Nourishing Chickpea Stew

November 23, 2016

this post is in collaboration with Urtekram & Asennemedia.

When winter rolls in, I turn into this one-hit wonder type of a cooker. Usually there’s an ingredient or a specific dish that gets me so enthusiastic, that it becomes the only thing I make. Four years ago I went crazy with beetroot and ate a gigantic amount of them. It was followed by the year of quinoa when I made it on repeat, constantly. It was total quinoa madness. The beetroot and quinoa craze were so intense, that I’m still not fully recovered and rarely cook with either of them. Two years ago when we were living in Amsterdam I found curries, thanks to the delicious homemade curry paste that was sold in the store downstairs. How about this year? Well, there’s something new in the picture already. And this one is a bowl of comfort and goodness and it’s called the nourishing chickpea stew!

The word stew usually refers to something with meat, but I like to make mine with loads of vegetables and let pulses bring the protein to it. I got a box of different kinds of beans and lentils from Urtekram to try out and I ended up choosing their organic chickpeas for this stew, as chickpeas are my definite favorite from the bean aisle. The chickpeas also turned out to be a perfect choice for this recipe, as they came out soft and full of flavor – just the way I like it.

Usually stews are cooked in the oven but I decided to take the quicker route and make this one on the stove. If you’ve got more time, go for the oven, but this quicker version takes only about half an hour to make so it’s the perfect weeknight meal. And as a bonus, it makes a lot so you’ll be covered for days (I ate it for four days straight)!

The veggies here are always adaptable but the spices are the heart of this stew. I used fresh ginger, turmeric, chili and paprika powder and tamari, which bring a lot of warming flavors but don’t make it too spicy. If you’re into spicy foods you can always add some fresh chili in the mix, but for total beginners like me, I’d say the spiciness here is enough. Even the fresh chili in the pictures is too much for me and I always have to pick them out. But what wouldn’t you do for a pretty picture, right? :) I’m wishing lots of cozy days for all of you out there, I hope you enjoy this bowl of goodness and feel good! xo

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

Nourishing Chickpea Stew

notes: you can serve this with any type of rice, I like to use whole grain basmati rice or sometimes red rice. you could try quinoa too! I also recommend tasting the stew before serving it so you can add more spices if needed.

serves 4-6

2 cans organic chickpeas
1 sweet potato
1/2 zucchini
1 small broccoli
2 cloves of garlic
a small piece of ginger
1 can organic crushed tomatoes
2 cans (light) coconut milk
2 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 – 1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp paprika powder
1 tbsp tamari (or soy sauce)
a pinch of salt & black pepper

For serving:

brown rice
fresh cilantro
sesame seeds

METHOD:

1. Rinse the chickpeas under running water, drain and transfer to a large saucepan. Peel the sweet potato and cut into small cubes. Rinse the zucchini and cut into thin slices. Chop the broccoli into small pieces. Chop the garlic and ginger and add all the vegetables into the saucepan.

2. Add the crushed tomatoes, coconut milk, and all the spices to the saucepan and mix well. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and cook over medium heat for about 15-20 minutes, until the vegetables are cooked. You can let the stew simmer for a longer period too, if you have more time. While the stew is cooking, prepare the rice according to the instructions on the package.

3. When the stew is ready, taste it carefully and add spices if needed. Serve the stew with some rice, fresh coriander and sesame seeds and enjoy! The stew keeps well in the fridge for a few days, but it can also be frozen in small boxes.

Warming Sweet Potato Soup (Vegan)

November 15, 2016

There aren’t many recipes that I keep making year after year because I’m more into trying new things all the time, but sweet potato soup is definitely a favorite around here. I keep coming back to it whenever I feel like having something warm, nourishing, comforting and simple. And generally I just love sweet potatoes in any from. If I’m not in the mood for simple things and I’ve already made the soup, I just add lots of vegetables, maybe some cooked grain, toasted seeds, fresh herbs and a bit of feta on top. Voilà, soup 2.0!

This recipe is actually an old one from the archives, but while I was making it for the ~~tenth~~ hundredth time, I thought I’d take some new photos and share the recipe in English too. So here you have it, a very simple and warming sweet potato soup with hints of ginger, turmeric and chili. It’s an easy one too – I think the hardest part is to peel the vegetables, as it takes a bit of time and patience and patience really isn’t my strongest ability. But maybe you’re better at it!

