Energizing Pomegranate & Lingonberry Smoothie

September 8, 2016

I’m just dropping by for a quick hello today in the form of a smoothie. There’s a lot going on right now as our wedding is in two days (!!) and photographing a smoothie bowl isn’t really on top of my priorities, but I tend to take on even more tasks when I’m already super busy. But I somehow managed to make a really good smoothie that gives a lot of feel-good energy and I felt like sharing something before we take off to our honeymoon and forget about the internet and everything else for a while :)

I rarely share a smoothie recipes nowadays, as I feel we all have so many of them and I never take exact measurements, but maybe we have room for one more? It’s a good one, I promise! Frozen pomegranate seeds are my new love from the frozen foods aisle and lingonberries are in season now, so I decided to combine them two and add a couple superfoods too. I don’t use that many superfoods on a daily basis, but when life gets hectic I like to add a bit of boost from those powders to keep me going. Maca powder is my favorite, as well as ashwagandha lately, but I added camu camu powder to this smoothie, as it’s loaded with vitamin c and my body is craving for all the vitamin c (+sea!) it can get. But this one tastes wonderful without them too if you’re not into that sort of thing!

Enough of my babbling, now I need to go and get some dried flowers / buy a bunch of stuff / pack for our trip and get my bridechill mode on :) I’ll be back in a few weeks, talk to you then! Take care and eat well! xo

Energizing Pomegranate & Lingonberry Smoothie

serves one

1 large frozen banana
1/2 cup fresh or frozen pomegranate seeds
1/2 cup fresh or frozen lingonberries (or cranberries)
2 brazil nuts
2 tbsp coconut milk
1/2 cup almond milk (or other plant-based milk)
(1 tsp maca powder)
(1 tsp camu camu powder)
bee pollen and fresh berries, for serving

METHOD:

Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Add a bit of almond milk, if necessary. Pour the smoothie into a bowl, garnish with bee pollen and lingonberries and enjoy!

For more inspiration, follow me on Instagram and tag photos of my recipes with #tuuliablog so I can see!

Creamy Vegan Lentil Bolognese

September 4, 2016

Besides updating at least four to-do lists on the notes app on my computer on a daily basis, I have a separate list for food-related ideas. Usually they’re something I intend to make for the blog, for client work, or just to try out at some point. The list keeps growing far more faster than I manage to cook from it, but when the inspiration hits and an idea comes to me, I need a place to write it down. Our weeknight cookings are usually the result of daily feels towards a certain food / ingredient, but when nothing comes to mind the list is a good source of ideas. Also, one of my goals for this autumn is to be more organized with the weeknight meals and cook more in batches (yay for leftovers!), as it saves time, money and energy, and ’cause a long day + hanger + food in the fridge = perfection.

I’m a part of Go Green’s blog campaign this month, in which I + few fellow bloggers were asked to create tasty meals for weeknight dinners, and it naturally offered a perfect chance to cook something of my list. I’ve been thinking about a vegan lentil bolognese for a while already and tried two different versions of it. The first time I used uncooked green lentils and let the bolognese cook for a longer time like the real deal, but the second time I wanted to try a fast-food version of the sauce and used cooked red lentils. I think both worked well but when the hanger hits, I’ll go for the fast version and in general I just always like red lentils more. This one is a truly nourishing and comforting meal and it’s a perfect thing to offer for both the veggie-loving and the non-vegetarian friends, as it’s full of flavor. Another one of my goals is to cook more for friends and make them love veggies even more, and this one will definitely be in my repertoire :)

I added a bit of coconut milk to my version of bolognese, as I’ve always been into creamy tomato sauces. But if you’re more into just the tomato, feel free to skip the coconut milk. The bolognese is great as it is with some gluten-free pasta (brown rice pasta is my favorite!) but I do like to have some greens on the side too. For example steamed broccoli and lightly cooked zucchini slices are my favorite for a meal like this. And if you feel like eating even more vegetables, this would be great with zucchini / carrot pasta too. That’s what I call a veggie heaven :)

Eat well and stay cozy, friends! And let me know how your pasta turns out if you make some! xo

This post was created in partnership with Go Green. All opinions are my own, as always in here. Thank you so much for reading and supporting my work!

