Savory Kale & Egg

I love rustic, simple dishes like this one. They are both healthy and hearty. They somehow remind me homemade comfort foods. Roasted kale with fragrant garlic is so crunchy and yummy. Protein-rich eggs are then nestled into the bed of kale, where they gently bake to perfection. Serve with a toast or better yet, with homemade flatbread!

 

Ingredients

• 120g chopped kale
• 100g mushrooms
• 2 large eggs
• few slices of bacon
• red onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• herbs and spices (cumin, sweet paprika, ground garlic, pepper, thyme, turmeric)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF (190ºC).
2. In a large frying pan, over medium-heat, melt some oil. Add chopped mushrooms and fry them until golden brown. Add slices of bacon and chopped onion. Stir well and fry for another 2-3 minuted. Add kale all over the frying pan. Turn down the heat and let it roast untill kale is soft.
3. Transfer the pre-cooked veggie-bacon mix into casserole dish, add chopped garlic cloves. Gently crack some eggs onto the mixture, spice it up, and put it inside hot oven.
4. Bake kale and eggs for 10 to 15 minutes, until the egg whites are no longer runny. Start check the eggs after 5 minutes to see if the whites have settled. Different ovens distribute heat differently, so the cooking time can vary.
5. Pull the casserole out of the oven. You can sprinkle a bit of cheese on top. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Serve the kale and egg bake with home-made flatbreads or toast.

 

Enjoy,

 
Stan

High protein oatmeal flatbreads

Oats are among the healthiest grains on earth. Powerful Vikings grew oats and ground them to make flour, porridge, flatbreads or ale. They are easy on digestion, and provide important vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants. Studies show that oats and oatmeal have many health benefits. These include blood sugar management, blood pressure control, improved immune system.

Here is an easy, no-fuss recipe that is filling, comforting, and does not skimp on flavor one bit. Cooking flatbreads/pancakes is a areat way to incorporate more oats into your diet.

Ingredients:

 

• 2 cup rolled oats
• 2 teaspoons of ground flaxseed
• 2 teaspoons of high protein seeds (sesame, chia etc.)
• 1 teaspoon of whey protein
• 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinammon
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1 cup water + more as needed

 

Method:

 

• Blend oats into flour, mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl.
• Slowly add the water, mixing until “just mixed.” It should be a little lumpy and quite thick. Add a little extra water if needed.
• Cook in a hot non-stick pan until bubbles appear in the centre of each pancake. Flip and cook for a few more minutes.
• Serve with peanut butter on top.

Shepherd’s Pie

This one here is a keeper. British classic comfort food. Soft veggie-meat filling topped with fluffy potato. You will love it.

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 100g cheddar cheese shredded
• 1 carrot, finely chopped
• 250g frozen peas
• 1 celery stick, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 250g beef or pork mince
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 450g potatoes
• 150g of yogurt
• salt, thyme, smoked paprika and pepper

Method:

• Pre-heat oven to 200C/400°F.
• Chop and saute carrots, celery, onion and peas for few minutes
• Add the meat and saute for another few minutes
• Season with black pepper, thyme and smoked paprika.
• Add tomato paste and a pinch of salt to taste.
• Let this reduce slightly then add some water. Allow to reduce down until you have a thick meaty gravy. Season to your taste.
• Remove from heat. Grease an oven proof dish with olive oil.
• Spoon the mashed potatoes over top. Sprinkle with Cheddar cheese.
• Bake for about 20 minutes or until the potato is nice and browned on top.
• Serve and enjoy!

 

 

Stan

Shashlyk

Ingredients:

• 1kg boneless chicken thighs
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 medium onion
• 3cm of ginger root, chopped
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp herb mix (mint, thyme, basil, oregano)
• 1 tsp tomato paste
• 2 tsp ketchup
• 1 tbs lemon juice
• 1/2 leaf parsley
• 300g greek yoghurt
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1/4 tsp ground cinammon
• Wooden/ metal skewers

 

Method:

• Wash the chicken in very cold water for several minutes. Blot the meat dry on paper towels. Cut the meat into bite-sized cubes about the size of large dice.
• Chop the onion and crush garlic cloves and ginger.
• In a glass or ceramic bowl, combine the onion, garlic, ginger, yogurt, oil, tomato paste, ketchup and seasonings.
• Mix it, blend it well.

