Scandi Foodie

Vegan Inspiration - Soba Salad

2012-01-27T05:16:00.001+11:00

It is never too late to change a habit. A habit is a habit is a habit - correct? The 21-Day Vegan Challenge has certainly proven me that if you break that habit (be it anything at all) and give yourself time to adapt (21-30 days), you will succeed. "I could never give up cheese", I used to say. "I only really eat a little bit of dairy", was my other excuse. Now, after over two dairy-free

21-Day Sugar-Free Vegan Challenge - Week 3

2012-01-25T06:54:00.003+11:00

It's the final week of my 21-Day Sugar-Free Vegan Challenge! Thank you again for your comments and emails, they really mean so much to me. In my previous post, I mentioned how 'easy' this challenge has been for me. By that, I really only meant the part of not eating any animal products - that has been a no-brainer and I haven't missed anything at all. On the other hand, however, this challenge

Vegan Zucchini Tarts

2012-01-23T15:25:00.002+11:00

Hello hello my lovelies! I hope you had a great weekend! I am very excited about this recipe. The more I embrace the vegan diet, the more I discover recipes I can make vegan. Like these tarts, for example! I always used to think one needs an egg white (if not the whole egg) to bind the base ingredients together when making a tart and one might even need to throw in some dairy or another

Skin Beauty Salad

2012-01-21T18:27:00.000+11:00

I never really used to worry about my skin health back in Finland. There was hardly any need to be concerned about sun damage, I didn’t have bad acne or other skin conditions and I was getting enough sleep, exercising and eating well. When I moved to Australia, I was surprised how many people were complementing my skin. No one had ever said anything about it to me before and I had just taken good

Vegan Carrot Muffins

2012-01-19T05:03:00.000+11:00

Hi friends! Here's the vegan breakfast recipe I promised you earlier this week. These carrot muffins became my instant favourite - and they're sugar-free too! I love the gorgeous colour given by the freshly made carrot juice and they are just perfect for your breakfast table or enjoyed with a cup of tea in the afternoon. It's funny how we tend to think baking as such a strict,

21-Day Sugar-Free Vegan Challenge - Week 2

2012-01-17T04:49:00.000+11:00

It's the second week of my sugar-free vegan challenge! How are you guys going? Have you tried any vegan meals yet? There is certainly no shortage of vibrant, nourishing vegan meals for lunches and dinners, but coming up with ideas for breakfast may seem more troublesome. I made this vegan baked rhubarb oatmeal last weekend and I was immediately hooked! I love finding a new dish to add into

Baked rhubarb oatmeal

2012-01-15T09:31:00.003+11:00

This morning, after being down with a cold for the past four days, I felt like having something a bit more wholesome and warming for breakfast. I can't think of many meals more comforting than a bowl of oatmeal and that's exactly what I needed this morning. Combined with almonds, chia seeds and cinnamon and a layer of soft rhubarb on the bottom, this baked oatmeal is truly comforting, and

A Trio of Dips

2012-01-13T12:36:00.002+11:00

Hi friends! Thank you so much for all the feedback on the vegan challenge! I'm so excited to hear so many of you are keen to take part on the challenge and hopefully some of you have been inspired to at least consider adding a couple of vegan days on your week every now and then. I have had a major craving for dips/spreads/purées of all sorts this week. These three colourful dips are my

21-Day Sugar-free Vegan Challenge - Week 1

2012-01-11T07:50:00.001+11:00

You know I like a bit of a challenge, yes? Well, this time I’m asking you to join me – so, are you in?? Let’s do a 21-day sugar-free vegan challenge together! Since quitting sugar, meat and dairy off my diet, people kept asking me "what can you eat then?". This challenge is hopefully proving the point that vegan food can be versatile, nutritious and tasty. Vegan food is not a sacrifice, but

A quick weekday meal: Black-eyed bean stir-fry

2012-01-09T18:27:00.001+11:00

Hello dear friends! Just a quick new recipe for a week night meal idea. This is a super-easy stir-fry, but such a pretty one I couldn't resist sharing the recipe with you! Black-eyed peas/beans are a great addition to the seasonal, colourful veggies I picked up from the farmers' market on the weekend. Just leave the beans soak for the day, cook them while you're prepping the vegetables and

On conscious, mindful eating + A recipe for Power Balls!

