Cakes

When I am stressed and tensed about something, there are a couple of activities that relax me. I found that the best combination is a manual activity that, nonetheless, requires some brain power. 

Books are great when I am just generally stressed. But when I am worked up over something, reading just doesn't cut it. My mind starts wandering away and circles back to the thing that got me upset in the first place. And my body stays tense. Same happens when I go for a run.

It has to be a combination of both, physical and mental activity, to really do the job. And one of the best things I found to help out with the tension is cooking and baking. Which is very lucky, cause I really love making something special in the kitchen. 

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm no Donna Reed (if you don't get the reference, you clearly didn't spend hours and hours of joy watching Gilmore Girls, see: http://gilmoregirls.wikia.com/wiki/That_Damn_Donna_Reed). But I love to show off with a special dinner or dessert.

Here are a couple of my recent cake creations:

Starting from top left, these are:

1. French rhubarb cake: http://www.mykitchenintherockies.com/2011/05/20/french-rhubarb-cake/
2. Rhubarb and cinnamon muffins: http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/cinnamon-rhubarb-muffins.aspx
3. Blueberry raw vegan slice: http://www.choosingraw.com/raw-vegan-blackberry-cheesecake-bars/ 
4.  Rhubarb scones (can you spot the pattern yet?): http://www.crumbblog.com/2010/05/tea-party-rhubarb-ginger-scones.html
5. Chocolate, raspberry and vanilla mousse cake: http://www.sugarhero.com/chocolate-raspberry-mousse-cake/ 

Citrus chia jam

Disclaimer: this post is where my interests in DIY, nutrition and cooking meet, and in which I make my own recipe jam. So...you've been warned.

A little while ago, I found this blog post from A Beautiful Mess and I immediately thought: "that, I have to try!" A vegan, simple to make, healthy option to compose exactly the jam to fit my particular tastes in the breakfast foods department - what's not to like? 

Chia seeds are the new (or maybe not sooooo new) black among nutrition nuts. According to countless online articles chia seeds have incredible health benefits, from lowering blood pressure to burning fat without your involvement. In fact, reading the articles, you could come to the conclusion that they are heaven-sent miracle-seeds. 

I am always a bit skeptical when a new super-food is discovered. And, as with many other nutritional miracles, chia seeds benefits have also been researched and found a little less overwhelming then many nutrition portals claim. Especially the weight loss theory seems to be a bit fishy. This website cites a medical study by Appalachian State University in North Carolina, that seems to disprove the miraculous theories. 

Regardless of whether you believe one side or another, everyone seems to agree that chia seeds are rich in antioxidants, fibers, Omega-3 fats, calcium, and magnesium, and have no cholesterol. They are especially recommended for vegans and vegetarians as a great source of proteins.

Even better, chia does not contain gluten but still becomes sticky when combined with water which makes it a great substitute for other grains in baking and cooking.   

It is exactly in this role that chia is used in the jam making. It helps to thicken the boiled fruits.

I am a sucker for strong, sour citrus jams but they are not very easy to get. Most stuff you buy in supermarkets is seriously candy-like and has way too many stabilizers, preservatives and color additives.

So you can understand why I was so excited, when I saw Elsie and Emma's idea for home-made jams. Inspiration came from them but I composed my own jam which I strongly encourage you to do as well. There are so many possibilities out there.

Here is my approximate recipe and the comments about the experiment:

Ingredients:

• 1 large orange  
• 1 large lemon
• Peel of the orange and lemon
• 1,5 tablespoons of sugar (I only had white, but I think Muscovado or Demerera would have been even nicer)
• seeds of half a vanilla been
• 2 tablespoons of chia seeds

Prep:

• Peel orange and lemon and finely chop about 1/3 of the peels
• Before you chop the orange and lemon, make sure to remove all of the white remnants of the peel and all of the seeds
• Lightly caramelize the peels in all of the sugar. Make sure to use low heat, not to burn the sugar
• Boil the citrus on medium heat, until they release their juices. As they boil, they will become relatively fluid and uniform
• Add peels and boil for another 5-10 minutes, while continuously stirring
• Then add chia seeds and stir over low heat until the jam thickens
• Take off the heat, and let it cool down

Voila! The jam is ready. The jam came out almost perfect but it has a little bitter aftertaste. So if you are not a fan of sour or bitter tastes, you might want less peel and/or more sugar. 

