HAPPY HALLOWEEN, Chocolate Tangerine BOO Cupcakes

Halloween is today….cookies, costumes and candies rule, marching trough the streets in pales with goblins, witches, cartoon characters, princesses, pumpkins, skeletons and many more…..what a fun:)
To add even more fun I made tasty BOO cupcakes

Instead of heavy frosting I made homemade jam with fresh tangerines with the touch of honey and vanilla sugar and for fun decoration, dotted whipped cream.
My little sweet “Mario” and “Rock & Roll” girl made their own Jack-O-Lantern….

Cupcakes are real chocolate heaven with added semi sweet chocolate chunks.

You will need:

1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 cup flour
1 tea spoon cocoa powder
2 eggs
1 cup non fat milk
1/2 stick sweet cream butter, melted
1/2 cup chocolate chunks
2 tsp vanilla sugar
1/2 cup Greek yogurt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Fill muffin pans with liners. Sift dry ingredients into a mixing bowl. Add eggs, milk, butter, yogurt and vanilla. Beat with a mixer, occasionally scraping the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Bake for 20 minutes, until the center of the cupcakes springs back when lightly touched. Cool, frost and decorate.

Pictures are in, so you can see how they looked like before they disappeared by little candy monsters….and many more:)
Happy Halloween:)

Frittata with Corn & Feta Cheese

I love making frittata on the weekend mornings but even during the week for the healthy and hearty breakfast it is a great idea. Adults and kids love the recipe and this tasty combination. It will warm your heart and tummy and give you head start for the busy morning schedule.
While sun is slowly rising, fresh coffee is brewing, orange juice is in the glasses, whole wheat toast is done and frittata all ready, everything in only 20 minutes.
Fabulous:)

You will need:

8 medium brown eggs, beaten
1 cup light feta cheese, crumbed
8.5 oz golden whole kernel corn, canned-drained
fresh ground black pepper, to taste
sea salt, to taste
1 tea spoon extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to broil setting.

In the medium size bowl, using whisk, blend together eggs, salt and pepper. Heat 12-inch non-stick, oven safe saute pan over medium high heat. Add oil to pan. Then add corn to a pan and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Pour egg mixture into pan and stir with rubber spatula. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until the egg mixture has set on the bottom and begins to set up on top. Sprinkle with feta cheese.
Place pan into oven and broil for 3 to 4 minutes, until lightly browned and fluffy.

If you like you can top slices of frittata with a touch of creme fraiche.
Serve immediately.
Have a great breakfast!

THE Amazing Sandwich – My Way

Everybody loves good sandwich.
Cold, hot, pressed or open face, pretty much, they all taste very good.
Still to get the amazing tasting sandwich, fresh and quality ingredients and nice combination are the key.
You know me, always watching for quantity of fats, sugar and spreads, everything in moderation:)
I made trips to several stores to get all the ingredients for my sandwich, you can’t find them all in one store.
Proudly, I present you my The Amazing Sandwich

Shopping list:

Bread:
Pain Rustique rolls

Meat and protein:
Prosciutto
Bacon, grilled
Turkey breast, deli sliced
Hard boiled egg
Smoked Mozzarella cheese

Spread:
Homemade Aioli with capers

Condiments:
Kalamata Olives, pitted
Red fire roasted peppers

Greens:
Baby Aragula greens

On the side:
Banana waxed peppers
Castelvetrano Whole Green Olives

Homemade Aioli recipe:

2 egg yolks, fresh
2 garlic cloves
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
pinch of salt
1/4 cup capers
1/2 cup olive oil

Mince garlic and a pinch of salt until smooth.
Put egg yolk in a bowl, add about half the garlic paste and 1/2 teaspoon water. Mix well with a whisk.
Using cup with a pour spout, slowly dribble in oil, whisking constantly. As egg yolk absorbs oil, sauce will thicken, lighten in color. Then you can add oil a little faster, whisking all the while. If the sauce is thicker than you like, thin it with a few drops of lemon juice and white vinegar. Add capers and combine. Store in the fridge.
If you don’t like to use fresh egg yolks you can use store bought mayo and add garlic, lemon and capers.

There it is, Mediterranean inspired sandwich, for hungry adults, boys and girls:)
Taste- Fantastic:)

My Mom’s Stuffed Eggplant Recipe

Last night I spoke to my mom over the phone and she was telling me about this wonderful dish that she prepared for my dad and herself yesterday for lunch. My dad took few photos and it sounded so delicious I promised that I would love to add this recipe to my blog….I could tell they were proud:)
It is very hard to live so far from each other, Europe and States are ocean away….and it is not always possible to travel so often. Phones, Skype and blog are great help to stay in touch almost every day:)
This is vegetarian style recipe. Very tasty and healthy dish, fully recommended from my mom’s trusty kitchen:)

You will need:

2 medium eggplant
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup freshly chopped basil leaves, chopped
3 fresh tomatoes
1 cup Parmigiano Reggiano

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Wash and cut the eggplants in half and scoop out the center, leaving enough meat inside the skin so that it holds its shape when baked.
Using the large skillet over medium fire, heat the olive oil and sauté the scooped-out center part until nice and brown, about 10 to 12 minutes. Add two peeled, diced tomatoes, garlic, basil, season with salt and pepper. Fill the scooped-out eggplant halves with this mixture, dividing it evenly. On the top of every half add fresh tomato circle and sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese.
Place stuffed eggplants in baking dish and bake for 30 minutes.
Garnish with fresh basil leaves and extra Parmesan cheese if you like.
Serve warm and enjoy.

Hors d’oeuvre, Figs & Goat cheese with Homemade Chia Crackers

Figs are magic:)
Busy afternoon and my constant desire to make something for munching….Love the sound of my mixer working…..
Have beautiful fresh figs in the fridge and goat cheese….all I need to make are homemade crackers and there is a great afternoon appetizer or snack.
Recently I bought Chia seeds. These are amazing little seeds packed with goodness of protein.

Homemade crackers

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/3 cup yogurt
1/2 stick butter, softened
1/4 cup Chia seeds

Stir flour, sea salt, butter and yogurt in the bowl of a stand mixer equipped with a dough hook.
Continue to process until the dough forms a smooth ball.
Place the dough in a mixing bowl and cover it with a tea cloth. Leave the dough to rest for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 400 F.
Flour your working surface and your rolling pin, place dough into the center of your work surface and roll it to 1/8-inch. Cut the dough into rounds or use baking cutter.
Brush each unbaked cracker with melted butter, sprinkle with Chia seeds and extra sea salt if you like. Poke the crackers with the fork to prevent puffing and bake in an oven for about 8 minutes.

When crackers are done, arrange halved fresh figs and piece of goat cheese on each cracker and drizzle with honey.
This is a great appetizer. Everything you craving for, salty good for you crackers, delicious figs, creamy cheese and sweet honey, beautiful:)

Nutrition info:
The chia seed has twice the protein of any other seed or grain and five times the calcium of milk. Chia seeds also contain boron which is a trace mineral that helps with the absorption of calcium. The essential fatty acids, Omega 3 and Omega 6 are also present in the seeds.