Homemade Granola by Celine

Better than store bought!

I love granola and I’m sure you do too! Buying it can be expensive, so why not make it yourself and save money! Also, you can decide whatever you like in it. I think it’s time you make yourself homemade granola by Celine. The recipe is by my lovely sister and it’s just amazing…

Ingredients:

• 4 cups of oats

• 1 cup of whole meal flour

• 2/3 cup of almond flour

• 1-2 teaspoons of cinnamon

• 1 cup of shredded coconut

• 1 cup of raw almonds

• 3-4 tablespoons of honey melted

• 2 generous tablespoons of coconut oil melted

• 1 cup of water – see if you need more depending on the mixture.

Instructions:

1. Mix and stir everything in a bowl.

2. Put the oven on 175 degrees.

3. Spread the mixture on baking sheet with parchment paper and put it on middle groove.

4. Bake it for 30-40 minutes. Halfway through, stir the granola so that it becomes evenly baked.

5. Let it rest for 5-10 minutes and voila the granola is ready for breakfast!

Ps: add some more toppings like roasted hazelnuts, chopped dates and dried cranberries!

Step 3, where the granola mixture is spread on the baking sheet with parchment paper.

Let it rest after it’s taken out of the oven. Add some more toppings you like, I added chopped dates, dried cranberries and roasted hazelnuts. Mmm!

Keep the granola in a glass jar! Enjoy x

The granola is packed with fiber, healthy fats and healthy sugar. This keeps you full longer and stabilizes your blood sugar. Starting your day with a breakfast like that, you are ready for whatever the day brings you.

With love & care Melanie

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Vegan banana bread

It’s so tasty!

I absolutely love baking banana bread. The smell of it and how it’s naturally sweet by the ripe bananas, just makes it one of my favorites!

It’s super easy and simple to make. It’s healthy, vegan and refined sugar free. Just go on and bake it, you will end up so happy cutting the first slice of it. Aaand you will have much left to save for the next days, endless joy I’d say.

Ingredients

250g whole wheat flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 generous teaspoon of cinnamon

200 ml oat milk

3 small ripe bananas or 2 big ones

3 generous tablespoons of creamy peanut butter

2 tablespoons of flax meal with 6 tablespoons of water to make the vegan substitute egg. Let the mixture rest for 10 minutes so it becomes the consistency of an egg.

Instructions

1. In a bowl, mix all the dry ingredients.

2. In another bowl, mash the ripe bananas, add the peanut butter and in the end combine the flax meal egg.

3. Put the wet ingredients together with the dry and pour in the oat milk.

4. If the batter isn’t thick enough, add a little bit more of flour.

5. Let it be for 10 minutes so that the batter soaks the liquid.

6. Start the oven on 180 degrees in the meantime.

7. When the 10 minutes are done, pour the batter in the loaf pan with baking sheet prepared in it.

8. Bake for 55 minutes and let it rest after for 10 minutes before you cut the first slice!

After you’ve nailed the effort and patience, it’s time for you to finally enjoy it! Hope you like it.

With love and care, Melanie

Colorful veggie pizza!

Packed with flavors!

This not a normal pizza you would think of, but boy it’s tasty. The base is gluten-free, the sauce is crème fraiche with mozzarella cheese, red beets, pickled onions, dill and roasted walnuts. First thing I think we all stumble upon is dill, cause is that even good on a pizza?! But yes in fact it is! Please give it a try for me.

Squash is also really nice on the pizza.

When you’ve made your gluten-free pizza dough, next is to put the thinly chopped red beets in the oven for 15 minutes on 250 degrees. After they are done, you put it on your baked pizza. The squash on the other hand you can already put on the pizza before putting it in the oven.

Step 1

When you have made your base, make a sauce layer of crème fraiche and finish with mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle with some oregano if you like.

Step 2

Here I have finished baking the pizza base with the sauce, cheese and squash on top for 20 minutes and is ready for the last toppings! This pizza base is also gluten-free but made with a more fiber rich flour than white. I definitely recommend that instead.

Step 3: Put on the already baked red beets

A delicious slice of pizza, bon appetito!

It’s a healthier version of pizza, it’s gluten-free, it’s vegetarian, and it’s good for you with lots of nutrients and healthy fats from the walnuts! Yummy and a happy tummy, cannot be better than that.

