Plum and Blackberry Muesli Crumble with Blackberry Sorbet

Yum Yum Yum!! I saw a great crumble recipe yesterday and decided to try it myself..but then I read the ingredients: 100 ml butter, flour, sugar... and I almost gave up. I wanted to make something similar but fat and sugar free. I had some frozen blackberries, fresh plums and muesli and that's when the idea hit me! This is a really easy recipe and very delicious also! It's great for kids as they'll love the colors, taste and texture. You can use other fruits as well; mango, peaches, nectarines, raspberries..anything! Unfortunately the muesli I had was not plain and it contained dry fruits; I recommend you to use plain muesli.

As you know crumbles go very well with ice cream. First, I wanted to make a lovely, sour grapefruit sorbet but then because of my laziness I changed my mind. I made a blackberry sorbet with the remaining frozen blackberries. It's better to try it with an ice cream with different flavor and color.

So, if you want a quick and healthy crumble dessert, this is just right for you!

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Creamy Mushroom Soup with Thyme & Garlic Flavored Baguette

You already know that I am a huge fan of creamy soups and that I also love mushrooms, so this combination is amazing for me! I was inspired by this recipe I found here and immediately decided to make it myself. As most creamy soups this is a very easy recipe, ready in less than half an hour so you won't spend a lot of time in the kitchen. The crispy flavorful baguettes go perfectly with this soup. You can also try croutons.

This recipe can also be vegan, just skip the yoghurt part. The taste will be pretty much the same. Yoghurt is great for garnish as it creates a lovely contrast and it also makes the soup whiter. I used homemade kefir which is really healthy if you don't use UHT and use only natural, hormone-free milk. If you want to know more about milk kefir I found this useful article here.  

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Veggie Soup with Semolina Dumplings

This is one of my favorite childhood lunch meals. A delicious veggie soup with dumplings was just perfect after an exhausting play time outside. My grandma and my mother used to make this. This is especially good when having a sore throat or a cold as it will instantly make you feel better. Semolina dumplings are very tasty and combined with flavorful carrot and sweet potatoes, this soup will become one of your favorites for sure!

Low fat, diet friendly and very filling, this recipe is a must-try!

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Stuffed Red Bell Peppers with Brown Rice and Mushrooms

I love stuffed veggies and I am also a huge fan of red bell peppers. Mom and grandma used to make this recipe but using ground meat as stuffing. If you want the stuffing to have a more meaty texture you should add more mushrooms and less rice.

Simple and easy, this recipe is just perfect for a family lunch. It’s very filling and healthy. Also, if you don’t mind some extra calories, you should pour some sour cream on top...mm..delicious!

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Potato and Carrot Caraway Flavored Creamy Soup

I am huge fan of creamy soups! My all time favorite is the Creamy Red Lentil Soup but this potato and caraway soup definitely occupies the second place.  I also love caraway seeds; did you know that caraway is great for digestion? Yes! If you experience some unwanted digestion problems all you need is to make yourself 2-3 cups/day of caraway tea and you'll start feeling a lot better.  Just add 1 tsp of caraway seeds in a cup of boiling water and infuse for 10 minutes. It is even better if you have ground caraway seeds.

About this delicious soup...well it's easy and fast to make! Yep..I love to cook but don't really enjoy spending lots of hours in the kitchen..especially in hot summer days.  All you need to do is quickly peel and rinse the veggies, cut in chunks and let them boil. Ready in less than 30 minutes, this soup is just perfect for summer - add some croutons and it will be even better!

Enjoy!

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Creamy Red Lentil Soup

I am a huge fan of lentil soup! It is one of my favorites but unfortunately I usually eat double or even triple servings! I really can’t get enough of it. This soup is just perfect for this season. You can eat it warm or cold. It is low calorie, diet friendly and really filling. I’m sure you’ll love it as much as I do.

If you don’t mind a few extra calories I recommend you to add some crunchy croutons. It’s just perfect!

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Hearty Veggie Soup – perfect for cold winter days!

 I was desperately craving for a delicious hearty soup to warm me inside out and so I decided to make this easy veggie soup which is just perfect for a snowy day! I guarantee you that you’ll love it! Even my boyfriend, who is very picky when it comes to soups, said that this was one of my best soup recipes.

