Good Morning Smoothies

I never get tired of smoothies, no matter what time of the year it is! Lately I've been loving a combination of banana, spinach and vanilla or a strawberry one with just banana and vanilla. Such a delicious start for the day! 

Retro Mother's Day Cake

It was another warm and sunny day here on the Northern beaches of Sydney yesterday. We enjoyed a BBQ lunch on our balcony with my husband's parents and I had made this retro cake for dessert. My mum used to make these types of cakes for every birthday (or any other celebration) and I remember how much I loved them back then.

This cake, known simply as "täytekakku" (täyte=filling, kakku=cake), is made of a sponge cake, cut in layers, filled with fruit and topped with whipped cream and fruit (mum would sometimes use lollies for kids' birthday cakes). Like most Finnish desserts, it is not overly sweet and despite the cream topping, it's not heavy at all. 

As you can see, I went all out with 80's style fruit decorations and even added a colourful tray. I am definitely not one to make fiddly fondant decorations, but cutting up fruit and sticking them in cream even I can handle. This cake was as tasty as I remembered from my childhood and a perfect dessert for such a nice day.

Täytekakku

4 large eggs

185g caster sugar

130g plain flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

2-3 big tablespoons unsweetened applesauce

1 tablespoon pineapple juice

1 banana

1 x tin pineapple pieces

1 x tin sliced peaches, cut in small pieces

300ml cream

1 teaspoon caster sugar

1/4 teaspoons ground vanilla or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

fruit of choice for decoration

1. Beat eggs and sugar until light and fluffy. Combine flour and baking powder in a separate bowl and add to egg-sugar mixture through a sieve. Gently stir to combine. Pour the mixture to a greased and floured tin and bake in 175C for 25-30 minutes.

2. Cut the cooled down cake in 3 layers. Moisten the first two layers with apple sauce and pineapple juice mixture OR with plain milk. Top these two layers with mashed banana, pineapple and peach mixture and place the final layer on top.

3. Sweeten the cream with sugar and vanilla and whip until soft, but stiff enough to stay on the cake. Spread the cream all over the cake and decorate with fruit. Store in the fridge before serving. 

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.

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.

Vegan Banana and Walnut Bread

Good old banana bread! I haven't made a loaf in ages, but Mother's Day called for a sweet treat and one can always count on banana bread to deliver just that. I love the fact that this particular loaf is not only dairy-free and egg-free (and thus, vegan), but reasonably low in sugar too. Bananas are naturally sweet so a few tablespoons of rice syrup is really all the added sweetness it needs.

This is a really quick and well-tested recipe. The result is a soft and moist loaf that is definitely sweet enough, but perfect for both breakfast table and afternoon tea. Feel free to swap almond milk to soy milk and use whole wheat flour instead of spelt flour. You can even add a touch of cardamom in the mix, if you wish. Macadamias or hazelnuts would be a great alternative to walnuts, too.

Vegan Banana and Walnut Bread

(recipe adapted from Caroline Marie Dupont)

260g spelt flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon pure, ground vanilla

a tiny pinch of salt

5 bananas (500ml mashed)

50ml almond milk

6 tablespoons olive oil

4 tablespoons rice syrup

120g chopped walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 180C. Grease and lightly flour a medium size loaf pan.

2. Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl. 

3. Mash the bananas really well and in a large bowl, whisk them with almond milk, oil and rice syrup. 

4.  Add the dry ingredients to the banana mixture and mix lightly to combine. Finally fold in the chopped walnuts. 

5. Pour the batter into the tin and bake for 40-45 minutes or until a tester inserted in the middle of the loaf comes out clean. Leave to cool on a wire rack before cutting into slices. Serve fresh or toasted.