I boil the vegetables here but you could also roast them in the oven and then just blend / puree the soup into creamy goodness. And to make this into a more filling meal, I like to have mine with a piece of crispbread topped with an egg, veggies, hummus or something good I can find from the fridge. There’s something wonderful in that combination of a smooth soup and crispy bread :) I hope you enjoy the soup too! xo

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

Warming Sweet Potato Soup (Vegan)

makes 4 to 6 servings

1 kg sweet potato
4 carrots
1 onion
2 cloves of garlic
a small piece of fresh ginger
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp fresh or dried turmeric
4 cups of water, or enough to cover the vegetables
salt & black pepper
1/2 tsp dried chili flakes
1 (14-ounce / 400 ml) can coconut milk

METHOD:

1. Peel and chop the sweet potatoes, carrots, onion, garlic and ginger into small pieces.

2. Heat the coconut oil in a big pot. Add the onion, garlic, ginger and turmeric and sauté for a couple of minutes, until the onions are softened. Add the sweet potatoes and carrots and cook for a few more minutes. Add enough water to cover the vegetables and season with salt, black pepper and chili flakes. Bring to a boil and cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes, until the vegetables are soft.

3. When the vegetables are cooked, pour about two thirds of the water into a big bowl and set aside. Puree the soup with a hand blender or in a high-speend blender and add the coconut milk. If the soup is too thick, add more water. Blend until smooth and creamy. Taste, and add more spices if desired. Serve and enjoy!

Turmeric Granola

November 10, 2016

For the past few weeks I’ve been craving all things warm, comforting and mildly spiced. Everything, that makes me feel good, balanced and warm me up. We’ve got minus degrees and snow in here, so warm sees to be the keyword in my life right now.

I’ve definitely been using more spices than before and made less smoothies and salads, and other cold things. My favorite spice seems to be turmeric, as I’ve been adding it into everything, including my morning pancakes. I’ve also made turmeric rice, golden milk lattes, and lots of turmeric-spiced stews. And given the headline, you can probably guess that my latest add to the bunch is turmeric granola – a.k.a probably my favorite granola ever.

This granola started from my ongoing project of emptying our cupboards, as all those open bags and packets of different grains and who-knows-whatever started to wear me out. I wish I was super organized with that stuff, but unfortunately I’m not. I tend to save a lot of things for the future, thinking I’ll get a magical idea for a specific ingredient, but most times all those bags just end up sitting in the shelves for a loooong time. So as I was staring a bag of pine nuts I decided that there’s no better time than the current to use whatever luxury goodies we’re saving for later. That jar of almond butter? Enjoy it! The bottle of champagne? Open it! A bag of pine nuts? Go for it! And so I did. I toasted a bunch of them on top of my soup and decided that next up were two bags of organics nuts that would go to a gorgeous granola.

Given my addiction to turmeric, I decided to add a spoonful to the granola mixture and the end result was wonderful: a super crunchy, naturally sweetened granola, that’s like little pieces of edible gold. I wanted the granola to be crunchy but with a bit of chewy parts too, so I made a mix of rolled oats, nuts and dried mulberries that are absolute favorite for bringing a bit of caramel-like taste to anything. The granola is sweetened with bananas and maple syrup, which are really lovely together with the turmeric and bring just the right amount of sweetness without taking things over the top for everyday snacking. Little pieces of gold in everyday life never hurt, at least if you ask me :)

Stay cozy and enjoy the granola, friends! xo

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

Turmeric Granola (vegan + gluten-free)

notes: I’m a big fan of dried mulberries and love them in granola, but in case you don’t have them they’re easily replaced with other dried fruit like dates or raisins. other nuts would work too if you’re not a fan of brazil nuts or almonds!

makes one baking sheet

1 2/3 cups gluten-free rolled oats
2/3 cups brazil nuts, chopped
1 cup almonds, chopped
1/2 cup dried mulberries

5 tbsp coconut oil
2 ripe bananas
1/3 cup maple syrup
1-2 tsp turmeric powder (depending on how much you like the taste of it)
1/2 tsp vanilla powder
a pinch of ground cardamom

METHOD:

1. Preheat the oven to 200 C / 400 F degrees. Line a baking sheet with baking paper and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, combine the oats, chopped nuts and mulberries. Melt the coconut oil in a small saucepan on low heat. Pour the melted coconut oil into a blender and add the bananas, maple syrup, turmeric, vanilla and cardamom and blend until smooth.

