Vessy's day » Healthy

Veggie oat bars

Vessy — Thu, 16 Feb 2017 21:31:14 +0000

These veggie oat bars are a great option for healthy and nutritious breakfast on the weekday mornings or even for an afternoon snack. These are easy to prepare – all you need to do is combine all ingredients in a bowl then bake for about 30-40 minutes. List of ingredients is totally adjustable to your taste and most importantly you can easily use your leftover veggies and cheese so they don’t go to waste. You can add more and different veggies and types of cheese.
Usually on the weekends we have pancakes for breakfast, but during the weekdays it’s hard to find time in the mornings for cooking, so I usually make a batch of these veggie bars in the evening.
These are really delicious and healthy since they are made only with oats and no white flour is used, but keep in mind that they will not be fluffy and light as if made with white flour…
Oat make these bars a bit dense and rich, but they are still very delicious.

Ingredients:
8 large eggs, lightly beaten
200 grams (7 oz) mozzarella cheese (fresh or yellow, your choice), shredded
2 large red peppers, chopped into small pieces
1 large leek, white and green parts, chopped
1 tablespoon of basil
1 tablespoon of oregano
1 teaspoon thyme
Salt and pepper
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
200 grams (7 oz) instant oats

Preheat your oven to 180C (350F) and line a baking dish /15x25cm (6″x10″)/ with parchment paper, all the way up to sides.
In a large bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Add all the rest ingredients and stir to combine.
Adjust the seasoning to your taste.
Bake for about 30-35 minutes, then set to cool off a bit before slicing it.
Keep in an airtight container.

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Healthy banana pancakes (gluten free)

Vessy — Sat, 14 Jan 2017 12:50:35 +0000

Since I made my first batch of these pancakes I have been making them almost every week.
This recipe is simple and quick to gather. It is very important to beat the whites as per instructions, otherwise pancakes will not be as light and fluffy as they should be. Egg whites give these pancakes air and volume, since there isn’t any flour in them.
Batter is really simple and quick to prepare and if using a large pan you can cook 3-4 pancakes all at once, which will save you some time.
I promise you that once you try this recipe, you will continue to make it every weekend.
Enjoy a healthy breakfast and a lovely weekend!

Ingredients (makes about 20 medium pancakes):
200 grams (7 oz) oats (gluten free brand)
2 large bananas
150 ml. (5 fl. oz) milk
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 table spoons honey (agave, maple or raw sugar), more or less, to taste
A pinch of salt
3 large egg whites

In a food processor add oats and process finely. Add bananas, milk, cinnamon, honey, salt and process until nice and smooth. Let the batter rest for 10 minutes.
***If you don’t have a food processor, use a hand-held blender to puree bananas and to them add oats and the rest of ingredients.
****If you don’t have a hand-held blender just mash bananas with a fork and then to them add oats and all the rest of the ingredients.
In the meantime, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gently fold in egg whites to the oat batter.
Grease your pancake pan with a little bit of vegetable oil (coconut is best) and cook pancakes one by one on medium heat. Use a large spoon to pour a little bit of the batter in the pan. Keep pancakes small, it will be easier for you to flip, since they are gentle and break easily.
Serve with extra honey/agave, fruits, jams.. whatever you like!

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Yogurt raspberry pops

Vessy — Fri, 09 Sep 2016 10:26:34 +0000

These yogurt raspberry pops are a great way to have a healthy summer snack! These are made of Greek yogurt, fresh raspberries and sweetened with honey. You could use other sweetener of your choice – agave, coconut sugar, maple syrup – these are all great healthy choices of sweetener. I really love the taste of yogurt & honey, but when there are also raspberries involved, then I can’t resist it! It’s like the perfect trio!
Although it’s September already, I refuse to accept that summer is almost over. Nights & mornings are definitely getting chillier, smell of cinnamon begins to tempt me and those pumpkins on the market do look appealing, but there is no way I would let summer go easily. I am still having my coffee on ice in the mornings and I would probably have it that way till first signs of winter, saying “we have a few more sunny days left”. But when it comes to ice-cream, I am not one of those gals, that cuts ice-cream off the menu, just because it’s not summer. We have ice-cream in the freezer all year long and we love it, especially if it’s healthy homemade chocolate one (my personal favorite). My husband really likes all fruit ice-creams and dessert. If I ask him to choose between a chocolate dessert and a fruit one, he will choose the fruit /i-n-s-a-n-e, right?/.
So, go enjoy a delicious, healthy fruit pop and have a lovely and extra sunny September! Don’t let summer go…. yet.

