Steel Cut Oatmeal

So I read this really interesting thing that you have to soak your flours and grains before you use them.. It had something to do with something to do with some chemicals which had to be killed by the acids you add to the water, which can be anything from yogurt to buttermilk to lemon, but it was supposed to kill some things that supposedly should be bad for your digestion etc, so I decided to try it. Honestly I don't think there really was a difference.... But here's the method if you should be interested. 

Ingredients:

1 cup water
2 tbsp yogurt (or lemon juice or buttermilk)
1 cup steel cut oats

1 cup water
1 banana
1 apple
Dash cinnamon
Handful dried cranberries 

Directions:

1. Soak steel cut oats in water and acid over night. Preferable 24 hours. 
2. Transfer oats into a sauce pan and add another cup of water. Cook over medium high.
3. Mash banana and peel and shred apple and add both to the oats. Add the cinnamon too.
4. When the water is all absorbed and oats are tender remove from heat and add the dried cranberries.

Low Carb Cauliflower and Chicken Casserole

If you are trying to cut down on the carbs or just want a really yummy and easy to make! It only took me about 20 minutes to prepare and then 30 minutes in the oven. Super easy and kit tasted amazing! It's really kid friendly too. Most kids love chicken and cheese, and the cauliflower is well hidden in the other ingredients. 

Ingredients:

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked & cubed
2 heads cauliflower
8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
2 bundles green onions, sliced
3 ounces bacon pieces or sausage
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt & pepper

Directions:

Steam the cauliflower in the microwave for 4-5 minutes and let it cool while preparing the other ingredients.
Cut the chicken into dices. Shred cheeses and combine with cut green onions and sliced sausage or bacon. Minch the garlic and add to the mixture. 
Cut cauliflower into little pieces and stir into the cheese with the chicken. 
Season with salt and pepper.
Pour it all into a pan and cover with foil.
Bake in a preheated oven for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Brunch Picnic

The weather has been just amazing the last couple of weeks here in Utah, so today my two sweet host sisters and I had a picnic in the back yard where we ate brunch.
Brunch is probably one of my favorite meals. I mean breakfast is amazing, and when you combine it with lunch, so you can have twice as much food, and both savory and sweet things, then isn't it just perfect?

Here is what we made:

Scrambled eggs (3 eggs, 1/4 cup milk, salt and pepper. Scramble on a pan) and sliced tomatoes, sprinkled with salt.

Smoothie

Fresh strawberries from the garden and orange slices

Yogurt Parfait:
2 * 1/3 cup yogurt
2 tbsp granola
2*1 tbsp frozen blueberries
1 tsp honey
7-8 mixed nuts

Directions:
Take a cup and fill it with 1/3 cup of yogurt. Add granola and 1 tbsp frozen blueberries. Add second layer of yogurt and top with the rest of the blueberries, chopped nuts and honey.

Peanut Butter Granola Bars

Granola bars are excellent if you want a quick treat, but often I find that there are a lot of hidden ingredients and calories in the stuff you buy, so I like to make my own. It's actually really easy, and they taste 10 times better, so just get at it guys!

Ingredients:

2 cups oats
1 cup puffed rice cereal
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
8-10 dates soaked in 1/2 cup water overnight
1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Directions:

1. Combine oats, rice cereal, and salt in a bowl.
2. Mix together honey and peanut butter and melt in microwave for 30-60 seconds.
3. Blend the dates and water until it's like a syrup.
4. Combine oat mixture, honey mixture and dates and stir together until it shapes a dough.
5. Press into a pan and freeze for 1 hour.
6. Melt chocolate chips and drizzle over the chilled granola bars with a fork.
7. Freeze again until it is hard and cut into pieces.

A Taste of Summer with Quinoa Salad and Chicken Skewers

I love summer. And I love grilled meat. It's not real summer till you've had grilled skewers and a fresh salad with lots of berries. Summer is just my favorite, because you eat more fresh food, and the weather is warm, and you have tons of watermelon. Here are some of my favorite summer recipes.