3. Pour the banana mixture over to the dry ingredients and mix well. The mixture should be a bit sticky.

4. Spread the granola mixture in an even layer to the baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until it gets a beautiful golden color. Stir the mixture halfway to get an even color. Allow the granola to cool completely before serving, as it will get crispy after cooling.

5. Serve with for example with plant yogurt and berries and enjoy! Store the granola in an airtight glass jar at room temperature for up to one month.

Super Veggie Pizza w/ Sweet Potato Crust

November 3, 2016

In my world, there are two kinds of pizza lovers out there:

Those who focus mainly on the crust (it really needs to be cripsy) and the toppings should be kept at minimum. They’re the pizza Margherita fans. Then there are the ones who just see pizza as a way to eat as many toppings as possible. The more on the top, the better.

It has become very clear that there are two total opposite pizza lovers in our two-person household. My man loves simplicity in his pizza (and that crispy crust) and I’m the one to go nuts with the toppings. Sure there’s a place for simple pizzas as well, like in our honeymoon in Italy and I gotta say – those pizzas were pretty amazing – but if I’m cooking it’s all about the vegetables that I can fit on top of the crust. And this time I even added some veggies to the crust too, which resulted into a Super Veggie Pizza with a Sweet Potato Crust. Oh yes!

This pizza happened as a result of a typical Sunday night hunger. I felt like eating pizza, looked into our fridge and spotted a bunch of leftovers: some roasted veggies, steamed sweet potato, a piece of feta cheese and so on. To make everything veeeeery easy, I decided to make the crust in my beloved blender and decided to throw some sweet potato to the mix. And while the crust was in the oven, I gathered all the veggies I could find, topped my pizza with them and returned the whole thing to the oven for a quick roast. And it was a success!

This sweet potato base isn’t in any way traditional, as it’s more like a giant flatbread. So I recommend having your knife and fork around for savoring this one. I also happened to score some olives and sun-dried tomatoes from our fridge and added them on top of the veggies, and I highly recommend adding them. They definitely bring a certain luxury to this simple leftover magic. Hope you enjoy the pizza as much I do in case you end up making it :) Have a delicious weekend + stay cozy! xo

Super Veggie Pizza w/ Sweet Potato Crust

notes: you can use other flakes or flour in the crust too. for example buckwheat or brown rice flour work well instead of the quinoa. you can also always add or replace some of the toppings and go with your favorites!

make one baking sheet

Crust:

1/2 small sweet potato, steamed or cooked
2 eggs
1/2 cup gluten-free rolled oats
1/2 cup quinoa flakes (or other gluten-free flakes or flour)
1/2 tbsp psyllium husk powder
1 tsp herb salt
1 cup oat milk (or other plant-based milk)

Toppings:

4-5 tbsp tomato paste
a few handfuls of baby spinach
1/2 zucchini
1/2 broccoli, cooked
10-15 cherry tomatoes
2 sweet peppers
5 sun-dried tomatoes
pitted black olives
feta cheese
salt & black pepper

METHOD:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F / 200 C degrees. Prepare the crust firs. Place all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. The dough should look pretty much like a smoothie. Cover a baking tray with baking paper and pour the dough on the tray. Spread into a thin layer. Bake for about 18-20 minutes, until the crust is cooked. Prepare the vegetables in the meantime.

2. Cut the zucchini into thin slices using a mandolin or a cheese slicer. Chop the broccoli, cherry tomatoes, peppers, sun-dried tomatoes and olives into small pieces.

3. Take the crust from the oven and spread the tomato paste on top. Then top with layers of spinach, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, peppers and broccoli. Finish with the sun-dried tomatoes, olives and feta cheese. Return to the oven and bake for about 15 minutes, until the vegetables are lightly softened and the pizza has gotten a bit of color. Allow to cool for a moment. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper, serve and enjoy!

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

Blended Wild Blueberry Porridge

October 27, 2016

Hey friends! What’s up? Are you hiding under the blankets and waiting for spring or are you enjoying autumn and the darkening days to the fullest?

I’ve been both enjoying the pretty colors outside and hiding under the blankets, especially on super gray and cold days like the ones this week. But mostly I’ve been just staring at my screen and working on my next book… a.k.a my Master’s thesis! So exciting. Or not. So things are not that glamorous here at the moment (and definitely not as delicious as working with N’Ice Cream book!) but in order to ~~procrastinate~~ get through this project, I’ve been making all sorts of things in the kitchen.

