip-to-sweden/feed/ 18 http://www.greenkitchenstories.com/penne-with-spinach-sauce-watermelon/ http://www.greenkitchenstories.com/penne-with-spinach-sauce-watermelon/#comments Sat, 11 Aug 2018 07:19:58 +0000

Creamy Spinach Penne with Watermelon

Hi friends, hope you’ve had a great summer. We took a little break from the blog as we have been in Copenhagen and Barcelona. But we are back now with a great little dinner recipe. It’s a version of something we have been eating all summer. It has been record-breaking hot in Europe so pairing lukewarm buckwheat penne with juicy and crunchy watermelon has been feeling very right, very often.  Satisfying, simple and soothing. Our kids love this buckwheat penne and that also plays a part why it’s been on repeat. In fact, our little Noah (soon two years old!) starts crying if we serve him spaghetti or any other pasta: “Noooooh, [I want] my pasta“.

In this version we are dressing (almost drenching) the pasta in a herby spinach, herb and almond milk sauce that is inspired by something we saw in Deliciously Ella’s feed a while back. It’s very good, creamy and quick! We then stir in chickpeas and avocado and top everything with watermelon, feta cheese, almonds and heirloom tomatoes. It is a pretty awesome little dinner that can come together in 15 minutes if you are quick with the knife and good at multitasking.

There are plenty of ways to spin this. • If you cannot find buckwheat penne you can of course use regular or whole wheat penne. • Vegans can just skip the cheese (and perhaps add in a little nutritional yeast for extra flavour). • Fresh or roasted corn could be a great addition when they are in season. • You can swap basil and mint for cilantro and parsley for a more Middle Eastern take. • If you are allergic to nuts, use oat milk or regular milk and swap the almonds for toasted sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds. • For a wintery version of this, you can add in roasted broccoli and pomegranate seeds instead of watermelon.

Buckwheat Penne with Creamy Spinach Sauce & Watermelon Serves 4

Buckwheat pasta penne for 4 persons (approx 400 g /14 oz)

Creamy Spinach Sauce 1 onion 2 garlic cloves 1 tbsp olive oil 125 g / 3 packed cups fresh spinach 400 ml / 1 1/2  cups almond milk a good handful each of fresh basil and mint 1-2 tsp maple syrup 1 small lemon, juice a large pinch sea salt & pepper

To Serve 1 x 400 g / 14 oz tin cooked chickpeas 1/2 watermelon 1 avocado 10 heirloom cherry tomatoes 15 toasted almonds 10 fresh mint 100 g feta cheese

Boil salted water in a large saucepan, add the pasta and cook according to the instructions on the package. Meanwhile prepare the sauce.

Peel and chop onion and garlic. Heat olive oil in a saucepan. Sauté onions and garlic on medium high heat until translucent and light brown. Then lower the heat, add spinach and let it wilt down, pour in almond milk and let simmer for a couple of minutes. Add the remaining ingredients, take it off the heat and use a stick (immersion) blender to mix it smooth. Taste to check that the flavours are balanced. You can add more lemon juice, herbs, salt or maple syrup if you prefer.

When the pasta is ready, drain the water in a sieve, give it a quick rinse and transfer the pasta back to the saucepan along with a splash of olive oil. Pour the spinach sauce over the cooked pasta and stir to combine.

Drain the chickpeas and cut the avocado into cubes and add them to the creamy pasta. Cut the watermelon into cubes, divide the tomatoes in halves, chop almonds and mint and crumble the feta cheese. Arrange all those ingredients on top of the creamy pasta penne. Serve and dive in!

]]> http://www.greenkitchenstories.com/penne-with-spinach-sauce-watermelon/feed/ 25 http://www.greenkitchenstories.com/danish-summer-tacos/ http://www.greenkitchenstories.com/danish-summer-tacos/#comments Sun, 08 Jul 2018 08:53:13 +0000

Danish Summer Tacos

Here is an unconventional but yet great taco recipe that we want you to try. It includes making tortillas from grated zucchini/courgette and filling them with a creamy and crunchy yogurt, cucumber and potato salad. Think of it as a light and summery take on tacos that probably will drive taco conservatives mad but make the rest of us happy. Because one more way to eat taco is not a bad thing.

