Quick & Easy Whole Wheat Bread

This whole wheat bread goes from counter to out of the oven in just an hour and a half! It's crunchy outside, soft on the inside, and it tastes great!
It's a great recipe if you want a homemade bread, that is fast and yummy!







For 1 loaf, you will need:

2 cups (about 300 grams) of whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups (about 192 grams) of all-purpose flour
A little less than 1 1/2 cup (350 ml) of lukewarm water 
2 tablespoons of any flavorless oil
1 teaspoon of salt
1 envelope (about 11,8 grams / 0,4 oz) of dry yeast
Non-stick cooking spray or oil for the loafpan.

How to know that the water is at the right temperature to activate the yeast: Stick your pinkyfinger into the water, if the water is a little bit warmer than your finger, then the water is at the right temperature!
Also, when all the ingredients are mixed, the dough should be touchable without it sticking to your fingers. If it's sticky, add a bit more all-purpose flour.

- Pour water in a big bowl. Sprinkle over the salt and the yeast, and let it sit for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, grease a loafpan of your choice, and set it aside (I used non-stick 
cooking spray).
- Pour in the oil and all of the whole wheat flour, and stir.
- Add half of the all-purpose flour, and stir it in as best as you can (at this point, it will be hard to stir around).
- Get the dough onto your counter, and knead it with the rest of the all-purpose flour, until it comes together. Form your loaf, by using the loafpan as a guide.
- Put the loaf into the loafpan, and make a few cuts sideways in the loaf with a sharp knife.
- Cover it losely with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel (as the bread rises, it will stick to your plastic wrap. You can spray your plastic wrap with non-stick cooking spray to prevent it from sticking, if you want to.)

- Let the bread rise for half an hour in a draft-free spot (a microwave or an oven turned off is a great place!).

- When there is about 10 minutes left for the bread to rise, preheat your oven to 437 degrees fahrenheit (225 degrees celcius).
- Take off the plastic wrap and kitchen towel, bake the bread in the lowest rack of the oven for 30 minutes.
- After 10 minutes of cooling in the pan, transer it onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

Enjoy! 

Homemade Muesli

This granola recipe contains oats, almonds, cinnamon, oil and a no-calorie sweetener. This is a basic one, and you can add anything you want to it. Different nuts, dried fruit, coconut, you name it. It is great as a topping on yogurt for breakfast in the morning, or as a quick snack just by itself.

You will need:

2 cups (about 180 grams) of rolled oats

1/2 cup (about 85 grams) of almonds, chopped

1 teaspoon of no-calorie sweetener (optional)

1 heaping teaspoon of cinnamon (optional)

2 tablespoons of a flavorless oil

- In a large skillet over medium-low heat, add in the oil and heat it up.
- Add in everything else, and cook it for about 5-10 minutes, stirring constantly, until everything gets crispy and toasted.

- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-4 weeks!

Enjoy!

Healthier Banana Bread French Toast

A few days ago, I made my banana bread. It has now turned a little bit dry, and I wanted to make something delicious for breakfast. This is how I came up with my recipe for my healthier banana bread french toast. It is easy, it is quick and it is very delicious! You can top it with fruit or anything you want really. I serve my french toast with 1 sliced banana and cinnamon. 




For 1 serving, you will need:

2 slices of healthy banana bread (you can use my recipe or any other recipe you like).
1/2 cup (about 120 ml) of low-fat milk
1 whole egg (I don't like to waste an egg-yolk, so I use 1 whole egg)
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
Non-stick cooking spray or flavourless oil for the skillet.
Quick Tip: You might not use all the french toast mixture. It really depends on how well your bread soaks the mixture. 

- Preheat a non-stick skillet over medium-low heat.
- In a shallow plate or a bowl, whisk together the milk, the egg and the spices until everything is combined.
- Put 1 slice of banana bread in the egg and milk mixture.
- Let it soak for about 1 minute on each side.
- Cook the french toast for 2-4 minutes on each side with non-stick cooking spray or oil.
- Serve the french toast warm with your desired toppings.

Enjoy!

To get the recipe for my Healthy Banana Bread, click the link below:
http://makingtastyplates.blogspot.dk/2015/05/healthy-banana-bread.html

Healthy Banana Bread.

