Healthy And Tasty

Paleo Mini - Pancakes

2015-11-11T11:03:00.001-07:00

Since I went on a Paleo diet I've been trying different recipes for baked goods. I experimented with flowers to find the perfect combination for grain-free pancakes which my kids actually will eat. I made some with sweet potatoes but they didn't like them . So finally this one worked and is suitable for high altitude.

I call this recipe Mini Pancakes because my kids want me to make them tiny. But you can make them any size you like.

You will need a non-stick skillet or a non-stick smooth griddle. I used some homemade ghee but you can use any type of oil you prefer.

As a reminder I cook only with organic ingredients

So , here is the recipe

Ingredients

3 large eggs

2 cups of water

1 cup almond flower

1/2 cup &2 Tbsp. coconut flower

1/2 cup tapioca starch

1 Tsp. aluminum free baking powder

1 Tbsp. raw honey

1 Tsp. sea salt.

1 Tsp. vanilla extract

some ghee or coconut oil

Combine in a bowl all dry ingredients : almond flower, coconut flower , tapioca starch, baking powder and see salt. Mix thoroughly. In a different bowl beat eggs with water, honey and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ones and stir until homogeneous. The thickness should be the same as when you make pancakes with a regular flower.

Preheat a griddle or a non-stick skillet , add some ghee or coconut oil and poor the desired amount to form a pancake. After a couple of minutes flip over and fry until done.

Serve either with maple syrup or jelly . I like coconut syrup because it's low- glycemic. It's all up to you!

Paleo Smoked Salmon Spread /Dip

2015-01-22T17:13:00.001-07:00

Being on a paleo diet could be not so easy. The biggest challenge for me is giving up dairy , in particular :cheese . I've seen before different seafood dips , available at the grocery store but most of them are not very fresh, contain a lot of preservatives, wheat or starch . So I decided that I can make my own paleo spread.
I only buy Spence & CO., LTD Smoked wild sockeye salmon. Most of the smoked fish contain sugar ( I suspect to enhance flavor and as a preservative ) and nitrates. Spence & CO., LTD brand other than the fish has 2 more ingredients : salt and hardwood smoke.
You will also need a Paleo legal mayonnaise . It s simple and fast to prepare and great on paleo bread or use as a dip with veggies .

Ingredients :

4 oz smoked wild caught sockeye salmon (approx. 2/3 cups)
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. coconut cream ( the part that's on top of a can when you open a coconut milk)
1 Tsp. wild capers
5-6 green pitted olives
1/3 cup copped onions
very little lemon juice
pepper to taste.

Chop up salmon and put in a blender or a food processor . Add mayonnaise, coconut cream and lemon juice . Blend for 1 min or until it becomes a smooth paste. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend for another 2 min or until smooth . Move to a clean jar and refrigerate for an hour before serving. It yields 1 cup approx.

Aspen's Pecan Dip

2015-01-10T14:55:00.003-07:00

A year ago a lady from my MOPS group brought this dip . In my opinion it's paleo legal but not AIP since it contains nightshade vegetable . Since I can't tolerate dairy so: no cheese, no yoghurt or cheesy spreads I thought that this dip can be used as a spread as well. I somehow lost the recipe so I had to improvise with what I remember but at the end turned out almost as good as hers.

Ingredients :

1 cup pecans
4 red roasted and peeled red peppers
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove
1-2 Tsp lemon juice
Sea salt to taste .

Soak pecans in water overnight . On the next day drain and rinse . Put in a blender and puree with olive oil until smooth. Add peppers, garlic, lemon juice and salt and blend until it becomes a very smooth paste. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate for an hour or so. It can be served with veggies as deep or use as a spread .

Paleo Bread

2015-01-10T14:23:00.001-07:00

I decided to go on a Paleo diet since I am facing some health challenges. So far so good but I certainly like to have a BLT for example and here is the trick...How do you substitute the bread?1 I've been gluten- free for quite a long time and making gluten-free bread is not anymore such big deal. But how do you make grain-free bread?! Of course there is a Paleo bread available at the health food store but honestly, it did not win me. So I started to search for recipes , experimenting etc. This is by far the best recipe in my opinion for a Paleo bread. The recipe is by Rebecca Bohl fom Paleo Grubs .
What I loved mostly was the simplicity of it and the no -need of doing any changes to adapt it to the high altitude in Colorado.

Ingredients :

3/4 cup almond butter
5 eggs
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup ground flaxseed meal
3 tbsp coconut flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper. In a large bowl, blend the almond butter, eggs, coconut oil, honey, and apple cider vinegar together with a hand blender.
In a separate bowl, mix together the flaxseed meal, coconut flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
Pour the dough into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes until browned and completely set. Remove from the oven and allow the loaf to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and cool completely on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for one week.
You can also freeze it.

German Potato Salad

2014-07-27T20:55:00.003-06:00

When I went to college in Germany I was working part-time at a nursing home . I met some very nice old folks there . One day a lady and I started to talk about cooking and she shared with me her potato salad recipe. I wish I remembered her name but I don't. She was from Kiel, the capital of the state of Schleswig-Holstein.
Some of you may say it's not authentic anymore since I slightly changed a few things but I don't think they are significant. The changes are: I don't put the egg-whites because I dislike them, but if you don't mind them you can add them to the salad. I also don't use canned Dill Pickles, I prefer fermented dill pickles and their juice which I make myself and it's rich in probiotics. I make my mayonnaise too which slightly differs from the store-bought. I put a can of anchovies which is approx. 2 oz but you can add more. Other than that I didn't change anything and I still consider it to be an authentic German potato salad.

