Microwave baked potatoes experiment

Hi dolls

Usually I am very skeptic when it comes to microwave cooking,because most of the things I tried weren't that great.A few days ago I had a skype call with the lovely Kitty Rose Lovet and she was making microwave potatoes during that call.And since she is a potato lover like I am,I had to try that too.
Google had the instructions.
You need:
1 large or 2 medium sized potatoes
margarine,pepper,salt
water
(your favorite topping)

Scrub the potatoes well under hot water,poke some holes (5-10) in the potatoes with a fork,so the potato's steam can escape.
Place the potatoes in a deep dish with a little bit of water at the bottom (6-10 tablespoons) and insert into your microwave.
Cook on high setting for 5 minutes,then turn the potatoes over and cook for another 5 min.Insert a knife to check if the potato core is done.If not,add 2 min of cooking time.Slit the potato open,add a teaspoon of margarine and season with pepper and salt.
You can serve the potato with sour cream,cheddar and bacon or with some soft cheese spread,herbs and garlic.

I will definitely make this recipe again,because 40 minutes of oven baking time versus 10 minutes of microwaving is a clear victory for the microwave.


Huggies
Cookingchinchillas

Vegan Coconut cup cakes

Hi dolls

I am currently living dairy free because I suspect that I have a problem with the lactose.But it could also be stress related,so I was advised to go dairy free for a month and keep track of my tummy's reaction to it.
Thank god there is a great variety of dairy free products out there.Even dark chocolate can contain dairy to make it richer,so you gotta be careful and check the ingredients.
And vegan cream cheese kicks ass! I always loved the tofutti cream cheese very much.
Enough with the blahblah,let's get down to business dolls!

You need:
70 ml granola oil or olive oil
200 gr flour
25 gr corn starch
170 gr sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
3/4 tablespoon bicarbonate soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
100 gr dairy free dark chocolate chips
a dash of salt

100 gr of dairy free chocolate chips and 5-6 tablespoons of coconut shavings.


Simply mix the wet ingredients together with an electric mixer or  heavy hand whisking,then add the dry ingredients.Fill your cup cake paper molds 2/3 of the way and bake for 15-30 min at 180 degree Celsius (Medium high heat)
Let the cupcakes cool,sprinkle with coconut shavings and then drizzle with chocolate.You can also do it the other way around,but I hate getting coconut shaving everywhere.

Vegan cupcakes rule!

Huggies
Cookingchinchillas

Apricot jam with a twist (vegan,no gelatine)

Hi dolls

Every year it's the same : When apricots are in season in Greece friends and relatives hand you huge bags of apricots.This year I accumulated 2,5 kilos.And you can't possibly eat them all,so I decided to make apricot jam,because it's easy and it will last.

You need :
screw lid glass jars : Clean them with well with hot water!
1,2 kilo apricots (remove stone,dice)
500 ml water
50 ml lemon juice
1 tablespoon of tequila
1,3 kilos of sugar
a dash of cinnamon
a dash of ginger powder
a dash of ground clove
a dash of ground cardamom

In a very large pot mix all the ingredients and bring to a boil.Once foam starts to build up,remove it with a spoon.
Simmer on medium low until the consistency gets thicker,then boil on medium high heat until the jam has fully thickened.
Set aside!
Quickly rinse your jars with hot water and fill the jam inside and leave about 1 cm of room.
Close the jars and turn upside down for 10 min,then you can let them cool and store for 6 weeks.

I just enjoyed a bun with cream cheese and jam *nommmmmm*
You can use this recipe for almost every fruit and also you may replace a certain amount of apricots with mango,apple,passion fruit,pumpkin,cherries,peaches etc.
The spices might seem strange to you,but a little bit of spice really flatters the apricots' fruitiness.

Huggies
Cookingchinchilla

Veggie Burger

Hi dollies <3
How are you all doing?

