Falafel with Tahini sauce

I have to admit... I love authentic food from all over the world, and middle east is no exception.Therefore i kind of took a risk when I made my American host family (where the children usually looove the plain tasting very, well, American food if you will) this meal which is very popular in Israel especially. Falafel is basically just chickpeas mixed with onion, garlic, parsley and other spices, so it's super simple to make, and is super delicious. Luckily when I served it, first for my host sister, she just looked at me with these huge eyes and said: "I love this"! So I guess it was a success!

For the falafel:
1 cups roughly chopped white onion

6 garlic cloves
2 cans chickpeas, drained
1 cup lightly packed parsley leaves
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoons baking powder
½ cup all-purpose flour
Oil, for sauteing 
Pita bread, for serving
Tomatoes and cucumber

For Tahini Sauce:
1¼ cups greek yogurt 
¼ cup tahini (sesame paste)
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions:

1. Add the onion and garlic cloves to the bowl of a food processor and pulse just until they are finely minced. Remove the mixture and set it aside.
2. Add the chickpeas, parsley, salt, chili powder, and cumin to the bowl of the food processor and pulse until they are roughly blended but not pureed.
3. Return the onion mixture to the food processor, along with the baking powder and just enough flour so that when you pulse the processor, the mixture begins to form a small ball and is not sticky. (Note: Start by adding ¼ cup of flour, and then the remaining ¼ cup. You can add more if the mixture is still too wet.)
4. Transfer the falafel mixture to a bowl, cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for 1 hour.
5. While the falafel mixture is chilling, prepare the tahini sauce by whisking together the yogurt, tahini and lemon juice. Season it with salt and pepper, cover it and place it in the fridge.
6. Once the falafel mixture has chilled, use a small ice cream scoop or spoons to form the mixture into balls.
7. Set a large sauté pan over medium heat and add oil to coat the pan. Let the pan pre-heat for 3 minutes then add the falafel one by one, browning them on the first side for 3 minutes, then flipping them once and browning the second side until the mixture is cooked throughout.
8. Place three or four falafel inside a halved, warmed pita and drizzle with the prepared tahini sauce, tomatoes, and cucumber.

Skinny Banana Bread

I loooove and adore banana bread. I really do. So this sunday morning I decided to bake a couple of loafs of yummy banana bread. But I made them in a way that you could still eat them as a breakfast and they were not too unhealthy. Actually they didn't have any sugar in them, and they're baked with mostly oat flour to give the maximum amount of fibre and good nutrients. Just the way I like it.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
1/2 cup honey
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 mashed bananas
1 cup oat flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup almond milk
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup roughly chopped walnuts

Directions:
In a big bowl melt coconut oil and mix with honey. Add eggs, vanilla, and mashed banana and whisk till combined. In a separate bowl mix all the dry ingredients. Add flour a little at a time into the wet ingredients alternately adding almond milk. 
Chop walnuts and carefully add into the batter. Add chocolate chips as well. 
Grease a loaf pan or two, depending on how tall you want the breads. I did two, but they turned out kinda small.
Preheat oven to 350 degreed F and bake the loaves for 35 minutes.

Coconut Milk Chia Pudding

I have really started to enjoy chia seed puddings. I have to admit that you really need to get used to the texture, but once you're used to it, it's actually really good, and then it's a ultimate super-food, so why not? This time I choose to use coconut milk and sweeten it a bit with some agave syrup. Super simple and yummy.

Ingredients:
2 tbsp chia seeds
1/2 can coconut milk
1 tbsp agave syrup

Directions:
Mix the ingredients in a small bowl and place in fridge. Let it sit for at least half an hour, and stir occasionally to separate the seeds. Top with some frozen berries or fresh fruit.

Mexican Chicken Rice Casserole

Casseroles are so nice and easy to make. It's really one of the things here from america that I'm gonna take home and use a lot when I go back home to Denmark. You have a bunch of ingredients, or leftovers, or whatever, and you just throw them together and bake them in the oven. It almost can't turn out bad. 

Ingredients:

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can filled with water

1 tbsp taco seasoning (cumin, chili, pepper etc.)

3 cups cooked brown rice

1 can black beans

1 can diced tomatoes

2 cups precooked chicken

Cheese for topping (optional)

Topping:

Lettuce

Tomatoes

Avocado

Corn kernels

Directions:

Mix the soups, water, and seasoning in a bowl, and pour the mixture into the bottom of a casserole. Drain the beans, and pour rice, beans, and tomatoes into the casserole. Stir with a spoon, and top with chicken. Bake in oven for 30 minutes. Add cheese in the last 5 minutes if you would like that.

