Buckwheat in tomato sauce with pak choi - a delicious idea for buckwheat

 Are there any buckwheat lovers here? I often use buckwheat flour to make pancakes or waffles, but I forget about groats. Maybe I would use it more if have more ideas and recipes with them. I am a big fan of buckwheat with braised steak. However, I usually need quick recipes. My family liked it, although the children refused to eat pak choi (maybe next time - I do not lose hope). Buckwheat is a very good source of magnesium, iron, copper, zinc, manganese and B vitamins. Additionally, it has a high fiber content, which will surely appeal to our intestinal bacteria. I encourage you to try this super quick recipe, which is also gluten-free and low fodmap.

Ingredients:

• a glass of buckwheat
• 500ml of tomato passata
• 500g of ground beef (5% fat)
• 2 stalks of celery
• 3 carrots
• 2 parsley
• spoon of rapeseed oil
• 2 pak choi
• 2 tablespoons of sesame oil
• cheese (cheddar) 100g
• a bit of spring onion
• salt, pepper, oregano, bay leaf

Method:

Grate the celery, carrots and parsley using cheese grater. Heat the oil in a large pot and fry the vegetables for few minutes. Add the meat and then the tomato passata and mix well. Add spices along with the bay leaf and cook for about 10 minutes. Add add buckwheat and a glass of water. Cook until the buckwheat absorb all the liquids - about 10 minutes.

I other saucepan heat sesame oil and fry pak choi - literally 10 seconds on each side (please do not heat this oil too much - has a very low smoke point)

Put the cabbage, buckwheat in tomato sauce on a plate, sprinkle with cheese and chopped chives. Enjoy!

Roasted garlic radish - healthy snack

Only for radish fans :-) Have you ever eaten a cooked radish? This roasted in olive oil radish is a nice salty snack or side dish to go with meat. Still crunchy and deliciously garlic.

Ingredients:

500g of radishes

2 garlic cloves

2 tablespoons of olive oil

salt, pepper

Method:

Peel the radishes and cut them in half. Transfer to a bowl and mix with olive oil, salt and pepper. Transfer to a baking tray lined with baking paper or foil. Bake for about 45 minutes (mixing every 15 minutes). Alternatively, you can use an air fryer

Buckwheat pancakes, delicious gluten free breakfast

I love breakfasts, especially sweet ones with lots of fruit. Recently I have found that my breakfasts have become monotonous and you probably know the diet should be as varied as possible. That's why I decided to make pancakes, mainly because of the children. They are small, easy to hold and can be served with your favourite fruit. It was a success. It was a bit to much for the three of us, so we took the rest on the picnic the next day.

Ingredients for about 16 pancakes:

• a cup of buckwheat flour
• a cup of milk
• 2 eggs
• banana
• spoon of honey
• a teaspoon of cinnamon
• pinch of salt
• a teaspoon of baking powder
• as sides: natural yogurt and fruit

Method:

Buckwheat flour - you can buy it in organic shops. In a bowl or a pan mix all dry ingredients. Mash the banana with a fork and put it in a bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly. Fry in a pan over medium heat on both sides. It is up to you if you use oil or not (for frying). Serve with yogurt and any fruit you like.

Autumn dill soup with root vegetables. Perfect for people suffering from IBS, low FODMAP

 

Are you also more likely to eat soup on cold evenings? Especially in the autumn and winter period? They always warm me up and put me in a good mood. This dill soup with various root vegetables is not only delicious, but also simple and quick to prepare. Contains low FODMAP products.

Ingredients for 8 servings:

• 1 kg of potatoes
• 3 orange carrots
• 2 yellow carrots (exchangeable for regular carrots)
• 2 purple carrots (exchangeable for regular carrots)
• 2 parsnips
• a bunch of dill
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 200ml of coconut milk
• 1.7l of water
• juice and lemon peel
• salt, pepper, bay leaves

Method:

Peel and dice all root vegetables (potatoes, carrots and parsley). In a large pot, heat the olive oil and lightly fry the vegetables (soup will have a nicer color) Pour water, add bay leaves and cook until the potatoes are soft. Season with salt and pepper, add coconut milk, lemon juice and chopped dill. Stir well.

