My Italian Ribollita

If you find yourself sitting on a couch, huffing and puffing because of too much christmas food indulgence, this recipe is perfect for you. Beautifully warming, grounding, nourishing and crazy delicious! 

That beautiful red colour comes from tomatoes, which will brighten up your day. Cannellini beans will fill you up beautifully. Carrots and celery will create this kind of ´umami´ flavour to the whole soup. Cavolo nero, which is the green star in this soup, will bring you crunch, plenty of earthy flavour and green goodness. Finish the soup with toasted sourdough bread and you have yourself a detox bowl of goodness that will make you feel amazing and restored. Drizzled with plenty of olive oil and sprinkled with fragrant parmesan cheese - parmigiano reggiano!

This soup is traditional for Tuscan region in Italy where it´s a proof that beautiful food can be cheap, tasty and that it can nourish you from the inside-out! Ribollita means ´reboiled´which is a great indication of the fact, that this humble and gorgeous soup tastes even better reboiled on the next day as the flavours develop even more. 

In Slovakia, we say that whatever you do on the New Year´s day, you will be more likely to do so throughout the entire year. 

So start off right - be healthy, happy, full of love and energy, which you will share with every one who will cross your path this upcoming year. Be comfortable with who you are, be comfortable with what you eat. Nourish yourself. Love your body and it will love you back.

May you be filled with kind people and beautiful food the entire year!

My Italian Ribollita 

coconut oil, butter or olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 carrots, chopped 

1 stalk of celery, chopped

1-2 potatoes, chopped (optional)

2 garlic cloves

2 bay leaves

1 can of plum tomatoes or around 4-6 chopped/crushed fresh tomatoes

1 can cooked cannellini beans or soak and boil your own 

small bunch of black kale, stem removed and cut into ribbons 

vegetable stock

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 

parmesan cheese, or even parmesan grind

parsley

good quality 1-2 day old sourdough bread

olive oil for finishing touches

Heat up a glug of olive oil or a knob of butter or some coconut oil in sauce pan. Add in onion, carrots, celery and potato if using. Let it cook until the vegetables soften, for about 10 minutes. 

Add in chopped garlic, cook for a bit more. 

Pour in the whole can of tomatoes. Fill up the can with vegetable stock or water and add to the pan as well, together with bay leaves. If you have any parmesan grind left, add it to the soup now as the flavour of the soup will be unreal and totally scrumptious!

Bring to a gentle boil, bring it down to simmer, cover and cook for about 20 minutes until the soup thickens. Taste and adjust the seasoning by adding salt and pepper. 

Add in your beans(without their liquid). If the soup is too thick, add in more stock or water.

And now, the greens! Add in your kale ribbons when you are really happy with the soup. Cook it until the kale softens up a bit, but not too much, otherwise it will loose its beautiful earthy flavour. 

While the kale is cooking, toast your bread. You can do so in a toaster or in a pan until crunchy and golden. Torn or chop the bread into small pieces.

By now, the soup should be ready and gorgeous. If you would love your soup to be thick, add half of your toasted bread on top of the soup, cover the soup with pan and let the bread soak all of the beautiful flavours and juices of the soup. 

Then ladle the soup into bowls, top with more toasted bread, fresh parsley leaves and grated parmesan cheese. Drizzle generously with nice olive oil. 

Get cozy and comfy and enjoy every spoonful. 

Happy New Year! 

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Ak prave sedite vyvaleni na vasom gauci a odfukujete po tom ako ste sa ´nechtiac´ objedli privela vianocneho jedla, mam recept prave pre vas. Uzasne komfortnu polievku, ktora vas uzemni, upokoji a krasne tak-akurat naplni a ktora je sialene uzasna!

Krasne zafarbena polievocka je od cervenych paradajok, ktore vam rozjasnia den. Fazulky cannellini vas krasne zasytia-su plne skvelej vlakniny! Stonkovy zeler, mrkva a cibulka su ako 3 najlepsi kamarati, ktory polievke dodaju ´umami´ chut – vyvazenie skvelej chuti ako zaklad kazdej vybornej polievocky. Cierny kel, alebo ´cavolo nero´ vam prinesie do polievky trosku textury, chrumkavosti, tmavej hlbokej zelenej farby a velke mnozstvo vitaminov a mineralov. Pridajte ku polievke kvalitny opeceny chlebik, cerstvu vnatku, parmezan plny chute a stedre poliatie olivovym olejom a vznikne vam polievka, ktorej sa len tazko nieco vyrovna.

Tato polievocka je tradicna pre Toskánsku oblast v Taliansku, kde je dokazom, ze vyborne jedlo naozaj nemusi byt nic drahe, zlozite a ze vas dokaze nabit nutricne zvonku aj zvnutra. Ribollita znamena ´prevarena´, co je jasny dokaz toho, ze najlepsie tato polievocka chuti na druhy den, ked ju znova zohrejete, ´prevarite´. Chut sa odstatim polievky krasne prepoji a aj ked je to neuveritelne, polievka chuti este lepsie ako v den varenia.

Na Slovensku sa hovori: Tak ako na Novy rok, tak po cely rok. Takze zacnite Novy rok tak, aby vam bolo dobre po cely rok. Budte zdravi, stastni, plni lasky a pozitivnej energie, ktoru budete zdielat so vsetkymi, ktory vam buduci rok skrizia cestu. Budte spokojni sami so sebou a majte sa radi. Radi si varte-varte celou svojou dusou a cely svojim srdcom. Laska je ako tajomna ingrediencia, s ktorou chuti vsetko lepsie. Takze sa nebojte a pridajte ju do varenia! Majte radi svoje telo, bude mat rado aj vas.

Nech sa mate len dobre, nech ste obklopeni len dobrymi ludmi a uzasnym jedlom po cely rok!

Takze este raz, vsetko dobre vam prajem!

Moja Talianska Ribollita

olivovy olej, kokosovy olej alebo trosku masla

1 cibulku, nakrajanu

2 mrkvy, nakrajane na mensie kusky

1 stopka zo stopkoveho zeleru

1-2 zemiaky (moze byt, no nemusi)

2 struciky cesnaku

2 bobkove listy

1 konzerva paradajok alebo 4-6 cerstvych paradajok – nakrajane alebo kadejako popucene

1 konzerva cannellini fazuliek alebo si namocte a uvarte svoje doma

mensi zvazok cierneho kelu(cavolo nero), zbaveny strednej stonky a pokrajany na pasiky

zeleninovy vyvar

morska sol a cierno mlete cierne korenie podla chuti

Parmezan, a ak mate tak pouzite aj koru z parmezanu

cerstva vnatka

par kuskov dobreho kvaskoveho chlebika, najlepsie ak je 1-2 dni stary

olivovy olej na podavanie

V hrnci si rozohrejte olivovy olej (alebo maslo lebo kokosovy olej) a pridajte cibulku, mrkvu a zeler a ak pouzivate tak aj zemiacik. Pomalicky vsetko poduste, dokym nie je zeleninka makksia.

Pridajte cesnak a kratko povarte.

Vylejte do hrnca paradajky z konzervy a pridajte tolko isto zeleninoveho vyvaru alebo vody. Pridajte aj bobkove listy a ak mate tak pridajte aj korku z parmezanu. Privedte k varu, stiste plamen a varte pod pokrievkou asi tak 20 minut, dokym polievocka nezhustne. Ochutnajte, dochutte solou a korenim.

Pridajte do hrnca vase precedene fazulky. Ak sa vam zda polievka prilis husta, s radostou tam prilejte viacej vyvaru alebo vody a nechajte nech trosku prevrie.

No a teraz na rad konecne prichadza nas zeleny kral-krasny cierny kel! Posledny krat ochutnajte polievku a ak je taka, aka vam chuti a ste s nou spokojni, prihodte do nej vas pokrajany kel a povarte, dokym nie je zmaknuty no po zahryznuti donho mozete stale citit texturu a jemnu chrumkavost.

Medzitym ako sa vam vari kel, opecte si vas chlebik. Bud na toasteri alebo na panvici dokym nie je krasne chrumkavy a zlato-hnedy. Nakrajajte na kusky.

Ak chcete mat polievku tradicne hustu, pridajte do polievky polovicku vasho chlebika, zakryte pokrievkou a nechajte nech polievka nasiakne vsetky tie krasne chute a nejaku tu uzasnu stavu.

Hotove dielo si nalejte do misiek, posypte opecenym chlebikom a nastruhanym parmezanom. Poriadne polejte olivovym olejom a dozdobte petrzlenovou vnatkou.

Podavajte v chladny den, v nadhernych miskach a s velkou lyzicou! Dajte sa do pohody, citte sa pohodlne a vychutnajte si kazdu lyzicu.

A este raz, krasny Novy rok vam prajem!

Christmas baking. Vianočné pečenie.

I start feeling festive, merry, bright and christmas-y when the smell of cinnamon, star anise, nutmeg and all spice hits me from the oven as I bake christmas cookies. I love the atmosphere of having our house filled with fresh smell of oranges, clementines and branches of fir-needles.

