Lettuce and couscous rolls

Finally I had the chance to make last night one of my favorite and healthiest recipes I've ever made. Though is not totally my idea, as I changed some ingredients of a recipe I saw in a book (or was it in a magazine?). I came up with just 4 basic ingredients to make one of the easiest, healthiest and delicious rolls I've ever made.

You will need just common Iceberg or Romaine Lettucce, couscous, cream cheese and some very thin smoked lean ham (Black Forest Ham, Prosciutto, or any alike) and some spices. 2 of these rolls and you will have a full tummy with a complete dinner and a happy face.

Ingredients
(for 3 servings)

• 6 big Iceberg or Romaine Lettuce leaves (better if unbroken)
• 6 thin slices of smoked lean ham
• 6 Tbsp cream cheese spiced up with pepper, garlic, paprika, herbs of your preference
• 6 Tbsp of couscous (around 1 cup uncooked) cooked following package instructions

Preparation

Cook the couscous following the package instructions. Season with some salt and pepper. Reserve. Partially cut the lettuce's stem to easier and carefully remove the biggest leaves. Wash them carefully and reserve them.

Fill a big frying pan with water and put to boil. Carefully place one by one the lettuce leaves, beginning with the hardest part, that was closer to the stem, and slowly, as the lettuce softens, introduce the rest of the leave into the boiling water and cook for 1 or 2 minutes. Remove from the pan and reserve. Continue until you have all 6 leaves ready. The idea is to shortly cook them in boiling water to soften the center of the leave, to make easier the rolling. Try not to over cook it, as soon as the stem is soft, remove it from the boiling water.

Building the rolls:

Place in a dish one of the leaves and open it. Then lie one of the ham slices all along the leave. Over the ham slice, spread one tbsp of the spiced cream cheese. Finish with 1 full Tbsp of couscous. Then carefully roll, starting from the steam and closing in the sides until the roll is done.

Serve with some spiced sour or yogurt cream and enjoy!

Tomato Soup

Red, red, delicious and provoking red. What's better than a delicious red tomato soup? So easy to make, full of vitamins, healthy and filling, and above all: dellliiicciouss!

Not much to add to introduce you to one of the easiest soup recipes I've ever made (except chicken-ginger soup). All you need are some tomatoes, tomato paste for that extra rich texture, some herbs and sour cream. If you want you can add some Mozzarella or Parmesan cheese, I prefer Mozzarella, and some fresh basil leaves to decorate. Lovely!

Ingredients: (4 servings)

• 5 or 6 big red tomatoes (around 1 kg - 2 lbs)
• 8 - 10 Tbsp Tomato paste
• 1 leek (chopped)
• 1/2 red Paprika (diced)
• 1 Tbsp Olive oil
• 4 - 6 tsp sour cream
• 1 ball Mozzarella cheese (diced)
• Salt, pepper, garlic for seasoning
• Your preferred herbs: Parsley, Cilantro (or Coriander leaves), Oregano and/or Basil (I used all!)
• 1/2 to 1 lt. water

Preparation:

Cut the tomatoes in quarters (cut in halves and then again in halves). Cut the paprika in dices.

In a sauce pan, heat the Olive oil, and add the chopped leek and the paprika. Stir until leek is softened.

Add the tomatoes and mix all well. Then add 2 or 3 glasses of water and stir well. Cover the sauce pan with a lid and let it boil for 5 to 10 minutes.

When you notice the tomatoes are soft, add the tomato paste and mix everything well. Add more water if needed or if you want a lighter soup.

Add the seasoning to your taste. If the soup its slightly sour, you can add 2 tsp sugar and mix. Cover with the lid and let it boil and cook for 5 more minutes. You will notice the soup is ready when you see the tomatoes almost dissolving and the soup begins to get more creamy.

Remove from the heat. Add the chopped herbs. At this point you can decide to serve it as it is (with some bigger pieces of tomato and paprika) or you can make a smooth cream using your blender, but please be careful with hot liquids! (better if you have a Stab-mixer, if not, blend by portions and never forget to cover your normal blender!)

Serve and decorate with fresh basil, sour cream and mozzarella.

Enjoy!

