When it comes to smoothies, I have always tried to keep the ingredient list as short as possible. Not just because it makes it more simple to prepare, but the flavour also turns out fresh and flavourful.

My man still refers to my green smoothies as “drinking a forest” or “chewing on a lawn” but the truth is - he has never even tasted them.

Surely, flavours with a tone of bitterness have to be "acquired" by most people. For example, when you start drinking coffee and green tea it makes it so much easier if you mix it up with something sweet. That is, coffee and milk or green tea and honey. 

This smoothie, looks super green (!), but trust me it tastes of pineapple and cinnamon. It is the perfect weekend smoothie since it requires a bit more prepping time. Or if you fancy it during the week - you can always slice the pineapple and wash the kale the night before. That would probably half the preparation time. And also, I have always been super suspicious about celery; it has such a pungent taste! In this recipe however, I doubt you will even feel it. 

Cinnamon green smoothie
Serves 1-2 people

1/4 pineapple
2-3 leaves (75 g) green curly kale
1 red apple
1 stalk celery
1/4 avocado
1/2 lemon
1 orange
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp cinnamon

Wash the apple and celery and cut into small chunks, pop into the blender. Slice off a quarter of the pineapple, remove the tough skin, chop into chunks and add to the blender. Peel and add each orange segment to the blender.

Wash the kale and remove the tough stems. Squeeze the juice from half a lemon. Open an avocado and spoon out a fourth, then add to the blender together with the  kale and lemon juice.

Add the spices and fill up with cold water up to one third of the blender's height. Blend for at least 2 minutes. Taste, and feel free to add more cinnamon if desired. 

Serve directly!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Let's fill the new year with love, nourishing food and yoga.

This year we spent Christmas in France and went to Stockholm for New Years Eve. We have been spoiled with amazing food and I was excited to finally teach yoga to my French and Swedish family. In France, we rolled out a large bedspread and practiced a hip opening routine. It was the day before Christmas and a magic hour . 

In Sweden I first practiced with my mum and sister, then with my enthusiastic grandmother, followed by my mum again and at last I practised a core strengthening routine with my dad. I am still amazed by how each of these moments were so special and I feel so lucky to be able to share this knowledge with them.

After being spoiled with delicious food - I even got to try oysters in France, I was happy to share some of my latest  favourite recipes with my family in Sweden. When I travel, the main thing I miss is having a green smoothie for breakfast. It increases my energy and it makes my skin glow and my belly happy. To my pleasant surprise, my family loved it. So let me share it with you, too. 

When it comes to smoothies I really like it simple. In my experience, a few simple ingredients makes the most refreshing flavour.

Creamy kale smoothie with ginger and lemon
Serves 2

2 cups (100 g) curly green kale, stems removed
2 small or 1 large sweet red apple(s)
1 orange, segmented
1 lemon, juiced
1/4 avocado
1 tbsp chopped fresh ginger
1 1/2 cup cold water

Wash the kale and remove the stems. See how I do it here. Chop the apples and put them at the bottom of the blender. Top with the segments of an orange, the juice of a lemon, avocado, chopped ginger and the kale. Lastly pour the cold water into the blender. Start on a low speed and then blend on high speed for two minutes. 

Serve cold in a nice glass. Drink as it is or why not top it with some granola and eat it with a spoon. 

This is a "let's feel great" - kind of smoothie! 

I finally did it, I recreated one of the best kale salads that I have ever tasted. And what is even better, it is even more delicious than I remember it. First time I had a proper massaged kale salad was at the Good Life Eatery in London. When my plate arrived I was at first almost frightened by the huge load of kale. I was used to adding it to my salads and smoothies but not as the main ingredient. What surprised me was that the salad still tasted like kale, duuh, but without the bitterness. This is how I figured out that you have to massage it to remove the bitterness and bring out the sweetness. While traveling over the past few months I haven't been able to buy or prepare any kale. But the idea of making something similar to the above mentioned (and pictured) salad have still lingered at the back of my head. Now when we're finally here in San Francisco there is, no surprise, an overload of kale in every store. And I have a proper kitchen. And I had my first blog reader request for a recipe featuring sweet potato and kale. Well, I had to get down to business.

Massaged kale, quinoa and roasted sweet potato with avocado dressing
Serves 2-3

1 bunch organic kale
1 sweet potato
4 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup quinoa, I used tricolore

1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 an avocado
1 tbsp teriyaki sauce
pinch of sea salt
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp olive oil

nutritional yeast
shelled hemp seeds (optional)
pumpkin seeds (optional)

Preheat the oven to 180°C/360°F. Peel and chop the sweet potatoes into small chunks. Place on a baking tray, sprinkle with cinnamon and use your hands to toss the chunks in coconut oil until evenly covered. Be generous on the oil. Spread the chunks in a single layer. Place in the oven and roast for about 40 minutes until tender.

Grab the bottom of each kale stalk and pull upwards with the other hand. The whole leaf will come right off. Wash all the leaves in a big bowl. This is a trick that I learnt from the chefs at my previous job. Any dirt will sink to the bottom, and you can simply remove the top leaves after a few minutes. Squeeze out the excess water in the kale leaves before placing them in a bowl. Pour over some olive oil, lemon and salt and start to massage the greens for about 3-5 minutes.

Bring water to boil in a pan and add the quinoa. Simmer for 12-15 minutes.

Meanwhile prepare the dressing. Mince the garlic clove. Mash the avocado in the bowl and add garlic and teriyaki sauce. Try to find one with natural ingredients. If you cannot find one, substitute with a mix of tamari sauce, honey, ginger, vinegar and sesame oil. Taste check. Pour the dressing over the kale leaves and mix carefully with a spoon.

Drain the quinoa and fluff with a fork. Remove the sweet potatoes from the oven when golden and crisp. Let cool. Add the quinoa, sweet potatoes, nutritional yeast, hemp seeds and pumpkin seeds to the bowl. Carefully mix together. Ready to serve!

I also add some vinegar to the water to remove potential dirt or pesticide residues. 

Create a salad with decorative toppings, or mix it all around!

.. and since food is better enjoyed in good company - please let me know if you happen to turn around any kale critics with this recipe! That would be amazing!