Blueberry Yeast Buns (Jagodzianki)

Yeast Blueberry Buns are they healthy or are they not? 

It's a big generational debate whether yeast cakes and buns are good for us. Older generations in Poland consider them healthy. And they have a point - as yeast desserts in Poland are typically low in sugar, partially because yeast grows by consuming sugar and turning it into CO2 that creates the fluffy texture. And partially because we often add fruits that add natural sweetness.  However, these cakes and buns usually contain white four that is not exactly a health food. So I think it is a break-even! 

Ingredients

Makes: 16 buns

Yeast Dough

• 1 tbsp dry yeast
• 250 g milk of choice 
• 50 g sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 200 g flour
• 100 g butter
• 0.5 tsp vanilla extract/paste (optional)
• 1 egg yolk (optional)

Blueberry Filling

• 350 g blueberries (both high bush and wold work well), washed
• 25 g potato or corn starch (it helps prevent dense, gluey streaks around fruits)
• 20 g sugar 

Instructions

1. Mix dry yeast with 2 tbsp warm water (37c). Let it sit for 5-10 min until you see foam forming on the top.

2. Warm up milk to about 37c. 

3. In the blender add warmed up milk, yeast, sugar. Blend it up and let it sit for about 5 minutes.

4. Move items to a dough mixing machine or a bowl, add flour, eggs yolks, butter, vanilla extract and mix until it is well combined. 

5. Move the dough mixture to a bowl and cover with a cloth. Let it sit for 60-90 minutes to rise.

6. Heat the over to 200c/400F.

7. On a lightly floured surface place the dough. Divide the mixture into 16 pieces and gently flatten each one out. Cover with a cloth and let them sit for another 20 min.

8. In a meantime, in a separate bowl mix whole blueberries with starch and sugar. Let them sit.

9. Take 16 pieces of the dough, flatten them so you can add about 1tbsp of blueberry filling. Close them like you would empanadas or pierogi and form little rectangles.

10. Prepared buns place on a baking sheet and cover with a cloth. Let them rest for another 30 minutes or until the over is warmed up.

11. Before baking you can brush each bun with egg yolk, if desired.

12. Bake for 17-20 minutes until lightly brown.

13. Let them cool off for about 15 minutes (the filling gets very hot!).

14. Enjoy them as a snack, breakfast, or a dessert.

15. If you tried this recipe - share it and tag @healthywithjoanna

Breakfast: Zucchini Omelette Baked / Steamed/ Fried

My favourite way of preparing omelette lately is by steaming or baking it. Steamed omelette creates a very nice fluffy texture that I really enjoy. Baking creates a texture that is similar to flying and also creates some browning if that is what you are after. 

This omelette allows you to incorporate leftover egg yolks, and use zucchini that currently is in season. 

This year my garden blessed me with an abundance of zucchini so I ventured on a culinary journey to make the best of this nutrient dense vegetable. And starting your day with a healthy protein packed breakfast is always a win!

Ingredients

• Around 150-200 g of zucchini, grated. Peel it if skin is hard.
• 3 scallions or a bunch of chives, chopped
• Bunch of fresh parsley, chopped
• 4-5 eggs, can use leftover egg whites or egg yolks
• 25-50g hard cheese such as parmesan, gruyere, grated (optional)
• salt, pepper
• 2 tsp pine nuts (optional)

Instructions

1. Place eggs in a blender and mix until fluffy.

2. Add chopped scallions, parsley, grated zucchini, grated cheese (optional) and pine nuts (optional).

3. Mix all ingredients with a spoon until well combined.

4. Season to taste.

5. You can fry it, bake it, or steam it! Place the mixture in a frying pan with some butter and cook covered for about 5-7 minutes. Alternatively, place the mixture in a dish that can go to the oven or into a steaming vessel. Bake or steam for about 20-25 minutes.

6. Enjoy!

7. If you made the recipe - share and tag it @healthywithjoanna

Plant-based breakfast: Banana Pancakes

Looking for a fluffy yummy plant based pancakes that hold their ground against regular American pancake? Look no further!

One of the complains about plant-based pancakes is that they are often flat and lifeless and hard to cook. I have to agree that often they miss the body and softness of the regular American pancake. However, it does not have to be the case, as it is very easy to add this attribute to plant based or vegan pancakes. 