2012-01-07T13:25:00.001+11:00

In my New Year’s post I talked about the changes I had made during the previous year - quitting sugar and dairy and returning to vegetarianism. All these choices were pushed by a strong will for a healthier life and a growing awareness of my surroundings. I have always been very conscientious, so it feels like a natural, ethical decision to not eat meat and instead eat foods that I feel

Inspired by Raw

2012-01-05T13:56:00.000+11:00

It may not always seem like it, but I actually eat most of my daily meals raw. I love starting my day with a green smoothie and prefer salads and other raw meals for both lunch and dinner. This is not just a summer thing either, but I enjoy raw meals throughout the year. Obviously the abundance of fresh produce in summer makes it much easier to stick to all raw foods and during the cooler months

Juicing and Cleansing

2012-01-03T18:25:00.000+11:00

This morning I visited my local health store to stock up on some liquid iron (a supplement I take every now and then), Super Greens powder (containing spirulina, barley grass, chlorella and wheat grass) and other essentials (raw chickpeas, sunflower seeds, flaxseed oil, etc). I can just imagine how busy these stores get right after New Year. Everyone has made that (same) New Year's resolution to

Recipes for Green Cleaning and Grooming

2012-01-02T16:06:00.000+11:00

In recent years I have become growingly aware and worried about the amount of chemicals my fiancé and I encounter in our daily lives – our morning grooming routines, weekly household cleaning and washing all involve using a number of different kinds of products. I have started paying more and more attention to what kinds of products we use for these daily tasks, what the products contain

New Year's Menu

2011-12-31T07:47:00.000+11:00

Another year has come to an end – and what a year!! It’s been an incredible year, highlighted by a career change, an engagement and a new home. After 6 years in Australia, I am finally starting to feel at home here, and I have finally found my place. Towards the end of 2011, I took some radical steps towards even a healthier, happier future. I went back to being a vegetarian (which I’ve

New Year's Salad

2011-12-29T11:23:00.001+11:00

As many food traditions as there are for Christmas, New Year's celebrations have always had a somewhat less significant and much less 'strict' array of dishes on offer (at least in my family). I suppose most people cook so much for Christmas that by the time it's New Year's everyone feels like something easy and quick, yet celebratory food for the occasion. In my family we often prepared

Quick Summer Gazpacho

2011-12-27T10:54:00.000+11:00

Now that we've all survived Christmas (or have we?), it's time to take it easy for a few days and let our minds and bodies rest. My Christmas menu worked wonders and I felt satisfied, but not stuffed. Still, I don't mind having a few lighter days to balance things out and this quick summer gazpacho is a perfect way to enjoy summer's bounty. I've used sweet tomatoes as a base for this

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-23T06:49:00.000+11:00

Hi friends! I hope you are all well and happy and easing into the Christmas spirit. I'm sure some of you are busy baking and preparing Christmas meals or doing some last-minute gift shopping, but I hope all of you are able to take a break, even a short one, and relax a little. Although Christmas in Australia is always somewhat different to me than what I'm used to, and I still haven't

Finnish Christmas with a Twist: Cool rhubarb glögg

2011-12-21T17:27:00.000+11:00

It's been a busy end of the year for me and I'm sure I'm not the only one anticipating a little break. It'll be a short one for me, however, but even a few days off are more than welcome. I am hoping to spend some time just sitting outside, on the balcony, with a cool drink in hand, reading a good book. The drink of choice for me would have to be this cool rhubarb glögg - a spiced drink made

Finnish Christmas with a Twist: Rosolli - Christmas Salad

2011-12-19T18:14:00.001+11:00

My 'Finnish Christmas with a Twist'-menu would not be complete without rosolli, a humble vegetable salad that so unconditionally belongs to a Finnish Christmas table. You may have noticed the abundance of beetroot recipes in this blog lately, but please allow me to squeeze one more in, as the gorgeously ruby root vegetable is definitely the quintessential ingredient in this salad. I've

Finnish Christmas with a Twist: Carrot-Quinoa Casserole

2011-12-17T04:43:00.004+11:00

The realisation that Christmas is only a week away suddenly came to me whilst browsing my calendar. I had clearly been so immersed in all other activities that I had successfully closed my eyes and ears from the Christmas clutter one can bump into just about anywhere at this time of the year. I deliberately avoid all shopping centres (even when it's not Christmas) and although I've written

Sprouted chickpea salad

2011-12-15T11:44:00.000+11:00

I am not sure why it's taken me so long to share a sprouts recipe here on the blog, but one reason might be that sprouting is something I do occasionally rather than on a regular basis (although I buy sprouts regularly), and having been just bitten by the sprouting bug (again), I couldn't resist sharing a recipe with you. I must warn you, however, that there may be many more sprouts recipes

Toasted buckwheat and beetroot salad

2011-12-13T16:52:00.000+11:00

I am quickly discovering all the necessities around my new neighbourhood - the rock pool by the sea where I can do my morning laps, the perfect-length running tracks, the yoga classes (although I've now been practising at home) and of course the farmers markets and the nearest organic and health food stores. When we were still inspecting units, the real estate agents often tried to sell the

Finnish Christmas with a Twist: Lanttulaatikko - Swede Casserole

2011-12-11T14:57:00.000+11:00

It still hasn't hit me that Christmas is only two weeks away! I haven't bought a single present yet and there is hardly any evidence of the silly season in our home. I only took out a couple of Finnish Christmas decorations because they happened to be in a box I was emptying after we moved in. There will be no tree and certainly no lights wrapped around the balcony rail. I'm not

Sugar-free Christmas Baking: Spiced sweet potato tarts

2011-12-08T09:54:00.000+11:00