Chickpea Flour Does it All – Clumpy Granola with Stewed Rhubarb

huhtikuu 20, 2016 Sini│My Blue&White Kitchen

Clumpy Granola with Stewed Rhubarb | My Blue&White Kitchen

Although I consider myself a serious food enthusiast and a passionate cook and baker, there certainly are ingredients that I don't use that often or that I'm rather unfamiliar with. Similarly, there are dishes, even classics, that I've never made either because they somehow scare me to death, because I have never really been in the mood to make them, or because it just has never happened. I've never made a tarte tatin or a summery granita. Pulled pork is still on my recipes-to-tackle list. Brownies? Oh well... I've made filled pasta shells numerous times but have never made canneloni at home. And although I love Asian flavors, I don't cook Asian that often. I haven't grown up using the ingredients and have learned Asian cooking methods and techniques simply by reading online articles, books, or magazines and by watching tv shows or clips on YouTube. This means that every time I cook Asian I have to get out of my comfort zone. Sometimes it works out perfectly; other times I'm left confused, as I can't get the flavors or textures right or because the dish looks monumentally different than what it's supposed to.

For a long time, chickpea flour was an ingredient that just never found its way into my kitchen. It just never happened.

Lindsey is one of the first food bloggers I got online friends with. I still remember how fascinated I was by her cooking back in 2013 when I stumbled upon her blog, dolly and oatmeal, for the very first time. Her space was different from others, I could really feel her spirit in her photography, writing, and recipes. I've always felt that one of the best compliments one can get as a creative is that others recognize your style, that they can say "hey, that recipe/photo/piece of writing is from person x". And yes, Lindsey truly has a unique style and a special, fresh take on seasons' best produce. In her recipes she highlights how food can make us fell good and healthy without making you feel bad just because you may or may not have eaten that burger with extra fries and mayo last night. She manages to be authentic, inspiring, and encouraging both on her blog and in her debut cookbook Chickpea Flour Does it All: Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Vegetarian Recipes for Every Taste and Season.

Chickpea Flour Does it All is a collection of 96 delicious recipes organized by season and month. I must admit that I hardly ever like books that focus on one ingredient only (the exception is chocolate, obviously), but Chickpea Flour Does it All makes an exception. And I'm really not saying this because I love Lindsey's work anyway. The book's recipes use chickpea flour in such a clever and versatile way that you'll actually forget that chickpea flour is mentioned in the book's title. Primarily, Lindsey's book is about seasonal, fresh ingredients that are tasty not only for people who have to avoid gluten and dairy or just choose to live a specific lifestyle but for everyone. Chickpea flour is an ingredient that I, as I already mentioned, was pretty unfamiliar with prior to this book. Yes, I had made socca (according to Lindsey's recipe) before but that was about it. After testing a couple of the book's recipes, such as the divine Chocolate Banana Loaf that I started to bake after 9pm one Sunday night, I was amazed by what an amazing ingredient I had previously ignored. Chickpea Flour Does it All is a beautiful book for any food lover who wants to discover the world of seasonal, fresh cooking with big flavors and ingredients that make you feel good.

Some of the recipes that are high on my to-make list: Ginger-Shiitake Miso Broth with Chickpea Tofu, Hearty Morning Glory Loaf, Almond Butter Brownies, Chickpea Polenta with Sautéed Spring Vegetables, Sweet Flatbread with Grilled Berries, Quinoa Falafel with Romanesco Sauce, Baked Buttermilk Onion Rings, and Baby Kale Caesar Salad. I'm already drooling here, what about you?

When Lindsey asked me whether I was interested in sharing one of her book's recipes on my blog, I knew that the Clumpy Granola with Stewed Rhubarb would be the one. As some of you probably know, I'm a huge fan of granola and rhubarb is one of my all-time favorite ingredients. The thought of combining these two favorite things sounded perfect. In this recipe, chickpea flour is used to create a wonderfully clumpy granola without the need to add egg whites. I ended up baking this granola numerous times because one batch didn't last very long. The first time I made the recipe, I used extra virgin olive oil instead of coconut oil and it worked out perfectly. You may want to add some dried fruit or berries to your granola once baked and cooled. For example, I added candied ginger to the batch I photographed for this post and loved it. For a spring and summer version you can add dried flowers to the baked granola to make it look extra pretty. As a final note, the stewed rhubarb tastes equally great with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and cacao nibs sprinkled on top. Just sayin'...