Chocolate millet pudding - an idea for a gluten-free / low fodmap breakfast or dessert

 

Recently, I was looking for inspiration for a breakfast or snack that would be perfect for low fodmap diet. We now know that it's not gluten that worsens IBS symptoms, it's fructans in grains. However, wherever fructans are present, there is also gluten. In stores we will not find food labeled - low in fructans. That is why people suffering from IBS and following the principles of a low fodmap diet, it is recommended to choose gluten-free food

Makes 4 servings:

• half a cup of millet
• 2 cups of lactose-free or plant-based milk
• 4 teaspoons of cocoa
• 20g of dark chocolate
• 2 teaspoons of peanut butter
• banana
• 4 teaspoons of sugar
• half a teaspoon of cinnamon
• A method of preparing:

Method:

Boil the millet in water in the proportion of 1 to 2. That is, half a glass of millet per glass of water. You can do this the day before. I used the leftover millet from my dinner. Then put the millet, milk of your choice, sugar, cinnamon and cocoa into the pot. Cook until thickened. Add peanut butter, chocolate and banana. Blend everything. Transfer to the dishes in which you will serve

Sorrel soup with hard boiled egg - idea how to use sorrel

When I was 10 years old I remember walking with my grandmother at her allotment picking sorrel. Then she would make sorrel soup with potatoes, bacon, egg and a lot of butter. Delish. I have done a slightly slimmer version but still tasty. It is quite sour so may not appeal to everyone. Sorrel is quite rich in vitamins A and C, but vitamin C dies at a high temperature, so eating this soup to increase your vitamin C intake makes no sense. It also contains smaller amounts of calcium, potassium, iron, magnesium and zinc. There is also a lot of confusion around oxalates, however occasional consumption has no negative effect on health

Ingredients:

• 500g potatoes
• big carrot
• 2 stalks of celery
• 2 onions
• 4 garlic cloves
• 4 bay leaves
• spoon of butter
• 50 ml single cream
• 200g sorrel
• 4 eggs

Method:

Fry the finely chopped onion and celery in butter. When they soften, add garlic and fry for a while. Pour water or broth (about 1.5l). Add diced potatoes and carrots and bay leaves. Cook until the potatoes are tender. Chop the sorrel and add when the vegetables are soft. Add cream, mix and bring to a boil. Serve with a hard-boiled egg.

Cream of tomato with spinach and yogurt - the perfect recipe for low calorie diet

Cream of tomato soup with spinach leaves. Served with yogurt and pumpkin seeds. So many different textures and many different flavors. It can be an ideal low-calorie option for lunch or dinner

Ingredients:

• onion
• 3 celery stalks
• 3 garlic cloves
• chilli pepper
• salt pepper
• a tablespoon of olive oil
• 2 carrots
• tomato passata 500g
• water or broth (1l)
• 100g spinach

additionally: spinach for garnish, natural yogurt, pumpkin seeds

Method:

Fry chopped onions, garlic, chillies and celery. When they are soft, add the grated carrots. Fry for few moments. Then, pour over tomato passata, water or broth. Simmer for 30 minutes and then blend. Season with salt and pepper. Add spinach leaves whan soup its still very hot. Mix it. You don't have to cook anymore, the spinach will reduce its volume. Serve with chopped fresh spinach, plain yogurt and pumpkin seeds

Roast chicken in a ginger carrot sauce

Juicy roast chicken in beautiful sensational carrot and ginger sauce with a hint of lemon. This is another idea for chicken dinner. You can use carrot sauce instead of gravy which can be also counted as one portion of vegetables.

Ingredients:

• small chicken
• 3 large carrots
• ginger, salt, pepper
• 500ml water
• 2 teaspoons of peanut butter 
• 2 teaspoons of olive oil
• lemon

Method:

Marinate the chicken in ginger, lemon zest, salt pepper and a teaspoon of olive oil. Put in the oven and bake for 1.5 hours at 200ºC. Grate carrots and fry it in small pan using some oil.  Pour water and lemon juice. Cook for about 20 minutes. When the carrot is soft, add the juice made from roast chicken. Add peanut butter and spices (ginger, salt, pepper) Blend. Serve with rice.