Creamy Vegan Lentil Bolognese

notes: you can use red or green lentils in the bolognese, so feel free to choose your favorite. you can also use dry lentils and either cook them first separately or add them to the sauce with some water. this one also freezes well if you end up with way too much of the sauce!

serves 4-6

2 cans (à 285g) cooked red lentils
2 big carrots
1 onion
2-3 cloves of garlic
4-5 sun dried tomatoes
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp tomato paste
3 cans (à 295g) organic crushed tomatoes
2 tsp dried basil
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp coconut sugar
salt & black pepper
1/4 cup coconut milk (or other plant-based cream)

For serving:

gluten-free pasta
fresh basil
nutritional yeast

METHOD:

1. Rinse and drain the lentils and set aside. Peel and grate the carrots. Finely dice the onion and garlic and chop the sun-dried tomatoes into small pieces.

2. Heat a large frying pan and add the olive oil to the pan. Sauté the onion and garlic for about a minute, until softened. Lower the heat a bit and add the grated carrots, lentils and sun-dried tomatoes and cook for a couple minutes. Add the tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, and spices and stir well to combine everything. Bring to a boil and simmer at a low heat for about 10-15 minutes.

3. While the bolognese is cooking, prepare the pasta according to the instructions on the package. When the bolognese is ready, stir in the coconut milk and turn the heat off. Taste, and add spices if desired. Serve the bolognese with the pasta, a generous handful of fresh basil and a sprinkle of nutritional yeast and enjoy!

Zucchini Pizza Bites

August 26, 2016

I know it’s still August, but I feel like being in between two seasons already. I still long for the warm days and nights, the light summer feeling, and all the summer produce, but at the same time I’m already cooking up warming foods and looking up to low-key hangouts at home with friends and some much needed daily routine and structure in daily life. But I do really hope that the next two weeks would be all sunshine and heat, as our wedding is in two weeks and I wouldn’t mind the weather being pretty!

Along with our wedding coming up and the changing of the seasons, I’ve been making lots of simple meals with plenty of vegetables. I’m not on a ‘wedding diet’, but I feel like eating things that are light, nourishing and super fresh to make feel good and balanced. I’ll probably be making more freshly pressed juices and green smoothies as the day gets closer, but I’m also trying to keep things relaxed and stress-free and focus on sleeping well, moving my body and enjoying the last bits of the journey. If you’ve got any tips on how to keep your cool till the altar, please do share! Just in case I get a few bridezilla moments :)

I’ve been busy with a bunch of client work lately, making recipes and shooting some photos, and it’s been great to get all my creativity flowing in the kitchen. I made these zucchini pizza bites this week for a Finnish site called Puhtaasti kotimainen but as they were so good – and über simple! – I thought I’d add it to the archives here too. I’m kind of obsessed with zucchini at the moment and eat it daily, so these pizza bites gave a nice variation to my routine. As said, these are super simple, you’ll only need a few ingredients and they’re a crowd-pleaser too. So I hope you enjoy them as much as I (and my man did)! xo

Zucchini Pizza Bites

makes 10 to 12 small pizza bites

1 large zucchini
olive oil
about 10 cherry tomatoes
1 ball of organic mozzarella di bufala
1 cup organic crushed tomatoes (or tomato paste)
fresh basil & oregano, finely chopped
sea salt & black pepper

METHOD:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F / 200°C. Rinse the zucchini and cut into about 10 to 12 thick rounds. Arrange the rounds onto a baking tray covered with parchment paper and brush with olive oil. Bake for about 5 minutes, until slightly tender.

2. In the meanwhile, cut the cherry tomatoes into slices and torn the mozzarella into small pieces. Take the zucchini rounds out of the oven and top with a spoonful of crushed tomatoes, a few pieces of mozzarella and a couple cherry tomato slices. Top with the chopped herbs and season with salt and black pepper. Bake for about 10 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the zucchini has softened. Serve warm as it is, or for example with a green salad, and enjoy!

