I really love spinach crepes and, without really intending to, keep perfecting my recipe for them. For a long time I've also wanted to come up with a savory filling. Here's number one!

And ahoy, I'm flying to Berlin in a few hours! Happy days!

SPINACH CREPES WITH SWEET POTATO FILLING

(serves 3-4)

300g frozen spinach, melted
200ml milk (I use oat/rice/almond)
3 eggs
200ml light spelt flour
1,5tsp salt
a good glob of oil
butter for frying


1 large or 2 small sweet potatoes
olive oil
salt
pepper
a good handful almond flakes
a handful coriander, roughly chopped
a handful basil, roughly chopped
50-100g goat cheese feta or spreadable goat cheese


Cut the sweet potatoes in half lengthwise. Drizzle olive oil and salt and pepper on top and fry them in 200 decrees for 45-60min till they are soft. Fry the almond flakes on a dry pan, carefully mixing all the time so they won't burn, till they get a little color and smell toasted. When the sweet potatoes are ready, scoop the insides on to a plate, discarding the peels. Mash with a fork and fold the almond flakes and the herbs in and add salt, if needed.

Mix everything for the crepes together. Fry thin, large pancakes in lots of butter (butter makes the edges nice and crisp), tilting the pan to spread the batter. Fill each crepe with the sweet potato mix, either spreading goat cheese on the crepe first or sprinkling feta on top, and roll.

These crackers have become an ultimate go-to recipe lately..

SEED CRACKERS

(tweaked from Green Kitchen Stories)

65g sunflower seeds
60g sesame seeds
40g ground flaxseeds
75g flour (almond, oat, rye, chickpea, buckwheat.. I use a 50/50 blend of two of these)
0,75tsp salt
3tbsp olive oil
225ml water


Place a bowl on a scale and first measure sunflower and sesame seeds in, reserving a quarter of the mixture for sprinkling on top. Add the rest of the dry ingredients and mix. Add olive oil and water and stir until combined. Spread the mixture out immediately on a baking tray, as thinly as possible, (the dough will thicken quickly and then it'll be a lot harder to spread evenly) and sprinkle the remaining seeds (and a little more if you will) on top.

Bake in 150 decrees first for 20 min, cut in squares with a pizza slicer or a sharp knife and bake for another 20-30 minutes. Keep peeking in the oven after 15 minutes or so; the baking time can vary alot depending on your oven. The crackers should get just a little golden on the edges. Break gently into individual crackers and let cool on a wire rack.

Beware of addiction.

Today was spectacular: I found a new favorite plate on a fleamarket (the blue one on the left), got a letter from one of my dearest friends and My New Roots cookbook in the mail, tried a new raw brownie recipe that completely blew our minds (I absolutely will share it here later - now there are no brownies left to shoot..) and ended the day with an impromptu spinach pancake supper in good company.

(I'm in love with the My New Roots cookbook; I knew I would be!)

SPINACH PANCAKES FROM FRESH SPINACH

(makes 10-12 thin, large pancakes, serves 2-3)

200g fresh spinach
300ml oat milk (or milk of your choice)
2 eggs
2tbsp oil
1-1,5tsp salt
200ml light spelt flour
butter for frying


Rinse the spinach well. Mix spinach and milk in a bowl with a hand blender. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix by hand. Fry thin pancakes on a hot pan with plenty of butter. (And really, these are the best if you eat them crispy straight from the pan - that's what I do when I eat them alone!) and serve e.g. with gooseberry jam or a savory filling like this one (I'm a jam girl, I never tried a savory filling for these yet..) Fry only as many as you assume you're gonna eat and keep the leftover dough in the fridge for the next day or two to get fresh pancakes then as well! (And here's a recipe if you want to use frozen spinach instead of fresh.)