The zucchini tortillas is a recipe we have been making for the past couple of months, using egg, almond flour and parmesan to bind them together. We first saw this idea floating around on various Pinterest boards. If you have been making our vegetable flatbreads, this is a thinner version that is more elastic (mainly because of the cheese) and therefore works great as a soft tortilla shell or wrap.

The creamy yogurt salad is our version of a Danish summer salad (sommersalat). It is traditionally made on smoked fresh cheese, creme fraiche, radishes, cucumber and chives and it is a classic summer dish, served on top of a smørrebrød or inside a sandwich. We have upgraded the traditional version with strawberry, apple, dill, parsley and cooked potatoes and it is truly a delightful combination of flavors and textures. The sweet and fruity notes works very well with the fresh herbs and cooked sliced potatoes. It is pretty difficult to come by smoked fresh cheese if you live outside of Denmark so our version instead has full fat yogurt, lemon juice and dill. If you do find smoked fresh cheese you should definitely replace half of the yogurt with it in this recipe.

We are actually writing this from Denmark as we are spending a few summer weeks with our Danish family so apart from smoked cheese, we will also be feasting on rødgrød med fløde, smørrebrød and pålægschokolade. Leave us a comment if you give this a try, we’d love to hear what you think. Happy summer!

Danish Summer Zucchini Tacos Makes 6

Zucchini Tortillas 2 zucchini (4 cups grated) 1 large egg ½ cup loosely packed grated parmesan cheese 25 g / ¼ cup almond flour sea salt & pepper

Danish summer salad 4 cooked new potatoes 1/2 cucumber 4 radishes 6 small tomatoes 10 strawberries, pitted 1 apple, cored 4 stems dill 4 stems parsley 1 cup thick plain yogurt

2 tbsp mayonaise (optional) 1/2 lemon, juice sea salt & pepper

For assembling 6 crispy lettuce 6 tbsp alfalfa sprouts

Preheat the oven to 200°C and line a baking tray with baking paper. Grate the zucchini on the roughest side of a box grater. Place in a sieve and squeeze out any excess water from the grated zucchini. Transfer to a mixing bowl and combine with a whisked egg, grated cheese, almond flour, salt and pepper. Measure out 60 ml / ¼ cup of batter for each flatbread, place on the baking paper and use the palm of your hand to shape them into flat discs. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes until golden and firm.

Cut potatoes, cucumber, radishes, tomatoes, strawberries and apple into small cubes and transfer to a mixing bowl. Finely chop dill and parsley. In another bowl stir together dill, parsley, yogurt, mayonaise, lemon juice, salt and pepper and add to the cubed ingredient bowl. Gently combine so all ingredients are covered in the herby yogurt mixture.

When the zucchini tacos/tortillas have cooled slightly, place a lettuce in each and 2 spoonfuls of summer salad and top with sprouts. Serve immediately.

]]> http://www.greenkitchenstories.com/danish-summer-tacos/feed/ 30 http://www.greenkitchenstories.com/smorgastarta-savory-rye-sandwich-cake/ http://www.greenkitchenstories.com/smorgastarta-savory-rye-sandwich-cake/#comments Sat, 23 Jun 2018 07:30:53 +0000

Smörgåstårta – Savory Rye Sandwich Cake

Hey friends and happy midsummer! We spent midsummer eve at a friends house, dancing like frogs around a flower covered midsummer pole. It’s one of many weird traditions that we do in Sweden on this longest day of the year. Today we are off to Noma (as in one of the coolest restaurants on earth) to test their new plant focused menu that is launching next week. We’re very excited – obviously for Noma, but also for eating a fancy dinner together with zero kids around. Before we are leaving, I wanted to post this little recipe that we uploaded to our youtube a few days ago.

