My no meat recipes




Boiled Buckwheat

February 20th, 2010 in Side Dish Recipes by MeCooking

I think buckwheat grain is one of the most nutritious and healthy foods one can ever eat: it is very rich on iron, zink, other minerals and vitamins which makes it perfect food for kids and women during pregnancy.

It is also low on carbohydrates comparing to other grains (and for those which it does have body needs long time to digest);for me that makes boiled buckwheat (straight or with a bit of milk) perfect food for days when I want to eat a bit less and exercise a bit more: it makes you feel full longer without eating too much.

Boiled buckwheat is a perfect side for any kind of beef dishes: I personally prefer to serve it with beef stroganoff or minced beef cutlets; however it can be served as a stand alone dish. Boiled buckwheat grain with milk is very popular breakfast food for children and adults in countries of East Europe.

Deruny (Potato Pancakes)

February 6th, 2010 in Main Dish Recipes, No-meat Dishes by MeCooking

Potato pancakes, prepared from fresh chopped or grated potatoes, onions, eggs and flour, are commonly associated with various cuisines of Europe. In Ukraine they are called “deruny”, in Russia and Belarus “draniki”; similar recipes can be found in Polish, German, Austrian, Czech cuisines.

Potato pancakes are usually a main no meat dish for lunch or breakfast; it tastes good topped with sour cream or mushroom sauce.

Even though potato pancakes are good enough as a separate dish, they can be also served as a side dish for vegetable or meat main dish course.

Dried Fruit Kompot (Uzvar)

January 2nd, 2010 in Beverage Recipes, Non-alcoholic by MeCooking

Uzvar is a kompot made from dried fruits: mainly apples, pears and prunes, however various recipes include raisins, dried sour cherries and even dried apricots.

Even though this drink is traditionally served to Christmas Eve dinner in some countries of West Europe (e.g. Ukraine, Russia, Poland, Lithuania), I really can’t find a reason why it can’t be a great better choice to drink before all those sugary-artificially prepared sodas people consume so much those days.

Uzvar, or as it also called in ex-USSR countries – Kompot made from Dried Fruits, is very refreshing, tasty and easy to do. I highly recommend this drink to everybody, prepare it for your kids – they will love it!

Eggplant Paste (Aubergine Paste)

November 28th, 2009 in Appetizers & Snacks, Side Dish Recipes by MeCooking

Here is an eggplant paste recipe how my grandma used to do it: all full of vegetable goodness, and I love its taste (still a bit hard to get it taste exactly the way how grandma’s is but I am working on it).

Baked eggplant paste makes a perfect side dish for meat or vegetable entrees, as well as it can be a great appetizer – just pour a bit on a whole wheat cracker, or spread it over a piece of bread and get a healthy snack.

Prepared eggplant paste can be stored in a fridge for several days and it tastes good cooled.

Sponge Cake with Apples

November 7th, 2009 in Desserts by MeCooking

Autumn always comes with tastes of a harvest: for me autumn tastes like apples, even though you can get them at any grocery shop any time of the year.

Since I’ve got my apples, a big pack of them actually, my house keeps smelling like autumn. During last weeks we had a duck with apples for a dinner, baked apples for a snack and even kompot with apples and cranberries.

I’ve also prepared this sponge cake with apples and light hit of cinnamon last sunday and now I can share this easy recipe with you, so you can enjoy the taste of autumn with me.

Banana Milkshake (Fruit Milkshake)

September 26th, 2009 in Beverage Recipes, Non-alcoholic by MeCooking

Even though the title says this it recipe for Banana Milkshake, this is very simple recipe can be used to prepare pretty much any kind of fruit milkshake – just replace bananas with strawberry or raspberries and vanilla ice-cream with any kind of ice cream you like and enjoy your very own taste of a milkshake.

I should also mention what milk and ice-cream (main ingredients of a milkshake) are good sources of calcium, which is an important component of a healthy diet. It is especially for children. Which makes milkshakes good drinks for kids: not only is it tasty so they love it, but also is nutritious.

So, whatever your goal is – to make sure your kid gets the needed amount of calcium or to remind yourself about the times when you were a kid – make a milkshake (it is easy)!

Zucchini Pancakes (Summer Squash Pancakes)

September 12th, 2009 in Appetizers & Snacks, Main Dish Recipes, No-meat Dishes, Side Dish Recipes by MeCooking

I prepared pancakes from zucchini, but they are also good prepared of any other kind of summer squash or even mix of them.

Soft and tender vegetable pancakes, they are easy and very fast to do. Perfect dish for breakfast or lunch, or for any other “hunger feeding” quick food break.

Odds are your kids will love them (even though they consist of pure vegetables)!