Breakfast Buckwheat Florentines

April 28, 2017 114 Comments

“Done is better than perfect.”

I can’t tell you how many times I repeat this to myself on a daily basis, as a sort of mantra to soothe and convince the perfectionist inside me to just follow through. To just put it out there.

I almost pushed “publish” on this blog post yesterday afternoon, but something was holding me back. Two things, in fact. First, the photos weren’t what I wanted them to be: they were on the boring side without a lot of colour, and not really inspiring. Second, the recipe itself just wasn’t there. I was trying to make a vegan yogurt coating with coconut butter and although it was tasty, the texture was all wrong: chunky and gritty. Was it good enough? Probably. Would anyone have noticed what I saw as shortcomings? Probably not. But could I deal with it? Apparently, no.

florentines2

As I was putting the finishing touches on the post, it hit me like a bolt of lightening: I needed to use cashew butter to achieve the silky consistency I was after. Noooo! It was the solution I had been calling in, but to arrive at the witching hour just seemed cruel. How could I start all over at this point? Was I crazy to even try, considering I didn’t know for sure that it would work out? With only minutes to make a decision, I hopped on my bike and cycled to the health food store. Again. Cursing myself, my brain, my ridiculous inability to know when to let go, and my insistence that what I put out in the world is my absolute best, really started to annoy me.

I bought all the ingredients for the third time, raced home, and got to work. The cookies were the best they’d ever been. Perfect, in fact. But was it worth it?

For anyone out there nodding their heads in recognition that they too, have these borderline masochistic tendencies to achieve an arbitrary portrait of perfection, may I ask what it is that drives us to create and then hold it all back if it’s not exactly what we imagined in our heads? Because nothing is perfect! When do we draw the line and just push “publish”? Is done really better than perfect? Because done for me it seems like settling for mediocrity a lot of the time. Even if it’s just a friggin’ cookie.

I’m not looking for answers here, just venting I suppose. But if you want to share your similar struggles, feel free in the comments. It’s not often I open up or vent in this space, so maybe we can all throw a perfectionist party, and make sure to have these very perfect cookies on the table.

Speaking of! Florentines are traditionally almond-centric biscuits, sometimes with the addition of dried fruit like cherries and orange zest, with a rich chocolate coating on the bottom. Because I really love dessert for breakfast, I was motivated to make a morning-appropriate version that wouldn’t make me feel like a glutton. I chose to add some buckwheat to the mix since I love to start my day with whole grains, and swapped out the chocolate for a vanilla-cashew butter coating that I basically want to pour over my entire life. Like I mentioned, my original thought was to go with something yogurt-like, but once I made this saucy concoction, there was no need to pretend it was something else. Pure, divine, silky-smooth pleasure glaze! Ahem.

I love these cookies because they are so simple to make with just a few ingredients, and incredibly fast. On my third testing, they were done – mixed, baked and glazed – in 20 minutes. If you’re in a rush to get your treat fix, leave the cashew coating out of the equation, and you’ll still have a gorgeously tasty and satisfying little snack.

As far as additions and flavours go, these wicked little morsels are kind of a blank slate. I made a couple batches with orange zest and one without. Personally, I really loved the citrusy warmth that the orange lends, and its nod to morning fodder, but you can also omit it for a more neutral taste. Instead, spice them up with cinnamon, cardamom, lemon zest, rose, lavender, coconut etc. I think adding cacao nibs would also be really delicious, as would dried blueberries, dried figs, or apricots. Whatever you choose to do, get ready to be very excited to get up in the morning. Couple these cookies with a turmeric latte, a piece of fruit and you’ll be good to go. Until 4 o’clock when you want another one.

Breakfast Buckwheat Florentines
Makes 12

Ingredients:
½ cup / 90g raw buckwheat groats
½ cup / 70g slivered almonds (or sunflower seeds)
1/3 cup / 45g almond flour
2 ½ Tbsp. coconut oil
2 ½ Tbsp. pure maple syrup
a couple pinches sea salt
zest of 1 organic orange, optional

Vanilla Cashew Coating:
1/3 cup / 85ml cashew butter
¼ cup / 60ml coconut oil
1 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
seeds from 1 vanilla bean
pinch sea salt

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F / 175°C. Line a rimmed cookie sheet with baking paper.

2. In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast buckwheat until golden, about 3 minutes. Transfer buckwheat to a mixing bowl to cool. In the same skillet toast the slivered almonds until golden, about 2 minutes. Transfer them to the bowl of buckwheat to cool, add the almond meal and stir to combine.

