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!

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!

Vegan Oatmeal

Some people wonder whether they will need to give up oatmeal once they start their vegan journey.
The answer is: of course not!

While there are many alternative plant milks on the market, all of them have additives that I am less than comfortable consuming on a regular basis. Hence, I go with milk and mylk-less version of the oatmeal, which tastes delicious.

Ingredients:
0.5 cup uncooked Scottish oats
1.5 cup water
1 tsp cinnamon
1 ripe banana
1 ripe peach
1 tbsp cocoa nibs
3 tbsp shivered almonds

1. Cook the oats with water and cinnamon for about 7 minutes, until it thickens.
2. Then place oatmeal with a banana and peach in a blender and blend until it is smooth.
3. Serve the oatmeal in a bowl, topped with almonds and cocoa nibs.

#cocoanibs #almonds #veganoatmeal #healthyliving #easymeals #healthywithjoanna

Polish Christmas: Kutia (Wheat berries with poppy seeds)

#healthyeating #easyfoodcreation #PolishChristmas

Kutia is pretty much the same dish as pasta with poppy seeds except that it is popular during Christmas Eve primarily in the Eastern regions of Poland. It is healthier option but I still favour the taste of the pasta with poppy seeds I grew up with.

Ingredients:

1c poppy seeds

0.5c honey

0.25c Dried fruits: apricots, dates, figs, prunes

0.5c nuts and almonds

2tbsp whipping cream (optional)

0.5 (can be more) lemon or orange - juice and peel 

1c wheat berries

spices (optional): 3 cloves, 1 pot cardamom, 0.25 tsp nutmeg - grind into powder

1. Run boiling water through poppy seeds 3-4 times. Then pour 1c of  boiling water into a bowl, add poppy seeds and let it sit overnight.

2. Remove excess water. Place poppy seeds in a blender, add honey and lemon juice. Process for a few minutes; you should see milky liquid. 

3. Chop dried fruits and nuts into small pieces.

4. Cook wheat berries like all grains - 1:3 grain to water proportions, for about 40 minutes on a lower heat. Drain.

5. Mix all ingredients together.

6. Serve warm or at room temperature. If it becomes dry after a couple of days you can stir in more cream, honey, and/or orange or lemon juice. It keeps well in the fridge for a week.

7. Enjoy!

Time for Peaches: arugula, peaches and almonds

#easyfoodcreations #healthyeating #eatyourgreens #healthyeyes

I love ending the day with a delicious green salad. I stick to the basics and create simple dishes using my evening salad formula: leafy greens + nut/seed + fruit/veggie + optional dressing

Ingredients:

1 cup arugula

1.5 peaches

2 tbsp almonds 

25g of goat cheese (in a way it is part of the dressing, as it adds creaminess)

Dressing:

1 tbsp olive oil

0.5 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Salt (I have salt infused with mint and lemon, perfect match here)

1. Cut peaches into 6th or 8th, cut goat cheese into small pieces.

2. Add peaches, almonds, goat cheese on top of arugula.

3. Mix olive oil with balsamic and salt. Sprinkle over the salad.

4. Enjoy!

Salad: Arugula with Pears Salad

I enjoy adding some greens to my breakfast as it gives me some extra energy that I don't get from other food. This salad I ate for breakfast but it is just as perfect for lunch, dinner, or as a snack.

Ingredients:

2 cups arugula

2 tbsp dried cranberries

1 tbsp sunflower seeds

1 pear

Dressing:

2 tbsp Olive oil

1 tsp balsamic vinegar (apple cider vinegar will work well too)

0.5 tsp dried mustard

Salt, pepper 

1. Cut pear into smaller pieces.

2. Mix greens, cranberries, sunflower seeds, pear.

3. Mix all dressing ingredients and add to the salad.

4. Enjoy!

Broiled Haloumi Peaches

#easyfoodcreations #healthyeating

The summer time is all about peaches! 

"If I had my little way I'd eat peaches everyday ... ", just like The Presidents of the USA. 

