Summer has come, hurray!!! Mr. Timberlake’s and Mr. Pharrell Williams’ summer hits are streaming from the stereo, a light breeze from the window is playing with my dress and I am drinking lemonade – do I need to say that this is my version of being in heaven!
When living in scandinavia summer is something we spend many months dreaming of and after waiting in anticipation for it to come everybody seem so happy when it is finally here… and guys I tell you love is in the air this time a year!
This is probably not so different from anywhere else – people just seem to fall in love at summer time. Even though I have been in the same relationship for almost 7 years now, something magic happens when the trees turn green and the air gets warm – I fall in love all over again!

What better way to celebrate love and each other than going on a picnic, a weekend trip or a long walk in the forrest. Luckily I have created the most awesome and delicious picnic snack. Granola bars with pistachio, white chocolate and cranberries.. Okay I admit these tasty bites can be enjoyed at anytime – alone or in company with someone else – but I will still dedicate this batch to celebrate summer and love.

I have tried to make these filled with flavour, whole grains and energy but not loaded with empty calories. I made the base of egg, bananas and rolled oats. The filling can be varied a lot, but I love the combination of the sour and sweet cranberries together with the pistachio and the sweet white chocolate. As (almost) always I have added my beloved lemon zest to create flavour and aroma together with cardamom and vanilla.
Grab a hand – lead the way – find a sunny spot – and enjoy each other and these granola bars…

I am so proud to announce that I have started doing freelance recipe developing for The Guardian Cook. They have been featuring some of the recipes from the blog for a while now – and recently they asked me to come up with even more recipes to fit into their weekly ’10 best recipe’ issues. I am absolutely thrilled to be recognized for my work and I think it is a huge honor to be working with a news paper of their size and range, awesome!!!

This lemonade recipe is from their ’10 best picnic recipe’ issue. Personally I am a huge fan of picnics. I love the fact that you’ll sit outside on a blanket surrounded by nature, flowers, butterflies and the smell of grass while enjoying lovely small dishes made with love. In the ’10 best picnic’ issue you’ll find my interpretation on a sparkling grapefruit lemonade that will be perfect for any picnic or simple lunch on a hot summer day. You’ll also find another picnic recipe of mine; Spicy apple trifles with custard and crunchy granola made in individual jars. This little dessert is easy to carry along on a summer as well as a early fall picnic. It is a healthy way to enjoy a dessert and I love the fact that you get a whole portion to yourself.
So if you are interested in seeing the recipes and getting inspired on how to assemble the best possible picnic basket, jump over to The Guardian Cook and check it out.

Food and people aren’t really that different. Some are sweet, lovely and more beautiful during summer time. Others are handsome and bulky and thrive best during winter time. There are those who have a hard and cold surface but on the inside they will be soft and irresistible. And regardless if we are talking food or people you’ll just have a deeper and more meaningful relationship with some than others.
During my whole life I have had several love affairs with all kinds of food. The sweet and fresh berries in the summer time, melty chocolate on a cold winter night, bursty grapes and soft goats cheese combined in a salad, a crispy pie crust, a baked and tender aubergine and in my world the one and only EGG (laid by a chicken). I have an absolutely soft spot for eggs. I love them in the shape of everything from raw to boiled and grated in a funky dressing. They are so damn versatile and they can make all baked goods, pies, fish, dressing, creams, breakfast etc. go from boring to ecstatic.

I use eggs in a lot of my meals, especially when I cook up small dishes on regular week days. We’ll have a bowl of beans & veggies topped with a runny egg, a stuffed omelette, a pie with a creamy egg filling, aubergines dipped in egg and fried on a pan – you name it we have tried it. My breakfast is often very dependent on eggs as well, in particular when I make my favourite pancakes. Because besides being a perfect glue in any batter eggs are filled with protein, vitamins and minerals to keep you beautiful, happy and full.
One thing I find irresistible about eggs are when they are cooked to have a runny yolk. An egg yolk will make an absolutely amazing and creamy dressing that can improve any stew or crispy sandwich. I have always been fascinated by poached eggs, they are beautiful and mysterious and has a golden and runny inside. But somehow I have always been terrified to make them. Crack an egg open and put it in water – WHAT – how is that not gonna be a disaster. But as it turns out it is very easy and one of my new favourite ways to enjoy my beloved egg.