Serve with the salad, and enjoy!

Coconut Milkshake

This totally dairy-free ice cream is just so good you won't believe it. It has plenty of sweetness from the bananas, and the coconut milk gives it the most creamy moisture. I lightened it up with some unsweetened almond milk, just because it was a bit heavy. We don't have an ice cream maker, so when I had to freeze it, it didn't turn out very good, but just as a shake or dipping it was really good.

Ingredients:

2 frozen bananas

1/2 can coconut milk

1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk

Directions:

Place the coconut milk in the refrigerator over night. 

Blend frozen bananas until it has a creamy consistency. Add the coconut milk. It should have an almost hard consistency after it has cooled down in the fridge. Add almond milk and blend until all combined. You can add more or less almond milk whether you want it more creamy or more like a shake. 

Enjoy!

Whole Wheat Oatmeal Pancakes

Pancakes are like the best thing on a Saturday morning? Am I not right? But to be honest, I really don't like the pancake mixes or just normal plain white flour ones with a ton of syrup on top. It's just not good if you ask me. I would much rather prefer some made with oats, because it has more texture and flavor, and toped with chocolate chips and fresh fruit instead. See that's yummy!

Ingredients:
1 cup (120g) whole wheat flour
1/2 cup (40g) quick oats
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon cardamom1 large egg (or 2 egg whites)
1 cup (240ml) almond milk
2 Tablespoons agave syrup
1/4 cup (60g) Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Toppings

Directions:

whisk flour, oats, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, and cardamom in a large bowl. 

In a separate medium bowl, beat egg with the milk. Add agave syrup, almond milk, yogurt, and vanilla extract. Pour the wet ingredients into the flour and whisk until combined. Heat a griddle or a skillet and coat with non sticking cooking spray. Bake the pancakes for about 2 minutes on each side. 

Enjoy!

Muddy Buddys

Ever heard of Muddy Buddys or some call it Puppy Chow? Well, they're these square cereal things dipped in melted chocolate and peanut butter and covered in powdered sugar, and they're a really yummy treat, if you ask me. Totally unhealthy and almost none nutritional value, but oh well, sometimes you gotta have a treat.

Ingredients:
4 cups rice square cereals
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup chocolate chips
2 tbsp butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Directions:
Melt peanut butter, chocolate chips and butter in the microwave i a big bowl. Do 30 minutes at a time, and stir after every time. When melted and combined add the cereal and carefully with a rubber spatula until all the cereal is covered in chocolate.
Add mixture to a zip lock bag and add the powdered sugar. Carefully shake the bag to cover it all with the powdered sugar. They're now ready to enjoy!

Quinoa Bars with Chocolate and Peanut Butter

To be honest his didn't really turn out the way I wanted it to. The chocolate stuck to the pan instead of the bar, and I added too much water, so it got kinda smushy instead of being crunchy... Next time, I will add more peanut butter instead of water to get the oats and quinoa to stick. But besides from that, these bars were really good and has a ton of fibre and other good stuff. And who doesn't love peanut butter and chocolate?

Ingredients:

1 cup oats

1 cup cooked quinoa

2 tbsp cococa powder

1/4 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup almonds

1/2 cup cashews

one portion Chia seed pudding

pinch of salt

2 tbsp agave syrup

1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Melt chocolate chips in a microwave and spread on a piece of parchment paper. Pour shredded coconut on top of the chocolate before it hardens. Let it sit while you prepare the batter. 

2. Mix oats, quinoa, cocoa powder, and chia seed pudding in a bowl. Cut almonds and cashews into smaller pieces, you still want them crunchy. Mix the rest of the ingredients into the bowl. If it won't stick very eel together add a little more peanut butter or agave syrup. 

3. Pour the batter on top of the chocolate and freeze until it has hardened. 

4. Cut into little bars and enjoy with a cup of Chocolate Mocha or some cold milk.

 Enjoy!

Paleo Chocolate Mug Cake

Am I the only one who is craving a chocolate cake with some sweet vanilla bean ice cream every once in a while? I don't think so, cause it really is one of the best treats on earth if you ask me! There is just one problem... Baking a whole chocolate cake and spending hours in the kitchen, just because you wanted a treat for the movie? No, there must be an easier way, and I found it. Just make a cake in a mug. It's so easy, and it doesn't even make a mess! This recipe is enough for two mug cakes, but if you don't want the extra mess of the ONE bowl you make it in, go ahead and split it in half and just make directly in the mug!

