Banana Omelette with Chocolate & Almonds

I borrowed a buch of cook books from the library last week - now when the time and the fresh vegetables, fruits and berries are available, is a great time to try some new recipes. 

This recipe is from Suzy Wangles book "Two easy weeks with Sense" (my translation). Suzy has written 5 cook books about Sense Lifestyle Diet, that in a nutshell is about eating 3 well balanced and nutritious meals every day - Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

This Banana-Omelette tastes scrumptious, and I keeps you well wed until late afternoon.

Ingredients:

A half banana
2 eggs
2 egg whites
0,2 cups rolled oats
butter for frying
0,5 oz chopped almonds
0,4 oz chopped dark chocolate 
2 tablespoons of skyr or thick Greek yogurt flavored with vanilla

• Mash the banana with a fork, and add the eggs, egg whites and oat meal, stir well.
• Fry the omelet in butter on a frying pan.
• When the omelette is almost done, fold it in the middle.
• After the omelette has slightly cooled down, serve it topped with 2 tablespoons skyr, or thick Greek yogurt, (seasoned with vanilla), sprinkle on top with chopped almonds and chopped dark chocolade.

Well, this Banana omelette topped with almonds and chocolate is definitely a new favorite to a weekend / holiday breakfast!

...Have a great and delicious weekend,

Nina

Grilled nectarines with goat cheese

We had a lovely two weeks in Finland ... Spending time with family and relatives (a lot of it in the kitchen :)  
Time is a strange thing - In one sense, the time stood still in a good way: No hurries, just spending time together ... 
And at the same time, it felt like the two weeks were all of a sudden gone, and it was time to pack our suitcases again!

My mom gave me Hanna Hurtta's cook book Sesonki Reseptit (Seasonal Recipes). The book is filled with tasty recipies for using seasonal ingredients. The recipes are both easy and fast to prepare. Now I am go through this book (and a few other cook books), trying different recipes.

You wil need:

4 nectarines
200 gr / 700 oz goat cheese
Balsamic syrup (I used thick Balsamic Crema-vinegar)

After rinsing the nectarines, I pitted and halved them. Thereafter I grilled them in the oven 2 x 7 minutes at 200 C (390 F) - turning the nectarines after the first 7 minutes - so both sides are grilled.
I then sliced the goat cheese, and topped each half with a slice - and grilled them for another 5 minutes. After they had cooled down a bit, I poured just a bit of the Balsamic Crema-vinegar on the top.

The nectarines tasted d-e-l-i-c-i-o-u-s, making a great snack in the late afternoon. They would serve well as a starter or a dessert as well.

What is your favourite recipe for nectarines?

Nina

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Gluten free pancakes with tahini and apple

And the weekend has arrived! After a fairly busy week, it is lovely to spend some time in the kitchen ... making something nice for a late breakfast.

These gluten free pancakes are easy to prepare - everyone in the family likes them - one batch dough makes 10 middle sized pancakes. Not having any berries to go with the pancakes, I used an apple with tahini and maple syrup, and it worked fine, making a fresh and tasty topping.

Gluten free pancakes 

Ingredients
2 dl gluten free flour mix (I used Mic it! Universal by Schär)
0.5 teaspoon salt
4 dl / 1,7 cup milk of your choice
2 eggs
2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine   

1. Put the flour mix and salt into a large bowl and stir them together.
2. Pout the milk, little by little, and whisk into a dough using a mixer.
3. Add the eggs into the dough, one by one, whisking them to the batter, and add the smelted butter or margarine.
4. Fry the pancakes on a frying pan in butter or oil. 

Apple-tahini-syrup topping

Ingredients
2 apples 
6 teaspoons of tahini
2 teaspoons of maple syrup

Grate the well rinsed apples (I used organic apples so I didn't peel them).
Stir the tahini and maple syrup together, pour the blending on the grated apples and mix well - and serve on the top of the pancakes.   