Clumpy Granola with Stewed Rhubarb

Recipe from Chickpea Flour Does it All: Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Vegetarian Recipes for Every Taste and Season by Lindsey S. Love

makes 3 cups of granola

Oats are naturally gluten-free. However, they're often processed in facilities that also process wheat or other products containing gluten, so that oats often get contaminated. If you want to make sure that your oats are gluten-free always make sure to buy oats that are labeled as such.
For a dairy-free version, Lindsey suggests to serve this granola with coconut yogurt.

for the granola:
210 g (2 cups) old-fashioned rolled oats
85 g (½ cup) almonds, chopped
15 g (½ cup) puffed brown rice
60 g (½ cup) chickpea flour
33 g (¼ cup) pumpkin seeds
35 g (¼ cup) sunflower seeds
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp fine sea salt
80 ml (⅓ cup) maple syrup
60 ml (¼ cup) coconut oil, melted

for the stewed rhubarb:
1 rhubarb stalk, trimmed & cut into 1-inch pieces (if using young, thin stalks, use 2)
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp lemon juice
½ vanilla bean pod, split lengthwise and seeds scraped out or ½ tsp pure vanilla extract or vanilla paste

plain yogurt, to serve

Preheat oven to 150°C (300°F) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients until thoroughly combined. In a small bowl, whisk together the syrup and oil, and then fold into the dry mix with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. Mix for 2 to 3 minutes, until the granola is wet and clumpy.

Transfer the granola to the prepared baking sheet and use the back of your spoon or spatula to spread it out in an even layer.

Baake for 40 to 45 minutes, rotating halfway through, until lightly browned and fragrant. Remove from the oven; let cool completely. Gently break up the granola into clumps and store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

To make the stewed rhubarb, heat a small saucepan over medium-low heat; add the rhubarb, syrup, lemon juice, and vanilla bean, and stir. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until bubbling and the rhubarb is tender and loses a bit of its color. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Enjoy the granola and stewed rhubarb with yogurt.

Recipe from Chickpea Flour Does it All: Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Vegetarian Recipes for Every Taste and Season. ©Lindsey S. Love, 2016. Reprinted by permission of the publisher, The Experiment. Available wherever books are sold. theexperimentpublishing.com

Disclaimer: I was sent a copy of Chickpea Flour Does it All from the publisher, the Experiment, free of charge. However, I wasn't compensated for this review. As always, all opinions are my own.

Towards the Light – Nordic Pancakes with Blood Orange & Aperol Compote

helmikuu 25, 2016 Sini│My Blue&White Kitchen

Nordic Pancakes w/ Blood Orange & Aperol Compote | My Blue&White Kitchen

Can I tell you an exciting piece of news? Okay, two. Number one: I graduated from university! (Finally. After 7 years it was about time.) Number two (and this is the one I'm currently most excited about): I'm gonna attend Marta's and Sanda's food photography and styling workshop in Portugal in May! I really have to thank my dear friend Jonna, an amazing knitter (she owns the coolest yarn store in whole Finland), photographer (yeh, multitalented), and creative soul, for asking me to join her in this adventure. I can't wait to eat delicious food (I'm looking at you, fresh seafood), drink wine, chat with people around the world, get inspired, learn, and enjoy the beautiful Portuguese coast. We're also gonna spend a couple of days in Lisbon, so I would be thankful for any tips on places to stay, eat, and see. Oh and places to find props. That would be awesome.

May and Portugal are still a couple of months away but I can already feel the promise of spring in the air. The days are finally getting longer – at the moment 6 minutes every day. That's one hour in 10 days! I must say that this phenomenon of days getting shorter and then longer again still fascinates me. Every single year. I mean, I can't believe that last Sunday I was able to shoot in daylight well past 2pm. Crazy. There's still snow but I know we're moving towards the light, towards spring and summer. I guess that's called hope. At least to the Nordic definition of things.

