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Whole Wheat Banana Nut Mini Muffins

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When you have some bananas that are getting a little bit too ripe,it’s just perfect to bake a batch of fresh healthy muffins.They are wholesome with whole wheat flour,chopped walnuts,mashed bananas and chia seeds.They are perfect for breakfast with little bit of softened butter and a cup of coffee of course .They store well for couple of days when wrapped in plastic wrap and also freezer friendly.

Whole Wheat Banana Nut Mini Muffins

Ingredients

  • 2 cups Whole wheat flour
  • 1/4 cup chia seeds
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
  • 1/2 cup plain yoghurt
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 3 large bananas mashed
  • 1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 3 tablespoons avocado oil ( vegetable oil will work also)
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
  • powdered sugar for dusting

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Spray mini cupcake pan with nonstick cooking spray.
  3. In a mixing bowl,whisk together flour,salt,baking powder,cinnamon and chia seeds.
  4. In another mixing bowl,whisk together sugar and egg.
  5. Whisk in mashed bananas,vanilla,oil,and yoghurt until well combined.
  6. Gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients.
  7. Fold in chopped nuts.
  8. Divide batter evenly into prepared mini cupcake pan.
  9. Sprinkle some chopped nuts and oatmeal on top if desired.
  10. Bake for 12-13 minutes.
  11. let cool completely.
  12. Dust with powdered sugar.
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Guacamole Dip

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Simple, fresh, healthy, delicious and perfect for parties or potlucks.

Guacamole Dip

Ingredients

  • 3 ripe avocados
  • 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
  • 3 garlic cloves crushed
  • 1/2 red onion diced* optional
  • 1 tomato diced (seeds and pulp removed)
  • 3/4 teaspoon cumin powder
  • juice of 1 lime
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt (I used Himalayan pink salt)

Instructions

  1. Peel and mash avocados.
  2. Throw in the rest of the ingredients.
  3. Mix well to combine all the ingredients.
  4. Serve with tortilla chips or add to quesadillas,burritos,or sandwiches.
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Meringue Cake with Berries

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Lovely clouds of meringue layered with smooth whipped cream and colorful sweet berries. This cake tastes light and heavenly.It’s always a hit at parties and perfect for spring and summer.

Meringue Cake with Berries

Ingredients

  • Meringue:
  • 6 egg whites (room temperature)
  • 1 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar*
  • *It's fine with out it too.
  • Cream:
  • 3 cups Heavy whipping cream
  • 8 0z. cream cheese
  • 1 3/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons orange liqueur*
  • * you can substitute vanilla extract
  • Choice or mix of:
  • Sliced strawberries
  • blueberries
  • raspberries
  • blackberries
  • sliced kiwi
  • sliced peaches/nectarines

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees.
  2. Beat egg whites with sugar.
  3. Add cream of tartar and continuing to beat until meringue is stiff.
  4. Trace 3 -9 inch circles on a parchment paper.
  5. (I use the bottom part of spring foam baking pan lined with parchment paper)
  6. Spread or pipe meringue evenly over the circles.
  7. Bake for 2 hours.
  8. Turn off the oven and keep it in the oven for another 2 hours or overnight.
  9. Meringues can be made a night or two before.
  10. Cream:
  11. Beat cream cheese.
  12. Gradually add sugar.
  13. Add in orange liqueur/vanilla extract.
  14. On med-low speed, add heavy whipping cream.Increase speed as the cream gets thicker.
  15. Beat until smooth and fluffy.
  16. Assembling (Maximum of two hours before serving)
  17. Spread a generous amount of cream on the meringue layer.
  18. Arrange fruits and berries.
  19. Place the second layer on top of the fruits and berries and repeat the steps for the rest of the layers.
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Cottage Cheese Pancakes

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Want try something different then regular pancakes? These pancakes are fluffy,wholesome,and delicious.Adding cottage cheese just makes them delicate and somewhat hearty.You can top it off with any type of fruit you like; berries,bananas,kiwi,peaches or anything you like.You can choose from 2 homemade syrups or just use real maple syrup.

Cottage Cheese Pancakes

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour*
  • 1 cup white flour*
  • 1 1/4 cup cottage cheese*
  • 3 tablespoons sugar or 2 tablespoons honey/agave syrup
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 1/4 cup warm milk
  • Creamy Syrup:
  • 1/2 can condensed milk
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream
  • 2 tablespoons(heaping) sour cream
  • syrup:
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup dark brown sugar
  • 2 tablsp. heavy whipping cream
  • ½ teasp. ground cinnamon**
  • berries or any fruit of choice
  • cottage cheese for topping
  • * You can use all whole wheat or all white flour
  • ** optional

