December was a month full of family and friend gatherings combined with Christmas parties. I am not complaining of course, but at a certain period, I felt drained from all that buzz and people. It was the end of the year and I had one last party left – New Year’s Eve. I was supposed to spend it with a few of my closest friends, so that is why I really wanted to surprise them with a few different kinds of party bites. As I already mentioned I was pretty tired and I did not want to spend hours in the kitchen, so I came up with these three recipes, which are not only healthy and nutritious, but also don’t cost you a fortune, and take only a little time to make. I can assure you that they taste great, because even before we had a couple of drinks, the snacks were already demolished. They are also great to be served as appetizers or snacks while throwing a cocktail party or just having a wine glass or two.
Zucchini bites
Ingredients:
Basil
1 Zucchini
1 red pepper
Dried tomatoes
Vegan cheese or regular cheese spread
Arugula
What to do?
Very thinly cut your zucchini lengthwise, I used a normal vegetable peeler to do so. Smudge one side of the zucchini with the vegan cheese, place a little bit of the arugula, two pieces of the red pepper(diced lengthwise) and add the small piece of the sundried tomato and basil. Then roll the zucchini and voila, you have yourself a small raw zucchini bite. Continue doing the same with the remaining ingredients.
Greek salad bites
2 cucumbers (preferably larger)
1 tomato
150g feta cheese
50 g yoghurt
1tbsp olive oil
*For a vegan swap, you can stuff the cucumbers with guacamole
What to do?
First make your cheese spread by combining in a bowl your; crumbled cheese, yoghurt, oregano, pinch of salt and 1 tsp. of olive oil. Then cut the cucumber in thicker pieces, remove the flesh and pat them until dry. Lastly fill your cucumber cups with the cheese spread and add a few cubed sliced tomatoes.
Aubergine bites (vegan)
Hummus
2 Aubergines
1 Pomegranate
Cilantro(optional)
What to do?
Slice round your aubergines, salt them gently and leave them aside for 20 minutes. This way they won’t have a bitter taste. After 20 minutes, pat them dry and grill them until ready. Cut them in bite pieces, spread them with hummus and finish them off with the pomegranate and cilantro.
Well, there you have it! 3 delicious party bites that don’t require anything more than 30 minutes, love and creativity. Don’t hesitate to experiment and change up the recipes to your own liking, I would love to see your own creations!
It’s December, the temperature outside is below 0 degrees. Meaning that the only thing I am willing to do in this freezing weather is to sit at home and enjoy myself. But let’s be honest what’s a perfect day at home without a favorite comfort meal? As every other Sunday when I have finished all my work, I like to head to the kitchen and experiment with different ingredients and dishes. This particular Sunday I was craving a comfort meal, which could still be healthy and delicious. Inspired by the famous American recipe – meatballs in tomato sauce, I came up with the so called “meatless” balls, which consist of buckwheat and spices. To level up the traditional tomato sauce, I added some roasted peppers, which gave the dish a nice kick. Since I felt like my Sunday experiment was successful, I decided to share it with you. It’s fairly easy to make and it is perfect for a family lunch or dinner.
Ingredients:
For the “meatless” balls:
1/2 cup of buckwheat
1 carrot
1 onion
1 garlic clove
1 tsp. Cumin
1 tsp. Oregano
1 tsp. Paprika
1/2 tsp. Nutmeg
Parsley
2 tbsp. Flour
*Note: feel free to replace the buckwheat with lentils, chickpeas or any other legume
Salt & Pepper
For the sauce:
1 can tomatoes
1 clove of garlic
3 roasted peppers ( you can also use raw)
1 tsp. Basil
Salt & Pepper
1 tsp. Spicy paprika(optional)
Salt & Pepper
What to do?