Bananas are great, and I always buy a bunch of them at a time. But after a few days, they are getting too ripe to eat. At that stage, they're sweeter and more soft, which makes them perfect to bake with. This is my recipe for a healthy banana bread. It's great for breakfast or a quick snack during the day. 





For 1 banana bread, you will need:

1 cup (about 128 grams) of whole wheat flour
1 cup (about 128 grams) of all purpose flour
1/4 cup (about 60 ml) of any flavourless oil 
2 whole eggs
2 tablespoons of sugar (you can use sugar substitute)
3 ripe bananas
1 heaping teaspoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
Eventually 2 tablespoons of low-fat milk

- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit (175 degrees celsius).
- Line a loaf-pan with parchmentpaper, and set it aside.
- In a large bowl using a whisk, combine the eggs with the sugar, baking powder and cinnamon.
- On a plate, mash the bananas until they're completely mashed. Add the mashed bananas to the egg mixture and whisk until combined.
- Add in the flours and fold it in using a spatula. If the batter is really thick at this point, add in 2 tablespoons of low-fat milk.
- Pour the batter into your prepared loaf-pan. Tap the pan onto the surface to get rid of any air-bubbles.
- Bake the banana bread in the oven for about an hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center, comes out clean.
- Let it cool in the loaf-pan for about 10 minutes, and then transer it onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Protein Crepes

This is my recipe for my chocolate protein crepes! These are high in protein, and low in carbohydrates. The whole recipe contains 214 calories, 3,67 grams of carbohydrates, 7,52 grams of fat and 32,84 grams of protein! These are great for breakfast, and you can fill them with whatever you want. I usually eat one for breakfast with with my pre-workout oatmeal. 





For 4 crepes, you will need:

1 scoop of your favourite chocolate protein powder (I use BodyLab's Whey 100)
2 whole eggs
2 tablespoons of lowfat milk (you can use milk substitute)
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of cinnamon (optional)
Non-stick cooking spray, butter or oil for the pan

Quick tip: If you don't want to use chocolate protein powder, you can use any flavour you want.
Also,your batter might be thicker than mine, depending on the kind of protein powder you use. If the batter is very thick, then add another 1-2 tablespoons of milk.

- In a blender or a food processor, mix together the protein powder, the eggs and the 2

teaspoons of baking powder. Add in milk and mix again.
- Pour the crepe batter into a bowl, and let it sit for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat a medium skillet over medium-low heat.
- Grease your skillet, take about a 1/3 cup measuring cup and pour batter onto the skillet, work the pan around immediately, to spread out the batter.
- Cook for about 2-3 minutes before flipping the crepe. Cook for additional 1-2 minutes on the other side.
- Don't worry if your crepes break a little bit, my first crepe always come out a little less perfect.

Enjoy! 

Homemade Guacamole.

Who doesn't love guacamole? It's creamy, spicy, guacamole is overall great to have in the fridge! I use mine as a dip for my vegetables, and I also use it as a spread in my tuna-sandwich! I don't use any silantro or fresh jalapeños. 

For 1 portion, you will need:

1 ripe avocado 

1/2 teaspoon of hot pepper flakes

2-4 teaspoons of lemon or lime juice (use 4 teaspoons if you like your guacamole with much citrus)

1 glove of garlic, very finely minced

1 half of a small onion, very finely chopped

Black pepper (to taste)

- In a bowl, mash the avocado with a fork.
- Add in the hot pepper flakes, onion, garlic and the citrus. Mix to combine.

- Season your guacamole with black pepper to taste.

Enjoy!

How to store guacamole:

- Pour your guacamole into a small container, pressing out any airbubbles.
- Pour lukewarm water on top of your guacamole, making sure that the water covers all of the guacamole.
- Put on a tightfitting lid, and store it in the fridge for 3 days!
- When you want to eat it, dump the water into the sink and stir in any other moisture. 

Almond & Oat Hotcakes.