Do you know the feeling of craving for a juicy,unhealthy burger?Today my cravings were beyond crazy and unbearable,but when the only meat in your fridge/freezer is a slice of ham,there is nothing much you can do.
Can you?
Yes of course! Veggie burger!You can choose from tons of fresh or frozen vegetables,leftovers or even canned corn.
For my  cabbage,broccoli,carrot,bell pepper,celery,okra potato-veggie burger patties  I used:
1/4 small cabbage head
1 carrot
1/4 bell pepper
10 okras (frozen)
a hand full of broccoli (frozen)
1 small celery stick
instant potato mash powder/flakes
1 egg
salt pepper,paprika,oregano,chili powder
breadcrumbs or crushed cornflakes
oil to fry

Defrost the frozen veggies by putting them out of the freezer 3 hours prior to the preparation or defrost in the microwave.Coarsely chop all the vegetables and put them in the blender to blend them until finely chopped.
Add the egg and spices,be generous with the paprika.
Now keep adding instant potato mash powder until you get a shape-able consistency that is not too hard and not too soft.
Brush with water and sprinkle with breadcrumbs.To make the breadcrumbs stick better,lightly pad them in.
Fry from both sides in a non stick pan with about 3-4 tablespoons of oil.

Serve on a burger bun.
My buns are cheap briochettes from the supermarket,they look so busted *LOL*

Huggies
Cookingchinchillas

Okra puree with shallots carrot and mediterranean herbs

Hi dolls

Did you know that Okra is one of the ultimate beauty food? It has so many wonderful properties and in some parts of the world,where people consume a lot of okras,the consumers look younger,healthier and are less likely to get cancer.Okras can also be used as a facial mask and during World War II people were roasting okra seeds to use them as a coffee substitute.

Especially when you eat okras for the first time you may or may not like the texture.I love it,silky smooth and fabulous.
For the okra puree you need:
200 gr frozen okras
3 large potatoes (diced)
1 shallot (diced)
1 carrot (sliced)
50 ml soy cream
olive oil
nutmeg
1 rosemary twig
a dash of dried oregano and thyme
pepper salt
water

Add your cut vegetables in a medium sized pot,cover them with water and a teaspoon of olive oil.
Bring to a boil and add the rosemary twig to the water.Boil veggies until tender and once they are done,drain them.Season,add cream and a tablespoon of olive oil.Now mash the veggies with a sturdy balloon whisk.
Taste and season if needed.

Sprinkle with herbs and serve.

Huggies
Cookingchinchillas

Vegetarian Eggless Cookies

Halleluja!

Dolls,you can't imagine how good this baking session felt!
We are officially back to cooking and baking.

These cookies are for the nice builders that are fixing our roof.They are really good people...and as you might know,I show my gratitude with food gestures.To my surprise the dough beats the basic cookie dough recipe I use,because the texture of the final cookie is finer,and somehow closer to those fancy cookies you can buy from a patisserie.

You need:
220 gr margarine (butter flavored margarine is even better)
130 gr icing sugar (sifted )
250 gr flour (sifted)
50 gr corn flour
the juice of an orange or lemon (I used orange),You may need more,so buy 2 oranges
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or 2 teaspoons vanilla sugar
a dash of salt
200 gr chocolate of your choice (I used 75% cocoa dark chocolate)
a piping bag or a sturdy plastic bag with

Soften the margarine by stirring it,add icing sugar,vanilla extract and salt.Beat with the electric mixer until fluffy.Now slooowly add the juice and beat again ,then you gradually add the corn flour mixed with the flour.
If the dough is too stiff (It has to be piped),add more orange juice.
Take a small amount of dough and put it in the piping bag to check if it is pipe-able.If not,add more juice.
If you don't have a piping bag,just take a freezer bag,fill it with dough and snip off a tiny edge on the bottom.
But be careful: The dough should not be too runny.
Line a baking tray with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 190*Celsius/Medium high heat.
Pipe the dough onto the parchment paper and create any shape you like.
Bake for 10-15 min with no air !!

Let the cookies cool for 2 hours
Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave and decorate the cookies.