If you love baking only a few days before Christmas, I am here to help you and inspire you. I aminspiring you to make homemade bounty balls-balls of beautiful joy that are as white as snow and with crunchy gingerbread cookies that will help you to fall into the Christmas mood. They are totally scrumptious and are so, so good for you! Eat yourself healthy and beautiful!

Be in peace, feel bright and merry, put some old christmas songs on, drink mulled wine and enjoy the company of one anther. Feel happy, take it easy, be festive. And don´t forget, that Christmas is forever, not just for one day. They are forever. :-)

Crunchy Christmas Gingerbread Cookies 

Traditionally in Slovakia, gingerbread cookies are baked on the first weekend of December so they could become soft and nice for Christmas Day. The dough would be left in the fridge overnight, they would be made with plenty of gorgeous spices, proper butter and honey. That´s why they are called honeybread cookies. And let me tell you, they are simply gorgeous. Gorgeous and decorated with walnut halves and some sugar icing.

This year, I developed a recipe for cookies that can be made within minutes, don´t need to be made in advanced and which don´t require you to knead the dough for ages. The dough doesn´t even need to rest in the fridge. Beautiful flavours of warming spices are married together in a blend that will bring your christmas feeling into every cell in your body. Perfectly for dunking into glass of milk or hot chocolate. And not to mention they are amazingly good for you-sweetened with only a small amount of honey (or maple syrup). Cut them into cute and happy shapes and enjoy.  Perfect for last minute baking, hungry and happy kids and satisfied husband. They make a beautiful gift if you wrap them up and tie with pretty red ribbon.

PS. You can never have enough cinnamon in those.

2 cups oats (gluten-free if desired)
1/2 cup shredded coconut (I always buy organic, as the flavour is incomparable)
1/2 cup ground almonds
2 tsp ground ginger
2-3 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground star anise
1/2 tsp all spice
1/2 - 1 tsp mixed spice
2 tbs honey (or maple syrup/rice malt syrup)
4 tbs coconut oil
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
about 2 tbs water

Preheat oven to 160°C. Line two baking sheets with baking paper.

In a food processor, mix together oats, ground almonds and coconut until very fine powder.

Add in spices and mix again.

In a small bowl, combine together coconut oil, honey (or syrup of your choice) and seeds of your vanilla bean. Melt it all in a pan or pop it in a heat-proof dish into the oven for a while.

When melted, put it to the food processor and mix until the mixture starts being sticky. Try to press the dough between your fingers-if it holds together great, you are done with your lovely dough. If it crumbles, add in some water, around 2 tbs should do. Process, taste the dough and if you are happy with how amazingly it tastes like, tip the dough on a piece of baking sheet.

Bring the dough together with your hands, make a ball. Put another piece of baking paper on top of it and roll the dough until about 3 mm thin.

Cut out different cute shapes out of the dough and by using a baking spatula or a knife, gently lift the cookies and transfer them onto a prepared baking sheet. They might seem quite delicate at this stage, but once bakes, they hold together beautifully.

Bake until golden - around 12 minutes, but keep an eye on them as every oven is different.

Let cool, store in an air-tight container and munch on them through out this magical season.

Bounty Balls

If you go crazy about coconut, you need to make these. The taste is million times better than the shop-bought staff, because you can actually taste the coconut and not only the sugar. I am telling you, these are beautiful, beautiful balls of joy. And if you feel naughty, cover them in very good-quality dark chocolate. Actually, the chocolate is a must.

2 1/2 cup shredded coconut (use organic as the flavour is so beautifully intense)
2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
2 tablespoons honey or rice malt syrup (you need something with a light colour to it)
1/2 vanilla bean
tiny pinch of sea salt
around 50g of really good-quality dark chocolate

Tip 1 1/2 cup of shredded coconut into a food processor. Process until it forms a smooth, nut butter consistency. You might scrape the sides of your food processor a couple times while doing this.

Add in coconut oil and process until lusciously creamy.

Add your sweetener, scraped seeds of your vanilla bean and sea salt.

Then, fold in the rest of your coconut. Mix it with your hands and squish it all together in a bowl.

If you want to make this into bars, press the mixture tightly into a square pan and ut to the fridge for about 30 minutes.

If making balls, use measuring spoons for making them the same size and form balls with the palms of your hands. If the mixture will crumble, add in some more melted coconut oil. Remember, that every shredded coconut is different so don´t be shy to adjust what you need. :-)

Put the balls onto plate and then pop them to the fridge.

Melt the chocolate in a bowl on top of a pot of simmering water.

Cover or drizzle your balls with chocolate, sprinkle more shredded coconut on top if desired.

Store in the fridge until they are all gone.

 

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Vianoce okolo seba zacinam vnimat, ked vsade naokolo citit ako uteka z rury vona skorice, zazvoru, badianu a muskatoveho orieska. Tak uzasna vona, ktora naplni celu domacnost stastim a vianocami pri peceni tradicnych vonavych dobrot.

Ak si nehavate pecenie na posledne predvianocne dni, som tu aby som vas inspirovala niecim uplne lahodnym a tajomne zdravym. Domace bounty gulicky-krasne ako snehove gulicky a uzasne vonave chrumkave medovnicky. Nech vam chuti! :)

Pekne sa naladte do uzasnej a magickej vianocnej nalady, pustite si koledy, posedte si spolu pri varenom vine, upecte si nejake uzasne kolaciky a majte sa dobre. A pamatajte, ze vianoce nie su len jeden den do roka, ale vianoce su vzdy. :-)


Chrumkavé vianočné medovníčky

Tradicne sa medovnicky pecu hned v prvy decembrovy vikend, aby mali cas zmaknut a byt krasne vlacne. Taktiez su tradicne plne cukru, medu, poriadneho masla a uzasnych voni-jednoducho neodolatelne. Ozdobene vlasakmi a cukrovou polevou.

Tento rok som si vymyslela nadherne chutnu a zdravu variantu medovnickov, ktorym sa tie tradicne len tk lahko nevrovnaju. Cesto sa nemusi miesit dlhansku dobu ako je to pri medovnickoych, nemusi sa nehavat cez noc v chladnicke. Cesto sa vymiesa behom par minut a hned mozete aj piect.

Vysledokm su neskutocne chutne medovnicky, ktore su krehke, chrumkave a plne nadhernych chuti Vianoc. A najlepsie chutia, ked si ich namacate do mlieka alebo horucej cokolady. A to, ze su pre vas aj naozaj dobre a zdraviu prspesne je ako bonus. Osladene su s minimom mediku (alebo javorovym sirupom). Povykrajujte si z cesta krasne mile tvary a potom si uz len pochrumkavajte na vianocnom pecive. Spolu. Deti budu stastne, manzel spokojny. Daju sa podarovat aj ako krasny vianocny darcek-len ich zabalte do priesvitneho vrecuska, ozdobte cervenou stuzkou.

PS. Cez Vianoce nemozte mat nikdy vela skorice.

2 salky ovsenych vlociek (ak treba, tak nech su bez lepku)
1/2 salky struhaneho kokosu (ja kupujem len bio, nakolko sa ta vona a chut kokosu neda ani porovnat)
1/2 salky mletych mandli
2 lyzicky mleteho zazvoru
2-3 lyzicky mletej skorice
12 lyzicky cerstvo nastruhaneho zazvoru
1/4 lyzicky mleteho badianu
1/2 lyzicky allspice - mlete susene korenie (ak nedostat kupit, nahradte troskou mletych klincekov a pernikoveho korenia)
2 lyzice javoroveho sirupu
4 lyzice kokosoveho oleja
vyskrabkane semiacka z 1 vanilkoveho struku
cca 2 lyzice vody

Predhrejte si ruru na 160°C. 2 pekace na pecenie si vylozte peciacim papierom.

V mixeri si spolu rozmixujte vlocky, kokos a mlete mandle na jemnucku mucku.

Pridajte vsetky vonave koreniny a znova vymixujte.

V malej miske si spolu pomiesajte med (alebo javorovy sirup), kokosovy olej a semiacka z vanilkoveho struku. Alebo kokosovy olej zohrejte v malom kastroliku nad miernym ohnom, alebo prelozte do teplo-vzdornej nadoby a supnite na chvilku do rury-vsetko sa vam pekne spolu roztopi.

Pomiesajte a vylejte do ´mucneho´ zakladu.

Vsetko spolu vymixujte v mixeri az dokym nebudete mat jednotne cesto, ktore by malo lepit a drzat svoj tvar, ked ho stlacite medzi prstami. Ak nechce lepit, pridajte do cesta cca 1-2 lyzice vody a pomixujte. Ochutnajte a ak ste s vysledkom spokojni, cesto prelozte na kus papiera na pecenie.

Cesto vytvarujte do gule, prikryte druhym papierom na pecenie a pomocou valceka cesto vyvalkajte na 3 mm hrubku.

