Nina's healthy kitchen

Your favourite recipes cooked light and low-carb!

[ninaki91]

Breakfast Egg Muffins

One of my favourite recipes yas! Those egg muffins are great for a quick but full of energy breakfast! You can eat them before you go to work, in the office or even on the go! I just love them!

Here’s what you need:

12 eggs (1 for each muffin)

Spinach

Ham of your choice

Bell pepper

Tomato (optional)

So basically you beat the eggs and chop the veggies. Add the veggies to a buttered muffin tray and then the eggs. Bake for 15 min.

You can of course add any other veggies of your choice! And cheese! I tried to keep them light, but feel free to expirement!

You can prepare overnight and have a couple each day of the week.

[ninaki91]

Nina's Un-healthy Nutella dessert

Happy Valentine’s my friends! I thought today I should give you a sweet recipe with lots of love!

What you need: 3 packs ladyfingers 2 packs mascarpone 2 packs double cream ¾ pack Nutella Maltesers

Mix mascarpone, double cream and Nutella (you might need some extra effort for that). Lay the ladyfingers around the tin and at the bottom. In order to make them stand dip the edge into the filling (just a tiny bit). Add a layer of the filling, then some more ladyfingers and then the rest of the filling. Top with maltesers. Freeze for a couple of hours enjoy! I made this for Valentine’s bake sale in the office. It was very popular!

[ninaki91]

Turkey and quinoa burgers

So, here is my first cooking video! I’m making delicious and very easy turkey burgers! I’m sure you are gonna love them!

The video is pretty self explanatory, but here’s what you need:

400gr minced turkey 2% fat

40gr cooked quinoa

1 egg

seasoning (anything you like)

olive oil

Cooking time: 20 min

Mix it all up, cook and serve. Ready in no time! I used some green beans as a side and some very hot sauce! Perfect for dinner. Enjoy!

Tip: Swap quinoa with two tablespoon of oatbran.

[ninaki91]

Coconut pancakes

This is my second recipe regarding pancakes, but I really love them! And also, I’d say that these ones are a bit lighter in taste and digestion. What you need:

3-4 eggs

1/4 cup milk (I used skimmed)

3 tablespoons coconut oil (liquid state) plus more for cooking

1/4 cup coconut flour

1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Mix all the wet ingredients together and then add the dry ones. Stir until well combined.

Grease a skillet with some coconut oil and drop a tablespoon of the mixture. Cook in medium heat (be very careful with that) until small bubbles begin to form and then flip. It makes about 5-6 pancakes.

Add your favourite toppings and enjoy! :)

[ninaki91]

Creamy pasta with chicken and vegetables

Recipe of the day! Creamy wholewheat pasta with chicken, mushrooms, peppers and spinach. Yum! You’re gonna love this, I’m sure! And again it is sooo easy to make! What you need:

300gr chicken

500gr wholewheat pasta

10 small mushrooms

1-2 peppers

handful of spinach

600ml creme fraiche light

chicken cube

spices

olive oil for cooking

Pour some olive oil in a big pan. Put the chicken and cook for about 5 min. Then add the mushrooms and peppers. Wait until the chicken is cooked through.

Add some boiling water and the cude. When the cube stirs in, add the pasta (the water should be slightly under the the pasta). Leave for 10 min or so, or until the pasta is ready. When there’s no water in the pan, add the creme fraiche and the spinach and stir well.

That’s it! Top with some parmesan and enjoy!

[ninaki91]

Chia seed Pudding

Doesn’t this baby look delicious? Great pre-workout snack, full of taste and protein. What you need:

1 1/2 cups Chia Seeds

1 tbls cacao powder (maybe more for taste, depends on your preferences)

3 cups coconut (or almond milk)

1 tbls honey (or stevia)

strawberries

dark chocolate

Mix all the ingredients together and freeze for a couple hours. Top with the strawberries and chocolate. Now, a few tips. The first time I made it I used coconut milk, but I’m not a fan and I also find almond milk tastier. When it comes to cacao powder, go for organic. And if you’re on a diet try to avoid honey and use stevia instead. Enjoy!

[ninaki91]

Prawn stir fry with wholewheat noodles

Generally I love stir fries. They are healthy and extremelly easy to make. They are great for dinner, when you feel really tired to cook, you basically put all the ingredients in the pan. Today, you’re gonna read all about my prawn stir fry.

What you need:

2 shallots (or 1 small onion)

garlic (minced)

250gr prawns

170gr wholewheat noodles (I prefer them coz they are healthy and delicious, but you can basically use any kind)

vegetables (I get mine in a pack, stir fry special, but you can add anything you like - peppers, carrots, mushrooms, kale etc)

soy sauce

sesame oil (for cooking)

So, I’m pretty sure you all know what to do from now on. Saute the onions, add the garlic and the prawns. When the prawns turn into pink then add the vegetables. Stir for a while and add the noodles. Top with soy sauce and you’re good to go! Or more precisely, ready to make your belly very happy and full! Enjoy!