Champignons Risotto

This is one of my favorite dishes. The rich taste, the creamy texture, the ingredients used, easy and quick to make.. It is one of those dishes you can make for your own delight, or as gratitude to your guests. An all times dish, a classic, a full enjoy: Champignons Risotto!

I must say that I didn't see any recipe for this before I made it the first time. I knew there is a world known recipe, but I just thought on experimenting a bit, and the result was great. So this recipe, step by step is nothing I've read or seen made in other recipes. To be dead honest, I have not read any other, as I am quite happy with my own result. I hope you enjoy it as well!

Ingredients: (3 servings)

• 125 gr / 3/4 cup White rice
• 300 gr / 2 1/2 cups Sliced Champignons (white or brown, your choice)
• 1/2 Glass White Wine (Dry, Chardonnay for example)
• 4 Tbsp Shredded or grounded gratin cheese (Gouda for example)
• 4 Tbsp Sour Cream
• 3 cups of hot or boiling Water.
• 1 small Onion, sliced or diced
• 2 Tbsp Chopped Leek
• 2 Tbsp Chopped Parsley
• Salt, pepper, a bit of garlic, nutmeg for seasoning.

Preparation:

In a large cooking pan, at medium fire, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil, add the chopped onions and leek. Mix and cook until onion is begining to get transparent. Then add the sliced Champignons, mix and let it cook for a minute or 2. Then stir the mix and cover with a lid. Rest to cook for around 3 to 5 minutes. When the mushrooms, onion and leek are beginning to get covered with the cooking water, remove the mushrooms mix to a bowl keeping the liquid in the pan, and reserve.

Add the rice to the remaining liquid in the pan. Add 1 cup of water. Stir the rice constantly in paced and rhythmic movement (for best result, draw an 8 with your cooking spoon). Keep moving for around 5 minutes. When the water begins to vaporize and the rice begins to absorb and begins to look creamy, add another cup of water. Keep the movement in the rice.

The movement of the rice helps to release the starch, which is what makes it creamy. After same procedure as before, add the 3rd cup of water, stir and cover with the lid. After around 5 minutes, when the rice is even more creamy, and maybe already sticky, add the half glass of wine. Stir, cover again and reduce the heat to minimum.

Let cook for a minute. Add the mushrooms then season and mix well. Add the sour cream and mix well.

Then add the shredded cheese and mix (don't you love how the fine threads of the melted cheese covers the rice when stirring?). Remove from the heat and add the chopped Parsley.

Serve hot and enjoy!

Chicken rolls with spinach and mozzarella

I don't know if this dish has a name, if it was already made and if its known in the recipes books around the world. I just came with the idea of making the chicken like this a couple of weeks ago, but had no chance to make it until some nights ago.

I was a bit skeptic about the result, because the spinach always reduces so much, and the mozzarella drops a lot of liquid when being cooked, so I was not sure of the final outcome. But.... the result was even better than I thought it could be! The combination of these 3 main ingredients its simply amazing! All three kept their flavor, not mixed but combined. No more blabling, you just should try it!

Ingredients: (3 servings)

• 3 Chicken breasts
• 2 cups of Spinach (frozen -defrosted- or if fresh, already cooked or steamed)
• 1 ball of Mozzarella cheese
• Salt, pepper, garlic, ginger, paprika, marjoram for seasoning
• Wooden sticks for cooking or serving

Preparation:

Heat a large teflon frying pan, spread or spray some olive oil on it. Get the chicken breast and laying it flat in your cutting board, cut lengthwise to obtain 2 flat layers out of each chicken breast. Smash a bit -careful not to break or shred the meat- with a cooking hammer or the back of a glass (I used a ceramic glass because i don't have a hammer o-O`) to make it even more flat to be easier to roll it. Be creative, but careful not to break the meat.

Slice the mozzarella in 6 equal sticks. Season the spinach with salt, pepper and garlic. Spread the 6 layers of the chicken breast and season in both sides of them. In a separate plate, lay one half chicken breast and spread over it around 2 Tbsp of the spinach. Then lay one stick of the mozzarella in one of the short ends.

Begin to roll until you reach the opposite end. Secure with one wood stick and reserve. Repeat for the rest 5 chicken halves.

Place them evenly in the hot pan. Cook uncovered for around 5 minutes. Then turn around and cover. All the liquids will flow and cook the chicken inside without getting burnt. Once the liquids are steamed, turn around, remove from the heat and serve hot.

