APPLE LOAF CAKE + VANILLA TOFU CUSTARD (vegan + gluten free)
Hello,
Today’s my birthday! Yaay! And of course I wanted to share something yummy with you as I’ll be munching on all my favourites all day long. Here comes a vegan apple loaf cake with a dead easy vegan vanilla custard. Both components here are really easy to make actually making it suitable even for those who are not the best bakers. After looking at my video I realise my baking techniques aren’t always the most skilled but hey if it tastes good, right?!
I’ll probably be having left over slices, yes slices, of this cake for breakfast pan fried and topped with either the custard (if there’s any left) or my new favourite macadamia butter. This is my top tip to those of you who thinks that baking a cake is quite enough work; just smear your favourite nut butter on your slice and skip the custard!
Now I’m off to eat heaps off ice cream at Yorica! A rather new vegan ice cream parlour in Soho, London, that I’ve been dreaming about visiting since I saw fellow vegans post images of their cones and sundaes on instagram. Wish this phenomenon had occurred last year when I still lived here but at least I get to indulge during my visit, and even better on my birthday. A part of me wishes it won’t be too good though as I’m afraid I’ll be catching the tube everyday to fill up on vegan ice cream decadence before heading off to my hometown in a couple of weeks.
Anywho, stay tuned on my social media to see what I think of the ice cream and please watch my youtube video just below where I’ll make the cake along side you, with candles and all! x
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APPLE LOAF CAKE + VANILLA CUSTARD
MAKES: 1 loaf tin / TIME: 75 min
Cake:
2 tbsp flax seed + 4 tbsp water
1 small sweet apple
1 3/4 cup rice flour (I used a mix between white and brown)
1 cup oats, blended into a flour
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla powder
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 cup plant milk, such as oat/almond/soy
1/2 cup maple syrup
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup sweet apple, grated
Custard:
350 g silken tofu block, medium soft
1/2-3/4 cup plant milk
3 tbsp maple syrup
2 1/2 tsp vanilla powder
1/2 tsp arrowroot powder
Pinch of turmeric, optional (for colour)
Preheat the oven to 185 degrees celsius and grease your loaf tin.
Make flax ‘egg’ by mixing your milled flax seed with water, set aside to gel.
Slice one small apple into half moons and leave to the side for now.
Mix all dry cake ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
Mix all the wet ingredients in a separate mixing bowl.
Grate the apple and then mix it into your wet mixture before adding it to your dry ingredients and mixing well.
Add flax egg and mix until well combined.
Pour your batter into the loaf tin and arrange your apple slices along the cake (see video).
Bake in the oven for between 55 and 65 min or until a knife comes out dry.
To make the custard simply add all ingredients to a blender and mix until smooth.
Place mixture into a sauce pan and gently bring it to a simmer, it should take roughly 5-10 min from heated through for it to thicken. Be careful not to over heat the mixture.
This cake tastes the very best on the day you bake it but it’s also nice to gently fry the next day or simply sticking a slice into the toaster.
VEGAN CHAT: MY JOURNEY TO VEGANISM
Hello and happy Saturday everyone,
I thought it was about time that I share a bit more about myself and specifically a bit more about my vegan journey. After all this is a blog celebrating a plant based vegan lifestyle and vegan food in particular. So why did I become vegan?
Well, let’s start a little bit earlier than the day I decided to be vegan because for me there was a process to realising the way I was living was not healthy; for me (physically, mentally and spiritually), the planet or for the animals exploited for my pleasure. As many of you know I grew up in Sweden where a meal is shaped after what meat is going to hit the plate more or less and I never really thought twice about my meat eating habits. Even when my sister became a vegetarian and showed me some candid films from slaughter houses, it didn’t seem to resonate with me in the way it has today. Not even when I, as a dance student, came in contact with a handful of vegetarian friends, did I make the effort of educating myself as to why they had chosen that path.
Only when I started having health issues did I start considering what I put on my plate and further what I actually put into my body. This seems to be a common experience and although I wish I had made the connection earlier I understand the way many take their food and its origins for granted without giving it much thought – it’s very easy. Especially since what we eat is ingrained culturally and has an important role in our social life and how we interact with people around us.
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A few years ago I developed an array of food intolerance’s following a very stressful and heart breaking period in my life and a harsh food poisoning from shell fish. This sparked my awareness in terms of food. I had always loved eating food and still today I find much pleasure in eating good food, but I had never really thought of the amount of dairy, meats and wheat I consumed on a daily basis. The day I got my intolerance test results I stopped eating many foods that were a huge part of my diet; those being mainly products containing dairy, eggs and gluten.
Prior to this I had met and found love in Rob who had been vegetarian for 10 years. Living with him I never ate any meats at home as we only cooked meals we both ate. At this stage I had also stopped eating red meat. There is no logical explanation to me stopping my red meat habits over my chicken and fish habits other than the fact that it felt right at the time.
So then I was at a stage when at home we were only cooking vegan food due to Rob’s vegetarianism and my food intolerances to dairy and eggs and this was when I really started getting interested in cooking vegan food and started researching what effect certain foods may have on our physical as well as mental health. The health factor was very important to me as the changes I was making were mainly a result of my indigestion issues and the fact that I was intolerant to certain foods. I started reading blog posts and googling recipes to figure out how I could heal the issues I had been having and feeding myself in this (to me) new way. I was also very frustrated with the health care system at this point and the fact that they could not offer any help other than prescribing drugs.
As my health improved I really started believing in the power of nutrition and our relationship to food as a healing mechanism. The more I read about foods free from animals and products derived from them, in addition to cooking more vegan food myself; the more I started questioning my ‘need’ for eating animals at all and so in June 2014 I stopped eating any type of meat or other animal stuffs.
Many factors contributed to me embracing a vegan lifestyle; firstly the fact that I was living with a devote vegetarian who was happy to go vegan at home as we cooked foods we could both eat and the fact that I saw great health impacts in myself eating this way. However today I see myself equally as being vegan for ethical reasons after learning more about the industries in which animals are raised for human pleasure. The first documentary I saw touching on this subject was Cowspiracy and even though I had seen images of animals being treated awfully in the past they really struck a cord with me at this point in my life. Probably because I had started making the connection to the fact that meat is dead animals, and if I love animals – which of course I do and I think many people would say about themselves too, then how could this be right?!
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I think of this period in my life as an awakening really. As the time where I took in a lot of information and really opened my eyes to what was actually happening in the world we all share. Having read many articles and blog posts since (not many books yet but I’m working on this) as well as seen various documentaries and YouTube videos, I am now a devoted vegan and would never consider regressing back to my old ways, for me being vegan is a life long commitment. A cruelty free commitment filled with compassion, with yummy food that is good for me, the animals and the planet and of
This is the first post in a new series I’m planning for here on the blog committed to sharing my experiences with and reasons for living a vegan lifestyle. I hope it will provide a more relatable aspect to this blog and my relationship to you guys. I’m also hoping that I can provide some information, tips and tricks as I go along so if there are any vegan topics you’d like me to talk about here let me know.
In the next post I’d like to highlight why I’m vegan by listing four reasons that are important to me and in my opinion for our whole planet and each and everyone of us living on it; humans and animals alike. Stay tuned!
Yummy vegan food: Roasted Sweet Potato + Vegan ‘Tuna’ Mayo
Here is a list of resources I’ve found useful in my own education as to why veganism is important:
Cowspiracy (+ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpmTiHjUEBU)
Forks over Knives
Foodmatters
The Best Speech You’ll Ever Hear by Gary Yourofsky
Mic the Vegan
Bite Size Vegan
nutritionfacts.org
BASICS: TOFU SCRAMBLE
Hello!
