More smoothie please

A delicious start to the day, smoothies are packed with vitamins, minerals, fibre, good fats and proteins. As well as fruit and veg, I add nut butter or tahini, ground flax seeds or chia seeds,  cinnamon or cocoa.......Some days I made my smoothie quite skinny which means I use water as a liquid base. One of my favorite combo is: spinach, blueberries, avocado and water.
I wanted my kids to have a glass of smoothie as a regular drink so that's where the sweet fruit and honey comes as a base. Children don't like funny colours or taste, my children would turn their noses even if I add flax seeds. ...
My latest addition is beetroot . I was inspired by the kale smoothie starters I have found in one of the blogs I follow called The plant philosophy. I grated one large raw beetroot and I simply stuck it into an ice tray. Freeze for 4 hours and then I have beetroot boost in my smoothie every time ..... 

Chocolate Brioche Twists

We  indulged ourselves with these brioche treats over the weekend. I made them with love for the people I love the most ......💕💖💗💘💝💟  

Ingredients:

300 gr flour
160 gr soft butter
100 gr chocolate
3 eggs
5 gr dry yeast mixed with 3 - 4 Tbsp water
1 Tbsp sugar
1 egg yolk 
1/2 tsp salt

Place the flour, salt, sugar and yeast mixture into a mixing bowl.
Add the butter and the eggs and form a dough.
Leave the dough to rest, covered with a tea towel for 1 1/2 hours.
Place the dough onto a floured surface and knead it for a minute or two.
Place the dough back into a clean mixing bowl, cover with food wrap and leave it to prove in the fridge over night.
In the morning, get the dough out, it is going to be a cold and hard to handle but at least it's not sticky . 

my little boy was waiting patiently, the smell was divine 

even teddy got one 

Divide the dough into six balls and roll each ball into a rectangle. 

Grate the chocolate on the top, roll it up and cut it lengthwise to get two parts.

Twist the parts and form a knot or a wreath.

Place the knots onto a baking tray, leave to rest for 30 minutes.

Pre-heat your oven on 180 C.

Just before you bake them, brash with a egg yolk and a little bit of milk.

Bake for 30 - 40 minutes.

Serve them warm ...

3 post workout protein fix

This is the first perfect protein rich lunch ( made in no time ), I used 2 eggs, a small cube of butter ( the size of my smallest nail )  chopped up fresh tomatoes, 1/4 avocado and a handful of spinach as well as some pumpkin seeds for an extra crunch ....

For this protein bowl I cooked some mixed whole grains with kale, I crushed butter beans with garlic and lemon zest and I made sweet potato chips...

Here is how I did it: 

I cooked the grains ( mixture of quinoa and freekeh ) in a medium size cooking pot for 20 minutes, half way I add the greens. 

For the beans, I heated up some olive oil in a small frying pan, adding 1 clove of minced garlic. After 1 minute add 1 tin of beans, zest of half a lemon, salt, pepper and chopped fresh parsley.

Add a splash of hot water if too dry.

Sweet potato chips: peel and cut the potato into tiny slices, spray with olive oil and sprinkle some salt and pepper.

Place it onto a baking tray and bake for 20 minutes on 170 C 

Super healthy & super tasty protein rich smoothie 

These little power smoothie starters are amazing, I've recently discovered the recipe here !!!

To make this smoothie I blend 1 or 2 starters, handful of berries, 1 Tbsp nut butter, 1 chopped date, 1 tsp cinnamon and 250 ml almond milk or any liquid will do. 

Chickpeas & veggies soup with rainbow salad

When I was a little girl my parents used to add vinegar to the soup we used to eat as a starter. Oh, I remember now very clear how much I used to hate the taste of it, I would cry or even throw a tantrum until my soup was replaced by a fresh non-sour bowl of soup. Guess what ? I now love adding vinegar to my soup and I buy unfiltered apple vinegar so the taste is as authentic as can be. My father used to make his own apple vinegar from our own apple tree so we were spoiled with taste. Now days any nutritionist will tell you to eat something sour just before you eat your meal to kick start the acids in your stomach so your food is easily digested and you don't get bloated. It can be a Tbsp of vinegar in a little water or it can be a handful of rocket leaves or it can be a bowl of sour soup ☕   I am contributing with this recipe to my fellow blogger veghog, she is promoting " cheap eats week " and I think this soup is very much on budget !!!

