Wednesday 2 December 2015

Kebabs with semolina and feta cheese salad - recipe

I bought some fresh minced beef the other day and decided to make some kebabs. I had semolina at home and decided to use it instead of bread crumbs. It turned out really good. It was not too greasy and was a very light meal, although served with rice.


Ingredients:
300 g minced beef
2-3 tbsp semolina
1 finally diced onion 
 1tsp garlic powder
1 tsp parsley
2 tsp worshester sauce
1tsp kebab seasoning
Salt and pepper
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp mix of cumin and koriander

handful green leaves
5 cherry tomatoes chopped
5 cm cucumber chopped
1 yellow bell pepper chopped
olive oil
lemon juice
1onion diced with sumac
Olives
Feta cheese

Yoghurt sauce: 3 tbsp Greek yoghurt, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp dried dill, 1 tsp dried parsley, 1/2 finnaly chopped onion, 2 cm cucumber finally chopped

1 cup rice, cooked according to instructions

Method:
1.Start by mixing the meat with semolina, parsley, garlic,  oil, onion and rest of seasoning. Shape them to kebabs and put them on a greased oven dish. Bake at 200 degrees ca 20 mins or until cooked through.

2. While that being done, wash and chop the vegetables for salad. Season with lemon juice.  Add sliced olives and feta cheese. Cook the rice according to instructions on the package. Stir all ingredients for the yoghurt sauce and leave in the fridge to chill. Once all is done, serve the kebabs, rice, sumac onions, salad and yoghurt in a wide plate.


Enjoy!

Tuesday 1 December 2015

Lentil soup - recipe

Often I ran out of ideas of making healthy meals for us, toddler included. But I have a few go to recipes that I use quite often in our daily meals. Lentil soup is one of them. I make it according to a recipe given to me by my mum, I have just added few extra spices. My son loves this thick soup and it works perfect for children. I just give him a buttered toast with it.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup red lentils
1 onion
1 tsp mild curry
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp coriander
1 tsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp turmeric
salt and pepper to taste
2-3 tsp oil
1/3 cup rice

Method:
1. Add the lentils to a deep pot and add 2 cups water and let it boil. Be careful as the lentils can boil over the sides of the pot. Quickly lower the heat until it has relaxed little. It will be somewhat foamy, when that happens you can easily remove the foam with a wide spoon. When the water is reduced add another 2 cups of water and let it simmer.

2. While the lentils are simmering, chop the onion and fry it in a pan with the oil and half of the curry, until golden brown.

3. Add the fried onions to the lentils together with all remaining spices and the rice. Season with salt and pepper to taste. I add the rice so that it thickens the soup. Let everything simmer together until it has reduced and the soup has thickened. If it becomes to thick quickly add some boiled water.

4. Serve in bowls with baguette and butter, a lovely combo!


Enjoy!

Monday 30 November 2015

Chicken over rice - recipe

I love finding new recipes online by reading articles and blogs by other people who've tried them and recommend them. This specific recipe was recommended by Elin Josefina, she has a great mummy blog in Swedish. So this dish is called Chicken over rice. Much similar to a chicken cube served with rice that you can find in middle eastern restaurants. It is a favourite to order every time we go to those restaurant. So I decided to cook it and share my twist of this dish. I have added some optional spices. I looked online to see how others make this recipe, and almost all add a twist to it, so this is mine.
Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts, diced
3-5 tbsp greek yoghurt
1 lemon
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp parlsey
salt and pepper
1 tsp kebab mix spice (optional)
3-4 tbsp oil for frying

1 cup rice cooked according to instructions on package
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp coriander
salt to taste
4 pods of cardemon

shredded lettuce, 1 onion, sherry tomatoes

yoghurt sauce: 3 tbsp greek yoghurt, 1 lemon juice, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp dried dill, 1/2 tsp dried parsley, 3 tbsp water to make the sauce more watery

Method:
1. Cook the rice according to the package instructions. Add all spices for the rice in the boiling water. Set aside.


2. Mix the greek yoghurt and all spices for the chicken marinade. Add the diced chicken pieces in the marinade and put it in the fridge for few hours. I only had it in for 1 hour. But the longer it is chilled the tastier flavours will marry. Fry the chicken pieces in a shallow frying pan with few tbsp of oil on medium to high heat. It should look golden and char grilled.

3. Shred some washed lettuce, slice 1 onion and cherry tomatoes. Mix all ingredients for the yoghurt sauce. Put the sauce i the fridge to chill while all food is cooked.