Finally I’ve gotten my act together and put together the second ‘basics’post with an informative video to share with you all. This time I give you a basic tofu scramble that I hope you’ll find useful. It is my go to savoury breakfast and it’s so versatile. Although I give you the basic recipe below I share a few ways of spicing things up in my video. If you guys are interested in more creative tofu scramble recipes please let me know! I do have a few in store that probably will come out at some point.
Now go get scrambling and find joy in the fact that no hens or little chicks had to suffer in the process!
ps. check out my video just below to follow along and we can make it together!
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BASIC TOFU SCRAMBLE
PORTIONS: 2-4 / TIME: 10 min
400 g firm tofu block (I like plain or smoked, but anything goes)
3 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
Salt and black pepper to taste
A little oil for frying
Options: Onion, garlic or garlic powder, vegetables, spices etc
Warm a little splash of oil in a pan over medium heat.
Crumble tofu into pan with your hands and add all other ingredients.
(You could also add other seasoning and spices to your liking.)
Mix well and heat through.
Taste and see whether you need more nutritional yeast, salt or pepper.
Serve!
TRAVEL: A VEGAN GUIDE TO CAPE TOWN
Molweni (hello in xhosa)!
As I write this I’m on a bumpy flight leaving Cape Town, South Africa, but when you read this I’m in a different place altogether. The past year or so I’ve been moving and shifting, never really gathering my thoughts in one place for very long. At this point in time I’m making plans for more permanent living and whilst that can be exciting it can also be a little daunting to make choices and commitments. I consider myself very lucky to be able to choose in the first place though and whilst South Africa is not really on my list of options I hope that one day I get to spend an extended period of time in the beauty of that country.
This post is going to mainly deal with places to go to eat and explore during a visit in Cape Town but in general I’d urge you to just observe and take in the diverse nature of the city and it’s surroundings. Both in nature but also in people. It’s not an easy place to live for all Capetonians as life seems very unfair in this polarised environment but it’s a very interesting place to be observant. Maybe especially because I’m from Sweden which is just a completely different place. Embrace the diversity! And really enjoy the beauty of hills and mountains, the sea with all its beaches, the buzzing and trendy city life and ultimately salute the sun when it’s there – I hear it can get pretty rainy.
I guess I should mention that you need to have your eyes and ears open walking the streets of Cape Town as there are many people less fortunate than you and I walking them too. This means that you might want to keep your phones and cameras in your bag and make conscious decisions about where you use the ATM. I’ve been told not to walk around in certain areas but I’m not enough well-informed to give you advice on that. At the end of the day I believe that you should celebrate your days in Cape Town as it is a truly stunning place and not e too worried about safety, just be aware of your belongings and where you’re walking at night. The uber service is a fantastic in Cape Town and will work as a life line for those moments when you’re not sure whether you’re in a safe place or not.
Now let’s move on to more fun things as I want to share all the things that brought me large smiles during my visit. I hope you’ll find this informative and fun, whether you’re going to visit yourself or not one can always dream and feel inspired for the future. And if you are going – lucky you! x
ps. there’s a video on my youtube channel where you can see in action what we got up to on our trip and trust me Cape Town looks stunning in motion, watch it here!
If you’ve been to Cape Town yourself please share with us your favourite places in the comments and if you’re going and have questions fire away in that space too!
More vegan city guides; Budapest, Berlin, London and Stockholm.
1-3, Plant. 4-6, Addis in Cape.
FOOD AND DRINK
8 Buiten St.
Rob and I ended up eating here several times as we wanted to take advantage of their full menu. They offer breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as a selection of desserts. It really is an all day restaurant that also comes with craft beer, a wine list, smoothies, juices, kombucha and the list goes on. Many dishes will remind you of the ones you had prior to going vegan; omelette, scramble, burgers but there’s also salads and summer rolls to balance out the heavier side. This lace comes highly recommended.
190 Bree St.
Busy and buzzy place where hipsters meet hippies, al looking for a health conscious vegan lunch and a fermented veg jar to take home. This place focuses a lot on foods that are rich in probiotics such as fermented vegetables, tempeh and kombucha and on the side of that in the self-serve buffet was leaves and massaged kale, a cold dahl, coleslaw with chickpeas and a bunch of fresh sprouts. Not for the junk food vegan but well worth a visit with a lovely interior and great people watching.
41 Church St.
This Ethiopian restaurant has a whole separate list of vegan dishes and other dishes are called ‘non-vegetarian’ in the menu which is novel. It is a lovely experience with traditional tables and serving style. We had the tasting menu which I would recommend to make sure that you get to have a little bit of everything as you dip away with your injera, a fermented flat bread completely free from gluten. This place gets busy so it might be an idea to book for dinner.
167 Long St.
A quirky place with a separate vegan menu including some creative lassis and masala chai. Choose between a variety of traditional starters, two dosas, a thali, simple curry with rice (a choice of three) and some salads too. We enjoyed the thali and the traditional dosa which comes with curried potatoes, sambar and coconut chutney. Also give the dessert dosa a try – it’s like a nutella crepe, yum!
ps. great for the budget traveller.
1-3, Sexy Food. 4-8, The Kitchen.
111 Sir Lowry Road.
I completely fell in love with this place as we walked in during the lunch rush on a particularly sunny and gorgeous day. Enjoy the buzz and the great staff which comes together in a lovely community atmosphere. Dig into the collection of salads and create your own plate choosing three or five of the dishes. Including rice dishes and various fresh and roasted vegetable concoctions. You can also add on delicious lentil falafel and houmous or avocado to top off your dream buddha bowl.
300 Albert Rd.
Enjoy giant cacao superfood smoothies and raw vegan tapas plate galore. Their green sushi with creamy avocado is fantastic too. I wish we had been able to come back to try more of the smoothies on offer here and again there’s a lovely buzz in this place, at least on a Saturday which was when we visited.
Stellenbosch Kloof Rd.
This place is a fine dining restaurant attached to the Jordan vineyard in Stellenbosch. All Jordan wines are vegan and the chef at the lovely restaurant offered Rob and I a lovely two course meal using fresh seasonal vegetables. Simply let them know ahead and they’ll take care of you. I’d definitely recommend taking the drive out to the vineyards and why not combine it with a special dining experience.
1-4, Raw and Roxy. 4-10, Jordan by George Jardine.
Honest Chocolate and The Gin Bar
64A Wale St.
Our first encounter with Honest Chocolate was at the Neighbour Goods Market where we bought two yummy slabs. But what I’d really encourage you to do is visit their beautifully designed cafe in the city centre where you can try their truffles and tarts, buy their slabs to take home and enjoy a selection of beverages. You can even try a sweet bunny chow here. Bunny chow being a Durban dish originally of which you hollow out half a bread loaf and fill it with curry. However the sweet version is made with a vegan banana bread muffin and dairy free ice cream.
Connected to the Honest Chocolate Cafe if you walk to the court yard at the back you’ll find a beautifully dingy (in a trendy way) gin bar opening in the afternoons until 2 am Tues-Sun. They serve four or five different creative gin cocktails using local ingredients. Even I tried one and it was really good!
