Post image for Best Recipes of the Week – What I’d Like to Cook

When I want to seek inspiration for my meals I know exactly where to go. Online, of course. I’m not tempted yet by food magazines which would end up in a tall pile of dusty magazines I always forget to go back to when I need. I know exactly which blogs to visit, the ones that inspire feelings of awe and never cease to surprise me. The ones that makes me feel like cooking more, improving and trying out new ingredients and cuisines. Here I’ve selected a few recipes that were published this week and that I appreciated the most. Food shown at its best, thanks to mesmerizing pictures, great composition and tantalizing combination of ingredients.

1. Beetroot pelushki with baked pumpkin 

Polish gnocchi cooked in oil and butter and served in lovely mini pumpkins. John Bek is the creator of creative recipes that always leave me drooling.

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2. Thai tofu and noodle salad

If there’s a blogger that can turn a salad in a nutritious treat this is Kiersten. The Spicy Asian Dressing on this salad does the trick.

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3. Edamame Basil Hummus

More than chickpeas. So fresh and light that I could snack on this all day long.

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4. Chocolate Avocado Mousse Tart 

What Kiran cooks is poetry to me. She can be brave in the kitchen like no others. An example? For this tart she used wheat pastry flour, almond meal, ripe avocados and fresh expresso.

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5. Mysore masala dosa

I have a crush on Indian food and Dassana, with her stunning vegetarian recipes, is the blogger I want to learn from when it comes to Indian recipes.

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These recipes stuck in mind. What do you think of them? I’d love to hear about your favorite recipes and get inspired even more!

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Post image for Antioxidant Punch Beetroot, Strawberry and Apple Smoothie

This is the week of “smoothie cravings” for me. Whatever the reason is, I found myself fancying fruit during the whole week. Every evening, once at home and always before dinner so to soothe my hunger, I quickly prepared a shake by blending all the fruits on hand. Most of my smoothies comprised orange, apple and honey.

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One day I included a different ingredient, a root in place of a fruit. The outcome is this beautifully colored, dense and flavorful smoothie. A concentrate of antioxidants (both beet and strawberry are on top of the list of highly concentrated antioxidant foods).

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I’ve already written about beet in a previous post, where I outlined the benefits of including this betaine-packed plant in our diet. You know what? I regret I haven’t consumed beet as much as I should. Now it’s time to make up for the time lost and with the handy help of a blender I have no excuse anymore not to get my antioxidant punch from a tasty, quick and healthy smoothie.

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Beet Smoothie

Ingredients

  1. 1/2 medium beetroot, peeled
  2. 1 red apple
  3. 3 strawberries
  4. 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  5. 1/2 cup soy milk
  6. 2 tsp honey

Instructions

  1. Peel the beetroot and the apple. Wash and then cut all the fruits in pieces.
  2. Blend all the ingredients together.
http://www.foodrecipeshq.com/antioxidant-punch-beetroot-strawberry-and-apple-smoothie/

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Pierogi Ravioli with Cheese, Potatoes and Caramelized Onions

May 14, 2013
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On Saturday I had a lady’s night out in a cute Austrian place called Bodo’s Shloss located in High Street Kensington, next to the Royal Garden Hotel, London. I almost thought of myself as a trendy girl. Almost. Soon after I opened my wardrobe to get ready for the chic night out, the collection of [...]

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Chocolate Birthday Cake with Rum and Thick-Cut Orange Filling

May 11, 2013
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Yes, I agree with you. The decoration of this birthday (not mine) cake sucks. It is my first attempt at decorating a cake with frosting and beginner’s luck did not to assist me, this time. I can at least say I kept alive the family tradition of  hand-craft ugly cakes. We Italians like to keep our food [...]

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Aubergine Mini Pizza Crust topped with Ajvar relish and Mozzarella

May 7, 2013
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Italy is the kingdom of Pizza and Naples is its capital. It is not surprising that Italians, despite being notoriously die-hard when it comes to feed themselves and their families, love to experiment in the kitchen to create different pizza bases and make meals, I’d say, “pizza-ble” (definition from my personal dictionary: food gussied up [...]

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A Piece of London

May 5, 2013
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Living in London means many things. One of these is that just 15 minutes long tube rides can take you to the countryside – to a farm inhabited by pigs and ducks – and to a busy, metropolitan and eclectic district. This is my Saturday in pics, a day spent visiting the Mudchute farm in [...]

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Limoncello Tiramisu

May 3, 2013
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Just another different Tiramisu recipe. Where’s the coffee gone? I haven’t forgotten it, I swear. I’ve just decided to cheer myself up with another very popular Italian product, instead. Limoncello. Here citrus notes replace the caffeine kick of one of my favorite baverages. Why so? I had to share a cake/dessert with someone who doesn’t [...]

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Dense and Nutritious Coffee Banana Smoothie

April 30, 2013
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This year, the lengthening of the day surprised me as never before. Or maybe just like every year, when after a couple of hours of daylight more it feels like a new change is about to come. Many months of darkness and freezing weather made me feel like an automaton adapted to live in black and white, [...]

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Semolina Yogurt Pancakes with Berries

April 27, 2013
Thumbnail image for Semolina Yogurt Pancakes with Berries

When I woke up this morning I could almost smell sweet pancakes in the air. I could almost visualize those small, thick and spongy crepes that would make my breakfast a happy and cheerful moment. Too bad it was just my imagination. Even worse, I did not have a plain flour. Not to step off [...]

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Italian Summer Coffee Shake – The Shakerato

April 24, 2013
Thumbnail image for Italian Summer Coffee Shake – The Shakerato

When temperatures soar, a cold coffee drink is a refreshing alternative to the usual hot black coffee. “Caffe’ Shakerato” is the most popular Italian coffee shake, a go-to cold coffee which is classically prepared by shaking together a few ice cubes, 3 teaspoons of sugar and one or more cups of espresso (to taste), preferably at room [...]

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