A LITTLE TASTE OF THE GREEN KITCHEN

The Green Kitchen

It’s taken me so long to get round to posting this that you’ve probably all been out and bought the book already, but for those you who haven’t get got their hands on a copy of The Green Kitchen, here’s a little sneaky peak just for you. The product of the wonderful Green Kitchen Stories blog written by Swedish art director and food stylist David Frankiel and his Danish girlfriend Luise Vindahl, who’s studying to be a nutritional therapist, The Green Kitchen is a beautifully produced vegetarian cookbook that’s packed full of quick, healthy and delicious recipes, all delivered with typically Scandinavian artistic flair. From the moment I flipped open the front cover, I was hooked… it now has pride of place on my kitchen bookshelf. If you need any more persuading, then take a little look below at  a few of my favourite recipes below. And if you’d like to know more about  Luise, David, and their little girl Elsa, you can follow their foodie adventures at Greenkitchenstories.com.

FLOUR-FREE BANANA & COCONUT PANCAKES

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These pancakes are nothing less than a family classic. We always prepare a large stack of them when we make brunch. We have been making them for years and shared the recipe with most of our relatives and friends. And from what we have heard, they have passed the recipe on to their friends. The pancakes have a lovely fruity flavour and are easy and quick to make. What is also great is that they only call for very few ingredients, are completely flour-free and still very thick and rich. They also make a quick snack anytime of day, and a perfect post-workout meal.

Makes 10 pancakes

3 ripe bananas
6 eggs, lightly beaten
50 g (2 oz/½ cup) desiccated
coconut, plus extra for sprinkling
150 g (5 oz/1 cup) blueberries (fresh
or thawed if frozen)
½ tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp coconut oil, for frying
2 tbsp of maple syrup or plain
yoghurt, for topping (optional)

Mash the bananas with a fork. Place in a medium-sized bowl and whisk together with the eggs and coconut. Add the blueberries (reserve a few for serving) and stir well.

Heat the coconut oil in a 25 cm (10 in) non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add two to three tablespoons of batter for each pancake. You should be able to fit 3 to 4 pancakes in at a time. Use a spatula to carefully flip the pancakes when they have set and the bottom is golden – about 2 minutes on the first side and 1 minute on the other.

Stack the pancakes and top with the reserved blueberries. On weekends we like to drizzle ours with maple syrup or yoghurt and sprinkle with a little extra coconut.

PORTOBELLO & PEACH BURGERS

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Although over the years we have made several different versions of veggie and bean burgers, patties and cakes, nothing is quite like a grilled portobello mushroom burger. It is the simplest, most natural and delicious piece of food you can put inside a burger bun. It is big, chewy and actually strikingly burger-looking, and when heated it releases moisture and becomes all flavourful and juicy. We like to top our burgers with mashed avocado, fresh tomatoes, sprouts and some kind of fruity salsa. Here we have replaced the salsa with peaches that are grilled with the mushrooms. Serve with our Spicy Skinny Root Sticks (see page 178) and some homemade Apple Ketchup (see page 30).

Makes 8 wraps

6 portobello mushrooms
6 peaches
6 wholegrain burger buns
100 g (3½ oz) fresh pea sprouts
5 small tomatoes, sliced
5 small spring onions (scallions),
sliced
a small handful of thyme leaves,
picked
Marinade
60 ml (2 fl oz/¼ cup) extra virgin
olive oil
2 sprigs of rosemary (chop 1 of them
finely and use the other as a brush)
1 tbsp of thyme, leaves picked and
finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
juice of ½ lemon
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Guacamole
4 ripe avocados, halved, stoned and
peeled
3 small tomatoes
1 handful flat-leaved parsley
1 clove garlic
½ lemon
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Clean the portobello mushrooms by carefully removing dirt from the caps with kitchen paper or a cloth; use a little water if necessary. Cut off the stems and discard. Pat dry. Cut the peaches in half and remove the stones.

Make the guacamole – chop the avocados, tomatoes and parsley roughly. Put them in a small bowl with the crushed garlic, squeeze lemon juice over and mash everything with a fork. It should be mixed but still a bit chunky. Set aside.

Now make the marinade – pour the olive oil into a small bowl. Add the chopped rosemary, thyme, garlic, freshly squeezed lemon juice and stir to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste. Use the other rosemary sprig to brush the mushrooms and peaches with the marinade.

Preheat a griddle pan and griddle the mushrooms and peaches for about 3–4 minutes on each side over high heat. Alternatively, you can barbeque them. Use the rosemary sprig to brush the marinade over them as they cook.

