30 g each of pumpkin and sunflower seeds and 20 g each of flax and sesame seeds for coating
Dry-roast the pumpkin and sunflower seeds till you can smell them, let cool, add the flaxseeds, salt and 1 dl cold water, and let soak at room temperature for about ten hours.
Grate the pumpkin. Mix with the flour, the soaked seeds and the salt.
Dissolve the yeast in 3 dl cold water and add to the dough. Knead well for ten minutes, add water if needed. Coat a bowl with oil and leave the dough to raise to double its size at room temperature, two to three hours.
Dust a space on the table top with flour and turn out the dough. Knead, flatten and fold, and knead for a while, divide into two portions and let rest for ten minutes.
Mix the coating seeds. Coat two baking tins approx 9,5×25 cm with oil. Wet the surface of the dough slightly and roll the breads in the coating seeds and place in the tins.
Cover and let rest for 30 to 40 minutes while heating the oven to 250 C.
Bake for ten minutes, reduce heat to 210 C and bake for another 35 minutes.
NOTE: The gnudi need to rest at least four hours, preferably longer, such as overnight or from morning till evening.
500 g chard
250 g ricotta
2 whole eggs
10 g parmesan, finely grated, plus extra to garnish
20 g pecorino, finely grated
1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg
salt
freshly ground black pepper
3 tblsp flour
200 g semolina
100 g girolles
1 tblsp of olive oil
100 g unsalted butter
lemon juice to taste
OPTIONAL: It would not be among my favourites if I did not, instead of the nutmeg, add a tsp garam masala to the ricotta mixture. Also, by mistake I had only bought 200 g ricotta, so I make up for the volume with additional grated parmesan and pecorino. And finally, I added a bit of my favourite chili paste to the sauce.
Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil.
Strip the chard leaves from the stalks and wash thoroughly. Wilt the chard leaves in boiling water for 1-2 minutes then refresh in cold water. Trim the ends of the stalks and cook separately but in the same water for 2-3 minutes retaining a slight bite, then refresh in cold water.
Strain the leaves and give them a really good squeeze to remove all the water from them. Finely chop the leaves and cut the stalks into 5cm batons. Keep the stalks covered and refridgerated while the gnudi rest.
Beat the ricotta until smooth, coarsely chop the chard leaves and fold into the ricotta mixture. Add the beaten eggs, parmesan, pecorino, nutmeg, a pinch of salt and pepper then fold in the flour. Shape into 30g balls and place on a tray dusted with the semolina.
Roll the balls around in the semolina ensuring each ball is evenly coated. Cover and leave in the fridge for at least four hours, preferably overnight or from morning till evening, before cooking.
Clean the girolles thoroughly with a dry brush.
Bring another pan of salted water to the boil, drop in the gnudi and simmer gently until they float to the surface. This should take 3-4 minutes.
While the gnudi cook, heat up the olive oil in a wide pan. Fry the girolles and chard stalks for a few minutes over a high heat until nicely coloured. You want roughly an equal amount of girolles and stalks, so you may not need to use all the chard stalks
Turn down the heat, add the butter and a splash of the gnudi cooking water. Stir until the butter has emulsified and begins to thicken, then add a dash of lemon juice and a crack of black pepper.
Carefully remove the gnudi from the water using a slotted spoon, drain well and add to the sauce. Gently swirl the pan to combine everything and allow the sauce to thicken, coating the gnudi nicely. Add a splash more of the cooking water if it becomes too thick, or an extra knob of butter if a bit thin. Serve and finish with freshly grated Parmesan.
For two people, or for one, preserving half the portion for the next day, to reheat, perhaps panfried into a small, thick pancake, the day after, topped with the rest of the compote, cold or reheated.
For the porridge:
3 dl coconut drink (the kind that comes in 1 l cartons, which you would use instead of milk, for example in your coffee – not the thick stuff that comes in tins)
125 g millet (could also be oats, amaranth, or quinoa, or a mixture). Here I have used a mixture of amaranth, millet and oats
1 tsp vanilla paste
1 small tsp cinnamon powder
1 heaped tsp cocoa powder (optional)
A tiny pinch of salt
For the compote:
200 g fruit and/or berries, fresh or frozen, here a mixure of blueberries and blackberries
Sugar, e.g. coconut flower sugar, to taste
To be stirred into the porridge just before serving:
2 tblsp desiccated coconut or coconut flakes
Heat up coconut drink, millet/all grains, vanilla extract, cinnamon and salt (and cocoa powder if using), and let simmer, stirring frequently, for 15 to 20 minutes.
Gently heat the fruit/berries and sugar to a compote.
