Creamy Beetroot Salad For Christmas & New Years

Creamy, sweet, savoury, tangy...all in one. This great side salad of beetroots, mayo and apples and goes great with allmost anything. As a side to your dinner, in a sub sandwich or with lunch.

You Will Need:

• 360 grams (≈ 1tin of 600grams) Tinned Beetroots
• 1dl /100ml Vegan Mayo (easy to find if your looking at the "fat free" mayos or specific vegan brands)
• 1 tbs Yellow Mustrad
• 1dl / 100ml Vegan Cream Cheese or Sour Supreme
• 1 small Red Onion
• 2 Apples (I use Granny Smiths)
• Salt & Pepper

1. Drain all the liquid of your beetroots and cut them into chunks.
2. In a bowl mix mayo, cream cheese (or sour supreme), salt, pepper and mustard.
3. Taste the mix! Add more of any ingredient to balance the flavour out.
4. Peel and core your apples and cut them into smaller chunks than the beetroots. Finely chop the red onion and mix apples, beetroots and onion into the mayo mix.
5. Stirr until pink and taste again.
6. Now your beetrooth salad is ready to be served with your dinner, on a sandwich or with lunch.

Tip: The Beetroot Slald will taste better the next day, so if you know you want to have it, best be to prepare it the day before and store in a sealed container in the fridge.

Wintery Mint Kisses

Our New One Green Planet Post, Very Festive For This Season Is Wintery Mint Kisses.

No matter if you celebrate this festive season because of religion or the love of family and traditions, dosen’t matter. But don’t forget to make these!

Mint Kisses are an old swedish tradition and are only eaten around the winter holidays.

For this recipe you will need: (makes around 50 Mint Kisses)

• 1 1/4 cup Icing Sugar
• 1 ½ tbs of Liquid Glucose (30 g)
• 2/3 cup Water
• ½ tsp Spirit Vinegar, (12%)
• 10 drops Peppermint Oil
• 75 grams of Dark Chocolate

Preparation:

1. Mix icing sugar, liquid glucose, water and spirit vinegar in a thick bottom saucepan. Cook for around 10 minutes til 115C / 240F. Use a thermometer (if you own one) to be 100% sure.
2. Pour mix into an lightly oil-greased bowl and let cool 15 minutes. Add peppermint oil and work the mass until it turns white. By using a spoon click the batter on parchment paper in small 1inch circles. (If the mixture gets too hard just carefully re-heat it now and then in the microwave or in a water bath)
3. Melt the chocolate and place a small ammount in the center of each circle using two teaspoons or a small piping bag.

Store your mint kisses in the fridge or pantry, in a sealed container (cookie jar) with parchment paper between the layers

Click Here For The Recipe on One Green Planet

Moist Chocolate Cake w/ Butter Cream Topping

This chocolate cake is moist and rich, yet not too filling. Easy and quick to make.

You Will Need:

• 1½ cup (3½ dl) of Plain White Flour
• 1 cup (2½ dl) White or Brown Sugar
• 3 tbs Cocoa Powder (dark european style)
• ½ tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 5 tbs Canola or Sunflower Oil
• 1 tbs Vinegar
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract (or vanilla powder)
• 1 cup Cold Water

1. Mix all your dry ingredients in a bowl.
2. Mix all your wet ingredients in another bowl
3. Add the wet to the dry and use an electric beater to combine it all until smooth.
4. Grease a spring tin and gently sprinkle with a thin layer of bread crumbs.
5. Add the batter to the tin and bake at  350F / 176C in a pre heated oven for 30 minutes. (bake in the lower part of the oven)
6. Leave your cake to completely cool down before making the butter cream and spreading it on the top of the chocolate cake.

For the Butter Cream Topping You Will Need:

• 100 g Margarine
• 1 2/3 cup (4dl) Icing Sugar
• 4 tsp Vanilla Sugar (or use vanilla extract)
• 2-3 tbs Plain Oil (this is to represent the fatty part of the egg yolk used in the non-vegan version)

1. Start by mixing the margarine with the two sugars, then add your oil. Just do some at a time until the filling gets smooth and creamy.
2. When your cake has cooled down completely (very important the cake isn't warm)Spread the top of your cake with the butter cream and sprinkle with cocoa powder. 

Tip: This cake will be good in the fridge for quite a long time (around 5 days or more) Stores best on a plate in the fridge wrapped in plastic wrap. Or if you have a cake container.

Swedish Thin-Bread Roll (Tunnbrödsrulle)

Tasty soft swedish thin-bread with vegan sausage (hot dog), mashed potatoes and various condiments.

You Will Need:

• Soft Thin-Bread "Tunnbröd"
• Vegan Sausage
• Mashed potatoes (boiled potatoes mixed with dairy free margaring, vegan cooking cream, salt, pepper and a dash of grated nutmeg)
• Sweet Pickled Cucumber Relish "Bostongurka"
• Roasted Onions "Cronions"
• Lettuce
• Tomatoes
• Cucumber
• Ketchup & Yellow Mustard

1. Peel and boil your potatoes and make the mash.
2. Fry your sausage in a pan with some oil.
3. Assemble your tunnbrödsrulle, roll up using some tin foil, this makes it easier to hold and eat.

