Delfia cake, a semi raw and packed with super food version of a classic Norwegain christmas cake

 

Recipe:

melt:
250 gram 70% chocolate
250 gram extra virgin coconut oil, add to melt after the chocolate is fully melted

whip together till stiff:
13 drops Stevia English Toffee, or yaconsirup or any other sweetener of choice
3 happy eggs with 
50 gram icing sugar 

Pour the melted mixture of chocolate and coconut oil into the whipped eggs and frosting and mix well, no need to whip extensively. Pour half of the loveliness into a bread mould lined with plastic foil (baking paper also works fine). Sprinkle in some walnuts, gojiberries and all natural wine gum before you cover with the remaining chocolate mixture. This cake has to be kept cool over night to achieve the right consistency. 

 

Layer of super treats :o)

Delfia cake is a kind of grown up thing. I could not stand it as a kid, but now I can hardly wait to make the next one! Especially not this super healthy version of the original. At our house half the kids enjoy this cake while the other half find it too dense. For a more visually pleasing result and more to munch double the recipe and use 3-4 dl of walnuts in the middle. (The walnuts substitute the original use of dry cookies.) To make it easier to slice save the wine gum to decorate on the top of the cake as it is hard to slice it nicely with the wine gum inside. Also feel free to decorate the top of the cake extensively with gojiberries and walnuts to taste. Enjoy! 

Gingerbread Fudge Balls

Gingerbread Fudge Balls

We save these for Christmas-time. The little sweet balls are filled with aromatic spices that we associate with holidays, family, and peace..

Recipe

½ cup soaked and dried almonds 
1 ¼ cup pitted dates 
1 ¾ cup almond butter 
4 Tbsp pure maple syrup
1 tsp Ceylon cinnamon
1 tsp ground cardamom 
½ tsp ground cloves
½ tsp ground ginger
1 tsp star anise
a few good pinches of freshly ground black pepper

Process almonds into butter in a food processor. Add the other ingredients and process 1-2 minutes extra. They should be soft and chewy like fudge or caramel and will have an extra yummy consistency when frozen and eaten straight from the freezer. You can also eat the dough just as is.

Simple fermented vegetables

If you are new to fermentation and would like to try your hand, then this recipe for simple fermented vegetables is a very easy way to get started. Eating fermented foods is certainly the cheapest and most natural way to get a good amount of healthy probiotics in your diet and ensure optimal intestinal flora. 

Bacteria found in the gastrointestinal tract plays a crucial role in the proper function of the immune system and aids in the production of antibodies against pathogens. (Remember that approximately 80% of your immune system resides in your gastrointestinal tract!). Friendly bacteria also teach the immune system to distinguish between harmful and benign antigens, and respond accordingly in an appropriate manner. This important feature insures that the immune system does not react to benign antigens, which can otherwise cause allergies. The root of many health problems lies in an imbalance of intestinal bacteria or “dysbiosis”.

Fermentation produces the beneficial microbes that we now know are vital to our health, and regular consumption will help to maintain a healthy gut microbiome. Fermented foods are also some of the best detoxification agents around and help the body rid itself of harmful toxins including heavy metals. 

Try this super easy method at home, and don’t be afraid to vary your vegetables! I always get good results with broccoli, cauliflower, beets and carrots, but feel free to try anything you like. Add a few sliced garlic cloves, grated fresh ginger, or other herbs and spices such as dill or red pepper flakes.

Simple fermented vegetables

Rinse vegetables in fresh water and chop them into smaller pieces. Make a salt brine with approximately 1½ tablespoons unrefined sea salt per 2 cups of water. Fill a large jar or other glass container with vegetables and optional herbs and spices. Pour the brine over the vegetables and fill the jar so that all the vegetables are covered with brine. If they float up, you can place a smaller clean jar on top filled with a little water to hold them down. This is important, as vegetables that float to the surface can get moldy. 

To kick-start the fermentation process you can add 1-2 tablespoons of whey or water kefir, or 3-4 probiotic capsules. However, this is not absolutely necessary - I usually just use the salt brine and let nature do its magic. 

