GREEK SALAD DIP
We were at some new friends’ house for dinner this past weekend and they made a whole Greek-themed dinner. I brought a sub-par peach cake, we listened to Greek music and I soaked in being on the other side of the kitchen. I really like hosting and having people over, but it is such a treat to be the one invited as a guest. I just finished the lovely Jessica Fetchor’s book Stir and from the perspective of someone who is sick, she mentions as being the natural hostess and care taker, it is uncomfortable sometimes to be on the other side, being cared for, but how necessary it is. I realize I was merely at someone else’s house for dinner on a Saturday night, not holding a candle close to Jessica’s story of surviving a brain aneurysm, but we can relate to stories by way of our own reality. I was craving to sit at the table instead of standing in front of the stove, is that ok to say on a food blog? As someone who gets paid to write recipes for work? Maybe especially so. My favorite, unrelated to this, line in the book:
“But we are always swept this way and that. We create the life we want to live, yes. Then, in return, that life creates us. We follow the tides; we have no other choice. We splash about beneath the brightest of moons, then the darkest of skies, tug hard from the surface on anchors that refuse to budge, and then, if we are very brave, dive deep.”
I just really enjoyed the book and Jessica’s perspective. Perhaps I feel swept up in some sort of tide myself. Anyway. Erin made this chunky Greek salad with tomato halves, slices of cucumber, whole olives and feta cheese scattered throughout. It seemed so rustic but classic and I could have eaten the entire bowl. So, in light of loving to have lunches ready in the fridge, I thought maybe I could chop everything small and have a Greek salsa type thing. I could bring it to BBQs as a dip or toss it with a bit of lettuce for lunch or just sit with the serving bowl and a bag of sturdy crackers. It is exactly as I imagined it’d be and worth sharing here. No new technique or farmers market romance, just the tale of a summer staple gone right.
GREEK SALAD DIP // Serves 6 as an appetizer
I’ll bring this dip to summer parties, but it’s also great to keep stocked at home for a quick lunch. Stuff the mixture into a pita or into romaine leaves to make a meal of it. Not that crackers and a dip like this are not a sufficient lunch. You could add some cooked quinoa and a little more dressing and consider it a side dish, making it even more perfect for backyard BBQs.
- 1 cup cooked French Lentils
- 2-3 persian cucumbers
- 2 roma tomatoes, or something similar
- 1/2 a red bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed
- 1/3 cup minced red onion
- 1/2 cup chopped kalamata olives
- 1/4 cup fresh chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 3 Tbsp. fresh chopped oregano leaves
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- pinch of red pepper flakes
- 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
- 1/2-3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese, to taste
Put the lentils into a large mixing bowl. Scoop out the seedy center and finely dice the cucumbers. Do the same with the tomatoes and red pepper. The smaller the dice, the easier to scoop with a cracker. Add them to the mixing bowl. Add the red onion, olives, parsley, oregano, salt, pepper flakes, olive oil and vinegar and stir to mix. Gently stir in the crumbled feta and taste for seasonings.
Serve at room temperature or chilled. The salad will keep for 4-5 days in the fridge, the vegetables getting a bit softer by the day but still enjoyable.
Because, Cheer
I’m feeling the holidays this year. Not in the red and silver tchotchke sense, but for the cheer. The lightness of being. The thoughtfulness that seems on the slight uptick, even in errands and work and travel. Of course, it goes without saying that LIFE IS NOT ABOUT THE STUFF and consumerism = yuck, but I’m putting cynicism on the shelf this season. I’m angsty all year about society and technology and social injustice and and and and and... the list of things induce a palm to forehead gestures is long. In any case, the whole gift thing has gotten pretty polarizing over the years, but I’m going on a hunch that most of us will find ourselves in the position of giving and receiving this year. Here are a few good feel-good ideas for humans who like to read, eat, and savor the moment.
Yotam Ottolenghi: a master of the craft, in every sense of the word. I finally got my copy of Plenty More –– it’s the kind of cookbook you get through and think, does it get better than this? I think this collection is the perfect gift for a cook who loves daring and true recipes.
I’ve been head over heels for these gorgeous, American-made knives from New West Knifeworks since 2012. I send the Superbread knife out as gifts to clients, and my mom has requested a Santoku under the tree this year.
