peachy bruschetta appetizers

Today I want to share my simple recipe for mini bruschettas. These things are super easy and each part of the bruschetta can be prepared the day before serving if one wants to, yay! Plus, these little creations are delicious!

For about twenty mini bruschettas you’ll need

• one baguette
• a goat cheese you like
• four or five peaches
• butter
• brown sugar
• honey

The day before I served these I prepared my peaches! I sliced my peaches into small wedges, then I fried them in a pan with a generous amount of butter and brown sugar. If your peaches are really, really sweet you can skip the sugar, but I find that it goes well with the buttery taste. Be quite cautious while frying them, they easily stick to the pan! When they’re done, let them cool and then put them in a box in the fridge.

The next day you buy a fresh baguette and slice it into half-inch pieces. Then add them to a pan with a small amount of butter, you don’t want to soak them. Heat them up so they look all grilled and nice. If you’re not serving immediately, let them cool and store in an airtight plastic bag until you are.

When it’s time to serve you take one slice of the goat cheese and top each slice of bread, then add two wedges of your fried peaches. Then, as the best part of it all, drizzle some honey over each bruschetta! It really makes it all come together. Serve and watch as the plate quickly empties!

the worlds easiest berry cake

Just like the title implies this is THE easiest cake you could ever make. i have not done a tutorial for this, since it so easy any way.

This is all you need

• Store bought or home-made sponge cake (I did not bake mine myself, that would spoil the ‘easy’ part)
• Whipped cream
• Lemon curd
• Loads of fresh berries
• Nuts (I used almonds)
• A can of sprite

Start by pouring some sprite on each of the sponge cakes, I used five layers in my cake. The sprite helps the sponge cake to become more moist and less dry. Then whip you cream, I used almost three cups (7,5 dl) put some in a separate bowl, this later goes on the top! Mix the rest of the cream with lemon curd to taste. I had quite a lot, I’m a sucker for that stuff! Start layering your lemon curd mix on the sponge cake, throw your favorite berries (mine are blueberries and raspberries) and nuts in there, repeat. It’s just three easy steps really! Pour sprite, layer on cream and another sponge cake, easy peasy.  When the cake is as high as you want it, top it off with some regular whipped cream and arrange some berries. Done!

This is a great cake to make a day ahead, it only gets better if it’s allowed to set over night!

I am SO impressed that this little (enormous) piece of cake could stand, almost more exiting than the actual cake!

super easy grilled summer veggies

Enjoying the last days of swedish summer I just want to share a really easy way for serving veggies! I am a really big fan of roasted carrots and sweet potato but it feels like it’s been done to many times now. Then I discovered this beautiful way of serving them. This is also a great way of serving at a party, it serves a lot of people and you can make as much as you need.

Just pick you favorite veggies, I found some gorgeous zucchini so that was my main ingredient. I added a large sweet potato, some onion and potato. You could easily add tomato, carrots and eggplant. I topped it all off with some fresh spices, I had thyme and basil at hand. Add some olive oil, salt and pepper and put them in a pre-heated oven (200 degrees celsius) for about 40 minuets.

 

It looks fancy and like you spent more time on it than you actually did! I love clever cooking!

pink beetroot hummus

So I had this party last saturday and I made some really good vegetarian dishes. I paired them with to kinds of sauce, both served cold and made the day before. This one I’m really exited to show you, mostly because it’s delicious but also because it’s hot pink. I love that color, it adds a very nice touch to your plate. Perfect to serve with salad, roasted veggies or simply as a dip. Did I mention it’s really easy and impressive at the same time?

This is what you’ll need

• One drained can chickpeas
• 3 roasted beetroots
• 2 cloves garlic
• lemon juice
• 3/4 cup olive oil (1,8 dl)
• 3 tbsp tahini
• salt & pepper

First off you’ll need to roast your beetroots, I bought some that already had been boiled so I could just slice them into wedges and put them in the oven with some olive oil and salt. They need 200 degrees celsius and 15 minuets.

While they’re in the oven rinse your chickpeas and pour them into a bowl. Chop the garlic and add it to the bowl. Squeeze in some lemon juice (preferably fresh) and pour in the oil. Add the tahini, which is a sesame paste that you add for genuine hummus taste. When you’re done you mix it, I used my immersion blender but a mixer would work just as well.

Take the beetroots out of the oven and let them cool for a bit. When they’re not super hot you mix them with the hummus as well. It will turn a gorgeous pink and the beetroots will give the hummus a sweeter taste.

And it’s done! It’s a very good sandwich spread as well, I made vegan rolls with soy beans and baby spinach. A very tasty sandwich roll for all you vegans out there!

This is what it looked like when I served it at the dinner party. I would say it was a total hit! If you have a version of this recipe I would love to hear it!

