So decadent it could only be for celebrating a birthday. 

Who ever said it was sad to make your own birthday cake was wrong.

Here’s the thing about baking your own birthday cake: it ensures that you are in full control of what you are eating to celebrate your day. No crumbly cupcakes because your friend forgot that you actually hate cupcakes, no overly sweet processed frosting because your neighbor only had time to go to the bakery department of the chain grocery store and no half-eaten chocolate mint ice cream cake left in your freezer for the next six months.

Another great thing about birthday cakes? You can make it and not even tell anyone, leaving an entire cake to yourself. No one has to know, it’s your birthday after all.

My mother has made me this cake on many a birthday, and I have no shame in making it myself because it’s one of the most amazing baked goods I have ever tasted. Like many traditional Swedish cakes it employs whipping cream instead of frosting, which if you ask me, every cake should do. This is no cake that’s masked as health food, it’s simply a cake. Not vegan, not low fat, not full of omega 3s… because you know what? It’s your day, and you deserve to eat a chocolate, hazelnut, whipped cream masterpiece.

Did I say today was my birthday? Shhhh….

Chocolate Hazelnut Meringue Birthday Cake

Ingredients:

For the cake:

• 5 tablespoons butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 4 egg yolks
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 5 tablespoons milk
• 100 grams hazelnuts
• 1/4-1/2 cup chocolate chips

For the meringue:

• 4 egg whites
• 1 1/4 cup sugar

For topping:

• Whipped cream
• Hazelnuts
• Cocoa powder

Directions:

Cream together butter and sugar. Add in egg yolks one at a time and mix thoroughly. Mix in flour, baking powder and milk.

Grease and flour two circular 9″ baking pans and pour even amounts of batter into each. Chop hazelnuts and sprinkle on top, followed by chocolate chips.

To make the meringue, whip the egg whites until stiff, and carefully fold in sugar. Spread over hazelnuts and chocolate chips in the baking pans.

Bake at 325F for about 40 minutes.

Let cool in the baking pans before removing. Run a butter knife around the edge of the cakes to loosen them and remove carefully. Place one on a large plate and cover with a layer of whipped cream. If you want, add in a layer of fresh raspberries or blackberries here. Cover with second layer of cake and cover entire thing with whipping cream.

Garnish with cocoa powder and hazelnuts. And a Swedish flag or two if you want to really be Scandinavian.

Want more food inspiration? Check out the rest of our Sunday Recipe series. 

The post Sunday Recipe: The Best Birthday Cake Ever appeared first on EcoSalon.

The simplest vegan pudding you’ll ever make. 

I have a chia seed obsession. I have been known to put them in smoothies, and mixed with water and a little lemon juice, it’s they make for a great wake up drink. But using them in a dessert? Even better.

Chia seeds are sort of like magic; put them in any liquid and they turn into a gel-like substance. This is perfect if you’re trying to create a vegan pudding. The consistency of this pudding, which is literally a “mix and stir” recipe, is a little like tapioca; the longer you let it sit the more it will firm up.

You would never guess that this recipe takes a ridiculously short amount of time, is vegan and low on sugar. Make it once and it might just turn into your new evening (or afternoon) obsession.

You can make it on its own, but I find it’s best topped with a berry compote, in this case, some summer raspberries that I had in the freezer.

Coconut Chia Pudding with Raspberries and Chocolate

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup chia seeds
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1/2 teaspoon almond flavoring
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 cup raspberries (fresh or frozen)
• Chopped dark chocolate for topping

Directions:

Mix chia seeds, coconut milk, almond flavoring and sugar in a bowl. Pour immediately into small serving containers and let sit for about 5 minutes.

Cook down raspberries along with a dash of sugar in a saucepan on medium heat. Pour on top of pudding. Sprinkle with chopped dark chocolate. Serve immediately.

Want more food inspiration? Check out the rest of our Sunday Recipe series. 

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Putting apple harvest to good use.

When the first Gravenstein apples start to fall from our tree in late August, I pull out this recipe, Brita Nelsons Äppelkaka.

I got it in 1970 from a friend (the cake’s namesake) when I still lived in Sweden. It is written with a ballpoint pen in a 2-ring blue recipe binder that was a must to take along when I moved away from Sweden in 1974. Even if I know how to make it from memory, I still look it up to have that bittersweet jolt of thinking of her and wondering what she does now.

The recipe is great all year round, but it’s best with the seasonal harvest of autumn apples. It can be made with equal success using halved plums or sliced pears but the apples are still my favorite.

