WARMING CURRY PUMPKIN CREAM

As we are slowly coming to the end of summer and the days are becoming colder I thought it is the right time to share my ultimate curry pumpkin cream soup. A while ago I have shared carrot cream soup and I still love it, however, this recipe has a much more define and interesting taste. 

To be honest I was surprised how well it turned out, a bit spicy yet still flavorful and with a little bit of sweetness to it. I would only recommend to use a well sharped knife and same goes to the vegetable peeler to peal the pumpkin. The skin tends to be very hard and without using one the process can be very dull and annoying - I tired and trust me it was no fun until I found my knife sharpener..  If you are really lazy you could use ready pumpkin puree but the taste will be much more blunt, hence I’d say it is worth the extra effort. 

HEALTHIER SPINACH FALAFEL - baked not fried

I have never been a big fan of falafel, back in school it was served tasteless and with basically no spices. This experience made me very skeptical for years, until I tried it in a simple, probably very unhealthy takeaway - all it needs is a bit of spice to it! Now as I learned how easy it is to do it yourself and I have it at least once a week. It is so convenient you can make it into little bites, like the once I did for this recipe, or into burgers. 

Falafel can be made with so many variations, with spinach, plain, with peppers, olives literally whatever you fancy and therefore it does not get boring quickly. It is the biggest alternative for vegetarians in so many places, sometimes so over priced thus I reckon it is good to know how to make it at home. Besides that, chickpeas are very high in protein and fiber - best of both worlds. In addition it has a low GI (=30) so it is safe for diabetic and the fiber itself regulates glucose level in the blood. 

AVOCADO & ROCKET PASTA

The typical tomato pasta sauce can be boring at some point and trust me I know, I've been there. I am guilty of being a massive spaghetti pasta lover and eating it definitely too often... Hence, I though of changing something in my "regime", knowing the benefits of avocado I tried using that delicious fruit. And it worked! For a more defined taste I also add arugula as it has a little bit of a kick in its flavor. 

 

My favorite part of that dish is you actually eat less then when having the traditional, as avocado is a load bomb of good fat (unsaturated fat) so it keeps you full for longer because the breakdown of it is quite time consuming process.  

Green Lunch Mix

Recently I have moved out of home and begun my university life in Leeds students halls. As you can probably guess it is much harder to prepare a lovely meal full of fancy ingredients and spices because when living on your own it is your responsibility to buy everything! Also not to lie some foods might be very expensive and hard to get. 

Quick Mushroom Sauce

Probably everyone knows how to prepare a mushroom sauce, however, I decided to share my recipe with a tiny twist. Due to several health issues my diet has to be based generally on low-fat meals and hence I try to avoid products such as thick cream, which is a common ingredient in mushroom sauces. To replace it, I used unsweetened yoghurt. On the other hand if you are vegan you might try this recipe by substituting milk-based product with soy milk!

What is more, I cherish spicy food thus to add more flavor to this sauce I added some chilli peppers but if you prefer softer tastes just omit this step!
Hope you will enjoy it :)

Vegan millet and carrot cutlets

I have never been a fan of cutlets of any sort mainly because I really dislike fried foods hence I wanted to switch things up and instead of using a pan I decided to bake the cutlets in the oven. To my surprise it was really delicious, no unnecessary oils just a healthy meal full of vitamin B, iron and a huge portion of proteins! I really recommend to try it and you will not regret it :)

Broccoli & Cheese stuffed potato

Potatoes can be a great addition to different meals, however, they might also be a main part of your dinner! Today's recipe is a bit time consuming but the results are fantastic. Trust me, even non-vegetarian people were amazed by the surprised taste :) Unfortunately, I did not own large potatoes so I used different sizes, therefore, it was more of a hassle but truly worth it. This is not only delicious but also healthy and rich in minerals, potatoes are a great source of potassium, magnesium and all sorts of vitamin B, whilst, broccoli contain a lot of iron and sulphoraphane - a strong antioxidant which block the DNA mutations. Hope you will enjoy it !

Veggie (almost vegan) buckwheat pizza

I recently experienced this heavy urge to eat some junk food. Unfortunately, due to my lovely allergies (milk/gluten) I am not able to scoff that margheritta at Pizza Hut next corner or indulge on pink-iced donuts for $1.50 from Tesco. Gluten-free veggie burger + fries ordered yesterday for lunch did not satisfy me. That is why, as soon as I got home after the last exam this week, I headed to the kitchen in order to create that little beauty below. It is almost vegan, but I added some creamy goat cheese as an addition. However, you're free to skip it or replace it with, for instance, hummus or tomato sauce or whatever you like.