Ingredients

Recipe makes approximately 10

260 ml plant based milk of choice (I like oat milk)

240 g spelt flour (or barley flour or other whole grain flour of choice)

2 tsp of chia seeds

2 ripe bananas

1 tbsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda 

0.5 tsp real vanilla powder

Instructions

1. Blend all ingredients together until smooth.

2. Let it sit for about 10 minutes. In a meantime heat the pan. 

3. Fry them without oil on a well-heated good quality non stick pan.

4. Enjoy them with anything your soul desires! 

Pumpkin smoothie

"One little pumpkin smiling smiling. One little pumpkin is happy." 

Every year I look forward to fall to enjoy this pumpkin smoothie. I swear it is better than the best dessert or ice cream.

Ingredients:

1 small pumpkin, baked then peeled and deseeded 

1 ripe banana

2-3 dates

4 cloves

4 cardamom pods, shell removed

0.5 tsp Ceylon cinnamon 

Pinch of sea salt 

1 cup of oat milk, coconut milk, coconut water, or just water 

Instructions:

1. Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Enjoy it right away or for a snack later.

2. If you tried the recipe, share it and tag it @healthywithjoanna 

Vegan Banana chocolate chip muffins

 It is September and kids are going back to school tomorrow. For us parents it is a tough time as we need to prepare nutritious meals that kids will eat and at the same time pack some nutrition that will help them thrive in school. 

This year I decided to do a series of posts dedicated to back to school recipes. I will be covering snacks and lunches that my son will be taking with him to school.

Today I baked vegan banana chip muffins. Muffins area great snack that most kids love. This provides us parents with an ability to sneak few extra valuable nutrients.

Ingredients:

2 cups of all purpose ancient whole grain flour 

2 ripe bananas 

3 dates

2 tbsp flax seeds, milled

3 tbsp hemp hearts

Handful of chocolate chips 

3-4 tbsp of brown sugar

1 tbsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda 

Pinch of sea salt

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

Steps:

1. Place milled glazed with water and set aside for a 2-5 minutes

2. Blend bananas, hemp hearts, and dates with half a cup of water until smooth

3. Mix all ingredients except chocolate chips in a large bowl. I usually mix them by hand with a spoon. Add more water as needed - approx 0.5 cup. Let it rest for 5-10 minutes. 

4. Preheat the oven at 375F.

5. Add chocolate chips to the muffin mix. 

6. Divide the muffin mass into muffin forms. Bake at 375c for 25-30 minutes. 

7. Let muffins cool off for at least 5 minutes so they come out if the form easily and you don’t burn yourself. 

Why I used selected ingredients?

I use whole grain ancient flour as it contains more nutrients, including gut benefiting fibre.

Hemp hearts in the recipe act as added fat replacing butter. However, my primary reason is extra protein that most baked treats are deprived of. 

Flax seeds are replacing egg and butter in my vegan recipes. Also, they are a great source of omega 3 and fibre. 

Bananas and dates are used in this recipe to help reduce quantity of added sugar. Both fruits are a great source of potassium that does not exist in refined sugars. 

Chocolate chips - I use semi-sweet Made Good brand as they clean ingredient and not excessive amount of added sugar. 

Muffin forms: I have been using Tchibo silicone forms for 7 + years and love them. I find removing muffins from them is very easy and barely ever I have issues with muffins sticking to them. 

Fluffy pancakes

This recipe was born as I had some quark (presses cottage cheese) left over from making pierogi. I decided to incorporate them into pancakes.

Ingredients:
500g quark/pressed cottage cheese (low sodium)
1 cup sprouted spelt flour
3 cups traditional oats (milled into flour)
3 tbsp flax seeds (milled)
1 tbsp baking powder
2 cups milk of choice
1 egg (optional)

Steps:
1. Place all ingredients in a high speed blender and blend until fairly smooth.
2. Heat the pan for a few minutes, until hot (no oil required as flax will act as fat in this recipe).
3. Add dough to the pan and cook for 3-5 minutes on each side
4. Serve with maple syrup or your favourite fruit sauce
5. Enjoy!

Dill chickpeas salad

I love salads as my mid afternoon snack.
Usually people look at me strangely when I tell them that my favourite food is salad ... but I really love them!

Ingredients:
2 cups arugula
1 cup chickpeas
2 tbsp sunflower seeds
1 whole red pepper
0.5 cup fresh dill

Dressing:
1 tsp olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
0.75 tsp  cumin
0.5 tsp turmeric
pepper and sea salt to taste

White bean salad with parsley

After all this rich Christmas food I had been craving some good bean salad.