 

Wishing you a peaceful weekend,

Nina

Saturday's share Fest by The Sits Girls

Roses of Inspiration at the Enchanting Rose

Oat rye granola with almonds, cranberries and pumpkin seed

Oat rye granola with almonds, cranberries and pumpkin seeds is easy to make, and it tastes scrumptious! The recipe is by a popular cookbook author 
Christian Bitz, who has a MSc in human nutrition. 

This portion size fills a glass jar of 05, liter / 15 oz.

You will need the following ingredients: 
0,5 cups (1 dl) of almonds
0,5 cups (1 dl) of hazelnuts
0,25 cups (½ dl) of pumpkin seeds
3,5 oz (100 g) of oatmeal
3,5 oz (100 g)  rye flakes
0,5 cups (1 dl) of honey
2 tbsp. brown sugar
0,5 cups (1 dl) of dried cranberries (or dried blueberries / raisins)
1 tbsp. of chia-seeds (I replaced the chia-seeds with flaxseeds)

• Chop the almonds, hazelnuts and pumpkinseeds rougly with a knife.
• Cover a baking tray with bakingpaper, and roast the chopped almonds, hazelnuts and pumpkinseeds together with oats and rye in a preheated oven for about 10 minutes at 470 fahrenheit degrees (245 Celcius). 
• Mix honey, brown sugar, cranberries and flaxseed together, and pour the mix on the top of the the roasted ingredients.
• Bake the granola for 5 minutes at 430 Fahrenheit degrees (225 Celcius).
• When the granola has cooled down, loosen it carefully from the baking sheet (I experienced that the granola was a bit difficult to loosen - it might be a good idea to grease the bakingsheet just a bit - using coconut oil would give a slight taste of coconut).

Oat-rye granola is a tasty topping to yogurt. I eat sometimes a handful of it as a snack with a cup of tea. Besides the good taste, this granola is healthy: The almonds, hazelnuts and pumpkin seeds contain many good fatty acids. 

Next time I will tripple the portionsize - I just realized that you can easily fit 3 baking trays in an convection oven!

This is the only granola recipe I have tried so far - if you have a favorite,
I would like to exchange recipes :)

Nina

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Iced Banana Coffee

... And here's a printable recipe for you.

Sunshine to your week,

Nina


{I'm away from the blog - summer holidays, 
this is posted with the help of Bloggers pre-post planner}

Quinoa Cabbage Salad with Mint

Summer cabbage has a light and crispy structure - with a little effort it turns into a tasty salad. I cutted the cabbage into thin stripes, mixed them with the boiled quinoa grains and seasoned the salad with mint and lemon-vinaigrette - easy peasy and so fresh & delicious!

You will need

1 cup (2 dl) raw quinoa (I rinsed quinoa grains properly, and cooked them for 20 min.)
2 cups (4-5 dl) thinly sliced ​​cabbage
1/4 cup (½ dl) chopped fresh mint

Mix the following ingredients together into a vinaigrette:
1/4 cup (½ dl) canola oil
juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon of white balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon of acacia honey / honey
salt and pepper, a small pinch of cayenne pepper


- After the quinoa grains have cooled down, mix them together with the sliced cabbage and chopped fresh mint. Pour the lemon vinaigrette on the top.

Quinoa Cabbage Salad with Mint is a delicious and filling salad, it goes well together with beans, chicken, veal and fish. If you make a double portion, the salad remains fresh in the refrigerator for a few days.

I have enchanged the original recipe by replacing whole wheat grains with quinoa, and I've added balsamic vinegar and honey to the vinaigrette.

The season for fresh cabbage and herbs is at the door!

  View the printable recipe

 

Enjoy the aromas of lemon & mint ...

flavours of summer,

 

Nina

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Breakfast Smoothie with Blueberries, Pear and Tofu

 

Smoothie with tofu contains a lot of proteins and keeps the hunger pangs away until lunchtime. I was inspired to try this recipe by Marika, who serves it as a pudding to her kids - and they love it! She underlines that the pear needs to be almost over ripe, in order to sweeten the smoothie. Our pears weren't that ripe, so I sweetened the smoothie with a ½ teaspoon stevia and a ½ teaspoon vanilla sugar.