This recipe is inspired by Bikini Competitor and creater of 21 Day Fix & 21 Day Fix Extreme, Autumn Calabrese. 
I saw her recipe and really wanted to re-create it. Though, I am not a huge fan of cashews, so I use almonds instead, and it was great! I served mine for brunch at my birthday, with scrambled eggs, small sausages, bread and fruit, and they were a huge hit! She make 1 big batch, but this recipe only makes half of that.


For 1 small batch, you will need:

1 cup of oats

1/4 cup of almonds
2/3 cups of water
Non-stick cooking spray, oil or butter for the skillet

Quick tip: I don't put any seasoning in my batter,  because I like to eat mine both sweet and savory. You can put vanilla in the batter, or any kind of seasonings you want. 

- In a blender or a food processor, blend oats and almonds together until there's no longer big pieces of almonds and oats. 
- Add the egg and the water, and blend until you have a smooth batter.
- Let the batter rest in a bowl, while preheating a non-stick skillet over medium-low heat.
- Spray skillet with non-stick cooking spray, or brush it with butter or oil, and pour 1/4 cup scoops of batter onto your skillet. Let them cook for 3-5 minutes before you flip them. After you've flipped them, let them cook for about 1-3 minutes.

Put them on a plate and enjoy!

For the original recipe by Autumn Calabrese, click the link down below:
http://www.beachbody.com/beachbodyblog/nutrition/cashew-and-oat-hotcakes

Pre-workout breakfast!

This is my pre-workout oatmeal. This is what I eat every morning before my workout. It's a great source of energy, and it starts of my day with a kick! If you don't like almonds, use other nuts, and you can definitely add other spices to your oatmeal, or even peanut butter. After my workout, I will always make my protein shake.





You can find the recipe for my favourite protein shake here: http://makingtastyplates.blogspot.dk/2015/04/post-workout-protein-shake.html

You will need:

1/4 cup (about 56 grams) of oats
1/2 cup (about 118 ml) of water
1 banana
6 almonds 
A pinch of cinnamon (optional)
Quick tip: My weight is about 116 pounds (52 kg) and this portion is plenty for me. It gives me enough energy to get me through my morning workout, strong. You might find your own balance, if necessary! 


- Cook the oats with the water and the cinnamon in a small pot over medium heat. Meanwhile, chop up the almonds and the banana however you like.
- Pour the oatmeal in a bowl, top with your chopped banana and almonds.

Enjoy! 

Post-workout protein shake!

Lately, I've been drinking lots of protein shakes after my workouts, and now I can't see what I would do without them! It's a great "treat without all the bad calories", and it fuels a human body after a workout. I use a half a banana in mine for the taste, and because of the potassium (potassium is important after a workout). It also takes my sweet cravings away for a whole day, which is great, because then i won't binge on bad foods all day. 

For 1 shake, you will need:

1 scoop of your favourite chocolate proteinpowder (I use a danish product: BodyLab Whey 100 Chocolate)
1 cup (about 236,5 ml) of lowfat milk

1/2 frozen banana

Cinnamon (optional, to taste)

Quick tip: You can definitely throw in a cup of ice, it will make the shake more thick and cold.
Also, if you haven't got a blender, you can definitely mix up the milk and the protein powder in a shakercup or a glass, and just eat the banana.

- Put all of the ingedients in a blender and blend until smooth and well blended.

- Pour the shake in a shakercup to bring it with you on the go, or pour it in a glass.

Enjoy!

Spiceblend: Paprika tandoori seasoning

This paprika tandoori seasoning is delicious, and will spice up any meat or vegetables great! The recipe is for 1 big serving, store it in a container and you'll have it on hand for everything. 

You will need:

4 heaping teaspoons of smoked paprika

3 heaping teaspoons of india tandoori spice

3 heaping teaspoons of onion powder

Quick tip: The reasion I don't put salt or pepper in the blend, is because I like to control those seasonings by themselves. You can put salt and pepper in yours, if you want to.

- Put all the spices in a bowl and stir it all together, or you can put it in a container and shake it together.

Now you have an awesome spiceblend to spice up any meals!

Lunch sandwich!

It's time for lunch! And if you're like me (not eating lunch at home because of school, or work for that case), this is for you. This lunch sandwich is made with a good whole grain bread, hummus, roastbeef and an hardboiled egg. It is easy to pack with some foil, and I usually eat mine with a side salad. 







