Spinach Pancakes

These spinach pancakes are yet another all-time favourite of mine. Smothered with lingonberry jam, these pancakes make a perfect dinner for one (or two if you must share)!

Spinach Pancakes

2 eggs (organic, free-range)

500ml milk (full cream, organic)

about 150g plain flour

a pinch of salt

1 tablespoon olive oil (or melted butter)

150-200g baby spinach, blanched under hot water, chopped finely

butter (organic), for frying

lingonberry jam, for serving

1. Whisk eggs in a bowl and stir in half the milk, flour, salt and oil. Whisk until smooth, then add the rest of the milk and spinach and stir well to combine. Leave to rest for about half an hour. 

2. Fry small pancakes on hot frying pan (greased with butter) for a couple of minutes on each side. Serve with lingonberry jam.

French Toast

 

Weekends call for a little indulgence and there is no better time for that than summer, when berries and other fruit are abundant. I made us a special lunch of French toast (well, my version of it anyway) served with fresh fruit and cinnamon yoghurt. I soaked the bread well but didn't over do it so it was soft on the inside and crisp on the outside. Berries are perfect as they are not too sweet and using yoghurt instead of cream keeps everything light and fresh. This was a perfect lunch on a stinking hot day!

French Toast*

(serves 2)

2-4 thick slices of day-old sourdough bread

1 egg

200ml full cream milk

1/4 teaspoon pure ground vanilla

a knob of butter

fresh berries or fruit

unsweetened yoghurt

ground cinnamon

* all ingredients are organic, eggs are organic and free-range

1. Whisk egg and milk in a dish, whisk in vanilla.

2. Soak the bread slices (on both sides) in the milk mixture. Heat a knob of butter in a pan until slightly browned. Fry the bread slices on each side until golden.

3. Top with berries and other fruit and dollop with cinnamon spiced yoghurt.

Sunday Morning

Aamupalaksi pannukakkuja - Pancakes for Breakfast

A leisured morning ahead of a long weekend. Thick pancakes served with fresh strawberries and a drizzling of rice syrup. Plus a pot of coffee, of course. 

Kiireetön aamu pitkän viikonlopun edellä. Muhkeat pannukakut tarjoillaan tuoreiden mansikoiden ja riisisiirapin kera. Lisäksi pannullinen kahvia, tietenkin.

Thick pancakes 

(makes 10)

(recipe adapted from valio.fi)

90g plain flour

90g wholemeal flour

1 tablespoon raw vanilla sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 large egg

100g sour cream

250ml milk

butter, for frying

strawberries and rice syrup, for serving

1. Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl. 

2. Whisk egg with sour cream and milk. Add to the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Set aside for 15-20 minutes.

3. Fry small pancakes in small amount of butter for a few minutes on each side. Serve warm with fresh strawberries and rice a drizzling of rice syrup.

Sunnuntai Sämpylät - Sunday Bread Rolls

 

 

Sunday mornings call for baking. When the smell of fresh bread filled my kitchen I knew the day had started just right. Warm bread rolls smothered with fruit spread and a big cup of tea was perfection. Peaceful and lazy Sunday was exactly what I needed ahead of a busy week.

Sunnuntaiaamut kutsuvat leipomaan. Eilen aamulla sämpylöiden tuoksu täytti pienen keittiöni ja tuntui kuin päivä olisi lähtenyt juuri oikein käyntiin. Lämpimät sämpylät hedelmäisellä hillolla ja iso kuppi teetä – täydellistä! Rauhallinen ja laiska sunnuntai tuli tarpeeseen, viikosta on tulossa kiireinen.

 

Sunday Bread Rolls

(makes 16-20)

(recipe adapted from pirkka.fi)

500ml warm water

11g dry yeast

150g rolled oats

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons treacle

about 400 wholemeal flour

about 200g plain flour

50ml olive oil

1. Mix yeast with rolled oats and add warm (42C) water. Add salt and treacle.

2. Knead flour in bit by bit until you get a soft dough. Add oil and knead until smooth. Cover and leave in a warm place to double in size.

3. Roll the dough into buns and place on baking sheets lined with baking paper. Cover and leave to rise for about 20-30 minutes.

