Ratatouille...just a simple veggy dish

Ratatouille is a delicious veggy dish which can be served as main course or as side dish.You decide how to enjoy this simple to cook food.The name makes me smile always because I remember the cartoon .And the recipe is so simple,even a child can cook it.The video is from my youtube channel and please pardon my English because is not my mother language .If you love to read,under the video you will find the written recipe.Enjoy!

Servings:2
Difficulty:low

Ingredients list:
1 zucchini 

1 red bell pepper

1 carrot

1 tomato 

1 onion (I used half)

1 table spoons of tomatoes paste

1 table spoon green parsley finely chopped

2 bay leaves

1 tea spoon ground black pepper

1 tea spoon dried oregano

1 tea spoon dried basil (even better fresh)

salt to taste

2 table spoon olive oil

Cooking steps:

Cut all the vegetables in cubes (try to pick a size and stick with it)
Heat the oil in a pan and fry each type of vegetable (one by one) for about 3 minutes on high flame.

After all the vegetables are fried,in same pan add the tomatoes paste ,bay leaves and dried herbs and cook on low flame for 3 minutes.

Add the vegetables back in the pan and cook for few more minutes (cooking time depend on how soft you want your vegetables.)

Remove from the heat and add the green parsley.

Serve hot with bread or as side dish .

Enjoy

Veggy soup for cold winter days

I don't know where you're living and how's the weather in your place but here,in Romania is cold.I would say cold like in hell but from what I've heard in hell is hot.What can I say,hell is not on my wishlist to visit soon.And because here is cold I try to prepare food which helps me to get warm.Today's recipe is simple,so simple.And is versatile .You don't like one ingredient which I used?Don't put it into your soup.Well,is your soup and you're the boss.This recipe can be prepare even by a child if some adult cut the vegetables.It is vegan it is healthy and full of vitamins and minerals .Plus,is video...but if you love to read my crazy English you will find the written recipe under the video.
Servings:4
Difficulty:low

Ingredients list:
1 yellow bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
3 cherry tomatoes
1/8 celery root
1 parsley root
1 onion
1 carrot
1 potato
100 g green beans and peas mix
1 small bunch of green parsley
1 hand full of pasta (home made)
2 bay leaves
1 tea spoon dried thyme
1 tea spoon dried parsley
1 tea spoon ground black pepper
salt to taste
1 table spoon olive oil

Cooking steps:
Chop all the vegetables as you like them in soup
In a cooking pot heat the oil and add the onion and carrot and cook for 5 minutes (low flame)
Add the remaining vegetables,dried herbs ,black pepper and bay leaves.
Add about 2 liters of hot water and cook the soup for about 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes add the pasta and cook for 10 more minutes or until everything is soft.
Stop the flame and add the green parsley .Cover the pot with lid and let the soup to infuse for 10 minutes.
Serve hot with fresh bread and a lot of pickled chilies.
Enjoy!

Vegan Burger Patty

Who needs meat when we have vegan burgers?Well,the vegan burger is the best option if you want to enjoy a delicious meal but also a cruelty free meal.I am not 100% vegan,not the pure vegan but I'm learning everyday.And I found out that vegan burgers can be really tasty.I accept that the ingredients of this burger are not so appreciated like the kobe or angus but I think you should give this dish a try.
Beside,everyone has leftover boiled vegetables .So next time when you have some boiled vegetables and you don't have any idea how to use them,try the vegan burger.
My serving was not a real burger because I'm on permanent diet and I try to avoid bread,sauces and other high caloric stuff but you feel free to serve the patty in a nice grilled bun with some bbq sauce.
Note:If you don't like any of the ingredient I used you can remove or replace it.Also,you can add more vegetables.The recipe is so versatile .

Difficulty:medium
Servings:7 patties (less or more,depend how big you want them)

Ingredients list:
1 cup boiled chickpeas
1 cup boiled red beans
1 boiled big potato
1 boiled big carrot
1 onion finely chopped and saute in a table spoon of oil
1 table spoon of whole grain flour or white flour
salt and ground black pepper to taste

Cooking steps:
Note:If your vegetables are not boiled ,start boiling it in salty water until they are tender but not mushy.Saute your finely chopped onion in a table spoon of oil.Allow all the vegetables to cold before blending them.

Put all the ingredients except the flour in a blender and pulse until you get a paste .If the paste is to runny,add 1 table spoon of flour.

Divide the paste in equal parts and shape your patties in a burger shape.I got 7 patties but you can get more or less,depending on the size of your burgers.

Note:The paste can be sticky and difficult to shape so you can grease your hands or dust them with flour.Because oil has to my calories for my budget I used the flour.

Cover a baking tray with baking paper and preheat your oven at 180 Celsius.Put the patties in the tray and bake them for 20 minutes.You ca turn them after the first 10 minutes of baking.Because the ingredients are already boiled we don't have to bake the patties for to long.

Now,the serving options.
If you are like me,counting each calorie for each salad leaf then serve the patty with few slices of tomatoes and some onion.

But if you don't count calories,serve your patty with a nice grilled bun,some delicious burger sauce and why not,some melting vegan cheese.
Enjoy your meal,enjoy your life!

Fat Free French Fries ?!Kidding me?

