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Apple, Almond & Buckwheat Muffins

If the warm apple and cinnamon fragrance from our kitchen could spread into my laptop, on to the internet and out through whatever device you are reading this on, then I could stop writing this text right here. You would already be deep into your pantry drawers looking for the ingredients to start baking these muffins.

Instead, I guess I have to convince you the old-fashioned way, with words and images. And since we truly want you to understand how thrilled we are about this recipe, we also filmed a video for our youtube channel. Let’s start with that!

Apple trees heavy with fruit, small rubber boots tumbling around in the leaves, warm porridge in the morning, furry sweaters, cinnamon sticks, pitch dark nights and rainy afternoons. Autumn is already over us and it always seem to come with a profound desire for baking. In our apartment, switching on the oven is also a necessary trick to keep warm, since our radiators have a mind of their own.

If anyone remembers my previous aversion to warm apples, this recipe must be the ultimate proof that I’m passed it. Not only does our muffins have shredded apples in the batter and sliced apples on top of them, but they also hold small golden pockets of apple sauce in the middle. It’s a serenade of apple flavours and textures paired with warm spices and they sing happy songs together.

I guess this is an Autumnal edition of our Blueberry & Turmeric Breakfast Muffins. These are only sweetened with apples and dates, they are gluten-free and we have included a well-tested vegan option. The vegan version come out just slightly denser, but they taste almost identical. The combination of apple, oats, almond and buckwheat is perfect in an earthy, wholesome but still light kind of way.

So if you are also feeling the autumn mood or are just freezing and need another excuse to switch on the oven, we have got just the right recipe for you.

 

Triple Apple & Almond Muffins
Makes 12 muffins

These muffins are only sweetened with apples and dates. We make our own apple sauce and even though it is unsweetened, it tastes very sweet and works perfect in this recipe. Since the muffins are not overly decadent, we enjoy them both as weekend breakfast and weekday dessert. However, if you know that you like your muffins more on the sweeter side, you can replace have of the apple sauce with maple syrup. Or simply use a sweetened apple sauce.

Dry ingredients
1 cup / 100 g almond flour
1 cup / 100 g rolled oats (use cert. gluten free if intolerant)
2/3 cup / 75 g buckwheat flour
2 tbsp arrowroot (or potato starch)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cardamom
½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp sea salt

Wet ingredients
160 ml / 2/3 cup plain unsweetened yogurt or plant yogurt
80 ml / 1/3 cup coconut oil, butter or olive oil
10 fresh soft dates, pitted and mashed
3 large eggs (or 3 tbsp chia seeds mixed with 9 tbsp water)
1/2 cup / 120 ml apple sauce, unsweetened (see below for instructions hot to make your own)
3 organic apples

Preheat the oven to 400°F / 200°C. Grease a muffin pan with oil or butter or line it with muffin tins. Add all the dry ingredients to a food processor or blender and process on high speed so the oats turn into coarse flour and all ingredients are mixed. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add eggs, yogurt, coconut oil, dates and 1/3 cup / 80 ml of the apple sauce (save the rest for later) to the food processor or blender and mix until smooth, and then transfer to the mixing bowl with the dry ingredients. Grate two of the apples and add them to the batter. Divide the batter into the muffin tins, filling them only half way up. Drop a heaping teaspoon of apple sauce in the middle of each muffin and then cover with the remaining batter. Slice the last apple thinly, brush the slices with oil and place one or a few slices on top of each muffin, pressing them down slightly. Dust with cinnamon. Bake for about 18-20 minutes. Let cool for a bit before taking them out of their tins and they will release easier. Enjoy!

 

Apple Sauce
Apple sauce is one of the simplest things to make and if you choose a sweet variety of apples, no other sweetener is needed. This makes more than you need for the Apple Muffin recipe, which is good as you can add large spoonfuls of the leftovers on top of yogurt or cultured buttermilk in the morning.

1 lb / ½ kg organic apples
¼ cup / 60 ml water
1 tsp lemon juice

Core the apples, cut them in ½ inch / 1 cm dices and add to a large sauce pan on medium heat together with the water. Bring to a boil and then turn down the heat slightly. Let simmer for 20-25 minutes. Use a hand blender to mix it smoothly. Add lemon juice and stir around to prevent the color from going brown. Store in air-tight glass jars the fridge for up to about a week or in plastic containers in the freezer for-like-ever.

