Category: Desserts

Sweet but still healthy!

Lentil & Shrimp Salad

Until I moved away from home and started eating for health around 10 years ago, I never even knew about lentils. Given that lentils are tasty, filling and a nutrient superstar, it has now become a staple in my diet. Lentils are packed with fiber, protein, minerals and vitamins. They are fairly low in calories (230 calories per cup cooked) and contain almost no fat. I love eating foods that I know are good for my body and even better is when the meal keeps me full for hours, like this  salad.

This salad has it all. It´s filling, it´s tasty and it´s pretty. It sounds silly to say that it looks pretty, but we all eat with our eyes and just look at all those beautiful colors! Doesn’t´t that make you happy? For a healthy and complete diet that covers all your nutrient needs, a good advice is to eat food of all colors of the rain bow. This salad covers most of them!

It works perfectly for both lunch and dinner – in particular when the weather is hot like at the moment. If you are vegan or have shellfish allergies, the salad is also great with tofu as a substitution. Of course, you could also just leave it out completely!

Lentil & Shrimp Salad

Serves 8

Ingredients

  • 1 cup dry lentils
  • 100g arugula
  • 1/2 cucumber
  • 5 green onions
  • 1 red bell pepper
  • 1 yellow bell pepper
  • 1 mango
  • 1 cup edamame beans (no shells)
  • 1 cup pomegranate seeds
  • 800g shrimps
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1 spicy red pepper

METHOD

Rinse the lentils and boil with a bit of boullion according to the package instructions.

While the lentils are cooking, rinse the arugula and chop the cucumber, green onions, bell peppers and mango.

Combine the arugula, chopped vegetables, edamame beans and pomegranate seeds in a large salad bowl.

When the lentils are done cooking – be careful not to overcook them so they become mushy! – strain any excess water and leave the lentils to cool a bit.

Finely chop the garlic and red pepper.

In a large pan, cook the shrimps. When the shrimps are done cooking, strain any excess liquids from the pan. Add the garlic and pepper to the shrimps and continue cooking for a couple of minutes.

Remove the shrimps from the heat and add both the shrimps and the lentils to the other salad ingredients in the salad bowl.

Toss and serve!

NOTES

The salad can be served either warm or cold. I´m not even sure which I prefer as both are delicious! Normally I have it warm for dinner and have cold leftovers for lunch the next day.

Let me know how you like it!

 

StephLeave a comment

Koldskål – A Danish Summer Speciality

As a Dane, there is no summer without koldskål and no koldskål without summer!

Having lived abroad for most of my life, I have always been fascinated with the cultural differences when it comes to food. Here in Switzerland, local dishes are dominated by the use of cheese in for example raclette, rösti and cheese fondue – dishes that people eat frequently but that you would never find outside of Switzerland. Similarly, Lance, my American fiancé could not believe that I had never in my life had pumpkin pie before we started dating. Given how much I love pumpkin pie now, I cannot believe myself either how I could possibly miss out on this for the first 20 years of my life!

From a Danish perspective, there are also several dishes/foods that you wonder how other people get by without. Proper dark bread, Danish pastries (trust me – what they sell in other countries marked as “Danish Pastries” is nothing like the real thing!) and koldskål, just to name a few.

So what exactly is koldskål? I think the closest I can describe it is a cold sweet soup with a lemon vanilla flavor. It can be eaten as dessert, but us Danes like to eat it at anytime during the summer. Be it for breakfast, dinner, dessert or a snack in between meals! It is normally served with strawberries and kammerjunkere, which Lance claims taste exactly like Nilla Wafers. As I´ve never had Nilla wafers myself I can´t vouch for this but they are small compact and crunchy cookies that are only very lightly sweetened. Combined with the lemon vanilla flavor of the koldskål, this makes the dish refreshing rather than sweet. Which is why it can be enjoyed at anytime of the day! 🙂

Vegan koldskål

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

  • 400g silken tofu
  • 1 cup milk of choice (I used cashew milk)
  • 10 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
  • 4 teaspoons finely grated lemon peel
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla
  • 1/4  cup granulated sweetener of choice (I used Xylitol)
  • Top with strawberries and kammerjunkere

 

METHOD
Grate and squeeze the lemons so that you have the lemon zest and lemon juice ready to go.

Add all other ingredients to a blender and process until smooth. Gradually add the lemon juice and lemon peel until it has the desired taste. I like mine with a rather strong lemon taste for it to be more refreshing, so you may want to use less than what the recipe calls for here.

Pour into bowls and serve cold with strawberries and kammerjunkere.
NOTES

Koldskål is meant to be refreshing on a hot summer day. It is therefore best enjoyed very cold! If your ingredients aren´t cold when you blend them, put the koldskål in the fridge for half an hour before serving.

As mentioned, everyone likes their koldskål a little different. Experiment with the amount of lemon and vanilla you use until you find the level that is right for you.

I´m sure you´re wondering where the recipe for kammerjunkere is. I haven´t created this yet, but am working on it. Until the recipe is ready to be posted on the blog, serve either with just strawberries or with strawberries and Nilla Wafers.

What´s your favorite national dish? I can´t wait to hear!

StephLeave a comment

Vegan Chocolate Mousse

Normally, I am not the biggest fan of chocolate mousse. Made with sugar and cream, it feels extremely heavy and leaves me feeling physically uncomfortable. Especially if it is served as dessert after an already large and indulging meal. Does anyone else feel that way?

HOWEVER, after creating this much lighter, much healthier version of chocolate mousse, I have a newfound love for this decadent dessert. Unlike the traditional version, it actually satisfies that sweet tooth without making your blood sugar levels go on a rollercoaster ride. On top of that, it can be prepared in advance which makes it the perfect dessert if you are having guests over. You can actually spend time with your guests rather than feeling stressed in the kitchen, worrying about the mess you are creating as you try to whip up a Michelin masterpiece last minute. Or am I the only one who does that???

The secret to this mousse being so light and airy is the use of silken tofu instead of cream. This makes the dessert suitable for vegans as well as everyone else! If the thought of baking with tofu is unfamiliar to you, please don´t let this scare you off. I promise you that no one will ever be able to tell what it is made from!

It is light, healthy, decadent and takes less than 10 minutes to prepare. What is not to love?

Vegan Chocolate mousse


ServeS 3 

INGREDIENTS

  • 400g silken tofu
  • 80g dark chocolate (I used 92%)
  • 2 tablespoons cacao powder
  • 2 tablespoons date syrup (or other sweetener of choice)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Berries and chocolate shavings for toppings

METHOD
Melt the dark chocolate in a water bath.

Add the melted chocolate and all other ingredients into a food processor or blender and process until smooth.

Pour into separate ramekins and put in the fridge to firm up for a minimum of 30 minutes.

Serve with your toppings of choice. I found the combination of strawberries, blueberries and chocolate shavings to be very refreshing!

VARIATIONS

  1. For an even more refreshing mousse, try adding 1 tablespoon of orange juice and 1 tablespoon of orange zest.
  2. For a richer mousse, try adding 1 tablespoon of Baileys or 1 tablespoon of coffee.

NOTES

If you are pressured for time, the mousse can be served immediately after blending the ingredients together. However, it is best if you have time to leave it in the fridge for a minimum of 30 minutes to firm up a bit. You can also leave it in the fridge overnight. A bit of liquid might form on the top of the mousse, but simply stir the ramekins using a teaspoon before serving.

Please let me know if you try this! I am curious to hear if I am the only one who likes this much better than traditional chocolate mousse! I´m also curios to hear which variation you prefer. I couldn’t´t quite decide myself…

StephLeave a comment