[ninaki91]

Spanish omelette

Another one of my favorites recipes. Spanish omelette. Full of protein, some of the carbs your body needs and spinach. And actually that’s basically all you’re gonna need!

Ingredients:

500 gr roasted potatoes cut in small cubes (or maybe sweet potatoes? Haven’t tried it yet, but I will do soon)

300 gr spinach

7-8 eggs

1 small onion

1 red pepper (optional)

Cheese (optional)

Butter (for cooking)

Salt, pepper, paprika

Now I think this is great for lunch, maybe even for breakfast (although I avoid eating carbs for breakfast). But definitely it is a very light and fulfilling dinner!I choose some tortilla chips as a side. Healthy as well and only 100 cal per pack.Hope you like it!

[ninaki91]

Peanut butter and banana muffins - flourless!

Another treat for you today. These flourless muffins will satisfy your sweet tooth and make you feel healthy! Did I mention you only need 5 ingredients? Let’s start baking!

You will need:

3 ripe bananas (mashed)

3 large eggs

3/4 cup peanut butter

3/4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla extract

Blend all the ingredients together and put into a muffin tray (don’t forget to use some cooking spray or butter or you might as well use muffin cups, although from my experience the mix sticks to the cups). Bake at 200°C (or  400°F) for 15 min.

Now as you can see in the photos, in my second bake I mixed it up a little. Nothing too complicated, I just added some nuts and blueberries and dark chocolate. My favorites were the ones with the nuts! Hope you like it! Happy baking!

[ninaki91]

Shakshuka eggs

I think we’ve established I really love food!

So, today I’m gonna give you one of my favorite recipes:  Shakshuka eggs. It’s great for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner. Anytime! And full of protein and veg!

What you need:

2-3 shallots

garlic (optional)

2 bell peppers

Canned tomatoes or passata

5-6 eggs

spices

sugar (optional)

oil olive

Chop the shallots and the garlic, and cut the peppers preferably into large pieces. Put some oil olive in a frying pan and saute the veg. Add the passata (I personally prefer it to the canned tomatoes), some water and the spices (anything you like, I added some pepper, chilly flakes and italian herbs - you can also add cumin and cayenne pepper).

If you want to use any sugar now is the time. You will need just 1/2 tsp. Because of the fact that the tomatoes might be sour, the sugar helps to balance the flavor. But of course you don’t have to. Also, I avoid salt. Basically because I’m not used to it since my mom didn’t use it as well. But again this is your choice.

Let the sauce shimmer for 10 min or so in medium heat and add the eggs. Of course it depends on how you like your eggs cooked but it takes around 10-15 min. Don’t forget to cover the pan! And that’s it! You’ve got yourself a delicious meal!

For cheese lovers, this dish if great if you add some feta!

Interesting fact: Did you now that ‘Shakshuka’ means ‘mixture’ in Arabic? In its present egg and vegetable-based form it is of Libyan, Egyptian, Tunisian, Algerian and Moroccan origin, and is now popular among many ethnic groups of the Middle East and North-Africa

[ninaki91]

Peanut butter and chocolate swirls

Another yummy and healthy snack! Peanut butter and chocolate swirls. Again very easy to make. What you need:

4 tbs peanut butter (almond butter or any other butter you like)

Dark chocolate 85% cocoa

2 tbs coconut oil

Melt the chocolate.

Then melt the peanut butter and coconut oil together.

Spoon into a muffin tray (don’t forget to use muffin cups). First the chocolate and then the peanut butter mix and swilr with a toothpick. Freeze for a couple hours.

Only 100 calories each! Isn’t that great for a pre-workout snack?

Enjoy!

[ninaki91]

Lemon and coconut protein bars

Today, I’m going to give me a quick recipe about a post-workout snack. It contains protein which is essential for tissue growth and repair. Since the body is continuously breaking down proteins, our diet must provide sufficient quantities. Although recommended intakes vary and depend on body size and activity, a post-workout protein is almost universally helpful to kickstart muscle repair, recovery, and growth.

So, here’s what you need:

1 scoop vanilla protein powder

1 lemon zest

2 teaspoons lemon

1 teaspoon honey

some coconut flakes

Mix all the ingredients together and shape into small balls. It feels like you’re eating a lemon dessert! Enjoy!

[ninaki91]

Breakfast Idea

Breakfast! The most important meal of the day!