This “everything” bag from Winter Session, a colorado company, doubles as my market tote and travel bag. Pricey, but indestructible. I’ve had mine for two years and I anticipate it will last another decade.
Not Without Salt Cookie Mix… Does this even need introducing? The inimitable Ashley Rodriguez is at it again with this killer cookie chocolate chip cookie mix. I ordered two and went through them both in a week. Yeah, THAT good.
If a fire came roaring up over our hill, I’d grab a hard-drive of photos and our It’s OK pennant from Secret Holiday Co. It has hung in our 22nd Street bedroom, St. Paul living room, and now lives in our mountain kitchen. I’ve gifted the Be Brave and Yes banners before and still will yet. Simple daily reminders that, yes, life is crazy, but things are pretty darn good.
If it’s possible to choose a favorite work of Anne Lamott, it’s HELP THANKS WOW. A quick, soul-quenching read that leaves me feeling like I just took a giant exhale.
Quitokeeto Modern Steamer, where utility and elegance coalesce. Just like Heidi, shop owner, herself, I appreciate this tool for it’s understated beauty and practical application.
Heritage, by Sean Brock. I became a mega-fan of Brock’s after seasons 1 & 2 of Mind of a Chef, then planned a quick trip to Charleston to visit McCrady’s and Husk (heaven is his “On Top of Ol’ Sierra Madre” cocktail) and experience the way he honors and preserves the culinary history of the South.
I’m head over heels with my Stitch & Hammer apron and this half apron from Food52. This linen number is pretty cute, too.
Level with yourself about how many bags of coffee you really go through in a month and get fresh-roasted parcels delivered at your doorstep before you run out. My friends at Brown Water Coffee donate a fraction of each purchase to sustainable water projects in Nicaragua, how cool is that?
Is there a better way to sip whiskey than with a fancy hunk of ice? I think not.
I’d love to share my experience at Mama O’s (that’s Oprah Winfrey) Life You Want Tour a few weeks back, but I’m still marinating in the feel-good vibes I walked away with. In the meantime, I think her new release “Things I Know For Sure” makes a great stocking stuffer or addition to a homemade gift for your favorite girlfriends.
I’m in love with this irreverent, quirky 13×19″ print that reads: “I eat no gluten, sugar, dairy, saturated fat, or processed foods… I do, however eat men, women, and small children.” I have a few others from Retrowhale that complete the series. Still trying to figure out the best place to hang these in the new place.
Photos shouldn’t live on your computer. Artifact Uprising makes it easy to honor memories shared and captured with photo books, prints, and cards. Bonus: the folks behind the brand are the REAL deal. We were gifted wedding prints earlier this year, which I adore, and plan on paying it forward to my sister-in-law when she gets her photos in. AU is offering Happyolks readers 10% off any purchase with the following Discount code: BLGHY14.
These Lunar Calendars are for your “woo woo” friend or family member. Both beautiful in aesthetic and chock-a-block with astral insight, I love these calendars as they remind us that life, like the earth, rises and falls, waxes and wanes, and that there is always a new chance to try again.
Produce as a stocking stuffer? I think yes. I love the preserves from Mm Local, locally grown, organic products from Colorado farmers harvested and canned at the peak of ripeness. I can’t live without the spicy mustard or kale kimchi.
Get yourself (or a loved one that you see often) a turntable and play the 180′ South album while cooking. I love the balance of soulful, meaty, and light songs and the energy they create in the background while entertaining. Sample here.
The 9 quart Le Creuset Dutch Oven is my kitchen workhorse. Expensive, yes, but wholeheartedly worth the investment and sure to make anyone’s eyes light up wrapped up under the tree. From soups to braising, to quick sautes, there is nothing this sucker can’t do.
Panasonic 1200W 1.2 Cu. Ft Countertop Microwave Oven with Inverter Technology NN-SN651B Black Review
Revolutionary Pancakes
When I was pregnant, you wouldn’t believe how many people told me how much fun it would be cooking for a little person someday. Although this seemed like an obvious thing, I kind of shrugged it off, thinking that it wouldn’t be that awesome. I think part of me feared the pressure, or the possibility of cooking becoming more of a chore than a pleasure.
