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 ;)