Luise Vindahl

Captured by photographer Linda Alfvegren.

“I’m from Denmark, born in Helsingør, moved to Copenhagen, met David in Rome and now settled down in Stockholm. I have a Bachelor degree in Social studies from University College of Copenhagen. I started Green Kitchen Stories together with my husband David Frenkiel in 2009. In 2014 I graduated as a Dipl. Holistic Nutritional Therapist at School of Nutritional Medicine in Stockholm. I’m the lucky mom of three wild and vegetable eating kids. I love everything green from broccoli to smoothies. I can not live without kombucha, coffee and chocolate. I’m addicted to travel, ferment sauerkraut and play outside with my kids.”

What’s the story behind Green Kitchen Stories?

“It was just a fun little hobby adventure that we did. Our moms and a handful of friends was our only readers on the blog during the first months. But things took off quite quickly and I think it was a combination of our high quality photos, good recipes (although we didn’t test them more than once in the beginning), personal stories and lucky timing. Today it has grown to a world wide online community of green like-minded people, five cookbooks, an iPhone app, a youtube channel with recipe videos and two instagram accounts.” 

Do you have a mission?

“Yes! To learn people to eat more vegetables! Our mission is to teach everyone how easy it is to cook nourishing vegetarian food that are seasonal and healthy without being limited or boring! Most people know that we have to change the may we live, the way we eat and the way we consume to make this planet a place to live for our future generations.”

You were early making a business with green clean eating, has it change since then?

“Since we started ten years ago, vegetarian food has been on a constant rise and being vegetarian today is a sign of modern and forward thinking, where as fifteen years ago it was more of a hippie thing and healthy vegetarian food was just a niche, today it is more of a mainstream lifestyle.”

Where are you in five years?

“I’ll continue developing GKS and be responsible for the creative direction. I have big plans of launching more creative collaborations. And hopefully in five years you can find Green Kitchen Stories food products in the supermarket, how cool would that be?!”

Having a family business, whats the good and bad?

“It is an incredible freedom, we can work from wherever we want and we are making all decisions ourselves, it has given us so many amazing experiences. It is at the same time a huge responsibility. If anything doesn’t goes as planned you cannot blame anyone else. We have learned during the years that we have to nourish our relationship extra to keep a good work relationship, but the work/not work balance is difficult when you have 3 kids and most days are unpredictable. I wouldn’t change it for the world though.”

How did you and you David meet?

“We met a late night on a small dance floor not more than ten meters from the river Tiber and twenty meters from Castel Sant’Angelo, in central Rome in Italy eleven years ago. The most romantic and fun summer of my life. I traveled around Europe to visit girlfriends all summer and on the very last holiday on the very last night before flying home to Copenhagen in the morning I met David.”

Do you have a go-to recipe for a ordinary day?

“Vegetable tray bakes. Oven roasted broccoli, sweet potatoes and carrots served with boiled eggs or marinated tofu with a side of hummus and crispy lettuce or kale. Quickest dinner and everyone around the dinner table are happy.”

You have such a peaceful, relaxing home, whats your secret?

“I like Scandinavian design and often go for natural materials like wood, stone, linnen, wool, ceramics, glass and paper details. I like a home that has charm and warmth, with a personal style from colours and art prints. I have in all of my adult live lived in really old beautiful apartments in the city both in Copenhagen and Stockholm. I like the charm and history old buildings add to a home.”

Do you have a favourite place in the world?

“I grew up north of Copenhagen in Helsingør, close to a sand beach and a forest and going for a walk along the beach is my happy place. Trough out my childhood I have come to play on the beach all year around in all weather and find peace and power from the ocean. Every time I go home to visit, I bring my kids to that beach.”

Do you have a special memorable trip with your family?

“Last summer, on our ten years anniversary, we went back to Rome where we met. We brought our kids and celebrated our family and love. Rome is such a magical and romantic city. It was a special feeling standing in that same city and ten years had past, that was definitively a moment to be grateful for.”

What is a perfect day to you?

“Heading out early for a coffee and a walk with my family. Homemade green smoothie and a pilates reformer class at my favourite studio BeCore. Creative work meeting for Green Kitchen Stories and photoshoot with David. Eating photoshoot leftover food for lunch. Picking up my kids from school and bike around in our Cargo bike. Having picknick dinner in the park and go home to read books in front of the fireplace.”

Who inspire you?

“People who are positive, funny and determined. I find it very inspiring when people set goals and achive them and are having fun along the way.”☮

Buckwheat, Banana
& Chocolate Bread

Makes approx. 12 slices Prep + cook time: 60 minutes 

This grown-up version of the classic banana bread with chocolate and tones of coffee is a true family favourite. It has a wonderfully moist texture and is pleasantly decadent without being too sweet (it is called bread, after all). We sometimes add a hidden layer of either dark chocolate or walnuts to the middle of the cake. Baked goods are always best enjoyed warm from the oven but this bread tastes really good also on day 2 and 3. 

2 free-range eggs

70 g (21⁄2 oz/1⁄2 heaping cup) coconut sugar or turbinado sugar

3 small/medium ripe bananas, peeled

120 ml (4 fl oz/1⁄2 cup) mildly flavoured rapeseed oil

1 tablespoon coffee (optional)

100 g (31⁄2 oz/1 cup) almond flour

120 g (41⁄4 oz/1 cup) buckwheat flour

5 tablespoons cacao powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 pinch sea salt 

Filling

50 g (13⁄4 oz) good-quality dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids) or walnuts (optional)

Topping

1 ripe banana, peeled

oil, for brushing

1 teaspoon roasted coffee beans, coarsely ground (optional) 

Preheat the oven to 180°c (350°f/Gas mark 4) and line a 10 x 25 cm (4 x 10 inch) loaf tin with parchment paper.

Crack the eggs into a food processor, add the sugar, break in the bananas, the oil and the coffee and mix on high speed until smooth. Add the flours and the rest of the loaf ingredients and pulse until just combined, making sure not to over-mix or the loaf will be compact.

Pour half of the batter into the tin, roughly chop the chocolate or walnuts (if using), scatter on top and cover with the rest of the batter. Cut the banana in half lengthwise, arrange the two halves cut side up on top of the batter, brush the bananas with a little oil and sprinkle coffee beans on top.

Bake for about 40–50 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre of the loaf comes out clean. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool slightly in the tin before devouring it while still warm. Store the loaf at room temperature in an airtight container and it will keep for 3–5 days. Alternatively, pre-slice and freeze it (and then toast the frozen slices).