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The Easiest 15 minute Saucy Avocado Pasta

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Pasta itself is a dream. Avocado itself is a dream. Well, can you now imagine what the combination of pasta and avocado tastes like? Like the best dream. Not only does it taste amazing, no, it also is incredibly easy to make (as easy as tomato sauce), super healthy and soso simple. Really, there is no excuse left not to make this!

What’s special about this dish?

It is everything else than traditional (sorry to all my Italian fellows, if this may hurt you). Avocado does not really grow in Italy and defintely is not eaten with pasta. Usually you’d eat it with bread, in bowls, with nachos or just as is. And I mean, all of those are some sort of carbohydrates – so is pasta! Why not eating avocado with pasta then? So besides it being very non-traditional, it also comes together really really quickly.

Plus, it is very versatile. If you want it springy, go ahead and add some herbs or dill, if you want it vegan, substitute the parmesan cheese for nutritional yeast and the greek yoghurt for a plant based yoghurt. If you wanted it a bit more meaty, you could also fry some bacon in a pan and toss it into the sauce, so you have a kinda cabonara-style avocado pasta. Or you could also fry some prawns or chicken and add that on top. It really is up to you and your preferences how you make this and that makes it really special and great!

Is this even healthy?

Yep, yep! Avocados are superfoods, this needs to be said. They are loaded with healthy (omega-3) fats, which are great for your brain and your heart. Then they also contain more potassium than e.g. bananas, great for your cells and heart, they contain a bunch of fibre, so your digestion works perfectly and they contain numerous different vitamins and minerals to keep you feeling fit and healthy.

Then we also have some greek yoghurt, which is loaded with protein and calcium, parmesan cheese, which is loaded with deliciousness, fresh herbs (always a nutrient bomb) and the pasta. Pasta, unlike many claims, can actually be very beneficial for you. The carbs give you lots of energy to do all the things you love. Plus, if you go for whole-grain pasta, you get another dose of fibre and minerals. And, obviously, pasta is very good for your soul 🙂

How to make this?

When I say this is easy, I mean this is EASY. You start by boiling the pasta (according to package instructions). Then we either use a blender or a fork to continue. When doing it with a fork, it will be less creamy, more like a pesto-guac consistency. When blending it’ll be saucy. So we grate the parmesan, and either add it to a bowl or a blender with chopped up herbs, greek yoghurt, grated garlic and mashed avo. And then we either mash or blend it until creamy.

Before the pasta is done, we’ll reserve some pasta water, then drain it and mix it with the avocado sauce and the pasta water. That already is it! Really easy right? Now you can add any toppings you like, if you want to, like tomatoes, prawns, chicken, chickpeas, or just more cheese (always a good choice)!

This dish really is perfect for summer, or warm spring days, for easy lunches or quick dinners. I would even say it´s justifiable as a brunch dish (bc it’s basically like avocado toast just with pasta, right?). Regardless or when you’ll enjoy it, I hope you will enjoy it! Have a great time cooking!

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The Easiest 15 Minute Saucy Avocado Pasta

Easy, delicious, healthy. Just on another level. The combination of pasta and creamy avocado sauce is just like a bite into heaven, plus it is so incredibly easy to make! A must try!

Course Main Course
Prep Time 5 Minuten
Cook Time 10 Minuten
Total Time 15 Minuten
Servings 4 servings

What you will need

  • 500 g pasta (spaghetti work best)
  • 1,5-2 avocados (depending on how big they are)
  • 100 g greek yoghurt
  • 100 g parmesan cheese
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 tbsp chopped herbs (a mixture of dill, basil and parsley works best)
  • sea salt
  • mozarella, prawns, chicken or anything else to serve with

How to

  1. Bring a pot with salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package instructions. 2 minutes before they're done, you can reserve 1 cup of the pasta water. Drain them.

  2. If you have a blender, peel the avocado and the garlic, grate the parmesan and add everything to a blender and mix until creamy.

  3. If you do not have a blender, mash the avocado, grate the parmesan and garlic and mix and mash everything in a bowl until as creamy as possible. You may need some (plant based) milk).

  4. When the pasta is done, mix it with the sauce and a bit of the pasta water to start with (you can add more later on if you feel like it needs to become a bit creamier).