Before baking:

After baking (not much of a difference, though):

Vegetable soup with kale / Zupa jarzynowa z jarmużem

Ingredients

2 handfuls kale

2 sweet peppers

2 carrots

4 young potatoes

1 handful green peas (fresh, bean pod)

1 handful goji berries

allspice

bay leaf

salt

pepper

1 litre water

1 bouillon cube*

* I used the one with low amount of salt and without preservatives.

Quick broccoli pasta / Szybki makaron z brokułami

With all the exams and semester deadlines coming up, it's been very difficult to find time for a good meal. The inevitable is coming up: finals. Although cooking relaxes me it is hard to find time for it. Pasta with broccoli is the perfect alternative! It's quick and easy in preparation and tastes delicious! Is February also a busy month for you?

Ingredients

Black

Delicious, rich in vitamins and minerals black salad. Enjoy!
Ingredients

black rice
black beans
beetroot
Brussels sprouts
goat cheese
pumpkin seeds
flaxseed (or sesame) oil
dried thyme
black pepper
pinch of salt

Spinach with eggs, goat cheese and aubergine / Szpinak z jajkiem, serem kozim i bakłażanem

It happened again... I couldn't resist... This is the third day I am eating spinach! I guess I'll break the record soon. However, it has to be said that this salad is richer and, hence, much more interesting than the previous ones. At least I hope so. Today's version has been created in my grandparents' kitchen, after small shopping in the groceries nearby. It is more filling than the previous salads, that is why it is perfect not only for a light lunch, but also for dinner.

Ingredients

salad

1 package spinach

1 aubergine

2 slices goat cheese

2 large or 3 small eggs

0.5 glass sunflower seeds

3 tbsp red beans (canned)

3 tbsp corn with green peas (canned)*

Spinach with roasted beetroot and goat cheese / Szpinak z pieczonym burakiem i kozim serem

Ingredients

salad

3-4 handfuls of spinach

1 beetroot*

1/3 goat cheese roll

1/3 glass sunflower seeds

dressing

1/4 glass olive oil

1/4 glass sesame oil

1 tbsp dried thyme

1 tsp black pepper

pinch of salt

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Szpinak z czerwoną fasolą i serem kozim

There's nothing to hide - I am officially addicted to spinach lately. It appears on my plate for breakfast, lunch, dinner, whenever I eat something actually. Below recipe is not the most revelatory or sophisticated, although it has two major benefits: it is very fast to prepare and very healthy at the same time. Inspired by the ongoing exam session, I decided that this five-minute salad can persuade a student (or just anyone suffering from chronic lack of time) to eat healthy and tasty meal at home, instead of buying junk food. I hope that you will like the recipe. You can also freely modify it (and share your version in a comment below, if you want). Bon appetit!

Thai Mango Noodles / Makaron z mango po tajsku

Yum

Ingerdients

200g of rice noddles

100g of tofu

1 tablespoon of grinded ginger

2 cloves of garlic

1 chili pepper

3 spoons of sesame

1 mango

Around one tablespoon of any vegetable oil

Omlette with spinach and goat cheese / Omlet ze szpinakiem i kozim serem

Yum Ingredients

2 eggs

1 glass of frozen spinach (leaves) or 2 glasses of fresh

1 tbsp goat cheese spread (e.g. Chevre)

2 tbsp sunflower seeds

1 tbsp dried thyme

olive oil

1 tsp of each:

 black pepper

green pesto

salt

Greek salad / Sałatka grecka

I truly love winter, with all of those cozy reindeer sweaters, woolen socks, evenings spent on watching "Love Actually" and "The Holiday", with a cup of hot cocoa by your side. It is even better when wonderful, huge snowflakes start falling outside the windows. I have to admit, that even then, I sometimes feel the longing for a bit of summer in winter. That is when I prepare a total classic summer dish - a Greek salad, which reminds me of sun, heat, beach and that soothing sound of Mediterranean waves.

SWEET CHICORY WITH HONEY AND ORANGES

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I have never been a fan of chicory as it can be very bitter at times, if I would eat it that would only be as an filling to a sandwich or a salad. Until my mom and I were very hungry but literally the only thing in the fridge was chicory. We decided to try and make something of it and hence after combining our knowlagde and inspiration found online - a sweeter twist on chicory has been created. 
I know it might sound scary but trust me, it really is delicous. Now we often serve it when having guests and we always get questions on how is it made :) . 