Ingredients for the raspberry sauce:
120 grams (4 oz) raspberries (fresh or frozen)
2 tablespoons honey (more or less, to taste)
For the yogurt base:
400 grams (14 oz) Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon honey (more or less to taste)
1/2 teaspoon coconut extract (optional)
For decoration:
2-3 tablespoons homemade coconut granola

Place raspberries and honey in a small pot. Cook over medium-high heat until raspberries soften and begin to release their juices (about 5-7 minutes). Remove from the heat, pure with a hand-held blender and strain through a fine mesh. Discard the seeds and set aside the raspberry pure.
In the meantime combine Greek yogurt, honey and coconut extract in a bowl. Stir to combine.
Once raspberry pure is at room temperature you can assemble the pops. Pour 2-3 teaspoons of yogurt into each ice-pop and place in the freezer for about 15 minutes. Remove from the freezer and pour a couple of teaspoons of the raspberry puree. Put back in the freezer for 15 minutes. Repeat these steps until your pops mods are all full. Once you add the last layer, sprinkle a little bit of your favorite granola on top. Freeze completely.
***If you don’t have the time to make layered pops, just combine raspberry puree & yogurt, then full your pops with the mixture and freeze until hard.

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Chocolate ice-cream with chocolate topping (healthy&vegan)

Vessy — Mon, 29 Aug 2016 10:52:33 +0000

This recipe is for all of you guys, who love chocolate and could never ever resist a good chocolate treat. But don’t we all search for healthier desserts nowadays?! This chocolate ice-cream is not only absolutely delicious but it’s also healthy, so healthy that you can eat it every day, without any gilt. Recipe is pretty much classic – bananas for good creamy texture, coconut cream, because it’s healthier than regular cream and also super flavorful, coconut butter, because every good ice-cream needs a little bit of fat, healthy sweetener like agave, honey or maple – your choice, and of course good quality cocoa powder for the chocolate flavor. If you have some extra cocoa butter in the fridge, I would suggest adding a tablespoon or two to the ice-cream for even richer chocolate flavor.
Well, for this recipe you don’t need an ice-cream maker but if you have one, you can totally use it. But if you are like me and have no space for an ice-cream maker, you will love this recipe cause it is great even without churning it. As many low-fat, no-churn ice-creams this one freezes pretty hard, but if you leave it at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving it will be good to go.
Proportions of ingredients are optional, so if you want your ice-cream sweeter, then add extra honey or maple, if you like it extra chocolaty you may add additional teaspoon or two cocoa powder. The same goes for all the rest ingredients. I usually add less honey/maple, keeping it less sweet, the way my husband like it, and then prepare this amazing chocolate sauce where I add a little bit extra honey to balance the sweetness of the ice-cream. This way everyone at home is happy – my husband is having the ice-cream less sweet and I have it just right with a generous amount of the chocolate sauce on top.
If you swirl in a couple of tablespoons of the chocolate sauce before you put the ice-cream in the freezer, once chilled it will hardens like real chocolate and you will end up with delicious chocolate chips into the creamy coconut ice-cream.
Proportions of the chocolate sauce are also optional, just adjust the thickness and the taste on the go – the more cocoa powder the thicker it will get, add more or less honey/maple/agave, depending on your taste.