An impromptu streusel-topped apple and plum bake

I love having friends over for lunch, dinner, afternoon tea, any time that gives me an excuse to cook and share my love for healthy food. This past weekend we had friends over for lunch. I had prepared an all-vegan meal with two big salads (one with black beans and one with quinoa), served with olives and fresh sourdough bread from the farmers' markets I had visited earlier that morning. I hadn't had time to prepare any dessert, but I had bought some fresh fruit from the markets so I came up with this impromptu idea for a streusel-topped apple and plum bake.

This healthy, low-sugar bake was a perfect treat to have for afternoon tea. It is not too sweet, but the natural sweetness of fruit and coconut are enough to make it feel like a dessert. I thought of calling it a 'crumble', but really this is like a (much) healthier version of the traditional streusel, served on baked fruit.

Streusel-Topped Apple and Plum Bake

(serves 6)

200g rolled oats

50g walnuts

2 tablespoons teff flour

2 heaped tablespoons shredded coconut

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoons stevia

4 tablespoons coconut oil 

3 small apples

3 small plums

1. Preheat oven to 180C and grease a baking dish with coconut oil. 

2. Peel and chop the apples into bite-sized pieces. Chop the plums into similar sized pieces. Mix the fruit and arrange in the oven dish.

3. In a separate bowl, mix together the rolled oats, walnuts, teff flour, coconut, cinnamon and stevia. Add soft coconut oil and rub it into the mixture. Arrange the streusel-topping on the fruit. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the fruit is completely tender. Serve warm.

Simple preserved lemons

I've been going through my stuff, drawer by drawer, organising, de-cluttering and trying to decide what stays and what goes. Now is the best time to do this, before we settle in to our new home. No matter how simple life I've tried to lead, I have somehow managed to accumulate a fair bit of stuff during these 6 years in Australia. I'm trying to be brutal, but remain reasonable, as I sort my way through clothes, bags, books, linen, etc etc.

This morning I took some time off to prepare these simple preserved lemons. This is certainly not something I grew up making or eating, but in recent years I've learned to appreciate the flavour and I love adding some preserved lemon into many dishes. I recommend you use unwaxed, organic lemons for this as it is the zest you'll be using. Otherwise the process is dead simple, although a little patience is needed.

 Simple preserved lemons

(recipe adapted from taste.com.au)

4 whole organic lemons

+ 5-6 organic lemons, juiced

1/2 cup good sea salt 

1. Scrub the lemons clean. Cut a half a centimetre piece out of the bottom of each lemon.

2. Place the lemons, cut side down, on a chopping board and cut a deep cross-section on each lemon. Fill the cavities with salt. 

3. Place the lemons in a sterilised jar, squash them down if needed. 

4. Pour enough lemon juice on top to cover the lemons. Seal the jar and leave in a dark, cool place for about 4 weeks. Make sure to check up on the lemons every now and then and re-fill the jar with lemon juice to keep all the lemons covered.

5. To consume, remove the lemon from the brine, rinse and cut the rind discarding the flesh and the white pith.

The last of the apples - Apple and sultana loaf

 

As the northern hemisphere salutes the new-season apples, us on the other side of the globe are farewelling this fruit and moving on to the summer produce. I am not ready to let go of apples just yet, however, as this simple loaf savoured with some smooth ricotta and honey is such an irresistible treat for a morning tea.

 

Apple and sultana loaf

200g organic, whole spelt flour

50g lupin flour*

1 teaspoon salt

3 teaspoons baking powder

100g natural sultanas

500g organic, unsweetened apple sauce**

2 large, free-range egg whites

1. Preheat the oven to 200C and line a medium size loaf tin with baking paper.

2. Place the dry ingredients, including the sultanas, into a bowl and mix to combine.

3. Stir in the apple sauce.

4. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites into soft peaks. Fold the egg whites gently into the rest of the batter. 

5. Bake the loaf for about an hour or until a skewer inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. Leave to cool on a wire rack before serving. Serve fresh or toasted with soft ricotta and honey.

Notes to the recipe.

* lupin flour is available at health-food stores. If you are unable to find it, you can replace it with besan (chickpea) or sorghum flour, or use 40g of wheat or oat germ instead.