For more inspiration, follow me on Instagram and tag photos of my recipes with #tuuliablog so I can see!

Blueberry Yogurt Face Mask + Cucumber & Honeydew Shake | Summer Spa

August 17, 2016

I’ve got something a little different for you this week. When I started blogging a couple years ago, I wrote about a few different topics, like natural cosmetics and the products I had tried and liked. I kind of quickly noticed that food is the thing for me, but I do still like to take good care of my skin and try new things every now and then. What it comes to skincare, I’m suuuuper low key with it and tend to rely to the less-is-more logic. But when I feel like doing something a little extra, I go and make a simple homemade scrub / mask / lotion mostly with pantry items. And summer is a a great time for these little diy spa moments, especially if you get to finish it with a dip in the sea or lake and a visit to the sauna – without forgetting the very special after-sauna drinks!

So all you beauties, whether you’re a hippie like me or a true cosmetics lover, I’ve got a couple feel-good tips for you today inspired by the nights spent at the cottage and some super comfy bath products I got from Familon. On the menu we have a super simple blueberry yogurt face mask and a refreshing cucumber and honeydew shake, which are perfect for giving yourself some extra love and making everyday life a bit more magical.

My summer spa (and all-year spa) is made with very simple stuff, mostly with things you can eat too. If I’m in need of a scrub, I’ll do a simple one with coconut oil, honey, and sea salt, which is wonderful and makes your skin super soft. Now I felt more in need of a face mask so I combined fresh mashed blueberries with yogurt and honey. It’s like a dessert, but for your face! Besides tasting good, the mask is good for your skin too: the yogurt calms down any irritations, the honey moisturizes, and the blueberries give a great boost of vitamins. And if your skin is in need of some extra moisturizing, you could add a few drops of skin oil, like jojoba or argan oil. The mask is good for your face but also for the rest of your body, so you could dip yourself from head to toe in it!

And what better way to finish the pampering than with some refreshing drinks, right? Excluding the wilder nights with friends, I usually choose a glass of very cold still or sparkling water after sauna, but to create a spa-like feel, I made a super fresh cucumber and honeydew shake, which is one of my summer faves. It’s cooling and really hydrating, so it’s perfect after a hot sauna, sipped in peace wrapped up in a bathrobe. It’s starting to get a bit too cold for spending the nights outside, but maybe we’re up for some quick dips in the sea after sauna for a few more weeks still? And if you’re back in the city for good, you can luckily always set up your own spa at home and lay down on the sofa with a blueberry face mask on and a cucumber drink in hand :)

EDIT: The giveaway has ended. To wrap this up, I’m announcing a giveaway for you! Two lucky winners will get a super soft bathrobe and a hammam towel of choice from Familon. Just leave a comment with your summer greetings below and you’re in! The winners will be chosen on Tuesday the 23rd of August and the giveaway is open only for resident in Finland. Good luck and stay cozy, friends! xo

This post was created in partnership with Familon. All opinions are my own, as always in here. Thank you so much for reading and supporting my work! :)

Blueberry Yogurt Face Mask

notes: if you prefer other berries instead of blueberries, go ahead and try them! and if there are no fresh berries available, you could use some thawed berries as well.

for one or two

10-15 blueberries
1/3 cup greek yogurt (or other natural, unsweetened yogurt)
2 tbsp organic honey

METHOD:

In a small bowl, mash the blueberries with a fork. Add the yogurt and honey and mix well. Apply the mask to clean skin and leave on for a few minutes. Rinse with warm water and finish with a moisturizing facial toner and cream.

Cucumber & Honeydew Shake

serves 4

1 honeydew
½ cucumber
10-15 fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup ice cubes, plus some for serving

METHOD:

Chop the honeydew and cucumber into small pieces. Add all the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into glasses and add a few ice cubes to each glass. Serve and enjoy!

For more inspiration, follow me on Instagram and tag photos of my recipes with #tuuliablog so I can see!