Z cesta vykrajujte pekne tvary medovnickov. Jemne ich pomocou nozia preneste na pekac a pecte vo vyhriatej rure dokym nebudu nadherne zlatava a vonave-okolo 12 minut. Pozor aby ste ich nespalili, kazda rura pecie inaksie. :-)

Po upeceni ich nechajte vychladnut. Skladujte v uzatvaratelnej nadobe dokym nie su vsetky fuc! :)


Bounty guličky 

Ak ste uplne zblazneni do kokosu aspon tak ako ja, tieto male kokosove gulocky si zamilujete. Kupovane bounty ma od kokosu naozaj daleko-prevazne v nich citit cukor a nic ine. Tieto su omnoho kokosovejsie a lepsie ako tie kupovane. A ak budete pokusani diablom, mozte ich obalit v kvalitnej horkej cokolade. Teda, musite ich obalit v kvalitnej horkej cokolade. Zblaznite sa ake su skvele.

2 1/2 salky struhaneho kokosu (pouzite najlepsiu moznu kvalitu-je to ta hlavna ingrediencia!)
2 lyzice kokosoveho oleja, roztopeneho
2 lyzice ryzoveho sladu alebo medu - potrebujete sladidlo jemnej farby, aby vam zbytocne nezafarbilo gulicky
1/2 vanilkoveho struku, vyskrabkane semiacka
malicka stipka morksje soli
okolo 50g  velmi kvalitnej horkej cokolady na obalovanie

Dajte si 1 1/2 salky kokosu do mixera a mixujte dovtedy, dokym vam nevznikne krem-nieco ako kokosove maslo. Pocas mixovania sa moze stat, ze budete musiet par krat yotret kokos zo stien mixera. Potom pokracujte az dokym vam nevznikne kokosove maslo.

Pridajte do masielka kokosovy olej a vymixujte do hladulinka. Pridajte aj sladidlo podla vyberu, vanilkove semiacka zo struku a sol.

Po premiesani pridajte do kokosvej hmoty aj zvysny struhany kokos a vsetko riadne premiesajte a premsairujte rukami.

Ak chcete mat bounty tycinky, tak hmotu riadne a natesno natlacte na spodok hranatej formy a dajte do chladnicky na aspon 30 minut.

Ak si chcete vytvarovat male chutne bounty gulicky, tak pomocou odmernych lyzic si naberajte rovnake mnozstvo kokosovej hmoty a v dlaniach si vytvarujte gulicky. Dajte do chladnicky na aspon 30 minut stuhnut. Kokos je zakazdym iny, kazdy je odlisny. Ak sa vam bude hmota drobit, pridajte trosku viacej kokosoveho oleja alebo trosku kokosoveho mlieka, dokym hmota nebudete pekne drzat pokope.

V misticke si nad horucou vodou rozpustite cokoladu, v ktorej gulicky obalite. Alebo ich len ´popiste´ cokoladou. Mozte dozdobit troskou struhaneho kokosu.

Gulicky skladujte v chladnicke dokym sa nepojedia-co bude naozaj chvila. :-)

Drunk and Stuffed Pumpkin. Opitá a prepchatá pečená tekvica.

I really hope, that you don´t eat pumpkin (or squashes) only once a year for Halloween. Pumpkins are such stars that it would be a sin not to savour them, one by one, on another day than just on comercialised Halloween (especially when in season!).

Not only are pumpkins adorable for their beautiful shapes and colour, their nutritional benefits reach the sky! That gorgeous traffic-like orange colour indicates there is plent of beta-carotene hidden inside of this humble vegetable. Beta-carotene is converted into our body into a vitamin A, which aids vision and fight against cancer. 1 cup of pumpkin contains around 240% of the recommended daily intake of this vitamin.

Pumpkins are high in fiber, anti-oxidants, minerals and vitamins. Munching on this vegetable will leave you satisfied and happy, and you will also sleep better. No more sleepless nights, sleep aid pills, only pumpkins are needed!

If that wasn´t enough for you, you will find plenty of magnesium in them as well. This lovely mineral relaxes  your nervous system (hello, headaches!), promotes muscle growth and regulates bowel movements (no more constipation).

So what I am saying here? You should make friends with pumpkins, squashes and sweet potatoes if you haven´t done so. They will be your best doctor you can have. They won´t prescribe you any pille but provide health throughout the whole winter months. There are here to help you feel amazing and live longer, you would be crazy not to friend them.

Ways to enjoy pumpkins:

- make pumpkin puree: cut pumpkin into chunks, drizzle over some melted coconut oil or butter (or ghee), season with salt, massage the chunks, bake at 200°C on a baking paper, let cool, peel and mush

- roast them with other vegetables, 10 before they are done, toss through chickpeas or another mushy beans; when done, drizzle over some lovely pesto and eat with sourdough (one of my favourite comfort meals)

- scoop the inside of pumpkin, then stuff it, bake it and enjoy it (as in the recipe below) - and this, my friends, is unbelievable scrumptious!

- make muffins with cooked chunks of pumpkin

- use pumpkin puree in pancakes, wafles, cakes, pumpkin pies, smoothies, soups, chocolate shakes, granola bars, raw cakes and truffles

- top your morning brreakfast bowl with a few spoonfulls of this puree, sprinkle with plenty of ´sweet´ spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, cardamom, cloves and top with nuts

- or eat topped with toasted coconut flakes like I do!

Drunk and Stuffed Pumpkin 

1 big pumpkin or round squash
coconut oil, olive oil or butter
1 onion
2 fat garlic cloves
about 200 g chestnut mushrooms
fresh thyme (extra for serving)
bunch of fresh parsley, leaves picked (extra for serving)
1/2 cup rice (I adore using black rice); soaked overnight for better digestion, rinsed and cooked
100g - 200g of really nice feta cheese (optional)
big handful of walnuts
1/2 cup dried prunes
good-quality whiskey, enought to cover prunes
1 lemon, organic if possible
sea salt and pepper to taste

 


The hardest part-cutting out a top of a pumpkin (so end up with a lid) and scooping it out. Put your muscles into it! :-)

Wash your pumpkin from the outside, then dry it out. Using a bit of coconut oil, oil yours pumpkin all over - from the outside and inside as well. Do not fortget about cleaning and oiling the ´lid´ of your pumpkin.

Put the pumpkin on a baking sheet lined with baking paper.

Put your prunes in a small cup and cover with whiskey. Put on a side. (You could also do this the night before.

Preheat the oven to 200°C and let´s make the perfect and beautifully aromatic filling.

Cut your onion into small pieces. Heat some coconut oil in a pan over midium heat, add onion and sweat it until soft and glossy.

Add chopped mushrooms and let them do their thing. They will brown on the edges. Stir from time to time and make sure the pan is not crowded with mushrooms. Add chopped garlic and thyme leaves, salt and pepper. Cook them only for a while oor until lightly soft, nut mushy. You really want them to keep a little bit of their crunchy-ness.

Transfet the cooked mushrooms into a bowl to cool slightly.

Wipe the pan with kitchen towel and toast your walnuts until fragrant, then put them on a chopping board and cut them into chunks. Add them to your mushrooms together with parsley leaves and some more thyme leaves.

Add in lemon zest and a few splashes of lemon juice. Drain your prunes(keep the liquid), cut them into smaller pieces and add them to your mushroom mixture together with their liquid. Mix it all together very gently.

Fold in cooked rice and crumbled feta, if using.

Taste, adjust seasoning-should be amazing already.

Stuff your pumpkin with this beatiful mixture, cover it with the ´lid´ and bake for 1 hours, or until the flesh of your pumpkin is soft - check halfway through baking by piercing the knife inside of the pumpkin flesh.

When it´s baked, let cool for a while and serve this masterpiece. Sprinkle it with more thyme and parsley leaves, drizzle with olive oil and devour.

Ps. When I ate this stuffed pumpkin for the first time, I ate half of it. That´s how amazing that is.

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Naozaj verim v to, ze si vychutnavate chut dyne (pumpkin) a cukiet viac krat do roka ako len na Halloween. Bol by to naozaj hriech, nedopriat si taku nadhernu zeleninu, jednu po druhej, aj v ostatne dni v roku-hlavne, ked su v sezone.

Nielenze su tekvice nadherne svojimi farbami a kadejakymi tvarmi, ich zdravotne benefity sa dotykaju hviezd, take su pre nase telo carovne. Ta nadherna svietiaca cervena farba tekvic je znakom velkeho mnozstva beta-karotenu, ktory sa nenapadne skryva v tejto skromnej gulatej zelenine. Beta-karoten sa nam v tele premiena na vitamin A, ktory nase telo potrebuje ako sol! Vitamin A bojuje proti rakovine a zlepsuje nam zrak. Len 1 salka tekvice obsahuje viac ako 240% percent dennej davky tohto vitaminu. Uplne uzasne.

Tekvice su plne vlakniny, anti-oxidantov, mineralov a vitaminov. Po maskrteni tejto zeleniny budete stastnejsi, zdravsi a taktiez budete omnoho lepsie spavat! Takze, zakyvajte raz a navzdy tabletkam proti nespavosti a prebdenym nociam-zacnite si vychutnavat uyasne tekvice.