** Unsweetened apple sauce is also available at health-food stores. If you are unable to find it, you can replace it with finely grated apples.

Gluten-free strawberry and wattleseed muffins and rhubarb juice

Hi friends!

It's been marvellously sunny and warm here in Sydney for the past few days and I am really loving the smell of blooming spring flowers and the warm breeze that comes through the open windows. The mornings are much brighter and the days are getting longer - Summer is on its way!

I am also happy to let you know that we have finalised the deal for our new home and will be moving in later this spring! I am so excited about planning the interiors for the new place. After five years of living together we have of course accumulated a lot of stuff, but we will need to buy some new furniture as our new home will be quite a lot bigger than our current one. I will try to plan this carefully and select pieces that are perhaps a bit pricier but better quality and therefore (hopefully) longer lasting. Anyway, it's all exciting stuff and I'll be updating you guys regularly when things really start happening.

In the mean while, here's a little Sunday morning treat I made for this sunny spring day. I used roasted ground wattleseed to give these muffins a little extra flavour, but if you can't find wattleseed (a native Australian spice), you could replace it with cinnamon. Wattleseed has a nice coffee-like flavour that goes really well with the ingredients used in these muffins. I'm serving these treats with some refreshing rhubarb juice which is so simple to make and beats any of those sugar and preservative loaded shop-bought juices any day.

Hope you are all enjoying the weekend!

 

Gluten-free Strawberry and Wattleseed Muffins

(makes 8-10)

100g raw caster sugar

110g teff flour

110g sorghum flour

55g almond meal

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt (I use Maldon)

1 teaspoon ground wattleseed

175ml water

75ml olive oil

2 large free-range eggs

3-4 fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced

1. Preheat the oven to 180C and prepare a 10 or 12 cup muffin tin. 

2. Mix the caster sugar, flours, almond meal, baking powder, salt and wattleseed in a bowl. 

3. Whisk the water, olive oil and eggs in a jug. 

4. Pour the egg mixture in to the dry ingredients and stir quickly together. 

5. Spoon the mixture into the muffin cups and top each muffin with a slice of strawberry. Gently press the strawberry slices into the batter.

6. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until a tester inserted in to the muffin comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

 

 Rhubarb Juice*

(makes about 1 litre)

500g rhubarb, cut into pieces

1 lemon, peeled and cut into slices

boiling water

raw sugar, to taste

* you need to start this recipe a day ahead. 

1. Layer the rhubarb and the lemon slices into a clean jar. 

2. Top the pieces with boiling water. 

3. Close the jar and keep it covered (with a tea towel) in room temperature for about 24 hours. Half-way through, gently mash the rhubarb in the jar. Close the jar and continue to let "brewing".

4. Sieve the juice, add sugar to taste and enjoy. This will keep in the fridge for about 3 days. 

Rye and spelt crusted apple tarts with vanilla sauce

It's been another hectic Saturday driving around some of Sydney's northern suburbs and inspecting properties. After so many disappointments I'm kind of careful getting my hopes up, but I still can't help my little heart skipping a beat when I see something I really like. I felt like we needed a bit of a pick-me-up after the busy morning, and these individual apple tarts were a perfect remedy for the cause. 

I am often put off by a greasy pastry you get at some cafes or pastry shops. I think it stems from my mum who was never a big fan of flaky, buttery crusts and always preferred a healthier option. These rye and spelt crusted apple tarts are certainly neither too sweet or oily, but savoured with some smooth vanilla sauce they are a lovely quick treat for any occasion.

Rye and spelt crusted apple tarts...

(makes 8)

100ml water

2 teaspoons raw caster sugar

1/2 tablespoon olive oil

50g rye flour

100g spelt flour

2-3 apples

1/2 lemon, juiced

2 tablespoons rapadura sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract or paste

1. Preheat the oven to 200C and grease a 12 cup muffin tin. 

2. Place the water, sugar, olive oil and flours into a bowl and knead into a smooth dough. Roll the dough into a log and cut into equal sized portions (about 8). 

