Hello friends! Maria here from Scandi Foodie, Very excited to be here while Joanna has been away getting hitched! I recently tied the knot as well. You can have a peak at my wedding here.
Summer is all about fresh produce, clean flavours and the great outdoors. I love visiting weekly farmers’ markets to find new season vegetables and fruit, experiment with summer recipes and enjoy the bounty. Here are a few of my summer favourites; lots of fresh veggies, berries and fruit. Minimal effort, but maximal flavour.
Hope you enjoy!
Skin Beauty Salad
(serves 2)
250g cooked chickpeas
2 big handfuls of baby spinach leaves
1/2 avocado, diced
1 small handful of almonds, soaked in water for a few hours
1 zucchini, sliced into 1/2 cm disks
olive oil, for brushing 2 tablespoons unhulled tahini
1/2 lemon, juiced
water
pinch of salt
1 small garlic clove
freshly ground black pepper
1. Lightly brush the zucchini slices with olive oil and grill on a pan for a couple of minutes on each side. Set aside.
2. Combine tahini, lemon juice and grated garlic in a small bowl. Add enough water to form a smooth, runny dressing. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
3. Place the chickpeas in a bowl and coat them with the tahini dressing.
4. Place the baby spinach leaves in serving bowls, top with tahini coated chickpeas, diced avocado and the zucchini slices. Sprinkle with soaked almonds (or seeds of choice).
Provencal tarts
(makes 4)
Crust
100g rolled oats
40g puffed brown rice
160g wholegrain spelt flour1 teaspoon dried rosemary
pinch of salt
6 tablespoons olive oil
6 tablespoons water
Filling
1kg ripe tomatoes (peeled, seeded and chopped)
1 large red capsicum, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 brown onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
big handful (about 1 cup) fresh basil, chopped
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar (or red wine vinegar)
1. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a pan and add the onion. Cook for a few minutes, then add the garlic, capsicum, tomatoes and basil. Let simmer for 40-45 minutes or until the mixture has cooked down. Stir in a tablespoon of sherry vinegar and leave to cool.
2. Place the rolled oats and puffed brown rice in a food processor and grind into a coarse mixture. Combine the mixture with spelt flour, dried rosemary and a pinch of salt. Add olive oil and water and lightly knead the dough until it comes together. Divide the dough into 4 portions and spread evenly in greased tart pans (12cm each). Refrigerate the crusts for 10-15 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 180C. Bake the bases for 15 minutes, then fill each base with the tomato mixture. Continue to bake for a further 5 minutes. Leave to cool on a wire rack before serving.
The Ultimate Scandi-Pancake Cake*
(Serves 4)
Pancakes
(Makes 7 small pancakes)
250 ml (non-dairy)milk
100g white, unbleached spelt flour
2 large free-range, organic eggs
75 ml milk, extra
tiny pinch of salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
olive oil, extra, for frying
Berry cream
250g smooth low-fat ricotta
200g frozen berries, thawed
1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract
1 tablespoon raw honey
50g berries, extra, to serve
icing sugar, to serve
* For a vegan version, try this pancake recipe
and use non-dairy yoghurt in the filling.
1. To make the pancakes, whisk together the milk and the flour until smooth. Add the eggs, extra milk, salt and olive oil and whisk until smooth. Heat a small frying pan on medium heat and cook the pancakes one by one until golden. Set aside to cool.
2. Mix the vanilla and the honey into the ricotta and stir in the berries.
3. To assemble, place a pancake on a platter, top with a spoonful of berry cream and spread evenly. Continue to layer the pancakes and the cream until finished. Top with the extra berries and decorate with icing sugar.
