feel food club

healthy vegan

Not your average, super quick beetroot and couscous Kisir

by Kommentar verfassen

Fluffy (not dry) couscous in a packed-with-flavor beetroot sauce, all tossed together with crunchy and fresh veggies and topped off with tangy, crumble feta cheese. Every bite is an explosion of flavours in your mouth, and every bite is pure enjoyment!

What is Kisir?

Kisir usually is a Turkish dish made from roasted red bell peppers and bulgur. The peppers are blended into a sauce and the bulgur is cooked with vegetable broth. The both then are tossed with different, chopped up vegetables and a marinade from lemon juice, pomegranate juice and olive oil.

What is special about this dish?

I am not even sure if I can call this Kisir because the only aspects we are keeping from Kisir is the sauce out of a roasted vegetable, that a grain is cooked in vegetable broth and that it both is mixed with chopped up vegetables.

Instead of bell peppers we are using beetroots. They are in season now, they are super nutritious, they are a flavour-bomb and they add a pretty colour :). Instead of bulgur we go for couscous because it is quicker and easier to make. And instead of only adding cucumber and tomatoes, we are upgrading our couscous and making it more international with spring onions, edamame beans and feta.

So, you can see it is pretty far from Kisir and at the same time really similar. And it needs to be said, it is at least as delicious, I promise!

Is this dish healthy?

Oh, yes! It is not only packed with flavour but also with many many nutrients. The star of the show, beetroot, is an extremely healthy, immune system boosting vegetable, with many many healthy benefits, If you are interested in it, you can check out my September Top 5 and learn more about it!

Besides the star, we also have many other small stars. Edamame, for example is not only super delicious, but also packed with protein and nutrients. Cucumber, vitamin loaded. Bell Pepper, fibre star. spring onions and the herbs also add another nutrient kick! So, there are many ingredients that will make you feel amazing!

And then we also have the couscous, which is a great source of carbohydrates, and when bought wholegrain also a great source of protein. The olive oil, which we are adding, also adds some healthy fats and the lemon some vitamin C!

How to make this dish?

Easiest thing ever. Because no-one wants to spend an hour cooking lunch when their tummy already is groaning. It essentially comes down to preparing the couscous, blending the beets with vegetable broth and oil, chopping the veggies and mixing everything! Yes, it is as easy as it sounds!

When and how to best have it?

It is great for a quick lunch, a leftover side for dinner but also as a delicious meal prep idea. You can store it very well in the fridge (the flavours will only get more intense) and have it the next day!

I love to serve it with some feta or goats cream cheese and some fresh herbs. If you are more on the meat side you could add some grilled chicken or if you are plant based, go ahead and add some chickpeas or vegan feta!

I hope you’ll enjoy this as much as we do and that it will be a healthy staple in you winter cuisine! Have a fun and delicious time cooking and enjoy!

Print

Not your average, super quick beetroot and couscous Kisir

a flavor packed, creamy (not dry) couscous in a beetroot sauce, tossed with fresh, crunchy veggies and topped with tangy feta. All ready in 15 minuntes!

Course Appetizer, dinner, Main Course, Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine turquish (inspired)
Prep Time 15 Minuten
Total Time 15 Minuten
Servings 4 servings
Calories 473 kcal

What you will need

  • 300 g couscous
  • 600 ml vegetable broth
  • 2 rather small beets
  • 1/2 cucumber
  • 100 g edamame beens (cooked)
  • 2 spring onions
  • 1 bell pepper
  • 150 g feta
  • 1 tbsp parsley
  • 1 tbsp mint
  • 2 tsp honey
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 lemon

How to

  1. Bring the vegetable broth to a boil. Take off the heat and add about 3 tbsp of it to a blender with the beets. Pour in the couscous to the rest and let it soak up the liquid and fluff.