211 Long St.
I had the most delicious yellow smoothie here full of pineapple, clementine, turmeric and all other things yellow. This is a great juice and smoothie bar that also offer light breakfast and lunch items with a few vegan options. The menu is clearly marked so you never need to get confused and the location is great as it’s located on Long Street which probably is the most central street and where a lot of restaurants are gathered around.
50 Kloof St (and more).
This chain offers a selection of fresh juices as well as yummy smoothies. Try the ‘Nut Milk’ smoothie without the honey it’s like a yummy milkshake. They also offer a variety of lunch foods that can be adapted for us vegans, although I have not tried these myself.
36 Buitenkant St.
Even though I don’t even drink coffee I had a blast at this steam punk inspired cafe. They really go all in with their theme and all the waitors are in costume, just check out the photos. If you’re into coffee this is a fantastic place to go whether your into the theme or not though as Rob had is best coffee experience in Cape Town here. You can also see the roasting process in action which is pretty cool!
1-5, Honest Chocolate. 6-7, The Gin Bar. 8-10, Orchard on Long.
DO AND SEE
Wine Tastings and Vineyard Tours
I don’t even drink alcohol but will still recommend going on a drive through the Stellenbosch area to learn about one of South Africa’s most appreciated exports; wine. My absolute favourite out of the four vineyards we visited was Reyneke, an organic and biodynamic farm which had such a down to earth approach. The main man Johann showed us around tightly followed by the Boerboel guard dog Charlie and her much smaller friend Princess. Johann taught us a bit about bodynamic farming and he let us try grapes and not yet completed wine as we went along. I actually felt touched by the community feel at the farm.
Another place i’d like to point you to Jordan Wine Estates because all the wines produced there are vegan and you can enjoy a gorgeous lunch here, simply ask them nicely to make you a vegan menu when you book.
A drive up and around Chapman’s Peak is breathtakingly beautiful and you can take this route on your way to Boulders Beach which you can read more about in my nest recommendation.
1 Kleintuin Rd.
Enjoy seeing South African penguins in their natural habitat at Boulders Beach. Unfortunately they’ve built the wooden pathway very close to the area of the penguins so you do feel like you’re a it of an intruder but the penguins seemed at ease. When we visited they were hatching their eggs and I felt so lucky to get to see the little ones huddle close to their mamas.
25A Albertus St & Buitenkant Street.
Rob and I only went to two museums during our stay and this was my favourite. The museum deals with the displacement of the people living in district six prior to the Apartheid regimes decision to ‘cleanse’ the area. If you would like to learn more about the realities of people’s lives during Apartheid this place will give you plenty of insight. Find factual information, personal stories and an array of photographs and items which will illustrate the oppression of ‘non-whites’ and the flattening of their homes.
1-3, Reyneke Wine Farm. 4-6, Boulders Beach. 7-8, District Six Museum.
This was the second museum we visited, and yes the whole island is considered a museum today. Visit the prison island where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned along with many other male freedom fighters of South Africa. You’ll have to make your way to the docks at the V&A waterfront to catch the bumpy ride to the island before a bus with a guide will take you an a brief excursion on the island. If you are only in Cape Town for a few days and have a busy schedule I’d skip this tour and try some other museums on the main land instead as the tour is rather brief. With that said it is truly special when at the end of the tour you get to meet one of the ex-prisoners who share the stories of the prison.
Cape Town’s nature is truly stunning and Table Mountain is really the epitome of that. Grab the cable car up the side of the mountain or take a hike up if you’re feeling brave – you won’t regret it!
Clifton Beach
This is a very popular Cape Town beach and it is gorgeous with crystal clear sharply blue water. I didn’t swim though as the temperature was roughly ten degrees celsius. And that was in the summer!
15 Wandel St.
If you are as hooked on yoga as I am and want to enjoy a sweaty flow in a lovely studio this is the place to come. Rob and I came here multiple times during our stay and always left very satisfied and full of light. You can also enjoy their small cafe with smoothies and salads before you head of to your next sight.
1-2, On route to/ on Robben Island. 3, V&A waterfront (Robben Island ferry port). 4-6, Table Mountain. 7-11, Shala Yoga Studio.
SHOPPING
The Old Biscuit Mill / Neighbourgoods Market
373 Albert Rd.
In the Woodstock area, a now up and coming hip part of Cape Town, you’ll find the Neighbourgoods Market on Saturdays. Lots of locally produced food, both to take home and to eat there along with a bunch of vendors selling other goods. A few vegan options are available but you don’t need to come for the food – just turn up for the festive atmosphere and enjoy browsing what Cape Town has to offer.
66 Albert Road.
In the same area as the Biscuit Mill you’ll find this hip and industrial looking shopping complex where you can enjoy a laid back cup of tea at Lady Bonin’s Tea Parlour, go shopping for vegan chocolate at the Honest Chocolate store and buy some unique shoes made from recycled materials at Grandt Mason Originals. All this and much more, a fun place to hang out for a morning or afternoon. I also saw that they have a yoga studio upstairs!
Long Street and Bree Street
If shopping is your idea of fun you can hop in and out of fun shops on these two streets in the city centre. As this is not really my forte I don’t have any particular favourites myself but I enjoyed simply cruising up and down these streets window shopping and was told this is where the shopping magic happens.
Lifestyle on Kloof, 50 Kloof St.
If you want to experience health food store deluxe head to the Wellness Warehouse Kloof for some serious health food retail therapy. You can also enjoy some food and a juice/smoothie etc at the in house cafe, unfortunately I didn’t get to try the food myself but it looked cheerful.
1-5, Biscuit Mill / Neighbourgoods Market. 6-9, Lady Bonin’s Tea Parlour. 10, Woodstock.
VEGAN AND GLUTEN FREE THIN PANCAKES W. CHOCOLATE SAUCE
Happy Sunday Everyone,
I’m hoping that these vegan thin pancakes will bring sunshine to your morning whether your in the sun, rain or snow! This has been a staple recipe in Rob’s and my ‘homes’ the last year or so. Wherever we’ve had a blender these pancakes have also been. My personal favourite is to use brown rice flour but buckwheat flour is also a trusted confidant in the making of these. Or why not go half and half!
As you will notice in this post they can take a couple different forms depending on what flour you use and the very dark look here above was the result of using Bob Mill’s buckwheat flour and the more photogenic batch at the bottom was made using a rice flour blend, meaning both white and brown rice flour. In all honesty I was a bit gutted filming the video here below with said buckwheat flour as these pancakes can look probably ten times better than that, which I think exhibit rice pancake proves.
Looks aside though these pancakes are so easy to make and as far as the taste goes these pancakes would not be a staple if they weren’t yummy. Using the buckwheat flour they’ll have a more earthy taste and the lighter you go with your flour the less taste you’ll get from it, meaning that if you use all purpose flour they’ll be rather neutral in flavour. Personally I like pancakes in (I think) all flavours, size and shapes!
If you are into more American style pancakes in opposition to my crepe style Swedish pancake here you can simply down size the amount of milk used to create a thicker batter. If making a thicker version I also like to add some shredded coconut and sometimes I even add some blueberries to the batter. It’s pancakes after all, get as decadent as you please! That is also what the chocolate sauce is for, but don’t worry it’s pretty ‘healthy’as far as chocolate sauce and again it is super easy. It will literally take you three minutes if that. And really that’s what we want on a Sunday morning, right?! x
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VEGAN THIN PANCAKES
PORTIONS: Roughly 8 pancakes / TIME: 30 min
Chocolate sauce:
3 tbsp raw cacao powder
2 tbsp rice syrup/maple syrup
1-2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
1-2 tbsp warm water (if using a thin syrup like maple you probably won’t need this
Pancakes:
1 1/2 tbsp flax seed meal
1 cup buckwheat or brown rice flour
1 1/4 cup plant milk (I like oat milk)
1 medium sized banana
Pinch of salt
A little oil for frying
1 tsp vanilla powder, optional
1 tbsp rice syrup/maple syrup, optional
Serving suggestion:
1 cup fresh or frozen berries
To prepare the chocolate sauce simply place all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Refrigerate whilst you prepare the pancakes.