Sauerkraut soup, low calorie (only 250 kcal per serving)

Soups are for me (especially as a mother) an ideal option for a warm dinner and a portion of vegetables. I usually prepare a little more (2l pot) to save time and have lunch or dinner for 2 days. I store the soup in the fridge and reheat only the amount needed to minimise losses of vitamin C and live culture bacteria (sauerkraut). Today I prepared souerkraut soup, which is low calorie, full of vitamin C and full of vegetables. You can easily buy sauerkraut in ecology shops, good green groceries or polish shops. Hope you will enjoy the sourness.

Ingredients:

• 5 medium-sized potatoes
• 2 small carrots
• parsley
• a piece of celeriac 
• 250g sauerkraut
• large onion
• 3 garlic cloves
• tablespoon of rapeseed oil
• chicken leg
• 3 bay leaves, salt, pepper

Method:

Finely chop the onion. Heat oil in a medium-sized pot and put onion in. Then add chopped garlic. Fry until the onion is lightly browned and soft. Pour boiling water over and put the chicken leg in. Add bay leaves and cook for about 30 minutes. At this time, peel and dice the vegetables. Drain the sauerkraut from juice or leave if you like very sour soup. Cook until the potatoes are soft (about 15 minutes). Finally, add cabbage (sometimes it's good to chop the cabbage, because the pieces may be large or long) and season to taste. You don't have to cook anymore. Enjoy !

Quick cream of butternut squash, carrot and ginger

Did you know that ginger can reduce muscle soreness caused by exercise? Research (link) carried out in 2010 among 74 people taking 2g of ginger per day (raw or cooked) for 11 days reduced post-workout muscular pain. These activities are thought to be mediated by ginger's anti-inflammatory properties. So what can we prepare from ginger, to not eat it raw? :-) Maybe delicious and warming creamy soup.

Ingredients:

• small butternut squash
• 5 carrots
• parsley
• onion
• 3cm ginger
• 3 garlic cloves
• tablespoon of rapeseed oil or olive oil
• 3 bay leaves
• 100ml coconut milk
• salt, pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon

Method:

Fry the finely chopped onion, garlic and ginger using olive oil or rapeseed oil. Fry until the onion is soft. Then add peeled and chopped vegetables. Pour water, add bay leaf and cook vegetables until soft. Take the bay leaves out, add the spices and coconut milk and blend it.

Thai soup that you will never get bored with.

My dear friend Marta served this soup on Easter. She added a few chillies for me because she knows how much I like spicy food. Thanks !!! Since then I have made this soup twice!!! You can do it with seafood but also with chicken, fish or tofu. I used a seafood mix - prawns, squid and mussels. The whole is a perfect combination of delicious seafood and tomato broth with crispy vegetables and thin rice noodles. 

Ingredients:

• 200g seafood or just prawns
• 4 small onions
• 4 garlic cloves 
• 2cm fresh ginger
• a teaspoon of olive oil
• 100g mange tout
• 100g baby corn
• can of tomatoes
• tablespoon of tomato puree
• a can of coconut milk (400ml)
• salt, pepper, nutmeg, ground cumin, turmeric, sweet pepper and chilli
• Additionally 150g of rice noodles, green cucumber and spring onion

Method:

Prepare rice noodles following instructions on the packaging. Fry the finely chopped onion in olive oil. Reduce the heat and add grated (on small cheese grater) garlic and ginger. Fry until the onion is soft. Add chopped vegetables and seafood, increase the heat and fry for 3 minutes. Pour 2 glasses of boiling water and cook about 10 minutes. Then pour over tomatoes, add tomato puree and cook for next 5 minutes. Finally, add spices and coconut milk. Mix. Serve with rice noodles, fresh cucumber and spring onion.

Peanut butter chocolate mousse. Only 3 ingredients - just mix it

Chocolate mousse preparation has never been easier. Blend all ingredients together and set for 2 hours in fridge. This pudding is perfect for children or as pureed diet.

Ingredients:

• tbsp cocoa powder
• 2 bananas
• heaped tbsp peanut butter

Method:

Blend all ingredients using a hand blender or food processor. Refrigerate for 2 hours to set.

