Swedish Fika Treats: Kokosbollar

Hello Monday!

It's been awhile since I shared a recipe so I thought I'd share a fun one today. Yay! This weekend I had a major sweet tooth but hadn't bought any special ingredients for cupcakes or something even fancier. But then I remembered a childhood favorite, kokosbollar! What's great about this classic Swedish recipe is that the ingredients are all something you'll find in your pantry, plus they involve no baking. Easy! Kokosbollar (or coconut balls in English) can be found at every Swedish café for good reason because they are really really yummy!

Recipe: Swedish Kokosbollar (Coconut Balls)

Ingredients:

• 100grams browned butter (or just melted butter if you prefer)

• 3 Tbsp strong coffee (Just remember to save some from your morning cup)

• 3dl rolled oats (1 heaping cup)

• 3 Tbsp cacao powder (I use raw cacao powder)

• 1dl sugar (1/4 cup)

• Shredded unsweetened coconut flakes to roll in

Melt the butter and simmer until fragrantly nutty and browned. In a bowl combine all of the ingredients including the melted butter, except the coconut flakes. Place in fridge for about 30mins to harden slightly. After 30 minutes remove from fridge, roll into balls, then roll in coconut flakes. Place in fridge for about 1 hour to completely set. Then enjoy!

Breakfast: Buckwheat Porridge, Homemade Granola + Bee Pollen and Chia Seeds

Hello Monday!

I used to hate breakfast. I always ate it because "it's the most important meal of the day" but I never really enjoyed it until about a few months ago. Since I adore food and preparing food I was determined to make breakfast my new favorite meal of the day. (Breakfast will never be as delicious and exciting as dinner but it sure is pretty close now.) So what did I do? I decided to make breakfast more interesting by not eating boring dry store bought muesli and runny yogurt or a cheese sandwich, and started looking up more exciting and healthy alternatives. I discovered tons and tons of warm and cold porridge recipes, both soaked, boiled, or baked, fun smoothie recipes and I've started to make my own granola so that I can manage the sugar content myself and I've started collecting jars of nuts seeds, and other super foods to top my yogurt/fil breakfasts. (Fil is a Swedish dairy product that tastes more like sour cream which I usually eat instead of yogurt. If I eat yogurt it's usually the Greek/Turkish kind. Oh and I always eat full fat.) 

I love waking up, going to the kitchen, boiling a kettle of tea and taking out all of my little jars and placing them on the breakfast table to top that mornings breakfast. Another great side effect of eating and enjoying a proper breakfast is that I feel so much better for the rest of the day. My energy is up and I'm satisfied until lunch time.

Time to share a few of my breakfast recipes and what's in my pantry. This is quite a long post, hopefully I won't bore you to death. :)

Homemade Granola is the easiest thing ever and doesn't have to be full of sugar. You can play around with tons of variations and flavors, so it's really fun too. 

My recipe for Homemade Crunchy Granola:

2 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup almond flour

1/2 cup buckwheat or an assortment of your favorite seeds

Pinch salt

1/2 tsp of Your choice of flavorings. Vanilla, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg.

3 Tbsp coconut oil

3 Tbsp honey

1 egg white (this makes the granola clump together and extra crunchy, still great granola if you omit this ingredient.)

• Pre heat oven to 170°C/350°F with fan. 

• Mix together the dry ingredients in a large bowl.

• In a microwave safe dish melt the coconut oil and honey together for about 40 seconds.

• Whisk in the egg white into the melted coconut oil and honey. 

• Add to dry ingredients.

• Pour onto a parchment covered baking sheet in a thin layer.

• Baking time. Time can vary depending on your oven and if you have a fan or not on. If you've added the egg white bake for about 10 to 20 minutes until golden brown. Without the egg white half way through the cooking time mix the granola around.

• Allow to cool on baking sheet. Then break apart into small chunks and add to air tight container. 

• Enjoy on your morning yogurt etc.