If serving with berries simply clean and cut as you wish. If using frozen berries I like to thaw them in a pan with a little sweetener, simply leave this on a very low heat whilst you prepare your pancakes.
Place all of the pancake ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth, then set aside for roughly 10 minutes for the flax seed to gel with the mixture.
Heat a skillet/frying pan over medium heat with a little coconut oil, or heat tolerant oil of your choice.
Pour some of the mixture into the pan and tilt the pan from side to side until the batter has spread thin. Let the pancake fry until bubbles appear on the surface and the top is starting to solidify. Then flip and fry until the now bottom surface has got some colour.
Repeat with the rest of the batter.
(If you want you could keep the fried pancakes in the oven at 100 degrees celsius to keep hot whilst you fry the rest of the batter).
TRAVEL: A VEGAN GUIDE TO STOCKHOLM
Hej på er (‘hi guys’ in Swedish),
This January Rob and I spent roughly a month in Stockholm trying to figure out if we could see ourselves there in the future. It was rather hard to make up our minds as our brains were slowly freezing to ice in the -18 degrees celsius weather but we did manage to explore parts of the vegan scene and of course I want to share it with you in this Stockholm vegan guide. I’ve included all the places we had yummy food at as well as some that I was dying to visit but didn’t manage to due to a persistent cold that hit hard a few days before we left. Tip no. 1; never leave the things you want to do the most for the last few days! That actually goes for everything in life really.
I was glad to see that there are quite a few places for me to explore and occupy my mind with when in Stockholm and for Rob and I to explore together as well! Having spent half of my childhood in a suburb to Stockholm I wasn’t so sure I’d really enjoy the city and whilst it was hard to see past the heavy grey clouds some days there’s no denying that Stockholm is a beautiful city! There’s water all around and it’s lovely crossing bridges to explore new areas of the city. Our conclusion after doing so for a few days is that the hip Södermalm area probably is the most vegan friendly part of Stockholm. Although the more fancy vegan dining experiences seem to be found around Vasastan going towards the city centre.
Anywho, ones you’ve read about all the food down below you can scroll further and check out my favourite grocery/health store experiences as well as sights/look out points and museums I recommend. I’ve even included some other shopping recommendations which really isn’t my forte. Stockholm however is very shopping friendly and even though I myself don’t buy too many things I like to window shop and pick pretty things up off the shelf and look at them up close. Even if I don’t take them home!
During our visit Rob and I filmed in a few of the places mentioned in this post and that way documented snippets of our experience as we went along. I put them all together in the video just above this paragraph and am hoping that you’ll feel tempted to press the play arrow. This is something I’m working on at the moment, take video footage that is, to share a more alive image of what I get up to with you all. If you’ve been over on my youtube channel sharing names with this blog you’ll know what I’m talking about.
Lastly before you go off into the Stockholm wilderness that is this post I wanted to alert you of my past vegan city guides because we can all use a little guidance now and again! Read about Rob’s mother’s birth place Budapest, my personal favourite Berlin or my most popular guide to London simply by clicking their names here! And then enjoy the rest of this post of course. x
If you’ve been to Stockholm yourself please share with us your favourite places in the comments and if you’re going and have questions fire away in that space too!
STHLM Raw.
FOOD AND DRINK
Skånegatan 87.
It wasn’t the best falafel I’ve ever had but definitely a pleasant experience in probably the hippest part of Sodermalm. Both Rob and I really enjoyed the interior of this falafel place and it was probably the most fancy looking falafel either of us have ever eaten. Would recommend to falafel lovers wanting to try a fancy falafel but I will stress again that it wasn’t my favourite falafel on the planet.
Swedenborgsgatan 1.
What a gem! A tiny little health food store come noodle bar with only two options per day where one is a soup and the other a salad. Both varieties of noodles offered on the day we went were gluten free and the topping options included a delicious mango curry tofu. Two of the sauces were vegan as well and we were in noodle heaven. The bowls came out lined with edamame beans, red cabbage, roasted butternut squash and a hep of sprouts. I also spotted some raw vegan desserts. Definitely worth a visit!
My doctor’s favorite joke is “Cialis can erect anything”. And he is, actually, right. I take this drug for a couple of years. Not daily, but still. My point is that it’s the best. No need to think about taking a pill during the date because you can easily take it long hours before and be ready for intercourse at any time within almost two days.
Fjällgatan 23B.
This is the first vegetarian restaurant I visited in Stockholm when I was still a carnivore but had just met Rob and wanted to take him somewhere he would feel comfortable. And an added bonus is that the location of this restaurant which is on top a hill can be very romantic with it’s gorgeous view of Stockholm across the water. The food is buffet style with many vegan options, well worth your time both for the food but more importantly the view.
Hornsgatan 80.
Probably the place you’ll want to find when you’re budget is starting to diminish with the rather high Stockholm prices. Again this is another buffet style place, although here they’ll plate it up so you don’t need to worry about hygiene, with quite typical vegetarian fare like casseroles, salads and bakes. Many vegan options, delicious and good bank for buck with a cosy feel. Also great for takeaway.
Timmermansgatan 19.
A small organic cafe come deli where everything on the menu is gluten free. We found this place and had some hot drinks on a particularly cold outing but on another date we came for lunch and had a vegan refried bean quesadilla as well as a bean chilli served with quinoa. It seems a popular lunch spot as there were quite a few people chowing away both of the times we went. Unfortunately we weren’t really blown away by the food but it was at a good price point and very filling. We had a delicious oat mylk hot chocolate here though and that’s what I would come back for! Although I also saw that they have a few raw desserts, and I do have a weakness for those.
1-5, Snickarbacken 7. 6, Kaffeverket.
Åsögatan 166.
With the fitting name ‘soul food’ this one man operation offers lunches, fresh juices, home made kombucha and raw desserts at yoga studio Nirvana in Sodermalm. The food is simple but delicious and the ingredients carefully sourced. The chef is a friendly and very passionate chap who took the time to serve us even though we came on a weekend when he is usually not open, we lucked out as there was a workshop going on at the yoga studio. This place comes highly recommended!
Sveavägen 105.
A Japanese restaurant where they have a separate vegan menu and make the tofu on site. We enjoyed the atmosphere of this restaurant and the food was good too. I especially liked the little tofu balls which came in the ‘Kokyo gryta’ meaning Kokyo stew. They really reminded me of Swedish meatballs, I never thought I’d say it but if you’re vegan and what to have a taste of the Swedish meatball go to this Japanese restaurant. I wouldn’t recommend the sushi but all the other dishes we saw coming out of the kitchen looked delicious.
Långholmsgatan 11.
This was our favourite raw food cafe out of two. Maybe our favourite cafe full stop, or at least tied with Kaffeverket. We enjoyed a delcious nori wrap with fresh sprouts, nut paste and other goodies as well as a heavenly raw creamy caramel slice. The girls behind this place just released a book full of raw desserts so definitely don’t miss out when you visit. I also loved the turmeric latte here and the matcha latte was ace too.