4. Serve it in a plate, rice with the chicken pieces over. Add the salad and yoghurt sauce on top of it. Tastes heavenly, specially for pregnancy cravings.

Enjoy!

Friday 20 November 2015

Pomegranate and feta cheese salad

Today I had a quick lunch based on a salad. Had a few leftovers in the fridge and thought That should do for a nice salad. We had some feta cheese and some pomegranate that were peeled and seeded. I love when hubby does it for me. It was a really nice combo, with the sweetness of the fruit and saltiness from the cheese, together with the crunchy salad mix. I thought it would not be filling, but i was wrong, the creamy cheese made me full. A nice boost of good vitamins too in these rainy days. (Just as a said it the sunny started to shine, lucky day : )

Ingredients:
Bag of mixed salad: carrots, red cabbage, lettuce
1 chopped orange bell pepper
4-5 halved cherry tomatoes
1/3 feta cheese square
1/2 cup seeded pomegranate
salt to taste

Method:
Mix all ingredients and season with salt to taste. Easy and very tasty.


Enjoy!

Sunday 8 November 2015

Tuna and potato mash, toddler meals - recipe

Often when I have leftover tuna mayo mix I try to use it up by mixing it with something that my son loves. Today I made mashed potato, so I mixed in the tuna and added boiled vegetables. It was a great hit. Hubby had a portion too so these can be easily eaten by adults as well. Fast food goes healthy and non fried!

Ingredients:
Tuna mayo mix leftover
2 boiled potatoes
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp milk
half cup frozen corn and peas
fish seasoning
salt and pepper

Method:
1. Boil the potatoes until fully cooked through. Mash it and add butter and milk. Season with salt and pepper. Boil the frozen vegetables. Once done, mix everything with the tuna mayo mix.



Enjoy!

Friday 6 November 2015

Sweet potato fries and fish fingers

When my son was a baby he used to love to eat mashed sweet potato pure and later together with other mashed veggies and chicken. However, ever since he started to eat himself, he has become more picky with his food. He has rejected the sweet potato on few occasions but this time, I thought I will do sweet potato oven baked fries. It was a hit, especially with his favourite, the ketchup.

Ingredients:
1 sweet potato
2 tbsp olive oil
pinch of salt

2 fish fingers
ketchup

Method:
Peel and slice the sweet potato into fries. Coat them with the olive oil and pinch of salt. Bake the in the oven for about 30 mins at 220 degrees. Serve it with oven baked fish fingers and ketchup.


Enjoy!

Thursday 5 November 2015

Baked potato, beans and sausages

Sometimes I do bake to many potatoes and have some leftovers for the next day. This time hubby wanted beans with it for his dinner. I also added some sausages and made it into an animal shape. Our son loved it and wanted of course to join him as well. I try my best not to throw any food away and this time I had these ingredients at home. Maybe no the most healthy choice but oh so satisfyingly good. This might not seem like a meal to blog about, but the purpose of this blog is also for me to remember and look back at what we used to eat.

Ingredients:
Baked potato
4 mini sausages
1/2 can of baked beans
shredded cheese

Method:
Warm the baked potato with the beans and shredded cheese on top in the microwave. Fry the sausages and serve it with the potato and beans.

Enjoy!

Tuesday 3 November 2015

Fish, baked potato and vegetables, toddler meal - recipe

As we try to make give our son the same food as we eat, I often just give him his meals that have same ingredients as us, but try to make it in a healthier version and add less salt. Luckily he likes fish and I always try to give it to him twice a week.

Ingredients:
1 piece of white fish
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 baked potato
1/2 cup boiled vegetables

Method:
1. Fry the white fish gently in a pan with 2 tbsp of vegetable oil until lightly browned. Bake the potato in the oven until cooked through in 220 degrees for ca 45 min. Boil the frozen vegetables. Serve it together with a click of butter on the potato to make it moister and easier to eat. 


Enjoy!

Mason (jam) jar salad

Something new that I have recently discovered are mason jar salads. This is simply any salad combo that you like, stored in a jam jar. Which is really perfect to bring with you when you're out, working, going to the gym, having picnic or just out and about. Personally I love salads but sometimes I can't be bothered to make them. Which is really silly as it is so simple when you have all ingredients at home. But my love was reborn once I found out about making them this way. I have tried a few different combos and will share my classic Greek salad combo. 
Ingredients:
1 mason jar (any jar really)
few cherry tomatoes
half bell pepper
handful green leaves
few olives
few bite size pieces of feta cheese
few gherkins
few slices of cucumber
 dressing: 1,5 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Method:
1. Make sure you have a clean jar. Mix the the dressing ingredients in a small bowl, put aside.