Ingredients:
1.5 cup White beans
1 whole red pepper
0.3 red onion
0.5 cup fresh parsley
1 garlic clove
2 tbsp lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Steps:
1. Cut red pepper and onion into strips
2. Finely chop parsley
3. Crush the garlic clove
4. Mix all ingredients together
5. Enjoy!

Flat flax seed buckwheat bread

Flax seed buckwheat bread tastes divine served with hummus, spinach, mushrooms, avocado, and black seeds.

Ingredients:
1 cup buckwheat soaked then blended
1 cup oats
2 tbsp chia seeds
2 tbsp flax seeds
2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
1 tbsp sunflower seeds
1 tsp black seeds
Pinch of sea salt
1-2 cups of water

Steps:
1. In a bowl mix all ingredients together. Add water slowly. The consistency should be like for a very thick pancake
2. Spread on the parchment paper/or baking mat. Aim for about 5-7 cm in thickness
3. Bake at 350F for 1 hr and 30 minutes.

Sweet potato waffles

Quick breakfast before morning yoga class. And weekend = waffles.
According to my son these are the best waffles ever.

Ingredients:
1 cup millet (milled)
1 large sweet potato (steamed)
2 very ripe bananas
1 tsp baking powder
4 tbsp flax seeds (milled)
1-1.5 cup water

Steps:
1. Place all ingredients in a high speed blender and blend until smooth
2. Bake waffles
3. Enjoy!

Polish Christmas: Tofu á la Grec

One of the Traditional Christmas dishes in Poland is fish with vegetables in Greek style. I tried this receipt with other things besides fish and it works great.

The dish is very flexible in terms of vegetables; you can pretty much use any veggies you have on hand. Another advantage of this dish is that it can be made in advance even 2-3 days ahead. The flavours penetrate the tofu, beans, meat or fish and make it even more delicious.

Ingredients:
1 block of tofu (semi firm)
1 onion
1 large zucchini
1 red pepper
1 large carrot
1 parsnip
4 garlic cloves
1 tsp ground coriander seeds
1 tsp ground cumin seeds
4 large tomatoes
3 tbsp tomato paste
salt, pepper to taste
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Optional: veggie stock, oil



Steps:
1. Sauté onion and garlic for a few minutes
2. Julien all other vegetables (except tomatoes), then add them to the onion. Reduce gas mark to 2.2-2.6.
3. Add 1-2 tbsp of water (or veggie stock or oil). Cook for 10 minutes before proceeding with the next step.
4. Chop tomatoes, and add them to the vegetable. Add tomato paste and all remaining spices and vinegar. Continue cooking on a low gas mark.
5. Slice tofu and place on the baking sheet. Bake at 375F for 30 minutes.
6. Place baked tofu in a baking pan, cover with cooked veggies and its sauce. I like to keep it in the fridge for a day or two before reheating and serving for dinner.
7. Enjoy!

Pierogi Fillings - mushrooms, cabbage and mushrooms, potato and cheese

For Christmas I usually make 3 different fillings, mushrooms and cabbage and mushrooms are traditional filling at Christmas time. My son only likes the potato and cheese filling so I make this most common in Poland pierogi filling as well.

Mushroom filling
Ingredients:
1 cup of dried wild mushrooms, soak (water from soaking can be added to the cabbage stew, cabbage and mushroom filling, or barszcz)
2 cups of mixed mushrooms. Usually I opt for mushrooms like oysters, shittake, chanterelles, or any mushroom available locally
1 large onion
sea salt, pepper to taste

Steps:
Sauté finely chopped onion for a few minutes
Add finely chopped mushrooms (both soaked dried and fresh) to the pot
season with salt and pepper
Usually there is no need to add any water as salt will pull water from mushrooms so you will have enough juice for cooking.
Cook on a very low heat for several hours (gas mark 1.6-2.2 for 4-6 hours), stirring occasionally (once every 30 min or so).


Cabbage and mushrooms filling
Ingredients:
0.5 cup of sauerkraut (drained)
0.75 cup of fresh cabbage
1 large onion
1 cup of mushrooms (dry and fresh)
0.25 tsp caraway seeds
salt and pepper to taste
2 prunes (might be needed if your sauerkraut is very sour)

Steps:
Sauté finely chopped onion for a few minutes
Add finely chopped sauerkraut, fresh cabbage, and mushrooms
Add the spices - caraway seeds, salt, and pepper
Cook on a very low heat for several hours (gas mark 1.6-2.2 for 4-6 hours), stirring occasionally (once every 30 minutes or so).