4. Preheat oven to 200C. Bake the bread rolls for 12 minutes or until browned from top and the bottom.

Apple and Oat Muffins

September, and spring alongside, is certainly in full swing and shaping up to be a busy one. My calendar is filled with quite a few engagements, including long overdue catch ups with friends and summer product launches for work. I am by no means complaining, but rather loving the buzz that spring seems to create every year. No doubt, warm weather and increasing sun light are making a busy schedule much more bearable as well.

I love having a few stand-by recipes in my kitchen repertoire for when I'm a little pressed with time. A favourite salad that can be thrown together at the last minute or quicker than quick home-made bread can save from a lot of unnecessary stress. Forward planning is of course the key, but I tend to rely on recipes that can either be made ahead or use basic ingredients that I am likely to have in my kitchen at all times.

These apple and oat muffins tick all those boxes and are perfect to bring along to a brunch with friends or serve with afternoon tea. Yoghurt gives them a sour edge that is balanced with sweet vanilla. Feel free to add a couple of teaspoons of ground cinnamon too, if you like.

Apple and Oat Muffins

(Recipe inspired by taste.com.au)
 

300g plain flour (you can use wholemeal, if you like)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

50g rolled oats + 2 tablespoons

170g raw caster sugar

2 tablespoons raw vanilla sugar + 2 tablespoons

400g plain yoghurt (pot set, low fat)

2 eggs

100ml olive oil

1 apple, peeled and chopped into small cubes

1. Preheat the oven to 180C and prepare a 12-cup muffin tin.

2. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, oats and sugar together.

3. Whisk yoghurt, eggs and oil in a separate bowl.

4. Add egg mixture to the dry ingredients and fold with a large spoon to combine. Add apple.

5. Spoon the batter in to the cups and sprinkle with left-over oats and vanilla sugar. Bake for about 25 minutes or until a tester inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out clean. Leave to cool on a wire rack before serving.

Oven-Baked 3-Grain Porridge with Blueberry Soup

It was a beautiful weekend here in Sydney, so sunny and warm! I got most of the things done on my to do-list, including this oven-baked porridge which I've been craving for a while. The recipe is based on my old favourite, pearl barley porridge, but this one has a lot 'grainier' texture and nuttier flavour. Sweet blueberry soup was a perfect companion and I was happy as ever to devour a bowl of this whilst enjoying the sun on our balcony.

Bring on the new week!

Oven-Baked 3-Grain Porridge

(serves 4)

70g oat groats

70g rye groats

70g brown rice

700-800ml unsweetened oat milk

a pinch of salt 

olive oil for the baking dish

1. Start by soaking the grains for at least a couple of hours. When ready to bake, drain the grains.

2. Preheat oven to 150C and brush an oven dish (21cm x 15cm) with some oil.

3. Combine all grains and add to the dish. Pour milk on top (enough to reach a couple of centimetres from the top) and season with salt. 

4. Bake for a couple of hours or until the milk has soaked in and the grains have softened. Leave to cool slightly before serving.

Blueberry Soup

250g fresh or frozen blueberries

800ml water

2 tablespoons raw vanilla sugar

2 teaspoons granulated stevia

2 tablespoons potato starch

100ml water, extra 

1. Combine blueberries, sugar, stevia and most of the water in a pan. Bring to boil, then add rest of the water and take the pan off the heat.

2. Whisk potato starch in cold water and add to the blueberry soup while whisking continuously. Leave to cool before serving.

Scandi Foodie Turns Three, Queen Muffins

Three years ago today I published my first blog post. It was a poem my mum used to read me in the mornings to wake me up. I started the blog to keep in touch with my parents, to show them the Finnish treats I was baking and the vintage Scandinavian design pieces I had found. Very soon I realised blogging had opened up a whole new world to me; a world of recipes I had never tried before, ingredients I had never even heard of, flavours I had never tasted and people I had never met. I loved sharing pieces of my everyday life to my imaginary audience. I had no idea if anyone apart from my parents ever read my blog, but I kept posting new recipes day after day. 

I've come a long way in three years. I've experienced both sides of the blogosphere, the good and the bad, I've found new friends along the way and I've learned a lot about food, styling and photography. Blogging has also opened up a new career to me as a stylist and a freelance writer and I couldn't be happier and more thankful for it. 