Cook your buckwheat according to the instructions on the package until softened
Meanwhile, cook onion and carrot in a pan with some olive oil until softened
When your buckwheat is ready, drain it and wash it thoroughly with some cold water to stop the cooking process
In a blender, process first the parsley, veggie mixture and spices
Add the buckwheat and blend again
Transfer in a big bowl add the flour, mix with your hands and start forming medium sized balls as you would to for regular meatballs
When done, place in the 190 C preheated oven and cook for about 25 minutes or until firm and golden brown
While waiting for the meatless balls to cook, make the red pepper sauce
In a pan add some olive oil and roasted peppers
Cook for about 3 minutes and add the spices
Pour the tomatoes along with a dash of sugar
Let the sauce simmer for about 10 minutes or until thickened
When ready, process the sauce in a blender until smooth
After your balls and sauce are done, it is time to plate
In a spaghetti bowl, place some of the sauce on the bottom and put your balls on top, for some additional color chop up some parsley
**For extra flavoring feel free to also add some Parmesan or any other kind of cheese
I hope you enjoy the recipe and let me know if you end up making it!!
This summer I rediscovered once again my obsession with aubergines. Spending almost a month in Greece, the one thing that I consumed every single day was and honestly I never got tired of it. When I came back home I still found myself craving and wanting to have it on a day to day basis. Inspired from my trip to Morocco this year, especially the traditional spice mixture from its cuisine, I created this simple and quick cous cous with aubergine. As most of my recipes it takes almost no time to make, it tastes delicious and you can eat it on its is own or serve it as a side to your main dish. The best thing about it is that it’s budget friendly and you most probably have most of the ingredients in your pantry.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup of cous cous
1 large or 2 medium sized Aubergines
Feta cheese(optional)
One bunch of mint leafs
1 lemon
1 tsp. Cumin
1tsp. Paprika
1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
1/4 cup – walnuts
Olive oil
What to do?
1. Cut the aubergines into round circles and place them on a baking sheet
2. Salt them and let them sit for 15min. – in this way you dry out the moisture and make them taste less bitter
3. After the time has passed brush them with olive oil and place in the 180 preheated oven until ready( 20-25min.)
4. In the meantime mix the half a cup of cous cous with a 1tsp. Olive oil, the zest of one lemon and a few fresh mint leafs
5. Pour hot water over the cous cous mixture and let it sit for around 5 min. or until all the water is absorbed
6. Fluff the cous cous with a fork
7. When your aubergines are already baked, chop them into small pieces and add them to the cous cous
8. Season with your remaining spices, chopped mint leafs, juice of one lemon and generous amount of olive oil
9. Roughly chop the walnuts and add them on top
There you have it! A simple and delicious weekly dinner or lunch idea! Hope you enjoy it!
In the beginning of August my two best friends from middle school and I spontaneously decided to pack our suitcases and go on a low-budget trip to Rome. Since we all had visited the city before, we really wanted to experience Rome in a more local way and do things off the beaten touristy track. Although it was a bit hard to avoid all the touristy sights, we still managed to see the city in an entirely new light.. In this blog post I am going to share with you my favorite things we did in Rome and I would strongly recommend you doing at least a few if visiting the Italian capital.
1. Explore the local districts of the city – Apart from its beautiful center, Rome has many other neighborhoods such as Trappicino, San Lorenzo and etc.. They are often underestimated or unknown by most tourists. My personal favorite district was Trastevere. Situated on the other side of the river, Trastevere is full with small boutiques, local restaurants and bars, and breathtaking historical buildings. While we were there we also walked around the Botanical garden, which unfortunately didn’t have such a wide variety of plants, but was still a nice place for wandering around and taking cool pictures.
Botanical Gardens
2. Do your sightseeing at night – As you know Rome has become one of the most preferred and common tourist destinations in the world. Due to its many historical sights the capital is filled with tourists all year round. If you are a person who dislikes crowded and hectic places, but still want to explore the ancient sights, then going on a night trip through the city is your savior. After sun dawn, at around 11/12 at night, most of the tourists are already exhausted from their long day of sightseeing and go back to their hotel rooms. At this time the streets get emptier and you can really get a close look of some of Rome’s most famous sights. All the buildings and monuments are lit up nicely and in my opinion look even better than during the day. If you are not a night owl and care about your good night sleep, another good time to avoid the touristy crowds, is really early in the morning.
