In my kitchen - April '18

I love reading posts "In my kitchen" so my much, I decided to join in. So, here is my first In my kitchen post and I hope some people will find it inspiring

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This is my regular buy - coffee from m&s especially when is buy one get one for half price. 

I like my coffee so much but I only enjoy one a day these days .... 

Tinned beans is something I use more than freshly cooked sadly, that's why I try to buy organic one. 

Sesame seeds goes everywhere : sweet and savoury bakes, gomashio, sprinkles for salads 

Couscous and farro grains used for salads 

I got this tea from my favorite health shop in Brighton, it's very mellow with smooth camomile taste

We like to drink hot chocolate, this one is very bitter so I won't be buying it again :)

Fresh fruit and veg from my local green grocer .... 

My favorite rice 

   

 still uneaten 

Borrowed from library - I love reading cookbooks, gets me inspired 

Got this today for 90p  - I love bargain 

This magazine was given to me today from my local health shop - very informative 

We celebrated Orthodox Easter on 8th of April, I was very excited to eat an egg after 7 weeks of doing the lent 

Polenta, mushroom and spinach stack - one of my lent friendly dishes 

Roast garlic, almond and basil pesto - all vegan

Tempeh & veggies spicy curry - also lent friendly 

I am sharing this post with Sherry from Sherry's pickings  who is hosting the in my kitchen challenge

Roushta - lentils and pasta

From my latest addition of books a Lebanese feast, it was given to me for my birthday by my dearest friend that happens to know me very well 💙

Ingredients:

250g brown lentils

1.5 l water

2 medium onions, chopped 

4 cloves crushed garlic

olive oil

parsley

200g pasta

salt

pepper

extra virgin olive oil

chili flakes ( optional )

Soak the lentils in cold water for at least two hours.

In a big pot, pour in 4 Tbsp olive oil, add the onions and cook until soft.

Add the lentils and 1.5 boiling water.

Cook the lentils until soft, about 20 - 30 minutes.

Add your favorite pasta shape, I used pappardelle.

Season with salt and pepper.

Add the crushed garlic as well as the parsley. 

Before serving add some more parsley and extra virgin olive oil....

Cinnamon bread

This recipe was originally posted in October 2015. I won't exaggerate if I say that I bake this bread almost once a week for the past two years, we simply love it. Weekend breakfast is not completed without this bread. We love this bread sliced, toasted with butter spread. For the last few months I've been making this bread with wholemeal spelt flour or mixture of white wheat and wholemeal spelt or wheat. Adding some sultanas ( soaked in hot tea for 30 min ) will give this bread extra luxurious taste........

You can click here for the original recipe 🍞🍞

Kalettes with special rice

This rice is special but only to me 😘 because I get it in Macedonia, it is grown in Macedonia and it is sold in the green markets as a integral rice. Big sack of it, sold in bulk, old lady sitting on a stall happy to chat if you wish to - you get the picture.

Kalettes are very pretty green vegetables with incredible sweet taste.

I simply boiled them for 4 minutes and served them with my special rice as well as some chopped avocado and tomatoes.

Gomashio as well ... 

  

I share this post with eat your greens hosted by Veg Hog blog, beautiful and inspiring recipes, healthy and always on budget ... 

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.....

Feta & cheese multigrain muffins

These multigrain muffins are from my late childhood when my sister got interested in baking. 

The original recipe is called  "Lepcinja so spanak" which means "spinach breads".

The ingredients are very much what we would have in our kitchen / larder all the time.

Now days I live in England but I still have corn meal and feta cheese at any time :) 

Ingredients:

150g white spelt flour

150g wholemeal wheat flour

150g corn meal

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

200g feta cheese, crumbled

250 ml yogurt

mixed with 125 ml water

4 Tbsp oil

2 large eggs or 3 medium size 

2 to 3 handful fresh spinach

sesame seeds 

soft butter for greasing the muffin tin

Mix the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl.

Pour in the wet ingredients followed by the cheese. 

Mix everything and fold in the spinach leafs.

Grease the muffin tin and sprinkle generously the sesame seeds.

Spoon in the mixture and bake for 25 minutes on 190 C.

I love them sliced, toasted and served with soup. 