  2. Chop up the cucumber and bell peppers into small (about 1cm sized) pieces. Finely slice the spring onions and chopp the herbs. Add them all to a large bowl. In a seperate bowl combine the olive oil, honey and lemon juice.

  3. When the couscous is done, add it to the bowl with the veggies, the beetroot sauce and olive oil mixture. Mix it through until the sauce has covered everything.

  4. Divide onto plates and crumble the feta on top. Serve with some fresh herbs and enjoy!

Love,
Katie // Une Petite Cuisinière

Super Easy 10 Minute Beetroot Latte (vegan)

by Kommentar verfassen

If you now are thinking something similar to „what?? Beetroot latte?“, I know how you are feeling. I felt the same before I tried it for the first time. And really, it surprised me positively. If you like beetroot, and warm, comforting drinks, this is something for you!

What is special about this drink?

I think this entire drink is really special. To be honest, I am not a huge anything latte fan. When I drink my coffee, I like it short and without anything. Still, once in a while, I really like this drink. I feel like it gives me a lot of energy plus its super tasty!

So what is special? We have beetroot + coffee. If you never have had beetroot in a sweet dish, you have been missing out… Instead of just coffee and milk, we have beetroot, spices, coffee and milk. A fancy, fancy, healthy latte.

Is this drink healthy?

it definitely is! Since beetroot has a naturally, slightly sweet flavour to it, there is no need to add much sweetener. Plus, beets are an extremely healthy. In my September Top 5 I have shared lots of information about them, so you can go check that out if you are interested.

To just quickly summarise, they are really high in fibre, vitamin B6, C, manganese and potassium. It also has been shown that they are beneficial for overall health such as reducing blood sugar levels, cell function and the immune system. If you are a beetroot fan and want more beet recipes you can check out my beetroot pasta bake with goats cheese or the better than store-bought beetroot hummus!

Besides the star of the show we also have coffee in here, which has been shown to have several health benefits (as it may lower the risk of type 2 diabetes, cancer and boost longevity), when consumed in moderation. Then we also have cinnamon, which comes along a bunch of other health benefits and plant based milk.

How to make this drink?

This is so so easy. You need to start by heating up the milk with the cinnamon and cardamon. Then you blend about half of the milk with the beets, and foam the other half. To serve you pour both, the beet milk and the foamed milk into a cup and add a shot of espresso. That already is it! Really really simple!

When and how to best have it?

As this recipe already says, it works great with coffee, as a fancy drink! If you have some leftover milk, you can also add it to porridge’s, overnight oats, chia pudding, cereal or anything else you would add regular (plant based) milk to!

Print

The Easiest 5 Minute Beetroot Latte (vegan)

Definitely not your regular latte but incredibly delicious, easy and healthy! A must make for everyone who likes to try out something new!

Course Drinks
Prep Time 10 Minuten
Servings 2 lattes
Calories 71 kcal

What you will need

  • 1 small beet (precooked)
  • 500 ml milk
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp cardamon
  • 2 shots espresso

How to

  1. Add the milk, cinnamon and cardamon to a pot and bring to a boil. Pour half of it into a food processor along with the beetroot and blend. Foam the other half, either in a foamer or in a pot.

  2. Into a mug pour the beetroot milk, the foamed milk and then the shot of espresso.

  3. Enjoy!

Super Easy & Cozy Double Chocolate Granola

by 2 Kommentare

Double Chocolate Granola. Basically the taste of hot chocolate in form of granola on top of your yoghurt, porridge, nice cream or whatever. Pretty amazing. And pretty easy to make. Not convinced yet? Pretty healthy and soso delish! 

It’s been a while since I shared my last granola recipe – which was a mango coconut granola. We are in December now, which makes it kinda unsuitable for me to be eating a tropical granola (tbh this would only make me miss summer ever more) so I needed something else. First I though Chai Granola, because obviously everything chai is unbeatable but then I realised that I maybe already have shared quite a lot of chai recipes sooo – we are doing hot chocolate! And it is not in the tiniest bit less delicious! 

