feel food club

healthy summer food

Ultra Green Pesto Salad with Burrata

by Kommentar verfassen

All the healthy greens, in an insanely delicious pesto dressing topped with a dreamy creamy burrata. Oh yes. Healthy eating made tasty. You get your vitamin fix in while still enjoying all of that creaminess from the burrata cheese. Pure goodness.

I know that many of us are now wanting to become healthier for summer. And also, with the nice and warm temperatures we are craving food for which we do not have to heat up the oven or a pan, that is super quick and rather light. Because who loves standing in the kitchen for ages when the sun outside is so nice?

This salad is the perfect dish for such occasions. Do not be afraid by the word salad. It is not a boring one that won’t fill you up. It is full of so many nutrients, different veggies, cheese and the pesto dressing takes it next level. Nothing with boringness!

What is pesto?

Pesto is a sauce that originates in Italy. It most of the time is used for pasta dishes. Traditionally the pasta to make it with are trofie. Also, they add in some small pieces of potato. Honestly, if you have never tried and are afraid, I can tell you: don’t be. It tastes at least as good as tomato sauce if not better!

What is in pesto?

The ingredient list for pesto is very short. The main ingredient is basil. That gives it the colour and the amazing taste. As important: pine nuts. Not to confuse with peanuts. Oftentimes instead of pine nuts, other nuts are used, to make it cheaper, but the taste just is not the same. At all. Besides basil and pine nuts we need olive oil and parmesan cheese. This is the classic pesto. And this is the best way you can make pesto There are oil-free, and cheese-free versions out there, but if you do tolerate all of the ingredients I would recommend you use them.

Is pesto healthy?

I would say so. It has a little cheese, which is not necessarily the healthiest but all the other ingredients are pretty healthy. Basil is packed with vitamins and nutrients. Pine nuts and olive oil contain a good amount of healthy fats and minerals as well. Just be aware that pesto, because of its rather high fat content is also rather high in calories.

What else is in the salad?

Well, of course, a base: the salad. What works best here, is a mixed salad but you could also long for lambs lettuce, spinach or iceberg salad if you prefer. Besides that, we have a ton of different greens. Cucumber, for freshness, zucchini for crunch, peas, for that spring feeling, avocado, because we ain’t have a salad without avocado, and spring onions for the finishing touch. To add a nice touch to the taste, we are also adding some fresh herbs, mint and basil to be exact.

Does the salad work for meal prep?

A hundred percent, yes! Just make sure to pack everything separately. So salad and veggies in one box, dressing in an extra box, and the burrata in another box. It lasts in the fridge for 2-3 days. When wanting to have it, just mix everything through and enjoy!

I hope you like this recipe and it gives you some inspiration on what to cook this spring on summer!

Print

Ultra Green Pesto Salad with Burrata

A perfect light summer salad, that is everything else than boring. Healthy but tasty and filling!

Course Appetizer, lunch, Main Course, Salad, Side Dish
Prep Time 15 Minuten
Total Time 15 Minuten
Servings 4 servings
Calories 526 kcal

What you will need

  • 6 handful mixed greens
  • 2 zucchini
  • 1 cucumber
  • 150 g peas
  • 3 spring onion
  • 1/2 handful mint and basil
  • 1 avocado
  • 1 burrata 1 large one or two small ones
  • 4 tbsp sesame seeds optional

For the pesto dressing:

  • 1 handful basil
  • 30 g parmesan cheese cut into smaller pieces
  • 30 g pine nuts
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp olive oil or water (optional to thin out)
  • some bread to serve

How to

  1. Peel the zucchini into thin strips (lengthwise) and cut them in half (in width). Cut the cucumber into small slices. Boil the peas in boiling water for about 4 minutes. Cut the spring onions into small rings. Add all of those into a large bowl along with the mixed greens.

  2. In a food processor finely mince the basil and pine nuts. Add the olive oil and the parmesan and a sprinkle of sea salt. Blend until you have reached a smooth consistency. If you prefer your pesto on the thinner side, add another 2 tbsp of water or olive oil and mix again.

