Vegetable flatbreads + video

Vegetable_flatbread_01

These colorful flatbreads are quick to make, have only 3 ingredients (well kind of, if you are not counting salt or pepper) with the main one being a vegetable (which is why they have such awesome colors). Sounds interesting?

We created this recipe for our youtube channel so make sure to watch the video to see what a simple, savoury snack this is. Our plan was to make a really instructional video but Elsa came crashing our shoot with all her crazy monkey faces and dances and we just couldn’t leave those parts out when editing. Hopefully you will still find some helpful cooking instructions in there. Press play!

We really enjoy shooting these videos and will try making them more frequently. We are thinking about adding some Q&A videos as well, so subscribe to our youtube channel for the latest updates and to ask us questions.

Vegetable_flatbread_02

Our flatbreads are simply made with mixed vegetables, ground almonds and eggs. The recipe is based on the quite popular cauliflower pizza crust recipe from our first cookbook The Green Kitchen. We found these to be a fun variation and quite useful to have at home. We have broccoli in the green ones, and mix cauliflower with carrots or beetroot for the orange and purple/red flatbreads. You can also add spinach or kale to the broccoli or cauliflower mix. A handy and a bit unusual way to eat your veggies. The almond flour add a sweet roundness to the flavor but if you are allergic to nuts you could try using chickpea flour and a splash of olive oil instead. We should perhaps add that raw mixed broccoli smells a lot like fart, so you should perhaps not make these right before you are having a romantic date (the smell disappears when they are baked though).

With a stack of these in the fridge, you’ve got a number of quick meal options. Most commonly, we eat them as sandwiches filled with mashed avocado, vegetables, hummus or cheese (you can of course add whatever you prefer). Or we make super quick mini pizzas by spreading a single layer pesto or tomato puree on each, then add topping of choice and bake for 7-8 minutes on high heat. You can also make larger pieces and roll them into thick wraps. Thank you Angela for leaving a comment suggesting these would be great canapés, stamped out with cookie cutters, excellent idea!

Broccoli Flatbread
Makes about 12 slices

1 large head of raw broccoli
100 g / 1 cup almond flour / ground almonds
4 eggs
1 tsp dried herbs of choice (oregano, thyme, lemon pepper), optional
sea salt and black pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 200°C / 400°F and line a baking tray with baking paper. Coarsely chop the broccoli (use the brighter part of the stem too), place in food processor and blend until you have got a fine rice-like texture. Measure 4 cups / 1 liter of the vegetable ‘rice’ and place in a mixing bowl. Add ground almonds, salt and pepper (plus herbs, if using) and mix with your hands. Make a well in the centre and add the eggs. Whisk the eggs with a fork. Use your hands to pull the dry ingredients towards the middle until everything is combined and you can shape it into a ball. It should be more loose and wet than a traditional bread dough. Transfer to the baking paper and form into a rectangular base by flattening the dough with your hands. Bake on the middle rack in the oven for 23-25 minutes or until slightly golden and firm. Remove from the oven and let cool completely. Turn it upside-down and carefully remove the baking paper. Cut into bread-sized slices and store in the fridge.

Beet flatbread

1 small head of raw cauliflower, including the stem
2 medium raw beetroots, peeled
100 g / 1 cup almond flour / ground almonds
4 eggs
1/2 tsp sea salt and black pepper

Use the same instruction and measurements as above. The dough is slightly more moist than when using broccoli but dries up when baked.

Carrot flatbread

1 small head of raw cauliflower
1 large raw carrot, peeled
100 g / 1 cup almond flour / ground almonds
4 eggs
1/2 tsp sea salt and black pepper

Use the same instruction and measurements as above. The dough is slightly more moist than when using broccoli but dries up when baked.

Note for vegans: We have tried a vegan version of this recipe but weren’t entirely satisfied with it. We used 3 chia ‘eggs’ (3 tbsp chia + 9 tbsp water, set a side for 15 minutes) instead of eggs, but it didn’t hold together well enough once baked. Next time we will try replacing the almond flour with a more starchy flour (rice flour or chickpea flour) or replacing chia seeds with psyllium seeds for the bread to hold together better.

Green Kitchen Stories

Roasted Red Pepper Relish Black Bean Tacos (+ Homemade Corn Tortilla Video)

Black Bean Tacos with Roasted Red Pepper Relish  | http://naturallyella.com

I’ve made it no secret that I love Mexican food. So much so, in fact, that the night I went into labor with Mack, I was making enchiladas (I probably should have been at the hospital but since I wasn’t sure, I made dinner instead.) I love the flavor combinations and it’s a cuisine that so easily lends itself to the vegetarian side of things.

