Let’s face it: If your a carnivore reading this, you have most likely already dismissed the idea of making this recipe. Why? Because sadly, most veggie patty recipes out there seem deliciously healthy… but once you click over to read a recipe, you encounter a potion-like list of ingredients and steps. What was meant to be healthy and easy ends up becoming a mission.

I’ve personally rejected the idea of attempting to make falafel at home, with the excuse that most recipes call for deep frying, prodigious amount of starches, chilling, freezing, breading… with the express purpose of making them hold together and not come apart in a pan full of oil.

So yes, I’ve tried it in the past and I’ve failed. BUT last Sunday I was feeling like eating something flavorful and ‘healthy-ish’ and all I had at hand were the ingredients I’m about to list below. You’ll be surprised at how geniously creative we can be when we’re limited. Who was it that coined the phrase, “Necessity is the mother of invention.”? Well, that person was spot on.

This time, I came at it from a simpler direction: only using the ingredients I had at hand, not caring if my falafel would offend any falafel-know-it-alls AND most importantly, forgetting about frying. Who has the time and the stomach for that, anyway?







ana degenaar

Now, before I FINALLY move on with this recipe, let me just say, eat these as you wish. I went the wrap way because I was craving a nice wrap – but you can eat these as you wish. The idea is to make this recipe work for you. Open your pantry and bask in your options. Who knows, maybe we can swap notes at some point? I’d love to get more ideas.

To make baked falafel:

• 1 can of cooked chickpeas
(I can hear the above mentioned know-it-alls gasping at my suggestion of not using dried chickpeas... but it is what it is)
• 1 tablespoon of grated onion
• 1 small grated garlic
• 2 tablespoons of fresh parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric
• 1 teaspoon of cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon of paprika
• 1/2 tablespoon of tahini paste
• A dash of fresh lime
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Steps
1. Use a food processor to combine all the ingredients
2. Make small patties (about 2 TBS portions)
3. Pace them in a pan lined with baking paper or greased with olive oil
4. Bake in a preheated oven at 180ºC for 20 minutes or until they look golden and dry
5. Let them cool off before removing them from the pan so they don’t stick

Serving suggestion

Tzatziki
• 1/2 cup of natural greek yogurt
• 1/3 cup of grated, seedless cucumber
• 1 clove of minced garlic
• 1/2 lime juice
• 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley (replace with dill if you want authentic tzatziki)
• 1 tablespoon of chopped mint
• Salt and pepper to taste




Wraps
I make these wraps at home whenever I crave a good sandwich – and realistically they don’t take a whole lot of extra time, but it does involve gluten, kneading and more dirty dishes... so instead, you could also use some paleo bread or gluten free tortilla if you wish.

I also served this one with radishes (because, obsessed!) but the falafel alone is deliciously enough.

Add more tahini paste over the top and get really to have your mind blown by a simple falafel wrap.

ana degenaar

I'm a firm believer that trying out new food causes the same level of endorphins to run through your body as traveling to a new place does. Also, the stranger the better. Of course, I'm not a scientist and that hypothesis could very well be dismissed by one – but, not offense to scientists, I've know that for a fact since I was 4.

Growing up, my parents never gave us "kiddie" food. We were not presented with a plate of cutely chopped up fruit and nuggets at the dinner table. Instead, we were sat down in front of assortments of food, which if it hadn't been for the normality of it all, I'd have found terrifying to say the least. In my mother's repertoire there were oven baked fish (skin, bones, HEAD and all), bone broth, an assortment of seafood that ranged from raw fish to still-moving raw clams and much more. And now in my advanced age of "ahem!" those are the sorts of things I crave.

Yes, the try-everything-once mentality I carried on from those years has gotten me into a bit of trouble. I've had the sad luck of eating some treacherous, salmonella-inducing dishes in my lifetime (all of those tried away from home)... but as many deep thinkers would say, "You gotta risk it to get the biscuit". The biscuit, in this case, is that rush I mentioned before.

I digress.

This ceviche was a weekend favorite in my house and I still regard it with the same awe today. I don't really know if you can call this "cooking" but for the sake of sharing some happiness with you, I’ll share my recipe for – let’s call it, "Ana's Must-Eat Cevish"… No? Ok, then.

Leche de Tigre (say that three times) or "Tiger's Milk", is a Peruvian concoction traditionally made from the citrusy marinade of ceviche. And this is what will go into the chopped up fish:

The Recipe

Download in PDF

1/3 cup of fresh orange juice
1/4 cup of fresh lime juice
1/2 garlic clove
Kosher salt to taste

Puree all the ingredients in a blender and you're done!

Next, you will also need:

1/2 ounces of your favorite semi firm fish
1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/3 cup of diced avocado
1/2 teaspoon of chili flakes or fresh chili
Chili oil, half a lime and some sort of springs for serving. I personally prefer coriander.

Now for the hardest part (just kidding):

Cut the fish in equal size cubes (it helps if everything is cooked in the tiger milk at the same time) and pour the concoction plus the rest of the ingredients you prepared earlier and toss gently to combine; let it sit for 5 minutes and add your chili oil and coriander springs. Taste to see if it needs more lime or salt and serve that with a crunchy side dish.

