Summer flavors!

   Summer is almost here, that means it's time for delicious fruit cakes and desserts! It was my boss's birthday a few days ago and since he has a sweet tooth, I knew he would appreciate a cake as a gift. He is very health conscious and always trying to eat right, so I decided to make a fruit cake. Not that it has fewer calories than any other dessert, but at least he could have his serving of fruit with it! It's a super easy cake which requires almost no skill and no work... highly recommended. 

Ingredients:

*  1 stick of butter, room temperature
*  1 cup sugar
*  2 cups all-purpose flour
*  2 eggs
*  1 cup buttermilk
*  1 tsp vanilla extract
*  2 tbsp lemon juice
*  2 tsp baking powder
*  pinch of salt
*  1 cup berries (I used blueberries)

Directions:

1. Beat the butter and sugar together until fluffy.
2. Add eggs (one at a time) and beat some more.
3. Add buttermilk, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and pinch of salt. Mix everything with the spoon - it will look weird but don't worry.
4. Add flour and baking powder, mix everything together until it forms a smooth and dense batter.
5. Transfer into greased square baking pan, top with blueberries (push them gently into the batter) and bake at 350F for 50-55 minutes until golden brown.

   Not too dense and not too dry, the buttermilk keeps it moist and a little bit tangy. You can use any berry you like, raspberries, strawberries... anything. Perfect for an afternoon break with a cup of tea or coffee!

Enjoy,
Magda

Recipe swap.

   This is a dish that I made long time ago (before the vegetarian approach) and I never had a chance to post it. It's so simple and delicious that I think everybody who eats meat should try it at least once... I promise you won't be disappointed! Me and my friend Shannon always share and swap recipes and ideas for some great family meals. Recently she bought a "Flat Belly Cookbook" and she tried out few of their recipes and liked them a lot. One of them, an Indian chicken with a cilantro and cashew sauce, sounded like something I would love, so I decided to try it as well. Quick, easy, healthy and delicious. Only a few ingredients, but lots of flavor, I'm sure you will like it. The recipe serves 4:

Ingredients:

*  1 lb chicken breast, cut into long thin strips
*  1 cup cilantro (packed)
*  1/2 cup cashew nuts
*  1 cup chicken broth
*  salt and pepper
*  juice of 1 lime

*  rice

Directions:

1. Place cilantro, cashews and chicken broth into a food processor and blend until smooth.
2. Transfer into a skillet and start cooking. When the sauce is boiling, add chicken and cook for 10-15 minutes until chicken is completely cooked. If the sauce is too thick add more chicken broth or water.
3. Season with salt and pepper, add lime juice and serve with rice.

   Smooth, creamy, light sauce paired with lean chicken is a great combination. You can also add red pepper flakes if you like some heat, but since I'm not a heat fanatic I decided to skip them all together. I think it might be one of my favorite quick chicken dishes... Justin loved it too.

Enjoy,
Magda.

Summer or Winter!

   Can you have chili in the Summer? Some people think that it's only a Winter weather dish, but I don't care if it's Summer or Winter, if I want one I will have it! Especially if it's vegetarian chili... it's basically a veggie stew! I wasn't sure if it would be as satisfying as the meaty version so I decided to serve it with a large baked potato. I shouldn't have worried about it being "enough", it's super filling, but I just loved it spooned over the baked potato (I'm Polish - I eat potatoes like it's candy!) and sprinkled with some cheese. Check it out:

Ingredients:

*  1 cup dry red lentils
*  1 large onion, chopped
*  1 15oz can red beans, rinsed and drained
*  1 15oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
*  2 15oz cans fire roasted diced tomatoes
*  2 packs McCormick reduced sodium chili spice
*  1 cup fresh chopped cilantro
*  1 tbsp olive oil

*  4 large potatoes
*  4 tbsp shredded cheese (I used mixed cheeses)

Directions:

1. Wash and scrub potatoes, dry them with a paper towel, pierce with a fork and wrap into aluminum foil. Bake at 400F for 60-90 minutes (depending on the size of the potato).
2. In the meantime, in a Dutch oven heat the olive oil and saute onions for 4-5 minutes.
3. Add dry lentils and cook for 5 minutes constantly stirring.
4. Add tomatoes (with the juice), beans, McCormick spices, cilantro, and 1 cup of water, lower the heat and cook for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lentils are cooked (but not mushy). Add some more water during the cooking if needed - lentils will soak up some of it.
5. Slice potato in half, top with as much chili as you like, sprinkle with shredded cheese and enjoy.