CHILI SIN CARNE

(serves 4-6)

2-3 onions
3-4 cloves of garlic
olive oil
1 large sweet potato
3 tins (400g) of tomatoes
100ml uncooked green lentils
1tbsp balsamico
1-1,5tsp salt
a few pinches of black pepper
2-3tsp ground cumin (juustokumina)
a good pinch of ground chili powder
400g precooked kidneybeans
half a lemon

greek/turkish yoghurt
flat leaf parsley/coriander
salted tortilla chips


Chop the onions and garlic cloves and fry them in a large pan/casserole on low or medium heat slowly, for about 10-15mins (I never really timed this) stirring them frequently so they won't burn, till they're really soft and somewhat caramelized. In this way the onions become really, really tasty (one of my latest discoveries! Slowly fried sweet onions make a wonderful base for omelets too, and...)! Chop the sweet potato into small cubes and add to the pan when the onions are done and fry for a few minutes. Add the tinned tomatoes (if you're using whole, squeeze them with your hands over the pan), lentils, balsamico and some of the cumin, chili, salt and pepper. Season this dish to your taste; keep tasting throughout the cooking and add more spices if desired. All I'm saying is that a lot of cumin needs to go in, a lot. (And enough salt!) Rinse the kidneybeans and add them when the sweet potatoes are done (I haven't timed this either but it takes quite some time, maybe somewhere around 30 minutes.. And if they don't seem to soften enough, and the stew is thick already, add some boiling water). Last, just before serving, squeeze the juice of half a lemon in and taste once more if it needs any more spices.

Serve with a dollop of yoghurt and crunched tortilla chips and lots of flat leaf parsley sprinkled on top. This chili goes really nice with new potatoes too, or rice, if you wish.

Don't eat alone, enjoy in good company!

The chili keeps in the fridge for about 5 days and freezes well too. (I also made corn flat bread to go with this on the basis of my potato flat bread, using only corn flour.)

Potato flat bread love

I may have fallen a little in love with potato flat bread.

PERUNARIESKA (POTATO FLAT BREAD)

(makes about 10 little flat breads)

about 700g unpeeled, unboiled potatoes / 500g boiled, peeled potatoes
200ml water or milk
1,5tsp salt
a dollop of oil
2 eggs
200ml flour (barley, oat, wheat etc)


Peel and boil the potatoes, let cool and mash them with a hand blender in a bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix with a spatula. Spoon dollops of dough on a tray lined with baking paper, sprinkle each generously with flour (the dough will be very wet) and pat them into breads 1cm or a little less thick (about 10cm in diameter). Bake the flat breads in 250 celsius for 12-15 minutes until nice and browned (start peeking in the oven after 10 minutes or so because baking times vary depending on your oven). Eat warm with butter melting on top, or course.

Meet my new love: beetroot pesto. It works both on bread and as a dip. And also I finally got around to making this life-changing bread. So tasty, nutritious and supereasy to make! Happy Sunday folks!

BEETROOT PESTO

(from Glorian ruoka&viini)


400g beetroots (you can use beetroots in vinegar or boil fresh beetroots and let them cool)
2 cloves of garlic
100g grated parmesan
100g cashewnuts
1 bunch of basil
about 100ml extra virgin olive oil
salt
black pepper


Throw everything (but salt and pepper) in a food processor and mix until smooth. Season to taste.

Somehow the best memories almost always revolve around food.

 

CANNELLINI BEAN PASTE

(adapted a little from Eeva Kolu)


300-400g cannellini beans
half a clove of garlic, cut in small pieces
a squeeze of lemon juice
1tsp grated (organic) lemon zest
a handful of parmesan
some tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
flat leaf parsley for garnish


This is one of those recipes that's hard to give exact measures for; just trust your tastebuds as you make this!

Rinse the beans in a colander. Throw everything (except salt, pepper and parsley) in a food processor (or blender) and blend until smooth. Season to taste and add more olive oil (and a little water, too, carefully, if it seems to need it) until your paste is nice and smooth. Garnish with olive oil and parsley.


(Recipe for the banana coconut pancakes here. The porridge recipe is coming later!)

Lunch egg roll

Here's a new lunch favorite. It's really quick and easy to make and basically you could go for any filling!

 

LUNCH EGG ROLL

2 organic eggs
2 tbsp milk of your choice
salt
coconut oil etc. for frying

2 to 3 good handfuls of fresh spinach
half an apple (or a small one)
3 to 4 tbsp ricotta


Rinse spinach well and blanch it in boiling water for about a minute until it wilts. Pour it in a colander and squeeze excess water out. Cut apple in half, core it and cut in thin slices. Whisk eggs and milk together in a bowl. Pour on a big frying pan (make with one egg if you've got a small pan; it rolls better when it's thinner), sprinkle salt to taste and fry on medium heat just until it's golden (you don't want a dry roll!) Place the omelette on a plate and spread layers of spinach, apple slices and ricotta in the middle and roll up. Cut in half for serving (just because it looks prettier!)