Quinoa Salad
2,5 dl quinoa
300 g strawberries
500 g asparagus
1 red onion
½ dl almonds
1 bundt mint leaves
100 g feta cheese
150 g edamame beans
DRESSING
1 lime
1 stbsp oliven oil
1 sp honey
Salt and pebber


Directions:

1. Rinse quinoa in water and cook according to direction on the package. 
2. Rinse strawberries and cut into slices. 
3. Wash asparagus, cut off about 1 inch of the bottom end and fry on a dry pan for a couple of minutes. Cut into pieces as well. 
4. Cut the inion into small dice, almost a mince. 
5. Chop almonds and mint.
6. When the quinoa is done pour it into a strainer and pour cold water over it to cool it down faster. Pour into a big bowl when it has dripped a little bit. 
7. Toss the fillings into the quinoa with edamame beans and feta cheese. 
8. Stir all ingredients for the dressing together and pour over the dressing before serving. 

Grill skewers:

Chicken breast cut into medium dice. 
Onion cut twice so it is like little boats.
A lot of cherry tomatoes.

Gluten and Dairy Free Banana Coconut Cake w Chocolate Frosting

This cake is perfect if you are on a special diet and can't eat either dairy or gluten which gets more and more common today. Also this cake is completely free from any sugar and is sweetened with two of my favorite sweeteners: banana and honey.

Ingredients:

Banana Coconut Cake:

1/4 coconut oil 
2 ripe bananas
4 Tbsp honey
2 eggs, room temperature
1 tsp. almond extract
100 grams (1 cup) oat flour
20 grams (2 1/2 tbsp) buckwheat flour
30 grams (5 1/2 tbsp) almond flour
40 grams (1/2 cup) unsweetened shredded coconut 
1/8 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup chopped dates

Chocolate Frosting:

1 cup fat free greek yogurt

1 cup melted chocolate chips

1/4 cup honey (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350° and grease two 6” cake pans with coconut oil. 
2. Melt coconut oil in the microwave for 40 seconds. Move to mixing bowl, add ripe bananas and honey and mix for about 1 minute. Add the eggs and extract and mix well.
3. In small bowl whisk together all dry ingredients. 
4. Pour dry mix into the banana batter, mix well, then add chopped dates.
5. Pour into your two greased cake pans and bake 25 minutes or until skewer test is clean. Cool in pans 5 minutes, then place on cooling racks. Before frosting the cakes it is a good ides to cool them in the freezer. This will make the frosting part a lot easier.
6. While the cake is cooling, prepare frosting by melting the chocolate chips in the microwave, 30 seconds at a time.
7. When they are all melted and cooled just a little bit so that they are not burning hot, add the yogurt and mix well.
8. Frosting should be perfect now, but if you want it a little bit sweeter go ahead and add the honey.
9. When the cake is cooled put frosting in between the two layers and on top or all the way around if you prefer. 

Meatballs in Curry

I think all us Danes know what Meatballs in Curry is, and I'm also pretty sure we all love it to death! It has always been one of my favorite things. Curry is often a thing we combine with Indian food, but it's actually an ingredient we use in a lot of recipes in Denmark, and I am one of it's biggest lovers probably..