Somehow it seems that my mind is flooded with recipe ideas just as I’m supposed to be focusing on self-determination theory or something other important. So here’s one of the things that has been going around in my head for a while: Blended Wild Blueberry Porridge! I decided to make this recipe after I found this great article 9 Health Benefits Of Eating Porridge Oats And Oatmeal you should take a look to it.

This is actually a re-make of a Finnish classic, Whipped Lingonberry Porridge, but instead of using a stand mixer I just blended everything and used blueberries instead of lingonberries. The classic version is also made from semolina, so to make the porridge gluten-free I used gluten-free oat and buckwheat flakes. And I really loved this version! It’s very creamy and makes me feel nourished, it’s super easy to prepare and it tastes great both warm and chilled. I like to enjoy it warm in the morning and then have the cold porridge with some Dates Fruit or berries as an afternoon or evening snack. So the recipe makes enough for a couple servings, which is great!

What else? There’s a new recipe archive! Now all the recipes have a small thumbnail and they’re divided into different categories. You can also search recipes by typing to the search bar or by choosing a tag. I also added a new vegan category where you’ll find all the vegan recipes on the blog. I hope you like the new archive and feel free to share if there’s something weird or something’s missing!

Stay cozy and be well, friends! ♡

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

Blended Wild Blueberry Porridge (gf + vegan)

notes: this porridge is great both warm and cold so it’s perfect as an afternoon or evening snack too. try adding some nut butter to make it even more creamier or sweeten it with dates!

serves two

1/2 cup gluten-free rolled oats
1/2 cup buckwheat flakes
2/3 cup wild blueberries
2 cups cashew milk (or other plant-based milk)
a pinch of salt
1/2 tsp vanilla powder
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1-2 tsp organic honey (or maple syrup for a vegan alternative)
+ berries and cashew milk, for serving

METHOD:

1. Add oats, buckwheat, blueberries and cashew milk to a blender and blend until smooth. Transfer to a pan and bring to boil on medium heat, stirring constantly so that the porridge doesn’t get burned. Stir for about five minutes, until the porridge has thickened.

2. Take away from heat and mix in the salt, vanilla, cardamom and honey. Taste and add more sweetener or spices, if desired. If the porridge is too thick, add a bit of milk. Serve warm or cold with some extra blueberries and cashew milk, and enjoy! Store leftover porridge in the fridge for up to two days.

Gluten-free Pear and Pecan Scones | Sundays in Bed

October 16, 2016

I’ve always had a special love for Sundays. When I was younger, all my Sundays were spent in different gym halls with my gymnastic team, so as an adult I’ve began to appreciate Sundays with no plans or no need to do something or go somewhere. So instead of always having plans, I like to keep these days open for spontaneous hangouts, trips, and just for relaxing and taking it super easy. Somehow I always crave a baked good on Sundays, so a lot of times I end up baking something. And then I take the goodie + a giant cup of tea and curl up in bed. Oh the wild life of casa de Tuulia! Well honestly, it is a bit wild as I practically never eat in bed, except for these lazy weekends. Then it’s the best, one of the simple joys in life.

I got these super pretty linen sheets, huge pillows and a comfy blanket from Familon to shoot with, and inspired by all the coziness, I wanted to make a baked good with all the Fall vibes. So I ended up making gluten-free pear and pecan scones! And in consequence, I ate scones for the first time in my life! So as this is a totally new area for me as a baker, I have no idea if these resemble a real scone. But at least they made my tastebuds happy, as well as a few friends’ who got to taste them too. So I think I’m on the right track with these ones!

Fall is in full motion here in Finland, so I felt like adding a few different spices to the scones to make them even more warming and comforting. And paired with a cup of creamy hot chocolate, you’ll be warm and nourished in seconds! The scones are quite crumbly but I liked it that way, and I think they’re definitely at their best straight from the oven just as they are, or with a good amount of some real –totally not vegan or über healthy – butter. And I think the crumbles in bed are totally acceptable, as it’s Sunday and time to chill :) Have a lovely week 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!