  3. Toss the salad and veggies in the dressing and divide onto four bowls. Cut the avocado in quarters. Put the sesame seeds on a plate and dip one side of the cut up avocado quarters onto them. This adds a really nice look to them. Add one quarter to each bowl.

  4. Cut the burrata into 4 and also divide this onto the bowls.

  5. Serve with some fresh bread !

Happy cooking,
Enjoy,
Katie // Une Petite Cuisinière

Summer Poke Bowl

by Kommentar verfassen

The all beloved and super trends bowl. I mean, how can you not love it? Rice, fresh seafood (or tofu), all the veggies, fresh fruits, covered with a super good sauce. What do you need more? Step away from classic and make this super tasty summer version!

What even is poke?

Poke is a traditional dish that originated in Hawaii. It usually is raw fish (just like Sashimi) over rice. This rice mostly is prepared as sushi rice. The fish usually is marinated before with soy sauce and then it all is assembled in a bowl with lots of veggies.

My poke bowl love

I have always been loving sushi. I also have always loved all kinds of bowls. And therefore I love poke bowls. Before it even was a trend I would always get it when I saw it on the menu. Because it is so good. And then, luckily, it became a trend and now you can find lots of places in Vienna that serve extremely delicious poke bowls. My absolute favourite one is HONU TIKI Bowls because they are just the best ones! Me and my bestie almost always go there to have them! Insanely good.

Since we went there (and still go there) very often, we also spent a lot of money on them. And they are not cheap. Raw and fresh seafood is pretty expensive and so are other fresh ingredients. So I thought, why not making it at home? It is easy, healthy and pretty tricking tasty.

How to build up a poke bowl:

Similar to my guide for a buddha bowl I am now gonna explain to you how to best build up a poke bowl.

  • We need to start with a base. Traditionally I would use white rice or best, – – Sushi rice if you have that on hand. It is filling and adds a nice texture. If you want to can also use greens as a base to have more of a salad version or you could also do half half.
  • Next we need our source of protein. Raw (or also cooked works fine) fish such as tuna or salmon but you can also long for tofu or grilled chicken, prawns or beef.
  • Next up our marinade. This is important because it adds a lot of flavour to your protein and the entire bowl. I love doing a teriyaki sort of marinade but feel free to do something else.
  • Of course we also need some veggies. Here you are totally free and you can add whatever you want. For me, edamame or peas, cucumbers and tomatoes are always a must! But honestly, everything works well here!
  • Not to forget: Fruits! May sound a little weird a first but it is a game changer. It adds so much sweetness and freshness to it, that’s insane! I promise you, you will love it
  • A crunch: Here I love to use spring onions, sesame seeds, nori, or some sort of nuts. This just adds such a nice twist to the texture! Absolutely love it!
  • The sauce: Maybe this is the most important part of the entire bowl! Why? Because you are going to mix everything with it, and if it is not good, everything won’t be good. Here you can long for a mayo based one (which not always is the healthiest choice) or some soy sauce or peanut sauce.

What is in this bowl?

As a base we are using Sushi rice. The one I use is from Reishunger and it is super tasty! Btw: with the code REISKATIE you can get your favourite rice for free there!

Get the rice here!

As for veggies we use peas, broccoli, tomatoes, asparagus, cucumber and wakame (these are alleges which you can get at your asian restaurant or your fish market).

Fruitwise, we are going for apricots. they are coming into season now and they are regional. If you don’t like those, go for mango instead.

Our protein is salmon or tuna. I always make both of them because in my family we like different ones. But you can also use tofu if you want a vegan version, and leave out the fish sauce in the marinade

So next on to the marinade, it is sort of a teriyaki one. Super good and addicting!

Our crunch are spring onions, which are super good here! They add a crunch and some freshness.

Last but not least: the sauce. A peanut sauce. This stuff is seriously good. And seriously addicting. But also super easy!