3. Roll each portion into a flat round disk and tuck into the muffin cups. 

4. Peel the apples and cut them into cubes. Place the cubes in a bowl and drizzle with lemon juice, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla. Toss to coat, then fill the pastry cups with the apple cubes. 

5. Bake for 10-13 minutes. 

...with vanilla sauce

1 large free-range egg

1 tablespoon raw caster sugar

400ml milk

1 1/2 tablespoons potato starch

1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract or paste

1. Lightly whisk the egg in a small saucepan. Add all other ingredients, then turn on the heat.

2. Whisking continuously, heat the mixture until thickened, but do not let it come to boil. 

3. Serve warm with the apple tarts.

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.

Appelsiinikeitto - Orange Soup

I am noticing an increasing amount of light flooding through my windows. This can mean only one thing - it's soon time to plant new seedlings in my kitchen garden!  Poor thing has struggled and suffered through the winter, but in a couple of week's time I feel safe to start planting and growing again.

In the mean while, I am making the most of what is left of winter's bounty. Especially oranges that have been in abundance this year, as apparently it has been a good season for the Aussie orange growers. If you have spare fruit, and about 10 minutes spare time, you can make a quick and light dessert with those oranges. These sweet soups are probably one of the most common desserts in Finland - or at least they used to be when I was a kid. You can make them with almost whatever fruit you have in season, like berries or rhubarb, and they are an ever-so-light finish to any meal. You could  of course enjoy them with your morning porridge, or have as a light meal too. 

Right now I can't think of anything better than a big bowl of orange goodness.

Orange Soup

(serves 2-3)

500 ml cold water

3 tablespoons potato starch

400 ml freshly squeezed orange juice

1 raw honey

juice of 1/2 lemon

1. Whisk the water and the potato starch in a saucepan. Bring to boil, whisking continuously (you don't want any lumps!)

2. Once thickened, turn off the heat and whisk in the orange juice, honey and lemon. Serve immediately.

Omenalumi - Apple Snow

When it comes to quick desserts I don't know anything that beats lumi - the snow. Lemon snow, lingonberry snow, apple snow, you name it. Whatever the flavour, this is quick, simple and so tasty and makes an ideal dessert for when you really just want something sweet to end a meal. 

Now, I am not sure about the origins of this treat, but were you to browse any old Finnish recipe books, you'd definitely find it. Undoubtedly it has a certain retro feel to it, but in my opinion it just adds to the charm. I've tweaked the traditional recipe a bit and used honey instead of sugar and added a bit of vanilla and cinnamon for the taste. If you'd like to use whole apples, boil them until soft (with spices if you like), mash/grate into a smooth sauce, then use as below.

Omenalumi - Apple Snow

(serves 2)

2 large free-range egg whites

150ml organic, unsweetened apple sauce

1 tablespoon raw honey (liquid)

a drop or two of natural vanilla extract or paste

ground cinnamon, to serve

1. Whisk the egg whites in a bowl until hard peaks form.

2. In a separate bowl, mix together the apple sauce, honey and vanilla. 

3. Carefully fold the apple mixture into the egg whites. Spoon the light cloud of apply goodness into serving bowls, then dust with ground cinnamon and serve immediately.

Pomegranate Glögg

It was another sunny winter weekend here in Sydney. We spent Sunday in the northern parts of the town, lunching and visiting my partner's parents. This is my favourite part of Sydney and I never get tired of the beautiful beaches and the scenery there. I could have spent the whole day outside, taking photos and enjoying the sunny weather. I certainly enjoy this temperature much more than the heat in summer!

 

A glögg is a perfect hot drink to have on a cool winter's day. I've chosen rather untraditional ingredient of pomegranate, but you could happily use frozen lingonberry, cranberry or black currants instead. The spices give this drink a warm hum without making it too strong, and a bit of rapadura sugar makes the glögg sweet as it should be.