Potato and cheese filling
Ingredients:
500 g of cooked potatoes (soft like for mashed potatoes)
500 g of quark or pressed cottage cheese (you can make your own with milk and yoghurt)
1 onion
1 tbsp ground cumin
salt, pepper to taste

Steps:
Sauté finely chopped onion for a few minute
Mash potatoes with cheese
Mix all ingredients together

Polish Christmas: Millet with Poppy seeds

Over the last couple of years I made another twist on my favourite Christmas Dish - Pasta with Poppy seeds. I decided to replace pasta with millet; and it turned out to be my favourite version!

Wheat berries that are often used instead on pasta in the traditional kutia, the Christmas dish very popular in the Eastern Poland close to the Ukrainian border, are very hard to find in my region of Canada.



Ingredients:
1.5 cup of cooked millet (I like to rinse it a couple of times before cooking, at times I soak it)
1.5 cup of poppy seeds (soaked in hot water for 2 days and rinsed 4 times)
0.5 cup of dried fruits - I use figs and dates, raising work well too
0.5 cup of nuts - I like the best pistachios and almonds in this recipe
1 lemon - juice and zest
4 tbsp of raw honey






Steps:
1. Place soaked and drained poppy seeds in the blender with honey and lemon juice. Blend until it is fairly smooth and poppy seeds are crushed. This is very important step and may require few minutes. Whole poppy seeds are quite bitter and you may need more honey to compensate if you do not crush them enough.
2. Add all remaining ingredients, and mix well.
3. Traditionally it is a Christmas dessert. I also enjoy it for breakfast after Christmas. It can be stored in the fridge for a week.
4. Enjoy!

Condiments: Home Made Horseradish

Horseradish is one of my favourite condiments. In Canada I find it very challenging to find one that is actually tasty, as they are either too creamy and mild, or too vinegary. Making horseradish at home is very simple. Yet, usually it is a clean up session for your eyes if you try to grate it so many stay away from this function. But there is a solution - blend it!

Ingredients:
One medium size horseradish root
Juice from 1 lemon
1 tsp of sea salt
3 tsp of sugar
Around 1.5 cups of ice cubes
If desired you can add some cream (I don't as I like it very strong)

Preparation:
Peel and clean the horseradish. Then add all ingredients into a fast speed blender. Blend until it is a smooth consistency.

Enjoy with cooked eggs, meats, cheeses, or as an ingredient in sauces and soups. 

Spring Sorrel Soup

I grew up waiting for Spring to eat my favourite soup - the Sorrel Soup. Sorrel is one of my key indicators of Spring and upcoming warmer weather. I remember being excited seeing sorrel in the store when I was a kid and asking my mom to make sorrel soup. I love everything about sorrel - its color, its tanginess, how well I feel after eating it (It is a high oxylate - remember to rotate your greens!).

Since I left Poland it was one of the foods I was missing the most; food I could not get enough of during each of my visits to the country. Once I started my little garden patch it was obvious that sorrel is going to be one of the plants in it.

Today I am sharing my sorrel soup recipe.

Ingredients:
6 cups of vegetable stock
2 carrots
4 potatoes
1.5 medium size onions
3 garlic cloves
4 cups of fresh sorrel
2 egg yolks
1-2 tbsp of cream (optional)
2 bay leaves
4 whole allspice
3 tbsp of ghee
sea salt
pepper

Instructions:
1. Cook the vegetable stock with bay leaves, chopped carrots, and chopped potatoes.
2. Heat the ghee and gently fry chopped onions and crushed garlic cloves. Once done, add them to the stock. Cook for approx 20-25 minutes.
3. Boil a pot of water, add chopped sorrel. Cook on a high heat for 2 minutes. Remove sorrel into the blender.
4. Add few spoons of the soup with some chunks of vegetables. Quickly blend it, it does not have to be smooth. Add back to the soup. Cook for another 5 minutes.
5. Take 2 yolks and whisk them with a fork. You can add cream if you want. If you added cream you need to add some soup to warm it up before adding it to the pot. If you only have egg yolks you can whisk them into the soup.
6. You can serve it with cooked egg sliced, or cut into quarters.
7. Enjoy!

Butternut Squash Soup

I had been struggling a bit with allergies over the last couple of weeks. This has been eating up my time as I had to focus on reducing my symptoms rather than enjoying life.

