Sunchokes (topinambur/ Jerusalem artichoke) are the tuberous roots of a plant which belongs to the sunflower family. I’ve recently discovered sunchokes and I love them so much. They are both nutritious and tasty. Sunchokes have a medium glycemic index and they are packed with antioxidants, fiber, calcium, magnesium, iron and potassium.
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Author: Vesna
Hummingbird Cake
I love homemade sweets. They taste different. They taste like happiness. Besides its adorable name, this cake tastes amazing. It is the perfect combination between a flavourful and moist sponge and a delicious sour-sweet icing. I took this recipe from Joy of baking and I’ve made my adjustments. The original recipe includes 2 layers of sponge and one layer of icing. I baked only one sponge (by halving the amount of ingredients required in the original recipe) and it turned out to be more than enough for 8 servings.
Poached Salmon with Bulgur Arugula Salad
Sometimes I crave healthy food. That was a white lie. I never crave healthy food. When I was a child, I used to find healthy food quite unappealing. Now I’m just trying (very hard) to find that balance between tasty and nutritious.
Pljeskavica
Pljeskavica is a Balkan signature dish. It’s nothing else but a beef/pork grilled burger. It’s perfect in its own simplicity. It is often served in a pita bread, with veggies and milk kajmak. We’ll talk about kajmak some other time.
I ate this delicious burger for the first time when I was about 4 years old. I remember vividly that my mother brought me pljeskavica from Novi Sad (Serbia). She also brought me that day a box of Cipiripi chocolate and a bucket literally a big, fat bucket) of Eurocrem spread. I can’t remember whether I liked pljeskavica or not. Obviously, I was mesmerized by the chocolate. I felt in love with pljeskavica 3 years ago. We were in Belgrade, two block from Kalemegdan and we saw this teeny tiny bistro. We took a place at a table and that was the moment when I tasted perfection for the first time.
Eggplant Whole Wheat Fusilli
I absolutely adore pasta. It doesn’t matter if they are fusilli, spagetti or penne. It doesn’t mater if they are regular, whole wheat or rice pasta. I discovered whole wheat pasta 3 years ago and I felt in love. Why should we choose whole wheat instead of regular pasta? Because whole wheat pasta are higher in fiber and vitamins (epecially B complex, K vitamin and E vitamin).
I love this particular recipe because it’s tasty and healthy. This recipe belongs to Jamie Oliver and it includes ricotta and parmesan cheese. I usually swap ricotta for cashew cheese and parmesan for nutritional yeast . And voilà … I have a vegan, nutritious and delicious bowl of pasta.
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Cashew cheese
I’m doing my best to go vegan at least 2 times a week. The vegan diet includes the same range of products that you are allowed to consume during Lent. As a child I tried and tried to follow this diet before Christmas and Easter but I failed every single time. My grandmother used to cook during Lent mainly 3 dishes: tomato soup, potato salad and Serbian rice. Don’t get me wrong, they were exquisite. But eventually I would get bored. When I was about 18 years old I discovered tofu and I was enchanted. Yup! I felt enchanted by tofu. I was so sick of those three dishes that I found tofu wonderful. Now I can say I’m quite bored of tofu. Luckily I discovered this tasty cashew cheese. Cashew nuts rich in protein, unsaturated fatty acids, iron, phosphorus, zinc and copper. Another ingredient of this tasty cheese is nutritional yeast, which is an important source of protein, fibers and vitamins (B complex). I found this recipe on nutritionstripped.com and I made a few changes.
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Mushroom quiche with goat cheese, walnut and lamb’s lettuce salad
Quiche is a savory French tart. It is a perfect mixture between a crispy crust and a flavourful filling. The pie crust (pâte brisée) is filled with veggies, meat products, as well as with a creamy egg mixture. I decided to bake a mushroom and tomato quiche (lacto-ovo-vegetarian version), served with a goat cheese, walnut and lamb’s lettuce salad.
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Homemade Bread
I love the smell of freshly baked bread. It reminds me of my childhood. This bread was baked by my grandmother at least once a week. Over time the process of making this bread got so boring that I just had to leave the kitchen. But that wonderful smell made me return to the kitchen each and every single time. Now I’m the baker. I use both my grandmother recipe and her tin.
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Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies
I love peanut butter. I could eat it directly from a jar with my fingers a spoon. Peanut butter is not only tasty, but nutritious too (packed with protein, healthy fatty acids and fiber). Whenever I crave something sweet and peanut-buttery, I bake peanut butter oatmeal cookies. They are delicious and surprinsingly healthy. Oh… and they are dairy-free and gluten-free.
Chicken Liver Pâté
I love chicken liver pâté. I think I could eat everyday bread with pâté and scallions without getting sick. Unfortunately, store bought pâté is full of chemicals. I often find myself at the grocery store, standing in front of a shelf, reading the tag, getting scared, putting the tin back on the shelf and leaving immediately. That is why I make my own pâté. It’s tasty and it’s not time consuming.
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