(Крем) Супа от праз и картофи

В студеното време навън какво по-хубаво от вкусна супичка, която да стопли не само тялото, но и душата. Не ми се застояваше много в кухнята днес, но няма как, трябваше да приготвя нещо за вечеря. В такива случаи обикновено прибягвам към леки и бързи рецепти, като яйца по панагюрски или нещо "запържено" в любимия Actifry (което най-често е или картофки или пилешко), гарнирано с млечно-чеснов сос. Днес обаче много ни се хапваше нещо лекичко под формата на супа, затова запретнах ръкави и на бързо приготвих вкусна и особено полезна супичка от праз и картофи, която може да бъде сервирана по няколко начина.

Тя е идеална за това време, тъй като празът е страшно полезен и помага да преборим досадните симптоми на настинка и грип. В днешния пост предлагам една основна рецепта, която аз лично много харесвам, но много лесно би могла да претърпи лека промяна според всеки вкус.

Ето какви са съставките:

3 стърка праз
3 картофа
1 морков
500мл прясно мляко
1л вода
2 -3 с.л. олио или масло
сол на вкус
черен пипер

Започваме като предварително си наситняваме праза и настъргваме моркова, на много ситно. В тенджера загряваме олиото и добавяме двата зеленчука. Задушаваме ги на слаб огън докато омекнат напълно. След това добавяме водата и оставяме да заври. През това време обелваме и нарязваме картофите на ситно. Измиваме ги добре и ги добавяме в тенджерата при праза и моркова. Слагаме капака и оставяме всичко да къкри докато картофите са идеално сварени, но не разварени. Подправяме със сол и мъничко черен пипер, и добавяме прясното мляко. Супата ни е почти готова, има нужда да поври само още 5 мин докато вкусовете се смесят.

От тук имаме два варианта за поднасяне:

 🍲 Вариант 1:
Да поднесем супичката както си е, без да я пасираме, както в купичката с червен пипер отляво. Тъй като исках да добавя малко повече плътност към нея гребнах от тенджерата няколко черпака и пасирах само тях, след това ги върнах обратно. Така цялата супа стана по-наситена и вкусна.

🍲 Вариант 2:
Можем и да пасираме супата до кадифена текстура и да я поднесем така. Аз лично съм фен на точно този вариант. Обичам всичко гладко, леко и кремообразно.

И щом супичката е вече в купичките е време да гарнираме с това, което обичаме най-много. Тъй като самата тя е много лека и семпла, към нея може да се добави всичко, което обичате. Лявата купичка е идеална за любителите на лютото - върху топлата супа поръсих с малко черен пипер, няколко капки лимонов сок и мнооого лют пипер. Дясната купичка пък е по-семпла - само черен пипер и хубаво бяло саламурено сирене. Исках да приготвя и хрупкави крутони, но глада ни призова и реших, че мога и без крутони да се насладя на удоволствието от гореща супа в студен зимен ден.

Пълнозърнести палачинки

С настъпването на новата години и аз като всички реших, че ще започна да се храня по-добре, да тренирам и да се грижа повече са себе си. До тук добре, но пусто хем ми се приготвят някакви изкуситлно вкусни и вредни нещица, хем не искам да изневерявам на обещанията си. Затова днес се възползвах от студеното време, което ми е идеалното опрвдание да си стоя в кухнята и да се забавлявам, и забърках едни не просто вкусни, но и полезни палачинки, които да правят компания на следобедния чай.

Постарах се в тях да няма почти нищо преработено, с изключение на малкото бяло брашно, което играе роля на спойка. Ето и какво е необходимо за направата на една доза от 8 - 10 тънки феерични пълнозърнести палачинки. 

