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

Roasted mackerel pate - an idea for sandwich filling

 

Mackerel is a fairly well-known fish, although mostly available smoked. Probably because it spoils very quickly and smoking extends its shelf life. Recently, in my area, I can get it fresh, which I often use to the greater or lesser joy of my family. Are there other fans of this super tasty and healthy fish

Ingredients:

• 2 mackerels
• 1/3 cucumber (you can also use pickled or canned cucumber)
• 1/3 finely chopped onion
• parsley
• 2 heaped teaspoons of mayonnaise (preferably home-made)
• a teaspoon of mustard
• salt pepper
• lemon or lime

Method:

Lightly salt and pepper the mackerel and put lemon or lime wedges inside. Bake in the oven (about 15-20 minutes). Cool and then peel the skin off and take all the bones out. You have to be very careful because mackerel has a lot of small bones in it. Then mix with finely chopped onion, parsley and cucumber. Add the remaining ingredients - mayonnaise, mustard and pepper. Serve on your favourite bread.

Vegan cabbage rolls with mushrooms and lentils in a delicious tomato sauce

 

This meal is full of vegetables and spices, therefore very tasty. With lots of garlic, onions and thyme - of course if you like it? This meal also contains a lot of fiber, so the creamy tomato sauce match it perfectly. The tomato sauce in this recipe is unique, delicious, aromatic and vegan. The recipe serves about 10 cabbage rolls, although it depends on the size of the cabbage. You may need more or less stuffing

Ingredients:

• savoy cabbage
• 1 kg of mushrooms
• 3 red onions
• 4 cloves of garlic
• thyme, salt, pepper
• 150g of green lentils
• 100ml of tomato puree
• 2 soft bread rolls 
• spoon of olive oil

Method:

Chop the onion. In a large pot, heat the olive oil and add the onion. Fry it and when it is slightly soft, add the garlic. While the onions are fried, cut the mushrooms. Put half of the fried onion and garlic into a bowl or other pot - for later, for the sauce. Put the mushrooms in a pan with onion and fry until the water from the mushrooms evaporates. Season with salt, pepper and thyme. Stir in the lentils.

In a large pot, heat the water and salt to blanch the cabbage. Cut the depth of the cabbage and put it in boiling water. After 5 minutes, start picking the leaves - I used tongs for this. A small head will remain in the end, don't throw it away or pour out the water.

Wrap the stuffing in the cabbage leaves. In a large pot, arrange the remaining leaves (even those from the small head). Then arrange the cabbage rolls. Pour water after cooking the cabbage so that it covers the cabbage. Simmer for 45 minutes. Cool down.

Gently transfer the cabbage rolls to any dish. Add the previously fried onion, tomato puree, bread roll, pepper and thyme to the water after cooking. Blend it to make thick sauce. Serve with bread or potatoes

Chocolate orange chia pudding. Delicious breakfast or dessert.

 

It feels great when you go downstairs for breakfast and delicious treat waiting for you. You can prepare the chia pudding the day before and put it in the fridge - the seeds will absorb milk the pudding will be thicker. It is a good option if we have little time in the morning

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup of chia seeds
• 3/4 cup of milk (cow's or plant based)
• heaped teaspoon of cocoa powder
• spoon of honey
• orange
• dark chocolate (85% cocoa)

Method:

Put chia seeds into a bowl and mix it with milk. Add liquid honey and cocoa powder. Mix thoroughly. Stand for a few minutes and stir again. Wait until seeds absorb milk and pudding become thicker. Pour into the glass in which you will serve. Set aside in the fridge for at least 2 hours. Serve with orange slices and chopped dark chocolate.

Consuming over 30 different plant-based products a week has a beneficial effect on our microbiota.