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Harney & Sons Classic Paris Tea 1.4 oz, 40gm (20 Tea Sachets) Review

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A Week in Meals | October

We’ve hit my favorite month of the year. It’s the time of year when I pull out all my warm sweaters, dust off the boots, and prepare an absurd amount of sweet potato and squash recipes. In Sacramento, the heat begins to break as temperatures settled down into the 80’s and by the end of the month, fall temperatures. This month I’m headed back to Illinois where I already have plans to take Mack to my favorite Apple picking place and spend time walking the woods by my parents’ house.

Produce: Sweet Potatoes, Broccoli, Parsnips, Potatoes, Arugula, Carrots, Brussels Sprouts, Spinach, and Pears

Make-ahead: Peanut Sauce, Masala Paste, Cook up chickpeas

The star: Fall produce (Brussels Sprouts, Sweet Potatoes, and Squash!)

Monday

Come fall, I got into a bit of Brussels Sprout overdrive and absolutely love eating them for breakfast. If you’re not as much of a fan as I am, try using cauliflower or fingerling potatoes instead.

Breakfast: Brussels Sprouts and Eggs

Lunch: Spinach Soba Bowl with Peanut Sauce

Dinner: Roasted Potato and Endive Salad

See the full week.

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Inomata Japanese Rice Washing Bowl with Side and Bottom Drainers, White Review

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Farberware 20442 Aluminum Nonstick Square Meal Griddle, 11-Inch, Gray Review

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Cheddar Cauliflower Gratin with Roasted Garlic

Originally posted on October 15th, 2012. Updated last on September 27th, 2015.

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Roasted Za’atar Sweet Potatoes with Couscous

On occasion, I get stuck on flavors/foods. For some time, it was chipotle, then I moved on to smoked paprika. Right now, I’m all about za’atar. It’s such a lovely addition to many meals and works extremely well with a myriad of vegetables. It’s easy to make with just three ingredients: sumac, thyme, and sesame seeds.

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Cuisinart GR-4N 5-in-1 Griddler Review

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Lodge SCRAPERPK Durable Polycarbonate Pan Scrapers, Red and Black, 2-Pack Review

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Thai Curry Red Pepper Soup

It may be officially fall by the calendar date, but there’s two strikes against it feeling completely like fall in Northern California: the temperature is supposed to be in the 90’s today and summer produce is still everywhere (which I’m okay with, I like my sweet potatoes but we have many months to enjoy them!) This summer, I’ve fallen in love with a man named Jimmy. Don’t worry, M knows about this love and while he thinks it’s weird, doesn’t find it threatening. It also helps that the Jimmy I fell in love with is a variety of pepper, not the actual man (even though the pepper is named for the man).

Jimmy Nardello peppers are a sweet Italian pepper and the flavor goes above and beyond the red bell pepper. I’ve always been a fan of the Italian peppers over the bell peppers, but this pepper sealed the deal. If you’re curious, you can learn a bit more about the man and the pepper here.

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Ninja Master Prep (QB900B) Review

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Signature 100% Colombian Coffee Supremo Bean Dark Roast-Fine Grind, 3 Pound Review

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Roasted Broccoli Peanut Noodles

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Hamilton Beach 0.7-cu ft Microwave Oven Review

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Black Bean Tostadas with Chipotle Butternut Squash

Recipe originally published on September 28th, 2012. Last updated on September 20th, 2015.

I am always fascinated by my changing taste. There are so many foods I love now but as a child, I wouldn’t have touched with a ten foot pole. Looking back, I was an extremely picky eater. Then again, I was also a fast food junky at an early age. I was particularly fussy when it came to cheese. Mozzarella and cheddar, both highly processed single servings were what I was after in terms of cheese. Anything else seemed too far fetched. I think the day I realized Parmesan came in giant wheels and not plastic bottles was a game changer.

I have a very vivid memory when my family and I were at a local Mexican restaurant. For one reason or another, I had left my comfort zone of chicken strips and fries (believe it or not, there was a day when I wouldn’t eat Mexican), and I had ordered tacos. The tacos arrived with this white cheese on top and I began to question my order, wondering if it was too late to turn back.

My father took one look at my tacos and managed to aid my paranoia with one sentence, “you know that cheese it actually goat cheese, right?”