Instructions

  1. In a mixing bowl combine all dry ingredients.
  2. In another mixing bowl whisk eggs with sugar,vanilla,oil,and cottage cheese.
  3. Add milk.
  4. Gradually add in all dry ingredients.
  5. Heat a skillet or griddle on medium-low heat.
  6. Add a spoonful or scoop of batter to a skillet.
  7. (I like to use lid and cover the pancake, that way its cooked all the way through and not gooey inside)
  8. Flip pancake and repeat the process with the rest of the batter.
  9. Creamy syrup:
  10. Combine condensed milk with heavy whipping cream in a small saucepan.
  11. Heat the saucepan on med-low heat.
  12. Remove from heat and whisk in sour cream.
  13. Syrup:
  14. Combine water and brown sugar in a medium saucepan.
  15. Bring it to a boil on a high heat.
  16. Boil for 8-10 minutes until the syrup reduces to approximately 1 cup.
  17. Remove from heat and whisk in the cream and cinnamon if you like.
  18. We like to combine these two syrups together.It's really good!
  19. Pour syrup over pancakes.Add dallop of cottage cheese and top it off with fruits or berries.
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Tomato and Eggplant salad

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DSC_3163Combination of tomatoes and eggplants is very popular in russian and Italian cuisine.They go perfectly together.This salad is delicious and simple to make consisting of  few ingredients.

Tomato and Eggplant salad

Ingredients

  • 1 eggplant diced (large)
  • 2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes
  • 1 cup grated mozzarella or colby jack cheese
  • 4-5 cloves garlic crushed
  • 2-3 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • salt
  • fresh dill chopped
  • oil for frying or baking

Instructions

  1. Sprinkle eggplants with salt and set aside for 30 minutes.
  2. Fry or bake eggplants until you get a nice golden brown color.
  3. Let them completely cool down.
  4. In a bowl,combine eggplants,tomatoes,cheese,garlic and mayonnaise.
  5. Transfer to a salad bowl and sprinkle with dill.
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RawFood Truffles

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Eating food raw is the most healthiest diet with lots of benefits. Some of the benefits are;

1.The enzymes,vitamins and minerals are not destroyed by cooking.

2.Aids to weight loss and maintain healthy weight

3.Natural cure for disease including cancer.

4. Helps to Detoxify our bodies

5. Boost of energy

These are very delicious and you can eat as many as you want with out any guilt.A healthy alternative to regular creamy truffles.

RawFood Truffles

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups raw almonds
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded raw coconut flakes
  • 1/2 cup raw walnuts
  • 1/2 goji berries soaked*
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil (not liquid)
  • 3-4 tablespoons raw agave syrup**
  • 2 tablespoon carob or raw cocoa powder + more for dusting***
  • *You can substitute for raisins,cranberries or prunes.
  • **You can substitute for raw honey
  • *** optional.You can roll them in coconut flakes with out chocolate

Instructions

  1. Using a blender,Pulse nuts until very fine.
  2. Pulse goji berries with coconut flakes.
  3. In a a mixing bowl combine nuts,goji berries, coconut flakes,coconut oil,agave syrup and carob or cocoa.
  4. Roll in to small balls and dust in carob or cocoa.
  5. Refrigerate for an hour or more.
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Uzbek Manti

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Uzbek Manti are steamed dumplings with different variety of fillings like spiced beef,lamb,potato,cabbage,pumpkin and meat with potato.They are very popular in Central Asian cuisines and  came to be famous in Russian cuisine as well.

We made them together with mom very often when I was growing up,and now that I’m married  I still love to get together with mom and sisters and make them as we used to.Its a great way for us to catch up on our talks, have fun and then enjoy this yummy goodness together.My personal favorite filling is beef,or beef mixed with lamb or cabbage.You’ll just love my moms recipe for this dish.They are very juicy,authentic and just the way they should be.

You will need a steamer with sauce pot to steam them.I also make my dough in bread maker .It’s faster and easy.But you can do it by hand as well.

Manti-���ТЫ

Ingredients

  • Dough-
  • 1 cup water
  • 3 eggs
  • 5 1/2 cups flour (I used canadian)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • Beef or lamb filling-
  • Ground or minced beef tri tip/ground lamb
  • 4 onions diced
  • salt and pepper
  • 1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 3/4 cup water
  • Cabbage-
  • 1/2 head cabbage shredded
  • 2 onions diced/chopped
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • Potato*-
  • 6-8 potatoes cubed (small)
  • 3-4 onions diced/chopped
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • *add ground meat if using meat with potatoes filling.
  • 1 stick melted butter
  • sour cream if desired

Instructions

  1. If using a bread maker for the dough,just throw in all the ingredients and click on the dough setting.
  2. press cancel and take it out before the bread maker will start to heat up.
  3. You can make the dough using a stand mixer with a hook attachment or using hands.
  4. Let the dough rest for about 30 minutes.
  5. Filling-
  6. Mix all the ingredients well.
  7. Fill the steam pot with water and bring to a boil.
  8. Cut a long piece of dough from the side.Roll it in to a long log.
  9. Cut the dough in to 1 inch pieces.Dip and press both sides of pieces into flour.
  10. Roll it out into thin rounds either using a rolling pin or pasta maker.
  11. Place the filling in the middle
  12. Pinch opposite sides together.
  13. Place them on a well buttered steamer disk.
  14. Place on the top of boiling steamer pot.Reduce heat to medium.
  15. Cook for 40 minutes.
  16. Place cooked manti on a serving plate.
  17. Pour melted butter on top and enjoy with green tea! (by Uzbek tradition)
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