Huggies
Cookingchinchillas

Vegetable Bolognese sauce with soy minced meat

Hi dolls,

I really start to like the soy minced meat.It gives sauces a really nice,glossy texture and it tastes really good.
This vegetable bologese can be done with a variety of vegetables,so feel free to let your imagination play.
You need:
2 zucchinis (diced)
1 bell pepper (sliced)
2 carrots (peeled and sliced)
1 large onion (sliced)
4 tomatoes (remove seeds,finely diced)
100 ml tomato puree
500 ml vegetable stock
50 ml red wine
1-2 hand full of soy mince
freshly chopped basil and parsley (use as much as you like)
pepper salt
cinnamon

Optional: 2 boiled eggs (diced) ....I just love eggs in my bolognese
a can of mushrooms
Place the diced vegetables in a pot and cover them with vegetable stock and some water.Bring to a boil and once it's boiling season well,cook for 10-12 minutes and drain half of the stock/water.
Now add red wine,tomato puree,basil,parsley,soy minced meat and season well.
Simmer for 10 minutes and serve with your favorite pasta.


Huggies
Cookingchinchillas

Vegetarian soy mini burger patties

Hello dolls,

Hope you are having a wonderful day!
I recently came across soy crumble/soy minced meat and it somehow became one of my favorite ingredients.
Those patties were really yummy and I ate the whole batch I made :X They are a great alternative.

You need:
150 gr soy crumbles/soy minced meat/soy ground beef
1 small carrot
1 small shallot
1/2 bell pepper
a bit fresh parsley
1/2 stalk celery
1 tablespoon powdered instant vegetable stock
100-200 ml water
1 egg(separate yolk and white)
100 gr bread crumbs(you might not need all of the 100 g)
pepper,salt,paprika spice,a dash of cinnamon
Olive oil

First you want to put all the vegetables in a blender in order to achieve super finely chopped vegetables.
In a medium sized microwave safe bowl add the soy crumbles,the finely chopped veg and the powdered vegetable stock.Add water little by little until the mixture is saturated with water,but not swimming in water.
Place the bowl in the microwave for 1-2 minutes (until the majority of the water has been soaked up/evaporated).
Let the mixture cool down a bit.
Add the spices and be generous with the paprika.You might not need any salt depending on how salty your instant vegetable stock is.
Add the egg white and a small amount of breadcrumbs and knead.
If the mixture is too dry,add the yolk,If the mixture is too wet to shape,add more breadcrumbs.
I used about 40-50 gr breadcrumbs.Let the mixture rest for 20 minutes and then you are ready to shape little patties.Fry the patties in a non stick pan until golden brown (medium to medium high heat) or bake the patties in the oven for 12 minutes.
Serve them either with a dip or in a burger.

In case you wonder what the other things on my plate are: Vegetable loaded mashed potatoes.
I boiled white cabbage,fennel,spinach,carrots,bell peppers and some celery and in a separate pot I boiled potatoes.Both pots are combined and mashed with plenty of tofutti cream cheese and some margarine.

Then there are Greek Peppers and some more cream cheese.

Huggies
Chinchillachannel258,who gobbled down about 20 mini patties (*Shame*)

Rustic Vegetarian Winter Vegetable Casserole Bolognese

Hi Huns,
Hope you are having a great weekend!

Now with all the x-mas food preparations my fridge looks like a well stocked farmers market.All kins of vegetables and fruit.So why not take advantage of this?
I also purchased some soy minced meat,which turned out to be very very yummy in a Bolognese sauce.To make the meal a little quicker,I used a  jar of tomato sauce to make the Bolognese.

You need:
1 large sweet potato (diced)
3 carrots (peeled,sliced)
1 onion (coarsely chopped)
10 Brussels sprouts (remove stem)
~150 gr green beans
pepper,salt,nutmeg

50-70 gr soy minced meat
1 jar of tomato sauce (Neapolitan sauce 100 gr)
100 ml water (maybe you need more)
pepper,salt,oregano,a dash of cinnamon


Casserole dish or oven proof dish

Bring the water to a boil and add the soy minced meat and season.If the soy minced meat soaks up all the water,add another 50 ml.
Now you can add the tomato sauce and stir.
Bring to a quick boil and set aside.