2 яйца
250 мл прясно мляко
150 мл вода
3 пълни супени лъжици брашно грахам или друго пълнозърнесто брашно
3 супени лъжици бяло брашно
1 чаена лъжичка мед
щипка сол
разтопено масло колкото кибритена кутийка

В мерителна каничка с дръжка (за по-лесно изливане после) слагаме яйцата, солта, меда, млякото и водата и разбиваме добре, После прибавяме пресятото бяло и пълнозърнесто брашно и отново разбиваме до получаването на тесто с консистенцията на рядка боза, без бучици. Когато пресявате пълнозърнестото брашно и в ситото останат люспички ги сложете в сместта. Пресяването е с цел да се разбият бучиците в брашното.

Тъй като брашното грахам на различните фирми е различно е възможно с дадената пропорция тестото да стане или по-гъсто, или по-рядко от желаното. Този тип брашно обикновено се нуждае от повече вода отколкото обикновеното бяло брашно. Тестото за палачинките обаче е много лесно за работа и винаги може да се добави или течност или още малко брашно за достигане на необходимата консистенция. За по-ефирни палачинки правим по-рядко тесто, за по-дебели - малко по-гъсто.

На силно загрят котлон слагаме сух тиган, който изчакваме да се загрее добре. С огнеупорна четчица намазваме загретия тиган с малко от разтопеното масло. Разбъркваме палачинковата смес хубаво и изливаме част от нея в тигана, който междувременно накланяме и въртим, така че сместта да се разпредели хубаво и равномерно по дъното му. За моя тиган с диаметър 22 - 24 см е необходима около кафена чашка от сместта, или около 70мл. Важно е докато изливаме да въртим и тигана за да стане тънка и кръгла палачинката. Оставяме я на котлона за около минута или докато забележим покафеняване на крайчетата, а повърхността отгоре е почти "суха". Обръщаме палачинката с майсторско потхвърляне в тигана или просто с помощта на шпатулка. След това изчакваме още около минута и прехвърляме палачинката в малка тавичка или дълбока чиния, намазваме обилно с разтопено масло и завиваме добре с фолио, а отгоре покриваме с кърпа за да омекне хубаво и да се задуши. Междувременно продължаваме с останалите палачинки, докато сместта свърши.

⭐⭐⭐Забележки:

⭐ Тигана който аз ползвам е специално за палачинки, най-обикновен и незалепващ, но си го обичам страшно много. В интерес на истината обаче палачинките ще се получат идеално в какъвто и да е тиган с незалепващо покритие. Може да варират по форма и размер, но ще са все така вкусни. Ако вашият тиган е по-малък, просто използвайте по-малко смес и това е.

⭐ Докато палачинките се пекат обикновено остават леко сухи и чупливи по краищата. Затова е хубаво да се мажат с масло и задушават добре. По този начин омекват идеално и могат да бъдат завивани и сгъвани по всевъзможни начини. За себе си открих, че парче алуминиево фолио и кърпа отгоре вършат идеална работа.

⭐ Маслото с което се маже тигана спокойно може да бъде заменено от олио, но при мен забелязах, че от олиото покритието на иначе белия ми тиган покафенява, затова предпочитам масло.

⭐ Към сместта спокойно може да се добавят подправки, повече мед, калена, дори банан, в зависимост какви палачинки предпочитате, Аз почти винаги правя универсални, за да може да ги хапваме както със сладък пълнеж, така и със солен.

Поради някаква причина страшно много ме успокоява много приготвянето на палачинки, затова и днес направих 2 дози, с надеждата, че ще остане нещо за утре сутрин, но те са толкова вкусни, че половината вече ги няма. Сирене, сладко, шоколад, сметана, всичко е страхотно завито в лека и тънка палачинка, която от своя страна дъха на масло и се топи в устата.

"The Way the Cookie Crumbles"

'That's the way the cookie crumbles' once said Bruce Almighty. Well this is what you would feel like after baking and eating these super easy, rich and delicious mini cookies with chocolate bits all through them. I made them and started writing the recipe right away and I am looking at the bowl now, where are just a few left. 