This recipe is really easy to make. The only annoying part is when you have to peel the garlic cloves...arrrgh...I really hate it! But it’s worth it ‘cause you’ll love the subtle garlic flavor. Unfortunately I didn’t have any fresh herbs (that’s why I don’t like winter!! Less fresh veggies...) and I’m sure it would have been perfect with some fresh parsley on top. I also used some frozen celery leaves which are basically as good as fresh ones.

About the veggie mix... use any kind of veggie mix you like but try to use one that is as healthy as possible – low in salt and free of monoglutamate monosodium/ E621; It is ideal to have a homemade condiment mix so when the summer comes make sure you don’t forget to sundry some vegetables and prepare yourself an awesome-good-for-everything veggie mix :)

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Spicy Mussels with White Wine and Garlic Sauce

Ha ha! I’m not on a seafood diet but still.. it’s funny! I found this on pinterest and it immediately put a smile on my face. This awesome recipe is for my non-veg readers. It’s a healthy recipe which I’m sure you’ll love. 

First of all let me just say that this is not my recipe. Cooking seafood isn’t exactly my thing; I’m also not a very frequent seafood eater...a few times a year at most! This recipe was made by my dad. He likes cooking special recipes and he’s really good at it. It was just YUM and it is very easy to make, ready in half an hour!

Hope this recipe will remind you of warm, sunny days! Can't wait for winter to pass... but the snow outside doesn't look like it wants to go away very soon. 

Let me know if you like this recipe! Hugs!

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Stuffed Button Mushrooms with Garlicky Rice Noodles

Yum! Yum! I'm a huge mushrooms fan! I love their texture and how they can easily replace meat in your diet. High in proteins and low in calories, they're just perfect for anyone who wants to maintain a healthy lifestyle! Portobellos are my favorite because they're easy to cook and have a really a soft texture. 

Easy and diet-friendly, this recipe can be made by anyone. The stuffed mushrooms can be served as a main or side dish or even a party appetizer! The rice noodles are also really healthy and super-fast to cook! Just put some boiling water over them and they'll be ready in no time! The sauce although must have a strong flavor or else they'll be pretty tasteless.

Hope you'll like this recipe!  

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Tuna Stuffed Hard-Boiled Eggs

This is a very easy appetizer ready in less than 15 minutes. All you need to do is boil some eggs and mix some ingredients, then store in the fridge until the guests arrive. I made this for the New Year's Eve party and it was a success!

I don't eat fish and seafood very often; once or twice a year is enough for me. It is the only type of meat that I eat so that's why I can't say I'm 100% vegetarian. Anyways, I also made this appetizer because I had non-vegetarian guests and I had to feed them with something familiar to them. This was the only meaty recipe on the table.

So, all you non-veg. readers this recipe is for you!

Enjoy!

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The Perfect Butter Beans Stew

This dish goes straight to the first place in my favorite foods list! It is absolutely perfect! I like beans a lot and I have tried different recipes but this one has the ideal combination of flavors. I know, I know I'm bragging but still...you have to try it and you'll see that I'm right.

Use dry butter beans! Don't cheat and use canned ones because I don't guarantee that the taste and texture will be same.

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Leek and Black Olives Stew

This is one of my favorite dishes. I love onion and I love leeks even more, so for me it's the perfect combination. Be careful though when you prepare the leeks because they have to be rinsed very well. Dirt usually hides under their leaves and if you don't like the taste of sand in your food, be patient and clean them thoroughly.

I remember the first time I cooked this dish, it was delicious but unfortunately I didn't know that leeks have to be carefully rinsed and an unwanted extra-ingredient was added to my meal. Now, because I really lack of patience, I always ask my mom to help me and rinse the leeks.

This dish is perfect for those of you who are on a diet. It's low in calories and high in vitamins, very tasty and easy to make.

Enjoy!

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Vegan Beetroot Borscht

Today is a cold autumn day. The wind is howling and the leaves started to fall. I really wanted to make a hot, flavorful soup to warm me up from inside out and enjoy it while I watch a good, old movie. I decided to make this lovely, ruby-colored beetroot soup.

This recipe is similar to the Ukrainian borscht but it is vegan; it does not contain any beef broth.

Enjoy this wonderful beet borscht, perfect for a cold weather day.