Gluten-free Pear and Pecan Scones

notes: I tried these also with buckwheat flour and it works well too! so you can replace the almond or brown rice flour with some buckwheat flour, if you have it at hand!

makes 8 scones

1 cup gluten-free oat flour
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup almond flour
2 tbsp psyllium husk powder
2 tsp baking powder
a pinch of salt
1/2 tsp vanilla powder
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
2 tsp ceylon cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/2 cup coconut oil (or other vegetable oil or organic butter)
3-4 tbsp organic honey (or maple syrup)
2 organic eggs
2/3 cup plant-based milk

1 ripe but firm pear
1/2 cup pecans

oat flour, for baking
coconut sugar, for decoration

METHOD:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F / 200 C. Measure all the dry ingredients to a large bowl. Mix thoroughly, so that the dough doesn’t have any lumps.

2. Melt the coconut oil and honey (if using solid honey) on low heat. Break the eggs into another bowl. Add the coconut oil, honey and oat milk to the bowl and mix well. Combine the two mixtures and mix well.

3. Peel the pear and cut it into very small cubes. Crush the nuts into small crumble. Add the pear and nuts to the dough and mix gently. Let the dough rest for about 10 minutes.

4. Cover a baking tray with baking paper and sprinkle a bit of oat flour to the tray. Pour the batter into the baking tray an form it into a one to two inch high round “cake” with your hands. Cut the cake into 8 triangles and spread out the scones with the help of a knife or a cake server. The dough should be very sticky, but use can sprinkle some flour on top of the dough so it’s easier to handle. Sprinkle some coconut sugar on top of the scones, if desired.

5. Bake the scones for about 20 minutes, until they’ve got a beautiful golden brown color. Allow to cool for a moment before serving. Serve slightly warm and enjoy!

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

Mango, Banana & Cashew Smoothie | For Inner Sunshine

October 12, 2016

For the past few weeks things have been a bit..blah around here. I’ve felt very uninspired to cook anything that requires any patience or attention, especially after all my apple-related bakings ended up failing miserably. So I’ve been keeping things simple, done batch cooking and prepared a few things from other people’s recipes, which is so great. I’m sure my baking groove will come back at some point after it’s done with whatever holiday it’s on.

But one thing that I’ve been craving for lately is all things yellow! And orange. Sometimes I get these cravings towards a certain color and most of the times it’s green or pink, but usually autumn makes me want to have all things yellow and orange. Also, this is the time of year that my dry skin and eczema like to make their appearance and my skin seems to love everything with loads of beta-carotene (hello mangos and carrots). I’ve also been adding my intake of healthy fats like avocados, olive and hemp seed oil, and different nuts and it really seems to make a difference!

So this smoothie is just a simple combo of the things I like at the moment: mango, banana, cashews and my favorite – sea buckthorn juice. I’m a true sea buckthorn advocate and love its tart and sour flavor. When I need a pick-me-up I’ll by a bottle of the juice and take it as shots or use in smoothies, but I usually have some berries in the freezer and dried sea buckthorn powder in the cupboards too. It’s a true powerhouse of vitamins and combined with creamy cashews and sweet fruit it makes this smoothie taste like sunshine. And a good boost of inner sunshine never hurts :) Have a lovely week friends, hope you’re doing well! xo

Mango, Banana & Cashew Smoothie for Inner Sunshine

notes: I like to soak my cashews, as it makes the smoothie more creamy, easier to blend, and easier to digest. just place the cashews into a bowl, cover with water, soak for at least 4 hours or overnight, and rinse before preparing the smoothie. easy!

serves two

1 large banana
1 cup frozen mango
1/2 cup cashews, soaked overnight
1/3 cup sea buckthorn juice (or sea buckthorn berries or 1 tbsp dried sea buckthorn powder)
1 cup plant-based milk
a small pinch of vanilla powder

METHOD:

Add all ingredients to a high-speed blender and blend until smooth. Divide the smoothie into two glasses, garnish with some berries if you like, and enjoy!

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

Chickpea Pasta Bake w/ Pumpkin, Spinach & Goat Cheese

October 2, 2016

This post is sponsored by Risenta.

It was hard to come up with a name for the dish that I’m sharing today, as I think there’s not a correct word for this one in English. Maybe macaroni casserole as in ‘makaronilaatikko’ in Finnish? That doesn’t sound good. Let me call it a pasta bake and explain what it’s all about!