However many changes there have been along the way, this blog has remained first and foremost a personal account. There have been very few commercials and I've never been interested in making money with this blog. I continue to write content that feels comfortable to me and I don't feel a need to publish something only to attract more readers. I am open to feedback, but for the above mentioned reason I don't take criticism very well; it always feels as a personal attack and sometimes I feel that some people tend to forget that there is a real person behind every post.

I thank you for following and I plan to continue blogging for as long as it feels right and doesn't become a chore. I have many more recipes to try and I definitely still have a lot to learn, so I feel no need to stop now. I hope you will continue reading and sharing your thoughts - thank you again.

 Queen Muffins*

(makes 12)

2 apples (Granny Smith)

1 banana

1/4 lemon, juiced

180g wholemeal flour

1 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon pure, ground vanilla

30g raw vanilla sugar

50g raw caster sugar

60ml olive oil
150g fresh or frozen raspberries and blueberries

natural, unrefined icing sugar to serve

* In Finland we call the combination of berries 'kuningatar' (queen), hence the name! :-)

1. Preheat the oven to 175C and line a 12 cup muffin tray with paper cups (or use oil to grease). 

2. Finely grate peeled and cored apples and put in a bowl with chopped banana and lemon juice. Puree with a hand mixer until smooth. Set aside.

3. Combine all dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Add oil into the dry ingredients and stir, then add the fruit puree. Stir briefly to combine and carefully fold the frozen berries in to the batter. 

4. Divide the batter evenly between the cups and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Leave to cool on a wire rack before dusting with icing sugar.

Toasted Super Muesli

Hello lovelies!

I have had a very positive week and I am so excited to share some happy thoughts with you!

I've finally got back to a good yoga routine and found a class that suits me perfectly. This is really important and I would never feel comfortable doing a yoga class that would not fill this need. When I first started yoga a few years a go, I attended some classes at the gym I used to go to. It was not a good idea - these classes are way too crowded and the instructor has no way of controlling and supervising the whole class. Injuries can be common and I would not recommend these classes to anyone who is not very experienced with the practise. I am now attending a class with no more than 10 people and the practise is mid-energy hatha, which feels just perfect. I don't do yoga so much for the exercise as I do it for the spiritual practise and connectedness with my own body and mind. Yoga is so much more than just positions, you really need to give it your full focus and that's what I find so compelling about it.

On that note, I've also embarked on a 21-day meditation challenge! Please feel free to join me on this and report back on your successes - I would love to hear from you! I am committing to 20 minutes of guided meditation every day and the purpose of this 21-day challenge is to make meditation a daily habit. Hopefully this will help me get centred and find balance even during the busiest of times. Are you in??

Both of these practises, yoga and meditation, are filling in a huge gap in my life. For the longest time I've felt like something is missing - I eat healthy, I exercise daily, I get enough sleep, but still that final piece has been missing. I have found that yoga and meditation are finally connecting all the pieces together and making me feel whole. Is this something you can relate to?

This recipe was born out of a necessity for a high-energy breakfast. Autumn is in the air here in Sydney and the outdoor pool I go to every morning is clearly a few degrees cooler than a few weeks ago. After my morning swim my body is screaming for calories and a big bowl of muesli or oat meal is what keeps me going.

I love this toasted muesli and although the list of ingredients may seem daunting, I urge you to give it a go. If you only want to get small quantities of nuts, grains and seeds, I suggest you find your nearest co-op shop or any shop that sells loose dried goods. Bring your own container and just buy how ever much you may need! Many health food stores also sell small quantities of grains, cereal, nuts and seeds. In Sydney, Honest to Goodness is my favourite place to get everything I need.

I hope you too are feeling positive vibes in your life and keep spreading those feelings!

 Toasted Super Muesli

100g rolled oats*

100g rolled quinoa

50g raw buckwheat

50g raw sunflower seeds

2 tablespoons raw sesame seeds

50g raw almonds

50g raw walnuts

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

50g virgin coconut oil

1 tablespoon rice syrup

goji berries

dried apricots

oat yoghurt

fresh figs

* for a gluten-free version, use uncontaminated gluten-free oats

1. Preheat oven to 180C. Combine oats, quinoa, buckwheat, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, almond, walnuts and cinnamon in a large bowl. 

2. Place coconut oil and rice syrup in a small saucepan and heat just enough to melt. Pour this mixture into the muesli and mix well to combine. Spread the mixture on a baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes or until well toasted. Be careful not to let this burn, cover the muesli with a sheet of baking paper, if necessary!