This type of meal is something I have made for quite some time in a lot of different variations. I have a crispy piece of bread topped with a creamy spread, some veggies and a runny egg. Before I just made a fried or boiled egg with a runny yolk, but from now on it will be a poached egg crowning my favourite lunch.

This recipe is relying on the springy asparagus that we see popping up all over the place right now. They are incredible and to my preference a little roasting makes them totally irresistible. The avocado cream has gotten a little spike from the mustard which is a perfect fit with the creamy egg and the tomatoes that are shinning in the middle. You could also use a creamy goats cheese on the bread instead of avocado or make a spicy hummus out of beans. And if you prefer spinach instead of tomatoes, roasted sweet potato instead of bread or pepper over asparagus you just choose and pick as you desire. This recipe is easy, well balanced and something we enjoy very often! Jump on board and poach your way on to it!

You know the old say about how you should always have a note blog and a pen at your night stand, because all the good ideas and thought appear just before you fall asleep or during the night. Apparently you are too busy to listen to your brain during the day, that is why as soon as you relax, empty your head and get ready to drift off – your brain takes a chance and starts speaking up – so cleaver!
This is actually something that is happening very often in my life. Whenever Jonas and I set down to see a movie, go for a walk or get ready to sleep – I grab my iPhone and scramble down all the ideas on new recipes, flavour combinations, new ingredients etc. everything that has pilled up in the back of my head during the day – without me knowing it! I always have tons of ideas in my digital note book, and it is the first place I look whenever I have to prepare dinner or get inspired to do a new blog post.
As you might have guessed this little recipe was born this way, on the road, while travelling to Copenhagen last week!

My food preferences have started to be more light and fresh now as spring is slooooowly sneaking up on us – I tell you the mighty Mother Earth has made a slight mistake in her calculations this year, but all forgiven. Now my meals are filled with fresh and crispy greens, raw salads and mild seasoning that brings out the natural flavour of the food, just perfect!
These galettes are filled with some of my favourite ingredients and flavours; Goats cheese, fennel and apple. Not only do they compliment each other very well, they are also perfect when cooked or raw and even in desserts. This galette is actually just on the egde of being a dessert-ish kind of dish. But the unsweetened whole grain crust and salad on the side draws it back on the savoury side.

As soon as I decided on combining apple, fennel and goats cheese I started thinking about how to cook the fennel before adding it to the galette, in order to extract some of the fluid and add more flavour. There is something magical about caramelization – salty/sweet has always been a big hit in my book! I remembered a recipe I once stumbled upon from the amazing Ottolenghi and I instantly new I had to add caramelized fennel in this galette. I ended up changing the recipe into my own, using more fennel seeds, maple syrup, and skipping herbs and garlic – and WOW I was amazed how absolutely incredible caramelized fennel could be, seriously better than candy. It was actually sooo good that I for a moment considered just eating all of it, because it was too good to add in a galette.
That is why I can only say that the caramelized fennel is a dish in itself. Please make it, enjoy it and add it to everything. I was thinking  toasted wholegrain bread with goats cheese and caramelized fennel on top. As a tapas dish, a part of a brunch, on flat bread, on pizza, as a snack – just eat it and do not stop again!
For now you can try it with this galette in a great combo with the salty goats cheese and the raw juicy apples. I made a rye crust with butter, but if you prefer a crust with vegetable oil just use this. Furthermore I served this with a light and crispy summer salad with asparagus, pear, spinach and a vinaigrette. It was a lovely addition and the minty flavour gave it an extra little kick that goes perfect with the sweet galettes.

Oh you guys, I’ve been looking forward to sharing this with you! Not only because it has become my favourite snack meal/breakfast, but also due to the fact that it is a tribute to spring and all the amazing light summer meals that melts our hearts this time a year!
I’ve been spamming my Instagram pretty much with pictures of my chocolate porridge experimenting – but I am pleased to say that this version is my absolute favourite one, and in fact the healthiest, ha!
The story behind this chocolate breakfast obsession is that I started following a pretty cool surfer chick from Australia (again on Instagram, I know I am addicted). Well she keeps posting these awesome exotic looking shakes, puddings, porridges and juices – all looking really colourful and so tasty. You can imagine that I ended up craving all these wonders without a clue on how to make them. That is when I started experimenting – on a daily basis!