But even if you don't live here up north and wittness the return of daylight in awe, there's also another reason to love late winter days. What I'm talking about is citrus fruit and blood oranges in particular! There are just a couple of weeks left of this glorious season, so make the most of it. My suggestion: these Nordic pancakes served with a superb blood orange compote that is flavored with Aperol and vanilla. Nordic pancakes are similar to French-style crêpes. A perfect Nordic pancake has a lacy, crispy edge – someone who masters this is highly respected in any Nordic country. Don't be afraid of frying thin pancakes or crêpes. It isn't as difficult as many believe; actually, I think that crêpes belong to the same food-that-people-are-afraid-to-make-without-any-rational-reason category as risotto and choux pastry. Once you get the hang of the frying technique, it's easier than making American pancakes. I promise. Oh and don't be fooled by the very first pancake of the batch – it almost always fails (but still tastes great).

Nordic Pancakes with Blood Orange & Aperol Compote

makes 12-15 pancakes, depending on size

If blood oranges aren't in season anymore, you can use oranges instead. In that case I would maybe add a grapefruit or two to the mix. Jam sugar is sugar that contains pectin as a gelling agent and is used to make preserves, such as jam. In the compote, I used jam sugar 1:3 to get a nice consistency but you may use normal sugar or 1:2 jam sugar instead if that's what you have on hand or are okay with a runnier compote. Furthermore, Aperol can be substituted with Campari, a similar type of Italian liqueur.

6 dl (2 ½ cups) milk, preferably whole milk
2 eggs
½ tsp fine sea salt
1 tsp granulated sugar
165 g (3 dl; 1 ¼ cups) all-purpose flour
3 tbsp melted butter, cooled
+ more butter for frying

for the compote:
about 1800 g (4 lb) blood oranges
6 tbsp 1:3 jam sugar
4 tbsp Aperol
½ vanilla bean, split lenghtwise & seeds scraped out

150 g crème fraîche (or sour cream), to serve

In a medium-sized bowl, combine the milk, eggs, salt, and sugar. Gradually, add the flour followed by the melted butter. Whisk until smooth. Let the batter rest at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes. As the batter rests, bits of butter may rise to the surface. Don't worry; just give the batter a good whisk before frying.

Meanwhile, make the compote. First, segment the blood oranges. To do so, cut the top and bottom from the fruit and place it on a chopping board. Working from top to bottom following the curve of the fruit, cut away the skin and pith. A small and sharp knife comes most handy. Next, take the fruit in your hand and hold it over a medium-sized pot to catch the juices. Carefully, cut each inner segment away from the membrane and let the segments fall into the pot. Be careful to discard any white pith or seeds. Repeat with the remaining oranges.

Add the sugar and Aperol to the pot with the segments. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 2 minutes, or until segments have soften a bit. Strain the compote. Set the segments aside (don't throw them away!) and return the juices to the pot. Add the vanilla seeds and pod to the juices. Over medium heat, let the juices simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes, or until reduced and syrupy. Finally, add the reserved orange segments, stir, and set aside to cool.

To fry the pancakes, heat a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add a small knob of butter and a ladle of the batter; we're looking for a thin pancake, about 1 mm in thickness. As soon as the batter hits the pan, pick up the pan and swirl it, so that the batter completely covers the bottom of the pan. Fry until set and golden brown. Flip and fry until the other side is golden brown as well. Transfer fried pancakes to a plate and continue with the remaining batter. Add a small knob of butter between every other pancake.

Serve the pancakes with blood orange & Aperol compote and crème fraîche.

Nordic Winter Mornings – Nordic Rice Porridge with Caramelized Cinnamon Plums

tammikuu 20, 2016 Sini│My Blue&White Kitchen

Rice Porridge with Caramelized Cinnamon Plums | My Blue&White Kitchen

It's cold. And by cold I mean temperatures as low as -25°C during the day. Add some wind and it feels more like -40°C. The last two weeks or so have been challenging. For example, keeping your face (and especially your nose!) warm is the no. 1 problem when it comes to leaving the house. Your eyelashes will basically freeze. That may even look cute but it doesn't feel very nice. You'll also find yourself entering a fancy department store in not-so-approriate clothes but end up thinking "Oh whatever! It's freakin' cold outside. Deal with it." Busses and trains won't work as they're supposed to (I'm talking about calcelled trains and bus doors that won't open unless the driver gives them a good kick). You can't use your mobile phone either because it just stops working in a matter of minutes and finally the battery dies. Oh, and let's not forget that your fingers will fall off if you try to use your touch screen. On the other hand, it's never as gorgeous outside as on bitter cold winter days when the sky is blue, the sun shines, and snow covered trees turn the forests into magical winter wonderlands.

