Sweet Pumpkin Pancakes

Pumpkin season brings us plenty pumpkin spice dish ideas every year. Today we are happy to share quick recipe for lunch, dinner or dessert.
Why is it perfect for each meal? That’s easy: our pancakes recipe is simple, so it doesn’t take you a lot of time; it is semi-sweet and appetizing. Moreover, this is classical European pancake dough recipe, which excludes using baking soda and baking powder. You just need basic ingredients to prepare pancakes.

Thin pancakes filled with mashed pumpkin and apple, poured with maple syrup and decorated by whipped cream.  Prefect fall meal for whole family. 

Total time: 15 min

Servings: 8 pancakes

INGREDIENTS

• 1cup flour
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 oz water
• 1 cup milk
• Pinch of salt
• Butter or vegetable oil for frying
• 16 tablespoon Pumpkin & apple puree (2 Tbsp for each pancake)
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• Maple syrup

DIRECTIONS

1. Blend flour, eggs, water, milk and salt together, until smooth.
2. Preheat frying pan with butter or oil.
3. Pour 1 ladle of batter for each pancake. Flip the cake, when the pancake’s bottom is golden and cook the other side. Transfer to plate.
4. Spread 2 tablespoons pumpkin puree on the pancake. Fold the pancake in half and then in half again. You got triangle shape.
5. Whisk whipping cream in a bowl, until it reaches stiff peaks. (Tip: well whipped cream won’t fall out from the bowl, after turning it upside down.)
6. Pour triangle pancake with maple syrup and decorate with whipped cream. I put 1 tablespoon cream for pancake, but you may take more if you wish.
7. Stick almonds into whipped cream and serve.

                                                                                                 A&A

Lemon Sugar Cookies

Summer is gone. Well, it is still very hot in some countries of Europe, but astronomical summer ended on 22^nd of September. We’re wondering how to say goodbye to holidays and this is the result of our thoughts – Lemon Cookies!

There is nothing better than huge bite of fresh, sweet and light lemon flavor cookie. It recalls all summer fruit, sunbeams and happiness. Glorious sugar sparkle and crinkled texture provide additional charm to cookies.

For us, the most important thing is that, there is no artificial flavors and colors in our Lemon Sugar Cookie recipe. To obtain lemon flavor we used Meyer lemon, which is a cross between lemon and a mandarin orange. Meyer lemon is sweeter than true lemon. 

Preparing time:  10 minutes
Baking time: 12-13 minutes
Servings: 30 cookies

INGRENDIENS

• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 5 oz unsalted butter (10 tablespoon)
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 3-1/2 lemon juice

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add egg and lemon juice and beat thoroughly.
3. In separate bowl combine flour, baking soda and salt.
4. Slowly add the dry ingredients to wet mixture.
5. Scoop 1 large teaspoon cookie dough, form it into ball and roll in sugar.
6. Place cookie balls on baking paper and bake for 12-13 minutes.
7. Let cool before serving.

Enjoy perfect and delicious Lemon Sugar Cookies!

                                                                 A&A

Cranberries, Oatmeal, Coconut Oil – Chocolate Chip Cookies

Quick recipe for wholesome and delicious cookies. Perfect for coffee break, children’s snack and unexpected guests.

We recommend to use brown sugar instead of granulated white sugar – each kind of sugar has different impact on the dough. Brown sugar made moister, denser and darker-colored cookies. Granulated sugar made thinner and crispier cookies. Furthermore brown sugar is less caloric than white sugar. 

Total time: 25 minutes

Servings: 30 cookies                                               

INGREDIENTS

• 1-1/2 cups flour
• 1-1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup coconut oil
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup chocolate chips
• 1 cup cranberries

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Cream sugar, coconut oil and eggs in a bowl until light and fluffy.
3. In a separate bowl combine flour, oats, salt and baking soda.
4. Add dry mixture to the wet ingredients in several small additions and mix well.
5. Stir in cranberries and chocolate chips.
6. Take 1 tablespoon dough scoop and form it with your hands into shapely cookie. Place it onto prepared cookie sheet.
7. Bake for 10 - 12 minutes. Let cool before serving. 

                                                                                 A&A

Papaya, Banana & Ginger Smoothie

Perfect drink for early fall mornings!
The autumn is coming and summer laziness turned into busy working days. Prepare yourself to face everyday challenges by drinking this invigorating smoothie.

Health effects:

PAPAYA

•  Anti-aging effect - Vitamin C, Vit. E and antioxidants, including beta-carotene, can neutralize free radicals, which are responsible for cell damages.
• May prevent cancer – papaya is rich in lycopene (red carotene), which is believed to reduce risk of cancer.
• Remedy for constipation – papaya’s enzyme – papain – helps improve digestion.
• Prevents infections – papaya is highly rich in Vitamin C.
• It is believed that papaya prevents hearth diseases -  fiber in papaya decrease high cholesterol level.

BANANA

• May protect against high blood pressure – bananas are rich in potassium and low in sodium.
• Gives energy – banana’s fructose (natural sugar) is processing into glucose – fuel, which body can use for energy.
• Helps produce hemoglobin – Vitamin B6 in bananas is important in hemoglobin production – a protein responsible for carrying oxygen in blood.
• Helps to feeling full – due to content of dietary fiber, starch and pectin.

GINGER – ginger processing decrease its health benefits, but still grounded ginger has gingerol – one of the ginger’s oils, that is responsible for antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Another compound is shogaol (higher level in grounded than in fresh ginger) which has strong anti-cough effect. Both gingerol and shogaol help reduce blood pressure.

 

Preparing time: 10min

Servings: 2 smoothies

Ingredients:

·        1/3 medium-sized papaya fruit

·        1 banana

·        2 pinches of grounded ginger

·        1 cup kefir (Lifeway plain kefir or Siggi’s plain filmjölk kefir)

Preparing smoothie:

Combine all ingredients in body of a blender and blend until smooth.  Or…

To obtain two fruit-layers of smoothie: blend banana and kefir separately from papaya and ginger.  

                       

                                                          

  A&A

Strawberry & Mango Smoothie

Our favorite morning energy booster to start the day in a great mood.

This delicious and fresh strawberry and mango smoothie is perfect for chilling on hot days or recalling summer vibes when fall is already coming.

You need only 2 ingredients! Strawberry and Mango!
This recipe is all about pure fruit smoothie with no additional sugar or flavors, thus no additional calories!

Health effects

Strawberries content lots of nutrients such as: vitamin C, antioxidants, potassium, folate and fiber. Folate supports healthy pregnancy - it is necessary to proper development of infant’s central nervous system. 

Mango is a great source of fiber, thus improves digestion and minimizes constipation. It is also rich in vitamin A- essential for vision, healthy mucous and skin.
Both strawberries and mangoes are rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory nutrients – which means they have anti-aging  and  cancer risk- lowering properties.

Preparing time: 5 minutes

Servings: 2 smoothies

Ingredients:

•      3 cups halved strawberries (you may use frozen strawberries)
•    1 medium mango

Mix strawberries and mango separately to obtain two fruit layers.

Preparing mango smoothie layer:

•     Wash and peal mango.
•     Cut into pieces and put in a body of a blender.
•     Blend until smooth.

Preparing strawberry smoothie layer:

•     Wash and halve strawberries.
•     Place fruit in body of a blender and pulse until smooth.
•     Fill each glass with mango mix to a half full. Then you can pour strawberry mix on the other half or you can use a spoon to receive two gently separate fruit layers. Decorate smoothies with fresh mint leaves and serve chilled.

    Enjoy your delicious, healthy smoothie!

A&A