Ingredients:

Meatballs:
1 lb ground pork
1 onion (leave about half for the sauce)
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup oats
1/4 cup any kind of flour (whole wheat, buckwheat, white)
1 cup chicken broth or milk
1 tbsp salt
2 tsp pepper

Sauce:
2 tbsp butter or oil
2 tbsp corn starch
Rest of the onion
1 tbsp curry
3 cups chicken broth
1 cup milk
Salt and pepper

1 cup rice
3 cups water

Directions:

1. Start out with boiling water for the rice. When water is boiling add the rice and turn heat to low and let it simmer with a lid for about 30 minutes. 
2. Make the meatballs first by stirring ground pork until it makes a batter kind of.
3. Shred the onion directly into the ground pork on a grater. Same with the garlic. Leave about half of the onion unshredded for the sauce. 
4. Add oats, flour, chicken broth and salt and pepper.
5. Bring a big pot of water to a boil. Shape little balls about 1 inch in diameter and cook for 10-15 minutes in the boiling water.
6. Cut the remaining onions into small dice or mince. 
7. Melt butter or oil in a saucepan. Add the onions and curry and sauté for about 1 minute then add flour and cook that for 1-2 minutes as well stirring at all times to prevent it from burning.
8. Add about 1 cup of broth at a time.
9. Finish off with adding the milk and taste with salt and pepper. 
10. Before serving, put the meatballs back in the sauce and serve with a fresh salad and rice. 

Enjoy!

Summer Berry Salad

I love salads, I love Berries, and I love Summer. That's why I made this super yummy berry salad which is perfect on a hot summer day.

Ingredients:

4 cups of greens (spinach, Lettuce, Ice Berg etc)
1/2 cucumber
6-8 mushrooms
6-8 fresh strawberries
1 cup frozen or fresh blueberries

Dressing:
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp balsamico
salt and pepper

Directions:
Cut the greens up a little bit. Cut cucumber, mushrooms, and strawberries into slices. Toss all of the ingredients in a big bowl. Mix the ingredients for the dressing and pour over the salad before serving. 

Enjoy!

Crockpot Spaghetti Squash in Tomato Sauce with Meatballs

  If you've never tried spaghetti squash I would highly recommend it! It taste great, and is an excellent substitute for regular pasta especially if you're gluten-intolerent or just trying to cut down on some carbs or calories. 

This recipe is just super easy. I choose to make my own meatballs, but in theory you could just go ahead and use some from frost. 

Ingredients for Meatballs
1 lb Ground Turkey
1 Egg
1 Cup Fine Bread Crumbs
1/2 Cup Fresh Italian Parsley Chopped
1/2 Onion Minced
2 Cloves Garlic Minced
1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:
Mix all ingredients together and bake in oven for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. 

Spaghetti Squash in Tomato Sauce with Meatballs
1 medium to large spaghetti squash, washed
1 jar of spaghetti sauce, your preferred flavor (more if desired)
3 cups of frozen meatballs

Directions:

Cut the spaghetti squash in half around the middle. Use a spoon to remove the seeds and membranes. Place cut sides down in a large crock pot.
Pour the spaghetti sauce around the sides of the squash and then place your meat balls around the sides as well.
Cook on low for 5-6 hours, or high for 3-4 hours. Test for doneness by piercing the squash with a fork, if it goes through the skin easily, it is done.
Use tongs to carefully remove the squash from the crock pot. Use a fork to pull out all the squash, discard the shell.
Serve with the sauce and meatballs from the crock pot. Enjoy!

Paleo Pear Tart

Pear tart or pie is one of my favorites. My mom has this one she always makes, and I can't wait for her to make it again, but for now I found this other really good recipe. It is 100 % gluten free and also considered paleo and has lots of good nutrients from the pears, lemon, nuts etc. 

Ingredients:

For the Crust:

3/4 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup raw cashews, finely ground
2 tbsp coconut palm sugar (or other sugar substitute)
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup coconut oil (solid state)
1/4 cup coconut cream, top part of canned coconut milk
3 eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract

For the Filling:

1.5-2lbs pears (about 2-3 big ones)
juice from one lemon
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp tapioca starch
1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 cup honey 

Directions:

1. Blend the cashews until they are finely ground. Mix with the coconut flour and sugar and salt.
2. With a fork mix in coconut oil, coconut cream, eggs, and vanilla. Mix until it shapes a dough and set aside.
3. Grease a pie pan, and press the dough into the bottom and the sides as evenly as possible and place in refrigerator while your making the filling. About an hour.
4. Cut pears into slices. 
5. Combine lemon juice, salt, ginger, vanilla, cinnamon, honey, and tapioca starch.
6. Gently fold in the pear slices and put in the fridge with the crust until it's ready.
7. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
8. When crust is ready, pour in filling and bake for 15 minutes at 450 degrees.
9. Reduce temperature to 350 and bake for another 20 minutes. 
10. Let it cool and serve with a vanilla yogurt or whipped coconut cream.