I love spreads on bread and this is the one I make most often. I had something similar in Berlin years back but I make mine a lot more spinachy; you can use more feta to make it thicker and saltier and for a creamier touch you can try adding some cream cheese as well. This is how I like mine:

SPINACH FETA SPREAD

250g fresh spinach
100g feta cheese (I prefer goat's milk feta)


Blanch the spinach in boiling water for about a minute until it wilts. Rinse the spinach under cold water in a colander and squeeze excess water out with your hands. Puree the cold spinach and feta with a hand blender. Keep in the fridge for about a week.

We drove up north with mom and my sister yesterday. I'll be spending July here. It's quieter and smaller and I love how people actually walk slower here than in Helsinki, no one's in a hurry. It's calming.

On my last night in Helsinki I made pizza, and pesto for it, for me and the girls. I knew that once I'd made my own pesto there'd be no going back, and I picked a very good recipe for a first one. I don't think I'm changing.

JAMIE OLIVER'S PESTO

half a clove garlic
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
3 good handfuls basil leaves
a handful walnuts (Jamie uses pine nuts)
a good handful freshly grated parmesan
extra virgin olive oil
(a small squeeze lemon juice)


Pound the garlic with a little pinch of salt and the basil leaves in a pestle and mortar or pulse in a food processor. Add the pine nuts/walnuts to the mixture and pound again. Turn out into a bowl and add half the parmesan. Stir gently and add olive oil – you need just enough to bind the sauce and get it to an oozy consistency. Season to taste, then add most of the remaining cheese. Pour in some more oil and taste again. Keep adding a bit more cheese or oil until you are happy with the taste and consistency. (You may like to add a squeeze of lemon juice at the end to give it a little twang, but it's not essential.)

(I've made my pesto so far with a food processor because I've only had a tiny pestle and mortar, but today I bought myself a proper big one!)

Happy independence day America!

The Green Kitchen Project, recipe no.4

It's half a year and a day since Nora and I had last met. It's lovely to have her back in Helsinki and it was so good to catch up with her. (And it's been a while since I cooked anything on The Green Kitchen Project but now here we go!)

SWEET APRICOT & CAULIFLOWER DAL

1/2tbsp coriander seeds
1/2tsp mustard seeds
1/2tsp cardamom seeds
1/2tsp cloves
1/2tbsp curry powder
1/2tsp ground ginger
a pinch of chili powder
6 organic dried apricots, chopped in half
2-3tbsp coconut oil for frying (or ghee or olive oil)
1 small onion
2 garlic cloves
1 cauliflower
2 carrots
200g red lentils
750ml coconut milk
225ml water
200g fresh spinach
salt
(a large handful of coriander/cilantro)


Trust me, freshly ground spices make all the difference.

Grind the first four spices (I used ground cardamom) in a pestle and mortar. Add the rest of the spices and and apricots and mix with your fingers. Heat the oil in a large saucepan on medium heat. Add the spice blend and stir constantly. Fry until it smells fragrant and looks browned but be careful not to burn to spices. Add chopped onion and garlic and fry for a couple of minutes, stirring. Add the cauliflower and the carrots and stir until they are fully coated by the spices. Then add the lentils, coconut milk and water and stir well. Let simmer, covered, for 15-20 minutes or until the vegetables and lentils are cooked through. Season with salt to taste. Last stir the spinach in (and garnish with cilantro if you like).

My dal tasted delicate but didn't look very pretty. I let it cook a little too long so the lentils got all mushy and the cauliflowers a bit too soft. I also felt it could've had more spices, a little kick of something, a little more warmth - but now as I wrote the recipe here I realized I'd measured all the spices with a teaspoon so I was missing a whole lot of coriander and curry there! I'll fix that next time; I'm definitely making this again. I really liked the apricots but only really tasted them once. I used six and chopped them in small pieces; next time I'll throw in 10 or more and just chop them in half or quarters.


Soundtrack for the recipe: Weaver of dreams by Esperanza Spalding


To accompany the dal I had a go on a new recipe of pan rolls (that Pete made for us in Berlin). They turned out soft and moist and perfectly delicious!