3. Leave the muesli to cool on a wire rack before storing in an air-tight container. Add goji berries and dried apricots in the mix and serve the muesli with some home-made oat yoghurt and fresh fruit. 

Vegan Carrot Muffins

Hi friends!

Here's the vegan breakfast recipe I promised you earlier this week. These carrot muffins became my instant favourite - and they're sugar-free too! I love the gorgeous colour given by the freshly made carrot juice and they are just perfect for your breakfast table or enjoyed with a cup of tea in the afternoon.

It's funny how we tend to think baking as such a strict, rule-laden form of art. Baking without white flour, sugar, butter and eggs can (in my opinion at least) result in just as tasty (if not tastier) and certainly much healthier outcome. The whole process becomes much more interesting and enjoyable when you stop treating baking as a chemistry class and start experimenting with your own ideas instead.

These muffins are a perfect example: trust the natural sweetness of carrots (no additional sugar needed), the combining force of tahini (instead of egg) and the goodness of the wholegrain. I'm in love!

 

Vegan Carrot Muffins

(makes 10)

(Recipe inspired by Caroline Marie Dupont)

260g wholegrain spelt flour

110g rolled oats

2 tablespoons chia seeds

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

375ml (1 1/2 cups) freshly made carrot-ginger juice*

50ml olive oil

2 tablespoon tahini (recipe here)

* I used about a kilo of carrots and a small knob of ginger to make the juice. 

1. Preheat oven to 180C and prepare a 12-cup muffin tin.

2. Mix all the dry ingredients together.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the juice, olive oil and tahini.

4. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Spoon the batter into the muffin cups and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Leave to cool on a wire rack before serving.

Baked rhubarb oatmeal

This morning, after being down with a cold for the past four days, I felt like having something a bit more wholesome and warming for breakfast. I can't think of many meals more comforting than a bowl of oatmeal and that's exactly what I needed this morning. Combined with almonds, chia seeds and cinnamon and a layer of soft rhubarb on the bottom, this baked oatmeal is truly comforting, and perfect for lazy weekend mornings.

 

Baked rhubarb oatmeal

(Recipe inspired by Heidi Swanson + this recipe)

230g rhubarb, chopped into 2cm pieces (fresh or frozen)

230g rolled oats (use gluten-free, if you prefer)

100g almonds, roughly chopped

2 tablespoons chia seeds

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

pinch of salt

500ml home-made almond milk (recipe here)

olive oil, for brushing

1. Preheat oven to 180C and brush a medium-sized oven dish lightly with olive oil.

2. Cover the bottom of the dish with rhubarb pieces. Combine the oats, almond, chia seeds, cinnamon and salt in a separate bowl. Pour the mixture on top of the rhubarbs and finally pour the almond milk (evenly) on top. 

3. Bake for 30 minutes. Serve warm.

Sweet potato spelt muffins

 

Hi friends,

It's the start of week 4 in my sugar-free challenge and so far things are going great. I love how this challenge has not only got me to pay even more attention to what I cook and eat, but also think creatively and research alternative ways to cook and bake without sugar. Along all the sugar, I have also been cutting down grains in my diet. Not altogether, however, but on a daily basis I have had maybe one serve or no grains at all. I've also been strictly off all yeast products during the challenge. All this, I'm sure, has made me feel even better.

I've experimented with brown rice syrup in this recipe. Brown rice syrup is a great alternative to honey and agave, but make sure to check there are no added nasties in the product you choose. The only ingredients listed should indeed be rice and water! These muffins could just as easily be baked into a loaf, but I really love the simplicity of muffins - perfect portion size, easy to pack as a snack, easy to freeze. What's there not to love?

If you are curious about starting a sugar-free challenge, this e-book is a great way to get you going!

Sweet potato spelt muffins

(makes 12 muffins or 1 loaf)

1 large sized sweet potato (should yield to about 1 cup cooked and mashed)

50g organic butter or coconut oil (alternatively, use 60ml olive oil)

2 large eggs (organic, free-range)

2 tablespoons brown rice syrup*

125ml milk

150g whole-grain spelt flour

30g flax meal

20g chia seeds

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground clove

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

pinch of sea salt

* Brown rice syrup is available at most health-food stores. It is a low glucose alternative to other sweeteners, like raw honey. You can leave this out altogether, if you prefer.

