BBQ Chicken, Spinach & Walnut Pizza

Pizza. So many say it, but I mean it...I could live off of it. Sweden has this incredible tradition, it's called fredagsmys. The actual translation might be something like "Friday Family Time". My translation is, "Pig-out it's Friday". To sum it up, Friday night is a time when families share quality time together. Everyone hits the movie store, stocks up on chips and candy and enjoys dinner in the style of tacos or pizza. This may sound like a normal day in the life of many Americans...but here it's a treat, and their much lesser obesity rate proves it. And though Sweden is great in many ways, I wouldn't name pizza as one of their strong suits. So lucky for me, I make my own. Last weeks "mys" menu featured a fav, that I recreated from a pizza place in the most fabulous town of Northampton, MA. BBQ chicken, spinach and walnuts...hell yes.

For the Crust:
1 cup lukewarm water
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tbl milk ( I use oat milk )
2 tbl olive oil
2 tbl honey
1 tsp dry active yeast
3 tbl ground flaxseed

To Do:
Whisk salt, honey and yeast into water, let sit for 5 mins.
Add milk, olive oil and flaxseed.
Stir in flour, using a spoon. Oil your hands and shape dough into ball. Cover and let rise 30 mins.

In the Meantime:
-Bake 1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast at 350 for about 15 mins. Once cooked, shred with two forks and coat in your favorite BBQ sauce. ( I dig Sweet Baby Rays )
-Wash a generous amount fresh baby spinach (it shrinks down to nothing)
-Chop 3/4 cup walnuts, set aside.

-Oil a large pizza pan or cookie sheet and sprinkle with sesame seeds (to die for)
-Sprinkle risen dough with a little flour and punch down. Place dough on sheet and roll or press into place.
-Top with pizza sauce, your favorite shredded cheese, dried basil and oregano. Add spinach first, then chicken and top with walnuts.
-Bake at 450 between 15 and 20 mins.

Carrot Muffins (you can feel good about)

Baked goods make my world go round. They also make my ass round, which is why I'm on a constant lookout for guilt-free goods. This one is an all time favorite hos Aronsson. If you prefer a bread, use a bread pan. If you want to trick yourself or your family members into thinking you're eating cake...cake tin. We do all three, with a slight moderation of the bake time. And when the thoughts of cream cheese send you-a-jigglin, skip out and drizzle with a little honey instead.

Needs:
1 1/3 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup raw sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
3 eggs
3 tbl ground flaxseed
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups grated carrots
1 cup chopped walnuts

Frosting:
1/4 cup tofu cream cheese
2 tbl soft butter or coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup raw confections sugar  (you can replace sugar with agave syrup or honey, for more of an icing)

To Do:
Preheat oven to 350F/175C
Whisk dry ingredients, minus the sugar.
Beat eggs, sugar and applesauce in a separate bowl.
Add dry ingredients to wet, stir well.
Fold in carrots and walnuts.
Bake 15-20 mins, add an extra 5 mins if using a bread or cake pan.
Stick a knife in the middle to make sure they're done.

For the Frosting:
Beat all ingredients together, frost when cool.

Ginger Lemonade



I don't have some cutesy little story to accompany this beverage. I love lemonade. Swedes don't seem to know it exists, which is nothing less than sad in my book. I crave it when the heat hits, and because I can't find it at our local grocer...I made some myself. I happened to have a hunk of ginger in the fridge and remembered a ginger-lemonade I tried on Maui. It was throat burning strong, but the idea was right, so giving it a go seemed the thing to do.

Needs:

8 cups water

3/4 cup raw sugar

5 lemons

1 lime

2 heaping tbl fresh grated ginger

To Do:

Add sugar to water and bring to a boil. Stir well, making sure sugar is fully dissolved. Let cool.

Press lemons a lime. Add to sugar water.

Take your freshly grated ginger and squeeze the juice into lemon lime mixture. Toss the pulp.

Stir well. Serve with plenty of ice. Sip, sit back and relax.

Wham, Scam, Thank You Ma'am...

