Healthy Cabbage, Pea and Tahini Slaw

 

It's never a wrong season for a salad, but as we are now getting into warmer weather, cold crispy and refreshing meals are a perfect option. Today I'm sharing a super easy recipe of an absolutely delicious and clean slaw / salad with a rich combination of flavours, is super healthy and perfect for weight-loss, mild detox and that healthy pick-me-up boost. I love this salad so much, it never stays in my fridge for too long, even if I do batch cooking for later!

♥

INGREDIENTS:
(makes a big bowl, servings quantity depends on your preference) 

For the salad

♥

♥ 1/2 head of fresh medium size white cabbage
♥ 250g of snap peas or snow peas
♥ 40 - 50g spring onions
♥ Optional: 2T of sesame seeds or crushed peanuts to sprinkle on top

For the dressing

♥ 250ml of organic plain fat-free yoghurt
♥ 3T of tahini (sesame seeds paste)
♥ Optional: 3 cloves of garlic


METHOD:

 1. Shred the fresh cabbage and finely chop the spring onions. You can also cut the peas if you want or simply leave them whole as I did.
2. In a large bowl, mix cabbage, spring onions and peas.
3. In a separate bowl mix yoghurt and tahini. Optional: add finely chopped garlic.
4. Now pour the dressing over the salad. Optional: sprinkle some sesame seeds or peanuts on top.
5. Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving. 



ENJOY! xx

Delicious Healthy Tuna Patties Recipe

Easy to make, filling, healthy and delicious dish for your lunch or dinner! Tuna is not only one of the tastiest fish variety in my opinion, but is also super rich in protein, which is exactly what's needed for anyone wanting to lose weight (and keep the muscle mass!) and keep the blood sugar under control.
The ingredients list for the tuna patties is also accessible and affordable, so I really hope you give these tasty tuna patties a try!

INGREDIENTS:
(Makes 15 small patties)
♥ 2 cans of skipjack tuna having 150g of drained weight each. (I ♥ this one - http://tidd.ly/58e82bf2)
♥ 2 medium organic eggs
♥ 4 heaped tablespoons of rolled oats or oat bran
♥ 2 shallots or 1 small onion
♥ 4 garlic cloves
♥ Fresh, frozen or dried dill to taste (but the more the better in my opinion :) )
♥ Ground pepper
♥ Parsley
♥ Sprinkle of lemon spice
♥ Ground coriander
♥ Olive oil (My favorite product of all!! - http://tidd.ly/3f2b35d3)

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a medium or large bowl beat the eggs with a fork. Add drained tuna and ground pepper.
2. Take a chopper (mine looks like this one below) or coffee bean grinder, grind the oats and add them to the mixture. Alternatively, you can take oat bran, which suits very well too.

3. Finely chop shallots and garlic or chop the in the chopper (how many more words "chop" could I use here? :) )
4. Add dried parsley, ground coriander and finely chopped dill.
5. Pre-heat a non-stick frying pan, add a teaspoon of olive oil and smear the the surface of the frying pan well.
6. With your clean hands, start forming flat patties and put them onto the frying pan one by one.
7. Cover the frying pan with the lid and leave for 5 minutes on low heat. Then turn the patties over and cook for 4 more minutes.
8. Serve with green veggies or fresh vegetable salad.

Enjoy! xx

Vegan Creamy Courgette, Cauliflower & Mushroom Soup

As days are getting shorter and colder, winds stronger and winter season is just round the corner, you cannot beat a good hearty warming soup! I have been obsessed with this one lately and there's nothing not to love about it - it is delicious, full of goodness, and is easy to make! Moreover, unlike many winter-warmers, this soup is absolutely harmless for your figure. What's more - it will even aid fat burning!

INGREDIENTS:
(Makes 7 portions)
♥ 1 cauliflower head
♥ 2 large courgettes
♥ 1 large leek (around 200g weight)
♥ 250g mushrooms
♥ 3 garlic cloves
♥ Ground black pepper
♥ 2 bay leaves
♥ Oregano
♥ Parsley
♥ Turmeric
♥ 1 tablespoon of fresh, dried or frozen dill
♥ Optional: sea salt to taste
♥ Optional: 1 tablespoon of organic vegan bouillon powder and skip adding extra sea salt

DIRECTIONS:
1. Cut cauliflower into large chunks and simmer for 15 minutes in 1 litre of water. It does not need to become too soft and fall apart - just a slightly soft is right what is needed. Here's an illustration for you:

Don't drain the water in which the cauliflower was boiled.
 
2. Slice courgettes, mushrooms and leeks and put them all into a frying pan (or into two separate pans if one does not fit everything). Add 4 tablespoons of filtered water, cover with a lid and stew for 4 minutes until vegetables start becoming soft. Then remove the lid, add a tablespoon of olive oil and sliced garlic and stir fry for 2 minutes.