Ingredients:

1 onion or 1 leek, sliced

2 carrots, sliced

1 parsnip, sliced

leftover broccoli stalks

1 can of chickpeas

vegetable stock 

olive oil

pepper

handful of pasta 

handful of polenta 

parsley 

In a big cooking pot splash some olive oil and add the vegetables. Let them sweat on a medium heat with lid on for about 15 minutes.

Add 1 litre of stock + more, depend of how much vegetables you have, as well as the chickpeas.

Cook on medium heat for 20 minutes and add the pasta shapes. Cook for further 5 - 10 minutes before you add the instant polenta ( you don't have to, I just fancied thicker soup ) 

Adjust the taste, add some fresh parsley.

For the salad, grate some beetroot ( mine is golden ) and carrot, slice some purple cabbage, add some chopped red pepper and fresh parsley.

Season the salad with olive oil, vinegar and salt.

The bread dipped in the soup on the photo is this one 

pms energy balls

This January is sugar free and sweet taste free for me, I just like to challenge myself and detox from sugar at the same time. It's been 3 weeks since I've started and I knew it's coming - chocolate craving around `that` time of the month. So, I made this energy balls, full of good fats, magnesium from the cacao and rich in protein and it seems to me that they do the trick . The bad new is everyone else in the family likes them....

Ingredients:

8 Tbsp ground almonds

4 Tbsp mixed seeds ( I like sunflower and sesame seeds )

2 Tbsp cacao powder

4 Tbsp peanut butter ( I like good earth )

2 tsp ground cinnamon 

2 Tbsp ground flax seeds

2 Tbsp maple syrup ( optional )

80 -100 ml warm water

desiccated coconut for coating 

Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth.

Roll into balls smaller then a walnut and coat them with coconut. 

You should aim to get around 20 balls.

Keep them in fridge for up to 7 days.

note: in case you are wondering what food I am avoiding, here is a list:

bananas

grapes

all dry fruit

biscuits

cookies

cakes

chocolates 

honey

food from jars

what I eat:

cooked meals loaded with whole grains and pulses

eggs

lots of vegetables

porridge 

cinnamon

full fat yogurt but small amount

cheese also small amount 

blueberries

nuts

seeds

green apple 

home made bread

*note: I am never hungry and I don't loose weight, however, my skin glows, I am full of beans and I sleep like a baby...zzzzzzzzz

Thanks for reading! I would appreciate any comments or suggestions from you.

Pumpkin garlic knots

I have published a recipe for garlic knots before but these garlic knots are even better. The dough is fragrant from the pumpkin + extra soft, almost melts in mouth. Perfect company for any pasta dish....

Ingredients:  

500 gr flour

1 pack of instant yeast

1 tsp salt

2 tbsp oil
150 gr pimpkin puree

200 ml liquid, mixture of water and milk

2-3 cloves of garlic

1 knob of butter, soft

salt

parsley

Make the dough as you do for a bread  adding the pumpkin puree and leave it to rest for one hour, covered with a clingfilm .

In a meantime, mince the garlic with a little bit of salt and add it to the soft butter and finely chopped parsley. Set a side.

When the dough is ready, knead it on a floured surface once or twice.

Divide the dough into 12 peaces. 

Form a long sausage shape from each dough and make a knot straight away .

Place the knots into a large baking tray and bake them on 190 C for 20 minutes.

Take them out of the oven and spread the butter mixture while they are still warm.

Serve them hot.

Leek and kale with dippy eggs

This is a perfect meal to recharge your body after exercise.
Adding some yogurt and wholegrain mustard  makes it extra yummy, the taste is a bit sour-ish but also sweet from the leek....

Ingredients:

1 large leek, trimmed and sliced 

150 gr kale

olive oil

3 Tbsp natural yogurt 

1 to 2 tsp wholegrain mustard from jar 

parsley

4 eggs

Heat a big frying pan suitable for grill as well.
Add splash of oil, followed by the leek.
Saute the leek until soften, then add the kale, splash of water and put the lid on for 6-7 minutes or until the kale is almost cooked.
Stir in the yogurt and the mustard and simmer for a minute or two.
Make 4 hollows in the kale mixture and crack the eggs into.
Cook for 1 minute without any stirring and then put the pan under the pre-heated grill .
Grill everything for 3-4 minutes, make sure the egg yolks are still runny.
Sprinkle some salt, pepper and chopped parsley.
Serve immediately and enjoy! 