Oh, the thrills of a world that moves all too fast with consequences a plenty. Joys are the ways of the web. Day by day I watch mankind become more disconnected. Doors are no longer held open, smiles no longer exchanged, parents don't interact with their children and dogs shit in the middle of the sidewalk while their owner scrolls his life away on his latest i-whatever. I complain, I despise it, but I'm a part of it. I can't begin to tell you how many times I've flipped someone the bird, made a loud fart noise after someone refused to acknowledge an act of kindness, or shook my head in disgust as I decide not to mind my own business. In moments like these, thoughts of building a lean-to in the middle of any unihabited area seems smart...but then something distracts me and I keep on. Today, I was greatly reminded of why the life of a recluse always sounds so nice. To make a long story short, I put my car up for sale and a good ol scam was underway. The "buyer" wanted me to send $600 to a "shipping co" in England, using phrases like "God will continue to bless you" and even having "PayPal" write explantory emails, to do so. Sadly enough, this came as no suprise. What is surprising however, is how utterly vulnerable it made me feel. I've canceled my email account, and have considered the witness protection program, if only they would take me. Visions of a stranger knocking on my door, as I'm alone with the baby are preventing me from sleep. And as I'm quite possibly overthinking this whole (everday in todays world) occurrence, I can't help but think...how the hell did we end up here and how do you build a lean-to?

Not Your Average Potato Salad

Throughout my life, every summer has been haunted by that heavy, egg ridden, mayonnaise covered blood clot of which we call the Potato Salad. I know there are plenty of you who love it, even ache for it, and I apologize to those of you who do, but I just can't get with it. Or atleast I wasn't able to, until my dear friend Josefine came along and rocked my summer salad world with this gem. It's everything one would want in a salad, side dish or even meal. Fresh and colorful, it's ingredients blend together beautifully and hold up much better than egg and mayo, in the hot summer sun. Be as creative as your local farmer's market allows. If asparagus is in season...throw it in, along with whatever greens look fresh and fancy. Here's my version....

1 lb fresh potatoes (washed, unpeeled, and cubed)
1 250g (8 oz) packet of halloumi cheese (sliced)
2 good handfuls of fresh greens (I used mixed)
1 fresh bunch of basil, washed and chopped
350g (12oz) cherry tomatoes, washed and cut in half
200g (7 oz) sugar snap peas, cut in half
3 tbls of pine nuts

olive oil, a little lemon juice, salt and coarse pepper to taste

-Boil potatoes in salted water for about 10 mins (do not over boil, you want them to keep their shape)

-While potatoes boil, fry or grill halloumi until golden and then cut into bite size pieces, set aside

-Once boiled, drain potatoes, rinse in cold water, drain again and set aside to cool

-Once cooled, toss potatoes in 3-4 tbls olive oil, 1 tsp lemon juice, salt and pepper

-Stir in remaining ingredients one at a time, being careful not mash the potatoes

-Serve cold or at room temp

Bring as your contribution to the next BBQ, pack a picnic or serve for dinner with a fresh rustic baguette. And for God's sake...thank Josefine.

Sweet Tate Cookies

Saturday night, 10pm and the craving for chocolate takes over. No eggs in the fridge and no drive to get off my ass and go buy some. What I did have was some cocoa powder, a little flour and a batch of sweet potato puree that I had just whipped up for the baby. The result....heavenly, the act of stealing food from own child....one of the seven deadly, but once you try this brownie-like cookie all ungodly acts will be forgiven and forgotten. And because there are no eggs, you can lick the spoon without that extra little kick of Salmonella.

Needs:
4 tbls coconut oil or butter
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup raw sugar or agave syrup
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp coffee
2/3 cup sweet potato puree

-Pre-heat your oven to 350 and grease your cookie sheet
-Melt coconut oil or butter on your stovetop, remove from heat and whisk in cocoa powder.
-Whisk together all dry ingredients, including sugar. (If using agave, whisk into cocoa mix)
-Stir in sweet potato, coffee and vanilla. Mix well.
-Add cocoa mixture and stir until blended.
-Drop mixture onto greased cookie with a tablespoon.
-Gently press a few chopped walnuts onto each cookie.
-Bake for 10-12 mins, let cool on wire rack completely.
-Do not over bake, these cookies are meant to be soft and chewy...enjoy!
 (makes 12 good size cookies)

A Little Tip:
Fruit and veggie purees are fabulous for baking and freeze super well. One easy way to do it is by making up a big batch and freezing it in ice cube trays. Once frozen just pop out, stick in a ziploc and label. This is how I make my baby food and I love it. You can grab the perfect portion for babes or for breads and baked goods.