Also I want to mention that I finished the knock off asos dress that I mentioned in my very first post. Photos and tutorial coming soon. So exited to show it, I’m so pleased! xo Pella

lime mojito jello shots (vegan)

I made these little bad boys for my birthday party, I served them with the welcome drinks (which I sadly did not get on picture, they disappeared too fast!). These are simple jello shots but served in a really cute way. Truth be told I only made these because I like the way of serving them in the lime slices, but they tasted better than expected. Not sure I am over thrilled by the jello texture though!

They are easy to make and I love things you can make ahead! I made these the evening before the party, but you could make them two-three days earlier, at least, just keep them in the refrigerator.

You’ll need 

• 12 limes
• Dr Oetkers Vege-Gel
• Food Coloring
• Mojito essence
• White rum
• Water

You could easily leave the rum out and just use more water, then you’ll have cute kid-friendly treats with fresh lime taste! Would probably be a total hit!

Look I evan managed to match my knife withe the limes, yay!

If you’d like you could make these with jello mixture and just follow the instructions on the package but I’m not a big fan of gelatin so I use the vegetarian substitute.

First of all you have to handle the hard part and that is hollowing the limes. For this I used a melon baller and a small sharp knife. I used the knife to try to cut loose as much as possible and them i scraped the rest out with the melon baller. Remember to not cut the limes in to wedges yet, that’s for when they are filled and the jello has set!

The inside of the limes will probably not look perfect, just as long as they are hollow it will be fine.

It’s time for the jello to be mixed. I mixed mine according to the package of my vege-gel. I boiled one and a half cup of water and added one sachet of vege-gel mix. Then I whisked it and let i cool a bit before adding the mojito essence (just a tablespoon or two). All of this will have to be done quite quick so the mix will be smooth. The last thing I added was the white rum, half a cup.

I placed my lime shells in a plastic container, so that they will not tip over, and start pouring the jello into the shells. Put them in the refrigerator for at least three hours and then they can be cut into the cute wedges. Each lime makes for four wedges when finished.

So there it was, a great make ahead party treat for grown up!

watermelon drinks (non alcoholic)

Right now it’s season for those really sweet watermelons that hardly have any seeds in them! That makes it even easier to make drinks with them. I was aiming for a kind of breakfast drink, not to heavy or too much like a smoothie, just something cold to cool you down before emerging out in the heat. It’s a four ingredient recipe so you can easily whip this together.

You’ll be needing this:

• half a watermelon
• ice (crushed)
• agave syrup or sugar
• lime

It’s really quick and you just mix the watermelon, the smaller ones hardly contain any seeds so pick one on the smaller side. It will become really watery and not so thick when mixed. Add as much crushed ice as you like. Then a little squeeze agave syrup (or sugar) if you want it just a bit sweeter. Then you just add the lime and serve the deliciousness you’ve just made!

It will totally be a hit! I am also thinking about using this recipe for my birthday party that’s coming up. Just add some bacardi in the mix and it should be a great welcome drink!

I’ll be glad to hear some of your variations for watermelon drinks. Or tell me if you decide to try this one!

vegan banana bread with coconut

I don’t know about you but I am a sucker for the banana coconut combo! It’s the perfect summery mix of sweet tastes!

Some of my friends are vegan and when they come over I usually want them to feel as welcome as all of my other friends. By “welcome” I mean “well fed”. And that’s kind of hard to accomplish when a lot of the things in the kitchen contain eggs or milk or such. Therefor I try to make banana bread! It’s like a treat but also not to unhealthy (kind of). And this one is with coconut taste. The trick is the coconut flour, it’s just milled coconut that you can buy in most well assorted the stores. It’s mostly used for people who can not eat gluten but tastes so nice more people should use it! Did I mention this bread is really quick to make as well?

Since I’m writing from Sweden and want to share this recipe with as many as possible I’m just going to say that when I use 1 cup you take 2 dl and when I use 0,5 cups you use 1 dl and so on!

What you’ll need for this bread is 

• 3 really ripe bananas
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 cup coconut oil (could be switched to sunflower or olive just as well, I just prefer coconut)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• a pinch of vanilla powder or essens
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder (you could just stick with one of these but the combination will give the bread that extra power to rise and be all fluffy)
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• a pinch of salt! (love the salt, don’t skip it)
• your choice of different nuts (I picked walnuts and hazel)

You preheat you oven to 175 degrees celsius, then you take the cake pan of your choice and butter it up with the coconut oil. Here you could choose to sprinkle it with coconut flakes, but I had non at home.

The next step is mixing up those mushy bananas! Put them in a bowl and have a go at them! Add sugar and vanilla powder. Then you pour the flour and the coconut flour into to bowl (don’t mix). Add the baking soda and powder, cinnamon and salt, now you just mix the dry ingredients first and then you mix it all together. I mix in a lot of nuts in mine, but you could have whatever you like, such as raisins, coconut flakes or different seeds.

Then it’s time to pour it into the cake pan and admire your work! Put it in the oven and wait for about 40 minuets! Let it cool and then enjoy with your vegan friend. But I truly recommend this recipe for anyone, not just vegans.

Good luck with the baking, any question just ask in the comment field!