P.S. Check out this Recipe Guessing Game on Knapkins.com !

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Basil Tagliatelle with Roasted Red Bell Pepper Salad

Today I bought some delicious healthy pasta - whole wheat tagliatelle with basil. I was very curious to see how they taste but in the same time I really wanted to make a roasted red bell pepper salad, because I was craving for it for a very long time. I decided to combine them and make a main dish salad. It was a great decision! All flavors blend together perfectly!

You'll definitely like this light, colorful and savory salad. Enjoy!

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Traditional Romanian Polenta

This is such a simple recipe and yet it can be modified in so many ways to create new and even more delicious recipes. This is the basic polenta with just 3 ingredients: water, cornmeal and salt. I often eat polenta instead of bread because it is much healthier and also it contains a higher amount of fibers.

Studies have shown that by eating polenta we fight against diabetes, liver and even respiratory diseases. Eating polenta also helps us prevent obesity and thyroid diseases. Cornmeal has many great benefits but we should choose only the organic non-GMO version because this one does not contain additives and other bad substances .

Most times I use polenta as a side dish but it can also be a main dish if you add more ingredients like chopped onion, parsley, tofu etc. In future posts I will show you ways to incorporate polenta in different recipes and also how to make this dish more flavorful. Until then enjoy this traditional Romanian dish known worldwide!

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Mashed Butter Beans with Tomato Sauce

This is an easy recipe that can be used as a side, appetizer or even a main dish. Because this recipe is high in fibers and low in fat and sodium, it is recommended for those of you who are on a diet trying to lose weight.

What I like most about this recipe is that it is also very versatile; you can add a carrot instead of celery, which will give the beans a beautiful orange color or you can change the sauce, for example tahini paste will be delicious if served on top of these mashed beans. Feel free to try an combination you like.

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Vegan Bolognese Spaghetti

I love Italian food, especially pasta! This is the well known Bolognese Pasta recipe turned vegan. The texture and taste are almost the same as in the original recipe, which is a great thing! Even better, I used gluten free spaghetti.

Hope you'll like it!

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Poll Closed!

The poll is now closed and the results are 11 votes "Yes!" and 1 "No.".

I started adding the nutrition info for each recipe and I hope it helps. In my opinion counting calories is no good, but I think it's ok to have an overall idea. Why do I have this opinion about counting calories? Well, I think it's stressful and as you know stress disturbs your body's energies and your equilibrium. You should eat small servings of healthy meals and you'll see that you won't need to worry about calories; a handful of raw nuts a day won't get you fat trust me and we all know that are high in calories but who cares as long as they're so healthy!
Have a great day everyone!

Spoiler: Tomorrow I'll post a delicious "Bolognese" Pasta recipe that even your carnivorous friends won't believe it's meat-free! 

Autumn in a plate - Oven Roasted Vegetables

I love roasted vegetables; so easy to make, so simple and yet so delicious. Of course raw vegetables are a lot healthier than cooked ones but sometimes you just need a hot meal right?! Anyway this dish is very healthy, low in calories, low in fat and also low in sodium, diet friendly and it is very filling too.

Did you know that unlike other fruits and vegetables, where nutritional content such as vitamin C is diminished upon cooking, processing of tomatoes increases the concentration of bioavailable lycopene. Lycopene in tomato paste is four times more bioavailable than in fresh tomatoes. For this reason, tomato sauce is a preferable source as opposed to raw tomatoes. If you don't know, lycopene is a powerful antioxidant and it has been considered a potential agent for prevention of some types of cancers.

Another great thing about this recipe is the combination of tastes and textures: sweet and salty, crunchy and soft...amazing! I also love the colors; the potatoes look like they were painted! It’s like having autumn in a plate!

Try it!

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Black Linguine with Green Veggies

                                          

I was really hungry today and I wanted to cook something tasty but fast. I’ve been eating eggs for the past 2 days because I had no time for cooking, fortunately today is not such a stressful day.

I found a pack of black linguine in my pantry. I never cooked linguine before and I decided to give it a try. I know that black linguine is usually cooked with seafood but I tried something different. It works just as well with veggies and it is delicious; a lot better than regular pasta. I don’t know if it’s the color that I like so much, or the texture, but I know that I’ll be cooking this more often.

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