30-Minute Tuna & Veggies Pita Pizza

Pita Pizzas are my favorite! I don't like baking and I don't like making pizza dough so pita bread is just perfect for this. If you're in a hurry and you want to make a great snack, pita bread is what you need!

I made this tuna pizza last week for my non-veg friends. I didn't want to scare them with my all-veg-party so I decided to cook something for them also. This was a total success! It is so easy to make, I just threw the ingredients over the pita bread and the oven did all the work.

So, my dear non-veg readers, you should definitely try it! This is healthier than regular pizza and I'm sure you'll love how crispy and flavorful it is! Ah..and one more thing.. don't forget to add some corn also! I totally forgot about it. Enjoy!

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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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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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Basic Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

I really don't understand why some people say they can't cook! Ok, I understand that not all of us are big fans of cooking but still... everybody should know how to cook at least basic stuff! What will you do when there's no mommy or daddy to cook for you? Or if your boyfriend/husband doesn't cook ('cause they're men and they have an excuse..)? You'll eat restaurant food all your life or starve to death? Or maybe eat junk food and sandwiches.. I don't want to sound mean but nobody asks you to be a master chef, at least try before you say 'I can't!'. 

I, for example, had to learn how to cook because my parents were working all day and sometimes there were only basic ingredients in the fridge. That's when I started experimenting and asking my mom how to do this, how to do that. I just watched and learned. 

That's why my recipes are easy, quick and healthy! I want to show you all that it is possible to eat healthy even with very little time. So I don't want to hear the "I don't have time to cook so I eat junk food instead." excuse, cause I know for a fact that you can make time for it! 

Now, about this recipe. EASY! I love stuffed mushrooms. Always yummy and ready in no time! This is the basic stuffed mushrooms recipe. It is very versatile so you can try any filling you want. Don't be afraid! Mix ingredients and invent new stuffings. By the way, I can't wait to try this stuffed with spinach and served with a wine flavored white sauce. Yum!

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Vegetarian Hungarian Paprikás (Vegetable Stew with Dumplings)

Hey foodies! I missed you so much! Sorry for the long, long break but I had so much work to do; 4 big websites in less than 2 weeks, yep.. no time for cooking. I've been eating eggs for breakfast and eggs again for lunch and dinner. I don't think I'll eat eggs for a long time now.

The recipe below was taught to me but my mom. It is a spicy Hungarian recipe that I love! My grandma used to make this when I was little but she added chicken also. The original recipe contains meat but this is the vegetarian, healthier version.

P.S.  ..if you need a website let me know! Here's my portfolio. My website is currently in construction because I want to change the whole design. 

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Potato and Carrot Stew

I'm a parsley maniac! Yes I am! I eat parsley in HUGE quantities and not just as garnish. I sometimes eat it just as it is...chop it, put it in a bowl..Tadaa! Parsley Salad! Parsley is very healthy. Did you know that parsley contains 4 times more vitamin C than citrus fruits? The ideal vitamin C provider.

Mom is just the perfect comfort food cook. She always makes delicious meals that are quick, easy  and even more..they're healthy! I'm glad I learned from her these wonderful recipes. This is a great meal for a family dinner/lunch. Vegs or non-vegs..your family will love it!

P.S. Can't wait for all those awesome green veggies to appear! I have a huge list of recipes that I'll love to share with you. So...Spring! Hurry up! Don't want to see any more snow outside! 

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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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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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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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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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Baked Carrot Frittata

First of all, this recipe isn’t vegan. As you know I am not totally vegan and honestly I don’t think I’ll ever be. I love eggs and in my opinion there is absolutely nothing unhealthy about eggs as long as they’re from hens that were not given any growth hormones or that were not fed with chemicals. Fortunately, I have a family friend that has a countryside house and all my eggs come from her.

Now, there is a different story with store-bought eggs. I never buy eggs from the store because I know where they come from and there is nothing healthy about stuffed-with-hormones hens. All chemicals and hormones that were given to hens will be transferred to the egg and finally to you. I only recommend eating eggs that were bought from a safe source. Maybe you’re lucky and you’ll find a trustworthy farmer at your local farmers market.

This is a breakfast recipe for 3-4 people or 2 really hungry ones. (By the way, it is very difficult for me to decide how many servings a recipe has because I eat normal to small servings but my boyfriend eats up to three or even four times more than me. Yeah, he has a big appetite and a fast metabolism. Wish I was like that too.)

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Romanian Eggplant Salad

Busy, busy day today. I didn't even eat 'till 4 o'clock. I am a danger to myself when I have a lot of work to do. I don't feel any thirst or hunger, I don't even go to the bathroom! It's like I'm strapped to my desk and I can't move until I finish. 

Anyway, I took a small break to eat something because my brain wasn't functioning normally anymore. And what is more relaxing than cooking?! I had some frozen  grilled eggplants in the fridge and I decided to make a quick eggplant salad. 

This is a traditional recipe that my mother taught me. Below is the whole recipe, including the grilling part. Trust me it is delicious, but be careful to follow all steps because it can easily turn into a mess!

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Multivitamin Salad

           Two weeks ago I kept a raw week diet in order to cleanse my body because I felt terribly guilty after eating a lot of crap (meat free though) in the mini-vacation at the seaside. It was a great week during which I filled my body with a bundle of vitamins and minerals, although it was a bit annoying that I didn’t have much time for cooking and all I ate was salads. This salad was made by my boyfriend/acolyte who I am desperately trying to convince that meat is bad! Anyway, it was amazingly tasty and filling.

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