My Sugar-Free Journey + A Giveaway!

My sugar-free journey so far

Those of you who have followed this blog for a while may remember that back in October 2011, I was inspired by this book to quit sugar. The challenge for me was not as dramatic as it may sound - it basically meant no fruit (for about 4 months), no more dark chocolate and baking with rice syrup instead of raw sugar or honey which I had done in the past. It's been over 8 months since I went sugar-free and although I now eat fruit daily, I haven't got back to eating dark chocolate and when I do bake, I use either a couple of tablespoons of rice syrup or just fresh fruit as a sweetener.

Sprouted quinoa and coconut crisp

What changes did I experience after quitting sugar?

Contrary to many testimonies of the sugar-free diet, I didn't actually loose any weight. I like to think of this as a good result as it indicated that I wasn't actually eating a lot of sugar to begin with. I did, however, stop craving for sweet things, especially after meals and I noticed my palate became much 'cleaner'. I don't eat as much fruit as I used to eat and I tend to stick to apples, unless I'm baking with fruit (like bananas). When I eat out I don't order desserts, but this is not just because of sugar, but also because it's almost impossible to find vegan desserts at "main stream" restaurants.

Low-sugar, vegan millet and blueberry pancakes

Why should you go sugar-free?

I do recommend people to first become aware of the amount of sugar they are consuming daily and then adjusting their diet accordingly. I don't really think you should get so hung up on whether or not you should eat fruit, but I would instead encourage you to look at all the processed foods (including processed white sugar) you may be consuming and cutting down on those. As a tip, and this goes for going vegan too by the way, I would suggest that you change your way of thinking. Instead of thinking that you are "missing out" on something if you don't eat sugar, processed foods, etc. try to think about what else is available and how much you will gain in terms of better health, cleaner skin and more energy.

Toasted Super Muesli

Chocolate-blueberry pudding, persimmon brownies and banana and walnut bread (all vegan, low-sugar)

The I Quit Sugar Cookbook by Sarah Wilson

I am so excited to announce that earlier this week, Sarah published another great e-book titled "I Quit Sugar Cookbook". This book is full of sugar-free and low-sugar recipes from Sarah and many others including Aran, Maggie, Gwyneth and myself. Needless to say I feel utterly honoured to be amongst the contributors for this book. You will find 4 of my recipes included in the I Quit Sugar Cookbook and I am so smitten to be featured.

Since I'm on the topic, if you are in Australia, you may want to pick up a copy of the latest Wellbeing Magazine, as well. Sarah's e-book and my recipes are featured there, along with my photos. Thank you Sarah and Wellbeing Magazine for the features! 

Photography by Marija Ivkovic

I am so pleased to let you know that Sarah has kindly offered three I Quit Sugar Cookbooks to give away to Scandi Foodie readers! The competition is open to all readers, in Australia and overseas, and all you have to do to enter is leave a comment below answering this simple question "Why do I want to quit sugar?" This competition ends May 31, 2012.

If you have any comments or questions about my sugar-free journey (or my vegan journey, for that matter!), please don't hesitate to email me at scandifoodie [at] gmail [dot] com or leave a comment below. You can also find me on Twitter @ScandiFoodie.

I'm looking forward to hearing from you and good luck!

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.

Roasted Pumpkin with Walnut and Coconut Crumb

I quite like blurring the line between savoury and sweet dishes. This has been especially fun since quitting sugar 6 or so months ago. What others might consider "savoury" can indeed taste quite sweet to me - including this particular dish with roasted pumpkin, walnuts and coconut. Thus, I'm leaving the door open for you to experiment and make the call whether you'd serve this as a side dish with other salads, as a dessert with some coconut ice cream or just as an afternoon snack on its own, like I did. Whatever the use, the combination of these flavours simply works!

I used walnuts we picked just last week - they are so sweet and they don't have a hint of rancidity, like the older walnuts sometimes tend to have. Pumpkins are of course the highlight of autumn harvest, but you could use sweet potato too, if you like. Feel free to add a pinch of salt if you want to make it more savoury or a tablespoon of rice syrup, if you decide to go the opposite direction. Either way I hope you enjoy!

 Roasted Pumpkin with Walnut and Coconut Crumb

(serves 4)

1/2 butternut pumpkin, peeled and cut into chunks

50ml virgin coconut oil

120g shelled walnuts, roughly chopped

2 heaped tablespoons shredded coconut

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

pinch of salt, optional OR

1 tablespoon rice syrup, optional

1. Preheat oven to 180C. 

2. Place chopped pumpkin in an oven dish.

3. Combine melted coconut oil, roughly chopped walnuts, shredded coconut and cinnamon in a small bowl. Spread the mixture on the pumpkin and cover the dish with a lid or some baking paper to avoid the nuts from burning.