Ingredients :

3 medium russet potatoes
3 eggs
1 celery stalk
1/4 cup dill/fermented pickles, chopped finely
1/4 cup leeks chopped finely
1/2 onion chopped finely
2 oz flat anchovies
1 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1-2 Tbsp. parsley chopped finely
Some pickle juice
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Peel and cut potatoes in small cubes and either boil or steam. Boil eggs. When they are done, remove yolks and here you can either chop up the whites and put them in the salad or opt out. You will need the yolks later for the dressing. Cut celery and anchovies into small pieces. In a bowl combine steamed/boiled potatoes with celery, pickles, leeks, onions and anchovies and mix well.
In a separate bowl mash egg yolks. Add mustard and approx. 1/4 cup of pickle juice. Mix well and pour over salad. Add mayonnaise, parsley and black pepper. Stir well. Add more pickle juice if necessary. Refrigerate for an hour before serving.

Liutenitsa - Bulgarian traditional vegetable spread (vegan)

2014-07-27T19:04:00.000-06:00

I wasn't going to post this recipe here because it's a specialty for one particular country. A few people asked me to post it in this blog though, and who knows, maybe one of you will find it interesting . It is a vegetable spread very common in Bulgaria. It is served for breakfast on a slice of bread and if desired it can be sprinkled with some crumbled feta cheese. It is also used as a condiment for Bulgarian meatballs. I ate it with crackers too and it tasted great.
Here in Denver we have a store for Bulgarian specialties and I can get me a jar of Liutenitsa. All brands use mostly tomatoes and wheat flower or modified corn starch as a thickener though, not to mention the preservatives . Besides, the original recipe is pepper based not tomato based and I just love this chunky consistency.
Bulgarians use Sunflower oil in general, but I made it with Olive oil and I didn't detect any difference in the flavor, so you can choose whichever oil you like.
I went to the farmer's market to buy pickles for canning but I saw these long red peppers which were called ancient red bell peppers. I thought I could give it a try and see if they would work for Liutenitsa. And surprise !!! It worked.
This spread can be canned. Thats what Bulgarians actually do. To can, just fill jars with Liutenitsa. Tighten the lid and boil the jars for 15 min. Start the timer after there is an active rolling of the water . For high altitude you need to increase the time by 10 min because water starts to boil at a lower temperature.

Ingredients :

6 lbs (3 kg) red ancient bell peppers
2 lbs (1kg ) tomatoes
2 lbs (1 kg) carrots
1 cup Olive oil
2 Tsp. Ground all spice
2 Tsp. Garlic powder
Sea salt to taste

Roast peppers. Peel skin and remove stems and seeds. Chop up finely in such a way that it looks almost like a puree. Set aside . Boil carrots until soft like for mashed carrots. While boiling carrots in a bowl, grate tomatoes. Set aside. When carrots are done, mash them with a potato masher.
In a big pot combine oil with peppers, tomato puree and mashed carrots. Start to cook on medium and later change to low heat. Stir every 5 minutes until liquid evaporates and the constancy is paste like . Add seasoning .

Injera I

2014-06-25T09:08:00.000-06:00

I recently discovered this awesome Ethiopian grain called Teff. Teff comes in two varieties: ivory and dark. The dark teff is better if you like this hearty taste. Teff is gluten free and is great for gluten free baking of any kind.
Injera is an Ethiopian flat bread made out of sour dough with a slightly spongy texture. In Ethiopia , Injera is served with stews and salads. Small pieces of Injera are torn and used to grasp the stew and salads for eating.
The recipe I will share is for the instant version and courtesy of Vegan Richa. I am working on the sour dough version and when done, I'll post a second recipe. The authentic bread is made with naturally fermented dough and the fermentation process takes several days. Though sometimes we don't think of this stuff and that's why here we have a recipe which would allows us to prepare this great flat bread whenever we want to.
I really like to combine Injera with my Grabanzo-Lentil soup. The only thing I change about the soup is, I make it thicker more like stew . I also like my salads and veggie wraps with Injera. It's great for any kind of spicy food and I can't wait to try it with my Tacos.

Ingredients:

1 cup teff flour
1 1/2 cup warm water
2 Tsp. organic yeast
2 Tsp.organic raw sugar
1 Tsp. sea salt
1/2 Tsp. baking powder

Whisk teff flour with 1 cup of water , yeast and sugar. Cover and let sit for 45 min to an hour . Add 1/2 cup water , salt and baking powder. Whisk and start making the Injera.
In a non-stick skillet put some coconut oil and heat on medium-high. Pour some of the batter. Notice it should be a little more than what you put for crepes but less than what you use for pancakes . In other words it should be like a thick crepe.
Once spread wait for bubbles to appear and cover with lid to steam the injera. Steam for about a minute. Remove lid and keep cooking until the center is set and not wet. Remove and let cool . The flavor and texture show off best when served cold .

