This spread thickens a bit in the fridge, and is wonderful with the Finnish hapankorppu - very thin and very sour rye bread that has been dried. For extra smooth results, the almonds could be soaked overnight, or even cooked in a little bit of water.

• 100 g almonds, lightly toasted
• 1 medium carrot, sliced
• 1 big clove garlic, sliced
• 3-4 tablespoons plain soy yoghurt
• 4 large sage leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or more to taste

I started by toasting the almonds until they were just a little brown, and set them aside to cool. Then I placed the carrot slices and the garlic in a small cooking pot, added just enough water to cover them, and cooked until the carrots were very soft. Then I placed the carrots and the garlic in a fine sieve and rinsed them with cold water to cool them down a little bit.

Now, I placed the carrots and the garlic, almonds, sage leaves, salt, and 3 tablespoons of soy yoghurt in our mini food processor, and processed them for about 5 minutes. I checked the spread and decided it needed a bit more soy yoghurt, so I added one tablespoon more of it, and continued processing until the spread was very very smooth and light orange in color. It might need even more soy yoghurt if the texture is still grainy at this point.

This is how my almonds looked after toasting.

Here’s what I used:

• 2 dl boiled chick peas
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon paprika paste (see below)
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/2 dl water
• juice of 1 lime
• 2 and 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds crushed in 1 teaspoon of water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon flaxseed, crushed (optional)

When I set out to make the spread, I realized that we have no tahini, so I started by grinding the sesame seeds in our shredder together with some water into a paste. I didn’t bother to roast the seeds, which you might want to do first to get a more tahini-like result. Then I just combined every ingredient in a bowl, and used our immersion blender to turn it into a smooth paste. The paprika paste I used is something that we brought with us from Portugal, it looks like this:

It’s really tasty, but also super salty. We haven’t seen anything similar for sale in Finland, but I guess you could substitute it with Ajvar or something similar.

The recipe is very easy and quick to make, but the flavor is at its best after a night in the fridge. If refrigerated and stored in an airtight container, this should keep for about one week.

Here’s what I used:

• 300 g firm tofu
• 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
• 1 teaspoon smooth peanut butter
• 1/2 dl canola oil
• 1/2 dl water
• 2 teaspoons agave syrup
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons light soy sauce
• 12 fresh sage leaves
• juice of 1/2 lemon

I just blended everything except for the lemon juice and salt in our mini food processor until smooth. Now, I added the salt and the lemon juice a little by little, until the balance was right. Then I refrigerated the spread overnight – the flavors developed and the texture firmed up quite nicely.

We were out of olive oil when I first engineered this recipe, so it ended up lower in fat than the hummus we normally make. Also, the red bell pepper we used came from a glass jar, and while home-roasted peppers are more delicious, it was an easy and economical option – bell peppers are ridiculously expensive this time of year, although they are getting a little cheaper as the spring progresses. I am not a huge fan of tahini and add only a little bit, since the sunflower seeds contibute a nice nutty flavor without the bitter edge of the sesame paste.

Here’s what we used this time:

• 4 dl cooked chick peas
• 1 roasted red bell pepper (from a jar)
• 1 dl lightly toasted sunflower seeds
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 dl water
• juice of 1 lime
• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons tahini
• 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin (or jeera, juustokumina in Finnish)
• 1 teaspoon sugar

I just mixed everything up with our immersion blender. It takes a while until the sunflower seeds get all crushed, probably about 5 minutes.

I always adjust the taste of my hummus by adding a little lemon juice, salt, more chick peas, or even water if the taste isn’t quite balanced in the end. Jarred roasted bell peppers are more acidic than home-roasted, since they’re usually preserved in vinegar, and this affects the flavor balance as well.

The ingredients:

• 4 sun-dried tomatoes
• 1 dl sunflower seeds
• 1 teaspoon harissa
• 1 ½ tablespoons lime juice
• 5 tablespoons water
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon frozen parsley

First, the sunflower seeds need to be toasted, which is the easiest thing in the world; we just heated them in a dry frying pan, and toasted them, stirring with a ladle every once in a while, until they had browned lightly. When the sunflower seeds were ready, we placed them on a plate to cool down a bit.

Then we mixed everything up in our electric grinder, until the spread got lighter in color and was very smooth, which took maybe about 3 to 4 minutes or so. We adjusted the amount of water while mixing, adding it half a tablespoon at a time, until the spread had a creamy and easily spreadable consistency.

It is funny how vegetarians keep saying that they could never give up cheese, and that’s why they won’t go vegan; it’s like a smoker stating that s/he could never give up cigarettes. We all know it’s possible with a little willpower, but if the motivation isn’t there, it’s not going to happen. What people mean by saying things like that is that they’re just not interested (enough) in becoming vegan, but phrased in a way that is more socially acceptable. Can’t blame them, I like social acceptance too.

I have accidentally tasted milk products every now and then, and have to say that they no longer taste exactly appealing to me, although I practically grew up on cheese, milk, and yogurt. Now I understand the many Japanese people who think cheese and milk taste weird – they do, compared to our beloved tofu. So, after all this babble, my main point is: I wouldn’t call this tofu cheese when cooking for cheese-eaters, since they would compare it to cheese. And to be honest, I cannot tell whether it resembles cheese or not – I only know that it’s tasty.