Slice the buns in half and toast them lightly on the grill. When done, place a big dollop of guacamole on the bottom bun, add pea sprouts, tomatoes, spring onion, thyme, one mushroom and two peach halves. Add the top of the bun, and insert a cocktail stick to hold it all together.

QUINOA & VEGETABLE CHORIZO SALAD

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A word of warning: this recipe uses words that might freak out some vegetarians. But fear not – our chorizos are purely plant-based! This is without doubt the most unexpected dish in this cookbook. Not only have we made sausages(!) but we also threw them in a quinoa salad. It’s definitely not our usual combination, but it is really good. The mustard dressing in the salad matches the chorizos perfectly. You can of course also make the quinoa salad without the chorizos (or buy ready-made). And equally,
there are many ways you can eat and serve the vegetable chorizos – as a classic hot dog, in bangers and mash, or in a stew.

Serves 4

Vegetable chorizos
100 g (3½ oz/scant ½ cup) sundried
tomatoes, rinsed
125 g (4 oz/¾ cup) cashew nuts, toasted
½ red onion, coarsely chopped
½ red chilli, seeded and finely chopped
6 unsulphured dried apricots, coarsely
chopped
2 sprigs of oregano, leaves
picked and chopped
200 g (7 oz/1 cup) rice flour
1 tbsp xanthan gum
1 tbsp linseed (flaxseeds), ground
60 ml (2 fl oz/¼ cup) extra virgin olive oil
1 litre (59 fl oz/4¼ cups) vegetable stock
1 tbsp olive oil, for frying
Quinoa salad
200 g (7 oz/1 cup) black quinoa
15 heirloom tomatoes, halved
2 small red apples, diced
½ onion, sliced
350 g (12 oz/2 cups) cooked butter
(lima) beans (see page 28)
Dressing
75 ml (2½ fl oz/ cup) olive oil
zest and juice of ½ organic lemon
3 tbsp hot English mustard
sea salt
a few sprigs of oregano, to garnish

To prepare the chorizos, combine the sundried tomatoes, cashew nuts, onion, chilli and apricots in a food processor or blender. Pulse until finely chopped. Add the herbs, rice flour, xanthan gum and linseeds and pulse until everything is combined. Add the olive oil and 60 ml (2 fl oz/¼ cup) water and pulse until a dough is formed. It should be easy to handle and form into a sausage shape.

Divide the dough into 5 equal parts. Roll each piece into a sausage, place on the cheese cloth, roll up and tie the twine firmly around both ends. Repeat with the rest of the sausages. Bring the vegetable stock to the boil in the widest frying pan you have.
Lay the chorizos in it and let them boil for about 45 minutes. Next, carefully remove the cloths from the boiled chorizos. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan on a medium-high heat and fry them until they are nicely browned all over.

Next prepare the quinoa salad. Place 500 ml (17 fl oz/2¼ cups) water, the quinoa and salt in a heavy-based saucepan. Bring to the boil, lower the heat and gently simmer for 15–20 minutes. Drain any excess water and set aside to cool. Prepare the tomatoes, apples and onion, and slice the fried chorizos.

Whisk together the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Put the quinoa, tomatoes, apples, onions and butter beans into a large bowl. Add the chorizo slices then pour over the dressing and toss about to make sure all the ingredients are well coated. Garnish with oregano and serve.

FROZEN STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE ON A SUNFLOWER CRUST

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I don’t think we have ever served this cake to someone who hasn’t immediately loved it. Therefore it has become one of our go-to recipes for all kinds of occasions. We used to make it with nuts in the crust, but lately we have moved to this seed-based crust. It has the most wonderful flavour and texture, not to mention that it is allergy friendly and gluten-free. Since the crust is very sweet, the filling doesn’t have to be. If you are looking for new variations, you can play around with all kinds of yoghurts, soft cheeses or coconut creams. You can also vary the colour of the filling by adding different berries to it. If you are having a big party make a range: blueberry blue, kiwi green, mango yellow and so on …

Serves 8–10

300 g (10½ oz/2½ cups) sunflower
seeds
2 tbsp hemp seeds, optional
12 fresh medjool dates, pitted
2 tbsp coconut oil
½ tsp sea salt
Filling
300 g (10½ oz/2 cups) fresh
strawberries (or frozen unsweetened
strawberries)
juice of ½ a lemon
120 ml (4 fl oz/½ cup) clear honey
or agave syrup
500 g (2 oz/2 cups) quark
(or Greek yoghurt or mascarpone)
Topping
250 g (9oz/1 cup) strawberries
a few edible flowers (see tip)

Toast the sunflower seeds in a frying pan on low heat, or on a baking tray on 180°C (350°F/Gas 4), for 6–8 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes before putting them into a food processor or blender together with the hemp seeds. Pulse for about 20 seconds. The seeds should be chopped but not powdered.