To accompany I made a quick couscous with fresh radish, tomato, carrots and celery.

Enjoy!

Oat flakes pancake with apples

Do you know that Oat flakes are one of the most versatile and healthiest food out there? And also so cheap and easy to find? Do you have idea of all the benefits it provides for our health and good digestion? Yep? Well then Let's have a great breakfast, supper, or just an afternoon tea snack with this deliiiiicious, easy, fast and healthy pancake recipe!

I'm almost sure after you learn to make it, you will want to make your pancakes all the time like this! It is filling, it is healthy and the taste of the oat flakes.. yuuumm! And even more with the apples... though you can change the fruit, or just without. Maybe a bit of honey, or a slice of fresh white cheese (cottage cheese maybe?). Hmmm I'm getting hungry!

Ingredients:
(for 6-8 portions)

• 150 gr / 1 cup aprox. Flour
• 120 gr / 1 cup aprox. Oat Flakes
• 4 - 6 Tbsp Sugar (better if brown)
• 2 Tbsp Margarine or Butter
• 2 eggs
• 400 ml / 2 cups Milk

Preparation:

Wash, remove core and peel your apples. Cut them in halves and slice them thin.

Pre-heat a pancake or a frying pan with 1 tsp margarine. In a big bowl, add all the ingredients and mix everything with a whisk (manual or electric, makes no difference), until everything is well mixed. Add some cinnamon if you wish. I like them with an extra taste when I make them with apples, so I added a hint of cinnamon, cloves and ginger.

Once the pan is hot, with a serving soup spoon, add one portion and distribute it along the surface of the pan, while is still liquid. Let it cook for a minute or 2, and turn around.

Add the apple slices until you have half of your pancake covered. Let cook until the surface of the pancake has mini holes, or it begins to look dry. Fold the pancake on its half, covering the apple slices. Let half a minute and then turn around (this helps to close it better). Let it around one minute more.

Serve and enjoy while its warm. You can accompany with some thin lines of honey. If its summer, I strongly recommend it with a ball of vanilla ice cream. Also you can add whisked cream, or chantilly. Or just alone... any way you eat them you will love them!

Enjoy!

Chicken curry with vegetables, white beans, peanuts and noodles.

Uff! So many ingredients! But so delicious mix! Sadly I have not yet come with a name for this dish, but that was not going to stop me from sharing this recipe with my readers. And shouldn't stop you from cooking it! You won't be disappointed! And you can be very well proud to present it as a delicious Curry vegetables, white beans and peanuts with noodles dish!

It might sound difficult or long to make, but is quite easy and relatively quick. And except for the noodles (I used common spaghettis), it is a healthy veggies full recipe. You can change the noodles for rice, or without it. I've been thinking to try it with couscous.

Ingredients:
(for 4-6 portions)

For the Chicken - Vegetables mix:

• 200 gr / 7 oz. Chicken breast (diced)
• 150 gr / 5 oz. Cabbage (shredded)
• 60 gr. / 2 oz. Sweet Corn
• 85 gr. / 3 oz Peanuts (cut in smaller pieces, don't smash them or ground them)
• 3 or 4 medium sized Champignons
• 1 medium sized Carrot
• 1 medium sized Leek
• 1/2 red paprika (diced)
• 1/2 medium sized onion (diced)
• 200 gr / 7 oz. White beans (from the can, pre-cooked)
• 60 gr / 2 oz. Peas (from the can, pre-cooked, frozen)
• 150 gr / 5 oz. Cauliflower (previously cooked, or frozen)
• 180 gr / 7 oz. Spaghetti

For the Curry sauce mix:

• 30-40 ml Chicken or vegetable broth
• 1/4 tsp Worcester Sauce
• 1 tsp Paprika pulver
• 1 tsp Mustard
• 1 tsp Honey
• 1/2 tsp Garlic (powder)
• 5 tsp Curry powder
• 1/4 tsp Cumin
• 1/4 tsp Chili
• 1 tsp Tomato paste
• 1/4 tsp Pepper

Preparation:

In a sauce pan, cook your spaghettis (or rice) as always. Once they're done, reserve.