So what do I keep in my pantry? I always have an assortment of seeds such as pumpkin, or sunflower seeds. I also love to have ground flax seeds as they're really good for you. I usually have some nuts as well such as almonds, cashews and walnuts. Roasted coconut is another fun favorite (Johan especially loves this). Coconut palm sugar is so delicious on it's own but great to add a little extra natural sugar sweetness to granola (or just take a spoonful when you've got a sweet craving.) And super foods! Bee pollen and chia seeds are really exciting and have sooooo many health benefits it's crazy!

I'm no expert on these new popular super foods so I highly recommend you google all the benefits of adding bee pollen and chia seeds to your diet. 

Chia is packed with protein and omega 3 fatty acids and much more so I adore adding it to my morning yogurt, or drinking water for added texture, plus it's tasteless which is nice. Chia triples in size as it soaks up added moisture and gets a bit of a tapioca texture. Kind of, it's difficult to describe... just try it!

Chia Pudding Recipe:

For 2 portions.

1 Tbsp Chia Seeds

3-4 Tbsp water, coconut water, coconut milk or other nut milk.

• Mix together and allow to sit for at least 2 hours or over night. I love the coconut option for mixing into my morning smoothie, yogurt or porridge.

• If making chia water, you don't have to wait for the chia to soak for more than 10 or 15 minutes. I recommend to add a squeeze of lemon or lime or even mint to your water for added flavor. And make sure to have a straw as the chia seeds tend to fall to the bottom so you'll need to mix them around.

Raspberry Chia Jam Recipe:

For 4 portions.

1 cup frozen raspberries

1 Tbsp Chia Seeds

• Defrost the raspberries and mush to a paste.

• Add the chia seeds and allow to set for 2 hours or overnight.

• Use as a traditional jam or add to your breakfast for added natural sweetness and tartness.

And my last recipe of this long breakfast post is a new favorite cold breakfast porridge from blog Green Kitchen Stories. I've adapted it only slightly.

Buckwheat Cashew Soaked Cold Porridge:

1/2 cup buckwheat soaked overnight

1/2 cup cashews soaked overnight

1 green apple, chopped

1 orange, just the juice

• Rinse the soaked buckwheat and cashews.

• Add to blender (or I like to use an emersion blender) with the apple chunks and the juice from 1 orange. 

• Blend until smooth-ish.

• Enjoy with fresh fruit, granola, chia jam, or anything you'd like.

Hope this was interesting! What do you eat for breakfast?

How to Grow Your Own Pea Sprouts

Hello Friday!

I must confess I definitely don't have a green thumb and don't particularly enjoy gardening. The boyfriend luckily takes care of all of our houseplants, and he does a great job at keeping them very happy. As much as I love to look at succulents, palms and the such they're just not that exciting. Edible plants however are very exciting to me, and make me want to put on my gardening gloves! 

Every Spring when Sweden decides to warm up just ever so slightly we plant lots of fragrant edible herbs on our sunny balcony. I absolutely adore picking out the herbs to grow and getting to use them fresh in cooking all Summer long. I even freeze the herbs to use all Winter long as well when the Summer growing season is over. This year I wanted to branch out to try growing something else edible, why not sprouts!

Not only are sprouts incredibly good for you, they are also delicious and really really really easy to grow.

What you'll need to grow your own pea sprouts:

• Organic dried yellow peas (the kind you make split pea soup with)

• A pot

• Potting soil

• Water

• and love ;)

Fill pot with soil, sprinkle your dried peas over and then cover with about 1 cm of more soil. Now place on a sunny windowsill and water every day for about 10 days until they look like my photos. Then you are free to just cut and eat on sandwiches, salads, or just as a snack. I felt like a kid again watching the little greens popping through the soil and growing into gorgeous green shoots. It's amazing how quickly they grow!

 I really want to start sprouting other seeds and beans. Do you sprout? What would you suggest me try next?

Recipe: Baked Oatmeal

Hello Monday!

Let's start off the week with a great filling gorgeous breakfast, my new favorite recipe to start off the day with!

I've always eaten breakfast (because it's the most important meal of the day) but I've never really enjoyed it. It's just so boring and bland sometimes. Since I discovered this alternative to a traditional oatmeal I've been obsessed. It's both healthy and delicious and it keeps me full and energised until lunch time. Perfect too since you can bake it in the weekend and then have enough for a few breakfasts to reheat throughout the week.