Although I’ve had my fair share of noggin scratchin’, I have to say that cooking is now more than a pleasure. It’s moved into a greater creative place, I feel freer, and I’ve discovered so many cool things through the challenges.
Take this recipe for example. Seeing as happy accidents seem to be at the core of what I do, it’s no surprise that the recipe for Revolutionary Pancakes evolved from something other than what it was originally intended for. In July of last year I blogged about Raspberry Ripple Buckwheat Porridge. Around this time, I was beginning to give my little babe whole grains, but because we chose to let him feed himself, it was hard to actually get enough in him – the floor had all it could handle, thank you. One day after blending the porridge up, I looked at the still-hot skillet on the stove from my husband’s eggs, and mused about pouring my own breakfast into the pan. So I did. And it made a pancake. A pretty perfect, tasty, sprouted pancake that my baby could actually pick up and eat himself without supplying the hardwood with yet another coat of whole grain goodness. For the win.
This got me pretty excited. Not only did I have a new and very popular meal for my wee one, but a new a very popular meal for myself. I’ve been experimenting a lot for the last 9 months with this one and I’m thrilled to say we have a rather fool-proof recipe on our hands, dear friends. Pancakes for everyone!
And what is so revolutionary about them? These pancakes contain two ingredients. They are flour-free, sugar-free, gluten-free, and vegan. They use soaked whole buckwheat and any other grain you have in your pantry; brown rice, quinoa, millet and amaranth are my favourites. Add-ins are welcome and sneaking some fruits, veg or superfoods into these is totally possible. Lastly, and my favourite aspect, is that you don’t even get a bowl or spoon dirty in the process since you can soak the grains right in your blender, then pour the batter straight into the pan.
Flour Power?
I am trying my best to live a flour-free life. Why? Because even if I buy “whole grain” flour at the store, I don’t really know how whole grain it actually is, how long it’s been since it was processed, and just how that went.
If you consider foods’ three mortal enemies: heat, light and oxygen, flour seems like it may be on the losing end of this battle. Grinding grain inevitably exposes its insides to the three foes, so keeping grains whole right up until you’re going to consume them is no doubt the best practice to avoid losing vitamins, minerals, and gaining serious un-desirables, such as oxidized fats.
To remedy all of this, we can grind our own grain and use them right away. Soaking the whole grains first, then using them in a recipe such as this one, is the easiest method for most of us. We can also make our own flour, either in a dedicated grain mill (which can be expensive) or with something as simple as a coffee grinder. I also really love buying rolled oats (not quick-cooking or instant) and grinding them in my food processor to make flour. This is a really easy and inexpensive way to ensure I’m getting a whole product, ground fresh and full of nutrients.
If you are going to buy flour, make sure it has an expiry date (as all food should go bad at some point, eh?) and surprise! Keep it in the fridge. That’s right, all sealed up tight in a cool, dark place. If you are someone who does a lot of baking and goes through flour very quickly, no need to worry about this too much, but if you’re a sporadic baker like me, keep the enemies at bay.
I must be upfront and inform you that these are not like the familiar, light-n-fluffy American-style pancakes, or whisper-thin European crêpes. Because they are not made with white flour, or flour at all for that matter, they are substantial in taste and texture. On the grounds of their potential density, I like to make mine on the thin side, and relatively small. You can thin the batter out quite a lot if you do like crêpes, but they will inevitably be chewier – a quality I quite like.
I’ve always been an enthusiastic pancake eater because they are the prefect blank canvas for all manner of healthy, tasty toppings. I like to crown these particular ones with homemade nut butter, fresh seasonal fruit, hemp seeds, coconut, and of course maple syrup, honey, or jam.
As a bonus, I’ve included a quick recipe for luscious Ginger-Vanilla Cashew Cream. Since I posted a picture of it on Instagram, it would be almost cruel not to provide you with the ingredients and method, however simple it all is to make. What’s groovy about pairing this with the pancakes is that you’re already soaking grains for breakfast, so giving the nuts a bath before bed seems like no extra effort at all.
