Half way through the Orthodox lent and why I am doing it

It is that time of the year when Orthodox Christian people reflect about their life through eating simple plant based food for six weeks before Easter. But wait, that's difficult ?! - were my daughter's words ..

What I didn't tell her is that the "eating bit" as a matter of fact is easy. The difficult bit is the spiritual site of it. We reflect by staying calm, being thankful and grateful, forgive, pray and more ....

Don't forget who you are and where you from - that's why I am doing it ....💧💛💦💛

I make my simple food looking good as well as being tasty by adding colours and textures, it works ....

This dish is perfect for quick and easy lunch or snack. It can be eaten hot or cold.

Ingredients:

120g fine polenta

550 - 600 ml water

salt and pepper 

8 to 10 black olives, chopped

4 to 5 sundried tomatoes, chopped (optional )

2 spring onions, chopped

1 fresh sliced tomato

dry oregano 

fresh parsley

olive oil

Cook the polenta in the water that you added a splash of olive oil and salt.

While still warm add the veggies and pour into an ovenproof dish ( oiled ).

Top it up with sliced tomatoes and season with oregano, salt, pepper and some more olive oil.

Grill for 5 minutes on high temperature or oven bake on 200 C for 10 - 15 minutes.

This salad is made by leftovers with added some fresh ingredients to keep me happy and healthy..

I used cooked brown rice

cooked brown lentils

handful of chickpeas

I place those three ingredients into a small steamer for 5 minutes.

When food plated, I then add fresh spinach, chili, purple cabbage, avocado and my favorite condiment  Gomashio ...

Best vegan carrot cake

You can find the recipe on my blog, here is the link.

How ever, I added a coconut cream on the top as well as some seeds.

To make the coconut cream simply whisk the cream of one coconut milk ( discard the water, use it later in a smoothie ) 2 Tbsp maple syrup or powder sugar and 1 tsp vanilla extract.

This is the seeds that I used to top up the cake.....

Soft polenta and spinach

This is my favorite "fast food" meal for one. When the days are crazy, when I have cooked spaghetti bolognese for my family or when I simply fancy something nourishing comfort food - this is what I make in no time ...  

you will need:

50g polenta

200ml water

salt

3 cubes frozen spinach 

1/4 avocado

olive oil

First, put the frozen spinach into a small pot, heat the pot and put the lid on. The spinach will defrost in 5 minutes. 

Now the spinach is ready, I place the spinach in a plate and use the same cooking pot to cook the polenta. Do not wash the pot, let the small bits of spinach blend with your polenta.

Pour the water into the pot, heat the pot, before it boils, add the polenta, stir until boils.

Place the lid on and cook the polenta on a low heat stirring every now and then for about 5 minutes.

Season with salt and drizzle olive oil generously.... 

This recipe will appear on VegHog blog as a contribution for eat your greens

Чили со црн грав и њоки од палента / Black bean chili with polenta gnocchi

Chili con carne or more like Chili No carne is a meal I make once in a week. I don't like to be predictable when comes to cooking, so every week my chili is served differently. This week I serve the chili with polenta gnocchi which are made in no time. Adding spinach is optional, but nice. Feel free to add more chili powder, I make mine mild because of my children.

Sesame seeds are one of my favorite condiments, sprinkled on the top of the gnocchi gives it a lovely crunchy texture.

This dish is perfect for a dinner party especially if you have vegetarian or vegan guests.
This is another dinner made on a budget, I hope you enjoy it as much as my family.....

Chili in a wrap - most favorite to my children 

with added fresh veggies for extra YUM 

wraps

Потребни состојки:

чили вариво: 1 кромид, ситно исецкан

1 стапче зелен целер

1 морков

120 гр црвена леќа, може и кафеава

по едно лажиче: кумин, кориандер и чили во прав

400 гр домати, може од конзерва

200 - 300 гр варен црн грав*

100 гр пченка, замрзната или од конзерва

1 зелена бабура

сол

бибер

**********************************

за њоките :

150 гр инстант палента

700 гр вода

1-2 коцки замрзнат спанаќ или една до две раце свеж

маслиново масло

сусам

сол и бибер

Во поголем лонец ставете 3 лажици маслиново масло да се загрее, додајте го сецканиот зеленчук, по 10 минути додајте ги зачините,измешајте,додајте ја измиената леќа и 300 мл вода.
Покријте го лонецот и варете на тивко околу 20 минути.
Додајте ги доматите и варениот грав, исецкана на коцки бабура, сол и бибер.
Варете 20 минути, при крај додајте ја пченката.