• Add the cubed chicken and toss to coat. Cover the bowl and refrigerate it for at least 2 hours, or overnight for the best results.

 

• Set up the oven for ‚grill and fan’ optimally or just ‚grill’. Preheat to high for few minutes.
• Remove the thighs from the marinade and discard the marinade. Thread the cubes of meat onto the wooden or metal skewers. Chop the meat into smaller pieces if need.

 

• When ready to cook, brush and oil the oven-grill grate, then put carefully all of the kebab skewers onto it and grill, turning on the other side every 4-5 minutes. Thighs are ready when they are a bit browned. It takes up to 10-15 minutes in all for well-done.

• Serve with rice or bulgur and some veggies. Although this kebab melts in your mouth itself, you can make some extra condiments. Tzatziki sauce works very well for that. Enjoy.

 

 

 

Sweet potato curry with cashews

 

 

There is something bold yet soothing about curry powder. That’s why it goes so well with comforting, creamy sweet potatoes with a pinch of sweetly nutty cashews. It is more like a ‚potato salad’ than a regular meal. Curry compliments sweet potato, and sweet potato respondes with a smooch. Can’t get no better.

Ingredients:

• 2 sweet potatoes,
• 3 tablespoon rapeseed oil + 1 extra for baking sheet
• 1 teaspoon yellow curry powder (authentic curry, not that artifical bullshit from market)
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• pinch cinnamon
• 1/2 cup cashews

Dressing:

• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/4 yellow curry powder
• pinch cinnamon
• pinch ground cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

 

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven, about 10-15 minutes 220C, put a baking sheet inside and drizzle with the 1 tablespoon of rapeseed oil
2. In a medium bowl, toss together the washed and cut into wedges sweet potatoes, add spices, work it until well coated. Put it on the baking sheet and bake for about 30-40 minutes until sweet potatoes are tender, but not too soft.
3. Enjoy.

 

 

Polish-style steamed fish

Mild flavored, flaky fish fillets. Any number of different types of fish will work, and you can increase the recipe easily. Try halibut, cod, salmon, red snapper, trout, etc. Serve with a white rice or potatoes.

Method:

1. Heat the first 4 ingredients to boil, then lower to simmer in a pot big enough to hold the steamer.
2. Add the fish on a steamer rack, rub olive oil and top with pepper, thyme, paprika.
3. Cover and steam for 10 minutes until firm; turn it carefully on the other side
4. Serve potatoes, vegetables and add freshly steamed fish

Ingredients:

• fish fillet
• olive oil
• thyme
• paprika
• garlic clove
• lemon juice
• black pepper ground
• soy sauce/salt
• bay leaf

 

Cheers,
Stanley

Chicken stir-fry

The absolute best dishes to prepare are stir fries. They’re so quick and easy, full of healthy, fresh and crispy vegetables and beautiful sauces; it’s usually a guarantee whoever you’re cooking for will love the outcome — no matter what the flavours.

 

 

Ingredients:

250g of lean chicken breast,
1 small zucchini,
A mix of bell peppers,
1 medium red onion,
150g of rice,
curry powder,
dark soy sauce,
oyster sauce,
olive oil

 

Method:

Heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok and fry chicken seasoned in curry. Add the pepper to the pan and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes.

 

Stir in the soy sauce. Add vegetables. Continue to stir-fry over a medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Serve with rice aside.