Revolutionary Pancakes
Ingredients:
1 part buckwheat groats
1 part other gluten-free grain (quinoa, millet and amaranth all work well)
about 2 parts water, as needed
Optional additions:
citrus zest, such as lemon or orange
vanilla
coconut sugar or maple syrup
spices, such as cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, nutmeg, etc.
fresh or frozen fruit (bananas are delicious)
unsweetened desiccated coconut
organic eggs
tender greens, such as spinach
protein powder
Directions:
1. Soak buckwheat and other grain overnight in pure water with an acidic medium (such as apple cider vinegar or lemon juice, read more about that here). In the morning, drain and rinse well.
2. Place grains in a blender with water equal to the volume of grains used (if you used 1/2 cup buckwheat and 1/2 cup quinoa, use 1 cup water). Blend on highest setting until smooth, and add more water if needed. The consistency should be like pancake batter: fluid and pour-able but not thin and watery. Add any other elements you’d like, but try to maintain the consistency – add more water if necessary.
3. Heat a large skillet or griddle with just a little bit of coconut oil or ghee. When hot, pour desired amount of batter onto the skillet, wait until bubbles form on the top and the batter becomes almost opaque, then flip. I recommend starting the first batch off in a really hot pan, then lowering the heat slightly to cook the rest. No need to add fat to the pan after the first round – once the pan is hot enough the pancakes should cook without the need for any additional oil.
4. Serve hot with desired toppings. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to three days. Freeze extras and reheat in a toaster oven before enjoying.
Ginger Cashew Cream
Makes about 1 cup / 250ml
Ingredients:
1 cup / 140g raw, unsalted cashews
1 ½ Tbsp. pure maple syrup
1 Tbsp. minced ginger
½ Tbsp. lemon juice
6 Tbsp. water
seeds from ½ vanilla bean (optional, but delish!)
Directions:
1. Place cashews in water and soak for at least 4 hours, up to 12. Drain and rinse.
2. Combine cashews with all other ingredients in a blender and blend on high until completely smooth. Taste and adjust sweetness to your liking. Store leftovers in tightly sealed container in the fridge for up to five days.
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One more exciting thing to mention is The Guardian’s magazine, Observer Food Monthly has published a story about the wave of healthy eating washing over the globe and the women who are at the forefront of this movement. The cover features The Hemsley Sisters, Ella Woodward, Anna Jones, and yours truly (a very dolled-up version, I might add). Read the article and get one of the spring recipes from my cookbook, here.
Smørrebrød – Open-Faced Sandwiches
Smørrebrød – an open-faced rye sandwich piled high with toppings – is one of the most essential dishes in the Danish culture, most commonly eaten for lunch instead of a warm dish. Growing up, I always had a piece of smørrebrød or a “klapsammen” (double sandwich) in my school lunch box, and now I have made it part of our family, even though we live in Sweden. What I like so much about this Danish tradition is that it’s all about the toppings. Of course you need a good piece of rye bread, but it’s the toppings that make it special. Traditionally, many of the toppings involve poultry, fish and meat, but here we are showing a few of our vegetarian favourites along with some more contemporary versions. The recipes aren’t as specific as we usually write them, since sandwiches rarely call for detailed instructions. This post is more about inspiration. Our hope is that we can entice you to reach for something more than just butter and cheese next time you are making a sandwich.
Smørrebrød buffet is also a fun theme for a brunch. Simply just bake or buy a good quality sourdough rye bread (or paleo bread for a flour free option). Then prepare a table with as many toppings as you can come up with and let every guest build their own open-faced sandwich.
We are actually on our way to Denmark today to spend some time with my family. We plan to eat some Smørrebrød as well while we are there. Let us know what your favourite sandwich toppings are and we will make sure to include them on the table. Hope you are all having a wonderful summer!
New potatoes & pickled onion sandwich
We love a good ol’ potato sandwich. Choose new potatoes if they are in season and remember that you don’t need to peel them, just rinse to remove any dirt and place whole into a pan of lightly salted water, bring to the boil, simmer for about 10-15 minutes or until tender. Then drain and leave to cool. Cut in bite-size pieces and add to your sandwich together with mâche lettuce, mayo, quick pickled red onions, chives and dill.