4. Cook for 20-30 minutes or until the pumpkin pieces are tender. Serve on its own, as a savoury side dish or a sweet dessert with some coconut ice cream.

Persimmon and Hazelnut Brownies

I love autumn! It is definitely my favourite time of the year and every week I get so excited to go to the farmers' markets just to see what is new and fresh. This past week persimmons came out to play and I just couldn't resist their sweet fragrance and orange flesh. It so happens that hazelnuts are also at their best so of course I had to combine the two autumn favourites.

Not only are these brownies packed with season's best flavours, they are also vegan, gluten-free and very low in sugar. What could be better than that? I hope you are all enjoying this Easter long weekend and making the most of a few extra days spent with family and friends!

 

 Persimmon and Hazelnut Brownies

(makes 10-12 brownies)

1 large apple, peeled and finely grated (or about 125 ml unsweetened apple sauce)

2 ripe persimmons

1 ripe banana

1 heaped tablespoon rice syrup

1/2 teaspoon pure, ground vanilla beans

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

200g teff flour

25g unsweetened cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

tiny pinch of good quality salt

85g hazelnuts, roughly chopped

1. Preheat oven to 180C and lightly grease a 20cm x 20cm baking dish.

2. In a blender, combine grated apple, peeled persimmons, banana, rice syrup, vanilla and cinnamon and puree until smooth. 

3. Sieve the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl.

4. Pour the wet ingredients into dry and fold lightly to mix. Lastly fold in the roughly chopped hazelnuts. 

5. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack before cutting.

Chocolate-Blueberry Pudding

Happy Easter Dear Friends!

I thought I'd share with you this guest post I did for Golubka, a beautiful raw food blog created by Anya and her daughter. I find Anya’s food philosophy and creativeness ever so inspiring and the beautiful posts at Golubka are always a real treat to all senses.

Although my personal daily diet is vegan and mostly raw, I have not really ventured into the world of raw desserts. Thus, I wanted to share this chocolate and blueberry pudding with you today -  it reminds me of a childhood favourite of mine. These types of puddings are a staple in the Finnish kitchen and they can be made using berries, fruit, chocolate, or just milk and vanilla. They are so light, quick and easy to whip up and a perfect dessert or an afternoon treat! 

This time I’ve opted for a low sugar, vegan version that uses almond milk as a base. I’ve added blueberries, stevia, a touch of rice syrup and warming spices such as cinnamon and vanilla to provide all the sweetness it needs. The result isn’t overly sweet, but certainly ticks all the boxes for a perfect dessert. Hope you enjoy!

 
Chocolate-Blueberry Pudding

(serves 4-6)

500ml (2 cups) almond milk

100g (about 1 cup) blueberries, fresh or frozen

2 tablespoons pure, unsweetened cacao powder

3 tablespoons potato starch (in Australia sold as potato flour)

1 teaspoon granulated stevia

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon pure vanilla powder (ground vanilla)

1 tablespoon brown rice syrup

fresh figs or berries, to serve

toasted almonds, to serve

1. The easiest way to go about this recipe is to blend all the ingredients (that is, everything but the fresh figs and almonds) in a blender until smooth. Pour this mixture into a small saucepan and heat it, stirring constantly, on a medium heat until it thickens. This will take a few minutes.

2. As soon as the pudding has thickened, remove the saucepan from the heat and place it in a sink filled with cold water. The water should reach about half-way through the saucepan.

3. Leave the pudding to cool, then scoop it into serving bowls or glasses and top with fresh fruit and toasted almonds. Serve the pudding cool or at room temperature.

Raw, Vegan Easter Pascha

I can't believe it's already Easter! Although we never really celebrated Easter in my family, we did spent the long weekend skiing and enjoying the Spring sun. There was no Easter egg hunt, but mum did have a selection of Easter decorations on display, mainly decorated eggs and witches that feature strongly in the Scandinavian Easter traditions. 

There are only a couple of dishes that I associate strongly with Easter - mämmi, which is a sweet dessert made out of rye flour, rye malt and water and pasha, which is traditionally made with quark, egg yolks, cream, sugar and butter. I've been wanting to make my own mämmi for a long time, but I haven't been able to find rye malt in Australia nor have I succeeded to make the malt myself. 