Coconut Almond Treats

2014-06-20T16:20:00.001-06:00

This recipe is an absolute winner and I couldn't believe how much it resembles Raffaelo . The difference is that mine does not contain all the chemicals like Raffaelo does and it's rolled in raw ground almonds instead of shredded coconut. It's very , very simple but tastes fantastic.
The measurements are sort of relative and you may end up adding more then what it is in the recipe.
I use Artisana Coconut butter but if you have time and desire you can make your own coconut butter. Here is a tutorial how to make your own.
As a sweetener I used maple syrup this time. Make sure your food processor is working properly. Otherwise you'll have to use the regular mixer like I did. I think I damaged mine by trying to grind some grains to make flour . I know, stupid...:)

Ingredients :

1 cup coconut butter
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup finely ground raw almonds

In a food processor add coconut butter and maple syrup . Pulse until smooth and homogenous. Start forming balls and roll them in the ground almonds . Refrigerate for an hour before serving. Best is to keep them refrigerated all the time.

Shrimp Salad

2014-06-20T15:55:00.003-06:00

Shrimp is something I don't eat very often cause' I prefer mussels and oysters. Once in a while though I like to have some shrimp. I bought those at King Soopers. What attracted me was the "wild caught" sign. So far , so good. Well after we ate and I started to clean the kitchen I looked at the ingredients just for fun . I didn't think I'll find anything else other than shrimp. Well I was surprised to find that the shrimp I already ate contains Sodium Thripolyphosphate and Sodium Bisulfite .
Well let me tell you something ... Sodium Thripolyphosphate is a chemical which is used to deceive you about the freshness of the seafood. Also it increases the weight of the product to which is applied. It's considered a neurotoxin. Here you can read more about this preservative.
What about Sodium Bisulfite? ! Well according to Wikipedia it's a chemical compound with additive number E222. According to New Jersey's Department of health
Sodium Bisulfite is on the Right to Know hazardous list.
Here is what I found about this chemical :
- can affect you when inhaled
- contact can severly irritate and burn the skin and eyes
- Inhaling Sodium Bisulfate . Sodium Bisulfate can affect you when inhaled.
- Contact can severly irritate and burn the skin and eyes
- It can irritate the nose, throat and lungs
- it may cause a skin and an asthma-like allergy
- Sodium Bisulfite is CORROSIVE when in a liquid solution.

All this is in our food, the one that's supposed to be wild caught and free of chemicals. Needless to say that I was angry.

Next time I will read the label . Live and learn, they say.

I made this salad with garlic greens. I know they are not always available but you can check some Asian stores. They tend to carry this product. If you can't find garlic greens , you can skip it or substitute with some leeks. Be careful with salt because olives and capers are already quite salty and you don't want to over-salt the entire salad. You always can add more salt if not enough but you can't remove it.
I hope you all enjoy this salad as much my daughter and I did!

Here is what you need

Ingredients:
1 pack of large shrimp
5-6 Green onions
2-3 Garlic greens
1/4 cup chopped green olives
2 Tbsp. capers
2-3 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
1/4 Extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. coarse ground Dijon mustard
The juice of a lemon
Salt and pepper (optional)

Cook shrimp according to instruction. After done place in a bowl . Chop onions, garlic greens and cilantro. Add to shrimp. I another small bowl mix olive oil, mustard and lemon juice. Add chopped olive. Chop capers and add to dressing. Pour dressing over shrimps and greens add salt and pepper if desired. Mix well and serve.

Carrot soup (vegan)

2014-06-16T16:49:00.002-06:00

This is another vegan recipe which my daughter and my husband like a lot. I made the non vegan version a few months ago. I made bacon bits and garnished it with it. But since I am on vegetarian diet that's how I made it for dinner today.
This soup is best with white pepper but I just discovered that I am out of it, so I used black pepper. It's not bad at all but I somehow like it with white pepper better. You also can garnish it with croutons and chopped up green onions or even add bacon bits if you are not on a restricted diet like me.
For more flavor I just washed the carrots thoroughly cut them in big chunks and did not peel them.
The soup has slightly sweet and earthy taste that way.

Ingredients

4 large carrots cut in big chunks
2 cups coconut milk
2 Tbsp. onion powder
2 Tsp. ground ginger
2 Tsp. ground white pepper
1 pinch nutmeg
salt to taste.

Put carrots in
pan and add water so that it covers carrots. Cook until they are soft but not mushy. Remove and poor everything in a blender. Puree until smooth. Put back in pan. Add coconut milk and onion powder. Bring to boil slowly and reduce heat to low . Simmer for 10 min on low heat. After 10 min remove from heat and add ginger, pepper, nutmeg and salt. Stir and serve!

Vegan Grain Free Tacos

2014-06-16T12:34:00.002-06:00

I've been feeling like going on vegetarian diet for a while. I just don't feel like eating meat other than fish . I came up with this recipe recently. It doesn't really have the taste of taco meat but it's close enough and it's yummy.
I usually make my own Taco seasoning because I don't like all additives they put in the one you can buy at the store. Of course you can use store bought taco seasoning if you would like. Also for the shells best is to use Romaine lettuce. For the tacos you see in the picture I didn't use romaine lettuce because currently I have lots of lettuce in my garden and it doesn't make much sens to me to buy any.
In my last post I mentioned that I am really bad with proportion. I'll give you the list with all necessary ingredients for taco seasoning and you need to adjust it on your own or if you prefer, use the one from the store.
That day my husband made an awesome Picco de Gallo and I topped my tacos with it and some sliced avocado. Of course you always can add cheese and refried beans if that's your wish. Hope you all like this dish.