By the way, did I mention that this cake is paleo? If you want it strict paleo, go ahead and make a homemade ice cream.

Ingredients:

3 tbsp coconut flour

2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tbsp honey

1 tbsp butter

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp almond milk

Vanilla bean ice cream (optional)

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and pour into two mugs. Microwave for 2 minutes, and let it cool down just a little bit. I like my chocolate cake just a little lukewarm still when I put the ice cream on top so it melts just a little bit.

Enjoy!

Tuna and Egg Salad with Apple

Am I the only one who loves a good tuna salad, or a good egg salad? I don't hope so, cause it's really delicious. The problem is just that most of them are filled with tons of mayo other bad fatty things, so I decided to make my own light version, and it was still just amazing. 

3 eggs

1 apple

1 can tuna

1/2 cup edame beans

1/2 cup greek yogurt

1/2 cup cottage cheese

1 tsp smoked paprika

1/2 tsp curry

1/4 lemon

Salt og pepper

Avocado or a slice of toasted bread or a bun/bagel. 

Spinach leaves.

Directions:

Boil eggs 10 minutes in boiling water. Cut them and put in a bowl. Cut apple into small dice and mix with the eggs. Drain tuna, and put into the bowl with all of the other ingredients. Stir around, not too long, because the egg will get smushy. Spoon out a little of half an avocado and fill with the salad or put in top of a toasted bun with some fresh spinach leaves or whatever you would like.

 Enjoy!

Creamy Green Spaghetti with Salmon

So it was St. Patricks day today, and therefore I decided to make a really fancy green dinner. Even though some kids might not like the fact that they have to eat a green dinner (cause often green equals healthy, you know. And in many kids mind that equals gross), but all of my picky host siblings loved it so much. And I did too, it was simply just amazing, and it was definitely not the last time we're having it!

Ingredients:
1 lb whole wheat spaghetti
1/2 salmon filet
10 mushrooms
Sauce
1/2 onion
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
4 handfuls spinach
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
3/4 cup greek yogurt
1/4 cup basil pesto
salt and pepper
Sides
asparagus
tomatoes
Olive oil
salt and pepper

Parmesan cheese

Directions:
1. Cook pasta for 8 minutes and drain.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Sprinkle asparagus and tomatoes in olive oil and salt and pepper and bake in the oven for about 25 minutes.
3. Make the sauce by cutting onion and garlic very finely and sautéing in olive oil on medium high. Add spinach and put a lid on the pan. Let it cook for about 10 minutes stirring occasionally. You might have to add the spinach a little at a time, because it doesn't fit in the pan, but it shrinks a lot.
4. Put the cooked spinach, onion and garlic in a blender, and blend with all of the other ingredients.
5. Mix the cooked spaghetti and sauce.
6. Slice the mushrooms and sauté them with a little olive oil over medium heat.
7. Cut the salmon into 1/2 inch squares and sauté with the mushrooms.
8. Mix salmon and mushrooms with the spaghetti. Top with shredded parmesan cheese and serve!

Pumpkin Coconut Ice Cream

So it's Sunday night, and I'm really craving ice cream after being sick the whole weekend... So I looked up some healthy ice cream recipes on Pinterest and came by this baby. Seriously, the mix of coconut milk, pumpkin, cinnamon and banana is just amazing together. Definitely not the last time I've made this! 

Ingredients:
3 frozen bananas
1 can pumpkin puree
pinch of salt
1 1/2 t cinnamon
1 can coconut milk

Directions:
Mix all ingredients in a blender and serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Pie Day

So today was 3.14, pi-day. Get it?? Haha, so me and a friend spend literally 5 hours yesterday making pies for our foods class. We made 7 big and 12 small ones. There was apple pie, cherry pie, strawberry rhubarb, s'mores, banana cream, and a single cheese cake. 

So today in foods, we all got to eat pie, and it was really good, except that I got really sick later that day, and ended up throwing up all night, so I probably won't have pie for a while... 



Ingredients:

Pie crust:
2.5 cup flour
1 t vanilla
1 t baking powder
3/4 cup softened butter
1 egg

Filling:
Canned pie filling. Go ahead and make your own, if you want to (homemade is always better if you ask me)

Happy Pie Day!

Homemade Poptarts

Poptarts are really good. I think we all agree on that. But how on earth is it possible to stuff 200 calories in one piece?! And seriously, I don't think I could pronounce half of the ingredients. I mean, yes they might be good, but let's see if it's possible to make some that are at least as good, but homemade. Yes please.

