Easy Ginger Bread Christmas cookies

Ho - Ho - Ho ! ! ! Merry Christmas, my dear gourmets! Wishing you to open new tastes, flavors, people, cities and places every day. Because this brings us new emotions and encourages us to explore further.

We are closer to new year than ever and this has its own charm. Only four days left to enter new chapter of our lives. According to Ukrainian tradition Santa brings us presents on the 21st of December every year. So in comparison to all Germans who have already packed and granted the presents, in Ukraine it is all to come. Therefore I believe a good ginger bread cookies recipe will make only a magic addition to all the presents you are gonna pack. Or at least fulfil your house with an irresistible scent of upcoming party.

 Ingredients:

150 g white flour

120 g whole wheat flour of your choice

100 g butter (for vegan version may be replaced by coconut oil)

70 g brown sugar (or 100 g rice syrup)

4 tbsp honey

1 egg

1 tbsp Christmas spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, anise)

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

Take butter out of the fridge about an hour before you plan to bake so that it is room temperature. 

Preheat the oven to 175°C. Mix butter with sugar (or rice syrup) and honey. Add an egg and mix well. In another bowl combine all the dry ingredients: flours, spices, salt. Then add dry ingredients into butter-egg-mix. Roll the dough to 2-3 mm thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut it with cookie cutter of your preferred form. I used stars and hearts this time. 

Bake for 15 to 18 minutes. Let cool on baking sheets 2 minutes. Cool completely (about 30 minutes).

I packed them into small bags. They can be a nice present or just delicious addition to your tea time:)

Have a wonderful start of the year and enjoy the holidays!!!!!

Christmas recipe: Baked Duck Breast with Fresh Salad

Again a little break in writing... I had a good reason for it: holidays time :) I have to admit that visiting my parents and friends in Ukraine was a full "Turn Off" for me. The feeling of time got lost somewhere between cozy evenings with my family and fun while going out with my friends. We were quite surprised to come back to Hamburg with +15C outside. Back in Ukraine it was freezing already, temperatures between -2C ... +2C. Now back to normal life I can again come back to my lovely blog and full of ideas am ready to color your everyday lives. 

As Christmas mood is all over I find it quite up to date to share a tasty Christmas recipe with you. Because we all want to make it special. Yet, having a bullet proof recipe. Which I guarantee :)

Duck breast is in today's menu for you, my dear. Get ready to rock this Christmas.

Ingredients:

(serves 2) 

2 duck breast halves with skin

1 tbsp honey

1 tbsp Balsamic vinegar

salt, pepper

1 cup fresh arugula

1 fresh mushroom

6 cherry tomatoes

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp white wine vinegar with honey (I used Mazzetti Bio Condimento - Honey)

Using a sharp knife, score the duck skin with diagonal parallel slashes. The pattern should remind diamond. Just be careful not to pierce through to the flesh. Salt the breast halves from both sides. As pepper burns while frying I add it before serving.

Preheat the oven to 160 C. Heat a non-stick pan. I took one that I can use in the oven afterwards for better convenience. No oil needed as duck fat will melt from heat. Put duck, turning with fat side down and fry until the skin turns crispy, about 5 minutes.

Then turn the duck breasts over and fry for about another 5 minutes. Place the pan into the oven and set the timer to 15 minutes. Mix honey and balsamic vinegar and spread this mixture over the duck skin every 5-7 minutes. Keep an eye on the duck breasts so that they don't burn. It all depends on the size. Normally I use middle-sized duck breasts and they are ready within 15 minutes in the oven.

When you take them out from the oven they should already look very crispy and golden-brown. Pepper them before serving.

For the salad wash arugula, cherry tomatoes and mushrooms. Mix olive oil and white wine vinegar, salt and pepper. Cut mushrooms into thin slices, tomatoes into halves or quarters. Mix well and season with oil-vinegar dressing.