Ingredients:

For Taco Seasoning:
Chili powder
Paprika powder
Gr. Cumin
Onion powder
Garlic powder
Oregano
Black pepper
Salt (optional)

For Tacos

1 large eggplant
1/4 cup olive oil
2 1/2 cups water
2-3 Tbsp. taco seasoning
2-3 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
lettuce leaves
picco de gallo (optional)
sliced avocado (optional)

Cut eggplant in cubes . In a large pot add oil and water. Add eggplant and seasoning and cook until done and just oil is left on the bottom of the pot.
Put some of the taco "meat" in lettuce leave add picco de gallo and top with sliced avocado.

Kyopolu - Eggplant salad / dip (vegan)

2014-06-13T16:47:00.003-06:00

It's one of my favorite appetizers . It can be used as a salad, a dip or a spread on a slice of bread. I don't know whether the origin is Bulgaria or Turkey. Bulgarian and Turkish cuisine have some similarities. This is because Bulgaria was invaded by the Ottoman empire and enslaved for 500 years. The name Kyopolu sounds Turkish and apparently Bulgarians adopted it. So I don't really know .
I usually use the grill to roast eggplant and peppers because it gives them an additional smoky flavor. You, however can roast them on your stove if it's glass ceramic stove top or broil them in the oven.
Today, I used Anaheim peppers but when the Hatch Chilli is in season I prefer them. Seriously you can prepare this salad with any kind of peppers.
Don't forget to make some wholes in the eggplant before you start to cook, unless you want it to explode :)

Here is how they look roasted.

After they are done let them sit covered in a bowl so they can peel easily . After 5 min, peel and chop them finely the way it's shown in the pictures below

This salad makes a wonderful leftover. You can also can it but oil and vinegar should be skipped in this case and added when you open the jar.

Ingredients :

1 big roasted and peeled eggplant
5 roasted and peeled peppers (Anaheim, Hatch, Poblano)
6 garlic cloves
3 Tbsp. chopped parsley
3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
Salt to taste
Pecans/Walnuts to garnish (optional)

Chop peeled eggplant and peppers. Add smashed and chopped garlic cloves. Add parsley, olive oil, salt and vinegar . Mix well and refrigerate for an hour . Before serving garnish with pecans/walnuts.

Feta Cheese Salad Dressing

2014-06-12T13:03:00.000-06:00

I am in a mood to create dressings :) And as a Feta cheese lover I came up with this one. It's not vegan, and some people may argue whether it's healthy or not since it contains cheese and salt.
Feta cheese is one of Bulgarians' super food . Every household has Feta cheese in the refrigerator. I grew up with yoghurt and Feta cheese and I think I turn out good. Of course if the milk was from cows treated with rBST, then we have a problem!
You can modify the herbs and spices based on your own preference.
The only disadvantage of this dressing is that it has to be stored in refrigerator where the olive oil solidifies. Therefor let it sit on a room temperature for up to 2 hours before serving. Other than that it tastes fantastic especially on kale !

Ingredients :

1/2 cup crumbled Feta cheese
10 green olives (pitted)
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup coconut milk
1Tbsp. coconut vinegar
3 Tbsp. water
2 Tsp. gr. black pepper
1 Tsp. oregano
1 Tsp. garlic powder
1 Tsp. fresh or frozen dill

Puree in a blender feta cheese with olive oil, green olives, water and vinegar. Add coconut milk. Blend until smooth. Add the rest of the ingredients. Stir and voila!

Kale Salad

2014-06-10T12:33:00.000-06:00

I love this salad because it's fast, easy and rich in protein. We need protein to stabilize the blood sugar. I usually make it with kale but when I took the picture I didn't have enough and added 2 lettuce leaves. I don't have the exact proportions for this salad. To tell you the truth I don't use particular proportions when I cook. The only time I am paying attention at the measurements is when I write for this blog .
For this salad you can use any kind of dressing really. I prefer it with my avocado dressing because it adds more of the good fats and proteins. In addition the vit C in the lemon juice helps the body to absorb iron properly .
I also highly recommend to soak in cold water seeds and nuts over night for proper digestion.

Ingredients:

Kale
1 cucumber sliced
green olives
1/3 cup soaked pumpkin seeds
1/3 cup soaked pecans
5-6 green onions
Avocado dressing
salt and pepper to taste

In a salad bowl tear all kale leaves. Chop pecans and green onions. Add to kale. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.

Avocado Salad Dressing (vegan)

2014-06-10T10:28:00.002-06:00

I often hear "What is wrong with you ?!" when I mention that I don't like Ranch or Cesar dressing :)
Nothing is wrong with me! I just grew up with lemon juice, vinegar and oil. After almost 35 years a love affair with my beloved olive oil and vinegar , a couple of months ago I finally got tired of the vinegar and oil and decided to try something new. It had to be raw, healthy and of course taste good.
That's how the avocado dressing was born! You can use it in lettuce salads , on grilled chicken or fish.
If you think it's too thick you can add a table spoon or two of cold water or some more lemon juice. If the salt is not enough you can add more.
The recipe is enough for two salad bowls and you can keep it fresh in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Ingredients :

1 ripe avocado
1/8 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove
1 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
1 Tbsp. sea salt
The juice of a lime
black pepper to taste

Peel avocado, remove pit and smash flesh. In a blender add mashed avocado, and the rest of the ingredients. Puree until smooth. Put in a clean glass jar and refrigerate for an hour before you serve it. Enough for 2 salad bowls.