A ak by som vas tymto vsetkych este nepresvedcila, ze by ste sa mali skamaratit s tymito kraskami - su plne magnezia, ktore potrebujeme na upokojenie nasho nervoveho systemu (zdravim vsetkych, co trpia bolestami hlavy a su pod vianocnym stresom!), prispievaju k narast svalom (nebojte, nestanu sa z vas kulturisti po zjedeni tekvice) a reguluju spravne a pravidelne zachodove ritualy.

Takze so vam navrhujem? Aby ste sa pustili do vyjedania tekvice, cukiet a sladkych zemiakov vzdy, ked sa vam bude dat. Nielen jeden den v roku lebo sa to tak robi v Amerike. Tekvice vam budu jednym z tych najlepsich doktorov, ktori vam nepredpisu lieky ale poskytnu zdravie po celu chladnu zimu! Prosim, zoznamte sa a skamaratte sa.

Ako si vychutnat tekvicu?

- spravte si tekvicove pyre: nakrajajte si tekvicu na kusy, pomasirujte s kokosovym olejom (Alebo maslom, alebo ghee), posolte a pecte na pekaci vylozenym papierom na pecenie pri 200°C, nechajte vychladnut, zbavte sa supky a pomixujte na kasu

- upecte si tekvicu s ostatnou zeleninou, 10 minut predtym ako budete zelenina upecena do pekaca vhodte uvareny cicer, bielu fazulu alebo inu jemnu fazulku; podavajte s vasim oblubenym pestom a opecenym kvaskovym chlebikom (toto je jedno z mojich najoblubenejsich komfortnych jedal)

- tekvicu vydlabte, znova naplnte uzasnou plnkou, upecte a vychutnavajte do posledneho susta (tak ako v recepte nizsie)

- upecte si muffinky s uvarenymi kuskami tekvice

- pouzite tekvicove pyre v palacinkach, wafliach, kolacoch, tekvicovych kolacoch, smoothies, polievkach, cokoladovych ´sejkoch´, zdravych muesli tycinkach, ´raw´ kolacikoch a sladkostiach

- ozdobte si vasu ranajkovu kasu s par kopcovitymi lyzicami tekvicoveho pyre a posypte si to cele ´sladkymi´ koreninami ako skorica, badian, klinceky, cardamom, mlety zazvor, vanilka (samozrejme hovorim o mletych koreninach) - potom uz len posypte orieskami a maskrtte!

- alebo si ychutnavajte uvarenu tekvicu posypanu oprazenym kokosom ako to robim ja!

Opitá pečená tekvica

1 velka okruhla tekvica alebo cuketa
kokosovy olej
1 cibula
2 tucne struciky cesnaku
200g cerstvych hub
cerstvy tymian
cerstve petrzlenove listky, poriadny zvazok
100g - 200g dobrej fety (moze byt, no nemusi)
1/2 salky ciernej ryze, namocena cez noc kvoli lepsej stravitelnosti, rano preplachnuta a uvarena
1/2 salky susene slivky (nesirene)
kvalitna whiskey- dost na namocenie sliviek (ja som pouzila 12rocnu Strathisla, ktora pasovala ku slivkam neuveritelne lahodne)
hrst vlasakov
1 bio citron
morska sol a korenie podla chuti

Najprv nas caka to najtazsie-popasovat sa s tekvicou. Najprv si na vrchu tekvice vyrezeme ´pokrievku´. Pekne vykrojte vrch tekvice nozikom. Nasledne tekvicu vydlabte a zbavte vnutra. Celu ju umyte, osuste a poolelujte zvnutra a po vonku. nezabudnite na vasu ´pokrievku´ taktiez.

Hotovu tekvicu polozte na pekac, ktory ste si vylozili papierom na pecenie.

Ruru si predhrejte na 200°C.

Susene slivky zalejte whiskey. Mozete tento krok spravit aj vecer pred spanim, no nie je t nutnost.

Na panvici si rozohrejte trosku kokosoveho oleja (alebo masla) a pridajte na jemno nakrajanu cibulku. Cibulku orestujte do sklovita a potom do panvice prihodte na vacsie kusy nakrajane hubky.
Nemusite sa im nejako prilis venovat, same zacnu krasne hnednut a ´chrumkaviet´. Len sem tam ich pomiesajte a dajte si pozor na to, aby sa na panvici neprekryvali. Ked ste ich trosku povarili, pridajte ku nim najemno nakrajany cesnak, tymianove listky a dochutte solou a korenim. Chvilku povarte, dokym sa nezbavite tej surovej chuti cesnaku a prelozte do misy.

Panvicu pretrite papierovym obruskom a opecte na nej vlasaky, dokym nebudu vonave a krasne zlatave. Presypte ich na loparik a posekajte na vacsie kusky a pridajte ich ku vasim hubkam.

Pridajte trosku viacej tymianovych listkov, cerstvy petrzlen, koru z 1 citrona spolu s par splechmi citronovej stavy.

Namocene slivky nakrajajte na mensie kusky a spolu s whiskey ich pridajte ku hubkam. Vsetko jemne pomiesajte. Pridajte uvarenu ryzu, ´namrvenu´ fetu (ak pouzivate) a trosku soli a korenia.

Ochutnajte, zamilujte sa do tej skvelej chuti a ak treba, trosku viac dochutte.

Ked budete s chutou plnky spokojni, napchajte ju do vasej vydlabanej tekvice. Zakryte ´pokrievkou´ a pecte priblizne 1 hodinu, alebo dokym nie je tekvica krasne upecena a makka. Po prvej pol hodine pecenia tekvicu skontrolujte odokrytim pokrievky a zapichnutim nozika do tekvice - tak zistite ci je upecena alebo nie. A, povrch tekvice bude makky, no nie prepeceny. Abude to nadherne vonat!

Po upeceni nechajte tekvicu chvilku vychladnut a potom uz len toto svoje veldielo podavajte.

Podavajte poliate troskou olivoveho oleja a posypane cerstvymi tymianovymi a petrzlenovymi listkami. Ooo, mnam.

Ps. Ked som tuto pecenu tekvicu robila prvy krat, zjedla som polovicku z nej. Take to bolo famozne.

Chocolate, Rye and Beetroot Muffins. Čokoládovo-ražné muffinky s červenou repou.

I will speak to you for a while before I jump into the recipe for these finger-licking muffins.

´Listen to your body. It´s smarter than you.´

Our bodies are smart. Very smart. If they could win the Nobel Prize for telling us what we should be doing, they certainly would.

Our bodies always tell us what they need. But the question is whether we listen to them or not. Our bodies are sending us messages about how we feel all the time, our bodies talk to us. And the only way how to listen to it, is to tune every cell in your body, mind and heart into one. Take a deep breath, relax.

I believe that we don´t listen to it. To our body, to our heart. I mean it. When was the last time found yourself a quiet place, sat down and reflected quietly?

Well, try it, it´s never too late. It does wonders. It does wonders to your health, inside out. All of a sudden, you will realise, what you need to do, why you feel the way you feel. This doesn´t need to take long. Only take some time off your schedule, sink into yourself and be. Be you.
I know how challenging is to pay attention to ourselves-such a simple task to do. With everything that´s happening in this beautifully crazy world, we have started losing connections to the really important things in life, we stopped giving ourselves time to heal, relax, explore and play.

Let´s get back to ourselves. Let´s listen to what we need, what we want.Let´s sit down, close your eyes, be still. Appreciate the time that won´t come back and be. You will find answers for all of your questions.

So, we don´t listen or we listen too much. Just like when standing in front of our fridge, starving and not being able to decide what to eat. With billion of diets out there, we struggle to put together a meal that would fit into each of these extreme ´rules´ the society has created. People starve themselves or binge until they can no longer eat. They don´t embrace whole foods just like the Mother N intended, they buy ready-made meals as a shortcut to cooked dinner. If ony they were right. No wonder we are all confused about what to actually eat. Food shouldn´t be this complicated, right? That is just crazy. And that´s why everyone is super confused about what we should be actually eating. We hear this modern diets that appear to be like miracles, but they are not. They are guidelines which may work for some individuals, but not for every single precious human being.

And that´s why you should create your own rules, tune to your body and heart and listen to what you really need to be like for yourself. Your heart and body know the way, trust yourself.Eat whole foods, embrace what you think is best for you, nourish yourself. You are original, you are one of a kind. Take care of your body, it will take care of you.

-

I never crave chocolate. It is just not in me. But what I craved for the last couple of days was cacao. Bitter, beautiful, raw cacao. I had to have it. And this was the creation!

It´s only Tuesday, not even the middle of the week, and I am here, tempting you with chocolate muffins that taste like fudge and heaven mixed together. Forgive me. Fogive me and bake them. Everyone will adore them.

They are full of goodness like rye flour, ground almonds and beetroot. I know, don´t be put off. You love carrot cake? This is kind of similar. It is a beautiful vegetable that helps (chocolate!) cakes to stay moist. It lends them the earthy, decadent flavour. And I mean, chocolate and beetroot is THE combo in winter months.