Are poke bowls healthy?

Yes they are! Well usually, you always have exceptions. But rice is not unhealthy, raw fish is healthy because of its high protein content and it is not fried or prepared with a lot of oil. Plus, in poke bowls you always have tons of veggies, which also give you loads of vitamins, just as the fruits does. The sauce on top is not always healthy, so make sure to check what you are using. Mayo-based ones are not always healthy. What you should also look out for is that you do not always choose soy sauce based sauces because they are loaded with vitamins. So all in all, pretty healthy.

I hope you love this recipe as much as I do (because I am obsessed with it) and enjoy it all throughout summer. It is such an easy one, I would really recommend making it!

Print

Summer Poke Bowl

A summery version of the all time favorite and healthy dish! Raw fish with plenty of veggies, rice and a super tasty peanut sauce!

Course bowl, dinner, lunch, Main Course
Prep Time 15 Minuten
Cook Time 15 Minuten
Marinating 2 Stunden
Servings 4 servings
Calories 590 kcal

What you will need

  • 600 g tuna or salmon in sashimi quality (meaning you can eat it raw)
  • 250 g rice
  • 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 200 g broccoli
  • 100 g peas
  • 200 g asparagus green or white whatever you want, but when using white you need to peel it first
  • 1/2 large cucumber
  • 200 g tomatoes
  • some wakame optional
  • 4 apricots
  • 1 spring onion

For the marinade:

  • 50 ml soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp fish sauce
  • 1 tbsp oyster sauce optional
  • 2 tbsp coconut sugar
  • 1 lime juiced
  • 1 tbsp sriracha/ hot sauce optional
  • 1 tbsp honey or maple

For the peanut sauce

  • 100 ml full fat coconut milk
  • 30 g peanut butter about 2 tbsp
  • 30 g soy sauce about 2 tbsp
  • 1 tsp hot sauce
  • 1/2 lime juiced

How to

For the fish:

  1. Combine all the ingredients for the marinade in a large bowl. Cut up the fish into 1-1.5 cm sized cubes and add to the marinade. Marinate for 2 hours or longer. The longer, the more intense the flavor will be.

The rice:

  1. Prepare the rice according to package instructions. When done, remove from the heat and let cool for about 5 minutes. Then mix the rice wine vinegar with the sugar and mix it into the rice. Set aside.

The veggies & fruit:

  1. Steam or boil the broccoli, (green) asparagus, and peas for about 5 minutes in salted water, then drain. Cut the cucumber into small cubes. Half the tomatoes when using cherry tomatoes or also cut them into small cubes when using large ones.

    Depit the apricot and also cut it into small cubes. Finely slice the spring onions.

The sauce.

  1. Mix all of the ingredients for the sauce in a bowl. When it is too thick, add some water to thin it out.

Assemble!

  1. Divide the Sushi rice onto the bowls. Next add the fish with the marinade followed by all the veggies and fruit except for the spring onions. Top with the sauce and then lastly add the spring onions! Serve and enjoy!

Enjoy,
Happy cooking,
Katie // Une Petite Cuisinière

Italian Tomato and Eggplant Stew with fried Halloumi and Pita

by Kommentar verfassen

Fresh and sweet tomatoes with soft and slightly mushy eggplant plus tangy capers and olives. Oh, and not to forget about the good herbs and the Goey fried halloumi with fresh pita. Hard not to get hungry when reading this right?!

To be honest I have never had Halloumi until a few months ago. I spent a day with my besties in Bratislava and we were so tired after this super long day and went into a super cute little café. We just ordered some small snack like avocado toast and a greek bowl and in this bowl there was halloumi. And let me tell you, I instantly loved it. Maybe it is because I am a huge salt-addict (I know, that’s not very healthy but I just love it). Halloumi is pretty salty but tbh, that makes it real good right?

What goes well with Halloumi?