Brita Nelson’s Apple Cake

Ingredients:

• 7 tablespoons butter
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup almonds or hazelnuts, chopped
• 1 egg
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup flour, can be almond meal or rice flour for a gluten free version
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• a few drops of almond flavoring (optional)
• Peeled and sliced apples

Directions:

Cream butter and sugar (in food processor or by hand). Mix in the rest of the ingredients.

Grease a round baking pan, and coat with either almond meal or unsweetened coconut.

Spread batter into pan. Note: the batter is a little sticky, use a spatula and it’s okay if it doesn’t come all the way out to the edges.

Starting in the middle, place the apple slices side by side in a circular formation, then press them into the dough. This will also make the dough spread. Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on top if you so desire.

Bake 40 minutes at 360F.

Whipped cream on top is always a common way of serving cakes in Sweden… But it is good plain too! And if you’re going to be truly traditional, eat it with a small fork, NOT a spoon!

Want more food inspiration? Check out the rest of our Sunday Recipe series. 

The post Sunday Recipe: Swedish Apple Cake appeared first on EcoSalon.

Bringing new meaning to the term “granola girl.”

Food tip of the week: never buy granola ever again. It’s one of the easiest things to make yourself, and because it stores well, you can make up a big batch and have enough for many breakfasts to come.

The other great thing about granola? Once you have your base recipe of oats and a coating to make the granola crispy and sweet when you bake it, you can add pretty much anything you want. Chia seeds? Sure. Pepitas? Delicious. Figs? Certainly not an ingredient to ever go without.

If you want a breakfast that’s heartier, add more nuts, and if you’re in need of something sweeter, add some extra dried fruit.

Basic Coconut Granola

Ingredients:

• 3 cups old-fashioned oats
• 3/4 cup shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds
• 1/3 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon cardamom
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• About 1 cup dried fruit of your choice (raisins, blueberries, cherries… get creative)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325F.

Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl.

In a saucepan, melt coconut oil and honey and whisk together. Pour over dry ingredients and mix until thoroughly coated.

Spread out evenly on a baking sheet and bake for 20-30 minutes, stirring mixture every 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool before putting in an airtight container for storage.

Want more food inspiration? Check out the rest of our Sunday Recipe series.

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Because ice cream should be super simple.

When I came across one-ingredient ice cream on Food52, it seemed too good to be true. But it’s not.

The beauty is in bananas, which when frozen and put in the food processor, turn into a fluffy mass of goodness. And it’s raw. And it’s vegan.

I was so excited about the discovery I immediately sent it to fellow food connoisseur Aylin Erman, who promptly responded with “Girl, you need to make this ASAP. It changed my life.”

A life changing recipe that only involves one ingredient? Yes, please. But as we all know, bananas are only made better by chocolate, so this version gets the addition of homemade hazelnut chocolate spread (in other words: homemade Nutella) for a decadent but super simple dessert.

Vegan Chocolate Hazelnut Ice Cream

For ice cream:

• 3-4 frozen bananas

For chocolate hazelnut spread:

• 1 cup roasted hazelnuts
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/8 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 4 tablespoons canola oil or hazelnut oil

Directions

To make chocolate hazelnut spread, put all ingredients in food processor and mix until a spreadable consistency.

To make ice cream, cut the bananas into small chunks and place on a baking pan. Freeze for at least 1-2 hours.

Place banana pieces into a food processor and churn until a smooth consistency.

Mix together two parts banana ice cream and one part chocolate hazelnut spread until well blended. Serve immediately or store in airtight container in freezer.

Want more food inspiration? Check out the rest of our Sunday Recipe series. 

The post Sunday Recipe: Simple Vegan Banana, Chocolate Hazelnut Ice Cream appeared first on EcoSalon.

For anyone that has ever wanted to bottle up summer. 

“You can infuse simple syrup with basil, right?”

These are the kind of questions that cross your mind when you are standing in your mother’s garden looking at two huge pots of fresh basil.

As it turns out, simple syrup was meant to be infused with basil. You end up with a sweet elixir that has a twinge of summer garden. An herbal addition to any drink, dessert or cocktail. It’s also good for a fruit salad dressing, drizzling over vanilla ice cream and bottling up summer in a jar, which is exactly what this Sparkling Blackberry and Basil Infusion is.

Sparkling Blackberry and Basil Infusion

Ingredients:

• 1 cup chilled sparkling water
• 1/4 cup blackberries, muddled
• 2 tablespoons basil simple syrup
• juice of 1/2 lemon

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a glass (a mason jar is of course preferable) and stir. Serve immediately.