You might guess that I wasn't going to make the traditional version of pasha, either. This raw, vegan pasha is a very modified version of the commonly known one, but definitely brings back memories of the 'real thing'. The texture is very similar to that of a thick and creamy dairy-based pasha and the taste has a similar blend of sharpness and sweetness to it.

I used soaked cashew nuts for the creaminess and added some rejuvelac and lemon juice for sharpness and sourness. Rejuvelac is a nutritious, fermented drink made out of grains like rye or wheat and gives this dish its unique depth of flavour. You can leave it out or add a bit more lemon juice instead, but I do encourage you to give a go at making and drinking rejuvelac! A mere tablespoon of brown rice syrup is all the sweetness this needs and additional sweetness comes from dried apricots and (not so traditional) goji berries. You could use any dried fruit of your choice, try sultanas, cranberries, cherries or even blueberries. 

Enjoy!

Raw, Vegan Easter Pascha
(serves 2-4)*

200g cashew nuts, soaked in water for 4-6 hours
2 tablespoons rye rejuvelac (optional)**

1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tablespoon brown rice syrup
5-7 dried apricots
3-4 tablespoons goji berries or other dried fruit of your choice

* This is pretty rich, so you could easily make this into 4 small servings. Alternatively, use 4 individual cups to refrigerate it in or roll the 'dough' into small balls!

** Find out how to make rejuvelac, here.

1. Drain the soaked cashew nuts and place in a blender with rejuvelac, lemon juice and zest and brown rice syrup. Blend until very smooth and thick.

2. Finely chop the apricots and stir them, along with the goji berries into the mixture.

3. Line a cup or a small bowl with some plastic wrap and scoop the mixture into the cup. Press the mixture down so it sits in the cup quite tightly. Cover the top with plastic wrap and refrigerate over night or at least 5-8 hours.

4. To serve, remove the wrap, decorate pascha with some dried fruit and serve cool or at room temperature.

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. 

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.

Home-Made Oat-Berry Yoghurt

Lately I have had a huge craving for something 'yoghurt-like', just something soft, creamy and light, like the dairy-based yoghurt I used to eat by the bucket load before I went vegan. It was interesting to realise that it actually is the texture (creaminess, softness) and the mouth-feel that I was craving. This kind of craving goes for other animal-based products, as well. When people say "I crave for meat", they are most likely only craving for fat and salt, and not the actual meat itself. After all, we are not true carnivores and we certainly don't have any nutritional need for animal-based products.

Even before I went vegan, I was trying to find non-dairy based yoghurt to satisfy my cravings. Back in Finland oat yoghurt is quite widely available, but I have not yet come across it here in Australia. As far as I know, the only non-dairy yoghurt available here are soy yoghurt and coconut yoghurt, both of which have a disturbingly long list of (unnatural) ingredients, along with quite a lot of added sugar.

It was this frustration that led me to experiment with making oat yoghurt at home. I found some guidelines online and the process seemed very easy and doable. Unfortunately, my first batches were not successful: too sour, not sour enough, too thick, too thin, and so on. I'm sure you can imagine how excited I was when I finally got it right, and I really couldn't be happier with the outcome!

This oat yoghurt has the sourness and creaminess of dairy-based yoghurt. Mixed with berries, sweetened with a little stevia and pure vanilla, it is so delicious and I know it will be my regular treat from now on. Although it is quite difficult to give you exact measurements and instructions (because of factors like room temperature, etc.), I urge you to give this a go - it really is worth the (little) effort!

Home-Made Oat-Berry Yoghurt
(2-4 servings)

100g whole oat grain (groats)

100g rolled oats (not instant)

water

100-200g fresh or frozen berries

1 teaspoon stevia

1/4 teaspoon ground pure vanilla

* I have found that a combination of whole oat grain and rolled oats makes the yoghurt creamier and also gives it a nicer texture than using just all groats or all rolled oats.

1. Place the oat groats and rolled oats in separate glass bowls. Add enough water in each bowl to just cover the oats (the water should reach about 1 cm above the oats). Leave to soak for 8 hours. Add a little water during the soaking if the oats have soaked up all water.