Ingredients:

5 peaches, perfectly ripe, not too soft yet

150 g Halloumi cheese (other cheeses that do not melt during grilling. Look for  unripened cheese, there are some alternatives around the world) 

0.5 lime, juice and zest

4 tbsp honey

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar (I used one infused with pears)

Seed mix:

20-30 pistachios (raw, unsalted) 

2 tbsp black sesame seeds

1tbsp milled flax

0.5 tsp cinnamon

0.25 tsp ground nutmeg

6 cloves

4 cardamom pods

1. Cut peaches into eights and remove pits.

2. Cut Halloumi into small pieces.

3. Mix honey, balsamic vinegar, lime and lime zest. 

4. Mix peaches with Halloumi and honey mix. Place in a baking dish.

5. Bake on a broil/grill setting at 177c for 20 minutes. The oven should be preheated. 

6. Prepare seed mix by grinding cardamom seeds and cloves. Chop pistachios into smaller pieces. Mix all seed ingredients together. 

6. Serve warm topped with a seed mix. 

7. Enjoy!

Sunshine Breakfast: Millet pancakes

#easyfoodcreations #healthyeating #millet

We did not eat pancakes for a while so I though it was time to experiment a little bit to create something new. The result is a super simple recipe that is based on 5 simple ingredients. Since millet is high in protein and fibre these pancakes are very filling so one or three per person are enough. 

Makes 10 pancakes

Ingredients

1 c millet

1 large apple

1 banana

2 tbsp flax seeds

1-2 tbsp grape seed oil (you can use other oil or butter of your preference)

1. Grind millet into a flour. Usually I do it in 2-3 batches, that way you get a smoother consistency.

2. Grind flax seeds, add 4-6 spoons of water, let it sit.

3. Grind an apple and banana into a sauce. Depending how juicy is your apple you may need to add a little bit of water. 

4. Mix all ingredients together, add oil and let it sit for about 5 minutes.

5. Fry on a medium low heat for a few minutes on each side. There is no need to add any more oil for frying. 

6. Enjoy!

Breakfast Dessert: Rice Apple Cake

#easyfoodcreations #healthyeating #leftovers

This recipe is inspired by one of my childhood favourite dishes and probably most Polish kids  favourite dish - rice baked with cinnamon apples.  I put my own spin on it and it ended up being a great success. 

Typically we eat it as a dessert or a last evening meal; I like serving it for breakfast.

Ingredients:

1.5 c leftover rice (it is an estimated quantity), you can use whatever you have left

0.5 c milk

4 tbsp butter

2 ripe bananas

3 apples

1 tsp cinnamon

0.5 tsp vanilla powder

2 tbsp ground flax 

Grated nutmeg

1. Preheat oven to 180c

2. Grate apples on a large eye grater

3. Mix flax with 2 tbsp of water, let it sit for a couple of minutes (you can substitute with 1-2 eggs)

4. Melt half of the butter

5. Mix all ingredients together

6. Spread butter in the baking form 

7. Put mixture in the baking form, level it by pressing firmly

8. On top place few slices of butter

9. Place in the oven for 45-50 minutes

10. Serve warm or at room temperature

11. Typically we serve it with fruits, jams, yoghurt, cream, or whipping cream

Have a break: Oatmeal banana pumpkin seed muffins

#easyfoodcreations #healthyeating #muffins

Banana muffins are probably the most popular muffins, yet I find most recipes are using regular flour and tons of sugar which is not necessary when cooking with already very sweet bananas. I decided to make the oatmeal variety with pumpkin seeds. I chose pumpkin seeds as they go so well with honey and oatmeal, which we often add to our morning oatmeal. 

I aimed to make 6 large muffins as more than that is too many for the 3 of us. With the quantities below I produced 7 large muffins.

Ingredients:

3 ripe bananas

1-2 tbsp raw sugar (optional) depends how ripe are the bananas you are using

2 tbsp honey

3-5 tbsp raw pumpkin seeds

1.5 cup traditional oats

1 tsp baking powder

0.5 tsp baking soda

Pinch of salt

Pinch of cinnamon

Pinch of vanilla powder

1 egg

1 tbsp butter, melted

1. Preheat the oven to 177c.

2. Put all ingredients except pumpkin seeds in a blender. Blend for a few minutes until smooth.

3. Mix in pumpkin seeds with a spoon.

4. Scoop muffin dough into muffin forms filling them to about 2/3. 

5. Bake at 177c for 17 minutes.

6. Let them cool.

7. Enjoy!

Island Delight - Coconut Muffins

#easyfoodcreations #healthyeating #coconut #muffins

Serves: 12 large muffins

Ingredients:

1.5 cup oat flour

2 tbsp oat bran

2 tbsp ground flax

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup shredded coconut

1 cup coconut milk, unsweetened

0.5 tsp cinnamon 

0.25 cup honey or coconut sugar or brown sugar

1 egg

3 tbsp melted butter

1-2 handfuls of raisins

1. Mix all ingredients together with a spoon

2. Place in large muffin forms

3. Place in a preheated oven at 177c for 25 minutes

4. Enjoy!

Break-fast: raw granola bar

#easyfoodcreations #healthyeating #seeds

Sometimes I need a quick snack - something small yet nutriticious and I feel this bar fits the brief perfectly.

This recipe makes 8 bars. 

Ingredients:

1c traditional oats

4 Tbsp nut or seed butter ( I used peanut butter, but you can substitute with sunflower butter, hemp butter, or almond butter)

0.5 lemon, juice

2tbsp raw honey (you can substitute with a very ripe banana)

1tbsp flax seeds, whole

2 tbsp sunflower seeds

3 tbsp pumpkin seeds

0.5tsp cinnamon.

1. Mix everything well.

2. Flatten on a parchment paper and cut into 8 pieces.

3. Pack individually and store in the fridge. I left them overnight in the fridge before eating. 

4. Enjoy!

You should be able to store them for 2 weeks in the fridge; 1 week if you used a banana instead of honey.

Wholesome seed muffins

#easyfoodcreations #healthyeating #muffins #seeds #vegan

Ingredients:
5 tbsp sunflower seeds (pumpkin would work well too)

1 tbsp sesame seeds

1 tbsp flax seeds

2 tbsp chia seeds

1 tbsp poppy seeds

2 tbsp flax meal

0.5 c water

1 c milk (I used coconut milk)

2 tbsp olive oil (you can use butter or coconut oil)

1 c all purpose flour

0.5 c coconut flour

0.75 c oats (I used whole but you can grind them)

5 tbsp honey

2 tbsp baking powder

0.5 tsp Salt

1 lemon, juice and zest

1. Preheat oven to 177c

2. Mix flax with water and let it sit for a few minutes.

3. Mix all wet ingredients

4. Add dry ingredients and mix well

5. Place muffin dough into muffin containers to 2/3 full

6. Bake for 35-40 min

7. Enjoy

Zucchini and lentil pancakes

To celebrate the Pancake day this year I decided to try something different. After all no one said that pancakes have to be sweet.

#easyfoodcreations #healthyeating #pancakes #zucchini

Ingredients:
1c red lentils, washed and soaked for about 30 min
3 zucchini, grated
0.25 medium onion
1 tsp cumin seeds
0.5 tsp turmeric (you can use curry paste)
2 tbsp flax meal mixed with 5 tbsp water (you can use 2 eggs instead)
0.25 - 0.5c coconut milk
0.5 c oats
salt, pepper
oil for frying


1. Blend all ingredients together into a smooth consistency.
2. Fry over a medium heat.
3. After all pancakes are fried, place them in a dish with a lid and place in a preheated oven on 150-177c for about 20 minutes.
4. Serve warm.
5. Enjoy!

Lemon Poppyseed Muffins

#easyfoodcreations #healthyeating #muffins

I love lemon poppyseed muffins; they are probably my favourite. Unfortunately too often they are  too soggy, too sweet, too unhealthy. I created a healthier version of the muffin and it turned out to be a bit hit.

I make only 6 muffins instead of 12 as there are only 3 of us. So if you want 12 muffins you will need to  double the ingredients.

Ingredients:

0.5 c spelt flour (You can use whole wheat. I prefer the taste of spelt but it is up to you)
0.5 c all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
0.5 tsp baking soda
0.25 tbs vanilla powder
0.25 c raw brown sugar/honey mix (I prefer to use more honey than sugar but it is up to you. You can use other sweetener if you want to.)
1 tbsp poppy seeds
1 tbsp of flax seed mixed with 1tbsp of water (you can use 1 egg instead or additionally)
0.5 lemon, juice and lemon peel
0.25 c butter or oil (I used grapeseed oil)
0.5 c coconut milk (nut/seed milk, or regular milk)

1. Mix all ingredients well.
2. Pour into muffin forms and let stand until oven is preheated to 177c.
3. Bake at 177c for 20 minutes.
4. Enjoy!