Stuffed Zucchini Boats w/ Turmeric Millet & Lentils

August 11, 2016

We’re back in the city and the holidays are over, at least for now. I simply loved spending time away from home, especially in both of our families summer houses and in the archipelago, as we got to be in nature for most of the time. All the piled up mail, bills, and a long list of to-dos weren’t exactly the most welcoming thing to come home to, but all in all, it’s good to be back. We started playing tennis with my man, our weekly runs with one of my girlfriends are once again starting, and it feels nice to be back in the kitchen cooking.

Even though it’s still summer and I’m refusing to think of August as the beginning of autumn, there’s a certain chill in the air. It’s been super windy the last few days with some rain, so it’s certainly isn’t bikini weather anymore. Along with pulling out my jumpers and jackets from the closet, I’ve been craving for warming, nourishing meals with plenty of summer vegetables. I’ve been meaning to make stuffed zucchini boats for a while already, so when the craving hit me hard this week, I knew I had to make them soon.

The thing I love about zucchini boats is that they’re warming and filling, like a total comfort food, but without being heavy. And as it’s zucchini season right now, there are loads of big and beautiful zucchinis out there in the markets. There are loads of options to stuff these with, but this time I came up with a creamy mix of cooked millet, lentils, cauliflower and coconut milk. I used turmeric to give them a pretty color and a nourishing health-boost, and fresh thyme to bring some herb-y flavors in the mix. You could top these with some feta if you like, but they’re delicious as they are, and these were just what I needed right now. Comforting and simple, and a grounding start to new projects, new challenges, and the beautiful last few weeks of August.

Eat well and stay cozy, friends! xo

Zucchini Boats w/ Turmeric Millet & Lentils

notes: the millet could easily be replaced with cooked quinoa or rice, so go ahead and use what you have at hand. other veggies and lentils or beans can be used as well, so this one’s a really versatile recipe to match any craving you’ve got going! :)

serves 4-6

2/3 cups millet + 1 1/3 cup water

2 zucchinis
olive oil
salt & black pepper

1/2 cauliflower head
1 can cooked green lentils
3/4 cups full-fat coconut milk
1 tbsp turmeric
a handful of fresh thyme
salt & black pepper

METHOD

1. Rinse the millet carefully with cold water and place to a saucepan with water. Bring to a boil and cook on low heat for about 15-20 minutes, or until the millet is cooked. Add a little water while cooking, if necessary.

2. Preheat the oven to 400 F / 200 C. Rinse the zucchinis and cut them in half lengthwise. To make boats, remove the core with the help of a knife and a spoon and set aside. (I think the easiest way is to first use a knife and then scrape the insides with a spoon). Place the zucchini halves into a baking dish or baking tray covered with parchment paper. Sprinkle with olive oil and lightly season with salt and pepper. Bake for about 15 minutes until the zucchinis are slightly softened.

3. Cut the cauliflower into very small pieces. Rinse and drain the lentils. Cut the leftover zucchini into small cubes (I used maybe half of the leftover, as it was so much). Heat a large frying pan and sauté the zucchini and cauliflower with some olive oil for a few minutes. Then add the cooked millet and lentils and fry in low heat for a couple of minutes. Add the coconut milk and spices and mix well. Taste, and adjust to your liking.

4. Divide the filling to the zucchini boats and place back in the oven. Bake for about 10-15 minutes, until the filling has gotten a little color and the zucchinis are softened. Take from the oven, top with fresh thyme, serve and enjoy!

For more inspiration, follow me on Instagram and tag photos of my recipes with #tuuliablog so I can see!

Gluten-free + Vegan Blueberry Pie

July 20, 2016

A sunny hi from the sea! A week in beautiful Croatia is now behind me and I can warmly recommend the beautiful waters and lovely atmosphere in there. We truly loved it there, and the best part of the trip was when I spotted our N’Ice Cream book in Split and heard that it’s been really popular. Yay! It’s so cool to hear that people are loving these good-for-you frozen treats around the world!

