Brownies

Aren't brownies the best? Chocolately (yes this is a word) goodness. I could eat them everyday. And guess what, these are kind of healthy, so totally legal to eat everyday, trust me.

Brownies

200 gr spelt flour
50 gr unsweetened cacao powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
250 ml almond milk
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp chia seeds
100 ml kokosolie, melted
150 gr brown or coconut sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
handful chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Grease or line a baking tin. Combine the first 5 ingredients and set aside. Mix the almond milk with the vinegar and chia seeds and also set aside. In a large bowl mix together the melted coconut oil and sugar. Stir in the vanilla extract and pour in the almond milk mixture. Stir well. Fold in the flour mixture.
Pour the batter into the baking tin and bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Serve with some sifted cacao powder.

Bouillon Soup With Meatballs

My grandma, or Oma as we called her, died two weeks ago on Christmas day. I was busy preparing for the big christmas dinner when I got a call. The whole family rushed to the hospital where she later died. 

She was an amazing and beautiful woman, always so happy to be surrounded by her children and grand-children and one of the reasons I started cooking. She peacefully tasted everything I made, always telling me it was absolutely delicious. 

I will never forget the things she cooked for us kids. Soup with meatballs was our favorite, we would fight over the meatballs as we happily ate (or mostly drank) our bowl with soup. 

On New Years day I decided to make Oma's soup. Though it was not nearly as good as hers, we devoured it and remembered our amazing Oma. 

Bouillon soup with meatballs

for the bouillon:

1 marrowbone

500 gr soup meat, in 1 cm pieces

2 onions

2 carrots

2 stems celery

1 clove garlic

1 bouquet garni (I used thyme, rosemary, parsley and basil)

100 ml white wine

for the meatballs:

300 gr minced meat

50 gr breadcrumbs

1 egg

1 tbsp soy sauce

salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Put the marrowbone and soup meat in an ovenproof dish and bake for 1 hour. When ready place in a large pot. 

Coarsely chop the vegetables and add to the pot together with the garlic, bouquet garni and salt and pepper. Add the wine and as much water to cover the vegetables and meat. Bring to the boil and skim of fat, leave on low heat for at least 4 hours. Strain the bouillon. 

For the meatballs, mix minced meat with other ingredients and form little balls. Bring a pot with enough water to the boil and add meatballs. Cook for about 10 minutes or until cooked through. Add to bouillon.

Sweet Potato Soup with Coriander Pesto

I could eat soup everyday. And I often do. I usually make a big pot of soup over the weekend and take my thermos everywhere I go for a quick lunch during the week.
This soup is perfect for the winter. It's sweet and spicy to warm you up and even better topped with a bit of coriander pesto.

Sweet potato soup with coriander pesto

for the soup:
1tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, sliced
3 medium sweet potatoes, in chunks
1 large potato, in chunks
1 liter chicken or vegetable stock
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp chili powder
salt and pepper

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook for about 5 minutes until cooked but not browned. Add garlic and cook 2 more minutes. Add all the potatoes, stock, cinnamon and chili and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for 30 more minutes or until potatoes are soft. Puree the mixture using a blender and season with salt and pepper. Top with coriander pesto. 

for the pesto:
small bunch coriander
handful almonds
1 clove of garlic
juice from half a lemon
olive oil

Add the first four ingredients to a blender and mix until blended. Slowly add olive oil until a nice consistency is reached. Store in refrigerator.

Dark Chocolate Truffles

These truffles are simple to make but irresistible, rich and creamy. If you're not a fan of pistachios try other chopped nuts or add liqueur, cinnamon or orange to the mixture, whatever you want. They're also great for gifts.

Dark Chocolate Truffles

Adapted from Love And Lemons

250 gr. dark chocolate

1/2 cup cup coconut milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

Toppings:

Cacao powder, shredded coconut, chopped pistachios 

Melt chocolate in a glass or metal bowl over a pot of simmering water, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in coconut milk and vanilla. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours or longer. 

Place your toppings on different plates. Shape chocolate mixture into balls and roll in toppings.

Hot Almond Chocolate Milk

A grey and rainy afternoon. What's better than a cup of hot chocolate almond milk?!

Hot Almond Chocolate Milk

500 ml almond milk
4 tbps cacao powder
sugar to taste

Heat the almond milk and add cacao powder and sugar. Whisk until combined.