For 1 sandwich, you will need:

1 bun or 2 pieces of bread, toasted (I used wholegrain)
2 teaspoons of hummus (or the amount you like)
2 pieces of roastbeef, thinly sliced (you can use ham or any other meat)
1 hardboiled egg, peeled and sliced
Pepper (to taste)

- Take your toasted bun or bread, spread the hummus on both slices.
- Top the bread with the roastbeef or the meat you desire.
- Then top the sandwich with your egg slices, and season it with black pepper.
- Put the "lid" on, either put it on a plate or pack it with foil.

Enjoy!

Homemade hummus

This is my recipe for hummus. Hummus is better than any dip for your vegetables, and any spread you would spread on your bread. It's tasty and creamy, and I hope you will love it as much as i do!










For 1 portion, you will need:

1 14-15 oz can (about 420 grams) of chickpeas, drained and rinsed under cold water.
1 lemon. You will need the juice. (if you use the whole lemon, it will be very lemony).
1-2 cloves of garlic. Use 2 if you like much garlic.
Some water to thin it out. I made my hummus not as thick as normal, because i like to use mine as a dressing or a thin spread on my bread.
About 1/2 a teaspoon of paprika (optional).
A pinch of hot pepper flakes
Pepper (to taste)

- Place your chickpeas in a blender or a food processor, with the desired amount of garlic and lemon, and your seasonings. Pulse or blend until smooth.
- Add your desired amout of water and pulse or blend until combined.

Store in a tight container in the fridge, and enjoy it with a dip to your veggies, or as a spread on bread!

Egg Cups!

This recipe is great, if you are very busy, and you need something to eat, that is easy and fast on the go. These egg cups take about 30 minutes to make can make, and you can store them in the fridge, until you need a snack to grab and go.









For 6 egg cups, you will need:
4 eggs
Salt (to taste)
Pepper (to taste)
Paprika (optional). You can use any seasonings you like.
Tomatoes, chopped. (I chopped up 6 cherry tomatoes).
Nonstick cooking spray or oil for the muffin tin. 

Quick tip: You can use any filling you like for these egg cups, tomatoes is just what I like. You can even fill them with some ham or chicken if desired. 

- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit (about 175 degrees celsius). 
- Grease a muffin tin with either nonstick cooking spray or a little bit of oil. Set it aside. 
- Using a whisk, whisk together the eggs with the seasonings. The more you whisk, the ligther the egg cups will be.
- Using a small ladle, divide the egg mixure evenly among the 6 muffin tin holes.
- Divide the desired filling evenly among the filled muffin tin holes.
- Cook in the oven for about 15 to 20 minutes. 
- Let them cool for a little bit, then transfer them to a place, using a small palette knife.

Enjoy!

Shepherd's Pie!

Mmmh.. Shepherd's pie.. It has been a long time since I've made Shepherd's Pie, and I thought i would show you my recipe for it, so that you can try it! This recipe is made with ground beef, but it can certainly be made with ground lamb. 







For 1 big serving that will serve 3-4, you will need:
Meatmixture
3 medium carrots, chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
14,10 oz (about 400 grams) of canned chopped tomatoes
17,63 oz (about 500 grams) of ground beef (i used 5-8% fat)
4,93 oz (about 140 grams) of tomato paste (i used canned)
2 tablespoons of oil
1 cup of frozen or fresh peas. 
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste 

Potato mash
2,2 lbs (about 1 kilogram) of potatoes, peeled and boiled until tender.
1 cup (about 236,5 ml) of milk
1,5 oz (about 42,5 grams) of butter
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste

Quick tip: If you want a thick layer of potato mash on top of your shepherd's pie, I suggest that you use twice the amount of ingredients for the potato mash.

- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit (about 200 degrees in celsius).
- Preheat a large pot over medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons of oil.
- Add in the ground meat, and cook it until it's almost cooked through.
- Add in the chopped carrots and onion, and let it cook until softened, about 5-7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Pour in the tomato paste and let it cook for about 2 minutes. After that, pour in the canned chopped tomatoes in, and give it a stir. Turn the heat down to medium, and let it cook for about 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes, add in the peas and let it cook for about 10 more minutes. Taste it, and adjust the seasoning.
- Pour the mixture into a serving dish. Set aside. I put my serving dish on top of a baking sheet lined with foil, that way it catches everything that will be dripping from the shepherd's pie when cooking. 