За њоките ставете ја водата да се загрева, пред да зоврие додајте го спанаќот а по 3 минути и палентата како и сол и бибер.
Варете на тивко околу 3 минути.

Варивото од грав ставете го во огноотпорен сад. Додека палентата е топла "вадете" њоќи со лажица и веднаш ставете ги врз варивото.
Со четка премачкајте ги њоќите со маслиново масло, посолете, и додајте го сусамот.
Ставете во рерна да се пече околу 20 минути на 200 степени.


* црн грав купувам во паковање од 500 гр, го киснам во вода 12 часа или преку ноќ, другиот ден го варам (околу 50 минути) .
Гравот го ладам, го цедам и го делам во пластични кеси за замрзнување.
Вообичаено го делам на 4 дела.

Практикувам исти начин и со други видови на грав или леблебија.
Економично и здраво без конзерванси а достапно во секое време!
Совет од Anna Jones !


Ingredients:

for the chili: 1 onion, chopped
1 celery stick,sliced
1 carrot, chopped 
120 gr red lentils or green/brown lentils
1 tsp of each of this: ground cumin,coriander and chili 
400 gr chopped tomatoes 
200 - 300 gr cooked black beans*
100 gr frozen corn
1 green pepper 
salt and pepper 
olive oil

for the gnocchi:

150 gr instant  polenta
700 ml water
1-2 cubes frozen spinach 
or
2 handful fresh one, chopped
olive oil
salt and pepper
sesame seeds

In a big cooking pot pour 2-3 Tbsp of olive oil, add the trio veggies and fry for 10 minutes or until they are soft.
Add the spices and stir for minute or two.
Add the washed lentils and 300 ml water.
Put the lid on and cook it for 20 min on a low temperature.
After that add the tomatoes, the beans and 1 chopped green pepper.
Season with some salt and pepper and cook it for 20 min.
In the end add the corn.
Place the cooked chili into an ovenproof dish.

Put 700 ml of water with 2 tsp salt in a cooking pot and heated up.
Before it start boiling, add the spinach and after 3 minutes add the polenta. 
Cook the polenta for 3 minutes on a very low temperature or until it's thick and smooth.
While the polenta is still hot spoon out gnocchi and place them on the top of the chili.
Using a baking brush, brash the gnocchi with some olive oil and sprinkle some sesame seeds.
Bake the chili for 20 min on 200 C.

*I usually buy dry black beans in a 500 gr pack, I soak the beans over night, the next day I cook the beans for 50 minutes.
I let the beans to cool down before I divide it into a 4 plastic bags ready for a freezer.
It is very practical, economic as well as healthy ( no additives ) .
I use the same method for any beans and peas.
Advice from Anna Jones!

Палента со печурка / Polenta with mushroom

Summer is finely here in south east England! This is one of my favorite light meals, cooked in a few minutes, it's vegan and it's gluten free as well as tasty and wholesome! 

Потребни состојки:

( за 2 особи )

100 гр инстант палента

400 мл вода или 450 ако ја сакате покашаста

сол

маслиново масло

свежи големи печурки, може и мали

магдонос

Во подлабок сад ставете ги печурките цели, додајте малку сол и лажица-две маслиново масло или путер.

Динстајте ги на тивко покриени со капак околу 10 минути.

Во меѓувреме сварете ја палентата: 

Во подлабок сад ставете вода, пред да зоврие додајте ја палентата и варете ја кратко мешајки цело време.

Сервирајте ја со печурките одозгора, посолите и попаприте и додајте маслиново масло како и сокот од печурките.

Посипете сецкан магдонос.

Салата по желба.

Ingredients:

( for 2 people )

100 gr instant polenta 

400 ml water or 450 ml if you like it to be more runny 

salt, pepper98

olive oil

big mushrooms such as portobello or any mushrooms will do

parsley 

Place the mushrooms into a pan, season with salt, pour some oil or butter if you like and cook them for 10 minutes with lid on.

In a meantime put the water in a pot for the polenta.

Before the water bubbles pour in polenta and stir it all the time for a very few minutes.

Serve it warm with the mushrooms on the top, pour over the liquid from the mushrooms and some olive oil.

Season with salt and pepper.

Sprinkle some chopped parsley.

Serve it with salad.