Here is how we make our own quick pickled red onion:
Mix 1/2 cup (120 ml) rice vinegar or white wine vinegar with 1 tsp honey and 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp fennel seeds or cumin seeds. Then we slice up 1 red onion thinly and pour boiling water over the slices before placing them in a jar with the vinegar. After 30 minutes it already tastes divine.
Creamy curried egg salad sandwich
This creamy curried egg salad is so typical Danish. We serve it on rye bread with small cherry tomatoes, chives and alfalfa sprouts. It can get a little messy when you eat it, but don’t let that intimidate you from trying this classic.
How to make the egg salad:
Place 4 eggs in a pan and cover with water, bring to the boil and set the timer for 8 minutes, lower the heat and let simmer. After 8 minutes, remove from the heat and place under running cold water. When the eggs are cold, crack and peel. In a bowl, stir together 2 tbsp mayo, 2 tbsp yogurt (or more mayo instead), 1 tsp curry powder and a pinch of salt. Taste and adjust the flavours to your preference. Now chop the boiled eggs and gently fold them into the curry dressing.
Avo & Za’atar
The new queen of open-faced sandwiches and also one of the most popular subjects on instagram. Avocado is not a traditional Danish smørrebrød topping but always a welcome addition to our table. The key to this rye recipe is to use really ripe avocados. Cut the avocado in half, remove the stone, scoop out the avocado flesh with a spoon and slice very finely. Place each half on two slices of rye bread and give each avo a gentle mash with your hand. We are serving our open-faced avo sandwich with thin slices of radishes and a sprinkle of our favourite spice Za’atar. A perfect match!
Red bell pepper & Rosemary spread
Lots of people have been asking us for a plant based spread to use on sandwiches. This popular recipe from our first book is one of our favourites. Apart from putting on a sandwich, it’s also great as a side to most dishes or together with pasta or zoodles.
Here is how we make our spread:
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F. Cut 3 large red bell peppers in half, scoop out the seeds and place on a baking tray. Roast for 40 minutes until slightly charred. Remove from the oven and leave to cool. Add 2/3 cup (75 g) sunflower seeds, a pinch of cayenne and a pinch of salt to a frying-pan and toast for a few minutes on medium heat. Peel the skin from the peppers, chop and put in a blender. Add the sunflower seeds, 2 tbsp lemon juice and 2 sprigs rosemary and purée on high speed. Put in an airtight glass jar. Will keep in the fridge for up to two weeks.
Hazelnut butter & Strawberries
Not all our sandwiches are savoury. This is a modernised version of the classic peanut butter & jam sandwich. Hazelnut butter, sliced strawberries, a drizzle of honey or maple syrup, a sprinkle of bee pollen and some fresh basil. Delish! Buy nut or seed butter in stores or make your own.
De’Longhi EC155 15 BAR Pump Espresso and Cappuccino Maker Review
Winter Vegetable + Gorgonzola Galette
Dropping in briefly today to wish you and yours joy and respite in the last few weeks of the year. December, man. So much goodness, so much heaviness, all at once. For me it’s always been a month where the decisions, assumptions, and challenges that I had convinced myself were reconciled over the year seem to make their way back up to the surface. You know what I mean, right? Those wounds you thought you’d healed, the parts of yourself you thought you’d made peace with don’t look so sparkly anymore. It’s my birthday in a few days, so I think that has more pull in the reflection carousel than the holidays, although the lines have always been blurry for me. There’s this challenge to stay light and grateful amidst those nudges to take stock after another full year.
Last week two dear friends were in a rollover accident. The truck was destroyed, and somehow they both walked away with bruises and broken fingers. It was an event that reminded me holy moses-jesus-buddha-mohammed do I still have SO much work to do in the grace and forgiveness department. It seems the minute I get too comfortable with the idea, or illusion, really, that I’m operating at acceptable levels of compassion or humility or unselfish love, life and circumstance has a way of calling my bluff and putting me on my knees again. I’m glad for that.
And so, December. Here to enjoy and embrace and remember and love one another in the best way we know how. Stitch by stitch, day by day. We try to be good humans, we fail often, but we keep trying. And that is the beautiful thing.