Bondegatan 6.
This is the second raw food cafe we visited during our stay in Stockholm and we enjoyed the raw pizza as well as the beet burger. I think this place would be great for take away as they pack boxes ready to grab from the fridge and it’s conveniently located in SoFo, Sodermalm, where there is lots of shops to browse and cafes to chill at.
1-2, Sally Voltaire och Systrar. 3, Matapoteket. 4-6, Kokyo.
Bondegatan 64.
Another Sodermalm hang out place although this cafe gets seriously busy. It is the hip of the hip I guess and the menu is very simple yet effective. Enjoy vegan chia pudding and green smooties. I’m not sure what the lunch deal is here and I’m quite sure I didn’t see any vegan sweet stuff but breakfast or a coffee/tea here is great.
These cafes are affiliated and offer the same menu. Snickarbacken 7 offers lots of space for working and even though it was very busy when we were there it didn’t get cramped. It also has a concept store attached to it with fancy stuff to take home. Kaffeverket on the other hand does get busy and rather full but I prefered the atmosphere here and the staff were very friendly. Enjoy there fantastic turmeric chai latte, vegan smoothies, a vegan salad bowl , soup and breakfast items like chia pudding and oatmeal.
Plan 2, Åhlens City, Drottninggatan 45.
Very conveiently located at the Swedish department store Ahlens in the central part of Stockholm opposite Kulturhuset (Cultural Centre) you’ll find this health focused cafe. There were at least three vegan options on our visit and we enjoyed a tofu and noodle salad special as well as their traiditonal vegan Buddha bowl with two types of houmous and other good stuff.
Skånegatan 79.
This is one of the cafes I used to visit when I studied in Stockholm and it’s still a favourite with it’s quirky design, friendly staff and giant tea cups. You’ll find at least one vegan friendly salad bowl here.
8t8.
PLACES I MISSED BUT WOULD LIKE TO VISIT
Odengatan 94.
This very cute Vietnamese place has a separate vegan menu and even a vegan dessert on offer and I can’t wait until next time I’m in Stockholm to eat here. This will be the first place I visit on my next trip!
Luntmakargatan 74.
A vegetarian Chinese restaurant with rather hefty prices. It’s meant to be delicious though and the lunch deal is very price worthy according to the internet.
Hornsgatan 39B.
I was told the best falafel is to be had here so I’m sad I missed it. If you guys get the chance to go please let me know f it is as good as they say!
Akki Sushi
Folkungagatan 45.
This place is as cool as can be according to hear say; it has no sign and the chefs are full of tattoos (and skills). Next time I’m going to check out the vegan selection for sure.
Organico.
FOOD AND HEALTH SHOPS
Skånegatan 92 (and Hornsgatan 176).
A small but very well stocked health food store that is completely vegetarian. I got some tempeh on sale here which made me very happy and my favourite Vivani chocolate which I haven’t found anywhere else. Recommended!
Brännkyrkagatan 62.
Oh yes! A completely (or at least almost) organic supermarket with anything you can imagine. Great selection of produce and products with everything from a bulk section from nuts and grains to beauty products. The price point seem similar to other organic produce/products here in Stockholm at other stores but you can enjoy browsing the shelves without thinking about whether something is organic. Thumbs up for this place!
Folkungagatan 68.
I really enjoy this health food store, they have a great selection of supplements, whole foods and fresh produce. A one stop health food shop.
Nytorget 4 / Sveavägen 44.
A very hip and popular deli with adjoining cafe and restaurant. I’m not sure how vegan friendly the cafe/restaurant is ut the deli is fun with many vegan staples. A fun shopping experience.
Stora Nygatan 6 (and Krukmakargatan 27).
You can sit down for fika at this bakery too, and for this I’d recommend the branch in Gamla Stan. But it’s a great place to pick up bread and vegan sweet treats galore to eat in your hotel room or even better if you’re in an AirBnb. You can also find vegan pirougise as well as other savoury foods for a lunch time bite. This place is down right cheap for Stockholm and even though the goods don’t look that fancy you must try them. Go for the carob brownie slab, it’s delicious. Or the classic; a vegan cinnamon roll (although it is not that similar to the ones I grew up eating).
Rosenlundsgatan 28 / Fleminggatan 83 / Lilla Nygatan 12.
You might have heard that Stockholm is the capital of Sourdough baking and if there’s a place that proves the point it’s Fabrique. Enjoy a generous hunk at one of their three shops or take it back with you to your AirBnb/Hotel room for a luxurious breakfast treat! Disclaimer; I didn’t see any gluten-free bread on my visit.
Renstiernas gata 27.
A shop only selling their own brand of organic food stuffs. Lots of whole foods in charming packaging to cook up in your AirBnb or nuts and other snack friendly foods for your hand bag as you peruse the city.
1-2, Fabrique. 3-5 Sattva Naturbageri.
OTHER SHOPPING
Hökens gata 7.
A completely vegan shoe and accessories store with high standards when it comes to ethics. I actually bought some winter boots here during my visit and the very friendly lady helped me make a good choice that I would not have thought of myself. It is super cute/cool/kitshy and we were even offered some coffee in their parlour. There’s also a tattoo studio in the same room that I assume is vegan too so if you’re into your ink they’ve got you covered. Well worth a visit!
Hornsgatan 64.
Okay, maybe you won’t want to shop here unless you have some serious dollar in your pocket. For us mortals window shopping is maybe more the word here. Very attractive store with various retro items and even some plants. Very enjoyable and inspiring!
I like the branch on Bondegatan but you’ll find this charity shop chain all over Stockholm. Enjoy some Swedish leftovers in the capital, sometimes you find real gems and since Stockholmers are into their brands you’ll find rather expensive items at good prices.
All over, check website for exact locations.
Another charity shop chain dotted around the city where you could make a good deal.
Hornsgatan 65.
Rob and I stumbled upon this vintage store, which is actually affiliated with Brandstationen mentioned above, and even though a few items weren’t vegan friendly they did have a lot of good looking clothes. Note that this is men’s wear but in all honesty we all wear clothes right? I saw many jumpers I’d consider wearing, men’s wear or not.
FLFL.
DO AND SEE
Galärvarvsvägen 14.
This museum is dedicated to the famous (at least in Sweden) Gustav Vasa’s ship which sank not far from the harbour on it’s first mission having been built more on aesthetics than functionality. The ship was saved from the sea however and can now be viewed here.
Hamngatan 4.
A museum I have yet tovisit myself but have heard many good things about. It’s the old home of the Hallwyl family and they have been told to have had a very interesting sense of fashion.
Look out points
Enjoy great views of the city on Västerbron; a bridge connecting Kungsholmen to Hornstull. You’ll also find good look out points in these locations; Monteliusvägen and Skinnarviksberget.
Sergels torg.
The cultural centre is a big building in the centre of the city with a theatre, a library and a few project spaces. You’ll also find a couple of cafes here and in the summer it’s great to sit on the roof terrace. A good meet up and hang out spot.
Barnhusgatan 12-14.
If you enjoy the art of dance this is the most well known stage where I guess the most well known names travelling to Sweden will perform. I’ve been here a couple of times myself and have always enjoyed myself.
Galärvarvsvägen 8.
This is the wonder land of the Astrid Lindgren stories and is great for kids; both young and older. If you love the stories you’ll enjoy this museum.
SoFo
Södermalm.
Enjoy cruising the streets of the hipster capital of Stockholm. Find many cosy and interesting cafes here as well as a bunch of independent shops.