I’ll have to admit that I’ve probably never done the traditional Finnish macaroni casserole (had to use it anyway!) on my own. Sure I ate it often as a kid and a few times in my adulthood too, but it never maid its way to my kitchen. Probably because its main ingredients are meat, wheat pasta and cow’s milk. The same applies to sausage. I ate it years ago. I remember my granny used to buy from local sausage producer. They made great sausages packed in beef casings specially produced for them by DCW Casing (more at dcwcasing.com/product/beef-casings/, just in case you may doubt my words). But in order to keep life interesting, I went totally wild in the kitchen and made my own version of the classic. Meet Chickpea Pasta Bake with Pumpkin, Spinach & Goat Cheese. A crazy-wild, all vegetarian version with no grains!

Bean pastas aren’t exactly a new thing anymore and I’ve tried a bunch of them too. Nothing has ended up here on the blog though, as most of the pastas have been a bit…blah. Too slimy, too hard, or just tasted weird. So I’ve been mainly sticking to brown rice or buckwheat pasta. Until things changed last spring. Beacuse of his work, my man could shop at Risenta’s factory outlet (filled with tons of great ingredients) and he bought me chickpea pasta. It’s just organic chickpeas made into a pasta, nothing else. I fell for it hard. The structure and taste were 10 out of 10, even compared to ‘normal’ gluten-free pasta. I asked my man to buy lots of it (like really a lot) and we’ve been cooking with it often. Thanks to its great amount of plant-based protein, I think it’s especially great in salads and I actually intended to share this great pasta salad recipe here during the summer, but somehow forgot it in between all the swimming and chilling. Sorry!

I’ve been cooking only with the fusilli ja rigatoni, so when Risenta asked me to develop a recipe with chickpea pasta I decided to take up a challenge and go with the macaroni, now that they’re all in the stores. And in my mind there’s only one thing you can do with macaroni: the Finnish classic. I honestly think this one turned out great and my man, my best test audience, fell for it too. And even though it takes a longer time to prepare, it’s a simple recipe. Plus the recipe is pretty generous, so you’ll end up with leftovers for a few days or you could serve a small crowd with it. So hooray for this crazy-wild thing here!

Stay cozy + eat well, friends! xo

Some tips to get you started:

– If you’ve been thinking how on earth a pumpkin should be peeled, check out this video. It opened my eyes!

– You could replace the pumpkin with sweet potato, if pumpkin is not available.

– I thought about making this vegan, but ended up on choosing the traditional way with eggs in the end. If you’d like to try a vegan version, I would replace the eggs and plant-based milk with plant-based cooking cream, but using it a bit less. And the goat cheese can easily be replaced with some vegan cheese or with tofu. Do tell if you end up trying a vegan version, I’d love to know how it turns out!

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

Chickpea Pasta Bake w/ Pumpkin, Spinach & Goat Cheese

notes: you could replace the pumpkin wit sweet potato, if pumpkin is not available. you could go with another cheese too, like feta or ricotta. if you like thing more spicy, try adding a bit of chili flakes into the mix, or add some of you’re favorite dried herbs if you’re feeling like it!

serves 6

1 butternut squash (see notes)
olive oil
a handful of fresh thyme
2 cups chickpea macaroni
2 cloves of garlic
1 small jar (about 180 g) sun-dried tomatoes
120 g baby spinach
a handful of fresh basil
salt & black pepper

3 organic eggs
2 1/3 cup plant-based milk

200 g goat cheese
1/2 cup nutritional yeast (optional)

METHOD:

1. Preheat the oven to 200 C / 400 F. Peel the pumpkin and cut into small cubes. Place the cubes on a baking tray covered with parchment paper and drizzle with olive oil. Top with fresh thyme. Bake for 15 minutes, until a bit softened. After you’ve taken out the pumpkin, lower the oven temperature to 175 C / 350 F.

2. Cook the pasta. Reduce the cooking time given in the bag with couple minutes, so that the pasta has some structure left. Drain and set aside for a moment.

3. Peel and chop the garlic. Drain the sun-dried tomatoes and chop into small pieces. Heat a large frying pan, add a bit of olive oil and fry the garlic, tomatoes, and baby spinach over medium heat for a few minutes, until softened. Add the basil and pumpkin and stir until everything is combined. Season generously with salt and black pepper.

4. Add the macaroni and vegetables into a large oven dish and mix well. Whisk the eggs and milk in a bowl and pour the mixture over the macaroni. Top with sliced goat cheese and nutritional yeast. Bake in the oven on the lower level for about 55-60 minutes, until the top is golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving. Serve on its own or with salad and enjoy!