 

You will need: (2 portions)

1 ripe pear
½ cup soft tofu (I used Silken)
1 cup frozen blueberries
½ cup cold water
(taste and sweeten if necessary)

Mix the ingredients in a blender and serve - Easy Peasy!

 

 

 

A warm welcome to new blog friends

Selma, Natasha, Judy, Charlene,

Veronica, Lord Sky Oak, Angela,

Pieces of Sunshine, Basketwoman, Jordan

and Life Twins & Drama Queen!

 

Linking to:

 

I have used Kim Klassen's textures

happyheart and cherishscripted.

 

 



Baked blueberry banana oatmeal

I learned to eat baked oat meal in Brussels, Belgium, where I spent 3 years in a Bible Collage. Tim, an american cook with a great sense of humor, prepared the most delicious meals for us, and shared his baked oat meal recipe with me.

 

This baked oatmeal with banana and blueberries gives you a lovely start in the morning! It's easy to prepare - you basically mix the ingredients together, top the meal with blueberries, and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes.

 

I found the recipe from Dawn's lovely food-blog Words of Deliciousness, where you can find a printable recipe. I've added a half teaspoon stevia, and one teaspoon of coconut oil, to the original recipe.

 

I've used frozen blueberries, and I will try the recipe next time with frozen blackberries.



 

... What's best - the thought of having baked blueberry banana oatmeal for breakfast

makes it easier to  get up in the morning!

 

 





Cooking is love made visible

The theme of Kim Klassens Texture Tuesday and Create with Joy's Friensdhip Friday is Love. Besides loving feelings, care and thoughts, love is also a matter of will and concrete actions. My focus has recently been in manifesting love in action in the kitchen - Love to my family as well as to myself :)

I've been doing menu plans for each week {which I've so far posted only to Mietteitä matkanvarrelta, my blog in Finnish}.

The aim with menu plans is, for the first, to focus on both eating various vegetables of the season and serve fish more often - and to be inspired to try new recipes.

Another goal is to plan the dinners in such a way, that we can use the most left overs from the day before.The left over rice can for example be used in a paella or risotto the day after.

And last but not the least, paying attention to the weekly special bargains, when making the menu plan, we can both reduce the times when we do the groceries, and limit the amount of the impulse purchases (that happens though still every now and then).
We've said no thanks to the food advertisement in a paper form, since we get the advertisements from the internet, which is more environmental friendly than the paper ones (in Denmark most of the supermarkets do publish the weekly bargains online.)

Well, now it's time to warm the scalloped potatoes (I made a double portion yesterday) and set a portion of butter beans to soak overnight ... Beans and lentils are delicious and easy-to-prepare, once you get to the rhytm of setting them to soak in the evenings. There's so many nice recipes with beans and lentil, that I look forward of preparing ... I'll promise to post the most tasty ones here on the blog!

PS: A warm welcome to Tish, my newest follower!



Kim Klassens Cafe

I've used Kim Klassens texture Edith on the photos

Salted almonds

 

Homemade salted almonds have a pleasant, mild taste, and they are easy to prepare!

I tasted homemade salted almonds at my friend's house, and as soon as I heard that she had prepared them by her self,  I wanted to try making them as well... I'm fond of almonds - I like to eat a few of them in the afternoons, or with a cup of tea before serving dinner. I've bought a few times salted & smoked almonds from the store, but the ones I bought were too salty, and the smoke-flavour was a bit strong.

Now that I know how to prepare the salted almonds at home, the next thing I experiment with, will be seasoning them ... How would they taste, if I added some paprika or turmeric, or even lemon and coriander?

Almonds contain vitamin E, manganese and magnesium. The good fat in almonds contains healthy cholesterol, but also quite a bit of calories. A little handful, about 15 almonds, makes a good snack in the afternoon, keeping your hunger at bay.