 

Now we know that our microbiom determines our health. In 2012, a project co-created by the American Gut Project, Earth Microbiome Project and the Human Food Project was created to investigate the types of microbes inhabiting the human body. By 2017, 15096 samples from 11,336 people were collected. The main group of respondents were Americans (n ​​= 7.860) followed by the British (n = 2.518) and Australians (n ​​= 321). The focus was on healthy people, aged 20 to 69, with a BMI of 18.5-30 kg / m2, who were free from diseases such as IBD, diabetes, and who had not taken antibiotics in the last year.

Collected data has showed that it was not the type of diet itself (vegan or unrestricted diet) but the variety of plant-derived products consumed that influenced the diversified intestinal microflora. People who consumed more than 30 different plant-based foods during the week had a more varied flora than those who consumed only 10 or less. This is one of the reasons that a diet containing different types of dietary fiber and resistant starch is likely to support a more diverse microbial community. Diversity acts as a protective trait that helps the intestines to prepare for stressful situations such as antibiotic therapy, stress, dietary stressors and infections

What can we count as plant products? Vegetables, fruits and also seeds, grains and nuts. What is our diet like today? Do we care about diversity in our busy lives? Do people who live alone have a harder to achive this? Dear friends, I encourage you to reflect on this research.

An idea for a dish that contains 8 vegetable products - pasta with vegetables and nuts: pumpkin, kale, tomatoes, onions, garlic, parsley, peanuts, pasta, olive oil

Ref:McDonald D, Hyde E, Debelius JW, Morton JT, Gonzalez A, Ackermann G, et al. American Gut: an Open Platform for Citizen Science Microbiome Research. mSystems. 2018; 3 (3): e00031-18.

Red cabbage - how to use if for children to like it

5 servings of vegetables / fruit a day, this famous slogan seems prosaic. However, children are often used to certain foods and sometimes will try new ones with hesitation and very often doesn't like it. Red cabbage, how to serve it? I have tried with coleslaw - not touched, the cabbage rolls too - a lot of effort and all ended in a fiasco. I tried to make cabbage fritters inspired by recipes for babies and serving dishes using the BLW method. It was a success!

Ingredients:

• a small head of red cabbage or half a medium-sized cabbage
• onion
• 6 tablespoons of flour of your choice
• 3 tablespoons of breadcrumbs
• salt, pepper, fenugreek, ground cumin
• egg

Method:

Grate the cabbage and onions on a cheese grater. Transfer to a pot and pour water over it. Cook until tender. Drain and cool it down (you can cook cabbage the day before). Then mix with the egg, spices, flour and breadcrumbs. Fry in a frying pan greased with fat (e.g. rapeseed oil). I served the fritters with fried egg.

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.

Carrots - not only orange. Why is it worth eating carrots in other colours?

 

Carrots have always been one of my favourite vegetables. Maybe because they can be used in so many different dishes and they are sooooooo tasty. We can prepare practically anything from it. Soups, stocks, pancakes, gnocchi, fries, chips, juices, jams, oatmeal, cookies, carrot cake, salads. It is also delicious raw, without any processing. Perfect as a snack for adults and children (even the smallest ones - carrot sticks serving as a teether). Carrots are a rich source of vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, folates, potassium and copper.

Recently, in shops there is availability of non-orange carrots varieties. Is it worth eating such carrots? Yes of course. All types of carrots are good source of vitamins, minerals and fiber. However, the purple ones also include anthocyanins (antioxidants found in purple fruits and vegetables such as red cabbage, blackberries, and grapes). Anthocyanins, as antioxidants, help protect our body against oxidative stress, i.e. they support the natural defense mechanisms of human cells. It is believed that a diet rich in these substances can reduce the risk of civilization diseases. I am going to mention here a study conducted in the Korean population, which involved 923 people with colorectal cancer and 1,846 healthy people. The study classified vegetables and fruits according to color (green, orange / yellow, red / purple and white). High consumption of vegetables was associated with lower incidence of colorectal cancer in both women and men. However, in women, this incidence was less frequent, and in the analysis of the color of consumed fruits and vegetables, has shown that they were eating more of red and purple vegetables. Men more often used orange and white vegetables. (source)

Does a purple carrot taste different? It depends on soil it has grown. However, it definitely has the flavor of regular orange carrots.