Remember: duck should be served immediately. It has the best taste then. 

Enjoy your meal and have a wonderful Christmas time.

Healthy brekfast: Fried egg with Veggies, Smashed Avo & Whole Wheat bread

Beginning of winter brought me sore throat. Veeeery good :( But I have no time to get upset. My Bible has arrived - brand new culinary book by Jamie Oliver. And it is not simply his next book. This one is definitely special, especially for healthy lifestyle fans. Here it is: Everyday Super Food. Recipes for a Healthier Happier You. And today I tried the first recipe. Can't wait to present it to you asap. 

With the first pages I dove into a world where I feel myself as a fish in my own sea: healthy recipes, balanced combinations, spicy flavours, all in all a wonderful journey into the Super Food World. Today I woke up full of inspiration and created a variation of one of the recipes by Jamie which I am ready to share with you, my dear! 

Ingredients:

(serves 2) 

1 tbsp olive oil

2 large eggs

12 cherry tomatoes

2 mushrooms

1 bio lemon

1/2 ripe avocado

4 slices of wholewheat bread

2 brussels sprouts

1/2 tsp Tabasco sauce

salt, pepper

You know me, I just cannot follow the recipe as it is :) It is too strict for my creative soul. So this is a variation with a bit different ingredients and my own interpretation. Important is that you will get a balanced breakfast including a around 13 g of protein to feed the muscles, fibre from veggies to support your digestion, and healthy carbs to charge your energy battery. 

The first thing you will need is a non-stick sauce pan. Heat it with olive oil and fry an egg there. I usually heat it till maximum, beat the egg, reduce the heat to medium-low and cover with the lid. In 2 minutes I add 1 tsp of cold water and cover again for another minute. Then turn off the heat. It gets a nice fluffy texture. Finally season it with salt and pepper.

In the same saucepan prepare the veggie mix. Roast cherry tomatoes. Wash mushrooms and cut into slices. Same with brussels sprouts. Add them to tomatoes and roast for another 2 minutes. Salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, peel and smash avocado and season it with lemon juice. Spread the smashed avo on the toasted bread slices like butter. Serve with fried egg and veggie mix. Finish with a drizzle of tabasco sauce. Delicious.

Here you are: healthy breakfast is ready!

Easy, quick and tasty. Because good food is always a good idea!

Healthy breakfast: Oat banana egg pancake with fresh figs and joghurt

Weekends are always about more time to relax, to do what you want, to go out with friends and to do some sports. For me weekedns are as well about long enjoying breakfasts :) Because you don't have to run to work and you can prepare a full charging meal. If you are looking for a nice breafast recipe you just have to try Oat pancakes with cinnamon apples and vanilla ice-cream, Polenta with mushrooms and pancetta or French Crepes.

Or just follow this post...
What is nice about the recipe I wanna share today is that it is
Healhty
Easy
Quick
Sweet
3-Ingredients Only
Lactose Free
Wholesome
Christmas
All in all perfect recipe for breakfast.

Ingredients:
Pancakes
(yields 2 pancakes)
2 eggs
1 banana
1/4 cup oats
coconut oil for frying
1/2 tsp Christmas spices

Filling:
2 fresh figs
2 tbsp Bulgaria joghurt

Blend oat flakes thoroughly. Add banana, Christmas spices and eggs. Mix well until the dough is smooth and creamy. Preheat pancake pan and oil it with some coconut oil to prevent sticking. Fry the pancake for about 1-2 minutes, then flip it over and wait another 30 seconds. READY :) 

 Serve with any filling you love. My favorite is peanut butter. This time I chose some fresh figs and white Bulgaria joghurt. Spicy latte macchiato made a perfect match to my breakfast. Warm scent of Christmas spices completed cozy atmosphere.

Wish you a nice weekend evening and a wonderful week.

Enjoy your meal and let your mind wander about all of the amazing flavors you experience.