Just like frog dance, this savory layered sandwich cake is also a very Swedish thing. It is called smörgåstårta and is traditionally made by layering white bread with mayonnaise, creme cheese, whipped cream, dill, chives, shrimps, salmon and a bunch of other stuff. It’s basically like a sandwich gone wild. Even if we are not completely sold on the very heavy traditional version, there is something intriguing about the concept of a sandwich cake. So we made our own version, using rye bread and three colorful and fresh (but still quite rich) spreads in between. One green spread with avocado, dill and peas. One white spread with egg, sauerkraut and creme fraiche. And one purple spread with beans, beetroot and sunflower seeds. We cover it with cream cheese with a sting of horseradish and lots of finely sliced veggies and flowers. It looks great, is fun to make and really delicious. Sandwich cake FTW!

Check out this recipe video to see how we make it.

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This is the perfect savory dish to make for a party, brunch or gathering with friends. You can easily half the recipe or make it vegan by skipping the egg layer and replacing the cream cheese with coconut cream. If you want to try a gluten-free version of this cake you could either simply use a gluten free bread, or bake 4 trays of our vegetable flatbreads (this option is a little time consuming but would probably taste amazing).

Smörgåstårta (Savory Rye Sandwich Cake) Serves 12-16

Green Spread 300 g / 2 cups cup green peas 1 small lemon, juice 1 bunch dill, chopped 2 avocados, flesh scooped out 2 tbsp olive oil 1 large pinch salt

White Spread 6 hard-boiled eggs 250 g / 1 cup creme fraice or sour cream 2 tbsp capers 4 tbsp sauerkraut a pinch black pepper

Purple Spread 1 cup sunflower seeds, soaked for an hour in water 1 x 400 g tin white beans, drained and rinsed 2 cooked beetroots, roughly chopped 1 small lemon, juice 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil salt and pepper

Assembling 36 slices of sourdough rye bread (or bread of choice), thinly sliced 500 g cream cheese 1 tbsp grated horseradish

Decoration 1 avocado, sliced or shaped into a rose 1/2 cucumber, sliced thinly 1 small bunch of asparagus, thinly shaved 1 lemon, halved and thinly sliced mache lettuce chives, finely chopped

Start by making the spreads. Add all the ingredients for the green spread to a food processor and mix until smooth (or use a bowl and a hand blender). Taste and adjust the flavour to your liking. Transfer to a bowl and clean the food processor.

For the white spread, peel and roughly chop the eggs, place in a bowl and gently stir through crème fraiche, capers, sauerkraut and a little black pepper. Set aside.

Drain and rinse the sunflower seeds for the purple spreads and add them to the food processor (or use bowl and hand blender) along with beans, beetroot, lemon juice, olive oil and a good grind of salt and pepper. Pulse a couple of times until combined but still a little chunky.

To assemble: Trim any hard ends off the bread and line up the rye slices so you have a rectangle, 3 slices wide and 3 slices long. Spread the green spread evenly on top and then place another layer of bread. Now layer they white spread evenly on top. Place another layer of bread, followed by the purple spread. Place the final 9 slices of rye on top. Add cream cheese to a mixing bowl and grate in the horseradish. Whisk to make sure it’s incorporated, taste and add more if desired. Use a palette style knife to cover the cake with a layer of cream cheese. Decorate with an avocado rose, ribbons of cucumber, shaved asparagus, machet lettuce, slices of lemons, chives and flowers. Or whatever you think looks good.

Tip: You can make this cake 12-24 hours ahead and store in the fridge to let the spreads soak into the bread and soften it up a bit. Then add the cream cheese and decorations right before serving.

]]> http://www.greenkitchenstories.com/smorgastarta-savory-rye-sandwich-cake/feed/ 25 http://www.greenkitchenstories.com/strawberry-and-smashed-cookie-salad/ http://www.greenkitchenstories.com/strawberry-and-smashed-cookie-salad/#comments Wed, 30 May 2018 21:11:02 +0000

Smashed Cookie Salad with Strawberries

Cookie Salad? Cookie Salad! This is not your typical salad but with the first local strawberries of the year popping up here in Scandinavia, a smashed cookie salad seemed like a proper way to celebrate.

