I’m moving to a new pretty space – do follow me at www.s-hellsten.com/journal instead !
I will bring the recipes along in a moment (and they will still be accessible here for the time being).
/S
By the Dead Sea
All content by © Sofia Hellsten 2010-2014. All rights reserved.
Tel Aviv pt. I
it was a long time since I published something here. I suppose life caught up with me (school, work an small projects that is). anyways I thought I’d pick this up again, maybe because I’m now living abroad for a while again. so here goes. I went to Tel Aviv in june. this was before the recent events that give me the chills just thinking about. even so, it was a really nice trip and here are some of the pictures.
All content by © Sofia Hellsten 2010-2014. All rights reserved.
Easter chocolates and DIY dyed decoration eggs
i’ve had four hectic weeks. hardly having any meals at home since days at my internship has been long (and there’s been a fantastic chef that making lunch for the office every day…). plus i’ve been working on this really fun project with a friend, that we’re soon to release. so i wouldn’t say that the coming weeks will be less hectic but i will try to make room for some cooking again – maybe when going home for easter? however i started with the easter candy one week early, couldn’t keep myself. here you go.
Tiny pumpkin seed chocolates
150 ml pumpkin seeds
3 tbsp raw cacao
1 tbsp coconut sugar
1 tbsp agave syrup
pinch sea salt
toast the pumpkin seeds until they have “popped”, make sure not to burn them. set aside. the coming part you need to be quite quick and attentive so that you don’t burn the sugar. melt the coconut sugar on low temperature, when starting to melt add most of the cocoa, half the agave syrup and mix. directly add half of the pumpkin seeds the rest of the syrup an cocoa and mix again until the seed starts to be covered. sprinkle with sea salt, add the natural pumpkin seed and set to cool.
dyed easter eggs for decoration
eggs (as many as you plan to dye)
needle
white wine vinegar
salt
the colors:
purple beetroot works fine (however i used left over frozen pomegranate seeds)
yellow turmeric (powder)
for the golden I cheated and used gold spray…
to empty the eggs make a hole with the needle at the top if the egg – and a little bit larger one at the bottom. now blow from the top until the shell is empty (make sure to use the eggs for cooking or baking!). rinse with water, and blow that out as well. on the stove put water, a dash of vinegar, som salt and the choice of dye in a pot. fill the empty eggs with some water and put in the pot. bring to a boil and let boil for approximately 15 minutes – turning the eggs now and again. discard the water, let the eggs cool and then empty them of water. tadaa.
All content by © Sofia Hellsten 2010-2014. All rights reserved.
Chocolate truffle cake
for my love of chocolate.
1/2 a banana
3 eggs
3 dried figs (soft)
75 ml cacao
100 ml oat flour
a pinch of baking powder
1 tbsp almond butter
1/2 tbsp agave syrup
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp cacao nibs
seasalt
put the banana and figs in a food processor and mix for a bit. add the eggs and mix until semi-fluffy. add the rest of the ingredients (except the cacao nibs) and blend until smooth. fold in the cacao nibs and pour the batter into a rectangular form, either oiled or with baking paper.bake for about 20-25 min at 175°C (it should still be moist). serve with fruits and a small spoon of turkish yoghurt.
All content by © Sofia Hellsten 2010-2014. All rights reserved.
Mango-banana spring ice-cream
working from home on saturdays has it’s perks. this is one of them. taking a break with non-cream ice-cream. and also the sunny color matched this week-end’s sunny weather. mental note to always keep frozen banana and mango at home.
1 small banana, frozen in pieces
a handfull of frozen mango
a knifes point of vanilla bean powder
coconut flakes for topping
put the fruit on the counter for a while so that it’s not deep frozen. then, in a mixer put the banana, mango and vanilla powder. mix until smooth. top with coconut flakes. eat.
(oh and the wonderful flowers are from a couple of years ago in a blooming Kyoto)
All content by © Sofia Hellsten 2010-2014. All rights reserved.
Coconut quinoa and asian greens.
new years resolutions. one of mine was to cook more asian food. a really good resolution. a result of this is of my latests discoveries: this bowl of wonder. it’s like eating fluffy clouds spiked with great greens and chili.
the clouds (serves 4)
200 ml white quinoa
250 ml coconut milk
150 ml water
ca 1 tsp salt
a little bit of coconut oil/flavorless oil
rinse the quinoa and fry in the oil for about five minutes. add water, coconut milk and salt. bring to a boil and then simmer for 15-20 minuter on low heat. while cooking the quinoa prep the greens.
the greens
brussel sprouts (one net), peeled and cut in quarters
200g edamame, if frozen thawed
4 handfuls of leaf spinach, rinsed
1 bid clove of garlic, finely chopped
1/3 of a chili, finely chopped
a small piece of ginger, finely chopped
ca 2 tbsp fish sauce
juice from 1/2 a lime
a mini-dash of soy sauce
a handfull of fresh cilantro
a dash of olive oil
fry the brussel sprouts in oil together with garlic, chili an ginger. after a little while add the edamame, lime juice and fish sauce. adjust to flavor and add soy sauce if needed. divide the quinoa into bowls, top with fried and fresh greens and cilantro and then enjoy.
All content by © Sofia Hellsten 2010-2014. All rights reserved.
Peaks.
so i did spend another week in the mountains. but different ones this time. surrounded by the astonishing peaks of mont blanc, les grand montets, l’aguille de midi, l’aguille de vert to name a few. the mountains works curious wonders with your well-being. it is like returning as a new person. so my resolution for the coming year is to visit the mountains more. much more.
All content by © Sofia Hellsten 2010-2014. All rights reserved.
White days.
after a few days up north i am back to repack my bags and then head to more southern mountain tops.
there is something about mountains. some kind of mystery that lingers. a taking, enigmatic feeling. and then of course there is the freedom. the clean air and the scenery faraway – of mountains, forests, sky and lakes. it fills you up and makes it hard to leave. what makes it even more amazing is when i put on a pair of skis. i then laugh from the top of the mountain down to the valley. the happiness flooding though me is amazing. and i never want to stop. ever.
this feeling made me start to wonder why so much of what is written, filmed, recorded, painted is about the painful moments in life. why don’t we focus more on the things that make us feel good? when someone asks how you have been, why don’t we answer with the best thing that has happened lately? when you make your new years resolutions why are they not about doing more of something that makes you happy? when the temperature creeps below zero why don’t you focus on the refreshing air that comes with it instead of complaining at the cold? i will continue to let the tiny but happy moments and situations fill me, allowing the good stuff to take time and space.
All content by © Sofia Hellsten 2010-2014. All rights reserved.
Focus
my apologies for the lack of activity here. hard-drive crash happened. then exams happened. and then christmas grabbed my attention. still working on getting my computer in order. anyways. about a year ago i traveled around in east Asia (Taiwan, Vietnam, Japan, South Korea, Singapore..). that’s when i met these guys, on a backstreet in Taipei – casually playing their everyday game of something i don’t know. i love their focus and concentration. a healthy reminder to cherish the moment and focus on the task at hand. easier said then done.
oh, and i’ll get another recipe up here whenever i’ve digested all that christmas food and sweets…
All content by © Sofia Hellsten 2010-2013. All rights reserved.
piecefully 