Peanut Butter and Banana Obsession

I love peanut butter. Yes, you've heard it before... I know... Well, my new thing is mixing it with banana. I used to just eat bananas with peanut butter, because mmmmm.... But then I thought, why not make a wrap with peanut butter and bananas? 

Another super easy thing to do is an open faced sandwich with peanut butter spread on top, and then topped with sliced bananas. 

There are tons of ideas, just go ahead and experiment to go beyond the classic PB+J sandwich.

Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce and Tuna Patties

Tuna is one of the easiest ways to get fish in to a daily routine of eating fish. Especially here in Utah where it's really hard to find fresh fish in the supermarket, and it's usually really expensive too.. But don't worry, because there are alternatives out there! And canned Tuna is one of the really easy one to work with, and there are millions of varieties, you just need to learn to find them. 

So here is one example of an easy tomato sauce with tuna patties, and of course spaghetti as an extender.

Sauce:
1 red onion
3-4 cloves garlic
1 tomato
1 big handful of herbs as: basil, rosemary, and oregano
140 g tomatopuré 
2 cans tomatoes
1½ tbsp balsamic
5 big sundered tomatoes
½ lemon, juice
Tuna Patties:
2 cans of tuna (in water)
2 eggs
60 g shredded carrots
2 tbsp sesame seeds
2 tbsp panko
3 tbsp oats
1 tbsp sweet chili sauce
2 cloves garlic (finely minched)
Salt + pebber
Others:
500 g whole wheat spaghetti
Parmasan cheese
Fresh basil and oregano

Directions:

1. Peel and minch onion and garlic. Cut the tomato and herbs into small dice.
2. Heat up a little bit of oil in a deep skillet. Needs to be big enough to hold the cooked spaghetti too later on. Sauté onion and garlic. Add the tomato and herbs. When cooked for  a couple of minutes add tomato puree, and canned tomatoes. 
3. Add balsamico and chop the sundried tomatoes and add as well.  
4. Add the lemon juice and let it simmer while the tuna patties are being made. 
5. Drain tuna for water and mix with all of the other ingredients in a bowl. 
6. Heat another pan with a little bit of oil. Shape little patties and fry until golden on each side. 
7. Cook spaghetti al dente and drain. 
8. Add spaghetti to the tomato sauce and serve with tuna patties, parmesan, and fresh herbs. 

Homemade Almond Butter

I feel like almond butter is extremely expensive to buy, and in Denmark it is pretty much impossible to find. I haven't seen it anyhow, but then it's good that it is so easy to make homemade! Pretty much all you need is almonds. And then a little bit of salt if you want. 

All you do is just blend about 2 cups of almonds in a blender or a food processor until the oils starts to separate, and it magically turns into a almond butter. It's really that easy, so I truly don't understand why more people don't make it homemade.

And just FYI it's not just almonds you can do this with. You can use pretty much all kinds of nuts, so if you want to make peanut butter, or cashew butter, go for it! It's the exact same procedure. 

Strawberry Power Smoothie

Smoothies are the best. Especially after a 9 mile run and you just need some quick energy! This is one of my favorite recipes. Mostly because I love strawberries hehe.

Ingredients:

1 container strawberry greek yogurt
1 cup almond milk
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1 cup frozen strawberries
1 frozen banana

Directions:
Mix everything in a blender. Serve.