   I cooked my lentils to the point where they were still a little bit crunchy, that's how I like it here. I feel like they give this dish a nice texture and don't make it mushy and one-dimensional. Of course you can cook your longer if you are too lazy to chew, but I encourage you to try them this way. You can also add some hot sauce (as Justin did) and a dollop of sour cream if that's what you like.

Enjoy,
Magda

Yet, another burger.

   We loved our last veggie burgers so much that I decided to make some more. It's a perfect dish for a busy week - it doesn't take long to make, and you can make a bunch of them and enjoy it for few days with different condiments. This time I decided to use cannellini beans instead of black beans and add some corn and roasted bell pepper for extra flavor. I have to admit that they came out pretty delicious. Remember the pickled onions from my last post about fish tacos? They are a great additions to these burgers. Here is the recipe, serves 12:

Ingredients:

*  1 cup quinoa
*  1 1/2 cup oats
*  1 cup frozen corn, thawed
*  1 jar roasted bell peppers
*  2 15oz cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained 
*  1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley
*  1/2 cup fresh chopped basil
*  1/2 cup ground flax seeds
*  1/2 cup chia seeds
*  1/2 cup oat bran
*  1/2 tsp ground cardamon
*  salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Cook quinoa in salted water (20 minutes), drain and set aside.
2. Drain roasted bell peppers and blend them in a blender until smooth. Add flax and chia seeds with 1/2 cup of water and let it stand for 5-10 minutes.
3. In a large bowl, smash cannellini beans with potato masher and add corn, oats, parsley, basil, oat bran,, peppers/chia/flax mixture, and all the spices.
4. Mix everything to combine, form 12 patties, and place on a baking sheet. Refrigerate for 10-15 minutes and bake at 375F for 15 minutes on each side.
5. Using your favorite burger fixings create a sandwich and enjoy.

   They are really hearty! If you are looking for something healthy and satisfying, that's your dish. You can customize them by adding your own ingredients and I'm sure they will be good no matter what. I really recommend them to all my health conscious (and not only) followers.

Enjoy,
Magda.

Searching for the "one".

   I always hear mixed opinions about fish tacos, some people love them, some people hate them. I've had few different versions of them and I wasn't really that impressed. I can't say I hated them, they were OK, but I would rather have something else. So as always, I took it as a challenge to make my own and see if I can come up with a recipe that will change my mind about this dish. I decided to pair the fish with some red cabbage slaw and marinated onions - I thought that the acid and crunch would make them much better. So here is my creation:

Ingredients:

*  10-12 oz fish (I used cod)
*  1 tsp taco seasoning
*  salt

*  1/4 red cabbage, thinly shredded
*  1 tsp salt
*  1 apple, shredded
*  2 tbsp fat-free mayo
*  2 tbsp Greek yogurt
*  1 lime
*  1 tsp sugar

*  1 small red onion
*  1 cup apple cider vinegar
*  1 cup water
*  1/2 cup sugar

*  4 corn tortillas

Directions:

1. Using mandolin slicer, thinly slice red onion into half moons.
2. Transfer into a large jar and cover with a vinegar/water/sugar mixture. Refrigerate for minimum 2 hours (over night preferred).
3. To make coleslaw: mix thinly shredded red cabbage with 1 tsp of salt and using your hands "massage" and squeeze the cabbage. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Add mayo, Greek yogurt, sugar and lime juice. Mix to combine.
4. Place fish on a baking dish, sprinkle with salt and taco seasoning and bake at 425F for 15 minutes.
5. Top tortilla with red cabbage slaw, flaked fish and marinated onions.

   Judgement time: they are OK, but again, I'm not too impressed. Everything is delicious (I love, love these marinated onions), but somehow I'm not a fish taco person. We ate them and enjoyed them, but I don't see us making them any time soon. The marinated onions on the other hand... I will make sure we always have them in our fridge - we use them on almost everything. But don't get discouraged by my opinion, if you are a fish tacos lover, you might enjoy the dish - it might be your new favorite!

Good luck,
Magda

New healthy habit.

