Gul Kake

..or Yellow Cake, as it were should you translate it to English.

In Norway, this cake is also called "Suksessterte" which basically means success tart. It's wonderfull, almost macarroon-like base is the beginning of something good...always.

My mum bakes this to perfection, but since she's back in Bergen and I am here in Glasgow, I gotta make sure I'll keep the tradition alive, eh? And I don't mind that at all!

The first time I tried to make this, I undercooked the egg-custard frosting, and this time? I cooked it for a minute too much and it curdled slightly, I have pinky promised myself that next time it will be perfect. I know what to look for now! Overnight though, thankfully the custard frosting set, and come the following day - it was pretty much spot on!

With only a few ingredients, and a little patience, you'll have an amazing cake in no time! The base also cools down fairly quickly, so you don't have to wait for long until frosting it.

Gul Kake
(Makes 1 cake)

I crushed some "Smash" chocolate from Norway to top it with!

For the base:
4 egg whites (save the egg yolks in a bowl covered with water and a little sugar, ready to use for the frosting later, keep refrigerated until then)
200g ground almonds
200g icing sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder

For the frosting:
4 egg yolks (the ones you set aside)
100ml milk
100g sugar (I used light brown)
100g light butter for stirring in

- First, pre-heat the oven to 175-180ºC.

- Now, in a bowl, whisk your egg whites stiff, and then add the icing sugar, before folding in the ground almonds along with the baking powder. Pour it into a cake tin (about 18-22cm diameter) and bake for 45 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean and the surface is nice and crisp. Set aside to cool.

- Once the cake has cooled (about 20 minutes or so later) you can get cracking with the delicious egg custard frosting! Melt the butter and set aside.

- Heat the milk, egg yolks and sugar in a small saucepan over a medium low heat and whisk almost constantly for 5-10 minutes. Once it thickens, take it off the heat to prevent it from curdling - and stir in the butter, wait until it cools a little before frosting the base.

- Serve as it is, or with melted dark chocolate drizzled sparingly over it, or scatter some chopped nuts or crunchy sweets on top (I used the infamous Norwegian Smash! chocolate, yum!) For ideas, you can optionally google "suksessterte" soooo many beautiful examples there! I just prefer them a little plain, s'all ^ ^

I hope you like this as much as I do!

Oh, and today, I had the pleasure of having a little bottle of blackberry sparkling wine delivered to my door, now how about that? Remember the blackberry trip I went on with some friends? Well, turns out the most enthusiastic blackberry picker of the lot had a hard time finishing all the blackberry wine he made and needed a little help from his friends. And holy smokes - it was delicious! I used a little bit for braising some venison I got at a bargain, and the sweetness really shone through in the gravy I made for it. The wine itself though - so good on its own! Come to think of it - it would even have been really nice on the evening cake was had, mmmm ^ ^

I hope you have a great week so far! I myself had a trial shift yesterday which went well, but sadly not well enough, so now I'm a-looking for a job still, and making the most of my spare time. Also, I have become addicted to the Great British Bake-Off and over the course of a few evenings I have caught up on the most recent episode, like I said - making the most of it. I have done a lot of cooking and seen friends too, it's been good! Now I gotta turn on the "job search mode" button though, wish me luck!


Original source:
Iris (Grandmother's sister <3 )

- Jules aka Yellow Cake Addict

Rocket-Science Flatmate Rye Bread

Several times now I am sure I have told you about my flatmate's excellent bread making skills. In fact - it is so good that the other night when he had made an extra loaf from a batch I managed to eat almost all of what was left of it (toasted and with peanut butter...can you blame me?!). So! The next day, I decided that I would make it up to him by practising my own baking skills.

I have tried a few different varieties of bread and rolls over the last few years, but this time, I decided to try and do it the good ol' way, where science and fresh yeast is required, and then - I got stuck in! I asked my flatmate for some advice with the ratio, and then just took it from there. For the yeast, I used 50g fresh, but it might need a little more to rise even more.