Spicy curry with tofu / Ostre curry z tofu

Yum

 Ingredients

thumb size of ginger

1 can of Coconut milk

5 garlic cloves

4 onions

3 chilli peppers

2 tea spoons of turmeric

1 tea spoon of fenugreek

2-3 bay leaves

1 tea spoon of curry 

3 table spoons of black mustard seeds

200 ml of broth

180g tofu

rice 

Preparation

1. Boil rice as its stated on the box.
2. Pour a little oil on a pan and fry tofu for 6-7 min. 
3. On a deep pan fry charlock, fenugreek and bay leaf until the charlock will start popping. 
4. Next add onion and ginger till it softens. Later add chilli peppers and garlic.
5.When the ingredients will combine add turmeric, curry, coconut milk and broth. Let it cook for a few minutes.
6. When the rice is boiled and your curry is cooked, you are ready to eat!

Składniki

kawałek imbiru wielkości kciuka

1 puszka mleka kokosowego

5 ząbków czosnku

4 cebule

3 papryczki chilli

2 łyżeczki kurkumy

1 łyżeczka kozieradki 

2-3 liście laurowe 

1 łyżeczka curry 

3 łyżki czarnej gorczycy

200 ml bulionu

ryż

180g tofu 

Przygotowanie

1. Wstaw ryż według instrukcji na opakowaniu.
2. Smaż tofu przez 6-7 minut na patelni z odrobiną oleju.
3. W rondlu na oleju podsmaż kozieradke, czarną gorczycę i liście laurowe, aż gorczyca zacznie strzelać. 
4. Następnie dodaj cebule i imbir aż zmięknie. Potem dodaj chilli i czosnek.
5. Jak składniki się połączą dodaj kurkumę, curry, mleczko kokosowe i bulion. Pozostaw na ogniu na kilka minut. 
6. Po ugotowaniu się ryżu i curry potrawa jest gotowa do podania!

Rye pasta with green pesto and tomatoes / Makaron żytni z pesto i pomidorem

Ingredients

300 g rye pasta

2 small tomatoes (or 1 big)

3 tbsp green pesto

2 tbsp sunflower seeds

2-3 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp salt

0,5 tsp powdered chilli pepper

Preparation

1. Cook pasta accordingly to receipt on the package (ca. 3-4 min).
2. Drain pasta and put it back to the emptied pot.
3. Add all of the ingredients. You can roast the seeds on a dry pan for 2-3 min first in order to intensify their taste.
4. Heat for 2-3 min, stirring all the time.
5. Put the pasta into bowls or onto the plates and...

...enjoy!

Zdarza Ci się przyjść do domu po ciężkim dniu w szkole lub w pracy, kiedy brak Ci siły nawet na przygotowanie sobie odpowiedniej kolacji?  Zamiast niej sięgasz pewnie po kaloryczną, niezdrową przekąskę lub innego rodzaju fast food, co prowadzi do jeszcze gorszego samopoczucia - fizycznego, jak i psychicznego. Makaron żytni gotuje się niezwykle szybko, jest również bogaty w witaminy i składniki odżywcze, pozytywnie wpływając nie tylko na nasz wygląd, ale i samopoczucie. Jest to idealne rozwiązanie kiedy brakuje Ci czasu lub ,po prostu, nie masz siły czy ochoty na długie stanie w kuchni w oczekiwaniu na posiłek.

Składniki

300 g makaronu żytniego

2 małe pomidory (lub 1 duży)

3 łyżki zielonego pesto

2 łyżki pestek słonecznika

2-3 łyżki oliwy

1 łyżeczka soli

0,5 łyżeczki papryczki chilli w proszku

Przygotowanie

1. Ugotuj makaron zgodnie z instrukcją na opakowaniu (ok. 3-4 min).
2. Odcedź makaron i włóż z powrotem do opróżnionego garnka.
3. Dodaj wszystkie składniki. Możesz też uprażyć pestki słonecznika na suchej patelni przez 2-3 minuty, w celu wydobycia i wzmocnienia ich smaku.
4. Podgrzewaj całość przez 2-3 minuty, stale mieszając.
5. Przełóż makaron do miseczek lub na talerze i...

...smacznego !