Ingredients for the ice cream:
2 large bananas
100 grams (3,5 oz) cashew nuts, soaked overnight or for 1 hour in hot water
1 can coconut cream
2 tablespoons coconut butter, melted
2 tablespoons cocoa butter (optional), melted
1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
1 tablespoon honey/agave/maple syrup
About 50 grams (1,7 oz) cocoa powder
Ingredients for the chocolate sauce:
50 grams (1,7 oz) coconut butter, melted and cooled slightly
2-3 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons cocoa powder

In your blender, add bananas, cashews, coconut cream, coconut butter, cocoa butter, coconut extract, maple syrup (or agave/honey) and cocoa powder. Blend on high speed until nicely smooth and creamy. No chunks of the cashew nuts should be visible. Cashew nuts will blend smoothly if soaked long enough.
**** In case you want to make a swirl black & white ice-cream: blend all ingredients except cocoa powder. In a small bowl pour out 1/3rd of the “white ice-cream mixture” and set aside. Add cocoa powder to the rest of the mixture in the blender and blend for a few minutes or until fully incorporated. Fill your ice-cream container with the chocolate mixture up to half then swirl in the white mixture using a spoon. Pour the rest of the chocolate mixture and stir gently to combine with the lower layer of white ice-cream. Cover and put in the freezer.
Serve with the chocolate sauce, nuts or fruits of your choice.
To make the chocolate sauce: in a small bowl melt the coconut butter. Set aside to cool off a bit, then add honey/maple and cocoa powder. Stir until smooth. It may seem a bit thinner at first, but if you set it aside for about an hour and it will thickens a lot. Keep left over sauce in the fridge and reheat when you need it.

Salad with quail eggs & prosciutto

Vessy — Mon, 22 Aug 2016 10:26:28 +0000

My recipe for this beautiful salad is just what’s needed on a hot summer day. It is absolutely delicious and so nutritious that you will not need any additional meals, just a glass of white wine (I would strongly suggest).
This salad, like many others, is totally adjustable to your taste and what’s in your fridge. You don’t need to run to the store for quail eggs if you don’t have on hands, just use regular eggs. You can easily add other salami, instead of prosciutto; use buckwheat, bulgur or cous-cous instead of quinoa; add some raw nuts for extra nutrition and power; skip the asparagus if not in season or add grilled zucchini or eggplant. Do it as you like it.
At this point it may seem like a lot of work, but trust me, this salad is delicious and worth the time.
Out here in Bulgaria, we have this traditional salad called “shopska salad”, made of chopped cucumbers, tomatoes, green onions and feta cheese, seasoned with olive oil, vinaigrette, salt and pepper. That’s probably the most popular salad around here. This salad is on family tables almost every day, all year long. It’s classic and we love it.
When I was living in the states, back in the day, the most popular salad, that almost everyone around me had, was the Caesar salad with ready made dressing. Feel free to correct me, don’t want to sound like an expert here. I remember us having a lot of romaine lettuce salad with all kinds of commercial dressings, too. This is ok I guess, cause you can have a salad on the table in no time, but around here we rarely use commercial dressings, even if you want to buy one from the store, you may not even find any, except in the big supermarkets.
So, back to salads. I have to say that people eat a lot of salads around here. There are so many types. Sometimes, on a restaurant menu, salads’ list is longer than the main courses’ list.Often many people end up having a salad as a main course. But the salads I am talking about are very rich – they have vegetables, meat, some kind of pasta, quinoa, bulgur, raw nuts, eggs, fish and etc. During the hot months of the year, we often prepare a big bowl of salad and enjoy it with a glass of white wine. By the time for main course we are already full and end up having a light meal, after all. That’s what I am talking about. Summer is all about fresh ingredients, staying as cool as possible, avoiding greasy food and just enjoy a healthier time of year.

Ingredients for the salad:
3-4 tablespoons cooked quinoa (*see notes)
3-4 asparagus stalks
4 hard-boiled quail eggs, halved
Mixed green leafs
A handful of baby spinach
5 slices of prosciutto

For the dressing:
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 teaspoon balsamic vinaigrette
A pinch of sugar to balance the lemon juice and balsamico
Salt & pepper

To cook quinoa, in a small casserole bring a little bit of water to the boil. Add quinoa and cook for 5 minutes then drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
*You can easily cook few additional tablespoons of quinoa and keep in the fridge, covered. You can keep quinoa in the fridge up to a week so this way you will have cooked quinoa for salad recipes whole week long.
Cut asparagus into small pieces and cook in a little bit of olive oil for about 2 minutes, stirring to cook over all sides.
In a large bowl add green leafs, baby spinach, a couple of tablespoons of quinoa, asparagus and eggs.
In a small bowl combine ingredients for the dressing then pour over the salad. Give it a good stir, arrange prosciutto slices over and serve immediately.