Quick & easy vegan pasta

Mushroom yumminess

I absolutely adore aroma and portobello mushrooms, so I made a quick and easy vegan pasta with it. It’s really simple and doesn’t require advanced cooking skills, so don’t hesitate making it! Also it’s very tasty, healthy and makes your blood sugar level stable, keeping you full for quite a time. It’s therefore perfect for lunch, so that you can keep rocking at what you do throughout the whole day. Let’s make it, shall we?

Here cooking mushrooms and scallions with coconut milk in a sauce pan.

First step is to start boiling water for the pasta. I used whole wheat pasta because it contains more fiber than normal pasta. So while the pasta is being cooked (takes around 10 minutes), heat up a sauce pan at over medium heat. Start with the mushrooms, you don’t need olive oil as we want them to caramelize, which gives more flavor. Add the scallions, 4 tbs of coconut milk and 2 tbs of soya sauce. Cook everything for 5-10 minutes more on lower heat, this way you allow the flavors to shine! The amount of coconut milk depends on your desire, you can add more tbs if you like. For topping and more taste, chop some parsley. It will take you max 20 minutes cooking, but I’d say it would qualify for a 15 minutes dish. As mentioned, quick & easy! Enjoy everyone.

Vegan sandwich

Lunch idea

Hi everyone, thought of sharing some inspiration to what you can make with the home baked whole wheat bread. It’s super easy, healthy and tastes yummy. I introduce you the vegan sandwich with baked sweet potatoes on the side. Getting hungry? Let’s start cooking then!

Portobello mushrooms as meat replacement

While baking the sweet potatoes in the oven for 30-40 minutes on 220 degrees. Cook the portobello mushrooms on a pan. You’ll need no oil as we want the mushrooms to get out its best natural flavor.When you start hearing a sizzling sound, add some (3 tsp) of water for the mushrooms to caramelize. Then add 2 tsp of soya sauce or tamari and lower down the heat. Leave it aside.

Guacamole with a twist!

Now make the guacamole. Mash one avocado in a bowl, add some juice of lemon (half), a small handful chopped pistachios and some chopped parsley. The amount of lemon juice, pistachios and parsley is totally up to your taste. As you see it’s a twist on it, and hope you’ll like it. For the red beet hummus, that was not made from scratch but bought from the store. It definitely gave the sandwich an extra with playful color and flavor.

Bon appetit!

Home baked whole wheat bread

Whole wheat bread with shredded carrot added

During covid19, we have more spare time to do things we normally wouldn’t have time for. So I challenge you to bake yourself freshly homemade bread from scratch! The recipe is super easy with just 3 ingredients! Only thing it requires from you is effort and patience. But since the world is experiencing lock down and we have less busy lifestyles… We have plenty of time right? So let’s get to it!

Ingredients

1 kg whole wheat flour, I used “Møllerens 2 bestemors grovbrød»

1 pkg dry yeast

6 dl lukewarm water

Instructions

1. In a bowl, have the flour and dry yeast mixed together before adding 6 dl of lukewarm water (38-40 degrees).

2. Knead the dough for 5 minutes with a kitchen machine or 10 minutes by hand.

3. Let the dough rise under plastic for 30 minutes or till it has doubled its size.

4. Divide the dough into 2 and shape them into breads in two greased bread pans. Lubricate with coconut oil to prevent sticking, so it’s easy to get them out!

5. Allow the dough to rise in the bread pans under a kitchen towel for 45-60 minutes or till you see it has doubled its size.

6. Tips: use some olive oil on your hands and on the kitchen bench when you will shape the dough.

7. Bake the breads in the oven for 45 minutes at 200 degrees on the bottom grove.

8. Tips: to get a crispy crust, brush them with water before baking.

9. After they are done, let them cool for 15 minutes. (if you manage hehe)

The top is crisp as brushing with water before baking helps!

If you want to add shredded carrots, 2 will do. Make sure that when you fold it in together with the dough after the rising, you will need to add more flour when shaping the bread as the carrots contain liquid.

Here you see the Norwegian products I used, no commercial intentions here, only to show you:)

Add your favorite toppings, here’s my favorite; avocado and chili flakes on top, yum!

Vegan & gluten-free pancakes

Yummy and healthy!

These turned out amazing as making vegan and gluten-free pancakes can be a challenge. Also they are healthy with no refined sugar, so you can eat the whole stack without feeling guilty. So, no need to convince you more right, to the recipe shall we?