I guess many of you agree that there's a special kind of comfortness in bowl foods. Maybe it's because they're so easy to eat on the sofa, wrapped up in a huge woolen blanket. Or maybe because they're often pretty flavorful yet simple dishes.

When winter hits hard, it's nice to enjoy a warm breakfast. Porridge is a popular breakfast item in the Nordic countries and many of us enjoy a bowl of oatmeal every single morning. I'm not that kind of a person but I still enjoy having porridge for breakfast every now and then. I especially love rice porridge. Sometimes I serve it with sugar, cinnamon, and milk only but sometimes I top it with caramelized fruit. In today's recipe I've made caramelized cinnamon plums but you could substitute the plums with whatever fruit you like the most, such as apples, pears, or peaches.

Comfort in a bowl. I hope you like it.

Nordic Rice Porridge with Caramelized Plums

serves 2

As I mentioned above, you can substitute the plums with whatever fruit fits your taste or the season the best. The porridge itself isn't sweetened at all but you can of course add some sugar if you want to.

for the porridge:
a knob of butter
1 dl (½ cup) water
85 g (1 dl; ½ cup) short-grain white rice
500 ml (2 ¼ cups) whole milk
¼ tsp fine sea salt

for the plums:
2 tbsp butter
2 plums, pitted & sliced into wedges
2 tbsp (demerera) sugar
¼ tsp cinnamon

to serve:
sugar & cinnamon
milk, optional

In a small heavy-bottomed pot, melt the knob of butter. Add the water and bring to a boil. Add the rice. Boil for a couple of minutes, or until the water is completely absorbed. Stir every now and then. Add the milk and cook over low heat for about 40 minutes, or until the rice grains are tender and the porridge is creamy. Remember to stir the porridge regularly to avoid burning and sticking to the bottom.

While the porridge is cooking, make the caramelized cinnamon plums. In a medium-sized frying pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the plum wedges, sugar, and cinnamon. Cook for around 2 minutes on each side, or until soft and caramelized. Set aside.

When the porridge is ready, add the salt. If you like your porridge sweet, you can add sugar to taste. Serve with the caramelized cinnamon plums.

Nordic Oven Pancake with Wild Blueberries

elokuu 26, 2015 Sini│My Blue&White Kitchen

Nordic Oven Pancake | My Blue&White Kitchen

The last couple of weeks have been busy. To be more exact, I've been busy with life trying to spend as much time outdoors and with friends as possible (now that the weather finally turned as it's supposed to be in summer) and avoiding spending time on the computer or the phone. Summer is prescious and short here, so it always feels like one must make the most of these long days - we'll all miss them once darkness returns.

Picking a highlight of my summer isn't easy, but as some of you may have seen on Instagram, I spent a week in Finnish Lapland and Norway in the end of July. We had planned to hike the 55-km-long Hetta-Pallas trail but the weather was forecasted to be extremely rainy, so that we changed our plans on the very last minute and decided to head further north. Yeah, if there's one thing that I (once again) learned from this trip, it's that things don't always go as planned. But why should they? Often unplanned stops in life are the very best ones. And let me tell you, this trip was no exception. So after spending a day in the Pallas' fells, we drove to Saana, a glorious fell located only a couple of kilometres from the Norwegian border. The hike to the top of the Saana fell wasn't an easy one but definitely worth it. And oh Norwegia - it left us speechless and thankful for all the moments we had there. I've been traveling the world for quite a lot and feel absolutely confident saying that the scenery in Norway is one of the most stunning I've ever seen. I can't wait to discover this country even more.

Another highlight of this summer (every summer to be more exact) have been the countless hours spent picking Nordic berries in the forest. Especially wild blueberries, called bilberries, have grown in abundance this year. I've freezed some for later use, made jam, used them in baked goods, and enjoyed them both plain and as toppings for yogurt, ice cream, etc. These blue fellas are full of flavor and one can get quite addicted to them.

Today, I want to share a true childhood favorite with you: Nordic Oven Pancake. It's basically our version of a Dutch baby, baked on a baking sheet instead of a pan. I like when the center is barely set and still custardy making it an unresistable treat. Oven pancake is perfect when you're too lazy to make crêpes that require much more effort and time; the oven pancake batter is super easy and quick to make and your oven does most of the work. As the pancake itself isn't very sweet, the toppings are what truly makes this dish shine. You can top your slice with whatever you like - fresh berries and/or homemade jam are always a good choice but I also love to enjoy a slice with nothing more than granulated sugar. If you want to get wild and deliscious, add some whipped cream or an ice cream scoop or two.