- For the potato mash, warm up the milk and butter until the butter has melted. Mash the potatoes with a potato masher or a potato ricer while the butter and milk is getting up to temperature.
- Add the milk and butter mixture to the potatoes, half at a time, and stir it all together. Season with salt and pepper.
- Put the potato mash on top of the meat mixture, and cook in the oven for about 30-40 minutes. 

Enjoy!

Basic Buns / Rolls

This will be my first bun / bread recipe I will show you. This is what i call my "Basic Buns" or "Basic Rolls". They are very easy to make, and they are so delicious! These buns is not very light, they are more on the dense side, but they are still nice and soft.








For 12 buns / rolls, you will need:

3½ - 4 cups of all-purpose flour
1 package (about 11 grams) of dry yeast, or 50 grams of fresh yeast.
1/4 cup (about 50 grams) of white granulated sugar
1/3 cup (about 76 grams) of butter 
1 cup (about 235,59 ml) of milk
2 whole eggs
1 teaspoon of salt
1 tablespoon of flavorless oil for the bowl

- In a small pot, heat together the milk and butter, until the butter is melted. Pour this in a large bowl. You know your mixture is ready for the yeast when the mixture is a little bit warmer than the temperature of your pinky-finger (you just put your pinky finger in the mixture and feel the temperature). When it's at that temperature, add the sugar, salt and yeast while mixing it together. Let the mixture sit for about 5 minutes.
- After the yeast is activated, add in the eggs and stir them in.
- Add the flour bit by bit, when it's too hard to mix using a spoon, then dump it on your work surface, and knead the dough using your hands, until the dough comes together.
- Put in the 1 tablespoon of oil in the bowl, and roll the dough in the oil, until the dough is coated. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel. Let it rise for about 1 1/2-2 hours.
- After the dough has risen, dump the dough onto a lightly
floured surface. Roll it into a log, and cut the dough in 12 equal pieces.
- Form each piece of dough into a ball and put them on a bakingsheet covered with baking paper.
- Cover the buns loosely with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel, and let the buns rise for about an hour. At this point, preheat your oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit (about 190,5 degrees celsius).
- After the buns has risen again, remove the kitchen towel and the plastic wrap.
- Bake the buns in the oven for 20-30 minutes, or until they are golden brown.

Enjoy!
 

Nougat-filled Marzipan Easter Eggs!

Easter is right around the corner, and there's no better way to celebrate easter, than with edible easter eggs! These easter eggs are made out of marzipan, filled with nougat and coated with dark chocolate. This is my recipe, and I hope you will enjoy it as much as I do!

For 25 eggs, you will need:

14,11 oz (about 400 grams) of marzipan, cut into 25 pieces / slices.
2,47 oz (about 70 grams) of nougat, cut into 25 cubes.
6,35 oz (about 180 grams) of chocolate, chopped (i used dark chocolate. You might want to melt some more chocolate, depending on the quality of the chocolate). 

Quick Tip: If you want to be really creative, you can use white chocolate and food coloring to make your eggs a festive color.

- Roll each marzipan piece / slice into a ball.
- Cut the marzipan balls through the middle, so that you have 2 halves from each ball.
- Make a little indent with your finger in each half marzipan piece.
- Now you have 2 halves for each marzipan egg. Put a cube of nougat into 1 half of the marzipan. (see picture)
- Put the other marzipan piece on top, and pinch the sides (don't worry if some of the nougat is oozing out from the sides). 

- Roll the pieces of marzipan into an egg as best as you can. I just roll mine using my hands, until it looks like an egg.
- Melt the chocolate on a double boiler, or in a microwave. You can either put the eggs on a fork and pour chocolate over them, or you can roll the eggs in the chocolate using 2 forks. After you cover the eggs with chocolate, put them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Let them sit at room temperature for a few hours, and then put them in the fridge. 

Enjoy!