Every country think their strawberries are the best, but Swedish strawberries around June and July are truly unbeatable. They are plump, deep red, very sweet and so so good simply served in a bowl with just a dash of oat milk or cream. Delicious as that may be, it is not a recipe to blog about or to celebrate summer with. Hence, this cookie salad. We bake a giant cookie, smash (!) it into bits that we layer with strawberries, whipped cream and elderflowers. Apart from the childishly pleasing feeling of smashing cookies, all those oddly sized bits and pieces also are what makes the salad interesting. It has a great mix of textures and flavors, looks pretty and is very simple. It is a good dessert to make for your friends or family. You can bake the cookie ahead of time (or use any store-bought cookie) and ideally, you want to smash the cookie and assemble the salad in front of your guests. We’ve gathered a few recipe notes and suggestions how to change it up here below.

But first, check out the recipe video we made. Luise is doing a little intro talk in this video and we’d love to hear if you like us to develop this style more, or if you prefer them with just music. We are having a bit of hard time deciding ourselves.

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We are planning some more videos (and a new video series) so subscribe to our youtube channel, if you haven’t already and you won’t miss out on any of it.

We love the Swedish allemansrätt!

Recipe notes: • We made the cookie vegan to make it as inclusive as possible but you can replace coconut oil with butter if you are more into that. Vegans would obviously also use whipped coconut cream or whipped soy cream. • Use cert gluten-free oats if you are gluten intolerant. • The buckwheat flour can be replaced with regular flour if you like. • You can make this into an Eton Mess by adding a larger amount of cream (and maybe even meringues) and serving it in glasses. • You can swap the whipped cream for greek yogurt and serve this as a weekend breakfast. Or do 50/50 cream and yogurt for a more tangy dessert. • If you have mint or lemon balm at home, those would be great additions to the salad. • You can add any edible flowers and they are of course also entirely optional. • If your berries are imported or not sweet enough, simply drizzle a little maple syrup, honey or elderflower syrup over the salad.

Strawberry and Smashed Cookie Salad

Vegan Chocolate Oat Cookies 200 g / 2 cups rolled oats 65 g / ½ cup buckwheat flour 4 tbsp cacao powder 3 tbsp chia seeds 150 g / 1 cup mixed almonds and pumpkin seeds (or any other nuts or seeds), coarsely chopped ½ tsp sea salt 110 g / ½ cup coconut oil or butter 125 ml / ½ cup maple syrup 125 ml / ½ cup plant milk

Salad elements 450 g / 1 lb fresh strawberries 1 knob fresh ginger, grated 1 small lemon, juice elderflower and lilacs or other edible summer flowers 250 ml / 1 cup whipping cream or whipped coconut cream (or Greek yogurt)

Set the oven to 200°C/400°F. Mix together the dry ingredients in one bowl. Add coconut oil, maple syrup and plant milk. Stir together and let sit for 20 minutes to allow the chia seeds and oats to thicken. Meanwhile, rinse the strawberries, cut in halves and place in a mixing bowl. Add grated ginger, lemon juice and a few elderflower florets (and honey or maple syrup if you don’t think your berries are sweet enough). Leave to infuse while you whip the cream. Pour onto a baking sheet covered with a baking paper. Flatten out and shape a large, round cookie using your hands. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes or until golden and firm (it will firm up more once it cools). Leave to cool and then crush the cookie into pieces. Transfer the juicy strawberries to a large serving platter. Add dollops of whipped cream (or yogurt) and tuck in the pieces of broken cookie all over. Scatter over the cookie crumbles and decorate with more elderflowers and lilacs. Crush a few strawberries in your palm to drizzle strawberry juice over the cream. Serve and enjoy!

]]> http://www.greenkitchenstories.com/strawberry-and-smashed-cookie-salad/feed/ 56 http://www.greenkitchenstories.com/vegan-sesame-crusted-avocado-salad/ http://www.greenkitchenstories.com/vegan-sesame-crusted-avocado-salad/#comments Mon, 21 May 2018 16:48:10 +0000

Vegan Sesame Crusted Avocado Salad

I have to admit that I had my doubts about this recipe. While I was coating each avocado wedge in almond flour and sesame seeds, I couldn’t help but think that it was a waste of time (and two ripe avocados) to bake them when they tastes perfectly good au natural in a salad. We’ve done some previous baked avocado experiments and even if some of them were pretty good, they were honestly just as good raw. But David had his mind set on these. He said that “They will almost look like fried chicken wings” which made me exactly zero percent more keen on the idea.