Healthy Treat: Banana and sesame seeds muffins

#easyfoodcreations #healthyeating #muffins

Serves:12 regular muffins

Ingredients:
0.75c whole wheat flour
0.5c oat flour
1c rolled oats
1 egg
0.75c honey
2t baking powder
0.5t vanilla powder
0.5t cinnamon
0.25t nutmeg
2 overripe bananas
5T sesame seeds, toasted
0.75c coconut milk (or any milk you like)
0.25c olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 200c .
2. Mix all dry ingredients together first.
3. Add all wet ingredients, egg, and mashed bananas. Mix everything well together.
4. Fill muffin pans 0.75 of the way.
5. Bake for 25 minutes.

Healthy Egg Benedict

#easyfoodcreations #healthyeating #eggs

This is one of my favourite Sunday breakfasts. We do not eat it too often any more as my son refuses to eat eggs in any form or shape. It is a very nutritious breakfast loaded with proteins.

Serves: 2

Ingredients
1 English muffin, cut in half (typically I use Ezekiel brand)
2 eggs
dill (you can use parsley or cilantro instead)

Sauce:
200 g natural Greek yoghurt
2T lemon juice
1t mustard (either in a jar or powder)
1T paprika powder
salt and pepper to taste

Garnish and decorations:
you can use any vegetables you have on hand - mushrooms, spinach, asparagus, tomato
I used sliced tomatoes and yellow sweet paprika.

1. Toast muffin halves, until slightly brown.
2. Mix the sauce ingredients together until smooth.
3. Prepare 2 eggs sunny side up.
4. Place muffin on a plate, put your vegetables (tomato and paprika slices in my case), pour 2T of sauce, place an egg on top. Decorate with chopped dill.
5. Enjoy!

Quinoa Pudding

#easyfoodcreations #healthyeating #quinoa

This morning I had some coconut milk and quinoa on hand that needed to be used.

I decided to try making Asian inspired quinoa pudding. In the past I made it with glutinous rice but quinoa works really well too.

Ingredients:

1c quinoa

0.5c coconut milk 

1c water

0.5t Cinnamon

0.25t Cardamom, ground

2T honey 

1. Cook quinoa in coconut milk and water for about 15 min. Stir occasionally. 

2. Add all remaining ingredients, mix well.

3. Enjoy!

Pancake morning: oatmeal and cottage cheese pancakes

This is one of my favourite breakfasts on the weekend. It is very easy to make hence chances are minimal that something will go wrong.

#easyfoodcreations #healthyeating #vegetarian

Preparation time: 2 min

Cooking time: 5 min

Serves 3

Ingredients

1 c plain oatmeal

1 c cottage cheese

1 egg

1 t Cinnamon

0.5 t Carob  powder

0.25 to 0.5 c water

1. Mix all ingredients in the blender adding as much water as necessary to achieve consistency slightly denser than regular American pancakes.

2. Fry on medium heat on both sides. Depending on the pan used you may want to use a little bit of oil for frying.

3. Serve with fresh fruits and local maple syrup.

4. Enjoy!

Breakfast Time: Healthy French Toast

#easyfoodcreations #healthyeating #breakfast
Preparation time: 5 min

Baking time: 20 min

Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 to 6 slices of stale bread

0.5 mango, mashed

2 eggs

0.25c coconut flour

0.25c almond meal

0.5c milk

cinnamon powder

vanilla powder

nutmeg, grated

Salt

Fruit sauce:

1 banana

1 mango
mint, dried or fresh
water

Fruit salad:

cantaloupe

melon

mango

watermelon

walnuts

1. Place bread slices in a baking pan, no need to oil or butter the pan. Spread mashed mango on each slice.

2. Beat eggs with milk, coconut flour, almond meal, and spices. Pour over sliced bread. Put in the oven overnight. There is no need to turn it. 

3. Preheat oven to 177c, bake it for 20 minutes.

4. In a meantime make fruit sauce by blending banana, mango and adding some water if required.

5. Prepare fruit salad.

6. Enjoy!