Gamla Stan
The old town with it’s winding mini streets and touristy shops is a fu pass time for a few hours on your visit. I enjoy the atmosphere even though it can be a complete toursit trap. Avoid shopping here, simply window shop and grab a vegan treat at Sattva Naturbageri.
1, In the tube. 2, View of Gamla Stan. 3, Rob looking out over Vasterbron.
FUSS FREE PEANUT BUTTER OATMEAL COOKIES
Sunday Greetings,
As I write this post it’s Saturday evening here in Dubai and I’ve frankly been working with this post for easy making peanut butter oatmeal cookies a little too long into the evening. Mainly because I started to make preparations too late due to a slight obsession of youtube, and this fantastic resource reaches into infinity I’m afraid (save me). I’m pleased and content to be here though at this hour as this recipe post has been made all in one day from baking to finished online mode. The recipe testing excluded.
It is actually very satisfying producing and completing something all in one day and if you have the opportunity to do this in your work or on a personal project I’d like to recommend this experience. Whilst I do enjoy slow processes and taking time to produce material of good quality which sometimes takes time. I also find that there’s a lot of pressure to be perfect within each thing we do and at the same time there’s pressure to produce quickly. In this recipe and post I tried to find a simplicity that enabled me to produce something I could be content with in a short time frame.
It’s good to allow oneself to try something new and different and see where one can go within unexplored limits. I’m working on accepting things for what they are at the same time as I’m trying to find a way to make something I’m proud of – it sometimes paradoxical but this is part of the process.
That was a little nugget from within my brain and with that I suggest we continue on to the recipe itself, all you need to do is scroll a little further.
I’ve said it before; there are not enough treats on this blog of mine and so here I offer you a new one to build on a collection I hope will grow large and bountiful over this next year and even years to come after that. This time I give you simple peanut butter oatmeal cookies that contain all the things I love in a cookie; oats and peanut butter of course but also desiccated coconut and a gooey sweetness from rice malt syrup.
These cookies are crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside just the way I like them. You might want to keep them in the fridge as this gooey centre will last better there and I’d recommend baking them a little more before eating them next time. But if you don’t have time they’ll be just as good cold, they might however loose a little of their crispy edge ones packaged and stored, hence my re-baking suggestion.
Now I hope you’ve been planning a Sunday full of baking and that you’ve found this post inspiring for that precise purpose. And stay tuned for next week for another sweet experience; but that time it will be a more breakfast friendly topic.
x
PEANUT BUTTER OATMEAL COOKIES
PIECES: 12-14 / TIME: 40 min
1 1/4 cup oats (flaked)
2/3 cup dessicated coconut
1 banana, mashed
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup brown rice syrup
1 tsp vanilla powder, optional
1/4 cup nuts or dried fruit, optional
Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius.
Mash the banana in a mixing bowl and then stir together with the peanut butter and brown rice syrup until smooth.
Add remaining ingredients and mix until well combined.
Place a baking sheet on a baking tray and proceed to roll and the cookie dough into 12-14 equally sized balls, place them in equal spacing on the tray.
Press in the middle of each ball with a fork to make the shape of a rustic cookie.
Bake for roughly 25-30 minutes or until the edges are golden and firm and the middle slightly softer.
Let cool for 10 min or more.
LINK LOVE: FEBRUARY 2016
Hello and welcome,
To another link love post where I share the things that have come into my life and brought some light, reflection or joy the past month. I thought I’d start of with a little bit about what I’ve been up to though and if you read this blog regularly you’ll know that I spent the last three weeks or so in South Africa and man! that was such a special experience for me. Not only did I get to set foot on a continent I’ve never connected with before but I met Rob’s extended family and got to see two rather different cities; Durban and Cape Town.
My most prominent realisation amongst all the nerves and awe was that I was meant to be born in a tropical climate, I do have a feeling that I’m not the only person thinking this when travelling though. And it’s always (or usually) easier being a guest than an inhabitant somewhere which I guess is my next realisation. As Rob and I discuss where to settle for an extended time I need to become comfortable with the fact that I’m a little scared of settling and taking on bigger responsibilities. I have also been thinking that really we create our own environments at large and with a positive attitude, a lot of love and flexibility any place can become a home.
This was a rather concise overview of thoughts going through my mind and where I’ve been and what I’ve seen but stay tuned for a post on my impressions of Cape Town and a little guide to my favourite places there coming up after I manage to get my Stockholm guide up here on the blog. Also enjoy the images accompanying my lists with lots of moments from my South African adventure.
Now let’s get sharing, clicking and enjoying what life has to offer!
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I’VE DECIDED that I’ll always start with some music to set the tone for the post or maybe simply to share what’s been playing as I lived my life the past month. Having spent most of February in South Africa and getting really excited to go there prior to actually physically being there Rob and I played a compilation record called Next Stop Soweto and more specifically vol. 4 which has gathered a selection of ‘Zulu Rock, Afro-Disco and Mbaqanga’ between the years of 1975 and 1985. This is my absolute favourite song on that album; Khomo tsaka deile kae by Marumo and to me this is the ultimate soul music because despite the fact that I have no idea what the singer is sharing through his lyrics it really has a way of burrowing straight into my heart and spreading through my body making me dance with a slightly heavy heart. This really reflects my experience of South Africa as it really is the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen and with so much heart making me just smile my brightest smiles and wanting dance down the street. However at the same time my own heart was heavy from seeing what apartheid caused the people of South Africa and the very clear remnants still affecting people and the country at large.
Murials in Woodstock and Lady Bonin’s Tea Parlour at the Woodstock Exchange.
THIS TIME I thought I’d start with the recipes that have been making me want to get in the kitchen again and cook up a storm. And I just want to say that I feel so grateful for all the bloggers and vloggers out there providing so much inspiration virtually for free. I cannot encourage you guys enough to really click around through these posts and get familiar with all these fantastic vegan food creators.
– Harissa Tofu Scramble by Dreamy Leaf
– Naco Style Pop Corn by the Green Life
– Mint Chocolate Power Bars by This Rawsome Vegan Life
– Celeric Puree Dish by Renne Kemps/Harvest
(this blog is not actually vegan but omit the honey from this dish and enjoy the gorgeous plating and photographs)
Flowers in Woodstock, Cape Town, and me getting ready for dinner with Rob’s family in our hotel The Concierge in Durban.
NOW LET’S look at something else but staying with the vegan train, as always with me. I’ve been doing some research on vegan/natural/organic cosmetics and beauty care and thought I’d share a few things on my current wish list in this field as well as two products that I’ve acquired this past month and am enjoying a lot. If you have experience with any of the products on my wish list I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comment field!
Let’s start with my currents:
– Jojoba Oil by SOIL (for face, body and make up remover)
– Pink Grapefruit Juice Natural Lip Balm by Crazy Rumors
And now to my wish list:
– Hot Mess Solid Perfume by Aromi
– Fruit Pigmented Mimosa Blush by 100% Pure
– Body, Hair and Face oils by Lani
A ‘fika’ at Honest Chocolate.
AND AGAIN I’d like to share some links to places I enjoyed visiting the last month and since most of them were in Cape Town I’ll let these links be specific to that city. Even if you’re not there physically you might want to check out these places for inspiration for your own home cooking or for seeing some beautiful places including the cosiest yoga studio I’ve visited.
If you have any links of your own to share with us please do so in the comments. x
Buddha Bowl at Sexy Food.