Boil your vegetables in a large pot with seasoned water for 10 minutes.Drain the veggies.
Now Put them in your casserole dish,pour the soy bolognese over the veggies and mix.
Taste and season if needed

Bake for 20-30 min at medium high (170-175 degree Celsius).The vegetables should have soaked up the majority of the sauce.You can also sprinkle cheese on top of the vegetables before baking.


If you are wondering what the other things on my plate are: Marinated Anchovies with Ketchup

,Chinese cabbage with olive oil and tofutti cream cheese.


You can always use other vegetables of course!

Huggies
Chinchillachannel258

Garlic and herb infused corn on the cob

Hello Corn lovers

Corn is a great ingredient,because it is so versatile and it takes on any flavor without loosing it's goodness.
This recipe is simple and easy!

You need
2 corn cobs
2 cloves of garlic (cut in half)
1 rosemary twig
the juice of 1/2 lemon
salt pepper
olive oil
water

Bring 1 liter of water to a boil and add one clove of garlic,and a few pieces of rosemary and the lemon juice.As usual season the water well!!
Once the corn has boiled for 7 minutes,take it out and dry it with a paper towel.
Now add 10 tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan and once it is very warm (not hot) add the other clove of garlic,rosemary,pepper and salt.
Take the corn cobs and roll them around in the oil,so they are evenly covered.
Turn up the heat now and quickly fry each side of the corn cob for 1-2 minutes.
I like my corn with only a little color,if you prefer more color keep on frying.

Taste and season if needed.

I ate boiled beans,potatoes and carrots that were cooked in vegetable stock with some lemon juice and olive oil.
Huggies
Chinchillachannel258

Exotic cream of fennel and carrot with curry

Hai!


Another quick and easy soup recipe *yay*.This soup is exotic,vegetarian and really yummy.Especially for autumn this is the perfect soup to brighten those gloomy days.

You need:
2 bulbs of fennel (peeled,chopped)
5-8 carrots(peeled,sliced)
1 medium sized potato(peeled,diced)

1 liter vegetable stock
water
1 teaspoon curry powder
100 ml coconut milk
a dash of turmeric
pepper salt nutmeg

Put your veggies in a medium sized pot and add the vegetable stock.If they are not fully covered with vegetable stock,add water.Boil the veggies for 15 min and put them in a blender together with the stock.Blend until very smooth.Now add curry,turmeric,pepper,salt and coconut milk and blend again.
If the consistency is too thick,add more coconut milk.

Put your cream back into the pot and bring it to a boil before serving.

Healthy,easy yummy!


Huggies
Chinchillachannel258

Vegetarian loaded mashed potatoes mexican style

Hello

This dish is easy and superhealthy.

You need
500 gr potatoes (peeled and diced)
1 cup green beans (chopped  in half)
1 small can kidney beans
1/2 cup corn
1 red bell pepper (chopped)
1 carrot (diced)
1/2 cup pico de gallo
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon lime juice
4 tablespoons olive oil
2-4 tablespoons tofutti vegan cream cheese
1/2 red chili pepper (remove seeds and chop finely)
1 teaspoon chopped pickled jalapenos

salt pepper paprika

Boil potatoes,carrots,green beans and bell pepper for 15-20 min.Drain the veg and mash with vegan cream cheese,olive oil and seasoningAdd the rest of the ingredients and season again if needed.


There you go!
Yummy and healthy loaded mash.


Huggies
Chinchillachannel258

Vegetarian chili

Hey guys

Wow this week was probably my worst week ever nutrition wise.I had a lot of fast food,junk food and all that unhealthy stuff.This morning I woke up feeling and looking like crap.So I decided I will cook something healthy.

This chili is fabulous and you won't miss the meat I promise!