The truth is that I was watching tons of cookie videos online, but always thought that they will not be THAT good. It is crazy, I was a cookie skeptic. I used to always buy that kind and enjoy them very much, but the idea of chewy cookies just did not sound appealing to me. I loved them crispy and crumbly. One day however I decided that is the whole American nation loves them, maybe I should give them a try too. Also I am perfectly aware that homemade is always better. I looked at some recipes to check what they call for and had a look at what I had in my pantry. I didn't had some of the ingredients, but it was easy for me to make some swaps. In the end I ended up with a complete new recipe, that is even better than the "original". I have made the cookies with all the right ingredients that most recipes call for, but I did not like the result, so here is my version of chocolate chunk cookies. 

Ingredients:

1 stick of room temperature butter (125g) 

1 egg

4 tbs molasses (really dark and sticky brown sugar)

4 tbs powdered sugar  

1 tsp lemon juice

1/2 cup of coconut shreds

vanilla 

a pinch of salt

1 tsp baking soda

chopped chocolate (one bar)

flour

This recipe can be made with a whisk, hand mixer or standing mixer. It is really forgiving and you can taste it and adjust the ingredients up to your liking. For example if you add too much flour you can always add some more butter or another egg. 

We start with creaming the butter and both sugars. In a bowl we put first the butter and beat it for a few minutes until it becomes creamy, then add the sugars and keep mixing them until incorporated. The molasses gives this recipe richness and some chewiness, also compliments the chocolate, but the white sugar keeps the cookies crisp. If you like these sweet treats on the crumbly side feel free to add even more butter. 

Next step is adding the egg, vanilla and lemon juice and mixing them too. In a separate bowl mix 4 tbs of flour with the salt, soda, your coconut shreds and half of the chocolate. Mix them well and add them to the butter mixture. Again with a fork, whisk or mixer keep incorporating the dry and the wet ingredients. Then check your dough consistency - you should be able to roll a bowl out of it without it sticking to your hands or leaving residue. If it is too runny or sticky keep adding flour or even coconut shreds. You don't taste them, but they give nice texture. I ended up adding 5 more tbs of flour until I got my dough to the right consistency.

Now it is the time to turn on your oven to 170'C, prepare a backing tray lined with backing paper and start rolling your cookie dough into balls. You can make them as big or as little as you want, just keep in mind that the time for backing will vary depending on the size. I rolled my balls on the smaller side as I wanted to make mini cookies (hello portion control :) ) but they do spread quite a bit. On my tray I placed 16 small balls and on top I added a few chocolate chunks from the remaining half a bar. Then put them in the oven for about 8 min, or until they are starting to get golden brown. When you touch them they will be firmer on the outside, but still soft in the center. this is the best time to take them out and let them cool on a cooling rack. I didn't had one, so I made one myself. I put the wire rack from my oven on top of a few cups and cooled the cookies on top, so the air could circulate around them. Once they cool completely they become nice and crispy, with chewy bits around the chocolate pieces. 

The time this recipe took me was exactly 1 hour form start to finish, as I baked 4 trays of 16 cookies (and ate quite a lot of them while cooling too). It is easy, quick and absolutely delicious, which means that I will be making it more often over the weekends. I hope you try it too and love it as much as I do.

Quick and Easy Fall Lentil Cream Soup

Here are the cold days of fall. It gets dark really early and my biological clock is thinking it is time for bed at 5pm. That's why I am getting really lazy these days and cooking after work is not something I want to do as I am very tired. Recently my slow cooker is being my best friend as it cooks while I sleep. To be honest I wanted one for a very long time and recently my lovely mum bought me one as a present. I am still learning how to use it, especially as it is smaller than my usual pots, but it is doing fantastic job. I am saying all that because today's recipe is perfect for both cooking on the stove in a pot or in a slow cooker over night. We are blending it anyways (I just love anything creamy) and don't have to worry about overcooking anything.

