Cabbage Stew (Kapusta Wigilijna)

I have been struggling to make a perfect cabbage stew for years. I tried many recipes and modification and could never get it just right...until this year!

Ingredients:
0.5 kg sauerkraut; pour hot water over it to remove excess sourness
0.5 kg fresh cabbage
1.5 cups of dried mushrooms, soaked, retain water
1 large onion, cut into thin strips
100 g butter
4 whole allspice
5 white pepper corns
1 tbs caraway seeds
5-6 prunes

1. Chop fresh cabbage and place it together with sauerkraut in a pot with butter. Cook on a low heat (gas mark 2.4; after 1 hour lower it to 2.2)
2. Roughly chop soaked mushrooms; add them to the cabbage mix. Also add most of the soaking water.
3. Saute onion for a few minutes until softened; add to the cabbage mix. Continue cooking; mix occasionally.
4. Finely chop prunes, add to the cabbage mix together with spices. Continue cooking, and stirring occasionally.
5. Cook for about 6-8 hours over 2 days. You may need to add some water.
6. Enjoy!

Polish Christmas: Honey Cake (Piernik po Staropolsku)

#easyfoodcreations #healthyeating #PolishChristmas

Here is the 12th century recipe I found on the internet for the traditional Polish Piernik a while ago. Unfortunately it was years ago and the printed sheet did not have the credentials.
The spice mix I created myself as I was not be able to find anything similar ready to use in Canada.
I have to say that my son absolutely loves this cake; it is his favourite.

Ingredients:

0.5 kg rye flour

250 g all purpose flour

0.5 kg honey

4 eggs

250g sugar

250 g jar of jam (sour cherry, plum, or black currant are best)

250 g butter

3 tbsp unsweetened natural juice (sour cherry, blueberry, plum are best)

1 tbsp very strong coffee

1 tbsp unsweetened cacao powder

2 tbsp baking powder

1 tbsp baking soda

2 tbsp lemon and orange peel

0.25 c dried fruits and nuts (optional)

Piernik spice mix 

Piernik spice mix:

10 coriander seeds

5 cloves

1 allspice

0.25 tsp grated nutmeg 

3 poss of cardamom

1 tsp grated cinnamon

0.5 tsp vanilla powder

0.5 inch fresh ginger, grated 

1. Heat half of the sugar, honey and butter in a pan (gas mark 2-2.2); mix occasionally. Let it cool off.

2. Egg yolks mix with remaining sugar for about 5 minutes; add flour, soda, baking powder. Then add honey mix, juice, jam, coffee, cacao, and Piernik spice mix.

Mix well.

3. If desired add finely chopped dried fruits and nuts. 

4. Beat egg whites until stiff. Then fold it into the cake mix.

5. Prepare the baking form by spreading a little bit of butter and flour so the cake does not stick.

Pour the cake mix in.

6. Bake in a preheated oven at 180c for about 60 minutes.

7. Let it cool off before removing from the form.

8. Enjoy!

Healthy Lunch Box Series

Many of the snacks found in kids lunch boxes are packaged snacks, such as chips, pretzels, candy bars, granola bars, and cookies. While some are worse than others, and occasionally you might find something that is not loaded with fats, sugars, and chemicals. 

I want to show that preparing healthy snacks at home is not a rocket science and can become an adventure and lesson in healthy living.

Savoury Chickpea Flour Muffins

Who does not love muffins? Although often they are associated with sweet cakes, they can be a perfect savoury snack. Today's recipe is inspired by my exploration of chickpea flour recipes. While I tried many sweet recipes, I like chickpea four more in savoury dishes.

Chickpea Flour

I love chickpea flour as it is one of the healthiest flours, comprising of 25% protein, 14% fat, and 61% carbs. According to the nutrition data it is a great source of folate, B6, thiamin, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, copper, and manganese, and fibre.

 Recipe

Ingredients:

2 cups of chickpea four (aka besam flour)

2 tbsp flax, milled and combined with 4 tbsp water

1 tsp baking powder

0.5 tsp baking soda

50g sun-dried tomatoes, socked (reserve water)

4 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

10 olives, pitted and chopped

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp dried rosemary

1 tsp organo

15 tbsp water from soaking sun-dried tomatoes

Preparation:

1. Mix all ingredients together.

2. Add it to the muffin forms, to about 2/3rd of each form.

3. Bake in a preheated oven at 375F (177c) for 25 minutes.

4. Enjoy!

Carrot and apple muffin - vegan and gluten free option

#easyfoodcreations #healthyeating #muffin #carrot

Today my son asked for muffins. I asked what does he want in his muffin...he said carrots and apples!

So we pulled a big bowl and set my son in his muffin mixing position with a measuring cup in one hand and a spoon in the other.