 


So why is beetroot great for you? The list of its health benefetis goes on and on ;it is quite possibly endless. But here are some highlights of this gorgeous vegetable.
Rich in fiber, magnesium, vitamin C (forget about citrus fruit and enjoy these instead!), iron, copper. It is anti-inflammatory, fights cancer, helps clease the blood and liver. They protect us against heart diseas. Contains folic acid which is super important for for the production of new cells. Beetroots are natural energy boosters, they are rich in potassium. They are full of antioxidants and improve memory! I mean, for something so small and gorgeously red-it´s quite something, isn´t it? :-) So, eat your beets, eat them in salads and with cacao as well! :-)

 


Chocolate, Rye and Beetroot Muffins

1 cup wholemeal rye flour
1/2 cup light rye flour
1/2 cup ground almonds
5 tbs cacao powder
2 tsp baking powder (phosphate free)
1 tsp baking soda
pinch of sea salt
2 eggs, divided
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4-3/4 cup maple syrup, brown rice syrup or honey
1 cup plant based milk (coconut milk, almond..)
1 big or 2 smaller beetroots
50 g good quality dark chocolate, chopped (with at least 85% cacao content) - optional

First of all, grate your beetroot. It might take some time to grate it finely and you will end up with purple hands, but it is quite fun. And so worth it-you are just about to bake beautiful muffins!

Preheat your oven (with washed hands) to 200°C. Line a muffin pan with muffin cases.

Mix together flours, ground almonds, baking powder, baking soda and tiny pinch of salt. And cacao with almost all of your chopped chocolate - very important not to forget to mix in the cacao and chocolate as that´s what it is all about! :-)

In another bowl, whipp up together egg yolks and sweetnener of your choice ontil fluffy, light and beautifully yellow. Add in oil, milk.

Fold your dry mixture into the egg yolk fluff - mix only about 5 times, donot over mix your muffin dough. Never.

Fold in beetroot, mix until just combined.

Add in 1/2 of the whipped egg whites, slowly. Add the rest, combine until just folded through, light and airy. Don´t overmix as you will lose all of the air of the egg whites.

Pour the beautiful batter into your muffins cases until 3/4 full.

Sprinkle some reserved chocolate on top if desired. Bake for about 15-20 minutes, until the skewer inserted in the middle of your muffin comes out still a bit stick, but not too wet. You want them to be beautifully moist.

Store in the fridge for about 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.

Serve them with milk on a side, still warm from the oven. They are also delicious a bit cold from the fridge as they taste like a chocolate fudge or brownies! :)

Listen to yourself, enjoy these beauties and soak in all of the goodness in your life.
Love, Katy.

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Predtym ako sa pustime do tychto uzasnych muffiniek, trosku sa vam tu rozpisem.

´Pocuvajte svoje telo. Je mudrejsie ako vy. ´

Nase telo je mudre. Velmi mudre. Ak by malo vyhrat Nobelovu cenu za to, ze nam neustale vysiela do hlavy signaly ako a co s nim mame robit, tak tu cenu by teda rozhodne dostalo.

Nase telo nam vzdy hovori, ako sa citi. Myslim ale, ze je tu jeden velky problem v tom, ze nikdy ho nepocuvame. Posiela nam spravy, varovne signaly a tajne sifry, ktorym by sme mali porozumiet. A na to nam staci jedine-naladit kazdy kusok svojho tela, duse a srdca; zatvorit si oci, zhlboka dychat, relaxovat a pocuvat.

Naozaj verim v to, ze by sme mali opat zacat pocuvat vsetko, s cim sa nam nase telo posepky zveruje. Teraz vazne-kedy ste si naposledy sadli niekde na tiche a osamele miesto, len vy so sebou samym, a len ste vnimali samych seba?

Mozno nikdy. Ale nevadi, nikdy nie je neskoro zacat pocuvat. Prinasa to zazraky vam, vasmu telu a vasej mysli. Zrazu si yacnete uvedomovat co mate robit, preco to mate robit a preco sa citite ako sa citite. A ani to nemusi trvat dlhe hodiny. Zacnite s par minutami, kde pre vas vsetko ostatne prestane existovat a len budete. Budete v momente.

Naozaj viem, ake tazke je venovat sa samemu sebe; venovat si cas v tomto nabitom zivote, ktore je tak krasne sialeny. Ale uz to zachadza daleko, moc sa stracame a nevieme cestu naspat. Zabudame na tie jednoduche veci v zivote, kedy musime spomalit, dat si cas na zahojenie vsetkeho cim prechadzame, dat si cas na objavovanie a zabavu.

Tak to skusme. Skusme pocuvat co nam nase uzasne telo hovori-co potrebujeme a co chceme. Sadnime si, zavrime oci a budme. Vazme si cas, ktory sa uz nikdy nevrati. Yapocuvajte sa a najdete odpovede na vase otazky.

Takze, bud nepocuvame alebo pocuvame az prilis. Ay dovtedy, dokym sa neocitneme v kuchyni pred chladnickou, vyhladovani na smrt po dlhanskom dni v praci a nebyt schopni sa rozhodnut co vlastne jest, cim nakrmit unavene a hladne telo. Z kazdej strany sa na nas valia rozne pravidla ako jest, co jest, co nejest, co uplne vyhodit z jedalnicka a na co uplne zabudnut. A tak zabudame na to, ze jedlo by malo byt potesenie a nie trapenie. Malo by nas dobit energiou a nie v nas vzbudzovat pocit viny za to, ze ´nesplname´ pravidla stravovania, ktore mozu pomahat jednemu, no nie vsetkym. kzady sme original, kazdy sme jedinecny a iny. Tak si vytvorte vase vlastne pravidla; pocuvajte vase telo a dusu-oni vedia kam ist. Papajte tak, aby ste nakrmili kazdu vasu bunku zivinami, ktore potrebuje. Jedzte tak, aby ste si vychutnali zivot kazdym duskom (a sustom). Starajte sa o vase telo, vase telo sa postara o vas.

-

Skoro nikdy nemam chut na cokoladu. Ano, viem, znie t neuveritelne. Az ked minuly tyzden, mi na chut prisla cokolada, vlastne lepsie povedane, kakao. Horka chut neprazeneho kakaa, ktoru som do seba potrebovala dostat. No, a tu je vysledok :)

Viem, ze je streda vecer a do vikendu ostava este vela casu. Prepacte mi. Prepacte mi a tieto skvele muffinky si upecte hned ako budete moct. Uplne sa do nich zblaznite!
Su plne samych dobrych veci ako napriklad razna muka, mlete mandle a cervena repa. Ano, cervena repa. Ale nezlaknite sa, tak isto ako sa nelakate, ked si vychutnavate kusok mrkvoveho kolaca.

Zelenina ´poziciava´ kolacom uzasnu vlacnost, jemnost a naturalnu sladkost; jemnu zemitu chut a uzasnost. A ta kombinacia cokolady a cervenej repy je neodolatelna. A nieco take rozhodne musite mat v tychto chladnych mesiacoch!

Cervena cvikla je pre nas nesmierne zdrava. Zacnem tym, ze je plna antioxidantov, vlakniny, zeleza, vitaminu C (dajte organizmu trosku vydychnut od citrusov), horcika, kyseliny listovej. Je to naturalny zivota budic, pomaha v boji proti rakovine a v boji proti ochoreniam srdca. Nieco co je tak malicke, toho v sebe ukryva neurekom. Do toho, s cviklou do salatov a kolacov! :-)

Čokoládovo-ražné muffinky s červenou repou

1 salka celozrnnej raznej muky
1/2 salky raznej hladkej muky
1/2 salky pomletych mandli
2 lyzicky prasku do peciva (bezfosfatovy prasok do peciva)
1 lyzicka sody bikarbony
stipka soli
5 lyzic praveho a poriadneho kakaa (ja pouzivam vzdy raw - neprazene kakao)
2 poriadne vajicka od stastnych sliepok
1/3 salky olivoveho oleja
1/4-3/4 salky javoroveho sirupu, medu, ryzoveho sladu (vsetko zalezi na vasej chuti-ak by ste chceli mat muffinky krasne horke po cokolade a kakau, odporucam pouzit tak 1/3-1/2 salky sladidla; ak chcete aby boli muffinky sladucke, pouzite 3/4 salky sladidla-experimentujte!:)
1 salka rastlinneho mlieka alebo mlieka podla vasej chuti (ja zboznujem pouzivat kokosove!)
1 velika cervena cvikla alebo 2 mensie
50 g  kvalitnej horkej cokolady (obsah kakao aspon 85%) - moze byt, no nemusi

Najprv dajte vsetko bokom a pustite sa do struhania cvikle. Postruhajte ju na jemnucko-pouzite tie najmensie zubky na vasom struhadle. Trosku to potrva, no verte mi, je to celkom sranda. A stoji to za to-peciete predsa uzasne cokoladove muffinky!

