Hummus - the healthy snack, breakfast spread or side dish!

I am a big evening snacker; I always feel like something after dinner, preferably a little nibble to go with the latest episode of S.H.E.I.L.D or Orange is the New Black, just to make an ordinary Monday night a little more special. The problem with this arises when you have absolutely no self control regarding unhealthy snacks and stuff your face with all kinds of crap like chips (crisps for the brits) and chocolate 7 nights a week. It's better to quit cold turkey (at least during the weekdays...).

If you, like me, enjoy the occasional evening snack to your favorite show, make it a healthy one. Hummus with sticks of raw veggies is actually quite hard to beat. It tastes great and it won't add to any I-just-over-did-it-again-anxiety. Easy to make too! This of course, is my simplified version of it since I didn't have any tahini (ground sesame seeds) at home and didn't feel like making any. 

The What

1 can of chickpeas

3 tbps sesame seeds

olive oil

1 - 2 cloves of garlic

freshly squeezed lemon juice

salt & pepper

Chili oil

chili flakes

The How

Rinse the chickpeas in cold water thoroughly. 

Put all the ingredients in a bowl (apart from the salt, pepper, chili oil and flakes), mix in a blender or using a hand blender. Add salt and pepper to taste. 

Top the hummus with chili oil and chili flakes and serve with vegetable sticks. 

You managed to have some hummus left over? Put it on your morning sandwich! It's the perfect start to your day and will keep you full until lunch, guaranteed. Below featured on sunflower seed bread, topped with hard boiled egg and a bit of ground pepper. Laying next to a lovely sandwich with avocado spread... mmm amazing breakfast!

Blackened chicken drumstick with sweet potato fries, kale salad & yogurt sauce

Kale; the super food that has recently turned up on almost every foodies and health freak blog in every shape and form. Chips, in a smoothie, various pie constellations and just the way it is, raw. I'm surprised no ones made a kale cupcake yet. Oh wait! I take that back, according to Brooklyn Magazine, "Kale Cupcakes Are a Thing", read their post about them here. I'm not surprised, why not do a mash-up of two foodie trends? I'm just pissed I didn't think of it first. More and more people are getting hooked on the kale trend; what kind of foodie would I be if I didn't join the craze?

I went with a kale salad to match this blackened chicken and sweet potato fries, because to be honest, you really don't have to do much with kale. It tastes great just the way it is (you can always dress it up a bit like Cupcakes and Kale has done, with apples and walnuts. See her recipe here!). Add a bit of olive oil and some freshly squeezed lemon juice if you like and you're all set for a salad packed with fiber, protein, iron, magnesium, vitamin A, C, B6 and calcium, to name just a few. You can read more about it here.

The What

4 portions

4 chicken drumsticks

2 large sweet potatoes

4 handfuls of kale

Greek yogurt

feta cheese

fresh thyme

Marinade

1 dl olive oil

½ dl soy sauce

2 tbsp honey

1-2 garlic cloves

salt & pepper

The How

Mix the marinade in a large plastic bag or in two smaller bags. Add the chicken. The marinade should completely cover the chicken. Close the bags and leave in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, turning the bags once. 

Set the oven to 200 degrees. 

Cut the sweet potatoes into sticks, I cut mine a bit bigger than regular fries, but you can do as you like. Keep in mind that thinner fries have a tendency to get dry faster so keep an eye on them in the oven. Spread the fries on an oven tray, season with salt & pepper as well as chili flakes, if you like. Drizzle over olive oil and put in the oven for about 20 minutes, depending on the size. 

Put the chicken in an oven safe dish and set in the oven. The chicken is done when the juice is clear, the meat is white and comes easily off the bone. If you're unsure, cut one open and check. Better safe than sorry! 

Crumble the feta cheese, add the yogurt and some pepper. Mix together and top with fresh thyme. 

Serve with the kale salad, just as it is or with some freshly squeezed lemon, olive oil and salt & pepper. 