After a quick stop back home, we continued our holiday travels to my home town and to our boat, and now we’re heading towards the open sea and the the beautiful archipelago. Once we get enough of the sea breeze, we’re planning to go to eastern Finland to my man’s summer cottage for a few days before it’s time to get back to business. Changing scenery and spending time offline has done me good: I’ve refound my love both for books and very simple foods and flavors. The best thing right now: all the wild berries that our backyards and forests are full of. So of course I just had to bake a gluten-free and vegan blueberry pie for you guys to kickstart the berry season and to celebrate the magical summer vibes!

Blueberry pie is a real Nordic classic, but somehow I make it quite rarely. I tend to overcomplicate things sometimes even though these classic desserts almost always come out great and are loved by everybody from kids to grandparents. To make sure this one’s really good, I’ve been making a few versions of it and wanted to try a vegan version too. So I replaced the egg with a ‘flax egg’ and the honey with coconut syrup, which I got a while back from Urtekram to try on my summer bakings.

I’ve used coconut syrup before and we use it in our ice cream book too as a vegan sweetener, as it’s great for frozen treats. The syrup is made from the nectar of coconut palm blossoms and it’s a got a delicious, aromatic and very caramel-like taste to it, which makes it great for any sweet treats. In addition to ice cream. I like to use it on top of my porridge and pancakes whenever I feel like sweetening up my breakfast. Urtekram’s coconut syrup has a pretty mild taste, which doesn’t come through too much like some other syrups tend to. And in addition to the syrup, they also have coconut palm sugar, which I love on top of my rice porridge and in sweet breads.

My version of blueberry pie is very simple, as you’ll only need a few ingredients. The dough is basically just oats with coconut oil and coconut syrup, which make a delicious cookie-like crust. And then I just top it with lots of blueberries and decorate the pie with some crumbled dough, and that’s it. I like it as it is straight from the oven, but I also think ice cream is kind of mandatory whenever there’s pie. So I made a super quick vegan ice cream from only bananas and coconut milk in my blender and had my piece of pie with a generous scoop of ice cream. Loved it. And I hope you will too! Or if you’re more of a whipped cream type of person, you could go for some coconut cashew cream.

Sending lots of love + some blueberry pie to you friends! xo

This post was created in partnership with Urtekram. All opinions are my own, as always in here. Thank you for reading and supporting! :)

Gluten-free + Vegan Blueberry Pie

notes: if desired, the flaxseed can be replaced with an organic egg, which works well too, but then the pie won’t naturally be vegan. if you’re using frozen blueberries, I recommend mixing a bit of potato flour or tapioca starch with the frozen berries, so that the pie won’t turn out too moist.

into a 10-inch / 25 cm pie dish

1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water (or 1 organic egg)
2 cups gluten-free rolled oats
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1/3 cup coconut blossom syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla powder
a small pinch of salt

2 cups fresh / frozen blueberries
1/2 tbsp potato flower or tapioca starch, if using frozen berries

METHOD:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F / 175 C. Mix the flaxseed and water in a small bowl and let thicken for 5 minutes. In the meantime, measure the oats into a blender or food processor and ground into rough flour. Pour the flour into a big bowl. Add the flax mixture, coconut oil, coconut syrup, vanilla and salt, and mix well until the dough forms a big ball. Take about 3 tablespoons of the dough and set aside for topping.

2. Cover the bottom of the pie dish with baking paper and smear the edges with coconut oil to avoid sticking. Press the dough evenly to the bottom and to the sides of the dish. Pre-bake for 10 minutes. If you’re using frozen blueberries, mix the potato flour with the berries and set aside.

3. Take the crust from the oven, add the blueberries and crumble the leftover dough on top. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the crust has a beautiful golden brown color. Take from the oven and let cool before serving. Serve as it is or with some vanilla ice cream and enjoy!

Instant Vanilla Ice Cream

makes 3-4 scoops

3 frozen bananas
2-3 tbsp full-fat coconut milk (refrigerated overnight)
1/2 tsp vanilla powder

METHOD:

Add all ingredients into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. You might have to scrape down the sides of the blender a few times before achieving a smooth texture. Scoop into balls, serve straight away and enjoy!

For more inspiration, follow me on Instagram and tag photos of my recipes with #tuuliablog so I can see!

