Archives For SNACKS + SIDES

Sunrise Smoothie

1 April, 2014 — Leave a comment

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For many people, a smoothie is breakfast enough.
I like a fresh smoothie, but I think they tend to get too thick and then I feel like I`m drinking heavy cream through a straw.
By adding a few more ice cubes or more freshly squeezed juice I get the consitcency I prefer.

This favorite Sunrise Smoothie should last you till ten o`clock snack time.

For 2-3 glasses.

WHAT YOU NEED

* 200 g Apricots
* 1 Banana
* 2 tbsp Lime juice
* 1 dl yoghurt
* 5-6 Ice cubes

WHAT YOU DO

Cut open the apricots and remove the pit. Slice the banana in smaller wheels.
Have the apricot and banana in a blender and add freshly pressed lime juice, yoghurt and ice cubes.
Start the blender (remember the lid…) and let it blend for about 20 sec. for a smooth drink.
ENJOY!

In BREAKFAST + BRUNCH, RECIPES, SNACKS + SIDES ,
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Pineapple Salsa

5 January, 2014 — Leave a comment

PineappleSalsa570

At the moment I`m on a diet where I (among other things) do not eat tomato, so when the kids were calling for mexican food the other day I decided to swap the tomato with pineapple for the salsa.
This is really fresh and gives a good balance to the heavy and spicy meat sauce.

A salsa can also be perfect as a snack with for example with tortilla chips.

As for nutrition, raw pineapple is an excellent source of manganese and c-vitamin. Raw pineapple juice may be used as a meat marinade and tenderizer.

In the Philippines the pineapple’s leaves are used as the source of a textile fiber called piña, and is employed as a component of wall paper and furnishings, amongst other uses.

Let`s get back to the salsa before I wander off even more here. :)

What you need:

* 1 ripe pineapple
* 1 cucumber
* 1 scallion
* A hand full freshly chopped koriander
* 1 tbs green piemento sauce
* Zest and juice from 2 limes
* 2 dl (7 oz) olive oil
* Salt & Pepper

What you do:

Cut the pineapple in small cubes. Have it in a bowl with chopped scallion, the small cut pepper bell and all the other ingredients. Mix well. Pour the olive oil over it all and add the lime zest and juice. Add salt and pepper as you like and mix again before serving.

I would say this salsa goes well also with grilled chicken and fish.
Got to try that soon!

 

 

 

(Image source: thehungerstruck.com – Thank you!)

In RECIPES, SNACKS + SIDES
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Quesadilla with Mexican Salad

12 November, 2013 — 3 Comments

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I`m Norwegian and didn`t know much about Mexican cooking until I moved to Switzerland. Sounds funny? Well, maybe not if you knew that the upstairs neighbor in my new Swiss house turned out to be from…Mexico.
She soon became my first good friend in my new country, but she complained about how the guacamole here was no good and thankfully brought her home made to our daughters garden parties. She invited us to her daughters birthdays parties where we unsuccessfully tried hitting the piñata.
 Sadly for me she moved away with her family, but I think that one day soon I`ll invite her over for Quesadillas or maybe I should make her bring her own in case she starts complaining about how I made them wrong. ;)

If you wish to read more about the funny but true 8 common mistakes on cooking quesadillas please click here – 8 Common Quesadillas Cooking Mistakes

Anyways, here is my latest attempt at Quesadillas served with a mex salad.

This serves 4.

What you need:

* 4 wheat tortillas
* Cheddar cheese, grated and as much as you like.
* Nut oil

Mex Salad

* 1 pre boiled corn on the cob, corn sliced of the cob
* 1 red bell pepper cut into cubes
* 1 yellow onion, chopped finely
* Arugula salad
* 1 cup of Kidney beans, cooked and rinsed

Salad Sauce
 (start with small amounts of each and add more to taste – remember that is you over-salt it`s difficult to find the balance again and you might need to start over.)