I like mine with chips. The ones pictured above are sweet potato chips.

… and just like that, you've made yourself a bowl of your next obsession. Avocado toast, who?

Photography: Ana Degenaar

It's a universally acknowledged truth that there’s no such thing as eating "just one chip"—that commercial was sadly right when it comes to not getting enough. These days everyone is turning everything into a chip: they vary from kale and parsnips to the unfortunate avocado chip.

In my humble opinion, lukewarm, battered avocado slices shouldn’t qualify as a "fry" or a "chip"... but you know what should?... The mighty cassava fries—they (and I don’t say this lightly) beat the classic white potato which brings close to zero nutrients and fiber to our bodies.

Cassava (also known as yuca or manioc) is one of my favorite paleo/gluten-free sources of starch. This root veg is well known around Asia, Africa and South America. In fact, here in Brazil, cassava is the #1 choice for starch—otherwise known as tapioca.

I use cassava as a substitute for potatoes—and to the initial resistance of my little EP, it’s been going into our stews, soups and the occasional baked fries that we all deserve once in a while. Cassava is a little sweeter than regular potatoes and it also takes a little longer to cook but when done right, it can surprise even the staunchest potato lover.

To be honest, I can kind of understand why this gluten-free goodness is not more often picked up at the supermarkets around the world. It isn’t the prettiest veg you’ve ever seen. It looks exactly like what it is: a root. Brown, waxy and tuber-like, so no—it won’t win the "sexiest vegetable competition" but what it doesn’t have in looks it makes up for in flavor, texture and versatility.

For the purposes of further persuading you into giving this a try, I’ve dusted off my camera and created a recipe that’s easy and delicious.

Here are my (I-need-a-vacation) Garlic Baked Cassava Fries With Cilantro-Lime Mayo.

Ingredients

For The Fries
2 Medium cassavas
4 smashed (skin on) garlic cloves
2 tbsp of avocado, coconut or canola oil
1 tsp of sea salt

For The mayo
1/2 cup of cilantro/coriander leaves
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 roasted garlic clove
(from the baking pan)
1 cup of mayonnaise
(better if homemade)

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit or 250 celsius.
2. In a large pot of water put 2 tablespoons of salt and set it aside.
3. Using a large peeler, peel the cassava, taking off the brown and the pink part of it and leaving just the white flesh.
4. Cut your cassava into batons. The thicker they are the fluffier they turn out on the inside.
5. Add the fries to the boiling water and cook for 10-20 minutes, or until tender.
6. Drain the fries and pat them dry.
7. In a baking tray, place your oil, salt and smashed garlic cloves and massage to cover all of the fries with the mixture.
8. Pop into your oven for about 10 minutes or until golden brown.
9. While the fries are cooking, make the cilantro lime mayonnaise. Add all the ingredients, except the garlic clove (which you will take from the tray) and pulse in your mixer until combined. Once the fries are done, pick out a clove, peel it and throw it into your mixer and pulse until ready.
10. Serve your fries with the mayo and sprinkle with a little more cilantro.

Recipe Notes
If you encounter any issues peeling your cassava, go to Flor for help.

The cassava should be white on the inside with no dark spots. If it has spots you will need to discard it as it might not be the freshest.

Contrary to what a few people believe, no, cassava is not toxic.

Let me know what you if you want more recipes, you can leave suggestions below. Happy weekend!

Sarah Fennel

I’ve been a carb lover my entire life. Since I was a tinier version of myself I would get giddy at the sound of the words "bread", "pasta" and "pizza" and, truly, who doesn’t!? The convenience that loaves of bread and the pocket friendliness of pasta represent in any parent’s life have made us all gluten addicts and I’m not full-blown ashamed to admit I am one of them.

It’s a tricky situation to navigate through life loving and indulging in those things you truly like and dismissing the effect that they have on your body—until you arrive at a point in your life (the exact one I’m at) and try not being so indulgent and not giving into the pleasures of entire French baguettes with butter and countless bowls of pasta topped with Parmesan—then, you arrive at the terrifying realization that while those scrumptious foods feel good in your mouth, your body feels better without them.

Yes, I’m becoming one of those people who worry about gluten... and while I truly dislike some people excusing their true motives (weight-loss and fitness) by self-labeling themselves as "gluten intolerant", I must admit my body THRIVES when I eat less of it. It’s not only my body to be honest; it’s my energy levels. It’s the way I’m able to process things mentally and even my mood.

The more I research about this topic and the more I try to go gluten free some days of the week, I realize my little pasta-loving monster aka EP, 9-year-old thinker and most recently beach volleyball athlete daughter, might just feel the same way. Thankfully we have an entire world of delicious food at our disposal and while our options might become a little more limited, our bodies will thank us in the end.

These pancakes are a testament to how wide the gluten-free world is becoming and I’m ready to expand my views and invite my daughter to jump on this train with me.

Where do you stand when it comes to gluten? Have you ever gone without it?