Predhrejte si ruru na 200°C (umyte si ruky, lebo naozaj nechcete mat nic krasne ruzove od cvikly). Formu na muffinky si vylozte papierovymi kosickami. Nasekajte si cokoladu na male kusky.

V mise si spolu zmiesajte muky, mlete mandle, prasok do peciva, sodu bikarbonu, stipku soli, cacao a vacsinu cokolady (nieco si nehajte na dozdobenie muffiniek).

V inej miske si spolu do zlta a penista vymiesajte zltka so sladidlom vasej chuti. Potom pridajte olej a mlieko.

Primiesajte vase sypke ingrediencie do zltkoveho zakladu-premiesajte len par krat, dokym sa hmoty neprepoja.

Zlahka primiesajte vasu nastruhanu cviklu.

Vymiesajte si bielka do peny. Pridajte 1/2 bielok do cokoladoveho cesta, jemne premiesajte a pridajte zbytok bielkov. Snazte sa zbytocne moc nepremiesavat cesto-znicili by ste tie krasne vzduchove bublinky zo snehu z bielkov.

Cesto porozdelujte do muffinkovych kosickov - plnte do 3/4 kosickov. Posypte vasimi zvysnymi cokoladovymi kuskami.

Pecte asi tak 15-20 minut, dokym nie su krasne ´nafuknute´. Skuste sparatkovy test po 15tich minutach pecenia-sparatko by malo po zapichnuti do stredu muffinky byt stale trosku lepkave, no nie moc mokre od cesta a uz vobec nie suche - chcete mat muffinky krasne vlacne!

Skladujte v chladnicke po dobu 3 dni alebo zamrazte aby ste ich nezjedli vsetky naraz po dobu 3 mesiacov.

Najepsie chutia teple so salkou mlieka alebo chladne z chladnicky-vtedy chutia skoro ako brownies!

Uzite si pecenie, pocuvajte vlastne telo (je vasim najlepsim doktorom) a nasiakne do seba vsetko to dobre z tohto sveta.

S laskou, Katka.

Very Green Quinoa Patties. Veľmi zelené placky z quinoi.

I know how people look at vegetarian patties or fritters. To most of them, vegetarian patties are flavourless, dry, weirdly brown and mushy.

Well, these beauties are different. And delicious. In every way possible.

These are so good, they convert every meat lover into munching on them. I am speaking out of my very own experience. My boy tried them and loved them. My very dear friend tried them. She was getting down on her knees with her arms up in the air, because they were that delicious. So now you have to try it for yourself! Because if you don´t believe a woman when she puts her hands up in the air, boy, you are in a trouble. :-)

There are no beans in these as people might think. They are full of green plant power thanks to broccoli, kale, spinach, parsley and spring onions. You will be beautifully satisfied after eating only a few, as quinoa is quite filling. And together with oats and eggs, these are the powerhouses for whoever is hungry and in need for a clean meal.

You are more than welcome to use any kind of seed or grain, any type of green leaves you have lying around, any spices you fancy. This is a good starting point for anyone who has never tried making their own patties. It is easy, it is fun and it is sure delicious.

Serve this with a salad, on a bed of kale leaves, in a wholegrain bun, next to a creamy soup or just as it is with avocado, radishes, tomatoes, lemon juice and black pepper.

Very Green Quinoa Patties

1 cup cooked quinoa
1 big handful broccoli florets
1 cup kale leaves, spinach leaves or whatever green leaves you have around
1 spring onion
2 cloves of garlic
handful of parsley, chopped
a few sprigs of dill, leaves picked
2 happy eggs (organic and free range - ask your farmer, he will know :-)
handful of oats
zest of 1 organic lemon
50g feta, crumbled (more to serve) or parmesan cheese/pecorino
sea salt and pepper to taste
coconut oil for ´frying´
vegetables of your choice to serve

In a food processor, chop your broccoli florets until small pieces resemble. You want pieces the size of cooked quinoa or slightly bigger.

Tip into a bowl and mix together with quinoa, shredded kale or spinach, minced garlic, chopped spring onion, chopped parsley, dill, 2 eggs, zest of 1 organic lemon, sea salt, pepper.

You should end up with a fairly wet mixture. Crumble in feta cheese (or parmesan or pecorino). Mix lightly. Add a handful of oats and mix it properly so the oats can absorb any unwanted liquid.

Bring it all together, form into a ball and put in the dridge for at least 30-45 minutes.

Take it out of the fridge. Try to form one pattie. If it holds together when squished, you are good to go. If not, no problem. Just throw in one more egg or a few tablespoons of oats, depending on the texture. There is always a way to fix it, so no panic. The moisture depends on how old your cooked quinoa is, or how big the eggs are.

When all patties are made, you can put them back to the fridge so they can firm up a bit more, or you can freeze them for later. But, I bet that you are hungry so let´s get cooking!

In a medium pan, heat up 1 tablespoon of coconut oil (or butter). When hot, gently fry your patties until golden brown over a medium heat. Then gently flip over and fry on the other side until golden brown as well.

Serve warm or cold with steamed kale, sauerkraut, cherry tomatoes and more feta and parsley.

Enjoy this clean meal, nourish your body and soul. High five to a beautiful way of enjoying the power of plants. (with a bit of help from the eggs and feta :-)

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Presne si viem predstavit ako sa ludia tvaria, ked sa pozeraju na vegetarianske ´fasirky´ a placky. Pozeraju sa na ne ako na nieco, co je suche, mdle, bez chuti, nevyraznej hnedej farby a ociam nie velmi vabne. Drahi priatelia, takym dnom je ale koniec. Aspon u nas. A verim, ze po vyskusani tychto krasiek date suchym a nezazivnym plackam zbohom aj vy.

Verte mi, tieto placky su ine. Ine a tak uzasne!

Su take dobre, ze prehovoria aj tu najmasovejsiu dusu na svete, aby si na nich pochutnavala. Tak je, rozpravam z vlastnej skusenosti. Moj chlapec ich vyskusal a vracal sa k tanieru po dalsie. Ked ich vyskusala moja draha priatelka, sla ay do kolien a rukami vo vyduchu mavala od radosti ake je nieco take vyborne mozne. Tak sa presvedcte sami. Lebo ak neverite ani zene, ktora ma ruky vo vzduchu, zle je! :-)

Vegetarianske ´fasirky´ a placky su vacisnou pripravene z popucenych fazuliek. No nie teto. Tieto krasky maju od toho velmi daleko. Su plne krasnej zlenej farby vdaka brocolice, kelu, petrzlenovej vnatky, kopru a jarnej cibulky.K uspokojeniu hladu vam ich bude stacit len zo par, vdaka comu mozme dakovat quinoi-pekne zasyti. No a vdaka vlockam a vajickam su tieto krasky ako nutricne bomby pre kazdeho hladneho, ktory ma chut na zdrave a ciste jedlo.

Namiesto quinoi mozete pouzit aj hocijake ine semiacka ci obilniny, podla toho co mate k dispozicii a co vam chuti. Zeleninu si taktiez mozete vybrat podla chuti, koreniny necham na vas tiez. Pekne expreimentujte. Tieto ´fasirky´ su skvele ako zakladny recept, ktory si mozete vysperkovat podla chuti. Su velmi chutne, vyzivne a je zabava si ich pripravovat.

Podavajte ich so salatom, v mise, ktoru vysteliete kelovymi listami, v celozrnnej zemli, ku polievke.
Alebo len tak same s avokadom, redkovkami, paradajkami, citronovou stavou a korenim.


Veľmi zelené placky z quinoi

1 salka uvarenej quinoi
1 velka hrst brokolicovych hlavok
1 salka kelovych alebo spenatovych listov (alebo cokolvek zelene, co sa vam doma povaluje), pokrajane
1 jarna cibulka
2 struciky cesnaku
hrst vnatkovych listkov, pokrajanych
par stoniek nakrajaneho kopru
2 stastne vajicka (organicke z volneho chovu-spytajte sa na ne vasho farmara, urcite bude vediet, kde ich zohnat :-)
hrst vlociek
postruhana kora z 1 organickeho citronu
50g fety (plus viac na podavanie) alebo postruhany parmezan/pecorino
morska sol a korenie podla chuti
kokosovy olej na opekanie
zelenina na podavanie

V mixeri pokrajajte vase brokolicove hlavky na malicke kusocky-nieco o velkosti ubarenej quinoi alebo o cosi vacsie. Prelozte do misy.

Pridajte ku brokolici quinou, nakrajane kelove alebo spenatove listy, najemno nastruhany cesnak,nakrajanu jarnu cibulku, pokrajanu vnatku, kopor, 2 vajicka, citronovu koru, sol a korenie.
Poriadne premiesajte.

Do misy nadrobte vasu fetu alebo syr podla priania a rukami zamiesajte aj spolu s hrstou vlociek. Vlocky nasiaknu vsetky prebytocne stavy zo zeleniny a vdaka nim a vajickam, budu nase placky pekne drzat po kope.