Rocket-Science Flatmate Rye Bread
(Makes one bread)

300g strong white bread flour
200g fine rye flour
1-2 tbsp black onion seeds (optional)
1 tbsp runny honey (can swap for 1 tbsp sugar, to feed the yeast)
270ml lukewarm water (37ºC aka when you tip a drop onto your hand, you shouldn't feel it)
50g fresh yeast
1 tbsp (extra-virgin) olive oil

- Start by mixing the flours and onion seeds (if using) until combined, make a well in the middle.

- In a pot, heat up your water and oil until it reaches 37ºC. Take the pot of the heat and crumble the yeast into it and stir until it is dissolved. Pour into the well in the flour and add the honey/sugar. Stir well to combine, knead lightly and let it sit in a warm place to rise for about 2 hours until it's almost doubled in size (rye doesn't rise as much as normal flour).

- Now, punch the air out of it, knead it for about five minutes, and place in the breadpan (if using) and leave it to rise for a further hour.

- Pre-heat your oven to 200ºC, place a shallow tray with a bit of water in to allow the bread to steam slightly, place the bread in the middle of the oven and bake for about 45 minutes, lower the temperature slightly (160-180ºC) and bake for a further 30 minutes to get that lovely crust fully developed.

Rustique!

Leave to cool slightly before serving...

Also, I wasn't sure whether or not to label this vegetarian/vegan, as it has yeast in it, perhaps some of my veggie friends can give me a little more insight here?
If you're only baking for yourself, why not slice it up and store in in the freezer for some other time? Just pop them in the toaster and they'll taste almost newly made again, mmmm ^ ^

What is your favourite bread recipe?

PS. I wrote a little mindful post about bread here some time ago.


Recipe by yours truly (with a little help from my friend)

- Jules

Skoleboller

Here's another one of those pesky Norwegian recipes. I made these for my birthday yesterday, and they actually turned out really well for a first attempt!

These lovely sweet buns with a hint of warming cardamom, with a custard cream center, finished off with icing and dessicated coconut - surely that is a lot of good things in one go?

"Skoleboller" means school buns, and if you skip the dessicated coconut, they'll be "Sommer boller" - Summer buns, because of the little sun in the middle.

I had to use two recipe references here, as the recipe for the dough used a store-bought custard filling, whereas it is SO easy to whip up that you might as well make it yourself!

PS. If you live in the UK, you can usually get fresh yeast in the Polish shops (I always go there for either that or kefir, or both!), lovely people *smiles*

Skoleboller
(Makes 10-12)

For the dough:
600g plain flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cardamom
1/2 tsp baking powder
325ml milk
100g butter, melted
50g fresh yeast

For the custard filling:
1 egg
100ml milk
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla sugar
1 tbsp cornflour

Extra:
One egg
Icing made of icing sugar and a bit of water
Dessicated coconut

- Start by making the dough: Mix all the dry ingredients in a big baking bowl, and make a well in the middle.

- In a small pot, melt the butter on low heat and add the milk, once it reaches 37ºC (you can dip your finger into it and almost not feel the liquid because it is body temperature). Take the casserole off the heat and crumble the yeast into it, stir until it is aaaaall dissolved. Pour into the well and make a dough. Kneading it until well combined. Place in the baking bowl covered in the warmest spot in the house/flat/whereveryouare (my spot was in the cubboard with the boiler - why have I not thought of that before?!).

- Leave it for about hald an hour until it has doubled in size.

- Now, pre-heat the oven to 225ºC.

- On a floured surface roll out the dough in 10-12 pieces and roll them into little buns. Place them on a baking paper clad baking tray and repeat with the remaining buns. Make a little well in the middle (like with thumb-print cookies only a little bigger).

- On to the eggy custard! Have all the ingredients for the custard in a little casserole, and whisk it free from lumps, nice and smooth. After about 3-5 minutes it will thicken. Don't worry if it curdles, that's OK. Just take the pot off the heat and whisk in another splash of milk. The custard can be a little lumpy anyway, cause it's going into the well! Take one teaspoon's worth of the custard and place it in the well. Let it rise for a second time for another 10-15 minutes.

