Spicy Tomato Guacamole

I have no words to describe the insanely deliciousness of this bowl of rich tasting guacamole. Mashed avocado is already perfect on it's own, but together with some spices and tomato – which really puts the icing on the cake, it tastes heavenly! It's a must in any dish or tapas, and I bet you'll love it as much as I do! I really enjoyed dipping some organic sweet potato, kale- and tomato tortillas which I bought in the local health store, into the beautiful guacamole. For that reason, the bowl didn't last for more than a couple of minutes.

SPICY TOMATO GUACAMOLE

Makes 1 small bowl

2 ripe avocados

1 large tomato

 1 scallion

1 pinch cayenne pepper

the juice from a lemon

salt & pepper

Peel the skin off the avocado, remove the stone with a spoon and mash it in a bowl using a fork. Chop the tomato into small cubes and have it into the bowl of mashed avocado. Slice up the scallion and add that in as well. Drizzle over some cayenne pepper, squeeze over the juice from a lemon and season with salt and pepper. Give it a mix and serve on a slice of rye bread or tortillas, or have it as an element in a Mexican dish, or any other tropical dish!

Healthy Blueberry Jam

Blueberry jam have always been one of my favourite toppings. I love slathering some on top of gluten free crackers, pancakes or oatmeal! This really is the most delicious thing I have in the fridge for the moment, and I eat it together with everything! Not only is it super-delicious, but it's also one of the healthiest and most nourishing topping you can possibly get! Blueberries is, as we call it a real superfood. It's high in dietary fiber, minerals, vitamins and a massive amount of anti-oxidants, all important factors to reach optimal health and wellness. Blueberry jam is very easy to make as well, so I honestly can't see why people don't make it on their own instead of buying the ones in the store which has been through numerous processes and that contains a lot of refined sugar. I'm totally convinced that from now on, I'm going to make these jars of blueberry jam at least once every other week.

HEALTHY BLUEBERRY JAM

Makes 1 250g jar

2 cups blueberries, frozen or fresh

the juice from 1/2 a lemon

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp organic honey

2 tbsp chia seeds

Combine the blueberries, lemon juice, cinnamon, vanilla extract an honey in a small saucepan. Place it on the stove top and let it all simmer on medium heat for 5 minutes. Take it off the stove top and add the chia seeds. Stir and let it all sit for about an hour. Once the jams has got a gel-like texture, you can pour the jam into a jar and store it in the fridge. The blueberry jam will keep good for up to a month. 

Baked Thyme & Sweet Potato Chips With Aioli

Sweet potatoes. The classic yet perfect addition to any sort of dish, or even more enjoyed as a simple snack alone. Since the very beginning of my "project-lifestyle changing" period, I totally fell in love with this root vegetable, and probably you have already discovered that. 

When we talk about sweet potatoes with aioli, I´m truly am speechless. I honestly don´t have any words to describe the degree of deliciousness the combination makes! You have got to try it out to believe it!

Baked Thyme & Sweet Potato Chips With Aioli

Serves 4

Baked Sweet Potato Chips

1 large sweet potato

2 tbsos dried fennel seeds

2 tbsps dried thyme

1 generous pinch salt & pepper

1/2 cup neutral vegetable oil

Aioli

3 egg yolks

1 dl neutral vegetable oil

1 tsp salt & pepper

1 tsp dijon mustard

1 garlic clove, squeezed

1/2 a lemon, juiced

Heat the oven to 200°C / 390°F. Cut the sweet potato widthwise and lengthwise. Next cut each of the pieces into smaller pieces that reminds of chips. Have it onto a baking tray. Crush the fennel seeds in a mortel and sprinkle in over she sweet potatoes followed by thyme, salt and pepper. Place it in the oven and let it cook for 20 minutes, giving it a loose stir every five minutes or so.