The peel also makes the jam rather chunky, which I like but you might prefer to blend the fruits after boiling so the mixture is more uniform. 

I can also imagine using this jam with some good roast...maybe duck...

There is a wealth of recipes out there for chia seeds containing dishes, especially puddings and breakfast-y stuff (just check Instagram). But I am also thinking of making savory chutneys using the seeds - that could work pretty well.

Testing New Recipes

The plan for trying 15 new recipes this month is moving ahead, although rather slowly. I am cooking in a frenzy during weekends. But during the week, it gets really hard to cook something new after I come home from work in the evening. 

Anyway, I have tried a couple of new things. First of all, I made this malt syrup. It was fun to make and it smells funky - kind of like sweet beer. I already used it for baking my sourdough bread. It tasted sweeter than usual and smelled nicely of dark beer - Irish breakfast style :D

If you're going to make it, remember that while you are boiling it, it will not get very thick. It's only once it cools down, that it sets and thickens. 

I also made cauliflower soup (good, quick winter food), coconut and ginger smoothy (eee...not exceptional), and also tried this quinoa stuffed portobello mushrooms. Quinoa is usually rather tasteless so I was very surprised at how yummy these actually were. The recipe is rather simple and is really a good idea for a quick, "fancy-ish" side dish when your friends are coming to dinner. 

The last experiment was with milk bread (or chałka) which is one of the tastes of my childhood. Unfortunately, it was a bit led down. The recipe takes quite a bit of time (and some energy) which necessarily means that it is a special kind of dish. And the braiding is harder than it looks. But the problem for me was that my bread got pretty badly burned despite the fact that I looked into it 10min before the time mentioned in the cookbook (I used Scandalicious baking). My oven usually needs extra time to get things finished so I really can't say what went wrong. The bread still tasted pretty good on the inside, but the outside was burned. At some point of time, I will try the recipe again, but for now I am somewhat discouraged. 

For this weekend I bought some really good-class tenderloin (never in my life have I paid that much for 300g of meat). I am also planning vanilla extract and caramel muffins (see my pinterest board for details). The saddest thing is that I will probably not have time to make Korma this month. But hey, there is something to look forward to in March.

And what about you guys? Have you been cooking something yummy recently?

For the Love of Smoothies

I have recently rekindled my love for smoothies. I used to drink them a lot when I lived in London but back then I would use sweeten them up a lot with sugar or honey and add chocolate powder or ice-creams. So they were more in the form of sweets, rather than actual healthy, fruit-full snack.

Nowadays, I often drink them in the evenings if I get home too late to eat a full dinner. My trick is to put every good thing I have at home into the blender and hope for the best. And you know what? It usually works!

Here is my very generic recipe:

1. bananas - lend the smoothy a nice rich flavor and creamy texture
2. all kinds of fruits - I try to go for seasonal but I also use frozen strawberries or raspberries when they are out of season
3. low fat milk - occasionally, I use yoghurt, fresh squeezed juice or if I have the time I brew green tea (not too strong), cool it down and use it instead
4. linseed (flaxseed) - they are super healthy. Sometimes I switch it for other nuts but I like flaxseed especially. You can't taste them in a smoothy and they have:
1. Omega-3 essential fatty acids - "good" fats that have been shown to have heart-healthy effects.
2.  Lignans, that have antioxidant qualities.
3. Fiber.- both the soluble and insoluble types

Occasionally, I also add a spoon of peanut butter or honey. When I get more adventures, I also chuck in a handful of spinach (what?!). If you only add a handful, you won't be able to taste it and yet all the good ingredients of fresh spinach are there. I need to try one time to make an actual green smoothy :)

This month, I am also planning to try this coconut and ginger and green tea goodness. 