Pear and almond tart: Sugarfree recipe

Hurra! I am happy to finalise 8-week Detox "I quit sugar" and give you my feedback. I have to say that it is quite challenging to follow this programme in the cold time of the year because our bodies are willing to gain weight before winter and our hands are unwittingly reaching out for another piece of chocolate.

Therefore I started the first week very smoothly. I still ate some fruit, excluded only the sweetest: bananas and grapes. No added sugar was not a problem for me. I anyway don't add sugar into my coffee or tea, can live without sweets and creamy cakes. What was really hard for me was to exclude dried and fresh fruit. But I managed at least to reduce them. So everything is manageable. Believe me! If I was really starving for something sweet one apple served a good source of needed energy. Or a little piece of dark chocolate (80% cocoa and higher) rescued me. During this period I educated my attitude to sugar. I really think twice before I now eat another piece of chocolate or sweet. I ask myself: "Do I really want it?" And the answer in most of the cases is: "No!". I am not sugar-addicted and my body can live happily without it. Or let's say - with reduced amount of it. I am not pretending to follow a sugar free nutrition plan. This is not my intention. The only thing I want you to understand is that our possibilities are unlimited. And we can always try something new. But we have to stay reasonable. To avoid added sugar is definitely possible and you can see that from my recipes. One of it I want to share with you today. I baked it some time ago and finally it's time!!!

As a celebration of my sugar free consciousness I present you healthy variation of pear and almond tart.

Ingredients:
(for 24-26 cm baking form)
Crust *

Filling
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 1⁄2 cups raw unblanched whole almonds, finely ground
2⁄3 cup rice syrup
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1⁄4 tsp. salt
3  pears, peeled, quartered and cored
date syrup

*To prepare the crust please use my tart crust recipe for Pumpkin pie.

Prepare your crust: in a large bowl combine both types of flour with salt; using pastry blender kitchen processor, cut in butter, yogurt and banana. Pour in cold water and mix well until dough starts to hold together. Use the dough immediately, or wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until well chilled, about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 180 C.

Take the dough out of the fridge. Oil your baking form (mine was 26 cm in diameter) and place a thin layer of the crust into the form trying to make nice edges.

Bake the crust for 15 minutes.

While the crust is baking prepare your filling

In a saucepan melt the butter. Let it cool down. In a bowl mix ground almonds, rice syrup, eggs, vanilla extract and melted butter. Spread evenly in the tart shell. Slice each pear half crosswise into slices about 2-3 mm thick, keeping each one together. Put each half core side down and stem end toward the centre in the pan. Flatten the pieces and press the slices into the filling.

Bake the tart until the filling is firm to the touch in the centre and slightly golden, 40 to 45 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Serve warm or at room temperature. Pour date syrup over the tart slice and enjoy your sweet treat ;)

Baked chesnuts: how to select and bake chesnuts

Christmas is officially on its' way. And that means: Christmas markets are widely open ;) Hot spiced wine, sweet comforting scent of roasting chestnuts, big company and a lot of fun during cold evenings. Wanna make a Christmas mood at home? Here's how.

Chestnut season is running from early October through late December. When buying chestnuts pay attention to healthy, unwrinkled shells and a glossy brown surface. Pick the heaviest chestnuts. Fresh chestnuts feel firm to the touch and are heavy in the hand. There should be no space between the shell and the nut inside.

Did you know that chestnuts...

• ...are the best choice for evening snack? Because they are easy to digest and are boosted with relaxing Tryptophan
• ...act as a base food and therefore help at heartburn?
• ... contain a mix of protein, starch and fibre, thus making for a longer time full?
• ... with a high value of B-vitamins make the nerves stronger?

As you understood for this recipe you need only main ingredient and around 30 minutes.

First, wash the nuts under running water. Preheat the oven to 160-180C.  With the use of a sharp knife, make a cross-shaped incision about 0.4 cm deep on the top of each chestnut shell. Bake them 20 minutes and leave in the closed oven for another 10 minutes to rest. Here you go: a healthy snack is ready to go.