Add the dates, coconut oil and salt and process until the mixture comes together to a sticky crust. Alternatively, mash the dates until caramel-smooth and work in its remaining ingredients. Put the mixture into a 20 cm (8 in) spring-form cake tin and flatten it out over the base. Chill in the fridge while you prepare the filling.

Purée the strawberries, lemon juice and honey in a food processor or blender, pour into a large bowl and add the quark. Mix well. Pour the mixture on top of the crust in the cake tin and put it in the freezer for about 1½ hours. You can keep it in the freezer for a few days but you will need to let it thaw for about 20 minutes before serving. Top the cake with strawberries and a couple of flowers. Serve immediately.

Tip: Here are some suggestions for edible flowers: violas, calendula, roses, rosehip, dandelions, carnations, lavender, cornflowers, pea flowers, day lilies and chamomile. Although the flowers are edible we mainly use them for decoration.

Tip: For vegans substitute vegan cream cheese for quark

green kitch

Greenkitchenstories.com

The Green Kitchen, RRP £25, Hardiegrant.co.uk

WEEKENDSTAGRAM

Many apologies for yet another prolonged period of absence – I have severe blogger’s guilt! Life and work got a little hectic, so I’ve been avoiding my laptop like the plague. But, with a beautiful sunny bank holiday weekend drawing to a close, and a delicious Duchy chicken roasting in the oven, I suddenly felt the urge to curl up on the sofa and write a post. And since it’s been almost a month since I last checked in (eek), I thought I’d share some pics of what I’ve been up to while I was dodging my blogging duties!

Earlier in May I went to Morocco to check out Palais Namaskar, a design hotel near Marrakech…

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I’ve also been making the most of the rare glimpses of sunshine at home by getting out and about…

walk1 walk2 walk3 walk4I finally managed to get to Margate to visit the Turner Contemporary

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turner

And this morning I went on a half day hike around beautiful Box Hill…

hikeOther than that I’ve pretty much been kicking back and relaxing! Happy days…

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PIGEON TOE CERAMICS

Thanks to lovely Aussie stylist Simone Haag (whose home you can snoop around here) I’ve stumbled across the rather wonderful Pigeon Toe Ceramics. The Portland-based company produce so many covetable porcelain pieces that it’s pretty hard to pick a favourite, but if I had to, it would be the stunningly simple but incredibly beautiful hanging kitchen baskets pictured directly below, which I spotted in Simone’s kitchen. WANT!

Tiered Hanging Baskets

Tiered Hanging Baskets

Pharmacy Bottle

Pharmacy Bottle

Sugar + Cream

Sugar + Cream

Faceted Hanging Tray

Faceted Hanging Tray

Pleated String Lights

Pleated String Lights

Ribbed Sake Set

Ribbed Sake Set

Large Tripot

Large Tripot

Pigeontoceramics.com

WHAT I’VE BEEN UP TO

You may have noticed that I’ve been rather silent for the last month or so – sorry about that. Work and life have been pretty busy (blame Milan design week), and I find that when there’s a lot going on, the last thing I feel like doing when I get home is spending more time in front of a computer. In times like these, I tend to go a little  off grid and become a bit anti-social, and I try to get outside as much as possible – it’s the only antidote to all those hours spent on a train or in an office. And when I’m not out wandering round the countryside, I’m either with family or I’m curled up at home trying to replenish depleted energy reserves…. both of which feel equally good for the soul. Here’s a few pics so you can see what I’ve been up to, but don’t expect anything exciting, it’s just not my style at the moment! :)

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ORGANIC BEAUTY AT CONTENT

CONTENT MARYLEBONE

A little while back, after struggling with some skin concerns, I went for an acupuncture facial at boutique organic skincare store, beauty salon and complementary therapies clinic, Content in Marylebone. I can safely say that what I discovered there has changed my view on beauty products for life. I’ve never been a real makeup fiend but I’ve always been fascinated by all the new lotions and potions brought out every two minutes by the various big beauty brands. I can think of many an agonising trip to the John Lewis beauty hall, spending ages traipsing from counter to counter, wondering which particular serum has the right composition to banish my eye bags or erase those pesky fine lines. But no more! I have seen the light! Never again will I waste my money buying into the beauty industry myth… and never again will I cover my poor skin with chemicals when all it wants is to be cleansed, soothed and nourished.