  5. Divide onto bowls and serve with whatever you love! Enjoy!

Love,
Katie // Une Petite Cuisinière

The Easiest 20 Minute Garlic Curry Eggplant

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20 minutes in combination with curry and soft eggplant? Who can say no to that? Seriously, standing in the kitchen for hours when we are hungry and don’t have much time is just not great fun. So we often grab something quick and often not the healthiest options. But this does not have to be the case! It is sooo easy to make something healthy and delicious is like only twenty minutes! And really, these 20 minutes of cooking probably are the most meditative break during your busy day.

What’s special about this dish?

it is not quite a regular curry – but it also is not a stir fry. It is something inbetween. Actually I have been inspired by Baba Ganush when I came up with this dish (which is a middle eastern eggplant dip) and wanted to make a curry version of it that is not quite as creamy. And that kind of is what it turned out to be – a mix of Baba Ganush, Curry and Stir Fry. Anyway, no matter how you label it, it is super addicting.

Contrary to regular curry, it does not contain many different veggies and it not as saucy. The only veggies in it are the eggplant and the edamame. Why? Because we’re keeping it simple. This way the flavors also come through more intense and you can really focus on the eggplant and edamame. The eggplant is basically the base and adds some softness and the edamame gives a nice & fresh contrast.

Is this dish healthy?

OH YES! The main star of the show is eggplant! Besides being super tasty, eggplant also is super healthy! Eggplants are loaded with vitamins, minerals and fibre. Plus they come with a bunch of antioxidants and they are incredibly easy to cook! You could roast them like in the Sesame Roasted Miso Eggplant Recipe or you could add it to an italian tomato stew or throw it into a salad! Options are endless!

Then we also have edamame. Edamame actually is one of my favourite foods ever! The actually are a bean, and therefore extremely high in fibre and protein!! Plus, obv. a bunch of minerals! That all comes with a side of rice, which provides us the carbs to stay happy and healthy and full of energy throughout the entire day!

How to make this dish?

That now really is easy as pie!! It really only comes down to chopping garlic and eggplant and frying them in oil untl soft. Here we need to salt the eggplant, because the salt helps to get the water out of the eggplant, which makes it cook quicker. All that’s left to do now, is to add the edamame and the curry paste that has been mixed with the coconut milk and let it simmer. To garnish we only chop up some spring onions and cilantro and there you go! Easy as pie!

Meal prep friendly?

Yepyepyep! Curry actually is one of the foods that is the meal prep friendliest. It actually enhances in flavour when you let it stand overnight. You can just store it separately from the rice and either heat it up in a pot with a splash of water or in the microwave. This really makes it even more suitable as a quick lunch, because then it really only takes about 5 minutes!

Honestly, this has become one of my new favourites and it is soso good! Easy, quick, super tasty, and healthy! I do not know what you are waiting for any more and why you are not already in the kitchen cooking! Have fun cooking!

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The easiest 20 minute garlic curry eggplant

Ready in basically no time and yet so full of flavor and deliciousness. Th perfect dish for quick lunches or easy dinners. Soft and garlicy eggplant tossed in a spicy red curry sauce on a bed of fluffy rice. All you really need!

Course dinner, lunch, Main Course
Prep Time 5 Minuten
Cook Time 15 Minuten
Total Time 20 Minuten
Servings 2 servings

What you will need

  • 1 eggplant
  • 4 tbsp curry paste
  • 100 ml coconut milk
  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • spring onions & cilantro for garnish
  • 150 g rice

How to

  1. To a pot add the rice along with twice the amount of water and a generous pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Once all water is absorbed turn down to very low heat and let the rice stand to fluff.

  2. In the meantime finely chop the garlic clove and roughly cut the eggplant into about 2-3cm sized chunks. In a pan heat up the oil, then fry the garlic in it for about 1-2 minutes until fragrant before adding the soy sauce. Then add the eggplant and fry on medium high for about 5-8 minutes.

  3. In the meantime combine the curry paste and coconut milk in a bowl and slice the spring onions.

  4. Then add the coconut-curry mix to the eggplant and stir it in. Turn down to medium heat and let cook for about 8 minutes, until the eggplant is nice and soft.

  5. By now the rice should be done too. Divide it onto the plates and top with the eggplant. Sprinkle some sesame seeds and spring onions and serve with a little cilantro!

    Enjoy!