Steamed clams with white wine, fennel & butter

Vessy — Tue, 07 Jun 2016 14:09:49 +0000

Clams like most shellfish are super quick to prepare and amazingly delicious. My favorite clams are steamed in wine, served with lots of melted butter and a side of freshly grilled bread, and don’t forget a glass of chilled sauvignon blan or riesling.

This recipe is one of our favorites, so I decided to share it with you guys too.

These clams take about 15 minutes to prepare, so I can proudly say that this recipe is good for any day of the week.

Before cooking the clams it’s recommended to soak them in cold water for about 30 minutes to get rid of the sand (if any). This could also be done overnight, as I usually do when I don’t have the time to cook them on the day I bought them. Once soaked and rinsed, then it will be a matter of minutes before you sit down and enjoy these beautiful gems.

Ingredients:
1 kg. (2 pounds) littleneck clams
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium fennel bulb, chopped into small pieces
1 medium onion, chopped into small pieces
1 small jalapeno pepper, chopped into small pieces
3 garlic cloves, chopped into small pieces
1 glass white wine
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon dry thyme
1/2 teaspoon dry basil
Zest from 1 lime
Salt & pepper
For serving: melted butter
To clean clams: place them in a large bowl and cover with cold water. While sitting the sand (if any) will come out of the clams and set in the bottom of the bowl. Carefully transfer the clams into another bowl. Cover with water again and let them sit for another 20 minutes.
Remove from the water and rinse.
To cook clams: In a large saucepan heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add fennel, onion, garlic and jalapeno pepper. Cook until soft and golden brown. Add wine and let reduce by half. Add sugar and clams and stir /sugar is added here to balance the acidity of the wine, so it’s better if you adjust the amount to taste/. Cover the saucepan with a lit and let clams cook for 2 minutes, then open the lit and stir to coat with the wine sauce and the fennel and onion. Season with basil, thyme, zest, salt and pepper. Cook for another minute or until all clams open.
Before serving pour a little bit of melted butter over the clams. *Discard all clams that had not opened.
Serve with grilled bread.

Mirin glazed tofu with shiitake and zucchini

Vessy — Fri, 03 Jun 2016 09:24:16 +0000

I am so happy to share with you this beautiful, golden brown tofu with delicious sweet glaze and healthy and flavorful vegetables on the side.
This dish is a great option for all of you guys on a vegetarian or even vegan diet. This meal is nutritious, super delicious and quick to prepare, despite of the long instructions.
I adapted this beautiful recipe from Emma’s food blog – Emma’s Little Kitchen. If you feel like cooking anything else vegetarian or having a piece of healthy chocolate cake, then you should definitely check out her website.
Thanks for stopping by! I will love to hear what you think of this recipe!

Ingredients for the tofu:
4 teaspoons honey or agave for vegan
5 teaspoons mirin
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1/3 teaspoon shredded fresh ginger
1 tablespoon sunflower oil (or other flavorless oil)
300 grams (10,5 oz) extra firm tofu, drained and cut into thick slices
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
For the vegetables:
30 grams (1 oz) dry shiitake mushrooms
A few tablespoons sunflower oil
A handful of wild garlic, chopped (or garlic cloves, if you don’t have green garlic)
4-5 green onions, chopped /+ extra for serving/
1-2 large kale leafs, finely chopped
1 medium zucchini, chipped into small sticks
Fresh coriander, chopped
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon toasted sesame