Thanks for reading! I would appreciate any comments or suggestions from you.

Detox soup

They are saying eat the rainbow 🌈 so here is a rainbow - right in the bowl .......

Ingredients:

olive oil 

1 leek , washed, trimmed and finely sliced

1 carrot

1 parsnip

1/4 head of celeriac 

2 cloves garlic

150 gr green or brown lentils, soaked for a few hours 

1 Tbsp tomato pure

100 gr fresh kale
handful of broccoli florets

purple cabbage

sliced avocado 

salt 

pepper

chili flakes


Heat a spalsh of oil in a large pan, then add the and cook over s medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the root vegetsbles, all chopped up and cook for 10 minutes or so. 
Add the lentils and 1.5 litres of water or stock.
Cook on a medium / low heat for 35 - 40 minutes or until the lentils and cooked.
Season the soup with salt and pepper and add the tomato pure as well as the kale.
Cook for 5 minutes, then add the broccoli and the purple cabbage and cook for further 3 - 4 minutes.
Ladle into bowls and top with sliced avocado, parsley and chili flakes as well as a splash of extra virgin olive oil.
Serve the soup with or without bread....Enjoy ....

Cauliflower steak

First post this year and I start with this beautiful cauliflower steak. I often choose to have a cauliflower as a main food on my plate for a reason. Cauliflower have more vitamin C then orange, it is rich with magnesium, some vitamin B and fiber. However, the colour and texture of it can be a bit boring ( to be honest ) so I tried grilling it and so far it is my favorite cooking method. 🍴🍴

Ingredients:

 ( for 2 people )

half a cauliflower

salt and pepper

chili flakes

for the salad:

1 raw beetroot, grated 

1 carrot, grated 

150 gr cooked chickpea

rocket leaves

parsley

dressing:

lemon juice and olive oil

Slice the cauliflower to get two "steaks" .

Heat a non-stick pan over a medium to high heat.

Season the steaks with little salt and pepper.

Place the steaks in the pan without oil and let them brown for 4-5 minutes per side.

At this stage I cover the pan with a lid ( any lid will do ) and I let the steaks to steam for 5 more minutes.

Transfer to the plates, add the salad .

Season everything and drizzle with dressing.

Thanks for reading! I would appreciate any comments or suggestions from you.

Freekeh, kale and avo salad

I've been detoxing a lot this month, nothing major or fancy, just eating more greens and more plant food such as whole grains, seeds and nuts.
This salad is one of my latest favorite lunch, it's ready in 12 minutes ....
I am entering `Eat you greens` which is hosted by The Veghog this month..🌿

Ingredients:

100 gr freekeh

1 avocado

4 handful of kale, stalks removed

handful of roasted seeds ( mixture of pumpkin, sunflower and sesame seeds )

salt and pepper

extra virgin olive oil 

lemon juice

 Soak the freekeh in cold water for 15 minutes. Cook the freekeh in a fresh water with a pinch of salt. Cook for 12 minutes for al-dente . For the last 6 minutes add the kale to be cooked together with the freekeh.
In a meantime chop the avocado and set a on a side.Drain off any water left from the freekeh/kale pan and stir in the avocado. Season with salt and pepper as well as olive oil and lemon juice.Divide into two plates and sprinkle some seeds on the top.

Fig and hazelnuts biscotti

This Italian biscuits called biscotti which means twice baked are my favorite festive bakes . Give it a go, your house will smell festive for hours, your cookie jar will be full ( not for long ) they are a real treat, perfect gift for friends and family...🎅🎅🎅🎅🎅🎅🎄🎄🎄🎄

Ingredients:

24 biscotti 

220 gr flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon 
120 gr brown sugar
100 gr dry figs, chopped 
100 gr toasted hazelnuts
2 eggs
25 gr melted butter
zest of one orange

Sift the flour, baking powder and cinnamon into a bowl.

Add the sugar, figs and nuts.

In a jug whisk the eggs, butter and zest and pour in the flour bowl.

Stir to bring together.

Divide into two and form an even logs 4 cm wide each.

Transfer the logs to a baking tray and bake for 20 - 25 minutes on 180 C.

Let them cool down a bit and cut each log into 12 slices.

Bake them for 20 minutes on 150 C.