Pomegranate Glögg

(serves 2)

250g frozen pomegranate seeds

2 cups water

1 cinnamon stick

knob of fresh ginger

5-7 cardamom pods

3-5 cloves

1 star anise

1 tablespoon rapadura sugar

1. Place all ingredients in a saucepan, bring to boil and let simmer for 20 minutes. 

2. Drain the mixture through a sieve into 2 mugs. Serve hot.

All things citrus

So we finally had to succumb to the first cold of the season. Catching a cold seems to be quite inevitable when people everywhere around you are coughing and sneezing, and we spend more time indoors than during the warmer months of the year. All you can do is hope that in some miraculous way you won't get what everyone else is having. Unfortunately we weren't saved from it this time and so we've spent a good few days getting better. Coughing and sneezing, just like everyone else.

If there is any benefit of having a cold during this time of the year, however, it is that you certainly have the abundance of winter citrus fruit to give you that extra kick of vitamin C when you most need it. With a woollen blanket wrapped around me, I've been cradling a cup of hot lemon drink with a healthy dollop of raw honey and some grated fresh ginger and it has been as good as gold. This simple citrus salad is the second best thing to have when winter citrus fruit is at its best. It is beautifully sour, just the way I like it, and had I had some fresh yuzu, I would have thrown that in too.

Winter Citrus Salad

(Serves 2)

1 poorman's orange or grapefruit

1 Navel orange

1 Meyer lemon

1 lime

2 mandarins

1 tablespoon good extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon raw honey

small knob fresh ginger

1. Finely grate the zest of the lime and the orange and set aside. 

2. With a sharp knife, peel the rind and the white pit of the poorman's orange, orange, lemon and the mandarins. Discard the pips and cut the fruit into thin slices. Arrange the slices on a platter. 

3. For the dressing, whisk the lime and orange zest, along with the juice of the lime, one tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil, honey and grated ginger in small bowl. Drizzle the dressing on the fruit and serve.

Last, but not least, here's a link to a special little interview I did recently with the Australian SBS Food. I am always happy to bring Finnish food on the culinary map and I it is such an honour to be featured on the SBS Food! 

Pear macaroon slice - it's a celebration!

It's been 5 long weeks, but today I finally got my oven back! Needless to say there are now a few reasons to celebrate (in no particular order) 1) oven is fixed (hurrah!) 2) my fiancé (still not used to saying that) turned 30 earlier this week and 3) well, as you already know, we are now officially planning a wedding!

As you can imagine, I was feeling a little traumatised after the whole oven fiasco and righteously felt somewhat paranoid whether or not the oven could be fixed. After the oven repairs man had left and ensured me that the oven would now work, I felt confident to take the risk and start baking again.

This pear macaroon slice is definitely a celebration treat for us. I've used much more sugar than normally (although raw sugar, but nevertheless this is rather sweet), but I did opt for using extra virgin coconut oil and whole spelt flour to balance the richness. This is a brittle little thing, but all worth the effort. If pear is not in season where you are, any other seasonal fruit (berries, apples, quinces, even plums) will be just perfect.

Happy weekend all!

 

Pear macaroon slice

4 ripe pears, peeled and cut into wedges

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract

100g extra-virgin coconut oil (not liquid)

1 cup raw sugar

2 large, free-range eggs, separated

  1 cup whole spelt flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1. Start by making the filling. Place the pears, spices and vanilla in a saucepan and bring to boil. Add one tablespoon of water if necessary, but be sure that as the pears soften, a lot of liquid will come out. Simmer the pears for 10-15 minutes or until they are completely soft. Drain and mash into a chunky purée using a fork. Use the left-over liquid to make a spicy warm drink, if you like.

2. Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease a baking tin (18cm x 28cm) and line it with baking paper.