National history museum
3. Simply wander – The city is full with small streets and hidden corners, so don’t be scared to get lost. When wandering in the small streets without a guided way you never know what you might find. What my girls and I loved to do was to sneak in some of the buildings when the door was open and sit at the patio of the building, if of course there was one. And even if at some moment you feel too lost, don’t worry about asking a local to show you the way. Italians are known to be very friendly and warm, so I am sure that they would love to help you.
hidden patio we found
4. Eat – You already are aware that Italian cuisine is awarded to be one of the best and most adored in the world. When staying in its capital, you shall forget about dieting and truly enjoy all the food choices you have. Wherever you turn around you can smell and taste amazing and reasonably priced pasta, pizza and gelato.
5. Start your morning at a local cafe – Another very common thing you will find everywhere around Rome is good coffee. To be honest, the best coffee is not at a fancy cafe or at a hipster trendy café. If you really want to sip on some real Italian espresso, go to your next door cafe and enjoy your 80 cent coffee alongside some delicious homemade pastry.
Pizza from Bonci PizzariumDinner at Obicá
6. Grab a drink and hang out in Piazza Madonna dei Monti – Rione Monti is a very trendy neighborhood among young Romans. There, the locals like to shop in the alternative boutiques or hang out with their friends after work or on the weekends. After the sun sets down, the small square turns into a vibrant meeting point for creative and stylish people. My girlfriends and I decided to walk around Monti and eat some pizza and pasta at local Italian restaurant. After fulfilling our stomachs with delicious Italian goodness we went to buy some ice-cream from “Fatamorgana”(outrageous flavors) and sat with a bottle of wine at the piazza. While drinking my wine and chatting with my girlfriends, for just a moment I felt as if I was living in some kind of parallel perfect world.
7. Rent a bike – my best friend is a really big fan of biking in general, so when she heard that we have a bike rental place just a few blocks away from our airbnb, she just couldn’t miss that opportunity. At first I was a bit skeptical to ride a bike in Rome, because most of the streets are very small and crowded and also there aren’t many special biking routes. Surprisingly, at the end of the day, I was actually happy with the whole biking experience. Not only that it saved us time and money from going to one point to another, but we also rode along the river, where there were not as many people and you could get a beautiful look of the city. If you don’t feel sure in your biking skills, you could also sign up for a guided biking tour!
View from the river
Places we ate at: Frigidarium – Rome’s first gelateria
Ginger – great place for a healthy meal
Fatamorgana – extraordinary and non-traditional ice-cream flavors
Bonci Pizzarium – most famous pizza place in Rome and a definitive must on your foodie list
Obica – mozzarella bar – great place for cocktails and finger food
That’s all from our small vacation in Rome. Hope this non-touristy tips really help experience the city in a whole new and exciting way.
Oh London! One of Europes liveliest cities. A city where you can never get bored, every day there is an event happening or a new trendy bar or restaurant is opening. All the different mixes of cultures and nationalities, which fulfill the British capital, have made its food scene so popular all around the world. Home of exactly 70 Michelin starred restaurants London is every foodies dream destination.. Unfortunately in most cases a meal at those restaurants costs a fortune and after paying your bill there, you will probably have to live on toasts and canned soup for the next week. Luckily the inhabitants of the city have figured out a smart and cheap way in which you can try and enjoy incredibly delicious gourmet-worthy food, without doing a serious damage to your wallet. It’s a well-known fact that London’s street food scene is growing and growing and the standards of the food trucks and stalls are rising higher ans higher. Most of the street food markets are crowded with people, who love the mixture between well-prepared food with a friendly atmosphere. Due to this fact New markets are popping up all around London with more street food vans and vendors offering all type of British and international cuisine. Whether you are craving Korean fried chicken or some classic fish and chips, London’s street food scene has it all. During my recent visit to the vibrant capital I made it my goal to make a special guide for all of you curious foodie lovers and guide you through some of Londons best street food markets.