Yellow chicken curry - an aromatic recipe with lots of vegetables

Homemade curry is not that difficult to prepare, you just need to skilfully handle with spices. Curry sauces can be prepared a very large amount of vegetables. When blended they create a thick sauce. The main vegetables used in the sauce are butternut squash, carrots, and corn. They perfectly harmonise with aromatic spices and are a warming idea for lunch / dinner in this autumn time.

Ingredients for 6 servings:

• 750g of chicken breast
• butternut squash
• 2 carrots
• leek
• 3 cob of corn
• 200ml of coconut milk (canned)
• 2 onions
• 1cm of ginger
• 4 garlic cloves 
• half a teaspoon of turmeric
• a teaspoon of fenugreek
• a teaspoon of ground allspice
• a teaspoon of ground cumin
• a teaspoon of paprica
• half a teaspoon of cinnamon
• half a teaspoon of chilli
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 anise star

Plus your favorite sides, e.g. naan bread, papadoms, rice or couscous

Method:

In large pot fry the chopped onion, leek, ginger and garlic using a little bit of oil or olive oil. Fry until soft. Add the diced pumpkin and carrots. Pour the water over the vegetables only in 3/4 and cook for about 30 minutes. During this time, you can also cook the corn and dice the chicken. When the vegetables are soft, blend them and add all the spices: turmeric, fenugreek, allspice, sweet pepper, chilli and cumin. Blend. Add chopped chicken, bay leaves and anise. Simmer, covered, for about an hour. During this time, you can slightly cool the corn and separate the grains - use a knife for this. Finally, add the coconut milk. Stir together with the corn.

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.

Savoury muffins - an idea for a snack with vegetables. Perfect for children, even the youngest

 

Introducing solids can be tricky. Looking for new recipes, inspiration, worrying whether a given meal is healthy and has all the nutrients, finding time to prepare it, child's skills. Sometimes it is worth using recipes that can be prepared in larger portions and then freeze it. The capacity of a young child's stomach is equal to his fists. That is very small, so to prevent food waste - freeze it. The muffins came out delicious, I couldn't resist myself and ate most of it. They taste best fresh. I would say they are best when child has already some chewing skills as the muffins are moist and when the child squeezes them, they form lumps that are difficult to swallow. If I were to make an adult version (picnic or breakfast), I would add spices such as salt, pepper, nutmeg and chilli :-)

Makes 12 servings:

• 2 eggs
• a few broccoli florets (a glass - I used a frozen one)
• a glass of peas (I used frozen)
• a large carrot
• chopped dill
• 3 glasses of flour
• half a cup of plain yogurt
• half a glass of milk
• 1/4 cup rapeseed oil
• a glass of grated cheese (I used cheddar)
• 1.5 teaspoons of baking powder

Method:

Grate the carrots on a fine-mesh grater. Pour milk, oil, yogurt into a bowl, add 2 eggs, broccoli (cooked) and peas and blend everything. Add the rest of the ingredients. Mix thoroughly. Grease the cupcake tray using oil and then lightly sprinkle with flour. Put the dough into moulds. Bake in an oven preheated to 180C for 30 minutes.

Cream of carrot - a super simple recipe for a nutritious soup

 

Sometimes there is nothing left in the fridge, no chance to go to the shop, then I use what I have. Onions, garlic, ginger, potatoes and carrots are ingredients that last for long and I usually have them in my kitchen. You can tune it a bit by adding coconut milk, orange juice or tomatoes, but simple carrot soup also taste good from time to time.

Ingredients 4 portions

• 800g of carrots
• 200g of potatoes
• 2 onions
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1cm of ginger
• paprika, fenugreek, salt, pepper
• 50ml of single cream
• spoon of oil or olive oil

Method:

Fry the chopped onion, garlic, ginger in oil. When the vegetables are soft, add the chopped carrots and potatoes. Pour with water and cook until the vegetables are tender. Finally, season and add single cream. Blend.

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