How To Make Lefse (Norwegian Flatbread)

My Norwegian prince charming took me to Epcot for my 30th birthday (if you've never been, you need to go).

The second we walked into the Norwegian bakery, Matt's eyes lit up when he saw lefse (I had never heard of lefse before Epcot).  Matt's grandmother used to make large batches of lefse when he was young.  His Grandma Evy used to feed him lefsa when he was only 9 months old!  This is Matt enjoying the Epcot Lefse.  He was going down memory lane.  I had to get photos of him savoring the lefse.   

I thought lefse was just a tortilla, but I was very wrong.  Now I've learned how to make it, I will share with you the art of making lefse with you.  

I would highly recommend using a pastry cloth and a rolling pin cover.  You will be able to roll it out thinner and it won't stick as easy.   

The make lefse, you will need:

3 cups, riced potatoes

3/4 cup, white flour 

1 Tbs. vegetable shortening

sugar

salt

Peel and cube the potatoes.

 Place them in a pot with water.  Heat the water and potatoes together.  Bring to a boil, then turn down to medium heat.

Keep the potatoes on medium heat until they are fork tender (about 25 min.)

Once the potatoes are cooked, drain the water and let them cool down.

Mash the potatoes through a wire strainer to make riced potatoes.  They have a tool called a "Potato Ricer," but this is what I had in my kitchen. Sorry for the terrible photo.  My hands were a mess and it was bad lighting.  You get the idea.  The potatoes become fluffy and smooth.  Makes the best mashed potatoes ever! :)

Measure out 3 cups of the smooth and creamy potatoes and put in a big mixing bowl.  

pour in the melted vegetable shortening.

Sift in the flour

 sugar

 and salt.

Mix everything together and form a big ball.  

From that big ball roll out 30, 1-1/2 inch balls. 

 Lay out the pastry cloth and put the cloth cover on your rolling pin.  You will want to make sure the pastry cloth and rolling pin cloth is covered in a nice layer of flour.  Once the dough sticks to your pastry cloth, you will need to get out a new one.  Just make sure you have plenty of flour to prevent that from happening. 

Put a greased flat pan on medium-low heat.

Roll out the 1-1/2" lefse so it's paper thin.  This photo is a little dark, but you get the gist.

Use a lefse stick to pick the lefse off the pastry cloth.

Carefully lay it down on the heated pan.

The lefse is ready to turn when it is no longer transparent. 

Take off the stove and repeat until you've made the whole batch.   

You will need to clean the flour off the pan a couple of times or else you will have burnt flour flavored lefse.  :)  You don't want that.  

It is not a quick process to make lefse, but it is so rewarding once you get that paper thin delicious flatbread.  

    You can roll it up with cinnamon and sugar butter, or homemade jam.  

Use your imagination.  You'll feel like you've gone back in time while making this Norwegian flatbread.  Have fun!

Cast Iron Mini Rhubarb Crisp (gluten free, vegan)

This is a delicious recipe for mini rhubarb crisp cooked in a cast iron muffin pan.  It's also vegan, gluten free and picked from my grandma's garden with lots of love.

My grandma is almost 80 and keeps this garden up on her own.  The love of her life started this garden about five years ago.  They were thinking about getting married, but he died in a car accident before that could happen.  She now keeps it up for him and calls it "Michael's Garden."   I think he still helps her from up above.  Her veggies are out of this world!

   

This is what the rhubarb plant looks like.

 Plucking rhubarb:

I think rhubarb is beautiful!

Can't wait to take it home and put it in my dessert!

Rhubarb filling:

 Clean and trim off the greens.

 Cut into half inch slices.  Add one tablespoon lemon juice and 1/4 cup organic cane sugar.

Topping:

 1/4 cup mashed banana

1/4 cup vegan butter

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup oat flour

2 cups rolled oats (not instant)

pinch of salt

cinnamon to sprinkle on top

Add the mashed banana, butter and brown sugar in a small bowl.  Use a pastry cutter or fork to blend.   Stir in the flour.   Mix in the oats until the batter is clumped together.  Add the oats slowly.  You may need less or more than 2 cups. 

Grease the bottom of cast iron muffin pan.  Add the rhubarb.
 
Sprinkle on the topping.

Place in an oven heated to 350F for about 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy on top.  

Let this cool for a couple minutes.  

Serve and enjoy! 

 It has the perfect balance of sweetness and tartness.  A delicious dessert for anytime of the year.

Leftovers: Vegan Sweet Potato Pancakes and Kale

This morning I whipped up sweet potato pancakes, with kale on the side, from my Thanksgiving leftovers. 

Ingredients:

 Sweet Potato Pancakes: 

1 cup mashed yams 

1/8 cup rice milk

3 tsp. egg replacer

4 Tbs. warm water

1/8 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup flour

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. baking powder

pinch of salt

Kale:

2 cups kale

juice of half a lemon

salt and pepper to taste

Whip the egg replacer and water with a fork, then set aside for a couple of minutes.  

Mix together the wet ingredients; mashed yams, rice milk, egg replacer, and maple syrup.  

Add to the wet ingredients; flour, baking soda, baking powder, Cinnamon, and salt.  

Stir all ingredients together and pour 4" of dough into a greased hot cast iron pan.  Let the pancakes cook on each side for 3-5 minutes.  

 Set the cooked pancakes aside. 

Add two cups kale to your heated, greased cast iron pan.  Kale cooks very quickly.  Add the lemon juice and cook down.  

 After the kale is done add the salt and pepper.  If you add salt and pepper before the kale is cooked down you may over salt the kale.  

 Put the kale and pancakes on a plate. 

 Eat up!

 See more of my sweet potato and breakfast recipes.

Easy Vegetable Pot Pie (vegan)

My mouth is watering as I write this post.  This is a vegetable pot-pie made in a mini cast iron pan.

The crust is crisp and flaky.  The inside soaked up all the juices incorporating more flavor into every bite. 

If you want to make this, you will need:

1 russet potato, cubed

1 turnip, cubed

1/2 container extra firm tofu, cubed

4 sticks of celery, chopped

1/2 sweet onion minced

1 green pepper, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 teaspoon minced ginger

5 cups water

1 bouillon cube

salt and pepper to taste

Pie crust (I used store bought)

Wash and scrub all the veggies.

 Cube the turnip and potato.  Put them in a pot with the water and veggie bouillon.  Let the potato and turnip boil until you can easily put a fork through the cubes. 

   Chop the onion, pepper, celery, tofu, garlic and ginger.

First, place the onion, garlic, ginger and tofu in a heated cast iron pan.  After you caramelize the onion and brown the tofu add the green pepper, celery, and spoon some of the potato/turnip broth into the fry pan.  Cook these until the pepper and celery are al dente.  Next, strain out the broth from the potatoes and turnips.  Add to the rest of the ingredients.  In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup almond milk and 2 tablespoons flour.  Pour that into the mixture.  This will keep the pie filling from becoming too soupy. 

Spray the pan with non stick spray.

Lay the bottom layer of dough in the mini cast iron pan.

Scoop the veggies on top of the dough, then top with another layer of dough.

 Pinch the edges of the dough together with your thumb.

Trim off the excess dough.

 Cut a couple of slits in the top of the pie so it doesn't explode in the oven.  Place in a 375 degree F. oven. 

Cook for about 45 minutes or until the crust is golden-brown.  

 

Carefully flip out of the pan and onto the plate.  Mine worked really well.  

I am in love with baby arugula kick right now.  I garnished my dish with baby arugula to make it look a little prettier. 

 As you can see the flour and almond milk helps hold the pie filling together. 

 Enjoy!  This pot pie is so good!!!