What's the best for this recipe however is that it is full of fibers and it keeps you full for longer. The lentils that we use are the brown kind, with the skin on, which makes it hearty. You can use the red lentils if you wish, but they will not make it as thick and creamy, plus the red lentils are skinned, so you don't get as much fiber. This means that you will be hungry shortly after eating it. One more good thing for the soup is that you don't need to put any fat in it if you are a clean eater. I personally try to avoid it wherever possible just to keep myself healthy.

Here's what you'll need 

2 cups of brown lentil
1 carrot
1 head of onion
1-2 green peppers (I prefer Severe peppers)
3 -4 cloves of garlic (I put even more, but if you don't like it use less)
1 small diced tomato
cooking cream or sour cream (this is optional)
paprika
savory (or oregano)
salt
pepper
vegetable oil

In a pot on the stove put your oil,  washed lentil, graded carrot, chopped onion and pepper. You want all vegetables finely chopped, so they will cook faster. Cover everything with water., The amount here depends on how thick you want your soup. I like it on the thicker side, so I put less water, like 2 -3 cm above the ingredients. Bring it to boil and let it cook until the lentils are almost done. Then add your spices, and tomato and let it cook for about 5 - 10 min, or until everything is perfectly tender. Turn off your heat and add your garlic, that's been chopped into medium sized pieces. Let everything rest for about 5 min. Give it a taste to make sure it's salty enough. Then it is time to blend it. Use a blender or an emergent blender to do so. Be careful when blending hot soups, because you might burn yourself. When everything is blended stir in some cream of choice as it makes the soup very nice and rich. The soup on the stove comes together in about 40 min.

But you can make it is a slow cooker as well. Simply add all your ingredients, but the tomato, garlic and cream, in the cooker.Keep in mind that the water in the slow cooker will not evaporate, so you might want to put less of it. Leave over night on low, or for about 3 hours on high. Then put your tomato and leave it for 30 more minutes, then turn the heath off , add your garlic and let it rest for 5 - 10 min, so the garlic can "awake". That is it. All you have to do now is to blend it, add cream and serve it.

I like to serve mine with some cheese and garlic on top, as on the picture, but it is also very nice with croutons.

This is the perfect fall soup, full of healthy ingredients, affordable, quick and easy. You can leave it in the fridge for 3 - 5 days,or even freeze it. If you are vegan, feel free to leave the cream out, or substitute it with a boiled potato.

One Week Kickstart Challenge To A Healthier You

Today I am not sharing a recipe with you as I decided that I want to present something a bit more different. I know I need some change in my life and I know it is about time to start working on myself as I want to get to the healthiest form I have ever been. I have made a water challenge at the beginning of the year and since then I am keep drinking at least 3 liters a day. Also I did a sugar one and I stopper craving sweets or junks. This why for me they work and that's why a kickstart one is here for you too.

While creating it I was thinking of it as really being challenging and complex. It is meant to force you to be creative and thoughtful when choosing your meal, snack and also to encourage you to start cooking on your own. This way you will find yourself not only eating different food everyday, but also feeling better at the end of the week. After finishing I am completely sure you will keep up with the good habits and will change the way you look at yourself.

This is not something that will make you lose weight, fat or muscle. This is not a diet and you should still keep track on your macros and calories. The challenge can be adjusted to any sort of eating habits, regardless. You will feel a lot more energized, refreshed and you will not have the same cravings. If you decide to do it just keep in mind that you would need to spend a lot more time reading labels, cocking your food, packing your lunch and preparing, but it is just a week and you can do it!

There are 10 different things you should think about all week long. I have made a list with them so I can have it on me and check how many I have done at the end of the day. So lets get started!