Healthy Breakfast Cookies w/ Nuts, Oat & Banana

September 28, 2016

Last week I got interviewed to a research about treats like candies, chocolate, cookies and that stuff. In the interview we talked about the ongoing and future trends in treats, why people eat them, and what kind of role they have in my life. It was a really interesting conversation and it got me thinking about how the role of sweets has changed in my life. To be honest, I’ve gotten pretty boring in the candy scene, as I practically never buy any sweets from the store nowadays, besides the occasional bar of raw chocolate. So what are my go-to treats and candies these days? Fresh dates, dried mulberries, sweet fruits, raw chocolate, and my favorite: almond butter (eaten straight from the jar with a spoon..yum..). I know this might sound absolutely boring to some people, but honestly these are the things I really love – and my body loves them too!

But as you know, I’m a baker too and I like to make muffins, pies, pancakes and that kind of goodies almost on a weekly basis. But one area that I often forget is cookies. Cookies! They’re so good! In the interview we also talked about cookies and I realized that they’re not really a thing anymore, or at least it feels like it? There aren’t any delicious gluten-free, naturally sweetened cookies out there in the stores, at least here in Finland, so that might be the reason why they feel so..old-fashioned. So one of my wishes for the future is that cookies will make a new appearance and become the next big thing. And to get things going, I decided to make some kick-ass delicious (gluten-free + naturally sweetened of course) healthy breakfast cookies!

These babies aren’t maybe the prettiest cookies out there, but they’re loaded with all the good things and I just love the texture in these. They’re soft and chewy in the middle and crunchy on the outside. The mashed banana make them moist and naturally sweet, while a mix of crushed nuts and dried fruits make them interesting. And to make these more dessert-like, some chocolate chips or a few tablespoons of nut butter would probably be amazing. So feel free to use your favorite nuts / seeds / dried fruit and use these as an excuse to clean up the cupboards :)

Besides wanting to remind myself how good cookies are, I made these to celebrate the launch of a new webshop Nutly, that two of my friends along with their husbands just started. They’ve got all sorts of nuts, seeds and dried fruit in the store and everything is always organic. I’m so happy for them for making their dream come true and everything I’ve tried so far have been delish + they’re packaging is super nice. I used their almonds, pecans, apricots and raisins in these cookies, so they were like 95% organic. Pure love! And to get you started too, I’m sharing a discount code to the shop at the end of this post!

Stay cozy and eat well, xo!

Healthy Breakfast Cookies w/ Nuts, Oat & Banana

notes: you can easily modify this recipe based on what you have at hand. all sorts of nuts and seeds work well and you could use for example dried dates, figs or mulberries instead of the apricot and raisins, if you like! and to make the cookies entirely vegan, just switch the honey for example to maple, coconut or date syrup. also, adding some chocolate chips to the batter wouldn’t be a bad idea :)

makes 10 cookies

3/4 cup almonds (or 1 cup almond meal)
2/3 cup gluten-free rolled oats
2/3 cup pecans (or walnuts)
2/3 cup dried organic apricots and raisins, cut into small pieces (or other dried fruits / berries)
2 tbsp ground flaxseed
a pinch of salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ceylon cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla powder

2 large ripe bananas
3 tbsp coconut oil
2-3 tbsp organic honey (or maple syrup or other sweetener)

3 tbsp desiccated coconut

METHOD:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F / 200 C. Place the almonds in a blender and grind into a rough flour. Pour the flour into a large bowl and stir in the rolled oats. Chop the nuts into small pieces and add to the bowl along with the dried fruit. Add the flaxseed and spices and mix well.

2. Cut the bananas into a few pieces. Add bananas, coconut oil and honey to the blender and blend until smooth. You can also mash the bananas with a fork in a small bowl and then stir in the melted coconut oil and honey.

3. Add the banana mixture to the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. At this point I like to taste the dough and add a bit of sweetener or spices, if the dough needs something more.

4. By using a spoon and your hands, roll the dough into 10 balls and place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Press down gently from the middle of each cookie ball to form a cookie shape. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown. The cookies can be a bit soft from the middle when you take them out from the oven. Let cool for a moment. Serve warm and enjoy! The cookies can be stored in the fridge for up to one week (if they’ll last that long!).