Z hmoty vytvarujte gulu a vlozte v mise do chladnicky aspon na 30-45 minut. Vyberte z chladnicky a skuste vytvarovat kompaktnu ´fasirku´, ktora pekne drzi po kope. Ak sa vam zmes trosku rozsypa, pridajte jedno vajicko naviac alebo par lyzic vlociek. Vytvarujte fasirky.

Teraz mozte fasirky preniest do chladnicky, aby este chvilku odlezali a pri vareni si drzali svoj tvar, alebo ich jednoducho zamrazte na neskor. Ale, kedze ste hladni, dame sa do varenia!

Na panvici si roztopte 1 lyzicu kokosoveho oleja (alebo masla) a na miernom ohni si opecte svoje ´fasirky´ dokym nie su krasne zlatavo hnede na oboch stranach. Pri ich obracani budte opatrni, na kolko su delikatne a nechte ich potrhat.

Podavajte ich teple alebo chladne s kelovymi listami, kyslou kapustou, cherry paradajkami, a troskou fety a vnatky navrchu.

Nech sa paci, krasne jedlo mate na tanieri. Vase telo a dusa sa vam za to odvdacia :)
Dobru chut!

Poppy Seed Squares and Superfoods. Makové kocky a superfoods.

I believe in whole foods. I believe, that the food can be your medicine as our Mother Nature has intented. And I believe, that the food is here for celebrating, for pleasure and for nourishing and healing every single cell in our body.

Every country has its own beautiful foods that were there, enjoyed through many generations for their different health benefits. And their flavour and taste of course! So don´t get fooled; you don´t have to buy everything from the shelves from your local health food shop just so you could stack on every seed there is, every superfood green powder known. The simplest thing you have to do is to look around you. Look into your grandmother´s kitchen and see what she cooks with, how she embraces the traditions that were passed onto her from her mother. It might be a small thing like using butter instead of nasty vegetables oils; it might be slow cooking instead of frying. Everything they do, they do for a reason. And we al know, that older generations of people really knew how to nourish themselves. They ate less, they made the most out of their food, they respected whatever beautiful food was on the table, they sat down to a meal. And their fed their families with their own superfoods.

In Slovakia, we always knew that making our own sauerkraut made for a happy and healthy family.
Families always make it a special sauerkraut day when they manage to drag home 20kg bag of cabbage. They lay out rugs and carpets across the kitchen, they take out this wooden ´razor´ from behind their cupboards and the fun bits begins. Slicing and cutting cabbages into thin strips and pressing them into a ceramic barrel with spices, salt, apples and beetroot. Fun for the whole family, tradition that we still love embracing. And then the moment of fermenation starts, where we wait for the sauerkrat to be ready, smelly and sauer so we could munch on it everytime we pass the barrel!

Or, what we always do - stuffing our cakes with plenty of homegrown walnuts. Because we always knew they are good for you. And that they taste delicious, make the filling of cakes crunchy and make your brain works amazingly!

We know, that the cheese we can get from a nearby farm is cheese like no other - traditionally made with farmers who wouldn´t trade their sheeps and goats for nothing in this world. They pamper them so they could provide an amazing cheese that makes for the best tasting cheese we use for preparing our traditional meal. Full of good stuff your body craves, full of goodness and flavour you can´t get enough of.

We also know, that kefir, the beautiful sour milk with living bacteria, keeps your gut healthy. It does wonders for your digestion and immune system. It helps to stimulate the endurance of your immune system, it fights against nasty bacteria that wanders through your gut, it works brilliantly as a natural waz of getting rid of constipation and immflamatory problems. And it tastes incredible with roasted potatoes - my grandfather´s favourite meal eaten with the oldest wooden spoon right out of a pan.

And also, there is this beautiful ´super´ food I adore - humble poppy seeds. If I had a day-to-day supplier of them, I would eat them every day. I have never seen poppy seeds that are eaten in such an amouts enywhere else in the world than in my lovely homeland - Slovakia. We grind them and eat them in sweet buns, strudels, mixed with pasta as a sweet main dish - or - I eat them with a spoon straight from a bag. or mixed with coconut yoghurt. This stuff is so brilliant! And have I mentioned they get along really well with apples, cinnamon and walnuts? There you go - everything you need for beautiful skin, hair, nails, bones, good digestion - under one roof! :) In most countries, growing poppy seeds is simply forbidden - they contain an opium which will make you go funny if eaten in a really large quantities. Nothing to worry about if you enjoy it as a normal human being.

Poppy seeds are full of calcium, fibre, iron, zinc, magnezium, protein, omega 3 and 6, full of folic acid and plenty of other vitamins. Incredible for such a tiny seed, isn´t it?! It helps your immune system to stay strong, makes you sleep and go to toilet better, it helps with lowering the bad ´LDL´ cholesterol, calms your nervous system.. I mean, the list goes on and on and on.

And that´s why I created this beautiful cake. The pastry is not that important (although is really scrumptious, tasty and buttery; and made with rye flour that´s full of B vitamins), I just needed something that will hold the gorgeous poppy seed paste together.

When there are people with iron deficiency; people who suffer from dry hair and nails; people who need to help their immune system - they tend to swallow ridiculously big and funky tasting pills - this is much tastier and kinder way how to nourish ourselves, don´t you think? :)

They are insanely good for you, totally scrumptious, moist and addicting. Be careful about getting drugged from these, though!:)

 


Poppy Seed Squares

210g rye flour (I used 180g wholemeal rye and 30g white rye)
140g good quality butter
1 happy egg
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1 tsp honey

200g ground poppy seeds
200 ml coconut milk (full fat!)
100 ml water
2 cinnamon sticks
2 stars of anise
1 tsp vanilla extract
zest of 1 organic lemon
1 egg
splash of rum or a bit more vanilla extract
ground cinnamon to taste
handful of walnuts, chopped
honey or maple syrup to taste (the first time I baked this cake, I used 1 tablespoon of honey, now I don´t sweeten it at all as I found the natural sweetness of coconut milk and spices to be enough)
1-2 apples, optional

Make the pastry. Mix together flours and salt. Rub in chopped butter, honey and egg. Knead the dough lightly until it comes together. It is ok to have some visible pieces of batter in the pastry. Put it into a plastic bag and let rest in a fridge for at least 1/2 hour.

Meantime, make your gorgeous poppy seed filling. Put coconut milk, water and poppy seeds to a pan over medium heat. Add cinnamon sticks, stars of anise and bring to a gentle simmer. Lower the heat and simmer until the mixture thickens. This should take something around 15-20 minutes. Add sweetner of your choice according to your taste.

Turn off the heat and mix in lemon zest, rum and vanilla. Leave to cool. Take out the cinnamon sticks and stars of anise and then mix in chopped walnuts, cracked egg and shredded apple if using. Taste the mixture, add more cinnamon if desired.

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease a small square tin with butter and sprinkle some rye flour over the tin.

Flour your surface. Cut the pastry into 2 equal pieces and roll each piece into the size of your baking pan. Put one piece on the bottom of your pan and prick with fork.

Transfer the paste on top of the pastry and spread out evenly. Lick the spoon you used.
Put the rolled out pastry on top and prick with fork. Brush the pastry with melted butter or egg and bake for about 30 minutes until beautifully golden brown and smelling fantastic.

Leave to cool before slicing. Serve sprinkled with walnuts and maybe drizzled with maple syrup or honey if serving this for men or very sweet people :-)


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Verim v zdrave potraviny. Verim, ze jedlo je nasim liekom na vsetko mozne tak ako to matka prirody mala v umysle uz od zaciatku. A verim, ze uzasne a zdrave jedlo nam sluzi na oslavu zivota, potesenie a na vyzivu a liecenie kazdej jednej bunky v nasom tele.

Kazda krajina na svete ma svoje tradicne liecive potraviny, ktore boli v danej krajine uz odjakziva pre svoje blahodarne ucinky. A samozrejme aj pre ich uzasnu chut! Takze sa nedajte poblaznit tymi najnovsimi ´superfoods;´necitte sa, ze musite vykradnut vas najblizsi zdravy obchod o vsetko, co je vystavene na polickach; nemusite mat doma zasobu vsetkych semiacok od vymyslu sveta a nemusite prepadnut panike, ak vam doma chyba jacmenny prasok. Staci vam spravit jedine-poobzerat sa okolo seba, kde zijete. Navstivte vase staru mamu v kuchyni a potichu ju sledujte. Sledujte s cim vari, ako vari.

Vsimnite si ake tradicne potraviny pouziva. Mozu to byt malickosti. Moze to byt pouzivanie domaceho masla namiesto hnusnych a lacnych slnecnicovych olejov. Moze to byt pomale varenie a pecenie namiesto prudkeho vyprazania. Vsetko co sa stari rodicia naucili od svojich rodicov ma opodstatnenie; vsetko co robia, robia pre nejaky dovod, ktory vzdy tak bozsky chuti. A popravde, ta starsia generacia ludi naozaj velmi dobre vedela, co dat svojmu telu aby ho mali v co najlepsom stave. Domace jedla, bylinky, laska, stastie. jednoduche, vsak?:) V starsich casoch im to vsetko fungovalo. Jedli menej, smiali sa viac. Z jedla vytazili vzdy maximum a vzdy nim setrili.
Respektovali vsetko jedlo, co sa polozili na stol a ku zvieratam sa spravali s respektom. Ku jedlu si vzdy sadli za stol-vsetci do jedneho. A telo si chranili svojimi vlastnymi a tradicnymi ´superfoods´.