I freaked out, even with my mom trying to reassure me that the cheese on my tacos was in fact shredded mozzarella (which it was, my dad liked to tease me). To my younger self, the thought of anything goat cheese related sent me running to the hills. For years after that experience I questioned every cheese on my plate. I wasn’t going to be fooled again. Fast forward to now and you will find me adding goat cheese to almost everything. I find that goat cheese pairs well with a lot of the dishes I make and I often have to stop myself because I forget not everyone loves it like I do.

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Brentwood TS126 Stainless Steel Tortilla Maker Review

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Cauliflower Buns & Bagels

You guys.
Cauliflower. Buns.
I am crazy stoked about this.

The idea for these simply brilliant, delicious, and totally surprising rolls came from my good friend Sophie, a vibrant, health-conscious lady that I actually met through my mother’s group. We quickly bonded over a shared love of cooking and raising healthy kids, so it didn’t take long before we were meeting up outside of the group for smoothie dates and trading kitchen secrets. A couple months ago she mentioned making bread out of blended cauliflower and I thought it was just about the neatest idea I’d heard in a while, especially since my son and I love starchy baked anything, and I’m always keen to have a wide range of options. I set out to make my own version and this was the happy result.

Despite being totally flour-free, these buns are surprisingly light and fluffy. They taste of cauliflower (or should I say, cauliflour? HA!), but the garlic powder takes them in a different direction so that you don’t feel like you’re just eating a ball of blended cruciferous. I added nutritional yeast as well, which lends a wonderful cheesiness along with its B-vitamins, and almond meal for protein, fat and flavour. A sprinkling of dried onions or sesame seeds on top also add a great taste and texture. The psyllium husk is not totally necessary, but the buns are a little drier with this addition, plus without it, they are nearly impossible to slice without breaking. I prefer them baked with just eggs – but I also like just scarfing these, no slicing please.

To answer the question many of you will inevitably ask me, yes, I made a vegan version of these, but sadly, they did not work. I replaced the eggs with psyllium husk exclusively and the buns practically melted into weird cauli-puddles (bizarro!). And as psyllium contributes a rather rubbery texture, I also found that using it as a binder instead of eggs yielded an unappetizing consistency – most certainly un-bread like. If any of you are up for the challenge, please experiment and let me know in the comments. I’d love to post a vegan alternative!

One thing I should bring up is that these buns, despite tasting really good even a few days after baking, begin to smell rather sulfuric (a.k.a. fart-y). I can’t even tell you the looks I got after opening my lunchbox stocked with cauliflower buns on an airplane a couple weeks ago. It wasn’t me! It was the buns! This is due to the naturally-occurring and health promoting sulfur in the cauliflower. Nothing to worry about, but I thought it begged mentioning so that you know what to expect, and don’t jump to the conclusion that the buns have spoiled. Or that you keep the buns in a tightly sealed container and open it in a confined public space.

If you can time your baking of these to serve with a meal, I suggest you do so, as they are so delicious fresh from the oven, cooled just slightly, with a slather of good-quality butter. Yes, butter. I’d go so far as to say that it’s important to the recipe because the buns have very little fat in them, so butter really takes the taste experience to the next level of yum.

Cauliflower Buns & Bagels
Makes 12-16 buns or bagels

Ingredients:
1 large cauliflower (1200g)
¼ cup / 20g almond meal
¼ cup / 20g nutritional yeast
1 ½ tsp. fine sea salt
½ tsp. garlic powder
2 large organic eggs
1 Tbsp. dried onions or sesame seeds
1 Tbsp. psyllium husk (optional, will make the buns drier)

Directions:
1. Wash and chop cauliflower into chunks. Place in a food processor and blend until as fine as possible (you may need to do this in several batches as the cauliflower won’t process if the machine is too full). Transfer cauliflower to a large mixing bowl. Add the almond meal, nutritional yeast, salt, garlic powder and psyllium husk, if using. Stir very well to combine.
2. Preheat oven to 400°F/200°C.
3. Whisk eggs together in a separate bowl. Add the eggs to the cauliflower mixture and stir until the “dough” is moist and will hold together.
4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Taking baseball-sized amounts of dough, squeeze them into a rough ball shape, then drop them from about 1 foot (30cm) onto the baking sheet (this helps to compact them). If you want to make bagels, simply use your finger to poke a hole in the center and shape the rest with your hands. Sprinkle the tops with the dried onion or sesame seeds and place in the oven. Bake for 20-30 minutes until the buns are golden brown around the edges. Enjoy warm with butter, and store leftovers in the fridge for 3-4 days.