3. In the same skillet (no need to wash) over low heat, melt the coconut oil and add the orange zest, if using. Turn off the heat and whisk in the maple syrup and salt. Pour the liquid over the buckwheat and almond mixture and fold to combine. Do not wash the skillet.

4. Using a tablespoon measure, scoop out the florentine cookie mixture and set each one on the lined baking sheet with plenty of space in between (I baked these in 2 batches of six). Using the back of the spoon, flatten the cookies out a little. Place in the oven and bake for 7-10 minutes until the edges are golden and bubbly. Remove from oven and let cool for about 5 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and repeat with remaining mixture.

5. While the florentines are baking, make the cashew coating. Melt the coconut oil in the same skillet over low heat, then add the cashew butter and stir well to combine. Once melted, add the vanilla bean and maple syrup. Stir well and turn off the heat.

6. Once the florentines have cooled, make sure that the cashew coating is still liquid. Spoon a couple teaspoons on the bottom of each cookie and spread it as evenly as possible. Place on a lined baking sheet, coating side up in the fridge or freezer to set. Once firm, repeat with remaining coating, except this time place the coating side down on the lined baking sheet. Place in the fridge or freezer to set, then enjoy! Store leftovers in the fridge or freezer in a tightly sealed container for up to two weeks.

Once I started editing the new photos for this post, I realized that the last batch of Florentines weren’t as golden, or as flat as the previous batches. I decided to let that one go. And I’m very proud of that.

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Hey Copenhagen! Just a reminder about my first two cookbook events in CPH this Spring. The first will be an intimate talk and demonstration at SLOW Copenhagen, and the second will be a magical, celebratory dinner in collaboration with the local, organic grocer and kitchen, Kost. Click on the images for more info and tickets! Can’t wait to see you there.

It’s Alive! Sprouted Chickpea Hummus

April 7, 2017 54 Comments

The first job I landed after moving to Copenhagen, was working as a chef in a little cafe. After a few weeks of consistently not burning lasagna and under seasoning everything, I was asked if I was interested in cooking on a few episodes on a local, public TV station. The producers suggested I choose a few dishes that I love, and filmed me in a friend’s kitchen, since mine was too small. My husband gently warned me beforehand that Danes don’t respond well to overly-enthusiastic, hyperbolic Americans, so I faked it and was awkwardly not myself as I spoke lukewarmly about whole grains and beans, fermented things and dark leafy greens. The first recipe I made on the show was sprouted hummus, and although the recipe turned out well, I felt like a fraud. Because above all things, sprouts were, and still are, my true love.

The show was on at 2 or 3 in the morning, and because I didn’t have a television, I never actually saw it on air. Instead, I watched it on my computer on a borrowed CD, long after it had been on TV. Much to my dismay, the producers titled the show “Cooking with Sareh”, which still baffles me considering the fact that my name is spelled the exact same way in Danish. The program was poorly edited, badly lit, awkward in every sense, and in my attempts to come off as cool and nonchalant, I seemed utterly bored as I fondled chickpea sprouts – something that otherwise would get me pretty riled up. On the whole, this experience was totally mortifying, except for one small, redeeming factor. I was suddenly being recognized at work in the café, and on the bike paths of Christiania: “hey sprout girl!” they’d call at me. “It’s you! I didn’t make your hummus, but your show is great, sprout girl”, they’d say. If there was any consolation, this was it. I was Sprout Girl.

So in case you missed my break out performance on Cooking with Sareh, and my reined-in, lackluster pitch about sprouts, here it is again. Because I am Sprout Girl forever and always.

Sprouting is like any other kitchen endeavour: it seems pretty daunting until you actually do it, then you’re left wondering what took you so long to try – a real facepalm moment. With simple equipment that you most likely have in your cupboard, and seeds that you already have in your pantry, it’s a fun and empowering practice that brings you one step closer to your food.

Sprouts are so nutritious because they are life potential, ignited. When we soak a seed, we end its dormancy, and awaken the nutrition inside it needed to grow a plant which will in turn make more seeds and more plants. When we eat a sprout, we eat this potential! Pound for pound, sprouts have the largest amount of nutrients of any food. Did you get that? This is a big deal! And it’s all because sprouting increases vitamin content significantly, especially vitamin A, B’s, C and E, along with boosting calcium, iron, selenium, and zinc. The quality of protein and carbohydrates improves, as the sprouting process begins to break down the complex proteins and starches into amino acids, peptides, and simple carbohydrates needed by the seed to grow. At the same time, anti-nutrients such as phytic acid, protease and amylase inhibitors are neutralized. This makes a sprout very easy to digest with highly absorbable nutrients.