Low-carb cauliflower recipe

Another week passed by so quickly. I got frightened when I realised that my last post was 2 weeks ago.. A disaster, I have to say! Days are changed by nights, you wake up in the darkness and come back in the darkness. Hello November! What else can I say?!

Indeed my last week was quite intensive: some appointments, new James Bond premiere, pilates, yoga, cooking class... All in all gathering more impressions and experience to share with you and cheer you up even when outside it is so rainy, wet and miserable. Therefore today we will make a nice risotto variation. It is a special recipe and I believe not many of you ever imagined this product to be used as a main ingredient for risotto. But "YES! It is cauliflower!" and we will make it a hero today. I am considering us all being creative and curious so I thought "Why not?". We are mostly used to make fried cauliflower in Ukraine and nothing else. Especially when I know that it is a low-carb product and in autumn our bodies usually gain weight just in case the winter will be too cold:)

And by the way I served in a self-painted plate. We made those during the "Decoration" workshop organised by IKEA in the beginning of autumn.
How do you like it? Let me know in the comments below.

So let's start!

Ingredients:
(for 2 portions)

2 cups Cauliflower or 1 middle sized Cauliflower
1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 small chopped Shallot onion
1/2 cup Bouillon Vegetable Broth
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese (Grated)
2 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tbsp sunflower seeds

The directions are as usually very easy, quick and the result will surprise you by its' uniqueness and nutrition value.

1. Wash Cauliflower and cut it into smaller parts. Pulse cauliflower florets in a food processor until they are small enough to be rice-like.

2. Cut shallot onion. In a skillet over medium heat fry it in the olive oil until tender.

3. Add cauliflower, vegetable stock and cook about 10 minutes.

4. Salt and pepper and add grated cheese.

5. In a dry saucepan heat sesame and sunflower seeds. Stir them all the time so that they do not get burned. It takes about 3-5 minutes to feel the pleasant smell in the air. But be cautious not to keep them too long on the heat.

This is it. I served my portion with smoked salmon and cherry tomatoes. It is up to you what you like the most. It may be a good combination to meat, fish on any other source of good protein. What is your beloved source of protein?

Bon Appétit!

The best recipe with chicken liver: Salad with chicken liver with honey-rosemary dressing

Today I wanted to talk about nostalgia. You know that feeling, when you want to travel back in time into the moment, when all over the flat a magic aroma of fresh baked cake was being spread. Just because it was Sunday and your mom had enough time to make something special for the family. Or just because you said you would love a piece of cake. Not a tradition in your family? Well in Ukraine we have a lot of interesting traditions and customs. Families have their own recipes that travel from grandma through mom to daughter for centuries. I find it actually very special to have a family recipe that could bring you back to those careless times...Ok,ok, I got it. Enough for today. Let us talk about the actual recipe I want to share.

 Remember one of my first posts? Light and hearty salad with chicken liver got quite popular during the whole life of my blog, I have to say. And I can fully understand it. Rich taste, healthy ingredients, balanced nutritional value and much more. So I modified the recipe and enriched it with additional rosemary note for exquisite taste. Lunch or dinner, it is JUST A PERFECT CHOICE.

Ingredients:
for 2 portions

200g of chicken liver
8 cherry tomatoes
mixed green salad 
2 mushrooms
1/2 avocado
sprinkle of pepper, salt
2 tbsp of olive oil
1 tbsp coconut oil (any oil for frying)
2 tsp of water
1/2 tsp of honey (for #iquitsugar followers rice syrup is an alternative)
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
2 tbsp soy sauce

Wash the liver in cold water and dry it with a paper-towel. Heat the pan with a sprinkle of coconut oil or any oil you prefer to fry on. Fry the liver for a few minutes from every side. Add some water and stir covered for 5-7 minutes. After the liver is ready (if you stick a fork in it no red liquid appears on top) add 2 table spoons of soy sauce and fry a bit more so that the liver becomes darker because of the sauce. Meanwile prepare all the veggies. By preparing I mean - wash them and chop. Prepare basic salad on the plate: mixed green salad, halved cherry tomatoes, avocado cubes and mushroom slices. On the veggie-pillow put hot juicy liver. Spice the salad with some pepper and salt. Mix honey, oil, rosemary and water and pour the salad with honey-rosemary sauce.