Next, you simply put a lid on the jar and let it sit at room temperature for a few days until you begin to see bubbles. Sniff and taste along the way - fermented vegetables do smell a bit strange, but should not smell awful or have mold on top.

This is how my vegetables look after about four days on the kitchen counter. When you like the taste, place the jar in the refrigerator. The fermentation process will continue at lower temperatures, but slows way down. Fermented vegetables will keep for several months when refrigerated, and flavors will deepen over time. Enjoy!

Throw out your bottle of agave nectar!

(picture borrowed from http://www.bbc.co.uk)


Have you ever read that agave nectar (aka agave syrup) is a healthy sweetener? Yeah, me too. I happily used it for several years as a substitute to refined sugar in my diet. Big, big mistake. Agave nectar is by many a large corporation in the food industry marketed to the health-conscious consumer as an alternative to sugar or other types of sweetening. A string of health stores, nutritional sites and food bloggers can often be seen praising agave for being diabetic friendly, 100 % natural, raw and what not. Yet it is none of these. One of my big frustrations here in life is hearing so-called experts talking about stuff they clearly don’t know anything about and I can’t even begin to tell you how much my blood boils every time I hear about anyone giving the thumbs up for agave.

Why is agave unhealthy?

In spite of manufacturers’ claims, agave nectar is not made from the sap of the yucca or agave plant but from the starch of the giant pineapple-like root bulb. The principal constituent of the agave root is starch, similar to the starch in corn or rice, and a complex carbohydrate called inulin, which is made up of chains of fructose molecules. The process by which agave glucose and inulin are converted into “nectar” is similar to the process by which corn starch is converted into high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) (link: http://www.westonaprice.org/modern-foods/agave-nectar-worse-than-wethought)

TIP: Check out Sally Fallon Morell. She’s one of the most knowledgeable voices within the nutritional world and I encourage you to check out her food bible Nourishing Traditions. It’s great for anyone who wants to live in a natural way and eat “clean”, healthy foods. 

So what are the best sweeteners?

The rule of thumb should be to avoid using sweeteners when you can. Drink your tea without sweeteners and enjoy the taste for what it is. An added bonus is that you’ll soon start noticing tastes that you might not have discovered before due to have “killed” them with sweeteners! When you do use sweeteners, make sure you choose the ones that are natural and unrefined. My favourites are maple syrup, honey, stevia and raw unrefined cane sugar. I also use granulated maple syrup, sucunat and coconut sugar (aka coconut flower sugar). These top the list of sweeteners that have intact minerals and that don’t give you crazy high blood sugar levels. Honey is the king nutrition-wise, but since it’s very sweet I advice you to use it with moderation.

Is the fructose found in fruits and berries also bad for me?

Fructose naturally accuring in fruits and berries, isn’t bad in the same way as free or unbound fructose is. It other words: Eat your fruits without worrying about the fructose (just don’t overdo it, as with any type of food), but beware that if you juice your fruits, the fructose is released from it’s natural form. It becomes more concentrated and it may cause a spike in your blood sugar level. 

Sometimes I just have to laugh when I think about all the things I’ve done and the foods I’ve eaten, thinking I was healthy. The good thing about following me is that you can learn by all my mistakes instead of making them yourself. It may also save you hundreds of dollars on your quest towards a healthier life ;) So please, throw out that bottle of agave syrup today

With Love

Gry

Something satisfying for your sweet toothe: Yummy chia pudding

I love chia pudding! I got into the habit of making it with homemade almond milk, but lately I’ve had a crush for homemade coconut milk. Chia pudding is quick and easy to make, tastes wonderful, fills you up and is so so nutritious. Perfect for lunch if you’re craving something sweet! Since I work from home, I often make this while preparing my breakfast and then let it rest in its own goodness for a couple of hours before I enjoy a yummy lunch.