Normally I am not really a chocolate-breakfast kind of girl – in my world it is a bit too early to get a chocolate fix and most days I prefer an egg and toasted rye bread. But after an early workout or if the sun is really trying to impress me with warmth and sunshine – I sometimes give in and have this for breakfast! Else I can really recommend trying it as an afternoon snack, dessert or included in a brunch. This was the same feedback I got from my best friend who tried the recipe: Post running snack, yes please!

After all the test runs of these different porridge variations, some including: chia seeds, nuts, chocolate milk, cocoa nibs, avocado etc. I ended up with a perfect and cheap version using only; rolled grains, flax seed, cocoa, milk and fruit!
The procedure is pretty easy, you soak rolled grains with milk and flax seed overnight or a couple of hours. Next morning you add the rest and blend until it is smooth and creamy and serve it with fresh fruit. Sometimes I add a bit of topping as roasted coconut flakes or nuts, but really you can do whatever you want. You can even leave out the chocolate if you prefer it without and instead add a bit of spices as cardamom and vanilla and enjoy it as a raw fruit porridge.
The finished porridge keeps well in the fridge for 2-3 days as long as you store it in an airtight container. This way it becomes a perfect and easy to-go breakfast. You just arrange a portion in a jar with some fresh fruit on top the night before and bring it with you when you leave in the morning. I thought this was so good when I travelled to Copenhagen this week, a healthy and delicious breakfast on the move, yum!

Last year in my internship I was fortunate enough to participate in a national Cherry Festival. And yes it was exactly as it sounds – a festival to celebrate the ripe, sun-warmed and aromatic Danish cherries. There were stands all around with cherry products; ice cream, syrups, juice, wine, and compote…you name it! It was absolutely amazing, I don’t ever think I have eaten so many beautiful cherries before!
My role in this cherry festival was to work in a folk kitchen, where people came and participated (for free) in making there own three course cherry meal, all of them supervised by us – this ‘us’ did include some very talented chefs. I loved this job. People were absolutely thrilled to get free food and new knowledge, and afterwards when they enjoyed their meal and the talk and laughter was floating in the air – we all just looked at each other and smiled! Talk about living your passion here!

About the food… we made some very simple and yet incredible tasty meals that captured the feeling of summer with the use of other seasonal foods together with the ripe and juicy cherries. All of it perfectly balanced in flavor and texture!
Some of what I remember is how to properly cook the fish we used; European plaice! An almost national fish – unfortunately famous in the deep fried almost orange and greasy dough version, served with fries on the side. Well this was not the way we made them! First of all we used freshly caught fish! Then we double folded the filets in order to have a thicker fish and be able to fry them and still get a crispy crust and a moist and tender middle. The filets were then rolled in rye flour and fried in butter and oil, did I mention all of them turned out perfect! This method seemed bullet proof and the result is irresistible.

In this recipe I wanted to include this method of preparing the fish. I have stuffed the filets with parsley and mustard and added them on a bed of oven roasted aubergine, capers and pomegranate. Capers are a perfect way to get a salty touch and the pomegranate is supposed to add a little sweetness. I would have preferred to use ripe cherries, it seems right, but as they are not in season right now the pomegranates are a great alternative. Since pomegranate is a bit sourer than e.g. cherries you could use honey mustard in the flounder or drizzle with a bit of honey vinaigrette, see recipe here.

Yeees, I just finished my exam assignment this very moment! Two extremely good looking paper copies are lying here right beside me, ready to be handed in first thing tomorrow. I love this feeling of having accomplished something, even if it is just writing an assignment, but it just feels great and makes you feel at ease.
I am not pretending that I have not enjoyed this intense study time (if that’s what I should call it) because I have actually been doing a lot of my favourite things, including cooking and shooting. Whenever an exam period begins, I clear my schedule and set my mode on alone time and become very structured – this allows me to actually get up early, work out, write, prepare lovely meals in between and mainly relax in the evenings. I love this way of life, so simple and still really productive.
This is also some of the reason why I am not on of those who end up with an empty fridge and an extra pound at the end of a difficult task. I am actually the opposite – and this time around I have even stuffed my fridge with lovely muffins and beetroot cake.