Zucchini Auflauf

2014-06-04T11:52:00.002-06:00

Today, I will share my great aunt's recipe which over the years was modified many, many times. I love to experiment. That's for sure!
This dish is not vegan because it contains dairy and eggs. As you all know I only use organic products. The eggs I buy are local and free range. The cheese is made out of raw milk as well . I just love Sierra Nevada Monterrey Jack cheese. It's incredibly creamy. Buying local and organic helps a farmer , it does not support the big corporations. Well, unless you buy the big corporation's organic line ! My husband and I are working toward to get self sufficient as much as possible. This is is not very easy in Colorado because the growing season is so short. Our next project will be building a chicken coop and raise chickens for both: eggs and meat.
Anyway , I tend to drift away from the main topic :)

How I said above I use Sierra Nevada Monterrey Jack Cheese which is not very salty . The recipe calls for 1 Tsp. sea salt however if the cheese you use is salty , use sea salt sparingly .
I cut the jalapeno peppers lengthwise and then I chop them to avoid seeds and that white part which is hot. I do it that way just because of the kids. They like spicy food but not too spicy . I personally prefer them sliced with everything. So feel free to do it according to your own preference. This dish tastes best when chilled.

Oh, and if you wonder about the the word "Auflauf", it's German and it means casserole :))) .

Ingredients:

2 medium zucchinis
3 large jalapeno peppers sliced or chopped
1 cup shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
3 eggs
3-4 Tbsp. sour cream
3-4 Garlic cloves chopped
1 Tsp. sea salt
1 Tsp. ground coriander
black pepper to taste
some cilantro or parsley to garnish at the end.

Wash and shred zucchinis. Put in a 8.6 x 8.6 casserole. Add jalapenos , cheese, garlic, coriander, salt and pepper. In a separate bowl beat eggs and sour cream . Add to the other ingredients and mix well. Bake on 375F until done. approx. 30-40 min. Top with cilantro or parsley at the end.
Yields 4 servings .

Finger food: Stuffed mushrooms

2014-06-03T15:19:00.001-06:00

That's another invention of mine. After snow and rain here in Colorado, it's finally nice. In this nice warm (sometimes hot) weather I don't feel like cooking something big. Nevertheless I need proteins . So I came up with this delicious idea. I'd say the recipe serves one person. But it really is up to you to decide. It's raw and vegan. And as usual I recommend only organic ingredients !
Here is what you need...

Ingredients :

8 mushrooms
2" of a small zucchini
1 Tbsp. chopped onions
1 Tsp. capers
4-5 green olives
1 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
1 Tsp. garlic powder
8 cherry tomatoes
Salt, olive oil, lemon juice to taste

Wash mushrooms thoroughly and remove stamps. Sprinkle with a little olive oil and set aside . Cut about 2" of a small zucchini and chop finely. Chop capers, olives and cilantro and add to zucchini. Add onions garlic powder, olive oil, salt and lemon juice . Mix well and fill mushrooms with stuffing. Top with cherry tomato.

Salmon Kale Salad

2014-06-03T09:53:00.001-06:00

I've realized that I haven't posted many sea food recipes and I absolutely love sea food. Unfortunately my husband does not like sea food and most of the fish out there. He just thinks that they are sea bugs and refuses even to try it. The only fish he is willing to eat is cod, breaded and fried and it should not smell or taste like fish . I know, it's weird !!! For Valentine's day though he took me to a sea food restaurant where I got my favorite raw oysters ! Yay!

Today's recipe is a courtesy of my dear friend Barbara Rice who is a great cook and an excellent baker! She makes beautiful cakes that are not only very well decorated according to the occasion but they also taste fantastic.

Anyway, Barbara and I were talking about sea food and she shared this recipe with me. I however changed it just a little because of my food preferences. She uses pine nuts but I am not very crazy about pine nuts and I had to substitute them with something else. I thought that raw pumpkin seeds would blend perfect with all other ingredients. I also added some radishes, well, just because lol ! It turned out very good and my son loved it! Oh, and one more thing. This salad contains dairy . If you are dairy free you can skip the cheese, not a big deal , although I think the cheese contributes to the entire flavor. Also use wild caught salmon and organic veggies and cheese to avoid pesticides and GMOs .

Ingredients:

1/2 lb Wild caught Sockey Salmon

3 Kale leaves

2 Lettuce leaves
3-4 Radishes
3-4 Green Onions
1/4 cup Feta cheese (crumbled)
3 Tbsp. Italian Parsley
3 Tbsp (or more if you want) raw pumpkin seeds
Olive oil and lemon juice to taste .

Bake salmon with desired spices. When done remove and let cool off. In the mean time wash veggies thoroughly. Tear kale and lettuce into pieces, slice radishes , green onions and chop parsley. Once salmon cooled off, just chop into pieces . Combine fish with kale, lettuce, radishes , onions and mix well. Add feta cheese, pumpkin seed , olive oil and lemon juice . Mix and serve !

The Real Cream Of Mushroom (vegan)

2014-01-07T15:55:00.001-07:00

This is a real cream of mushroom soup. I used different kind of mushrooms. I wished I had morrels but it's the wrong time of the year and the wrong place. I prefer the vegan way but if you want, feel free to use butter and cream. I use coconut milk and I promise it does not taste like coconut.This soup can be used to cook with , as a soup base, eat it etc. The color is not very appealing because of all the different mushrooms we are using here. However it taste delicious and my daughter just loved it.

Ingredients :

1 small onion chopped finely
1 portabello mushroom cut in chunks
1 handful shiitake mushrooms
1 handful chanterelle mushrooms
1 handful oyster mushrooms
4 oz white button mushrooms
2-3 Tbsp. Coconut oil
1 can coconut milk ( use only the part that rises on the top, and not the water)
1 Tbsp. Ground coriander
1 Tbsp. Ground ginger
1 Tsp. Garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste.