1.5 deciliters shredded (desiccated) coconut

2 deciliters water

4 tbsp chia seeds, I prefer the white seeds for this dish

12 drops of english toffee stevia

1 tbsp maple syrup (or yacon or raw honey depending on what you prefer)

1 tsp ceylon cinnamon

A sprinkle of good vanilla sugar

1. Blend the shredded coconut and water together and sift the coconut milk mixture through a fine sift/cheesecloth/mesh bag.

2. Mix the chia seeds and the other ingredients into the coconut milk and stir well.

3. Let it rest for minimum 2 hours, so that the seeds swell up and the pudding thickens. I like to add some fresh fruits or berries my pudding, depending on what I have. One of my favourite twists is using maple syrup and some banana slices. 

Enjoy!

Tip: Soaked chia seeds are easier to digest than dry seeds!

How to best heat your food- avoid acrylamide!

 

How to best heat your food - avoid acrylamide

I’m a big advocate for heating food carefully. I often get questions about why I’m so paranoid about the way I heat and cook my food. Well, if you know what I know, then I’m sure you’ll agree on why it’s super important. If you’re not so familiar with acrylamide, then read on for an in-depth explanation on why you want to get this right.

What is acrylamide?

Said bluntly: Acrylamide is dangerous! It is a chemical compound that has been found to occur in many cooked starchy foods. The production of acrylamide during the heating process is temperature-dependent, meaning that the levels rise as food is heated for longer periods of time. It’s not been found in raw or boiled food.

Can acrylamide cause cancer?

According to Folkehelseinstituttet, (the Norwegian health advisory institution), it’s quickly absorbed in the intestines and distributed to the rest of the organism. It heaps up in our reproductive organs and in pregnant animals it is transferred to the foetus. New epidemiological studies show a cause and effect relation between intake of acrylamide and increased risk of cancer in the ovaries and uterine. Another study proved associations between the blood level of acrylamide and breast cancer. It’s also proven that acrylamide can induce nerve damage, kidney cancer and prostate cancer.

How do I avoid acrylamide?

If you often enjoy cooked starchy foods, you should pay special attention. On this list of the 20 most acrylamide-rich foods, potatoes, cereal and cookies are all ranked high. Take a look at this! Starchy foods are almost free of acrylamide when you heat them on a temperature lower than 120 celsius. From there, the acrylamide levels rise gradually and depending on the food, it sky rockets at 160-170 celsius. I always bear this in mind whenever I cook.

Which fats should I use when cooking?

If you’re frying food, it’s best to use saturated fats like ghee or coconut oil. If I’m cooking on high temperatures, I use my home made ghee or extra virgin coconut oil. Although your olive oil may be good for you when it’s raw, a lot of vegetable oils contain trans fats which might endanger your health when heated to high temperatures. Whenever I cook on low temperatures, I use extra virgin olive oil, good organic butter or macadamia oil.

But I love my potatoes, can I still cook them in a way to avoid the acrylamide?

We don’t have potatoes all that often, but whenever I make oven baked potatoes, I cut them in big chunks and let them soak in water for about an hour (minimum 30 minutes). Why? The acrylamide level is reduced by up to 70 % if you let your potatoes soak before roasting them. Also - the acrylamide is gathered in the surfaces, and so a few big chunks is better than many small bits. I then slow roast them with ghee or olive oil on 150 celsius.

Cook your foods slowly

The key thing to take out from all this is that no matter how healthy an ingredient is to start off with, you risk destroying all of the goodness if you prepare it in the wrong way. Keep the temperature low and let your yummy foods cook slowly!

Still not sure and want to read up on this?

If your mouth got dry and hands started shaking after reading this, you’ll find some more interesting reads on acrylamide here. Some studies show associations between acrylamide and increased cancer risk, some fail to prove a connection, so you’re quite free to make up your own mind about this, but I interpret the evidence to be strong enough for me and my family to shy away from acrylamide as much as we csn.

My favorite post-workout smoothie

One of the best things about living in the countryside, is the proximity to the nature. I’m blessed with having the luxury of just running right out from my door and into the woods. Fresh air right on my door step. Amazing! Apart from practicing yoga and going for runs in the forest nearby, I’m really into kettlebells at the moment. I took it up years and years ago, and I don’t know why I stopped doing it, but I recently got obsessed with it again! It’s good fun, the workouts are efficient, and you can do it at home and look up workouts on youtube.

