Vegetarian Serbian Rice Pilaf

Sorry for the long break dear foodies! I had lots of exams recently and no time for cooking. I made this recipe especially for those of you who are always on the run and want something healthy to eat. This recipe is ready really fast and feeds 8 people!  

What other ingredients do you use for rice pilafs? I love rice and I'd like to try different recipes as well.

Tips for cooking rice pilafs: How do you know how much water you need to add? Easy! 3 times the amount of rice.  It’s a 1:3 ratio. Also, boil the rice only for a couple of minutes then remove from heat and cover with a lid. This way it will absorb all the water and you’ll never have to worry again about burning the rice.

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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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Brown Rice Mushroom Pilaf

This is one of my favorite dishes. I love everything about it, texture, flavors, you name it. It is so simple and yet so tasty. I usually eat this with a big bunch of chopped parsley on top because I’m such a parsley lover and this combination seems perfect to me.

Another great thing is that it doesn’t take much time to make; you just throw there some ingredients and let the fire to its job. Unfortunately I don’t have as much time as I’d like to spend in the kitchen and I know that most of you are in the same situation as I am, that’s why I want to show you simple, quick and healthy recipes.

Do you know other brown rice pilaf recipes? I only tried it with mushrooms or chicken (when I wasn’t vegetarian). Do you think that this will work with other veggies as well but still maintain its smooth texture?

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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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Raw Vegan Cranberry Brownie

I love desserts and because I often eat sweets, I prefer them raw. We all know that all sweets are high in calories, but making mostly raw desserts makes me feel good and guilt-free; this way I know I get plenty of vitamins, minerals and other great nutrients and so I ignore the calories.

Another thing I love about raw desserts is that they’re so easy to make! This took me less than 5 minutes, excluding the time required for soaking and freezing.
Question: Do you know other brownie recipes that are healthy and gluten-free?

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Multigrain Bread

I’m not a huge fan of baked goodies and I also don’t eat bread very often, but unfortunately my boyfriend needs bread at almost every meal the same way he needs air to breathe. I decided then to make a compromise, so once a week I make him a healthy and tasty bread which is surprisingly filling and instead of eating 5 servings of “filled with chemicals” bread a week, he only eats a healthy one. This is a simple recipe that does not require a lot of kneading.

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