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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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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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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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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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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Vegetarian Mushroom and Brown Rice Dolmas

First of all let me tell you what dolmas are . Dolmas are grape leaves traditionally stuffed with a mixture of rice and meat and then cooked. They are a Middle Eastern and Mediterranean specialty and are served as appetizers. The vegetarian ones are usually served cold and the ones with meat warm.

 I prefer them warm and served as a main dish with a tasty sauce on top. If you are vegan you can try a tomato based sauce and if you are vegetarian some sour cream (+ garlic - optional) on top will make these dolmas just perfect.  

Unfortunately I didn't count them before I put them in the oven and now once they're ready it's pretty impossible to do it. I think I made about 30 dolmas but this is only an approximation.  

Enjoy this healthy and delicious low calorie meal!

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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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Asian “Chicken” Stir Fry

This is the perfect meal if you want to fool a meat eater into believing that what he eats is chicken. This happened to my boyfriend and he realized he’s not eating chicken only when he saw that I was eating too.

You’ll love the soy texture and the spicy aromas. This recipe is easy, fast and healthy. Let me know if the trick worked for you as well.

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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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Banana and Chocolate Pudding

        Bananas, bananas and again bananas! Don’t blame me because I love this sweet creamy fruit! I always make up some kind of dessert when I have bananas in my kitchen and I almost never eat them just as they are. I had some dark chocolate in the fridge and I thought, “Why not combine it with bananas? Nothing wrong can happen, right?” And so I did. It was amazing! The perfect remedy for my sweet craving.

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