Basil Simple Syrup

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup basil leaves

Directions:

Roll basil leaves and then slice into strips.

Warm water and sugar in a saucepan on medium heat. Stir until sugar is completely dissolved.

Pour simple syrup into a glass jar and add in basil leaves.

Let sit for a couple of hours to steep.

Strain out basil leaves and store simple syrup in an airtight container.

Want more food inspiration? Check out the rest of our Sunday Recipe series. 

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Move over basil.

My mother is known for always having a couple of homemade spreads on hand. In fact, if we’re out of pesto to put on open faced sandwiches in the morning (we’re Swedish after all) she has been known to make a fresh batch at 6 a.m. Completely normal in a food appreciating household.

Which is why I was in no way surprised when I recently came home and in the midst of trying to come up with an appropriate crust recipe for a gluten free appeltaart, she exclaimed, “oh! you have to try the beet pesto!”

Of course.

What’s fun about beets is that you get an intense color, and a taste that blends well with the olive oil and feta in the recipe. And it’s perfect served with Five Seed Crackers. And although I had nothing to do with coming up with this recipe, my mother is nice enough to let me publish it here.

Beet Pesto

Ingredients:

• 4-5 small beets
• 3 tablespoons feta cheese or chèvre
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• 2-3 mint leaves
• 1/4 cup walnuts
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• dash of pepper

Directions:

Rinse and cut off the tops of the beets and put them in a saucepan. Add enough enough water to cover the beets. Bring water to a boil and then simmer with the lid on for 20 minutes, or until soft enough to poke with a fork.

Place in food processor and mix until a smooth consistency. Add in rest of ingredients.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Want more food inspiration? Check out the rest of our Sunday Recipe series. 

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A trip to Amsterdam requires adventures in the kitchen upon return.

I was destined to fall in love with the appeltaart.

When I travel I have a tendency to fall for local foods. It may be the most basic of foods in that location, but when you’re an outsider, it’s exotic. And so I identify a local dish that’s easy to find in a variety of places and I order it wherever I go. It could be called a weird travel quirk, but when you find a local food that you love and you stick with it.

And so it was with the appeltaart.

The famed appeltaart at Winkel

On our first afternoon in Amsterdam we were wandering the neighborhood in search of lunch and a double espresso. In the middle of summer, with the sun shining and every cafe known to man having an extensive outdoor seating area, this is not hard to do. So we randomly picked one that had a nice wooden table right next to the entrance and sat down.

Towards the end of our salads, I realized that everyone else was ordering huge pieces of apple pie covered in whipped cream. When every table around you is ordering the same thing, you know that you must do the same.

It wasn’t until later that I realized that we had serendipitously ended up at Winkel, the one cafe that an acquaintance had tipped me off to as having the “best apple pie in Amsterdam.” Some foodie affairs are just meant to happen.

What ensued was a week long obsession with appeltaart, and an even larger obsession with trying to make it myself once I returned home. Fortunately, there’s this thing called the internet. Thanks to Food Nouveau who carefully laid out not only the Winkel appeltaart, but also the one served at ‘t Smalle Cafe (another Amsterdam favorite), I now had a recipe to work with, and maybe I could kick this feeling of being sad about leaving Amsterdam. I even went out and bought a springform pan; sometimes travel also reminds you of what your kitchen is lacking.

As with most recipes, I had to give it my own spin, so this appeltaart is heavy on the cardamom and completely gluten free. It took a bit of experimentation to get it right, my first crust being much too dry. But thanks to some tweaking and incorporation of almond meal (a go to gluten free flour when I am baking) the end result is a tart that’s a little softer than the Amsterdam classic, but still retains the right amount of sweet thanks to the combination of crisp apples and raisins. A traveler’s rendition of a classic dish.

This is not your American Apple Pie, so throw those expectations out the window right now, and keep in mind that it’s best served with fresh whipped cream and a double espresso, of course.

Anna’s Dutch Appeltaart with Cardamom

Ingredients:

Crust:

• 1 1/4 cup sorghum flour
• 1 1/4 cup rice flour
• 2 1/4 cup almond meal
• 2 1/2 teaspoons xantham gum
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon cardamom
• 375 grams butter (about 1 1/2 cups, or 3 sticks)

Note: this recipe is meant for a 9-inch springform pan, resulting in a very big appeltart. If you’re using a smaller pan, you may want to cut the recipe in half, or just bake two.

Filling:

• 8 apples (use a harder/crispier variety)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup raisins
• juice + zest of 1/2 lemon
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon cardamom
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch

Directions:

Start by preparing the crust dough. Cream butter and sugar and set aside. In a separate bowl, mix together all dry crust ingredients.