 

Give this recipe a shot you guys – especially if you are skeptical!

Love and buns,
Sarah B

Show me your buns! #MNRcauliflowerbuns

*   *   *   *   *   *

Hey guys! I have a couple new interviews up online if you’d like to check them out…
Remarkable Magazine
Psycle London

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Koolatron KWC-4 Coca-Cola Personal 6-Can Mini Fridge Review

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Cauliflower Cakes with Brown Rice and Cheddar

In the grand scheme of vegetarian meals, I don’t think one can ever have too many recipes for veggie burgers, cakes, and/or patties. Really, they are all similar but each can have it’s own role. Ever since I stumbled upon this recipe on Sprouted Kitchen, it’s become a staple in many, many forms as a substantial main course. This particular version of the cauliflower cakes is made more often than not, because I almost always have brown rice sitting around. I have a thing for fried cauliflower (a weakness) with ranch and so this version is my take on the bar food.

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Ginger Carrot Salad with Quinoa

| Disclosure: This recipe was created for Ancient Harvest. See below for more details. |

On occasion, one fail in the kitchen can turn into something very unexpected. Take for example, this salad. The shredded carrots started at as a filling for a stuffed pepper. My goal had been to have a breakfast pepper, complete with a baked egg. I tried and tried but the results were always the same- a tough egg yolk. I hated it but I had all of this shredded carrot mixture leftover at which point, I added it to lettuce and called it a day. I’ve since eaten this carrot salad nearly every day for lunch and I don’t regret not getting the pepper to work.

The best part in my mind: if you are using quinoa leftovers, this salad comes together in 5 minutes (and while I recommend you let it sit for a bit, it could really be eaten right away.) But, even if you don’t have extra quinoa sitting around- it’s such a quick cooking grain that it still keeps this meal quick.

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Aroma 6-Cup (Cooked) Pot Style Rice Cooker and Food Steamer, Black Review

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Cuisinart DLC-2ABC Mini-Prep Plus Food Processor, Brushed Chrome Review

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Chanterelle, Quinoa & Tofu Stir-Fry

This meal first happened a few days ago when Luise and I worked late and my mom had spent the afternoon with the kids. They had already eaten (this parsnip soup) so we had the rare opportunity to only cook something for ourselves. With no specific plan, we opened the fridge and pulled out some leftover vegetables. A half bag of chanterelles left from a dinner I had during the weekend, a pack of tofu, some greens and a corn cob that we had remaining from our csa box. We fried it up with onion and garlic, added some pre-cooked quinoa (a staple in our fridge), black pepper and lime. We also found a small piece of feta cheese that we crumbled over the stir-fry at the last minute. It was a 10-minute one-pan autumn dinner and it was exactly what we both wanted. Apparently it was also what Elsa wanted, cause she stole the tofu and chanterelles of my plate (even though she claims that she hate both mushrooms and tofu).

A few notes: Vegans can easily just leave out the feta cheese (and perhaps add some more lime and salt for extra flavour). If you are not vegan, I imagine that a poached egg could be nice on top of this. Or just scrambled into the stir-fry, thai style. If you don’t have any quinoa you can use rice or millet instead. And it goes without saying that you can add or subtract almost any vegetables to this, depending on season and availability. Funnel chanterelles are coming to season here in Sweden now, so next time we’ll probably use those instead of the chanterelles.

Chanterelle, Quinoa & Tofu Stir Fry
Serves 4

1 large onion
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp cold-pressed coconut oil or olive oil
1 zucchini
1 fennel bulb (with top greens if you can find it)
2 cups / 400 g / 14 oz organic GMO-free firm tofu
10 oz / 300 g fresh chanterelle mushrooms or mushrooms of choice
1-2 tsp sea salt and black pepper, to your preference
2 1/2 cups / 600 ml cooked quinoa, any color (1 cup / 200 g uncooked)
2 large handfuls baby spinach

For serving
4-5 sprigs chopped parsley or fennel top greens (or both!)
3 1/2 oz / 100 g crumbled feta cheese, (optional)
1 corn cob, kernels cut off with a sharp knife.
2 limes, juice

Chop onion and garlic very finely. Heat coconut oil in a skillet on medium to high heat. When hot, add the onions and garlic and let fry until fragrant. Meanwhile chop zucchini and fennel into coarse pieces and cut the tofu into small squares. Add everything to the skillet and stir to combine. Clean the chanterelles with a soft brush (baking brush or toothbrush), if they are very dirty wash them with a little water and dry well. Slice the stem and the cap lengthwise into large pieces and add them to the skillet along with salt and a generous amount of black pepper and sear for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until everything is tender, but still with a chewy texture. Add the cooked quinoa and spinach and combine everything, keep stirring until the spinach is wilted down. Season to taste. Serve in bowls and garnish with a generous amount of finely chopped parsley, feta cheese and corn kernels and squeeze over 1/2 lime per serving.