3. Start liquidising and I like to do it in stages. Take a hand blender and carefully covering the open top of a saucepan start blending cauliflower. Then add courgettes and blend. Finally add mushrooms, leeks and garlic and blend. Stir all ingredients well with a long handle wooden spoon.

4. Add spices and herbs. Simmer for 7 minutes on low heat.

Serve on its own or as a starter.
Goes well with beans or stirred-in tablespoon of hummus.
If you eat fish, try pairing this soup with tuna. If you are non-vegetarian - try it with chicken breast.

Enjoy! xx

Easy Vegan Cream of Mushroom Soup

Another perfect warming soup - easy and quick to prepare, incredibly creamy and delicious... Here's to your good health and slim waistline!

Loving the soup season!

WHAT YOU NEED:

♥ 1 medium head of cauliflower
♥ 1 medium white onion
♥ 250g of white mushrooms
♥ approx. 480 g of unsweetened almond drink
♥ 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil
♥ Sea salt and ground black pepper to taste
♥ 1/2 tablespoon of dried thyme
♥ 1/2 tablespoon of dried basil

OPTIONAL:

♥ 3-4 minced cloves of garlic
♥ Any other herbs and spices to taste - parsley, nutmeg, oregano, coriander or mint

SERVE WITH:

♥ Spoonful of sunflower of pumpkin seeds
♥ Fresh dill
♥ Wholegrain oatcakes or wholemeal bread with bran (Ezekiel is great too)
♥ IF YOU ARE NOT VEGAN OR VEGETARIAN - Serve with grilled chicken fillet ;)

Choose as many organic ingredients as possible.

DIRECTIONS:

1. Put cauliflower florets into a saucepan with unsweetened almond drink. Add pepper, cover with a lid, and boil for 5-7 minutes over medium heat.

2. In the meantime, put diced onion and mushrooms onto a frying pan and stir fry in a little amount of olive oil for about 5 minutes until onion and mushroom begin to change it colour into golden and become softer. Stir them regularly.

3. Transfer onions and mushrooms into a saucepan with cauliflower. Take a hand blender and puree the ingredients until smooth. (Helpful Tip: To avoid spills always keep the blender below the liquid level. As a safety net, keep your hand palm down on top of the saucepan.)

4. Add the remaining spices and herbs, and simmer for 8 minutes until thickened.

❤ BENEFITS:

Fibre, vitamin C, vitamin K, thiamin (vitamin B1), riboflavin (vitamin B2), niacin (vitamin B3), pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), vitamin B6, folate (vitamin B9), vitamin D, manganese, potassium, phosphorus, copper, selenium and even some protein.

Sunflower seeds also contribute with monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, non-heme iron, magnesium, zinc, sulphur and vitamin E.

Be healthy and enjoy losing weight in a delicious way!

With Love,

Natalia xx

Vegan Cream of Broccoli Soup with Cannellini Beans

Here's a cream soup recipe to warm you up and boost your immunity and vitality! Takes no time and is super delicious!

WHAT YOU NEED:

♥ 1 bunch of broccoli
♥ 1 large white onion or 1/2 leek
♥ 300-350g of Canellini beans (alternatively, butter beans will do as well)
♥ 500ml of boiled water
♥ 2 bay leaves
♥ 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
♥ Sea salt and ground black pepper to taste

OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS:

♥ 3-4 cloves of garlic
♥ nutmeg or majoram
♥ thyme
♥ 30g of peanuts or cashew nuts
♥ fresh or frozen dill to serve (pictured)
 Choose as many organic ingredients as possible.

PREPARATION:

1. Soak dry beans in a filtered water overnight. Drain and rinse. Add filtered water and bay leaves and boil for 1 - 1 1/4 hours in amount of water twice the volume of beans. Scoop of any foam. The longer you soak beans, the shorter the cooking time. Once beans are ready, take out the bay leaves, but don't drain the beans. Just cover them with a lid until other ingredients are ready.

* If you're short of time - use cannellini beans that are already prepared. Some grocery shops sell organic ones. ;) 

2. In the meantime, put broccoli florets into a frying pan, add a 4 tablespoons of filtered water, cover with a lid and leave for 5 minutes until slightly tender.

3. Put chopped onion/leeks onto another  a frying pan and stir fry in a little amount of olive oil until just slightly golden. 