Best eaten warm. 

Freeze any left, defrost and take them with you for a picnic ....

The soup on the photo it's been a hit this winter, it is called 

`cheesy` vegan broccoli soup, you will find the recipe here

Eat your greens for lunch

Hi blog readers, check this out..
Greens for lunch - yes please !!
Looks complicated ?? it's not ..
Takes 20 - 30 minutes for preparation, keep everything in fridge ready to be used when needed .

Most of it can be packed in a lunch box ready to go...
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you will need:

- spinach, frozen or fresh ;

- edamame beans, frozen ; 

- chopped avocado ; 

- fresh tomatoes ; 

- rocket salad leaves ;

- olives ;

- fresh red peppers ; 

- grated carrots and beetroot ; 

- eggs, boiled or scrambled ; 

- any roast veggies, I love butternut squash ;

- green wraps ; 

- bread ;

- seeds ;

- olive oil ; 

I have scrambled some eggs for this wraps, I added tomatoes, avocado and rocket salad leaves as well as some crunchy sliced red onion ....

Edamame beans on toast , oh my ...

I love edamame or soya beans . They are full of proteins and very tasty.

I placed the beans into a small frying pan, add olive oil and chopped garlic and toss everything for 2 - 3 minutes until the beans are defrosted. Perfect on warm toast with extra greens on the top.....

Wilted spinach on toast or on sandwich topped with whatever you like...

It goes really well with cooked rice ( fill up a glass jar with cooked grain and wilted spinach topped with fresh veggies ) 

don't forget to season with olive oil

add some seeds for a crunch ...

Roasted butternut squash goes really well with cooked greens or added in your favorite salad ...

Caramelized onion hummus with seeded flatbreads

Happy New Year 2018 !!!
Christmas is over so as the eating chocolate, drinking prosecco and long sleep in the mornings....
I am going to kick start this January with this delicious hummus inspired by

 15 minutes vegan

and those beautiful organic homemade flatbreads ....

For the hummus you will need: 

2 onions, sliced

1 tin of chickpeas or 300g cooked 

1 clove garlic

2 Tbsp tahini 

juice of one lemon

generous drizzle of good olive oil

salt

Heat some olive oil in a pan, add the onion and slow cook until caramelizes.

Tip the chickpeas into a bowl. Cover with boiling water and allow to sit while the onion is cooking.

Tip drained chickpeas into a blender, half the onion, tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and garlic and blend until smooth.

Serve the hummus with the rest of the onions...

For the flatbreads I used:

400g organic seeded brown flour

about 250 ml water

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp salt 

1 Tbsp sesame seeds

Simply mix the ingredients, form a dough and leave it to rest for a few hours or even overnight.

When you need the flatbreads, heat a non-stick pan , dust a surface with flour, tip the dough on it and divide the dough into 10 - 12 balls.

Roll each ball flat and place them on the hot pan 2 or 3 at the time.

Cook the breads 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until nicely coloured.

I like to brush the flatbread with olive oil before serving.

 Any leftover ? you can freeze them ( never happened to me though ) 

note: the breads have a nice texture, more on a chewy side rather then soft 

  

here are some photos of my Christmas baking that I never had time to publish it:

Gingerbreads

Boozy homemade mincemeat 

Stollen

Spelt & rye flour focaccia

Winter baking rocks in my kitchen 🍞

This focaccia tastes like heaven especially if you are onion-crazy 😁 

Ingredients:

200g spelt white flour
100g rye flour
1 tsp dry active yeast
1/2 cup cooked grains*
200 - 220 ml lukewarm water
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp olive oil
half onion
fresh rosemary
extra olive oil for drizzling 

Place the flours into a mixing bowl, add the rest of the ingredients to form a soft dough.
Leave the dough to rest for an hour covering the bowl with clean tea towel.
Shape the dough into a square or rectangle and place it onto your baking tray that you covered with baking paper.
Top the dough with rings of onion, drizzle some more olive oil and season with some more salt.
Few sprigs of rosemary here and there and your dough is ready to be baked.
Bake for 15 - 20 minutes on 210 C .

* I have been using my leftover cooked grains mixing it up into the dough . 
Cooked barley, farro or spelt grain works the best.

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