Tip: The swedish thin bread can usually be bought at IKEAs freezer section.

Cauli-Rice Patties

I found this recipe on the blog "Vegan Misjonen" and I loved it! . I decided to crust mine with panko bread crumbs to make them extra crisp. I have never tasted a veggie patty I truly enjoyed, but making these two days in a row, proved the veggie-patty hater in me wrong.

Click Here For The Recipe

Tip: Not eating the patties today? 

      - The mixture will be ok for two days in the fridge. 

      - Pre-shape your patties, crumb them without frying, stack and freeze.

Clove Oranges - Holiday Decorations

The fragrant scent of these clove oranges spread the christmas feeling through out your home. Easy to make and will last all of December.

You Will Need:

• Oranges
• Cloves
• Red Ribbon (I prefer cotton)

(optional: extra ribbon or cotton string for hanging)

1. Make sure your oranges are as round as you can get them, that will make it easier getting the string on and staying on evenly. Simply tie the red cotton ribbon around your oranges like wrapping a christmas gift and securing it in one end with a knot and a nice bow.
2. Now add your cloves by poking them through the peel/skin in the pattern of your choice.
3. If you want them hanging in a window or in the opening of a door attach an extra ribbon/string for the hanging or arrange nicely on a platter or other christmas decoration.
4. The wonderful scent will soon fill the room.

Potato Pancakes

Made with mashed potatoes, these Potato Pancakes has always been one of my favourites. My mum made them for me as a kid and since then I've been hooked. Best eaten with lingonberry jam, possibly even some fried crispy vegan bacon.

You Will Need:

• 2½ dl (1 cup) Water 
• 2 dl (3/4 cup) Dairy Free Cooking Cream or Non Dairy Milk
• 1 pinch of Salt
• 3½ dl (1½ cup) Plain Flour
• 2 tsp Baking Powder
• ½ dl (1/4 cup) melted Dairy Free Margarine or plain cooking oil
• 2½ dl (1 cup) Mashed potatoes (using day old leftover mashed potatoes works great)

1. Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl. While whisking add the liquids. (the melted margarine must have cooled down before adding to the batter) Keep stirring while adding to avoid the batter getting lumps. 
2. Add the mashed potatoes.
3. Leave the batter to "swell" for 5-10 minutes.
4. Fry each potato pancake in oil on a medium heat until the top is just set, flip and fry on the other side until golden. (If the pan is too hot the pancake will get golden too fast and won't be cooked in the middle)
5. Now they are all ready to be eaten with lingonberry jam. (can be substituted with cranberry sauce, as long as it isn't too sweet)

Ischoklad / Melting Ice Chocolate Treats

New recipe featured on One Green Planet, our very easy to make and super tasty Ice Chocolate. A traditional swedish treat for the time around Christmas.

Click Here For The Recipe

Or read below

Swedes love sweets and especially around holiday time. That is when everyone love to stuff their faces with food you don’t usually eat for the rest of the year.

Ice chocolate is one of those things, usually never eaten at any other part of the year except for December/January, around Christmas time. It is said to be named ice chocolate as it just melts in your mouth.

Very easy with only two ingredients.

For this recipe you will need: (makes around 40)

• 200 grams Vegan Chocolate
• 100 grams Pure Coconut Fat (this is what gives the ice chocolate that melting ice effect as coconut fat melts at 20C / 68F)

Preparation:

1. Melt the chocolate and coconut fat using a water bath (bain-marie). Using a glass bowl over a pot of lightly simmering water. Make sure the water isn’t boiling on to the glass bowl, that can make the chocolate too hot. It should melt by the steam.
2. Spread your aluminium mini cups on a tray (that will fit in your fridge). Add the melted chocolate/coconut mix in the aluminium cups using a easy to pour container.
3. Leave your ice chocolates on the tray in the fridge until set. Enjoy.
4. Eat straight away or leave the chocolate balls to cool in the fridge.

Festive Holiday Tips:

• Add a couple drops of mint in the melted ice chocolate for winter holiday effect.
• Do two batches of ice chocolate, one white and one dark chocolate. Fill the aluminium cups half way, leave to set and then fill the rest with the other chocolate.
• Crush some of your favourite winter candies. Like candy canes and add a few crushed bits on top of the filled ice chocolate cups before they set.

Saffron Buns/ Lussekatter

Using saffron in sweet buns is common in Sweden and during advent and christmas, very very common. The lussekatt is a sweet saffron bun ment to be eaten at St:Lucia Day on December 13th. 

There are many different old reasons why the swedish people celebrate this day, dating back to before christianity. All from the winter solstice and the re-birth of the sun to Lussinatta, the Lussi Night. When "Lussi", a female being with evil traits, like a female demon or witch, was riding through the air with her followers, called Lussiferda. 
Look here for more interesting information.