1. Borough market – Established in the 1850s, Borough market still remains the most preferred market in this metropolitan capital. Every day you can see massive crowds of hungry locals and tourists, who are on the hunt for the best street food. From locally grown fruits and veggies to international delicacies, vegan dishes, a range of spices and Asian street food, there is plenty of delicious indulgences, which you can try at one of Londons oldest street food markets. During all my visits to London, I have always taken some spare time and go to this market. Every special treat I have tried has always left me more than satisfied, but honestly my favorite thing about Borough are the free food gourmet samples.
Variety of fresh fish
2. Maltby street food market – Just a few minutes away from Borough, you will find yourself in this small outdoor market. Hiding between the big modern buildings Maltby market offers all sorts of incredible foods and beverages, which will satisfy every foodies expectations. Opened about 8 years ago the market has already become a well-known weekend destination and can get pretty crowded when the sun comes out. When we went there we were quite hungry, so predictably we went a bit over board with our orders. We wanted to taste as much as we could, so everyone got something different. I personally am a big fan of gyozas, so when I saw a food stall, which specialized in gyozas, I immediately pulled my wallet and got their bento box. It costed me exactly 10 pounds, but the taste and the portion size were worth it. We also got some Korean fried curry chicken, grilled cheese sandwich with chorizo and my absolute favorite duck burger with goat cheese. Maltby market may look small in comparison to some other markets, but offers a rather wide range of food choices.
Grilled cheese with chorizo
Korean Curry Fried Chicken
Gyoza Bento Box
3. Shoreditch boxpark – Heading to East London(the hip side of the city), you shall surely make a pit stop at the Shoreditch boxpark. This contemporary art building made out of shipping containers plonked underneath the well-known Shoreditch High Street Overground Station is known to be Londons first pop up mall. On The second floor of the unusual “mall” you can experience several food and beverage stalls all hidden in small containers. The food park is home of the famous bubble waffle ice-cream, dirty fries and many other international stalls. The dish that blew my mind was the vegan pad-Thai from “Cookdaily”, which contained plant-based prawns. Having my first bite from this vegan madness, I couldn’t even realize that the prawn didn’t come directly from the sea. It really looked, tasted and even had the same texture as a real one. Even my father and sister, who are the biggest meat lovers I know couldn’t spot the difference.
4. Old Spitalfields market – Next stop on your foodie trip should be Spitalfields market. The market is one of Londons busiest shopping destinations and as you could probably guess it also has an amazing food court. Whether you are in the mood for something healthier like a poke bowl or want to enjoy a special meal on your cheat day, you will find several food options for every taste. My family and I are big fans of Asian cuisine, especially the dumplings. For this reason we decided to get the shrimp wontons with chili sauce from the “Dumpling shack”.
5. Brick lane market – Just next to Spitalfields market you will find yourself in the buzzing Brick lane market. The market is known best for its wide range of trendy vintage clothes. Despite that you can also enjoy a changing selection of street food that will keep you well-fueled while you browse through the several second-hand shops and retro goodies. I personally snacked on some sweet potato fries.
6. Kerb Camden market – the last stop on our street food adventure was Kerb in Camden market. From Chinese to French, KERB street food market holds 34 food stalls, which all offer mouth-watering dishes from all around the world. The food choices are endless and will leave even the pickiest eater happy. After wandering around the food stalls and trying to decide what I want to eat, I finally chose the atomic cookie ice-cream from “Chin Chin Labs” I enjoyed my scientific food creation along the beautiful canal.