Healthy vegetarian bowl

Various preparation techniques, using many vegetables. You can find here red cabbage coleslaw, chickpeas in tomato sauce and courgette. Everything in my opinion, looks divine and there is no chance get bored with that.

All ingredients for 2 servings:

Ingredients for chickpeas in tomato sauce:

• a teaspoon of rapeseed oil
• 200g chickpeas from the can
• 200g tomatoes from the can
• half of red onion
• oregano, salt, pepper, sweet pepper

Ingredients for courgette:

• 3 small courgettes
• a teaspoon of rapeseed oil
• salt pepper

Ingredients for red cabbage salad:

• 1/2 of a small head of red cabbage
• 200ml of Greek yogurt
• salt, pepper, juice of 1/4 lemon

Additionally:

• cheese
• hummus
• chia seeds or linseed
• Brown rice

Method:

Fry the chopped onions and garlic on teaspoon of oil. Add tomatoes and simmer. Add spices and then chickpeas.

When preparing a tomato sauce, cut the courgette into slices. Set aside for 5 minutes. Then fry using oil until it softens.

Cook the rice

Chop the cabbage. Add salt, pepper and lemon juice. Mix with yogurt.

Put the rice, courgette, chickpea in tomato sauce and salad in the bowl. On top, sprinkle with cheese, add hummus and chia seeds or flaxseed.

Kohlrabi sandwiches - low calorie sandwiches, low carb sandwiches, gluten free sandwiches

The season for kohlrabi has already begun. You can prepare so many things with that vegetable (soup, salads or a healthy snack). When I had it for first time I was a little bit uncertain about taste. I love it in the end. Very crunchy and light.

Ingredients:

• kohlrabi
• any protein-containing ingredient - like goat cheese, cheese, ham
• any vegetable ingredient - e.g radishes, avocados and olives

Method:

Peel the kohlrabi and cut into slices. On top arrange any protein ingredients (cheese, ham, egg, legumes, tofu) and some vegetables (olives, avocados, radishes, herbs)

Rhubarb chia pudding - for dessert or for breakfast

It is almost the end of spring and the beginning of summer. It's getting warmer. In hot weather, we often choose lighter options for meals. I recommend chia puddings with all my heart. At first time when I heard about chia pudding it seemed to me quite difficult to prepare and too extravagant. Now I think that they are the most simple breakfast ever. 

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 1/4 cup chia seeds
• a glass of milk
• teaspoon of honey or stevia / xylitol + spoon of honey to rhubarb
• 400g of rhubarb
• a teaspoon of cinnamon
• a teaspoon of butter

Method:

Mix chia seeds with a teaspoon of honey and milk. Stir every 3 minutes so that the seeds do not stick together. Cut rhubarb it into smaller pieces. Heat the butter in a pot and then add the rhubarb. Cook on low heat until it starts to sap the juices and rise up mush. Add cinnamon and honey. When the rhubarb is ready pour the chia seeds mixed with milk into glasses and leave best for the night. Place the rhubarb on the top in the morning if you want your dessert to be layered

Meatloaf with courgette, healthy and a quick idea for dinner.

Meatloaf is one of the easiest meat recipes. It is simple to make, because you do not need to form burgers or meat balls. You simply put all the ingredients into the baking tray. I put courgette inside so I gained an extra portion of vegetables. Meatloaf can be eaten hot or cold (cold buffet or for sandwiches)

Ingredients:

• 800g minced meat (I used beef 12% fat)
• onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 2 eggs
• courgette
• 4 slices of cheese
• a teaspoon of rapeseed oil
• salt, pepper, rosemary

Method:

Cut courgette along for big four batons. Sprinkle with salt and leave for 15 minutes. Fry the finely chopped onion using oil and then garlic and chopped rosemary. Leave it for a moment to cool. Mix minced meat with spices, egg and fried onion. Put courgette together and wrap with slices of yellow cheese. Spread the fat on the pan. Put half of the meat on the bottom. Then add courgette and cheese. Cover with the remaining amount of meat. Bake in the oven until the top is nicely browned.