Ingredients:

1.5 c millet, milled into a flour

0.75 c buckwheat flour 

4 tbsp flax, milled and mixed with 6 tbsp of water and set aside for a few minutes

2 sweet apples

2 medium size carrots

2 handfuls of raisins

0.25 c honey

1 tbsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1.5 tbsp of cinnamon 

1 tsp vanilla powder

1 tbsp of grape seed oil

1. In a bowl, mix all dry ingredients.

2. Grate carrots and add to the mix. I grated them on the small eye grater.

3. Place cored apples in the blender and blend until you have apple sauce. Add to the bowl.

4. Add flax mix, honey, and oil to the bowl and mix everything well.

5. Add raisins and mix everything together.

6. Place mixture in the muffin forms.

7. Bake in a preheated oven at 177c for 30-35 minutes

8. Enjoy!

Red Cabbage Delight

#easyfoodcreations #healthyeating #rawvegan

Red cabbage often is listed as one of the most potent vegetables for cancers and aging. While it was one of the vegetables I absolutely hated as a kid, I fell in love with red cabbage but only in a raw or lightly steemed forms.

Here is one simple creation that I made from few ingredients I always have in the house.

Ingredients:

0.5 head of medium red cabbage

1 Apple 

1 medium carrot

4 tbsp dried cranberries

4 tbsp pumpkin seeds

Dressing:

3 tbsp lemon juice

3 tbsp olive oil

1. Finely chop cabbage, grate Apple and carrot.

2. Add cranberries and pumpkin seeds. Mix everything together. 

3. Mix lemon juice with olive oil and add to the other ingredients; mix everything together.

4. Enjoy!

Dining Vegan: Okra Curry

#easyfoodcreations #healthyeating

One of my favourite vegetables is okra. I fell in love with this little green seedy veggie years ago when I stumbled across it in the supermarket. Being me, I had to buy it and explore it from all angles.
I discovered that it is works wonders in curries. In curries, okra sliminess that might put some people off, works extremely well as a source thickener. What can I say, I have yet another recipe to offer to my gluten free followers! My son unexpectedly devoured the whole bowl so it might be kids friendly too.

Ingredients:

200gr okra

0.5 large onion

2 garlic cloves

4 medium tomatoes

1 inch fresh ginger

1 red chilli

1 tbsp Garam masala

1 tsp fenugreek 

1 tsp turmeric

2 tbsp grape seed oil (or any other oil or fat you want)

1. Chop the onion very finely, press garlic cloves, finely chopped chilli (you can deseed it if you want) and grate ginger.

2. Heat the oil in the pan (gas mark 3), add spices and onion, garlic, ginger mix.

3. Chop the tomatoes into very small pieces (or you can peel them), add to the pan. Add a pinch of salt.

4. Cut okra,  cut off the ends. I find that cutting it across under an angle speeds up cooking.

Add it to the pan, add 0.25 cup water. Cook for about 25 minutes on gas mark 2.8.

5. Serve hot.

6. Enjoy!

Favourites: Aubergine Caviar

#easyfoodcreations #healthyeating

This is my version of the Aubergine (eggplant) caviar. It is so simple yet a very healthy alternative to dips and bread spreads available in the supermarkets. I had been making it for years yet never thought of sharing this recipe with anyone...it always vanished too fast!

It is truly a 4 ingredients recipe and I hope you will enjoy it too!

Ingredients:

1 large eggplant

0.5 medium onion

0.5c finely chopped fresh cilantro 

1 tbsp olive oil

Salt, pepper 

1. Bake the whole eggplant at 175c for about 35 minutes. Set aside to cool offa little bit.

2. Scoop out the eggplant inside and discard the skin. Then finely chop the eggplant flesh.

3. Finely chop the onion. 

4. Mix eggplant flesh with onion, chopped cilantro. Add olive oil, salt and pepper.

5. Place in the fridge for at least 1 hour. 

6. Serve cold with crackers, chips, bread, or as a side to a main dish. 

7. Enjoy!

Eat your greens: all the goodness (salad)

#easyfoodcreations #healthyeating #eatyourgreens

This salad is going to satisfy even the most picky eaters. Combination of sweet beats, tangy apple and cranberries, and crunchy walnuts is simply irresistible. It is my go-to salad when I am in a rush.

Serves: 1

Ingredients:

3-4 handfuls of of mixed greens

1 medium beet, cooked

1 apple

2 tbsp dried cranberries

2 handfuls of walnuts (I like to soak them for about 30 min before using them; it helps eliminate the bitter taste that some of us taste)

Dressing:

1tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1. Wash the greens, add chopped beets and apples.

2. Top it up with cranberries and walnuts, and drizzle with the dressing.

3. Enjoy!