- Brush the buns with the egg, and place in the middle of the oven and bake the buns for about 12-15 minutes until nice and golden. Cool for a little bit.

Work station!

- Now comes the fun part! Make icing by using a cup or two with icing sugar and a little bit of water. Have a bowl of dessicated coconut next to it. First dip the top of the bun in icing (unless you wanna use a frosting bag and do it a little bit tidier - that's totally cool!) and then in the coconut - simples! Set them aside and let the icing dry a little, before serving.

Ta-Dah! (This was after I had quality checked, and thus there might be one missing...) Sweet, sticky fingers and happy faces is what you get if you prescribe them a skolebolle ^ ^

I cannot think of much that beats a nice, warm, sweet pastry on an early Autumns eve! What is your favourite bake, and have you tried these before?

I am so happy and humbled by how many people turned up to celebrate with me last night, and I couldn't have asked for a better present! I hope you have a great day *smiles*


Original source:
http://www.tine.no/oppskrifter/bakst/sot-gjarbakst/skolebr%C3%B8d
And
Haugesund Husmorsskoles Kokebok, p. 96

- Jules

Dressing a lâ Iran & a Quarter of a Century Old

Today, I am a quarter of a century, and I feel - old...

I also went for a run this morning, and it was a bad idea - I didn't do that well and simply blamed it on turning a year older, not the fact that I haven't been running in...three months. I told myself that after though, and felt a little better for it. Yesterday I made a Norwegian cake that I will be sharing with you in the very near future, so keep your eyes out for it! Today I'm gonna get my baking on before having some friends over. I use this day as an excuse to invite people so I can feed them, and get my baking on - there's only so much cake I can eat by myself, and besides - it tastes SO much better in good company!

For now, I'll give you the recipe for a delicious little accompaniment that I made the other day. If you like yogurt based dressings, you will hopefully like this one as much! It has that subtle flavour of the sesame oil which works really well with the mint and currants, mmmmm.

The other night, I had a proper sit-down to think of what foods I actually have in the flat, searching for recipes that would only require for me to buy one or two things in order to make something.

Browsing through this really nifty recipe book I have, I came across a sauce, or a dressing more like, and I had all the ingredients AND was feeling peckish. Bingo! I found a lost little courgette in the fridge that I sauteed in a little bit of butter, garlic, salt and some dill (adding a bit of Scandi-ness to it all...) and served it topped with this delicious dressing, yum! The sesame oil in it really adds that extra flavour that makes this mix stand out. It was adviced to have it with salads and rice in particular.

I down-sized the batch and made enough to serve one to two people, it depends how much rice or salad you have that needs topped with it I suppose.

PS. I also added a bit more of everything in the dressing, because it looks and tastes nicer that way!

Dressing a lâ Iran
(Serves 1 to 2)

3 big tbsp or 100ml low fat natural yogurt
A squeeze of lemon juice
A few fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 heaped tbsp dried currants
A good pinch of salt

- Simply combine everything in a small bowl and garnish with a few extra mint leaves for show and serve with salads, or swirl through the rice to give it a little bit more of a flavour.

Like I said, I only had this as a snack and topped some fried courgette with it, and served it along side some home made rye bread and egg salad. You know what it's like when you are hungry and want - everything! Sometimes you just have to give in to it. And this time, it worked a treat! I will definitely be making this again, mmm.

This made for a delicious evening snack, and I managed to squeeze in my fifth vegetable for the day - score!

First guests arriving in approximately six and a half hours, and I am exciting! Gotta get my baking on soon, that will also be a Norwegian recipe, as I found the other week that despite having these biased cravings of lovely fluffy sweet baked goods, I usually find a recipe for someone else. Time to go back to my roots, gotta mix it up a little bit!

Wishing you a lovely Wednesday!


Original source:
Friske Oppskrifter, p. 26

Creamy Vegan Chocolate Soft Serve

Good morning and happy Sunday!

Need your chocolate fix? Want to be healthy? Vegan? Arenotveganbutwouldntmindbeingadventurousinthekitchen? Need comfort food? Fed up with me thinking of thinks that might appeal to you?