Ingredients:

1 banana

100 g buckwheat flour

100 g almond flour

200 ml oat milk

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp of cinnamon if you want

1 tbs apple cider vinegar

Instructions:

1. Start by mashing the banana.

2. Add the flour, baking powder and cinnamon.

3. Mix in the oat milk and blend with a fork till the batter is smooth.

4. Lastly add the apple cider vinegar, and if batter is too thin, simply add more flour to it, we want thickness as they are American pancakes.

5. On a pan, put some coconut oil and have it on above medium heat.

6. When you see the surface of the pancakes bubbling, it means they are ready for you to flip!

7. Be aware to put coconut oil after each pancake as the batter is sticky on the pan.

8. Voila, you will have made yourself a stack of around 10 pancakes, dig in everyone!

I like to have them with raspberries and blueberries for antioxidants boost, topped with some honey or agave sirup if completely vegan.

Easter egg treat

Marzipan with dark chocolate everybody

The recipe is super easy and they are healthy! The only downside is that it takes time making them. But, I will say that it will teach you patience and to enjoy the process!

So how we make them? You’ll need almonds, medjool dates, dark chocolate (at least 70%), some shredded coconut, for coloring; juice of raspberries and turmeric powder, and some nicely chopped pistachios!

Ingredients:

1. 150 grams of almonds

2. 3-5 medjool dates without stones

3. One plate of dark chocolate to melt

Instructions:

1. First cook the almonds for around 5-10 minutes.

2. Then they should be ready to take off the skin and you’ll get your blanched almonds!

3. Put them into the food processor and blend together with 3 or 5 medjool dates, this depends how sweet you want your marzipan to be.

4. When you have gotten a nice texture, use the batter to form your Easter eggs!

5. Melt the dark chocolate on low temperature and cover your formed eggs with help of a skewer you stick through them or with a spoon.

6. As toppings, mix shredded coconut together with 1/2 to 1 tsp of turmeric powder to get the yellow color and for pink, mix the shredded coconut with juice of raspberries. Chop some pistachios and you’ve got a touch of green!

7. When you have finished off with the chocolate and toppings, let them cool in the fridge for some time.

8. A tip, take a glass and cover it with aluminum foil, then simply stick your skewer through it so it stands. That way you’ll have perfectly rounded eggs!

Here you see the texture of blanched almonds and dates blended in the food processor

Here you see the chopped pistachios, shredded coconut with the natural coloring added

Voila! Enjoy your healthy Easter treats!

Note: if you want stronger coloring than I had, simply add more of the raspberry juice or more of turmeric powder. You won’t notice the taste.

Carrot cake muffins

With dark chocolate chips, raisins and walnuts added!

This is a healthy version which is vegan, gluten-free and refined sugar free! The recipe is simple and will make you want more than one. That I can assure you, it’s almost impossible to stay away from them when you have 12 of those made.

It’s great consistency to be gluten-free so there’s no exception making them!

 

The recipe for my healthy carrot cake muffins:

250 ml buckwheat flour

250 ml oat flour

2 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/5 teaspoon cinnamon

1/5 teaspoon cardamom

2 tablespoons melted coconut oil

2 tablespoons flax meal together with 6 tbsp water

2 tbsp Greek yoghurt

250 ml oat milk

3 shredded carrots

4 tbsp honey

Add a handful of raisins, chopped walnuts, dark chocolate minimum 70% each.

 

Directions

1. Mix all the dry ingredients together.

2. Make the vegan substitute egg by mixing the grounded flax seeds with water combined and let it soak for about 5 minutes.

3. Blend the wet ingredients together with the dry and stir.

4. If the batter is too thick and dry, add a one more tsp of melted coconut oil and some oat milk to smoothen it up.

5. Then add in the shredded carrots to the batter, together with the chopped walnuts and dark chocolate, finishing off with the raisins in the end.

6. Distribute the batter in muffins tins, put the oven on 220 degrees Celsius and let the muffins bake first for 8 minutes which will make them rise. After put it down to 180 degrees Celsius and the muffins should be ready by 12 minutes!

7. The batter makes for 12 muffins, first let them cool down before you eat them and enjoy!

If you want to make them fancy, add frosting and some other toppings!

Easter is already here, so I wanted to get a feel of it by adding some cute, little Easter eggs on top of the cup cakes. A sweet cheese cream frosting will also do!