Oven baked avocado filled with egg, sprinkled with Parmesan cheese and chili oil

An easy, healthy meal filled with healthy fats and proteins - the eat after your workout!

The what:

1 avocado

2 eggs

Parmesan cheese (or any other cheese that you like)

Chili oil

Balsamic cream (if you want)

Salt and pepper

The How:

Put the oven to 200 degrees.

Slice open the avocado, making two halves. Remove the pit.

Crack an egg into the hole made by the pit, in both halves. 

Season with salt and pepper, and stick it in the oven for about 15 minutes, depending on how you like your eggs. After 15 minutes they are creamy, after 20 they are hard boiled. 

Take out of the oven, carefully pour over a bit of chili oil, sprinkle over some Parmesan cheese and season with some balsamic cream. Serve immediately and enjoy!

It's very filling and super healthy, you'll be happy you tried it!

Medeteranian lentil mash with aubergine wedges, caramelized red onion, black olives and sun dried tomato yoghurt

This is one of my favorite meals; so much flavor in one dish! Its pretty healthy because its low on carbs, its vegetarian which suits me perfectly and its looks very pretty with all the different colors!

Its easy to make as well, 

All you need is

2 aubergines

2 red onions

2 dl red lentils

a handful or two of black olives

fresh thyme

3 tomatoes

butter

Turkish or Greek yogurt 

a handful of sun dried tomatoes

a pinch of sugar

salt, pepper

How to make it

Boil the lentils in lightly salted water for about 30 minutes. 

Slice the sun dried tomatoes and mix with the yogurt, add some salt and put in the fridge until its time to serve.

Cut the aubergines into wedges and put them in an oven safe dish with olive oil. Bake in the oven at 200 degrees until softer. 

Peel and wedge the red onion and dice the tomatoes. 

Fry the red onion in butter in a pan, add some sugar to caramelize them (I know, it hurts to put sugar in this otherwise healthy dish, but it really makes the onions taste so much better!).

Add the tomatoes and let fry for about 10 seconds before adding the finished lentils. 

Add black olives and fresh thyme, plate up and add the softened aubergine wedges on top. 

A dollop of sun dried tomato yogurt sauce completes this great tasting and easy to make vegetarian meal!

Thank you Arla for the inspiration!

A very berry smoothie

Last night I forgot to make my lovely overnight oats which really annoyed me this morning since I was in a bit of a rush to get to work. I will never wrap my head around the fact that 10 more minutes in bed always means 20 minutes late for work in the morning, how does that work..?? Anyway, so I had to improvise a quick and healthy breakfast using basically the same ingredients as I would to make my oats;

The what

Almond milk

Vanilla yoghurt

Fiber oats

Chia seeds

Psyllium seed husk

Frozen raspberries 

Dried blueberries

The how

Mix all the the ingredients together using a mixer or a hand blender.

Top with dried blueberries and chia seeds, serve in a jar or something equally trendy with a nice coloured straw!

Hot Salad

Do you ever feel like someone else should do all the work for you in the kitchen? Can't get your best mate to come over and make you dinner? 

Step away from the pizza menu!!

This Hot Salad is super easy and super healthy, and best part of all, it basically cooks itself! Use your favorite veggies; 

I used

Aubergine

Zucchini

Red and yellow onion

Beetroots

Whole garlic cloves (with the skin still on!)

Chop them up (no need to make it all fancy, unless you really want to make them Julienne or Brunoise!), put them in an oven safe dish, pour over some olive oil, salt, pepper, whatever other herbs you want to use and stick them in the oven at about 180.200 degrees for about 20 minutes or until they are done (cooking time depends on what veggies you've used). 

Top with arugula or baby spinach (maybe even both if you're feeling adventurous) and crumble over some feta cheese (yes, I do use it for everything. But that's because it goes with ANYTHING! Amost anyway). Give the black pepper grinder a twirl over the veggies and serve when it's still warm.

Easy, healthy and basically carb free!