4. Now transfer broccoli and onion/leeks into a saucepan with cannelloni beans. 

5. Take a hand blender and puree everything carefully until smooth. 

6. Add herbs and pepper to taste.

7. Simmer for 5-7 minutes.

8. Enjoy with organic wholemeal toast, wholegrain oatcakes, or lean protein products.

*** serve with 30g of stilton cheese if you are lacto or lacto-ovo-vegetarian.

❤ BENEFITS:

Calcium, non-heme iron, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, selenium, zinc, β-carotene, vitamin C, riboflavin, vitamin B6, folate (vitamin B9), vitamin K, fibre, protein. This mighty soup has anti-oxidant, anti-aging, detoxing as well as flu/cold and cancer fighting properties. And of course - it promotes healthy weight loss!

With Love,

Natalia xx

Healthy Winter Warmer: Broad Beans, Cauliflower and Broccoli Mash Recipe

In this cold weather the last thing you want is a cold meal that chills you even more!

Here's what I suggest as a warming meal - a finger-licking green bean, cauliflower and broccoli mash.

It's very easy and quick to prepare, very kind to your stomach and soothes it's lining (which is especially important for those who suffer from gastritis or heartburn or consumes foods that irritate stomach lining, e.g. vinegar, citrus fruit, tomatoes and all tomato based sauces, coffee or spices like chilli or curry).

It is high in fibre, beta-carotene, vitamin B6, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, vitamin U, pantothenic acid, folate, riboflavin, potassium, manganese, phosphorus, magnesium, iron and calcium. And of course it won't make you put on any pounds as it right on the contrary promotes a healthy weight loss.

How's that for a health boosting potion that makes your waistline smaller! Potato mash is clearly lagging behind!

INGREDIENTS:
♥ 300g lightly steamed cauliflower
♥ 300g lightly steamed broccoli
♥ 300g baby broad beans (also known as fava beans, bell beans, field bean or tic bean
♥ 1 medium trimmed leek
♥ Fresh spring onions or chives
♥ 1/2 tsp organic virgin olive oil
♥ Sea salt
♥ Optional: 1-2 cloves of garlic

DIRECTIONS:
1. Defrost broad beans for 3 hours at room temperature of overnight.
2. Lightly stir fry chopped leek in a little amount of olive oil.
2. At the same time put cauliflower and broccoli into a saucepan and add around 150 ml of filtered water. Cover with a lid and let the steam soften the vegetables for around 4 minutes. After this time, add broad beans on top and leave covered with a lid for another 4 minutes on medium heat.
3. Add garlic and leak and blend everything together until smooth.
4. Add just a little sea salt and mix the mash with a wooden spoon.
5. Serve with freshly chopped chives, spring onions or dill.

If you want to have the mash warmed up - just put it into a microwave for 2 minutes or in a pan with a couple of tablespoons of warm water.

Enjoy!

Love,
Natalia xx

Homemade Organic Fermented Milk Drink

I'd like to share a very simple recipe of a very popular fermented milk drink in Russia and all former Soviet Union states ! It is very similar to yoghurt, but is much better for drinking.

There are loads of production ways, but I want to share a very easy way of how to do it at home!

1. Bring to boil organic semi-skimmed milk. Cool it down. Pour it into any glass container.

2. Take a small piece of organic dark german wholegrain rye bread (like a Schneider Brot / German Vollkornbrot) and put it into the milk. For 1 pint of milk you'll need a bread slice only 4х4 cm big.

3. Close the container or cover with a saucer. Leave to stand for 1,5 or to days.

4. Enjoy with fresh cucumbers seasoned with dill and rye bread! It is suitable for any part of the day and your kids will love it too.

Bon appétit!
Natalia xx

In Russian / По-русски:
 
Всем любителям простокваши посвящается! ♥
Если вам в Англии тоже сложно найти кефир или простоквашу по душе, вам очень понравится такой способ! Вам не понадобятся специальная грибковая закваска, которую используют для приготовления кефира. Зато такая простокваша домашнего приготовления совсем не уступает по вкусу настоящему кефиру!

1. Берем натуральное Organic Semi-Skimmed Milk (полуобезжиренное), доводим до кипения. Снимаем с огня и остужаем. Когда молоко стало хотя бы комнатной температуры, разливаем его с стеклянную баночку.

2. Чтобы молоко прокисло, добавляем в него маленький кусочек черного хлеба (примерно 4х4 см на 560 мл / 1 пинту), обязательно корочку. Я брала Organic German Wholegrain Rye Bread - плоский Schneider Brot / German Vollkornbrot. Можно добавить ложку Organic Probiotic Yoghurt для более "кремовой" текстуры.

3. Закрыть баночки и на 1.5-2 дня поставить на подоконник. И ГОТОВО!

Для последующего приготовления хлеб уже не понадобится - достаточно будет добавить в кипяченое и остуженное молоко две-три ложки уже готового напитка.
 

Только вот весь свой я уже выпила - очень уж соскучилась по кефиру с огурцами!! :)

Всем приятного аппетита! 

Наталия хх