These lovely muffins was actually gonna be my celebration cakes, but I gotta be honest with you – they are looong gone! My celebration today is gonna be with one of my old favourites Beetroot & Chocolate Cake you can even see the latest version (which I am eating as writing) here on Instagram.
But I am still gonna share this newly developed recipe with you, because there is a reason why these wonders are long gone, they were pretty damn tasty. Once again I have played around with using chickpeas in my baking. I am a huge fan, mostly due to the fact that you can skip the refined flour and fat and instead have a moist cake loaded with protein and filling carbohydrates.

This time around I wanted to make a batch of muffins with one of my favourite combinations – white chocolate and berries the kind of cake that melts on your tongue and makes you wanna eat them all. Funny thing here is that you can actually eat them all without flipping your energy balance upside down. These muffins only contain 100 kcal each (and this is including the white chocolate!!) so if you slip and devour the whole batch you can still have dinner without feeling guilty.

When baking with beans I always add a lot of yummy ingredients to boost the flavours and fill the cake with aroma. These cupcakes are flavoured with lemon zest, vanilla, cardamom and of course sweet, aromatic and amazing danish strawberries. I had actually planned on making a raspberry filled batter, but then I saw these wonders, the very first danish strawberries – grown in a green house – but still I wanted to include them in my muffins. And I must say they are a perfect fit with both the lemon, vanilla and white chocolate, yum!
I have gotten so much wonderful feedback on the beans cakes already posted here on the blog, so I truly hope that this one will win over your tastebuds once again and this time fill you up with summer and sunshine.

Happy cake eating and love
Josephine Malene

There are many reasons why I chose the education I did. I have always been very interested in health, eating an energy balanced diet and treating the body with respect and love. Still having experimented a lot in various ways with how to do this exactly, and always very curious on new trends, research and holistic approaches. The love of food, flavour, texture, pleasure and enjoyment has also been a very important factor, because who does not love to eat and treat yourself with colourful foods.
Furthermore the whole aspect of being able to study something that is actually relevant for all people in the world living different lives, has been extremely motivating and interesting. I love the fact that something I read and learn about is usable to me, my body, life and the choices I make. Since the field of nutrition and health is broad and has so many many aspects in every possible direction, I have been able to narrow down and find the path I love the most: FOOD and to be exact cooking, presenting and understanding it! This combined with all the amazing knowledge I receive is a gift, now I can cook food that will build, improve and protect my body and at the same time bring endless amount of pleasure and beautiful flavour explosion.

At the moment I am buried deep in my books, learning about how omega-3 fatty acids influence our body and health. I am writing an assignment on this topic and I have received a lot of new knowledge, amazing! You might be aware of how important essential fatty acids are to overall health. They are vital for cellular functioning, anti inflammatory, protecting against various cancers and have important influence on cognitive functions etc. Unless you want to spend the next to hours learning about omega-3 I will spare you the details, and instead just present you with a wonderful dish that will definitely satisfy your body’s need of omega-3 for one day.
Since fish is the most rich and bioavailable source of omega-3 it is really important to have a diet rich in fatty fish or supplement it with fish oil. Salmon are a perfect source of omega-3 and at the same time an incredible tasty fish – win win! I love to eat salmon; smoky salmon on rye bread, on pizza, a fresh filet in fish lasagna, in a creamy mousse or grilled on the barbecue at summertime.

This recipe is inspired by a lunch dish I have had several times at our local sushi restaurant. It is very simple and so easy to make and only requires a few different ingredients. The salmon is marinated in the japanese marinade teriyaki, which is a slightly spiced and sweet soy sauce normally used when broiling and grilling fish. It is available in most food stores and asian markets and combined with a little chili and honey it balances the lovely flavours of the fish perfectly.
Wakame seaweed has become a favourite side order every time I enjoy sushi. It is a sweet and aromatic type of seaweed originally grown in Japan. Lucky for us wakame is best bud with our omega-3 rich and pink fellow Mr Salmon. To add some fibre and something to keep the dish together I have added rice. Personally I think brown rice will be best suited, but you can of course use all kinds of rice (don’t mind the spelt lying around in this picture – it is an expression of use-what-ever-your-cupboard-allows-you)!
It has become a favourite ’30 min dinner’ of mine and hopefully it will inspire you to remember those lovely fatty fish and all the good stuff  they contribute with. Happy cooking :)

