Very orange {Lunch}

...No, don't worry, I didn't overdose on carrots this time! :)

More bright colors in today's lunch, going along with today's theme! There is no such thing as too much sunshine in one's life. Grandma made Borscht. We pulled out some leftovers. I made everything else. We shared and enjoyed each other's company. :)

The lunch consisted of many small, savory bites. I felt like I was taste-testing and rotating from one side dish, to the next! But the pâté/chutney/paste/spread/dip??? I haven't given it an official name in English, and am not sure if it already exists.

Red Pepper & Zucchini pâté/chutney/paste/spread/dip:

• 1/4 yellow onion, diced


• 1 carrot, shredded


• 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped


• 2 medium zucchinis, chopped


• salt to taste


• oil for sauteing

Instructions: Use a large pan or separate small ones to sauté each vegetable separately. I used one big one (no need to wash four pans!). Start by sautéing the onion. Once clear and yellow, move to the side/periphery of the pan, and add shredded carrots. Add more oil if necessary to prevent burning. Once done, mix carrots and onion, and again push to the side. Now add the red pepper, and repeat the process. And, same thing goes for the zucchini. Finally, mix all the sautéed vegetables, and cook until they've become soft. Transfer to a blender (or a bowl if you are using a hand blender), and blend! Season with salt to taste. A teaspoon of nutritional yeast also blends well with the flavor of this dish.

I like to spread it on a piece of toast :)

Today's taste-testing included roasted sweet potatoe slices, 1/2 veggie patty, left-over plov, and bread with the zucchini spread. I see lots of orange! :)

An afternoon snack was a new combo that I will definitely have again... Crumbled up Deep Chocolate VitaTop with cottage cheese. I am trying to increase my protein intake, and this snack surely meets the protein need with 16g of protein (30% DV)!! And, yes, a cup of coffee... or two cups rather... But it's half-caf-half-decaf!

Not surprisingly, I later had an orange for a snack... And actually, that wasn't intentional! :) It looked so beautiful - like a flower - I had to take a shot of it. Of course, I did. :) #foodbloggerobsession

It's Borscht Day! {#Vegan Borscht}

Yup! It's yet another homemade soup day celebration en mi casa! It's Borscht Day! Can I proclaim it an official holiday? This soup totally deserves the recognition!

Here is my grandma's recipe for our vegan Borscht. This is as basic as it gets! My grandma doesn't use measurements, so for now, I'll just describe the process, and will eventually figure out just how much of everything you need!

Start my sauteeing onion, shredded beet, and shredded carrot. Add a pinch of salt. When almost done (based on tenderness of the veggies), stir in a spoonful of tomato paste.

In the meantime, prepare the broth. Our standard homemade vegetable broth has leek, celery, celery root, dill, parsley,and onion. Add seasonings and spices of choice (i.e. salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning mix).

Add the beet mixture to the broth. Finally, add chopped up cabbage, and allow to cook until cabbage softens. Don't cover the pot while the soup cooks!

Toward the end, add a few peppercorns and bay leaves. Once cooked, turn off the flame or reduce to low, cover and allow to stand for ~10min. And enjoy!

The Russian way is to top the borscht with a spoonful of sour cream (We use tzatziki or Greek yogurt).

And so, today's lunch featured borscht, sautéed cabbage with sweet potato slices (two leftovers combined into one!) and some pasta with Parmesan!

An afternoon snack included decaf coffee and wasa crisp bread with hummus (with a dash of pepper and garlic powder)! I was craving salty today! 

I foresee a fruit or nuts being consumed before dinner. :)

Hope your Monday is going well!

Stuffed

Stomach is still unhappy because of coffee, stress and anxiety... But I'm a three-meals-a-day kind of gal. Grandma's soups always come to the rescue when I'm having exam-induced stomachache:



This borscht is truly wonderful. It's so flavorful and so healthy. Vegan, too! (but traditional borscht is made with pork and/or beef) Recipe to be posted soon, I promise!
I decided to wait a couple hours to eat he second course but boy was I excited for it!



Stuffed pepper! With mushrooms and barley, baked in a tomato sauce with extra veggies!



The beauty of this dish is that you can make so many substitutions. Change up the grains, add legumes, even meat if you'd like! The classic Russian recipe uses ground meet and rice, and is usually served with sour cream. My personal favorite is the one I had today :)

Have you made stuffed peppers before?

xoxo