U nas na Slovenku mame takych ´zazracnych´ potravin neurekom.

Uz odjakziva sme vedeli, ze vyrabat si vlastnu domacu kyslu kapuste je nieco viac ako len napchat pokrajanu kapustu do sudka. Je a bol to vzdy celodenny rodinny projekt, kde sa spoza skrin vytiahli drevene noze a po celej kuchyni sa prestreli koberce a igelit. Cez dvere sa prnieslo 20 kilove vrece kapustnych hlav a zacalo sa velke krajanie kapusty. A ta najlepsia cast celeho kapustovania? cela rodina bola pri tom a cela rodina tlacila kapustu od sudka so vsetkymi tymi koreninami, kuskami jablcok a solou. Potom sa uy len sudok zavrel a cakalo sa dni a dni az pokym kapusta nezacala zblnkovat a smiesne vonat po celom byte. A fermentovana kapusta bola na svete. Ten najlepsi liek na chorobu a ten najchutnejsi sposob ako si pochutnat na vitamine C a zivych bakteriach.

Alebo si u nas v rodnej zemi nevieme vynachvalit domace orechy, na ktorych maskrtime v kolacovych plnkach. Vzdy sme vedeli, ze nielen chutia uzasne, ale su propesne pre cele telo-od vlasov, nechotv, pokozke az po ten najmudrejsi organ v nasom tele. Vlasaky sa u nas pestuju uy po cele generacie a chrumkaju kazdy den.

Bryndza je syr, ktory vieme, ze je ako ziadny iny. A ak pochadza z nedalekej lokalnej farmy, vieme, ze pan domaci farmar by svoje ovce a kozy nevymenil za najdrahsie zlato na svete. Stara sa o zvierata poctivo, rozmaznava ich a odmenou je syr, ktory je taky maly slany zazrak pre kazdeho slovaka, pre kazdeho gurmana! Syr plny dobreho, ktore nase telo chce a plny chuti, ktora je tak jedinecna.

Taktiez doma vieme, ze kefir, to uzasne huste a kysle mlieko so zivymi bakteriami, nam pomoze zostat zdravymi. Kefir robi zazraky pre nas zazivaci trakt a imunitu. Pomaha zlepsovat vykon nasho imunitneho systemu, bojuje proti zlym bakteriam v nasom zazivacom trakte a je naozaj paradnym pomocnikom pri odstranovani zapchy a zapalov v tele. A co naviac, chuti uplne neodolatelne s pecenymi zemiakmi-jedlo mojho stare otca, ktory jedol zemiaky priamo z panvice s tou najstarsou varechou.

A ako by som len nemohla spomenut jednu z tych najzasnejsich potravin ako u ans doma mame?

Mak, uzasne skromny a tak vyborny mak. Keby som mala donasku maku vsade tam, kde sa po svete pohybujem, jedla by som tieto drobnulinke semiacka radosti kazdulinky den. V ziadnej krajine nejedia mak v takyxch mnozstvach ako u nas doma a myslim, ze sme tym aj velmi znami. Sudiac podla makovych usmevv na fotkach :-) Mak mlety je tak uzasna potravina! Najlepsie chuti v strudlach plnenych jablckami a vlasakmi, v pecenych buchtach, sladkych cestovinach - ja ich najradsej vyjedam velkou lyzicou priamo zo sacku alebo ich zmiesam s kokosovym jogurtom. A najnovsie je u nas makova klasika v podobe tohto kolaca-uzasne jemne a stavnate makove kocky.

Mak je plny vapnika, vlakniny, zinku, zeleza, horcika, bielkovinn, omega 3 a 6 mastnych kyselin, plny kyseliny listovej a dalsich uzasnych vitaminov. Je to nieco uzasne, ked si predstavite, ze vsetko toto sa skryva v takych malickych zrnieckach, vsak? Vsetko co potrebujete pre krasne nechty, vlasy, zdrave kosti a stastny traviaci trakt mate pod jednou strechou! :)

Mak pomaha proti nespavosti, napomaha aby vas imunitny sytem zostal silny aj cez chripkove obdobie, pomaha znizovat ten ´zly´ cholesterol v krvi, upokojuje vasu nervovu sustavu.. s tymi priaznivymi ucinkami by som mohla teda pokracovat este dalej.. Je to uzasna potravina, s ktoriu to ale moc neprezente - opium ma na nas ucinky podobne ako droga, ale to by ste toho maku tda naozaj museli jest pozehnane vela. Takze pri normalnych davkach sa nicoho nebojte :)

Tento kolacik je poctou nasmu milovanemu maku. Stavnata makova plnka ochutena skoricou a citronovou korou je zabalena v jemnom maslovom ceste z raznej muky, ktora je plna B vitaminov. O to cesto vlastne ani tak nejde, potrebovala som len nieco lahodne, co by tu uzasnu plnku drzalo pokope. Tak to teda mate tu, vynikajuce makove kocky.

Ak trpite nedostatkom zeleza alebo ak su vase nechty a vlasy pomalane; ak chcete podat pomocnu ruku vasej imunite v boji proti kadejakym bacilom; zabudnite na tabletky, roznych obtiaznych tvarov a divnych chuti-tieto kocky su omnoho ucinnejsia a krajsia cesta ako si doplnit deficit vitaminov. Nemyslite ?! :-) Su pre vas sialene zdrave, maximalne lahodne, stavnate a navykove. Len to s nimi neprezente, aby ste sa z nich nepredavkovali! :-)

Makové kocky

210 g raznej muky (pouzila som 180g celozrnnej raznej a 30g hladkej raznej muky)
140g poctiveho masla
1 stastne vajicko
1/2 lyzicky jemnej morskej soli
1 lyzicka mediku, poriadneho

200g mleteho maku
200ml plnotucneho kokosoveho mlieka
100ml vody
kora z 1 bio citrona
2 zvitky skorice (mam na mysli skoricu celu:)
2 hviezdicky badianu
1 stastne vajicko
splech rumu alebo viac vanilkoveho extraktu
mleta skorica podla chuti
medik, javorovy sirup alebo ryzovy slad na dosladenie (prve razy som plnku sladila tak lyzicou medu, no posledne razy som plnku varila uplne bez sladidla-skorica, vanilka a kokosove mlieko mi na naturalnu sladkost uplne stacia:)
1-2 jablcka, moze byt nemusi

Najprv si pripravte cesto. V miske si spolu zmiesajte muky a sol. Pridajte na kocky pokrajane maslo, medik a vajicko a rukami vpracujte do muk. Vsetko spolu premiesajte dokym sa cesto nespoji. Mozu vam v ceste zostat aj kusky masla, to je uplne v poriadku. Zabalte do sacku a cesto odlozte do chladnicky aspon na 30 minut. Alebo dokym si nepripravite plnku.

V kastroliku si zmiesajte vodu, kokosove mlieko a mak. Pridajte zvitky skorice, badian a privedte k varu. Ked to vsetko zacne pekne bublat, stiste plamen a varte, dokym vam plnka nezhustne. To by malo trvat asi tak 15-20 minut.

Po dovareni plnky z nej vylovte skoricove zvitky a badian (mozte ich umyt a opat pouzit pri dalsom vasom peceni). Potom vasu plnku osladte, pridajte koru z citrona, vanilku a rum. Plnku ochutnajte a pridajte viac mletej skorice alebo vanilky (alebo rumu?!), ak po tom tuzite. Nechajte vychladnut a vmiesajte do plnky nasekane vlasaky, postruhane jablcko a vajicko. Vsetko spolu poriadne premiesajte.

Ruru si predhrejeme na 180°C. Mensiu stvorcovu formu si vymazeme maslom a vysypeme mukou.

Z chladnicky si vyberte vase cesto. Rozdelte ho na dve casti a kazdu cast rozvalkajte na pomucenej ploche do velkosti vasho plechu.

Preneste jeden vyvalkany plat na spodok formy. Poprepichujte vidlickou. Naneste do formy vasu makovu plnku, povrch vyrovnajte a zakryte zvysnym vyvalkanym cestom. Opat poprepichujte vidlickou. Cesto potrite rozlahanym vajickom alebo roztopenym maslom a pecte vo vyhriatej rure asi 30 minut do zlatova a krasne vonvana.

Kolac krajajte vychladnuty a podavajte s nasekanymi vlasakmi a mozno aj s lyzicou dobreho husteho jogurtu. Ak kolac servirujete chlapom, polejte ho troskou medu alebo javorovym sirupom.

Nech vam chuti!