OK, if you wanna tick one of more of these, then you are in for a right good treat, as I have finally come to make a deliciously creamy, chocolatey, healthy vegan soft serve. Let it sit in the freezer for an hour or two longer, and you have icecream!

It's easily doubled, tripled, or made up for a crowd - but maybe in the latter case DO share some with the others, yeh?

This recipe ticks off THREE (yes, three!) of tour five a day...in one serving, and is deliciously cocoa-y (because sometimes that is a word). Four ingredients, a bowl and a stick blender - it's all you need *smiles*

Creamy Vegan Chocolate Soft Serve
(Serves 1)

1 medium banana, peeled and chopped
1 medium avocado (about 100-150g)
5 dried dates, torn into pieces
2-3 tbsp cocoa powder (unsweetened)

- Simply have all the ingredients in a bowl, and whizz smooth with a stickblender. Now you have a sort of vegan chocolate mousse. Transfer to a container that can stand in the freezer and leave for about an hour for soft serve, a couple of hours for icecream.

- Once frozen to your liking, take it out and servie with whatever toppings you want. I reckon dessicated coconut og chopped nuts with some syrup would be delicious, but I simply enjoyed it eu natural, with a little waffle heart on the side.

This contains a lot of healthy fats, plenty of vitamins, and it tastes absolutely delicious! You can have this as a dessert or even for lunch, seriously - enjoy!

I'll be making this again, probably really soon...like...tomorrow - hooked!

I also bought some mini poppadums the other day -

Next to them is an egg, just to show you how small they really are! I have been dry-frying them in a pan until they bubble up and go golden brown, perfect for dipping into guacamole, hummous or basically any other dip you can think of!

Today I'm going to see two of my friends, enjoy the sunshine and just....live! T'is Sunday after all *smiles* And you? I hope you have a lovely day! What is your favourite ice cream recipe?


Recipe by yours truly,

- Jules

Feliz Frittata

A couple of weeks ago, I saw a cookbook in a charity shop, it's bright colours catching my attention: Good Mood Food! I took a look at it, and it has a lot of good recipes using healthy ingredients that boost your level of happiness by stimulating parts of your body and your brain.

Good Mood Food and happy pants, all was well in the world *smiles*

Originally this little dish was called Tantalizing Tuna, and I could swear I had a tin of tuna somewhere in the kitchen, buuuuut no! Instead, I opted for adding an extra egg to the dish and decided to call it Feliz Frittata, feliz meaning happy in Spanish and thus serving it's purpose, si?
Also, this means that my version is vegetarian! I used soy milk so it is also great for you if you are lactose intolerant. Use one egg and a 120g tin of tuna if you decide to make it with fish instead.

Feliz Frittata
(Serves 2 people, 3 as a lunch)

70g red lentils ( I had these amazing fast-cook ones that were ready in zero point swish! In other words - hardly no time at all, about ten minutes or so)
3 Spring onions, finely chopped (or roughly chopped, I like a bit of a bite to it)
1 tbsp (extra virgin) olive oil
2 eggs (one if you decide to use a tin of tuna)
150ml milk (I used light soy)
1 medium carrot, either grated or cut into matchsticks
Flaked or ground almonds, enough to cover, about 30-50g
Salt, pepper and maybe a little bit of vegetable stock to taste

- Start by boiling up water and cook lentils as instructed until soft, set aside.

- In the meantime pre-heat the oven to 200ºC.

- Now, heat oil in a small frying pan and soften the Spring onions, if you cut the carrots into matchsticks, you can fry them with the Spring onions for the few minutes it takes.

- In a big mixing bowl, whisk the egg(s) with the milk and add a little salt, pepper and optionally some vegetable stock, I used about 1/2 teaspoon.

- Now, add the remaining ingredients - APART from the almonds) to the egg mixture and stir until fully combined. Transfer the mixture to a small ovenproof dish, or a silicone mould (I used one that is about 18cm in diameter), sprinkle over enough almonds to cover, and place in the oven for 30 minutes until cooked.