Wishing you all wonderful late summer days! Enjoy.

Nordic Oven Pancake

makes 1 sheet (size: 39x32,5cm / 15,4"x12,8", measured from the bottom of the pan, excluding rims)

This is a true summer favorite with a custardy center. Be super careful when placing the sheet in the oven making sure not to splash any batter!

1 liter (4 ¼ cups) whole milk
3 tbsp granulated sugar
¾ tsp fine sea salt
4 eggs (European M; U.S. L)
30 g (2 tbsp) butter, melted
250 g (4 ½ dl; 2 cups minus 1 ⅔ tbsp) all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F). Line a rimmed baking sheet (at least 2 cm / ¾" deep) with parchment paper.

In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the milk, sugar, salt, eggs, and melted butter until well combined. Gradually add flour and mix until smooth. Let rest for about 30 minutes.

Pour batter into prepared baking sheet. The sheet will be filled to the rim with batter, so be extra careful when placing the sheet in the oven. Bake on the middle rack for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown with darker spots here and there and the bottom is golden brown. The batter will rise in the oven (and look like the Ural Mountains) but falls quickly after being removed from the oven.

Let cool down before serving, so that the center sets proberly. Serve cold or at room temperature with toppings of your choice.

Honey Granola with Summer Berries

kesäkuu 23, 2015 Sini│My Blue&White Kitchen

Midsummer is all about light and flowers. That said, how perfect is this recipe to share around this time of the year? I had the honour of being a guest at Suus' Morning Rituals series on her fabulous food blog Food Bandits. Morning Rituals is one of those food blog series I look most forward to, so it was a real joy to become a part of that international blog and breakfast love. I talked about my breakfast favorites, how I would like to be a morning person, although I'm not, coffee, and shared the recipe for honey granola. You can read the talk I had with Suus here.

This granola recipe was created out of a longing for a simple yet tasty granola that would be lovely with summer's most wonderful berries and fruit. I wanted a granola that would let the summer produce be the star of the bowl. During the colder months, I like to add all kind of spices, nuts, seeds, and dried berries to my granola, so that the granola can easily stand on its own. In summer, however, I look for more delicate flavors.

Honey works great as a sweetener and is a nice alternative to maple syrup that I use often when sweetening homemade granola. Elderflowers are the essence of summer and I just can't believe that elderflower trees are so very hard to find here in Finland. It's not fair, folks! Out of frustration, I've used elderflower syrup a lot lately. I've marinated strawberries in it, made drinks with elderflower syrup and prosecco, and decided to use it in this granola as well. Should you not be able to find elderflower syrup at your local grocery store, look for it at Ikea. I opted for almonds only but you could certainly use whatever nuts you like the most. I'm a sucker for millet in my granola, as I like its texture when toasted; it adds something exciting to the granola mix. Should you not be into millet or don't have it at hand, leave it out or substitute it with seeds of your choice.

Honey Granola with Summer Berries

makes 1 sheet

This granola is naturally gluten-free. However, look for certified gluten-free oats, as oats are often contaminated with gluten, for example during harvesting, milling, or packaging.

200 g (5 dl; 2 cups) rolled oats
150 g (2 ½ dl; 1 cup) almonds, roughly chopped
55 g (4 tbsp) millet
¾ tsp fine sea salt
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 tbsp elderflower syrup
1 ½ dl (2/3 cup) honey

plain yogurt, to serve
summer berries or fruit, to serve
optional: honey or agave nectar, to serve

Preheat oven to 150°C (300°F). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium-sized bowl, combine the oats, almonds, millet, and salt. In another, small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, elderflower syrup, and honey until throughly combined. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix.

Spread the granola mixture evenly onto the lined baking sheet. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until lightly golden. The granola will get crispy as it cools. Stir the granola mixture and flip the sheet half way through. Keep a close look at the granola, as honey tends to brown quickly. Mix the granola mixture several times during the last 10 minutes of baking, as the granola at the edges tends to brown quicker than in the middle.

Let the granola cool completely before storing in an airtight container, such as a mason jar.

Enjoy with plain yogurt and top with your favorite summer berries.