Coconut Almond Pancakes

These pretty little pancakes were inspired by a recipe found on Green Kitchen Stories. After inviting my sister in law over for a brunch date, I wanted to whip up something different and healthy. Green Kitchen Stories, is a fabulous blog that I often go to for ideas and inspiration. They have thought of everything, have carried through with their ideas and have mastered them. Hardly ever using, flour or egg and never using white sugar or atery clogging butter...their recipes are dreamy and guilt free. So on this particular day, I went to them...only to find that I was missing 1/3 of the ingredients their pancakes called for. So with a dash of this, a handful of that and few prayers...this is what I came up with.

NEEDS:

5 large eggs

1 1/2 light coconut milk

1/2 cup oat or almond milk

1 cup almond meal (ground almonds)

1 large banana, mashed well

2 tbl melted coconut oil

1 tsp cinnamon

a pinch of salt

*butter for the pan*

To Do:Whisk eggs and coconut milk. Adding and whisking in, banana, almond meal, coconut oil, cinnamon and salt. Slowly add oat or almond milk while continuously whisking.Melt butter in frying pan on med heat. Pour a little less than 1/2 a cup of the batter into the pan. When you see small bubbles, very gently fold the pancake in half, so that you have a semi circle shape. *Since there is no flour, these pancakes easily fall apart while trying to flip. It's better to fold them in half, making them a bit thicker and easier to work with. You end with a sweet crunchy crepe like pancake. Top with fresh or pre-thawed, frozen raspberries, and drizzle with agave syrup or honey.

Chantarelle Soppa

Sweden's woods grow wild with Chantarelles. Sadly enough, I had never seen one before coming here. But once my first Fall hit...they were everywhere. Shops, outdoor markets, under my feet and in my refridgerator. Andreas (the hubs) loves them. He pan fries them in plenty of butter and places a generous heap atop a buttered piece of toast, topping it off with a sprinkle of herb salt. The sight sickened me at first. But once I overcame my stubborness, I took a taste and fell head over heels. This mushroom in unlike any other, in a very fine way. So when my dear husband wanted to make a Chantarelle cream soup, I stood behind him...despite the fact, that warm milky things are my worst nightmare. And because he loves me so, he replaced the heavy cream with oat cream. (available most anywhere if you jut take a look) It was delightful, extremely simple and contains half the cholesterol and fat of any normal "cream of" soup.

NEEDS:
5 handfuls of fresh Chantarelle mushrooms, washed well
2 shallots, chopped
2 1/2 cups water
1 cup "heavy" oat cream or alternatively any lactose free heavy cream
1 1/2 vegetable boullion cubes
1 tbl soy sauce
salt and pepper to taste

To Do:
Dissolve boullion cubes in the water
Fry the washed mushrooms in about 1 tbl of butter, in a large saucepan
Add shallot and cook until the shallot is clear
Add your "veggie stock", cream, soy sauce and let simmer on low heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Natural vs Processed

 

The battle between fructose and sucrose. My mother and I nearly draw blood every time we touch upon the subject. So, what is the difference? How does your body seperate the two, and why is white sugar said to be the root of all evil? After visiting my hometown and introducing Siggy to the people, the place and my mothers absurd theories...I decided to take a deeper look. Without turning my little page into a science book, I'd like to share the result with you and more importantly...I'd like to prove my mother wrong on the world wide web. So the verdict? Good old white sugar, raises your insulin 3 times as much as the natural sugars found in fruits and veggies. What does that mean? Elevated levels of insulin, send the sugar that you do not quickly burn off, into your fat storage cells where it is converted into stored body fat. In short, the body is smart...it knows when you treat it like shit, and will turn your ass into jell-o for doing so.

Will I never enjoy another pint of Ben & Jerry's? Of course I will, and Lord knows I can't keep my mother from feeding Halloween Oreo's to Siggy. But I can continue to keep white sugar out of my cupboards, think about what goes into my body, and have the knowledge to back me up when I fight Mommy Dearest.

Porridge á la Awesome

We've all heard the saying, "breakfast is the most important meal of the day". For me, this couldn't prove more true. If a hearty, balanced breakfast is not consumed...I turn into a bear. For real...a nasty, hairy, growling, clawing, man eating grizzly. So, in order to avoid an ugly situation and to face the daily grind, I often enjoy a power packing porridge.