But when we took out the tray with golden crusted sesame avocado wedges from the oven, they did actually look pretty good. The texture really is key here. The crust is firm and crunchy and when you bite into it the avocado inside almost melts with softness. The almond flour gives the crust a sweet nuttiness. Since we wanted to keep this recipe vegan, we tried aquafaba (chickpea brine) instead of egg to bind the coating to the avocado flesh and it worked like a charm. It holds the coating firmly in place and you can’t taste it at all. I also love the idea of using chickpeas in a salad and the brine for coating. No waste!

So, for all you avocado lovers that already eaten your own weight of guacamole, avocado toasts, avo-choco mousse and other desserts. Here is a new one for you to try.

You can make these as snacks and serve with a dipping sauce. I imagine a sweet soy-based dip, chimichurri, srirachamayo or yogurt dip would be good. In this recipe we have instead used them in a simple salad with quinoa, chickpeas and green grapes and Asian flavored dressing that pairs great with the sesame crust.

Sesame Crusted Avocado & Quinoa Salad Serves 4 as a lunch

Sesame Crusted Avocado Wedges 2 avocado 1/2 cup aquafaba (the brine from the chickpeas in the salad) 1 tbsp lemon juice 1/2 cup / 50 g almond flour 1/2 cup / 75 g sesame seeds 1 tsp sea salt flakes

Quinoa Salad ingredients 1/2 cup / 85 g raw quinoa 70 g / 1 small bag lettuce (baby kale, lamb’s lettuce, watercress or lettuce of choice) 1 x 400 g / 14 inch tin cooked chickpeas (save the brine) a handful green grapes, halved 10 cm / 4 inch cucumber, thinly sliced a handful toasted almonds, chopped

Dressing 2 tbsp soy sauce 2 tbsp sesame oil 1 tbsp rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar 1 tbsp maple syrup

Set the oven to 200°C / 400° F. Place a baking paper on a baking sheet. Cook the quinoa in 1 cup / 250 ml salted water for 15-20 minutes, until small tails appear on the seeds. Open the chickpea tin. Pour the brine into a small bowl and rinse the chickpeas. Add lemon juice to the brine and set aside. Stir together almond flour, sesame seeds and salt in a second bowl. Cut the two avocados in half and remove the stones. Take off the peel and slice the avocado into thick wedges. Dip each wedge into the brine and then in the almond and sesame coating, turning it to make sure it is entirely coated. Spread out the coated avocado wedges on the baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until the crust is golden. Stir together the dressing and pour half of it over the cooked and drained quinoa and the rest into a little dressing jar. Add the chickpeas and toss to combine. Arrange the quinoa in the bottom of a wide salad bowl. Add lettuce and then scatter green grapes, radishes and cucumber slices across the bowl. Top with the sesame crusted avocado wedges and toasted almonds. Drizzle the rest of the dressing over the salad right before serving. Enjoy!

]]> http://www.greenkitchenstories.com/vegan-sesame-crusted-avocado-salad/feed/ 20 http://www.greenkitchenstories.com/green-pancakes-three-ways/ http://www.greenkitchenstories.com/green-pancakes-three-ways/#comments Thu, 10 May 2018 17:15:28 +0000

Green Pancakes – Three Ways

We love green pancakes (aka spinach crêpes) in our family and are constantly exploring more ways to incorporate them into various meals. We have got lots of examples and ideas in our cookbooks but here are three new favorites: 1. Add mustard, lentils, sliced tomato and cheese to you pancakes. Fold them up, bake them quickly until the cheese melts and serve with a fresh lentil and melon salad. 2. Fill them with sweet potato, spinach, feta, yogurt and za’atar. Then roll them up and slice them into picnic rolls. 3. Make a banana split pancake bowl with some whipped cream, yogurt, raspberries, nut butter and chocolate.