Ingredients:

For Homemade Poptarts:
1½ cups strawberries, chopped
4 cup sugar
1-2 Tablespoons of honey
Homemade or store bought pie dough
1 egg white (from pasteurized eggs)
1¼ cups sifted powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For icing:
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tbsp water

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Combine strawberries, sugar and honey with a splash of water into a saucepan. Heat over medium heat while stirring and mashing until filling has thickened (for 20 to 30 minutes). Allow your filling to cool completely.
3. Roll your pie dough on a lightly floured surface until desired thickness is achieved.
4. Cut rectangles 3″ by 4″ out to make poptarts. Roll excess dough and re-cut if necessary. You will need two rectangles to make one poptart.
5. Place one row of rectanges down on baking sheet.
6. Spoon approximately 1 TB of strawberry filling onto the center each rectangle, making sure to spread only slightly.
7. Carefully, with a pastry brush or your finger, brush milk onto edges of dough. Lay the second rectangle over the top and press down with your fingers along the edge to close the poptarts.
8. Using a fork press the back of a fork along all the edges to completely seal poptarts.
9. Cut a few tiny slits in the top of each poptart.
10. Bake until golden brown, for 25 to 30 minutes.
11. Place poptarts on wire racks and allow to cool completely.
12. To make icing, simply just combine powdered sugar and water, and you have a perfect icing.
13. Frost your Homemade poptarts and top with sprinkles if desired and enjoy!

Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing

Last night I really felt like a good taco salad, if you know what I'm talking about. The really good ones, you get at places like Chipotle or Cafe Rio or something like that. Problem is just that I didn't really feel like going out and spending money on something that simple, so I just created my own version, and it turned out simply amazing.

Ingredients:

Salad
3-4 cups chopped romaine lettuce
2 medium tomatoes
1 avocado
1/2 can corn kernels
1/2 can black beans
Fresh Cilantro

Dressing
1 lime
1 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup greek yogurt
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp salt

Directions:
Chop lettuce, tomatoes, and avocado and assemble in a bowl. Top with drained corn and black beans and fresh cilantro.
To make the dressing, chop the cilantro very finely. Squeeze the lime, and chop the garlic. Mix with all the other ingredients. Pour the dressing over the salad individually.

Enjoy!

Oat Waffles

This morning as I woke up, I was really craving waffles, but not the white fluffy ones that you usually connect with waffles. I mean, sure they're good, but they just don't fill you up very well when there's a long time till you'll have food again. Therefore I tried to make them with oat flour instead, and I gotta say that they turned out amazing. Really the good thing about waffles isn't the waffles, but the things you put on top of them, if you ask me.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup oats
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp baking powder
1 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
2 eggs
1 tbsp agave syrup
1/2 cup greek yogurt
1 tbsp coconut oil, melted
cooking spray

Directions:
Ground oats in a food processor until it has become sort of a oat flour. Mix oat flour, coconut flour, salt, and baking powder in a bowl. In a separate bowl beat eggs and add almond milk, agave syrup, yogurt, and coconut oil. Pour the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and mix well to make sure there is no  lumps of flour. 
Heat waffle iron, and spray with cooking spray. Bake the waffles and serve with fresh fruit and syrup.

Enjoy!

Homemade Granola Bars

If you want some fast energy, and is craving a granola bar, but you want to know what you are actually eating too.. Then just make your own homemade granola bars. It is super easy, and taste so much better than most store bought ones. 

Ingredients:
1 cup oats
1 cup puffed rice cereal
1 cup dates
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup peanut butter

Directions:
Mix all ingredients together and press into a form of some kind. Put in the refrigerator for a couple of hours and cut into squares. 

Enjoy!

Quinoa Egg Muffins

So the other day we had some leftover from some quinoa I had cooked, and I felt like making something with the leftover, so I got a little creative and made these muffins with sausage and veggies in them, so they were more as a meal. 

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup cooked quinoa
3 eggs
1 cup spinach
2 spicy sausages
1/2 red onion
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1 avocado
salt and pepper
Cheese (optional)

Directions:
Chop spinach and cut onions. Mix with the cooked quinoa and beaten eggs. Cut the sausage into 1/4 dices and stir in into the mixture. Pour into a muffin pan and bake in preheated oven at 320 degrees for 30-40 minutes until egg is fully cooked. Add cheese the last couple of minutes while baking if you want cheese on them.

Enjoy!