Who is responsible for this influx of awesomeness? It’s enzymes! Enzymes are compounds found in raw plants that are needed for nearly every biochemical process that takes place in our body, and something many of our modern diets are lacking. Sprouts are virtually loaded with them. There are up to 100 times more enzymes in sprouts than uncooked fruits and veggies! Enzymes are also what sets living food apart from raw food. Yes, raw foods still offer us enzymes, but eating a food that is alive guantees more enzymes, and in fact more nutrients altogether. As soon as a food is picked, it begins losing its nutrients. Imagine how much vitamin C is left in that orange, which has traveled hundreds, if not thousands of kilometers to get to your plate, and spent weeks, if not months in a storage facility before being dropped off at your local grocer. Sprouts are the remedy to this, pulsating with life and life-giving nutrients, and pretty much the freshest food you can eat outside of a garden.

Sprouts are also incredibly low in calories, yet deliciously filling due to their high fiber and water content. A fantastic food to binge on, especially if you’re trying to elbow out some of the other stuff from your diet. I love the versatility of sprouts, not only are there so many varieties, but they can be used in so many ways. Like this hummus for example! You can also go classic and top your sandwiches with sprouts, or fold them into grain salads, puree them into soups and even smoothies. I also love freshening up cooked dishes, like stir-fries, curries and pizzas with sprouts. Their crunch and earthy brightness are a welcoming balance to heavier, richer meals.

If you’re on a budget, sprouts are a sweet deal. Because the amount of food you sprout triples or quadruples in size, you’ll end up with way more to eat than you started with for the same price. It’s kind of magical. What’s more, is that properly stored sprouts can last over a month, and some varieties up to 70 days. If you’re prone to tossing away spoiled produce, sprouts will save you money, big time.

Sprouting can take place anywhere you have access to fresh, clean water twice a day. I’ve sprouted on road trips, beach holidays, visiting the in-laws…all over the place! And the groovy thing about taking your show on the road is that you can convince other people to get sprouting too.

And sprouts are not just great for our health, but also the planet. Consider the fact that you’re growing a garden right in your kitchen, using your own energy to make the magic happen. It’s hyper-local food at its best! No chemicals or pesticides during the growing process, or fossil fuels for transportation. Could sprouts be the perfect food?! The answer is yes. But I may be a little biased. I am the Sprout Girl, after all.

If you are concerned about mold or bacteria contamination, please understand that commercially-grown sprouts are propagated in an ideal environment for pathogens to proliferate. Just one more reason to grow your own sprouts at home where you can be sure of proper hygiene and care. Make sure that your jar or sprouting container is thoroughly clean, that you’re rinsing your sprouts with cool water twice daily, and that your sprouts have plenty of airflow. After I drain my sprouts, I make sure that the seeds / sprouts aren’t blocking the entire opening of the jar (see photo). If you follow these tips, you shouldn’t have any problems.

Scoring Seeds
You can sprout just about anything, but the cheapest and easiest things are found in the bulk bin of your health food store! Lentils, beans, chickpeas, rice, buckwheat, wheat are all widely available and inexpensive. It’s imperative that you choose organically-grown ingredients, as conventionally grown seeds are often irradiated, making them difficult, or even impossible to germinate. You can also purchase seeds online, especially the more specialty ones, like alfalfa, radish, onion, broccoli etc.

Finding Equipment
There are plenty of sprouting apparatuses that you can buy, but if you’re just starting out, use a jar! I bet you already have one.

– 1 sterilized, large-mouth, quart-sized glass jar with an airtight lid
– small piece of cheesecloth
– rubber band
– a bowl or dish rack

How to Sprout
There are countless resources on this topic online, and even whole books written about sprouting, so I am presenting you with a very simple, yet rather foolproof technique. If you want to learn more (which I encourage you to do!) here’s a great place to learn about different methods, applications, as well as help and advice: Sprout People

Simple Sprouting
Day 1
1. Prep (night)
Take a quick glance at the seeds as you put them into the sterilized soaking container. Remove any stones, cracked / damaged seeds, and rinse well.

2. Soak (night)
A general rule is covering the seeds with 2-3 times the amount of water (e.g. 1 cup seeds : 2-3 cups water). Use pure, filtered, unchlorinated water. Skim off any seeds that are floating. Let sit for 8-12 hours.

Day 2
1. Drain (morning)
Put a piece of cheesecloth over the mouth of the jar and secure it with a rubber band. Drain the seeds letting all the water run out.