Winter Vegetable + Gorgonzola Galette
- 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 12 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup ice water
- 2 fennel bulbs, quartered
- 5 small-ish beets, quartered
- 6-8 fancy carrots, halved
- 2 cups butternut squash, cubed
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 shallots, minced
- 1 cup flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
- 4-6 oz crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard (or more, to your preference)
- salt/pepper to taste
In a bowl, mix the flour with the sugar and salt. Using a pastry blender or your fingers, cut in half of the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Cut in the remaining butter. Pour in water then begin to mix and knead the dough until a ball forms and the mixture is no longer shaggy looking. Flatten the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400 F. Arrange rinsed and prepared vegetables on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and bake until the carrots are just starting to soften and are a little al dente in the thicker regions. Sprinkle with a hearty amount of sea salt, then aside and cool. In a mixing bowl, combine parsley, shallots, cooled vegetables, and a the Dijon. Stir to coat.
On a floured work surface, roll the dough out into a 12-inch round. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Begin with a spoonful of the veggie-mixture into the center of the dough. Sprinkle with Gorgonzola. Repeat layering filling and cheese until you run out of ingredients and can top with more cheese. Fold the border over your veggie-cheese tower, pleating the edge to make it fit. Finish outside exposed dough with a milk or egg wash. Bake for 30-40 minutes in the 400′ oven. Cut into wedges and serve warm. 
Inspirational Sunflower Seed Risotto
Inspiration is a perplexing creature. As someone who relies on a constant stream of ideas to do what I do, having an endless supply is rather essential.
Of all the questions I am asked, the most common of them all is where my inspiration comes from.
The funny thing about this is, I can’t really give a straight answer because I get ideas from everywhere. Literally. Yes of course there are the obvious places like cookbooks, the farmer’s market, my vegetable garden, but I’ve had ideas strike me like lightening while listening to music, smelling a certain scent wafting on the breeze, the colours in a particular vintage dress. My main motivation for writing a cookbook actually came from a postcard I found randomly, which pictured a faceless girl picking wildflowers. Nothing to do with food. At this point I’ve learned that the most important thing for me is to put myself in the way of beauty as often as possible, keep an open mind, and not do discount any sources or ideas as weird, because the best things most often come out of the seemingly strange.
I will say that one thing that consistently brings me a lot of inspiration, is just talking to other people who really love food. Sometimes getting out of my head and into someone else’s, or at least hearing about their experience with a particular dish or special ingredient can help jumpstart a flood of ideas. For instance, the last time I was in Amsterdam teaching cooking classes, one of the attendees came up to me at the end of the day and told me about a very exciting meal she had eaten in Copenhagen, of all places. It was a risotto made out of sunflower seeds. Sunflower seeds! At first this sounded totally bizarre, but then again, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about this seriously inspiring idea ever since. I knew that sunflower seeds were about the same size and shape as grains of rice. They were nearly the same colour. But how would they taste? How would they become creamy? What is it like to boil them?
When I googled it, all the recipes called for a pressure cooker, which makes sense for those that aren’t familiar with the awesome power and health benefits of soaking. I knew that that spending the day in a warm bath would make the sunflower seeds totally relaxed and willing to tenderize in a sultry spa of caramelized alliums for dinner that evening. Also, I don’t own a pressure cooker.
So setting out to make this, I anticipated a week’s worth of trial-and-errors, a pile of dirty dishes and a lot of semi-edible sunflower seeds. But I treated the seeds very much like I would treat rice in a risotto and after one (one!) attempt, it was pretty darn near perfect. And pretty darn inspiring.
To say that this recipe is totally surprising is an understatement. The sunflower seeds are tender and chewy, with just the slightest bit of tooth still left – not unlike the real deal. It’s remarkably simple to make with just a few common ingredients, truly delicious and deeply satisfying. You can make it suit any season as the seeds create a foundation to build upon no matter what time of year you’re enjoying. Since we are finally getting some lovely fresh spring produce here in Denmark, I chose to go that route. I found some beautiful young rainbow carrots, peas in their pods, white and green asparagus and some super fresh watercress. This would be equally lovely with sautéed mushrooms, roasted root vegetables, pumpkin or squash.