2. Chop the rest of the ingredients in bite size pieces. 

3. Then to make a great jar salad the order of the things put in it, is quite important. first of all, add the dressing in the bottom. This way, the rest of the ingredients will not get soggy. Then add the chunky pieces, here I added the bell pepper and cucumbers. Or if you have anything grainy or protein like chicken. they build up a wall separating rest of the ingredients from getting wet.

4. Lastly add cheeses, nuts, or any other fixings. Here I have added the tomatoes, cheese, olives and lastly the green leaves. That way, when you turn the jar upside down, the greens makes the bed and the dressing is coating your salad nicely.
 


5. Screw on the lid and you are good to go. It keeps it fresh and crispy for up to 5 days, so you can simply do them all at once and keep in the fridge and just grab one for your lunch, when you are to lazy or have no time to make something else. 

Enjoy!



Monday 2 November 2015

Egg-free battered fish and baked potato - recipe

Now that my mum keeps saying do not eat to much red meat, we are eating more fish in this household. Which is good, as it is healthy. But sometimes I like to make the fish in an unhealthy way and deep fry it. It make is crunchy on top but soft inside and simply delicious. Specially if it is battered. I wanted to do my own batter, but unfortunately did not have any eggs so had to come up with a quickly and egg free recipe instead. It turned out good although I  was not so sure as it was egg free. That teaches me that I should improvise a lot more in the kitchen.

Ingredients:
white fish fillets
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
fish seasoning
salt and pepper
vegetable oil

baked potato
frozen vegetable to boil
butter

Method:
1. Mix flour, baking powder, fish seasoning and salt and pepper in a flat bowl. Add little oil and both sides of the fish and dip it in the dry batter. Alternatively you can add 1 cup water to the batter to make it runny and you can dip the fish in it. Fry in a shallow frying pan on medium high temperature.

2. Bake the potatoes in the oven for ca 1 hour. Poke the potatoes first before putting it in.

3. Boil frozen vegetables of your choice. Once everything is done. Serve it in a plate with a click of butter on the baked potato. I also sprinkle a bread dipping mix seasoning over the baked potato as it gives it more taste. But that is optional.
Enjoy!

Sunday 1 November 2015

Cheese straws (sticks) - recipe

I love finding new ways of making snacks that are messy free when my son eats them outside. This is a perfect snack, both for young and adults. Cheese straws are good  and very easy to do. My son likes to eat them at any time of the day. When we go out I just put a few straws in a plastic container and we are good to go.

Ingredients:
1.5 cup flour
6 tbsp butter
2 cups chredded cheese
1 egg beaten
sesame seeds, optional

Method:
1. Mix cold butter and the flour in a bowl until it looks crumbly. Then add the cheese and the egg. You can save little of the egg if you like to brush the straws before it goes in the oven. Put the dough in the fridge for 10 mins to chill.

2. Once it has been chilled, roll the dough out and cut into straws or sticks that are half cm thick. Brush them with egg and sprinkle over some sesame seeds if you like.

3. Bake in the oven for 10 min at 175 degrees, until golden brown.

4. Serve your toddlers when they crave a snack or take with you when you guys are out and about.
Enjoy!

Saturday 31 October 2015

Tasty Halloween sandwiches

After a long nice and fun day with trick or treating, it is time to sit down and enjoy this lovely evening with a scary movie, ideally The Ring 1. To make the most of the evening we are make very tasty scary sandwiches. My grilled tomato cheese sandwiches. They take no time to make if you have a sandwich grill and taste frighteningly good. Happy Halloween !

Ingredients:
sandwich bread
butter
tomatoes
dried oregano
slices of cheese
olives

Method:
1. Spread butter on one of the sandwich breads, add cheese, tomato slices and sprinkle over oregano. Make it in the sandwich grill or in the oven until golden brown. They are very gooey and delicious. Serve with pitted olives, sooo insanely god. Ps. the olives are suppose to look like a boo : )

Enjoy!

Baba Ganoush, (Mutabal batinjan) Augergine dip - recipe

I  love sauces and dips with my food. It is something we often use in the Swedish cuisine as well as the Middle Eastern. The baba ganoush which is an aubergine dip is a popular dip in my family. We make it often when we have celebrations as it is a great side dish or together with other smaller dishes for a meza. The meza generally includes kebabs, grilled meat, different types of salad like fattoush or tabbouleh and bread. It can also just be eaten on its own with pita bread. This is my take on it which always includes greek yoghurt to make it more creamy.