Melt 1 Tbsp. coconut oil in a skillet and saute onions until caramelized. Set aside. In a pot combine all mushrooms but leave aside few pieces of each variety for later. Add water, but it shouldn't cover the mushrooms because the mushrooms will release water too. Bring to boil and reduce to simmer for 10-15 min. Let it cool off for 5 min. Meanwhile, slice some of the mushrooms you sat aside earlier and saute them in coconut oil. You will use them at the end.
In a food processor/blender combine cooked mushrooms and caramelized onions and puree until smooth .
Put them back in the pot and add coconut milk . Bring to boil and reduce heat to low for 5 min. Add spices and sauteed mushrooms. Serve immediately and garnish with chives.

Tarator aka Cold Soup

2013-12-29T20:55:00.002-07:00

This is one of my all time favorite soups. It's easy to prepare. It takes 15-20 min to prepare and after that it's ready to be served. We Bulgarians love to make this soup in the summer and the majority of Bulgarians keep a whole pot of Tarator in their refrigerators during summer because it's very refreshing. I also think it's a good remedy for hangover ;) . My husband, who is American, was very skeptical the first time he tried it but surprisingly he liked it so much that he learned how to make Tarator (which is very simple actually ).

The original recipe calls for walnuts, I , however prefer pecans. Many people don't like nuts , so if you are one of them , you can skip that step. The soup will still taste delicious.

Here is what you need for this soup

1 cucumber chopped finely

5-6 garlic cloves smashed and chopped

1/4 cup fresh dill chopped finely (or 2-3 Tbsp. dried dill weed)

3-4 cups plain whole milk yogurt

1-2 Tbsp. olive oil

2-3 cups cold water

Sea salt to taste

1/2 cup pecans/walnuts (optional)

Combine cucumber, garlic, dill, olive oil and sea salt in a bowl . Mix well. Add yogurt and water . Stir and check if more salt needed. Add nuts. Serve immediately or refrigerate.

Gluten - Free Granola

2013-12-28T19:13:00.000-07:00

My friend Zhana gave me a jar with homemade granola for Christmas. It was incredibly tasty and I decided to make my own. I looked online just for the basic principals and of course I made my own mix. Most of the recipes online call for vegetable oil. I though don't use any vegetable oil because it's highly processed and very bad for you. Instead I use coconut oil :) Also many of the recipes call for agave syrup or honey , or sugar. Agave is highly processed as well. Honey is good but it has a high glycemic index, and sugar: well the only reason I keep sugar in my kitchen is, because I make my own Kombucha. So.... what do I use , would you ask :) , I use raw Coconut Nectar. It has a low glycemic index and the brand I buy is 100% organic, gluten- free, non-gmo , vegan. Here is some information about Coconut Nectar provided by the company that offers it: When the coconut tree is tapped it produces a nutrient-rich "sap" that exudes from the coconut blossoms. This sap is very low glycemic , is an abundant source of minerals, 17 amino acids, vitamin C, board spectrum B vitamins, and has a nearly neutral pH.

Also, when you pick oats, make sure that they are certified gluten-free. Be careful with baking, I slightly overcooked mine because I had to nurse my daughter and it was a matter of 3-5 min.

Ingredients:

3 cups gluten -free oats

1 1/4 cups raw sliced almonds

1 cup coconut flakes

3/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds

3/4 cup raw flaxseeds

1/2 cup raw sesame seeds

1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds

1 1/2 cups raisins

1/2 cup extra virgin coconut oil

1/2 cup raw coconut nectar

Mix oats with seeds. In a saucepan melt coconut oil and coconut nectar. Add to oats and seeds and mix evenly. bake in the oven for 15-20 min or until golden. Remove from oven and add raisins. mix well and let it cool off. Store in a jar or plastic bag.

The Evolution of A Prime Rib Roast

2013-12-28T08:39:00.001-07:00

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year everybody!

I've been gone for a while but taking care of a toddler who goes through the so called 'terrible twos " and a baby girl isn't exactly an easy job :) I know I shouldn't complain there are people with more kinds than me and they don't complain over lack of time.

Today's recipe is dedicated to our annual New Year's Eve dinner . All pictures and instructions are courtesy of my husband Christopher. Thanks , hon , for your contribution. If I was cooking I'd use organic ingredients. Also you can substitute peanut oil with olive oil or any kind of oil.

Here we take our Rib Roast and start by removing the ribs (we'll use them in our Au Jus gravy which we will start tomorrow, one day before we cook.)

We'll cut these ribs apart after we de-fat the roast.

The ribs, fat and silver skin will go in a bag for tomorrow's gravy starter.

Here we've cut up the ribs, ideally you would get your butcher to do this and then have him saw them in half lengthwise to expose the marrow... I got to the grocery store too late for that. They will still enhance our Au Jus gravy.

Here the roast has been mostly de-fatted. We didn't need that great big fat cap on there, it won't really baste the meat as many have been led to believe, and the roast already has plenty of fat in it. We are going to season this tomorrow in a wet-rub and we want our seasonings to get into the meat, not into the fat.

Our next step involves Kosher Salt and Saran Wrap.

Now we've rubbed our meat liberally in Kosher Salt. If you watch this meat over the next few hours, the liquid in the meat will dissolve the salt and then draw it back into the meat. This will help the proteins in the meat hold on to moisture better and will give us a significantly good flavor... Don't worry, it won't seem overly salty.

