Hello there food lovers!
If you spent the holidays like I did, with family, enjoying eating all those delicious dishes and desserts but nevertheless wondering how to burn all that extra calories afterwards, then please continue reading :)
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| Christmas : Is there something as too much love ? |
Today I want to give you some of my go-to fool-proof tried recipes for three meals, and a snack, all filling but with a reasonable amount of calories.
Healthy Breakfast: Greek Yogurt with Walnuts and Honey
Some people don't do breakfast. For me it is a must! I can not function in the AMs without my coffee and something small to eat.
Starting the day with this recipe will do your body good! Once, I tried ready Greek-honey yogurt from the supermarket, then took an oath on myself never to commit such an act ever again! It didn't taste half as good as the one I prepare at home and it had too much sugar, like all the supermarket products do. It takes less than 5 minutes to make, perfect for a working day, just chop the nuts, and mix with yogurt and honey. In the photo I used maple syrup as suggested by my flatmate, which tasted really good but usually I use dark honey. And to get that extra aroma one can add freshly chopped mint mmm yummy
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| I <3 Breakfast |
Lunch: One Step Salmon-Rosemary-potato in a Pan
This dish is a saviour for such a hard working girl like myself :) It is easy to prepare with only 3 ingredients and one pan.
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| Don't you just love one pan recipes? |
In a pan drizzle some olive oil, add your salmon fillet of choice and either mini potatoes or chopped potatoes, sprinkle salt and add another table spoon of olive oil. Finally add the rosemary, and 1-2 table spoons of water, cover and cook on low heat.
To give it an extra kick of flavor, you can either add 2 tbsp of vinegar or the juice of half a lemon.
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| Served with kale salad |
Cook until the potatoes are soft. Preparing is fast but cooking takes about 40-60 min, depending on the size of potatoes, the smaller the potatoes the faster it cooks. This time I used white wine vinegar and mini potatoes instead of the ordinary chopped ones.
I usually prepare this as soon as I get home after work, get some stuff done in the meantime, by the time i'm finished it is ready to eat.
Dinner: Orange-is-the-new-black Lentil-Pumpkin Soup
If you are looking for a feast for the eyes, this is your recipe! It is absolutely yummy, filling and super healthy.
For this beauty you will need :
- one small pumpkin (here I use Red kuri squash pumpkin, but I also made with butternut pumpkin before)
- one big red paprika
- one big carrot
- two big potatoes
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 250 g red lentil, washed
To prepare it, first you wash all the vegetables then cut them into small cubes,
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| Beautiful colours |
In a pot put a little oil (the amount of oil depends on the pot, just make sure the veggies don't stick to the bottom). Add all the ingredients and stir for a while on medium-high heat until the veggies get a little soft (about 10 min).
Boil some water, then add to the pot, just enough to cover the vegetables, add salt and leave on low heat until cooked.
When finished cooking, mix in with a blender or use a stick mixer (this way you can blend in the pot itself). When cooked, the soup acquires a yellow-greenish colour, but once you blend the pumpkin, paprika and carrots you get a beautiful orange.
Serve with parsley, coriander, or basil on top.
We made this a few days ago and ate with Turkish Pide bread and a little Pastirma (highly seasoned, air-dried cured beef of Anatolian origin) on the side.
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| Vegan glory: healthy and yummy |
Snacks: Cinnamon-Apple in a pan & carrot sticks with peanut butter
These two recipes, one sweet the other salty, are good for entertaining friends at home, it is done in a few minutes so one is ready to concentrate on the guests.
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| Apple and butter go first |
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| Add cinnamon, sugar, and flour then cover |
Enough for 4-5 portions you'll need:
- 100 gr butter
- 4 big apples
- 2-3 tbsp of sugar
- 2-3 tbsp of flour
- 1 tsp cinnamon
In a pan heat the butter, while you cut the apples to small cubes then add to the butter. Stir on medium heat for 5-10 min, until the apples get softer.
Add the sugar, the flour, and finally the cinnamon, stir a little then reduce the heat to very low and cover. Cook for several minutes then leave to cool and serve.
For 4-5 portions of Carrot sticks you'll need to:
Cut 3-4 carrots to small sticks and then serve with 2 table spoons of peanut butter. Easy peasy!
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| Snacking with friends: what's better ? |
So there you have it. Three healthy balanced meals, and a healthy snack. What would you try at home, and what are some of your favourite snacks? Do you also struggle after Christmas from too much love(food)? :)
Labels: Greek Yogurt with Walnuts and Honey, healthy recipes, healthy snacks, One Step Salmon-Rosemary-potato in a Pan, Orange-is-the-new-black Lentil-Pumpkin Soup, recipes, Three healthy recipes & snacks