Well, with an overfilled stomach and an unforgettable after taste, my foodie trip to some of London’s best street food markets ended. This guide is supposed to help all of you first time visitors, who want to enjoy the ultimate street food experience. xoxo, Afterthetaste
Whether you are aware or not, two weeks ago I came back from my Moroccan adventure. Despite the many sights we visited, we also managed to try all kinds of traditional dishes. One soup in particular got my taste buds going mad! We had it served in a beautiful restaurant in the medina in Marrakech and I can still taste the deliciousness of this bowl of soup whenever I think about it. This particular soup was made with pumpkin and orange. At first it sounded like a rather strange combination since it was made with pumpkin and orange, but after taking my first bite, I kept craving more and more. Even after coming back to Sofia, I still wanted to have the lovely soup, so I decided to put my own spin to it and recreate my own version. Because it’s not really pumpkin season, I used carrots and it tasted even better. Even if you are not a fan of soups in general, I can guarantee you that you will most certainly adore this one.
Ingredients:
10 medium sized carrots
1 onion
1 clove garlic
1 tsp thyme
1 orange (zest+juice)
What to do?
1. You start by putting your finely chopped onion into the pot and sweat it off
2. When onion is softened, add the minced garlic
3. Add the thyme and chopped carrots to the pot
4. Cover with water and let it simmer until your carrots are soft enough
5. Either use a hand mixer or just put everything in your blender and pulse until it is all well-mixed
6. Move back to the pot and add the juice and zest of your orange, salt and pepper
Voilá! That was is it. I personally also like to top it off with some roasted pumpkin seeds for some extra crunch. As you can see the soup literally requires a few basic ingredients, but tastes magnificently.
One of my favorite cuisines is the well-known Arabic oriental. The first dish that made me fall in love with this enriched world of flavors was a portion of falafels. Traditionally falafels are made from chickpeas and spices, and then rolled into small balls and deep fried until crisp and golden on the outside, and soft and creamy on the inside. This balance of textures makes the dish so enjoyable for many people. As I’ve mentioned before, I try to follow a healthy diet, which doesn’t include fried food. That’s why I challenged myself to make this fatty indulging dish into something as delicious, but better for my body and health. I came up with the idea, instead of frying the falafels to bake them and surprisingly they turned out tasting amazing. Complimented by some leafy greens and my special garlic tahini sauce, this falafel salad is bursting with fresh bright flavors from the cilantro and greens. It still makes a hefty hearty meal due to the protein rich chickpeas and fatty tahini dressing. Another great thing about baking falafels is that they can stay in the fridge for up to 5 days. Even if you are not a big salad lover, you can still have them on their own or serve them in some pita bread. Trust me after trying this recipe you will want to have this falafel salad for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Ingredients:
Can of chickpeas
2 garlic cloves
1/2 onion
1tsp. Cumin
1tsp paprika
1/2 tsp spicy paprika
1/2 cinnamon
1/2 lemon
1 tbsp. Flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup of Parsley
For the garlic tahini dressing:
1/2 lemon
2tsp tahini
1 garlic clove(minced)
salt and pepper
1/2 tsp honey
What to do?:
In a food processor blend the onion, garlic and parsley
Add the spices and mix until nicely blended
Pour the thick mixture in a large bowl
Put the chickpeas in the food processor and blitz
Add the chickpeas to the spice mixture and stir until combined
Add a table spoon of flour
Form small thick patties and place on the baking your generously oiled baking thin, so they don’t stick
Place in the oven for 30minutes in total
After 15-20 minutes turn the patties over and put back in the oven for another 10 minutes
Meanwhile make the sauce, combine tahini, lemon juice, garlic and cumin in a glass and stir
To loosen up the dressing gradually add water
When your falafels look golden brown, take them out of the oven and let them cool for 5 minutes
Lastly plate everything and serve
There you have it! Your healthy version of the traditional falafel recipe. To make the salad taste even better I added also some hummus and chopped tomatoes.
* If you want crispier outside here are my tips:
Make small thick patties
Refrigerate the mixture before forming into patties