Dear Mother Earth… Thank you for your ever lasting glory and spectacular powers. It has been an exciting winter with snow and a lot of sunshine, but now it is time for the flowers and small green leaves to see the light of day and contribute with their beauty and charm. Thank you for the last couple of weeks with sun sun sun and more sun.. and do not think that we have had enough, we still love it, just keep it coming. This sunshine shake is in your honour, hope you’ll like it and appreciate all the sunshine I hereby give back to you.
Love from Josephine

And to all of you gorgeous fellow sunshine lovers out there. If you feel like celebrating the sun or simply just want to let your inner sunshine out, then try this yellow sunshine shake. I have been making it all days this week, and it has been keeping the sunshine present – both the one within and the big beautiful light bulb shining from above!
I am totally addicted I think it is an incredible starter of the day or a satisfying friend in the afternoon! It is fresh, sweet, mild and very creamy. I love the natural sweetness of both the mango and the banana, but the cultured yoghurt is adding a more gentle touch to it allowing the fruit sugar to rest a bit and not overshine the shake by making it too sweet and intense, but instead balanced and complete!

Oh Nooooo – I just spend 1 hour writing a post that just suddenly disappeared!!

That said – let’s move on.. Lately I have been making a lot of different dished both from my own experimental recipes and speaking of…the whole apartment is smelling like chicken, pesto and spinach lasagne right now – SO exciting! But I have actually also followed recipes that wasn’t my own creation which has been really cool and giving. Normally I am horrible when it comes to following a recipe. I always end up adding, removing and changing so many things that in the end I have created a new recipe. This is really beneficial if you wanna develop recipes, but pretty annoying if you actually for once want to try how the newest salad from Good Things Grow taste like…

A couple of weeks ago I did the magic thing and followed a recipe from the beginning to the end. The life changing loaf of bread from My New Roots. It is a quite popular bread and many of you have probably already made it, tasted it or are planning to try it very soon. I think it is lovely and it does remind me of the grain free paleo bread which is very popular at the moment too – remember this? The great thing about Sara’s bread is that it is vegan and even though it is filled with nuts and seeds it still contains some lovely grains in the shape of oat, which gives a lot of fibre and a little less calories than you’ll get from the nuts and seeds.

Well, what’s a bread without a spread? In this case you can actually enjoy the bread as it is because it’s so rich in taste and texture, but that would not be very fun. So I made a super Sesame & Honey Spread to enjoy on a slice of toasted bread. Turns out that this spread is absolutely adorable and highly addictive. It is fantastic on toasted bread (here any whole grain bread counts), in smoothies. as apple dip, on pancakes, in porridge or just straight from the spoon!
This sesame butter-spread-dip-topping (you name it) is a lovely addition to the already huge nut butter family. It differs in the fact that it is has some sweetness to it and is very aromatic (Note: use dark, thick, unhulled tahini) meaning that it will provide any dish with a little extra touch and some flavour luxury.
Are you tempted to try it? If not imagine these pancakes with a lovely thick layer of Sesame & Honey Spread topped with fresh fruit and berries – bet you’re running to the kitchen now, ha.. At least I am – and not only to eat an entire chicken lasagne on my own!!

Good spring karma, yours
Josephine Malene

Hi everybody and happy Easter. I don’t know with all you guys, but ever since I’ve grown up Easter is something that seems to sneak up on me. I almost always forget that Easter is coming – probably something to do with my little major obsession with Christmas – and when it is here it feels more as a little vacation blessing from above than an actual holiday. We always have a lovely family lunch and a couple of quality days amongst each other, but nothing else is making Easter time as unique as E.g. Christmas. Of course you have the magic chocolate eggs lying around everywhere which is absolutely fantastic – but honestly I eat chocolate without an excuse all the time.
I really think it is time for me to dig up some old fashioned Easter fun again. Go (chocolate)egg hunting in the garden, write small Easter cards for everyone hoping they won’t guess my name and preparing a huge lunch for everyone I love. This year though I’ve been busy and since I have a big exam a head of me I’ve allowed myself to just relax and let everybody else be busy with all the planning, nice!