Lindsey’s Chickpea Omelet

July 5, 2016

July has arrived and the atmosphere in the city has changed. The holidays are here. My man just started his 5 week (!) summer holiday and I plan to join him very soon. It’s very normal to have a whole month off from work here in Finland in the summer, which is pretty spectacular and probably kind of rare too. I might not be able to ditch my laptop for a whole month, but I plan to have lots of low-key, chill time in the upcoming weeks. I’m actually leaving to Croatia in a few hours, which I’m super excited about!! Beach, sunshine, and crystal clear waters are the best thing I know. And after my trip it’s time for some boat trips in the archipelago, wedding planning (only two months to go!) and some very relaxed cabin living without electricity and running water. That’s the way we Finns like to relax :)

As usual, I’ve been trying to finish all my work and get a lot of things done before starting the holidays. There have been long lists of to-dos, but luckily I came to my senses about doing a big clean-up before pulling down all the clothes from our closets. I managed to realise that I don’t have to get it all done and things can wait.

There was one thing though I really wanted to do before taking off, and that was to blog about Lindsey’s new book, Chickpea Flour Does It All. I don’t remember when I stumbled into Lindsey’s blog, Dolly and Oatmeal, for the first time, but it quickly become one of my favorites. I love her photography and food styling, and her recipes are really innovative and inspiring, as she always seems to come up with something new and exciting. Same goes for the book, which is filled with so many delicious things, all with chickpea flour in some role. There were a bunch of things I wanted to try, but hence the long to-do lists and my need to clean out the fridge, I decided to go for something simple and made the Chickpea Omelet.

I’ve been experimenting with chickpea flour a few times but haven’t made omelets before. I’m so glad I made them now, as they were delicious, super simple to make, and there are endless options for fillings. The original recipe had scallions and shiitake mushrooms, but as I’m not really a fun of mushrooms I replaced them with more vegetables and used thinly sliced zucchini and carrot. I also added some feta cheese because I just love the taste of it in omelets. To keep the whole thing vegan, you can just skip the cheese or go wild and make an almond-based vegan feta (!) that Laura just blogged about. And if you’re up for some additional cooking, these would be great with some hummus or some other dip. I’m also planning to use the leftover omelets to make veggie-filled burritos. Boom! So much goodness.

Happy summer days to everyone out there! Take it easy, have lots of chilled drinks, plenty of n’ice cream, and enjoy the easy summer vibes! xo

Chickpea Omelet with vegetables and microgreens

Recipe adapted from Chickpea Flour Does It All

notes: the original recipe uses rice vine vinegar but I didn’t have it, so I used apple coder vinegar instead. feel free to use either one you have at hand!

makes 5 to 6 medium-size omelets

1 tbsp ground flaxseed meal
1 cup + 3 tbsp water
1 cup chickpea flour
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
olive oil for frying

1/2 zucchini
2-3 carrots
sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp dried basil
feta cheese
microgreens

METHOD:

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the flaxseed meal and 3 tablespoons of water. Set aside for 10 minutes to thicken. In another bowl, whisk together the chickpea flour, salt and pepper. Add 1 cup of water and the vinegar, and stir well. Mix in the flax mixture and set aside.

2. Cut the zucchini into very thin slices with a knife or with a mandolin slicer. Peel the carrots and cut into very thin stripes with a vegetable peeler. Heat a pan over medium heat. Add a bit of olive oil and cook the vegetables for a couple minutes, until softened. Season with salt, black pepper and dried basil. Remove from the heat and set aside.

3. Cook the omelets. Add a bit of oil to the pan and pour a few tablespoons of the batter to the pan, swirling to cover the bottom. Let the omelet cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until you see bubbles appear in the center and on the sides. Flip the omelet over and cook for another 30 seconds to 1 minute, until lightly browned. Remove from the heat, place on a plate and cover with a kitchen towel to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining batter, until it’s finished.

4. Fill each omelet with the cooked vegetables, a handful of crumbled feta cheese and some microgreens. Serve and enjoy!

For more inspiration, follow me on Instagram and tag photos of my recipes with #tuuliablog so I can see!