Photography ©️ Georgia Ruby

When it comes to food, I’m almost always on the savory side. Breakfasts for us at home are all about flavor. One of my favorite combinations is a nourish bowl of scrambled eggs, curried quinoa, sauté spinach, avocado, roasted zucchini and some type of pickled veg or kimchi for gut health.

Sadly, I haven’t been able to eat like that these days—but nothing stops a true breakfast lover from tackling a scrumptious recipe once in a while, don’t you think?

As you may already know (and if you don’t you’re about to find out) my love for zucchinis borders obsession. Really. I’ll try not to fan-girl this time around because last time I posted about them I nearly wrote a poem about how much they mean in my life. Also, I’ve noticed their recurrent appearances on my social media.. and I do not need to give people more reasons to think I’m an isolated nerd.

My point is, eating well is so simple. Only if we had a plethora of recipes at our fingertips, right? Oh, but we do! My latest devoured and approved recipe: Gluten Free Zucchini, Herbed Ricotta and Caper Tart by George Eats was (how can I put it without being over the top?) sumptuous, majestic… glorious. I tried.

What it was is something you need to make and try at least once. That’s what it is.

What I LOVED the most about this tart is the use of tapioca flour in the dough. Not only because I live in the land of tapioca but also because it gives the dough a very nice texture. The addition of that little bit of grated parmesan Georgia recommends makes the shell golden brown and oh-so-flavorful.

Now, don’t get me started on the filling—because I cannot… Just to mention a few of the ingredients: capers, dill and of course zucchini. What else can we ask heaven for?

Nothing I think.






Photography ©️ Ana Stanciu

For the next chapter of my very enthusiastic food posts, I will try a recipe by Ana (lovely name) from The Awesome Green. She has Millet Chocolate Energy Bars in her mouth watering archives that I need to put to test—and if by looking at those pictures you too don’t feel like giving those a try, I cannot help you.

P.S. Any zucchini-related recipes are more than welcome. Feel free to drop a line.

Photography © Norm

Nærvær is Copenhagen’s new wine bar and restaurant, located on the breathtaking water front framed by the city lights of Krøyers Plads. The restaurant has become a perfect gathering spot for local residents and for the many from outer lands now flocking to see it.

The restaurant is about presence. The word Nærvær in fact means “Presence”. Isn’t that what we all long for in such busy times—to be present, closer, to be mindful and surrounded by the things that bring us more meaningful experiences?
The team behind the interior design is no other than Norm Architects—an obvious personal favorite. If you’ve been around here for a while you might already know that.

Norm gives Nærvær a feeling, a presence and closeness with an array of all natural stone, rich wall colors, wood, tactile upholstery and metal materials. The personal and warming space overlooks the water and has the city lights as its backdrop, making this space that much more of an experience than a mere place of meeting.

The bar is laid-back and personal, filled with small niches where people can have an intimate chat or freely walk around the place with a glass of wine in hand.

This thoughtful project is without a doubt one to write home about. The experience starts from their carefully crafted and unique ceramics, made by the one and only Maj-Brit Würtz.—A stunning collection, that is.

Chef Yves Le Lay is at the helm of the gourmet restaurant. He has developed a personal style and signature with strong roots in the classic French cuisine, but with simplicity and freshness from the Nordic kitchen. Always based on the absolute best ingredients, prepared and processed with high technical precision and playful curiosity for new tastes and textures.

That all said, I am sure visiting them will satisfy your curiosity. How about paying them a visit next time you are in Copehangen?

Photography © Hugh Forte

There are no winters where we live . . . and while it guarantees us a lot of wonderful things—like endless, sunny days and opportunities to take strolls down the beach—the guarantee closest to my heart is having courgettes of every color and every kind available to us at the market. And as predictable as this next statement might be, so be it: There are courgettes on my table every single day. Read this and weep.

Don’t ask me why this obsession surfaced; it might have come about years ago when I learned about the nutritional facts or maybe when I realized how versatile and delicious they are in both savory AND sweet recipes—I just can't get enough of them.

There’s something light, classic and effortless about courgettes. They're good and forgiving companions. From a gorgeous and glamorous fiori di zucca to my almost daily 5 minute zucchini and eggs breakfast, these nutrient-packed and waist-line friendly mini gods make incredibly delicious recipes . . . like this Roasted Zucchini Pasta Bake by Sara Forte of Sprouted Kitchen which I have yet to try—but staying true my melodramatic claims, I'm sure to love.

For this wonderful recipe, please see Sara's blog.

Where do you stand when it comes to courgettes? Love? . . . hate!? Please do share.

Photography © Signe Birck Ronny Emborg is a renowned Chef based in Denmark. He's part of the highly enticing movement ‘The Sensory Kitchen’ — a cooking style where the dinning guest must use both eyes, ears, nose and taste during the meal. His book The Wizard's Cookbook presents 112 detailed recipes with pictures of every sensory dish. Dishes like: Frozen halibut, salted and dried cod roe and anchovy crème and Juniper bush parfait, forest berries and crispy lichen. From front to cover, this book is filled with absolute stunning imagery and stories.