    I know, I already told you that we are drinking fresh vegetables/fruit juices for breakfast, but I love it so much that I can't just stop with one blog post about it. It's so much fun to try new flavor combinations, but I have to admit - some are better than others. Obviously fruit based juices are much sweeter and tastier than the veggie ones, but we like them all... well, most of them. The one I'm posting today is one of my favorites - it looks good, it smells good, and it's delicious. Check it out:

Ingredients:

*  4-5 large carrots
*  1/3 large pineapple
*  10 strawberries
*  2 inches fresh ginger, pealed

Directions:

1. Juice everything together. The End.

   That's all there is to it... it's that easy... and it takes 5 minutes every morning. I love it so much, I could drink a bucket of it and still want more... it's my favorite breakfast ever! It's so worth it to invest in a juicer and make your own juices. It's much better, cheaper, and more convenient than buying it from a juice bar.

Enjoy,
Magda.

Egg sandwich reconstructed!

   I have posted many recipes for breakfast dishes so far, but that doesn't mean that I will stop creating new ones. It's one of my favorite meals in the entire world (probably due to my addiction to eggs) and I am constantly experimenting with new things. I especially love weekend breakfasts because not only Justin makes the best eggs Benedict ever, but also because I always get breakfast in bed with a cup of hot green tea. Weekend breakfasts are always Justin's creations, but during the weekdays I am responsible for it and since we eat it at work it has to be something that is easily transported and won't lose it's deliciousness! Egg muffins... that is my answer - you can make it one night, pre-pack it, and grab them as you heading out the door. Recipe makes 6.

Ingredients:

*  8 eggs
*  3 whole wheat kaiser rolls, cubed
*  1 1/2 cup skim milk
*  1 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
*  2 medium tomatoes, diced
*  1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley
*  1 tbsp curry powder
*  2 tbsp flour
*  2 tbsp honey mustard
*  salt and pepper

Directions:

1. In a large bowl whisk eggs together with milk, curry powder, flour, honey mustard, salt and pepper.
2. Add 1 cup of cheddar cheese, diced tomatoes, parsley, and cubed bread. Mix gently to combine.
3. Transfer into 6 greased ramekins, top with remaining cheddar cheese and bake at 350F for 20-25 minutes.
4. Let them cool slightly before removing from the ramekins and enjoy your breakfast.

   Egg sandwich reconstructed. You have bread, eggs, cheese, and tomatoes... and no need to make it fresh every day...or spend money on breakfast sandwiches. I love these kind of dishes. As always, you can change up the recipe and add or subtract things you want. I think next week I will substitute tomatoes with mushrooms... that sounds delicious!

Good luck,
Magda

Farmer's pie!

   Do you remember my "meat and potatoes kind of girl" post from long time ago featuring delicious Shepherd's pie (if not you can find it here)? Well, I might not be so "meaty" anymore, but I still love me some potatoes and that's why I created this dish. I can't call it a "Shepherd's pie" anymore because it doesn't have any meat, but since it's a vegetarian version I decided to call it a "Farmer's pie". It's really good and flavorful. I used some chia seeds, because they are not only a great "binder", but also add tons of omega-3s and proteins to the dish. If you can't find them or don't want to spend money, you can definitely skip them in this dish and it still will be delicious. Here is the recipe, serves 6-8:

Ingredients:

Veggies:
*  1 large onion, chopped
*  3 garlic cloves, chopped
*  2 zucchini, chopped
*  4 celery sticks, chopped
*  1 cup frozen corn
*  2 cups frozen carrot/pea mix, thawed
*  1/3 cup chia seeds
*  1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley
*  1 tsp dried thyme
*  2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
*  2 tbsp ketchup (trust me!)
*  1 tbsp olive oil
*  salt and pepper

Potatoes:
*  2 large potatoes
*  2 yams
*  1/2 cup skim milk
*  1/2 cup shredded Parmesan
*  2 eggs

Directions:

1. Boil potatoes and yams in salted water.
2. In the meantime, in a large skillet heat the olive oil and saute chopped onions for 3-4 minutes. Add garlic, zucchini, celery, corn, and carrot/pea mix. Add a pinch of salt (will help to sweat the veggies) and cook for 6-7 minutes until veggies are tender but not overcooked.
3. Add thyme, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, pepper and salt (to taste) and cook everything for 2-3 minutes.
4. Add chia seeds and parsley, mix to combine and set aside.
5. Drain cooked potatoes, add milk, Parmesan cheese, and eggs - mash everything together until smooth.
6. On the bottom of the baking dish layer all the vegetables, top with potato layer, and bake at 360F for 30 minutes.

   The top of the potatoes is super crispy, while the middle is creamy and smooth. The deeper you dig the more flavor and texture you can find... chunks of delicious veggies mixed with creamy potatoes is just a perfect combination.

Enjoy,
Magda.