This soup is low in histamine and will help everyone suffering at this time of the year. The recipe is based on Yasmina, the Low Histamine Chef.

Ingredients:

1 large butternut squash

1 large onion

3 garlic cloves

0.5 can of coconut milk

2-3 tbsp of black sesame seeds

pinch of saffron

5 large basil leaves

3-4 cups of water

sea salt

pepper

ghee

Instructions:

1. Roast the whole butternut squash 

2. Use ghee to fry chopped inion with crushed garlic cloves.

3. Fill the pot  with 3-4 cups of water and coconut water, add the roasted squash chunks, fried onion with garlic. All all remaining ingredients. 

4. Cook on a gas mark 2.6 for about 25 minutes.

5. Blend all the ingredients.

6. You can serve the soup with with fresh herbs.

7. Enjoy!

Banana Oatbran muffins with Cacao Nibs

This week we let the bananas overripe, not on purpose of course. I hate throwing out food and usually I try to create the recipe to use the food before it goes bad.

Ingredients:
1.5 cups of red fife flour (or eincorn flour)
1 cup of oatbran
1/3 cup of brown sugar
1 cup of coconut water
3 overripe bananas, mashed (I mashed them with a fork)
2 tbsp of cacao nibs
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt

Process:
Mix all ingredients in a bowl. I did not take the blender out, just used a regular spoon.
Place the dough in the muffin forms.
Bake at 375F for 25-30 minutes. Let them cool off in the over for 5-10 minutes.
Enjoy!

Thanksgiving: Cranberry, orange and rosemary sauce

This Canadian Thanksgiving we are celebrating with a duck breast served with shallots in a red wine reduction, topped with a cranberry, orange and rosemary sauce.
I am going to share with you my special cranberry sauce recipe.

Ingredients:
150g of fresh cranberries
2 branches of fresh rosemary
juice from 0.5 orange
0.5 c of water
1 tbsp of butter
0.5 c of red wine
4 tbsp of honey
Salt, pepper
2 tbsp arrowroot

1. On a medium heat cook cranberries and rosemary for about 10 minutes.
2. Add remaining ingredients (except arrowroot), reduce heat to low. Cook for another 15 minutes.
3. Blend all ingredients. Then cook for another 15-30 minutes on a very low heat.
4. Mix arrowroot with some water, then stir it into the sauce.
5. Serve hot with duck, turkey, or pork. You can mix in juices from cooking meat.
6. Enjoy.

Rosemary mustard sauce

This sauce goes great with white fish, or white meats.

Ingredients:
2 cups Vegetable stock
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosmary
0.5 cup of white wine
1 tbsp mustard
0.3 tap turmeric
1 tsp flour

1. Cool the stock with rosemary on a low heat for 10-15 minutes.
2. Stir in wine, mustard, and turmeric, cook for further 5-10 minutes.
3. Stir in flour to thicken the sauce.
4. Serve hot.

Turkey meatballs in a dill sauce

Today I made turkey meatballs in a dill sauce. Dill sauce and dill soups are very popular in Poland and are some of the favourite meals of Polish kids.

This recipe was inspired by the school menu I received from one of the Polish schools.

You can use this sauce with meats and with a small modification with fish. For fish I would add 1-2 tbsp of lemon juice.

Ingredient:
1. Meatballs
500 g ground turkey
1 large carrot, finely grated
1 cup of fresh parsley
1 medium onion
4 garlic cloves
1 tsp paprika
1 tbsp sea salt
1 tsp pepper
3 tbsp olive oil
Optional bread crumbs

2. Dill sauce
1 cup of vegetable stock
3/4 cup of cream
1 pack of fresh dill (about 1 cup)
1 tsp turmeric
2-3 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
Sea salt, pepper to taste




Making meatballs
1. Blend fresh parsley with olive oil
2. On a small heat saute finely chopped onion and crushed and finely chopped garlic.
3. Mix all ingredients for meatballs together.
4. Form balls of similar size for even cooking.
5. Heat the pan with ghee or some oil using moderate heat. Place the meatballs and let them acquire some color, while gently stirring them.
6. When ready, set them aside.


Making dill sauce
1. Heat the stock on a low heat.
2. Add butter, dill, cream, and spices. Mix well. Allow to cook for  about 7 minutes.
3. Mix in flour to thicken the sauce.
4. Transfer the sauce to the pan with meatballs and gently cook on a low gas mark for 10-15 minutes.