Now we wrap the meat and stick it in the fridge for the next 24 hours.
For more details of this recipe and others recipes which are near 100% sure to please, go towww.amazingribs.com . you and your guest will be glad you did!

Now it is about 24 hours later and 24 hours yet to go before we actually finish this roast! So today we'll prepare a dry rub which we'll turn into a wet rub by adding oil to it. I prefer Peanut oil, you might prefer olive oil. We'll be using dry herbs and oil will extract the flavors better than water, also the oil will help to form a nice crust on our finished Prime Rib. Here we begin by using a spoon and a bowl as an improvised mortar and pestle to kind of break up our rosemary leaves to start releasing some of the aromas.

This wet rub has the following ingredients:
4 tablespoons ground black pepper
4 teaspoons dried rosemary leaves
4 teaspoons dried thyme or oregano
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder and then we'll mix in 8 tablespoons peanut oil after removing 2 tablespoons of the dry mix for our Au Jus gravy.
This is our dry rub before the oil.

Now we've added the peanut oil and we'll let this sit for at least a couple hours for all the flavors and aromas to intensify a bit.

Now we'll get a head start on our Au Jus gravy. We'll start with 2 onions cut in quarters and we'll leave the skins. Onion skins give a nice flavor and also help to darken the color in a stock. No worries about them, we'll be straining all this out later.

The gravy recipe is as follows: 3 or more beef ribs or other beef bones, meaty trimmings from the roast with a little fat.
2 medium onions, root end removed, skin left on, and cut into quarters
2 carrots, peeled and chopped into 1" lengths
1 stalk celery, leaves left on, cleaned, and chopped into 1" lengths
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 or 3 dried mushrooms
1 cup dry red wine
1 teaspoon of the Dry Rub we just made
1 bay leaf
32 ounces of water
2 smashed garlic cloves
About the mushrooms. Just about any dried mushroom will do: Porcini, wood ears, whatever. Just toss them in. As they absorb liquid they exude essence of mushroom and add umami, a savory flavor amplifier.

Our garlic cloves, all smashed up.

I chose Shitake 'shrooms.

Here's our beef ribs and trimmings that we'll use in our stock, I'm going to brown the trimmings in a skillet and brown the ribs on the grill with a few wood chips for some smoke.

Grilling our ribs. Getting the meat caramelized a bit before we simmer it will help with the flavor.

Getting ready to add the liquid ingredients.

Now the liquid ingredients are in and we'll simmer for up to 3 hours uncovered so this will reduce down.

Make sure that you get the ribs down as far as possible in the liquid so we can extract flavor from the marrow.

While the au jus is simmering let's make some horseradish sauce. I'll make it today so that it can sit overnight and all the flavors will come together.

Here's the finished horseradish sauce. Ingredients are:
1/2 cup sour cream
4 tablespoons prepared horseradish in vinegar
4 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
4 pinches table salt
4 pinches ground white pepper, or black,
1 tablespoon minced roasted garlic.

au jus/stock is done...

strain it out and do whatever you want with the meat and veggies

After straining in a colander .

Now strain it back into the pot with a mesh strainer.

See how many particles still remained? Now we taste, adjust seasoning and reduce more if necessary, then in the fridge for a bit.

Here is our roast after relaxing in it's dry brine overnight, you may notice that it is very shiny... that tends to happen after dry brining.

Now we'll take our butcher's twine and tie it tightly about every inch. We are trying to make this roast as close to round as possible, this promotes more even cooking. Let's say this roast is 5 inches in diameter and 8 inches long. Even if we had another one 5 inches in diameter but 12 inches long they would both cook in the same amount of time.

Now we have taken our wet rub and liberally covered this roast and we'll put it back in the fridge until tomorrow... this time we'll let it sit uncovered.

Notice that the twine did make the roast very round. The point is that when it is round, the shortest distance to the center of the meat is the same everywhere... hence, even cooking throughout with the exception of the ends, they may be a bit more well done.

We're getting ready to place our roast on the grill. I'm preheating the aujus we made yesterday before the beef goes on. I've set up the grill for two-zone cooking. I have 4 burners and one is on all the way, the next one is about 1/2 and the other two are off. We'll put our roast above the two which are off and try to keep the temp at that end at 225 F.

Here is our roast, straight out of the fridge, and now straight to the grill. We want to cook this low and slow so we'll start it cold.

Now the roast is on a rack above the au jus so it will roast, not boil... very important, and we'll catch the drippings for even more yummy au jus. I've placed hickory chips over the burner which is hottest for some smoke. We'll leave the roast in here for about an hour to get the smoky flavor and then, since it's cold here, and getting dark, we'll transfer it to the oven set at 225 degrees F.

Now we've been in the smoke about an hour so we'll move to the oven. Some of our au jus reduced down too much so I've added some boiling water. We will be going back to the grill to sear the outside at the very end. Notice that a meat thermometer has now been inserted to the center of the roast.

Here we are monitoring our temp. When we reach 115 degrees F then we'll remove the meat back to the grill which will already be as hot as possible and we'll sear all sides with the lid open.

Ok, now we've reached 115 degrees and we're back on the grill to sear the outside.

Searing.

After searing, now we'll let it rest and it will gain another 15 or 20 degrees to get us to 135 degrees

Here's our au jus, now we'll put it in a sauce pan and reduce it to make a nice thin gravy.