1. Preheat oven to 180C and grease a 12-cup muffin pan.

2. Peel and chop the sweet potato and cook until fully tender. Mash with the butter, coconut oil or olive oil into a smooth purée.

3. Whisk together the eggs, milk and brown rice syrup.

4. Mix together the dry ingredients.

5. Whisk the egg mixture into the sweet potato purée. Fold in the dry ingredients.

6. Scoop the mixture into the prepared muffin cups. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until firm to touch and a tester inserted in the muffin comes out clean. Leave to cool on a wire rack before serving.

7. Store in the fridge for 2-3 days or freeze.

 

PS. Remember my little balcony make-over?  Well, the wait is finally over! My balcony (and me) is featured in Don Burke's new Organic book (2nd edition), available now!

Sugar-free coconut granola

Hi friends!

Thank you all for the feedback regarding my little sugar-free trial diet. My first week of strictly no sugar (including fruit, honey, agave, coconut sugar, etc.) is going really well and although I feel more conscious about what I eat, I don't feel like I'm missing or craving anything. I suppose the change hasn't been too radical for me, as the only change I've had to make on a daily basis is to give up fruit. Instead, I've now been embracing the spring greens, including rhubarb, spinach, celery, asparagus and avocados, and enjoyed spiced herbal teas with a healthy dash of full-cream organic milk. What is there to miss when I can have all this??

For some people, going sugar-free might feel like an overwhelming thought. Taste is a funny thing, however, and we can greatly affect it by getting those taste buds used to new flavours and a new diet. Once you get used to having no sugar in your diet, you'll realise that some things you used to eat actually taste very sweet - even fruit! The excuse of "having a sweet tooth" is merely a consequence of you feeding that "tooth" with sugar and the more you feed it, the more it'll crave it. Cutting all sugar out for at least a couple of months will adjust those taste buds and chances are you'll never go back to eating as much sugar again.

This delicious coconut granola is another new favourite of mine. Natural coconut flakes combined with almonds, walnuts, chia seeds, and spiced with ground cinnamon and roasted wattleseed - it's a combination that requires zero added sweetness. A good quality coconut oil is a must. I like this brand and have been using it for my skin as well.

I hope I've been able to inspire at least some of you to join me on my sugar-free experiment! I'd love to hear from you!

Coconut granola

(recipe inspired by Sarah Wilson)

100g natural coconut flakes

100g walnuts

30g almonds

30g chia seeds

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground, roasted wattleseed (optional if you can't find it)

30g coconut oil

1. Preheat oven to 120C and line a baking tray with baking paper. 

2. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and spread the mixture evenly on to the baking sheet. 

3. Bake for 10 minutes, then turn everything around with a spatula. Continue to bake for a further 10 minutes or until just golden. Cool on a wire rack immediately and store in an air-tight jar in the fridge for 3-5 days. Serve with a healthy dash of full-cream organic milk, home-made brown rice milk, nut milk or coconut milk.

Buy Sarah's Book "I Quit Sugar" : Here

 

Grain-free, sugar-free breakfast muffins

I don't usually get excited about any new "diets" that pop up in the media - there were Atkins and South Beach, now there are Paleo, Dukan, Alkaline and of course the most miraculous fad diets such as the grapefruit diet, cabbage soup diet and the baby food diet. There is a difference, of course, between following a certain diet as part of a healthy lifestyle, and a fad that is supposed to last only a few days and shed all those extra kilos away.

In the past I've been experimenting with some dietary changes (like gluten-free and dairy-free) to see if they make a difference in my or my partner's health. In general, however, we both like to think that moderation is the key and a balanced, healthy diet is part of our lifestyle, along with exercise and getting enough sleep.

When I read Sarah Wilson's new e-book "I Quit Sugar", I started thinking about how much sugar I consume daily. Judging by the amount of baking I do, it may seem like I consume a lot, but in actual fact my diet is fairly low-sugar and has been this way for many years. I haven't been using "white", processed sugar in baking for quite a while now, but raw sugar, coconut sugar, agave and honey are all still sugars and count towards the daily sugar consumption. My biggest source for sugar (fructose) has been fruit and this is something I have been wanting to cut back for a while now.