You need
1 cup kidney beans
1 cup green beans (chopped in half)
1 cup chopped yellow and red bell peppers
1 onion (diced)
1 cup carrots (sliced)
some baby corn or normal corn (a cup approx)
1 cup tomatoes (puree them in the blender)
a small piece of celery root
some bamboo sprouts

1 liter vegetable stock
3 tablespoons concentrated tomato puree
salt pepper
1 chili (remove seeds and dice)
1 tablespoon pickled jalapenos (chopped)

some cilantro,cumin and honey


Put all your veggies in a big pot and add the vegetable stock.If the veggies are not fully covered ,add some water.
Boil for 10 minutes and add tomato puree,chili,jalapenos and season with the listed spices.

Let the yummy mix boil for another 10 min and add the honey.1-2 tablespoons.....

And you are basically done!

You can add any vegetable you like and of course any spice you like.


Serve with rice or pasta.
I enjoyed that dish with a glass of french cidre bouche doux.YUM!


Huggies
Chinchillachannel258

Vegetarian Green Tea and Lime Mousse

Hello

I really enjoyed the vegetarian lemon mousse and I thought about incorporating my beloved green tea in this dish.
The recipe is almost the same,but instead of water and sprite I used strong green tea (350 ml water+ 2 teabags steeped for 8 min an cooled down) The tea should be sweetened.
And I used some lime juice instead of lemon.

Huggies
Chinchillachannel258

Vegetarian Lemon Mousse

Howdy!

This mousse is quick,easy and no animals were harmed.
You need :
100 ml water
250 ml sprite (stir the sprite well to reduce the bubbles)
3 tablespoon agar flakes
100 gr sugar
3 tablespoons soy yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
100 ml lemon juice or lime juice
2 tablespoons tahini

Bring water,sprite and lemon juice to a boil and add all the ingredients.Let it simmer on low heat for 7 minutes and stir every once in a while.
Pour the mixture into a container and chill for 3 hours.Then you simply stir the mixture until it has a fluffy consistency.


Huggies
Chinchillachannel258

Vegan Vanilla Pudding

Hellooo ^^

My sweet tooth was calling just 20 min ago.I wanted to make my favorite pudding.Vegan pudding.Although I am not a vegan,I loooooove the vegan pudding to death.The most simple things are often the best.No fancy decor.....just me and a good old bowl of pudding <3

You need:
400 ml Soy milk Vanilla flavor
100 gr brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cognac (When children are eating,skip this one!!!)
2 tablespoons corn starch
a tiny pinch of salt

Put 50 ml of the soy milk in a glass and mix it with the corn starch.Bring the rest of the soy milk to a boil in a saucepan and add sugar,cognac and vanilla extract.Once it boils add the soy milk-cornstarch mixture little by little and stir constantly.Don't add it all at once,so you have control over the consistency.You are looking for a creamy consistency that is not too firm but not too runny.Add a pinch of salt at the end and stir again.
Remove from the fire and enjoy.
If you don't like skin on your pudding take some plastic wrap/cling film and put it on top of the pudding while it cools.

Huggies <3
Chinchillachannel258

Tiropita ( My way)

Geia sas ! (That is Greek and means hello)

Here in Greece Tiropita is a science of it's own.There are thousands of different ways to prepare those yummy treats.This recipe is extremely quick and extremely easy,especially when you have guests on the way and you don't know what to serve them.
You are going to need phyllo pastry (or filo/phillo).It also works well with puff pastry,but phyllo is waaaaay tastier and lighter.
Phyllo comes in sheets that have multiple layers.

You need :
1 sheet of phyllo pastry
300-400 gr Feta cheese
1 egg (beaten,seasoned)
2-3 tablespoons of milk

Optional : Dill,pepper

Spread your phyllo pastry on your working surface.Brush it with egg.
Crumble the feta cheese and add 1 tablespoon of milk to it.Place the crumbled feta on one side of the phyllo rectangle sheet and roll it up to a loaf.While rolling brush it with egg and milk.
Make sure to "glue" both ends shut with egg or milk.Place on an oven tray with some non stick paper.
Bake at 200 Degree Celsius until golden brown.Once it comes out of the oven,slice them and enjoy crispy phyllo pastry and soft melting Feta.

Usually tiropita takes a lot more effort.Some women butter each layer of phyllo.My tiropita is just a quick version.