So I believe that everything that is with Mediterranean flavours goes super well with it! And everything with lots of herbs because herbs + halloumi is just the best combination. It tastes really yum with tomatoes, cucumber, olives, eggplant (=aubergine). Also, this might sound a little weird but believe me, it is also really good with oriental things like curry, hummus, falafel. Yes curry and halloumi goes with with each other. Might sound a little off but it is really good. If you want another halloumi recipe you can check out my Honey Eggplant and Chickpea Salad with Grilled Halloumi because that’s also really good!

Why Eggplant & Tomato?

Well because this combination with Halloumi is just so good. And Eggplant works so well in stews because it has a rather soft texture and makes it a little creamy-ish. Also it adds such a nice flavour. And tomatoes are always good. Especially in sauces or stews they are a must! They kind of build a „base“ for it and makes it saucy. And they are coming into season, so why not?

Fresh or canned tomatoes?

This really is up to you. They both work perfectly fine. If they are in season and you have them on hand, I would always recommend using fresh produce! But if you used canned ones make sure they are not all puréed. The best is if you mix them both. So use some fresh ones and some puréed sauce. That way you get some texture and sauciness. All the good things in it.

30-minute meal

You thought this couldn’t get any better? Well, it can! Because this comes together in less than 30 minutes. I know, so easy. Which means, it is perfect for a quick and healthy lunch or a cozy and simple dinner. Also, making it is not complicated at all! Actually the opposite is the case. It essentially comes down to chopping the ingredients and throwing them all together into a pot plus frying the halloumi in an extra pan. Yes, that simple.

What to have it with

Pita is my favourite go-to here because it is perfect to soak up the sauce and it has such a nice texture and taste. But if you do not like it or are intolerant to gluten or cannot find a good one you can also substitute it out for other things. Something like Quinoa, Pasta, Couscous or Rice would also work really well here. If you want to on the lighter side, you can also just serve it with a salad, which also is really good!

This is such a tasty meal for whenever you ar craving something comforting but healthy. Comes together really quick, is super family friendly, has lots of vitamins (& cheese ofc) and tastes amazing!

I hope that you will love this recipe as much as I do and that it will become a staple in your household!

Print

Italian Tomato and Eggplant Stew with fried Halloumi and Pita

Healthy, comforting and so full of flavor. A 30-minute, super quick and good weeknight dish!

Course bowl, dinner, lunch, Main Course
Prep Time 10 Minuten
Cook Time 20 Minuten
Total Time 30 Minuten
Servings 4 servings
Calories 456 kcal

What you will need

  • 1 red onion
  • 1 tbsp Olive Oil
  • 650 g Eggplant about 2 medium sized ones
  • 300 g tomatoes fresh ones (best is a mxi of large ones and cherry tomatoes)
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 200 g canned tomatoes (puréed)
  • 2 tbsp rosemary
  • 2 tbsp oregano
  • juice from 1/2 lemon
  • 60 g Capers about 3-4 tbsp
  • 40 g Olives about 3 tbsp, sliced olives
  • 300 g Halloumi
  • 2 Pita

How to

  1. Finely dice the onion. Heat up the olive oil in a pan and add the onion when hot. Sautée for about 2 minutes until fragnant.

    In the meantime chop the eggplant and tomatoes into about 2 cm sized chunks or half the cherry tomatoes, if using. Add them into the pan and sautée for another 2 minutes on high heat. Reduce the heat to medium high and stir in the tomato paste and sauce and the herbs. Let simmer for 10 minutes and then add in the juice from half a lemon, the capers, olives, some freshly cracked black pepper and some salt. Let simmer for another 10 minutes.

    While this is simmering slice the halloumi into about 1/2 cam thick slices. Place them on a grill or a preheated (grill)pan and fry them on medium high heat for about 3 minutes on each side until golden brown.

    Heat up the Pita in the oven.

    When everything is ready add the stew onto the plates and place the fried halloumi on top. Serve with the fresh pita and enjoy!

Happy cooking,
Enjoy,
Katie // Une Petite Cuisinière <3