What’s special about this dish?

Not that it is a chocolate granola – no – it is a double chocolate granola. Chocolate before baking and chocolate after baking. Because who could have enough chocolate? Plus, it is really easy to make, and you can really top off anything with it. Or you could, as I do, eat it straight from the jar. And it works perfect for the pre Christmas time but tbh it is delicious at any time of the year!

Is it healthy? 

It definitely is healthyish. Oats are a great source of carbohydrates and protein, nuts provide essential fats and protein too. The cacao powder is extremely high in antioxidants and has actually been shown to have several health benefits. But as any dessert or sweet dish, we need something to sweeten it up and make it delicious! In this case we are using maple syrup or honey. Yes, these both still contain sugar but they also come along other nutrients and therefore are a bit more beneficial for our bodies than refined white sugar. And since we are not using tremendous amounts of it, it won’t hurt anyone. 

How to make this dish: 

This is fairly simple. OK you probably read this in all my recipe blog posts haha buttt it really is. Why? All you need to do is chop the nuts, mix them with the oats. Then you melt together the cacao powder, honey or maple and oil and hat it up. When this is combined well, you need to mix the oat-nut mixture with this and pop it onto a baking tray to bake. 

When done, just sprinkle some fresh chocolate and let it melt into the granola. When this hardens again, you’ll have these super nice little chocolate chunks in your granola, which is so good. Now you just need to toss in the cranberries and that already is it! Super easy right? 

Perfect Christmas gift

Homemade presents always are the most loved ones. And this granola is a perfect idea for such. Just make a bit more of it, pack it into a cute jar along with a kind little letter and bring it to your loved ones. It is not only easy to make for you but it definitely will also make them smile!

I hope that you will enjoy this recipe and make it over and over! Have a beautiful advent and enjoy the time!

5 von 1 Bewertung
Print

Super Easy & Cozy Double Chocolate Granola

It's like having hot chocolate in form of granola. So easy. Se delicious. Pretty healthy. All you need this winter!

Course Breakfast, Dessert
Prep Time 10 Minuten
Cook Time 10 Minuten
Total Time 20 Minuten
Calories 156 kcal

What you will need

  • 200 g rolled oats
  • 30 g almonds
  • 30 g hazelnuts
  • 30 g walnuts
  • 5 tbsp cacao powder
  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 4 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • a pinch sea salt
  • 80 g dark chocolate
  • 3 tbsp cranberries

How to

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.

    Roughly chop up the nuts. In a bowl combine them with the oats.

  2. In the meantime heat up the oil, maple, cinnamon, salt and cacao powder until everything has motlen together. Toss the oats and nuts in the mixture.

  3. Lay on a baking tray with parchment paper and bake for about 10-12 minutes till crispy.

  4. In the meantime chop up the chocolate in small chunks (about 0.5cm) and toss them into the baked granola. Let cool completely and then toss in the cranberries.

  5. Enjoy with yoghurt, milk, oatmeal, ice cream, nice cream or just snack it straight form the jar!

Happy cooking,
Love,
Katie // Une Petite Cuisinière

Easy Oriental Baked Pumpkin with Creamy White Bean Hummus

by Kommentar verfassen

It’s finally the season of our all-beloved veggie! Soups, stews, carving, roasting. No matter when and it which way, pumpkin always is a great idea! But the good same old soup can also get a little boring after a while. So let’s bring some new spices into your kitchen and try out having pumpkin in a different way! Soft roasted pumpkin on a bed of creamy white bean hummus, topped with pine nuts and a good drizzle of olive oil. Perfect fall lunch or dinner and great for meal prep! 

What is special about this dish? 