Ingredients:
1 aubergine
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp greek yoghurt
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp tahini paste
pinch of salt

Method:
1. Begin by poking holes in the aubergine using a fork little everywhere on it. Then grill it on the gas hob directly if you you have gas stove or let it bake in the oven under the grill until it is very tender and burnt.

2. Let it cool down and peel of the burnt skin. It should easily peel off. Put the aubergine in a bowl and mash it up. It should look like the photo below.

3. Add the remaining ingredients and mix. Use a handheld mixer to make it smooth.  

4. Once then serve it chilled in smaller bowl and sprinkle pomegranate seed on top. The sweetness of the seeds goes really well with the saltiness from the dip. I love this sweet and salty combo. Generally I serve it with pita bread, but you can also use any vegetables you like, just cut them into sticks and dip.

Enjoy!

Friday 30 October 2015

Banana fruit smoothie for toddlers - recipe

My son has been having trouble with teething lately and is getting picky with what I give him to eat. One day he will love banana or grapes, the next day refuse to eat at all. So when I want him to have some fruits, I always go for my foolproof option, the smoothie. Basically I just choose whatever fruit I have at home and blend it with milk and/or yoghurt. He loves it and so far not refused it even once! This one is just made with what I had at hand, hence only 3 strawberries. This was enough for 3 drinks.

Ingredients:
1 ripe banana
1 ripe pear
1/2 leftover apple
1/2 cup blueberries
3 strawberries
1/2 cup milk
2 tbsp greek yoghurt

Method:
1. Mix up all the ingredients in a food blender and served it right away.


Enjoy!

Thursday 29 October 2015

Baba ganoush salad (aubergine dip)

Those days I am home alone, I tend to make me something very easy or most likely a salad for dinner. I had done an aubergine dip and wanted to eat it with greens and vegetable. Since we have not done a big food shopping yet I just chose what we had left in the fridge. The outcome was lovely. The sweetness from the pomegranate and saltiness from the dip and the freshness from the vegetables, was a match made in heaven. I will def to more of this dip and it goes very well to include in a meza. Other lovely things to serve it with is hummus, kubas, grilled chicken and kebabs or a tabbouleh salad.

Ingredients:
Baba ganoush dip (aubergine dip)
carrot sticks
olives
cherry tomatoes
lettuce
pita bread
Method:
1. Serve the aubergine dip with various greens and vegetables of your choice together with pita bread.


Enjoy!

Wednesday 28 October 2015

Tuna and egg sandwiches - recipe

Hubby and son loves tuna but I just don't seem to be able to like it very much. However, it does not stop me from cooking it for them. So here comes a sandwich filling which they love.  Hubby also loves to make a tuna melt sandwich in the sandwich machine so that is another idea, but will for now wait for my son to eat that as he finds it hard to bite through the crusty bread.
Ingredients:
1 can of tuna in water
2 boiled eggs
2-3 tbsp mayo
1 tsp aromat Knorr seasoning

Method:
1. Begin with draining the tuna from all the liquid and add to a bowl. Add to it the 2 hard boiled eggs and mash it together. Mix in the mayo and seasoning and taste for salt and pepper if you want to add that. Spread it on a bread of your choice to make a nice and delicious sandwich. 


Enjoy!

Tuesday 27 October 2015

Toddler lunch and snack ideas 2

Here comes another post with different ideas for lunch and snack meals for your toddlers. These are just some different meals that I give to my son. Generally it is pieces from our own food that he eats. I try to minimize the salt in our food or try to pick out pieces for him before salting our own food.

Roast chicken, carrots and potato.

Boiled potato, fried halloumi pieces and cherry tomatoes.

Tuna and egg with mayo sandwiches.

Mash potato with tuna and boiled vegetables. 

Omelette, sausage, cream cheese solders and fruit. A nice breakfast idea.

Cheese straws with sesame seeds. 

Enjoy!

Monday 26 October 2015

Granula energy bar, snack for toddlers - recipe

When you are out with your little ones you always want to have a healthy snack or energy bar with you that are not filled with sugars or processed. I have experimented a lot until I found the best recipe for a good energy bar that would not be too sticky or crumble up. My toddler loves these and when he starts get hungry and food is not just ready I give him one of these. Even me and hubby loves them

Ingredients:
1 cup oats
1/2 cup coconut flakes
1/2 cup rice krispies
2-3 tbsp pumpkin seeds
2-3 tbsp sesame seed
1/2 cup almond flakes

2 cups pitted dates
2 tbsp peanut butter
2 tsp coconut oil
2-3 tbsp honey
1 tsp vanilla sugar


Method:
1. Put the oats, coconut flakes, almonds, and pumpkin seeds on a baking sheet covered with baking paper. Toast them in the oven for only 10 mins at 180 degrees. They should be somewhat golden ish.