So, here’s how I made it:

• 300 g firm tofu
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons brown rice wine vinegar
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 2 teaspoons lime juice
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed

I first pressed the tofu like I always do; slice it in about 1 cm thick slices, wrap in kitchen towel, and place a light weight on top of the pile. Then I mixed all the marinade ingredients, except oil, in a container, and then squeezed the tofu with my hands in the same container so it became grainy.

Now, I mushed the tofu and the spices for a few minutes until they were incorporated, squeezing the mixture between my fingers to make it smooth. Then I mixed in the oil with a fork, adjusted the saltiness, covered the container with a lid, and refrigerated overnight.

This recipe could be varied indefinitely: lemon juice instead of lime juice, olive oil instead of canola, fresh herbs instead of (or in addition to) garlic, or with an addition of different peppers. Brown rice wine vinegar is pretty essential, since it gives a sort of fermented taste to the tofu, but other types of wine vinegar might work as well.

I’m posting the recipe of a variation we made today, and had for dinner on some organic bread, topped with lettuce, avocado, and cucumber. I can’t even remember the last time we skipped dinner to eat sandwiches, but this rich spread makes us do unordinary things. We spiced it up with oil roasted garlic, which could be subbed with a clove of fresh garlic for a sharper taste.

Credit for this recipe goes completely to Mihl, but our version does have a little less oil than hers, and includes toasted sunflower seeds instead of raw ones. This is pure speculation, but I think that toasting possibly gives this spread a nuttier taste, and using raw seeds might result in a more neutral tasting spread.

Our version of Mihl’s spread:

• 1 dl (7 tablespoons) toasted sunflower seeds
• 3-4 garlic cloves, sliced
• 2 and 1/2 tablespoons canola oil
• 4 and 1/2 tablespoons water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

First, the sunflower seeds need to be toasted, which is the easiest thing in the world; we just heated them in a dry frying pan, and toasted them, stirring with a ladle every once in a while, until they had browned lightly. When the sunflower seeds were toasted, we placed them on a plate to cool down a bit, and used the same pan to roast the garlic.

Heikki sautéed the sliced garlic on low heat, in 1 tablespoon of the canola oil, until it was softened and mushy, about 10 minutes. Then we mixed everything up in our electric grinder, until the spread got lighter in color and was very smooth, which took maybe about 3 to 4 minutes or so. We adjusted the amount of water while mixing, adding it half a tablespoon at a time, until the spread had a creamy and easily spreadable consistency.

In this tomato spread, I would maybe add a little olive oil for a more easily spreadable consistence. Here in Finland, it is easiest to find sun dried tomatoes that are preserved in oil, but reconstituted dry ones could also be used. When using dry ones, I would definitely add a few tablespoons of good olive oil.

Ingredients:

• 2 dl sun dried tomatoes in oil
• 1 dl toasted cashew nuts
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 teaspoons lime juice
• 1 teaspoon crushed chili in oil (or other chili paste)

I just mixed everything with a hand held mixer until I had a coarse paste, and then refrigerated for a few hours.

Fava beans have a distinctive taste, nutty and strong. That’s why I didn’t mess up the recipe with too many spices. I added a bit too much cooking liquid to the puree, and it ended up too soupy, so I had to add a can of chick peas. They didn’t affect the taste too much, but using only fava beans would result in a creamier consistence.

• 1 small onion
• 3oo g dried split fava beans
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/2 dl olive oil
• 1 dl frozen parsley
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• some cooking liquid for the consistence
• 1 (400 g) can of chick peas

I soaked the beans overnight, and then cooked them in plenty of water. In the cooking water, I added one sliced onion, two sliced garlic cloves, some salt, and a few teaspoons of olive oil. Then I cooked the beans until they were mushy, for about one hour.

Now, I pureed the beans in some cooking liquid, and as it became clear that the dip resembled a soup more than a puree, I had to add a can of chick peas to make it firmer. To prevent this procedure, I would omit adding cooking liquid at this point, and instead mash the beans in the olive oil and lemon juice required in the recipe. Then, I would add some cooking liquid as needed. It is always possible to add liquid in a dish, but removing it is considerably trickier.

I seasoned the dip to my taste, refrigerated it for a few hours, and served with some crackers and freshly baked bread. The photo above was actually taken the next morning, when we had this for breakfast on some Finnish sour rye bread.

What I used for the spread:

• 380 g or 1 pack of black beans in brine, rinsed (about 3 dl cooked beans)

• 100 g cashew nuts

• 1/2 dl water

• 4 sun dried tomatoes in oil

• 1 clove garlic

• 1/2 tablespoon lime juice

• 1 teaspoon Sambal Oelek chili paste

• 1/2 teaspoon smoke salt (or salt and a few drops of liquid smoke, which I’ve bought at Behnford’s in Helsinki)

I toasted the cashews on dry frying pan until a little browned. This releases flavor, and toasted nuts don’t cause allergic reactions to me like raw nuts do. Then I crushed them in a blender with the water, until they were smooth and buttery. Now I added the rest of the ingredients and mixed until the spread was smooth – very easy and very delicious.