The combination of pumpkin with oriental flavors and the slightly different variation of hummus! Hummus usually is made out of chickpeas, tahin and olive oil. In this recipe, we are using white beans, also called butter beans instead of chickpeas. They make it equally as creamy and taste very similar. The major difference is that compared to chickpeas, white beans have a milder and slightly buttery taste. This goes in great harmony with the roasted pumpkin. This is flavored with an oriental spice mix and then baked. To finish off we are topping it with roasted pine nuts. This gives the final touch and is really delicious! 

Is this dish healthy?

Yes and yes! Let’s start with the white bean hummus. Beans have a great nutritional value. They are an incredibly good source of plant based protein and fibre. Plus, the addition of the olive oil and tahin not only make it super creamy but they also add a decent amount of healthy fats.

Pumpkin, as you can read in my November Top 5 as my food of the month, is also super nutritious. Lots of vitamins such as B1, B2, B6, C and E as well as other minerals. Plus it contains a lot of fibre, which is really beneficial for your digestion. 

Also the pine nuts are really nutritious, as all nuts! Protein, unsaturated fats and minerals. Brainfood at its finest! 

How to make this dish

This actually is super simple. To start, you need to combine the spices with some olive oil and brush the pumpkin with it. Then pop it in the oven for half an hour and that’s all you got to do for the pumpkin! 

Next up, making the hummus. For this you need a food processor or at least a blender! Into this you add the white beans, olive oil, tahin, salt, paprika and garlic powder. And VERY important: you need to add a little splash of vinegar! Sounds a bit unusual at first, but believe me, it makes the difference. The slight acidity makes the hummus so super addicting, I promise, soso good! And last, but not least we also need to add some of the liquid the beans were preserved in. This helps to make it super creamy! 

When and how to best have it

If you are wondering when to best have it, I can only tell you so much: it works at any time of the day! It is a great addition to your brunch, works great as a lunch or a comforting dinner! What is great about this is, that it works amazing for meal prep too! You just need to make the hummus first. This you can store in the fridge for up to a week. The hummus need to be baked and stored separately and can be reheated when you want to eat it! 

In terms of how to best have it, I recommend serving it either with some kind of bread such as pita bread or with some cooked grain as quinoa! If you are not super hungry, it also works great with a green salad on the side!

Perfect comforting and healthy dish for fall to make use of all of the pumpkins that are in season! Easy and delicious! 

Print

Oriental Spiced Baked Pumpkin with Creamy White Bean Hummus

Creamy, tangy white bean hummus topped with super flavorful, oriental spiced pumpkin and topped with crispy nuts. Fall comfort at its finest.

Course Appetizer, dinner, lunch, Main Course
Cuisine oriental
Prep Time 10 Minuten
Servings 4 servings
Calories 391 kcal

What you will need

For the pumpkin:

  • 1 hokkaido squash
  • 1/2 tsp chili flakes
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp oregano
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp thyme
  • 2 tsp sesame seeds
  • 2 tbsp olive oil

For the rest:

  • 1 can white beans
  • 1 tbsp tahin (this is a paste made out of sesame seeds. If you do not have this, simply add more olive oil)
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp paprika powder
  • 2-3 tbsp of the liquid the white beans were canned in
  • 2-3 tbsp parsley
  • 2 tbsp pine nuts
  • some PIta bread to serve

How to

  1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Slice the pumpkin into about 1-2cm thick slices. Lay them out on a baking tray. mix the spices with the olive oil and brush the pumpkin with the mixture. Bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes until soft.

  2. In a food processor combine the drained white beans, tahin, olive oil, salt, paprika, vinegar and the preserved liquid in which the beans have been stored. Blend until creamy. If not creamy enough add more of the liquid or more olive oil.

    Add the pine nuts to a pan and heat them up. Fry them until golden brown, then immediately take them off the heat.

  3. Divide the white bean hummus onto plates. Top with the pumpkin when done. Sprinkle with the pine nuts and parsley. Enjoy!

I hope you will enjoy this recipe!
Happy cooking,
Katie // Une Petite Cuisinière