After a good workout, the muscles need rest before they’re build more strength and I love giving my body a post-workout bonus with this smoothie.

Recipe:

2 dl organic yoghurt (or nettle tea of you prefer to go non-dairy)

2 raw egg yolks

2 tbsp coconut oil

2 dl berries, I love black currants

2 tbsp gelatin, stirred in some boiling water

2 tbsp maple syrup

10 drops vanillaflavoured stevia

Enjoy the smoothie and have a good rest before your next workout!

Homemade luxury liver pâté

Here you have the recipe for a real wonderful liver pâté according to what my family and readers tells me. I make sure that my family consume this wonderfully nutrient dense super food on a regular basis. My youngest daughter absolutely loves it! So let me tempt you with this luxury recipe, giving the final result a nice rounded flavour. Even my stepfather, who grew up in Denmark - the land of the liver pâté  expressed a state of euphoria when he first tasted this recipe.

Topped with home made pickles this one is a sure winner in my kitchen! 

Recipe:

500 gram liver, I use ecological chicken liver

4-5 garlic cloves

1 medium sized onion

1 tsp Ceylon cinnamon

1 tbsp tamari

2 tsp unrefined mineral salt

2 eggs from happy chickens

1 tbsp arrowroot, potato or maize starch

150 g melted butter or ghee

100 g bacon, schooled in small squares. I use bacon from pigs that have been allowed to live a natural life outdoors eating natural food

2 cm ginger, finely grated

pepper

Instructions:

Wash and rinse the liver well. Crisp the bacon in a frying pan using the butter or ghee. Add onion and continue frying till the onion turns a nice golden colour, then add the garlic and quickly toss the mix a few times before you take it of the heat so the garlic does not burn. 

In a food processor fitted with an s-blade combine the rest of the ingredients and swirl for a short minute before you add the bacon/butter mixture and let it mix a few more minutes till it´s become a smooth batter.

Pour the relatively liquidy batter into a buttered bread tin. You bake the pâté in the middle of the oven in a water bath, placing the tin in a deep oven tray filled with water, on a 160 degrees for 50 minutes.

Let it cool completely before carefully tilting it out of the tin if you wish to do so. 

TIP: Ceylon cinnamon smooths out the liver taste and gives it a nice round flavour. I learned this from Norwegian/American nutritionalist Sally Haugen. You can read her blog, in Norwegain, HERE! She has also translated my books into English, because, as I am sure you already have noticed: I am not English ;-)

PS: Liver pâté also freezes well, so make some extra when you´re at it and fill up the freezer.

Give us this day our daily bread!

Bread plays a pivotal role in almost all societies around the world, and rightly so, considering that us humans decided to start harvesting from Mother Earth some thousands of years ago. Ever since, grains have been used in various forms to feed us. Bread even plays a religious part in many people’s lives and here in Scandinavia it’s a very important part of our culture.

The tradition of open-faced sandwiches sits strongly among most Norwegian families, and we’re likely to have it for breakfast, lunch (Warm lunch? No thanks, got my sandwich pack here) and even supper! Whilst man has lived well on his daily bread up until the last decennials, there has been a drastic increase of people being diagnosed with gluten intolerance and coeliac disease. Why is this? What has changed in these last years? Did our daily bread make us sick also back in the day? Well, then we should also ask ourselves, what did they do back in the day that we don’t do today when we bake our bread? The answer is time. They took their time. The gluten was neutralized and made more easily digestable through sourdoughs and/or soaking the grains. All seeds and grains are protected by a layer of anti-nutritients (phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors). The only way to get rid of these anti-nutritients is to let them soak in an acidic solution for some hours. 