We are sharing all of these recipes below. You can either make the pancakes from scratch or use fridge cold leftover pancakes for these recipes. They are not vegan but if you use our vegan chickpea pancakes as base, you can easily modify the fillings to suit a vegan diet. Hummus, pesto, ajvar or coconut yogurt are excellent creamy toppings on vegan pancakes instead of yogurt and cheese.

The recipe for the batter comes from our Green Kitchen at Home cookbook and we have included it in the bottom of this post. They are the most easy flippable gluten free pancakes we know. Pancakes work as a quick dinner in our family as the batter literally takes 30 seconds to mix together so we can have the first pancakes on the table within 5 minutes (admittedly I don’t always let the batter rest even if I recommend it).

Gruyere, Mustard & Lentil Pancake Melt Serves 4 as a lunch

This is the pancake equivalent to melted cheese sandwiches. It’s a great way to give old pancakes new life. We love it with lots of mustard (obviously use less for kids) and a crunchy salad for balance.

4 green pancakes (see recipe below) 8 slices gruyere cheese (or another cheese) 4 large teaspoons mustard 8 cherry tomatoes 200 g / 1 cup cooked lentils (store bought are fine) 1 bag mixed lettuce 1 avocado 1 galia melon (or other melon) 10 cm / 4 inches cucumber olive oil balsamic vinegar salt & pepper

Make the batter and fry the pancakes if you haven’t done so already. Place two slices cheese in the middle of each pancake. Spread a layer of mustard on the cheese, slice the tomatoes thinly and lay them on top of the mustard along with a small handful lentils. Fold the pancakes into quarters and place in a baking dish with a drizzle of olive oil on top. Bake at 200°C/400°F for 10-12 minutes or until the cheese has melted. Meanwhile, chop up lettuce, avocado, melon and cucumber and place in a salad bowl. Add the remaining lentils. Drizzle with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper and toss. Serve the pancake warm with salad on the side.

Sweet Potato & Za’atar Pancake Picnic Rolls Makes 20 rolls

You can use almost any veggies in pancake rolls. Just make sure you have something creamy and sticky as base to bind them together. For a vegan version, use hummus instead of yogurt and tofu instead of feta cheese and sprinkle with nutritional yeast. Next time, we’ll add some crushed walnuts for crunch, pomegranate seeds for extra tanginess and maybe a couple of mint leaves for a fresh flavor twist.

4 green pancakes (see recipe below) 1 large sweet potato cinnamon 1 tbsp lemon juice 1 cup full-fat Turkish yogurt 200 g feta cheese 2 handfuls spinach, chopped 1 cup cooked chickpeas 2 tbsp za’atar (an awesome spice blend that you can find in Middle Eastern stores) 2 tsp chili flakes (optional)

Set the oven at 200°C/400°F. Cut a sweet potato in half lengthwise, brush each cut side with a little oil and cinnamon. Place on a tray and bake for 40 minutes or until the flesh is soft and golden. If you haven’t prepared the batter and fried the pancakes, now is the time to do so. When the sweet potato is ready, use a fork to mash the flesh (you can mash it in its own skin to save some dishes). Squeeze over lemon juice and extra cinnamon while mashing.

Spread out sweet potato mash on one half of each pancake and thick yogurt on the other half. Cut the feta cheese into 1 cm / 1/3 inch thick sticks and place them in the centre of each pancake. Add a small handful chopped spinach, a couple of chickpeas, a generous drizzle za’atar and some chili flakes (if using). Roll up the pancakes as tightly as possible and slice into 2 inch / 5 cm rolls.

Sweet Pancake Banana Split Serves 4

4 green pancakes (see recipe below) 1 cup whipped cream 1 cup greek yogurt 4 bananas 1 cup raspberries 4 tbsp nut butter 4 tsp honey 30 g / 1 oz dark chocolate 1 handful hemp seeds or slivered almonds

Place each pancake in the bottom of a small bowl. Add dollops of whipped cream and yogurt. Cut the bananas into bite-sized pieces and spread out in the bowl. Add raspberries and drizzle with peanut butter and honey. Sprinkle with finely chopped dark chocolate, hemp seeds and top with a few mint leaves.