What do you normally have for breakfast? From people I know, porridge seems to be the most common answer. I don’t judge but for me eggs filled with protein is the best thing. Keep you full and energetic until your next meal. And obviously you have many cooking options: boiled, omelette or poached. Normally I eat in the office so I make an omelette every morning, but on the weekends I love poached eggs. I make them a different way though, kinda like fried in a tablespoon of butter. I just don’t like them watery.

Next thing you see on my plate are some low-fat bacon rushers. You can also swap with turkey or ham. Anything meaty will do. Just 3-4 slices, maximum of 100 calories.

And then we have the veggies. I chose celery topped with some hummus. Because who doesn’t like hummus? And it comes in flavors as well. A while ago I tried moroccan style and it was really yummy.

And last but not least comes dark chocolate 85% cocoa. Do you know about the health benefits of dark chocolate? Well, first of all it may improve brain function and protect your skin against the sun. It is nutricious as well!

A 100 gr bar of dark chocolate with 70-85% cocoa contains:

11 gr of fiber

67% of the RDA for Iron

58% of the RDA for Magnesium

89% of the RDA for Copper

98% of the RDA for Manganese

It also has plenty of potassium, phosphorus, zinc and selenium.

Or course, 100gr of chocolate per day is a lot, but like 20-25 does the job.

*RDA: Recommended Dietary Allowance

What do you say to give this a try tomorrow morning? Trust me you will feel very energetic and you won’t even need a snack before your next meal!

[ninaki91]

Fluffy Pancakes

Well... Sometimes you just need a break. And today I’m gonna give you the greatest cheat meal: Pancakes! Because who doesn’t like pancakes? To be honest they are not very light (although they contain only two tablespoons sugar), but if you have a couple it’s no biggy, as long as you keep consistent with your other meals through the day.

By the way, have you ever seen fluffier pancakes?! They look so good! And here’s how you make them:

What you need:

135gr plain flour

1 tbs baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 tbsp sugar

130 ml milk (I used semi-skimmed)

1 egg lightly beaten

2 tbsp melted butter (allow to cool)

coconut oil for cooking

Put the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar into a bowl and mix. In a seperate bowl whick together the milk, egg and butter. Stir them all together. Heat an non-stick pan over medium heat and add the coconut oil. The rest are pretty obvious I think. Of course you can swap coconut oil with butter or olive oil, but I think coconut oil gives them a special taste as well.

This makes about 7-8 pancakes.

You can serve with maple syrup, melted chocolate, fruits. Basically anything you like. I added chocolate spread and coconut flakes.

I also like protein pancakes, but that’s to be written in another post ;)

[ninaki91]

Sea bass and green beans with pesto

Have you had lunch yet? If not here’s a quick and delicious idea! Sea bass with pesto sauce. Now, really easy to make and it takes about 20 min including preparation. Obviously, you can swap the fish with cod if you prefer.

Let’s get started! You will need: 2-3 shallots, garlic (optional), two fillets sea bass, green beans, half a vegetable cube (don’t overdo it because pesto is already salty), two tablespoons pesto sauce and baby potatoes.

Bring potatoes into boil according to the instructions on the pack. They should take about 20 min.

Slice the shallots and garlic and saute in a big pan. Be careful with the temperature (you don’t wanna burn the garlic)! Then put in the green beans,stir well. At this point you will add some boiling water in and dissolve the veg cube. Add the fish on top and cover. The water should not cover the fish entirely! Leave for 7 min. Then remove the fish and the beans and leave the juices to boil until they’re reduced to half. Add the pesto sauce and still well.

In the mean time your potatoes should be ready!

You’re all set! Enjoy!

[ninaki91]

Apple and yogurt snack

It’s snack time! Packed with protein and energy, it’s great for a pre-workout snack. Add some yogurt, 1 tablespoon peanut butter (almond butter or cashew butter, whatever you feel like), some honey and cinnamon. Slice an apple and enjoy. What I also like to do is swap the apple with some coconut flakes.

Or course, there are other options according to your preferences like chia seeds, sunflower seeds or any kind of nuts. Don’t be afraid to be creative! Just be careful because all those things are also packed with many calories.

Have a good evening! :)

[ninaki91]

Tuna steak and spinach salad with strawberries

Let’s talk about dinner. I hear people say that you shouldn’t have a proper meal before bed. Well, I’ve done that in the past and it was hell. This is so completely wrong, Even if you are trying to lose weight this is not the right way to do it. Your body is a smart mechanism. When it’s starving it starts storing fat (quote from my traiver). And that is how you end up hungry and depressed. Instead choose to have a healthy dinner. Like this! Doesn’t this look delicious? And yet so simple. What you need is some spinach, strawberries, goat’s cheese and -my favourite thing for dinner- tuna steak! It only takes about 10′ to cook it through. Just add some olive oil in a pan. Then top your salad with some balsamic vinegar. That’s all for today. Happy cooking!