Stir the desiccated or flaked coconut into the millet and serve topped by the compote.
I also like to top with a dollop of goat yoghurt, but that’s perhaps just me.
600 g cooked chickpeas, with some of the cooking liquid preserved
1 tin tomatoes
125 g dates (after stones removed), chopped
2 tblsp olive oil
3 red onions, peeled and sliced
1 whole head of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 tblsp ginger, finely grated
2 tblsp tomato concentrate
1 bunch coriander, separated into stalks and leaves
1 tblsp cumin, roasted and ground
1 tblsp coriander, roasted and ground
1 heaped tsp ground turmeric
Chili in whichever way, shape or form you have available.
1 cinnamon stick
grated zest and juice of 1 lemon, organic or at least unwaxed
5ü g flaked almonds, toasted
Heat the oil and sauté onions, garlic, and ginger.
Add ground coriander and cumin. Sauté.
Add tomato concentrate. Sauté.
Add chickpeas, tomatoes, dates, coriander stalks, spices and lemon zest and bring to a simmer. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook for about half an hour or more, adding water if the sauce becomes too thick.
Add lemon juice and almonds, stir, check for seasoning, and garnish with coriander leaves to serve.
1 medium red cabbage, trimmed and finely sliced (I had about 700 g cabbage after peeling, trimming and slicing).
250 ml cranberry juice
250 ml orange juice
2-4 tblsp goosefat or duckfat or vegetable oil
2 medium red onions, chopped
Balsamic vinegar
Raspberry vinegar
1 small glass cranberries
For the spice bag: A generous knob of ginger, sliced, 4 bay leaves, 6 juniper berries, 6 cloves, 10 black peppercorns, 1 cinnamon stick, broken into a couple of pieces, and 2 star anise.
A little bit of maizena, salt, pepper, sugar.
Day 1: Marinate the cabbage overnight in apple- and orange juice. Stir once or twice and pack the cabbage down tightly each time.
Day 2: Sauté the chopped onions in fat or oil.
Add cabbage with juices, stir, then stir in most of the cranberries and add the spice bag. Season with salt.
Simmer 30 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, seasoning along the way with cranberries and balsamic and raspberry vinegar. Some might want to add a little bit of fish sauce for an oriental flair.
Depending how sweet the vinegars and the cranberries are, some might want to add sugar as well.
Finish with the maizena, according to personal preference.
Refrigerate overnight.
Remove the spice bag and reheat to serve. Leftovers are great in and with many types of sandwiches.
Craving Thai flavours but out of Thai curry paste? Fret not. If you have most of the below ingredients, you can improvise.
400 g (I like to have leftovers for the day after) fish fillets – for example cod or heilbutt or both, in bite-sized pieces
2 tblsp oil
2 tblsp tomato paste
3 stalks lemon grass, trimmed and chopped
1 knob galangal, chopped
1 whole head of garlic, peeled, trimmed and chopped
5 medium red onions, peeled and quartered
7 small aubergines – the round ones approx 5 cm diam. (could also have been green beans or sugar snap peas), or a mixture of all three.
10 lime leaves
2 tblsp fish sauce
Chili, in whichever form is available. I used a dollop of this: https://www.hellemoller.eu/2020/10/13/chili-sauce-a-made-with-red-and-orange-chilis-from-the-freezer/
1 tin coconut milk
2 tblsp fish sauce
Sautée tomato paste, lemon grass, galangal and garlic in the oil.
Add red onions and aubergines. Stir and mix well.
Add chili, coconut milk and lime leaves
Bring to a simmer and cook till the aubergines are done, 10-15 minutes.
Season with fish sauce, black pepper, perhaps some lime or lemon juice, and half a tablsp sugar.
Add the fish, largest pieces first, and simmer till the fish is done – this does not take long at all.
300 g flour 200 g sugar (any kind – I used brown “Rohrsucker”) 2 tblsp of the best cocoa powder you can find 175 g whole almonds 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 heaped tsp ground cloves 1/2heaped tsp ground cinnamon Grated peel of 1 organic (or at least unwaxed) lemon, washed. 3 whole eggs
Add lemon peel and eggs and knead to a uniform dough. Add more flour if it is too sticky.
Shape the dough into two approx. 20 cm long rolls. Place on baking paper and flatten them slightly to achieve the classic biscotti shape.
Bake for 15 minutes and remove from oven. When the rolls are cool enough to handle, using a very sharp knife, cut them into approx. 1 cm slices and bake again for ten minutes.
Let cool completely and keep in a container with a tight-fitting lid.
And remember – biscottis are supposed to be hard. That way, at least those of us with old teeth have an excuse to dip them in our coffee before eating.