Reducing

We've hit our target temp.

After resting in the oven.

Getting ready to cut into it.

I wish these pictures were more accurate, it was pinker than this in reality. But you can see that the fat and connective tissues have broken down.

Very tender meat

With a little au jus poured on it. Ok, this is the end. I can tell you that I forgot the steak knives and one guest of mine said, after I remembered, no problem, I'm doing fine with a butter knife! When asked I heard, "this is the best prime rib I've ever had." That was me, Then a guest said, the same thing actually, and another guest from the Ukraine said that it was the best beef she'd had in the US, my wife enjoyed it much as well even though she normally doesn't eat medium rare meat. I think it was a success, and if you follow this recipe you should have some great success too. Happy New Year!

Spinach Kale Soup (vegan)

2013-07-18T09:19:00.001-06:00

I love greens and I am constantly looking for recipes. When my mom was here for the birth of my daughter, she cooked for me a delicious spinach soup. I didn't take the recipe but I approximately knew the ingredients but decided to do some modifications to suit my son's taste. I am not a vegan but there are so many awesome vegan recipes that can compliment a meal with meat or just to satisfy hunger by eating it by itself. My son loved the soup and had 4 refills !!!!
This soup does not contain animal products , it's gluten/grain free. I used frozen spinach but you can use fresh as well, you just need to double the amount.

Ingredients:

2 cups frozen cut spinach (or 4 cups fresh)

4 medium sized chopped kale leaves (just the leaves, nor the stems)

1 carrot finely chopped

1 onion finely chopped

1 celery stalk finely chopped

4 garlic cloves chopped finely

1 qt. water (approx. 1 l. )

1 can coconut milk

1 Tbsp. Yellow split pea flour

1 Tbsp.paprika powder

1 Tbsp. Garlic powder

1 Tbsp. Lemon juice

sea salt and pepper to taste.

parsley (optional)

Bring water to boil. Add carrots, celery, and onions and cook for 15-20 min. Add spinach . In a bowl mix well split pea flour and coconut milk and add to soup. Let it cook for another 10 min. Add kale, garlic powder , paprika powder, salt and pepper and let it simmer for 2 min. Remove and add lemon juice. Serve garnished with parsley.

Mona's Pecan Truffles

2013-07-08T13:13:00.001-06:00

Since the birth of my daughter I haven't been really active, but that's understandable. Between the toddler and the baby I don't have much time to make fine stuff. We still eat very healthy but kinda limited when it comes to variety.
The recipe is from my pastor and friend Mona Shirley. We had a Mother's Day gathering at our church and this is where I tasted them the very first time and had to have the recipe.
This recipe is very easy. It's completely vegan and can be used as a snack as well . It's very rich so you don't have to worry that your child may get too much sweets.

Ingredients:

1 cup pecan halves
1 cup chopped dates
1/2 cup raw extra virgin coconut oil (not melted)
fine shredded coconut.

Combine pecans and dates in a food processor and blend until smooth. In a bowl combine coconut oil and the pecan/dates and mix well. If mixture is too runny let it sit for few minutes in the freezer. Place the shredded coconut in a plate. Make small balls, about an inch in diameter and roll them in the coconut. Place in freezer for about an hour. Remove and store in the fridge.

* You can put the coconut oil in the blender with the other ingredients but it will melt and make the mixture runny which is not appealing.

Grain Free Egg-plant Lasagna

2013-04-09T19:59:00.001-06:00

This recipe started as an improvisation and it evolved with time. My family decided to reduce the grains in our diet even the gluten free and as a result, at least I can speak for myself and my son, we feel better. I am proud of my husband that he changed his mind and doesn't see the purchase of organic food as a waist of money. He still has issues with grass fed meat but I think that this would change soon :)

I don't know if I mentioned it before, but the eggplant should be soaked in cold water for about an hour because it could be an irritant for people with allergies or kidney disease.

I know that lasagna is usually made with Ricotta cheese but I don't care much about its texture, that's why I prefer cottage cheese. However if you prefer Ricotta, use the one you like best. Also, the Marinara sauce I used, was made from scratch but if you don't have time to prepare it, use a store bought one. I usually make the sauce while the eggplant is soaking in the cold water.

So lets start ! And here is what you need:

Ingredients:

For the Marinara Sauce

Tomato Puree

1 Onion chopped finely

3-4 Garlic cloves smashed and chopped

2 Tbsp. Basil

Olive oil

Sea salt and Pepper to taste.

Combine all ingredients, bring to boil, reduce heat and let it simmer, until sauce is done. Stir it occasionally.

For the Lasagna

1 Eggplant sliced

1 lb Ground Beef

1 cup Cottage Cheese
2-3 Tbsp. Italian Seasoning
1-2 Tbsp. Sea Salt
1 -2 Tbsp. Gr. Black Pepper
1 Tbsp. Garlic Powder.
2 Cups shredded Monterrey Jack cheese

In a bowl mix the ground beef, cottage cheese, spices and seasonings. On the bottom of a pan pour some of the marinara sauce and lay a few slices of the eggplant. Spread evenly meat mixture and sprinkle some shredded cheese. Lay on top more eggplant slices just like when you make lasagna with regular dough/noodles. The last layer should be eggplant slices and sauce that covers the whole dish. Cover with aluminum foil , make a few holes in the foil and bake it on 400F for about an hour. Uncover and bake for another 15-20 min. Just before done add the rest of Monterrey jack and bake until cheese melts.