Summer Bircher Muesli (gf + v)

June 30, 2016

I know that there are so many bircher / overnight oats recipes already out there, that it’s probably not something new and exciting anymore. But I like them and I think they’re still yum. So a few weeks back I shared this recipe over at Food Bandits along with some talk about my morning rituals (go and check out all the inspiring stories!), and I felt like sharing the recipe here too, as I’ve been making it a lot lately. And if you happen to be new to this world of overnight porridges, you’re warmly welcome to join me for some easy goodness!

This version of mine is not so heavy on the oats compared to the classic overnight oats thingy, and it doesn’t have any chia seeds in it. Chia is great, but used daily, it makes my stomach a bit *ahem* too active, if you know what I mean. So instead I like to use some ground flax, oat bran, hulled hemp seeds and dried mulberries in the muesli mix to bring some structure and kick-ass nutrients. I’ve also noticed that the combination of yogurt and milk make a perfectly creamy bircher, that’s not too runny or too thick.

To make the bircher a bit more summery, I like to top it with all the delicious fruits and berries that the markets are now bursting, and to which I’m spending all my money into. A lot of the times my breakfast bowl has more berries than the actual bircher muesli, as I’m reeeaally into fresh berries. Just give me a box of them and they’ll disappear in seconds. Luckily enough, I think there aren’t any other negative impacts other than the weight that my wallet is losing :)

A classic bircher muesli usually has some grated apple in it and sometimes I add that too into the mix in the morning to make it even more juicier. And on some days I add a handful of nuts on top as well to make this even more filling and to give some extra crunch. So this one’s actually a really flexible recipe, since you can modify it endlessly to satisfy your own taste buds!

And hey, one more thing before hopping over to the recipe. The Saveur Blog Awards nominations are now open, so go and vote for your favorite bloggers and instagrammers! There are so many talented people in this food blogging world, so I think it’s really great that there’s this kind of special recognition given to passionate, inspiring people. So go and give a vote to the people that inspire you, and if it somehow happens to me, I’d be touched and honored! But anyways, thank you all so much for stopping by in this little corner of the internet that’s my blog, it makes me so happy to see someone’s reading my posts and making my recipes.

Delicious breakfast times, friends! xo

Summer Bircher Muesli

serves two

1/2 cup rolled oats
2 tbsp oat bran
2 tbsp ground flaxseed
2 tbsp hulled hemp seeds
a handful of dried mulberries
1 cup plant-based yogurt (soy, coconut & oat are my favorites)
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 tbsp date syrup (or organic honey or maple syrup)

for serving:

apricots
cherries
blueberries
coconut flakes
almond milk

METHOD:

In the evening, mix all dry ingredients together in a bowl. Add yogurt and milk and mix well. Place in the fridge overnight. In the morning, take from the fridge and add the date syrup and some milk if the muesli is too thick. Divide into two bowls and top with fruits, berries, and some extra almond milk. Serve and enjoy your lovely breakfast!

For more inspiration, follow me on Instagram and tag photos of my recipes with #tuuliablog so I can see!

Watermelon & Mint Cooler

June 21, 2016

I’ll keep this one short and sweet and just tell you that I’ve been head over heels for this watermelon & mint cooler for a while now. It’s so refreshing and it really makes you feel hydrated, which is sometimes truly needed in the summer heat. I just paired the watermelon with some mint and ice, and that’s it really. So simple, and so good.

Besides using mint in this cooler, I’ve been adding it to basically everywhere lately. In addition to sweet things, it goes especially well with quinoa, feta cheese and fresh peas. Yum.

Enjoy your coolers, all things with fresh mint, and the summer heat! xo

Watermelon & Mint Cooler

for one

a big piece of watermelon
a handful of mint leaves
a few ice cubes

Add all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a glass and enjoy straight away!