Why the change of heart then? Well, the lovely Laura Jones – acupuncturist, facialist, organic beauty expert and reiki master – taught me a lot me about the skin and what it does and doesn’t like. She made me realise that my expensive, synthetic beauty regime was really a chemical assault that was actually stressing and disrupting my skin, rather than allowing it to cleanse and heal. She also explained that most skin concerns are vary rarely topical problems, and instead relate to imbalances inside your body – in my case, the digestive organs.

Anyway, what I learnt from Laura in the treatment room, and from the lovely, knowledgeable staff on the shop floor, has been invaluable. Cleaning the crap out of my medicine cupboard and replacing it with a few select organic beauty staples was such a joyous moment. And incredibly freeing. Never again will I look at an advert for the latest miracle beauty product and think ‘Ooh! Do I need that?!! Will that stop me getting wrinkles? Will that cure my crow’s feet?!’. Because I know that, even if it will (which is highly unlikely), I don’t want it. Not only are those products expensive, they’re also harsh and over-hyped. Think about it, if natural foods can do so much good for your insides, why shouldn’t natural products do the same for your face?

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Intrigued? Well if you’re interested in ditching the chemicals and switching to natural, here are some tips from Content founder, Imelda Burke to get your started…

1) Loose the Lipstick – If you wear lipstick then you are eating it every day so there is no better place to start your update. Think about how much mineral oil and synthetic colour there is in each tube, how long it lasts you, and how much you have eaten over your lifetime. Switch to an organic lipstick from brands such as ILIA, ILIA, RMS Beauty or Vapour Cosmetics.

2) Switch Scents – Most people use perfume once a day, others much more often. Switching to an organic perfume from a brand such as the LA-based Strange Invisible Perfumes or the ParisianHonore Des Pres is a great way to avoid spraying fixatives and synthetic fragrance on yourself every day. Organic perfumes use a mixture of essential oils and absolutes to create base notes that last, and should be made from organic alcohol if an EDP or just lovely oils.

3) Get Sun Shade – Switch your synthetic sunscreen for a natural one. Using titanium dioxide and zinc oxide the natural sunscreens reflect rays away to protect it. The trick is in the application – make sure it is regular and that you are using a generous amount for maximum protection – rub well to avoid a white residue on the skin. For the face we love the John Masters SPF 30 and Vive Sana Solar to Polar.

4) Smelling Sweet – When it comes to deodorants, keep fresh with organic alcohol, essential oils and mineral salts. Leave the parabens, fragrance and aluminium on the shelf and make sure what you are using comes from a reputable organic skincare brand. If you’ve tried all others and found natural deodorants less than reliable than conventional counterparts, try the Soapwalla Cream Deodorant. It triumphs where others fail!

5) Think Big – Often used once or twice a day, body moisturiser is the product that that covers the majority of your skin, the body’s largest organ. By ditching the synthetic versions and going for an organic skin care product instead, you will cancel out the use of the synthetic ingredients over the majority of your body. When switching out products think big and ditch the products used on the largest area of skin first. For dry skin we love the Pai Comfrey and Calendula Organic Body Cream and the Laidbare Butter Me Up Body Butter . For Summer, nothing bets the golden shimmer of May Lindstrom’s The Good Stuff .

It can be overwhelming to change your ways at the beginning, but if you get started with these five tips and just replace a product at a time with a natural and organic version, it will feel less daunting. If you want to prioritise products, we recommend leaving the wash-off products to last – they are only in contact with the skin for a short time so less of a priority to begin with… although we still recommend switching them out when you can!

For more info, or to book a treatment, head to Beingontent.com, or call +44 (0) 20 3075 1006

BE YOUR OWN MEDICINAL CHEF

THE MEDICINAL CHEFI love food and  I love cooking, and I’m also very interested in nutrition. Unfortunately, I’m starting to realise that these interests aren’t always compatible, as the more you learn about eating well, the fussier you become about the nutritional value of your meals. These days, the recipes and cooking methods I regarded as ‘healthy’ in the past just don’t cut it, and the cookbooks on my shelf do very little to inspire me. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for a little indulgence here and there, but when it comes to the day-to-day I want to know that I’m giving my body everything it needs to thrive. That said, I’m not the kind of person who can live off kale and alfalfa sprouts, so what’s a girl to do? Well, I get lots of great ideas from the wonderful web (particularly Shira McDermott’s great blog, In Pursuit of More), but there’s nothing quite like having a beautiful cookbook to lay on your worktop and deface with splatters and sploshes of stock and sauces. It’s for this reason that I was excessively excited when I came across Dale Pinnock‘s new book, The Medicinal Chef. It’s packed with delicious but easy recipes, all of which are made with lovely, healthy ingredients. It’s gives you the lowdown on a whole host of easily obtainable, nutrient-giving foods that you can include in your daily meals, as well as a list of common conditions and how to treat/prevent/manage them through your diet. There’s a mix of light bites and heartier meals, edible cures and more glamorous fare, and even a few sweet treats thrown in for good measure. It’s already the most-used cookbook on my kitchen shelf, and I’m steadily working my way through all the recipes. Here are three of my favourites below… a little exclusive for JustALittleJoy readers. Enjoy!