2. While they oats are in the oven prepare the wet ingredients. In a food prossesor add the pited dates, peanut butter, coconut oil, honey and vanilla and mix until you get a smooth sticky filling.

3. Put the toasted ingredients in a bowl and mix in the wet ingredients and add the rice krispies. It will add a nice crunch to the energy bars. Once everything is nicely mixed put the mixture in a oven dish that is covered with baking paper. This will make it easier to take it out. It will be sticky so you can moisten your hands little with water and then press firmly on the mixture so it lays flat and even. Once you think you have pressed a lot, press a little more. this will make sure it does not crumble and stick together.


4. Stick the oven dish in the freezer for 20 mins and then cut it up so that you get nice bars.

5. My toddler loves these energy bars. So do I. I always make sure to have a few with us when we are out and about for those moments when sugar levels are getting low.

Enjoy!

Sunday 25 October 2015

Battered Fish with Wedge Potatoes and Delicious White Sauce - Recipe

Fish is something we often eat in many different ways. But sometimes I cant be bothered to cook it fresh and to be honest crave the battered fish fillets by Birds Eye. It always reminds me of the fish we used to get in school which used to be served with a white cold sauce. I always took seconds the day 
it was served.

Ingredients:
2 battered fish fillets (home made or store bought)
potato wedges for oven bake

2 dl sour cream
2 dl mayo
3 tbsp pickled cucumber relish
2 tsp dried dill
salt and pepper to taste
lime

Method:
1. Begin by put the potato wedges and the battered fish in the oven according to instructions.

2. While that is being done, prepare the lovely white sauce that goes so well with fish and is to served cold. Also called vit fiskås in Swedish. Mix all the rest of the ingredients in a bowl. Put it in the fridge to cool. Once everything is done, serve it one a plate with the sauce and slices of lime.



Enjoy!

Baked Potato, halloumi and salad - recipe

My mum loves to follow latest recommendation by published studies regarding what is healthy and not to eat. She always tries to make me eat accordingly too. So what is the latest thing? Do not eat to much red meat. Ok then, lets go vegetarian. Well at least for few days a week. This vegetarian recipe is yummy and easy to make. Baked potato, halloumi and salad. Cant go wrong with these three.


Ingredients:
1 package of Halloumi cheese
2 Potatoes for baking
3 tbsp butter
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tomatoes
half lettuce head
1 little white onion
1 yellow bell pepper
salad spice mix
olive oil
salt and pepper
sprinkle of herb mix

Method:
1. I cheated when doing the baked potato, as I just made them for 13 mins in the microwave. You choose if you want to bake in the oven or microwave.

2. Wash and chop all veggies for the salad and season with salad spice mix, salt and pepper.

3. Fry the sliced halloumi in a pan with a few tbsp of vegetable oil until brown on each side, on medium high heat.

4. Once the potatoes are cooked through serve the with the halloumi and salad. Add few spoons of butter and sprinkle over little herb mix.


                        

Enjoy!

Saturday 24 October 2015

Roasted jerk chicken and vegetables - recipe

Chicken and potato. What a lovely and versatile combo. Probably two ingredients that I use the most in the kitchen. I wanted to give this recipe a twist so I used the Flava It Jamaican jerk spice mix. Great taste but somewhat spicy for my taste buds.


Ingredients:
Chicken pieces
3 big potatoes, thick slices
1 bell pepper, sliced
1 zucchini, sliced
3 carrots, sliced lengthwise
1/3 Jamaican jerk spice mix

Method:
1. Wash and slice the vegetables and place them in a enamel lidded roasting tin. This tin will be one of your best buys as it roasts to perfection, so invest in one. Found in Robert Dyas.

2. Wash the chicken pieces, could be breast, wings or drumsticks, maybe a mixture of all three. Place them on top of the vegetables in the roasting tin and add an even coat of the jerk mix on the ingredients. Make sure the chicken has an even coat.


3. Roast in the oven for about 1,5 hours or until brown and has that lovely colour, at 235 degrees.
Serve as is or with rice.



Enjoy!