You could easily say that chicks and rabbits are what you could call Easter mascots. You see them everywhere on decorations, jumping around delivering eggs but also on the menu – a little ironic actually, imagine Santa included in the Christmas menu, drama! Well in Denmark we have a lot of traditional Easter dishes with eggs which is very delicious, but I thought it was time to bring in a recipe with actual meat and why not make a classic one with a very healthy twist..
So I decided to make crispy chicken nuggets. These nuggets are made with whole grain quinoa flakes and baked in the oven in order to be as crispy and awesome, but way healthier, than the deep fried version. On the side I made a favourite of mine; sweet potato fries and then I invented (at least as far as I know) an absolutely adorable dipping sauce with a lot of flavour and no mayo at all – talk about a healthy fast food meal, yup!

The dipping sauce was an idea I got one day when I really craved sweet pickled cucumbers – and no I am not pregnant I just really like pickled stuff. I thought that a creamy mild yoghurt seasoned w. herbs, a little lemon and a twist of cumin would be absolutely wonderful paired with these pickled wonders. And as soon as we are making anything with a ‘fries’ in the end whether it is potato, pumpkin, celeriac or bean fries a creamy, thick dipping sauce is to die for. This one really fits the sweeter type of fries since it is very mild and a bit sour, I would actually go as far as calling it the perfect combination.
It is a very simple and easy dish which I believe almost everyone will enjoy, and it is a perfect dinner for my very own relaxed and simple easter.

Happy Easter ♥
Josephine Malene

Lately a lot of wonderful things have been happening and everything suddenly seem to speed up. It is not more than 8 months since I started blogging and I am still surprised how much feedback and wonderful comments I receive from all of you. Every time I get a new like on Facebook or a new follower on Instagram it makes me so happy and I keep getting surprised that so many people learn about the blog and that it just doesn’t seem to stop but actually just takes on speed, AWESOME! 
Some of my work has been featured on different webpages, magazines and lately the guardian cook has started to feature my recipes too. It is such an honour to be recognized for what I do and love, and it makes me wanna try even harder; keep on developing, cooking, adjusting and experimenting in order to make the best recipes possible.
A couple of weeks ago I received an email from a PR-bureau asking me if I would be interested in experimenting with some organic, partly fairtrade and whole products from Urtekram. Since this organic brand is a favourite of mine I did not hesitate to say yes and since then I have received a wonderful package filled with organic grains, seeds, honey, jams etc. and as some of you have already seen on Instagram, these products have been converted into hot ‘breakfast’ stuff.

This time I wanted to make an easy, delicious and healthy breakfast which is actually possible to grab on-the-go without having to be in a cup. This recipe is related to baked oatmeal but it is a more firm and dense version of the classic recipe. I have used a spelt & date muesli from urtekram. Since the muesli is filled with lovely pieces of dried dates and roasted coconut flakes you don’t really need to add any extra crunch or dried fruit. This makes the recipe really simple and so easy to make – which is a really big plus when it comes to breakfast.

These bars are perfect as a breakfast meal. You’ll get protein from the dairy products (you can of course use non-dairy milk and yoghurt as well) natural fibres from the oat and spelt flakes, antioxidants from the berries and they are not sweetened too much or filled with processed carbohydrates. I love to serve them with a dollop of yoghurt or crumble them on top of a bowl with fruit and yoghurt. And those mornings where I am heading for the gym I like to grab a bar to-go.

In my magic organic box I got many tasty products which I have used a lot. I have been making too many pancakes just in order to splash them with maple syrup and somehow jam has become a steady guest in my bowl of yoghurt. Even though most of the things I received are breakfast and snack products, I have actually included some crunchy quinoa flakes in my next savoury blog post – Can’t wait to share it with you!
But for now I really hope you’ll try these bars – they will change your mornings for sure at least when it comes to time…just make them today and you can stay 10 extra minutes in bed tomorrow.

Happy mornings and love
Josephine Malene