I am sure you’re wondering how the seeds get creamy from cooking, and the truth is they don’t – you’ll need to help them out a little. When cooking a rice-based risotto, starch emerges from the grains as they cook, and magically melds with the broth to create a velvety texture. To mimic this I simply blended some of the soaked seeds with equal parts water and added it back into the mix at the end of cooking, the results astounding. This makes the risotto rich and creamy without any starches or carbohydrates.
But what shocks me most of all is how darn flavourful the dish is with such minimal ingredients. The caramelized onions and garlic are really all you need (in this dish, as well as life, I wager) although herbs would be a welcome addition; dried ones during cooking or fresh ones stirred in at the end. My version uses watercress as a finishing touch and is totally lovely with its peppery bite, but I will leave the brilliant blank canvas for you project your own inspiration on to.
Everyone Loves the Sunflowers
Easy-to-find, inexpensive, and nutrient-rich, sunflower seeds are one of my favourite additions to a number of dishes that I make, from breakfast to dinner and snacks in between. They are delicious toasted or soaked, blended up into seed butter or even milk!
Sunflower seeds are one of nature’s highest sources of vitamin E, the body’s primary fat-soluble antioxidant. Vitamin E is important for overall health, as it functions as a free-radical neutralizer and prevents damage to fat-containing structures and molecules, such as brain cells, cholesterol, and cell membranes. When the fats in cell membranes become damaged, the function of the cell itself can be compromised. This is why researchers have studied whether diets low in Vitamin E are associated with many diseases associated with aging.
Sunflower seeds are so high in vitamin E, that just one serving of this risotto contains over 100% of your daily recommended intake!
Because sunflower seeds have such a high (and healthy!) fat content, it is best to store them in a tightly sealed glass container in the refrigerator. Keeping them cool will help preserve their delicate, nourishing oils, which can then in turn nourish you! They will also last much longer stored this way. If you purchase shelled sunflower seeds in bulk make sure to sniff the bin first: it should smell fresh and nutty, without any traces of sourness, which can indicate that the fats have become rancid. And always have a good look at the seeds to ensure that they are not discoloured or damaged.
Celebration Sunflower Seed Risotto
Serves 4
Serves 4
Ingredients:
2 ½ cups / 350 g shelled, raw, unsalted sunflower seeds
1 Tbsp. coconut oil or ghee
2 medium onions, finely diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
a generous pinch of sea salt
2-3 cups / 500 – 750ml vegetable broth
Spring vegetables for four people + cooking times:
8 spears white asparagus – 10 min
140 g. / 8 young carrots – 4 min
16 spears green asparagus – 3 min
1 cup / 150g shelled green peas – 2 min
handful per person watercress – stirred in right before serving
Directions:
1. Soak sunflower seeds overnight or all day in pure water with 2 tablespoons of sea salt.
2. Drain and rinse sunflower seeds. Remove about 1 cup / 135g of the soaked seeds and place in a blender with 1 cup / 250ml water. Blend on high until completely smooth. Set aside.
3. Melt coconut oil in a large stockpot. Add onions and sea salt, stir to coat and cook over medium-high heat until translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Add garlic and cook 2 minutes, then add sunflower seeds and about 2 cups of the broth. Bring to a simmer and cook covered for 20-30 minutes, depending on the size of your seeds, adding more broth as needed. When cooked the seeds should be al dente: tender with only the slightest crunch still left in them. If there seems to be a lot of liquid left in the pot, let it simmer uncovered for about 5 minutes to evaporate the excess. Add the sunflower cream from the blender and stir to combine, and heat gently. Season to taste. Remove from heat and fold in a few generous handfuls of watercress.
4. Blanch the vegetables in the same pot of salted water for approximately the time indicated, testing as you go. Do not overcook!
5. To serve, place about a quarter of the risotto on each plate, then top with the vegetables. Drizzle with olive oil, lemon juice and a sprinkling of flaky sea salt. Top with extra watercress and enjoy warm.
Where do you get your inspiration from? How does it come to you? What have you been inspired by lately? Tell me! Especially if it’s about food…
Wishing you an inspired day! Love always,
Sarah B
Aroma 8-Cup (Cooked) Digital Rice Cooker and Food Steamer, Stainless Steel Review