Add eggs to the butter and sugar, mixture saving about 1 tablespoon of egg to top the crust with before baking. Add in flour mixture in thirds and mix until dough forms a ball (you can do this by hand or in a food processor). Set aside. Note: if you chill the dough, it will be a little easier to press into the pan.

Peel and quarter all of the apples and cut into small, bite-size pieces. Mix in rest of ingredients until apples are well coated.

Grease a 9-inch springform pan. Set aside about 1/4 of the crust, and place the rest in the bottom of the pan. Push out until the bottom and sides are completely covered. Fill with apple mixture and top with rest of crust dough. Brush with egg and sprinkle with brown sugar (optional).

Bake at 400F for about 45-50 minutes.

Want more food inspiration? Check out the rest of our Sunday Recipe series. 

The post Sunday Recipe: Anna’s Dutch Appeltaart with Cardamom appeared first on EcoSalon.

A catchall recipe for everyone, tofu scramble just may become your go to Sunday brunch.

“What’s for brunch?” It’s a common, lazy Sunday morning question in my home. When my boyfriend asks, I grin with a wink, and he knows what’s coming. Tofu scramble. There’s something about this recipe that feels one part adventurous (tofu is a canvas for your fresh garden delights, so this recipe never gets boring); one part comforting (think the mac-and-cheese of breakfast); and one part responsible (it’s packed with protein, veggies and vitamins to jumpstart your Sunday fan fare).

Whether an outright meat eater, vegan, vegetarian, pescetarian or eggetarian, this versatile dish will suit every preferential palette. In fact, it’s a great way to take a break from egg over-consumption doldrums. Best yet? It’s so easy and fun, your boyfriend, husband, roommate (fill in the blank) just might give you the ultimate Sunday morning treat and whip it up for you.

Ingredients
Serves 2 generous portions

• 1 firm block of tofu (ideally use fresh, local tofu for the smoothest flavor)
• 1 cup broccoli (chopped)
• ½ medium onion (chopped)
• 1 handful cilantro leaves
• 1 chili pepper / hot pepper (to taste)
• 1 avocado
• handful of olives (of your choice)
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast (or more, to taste)
• 1 teaspoon salt (to taste)
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil (safflower oil or another high heat oil of your choice)

Directions

1. Prepare your tofu by removing its water and squeezing out any excess water by gently pressing it between two plates / flat surfaces
2. Heat your cooking oil in a skillet or sauté pan, and lightly cook the onion and broccoli.* When it is about halfway cooked, add the paprika, and mix together. Continue to cook the your broccoli until lightly brown and until your onions are slightly transparent. Remove from the pan.
3. Next, add the tofu to the pan (adding a dash of oil if needed). Cook the tofu on medium heat until the sides turn brown.
4. Add turmeric, salt and nutritional yeast to the tofu, and mix together until the tofu is fully coated with the turmeric and nutritional yeast.
5. Add your broccoli, onions and hot chili pepper to the tofu mixture.
6. Toss together, and sauté for another 3-5 minutes until lightly brown and melded together.
7. Garnish with cilantro leaves, olives and ½ avocado, per serving.
8. Serve hot, and enjoy!

*Note: This recipe is so versatile. Add in any farm fresh vegetables and herbs to play with the flavor and fit your palette.

(Recipe compliments of this author’s Sunday brunch-loving boyfriend.)

Want more food inspiration? Check out the rest of our Sunday Recipe series. 

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The easiest summer addiction.

For coffee lovers, cold brew is summer’s nectar. You can of course buy cold brew systems, or end up with an expensive coffee shop addiction, but really all you need for delicious cold brew is a good coffee roast and a French press.

The key is letting the coffee steep over night, that way you don’t really have to think about it. Grind some beans when you get home from work, and by morning you’ll have fuel for a hot day.

Ingredients

• Coffee + water
• Ratios of coffee to water vary, and you can tweak according to how strong you want it. For a 32 ounce French press  (4 cups) I use about 3/4 cup coffee beans, so a little less than a 1 to 4 ratio.

Directions

Grind beans coarsely.

Place grinds in empty French press and fill with cold water. Gently stir with a spoon to mix.

Cover the French press with tinfoil and let steep for about 12 hours at room temperature. It’s even better when you let it sit for 24 hours, but that takes some planning.

Remove the tinfoil and press the grinds down. Serve over ice. If it’s a little strong, dilute with water.

Store in refrigerator in glass bottles or a covered pitcher.

Want more food inspiration? Check out the rest of our Sunday Recipe series. 

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