While the spaghetti or rice is cooking, in a hot pan, with a bit of olive oil, cook the diced chicken until begins to get golden. Add the onion, paprika, leek and carrots. Mix and cover with the lid. Let cook for 2 minutes. Then add the champignons, cauliflower, and cabbage. Mix well, cover again and let it cook for 2 to 5 more minutes. Then add the white beans, peas and corn. Time for seasoning: add only salt and pepper. Mix well, cover and let cook for 2 minutes.

Now its time for the peanuts. I strongly recommend natural peanuts, even if its more work to get them out of the shell. But if you can't find them and can only buy canned salty peanuts, before using them, wash the salt away in a sieve, and dry them with a clean cloth. Then cut them with a sharp knife in smaller pieces, but don't ground them.

Add the peanuts to the chicken and veggies. Mix well, cover and let it cook for a couple of minutes more.

While the vegetables are cooked, is time to make the curry sauce. Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl, constantly moving as you add each ingredient.

When the chicken-vegetables are done. Add the curry sauce and mix thoroughly.

To close, move out of the heat and in the same pan, or in a big serving bowl, add the spaghetti and mix everything very well.

Serve hot and enjoy!

Spinach Quiche

Last time when we went to buy veggies and groceries, I had 2 beautiful and bursting dark green broccoli bunches in my hands. Then came my hubby and said: remember your son is tired of broccoli, can we change? I almost cried! haha! So well I moved on from greens for this week, and got some nice spinach leaves! (sadly frozen because can't find them fresh in this time of the year).

Some days later, I came up with the idea of using the last frozen pieces from a huge pumpkin I got last autumn, so I decided to combine them with the spinach and then the lightbulb turned on! It was an "Aha!" moment. So I came up with this delicious, easy and relatively quick to make Quiche recipe that I'm sharing with you now.

As always, feel free to make your own changes, I always come up with ideas of mixing veggies. Dare to mix your own! and enjoy!!!

Ingredients:

For the pastry:

• 200 gr / 2 cups All purpose wheat flour
• 100 gr / 1/2 cup Cold Butter or Margarine
• 1 egg
• 20 ml / 2 Tbsp water
• Pinch of salt

For the filling:

• 200 gr / 8 oz Pumpkin (diced and previously cooked in boiling water for around 10 minutes)
• 200 gr / 8 oz Spinach leaves (frozen or fresh)
• 3 eggs
• 1 leek diced
• 1 cup sweet corn
• 1 cup diced red paprika
• 1 Tbsp ginger powder
• 2 Tbsp herbs of the season (try italian or mediterranean mix: parsley, basil, majoram, rosemary)
• Salt, pepper, garlic for seasoning
• 1/2 cup of cheese for Gratin

Preparation:

Pre-heat your oven at 200 °C /392 °F. Start with the pastry.

In a bowl, add the salt to the flour and mix well. Then add the cold butter or margarine and with a knife or a pastry spatula divide or cut the butter in smaller pieces at the same time as mixing with the flour. When the butter or margarine is distributed in smaller pieces add the egg and continue mixing while "cutting" with your spatula.

Then begin to knead with your hands until forming a soft dough. Transfer the dough to your working table previously spreading some more flour in the surface to avoid sticking too much. Continue kneading until you get a soft textured dough. Cut 1/4 or a bit less of the dough and reserve.

With your rolling pin to make the big ball flat until you get a thin layer big enough to cover your baking plate (better if you have a pie form, but a normal cake or lasagna plate can also work). Try to keep the layer thin, no more than 5 mm (3/16").

Cover your plate, making sure you're covering all the sides as well. Don't leave open spaces or bubbles. Trim the excess off the borders and reserve. Pinch with a fork evenly through all the surface of your covered baking plate.

Bake for around 15-20 minutes (check until the borders begin to get a darker yellow color, do not over-do because it can get burnt in the second baking period).

While the pastry is the oven, mix your previously cooked pumpkin, the spinach, eggs, leek, ginger and seasoning. Use your mixer, food processor, or stab-mixer. Once you get an homogeneous mix, add the corn and the diced paprika and mix with a spoon or spatula.

When the pastry is baked, fill with the mix you just made and decorate with the cheese for Gratin and thin stripes made with the reserved pastry dough.

Bake for around 25-30 minutes (time varies in every oven) at 200°C/392 °F, until the borders and the pastry stripes begin to get that yummy golden color.