Use the code TUULIA15 to get 15% off all products on Nutly webshop!
Please note that the store ships only to Finland.

www.nutly.fi

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

Roasted Sweet Potato & Bell Pepper Soup

September 22, 2016

Guess what? I’m a wife now! Hooray!

I’m not sure if I’ve totally realized it yet, but at least I’ve got to the point of thinking that it’s so much cooler to be called a wife than a girlfriend and it makes me super happy. So in short, we had our wedding and then we left for our honeymoon. Everything was wonderful. There have been so many (big!) emotions going on lately with all the preparations, the wedding and the trip, that I’m still feeling kind of overwhelmed with it all. It’s a lot to take all that love in! So while I’m waiting for things to fall back into place, let’s talk about something easy. Like this soup that I made!

I think soups are one of my favorite foods around this time of the year, but somehow I don’t make them that often though. A few years back I had a habit of preparing a big vegetable soup and then freezing it in small portions for future moments when I wouldn’t have the time or energy to cook. It was a rather smart habit now when I think of it, and I hope I’ll get my soup routine started again this autumn!

But first, let’s get to this roasted sweet potato and bell pepper soup. I made it for a client in the end of this summer and thought I’d share it here too, as it has everything I’m craving for now. It’s a simple and nourishing weeknight meal, and it just makes me feel really good. Instead of boiling the vegetables, I roasted them in the oven with some olive oil and herbs and then pureed the soup in my blender, which makes it wonderfully creamy. It’s super easy to peel the bell peppers after they’ve been roasted in the oven, which makes the soup even smoother, but this step can totally be skipped if you’re looking for a quicker route. So just follow your heart, do as you feel, and enjoy the soup as it is or with a piece of your favorite bread or cracker, like I usually do.

And if you’re looking for more simple vegetarian meals for these autumn days, check out two favorites from the archives below!

Curried Carrot Soup w/ Lentil & Herb Topping
Sweet Potato, Carrot & Lentil Stew

Sending you guys lots of love + chill vibes ♡

Roasted Sweet Potato & Bell Pepper Soup

serves 4

4-5 bell peppers
1 large sweet potato
1 onion
2-3 cloves of garlic
2 tbsp olive oil
a handful of fresh thyme
3/4 cup full-fat coconut milk
2 cups water
1 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp dried basil
salt & black pepper

METHOD:

1. Preheat the oven to 400F / 200C degrees. Cut the peppers in half and remove the seeds and strains. Peel the sweet potato and cut into wedges. Peel the onions and garlic and cut into small pieces. Arrange the vegetables on a baking tray covered with parchment paper and drizzle the oil on top. Top with fresh thyme. Bake for about 30-35 minutes, until the vegetables are softened.

2. Take the vegetables from the oven and transfer the peppers into a box with a lid or into a plastic bag and close the lid / bag. Let rest for 10-15 minutes. This will help you to remove the skins from the peppers.

3. When the peppers are slightly cooled, peel them carefully by hand. Transfer all the vegetables into a large saucepan. Add the coconut milk, water and spices and bring to a boil. Puree the soup in a high-speed blender or with a hand blender. Taste, and add spices if desired. Serve warm and enjoy!

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

Nourishing Chickpea Stew

Nourishing Chickpea Stew

Warming Sweet Potato Soup (Vegan)

Warming Sweet Potato Soup (Vegan)

Turmeric Granola

Turmeric Granola (vegan + gluten-free)

Super Veggie Pizza w/ Sweet Potato Crust

Super Veggie Pizza w/ Sweet Potato Crust

Blended Wild Blueberry Porridge

Blended Wild Blueberry Porridge (gf + vegan)

Gluten-free Pear and Pecan Scones | Sundays in Bed

Gluten-free Pear and Pecan Scones

Mango, Banana & Cashew Smoothie | For Inner Sunshine

Mango, Banana & Cashew Smoothie for Inner Sunshine

Chickpea Pasta Bake w/ Pumpkin, Spinach & Goat Cheese

Chickpea Pasta Bake w/ Pumpkin, Spinach & Goat Cheese

Healthy Breakfast Cookies w/ Nuts, Oat & Banana

Healthy Breakfast Cookies w/ Nuts, Oat & Banana

Roasted Sweet Potato & Bell Pepper Soup

Roasted Sweet Potato & Bell Pepper Soup

Sign up for emails

tuuliatalvio