 

Stanley

Stanley’s Chili Shakshuka (secret recipe)

 

When I say the word shakshuka, people often give me a strange look… like I’ve sneezed, or something. I get excited when I see that look– it means they don’t know what the heck shakshuka is, which means they have no idea what they’re missing out on. If you aren’t familiar with shakshuka, I’m thrilled to introduce the concept to you! It’s one of my favorite dishes—a simple, go-to meal that works as a breakfast, lunch, or dinner (“brinner” might be the more appropriate word, since eggs are the star of the dish). I always have the ingredients for shakshuka on hand, and it never fails to make people say “yum!”. My girlfriend just loves it.

Ingredients (for 2 person):

3 eggs,
100g of tomatoe puree,
1 big tomatoe,
1 medium onion,
1 smal courgette,
100g of mushrooms,
1 medium pepper,
2 pieces of flour tortilla,
1 dried chili,
olive oil,
2 tsp of ground cumin (most important spice),
1/2 tsp of freshly ground black pepper,
1/2 tsp of garlic powder,
1/2 tsp of paprika,
1 teaspoon of sea salt

Method:

 

 

• Wash and chop vegetables in reasonable size. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan that has a lid. Crush in chili, fry for few seconds then add all the veggies and season them with salt and pepper. Cook the veg over a medium heat until they’ve softened but still have a little bite – you don’t want them to collapse down too much.
• Add tomatoe and sprinkle the cumin, garlic powder and paprika. Stir in the tomato purée and cook for a couple more minutes until the paste starts to separate.
• Simmer the sauce for about 10 minutes, uncovered, until it has reduced a little. Taste after 5 minutes and add a little sugar if you think the tomatoes need it. Keep an eye on the texture – you don’t want the sauce runny, but it mustn’t be too dry, either. If it does look dry, add another splash of water.
• Make 3 little wells in the sauce. One at a time, break the eggs into a cup and drop them carefully into the wells. Cook for a few more minutes until the whites are just set and the yolks are still runny. Serve with some flour tortilla on the side. If you are a savage, use them as a cutlery!

 

Cheers,

 

Stanley

 

Pasta with broccoli and chicken

Pasta, broccoli, cheese and chicken. Oh, and sour sauce. That’s pretty much all you need for this simple, elegant 20-minute dish.

 

Ingredients:

250g of Italian pasta
600g of fresh broccoli
3 tablespoons of olive oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced in cubes
10-12 medium sized mushrooms, sliced
1 medium onion
100g of cheese
4 tablespoons of sour cream
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

1. Cook the pasta according to package directions.
2. While the pasta is cooking heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Cook the cubes of chicken breast on both sides until browned. Remove the chicken from the pan.
3. Wash, and cut broccoli and add to boiling water. Cook on a low heat for 4-5 minutes.
4. Melt the butter in the same pan and sprinkle the flour over the top. Whisk the butter and flour together until it forms a paste. Add the cream and whisk it with the flour and butter until incorporated. Cook the cream for 5-10 minutes or until it starts to thicken. Add the cheese and whisk until it’s melted into the cream.
5. Add the chicken, broccoli, and pasta to the cream sauce. Stir well to coat everything in the sauce.

 

Cheers,

 

Stanley

 

Baked fish fillets with beans and veggies

Classic vegetarian meal. Delicious, healthy and light.

 

Ingredients:

-Lean, fresh fish fillets,
-Canned beans
-Canned tomatoes,
-One medium onion,
-Lettuce or some leafy greens as a salad
-Olive oil,
-Garlic cloves,
-Ginger,
-Ground pepper,

Method:

1. Wash and pat dry with kitchen towel fillets, rub some olive oil then add a pinch of black pepper and some herbs.
2. Turn oven on, 150-200 C for 5 minutes to warm it up, meanwhile start cooking beans.
3. On a frying pan, cook chopped onion until soft, then add beans white & red, stir gently. Cook on a low heat for about 3-5 minutes.
4. Put fillets on a cooking paper, add garlic cloves and sliced ginger, let is stay inside oven for about 8-10 minutes.
5. Add half can of chopped tomatoes to the mixture in a pan and cook for another 3 minutes on a low heat.
6. Enjoy.

Later,

 

Stanley