Inspired by Sarah's book I have decided to see how I can benefit from a sugar-free diet. In my daily life this means eating less fruit (1-2 pieces a day) and baking sugar-free treats. These grain-free rhubarb muffins are by no mean pretty, but nevertheless make a lovely breakfast treat. Rhubarb has a low fructose content, but is perfectly sweet when baked, and warm spices make these muffins complete. Enjoyed with a cup of spiced herbal tea they are a perfect guilt-free treat.

Grain-free, sugar-free breakfast muffins

(makes 8-10)

(recipe adapted from "I Quit Sugar" by Sarah Wilson)

175g hazelnut meal

85g almonds, chopped

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger (optional)

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom (optional)

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves (optional)

2 large eggs, beaten

3 tablespoons olive oil

4 tablespoons milk/nut milk/coconut milk

200g rhubarb, washed and chopped in 1 cm pieces

1. Preheat oven to 170C and prepare a 10-cup muffin tin. 

2. Combine the hazelnut meal, almonds, baking powder and soda, salt and spices in a bowl. 

3. Whisk together the eggs, oil and milk and add this to the dry ingredients.

4. Fold through the rhubarb.

5. Spoon the mixture into the muffin cups and bake for 20-30 minutes or until the muffins feel firm to touch. Leave to cool on a wire rack before serving. Store in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze.

And if you want to go sugar-free...

Start by analysing your daily sugar consumption: Do you add sugar to your tea/coffee? Do you drink soft drinks? Eat sweets or chocolate? How much sugar is in your breakfast cereal/muesli/yoghurt?


Get in the habit of swapping your daily snacks to sugar-free ones: Try home-made vegetable chips (kale is great), nuts or home-made treats like these muffins.


Try mineral water (or tap water!) or herbal teas instead of sugary drinks. Roasted dandelion tea is a delicious option. Add ground cinnamon and enjoy with home-made rice or nut milk.


Read more... "Is Sugar Toxic?" - NY Times article
                     "I Quit Sugar" - Sarah Wilson

Buy Sarah's Book: 
Click here to view more details

 

Baked grapefruit with coconutty crumble

It's been a busy week with early starts and big photo shoots and I've been carrying lots of props back and forth - packing, unpacking and packing again. At the end of the day I've felt happy and content, but in desperate need of a hot shower, a big cup of tea and something sweet. My usual pick for a sweet treat would be a piece of really dark chocolate, but these quick and easy oven baked grapefruit are definitely a good alternative, too. If you have the time in the morning, you could even have them as breakfast with some thick yoghurt. Or, try with some good vanilla bean ice cream as an indulgent dessert.

I love the coconutty crumble topping - rolled oats, organic coconut sugar and the most amazing coconut oil I bought from the Organic expo just a couple of weeks a go. I'm ready to slip on my comfy clothes, grab one of these grapefruit and just munch away!

Baked grapefruit with coconutty crumble

(serves 2)

1 grapefruit, cut in half

2 tablespoons organic unstabilised oats

1 tablespoon organic coconut sugar

1 tablespoon organic coconut oil (not liquid)

1. Preheat oven to 200C. 

2. In a small bowl, mix together the oats, sugar and coconut oil. Rub the mixture with your fingers until crumbly. 

3. Place the grapefruit halves into an oven-proof dish, spread the coconutty crumble on top and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Serve warm.

Baked Pearl Barley Porridge

I am starting to realise that some of my all-time favourite recipes, the ones that I take for granted and make over and over again, are the ones that I haven't actually shared here on the blog before. Just recently there were the spelt horns, the whipped cranberry porridge, and the apple tart, to name a few - and now this - baked pearl barley porridge. This is a dish I've been making very frequently for well over 10 years, the whole time I've been living on my own and before that it was a treat my mum would make for us as a light meal. 

I couldn't think of a more comforting dish on a rainy winter's day. You could serve this with sweet berry soup, rhubarb soup or just fresh berries. We are spoilt here in Australia to have fresh strawberries available in the midst of winter ;-)

Baked Pearl Barley Porridge

(serves 2)

90g pearl barley

750ml milk (low-fat is fine)

1 teaspoon salt

butter, for greasing

1. Preheat the oven to 180C.

2. Grease a shallow-ish oven proof dish (capacity of over 1 litre). Pour in the barley, salt and milk. 

3. Bake (without stirring) for 1 1/2 - 2 hours or until the top is golden and all the liquid has soaked up. Cool slightly before serving.