 

 

Salted almonds

 

2.5 dl (1 cup) of boiling water
3 tablespoons fine salt
200 g (7 oz) of almonds

 

- Dissolve the salt in boiling water.
- Pour the water into a bowl, and add 200 g (7 oz) of almonds.
- Allow the almonds to soak in the water for about 30 minutes.
- Spread the almonds on a baking tray lined with baking sheet, and bake for 30 min.  at 150 ° C / 300 F. degrees.
- Let the almonds cool down before serving them.

 

 

Salted almonds taste good with fruit - I prepared a snack of pears, crackers with olive tapenade and salted almonds - yum! Mixing the salted almonds together with raisins and cranberries would give a nice sweet-salty mixture.

Wishing you a delicious weekend,

 

Nina


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Goat Cheese Crostini

At Christmas I got to taste some French delicacies - my aunt, cousin and his family arrived from France to spend Christmas with us in Finland. These goat cheese crostinis surprised me (who usually avoids anything that has to do with goat cheese), since they tasted really delicious!

They make a lovely starter / appetizer, as well as a nice late night supper. It takes about an quater of an hour to prepare them.

Ingredients:
bread (I chose a baguette)
goat cheese
honey
olive oil
salt and pepper
fresh (or dried) herbs, I had some basil, my cousin used rosemary

some lettuce to go with

Preparation:
- Slice the bread
- Cut about 1 cm thick slices of goat cheese on top of the bread pieces
- Put some honey on the top of the goat cheese
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper (my cousin put a few whole rose-peppercorns - that tasted good!)
- Add herbs on top of the goat cheese
- Pour some olive oil on the bread beside the cheese
- Bake at 200 degrees for about 7-9 min., until the cheese softens and the edges of the bread become golden brown.

Serve the Goast Cheese Crostinis warm with some salad.

... Goat Cheese Crostinis would serve as an delicate appetizer for New Year's Eve :-)

PS: I printed these nice New Year's Eve's decorations that I will glue to toothpicks, that can be inserted to bread, sushi rolls, fruit or olives -  whatever you're serving! You can print them from Paper and Pigtails.

Picture from Paper and Pigtails

I've been very lucky ...

 

 ... and have won 2 giveaways: From FOOD52 The lovely cookbook Small Plates and Sweet Treats by Aran Goyoaga from Cannelle et Vanille, and a wonderful linen pillow case made by my friend Johanna, the author of Ajatuksia Kaukana - blog!

I found the FOOD52-website as I was searching for a muffins recipe. On the FOOD52-blog I saw a giveaway, where 5 lucky ones cound win Aran's new cookbook. I have been following Aran's beautiful food blog about a year now,  so I knew that her Small Plates and Sweet Treats was published lately. Small Plates and Sweet Treats includes a bunch of lovely gluten-free recipes with really beautiful photographs.

It was easy to participate - I was asked to write a favorite gluten-free recipe, that would feed a crowd ... mine answer is below:

Time went by, and I had almost forgotten all about the giveaway, as I received this e-mail ...
I was so surprised, and happy, as I read it!

Some weeks later I received the Small Plates and Sweet Treats ... the most beautiful cookbook I've ever seen! I look forward of trying the recipes - the first will be one of Aran'd delicious tarte tatins!

My friend Johanna has an eye for interior design. She is  very good to sew and repurpose old furniture to something new and beautiful. She has sewn this lovely linen pillow case to a giveaway in her blog. Can you imagine, I was lucky to win this beautiful pillow case! I am really for this  happy beautiful pillow! Thank you Johanna!

With happy & lucky regards

Nina

ps. Being this lucky I'd say that

it is my turn to hold a giveaway

after the Christmas :-)

Couscous Salad with Grilled Vegetables

In the autumn I prefer the salads to be a bit more filling and juicy than in the summertime. This couscous salad with grilled vegetables has become one of our favorites this fall!

Grilled zucchini, eggplant and peppers give a luscious consistence while lemon, leeks and pomegranate adds sweet and sour flavors. Moreover, the cooked vegetables are easier to digest than the raw - so the salad is gentle to the stomach as well.

I have adapted this recipe from Claus Meyers book Salatværksted.