DECADENT TRIPLE NUT VEGAN CHOCOLATE BROWNIES
It’s my last day in Cape Town but I’ve been sitting on this gem that is my decadent tripple nut vegan chocolate brownies for way too long and thought this was a suitable to share it with you all. Consider it a weekend treat, from me to you! But before I get into the nitty gritty of these brownies let’s talk a little bit about Cape Town and what a beauty this country is. Now I’ve only visited two cities here in South Africa but I’m completely smitten with the warm atmosphere, both in the weather and the general air of the place. Cape Town is truly stunning with mountains, the sea with harbour and beaches, the city life, all the vineyards and everything in between. I wrote on my instagram a couple of days ago that ‘if you get the chance to visit South Africa grab a hold of it with both hands and don’t let go’ and I stick by it.
Of course this country has a rather sinister recent history and there are many remnants to observe and contemplate on a visit which can be done in general society or a handful of museums here in Cape Town. With that said there are many things that should be celebrated on a visit; the diversity of people and languages represented, the sun, the beautiful nature as well as the the up and coming vegan scene are just a few I can come up with off the top of my head. And we have really tried to explore the latter as much as possible so prepare yourself for a guide to my favourite spots in Cape Town coming to the blog soon.
For now though; kick back, relax and check out the last of the videos Rob and I filmed in Mauritius. It’s lovely to see that gorgeous Mauritian light and the brownies are looking pretty good too I think. If you like the videos I’ve been sharing here I’d love it if you’d head over to Youtube to subscribe to the channel – then you’ll never miss a video again!
Now to those little bundles of joy that are my tripple nut brownies. I enjoy sweet things way more than I make them for myself and these were my go at making myself something decadently sweet and chocolatey during our time in Mauritius. Luckily I did a good job on them and can be here today to share with you. As you can tell from the name they are full of nuts so if you’re allergic I’m very sorry about this and do let me know if you would like me to make a nut-free dessert here on the blog! For the rest of us I must say that nuts are something I love to the core of my being and they are great at adding both crunch and creamy goodness and that’s what I’ve been letting them do here. As always the recipe is gluten free and here the nuts step in as well with ground almonds blended with my go to flour buckwheat.
Now to those little bundles of joy that are my tripple nut brownies. I enjoy sweet things way more than I make them for myself and these were my go at making myself something decadently sweet and chocolatey during our time in Mauritius. Luckily I did a good job on them and can be here today to share with you. As you can tell from the name they are full of nuts so if you’re allergic I’m very sorry about this and do let me know if you would like me to make a nut-free dessert here on the blog! For the rest of us I must say that nuts are something I love to the core of my being and they are great at adding both crunch and creamy goodness and that’s what I’ve been letting them do here. As always the recipe is gluten free and here the nuts step in as well with ground almonds blended with my go to flour: buckwheat.
Other than that I’m using my favourite sweetener here which is brown rice syrup but feel free to take out a tablespoon or two of the rice syrup in exchange for maple syrup. This will bring an even more decadently rich and warm sweetness to your brownies. But at the end of the day they are brownies and in any form they come they are usually welcomed with open arms. Which is what I hope you will do with this recipe. With that I’m going to leave you from Cape Town and next time you’ll hear from me I’ll be writing from Dubai for a little while as Rob and I decide where our feet should take us next.
Enjoy! x
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TRIPLE NUT BROWNIES
PORTIONS: 9 brownies in a 20×20 cm mold / TIME: 45 min
4 tbsp milled chia seed + 10 tbsp water
1 cup almonds, ground (heaped 1,5 cup almond meal)
1 cup buckwheat flour
1/2 cup cacao or unsweetened cocoa
2 tsp vanilla powder
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 cup brown rice syrup
3 tbsp maple syrup
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup cashew butter
1/3 cup pecan nuts, optional
Preheat oven to 165 degrees celsius.
Mill chia seeds in a blender and mix four tablespoons with water and set aside (side note: 4 tbsp whole chia seeds will make more chia meal when ground).
Oil a 20×20 cm (8×8 inch) oven dish and use one or two tablespoons of almond meal to cover all the surfaces on top of the oil. This will prevent your brownies from sticking in the pan.
Mix all dry ingredients except for the pecan nuts in a bowl. Then mix all wet ingredients in a separate bowl before mixing the wet mixture into the dry one.
Add the chia seed mixture which should not be a gel like consistency.
Transfer the mixture into your prepared dish.
Break the pecan nuts up slightly and spread over the top of the brownie batter in the pan.
Bake for 30-40 min in the middle of the oven. Check if it’s ready by sticking a knife into the middle, if it comes out clean your brownies are done.
Let cool completely before cutting into nine squares, take care not to break the brownies as you cut into the cake.
Keep in the fridge for long lasting treats. Tastes great heated up or cold from the fridge. Freezes well too.
TOMATO, ADUKI BEAN AND SUNFLOWER SEED SPREAD
Greetings from Cape Town,
I hope you are all well and I’m pleased to tell you that I’m having a beautiful time here in South Africa. As you can tell from my hello phrase I’ve yet again relocated and this time to Cape Town. I’m having lots and heaps of fun here and filming and photographing as I go along so I have lots to share with you when I get back! But if you want to see some glimpses of what I’m up to before then head over to my instagram account. But before then I have this yummy recipe to share with you for an easy to make tomato sunflower spread with aduki beans. I made this the first time on the same day as I conjured up last weeks recipe which means that this spread goes perfectly with my super seeded cracker bread.
I hope you enjoy this video where I share the process of this recipe and if you haven’t yet and like what I do please subscribe to Good Eating’s YouTube channel and you’ll never miss a video again!
I will keep my recipe ramble brief today as I am trying to seep in all of Cape Town with every breath and whilst I love sharing with you here in this space I don’t want to steal time from the rough week I have left here.
This recipe was inspired by a sandwich spread by the Danish organic bran Urtekram that my mother has been getting for Rob and I when we visit her. I always think that things like that can be recreated at a much lower cost than buying the pre-made product so I decided to embark on a little trial and error adventure. This adventure was however rather short lived as I loved my first version and making it again I knew I had to share this revelation with you.
It is very quick and easy to make which seems to have become my new motto – quick and easy! All you need is a good food processor with an s-blade to really get those soaked sunflower seeds into a paste along with my new favourite bean; the aduki and Rob’s favourite ingredient at the moment; sun dried tomatoes. I spice it up with dried basil, tamari and nutritional yeast but by all means go wild and find your own flavour combinations. You could also swap the beans for what you have at home.
I really hope you enjoy and I’m sending all of you who stick with me here on the blog lots of sunny love from Africa!
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TOMATO, ADUKI BEAN AND SUNFLOWER SEED SPREAD
MAKES: Roughly 1,5 cups / TIME: 10-15 min + soaking time
1/2 cup sunflower seeds, soaked over night
2/3 cup aduki beans, cooked or canned
2 tbsp tomato puree/paste
8 oil marinated sun dired tomatoes + 1 tbsp marinade oil
1 tbsp tamari (or soya sauce)
1 1/2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tbsp dried basil
Black pepper and salt to taste
Rinse and drain your soaked sunflower seeds.
Add into a food processor with an s-blade along with all other ingredients.
Keep refrigerated in an air tight container for up to a week.
SUPER SEEDED CRACKER BREAD
Greetings from Durban,
I’ve made it to South Africa and am visiting my partner’s family in the sun. I wish I could share it with you all but for now if you want to see some glimpses of what I’m up to you’ll have to go on over to my instagram account @goodeatings. Today I want to share another recipe with you guys and it’s one close to my heart; seeded cracker bread.