And it's ready to serve! You can even whip up a little side salad to serve alongside it if you have a little time to spare and it'll look fancy as any dish really! It's almost like a quiche, or a savoury cake. I don't know, I only know I was really happy to have leftovers for breakfast this morning!

I'll be looking forward to trying out more recipes from the Good Mood Food book, I'm going to have a wee look in it this evening methinks! I hope you have a lovely evening, any plans?


Original source:
Good Mood Food (M. van Straten) p. 21

Vegan Guaca-Rice

Today I have had a day off and it was a pure treat! It's important to sometimes take a few steps back from the professional life and just do what feels best for you, mmmm. I have had a few boxes ticked off today.

Hairdressers - tick!
Home made chocolate marbles - tick!
Pub quiz - tick! (And out team even got second place!)
Ice cream - tick!

In a busy week day though, or on days when you feel like little effort should be made in the kitchen - you can still rattle up some healthy food in zero point swish! (That's in a flash to you and me) You can even use the rice from yesterday's dinner if you have some left!

Here's what you need for some lovely, creamy rice - perfect as a side with many a main dish, or funk it up and have it for lunch, either as a salad or part as a sandwhich filler. As you have maybe noticed, these multi-purpose meals are all the rage on my blog these days!

Feel free to add a bit of a kick to it with a bit of finely chopped chillies, or perhaps add more veggies by swirling some chopped tomatoes and chopped red onion in the mix as well?

Vegan Guaca-Rice
(Serves 3-4 as a side)

2 cups cooked wholegrain rice (1 cup uncooked)
1 avocado
Juice of 1 lime
A pinch of cumin
100g sweetcorn
Salt and pepper to taste
Chopped tomatoes, finely chopped chillies, and garlic all optional
Potential garnish: vegan coconut "bacon"

- If the rice isn't cooked yet, do so first by following the instructions on the packet. Once done, rinse in cold water and drain well, set aside.

- Have all the remaining ingredients apart from the sweetcorn, in a bowl and use a stick-mixer to make a nice and smooth guacamole, stir in the sweetcorn and rise, and it's all done! Serve along side main dishes, garnish with whatever you see fit, or use it as part of a filling for sandwiches.

Topped with vegan coconut "bacon" garnish

If you have leftovers, you can store them in the fridge, just remember to keep the avocado pit in it so it prevents it from discolouring.

I hope you have had a great week so far! Do you have other good avocado recipes?


Original source:
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheComfortOfCooking/~3/6eRC_2CA3ow/creamy-avocado-lime-rice.html

- Jules

Kiwi & Peach Cake with Dark Chocolate Glaze

Hey you! Yes, come on over here and have a look at this!

Originally this was going to turn into some lovely kiwi muffins, but I had a peach begging me for mercy and with a few alterations of the recipe, it turned into something completely different. And the best of all? The cake itself is sugar free!

My flatmate loved it (unless he was just being polite, but in that case he wouldn't have wanted a second slice!), and said it was almost like a flan. Now, I have never had flan before, but if it's like this - I'll definitely want to try me some, and I hope you give it a go too!


Kiwi & Peach Cake with Dark Chocolate Glaze
(Makes 1 medium-sized cake)

2 eggs
70g xylitol/sukrin gold
2-3 drops Stevia vanilla or vanilla creme
100ml milk (I used almond)
2 kiwis
1 peach
2 tbsp flour of choice (I used extra fibre-flour)
1 tsp xanthan gum (optional)
1/2 scoop vanilla powder (or an additional 2 tbsp flour of choice)
2 tbsp coconut flour (or more flour)
1-2 tsp cinammon

For the glaze:
70g dark chocolate, broken into pieces
2 tbsp low-fat yogurt, or soy yogurt, I used the latter

- Pre-heat the oven to 180ºC.

- Have all the cry ingredients in a big baking bowl first, stir to combine and make a well in the middle and have the remailing ingredients. Stir a little bit more before whizzing it all smooth with a stick blender.