2. After soaking, puree the oats (along with the soaking water) in a blender until very smooth. Pour the mixture in to a clean ceramic or glass bowl. The mixture should be creamy and soft. Cover the bowl with a plate and leave to ferment in a warm place for 1-2 days. I left mine on the kitchen bench for just one and a half days and it was just perfect, but in cooler weather you might need to find a warmer place for the bowl or wrap it in tea towels to keep it warm. Keep checking and tasting the mixture and stir it a couple of times whilst fermenting. You might need to leave it for longer (3-4 days), if you want it more sour, so just keep tasting to find the perfect balance.

3. Once the yoghurt is sour enough, take a small batch of the yoghurt to keep as a starter for your next batch. Keep the starter in a sealed container in your fridge. Store the remaining yoghurt in the fridge for up to 3 days.

4. To make the berry version, simply blend the oat yoghurt with some fresh or frozen berries, stevia and vanilla. I made this with frozen berries and had it cold, a bit like frozen yoghurt, and it was so delicious!

Beautiful Autumn Day and Pear Muffins

It is autumn - at least according to the calendar. We enjoyed the beautiful and warm autumn weather by spending the day outdoors. We drove to Palm Beach, walked up to the lighthouse and enjoyed the beautiful views. There was a lovely sea breeze greeting us at the top after a steep climb - it really was a picture perfect day. Sail boats were out at sea, people had gathered in parks for a picnic with family and friends, cafes were full of people having late brunch or lunch. These are the kinds of weekends I enjoy the most.

These pear muffins remind me of autumn. Cinnamon, cardamom and vanilla are perfect flavours for sweet pears and wholegrain spelt flour really makes these muffins incredibly soft and tasty. I've kept the sugar to a minimum, because I think that ripe pears are quite sweet enough on their own. A mere tablespoon of rice syrup and a couple of teaspoons of natural stevia is all you need.

Whether you will serve them at a lazy weekend breakfast or an afternoon tea, these muffins will disappear to the last crumb.

Pear Muffins

(Recipe inspired by Caroline Marie Dupont)

(makes 10)

2 ripe pears

220g whole spelt flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla (ground)

2 teaspoons stevia

2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

150g silken tofu

1 tablespoon rice syrup

250ml almond milk

50ml extra-virgin olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 190C and prepare a 12-cup muffin tin.

2. Peel, core and dice the pears.

3. Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl.

4. Blend tofu, rice syrup, almond milk and oil in a blender until smooth.

5. Fold the tofu mixture into the dry ingredients. Fold in the pears.

6. Spoon the mixture into the muffin cups. Bake for 25 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.

Sprouted quinoa, cocoa and coconut crisps

Happy Sunday!

It seems that there is always something soaking or sprouting in my kitchen. Nuts, seeds, beans, you name it. Sprouted quinoa is really tasty in salads, but this time I've used it as a base for a tasty treat. The recipe takes a couple of days to make (due to the sprouting), but it's certainly worth the time! It's crunchy and highly addictive, but not coated in sugar and other nasty things. I think this would make a lovely little gift as well, presented in a nice glass jar with a ribbon and a label around it.

Feel free to change the spices (try adding ginger, licorice, cardamom or wattleseed) or use toasted and chopped up nuts or seeds to add some crunchiness. I wanted to keep this low-sugar, so I've only added one tablespoon of rice syrup. You could replace this with maple syrup, if you like. Use the crisps on top of your oatmeal or fruit in the morning, or use it to sprinkle on oven baked apples, pears or even fresh figs!

Sprouted quinoa, cocoa and coconut crisps

(Recipe inspired by Uusi Musta)

150g quinoa

2 tablespoon unsweetened pure cocoa

1 tablespoon rice syrup

1 tablespoon virgin coconut oil

50g unsweetened shredded coconut, lightly toasted

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla powder

1. Place the quinoa in a large bowl and cover with water. Leave to soak overnight (or at least for 8 hours).

2. Next morning, drain and rinse the quinoa. Place the quinoa in a glass jar (I used two small jars) and cover the mouth of the jar with a cheesecloth. Secure the cloth around the jar with an elastic band. Place the jar upside down at an angle, on top of a dish rack (or something similar) and leave to sprout for 24 hours.

3. The next day, place the sprouted quinoa in a large mixing bowl and stir in cocoa, rice syrup and coconut oil. Spread the mixture on a baking tray and bake in an oven at 100C for about 1 1/2 hours. Make sure to keep an eye on it though, and do not let it burn! It will not be completely crisp straight out of the oven, but it will crispen further as it cools down.

4. Remove the crisps from the oven and add leave to cool completely. Once cooled down, add toasted coconut, cinnamon and vanilla. Store in an air-tight jar for 5-7 days.