Start by placing dry shiitake mushrooms in a large bowl and cover with hot water. Keep in the water for about 15 minutes or until double in size and soft. Drain and set aside until needed.
In the meantime prepare the tofu:
Combine honey, mirin, soy sauce and ginger in a small bowl.
Place tofu in a shallow dish and pour the honey-mirin mixture over it. Gently rub the mixture into the tofu and set aside until needed.
Heat a little bit of oil in a large pan. Add tofu and cook on both sides until golden brown. Remove tofu from the pan and set aside. In the same pan, add what’s left of the honey-mirin mixture and cook over medium heat for a minute or until hot. Add the rice vinegar and cook, stirring constantly until it thickens and vinegar evaporates (1-2 minutes). Remove from heat and transfer the honey-mirin glaze into a small bowl. Set the pan aside because you can use it to cook the vegetables in it too.
Cook the vegetables:
In the same pan, heat a little bit of sunflower oil over medium heat. Add shiitake and cook until golden brown. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. In the same pan, heat some more sunflower oil, add garlic, green onions and kale, cook for a few minutes or until soft. Add zucchini and saute for a few minutes. Add shiitake and stir to combine. Remove pan from heat, then season vegetables with salt, pepper, fresh coriander, tablespoon of toasted sesame oil and a few pinches of sesame.
Distribute vegetables between plates, place a piece of tofu on top then pour a little bit of the honey-mirin glaze over the tofu and veggies. Sprinkle some fresh green onions and coriander on top if you like.

Homemade coconut & blueberry granola

Vessy — Thu, 21 Apr 2016 07:58:06 +0000

Homemade granola takes about 30 minutes to prepare and is totally worth it! Homemade granola will give you a great portion of nutrition and a healthy start of the day, plus you can make it exactly as you like it.
There are many combinations of flavors for granola, so you don’t need to stick to my recipe 100%. You should add whatever fruits or nuts you prefer, so that you end up with your favorite breakfast bowl. The only thing you need to keep in mind is the proportion of wet and dry ingredients, so when substituting one dry ingredient for another, make sure to keep the same quantity of the wet ingredients. When you add extra dry ingredients, you will need to adjust the quantity of the wet ingredients, too.
I would love it if you share with me your favorite flavors and combinations!

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, cooled to room temperature
280 grams of old-fashioned rolled oats
140 grams raw nuts – almonds, cashews, pistachios
A pinch of salt
5 tablespoons (30 grams) coconut chips
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1/3 cup dry cranberries

Preheat your oven to 180C (350F), fan-forced. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
In a small bowl combine honey, vanilla and butter.
In another bowl combine all dry ingredients except coconut, chia and cranberries.
Add butter-honey mixture to the nuts and oats and mix well to coat all dry ingredients (use your hands if you prefer).
Spread the moist mixture in a thin layer on the baking paper and bake for about 15 minutes or until granola is golden brown. Remove from oven and add the coconut chips, chia and cranberries. Stir again and let granola cool to room temperature.
Serve with yogurt, coconut, soy, almond or regular milk.
Keep in an airtight contained, in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.

Healthy strawberry ice-cream (vegan & gluten free)

Vessy — Wed, 20 Apr 2016 21:08:04 +0000

I am obsessed with homemade ice-cream lately. My husband and I love ice-cream and no matter what, we always keep a box in the fridge, usually a homemade one.

We don’t own an ice-cream maker and probably never will, but this is not stopping us from having a nice and delicious homemade ice-cream. There are many ways to make a homemade ice cream and many flavors to choose from, but the best part of all is that you can choose every single ingredient on the list and make yourself a good, healthy one!

This particular recipe is vegan, low on fat and carbs, which makes it a great option for those who watch out for carbs and fat in their diet. Well, it is not totally carb free, but it contains just natural sweeteners and just as much to make this ice cream sweet but not too sweet.

For a base I used this beautiful silken tofu, I got from BioMarketBalev. This tofu is great for all kinds of desserts, because it soft and smooth like cotton, low on carbs and fat and would give a great texture to any vegan dessert you are making. So, when shopping for this recipe, just look out for the “silken tofu”, that’s what you need.

Enjoy and happy cooking!