While waiting on the sweet potatoes, use the time to prepare the aioli. Mix the egg yolks using an electrical mixer for 2 minutes, or until you reach a firmer consistency. Tip: The consistency you have now will be the one you´ll end up with as final result. Have in the garlic, dijon mustard, salt and pepper and mix again. Finally add the lemon juice and pour in the oil a little by little while mixing on low speed. 

Take the sweet potatoes out of the oven, pour the aioli into a nice little bowl and enjoy!

Sweet Nut Butter

Nuts, nuts and more nuts. I guess you could call me a nut addict, but I chose to call myself a nut lover - at least for the moment, until I´ve got enough of them. However I find nut butters quite interesting. Their concentrated nut flavour is incredible, and especially together with the fantastic taste of maple syrup and cinnamon! This recipe of mine combines the three nut sorts I love the most: cashew nuts, pecans and walnuts. If there is one nut butter you should make, (and I´m being totally honest) it´s this one! I made this for the first time a couple of weeks ago, and it was a big hit! I ate up the whole jar over a couple of days! It´s perfect on top of oatmeal or in smoothies.

Sweet Nut Butter

Makes one jar

200g cashew nuts

100g walnuts

100g pecans

2 tbsps maple syrup 

1 tsp cinnamon

Preheat the oven to a little over 100°C / 210°F. Have all of the nuts onto a baking tray and place it in the oven for 8 minutes to make sure some of the nut oil is released from the nuts. Once they have a nice and golden colour, take them out and let them cool. Pour the nuts into a food processor and basically just blend it until it´s smooth. This may take a while, probably around 10 minutes on full speed, but be patient - the extra minutes will pay off! Once it´s starting to get smoother, add in the maple syrup and cinnamon and keep food processing for a little more. Store the delicious nut butter in an air tight jar. It will keep good in room temperature for about a month!

Black Bean Hummus

This I must say is the ultimate humus. It´s a great source of proteins, and has a heavenly taste! The rich and silky smooth texture is fantastic, and I love that this hummus based on black beans basically goes perfectly together with any dish. You should definitely give this a try!

Black Bean Hummus

Makes one 200g jar

1 can black beans, drained

2 tbsps tahini

2 garlic cloves

2 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1/2 a lime, juiced

Put the garlic in the food processor and blend until smooth. Add all the other ingredients and blend once again for about a minute or so, just until it´s all smooth and even.

Beetroot Dip

Inspired by the colourful season we´re heading up to, I was inspired to try out a new recipe using beetroot - a wonderful ingredient that not only is designated as one of "the world´s healthiest food", but it has also got this indescribable rich and almost nut-like flavour. One of my definite favourites! For a simple snack, the beetroot dip together with fried potatoes is perfect match!

Beetroot Dip

4 small beetroots

4 tbsps tahini (recipe will come)

6 tbsps extra virgin olive oil

a pinch of salt & pepper

Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor or blender and let it blend for about 2 minutes. Taste with salt and pepper, and add more if that´s needed. 

Delicious Creamy Vegan Pesto

Delicious Creamy Vegan Pesto

Makes one jar

3 cups of fresh basil leafs

1 cup pines

1/2 cup walnuts (or for the non-vegan version you could replace it with parmesan)

3-4 garlic cloves

1/2 cup olive oil/any other vegetable oil of own choice

Salt and pepper

Start by rinsing and washing the basil leafs. Once that´s done and the basil is set aside to dry, place the pines and walnuts in a frying pan and warm on low heat until they start to darken and release oil. Simply place the nuts in the food processor until it´s become nice and evenly chopped. Add the basil leafs, about half of it at a time, and press the leafs down so that the basil mixes together with the nuts. Add the garlic as well and start food processing. Finally add some pinches of salt and pepper, and add the oil a little by little while it´s all mixing together.

Here you have the most delicious and rich-tasting vegan pesto that works amazingly as a sauce in any pasta dish or as a simple lunch put onto a slice of bread together with cherry tomatoes and avocado. The pesto will stay fresh for about a week in the fridge. Enjoy!