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Nespresso Inissia Espresso Maker, Black Review

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Breakfast Quesadillas with Bell Peppers

I’m often asked, now that it’s been a couple of years, whether or not I’m glad I moved to California. I go through my now well-rehearsed spiel that while I miss my family in Illinois, California is pretty amazing (and hopefully stays amazing, we need rain!) I list off all the places that one can easily travel to within a 2 hour radius of Sacramento. I mention that we have farmers’ markets nearly every day of the week and some of those are year-round. And I usually end with the fact that there are many great people do amazing things in food here in Sacramento.

Last week I had the opportunity to get out of the house and volunteer for a few hours (first time since Mack was born!) The event was a Food Literacy Center program at their newest school added this year. Chefs from a few local restaurants came with prepared dishes, all in the name of getting kids excited about produce (and to help pick the veggie of the year.) It’s always a boost when you witness a kid try fresh produce and fall in love (it also helped that the chefs brought in some amazing samples to try!) It was also a great way to kick of Food Literacy Month here in California!

What vegetable did the kids pick as vegetable of the year? The Bell Pepper! So in honor of the bell pepper being named the veggie of the year, I whipped up these breakfast quesadillas loaded with a rainbow selection of bell peppers.

Also, if you want to know more about the Food Literacy Center: Pop over to their website to check out events, learn more about food literacy, and donate. Or if you want to see what all the fun was about, check out the photos from the school program on Food Literacy’s facebook.

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Breadman TR520 Programmable Bread Maker for 1, 1 1/2 , and 2-Pound Loaves, Cream Review

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Roasted Potato Pizza with Goat Cheese

Recipe originally posted on August 20th, 2012. Last updated on September 13th, 2015.

Sometimes I have huge failures in the kitchen.

There are times when flavorings are off, things don’t cook right, or the whole thing just seems kind of blah.  These are the many (and I do mean many) meals that don’t make it up here.  They stay in draft land, usually scratched out on a piece of paper.  Sometimes I try and fix it, but there are also times when it just doesn’t seem right.

However, these bad meals make the good meals stand out even more.  Every once in awhile I make something that I can’t believe came out of my kitchen.  I hit the flavors perfectly, the meal cooks up just right, and when I take the first bite I have that moment of this is amazing.  I usually do a little dance around my kitchen as I stuff my face full of whatever I made.

This pizza was one of those moments.

I remembered Alison’s potato pizza and I wanted to add a few extra flavors (like the depth that comes from roasting and goat cheese.)  Each component comes together to make one killer pizza. You could even leave the goat cheese off and still have a fine flatbread (but I can’t technically call it pizza without the cheese!)

What makes this pizza so special?  Roasted onions and potatoes, garlic-rosemary infused olive oil, and a perfect whole wheat crust. I devoured half of this pizza straight out of the oven (and then ate the other half for breakfast the next morning.) I highly suggest you to step out of your cheese/sauce pizza and try this one- I don’t think you will be disappointed!
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Black & Decker WM1404S Flip Waffle Maker, Silver Review

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Back To School: Luxurious Homemade Sunflower Seed Butter

Not only is it the month that my baby will turn one*, it’s also the time of year when my nut-free recipes are getting a lot more action. Yup, back to school season. After receiving a request from a blog reader recently, I decided to share this sunflower seed butter recipe that’s been raved about by my testers. It’s so creamy and delicious! (I recently heard that some schools are now banning seed butters too, so I realize this recipe won’t work for those schools.)

This blog post is also proof that I’m still alive! Not that you are waiting with bated breath for my next post or anything, but I wanted to apologize for my absence. My manuscript is due at the beginning of October and I’ve been working around the clock finalizing recipes, writing, and editing the introductory chapters and headnotes. I can’t believe I’m SO CLOSE to finishing the first draft. It feels amazing and I’m looking forward to getting back to a (somewhat) normal life again. Thanks for hanging in there with me.