Spinach Crêpes (in our house they are know as Green Pancakes) Makes 10-14, depending on the size of your pan and thickness of your pancakes

5 eggs 150 g / 1 cup rice flour (both light or wholegrain works, as does spelt flour) 500 ml / 2 cups oat milk, or milk of choice a large handful spinach a small handful herbs (basil, mint or parsley) sea salt

Crack the eggs into a blender or food processor. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend on high speed until smooth. Leave to rest for 20 minutes before starting to fry them (you can fry them right away but they will be a little harder to flip). For frying, add a little butter or coconut oil to a 20 cm / 8 inch non-stick frying pan/skillet on medium heat. Once hot (this is important or else it will stick), whisk the batter then ladle 80 ml / 1/3 cup into the pan. Let fry for 1-2 minutes or until small bubbles form on the surface and the base is golden. Run a spatula around the edges to make sure it has detached from the pan, before carefully flipping it over and frying the other side for another minute. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the rest of the batter (you may need to reduce the heat slightly after the first crêpes).

To store the crêpes, keep them in an air-tight wrap in the fridge and they will be good for 3-4 days.

]]> http://www.greenkitchenstories.com/green-pancakes-three-ways/feed/ 22 http://www.greenkitchenstories.com/rhubarb-ginger-strawberry-soup/ http://www.greenkitchenstories.com/rhubarb-ginger-strawberry-soup/#comments Mon, 23 Apr 2018 06:35:50 +0000

Rhubarb, Ginger & Strawberry Soup

My grandma had rhubarbs growing in her garden and would cook them into a sweet, tangy and unfortunately quite stringy soup with lots of little bits in it. I never liked that soup. She passed away while I was still young so I don’t remember a lot about her. But I do still remember that soup. How annoying is that!? One of the few memories you have of a person is something they cooked for you that you didn’t like. Eight year old David preferred supermarket box carton soups and powder soups that you just added water to. That ungrateful little schmuck.

Since then, I have of course come to my senses and learned to appreciate any food that someone cooks for me. Even tangy and stringy rhubarb soup. But since I don’t want to risk being remembered for a stringy soup, we give you a smooth one instead. It’s approved by eight year old David. And his children.

We made this video for our youtube channel to show how easy it is.

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We like this soup because it’s so simple and fresh and comes together in just over 10 minutes. You only need a handful ingredients that you simmer, blend, (chill, if you like) and serve. It has a fruity and tangy flavour and a nice punch from fresh ginger. It’s ideal as a weekday dessert, weekend breakfast or on a brunch table.

The soup begs to be topped with something creamy. We used greek yogurt, but mascarpone, whipped cream, ice cream or any dairy free option would also work. All to your preference.

I’m a licorice fan and was surprised by how well it matched the flavors when sprinkled on top of this soup. However if you don’t like licorice, cardamom or vanilla would also be great flavor additions. We also sprinkled some edible flower petals on top because it looked pretty but chopped pistachios will probably taste better and add some crunch

Rhubarb, Ginger & Strawberry Soup Serves 8

Don’t focus too much on the exact amounts. You can use more or less rhubarb, strawberries, dates, water etc. It all depends on how sweet or tart the different fruit is, how large the dates are and how sweet flavor you want. We usually add vanilla powder to this but it’s so expensive at the moment so we left it out. If you have some at home, add it together with the rhubarb in the sauce pan.

5 stalks rhubarb (1/2 kg / 1 lb / 2 cups chopped) 350 – 500 ml / 1 1/2-2 cups cold filtered water 1 big chunk fresh ginger 1 lime, zest 250 g / 1/2 lb strawberries 8-12 soft dates

To serve Yogurt (or mascarpone, whipped cream or ice cream) Licorice powder  Edible flowers (or replaced with chopped nuts or seeds)

Trim the rhubarb and chop into 1 inch bits. Add to a wide sauce pan along with 1 cup filtered water and freshly grated ginger and lime zest. Bring to a boil, turn down the heat and let simmer until the rhubarb is starting to dissolve, around 5-8 minutes.