Recipe: Baked Oatmeal

Adapted from a recipe from Swedish Grocery Store Chain ICA.

Ingredients for 6 servings:

5 dl Rolled Oats

1 tsp. Baking Powder

1 tsp. Cinnamon

2 pinches salt

1/2 dl chopped dried apricots

2 Eggs

4 dl Oat or Almond milk

1/2 dl Honey

2 Tbsp. Coconut Oil or Vegetable Oil

1 dl seeds (Sunflower, Flax, Pumpkin etc.)

2 dl Frozen berries (Raspberries, blueberries, strawberries etc.)

Instructions:

• Preheat your oven to 175°C (350°F).

• Combine all first 5 dry ingredients and pour into a lightly oiled oven safe dish. (Mine is about 8 by 8 inches.)

• Next whisk the eggs lightly with the milk, and pour over the dry mix in your dish.

• Make your seed crumble by combining honey, coconut oil and your mix of seeds, and sprinkle over your oatmeal.

• To finish top with your choice of frozen berries.

• Bake for about 30 minutes until slightly golden. 

• Store in fridge for 1 week. Just microwave a portion for yourself every morning, and serve with a click of Greek yoghurt. 

Hope you enjoy!

Swedish meets Parisienne Bistro Sallad

Hello Thursday!

It's been a long time since we talked about food around here. I've been busy in the kitchen as always just haven't really been in the sharing mood. But today I am.

Salads aren't really my favorite meal unless they look something like this. (None of that boring iceberg lettuce, tomato and cucumber. blah) I like a mix of warm and cold veggies, some sort of protein and a flavorful homemade dressing. In Paris, bistro salads are topped with roasted potato slices, or other roasted veggies. Since our Paris trip a few years ago we've loved making these filling salads at home.

This salad is made up of: 

a mix of salad leaves

fresh tomatoes dressed in red wine vinegar

blanched green beans

roasted spring onions, red peppers, and potato slices

a warm vinaigrette (olive oil, red wine vinegar, thinly sliced spring onions, capers, and fresh tarragon warmed in a frying pan on low heat.)

and... Tjälknöll

To give our sallad a little Swedish twist we tried making a Swedish classic called Tjälknöll. Not only does this beef dish have the ugliest name it also is rather strange to prepare. 

You are not going to believe me when I say that you put a 1 kilo frozen (yes deep frozen) roast of beef in the oven at the low temperature of 75°C for about 8 to 10 hours. No salt no pepper no nothing. After about 2 hours the meat is soft enough to put a thermometer in. We roasted ours until the inner temp reached 60°C, we like our meat rare. Ummm strange. It also doesn't look too cute when it comes out of the oven.

Now if that weren't weird enough, you then throw this plain slow roasted beef straight into a salt brine for about 4 or 5 hours. (1 liter water, 1dl salt, 3 Tbsp sugar, bay leaves, crushed black pepper, and a few sprigs of rosemary.) Serve the meat cold in thin slices.

My verdict, a little salty and weird, but incredibly tender. The salad was of course yummy!

Fancy Dinner Time

Hello Monday!

Did you have a nice weekend? I had an amazing really "weekend" kind of weekend. The boyfriend was free for a change so we could enjoy some lazy time together in front of the television, do a little home fixing, go grocery shopping so the fridge is stocked for the week, and could treat ourselves to a fancy dinner (or two).

It's been awhile since we've had the time to treat ourselves to something special to eat.... when before this was almost a weekly occurrence. I think it has something to do with the darkness and coziness of Fall. Summer dinners just don't feel so special because they can't be eaten by candle light. (Remember I live in Stockholm, the sun doesn't set until Midnight during the summer months.) I'm actually really glad it's getting darker so candlelit dinner can be had in plenty.