1. Drink at least 3 liters of water every day.  

Water is super important for your body as it helps flush out any toxins so your body can function normally. When you are hydrated you not only feel better, but look better as well - your skin is glowing, your lips are super soft and your tummy is in place. You will not feel bloated and will release all extra water your body keeps, so you will be light and happy. And by 3l of water I mean 3l of pure water, no tea or juice, but water. My little tricks for drinking more of it are a few, but simple - I infuse it with a bit of lemon or lime juice, drink it cold from a nice water bottle and make sure that that I always have it on hand. When I look at it I remember to drink more often.

2. Workout. 

At least 20 - 30 min a day will be enough to get your metabolism nice and fast, your body strong and healthy. You will feel and sleep better, and if you are consistent you will also start looking better with nice and lean muscles. The 18 grocery bags on one go will be just a breeze and you will never ever feel tired when taking the stairs. Your heart rate will go up and it will be ok, because you are strong. All you need to do is to spend some time rewarding your body with a workout you enjoy doing everyday. Weather it will be gym, dances at home, a nice run make sure to challenge yourself and enjoy it. You will not be sorry.

3. Eat more veggies.

You've heard it before, but eating the rainbow is amazing for you as each color means that the fruit or vegetable is high in certain vitamins and minerals. The more colorful your meals is the more healthy micro nutrients you get. But this does not mean you can eat chips all day "cuz it is a potato", and you will see why in just a minute. You want to make sure that you eat a wide range of veggies in salads and meals, it does not have to be boring and tasteless. Dress them up with some rich dressing, roast them, add them to some meat, put them on top of some pizza or in smoothies, come up with new combinations - it is all up to you. The goal here is to increase your daily veggies intake so you have to eat as much vegetables as possible.

4. No food after 8pm.

Yep that's right. You should not only eat your dinner before 8pm, but you would also need to stop with all snacking after that as well. This will hep your body with digestion and you will sleep better. Also when you wake up your tummy will be looking gorgeous and flat since you will not be bloated. When you sleep your your body sleeps as well and is having hard times taking care of all that after dinner snack, so it all turns into fat and no one wants that right?

5. No alcohol. 

Let's be honest - alcohol is just empty calories that you do not need. When drinking we also tend to eat more, then we feel bloated and it is just not good for ourselves. This week we say no to alcohol - we can do it!

6. Nothing processed and no junk food. 

The reasons here are endless. It is high in tons of unknown ingredients and sodium that makes you feel bloated and retain water. It is high in unhealthy fats and sugars, too much fast carbs, low in everything else. It gives you nothing because it is so highly processed. Instead you can try preparing it at home. Popcorn in a pot, veggie chips in the oven, whole wheat pancakes with honey, roasted nuts - there are so much healthier options. The rule is simple - if it requires a label, you don't need it. 

7. No added sugar. 

Why not try some alternatives like agave syrup, honey, coconut sugar, molasses in you coffee or desert if you crave it so much? However you would need to stay away from everything that contains added sugar - basically all sweets. Here is the moment when you need to start reading labels. If it does say that there is sugar in it - you do not need it. And don't try to buy those sugar free bars - they are still -processed food. If you crave something sweet so badly why not try making some oat cookies, or my super delicious energy bites. You can still eat fruits as much as you want and that include non sugar coated dried fruits as well. The white refined sugar that is added to everything you can buy in store only spikes your blood sugar, you get energized super fast, but the effect lasts just a little, so you start craving sweets again and in the end of the day you have eaten so much empty calories that you don't need. Trust me there are a lot better options for you. 

8. No refined flour. 

  

You might think you cannot live without white bread, muffins, cupcakes, pizza and all sorts of sweet and savory pastries and let me tell ya I LOVE MY CARBS as well. And with this challenge you don't have to stop enjoying them - all you need to so is to start making them yourself or start reading the labels it the store. If it contains refined white flour you need to leave on the shelf. And it does not matter what is the flower made of - rice, wheat, corn. We are trying to make sure we eat as much non processed foods as possible. Everything refined, including rice, has almost no nutritional value. The real whole grain flour is made out of the whole grain - bran, germ and endosperm. The refined one only contains the endosperm of the grain, which bring almost nothing to your body to use. When bread and the flower you use are whole grain you will be eating food super rich in fiber and antioxidants. And let me tell you whole grain pancakes are delicious. 