PAN ROLLS

(makes 8-10)

200ml turkish yoghurt
50ml water
11 g dry yeast
1 tbsp sugar
1tsp salt
1 egg
3tbsp olive oil
600ml flour (I used half wheat, half fine spelt)


Mix yoghurt and water and warm till 42 decrees. Add the rest of the ingredients mixing after each one. Add flours in parts and mix them in with your hands. (The dough will be very soft.) Cover with a kitchen towel and leave to rise for about a half an hour or until the dough is double in size. Form small rolls (15mm thick) using flour. Pour olive oil on a plate and dip both sides of the rolls in it. Fry the rolls on medium heat on a dry pan, a few minutes on both sides. (If you're using spelt flour, note that it burns easily!)

The Green Kitchen Project, recipe no.2

This was definitely not one of the most enticing recipes in the book. But as I was buying groceries the other day radishes just looked so pretty and tempting that I had to buy them. And as I remembered seeing this recipe calling for radishes, there it was. A pleasant surprise, really. I liked the crunchiness with the soft eggs. The Green Kitchen recommends making their Danish Rye Bread with this but I had some beetroot bread from Goodpie Bakery left in the freezer. On its own the salad is a little lame but on dark bread it's perfect. I am definitely trying their rye bread another time.

 

CRUNCHY CURRIED EGG SALAD

6 eggs
a small handful of pumpkin seeds
1 apple
10 radishes
5 sticks of asparagus spears
(chives)

For the dressing:
120ml organic turkish yoghurt
(2tbsp mayonnaise, optional)
1tsp ground curry
(a pinch of cayenne)
sea salt


Place the eggs in boiling water and let boil for 10 minutes. Let cool in cold water. Toast the pumpkin seeds in a frying pan. Cut the asparagus spears into small sticks and the radishes into thin slices. Halve and core the apple (leave the skin on) and cut it into small pieces. Put everything in a bowl, make the dressing (I didn't use mayonnaise) and mix altogether. Cut the eggs into 8 pieces each and gently mix them in. I forgot to buy chives so I just sprinkled asparagus bits on top.

Here's a new breakfast favorite:

SPINACH RICOTTA FRITTATAS

(makes 5 frittatas in a muffin tray)

4 to 5 handfuls of fresh spinach
4 eggs
100ml whole milk
75ml freshly grated parmesan
2 heap tablespoons ricotta
salt
a pinch black pepper
pea sprouts for garnish


Drain spinach and cook it in a dry frying pan for about a minute, turning frequently, until it wilts. Mix eggs, milk, cheeses, salt and pepper in a bowl (ricotta doesn't need to blend smoothly; clumps of it will be nice in the frittatas) and add spinach. Cut 5 squares of about 15x15cm of baking paper (I greased the papers with a little olive oil to make sure I'd get the frittatas out nicely) and put them in the holes of a muffin tray. Bake in 200 celsius for about 12-15 minutes. Garnish with pea sprouts.

I came home from work, put good music on and started cooking for the coming week. We'll join rehearsals tomorrow and the days at work will be full and long for quite some weeks and I'll be happy to have meals in the freezer.

QUICHE LORRAINE

100g butter (hard)
250ml flour (I used 100ml almond and 150ml spelt today, I sometimes mix wheat and spelt or just use wheat flour)
2tbsp cold water


Mix butter and flour with your fingers and add water. Line a round tin (26cm or smaller) with baking paper and spread the dough over the bottom and a little on the sides. Refrigerate while you prepare the fillings.

My favorite filling is bacon (about 300g, cut and fried), onion (one, cut and glazed) and chantarelles. I also make spinach feta quiche often, using 200g of goat milk feta and 500g fresh spinach (blanched for about a minute in boiling water). Today I had a go on what I had in the fridge which was 250g spinach, 170g bacon, some sundried tomatoes and an onion. I cut and fried the bacon and the onion, added the fresh spinach to the pan and last the tomatoes. (Could've added some parmesan.)


200ml cream
100ml whole milk
3 eggs
salt
pepper


Pour your fillings on the dough and pour the cream-milk-egg mixture over the fillings. Bake in 200 celsius for 35-40 minutes.

A calm Sunday after a packed week was welcome. I made spinach pancakes for lunch, a good old favorite. Here's the recipe:

SPINACH PANCAKES

(makes about 9 big pancakes)

400ml whole milk
1tsp salt
2 eggs
about 200ml spelt flour
1tbs oil or melted butter
150g frozen spinach (melted)

butter for cooking (make the pancakes as thin as possible to get crispy edges)


I love these with gooseberry jam. (My mom makes amazing gooseberry jam and I'm terribly sorry she didn't last summer).