Pour over into a blender. Add strawberries, dates and a little more water. Mix until smooth. Taste and add more dates, strawberries, lime juice or ginger, if needed. And more water if you like it thinner. Place in the fridge too cool or serve it warm. Top with a dollop yogurt and sprinkle with licorice powder and some dried edible flower petals.

]]> http://www.greenkitchenstories.com/rhubarb-ginger-strawberry-soup/feed/ 26 http://www.greenkitchenstories.com/spring-picnic-bread/ http://www.greenkitchenstories.com/spring-picnic-bread/#comments Mon, 16 Apr 2018 18:07:32 +0000

Spring Picnic Bread

Picnic season is finally upon us and we have been kicking it off with two new favorite things. The first one is a bike and the other is a bread.

We have been dreaming of a Danish cargo bike for years and years, and last month we finally splurged on this one. It’s the perfect vehicle for us because we can fit all three kids in it with seatbelts and all. It’s ideal to bring home heavy grocery bags with. And it’s environmentally friendly. All practicalities aside, it is also so much fun to ride around with and we are roaming from playground to picnic spots without a hitch. Just packing a few blankets, a big smoothie, a rhubarb compote and this beauty of a bread.

We created this recipe for all type of picnic situations. We wanted something spring-y and savory that tasted awesome and could manage a bumpy bike ride. It’s basically like a savory muffin that we bake in a sheet pan. It serves many, is easy to make, super moist and flavorful and you can make lots of variations on it (although I love the look of thinly shaved asparagus on top).

Needless to say, this is also ideal for a brunch or or other weekend gatherings.

Just like a foccacia, the bread acts as a base and you can play around with all kind of toppings. Here are a few variations: • Swap some of the potatoes in the bread with grated carrots, parsnip or swede. • A teaspoon of mustard in the batter adds some complexity to the flavor. • Any fresh herbs can be mixed into the batter. • Olives or capers could be good on top. Spinach could also be used instead of asparagus. • You can use a dairy free yogurt instead of buttermilk and leave out the feta cheese if you prefer it dairy free. • We haven’t tried a vegan version but replacing the eggs with chia eggs (1 egg = 1 tablespoons chia seed + 3 tablespoons water) has worked for us on similar recipes.

Asparagus & Potato Picnic Bread Serves 12

Dry Ingredients 100 g / 1 cup oat flour (or the same amount rolled oats, blitzed into flour in a food processor) 100 g / 3/4 cup rice flour (or buckwheat flour or spelt flour) 1 1/2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp sea salt flakes

Wet Ingredients 3 free-range eggs 125 ml / 1/2 cup olive oil or coconut oil, at room temperature 125 ml / 1/2 cup cultured buttermilk (or yogurt or plant-based yogurt) 1-2 spring onions 3-4 potatoes (2 cups / 250 g grated) 1 handful fresh parsley, finely chopped 100 g feta cheese

Topping 3 raw asparagus 1/3 cup pumpkin seeds 2 tsp quality olive oil 2 tsp honey a handful chive

Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F bake mode and grease a 30 x 22 cm / 12 x 9 inch tray or line it with parchment paper.

Add all the dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl and stir until combined. Make a well in the centre and set aside while preparing the wet ingredients.

Whisk eggs in a separate bowl, then add oil and buttermilk. Finely chop the onion. Peel the potatoes, grate them coarsely and add them to the wet mixture along with the onion and parsley. Crumble in half of the feta cheese. Give it a good stir and then pour the wet mixture into the bowl with the flours. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to combine the batter and then pour it onto the tray.

Use a peeler to shave the asparagus into thin ribbons and spread them out over the batter. Crumble the remaining feta cheese on top. Combine pumpkin seeds, oil and honey and sprinkle them on top as well, along with the chive.

Bake for approximately 40 minutes or until golden and a skewer inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool slightly in the tin before transferring to a wire wrack to cool completely. Store the cake at room temperature in an airtight container and it will keep for a few days.

Great to bring on a picnic and serve with a tangy rhubarb compote or chutney.

Enjoy!

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Source: https://bloghyped.com/green-kitchen-stories/