NEEDS:
1 cup quick oats
1 tbl agave syrup or alternativley honey
1 tsp cinnamon
1 handful of raw almonds, chopped
1 handful of dried cranberries
1/2 of a banana, sliced
1 tbl raw hemp seeds
oat milk

To Do:
Mix oats and water, according to package instructions.
Add almonds, cinnamon and cranberries to oats. Cover and let cook.
When done cooking, add banana, drizzle with agave and sprinkle with hemp seeds. Add oat milk to your liking. Stay satisfied till lunch.

Cheaters Sometimes Prosper

When you're short on time and big on impressing, boy, do I have a cake for you. Due to it's embarassing nature, I took no photos...but I can promise it looked good!

It started with an idea to throw a baby shower, and ended with all attendants raving about the cake. Most times I would be happy to share the recipe, proud of my creation and feeling slightly puffy in the chest. This time however, was a bit different. Why? Because it started with an .89 cent box of Betty Crocker cake mix and a $1.99 can of "Fluffy White".

To my defense, life is kind of chaotic. Siggy just hit the ten month mark, I went back to work full time, and trying to find a balance between Motherhood, working gal, wife and just Wendy, is...well, it's a bitch. So, buying box never seemed so right or so wrong. Solution....? Take a look.


Needs:
2 boxes of Yellow, Super Moist cake mix
1 cup melted Coconut Oil
2 cups Guava Juice
6 Eggs

2 cans Fluffy White Frosting
1/4 cup Unsweetened Coconut Milk
1 cup Unsweetened Shredded Coconut
1/4 cup Confections Sugar
1/2 cup Plain Turkish Yogurt

To Do:
Follow cake box directions, using coconut oil in place of vegetable oil and replacing the water with guava juice. Bake accordingly in four greased 9" rounds.

In the meantime, whisk frosting, coconut milk, coconut flakes, sugar and yogurt. The frosting is a bit more runny than your average, but that's ok. After mixing well, cover and refridgerate until ready for use.

Note: Make sure cake is completely cooled before frosting. And Voila. You have an easy peasy slightly sleazy, guava cake with coconut cream frosting.

Lentil Stew to Soothe the Soul

 

















     



My little family took a little trip across the pond, and my writing came to a crashing hault. I miss it here. The place were my creative juices flow, the place where I can share recipes and stories alike. Needless to say, summer came and went and fall is well underway. Guilt has eaten me up and left me feeling those familiar pangs of hunger. I've been hungry to write and hungry to cook, so for those of you hungry for food...here it is.
    
Lentil soup is one of those things that I either really enjoy, or can hardly stomach. I've tried my hand at it a few times, but was left with a bland, colorless bowl of good protein. Today, while trying to use up what I had on hand...I succeeded and exceeded my lentil soup expectations. And just in time for another cold front.


Needs:
2 cups uncooked red lentils
4 carrots, peeled and sliced
4 small potatoes, washed and cubed
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
1 can crushed tomatoes
4 cups vegetable broth
4 cups water
2 bay leaves
2 tsp dried basil
2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 cup frozen spinach
3 tbl balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

To Do:
Heat oil in large saucepan, add onion, garlic, carrots and potatos. Cook until onion is soft. Add spices and lentils, stir well. Add crushed tomatoes, water and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and let simmer for 1 hour. After stew has simmered, add spinach, vinegar, salt and pepper. Dish up and top with a pile of fresh rocket salad, or other on hand greens.

Veggie Chili

Soup is one of the greatest things invented by man. It's warm, filling, feeds a small army and you can throw anything into it. So as Stockholm's sky turns grey and the leaves begin to fall, this chili will take care of any chill and leave you wanting more.

Needs:
6 tomatoes, chopped
6oz can tomato paste
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium size jalapeno pepper, de-seeded & minced
1 large green pepper, diced
1 large orange pepper, diced
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 medium size zucchini, chopped
1 can yellow corn
2 cups cooked black beans
1 cup cooked kidney beans
Frank's Red Hot (for an extra kick)
2 tbl olive oil

To Do:
-Heat oil in large pot, fry onion, garlic and jalapeno, stirring constantly for 2-3 mins
-Add tomatoes, and cook for 3 mins
-Stir in tomato paste and a few shakes of Frank's (if you want that extra spice)
-Add all other ingredients cover and cook on a med-low heat for 30-40 mins
-It will seem like there is no broth, but do NOT add water. The vegetables cook down and leave a good amount of liquid.