Enjoy,
love,
Katie

Cinnamon Roll French Toast Sticks that Anyone Can Make

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This is beyond good. I am not even such a big French toast or sweet breakfast lover but this … this is some seriously addicting stuff. Cinnamon-sugar, crispy on the outside, soft on the inside bread, dipped in a berry compote. Just saying, if you are not trying this, you are missing out!!

When it comes to breakfast I pretty much ALWAYS go for savoury. The only times I do not choose a savoury one is when we do not have bread, avocado or eggs at home or when I come up with a new recipe. Even when I am out for brunch, I never order something sweet. BUT this recipe made me reconsider my decision and this French toast is about to compete with avocado toast. And that means a whole lot.

What is special about this dish?

Think of it as French toast meets cinnamon roll – what do you want more? You have all the classics you love so much about French toast – the soaked bread, the sweet marinade, the maple syrup – and then you also have what you love most about cinnamon rolls – the cinnamon sugar!

PLUS this recipe is super simple, easy to make, requires very, very few ingredients and is healthier than your normal French toast. It is perfect for those cozy Sundays in bed or for Christmas morning or brunch. Ideal for those mornings where you just want good food but do not want to go to the grocery store.

Is this dish healthy?

Healthy-ish. It still does contain sugar, otherwise it would barely be a French toast, but instead of white, refined sugar we are using coconut sugar, which also comes along other nutrients such as fibre and vitamins. Instead of white toast we are using sourdough bread, which not only tastes great in French toast but also is partially whole wheat (in most cases).

And instead of only serving it with maple syrup, which also would be too sweet in my eyes, we are serving it with some greek yoghurt and stewed, frozen berries, that balance out the sweetness perfectly.

How to make this dish?

This probably is the best part about this. Anyone can make this. This is so incredibly easy because lets be honest who wants to spend hours in the kitchen when their tummy is empty and already growling?

We start by slicing the bread into sticks that are about 1- 1,5cm thick and 3 cm wide. Now we need to mix the ingredients for the „marinade“, so eggs (could be subbed for chia egg), milk (you could sub for plant based milk) , honey and cinnamon. Now we let the bread take a little bath in the mixture, for about 5 minutes. That way they soak up a lot of flavour and become juicy when frying, which is our next step.

We heat up some oil/ butter and fry the sticks for about 2-3 minutes on each side. In the meantime we are preparing a cinnamon sugar cover by simply mixing cinnamon and coconut sugar. Once the bread is done in the pan, they get a good shake in the cinnamon sugar and they are ready to be eaten!! Delicious!

When and how to best have them?

Anytime, anyway with anything. Not kidding, you’ll want them all the time. I love them as a brunch, a breakfast, a breakfast for dinner kind of thing or even a lunch. Yes, they would also work great as a snack or dessert.

It is great to make this when you have some (stale) bread from the day before and do not know how to make use of it otherwise or when you just want an easy but fancy breakfast!

I hope that you will enjoy this recipe and make it over and over!

Have fun cooking & enjoy!
Love,
Katie // Une Petite Cuisinière

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Cinnamon Roll French Toast Sticks that Anyone Can Make

Delicious. Easy. Healthyish. Like a crossover of french toast and cinnamon roll. Perfect brunch in bed!

Course Breakfast, brunch, Dessert
Prep Time 10 Minuten
Cook Time 10 Minuten
Total Time 20 Minuten
Servings 2 servings
Calories 515 kcal

What you will need

  • 3-4 slices sourdough bread (about 1.5 cm thick)
  • 1 egg
  • 100 ml milk or plant based milk
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tbsp oil or magarine/ butter
  • 1/2 lemon juiced
  • 300 g frozen berries
  • 3-4 tbsp coconut sugar
  • 3-4 tsp cinnamon
  • some greek yoghurt to serve with

How to

  1. Cut the slices of bread into about 2,5-3cm wide sticks. In a large bowl combine the egg, milk, honey and 2 tsp of cinnamon. Add the bread slices into the mixture and let them soak it up for about 5 minutes.

  2. Heat up the oil in a pan and fry the sticks for about 2-3 minutes on each side until golden and crispy. In the meantime heat up the frozen berries with the lemon juice on medium high heat.

  3. To a bowl add the coconut sugar and remaining cinnamon and mix through. Once the bread is done frying, toss it in this mixture and add to a plate. Serve with greek yoghurt and the berries! Enjoy!

Super easy roasted sesame miso eggplant with coconut rice

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The soft „meat“ of the eggplant, soaked with flavour of the sesame miso marinade combined with creamy coconut rice and a baby spinach salad. Way easier than it sounds. And so delicious. 30 minutes, full of flavour, healthy and comforting.