Ingredients (6 servings)

Couscous
200 g whole grain couscous (couscous consists of pre-cooked durum wheat)
1.5 dl of water (0,8 cups)
a pinch of sea salt

Grilled / sauteed vegetables
1 eggplant
1 courgette
2 bell peppers
olive, canola or some other oil for frying
pinch of salt
1 pomegranate (I replaced the sugar from the original recipe with a pomegranate sugar - you can also sweeten the salad with honey, acacia syrup, or even grapes) 

Other ingredients:
1 clove of garlic
1 dl leeks, chopped (0,5 cups)
4 tomatoes or 8 cherry tomatoes, diced
Juice of 1 lemon (and zest - if you want to use the lemon zest, I recommend using organic lemons)
salt and pepper to taste
a pinch of fresh herbs to taste (mint, coriander, parsley etc.)

Instructions:

Couscous

• Put the couscous grains in a flat-bottomed bowl, boil water and pour it over the couscous grains. The grains should be covered with water.  Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel or a plastic wrap and let it sit for about 15-20 minutes. 
• Fluff the couscous with a fork.

Grilled vegetables

• Cut the eggplant and the zucchini lengthwise into slices. Sprinkle a pinch of sea salt on the slices and let it sit for 20-30 min. 
• Wipe the liquid from the surface of the vegetables liquid with a kitchen towel. 
• Cut the peppers cut into strips. 
• Sauté / grill vegetables on a pan in hot oil.
• It is important that the eggplant cook is sauteed until well cooked, soft and smooth. 
• When the vegetables are slightly cooled, cut them into cubes.

• Chop garlic into pieces. 
• Dice the tomatoes.      
• "Peel" the pomegranate - remove the seeds of a pomegranate.
• Finely chop the herbs. 
• Grate a little lemon zest if you wish, and a squeeze the lemon juice      
• Stir in garlic, tomatoes, herbs, pomegranateseeds, lemon juice and zest together.

• Add the vegetables and stir the remaining ingredients together. Taste,add salt if necessary.

Couscous salad tastes delicious served both warm and cold & keeps for a few days in a refrigerator.

Bon Appetit!

Red Cabbage Salad with Feta and Almonds

I've been cooking many different dishes with cabbage during this autumn. Red cabbage tastes excellent as fresh, fried and cooked - in salads, soups and casseroles.

Red Cabbage Salad with Feta and Almonds is tasty, filling and easy to prepare. I found this recipe from Claus Meyers book Salatværksted. The original recipe uses dried cherries and cherry vinegar, which I have replaced with white wine vinegar and dried cranberries.

Red Cabbage Salad with Feta and Almonds (serves 4 persons)

Salad
600 - 700 g (21-24 oz) red cabbage
1 tsp. sea ​​salt / salt
80 g (3 oz) dried cranberries
1 large red onion
 
Dressing
0.5 dl (0,2 cups) cold-pressed sweet almond oil (or other oil that you use in salads)
3 tbsp. white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
 
Topping
80 g (3 oz) almonds
splash olive oil
a pinch of sea salt / salt
80 g (3 oz) feta cheese

 Instructions:

1. Cut the red cabbage into fine slices, or chop it fine in a food processor.
2. Mix red cabbage and sea salt in a large bowl and allow to soak for 30 minutes.
3. Chop the red onion.
4. Mix the oil, vinegar and honey together.
5. Chop the almonds coarsely with a knife. Roast the lightly almonds in a frying pan lightly in a tablespoon of oil, season them with salt.
6. Mix the red cabbage, cranberries, red onion, dressing and half of the almonds. Set the salad in a serving bowl, sprinkle the feta cheese and the remaining almonds over the salad.
  

Red Cabbage Salad with Feta and Almonds keeps fresh in a refrigerator for a few days - It makes also a perfect lunch together with a slice of whole grain bread or a bread roll.

-   -   -   -   - 

We've had quite a few showers of rain these days. 
As I went out after a heavy rain, I noticed that  
the leaves of this small tree are changing color
from green to deep burgundy and bright yellow.