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!