2. Rinse + drain (morning)
Run cool water through the cheesecloth, swish the seeds around and drain. Repeat, then set the jar in a bowl or on your dish rack at a 45° angle so that any remaining water can drain out, but air can easily get in.

3. Rinse + drain again (night)

Day 3
1. Rinse + drain (morning)
Run cool water through the cheesecloth, swish the seeds around and drain. Repeat, then set the jar in a bowl or on your dish rack at a 45° angle so that any remaining water can drain out, but air can easily get in.

2. Rinse + drain again (night)

Day 4
1. Rinse + drain (morning)
Run cool water through the cheesecloth, swish the seeds around and drain. Repeat, then set the jar in a bowl or on your dish rack at a 45° angle so that any remaining water can drain out, but air can easily get in.

2. Rinse + drain again (night)

3. Enjoy (night)
Your sprouts are ready! The tail should be at least the length of the seed itself (if it is not quite there yet, continue with the rinsing and draining process until it is. Some seeds take a couple more days). If you’re not going to eat all the sprouts right away, make sure you let the sprouts drain for at least 8 hours after their last rinse before you put them in the fridge. Never store wet sprouts, as they will spoil quickly. Store sprouts in the sprouting jar with an airtight lid for one month, or more.

It’s Alive! Sprouted Chickpea Hummus
Makes 4 cups

Ingredients:
2 cloves garlic
1/3 cup / 85ml tahini
½ tsp. fine salt, to taste
2 tsp. ground cumin
¼ tsp. smoked paprika (optional)
zest of 1 lemon
4 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
4 Tbsp. cold-pressed olive oil
4 cups / 500g sprouted chickpeas (start with 1½ cups / 300g dried chickpeas)

Directions:
1. Pulse the garlic in the food processor until minced. Add all other ingredients, except for the sprouted chickpea and blend until you have a paste. Add the chickpeas and blend on high until as smooth as possible. Season to taste and adjust more salt / spice if desired. To achieve an even smoother consistency, scoop hummus into a high-speed blender and blend on high for an additional 10-15 seconds. Serve immediately and store leftovers in an airtight container for up to five days.

I hope that this process seems simple enough for you to try. I promise that once you start sprouting, you won’t be able to stop! It’s so easy, fun, and connecting – not to mention delicious. Good luck and happy sprouting, dear friends!

xo, Sarah B

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Hey Copenhagen! I am thrilled to announce my first two cookbook events in CPH this Spring. The first will be an intimate talk and demonstration at SLOW Copenhagen, and the second will be a magical, celebratory dinner in collaboration with the local, organic grocer and kitchen, Kost. Click on the images for more info and tickets! Can’t wait to see you there.

Poke-Inspired Beet Bowl

March 10, 2017 48 Comments

Poke seems to be everywhere these days, from fine restaurant menus, to fast-casual and even food trucks. Chefs are coming up with clever combos and creative reinterpretations – even fish-free versions for the veg set. I knew had to take a stab at it. Or at least a poke. Sorry.

For those of you hearing about poke for the first time, this fresh and tasty dish (pronounced POH-kay), hails from Hawaii. In its most unadulterated form, poke is raw fish, originally combined with sea salt, candlenut and seaweed. It evolved over the years as ingredient availability increased, and the salt was replaced with soy sauce, the seaweed with spring onion, the candlenut with sesame and so on. Once it hit mainland America a few years ago, poke mania ensued and the dish evolved to become more of a meal – not just a snack. Now it is often served atop rice and garnished with all manner of innovative ingredients. Fully-focused poke restaurants have established themselves in major cities across North America. Many of these eateries allow their patrons to customize their bowls with veggies, sea weed, pickles, beans, nuts, and alt-grains, tapping into the to the fact that fast, fresh, healthy meals are becoming mainstream. Which totally rocks.

I had most of the elements for my own poke-inspired version in my head…except for the fish (the most important part?). I racked my brain to come up with something that looked just like tuna or salmon, but didn’t want to use fruit, like watermelon or papaya, since I didn’t want the dish to be sweet. It wasn’t until I was trying to fall asleep one night, that it came to me…chiogga beets! Chiogga, or candy-striped beets are gorgeously two-toned when they are raw. Sliced thin horizontally, they reveal rings of deep pink pigment and creamy white, resembling something that your grandmother keeps on her coffee table in a crystal dish. But for anyone who has ever roasted these stunning creatures will know that the magic doesn’t last; the magenta bleeds into the white during cooking, resulting in an almost homogenous pale pink, with slight variegation. WHICH LOOKS EXACTLY LIKE TUNA. I almost couldn’t sleep. Too excited.