I know,I know,it past a while since i written my last recipe and usual this breaks happen when I am suffering for my very rare disease called laziness .But not this time.This time was different.In past weeks some changes happen to my life,the most important is that I'm trying to cook and eat health food.Healthy for me and friendly with the environment.Yes,yes that's right.I'm trying to eat as much vegan food as possible.I know is always possible but...hey I'm trying don't judge me to hard.I'll do better!
Beside eating as much as possible vegan food,I also try to limited the oils,saturated fats ,sugar because I still try my best to stay slim.But sometime ,you know,the cravings will start .Same happen to me one day when I had a damn crave for  French fries.Vegan but not healthy because of the oil.So,what we do with the oil,you may ask?Well ,we don't do anything with it,we don't buy it and not use it.We just make our fries without oil.Sounds crazy?Come to see

Servings:1
Difficulty :very low

Ingredients :
potatoes
paprika
black pepper powder
dried rosemary
1 clove garlic unpeeled
salt if desired

Cooking steps:
1-Peel the potatoes and cut them in fries (1 cm thick batons )
2-Put the potatoes batons in a bowl with cold water and let them sit for 30 minutes to remove some starch.
3-Drain the potatoes and dry them on kitchen towel.

4-Spice the potatoes and pour them in a baking tray coated with baking paper.

5-Put the tray with potatoes in a preheated oven at 190 Celsius for about 40 minutes.After the first 20 minutes of baking time,take the tray out,check your fries and shake the tray to make the batons turn around.

6-Serve the fries with your favorite sauce and enjoy this guilty free meal.

Note:100 grams of regular french fries contain 350 calories and also a big amount of cholesterol .This version of fries contain only 90 calories /100 grams of  potatoes ,no cholesterol and no saturated fats.
Beside ,they are really tasty.I won't lie you,they are not 100% similar with the french fires but preatty close to it.

Patatas bravas...or cute fried potatoes cubes

In my childhood I used to love fried potatoes...I still love them but you know,diet and kilos and fat and the story of my life...so I am not eating fried potatoes as often as I used to eat in the past when the life used to be lot simpler just because my weight was not so important for me.Now I have to calculate calories and trust me,fried potatoes have lot of them.But some time,I really enjoy eating fried potatoes and I try to find different recipes which will make me fell less guilty .Today,inspired by Chef John from Food Wishes ,patatas bravas.I really ,really enjoyed it!

Difficulty:low
Servings :2

Ingredients:
500 g potatoes (not the waxy ones)
500 ml oil for fry
1 tea spoon salt
1 tea spoon hot paprika
1 tea spoon black pepper corns
2 bay leaves
2 cloves of garlic

Cooking steps

In a cooking pot put 3 liters of water and the spices and garlic cloves .
Bring water to boil and simmer for 10 minutes.

Peel the potatoes and cut them in 2 centimeters cubes.Wash the potatoes and drain them.

After the spiced water boiled for 10 minutes and the potatoes cubes and boil on medium heat for 5 minutes.The potatoes shouldn't be fully cooked but they must be almost done.If is necessary leave them boil 1 minute more to reach the right point.

Drain the potatoes and let them cold completely .

Put the oil in a cooking pot (or a fryer if you have one) and heat it until oil temperature reach 170 Celsius or 350 F.If you don't have a thermometer just put a potato cube in the oil,when is start bubbling your oil is hot enough.

Put the cold potatoes cubes in the hot oil and fry for 3 to 4 minutes or until they become golden and crispy .Remove the potatoes from oil with a strainer.

Serve with some sauce .This cute crispy potatoes cubes can be served as appetizer or snack.

Enjoy!

Lemon curd

I love sweets but I try to stay away from them.You know...the eternal problem of women called weight and diets.But this days I saw a tart with meringue and lemon curd and I couldn't control myself.It just obsessed me until I made it.So today is the big day.For make the tart we need the curd and for make the curd we have to follow a simple recipe.As always when I want to make a french recipe I look for inspiration at Alex's youtube channel ,link HERE
Difficulty :medium

Ingredients:
3 lemons
4 egg yolks
1 whole egg
180 g white sugar
100 g unsalted butter
 80 g corn starch
Notes:Use organic lemons for this recipe.If you can't find organic then wash the lemons very very well.But to be honest,the best you can do is to try to find organic lemons.
For this recipe you also can use 3 whole eggs to replace the egg yolks and the whole egg from the ingredient list .
Cooking steps:
1-Wash the lemons very well and dry them with some kitchen cloth .Zest 2 of the lemons .
2-Squeeze the 3 lemons.
3-In a small sauce pan add the lemon zest and juice,the egg ,egg yolks,sugar and corn starch.Whisk well .

4-Put the sauce pan with the curd mixture on a stove over a very low heat.Cook it for 10 to 15 minutes whisking continuously .DON'T raise the flame on high and DON'T stop whisking other wise you'll end up with scrambled eggs....sweet scrambled eggs.

5-When the curd is nice and thick remove it from the flame and add the butter.Stir well until the butter melts .Let the curd cold down and use it as you wish.I used this curd as filling for a delicious tart.

Enjoy!

Pizza sauce

If we talk about pizza we must give credits to Italians .Yes sir,we admit your knowledge regarding pizza,you are the masters of it.But in my kitchen ,I'm the master ,the boss and so I command... I execute.I have to tell you this is not an original recipe.No ,is not!This recipe is my favorite recipe because the sauce has not so much water and so my pizza crust is not soggy when I take it out from the oven.The remaining sauce I serve with the pizza to replace the ketchup because we don't like the amount of sugar from the regular super market ketchup.This sauce is very easy to make so you don't have excuse to not do it.
Difficulty:very low

Ingredients :
1 can (400 g ) of peeled whole tomatoes
30 ml olive oil
2 cloves of garlic
1 tea spoon black pepper powder
1 tea spoon dry oregano
1 tea spoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
salt to taste

Cooking steps:
1-Heat the oil in a fry pan and add the crushed garlic.Fry the garlic for 1 minute on medium heat

2-Add the tomatoes and the salt and paper plus the dry herbs and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes until the sauce is thick .

3-Because I like my sauce very smooth I use to blend it with a hand blender.

Could you think will be so simple.I told you it will be.Enjoy!!