As you see: easy and quickly healthy food is on your table. All you need is a teaspoon of patience and sprinkle of time ;)

Bon Appétit!

How to live without sugar? The best autumn recipe of sugarfree pumpkin pie

So my fourth week without sugar is gone. Are you still with me? Or already lost your mind in a sugary world? ;) Well, you should not get upset. I have something for you.

I think it is time to support you and share the best tricks of healthier lifestyle for your own benefits. I have to admit that I am not a robot and, of course, from time to time enjoy something sweet. But it is always a question of choice. And right at the moment when you are on your way to grab a mega fatty piece of cake, you are able to stop yourself and switch to a healthier alternative. It is always a matter of healthy choice, remember!

So when "I quit sugar"-book ended up in my hands, I did not get obsessed by the whole idea. I am always critical regarding any strict approach when we are talking about nutrition habits and getting our bodies strong and healthy. We are all humans, living in a world of a big variety of food (lucky us if compared to our ancestors). Nowadays a big popularity has a "Eat what you can find in the nature"-approach. In other words, eating what our ancestors did - only food growing from the earth, no processed food. Hello!? We are in the 21-st century. We have developed since those early days. Our bodies got used to the food we cook and are able to digest it quite well. By food here I mean normal dishes, not a ready-to-go fast food of frozen pizza. But a normal soup, meat with salad, even dessert... Not a news to our body. Important is to find a balance and know the nutritional value of the consumed food.

As autumn is in its full power, and Facebook just reminded me of a pumpkin pie I posted two years ago, I though it might be a good choice for today's recipe. I am a big fan of pumpkin and already have a couple of recipes for you (see Pumpkin 3-layer cheesecake recipe or Pumpkin cream soup - the classic one).

 Ingredients:

(for 28 cm round baking form) 

For the crust:

125 g whole wheat flour
1 ripe banana
40 g butter
2 tbsp ice cold water
1 tbsp yogurt
125 g oat meal flour or grounded oat meal
sprinkle of salt

For the Filling:
1 middle-sized Hokkaido pumpkin
4 whole eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons pumpkin spice or mix together nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves
3 tbsp rice syrup

Prepare your crust: in a large bowl combine both types of flour with salt; using pastry blender kitchen processor, cut in butter, yogurt and banana. Pour in cold water and mix well until dough starts to hold together. Wrap dough in a plastic foil and put into the fridge for about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 180 C.

Take the dough out of the fridge. Oil your baking form (mine was 28 cm in diameter) and place a thin layer of the crust into the form trying to make nice edges.

Bake the crust for 15 minutes.

While the crust is baking prepare your filling. I already shared the best tips "How to get pumpkin puree" here. So prepare the puree in advance, as it is hard to work with hot ingredients.
Mix all ingredients thoroughly together in a bowl. I used rice syrup for additional sweetness. It depends on your taste, of course. As I do not consume sugar, I feel the sweetness more than other people. Thus I used not too much of the syrup. Keep in mind that my recipes are not very strict. I prefer being creative in the kitchen and try to find substitutes in case I do not have some required ingredients.

Eventually pour filling mixture into the crust.

Bake for 45 minutes -1 hour or until centre is set.

Set aside to cool to room temperature.

I love eating smooth pumpkin pie in combination with a hot cacao. Especially when it is cold and rainy outside... Enjoy your week and eat healthy!