I have never been to Japan, unfortunately, but it definitely is one of the top destinations of my travel list. I just really like all of the flavours, spices and fermented goods in their cuisine. Since the current situation makes travelling a bit difficult, it is time for us to bring Japan home! Taking the delicious and decadent flavours and making masterpieces out of them in the kitchen! And also, here is no better way to start into the slightly colder season than with some good comfort food. Heating up the oven and baking and the bubbling food on the stove. A super soft on the inside eggplant and creamy rice is the perfect dish for such occasions.

What is special about this dish?

Kind of everything, to be honest. The eggplant that is prepared and soaked up with the slightly sweet but so delicious asian marinade and baked to perfection and the rice that is not you average side dish rice but made with much more flavour.

What is miso and where can you get it?

Miso is a paste made from fermented soy beans and salt. It originated in Japan and is typically used in Asian, especially Japanese cuisine. Probably it’s most common use is in miso soup, which you can find at most Japanese restaurants. There are several different kinds of miso paste, from black to yellow and sweet so sour. For this recipe, I would recommend using a yellow/ light one without added sugar since we are adding the sweetness ourselves.

You can find Miso paste at pretty much any asian grocery store. It also often can be found at health stores or organic markets because of its high content of probiotics (through fermentation) or speciality stores.

Is this dish healthy?

I would definitely say so! You get great nutrients such as vitamins and fibre form the eggplant and also healthy probiotics from the miso (although there won’t be as much due to heating it up). The rice adds some great carbohydrates and protein and the coconut milk adds a healthy dose of fats. The only thing you should note is that this dish is a bit high in sodium because of its Miso and soy sauce content. If you have issues with sodium or make it sodium reduced, you can long for sodium reduced soy sauce, which you can find at any supermarket!

Meal prep & friendly?!

Yes and yes! You can very well store this in containers and heat it up whenever you want to enjoy it. The flavours will stay and consistency wise the reheating won’t be a problem. It also is pretty family friendly and a great way to sneak some more veggies onto the plates. If in your family, someone cannot go without meat, an easy way to include this is to just add some chicken, prawns or any other meat/ seafood of your preference into the marinade and then just fry it up in a pan while the eggplant is baking!

I hope that you will enjoy this recipe and that it gets you a little bit excited for the colder season ahead of us!

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Super easy roasted sesame miso eggplant with coconut rice

Soft eggplant that is full of flavor and easy to make paired with some dreamy, creamy coconut rice and a fresh salad!

Course dinner, lunch, Main Course
Cuisine asian, Japanese
Prep Time 5 Minuten
Cook Time 35 Minuten
Total Time 40 Minuten
Servings 4 people
Calories 530 kcal

What you will need

For the eggplant:

  • 2 eggplants
  • 1 tbsp Tahini
  • 3 tbsp miso paste
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • a few drops Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp hot sauce
  • 6 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup

For the rice:

  • 250 g rice
  • 200 ml coconut milk
  • 300 ml water

For the rest:

  • 4 handful baby spinach
  • 2 scallions (spring onions)
  • 2 tbsp sesame seeds

How to

  1. Cut the eggplants lengthwise. Carefully cut a grid-pattern into each half of the eggplant. This only is supposed to add some depth to the eggplant to soak up the flavor better. Do not cut the eggplant through!

  2. In a bowl/ tupperware combine all of the inrgedients for the sauce. Place the eggplant halfes, pattern side down in the marinade and let marinade for about 2-4 hours if you have got the time (if you do not, continue on from the next step).

  3. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Place the eggplant halves on a baking tray and brush some of that remaining dressing into the grids. Bake the eggplant for 25-30 minutes. Take them out of the oven, heat it up to 225°C. Brush the eggplants again and bake for another 5 minutes.

  4. In the meantime add the rice along with the coconut milk, some salt and water to a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and let simmer until all liquid is absorbed. Cover and let steam on very low heat for another 3-5 minutes until the rice is soft.

  5. Wash the baby spinach and toss it with some slat, pepper,a nd the remaining eggplant marinade.

  6. Divide the rice and salad onto the plates and add the eggplant on top. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, chopped up scallions and cliantro. Enjoy!

Happy cooking,
Enjoy,
Katie // Une Petite Cuisinière