*gentle sobs.

We start by roasting the sunflower seeds. For the love of everything nut/seed buttery, please do not skip this part. Not only does roasting give the seeds a nutty, toasted flavour, but it helps the seeds turn into butter much faster. I speak from experience because I once tried to make sunflower seed butter using raw sunflower seeds and I processed for like 30 hours and nothing happened except dust. It took me years to try it again after that experience!

Sunflower seed glam shots. Just cuz.

Here is a glimpse into the various food processor stages below. It takes me about 7-8 minutes in my processor. Keep in mind your own processing times will vary based on your food processor and its butterizing prowess. I recommend using a heavy-duty food processor (such as this model) to make nut or seed butter as smaller machines can overheat. You can also make nut and seed butter in the Vitamix, but I never do because I find the butter a huge pain to scrape out from the bottom of the Vitamix container. For me, the food processor for nut/seed butter is where it’s at!

I always let it run a couple minutes longer than I think I should just to get it super silky and runny.

Luxurious Sunflower Seed Butter

Vegan, gluten-free, grain-free, nut-free, refined sugar-free, soy-free

Plain sunflower seed butter can taste quite bitter so I’ve improved its flavour by adding a touch of coconut sugar, cinnamon, and some virgin coconut oil to thin the consistency just a bit. The result is a sunflower seed butter you’ll want to add to everything, and eat by the spoonful. Even though it’s not the ever popular almond or peanut butter, you won’t feel like you’re missing out when you make this nut-free spread.

Yield
1 3/4 cups

Prep Time
15 Minutes

Cook time
10 Minutes

Total Time
25 Minutes

Ingredients:

• 3 cups (about 400g) raw shelled sunflower seeds
• 1/4 cup coconut sugar
• 2 tablespoons virgin coconut oil, softened
• Pinch of pink Himalayan sea salt or other fine sea salt, to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, or to taste (optional)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 vanilla bean, seeded or 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla bean powder (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and spread on the seeds in an even layer. Roast for 9-12 minutes, until some of the seeds are lightly golden. Cool the seeds for a few minutes before using.
2. Meanwhile, add the sugar into a high speed blender and grind until a powder forms. Leave the lid on and set aside so the “dust” can settle.
3. Spoon the toasted seeds into a heavy-duty food processor. (I like to spoon the seeds into my measuring cup and transfer them that way. When I have about 1/2 cup of seeds left on the pan I will use the parchment paper to “funnel” the remaining seeds into the processor.)
4. Process the seeds for a few minutes, stopping to scrape the bowl every minute. It will look dry and powdery at this stage. (If you have a chute, you can leave it open to allow steam to escape.)
5. Add the coconut oil and process for another couple minutes. The butter will clump together into a large ball and it'll start rattling around for a bit. Then, the ball will eventually break down into butter again. Stop to scrape down the bowl as needed.
6. Now, add in the ground sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Process for another few minutes until smooth. Now, slowly stream in the vanilla while processing. Add in the vanilla bean seeds, if using. You can add a touch more oil if you need to thin out the butter (but do not add water or liquid sweetener because it will seize). I like to let the machine run at least another 2 minutes to get the sunflower seed butter super smooth. I process for a total of about 8 minutes, but timing will vary based on your food processor and preference. Some machines may need to run for upwards of 15 minutes to get the seed butter smooth enough.
7. Transfer the sunflower seed butter into an air-tight container. Chill in the fridge. Here it'll keep for about 2 months and it will remain “spreadable” even when chilled.

Tips: 1) Do not skip toasting the seeds; it’s necessary for the seeds to break down in the processor. 2) The sweetener is added because sunflower seed butter is bitter; feel free to adjust the sweetener to your own taste. 3) If for some reason your seeds aren’t breaking down after the specified times, add a touch more coconut oil, a teaspoon at a time. Some machines just might need to run a bit longer though, so be patient!

And now some recipes to use homemade sunflower seed butter…

Quick and Easy No Bake Protein Bars

3-Layer Nut-Free Dream Cups

Flourless Thumbprint Breakfast Cookies

PS – 21 Allergy-Friendly Back To School Snack Recipes

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Za’atar Roasted Tomatoes from The Rose Water & Orange Blossoms Cookbook

One of the things I loved most about running a web design company geared towards food was the talent we met. So many of our clients have done big things in the food space and quite a few have become successful published authors. One of those ladies, Maureen, happened to write a beautiful cookbook based around her collection of Lebanese recipes. Her book, Rose Water & Orange Blossoms, has become one of my favorite, inspiring cookbooks.