9. No white rice.

The deal with white rice is the same as flour. Rice in general is super easy, cheap and delicious food and it is also considered super health, but are you eating the best rice on the market? When eating white rice, that has been stripped from its husk your body does not make any difference between it and a piece of cake. Just like the refined sugar and flour, the white rice spikes up your blood sugar and you feel full for a short period of time. Shortly after consuming it you are hungry again, your body has processed the carbohydrates super quickly and now they are stored as body fat, but you are still hungry. But brown rice is here to save you. It does take a little longer to cook and the taste is slightly nutty, but you will feel full for longer and will not be eating empty calories with no nutritional value. You can also pre-cook it and freeze it for an easy meal base. In you do not believe me just check a few labels next time you shop in store.

10. No refined oils.

As we already know everything processed is not good for you, so the oil you use makes no difference. When cooking at home make sure that you use unrefined animal or vegetable fat. You can surely use cold pressed olive oil or coconut oil for your meals, animals grease or butter is also great option even for backing. The unrefined alternatives of the different vegetable oils are full of healthy fats, amino acids and antioxidants that help you be regular and also are less likely to make you feel bloated. The refined kind is usually with very light color and taste, while the unrefined one is not as clear, the color is darker and the taste is stronger. Just a few drops of it are enough to add a whole lot of taste you your meals and salads.

I know is seems like a lot to do, but trust me, once you finish the week you will feel so much better, that you might want to keep up with some of these healthy habits.

Warm and Cozy Comfort Soup with Meatballs and Veggies

It is already fall, which means that we all need something warm and comforting to keep us cozy. And what better than steaming and filling soup, that can keep us full for longer and is also packed with bright veggies to help us stay healthy. This is why tonight I am making quick and easy soup with meatballs, that comes together in no time. It is also great to store in the fridge for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months for those lazy nights that you don't really feel like cooking.

The recipe is traditionally prepared in Bulgaria and served with hot peppers and apple or red wine vinegar on the side. But the best part is that you already most likely have everything you need in your kitchen. Let's see what is it:

1 big head of onion
1 big carrot
2 big Sevria (or Severe) peppers
50 grams of celery root or stem. If you only have the leaves or the dry spice you can also use that.
3 tbs. vegetable oil
500 grams of ground meat of choice.
2 large potatoes
a handful of vermicelli (very thin noodles)
1 medium tomato
1 egg
1/2 cup of yogurt
salt, pepper, parsley to taste
Optional you can add chilly or other spicy peppers to taste.
Here is how to prepare it:

First you need to chop your onion, peppers, and celery (if you are using root or stems) and to finely grade your carrot. Heat up the oil and cook the veggies until they are all nice, soft and wilted. Then you need to add some water to them and let this simmer for about 20 min on low with the lid on. If you are using the celery leaves, you can add them now. I am not specifying how much water you will need, as it depends on how thick you like your soup to be. I like it on the loser side, so I add more water.

Meanwhile you can salt a bit your ground meat and add some pepper or any spices you like. You can also add some chilly flakes to it for a little kick. One the soup base has been simmering for about 20 min you can take of the lid and start rolling the ground  meat into small bite size balls and dropping them in it. When all of it is in the pot just put the lid back on for 10 min and let it cook some more.

At this point you have to chop your potato into small cubes and also I like to grade my tomato. When 10 min have passed it's time for the potato to join the party, and once it is about 70% cooked through you need to add your tomato and a handful of vermicelli, or noodle - whatever you have on hand. At this stage you also want to add your salt, pepper and if you are using dry celery, you have to add it as well. Let everything cook for about  5-7 more minutes, or until the pasta and the potatoes are completely cooked. Turn off the stove and let the soup cool down for just a minute, until you chop your parsley and in a ball mix up the egg and the yogurt together.