During my time in Sweden this winter I started having major cravings for this cracker bread or ‘Knäckebröd’ as we say in Swedish. Unfortunately with my gluten intolerance there isn’t much choice for me in the super market and the gluten free options often have a lot of strange ingredients that I deem unnecessary. So instead I made my own cracker bread with all my favourite seeds, because when you make your own food you can do whatever you like and break the traditional mold to suit your taste and needs. I like to call it the super seeded cracker bread because it has all the seeds I had on hand when making it the first time and with that many types of seeds it’s truly a super kind of bread.
Don’t get scared off by my ingredients list though; as with many of my recipes this too is adaptable to what you have at home. The only seed I wouldn’t swap is the chia seed, but actually you could even swap that if you have some flax seeds on hand instead. These both have a gelling effect and will help keep this bread together. Otherwise feel free to use your favourites at the same quantity as listed in the recipe and leave out the rest. I would however suggest that you mix some smaller seeds with bigger ones and for you not to add too many chia or flax seeds as they might add too much binding force.
You could also swap out the buckwheat flour for brown rice flour or if you eat gluten I think spelt flour would do a good job here. My first batch I used a lighter buckwheat flour which turned the bread nice and golden but as you see in my video here below the flour I used made them rather dark. I’m not sure I like that or not but the flavour stayed the same which is the most important thing and at the end of the day it’s great to have a versatile recipe at hand when you need a crispy bread fix.
Check out my cracker bread video for the whole method and some Swedish vibes crossed with Dubai winter light and if you want to stay updated on what’s up on my youtube channel subscribe to it right here.
If you have ever had Dr. Karg crisp bread I think you will have an a-ha moment crunching into this bread. I used to love their products and Rob is still a fan of their sesame bread. Something I also enjoyed in their breads were the different flavours and I’d like to encourage you to try adding spices and flavours to this recipe. Dried herbs are fantastic for this task and if you are feeling adventurous try adding a little bit of onion and/or garlic powder for a savoury dinner table side. In Sweden cracker bread is often a staple at the dinner table, give it a go! You could also try more warm and sweet spices like the ones often found in the traditional Swedish bread spice mix like crushed fennel seed and star anise as well as a little cumin. Being the fan I am of cardamom I think that would work nicely into the mix as well but whatever floats your boat really
Try this bread with houmous or just on the side of your Buddha bowl as a crispy addition Swedish style. Or for a sweet option peanut butter and jelly is always a given right?! (although I like to go for chia jam in place of the sugary fruit spreads bought at the store, try my recipe here). Finally I hope you find this recipe useful and that it brings you as much crunchy seed joy as it brought me in my cravings.
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SUPER SEEDED CRACKER BREAD
SIZE: 1 regular sized baking tray / TIME: 60 min
1 cup buckwheat flour (or brown rice or spelt flour)
2/3 cup sunflower seeds
2/3 cup pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup hemp hearts
1/2 cup sesame seeds
3 tbsp chia seeds
2/3 – 1 cup water, start with 2/3 and add more if needed
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and other seasonings to taste
Preheat oven to 175 degrees celsius.
Mix all the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and then add 2/3 cup water as well as the oil and mix again. If the dough seems dry at this point and is not sticky then continue adding water until it is moist and sticky.
Rest the mixture for roughly 30 min, this will give the chia seeds plenty of time to gel together with the other ingredients.
Spread the mixture out on a baking sheet placed upon a baking try using your hands or a spatula. This part gets a little sticky but it’s well worth it. It should not be too thick ones spread, roughly half a centimeter or a little less.
If desired score the bread with a knife into the shape you’d like your cracker bread and bake for 30 min,
After the initial baking time remove the tray and baking sheet and bake your crackers for another 15 minutes or so straight on the oven rack. The bread should be fairly solid when done.
Let your bread cool on a cooling rack before breaking it into pieces and enjoying it with your favourite spreads.
MASSAGED KALE SALAD W. SEEDS AND SUNDRIED TOMATO
Hello,
It’s Sunday and I know many of you out there like to do some meal prep today for the coming week. I thought I’d lend a helping hand with this quick and easy massaged kale salad that is great as a side for most dishes and works perfectly as a base for larger salad bowls or Buddha bowls as well.
Many people I meet say that they tried kale but it never worked for them and I completely understand where they’re coming from. Especially if you’re not really into the green flavours to begin with. However I’ll always argue that everyone can like any vegetable- you just need to find that way of preparing it to make your taste buds dance.
With kale peparation is key! I’d never eat kale straight of the stem as it is rather dense and tough to chew. My three favourite ways of preparing kale is to roast it like I do in my ultimate cheesy crispy kale recipe, sweating it in a pan with a lid along with some garlic until tender or I simply massage it with some kind of dressing or simple lemon and salt until it becomes much more pleasant to pop in my mouth. And this is what I want to share with you today. It really is the most easy way of getting kale into your diet and as already mentioned it is a great side or base for endless combinations.
Rob and I made another video demonstrating the process for this recipe so check it out here! And if you want subscribe to Good Eating’s YouTube channel to never miss a video.
I think I’ve perfected the massaged kale salad in this recipe and I love the combination of tahini, tamari/soy sauce and lemon as the ‘massage oil’ or dressing. It’s earthy and light all at ones and brings lots of flavour to the green curly kale. I choose curly kale because it is one of the more tender varieties of kale but feel free to play around with different varieties. If using a more tough variety you might find that you need to massage it for longer.
I don’t have kids myself but I can image this being quite a satisfying job for little hands eager to help in the kitchen. And over all I find it very satisfying myself to get my hands dirty and touch the food. We don’t often do that these days and I think it’s a lovely way of interacting with what’s going on your plate, a very grounding kitchen practice. You can put a lot of love into this salad if you massage it with care and by focusing completely on this task consider who you’re cooking for and send your energy into the food with them in mind. This is something I’ve learned from macrobiotics the last few months; to really care for the energy I put into things to make sure that I’m getting out of tit what it is that I want and need.
Back to the ingredients temselves I include sun dried tomatoes in this recipe to enhance the flavour of the dish and I also add seeds for crunch. Feel free to change it up here as well; other crunchies that could work well are sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds or some chopped nuts. I like almonds, walnuts, pecans and pistachios. And if you have a minute over why not toast them to deepen the flavour? You could add chopped olives in place or as an addition to the sun dried tomatoes. Go with the flow and see how you feel – what do you want on your plate? And most important of all – enjoy!
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MASSAGED KALE SALAD W. SEEDS AND SUNDRIED TOMATO
PORTIONS: 5-6 as a side dish or salad base / TIME: 10-15 min
6-7 medium/large curly kale stems
3 tbsp tahini
2 tbsp tamari (or soya sauce)
1/2 lemon, only the juice
8 marinated sundried tomatoes, chopped
2-3 tbsp hemp hearts
2-3 tbsp sesame seeds
Sprouts of choice (I used garlic sprouts), optional
Clean your kale, remove the stems and then chop the kale finely. Place it in a mixing bowl.
Add tahini, tamari and lemon juice and massage kale for roughly 5 minutes. Don’t be afraid to really get your hands dirty and get in there properly, really try to break down the fibre of the kale to make it tender.
Chop your sundried tomatoes and add them into the salad along with seeds and mix.
Transfer the salad to a serving bowl and add sprouts on top/around or simply mix them in if you prefer.