Huggies
Chinchillachannel258

Homemade frozen skillet meal

Hi

There are a lot of occasions where a frozen skillet meal comes in handy.Especially when you are in a hurry or simply not able to cook something fresh,those frozen meals can save the day.
But they are quite expensive when you buy them in the store.5-6 bucks for 2 portions?No way.
So now it is unbelievably hot here and my kitchen literally turns into a burning hell when I use the stove or the oven.

This is just a vegetarian version of a frozen pasta meal.But you can always add meat or fish to it.

For spaghetti with mixed vegetables and mushrooms in a creamy sauce you need:
500 gr pasta of your choice
200 gr fresh button mushrooms (sliced)
200-300 gr mixed frozen veggies (I used oriental style veggies)
200 ml cream (I used vegan cream)
5 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley
2 tablespoons freshly chopped dill
pepper salt
garlic powder
olive oil
ziploc bags (freezer safe)

Boil your pasta and frozen vegetables according to the instructions and drain the water afterward.
In a saucepan quickly saute the mushrooms with some olive oil,pepper,salt and garlic powder.
In a large pot,mix the cream and the herbs,bring to a boil and season well.
Now put the pasta,the veggies and the mushrooms in the cream and mix well.
Let the whole pot cool down a bit.
Now take your ziploc bags and fill one portion into the ziploc bag and before closing it,flatten the content of the bag,so it will be more easy to handle later.
Close the ziploc bag and freeze.
You can either thaw your homemade skillet meal in a saucepan or in the microwave.

I made 7 portions and each portion costs about 1,20 Euro.
The frozen skillet meal on the picture doesn't look that pretty,but at least I know every single ingredient and I know that it is healthy.!!!!!!And to spice it up,I added some tomato and spring onion on top.

And you can do that with every pasta,every vegetable,every sauce and every meat of your choice.
This frozen skillet meal saved my day,because I would probably have melted in the kitchen.

Huggies
Chinchillachannel258

Sweet Potato Mash (mediterranean style vegetarian)

Hello

This dish includes all the fabulous things of the Mediterranean area : Herbs,extra virgin olive oil,veggies and cheese.
You need
1 large sweet potato (peeled,diced)
1 red bell pepper (sliced)
2 carrots (diced)
1 spring onion (sliced)
fresh rosemary twig
a dash of dried thyme
a dash of dried oregano
50 gr Feta cheese (crumbled)
1 glove garlic (peeled,whole)
1 teaspoon olive paste
1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
50 ml milk
Salt Pepper

Boil the sweet potato,red bell pepper,carrots and spring onions in salted water for 13-15 min on medium high heat.
Add the rosemary twig and the garlic clove to the boiling water.
Drain the water and put the veggies back into the pot.
Add milk,feta,olive oil,olive paste,thyme and the oregano and mash the veggies.Season if needed.
This was easy!
You can add feta cheese and olive paste/olive oil on top and sprinkle with oregano.

Tip:
I am not a big fan of spending a lot of money for products to cook with.The only exception is olive oil.
A good bottle of olive oil can last you quite long.Don't use it for frying!
Use it to drizzle salads and other dishes or use it to remove make up or give your hair a little moisture.


Huggies
Chinchillachannel258

spaghetti aglio olio e alio

Hi

Celebrating the glory of olive oil and garlic.This is what I consider fast food,because you just need one pan to cook and if you buy fresh Spaghetti, it will take like 7 min.I also like to add small tomatoes to the dish to cool down the garlic a bit.


You need :
1 portion of boiled spaghetti (I used fresh whole grain spaghetti)
1 clove of garlic (super finely chopped)
2 -3 tablespoons of freshly chopped parsley
5-6 cherry tomatoes (each cut into 4 wedges)
3-5 tablespoons of olive oil
(grated cheese if you like)
pepper salt

Once the spaghetti are boiled,drain them and set aside.In the same pot heat the olive oil and add garlic,salt,pepper and half of the parsley.Fry for 1 min.Add the spaghetti.Mix well.
Remove from the fire and add the rest of the parsley and the tomatoes.

Done

Huggies
Chinchillachannel258