Take a spoonful of the hot soup and slowly add it to the egg mixture, while stirring constantly. Then add a bit more of the hot liquid and stir again. This is called introduction and helps the eggs not to curdle in the hot soup, but to make it smooth and creamy. Once you have them all introduced it is time for you to pour them back in the soup slowly, while stirring it. When everything is all together I like to stir the soup for additional 20 sec. The last step is to add your fresh parsley and serve it.

In my home the soup is being loved with some chilly flakes or hot peppers, a squeeze of lemon juice or a tbs of vinegar, and some black peeper on top. It comes together super easy and can stay in your fridge for good 3 days. When it's cold outside this is the perfect warmer for the inside. I hope you try it and and love it as much as I do.

Easy, Nutritious, Courful and Delicios Lunch Salad For On The Go

Just like most of you I am also a working girl and even though I love cooking, very often I just do not have the time for it. Eating healthy and delicious is super important for me, but not easy at all, especially during the week. I recently started taking some time to plan my meals for the week and doing some shopping and prepping, but even this sometimes does not help.

However it is now a year and a half that I have not bought lunch at work and I am super proud of it. The lunch options that you have here in my office are quite a few, however non of them is what I am looking for. They are either too salty, too oily, too tasteless or too expensive. Everything past this is pastry, pizza or burgers. Now imagine how all these cons can damage your organism. This is why as soon as I moved in an apartment with a kitchen I started cooking and I have never felt better before. (In fact I am thinking of a whole series about how to eat healthy and delicious at work, but this is whole other story.)

Yesterday for example I was planning to make some beans soup, however I was also craving something bright, fresh and nutritious, like salad. The truth is that a salad will never fill me up for long, so I had to come up with an idea how to help it a bit. And then it hit me! I remember watching youtubers like Clean&Delicious and Vssaurbeauty who had shared some very similar and bright salads, featuring different kinds of beans. This inspired me to take a look at what I have in my fridge. freezer and pantry ant to come up with the most colorful salad ever. It is full of fiber, healthy carbs and fats, also it is packed with protein, which means it is not only super pretty, but also lite and nutritious, so it will keep you full for longer and you will not feel heavy after lunch.

Here is what you will need:

Red beans - canned or just cocked with water

Chick peas - canned or just boiled

Green beans - fresh or frozen

Corn - canned or frozen

Red onion

Red pepper - bell pepper or any other sweet pepper

Parsley

Lemon juice

Salt

Olive oil

 I have not given any quantities as you can use whatever amount of product you like. I used about a cup of each beans, a head of onion and 3 red peppers. The beans and corn need to be cooked in advance. I used canned red beans, frozen corn and green beans that I just steamed for a few minutes, while I was chopping the rest of the items. The chick peas I had cooked and froze in my fridge, so I just added them to the steaming veggies to defrost.

All you need to do is to chop the parsley, onion and pepper, rinse and drain the canned beans, steam a bit the fresh and frozen ones and mix everything together. To them you need to add some salt to taste, some olive oil and the juice of one lemon for brightness and mix well again. This salad is super delicious once you make it, but it is best if you prepare it overnight and eat it the day after.

You can also add to the salad some cherry tomatoes, olives, chicken and even tuna to adjust it to taste. It will be as good even if you add cilantro or dill instead of parsley, vinegar instead of lemon juice and even garlic. It is super versatile and it is easy to be prepared to taste.

As I am blogging from work today, when I was actually having this salad for lunch, I forgot to take a picture of it before eating (oops.. I was so hungry and exited for it) . Luckily I have prepared the salad before, with a little adjustments, like the one on the picture (with tomatoes,no chick peas and no green peas) which is still amazingly delicious. But this also shows how easy you can mix it to taste and with basically whatever you have at home.