Summer Pizzas w/ pesto, greens, zucchini, peach, tomatoes & mozzarella

Summer Pesto Pizza Two Ways

June 15, 2016

There are a few things in gluten-free baking that I find rather challenging: the perfect toast bread, fluffy bread rolls, traditional cinnamon buns, and pizza crust. A lot of the times my bakings turn out really nice, but I’m not there yet with these challenging fellas. However, when it comes to pizza, I’m very flexible and eat all kinds of crust whether or not they resemble a traditional crust at all. I’ll also happily eat cauliflower pizza or any other more experimental crust. So it has turned out that actually the true pizza critic in this house happens to be my man…

And so a few months ago I bought him a pizza stone as a gift, hoping that we could find the perfectly crispy gluten-free pizza crust. So far this process has been going well, as the stone really makes a difference, but the dough… Well, it’s not perfect yet. I tend to try something new every time and now I’m really not sure whether I should add the olive oil or not, use an egg or not, or which flours to use in order to get that perfect crisp and a flavor that’s delicious and not ‘too healthy’.

So believe me how happy I am to tell you that I’ve had very many perfectly crispy pizzas in the last few days.

The secret? It would be so great to tell you that all my testing finally came through, but this time the honor goes to my little Danish sous-chef Urtekram. A few weeks back I got a couple of their new gluten-free flour mixes in the mail and all the mixes happen to be naturally gluten-free, organic, and don’t contain any nasty stuff. I rarely use store-bought flour mixes but I had to try their baking mix, as it was supposed to work really well in a pizza crust. The mix contained brown rice flour, teff flour and psyllium, which I use a lot but haven’t tried them together in a crust before so I was eager to try. And I did not disappoint. The crust was super easy to mix up and the end result was great: crisp with a very mild flavor so that the toppings were the highlight of the dish, as I think it should be.

And the toppings are the thing I’m really excited about! I decided to skip the tomato sauce and try pesto instead. Pesto pizza! What an amazing invention. And on top of the pesto I added my usual favorites: spinach, zucchini and spring onions. Half of the pizzas I topped with cherry tomatoes and the rest with peach, and added some mozzarella to both. And both turned out de-li-cious!

And just so you know, this isn’t just me talking and praising the recipe, as my trusted test audience (aka my man and my mum) repeatedly told me that the pizzas were so good. So good. So this is a tried and tested recipe and I’m sure I’ll make it tons of times this summer – and will serve it to my friends too when something easy and delicious is needed fast :)

So turn your ovens on and enjoy your pizzas, friends! And hey, if you’ve got any good tips to share about pizza crust, toast or cinnamon buns, or anything, leave a comment and share the goodies! xo

Summer Pesto Pizza

notes: I used a pizza stone while baking the pizzas and it might influence the baking time required. so just keep an eye out on your pizza if it needs a bit more time in the oven.

makes 6-8 small pizzas

Crust:

1 cup Urtekram’s baking mix
1 tsp sea salt
3/4 cups lukewarm water

Toppings:

4-5 tbs pesto (I used store-bought vegan basil pesto)
about 100 g baby spinach
6-inch / 15 cm piece of zucchini
a handful of cherry tomatoes
1-2 peaches or nectarines
2 spring onions
2 balls of organic mozzarella
fresh basil and sprouts
salt & black pepper

METHOD:

1. Preheat the oven to 500°F / 250°C. Measure the flour and salt into a large bowl and mix. Add the water and mix well with an electric mixer. Shape the dough into a large ball by hand and divide it into 6 to 8 small balls. Roll out the balls into a thin layer between two baking papers. Share the dough to 2 or 3 baking sheets. Pre-bake for about 5 minutes.

2. While the pizza base is in the oven, slice the zucchini into thin slices. Chop the tomatoes. peaches and summer onion into thin slices too.

3. Take the crusts from the oven and spread a thin layer of pesto on top of them. Add baby spinach, zucchini, cherry tomatoes OR peaches (or both if you like!) and spring onion on top. Finish with the mozzarella. Bake for about 8-10 minutes, until the tomatoes and peaches have softened and the cheese has melted a bit. Top the pizza with fresh basil, sprouts, and finish with some salt and black pepper. Serve and enjoy!

This post was created in partnership with Urtekram. All opinions are my own, as always in here. Thank you for reading! :)

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