The next day I gathered up all the things I’d like in a poke bowl: short grain brown rice (not long grain – an important distinction), spring onion for bite, carrot for crunch, edamame for pop and protein, and avo for creaminess. I took this last one a step farther and blended it with lemon and wasabi for the most boss sauce ever. This alone would be delish on most things…please try it. And for the fishy component, I thought back to the raw vegan “tuna” I made for my first cookbook, and how effective adding a sprinkle of nori was to boost that fresh-from-the-sea flavour. This is not a deal breaker for the overall dish, but it definitely made it taste complete. If you can’t find nori flakes, just crunch up a couple sheets of the stuff that you’d use to make sushi. Easy fix!

I like to use wasabi powder in the avo cream since the pre-made stuff in a tube is questionable. Have you ever read the ingredient list on one of those packages? It can be scary stuff. In a pinch, use it, but tracking down the powder is worth it from a nutrition standpoint, and also a flavour one. The real stuff tastes infinitely better! What a shocker.

Wasabi is Japanese horseradish, and like its western counterpart, it belongs to the Brassica family, like cabbage, broccoli and mustard. The root is dried and then pulverized, which gives us the powder that we can blend with water to create wasabi paste. It is a difficult crop to grow, which explains the high price for the genuine product. Most wasabi powders don’t contain any wasabi at all, but are instead a mix of mustard powder and regular horseradish mixed with green food dye. A high-quality wasabi powder should be organic and contain only horseradish and wasabi. The colour should be pale green – not disco neon. Most health food stores carry wasabi powder. This is a good brand.

Everything unfolded just as I’d hoped it would. The beets came out perfectly pink with those thin white stripes that look just like fat striation. The marinade that I tossed them around in was acidic and ginger-y and just plain yum. Building the meal up with the rice, the beans, the veggies, a dollop of cream, a sprinkle of nori and roasted sesame, was ever so satisfying and fun. This healthy, fresh meal is calling you. No need to poke about, just make it. Again, sorry.

Poke-Inspired Beet Bowl
Serves 3-4

Ingredients:
1 cup / 200g short grain brown rice, soaked overnight if possible
¾ tsp. fine sea salt
2 cups / 250g edamame beans, fresh or frozen
2 tsp. cold-pressed olive oil
a couple pinches flaky sea salt

Beets & Marinade
3 medium Chiogga (candy striped) beets
2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. finely grated ginger
pinch fine sea salt

Avocado Wasabi Cream
2 medium ripe avocados
2 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1-2 tsp. wasabi powder, to taste
pinch fine sea, to taste

2 spring onions, sliced lengthwise into ribbons
2 medium carrots, julienned
2 Tbsp. sesame seeds
3 Tbsp. nori flakes

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400°F / 200°C. Wrap beets in aluminum foil and place on a baking sheet in the oven. Roast until tender, about 45 minutes (to check doneness, peel back the foil of one beet and insert the tip of a sharp knife. If there is little resistance, it’s ready). Peel back foil from each beet and let cool slightly.

2. While the beets are roasting, make the rice. Drain and rinse well. Place in a pot with 2 cups / 500ml of fresh water and salt. Cover, bring to a boil and reduce to simmer. Cook until tender (add more during cooking if necessary), about 45 minutes.

3. While the rice is cooking, make the Avocado Wasabi Cream. Scoop out the flesh from both avocados and add to a food processor. Blend on high, then add the lemon juice, wasabi powder and salt. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, ginger and salt. Slip the skins off the cooled beets. Cut the beets into cubes and toss in the marinade. Let sit for at least 20 minutes.

5. While the beets are marinating, bring a medium pot of water to the boil. Add a few pinches of salt and the edamame. Simmer for a couple minutes until bright green and tender (do not overcook!). Drain and rinse under cold water to halt cooking. Toss with a little olive oil and sprinkle with flaky salt.

6. In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast sesame seeds, stirring often until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

7. Julienne the carrots.

8. To assemble, divide the rice among the bowls. Add the marinated beets, edamame, carrots and a dollop of Avocado Wasabi Cream. Sprinkle with nori flakes, the toasted sesame seeds and top with the spring onions. Enjoy!

~~I’m on my last few days of~~ I just ended the North American cookbook tour. Honestly, it’s been just magical and I am so grateful to all of you who came out to show some love and connect with the healthy community around them!

All love and smiles,
Sarah B

Show me your bowls on Instagram! #mnrpokebowl