In terms of tacos, I could come up with a new variation for each day (365 days of tacos- sounds like a cookbook idea right there, ha!) I have my favorites (like these sweet potato/guac ones– years later and I still love them) but that doesn’t stop me from experimenting. I think it’s easy to overlook roasted red peppers as a main ingredient but they can be so handy (and really delicious- especially when you roast/grill them yourself!) This red pepper relish is great for these tacos but could easily be used in a myriad of ways. I’ve swapped out the cotija cheese for feta and used as a salad topping, stuffed this mixture in a quesadilla, and mixed with grains for lunch.

On top of the red pepper relish, I’ve decided to take the plunge with an idea that’s been in my head for some time. I know there are things on this site that seem easy to me but can easily seem daunting when just starting out and so, I’ve decided to start a video series that shows how-to’s on somewhat tricky items. I already have a video on on how to make corn tortillas with a press but I wanted to create a short, 60 second video on how to ‘roll’ out tortillas with a bowl and hand roller (do you have one of these in your kitchen- I use it more than my rolling pin!) So, without further ado, more corn tortillas:
See the Recipe + Video.

The post Roasted Red Pepper Relish Black Bean Tacos (+ Homemade Corn Tortilla Video) appeared first on Naturally Ella.

Naturally Ella

Warm Summer Fruit Salad + Video

gks_warm_fruit_salad_0

If my 15 year younger self would see me know. I am sitting here writing a text that praises a warm fruit salad. Young David would have told me that I was an idiot: “Why heat fruit when you can have it cold?!” You see, young David wasn’t very fond of warm fruit. At all. Back then, I could binge eat bowls of fresh fruit, but cook or bake it and I wouldn’t touch it. Even apple pie, the one dish that every normal person loves, made my stomach turn upside down. I sometimes allowed myself to eat the part of the crust that hadn’t been touched by the fruit, but my tongue cringed from the bare thought of warm apple in my mouth.

And now I’m all of a sudden ridiculously excited about this fruit salad that has taken a quick tour through a hot oven. What happened? I would love to say that this recipe was the game changer. But truth be told, I think I just slowly learned to appreciate warm fruit, recipe by recipe.

Apart from the fact that I used to hate warm fruit and now swear by this dessert. Apart from the fact that this recipe is dead-simple and can be prepared in no-time. And apart from the fact that it includes some of the best bounty of the season and you will get all these summer-bonanza-feelings just by preparing it. Yes, apart from all that, this fruit salad is also covered in grated dark chocolate (that melts!), coconut flakes and salted almonds (that pairs oh so well with dark chocolate). Young David might not approve, but old David thinks this is pretty darn good and would like you all to give it a try.

If you are still not convinced, we created this video for our youtube channel as a final selling point: 

gks_warm_fruit_salad_1

The original Swedish version of this dessert is called Gino. It’s baked strawberries, kiwis and bananas with white chocolate on top. Our version is quite different, but the choice of fruit and measurements are really just suggestions here, add or subtract fruit to your liking. Peaches or pineapple would also be good baked. Or raspberries. We have used fruit in season, but baking fruit is also a great way to increase the flavours during the winter season.

Luise and I haven’t entirely agreed on the baking time. Personally I think the fruit only should be heated quickly, so it’s still quite firm. Just 5-6 minutes or enough time for the chocolate to melt. Luise however prefers the fruit to be more baked and a bit softer so the juices and flavours come together more. That’s about 10-12 minutes. But we’ll leave that decision to you (in the photos and video it’s baked after Luise’s preference).

gks_warm_fruit_salad_2

Warm Summer Fruit Salad with Dark Chocolate & Salted Almonds
Serves 4

1 cup almonds + 1 tbsp boiled water mixed with 1 tsp salt (or store-bought salted almonds)
3 kiwi fruits
3 apricots
2 bananas, peel
10 strawberries
10 cherries, pitted
2 plums, remove stones
1 lime, juice
1 oz / 30 g dark chocolate (70% or darker)
1/3 cup dried unsweetened coconut flakes

Preheat the oven to 200°C / 400°F.
Prepare the almonds by placing them in a mixing bowl, pour the hot salted water over the almonds and combine until all almonds are covered. Place the almonds in a baking tray and roast in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until slightly golden and crunchy. Set aside.
Prepare the fruit by cutting them into bitesize pieces. Place the fruit in a baking dish and add the lime juice, toss to mix.
Chop the almonds and sprinkle over the fruit salad. Grate the chocolate until it covers the fruit. Sprinkle with coconut flakes and place the dish in the oven.
Bake for 5-10 minutes, until the chocolate has melted and the fruit is warm and juicy (not mushy).
Serve in bowls with a dollop thick plain yogurt or ice cream.

gks_warm_fruit_salad_3

Green Kitchen Stories