I’m sharing one of the more basic recipes from the book, but it’s one I think you should make before the summer tomatoes end. These roasted tomatoes are flavorful and can be used in a myriad of ways. Maureen’s book includes a salad and a crostini recipe that uses these roasted tomatoes. I ate them right off the sheet tray and also with fried eggs, in a simple salad, and on hummus (all three photos below). I’ll be making a couple more batches of these before my tomatoes run out.

See the Recipe.

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Dal Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

One of the first recipes we posted on this blog, soon six years ago(!), was an Indian lentil soup. Looking back on that photo and the short text that came with it, I definitely feel that we have learned a whole bit about food photography, recipe writing and blogging during these years. But one thing that stands strong from that old post is the actual recipe. We still make that lentil soup often, most regularly during the cold months (which in Scandinavia translates to 9 out of 12 months). Everyone in our family likes it and it’s a very quick and hassle-free recipe to cook when you also have to keep an eye on two kids running laps around the apartment (or one of them is running and the other one is toddling and wobbling after her).

My point is that lentil stew or dal, as it is called in India, has always been one of our favourite comfort foods and we just haven’t posted it enough here on the blog.

So when we were approached by Swedish spice company Santa Maria, asking us to create a few recipes for their new range of organic and fair-trade spices, we realised that this was the perfect opportunity to make another dal. Anyone that has cooked a dal knows that the spices play a really central role in the recipe. This is a new version of our old recipe. We added apricots for extra sweetness and decided on a new way of serving it – stuffed inside baked sweet potatoes. This is probably the most comforting dinner we have ever made, with lots of warm, sweet flavours that contrast the tangy yogurt and fresh pomegranate seeds on top. We usually make this as a weekday dinner with an extra large batch of lentils that last through the week. If you crave more greens, the sweet potato is gorgeous together with a fresh salad.

Santa Maria actually had a film crew in our house while we shot this recipe and have released a video and some additional photos along with the recipes on their site.

Stuffed Sweet Potato with Dal
Serves 4

This makes a quite generous serving of dal so you will probably (hopefully) end up with some leftovers. You will thank us the day after, it tastes even better then.

4 medium sized sweet potatoes

3 tbsp butter, ghee or coconut oil
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 yellow onion, peeled and finely chopped
4 dried apricots, roughly chopped
1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
1 tbsp organic turmeric
2 tsp organic cardamom
1/2 tsp organic chili flakes
2 carrots, sliced
1 2/3 cups / 400 ml /  red lentils
4 cups / 1 liter water
1 tsp sea salt flakes
2 fresh tomatoes, cut in boats
70 g spinach or baby spinach

Topping
1/2 cup / 125 ml natural yogurt
1/2 cup / 65 g toasted pumpkin seeds or sprouted green lentils
1 pomegranate, seeds
fresh coriander/cilantro

Preheat the oven at 400°F/200°C.
Give each sweet potato a tiny slit at the top and place them on a baking pan.
Bake for about 45-60 minutes or until the skin is crisp and the flesh is soft. Prepare the dal while the potatoes are in the oven.
Place a large pot on medium heat. Add butter, onion, garlic, apricots, ginger, turmeric, cardamom and chili flakes. Saute for a few minutes, until the onion is soft and the kitchen has a lovely scent from all the spices. You can add a splash of water if they start to get burned. Add carrots and lentils and let cook for two more minutes, then add water and salt and give it a good stir. Decrease the heat when it starts to boil, put the lid on and let simmer for 15-25 minutes (depending on the lentils). Stir occasionally to make sure the lentils aren’t getting burned. Add more water if needed. Remove from the heat when the lentils almost have dissolved, add tomatoes and spinach. Taste and add more salt or spices if needed.

Place each sweet potato on a plate. Make a cut at the top and squeeze the ends together to open. Add a couple of spoonfuls lentil stew in the potato (you can carve out some flesh if you prefer more filling but we just fill it with as much as we can fit, messy is good). Top with yogurt, pumpkin seeds, pomegranate seeds, fresh cilantro and some freshly ground black pepper. Enjoy!

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