FAMOUS FLU-FIGHTER SOUP

Flu Fighter Soup

SERVES 4

1 red onion, finely chopped

1 green chilli, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

5cm piece fresh root ginger, finely chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 medium sweet potatoes, diced, skins left on

1 punnet shiitake mushrooms, sliced

2 handfuls goji berries

vegetable stock, to cover

salt and black pepper

 

Put the onion, chilli, garlic and ginger in a large saucepan with the olive oil. Cook over a medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, until the onion softens.

Add the sweet potatoes and mushrooms to the pan along with the goji berries. Stir well, then add enough vegetable stock to cover all the ingredients. Simmer well for 10–15 minutes, until the potato is soft.

Season with salt and pepper. Carefully add the soup to a jug blender in batches, and blend into a smooth, vivid orange, spicy soup.

SESAME SOY SALMON WITH VEGETABLES AND COCONUT RICE

Sesame soy salmon with vegetables and coconut rice

SERVES 2

2 tablespoons low-salt soy sauce

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon honey

2 large salmon fillets

150g brown rice

1 x 400ml can coconut milk

2 tablespoons desiccated coconut

olive oil, for cooking

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

1 large red onion, finely sliced

1 small carrot, cut into thin strips

1/2 courgette, cut into thin strips

handful baby spinach

sea salt

 

Mix together 1 tablespoon soy sauce with the sesame oil and honey, and stir well to create a marinade. Pour over the salmon and leave to marinate for at least an hour, or overnight.

Put the rice in a saucepan and cover with salted boiling water. Simmer over a medium heat until half cooked, about 10 minutes (check the instructions on the packet). Add the coconut milk and continue to simmer until soft and tender. You may need to add a little extra water. Add the desiccated coconut and stir well. Transfer to a warmed dish and set aside.

Heat a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat, add the salmon and its marinade and cook for 6–8 minutes, turning regularly.

Meanwhile, heat a little olive oil in a large pan or wok and add the garlic, onion, carrot and courgette. Stir-fry for 2–3 minutes, until soft. Add the spinach and remaining soy sauce, and cook for 1 minute. Once the salmon and vegetables are cooked, serve immediately with the coconut rice.

BLAST-OFF BREAKFAST BARS

MAKES 6–8 BARS

light olive oil, for greasing

2 tablespoons honey, plus extra for drizzling

4 tablespoons coconut oil

3 tablespoons peanut butter

(a good-quality one, with no added salt or sugar)

280g porridge oats

3 tablespoons ground flaxseeds

1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds

1 tablespoon goji berries

2 tablespoons chopped dates

1 tablespoon chopped dried figs

 

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas mark 4 and lightly grease a 23cm baking tin.

Melt the honey, coconut oil and peanut butter together over a gentle heat in a pan. Remove from the heat, add the rest of the ingredients (reserving a few seeds and dates to sprinkle over the top), and stir well to form a sticky mixture.

Press the mixture firmly into the prepared tin.

Sprinkle with pumpkin seeds and dates. Bake in the oven for 10–15 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow to cool completely before cutting into bars. Store in an airtight container. They will keep for up to a week. Serve with a little honey drizzled over, if you like. 

*****

The Medicinal Chef by Dale Pinnock
Published by Quadrille Publishing
RRP £18.99
Photography by Martin Poole

SHOP SNOOP: TWO SISTERS HOME

TWO SISTERS
On my birthday this year I received some beautiful tableware from a couple of friends, which led me to discover Two Sisters Home in Wimbledon Village. This lovely shop, which opened in 2011, is the joint venture of sisters (obviously) Natasha Sharpe, a former retail buyer, and Jane Duffy-Lynch, an interior designer. They stock a unique mix of contemporary pieces, design classics, and vintage one-off finds – as well as Scandinavian kitchenware, French and Italian glassware and vintage lighting. If that’s not enough, they’ve thrown in a good dose of British textiles and ceramics too. Intrigued? Well take a have a little virtual snoop around their store and then go pay them a visit!

TWO SISTERS

TWO SISTERS

TWO SISTERS

TWO SISTERS

sisters2
Twosistershome.com

3, Church Road,

Wimbledon,
London SW19 5DW