So on Friday night I set the table for one of my favorite simple dinners, a Swedish shrimp dinner. I love relaxed dinners like these. You just buy loads of shrimp to peel and eat (our Swedish shrimp are like nothing else, you must try if you come for a visit to Sweden.), and serve with some freshly baked baguettes, a piece of cheese, and maybe just a spoon of mayonnaise for dipping. I'm happy with just eating the shrimp with no other sides, but for fun I also made a little appetizer, oeuf en cocotte. It's beautifully rustic, simple, and just elegant enough to look as though you've made a real effort. We usually eat this as a simple dinner when we're not so hungry or when we can't think of anything else to make... but it was extra fun to eat it in such an elegant setting with Champagne no less.

p.s. I'm not too bothered by Champagne. There are many other wines I'd prefer to drink, but I can't deny how festive it is. ;)

Recipe: Oeuf en Cocotte

What you'll need: (for 2 filling servings)

Large Oven-safe Ramekins 

4 eggs

Creme Fraiche

Smoked Salmon

Lemon

Dill

Salt Pepper

Olive Oil

Preheat your oven to 150°C with fan.

• In your two ramekins smear a generous spoon of creme fraiche into the bottom of each. 

• Tear a slice or two of smoked salmon into each on top of the creme fraiche.

• Crack two eggs into each ramekin (making sure not to break the yolks.)

• Spoon in a few more dollops of creme fraiche around the eggs.

• Now garnish with whatever you like. I chose a squirt of lemon, a drizzle of olive oil, a pinch of dill, and some salt and pepper.

Once the oven is hot place your ramekins in the oven and bake for about 15 minutes for runny yolks (what I like), or 20 minutes for medium yolks (what the boyfriend likes.)

Allow to cool for about 5 to 10 minutes before enjoying with freshly baked bread or toast... or Swedish shrimp as we had.

Hope you like it!

Asian Style Carnitas Noodle Salad

Holy Moly! I've been wanting to share this recipe since the second I cooked and tasted it. I've also been craving it at every meal (though I haven't given into that one just yet.) Definitely death row last meal material.

Asian scented Carnitas :

To start off you're going to have to prepare the carnitas because these yummy nuggets take a while to prepare, about 3 hours or so.

• 1-1-5 chunk Pork (a cut that is used for stews/braising... ask your butcher)
• Olive oil
• Water
• 2-3 Bay leaves
• Celery stick
• Whole stick of Cinnamon
• 3 Star of Anise
• 3 crushed Cloves of Garlic
• 2 Spring Onions
• Pinch salt and pepper

Preheat your oven to 150°C, then on your stove on high heat preheat a cast iron/oven safe roasting dish fit with a lid. Cut the pork into 6 equal chunks. Brown the chunks in a generous amount of olive oil, then add all the goodies and cover with water about half way up the meat. Place in the oven with the lid on, and braise for about 2.5 to 3 hours. You know it's done when the meat is so tender you can cut it with a spoon. Discard all the spices, onions, garlic etc.

Bump up the heat on your oven to 200°C. On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper rip up all of the meat chunks in to bite sized threads using two forks. Then pour over this mixture:
• 2 Garlic Cloves grated finely
• 2 cm chunk Fresh Ginger grated finely or more if you really love ginger
• 2 Tbsp Japanese soy sauce
• 4 Tbsp white sugar
• a drizzle of Sesame Oil

Allow to caramelise in the oven until gorgeously golden with a lovely smell of burnt sugar and ginger. Takes about 20 minutes. Your Asian scented Carnitas are now done!


On to the Noodle Salad:
• Rice noodles cooked and cooled according to package.
• 1 Lime juice and zest
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 1 Tsp Fish Sauce
• 1 Tsp White Vinegar
Mix ingredients together and dress over noodles just before serving. This is also a taste thing. If you like more sour add more lime, or if you like sweeter add more sugar.

For garnish to toss over salad and carnitas: (Use any or all, or your own veggies)
• Sliced Spring Onions
• Carrots julienne sliced
• Cucumber julienne sliced
• Red Bell Pepper
• Mint
• Thai Basil
• Cilantro
• Sprouts
• Diced Red or Green Chilies

Ugh this is soooooo good! I could eat these carnitas on there own as a very carnivorous candy snack! Hope you'll enjoy them too.