- Pour into a greased tin or cake mould (about 18-20cm diameter) and bake for 35-40 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely before tipping onto a serving plate.

- For the frosting, simply melt the chocolate in a bowl over a casserole with boiling water, and stir in the yogurt, take it off the heat once it's all melted, spread nice and evenly over the cake, and place it in the fridge to set a little before serving.

I hope you like this as much as I did! I had a little bit for breakfast the next day, I couldn't help myself *sneaky grin*

Have a lovely evening!


Recipe by yours truly, with a little help from a completely different recipe!

- Jules

Oven-Roasted Parsnip Fries with Stuffed Mushrooms

I came up with this little dinner when I fancied something a little pub-grubby but that was still not....quite that.

Oven-Roasted Parsnip Fries with Stuffed Mushrooms
(Serves 1)

200g parsnip (about 2), cut into strips
1 tbsp coconut oil or olive oil + dash of water
Salt, pepper and onion powder for the fries
2 "breakfast" or portobello mushrooms
2 eggs
Seasonings (I used salt, black pepper, oregano, basil, chilli and a bit of smoked paprika)
Cheese of choice, either soft or grated, I used two soft cheese triangles that I halved
Vegan coconut bacon garnish (optional)
Dip of choice to serve with the fries - I would recommend sweet chilli sauce

- Pre-heat the oven to 170ºC.

- In a small pot, melt the coconut oil or heat up the olive oil on medium heat, and add the water. As you prepare the parsnip, chuck them into the pan as you go along.

- Sprinkle with the seasoning, place a lid over it and give it a good shake! Place the fries on a piece of baking parchment along with the whole garlic clove, and place it in the middle in the oven. Let them bake for about half an hour before turning them and roasting them for a further half hour

- Right before turning the parsnip fries, core the mushrooms so it leaves you with more space for the filling. You can finely chop the excess mushroom and mix it with the other ingredients, but you might find it bubbles up a little over the edges.

- Whisk together the eggs and spices and distribute between the mushrooms, top with cheese and vegan bacon garnish (if using) and pop them into the oven as you turn the parsnip fries. Half an hour later - dinner should be ready, serve with sauce of choice and enjoy!

Also, speaking of mushrooms.... When I was in Norway, I went on my very first mushroom-picking trip! I thought it best not to eat any of them though, as I found none of the ones in the "top 10 edible mushrooms in Norway", but all other kinds under the sun. Some of them looked like they had come from Mordor, creepy little things...

But they look pretty all laid out like this, yeh?

Also, in Norway - when I was visiting my granny, I mentioned I was hungry... She turned into supernan and then after ten minutes and a few rattling noises from the kitchen she came back with a home made cauliflower soup garnished with fried bacon and sugarsnap peas - say what?! It was amazing! I might have to try and make it in the near future, too good!

I stayed at my mum's place most nights there, and she has a little cat that's moved in with her who's called Ninni. People claim she's evil, but I just defended her, reminding them that she's only a moody girl, plus - she never attacked me, mew!

View from Askøy over to the bridge that leads you to Bergen town!

On the left, you see a picture from when my sister and I went to Godt Brød (organic bakery) on my last full day in Bergen, it's foccacia with garlic butter, pesto, roast beef and salad, yum!
On the right, you have "Fløibanen" which takes you up from Bergen city centre and up to one of the smallest mountains there - Fløien! My family always walk up though, it doesn't take long, and is the perfect walk pre-dinner, builds up your appetite y'know *smiles*

Left, I finally got a pony! Too bad it was made out of stone and thus impossible to bring with me back to Glasgow, dang! On the right you see lucky clovers from one of the forests on Askøy, and the leaves are heart-shaped and everything!

And on that note, I am declaring my weekend BEGUN! I have been working from Friday and up until today, phew, I can feel the post-holiday-back-to-work has taken its toll on me...
I hope you are having a fantastic weekend! Any plans?


Recipe by yours truly,

- Jules

Easy Bean & Lentil Casserole

Good morning - and happy Friday! Got any plans yet? I'll be working today and tomorrow, but then I am off on Sunday, yarr!