When done, move out of the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes. Cut, serve and enjoy!

PS: my hubby and my sun are not close friends of spinach. This time they loved it!

Yogurt Vanilla Pudding

Let's start with a simple math calculation: I love yogurt + my favorite dessert is vanilla pudding = Yogurt Vanilla Pudding!

As incredible as it seems, I came up with this mix just some weeks ago, when I decided to make the Birthday cake of my son, which I decided to be Lemon Cream Cake. I made the cream with a mix of vanilla pudding, yogurt and Quark plus lemon juice. Was delicious!!

So I thought to make the same, but without Quark and lemon, just plain Yogurt and Vanilla Pudding. The result is as well delicious! Though a bit less consistent as Quark adds stability to the mix. If you want it even harder, add transparent Gelatin and let it cool for at least 6 hours. I added one Peach cut in 3 as decoration. Add any fruit you want!

And of course, as my goal for this year is to cook more nutritious and healthy food, avoiding as much as I can the fatty and artificial foods, when its about desserts, what is best than yogurt? and even better a soft delicious yogurt vanilla pudding? njaaammmm! Yogurt is tooooo beneficial for our health, buy as much as you can and start making your salad dressings with yogurt, make pudding with yogurt, make your cakes with yogurt (sometime soon will come this recipe too!), make your drinks with yogurt. Or just add some spoons of yogurt in a bowl, some berries and a bit of honey and oatmeal, there you have a delicious breakfast or snack and even a dessert! Enjoy!!!

Ingredients:
(Easy way with commercial vanilla pudding without sugar)

• 1 package of Vanilla Pudding (without sugar) for 500 ml Milk
• 400 ml Milk
• 1 Tbsp Corn Starch
• 2 - 3 Tbsp Sugar (I added 2, more than enough!)
• 1 tsp Bourbon Vanilla extract
• 6 - 8 Tbsp Full of Plain Yogurt (no sugar, no flavor)
• Peach or any other fruit to decorate.

Preparation:

Mix the extra spoon of Corn Starch with the Vanilla Pudding powder mix and the Bourbon Vanilla extract. Reserve half a glass of the 400 ml Milk. Add the Vanilla pudding powder and corn starch to the reserved milk in a glass and mix well until dissolved.

Pour the rest of the milk in a sauce pan. Heat until begins to boil. Quickly, as soon as begins to boil, add the dissolved mix of pudding, corn starch and vanilla extract and mix quickly until you obtain a homogeneous mix. Notice it will get hard quickly as it contains less milk and more corn starch. Remove from the heat and pour in a bowl.

Add the yogurt and mix well. Here you have to vigorously mix everything to avoid crumbs. If you still obtain crumbs (mine are there because of taking photos), you can use your hand mixer or stab mixer to mix it thoroughly and make it smooth. Add to individual bowls and decorate with your fruit.

You can refrigerate it for later and better consistency or you can devour it right away :)

You're done!

Kartoffelpuffer (potato pancake)

Kartoffelpuffer, or potato pancake, is one of the typical german foods I've come to love. But sadly as many of the most delicious german dishes, the classical Kartoffelpuffer should be seen as an enemy for anyone who is in a diet, or those who just don't want to abuse of fat and carbs. But I found a way to make them with very few oil, no flour, and much more healthier and still delicious!

I added carrots, and removed the flour, added onions, eggs, seasoning, mix and to the pan! This way you can enjoy without feeling too guilty, this yummy german recipe. You can accompany it with a fresh salad or with a dip made with yoghurt and some herbs.

Ingredients:
(around 12 - 14 portions)

• 4 - 6 medium to big potatoes
• 2 medium to big carrots
• 1 small onion
• 2 eggs
• salt, pepper, garlic, and herbs for seasoning
• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil for the pan

Preparation:

Wash carefully the potatoes and the carrots. Peel them and grate them. Chop the onion in very small dices. Mix all in a big bowl. Then add the eggs and the seasoning, and mix everything well.

Place your frying pan in the heat, add the Tbsp olive oil, and distribute it along the pan's surface. With 2 Tbsp, form the small pancakes, a bit smaller than a toast. Press them a bit to make them flat.

Cook for 5 to 10 minutes on each side. Serve warm and enjoy!