Marinara

For our fancy Saturday night dinner this weekend we made a simple though very very delicious and elegant Pasta Marinara; oversized pasta shells with a fragrant fishy tomato sauce and a mix of shrimp, mussels, clams, and squid. Paired with a crisp and very cold Italian white wine. Marinara sauce is quickly becoming my personal favorite, much more exciting and delicious than the regular plain tomato sauce variation.

Recipe: Pasta Marinara

Ingredients:

• Mixed Seafood (I chose a frozen ready mix at my local grocery store, though one could of course use a mix of fresh/canned or frozen.)
• 1 can crushed tomatoes
• 1 glass or so white wine (either what you're drinking or purchase an extra small bottle like we did.)
• Fish stock (one stock cube or equivalent)
• pad of butter
• 1 small onion diced
• 1 carrot diced
• 2 garlic cloves minced or crushed
• 1/2 fresh red chili de-seeded and minced
• pinch sugar
• fresh parsley for garnish

Start by heating a frying pan and melting the butter. Add the seafood for a few seconds to flavor the butter. Remove the seafood and set a side. Add more butter if needed and slowly sweat the onions and the carrots. Once soft begin to add the garlic, chili and sugar. Stir for a few minutes until fragrant. Then add the crushed tomatoes, fish stock and the wine. Allow to simmer for at least 15 minutes on medium low heat, better for 30 minutes. If the sauce reduces too much and becomes too thick add more wine.

In the mean time cook your choice of pasta, we choose Lumaconi. Once the pasta is al dente and drained. Add the seafood to the sauce to warm through (not too long though or it will get chewy) also add the fresh parsley at this time. Then combine the sauce with the pasta and serve right away.

We added a bit of parmesan (sometimes seen as a no no with Italians) but it's yummy, so go for it!

Enjoy!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Sometimes it really is just necessary to have something very decedent for breakfast on the weekends. I usually don't like to have pancakes because they make me feel really gross full, not yummy full. But when I saw this Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Pancake recipe here, it just seemed more to my liking. The oatmeal makes the pancakes more filling and dare I say healthier, and the chocolate is, well, delicious! I topped my pancakes with sliced banana, a few flax seeds and maple syrup of course. This recipe was also really great since it only made 4 pancakes, the perfect amount to be filling but not too much for two people.

This recipe is definitely going to be a weekend favorite staple.

Tapas Dinner: First sign of Spring

I had a really lovely weekend!

On Saturday evening we enjoyed a really delicious Tapas-like type of meal, with lots and lots of goodies. It was really tasty and felt like a first taste of Spring/Summer. (We always eat these sorts of meals in the Summer time... plus they're my favorite.) I'm so happy that the weather is finally cooperating; I even packed away all my heavy winter gear. Spring is finally here!

We enjoyed along with a crisp bottle of Gabo do Xil white wine.
• Fresh melon slices
• Marinated mushrooms
• Serrano ham
• Speck ham
• Swedish shrimp
• Smoked mussels
• Chili marinated green olives
• Assorted cheeses
• Salsiccia sausage
• Blanched broccoli
• Smoked mussel mayonaise

We recently saw a recipe for broccoli dipped in a mussel emulsion; here is our version. It was soooo good!

Smoked Mussel Mayonnaise Recipe:

Ingredients:
1 tin smoked mussels
1 egg yolk
Lemon juice from 1/4 of a lemon
Vegetable oil
Salt and Pepper

Start as if you were making traditional mayonnaise, with an electric whisk (just use one of the whisks attached, since the batch is so small) mix the egg yolk with 2 smoked mussels, salt and pepper. When the consistency is creamy begin to slowly add the scented oil from the smoked mussel tin, a tiny amount at a time. Switch to normal vegetable oil and continue to slowly whisk it into the mayonnaise until it reaches a thick creamy texture. Add more salt, lemon to taste if you'd like.

We dipped blanched broccoli in the mayonaise, but we'd also recommend asparagus or shrimp.

Caught in the Instagramming act! haha!