Here's a lovely little dinner tip for you! I made this out of ingredients I already had at hand after I got back from Norway. You can substitute the lentils for a tin of black- or kidney beans if you want, I just used what I had handy, simples!

Most of the ingredients are spices - of which most you might already have at hand, if not - just use the closest thing you've got or omit *smiles*

Easy Bean & Lentil Casserole
(Serves 2 - 3)

1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, roughly chopped
1 fat garlic clove, finely chopped
400g tin white beans (I used cannellini)
50-70g dry red lentils (or one tin of black- or kidney beans)
400ml tin chopped tomatoes
200ml water (if using lentils)
1 tbsp tomato purée
1 tsp honey (optional, can replace with 1 tbsp brown sugar)
1/2 glass red wine
2-3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
A few drops liquid smoke (optional)
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (or 1/2 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped)
1/2 tsp oregano
1/3 tsp cinnamon
Salt and pepper to taste

- Simply start by heating the oil in a medium casserole, add the garlic and onion and soften for about five minutes.

- Now, add all the remaining ingredients and turn it down to simmer for 30-40 minutes, stir occasionally and season to taste. If the mix gets a little dry, just add a splash of water and cover with a lid and cook until the lentils have softened.

- Serve with good crusty bread for mopping! You can also use this as beanmix for tortillas or tacos, maybe even as a dip with tortilla chips? Yum!

And as for breakfast today, I noticed I had this "cake in a cup" mix sitting that I bought in Norway. And what do you when you have bought such a "healthier" mix in Norway only to realise that Hey! You don't have a microwave!
....You get a non-stick frying pan out, pour the mixture into it, cook it covered with a lid on low heat for about 3-5 minutes. Cakey on the outside and gooey in the middle, mmmm! I did say it was Friday!


Recipe by yours truly,

Jules

Easy Vegan Bacon Garnish

Yeah, you heard me - VEGAN! Aint that neat?

I am juuuust back home from having spent my Summer holiday with my family in Norway, and thus there might just be a post in the near future about it - just maybe *winks*. After ten days away, I have climbed mountains, eaten ice cream o'plenty and topped up on my favourite dish - raspeballer. I have attended a poetry slam in the heart of Bergen, seen some celebrities - and.....I just heard back from the people from my course and I have become a nutritional advisor, how about that? Needless to say I am really happy I made it, not to mention surprised and relieved!

I have seen several recipes for vegan coconut bacon, and most recipes call for the sliced coconut. I however, happened to have no such thing in my flat and thus settled for using dessicated coconut and just use it for garnish instead, and I was mighty surprised how something vegan can taste so beautifully....smokey - as if straight from the barbecue, mmmm!

I composed this recipe based on the main component in the other ones I have seen, and also just using whatever I had at hand. I think the liquid smoke is the key though, and you can find it in some Mexican food shops, as well as some normal food shops.

I might have used tamarind instead of tamari, which was somewhat a foolish thing to do, but thankfully it tasted really nice! Don't worry though, I corrected it in the recipe below for you *smiles*

Easy Vegan Bacon Garnish
(Makes 1 cup)

1 cup dessicated coconut
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/3 tsp liquid smoke (it's seriously strong stuff!)
1 tbsp tamari + 2 tbsp water
1-2 tsp maple syrup (can use honey for vegetarian)
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp coconut oil

- Simply start by combining the dessicated coconut with smoked paprika and salt, stir well to combine.

- Add the liquid smoke, syrup, tamari and water and stir, stir, stir some more!

- Heat coconut oil in a small frying pan on medium-low heat, and add the "bacon" mix. Stir frequently, and once it starts to char slightly, after about 5-10 minutes, it's done! Either use as garnish straight away or cool completely before storing in an airtight container or a jar for up to 1-2 weeks.

I have used it as garnish on fried eggs, topped soups with it, and now I am making a casserole that I plan on garnish with some of it as well ^ ^

Have you ever tried to make vegan bacon before?


Recipe by yours truly, with a little help from the iWebs!

- Jules