3. Place the coconut oil and half of the sugar into a mixing bowl. Beat the mixture until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks one by one, beating well after each yolk. Mix the baking powder into the flour and sift the mixture into the dough. Using your hands, knead the dough - very lightly - together. Place the dough in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.

4. Place the egg whites into a clean bowl and beat into a soft peak. Add the rest of the sugar little by little and beat until the mixture is glossy and thick. 

5. Using your fingers, press the chilled dough evenly onto the base of the tin. Top the base with the pear filling and spread the meringue on top. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the top is lightly brown. Leave to cool before cutting into squares.

Citrus ricotta pancakes with mint sugar and vanilla balsamic

 

Winter in Sydney can be quite pleasant. I mean really, the climate is mild - you still get a good 10 hours of sunlight during the day and it can be quite warm. This morning was a great example of this. I went for an early morning walk to the beach and did yoga on the sand. I wasn't cold and all I could hear was the sound of the waves. This is why I love living in Sydney.

Another reason to love winter in Australia is the abundance of citrus fruit in season. The Australian Navel oranges, Meyer lemons, limes and mandarins are all juicy and sweet. I have been getting my daily doze of vitamin C from all of these beautiful fruits.

These citrus-ricotta pancakes are perfect weekend food. I served these with mandarins, Meyer lemon and orange slices, mint sugar and delicious vanilla-cinnamon balsamic I bought from the markets. It is a perfect companion for the pancakes, but if you can't find it you can substitute with balsamic and honey or try making your own vanilla balsamic using pure vanilla paste and a tiny pinch of ground cinnamon. This is a great way to kick start the weekend!

Citrus ricotta pancakes with mint sugar and vanilla balsamic

(makes 6 small pancakes)

2 large free-range eggs

200g smooth ricotta (low-fat)

80g whole spelt flour

juice of 1 Meyer lemon

juice of 1/2 Navel orange

1 tablespoon fruity extra-virgin olive oil

olive oil, for frying

2 big handfuls of fresh mint

3-4 tablespoons raw, natural vanilla sugar

1 orange, sliced

1 Meyer lemon, sliced

2 mandarins, sliced

vanilla-cinnamon balsamic, to serve

1. Whisk the eggs and ricotta until smooth. Whisk in the flour. Add in the lemon and orange juice and the oil, then whisk until smooth. 

2. Brush a small frying pan with olive oil. Fry the pancakes on each side for 2 minutes or until golden brown. Stack the pancakes on a serving plate.

3. Pound the fresh mint and the sugar in a mortar until it resembles a smooth paste. 

4. Serve the pancakes with the sliced citrus fruit (you could use grapefruit as well), mint sugar and balsamic.

Mizuna, persimmon and pomegranate salad with orange dressing

The other night, when I had already finished cleaning up in the kitchen after dinner, something made me stop what I was doing and just take a good look around. I felt so content looking at the beautifully green avocados from my partner's parents' garden, a bunch of vibrantly red parrot tulips in a simple glass vase and the bright orange persimmons I had bought from a farm we visited recently. As I switched off the kitchen light I had a smile on my face just thinking of all the recipes I could use those persimmons for.

The following morning I picked up a bunch of mizuna greens from the farmer's markets. I love it's mustardy flavour and I thought it would go so well with the persimmons, the oranges and the pomegranate I also happened to have at hand. This is such a simple salad, but the fresh ingredients and the lovely combination of flavours makes it a perfect dish to serve at any occasion.

Mizuna, persimmon and pomegranate salad

1 bunch mizuna greens, washed and shredded

2 persimmons, thinly sliced 

small handful cashew nuts, toasted

1/2 pomegranate, seeds

:: orange dressing ::

1 orange, juice and zest

1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses

2 tablespoons fruity extra-virgin olive oil

pinch of salt

1. Scatter the mizuna, persimmons and the cashew nuts on a platter. Sprinkle over the pomegranate seeds. 

2. Mix all dressing ingredients together in a small bowl. Drizzle the dressing evenly on the salad. Serve immediately.