Are you a smoothy lover too? What are your favorite recipes? 

Homemade sourdough bread

A couple of weeks ago I started my first ever sourdough. I had been planning it for a long while but I was always a bit afraid having never done it or seen it done before. Luckily, I found this great set of recipes for sourdough and for sourdough bread. And voila! I've been baking ever since. 

Dark sourdough bread is a staple of Danish cuisine and so husband is exceptionally happy to have fresh, seed-packed loaf twice a week. And the best part is, every time I bake, I can change the recipe, add something new, try new tastes. You can never get bored.

I strongly encourage you to try it at home. Home-baked bread tastes great, is healthier and makes your house a home. And it is much easier than it seems. Now, the recipes above are of course in Danish so check my quick translation below. But in case you are in need of more information there are many available recipes all over. For example check this one here. The ready sourdough should smell somewhat like beer or yoghurt. Not the most pleasant smell. 

Pumpkin seed and honey sourdough bread

Sunflower and sesame seed sourdough bread

Sourdough

1. In a glass or ceramic jar with a lid  mix 1 dl rye flour, 1 dl wheat flour and 2 dl lukewarm water. You'll do best with organic and fresh ingredients. Leave it open for a couple of hours so that all the necessary  microorganisms can find their way into the mix. Close the lid and let it stand on the kitchen top overnight.
   
   This recipe doesn't use any helpers but some others suggest you add honey, beer, apples or yeast to speed up the process. 
   
2. Until the sourdough is done, you will have to feed it once a day. Throw out half of the dough and add 0.5 dl rye flour, 0.5 wheat flour and 1 dl lukewarm water.  
   
   In about 3-4 days the dough will start smelling sour (like beer, yogurt and/or vinegar) and bubble on the surface. In my case it was actually much faster. Once it does that you can start throwing out even more of the dough so that only a few spoons are left at the bottom (and of course feeding it as before). 
   
   When the dough is entirely bubbly and smells really sour, it is ready. It will take about a week, maybe slightly longer. Now you can start baking. 
   
   If you are not planning to use the dough for a while, you can put it in a fridge. This way you will not have to feed it regularly.  Once you need to use it again, take it out of the fridge, feed it as per usual and give it 6-8 hours to ferment again. Then it is ready to use.

Bread

1. This takes a bit of planning. In the evening mix:
   
   1,5 dl sourdough
   2 dl chopped rye grains
   2 dl chopped wheat grains
   4 dl water
   2 dl rye flour
   
   Leave the mixture overnight on the kitchen top. I always cover mine with a cloth to make sure no insects (or my cats) get inside. I know that rye and wheat grains can be hard to get in some countries, but you can always replace them with seeds of your choosing. I usually replace wheat grains with flax seed. But just in case you want to try rye and wheat grains, you can usually find it in health stores or online. In UK the grains are for example available here.
2. The next morning add the following to the mixture:
   
   1 spsk malt syrup (I usually add soft, half-liquid honey instead)
   0,75-1 spoon of coarse salt
   1,5 dl wheat flour
   0,5 dl rye flour
   
   And put the mixture into the fridge for about 7-8h.
3. After you come back from work or school take the dough out of the fridge and transfer it to a buttered form. Leave it on the kitchen board for about 3h so that it can rise.
   
   Warm up the oven to 200C (hot air) and bake the bread for about 1h 15m. Once it is done, take the bread out of the form and put on a rack so that it can cool down without getting soggy. 

And there you go. Your bread is all ready. Remember to add a lot of seeds, the hard ones in the first phase so that they can soak overnight, the soft once in the morning or just before putting it into the form. Enjoy!