You will need: (Pre-heat oven to 250C / 480F)

• 150g Dairy Free Margarine
• 500 ml Vegan Milk (+ extra for brushing)
• 50g Fresh Yeast (or dry yeast equal to 50g, read on packet)
• ½ tsp Salt
• 1½ dl (½cup) Sugar
• 1g of Saffron (powder)
• 1.3 L Plain Flour (13 dl)
• Raisins/ Sultanas

1. Melt your margarine and add your milk to it. Heat until finger warm with the saffron (37C / 98F)
2. Dissolve the yeast with the milk/margarine liquid in a big bowl. Add salt, sugar and around 2/3 of the plain flour.
3. Work the dough until shiny and add more of the flour. Saving 1-2dl (½-3/4cup) for the rolling of the dough later on. 
4. Sprinkle with flour and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Leave to rise in room temperature with out a drag until the dough has doubled in size. (approx. 45-60min)
5. Once your dough has risen, put it on a floured work bench and cut into 30-40 pieces.
6. Roll each piece into a sausage shape as thick as a finger and shape into the classic lussekatt-shape. (or shape of your choice, but remember that size will effect how long it has to be baked.)
7. Place evenly on oven trays with baking paper and leave to rise until they almost double in size.
8. Brush with dairy free milk and gently push a raisin/sultana in each swirl on the buns.
9. Bake each tray in the middle of the pre-heated oven for 8-10 minutes. Until just golden.
10. Enjoy your Swedish Saffron Buns.

Soft Gingerbread Cake

I received an email request for the traditional swedish soft gingerbread cake. Here is my simple and tasty version. Eat as it is or with some lingonberry jam (can be substituted with cranberry jam/sauce)

You Will Need:

• 1dl (100ml) Melted Vegan Maragine
• Egg Replacer Equal to 2 eggs (I use Orgran No Egg)
• 2 dl (3/4 cup) Sugar (white or brown)
• 3 dl (1 1/4 cups) Plain White Flour
• 2 tsp Baking Powder
• 1 tsp Ginger
• 1 tsp Cloves 
• 2 tsp Cinnamon
• 1 dl (100 ml) Dairy Free Milk (or Vegan Yogurt)

1. Melt the margarine.
2. Whisk egg replacer and sugar.
3. Mix all dry ingredients in a separate bowl, then add all wet ingredients and whisk well. 
4. Grease a loaf tin and sprinkle with bread crumbs to avoid the cake sticking.
5. Pour the batter into the tin and bake at 175C / 345F min in the lower part of the oven for 40-50min. Make sure you test the cake with a tooth pick or cake tester before taking it out of the oven.
6. Enjoy!

Cheese and Veggie Pie

New recipe of ours posted today at OneGreenPlanet, "Cheese" and Veggie Pie.

Simple, yet tasty. Cheese and veggies go very well together — combine that with a crispy pie crust and I am in heaven. The best thing about this pie is all the possibilities. Root vegetables, grilled vegetables, fresh garden greens, filo pie crust, plain flour pie crust, puff pastry crust and more. Let your imagination run wild.

For this recipe you will need

Pie Crust (4 options):

• Store bought dairy free puff pastry
• Store bought filo pastry sheets
• Store bought pie crust
• Home made pie crust: 1 1/3 Plain White Flour, ½ tsp Salt, 100 g Dairy Free Margarine & 3 tbs cold Water. (all is mixed together and stored cool before baking)

Filling:

Here is where your creativity comes into place, use around 500 grams (½ kilo) of your favorite veggies. For this recipe I used: Zucchini, Baby Tomatoes, Garlic, Onion, Eggplant, Bellpepper and Mushrooms. But other veggies goes well in a pie too: Potato, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Sweet Potato, Leek, Artichokes and much much more.

Cheese Base:

• 50-100 g Dairy Free Margarine
• 500 ml Plain Dairy Free Milk/Cooking Cream (I used plain cooking cream made from oats)
• 3-4 tbs Plain White Flour
• 1 Vegetable Stock Cube, Salt, Pepper and/or other spices of your choice
• Grated Vegan Cheese or Parmasan Powder (to taste)

To be baked in:

• Round pie baking tin 26-28cm / 10-11inch in diameter (margarine or oil for greasing)

Directions:

1. Pre-heat your oven to 200C / 390F.
2. Mix all the ingredients for your pie crust or use your store bought pastry. Bake for 10-15 minutes.
3. Clean and peel your vegetables. Cut into desired shapes and just quickly satué in a frying pan with some oil. (this stage is just to get things going so the veggies will be cooked properly coming out of the oven. If using root vegetables, broccoli or cauliflower boiling/steaming them first is a good thing)
4. Now time to start with the cheese filling. Melt the margarine and add the flour while stirring continiously. Start adding your milk/cream some at a time. Add the vegatable cube and spices, remember to stirr and stirr so this cheese sauce won’t stick and burn. Grate the cheese and ass to the sauce/ sprinkle in your parmasan powder. Taste!
5. Add all the vegetables into the pie crust and pour the cheese filling on top.
6. Cook in the oven for 20-30min until the cheese has set and is golden.
7. Eat with a nice side salad and enjoy.

Tip: If you wait and serve the pie once it has cooled down your pie slices will be perfect, eating it hot straight out of the oven the cheese is more of a sauce than set.