Ingredients:
100 grams (3,5 oz) raw muscovado sugar
450 grams (16 oz) fresh strawberries, cleaned and roughly chopped
250 grams (9 oz) silken tofu
60 ml. (2 fl. oz) nut milk (use your favorite or whatever you have on hands; use cow milk for non-vegan)
50 grams (2 oz) cashew butter (or almond if you prefer)
25 grams (1 oz) coconut butter, softened (or regular butter for non-vegan)
40 grams (1.5 oz) agave (or honey for non-vegan)
1 teaspoon xsantan gum

In a small saucepan add sugar and strawberries. Cook over medium-high temperature for about 5 minutes or until strawberries release their juices and flavor. Set aside to cool completely.

In a blender combine all ingredients, together with the strawberries and blend until smooth. Pour into a freeze safe container and freeze for at least 4 hours.

Before serving, remove from freezer for 30 minutes.

Chicken chow mein

Vessy — Fri, 08 Apr 2016 14:25:02 +0000

I don’t know about you, but I absolutely love noodles, especially egg noodles. They are so easy and quick to prepare, plus, there is no boiling needed here. As for the taste, in my opinion, they are a bit lighter than classic pasta, like spaghetti. Don’t get me wrong, I love pasta /I can eat pasta all day long, every day /, but for me, pasta is usually a rich and heavy dish. When I make pasta I keep it simple in flavors, but sauces, as simple as they can be, often involve cream and lots of cheese.
When making egg noodles, you don’t need heavy sauces or cheese, all you need is good amount of veggies and good quality soy sauce (plus some other Asian sauces if you have on hands). A few days ago, I received (thank you, BioMarketBalev) a selection of Asian style organic products of the Clearspring brand, some of which I used in this recipe. Shiitake mushrooms were unbelievable delicious and I believe that the one thing you can not replace in this recipe are the shiitake – they give this amazing flavor to the meal. Believe me, it’s really good, so don’t skip them or use any other mushrooms!
I have a few extra gems left, like organic silky tofu, wakame, sushi supplies, so stay tuned for the upcoming recipes!
Anyway, back to this one….there are millions of flavors and recipes for chow mein. Often, I throw in whatever veggies I have left in the fridge, that’s the beauty of this dish. So, in case you have some other vegetables you want to add to the recipe, just feel free. As of preparation, most important thing to remember here is that egg noodles do not need boiling, you just have to cover them with hot water and let them sit for about 15 min and they are ready.

Ingredients:
30 grams (1 oz) dry shiitake mushrooms
130 grams (5 oz) dry egg noodles
For the chicken:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 chicken breast, boneless, skinless, chopped into small pieces
1 tablespoon soy sauce Shoyu
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
For the veggies:
5-6 spring onions, chopped
1 leek, chopped
2 tablespoons wild garlic, chopped (or regular, if you don’t have the green one)
50 grams (2 oz) raw mung bean sprouts
1 tablespoon soy sauce Shoyu
2 table spoons toasted sesame oil
1 tea spoon sesame seeds, roasted
Salt and pepper

Place shiitake mushrooms in a large bowl and cover with boiling water. Let them sit for about 15 minutes or until soft. Drain and cut into small pieces. Discard any tough parts of the mushrooms. Set aside.
In another large bowl add noodles and cover with boiling water. Let them sit for about 15 minutes, then drain and wash with cold water to stop the cooking. Add a drop or two of sesame oil and stir. Set aside.
In the meantime prepare the chicken: In a large saucepan, heat a little bit of olive oil and add the chicken, cook until golden brown, then add a tablespoon of soy sauce and cook until soy sauce evaporates and chicken is a bit caramelized. Transfer chicken to a bowl, season with salt and pepper, drizzle a little bit of sesame oil and stir. Set aside.
In the same saucepan heat another tablespoon or two of olive oil and add shiitake, onions, leeks, garlic and bean sprouts. Cook for a few minutes, then add a tablespoon of soy sauce. Cook for another minute. Sprinkle some sesame oil, sesame seeds, season with salt and pepper and stir. Add chicken and noodles and give it a good stir to combine and noodles warm up.
Serve immediately.