And what do we do today? Many of us claim not to have enough time to bake our own bread and instead we go shopping for bread. Most of these breads are made with an endless list of ingredients, time certainly not being one of them, and they’re often full of refined and bleached flour, chemical additives to speed up leavening, plenty of salt loaded with aluminum and and big dose of harmful fats. One of my absolute pet-hates is seeing newspapers and magazines listing healthy breads from the supermarket chains! I have yet to see a healthy bread in my local supermarket! (You might not be accustomed to these “best breads-charts” where you live, but here in Norway bread is part of our national identity and bread-charts sell newspapers...) I can’t tell you how many people, young and old, who I know struggle with stomach pains. It’s down right disturbingly many, and often times the problem lies in our daily bread. Baking your own bread is definitely a step in the right direction, but unless the gluten is broken down, you’ll be eating a bread that’s difficult for your body to digest and that gradually will drain your body for important minerals.

My message is simple: How about we all jump on board to take back time? I have four children and as I’m sure you can imagine, my days are all about being a logistics central: picking up, dropping off, birthdays, soccer, ballet etc. Add to that the fact that I’m self-employed and often the only time I have to work is after my kids are fast asleep or when my youngest one is having her midday nap. Most weekends are filled with my yoga or food workshops. I never watch TV because my priorities are to work, spend time with those I love and have some precious alone-time during the evenings. My point is: Don’t come to me complaining about not having enough time. It’s all about sorting our your priorities. Someone wise once said: “If it’s important you’ll find a way, if it’s not you’ll find an excuse.” I challenge those of you who say you don’t have enough time: Take your time to cook good, healthy food and you’ll get the energy to do a lot more than cooking!

Both me and my husband come from families where bread has been a fundamental part of our diets. Born curious and raised in a food-loving family, I’ve spent years experimenting on ingredients and temperatures for baking good bread. I’ve come to the conclusion that bread isn’t the healthiest of things we can give our bodies and therefore it’s all the more important to do it in the best possible way.

A few years ago, my oldest daughter was diagnosed with a hefty gluten intolerance. This being something we hadn’t need to relate to earlier, we resorted to buying gluten free breads. I tell you it’s not only tasteless, but the ingredients are all but useful for a body that’s growing. Shortly after I started baking sour dough breads made by biodynamic or organic rye or spelt, at it works like magic for her. The anti-nutrients and gluten are neutralized to give rise to a bread that’s easy to digest and with nutrients that are accessible for the body.

Oh, and remember, no rules without exceptions: Every Tuesday night after the the news, I watch TV. Right now the Desperate Housewives are on, and although I much prefer Grey’s Anatomy, I’m still glued in front of the telly. I prepare my sour dough before the TV show starts and then I make it ready to soak before I go to bed. I know I can’t really blame not having enough time, because sour dough breads really make themselves, without any artificial additives! I’ll let you know my secrets to baking a real good sourdough bread here.

Stay healthy and feast on your life with good bread.

Welcome to My Nordic Pantry!

I am so pleased to finally be releasing my blog in English. Who am I? My name is Gry Hammer. I am married, with four children, and live in the beautiful countryside just outside Norway’s capital city, Oslo. I am passionate about the benefits of a traditional diet, and have been blogging about it since 2010. My history with food and different diets, goes back way further. You can get the full story in the first of my three books, My Nordic Pantry, which I have followed up with two more books on traditional foods and nourishing treats and snacks. My books are available in Norwegian and my e-books in both Norwegian and English. I teach a variety of classes on traditional cooking and food preparation methods. This fall, I also will be launching my first children’s’ book through my own publishing company, Timshel Press. My books have been translated into English by American holistic nutritionist, registered nurse, and health blogger Sally Haugen. Sally lives outside of Trondheim, Norway, where she has a consulting practice and teaches classes about health and nutrition.   
 

For the english e-books see links on this blog and for all kindle users they will be available on Amazon shortly. (I will post to let you know when they are.) To keep the books beautiful pictures and graphics as they were designed for print, the e-books are made using the newest version of e-book technology and it will show just like a printed version on your device. 

 

 

I hope you will find lots of inspiration and delight here at My Nordic Pantry.  

You can also follow me on instagram as @mynordicpantry