* Olive Oil
* Lemon Juice
* Salt
* Sugar
* Black Pepper or Hot Red Pepper Flakes
* Mustard, optional

What you do:

These Quesadillas only have a cheese filling but yo can add more of what ever you wish (spinach, potatoes, chicken and so on) and what ever goes with the sides you`re serving.

Heat up a pan to medium heat with a little oil. Place one tortilla flat in the pan. sprinkle grated cheese over half of the tortilla. Flip one half of the tortilla over the filling. Let the cheese start to melt and the flip the half mooned tortilla over to cook evenly.
You should only have two tortillas in the pan at once.

In a salad bowl start mixing your salad sauce.
I would start with the acid; it makes the sauce look smoother.
Try 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 2 tablespoons oil, 1 small teaspoon salt, 1 small teaspoon sugar,  1 small teaspoon mustard and a sprinkle of pepper.
Give it a stir, then taste and add more of the ingredients to balance it out.
Add all the salad ingredients to the bowl and toss it right before serving.
If you toss it too early the salad will get soggy.

In the picture at the top you will see that I also served a single paprika salad with sesame seeds, sprinkle of salt, nut oil and white whine vinegar.

Serve while quesadillas are still warm.

enjoy_small

 

 

In BREAKFAST + BRUNCH, SNACKS + SIDES ,
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4 June Super Foods

5 June, 2013 — Leave a comment

Cherries

CHERRIES
These antioxidant-packed, low-calorie fruits have a number of possible health benefits, including speeding up exercise recovery, promoting sleep and protecting the heart.
Eat them raw or juice them.

CUCUMBERS
96 percent water, rich in vitamins A, C and K, as well as magnesium and potassium, all for very few calories.
Use them in salads, on sandwiches and pureed with avocado and yogurt.

PAPAYA
One medium fruit can contain nearly 70 percent of your daily recommended intake of A and three times your C. It’s also a good sourse of fiber and potassium, and contains some of the antioxidants found in other orange and yellow produce, like sweet potatoes, that offer skin and immunity benefits.
Dice some into your next fruit salad with pineapple or with mango, avocado and a little onion as a homemade salsa.

PLUMS
Rich in vitamins A, C and K, plus fiber. The dark hue of plums signals cardiovascular benefits, as well as perks for the brain and the heart.
A perfect grab-and-go fruit. Or try making a chutney out of plums (or cherries, for that matter) to top chicken or fresh fish.

 

Source: Huffingtonpost

 

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Ella`s Fresh Tomato Sauce

3 June, 2013 — Leave a comment

tomatsauce

Making a tomato sauce for pasta used to include hours of waiting – waiting for the tomatoes to get the right sweetness to them and for the sauce to get thick enough. This is all good and you definitely end up with a delicious sauce after all the waiting.

But recently I discovered a new way to make tomato sauce and this in just five minutes.
It`s fresh, full of flavor and so versatile – it can be used over pasta or “just” as a sauce to bruschetta, pork, chicken and even white fish.

We call it Ella`s tomato sauce because my daughter Ella assisted me in the kitchen the first time I made it.
The whole family loves it!

What you need:

* 25-30 cherry tomatoes
* 2-3 cloves of garlic
* 3 tablespoons olive oil
* A large handfull of fresh basil
* Lemon juice, freshly pressed from one lemon
* 1 tablespoon Maldon Salt (less if you use a different type of salt)
* Black pepper to taste
* Sugar to taste (use it to balance out the sourness)

(For a variation you can add or only use bell peppers)

What you do:

Have all the ingredients in a blender (the blending goes faster if the tomatoes are on bottom).
Blend well!
Taste (always taste) and add salt, pepper, sugar if needed.

Heat up a pan and add the sauce to the hot pan. Let it cook for to minutes before pouring it over the pasta (or in a sauce mug for other use).

enjoy_small

In PASTA & RICE, SNACKS + SIDES
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