Macaroni salad is a type of pasta salad, served cold made with cooked elbow macaroni and usually prepared with mayonnaise. Much like potato salad or coleslaw in its use, it is often served as a side dish to barbecue, fried chicken, or other picnic style dishes. Like any dish, national and regional variations abound but generally it is prepared with raw diced onions, dill or sweet pickles and celery and seasoned with salt and pepper.

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups of macaroni pasta I used cavatappi
• 300 gr chicken breast
• 3 boiled eggs
• 1 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup sweet relish (Optional)
• 1/4 dill relish
• 2 stalks of celery diced (Optional)
• 1 medium sized green bell pepper diced
• 5 green onions chopped
• 1 small red onion diced
• 1 tablespoon salt free seasoning Mrs Dash or generic
• Parsley flakes (Optional)
• Paprika (Optional)

Instructions

Step 1

Boil the pasta until al dente’, then drain. Dice, or crumble the boiled eggs, then set to the side.

Step 2

Add in the mayonnaise, dijon, and relish in a large bowl. Mix, until well combined.

Step 3

Next add in the diced peppers, onions, celery (optional), chicken, and eggs. Fold the ingredients.

Step 4

Now add in the pasta, and fold.
Once everything is well combined, transfer the chicken macaroni salad to a refrigerator safe dish, and cover.

Step 5

Place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
Remove from the refrigerator, and sprinkle parsley flakes and paprika on top (optional).

Notes

Served cold!

Reference:yummynotes

Fruit salad is a dish consisting of various kinds of fruit, sometimes served in a liquid, either their own juices or a syrup. In different forms, fruit salad can be served as an appetizer, a side salad, or a dessert. When served as an appetizer or dessert, a fruit salad is sometimes known as a fruit cocktail (often connoting a canned product), or fruit cup (when served in a small container).

There are many types of fruit salad, ranging from the basic (no nuts, marshmallows, or dressing) to the moderately sweet (Waldorf salad) to the sweet (ambrosia salad). Another “salad” containing fruit is a jello salad, with its many variations. Fruit cocktail is well-defined in the US to mean a well-distributed mixture of small diced pieces of (from highest percentage to lowest) peaches, pears, pineapple, grapes, and cherry halves. Fruit salad may also be canned (with larger pieces of fruit than a cocktail).

Why You Should Eat Winter Fruit salad

According to some research: Every year, adults suffer from an average of 2 to 3 colds per year and an estimated five to 20 percent of Americans come down with the flu, typically between October and March.

Ingredients

• 4 kiwi
• 2 banana
• 2 apples
• 30 pomegranate seeds
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
• 4 tablespoons lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 mandarin or orange

Instructions

Step 1

Peeled and slice all fruit that mentioned in ingredients, then tossed in a large bowl.

Step 2

Mix sea salt, lime juice and sesame seeds in a small bowl, then pour over the salad. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. And it’s ready to serve!

Notes

Garnish with mint leaves if desired.

Reference: yummynotes

Noodle soup refers to a variety of soups with noodles and other ingredients served in a light broth. Noodle soup is common dish across East and Southeast Asia. Various types of noodles are used, such as rice noodles, wheat noodles and egg noodles.

In autumn and winter seasons nothing can be replaced by homemade soup. Vermicelli soup is an immunity-booster just in time for cold and flu season. In addition to several advantages cause reducing the cold period, this delicious soup has a wonderful taste can be served as the main course or appetizer.

Ingredients

• 2 carrots grated
• 1½ tablespoon salt
• ½ tablespoon black pepper
• 1½ cups vermicelli
• 1 small potato chopped
• 5 cups chicken broth
• Tablespoon tomato paste
• Fresh parsley leaves

Instructions

Step 1

Pour grated carrots and chopped potato into chicken  broth and allow it to mildly soak and soften.

Step 2

After half an hour, add 1 tablespoon of tomato paste, black pepper and salt to the soup.

Step 3

About 15 minutes, add noodles or vermicelli to the soup.

Step 4

Then garnish with some parsley.

reference: yummynotes

Falafel is a deep-fried ball, or a flat or doughnut-shaped patty, made from ground chickpeas, fava beans, or both. Herbs, spices, and onion relatives are commonly added to the dough. It is a well-known Middle Eastern dish that most likely originated in Egypt. The fritters are now found around the world as part of vegetarian cuisine, and as a form of street food.

Falafel balls are commonly served in a pita, which acts as a pocket, or wrapped in a flatbread, also known in western Arab countries as taboon. Falafel also frequently refers to a wrapped sandwich prepared with falafel balls laid over a bed of salad or pickled vegetables and drizzled with hot sauce or a tahini sauce. Falafel balls may also be eaten alone as a snack, or served as part of an assortment of appetizers known as a meze.

Ingredients

• 2 table spoon sunflower or vegetable oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 400g can chickpea, washed and drained
• 1 table spoon ground cumin
• 1 table spoon ground coriander (or use more cumin)
• handful parsley, chopped, or 1 table spoon dried mixed herbs
• 1 egg, beaten

Instructions

Step 1

Heat 1 table spoon oil in a large pan. then fry the onion and garlic over a low heat for 5 mins until softened.

Step 2

Tip into a large mixing bowl with the chickpeas and spices, then mash together with a fork or potato masher until the chickpeas are totally broken down.

Step 3

Stir in the parsley or dried herbs, with seasoning to taste. Add the egg, then squish the mixture together with your hands.

Step 4

Mould the mix into 6 balls, then flatten into patties.

Step 5

Heat the remaining oil in the pan, then fry the falafels on a medium heat for 3 mins on each side, until golden brown and firm.

Notes

Serve hot or cold with couscous, pitta bread or salad.

reference: yummynotes

Golden milk is a beverage that capitalizes on the benefits of turmeric in combination with other healthy ingredients like coconut milk and black pepper. It is a beverage that has been used in traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurvedic medicine for centuries, but has recently taken the spotlight in the Western world. A warm, healing beverage also known as turmeric tea, golden milk has natural anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-arthritic, and anti-cancer benefits, among others. Keep reading to learn more about this healthy beverage and how to enjoy it for yourself.
So, what are the health benefits of golden milk? Here is a quick overview:

• Improves memory and speeds learning
• Reduces free-radical damage and oxidative stress
• Relieves arthritis pain and inflammation
• Improves blood pressure and reduces LDL cholesterol
• Prevents or inhibits colon, breast, and pancreatic cancers
• Slows the progression of neurodegenerative disease
• Supports over 160 individual physiological functions

Ingredients

• 1 cup milk, unsweetened almond, coconut, or dairy
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil, optional
• 1/4 tablespoon each of ground turmeric, ginger, cinnamon and cardamom
• freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Step 1

In a small saucepan, gently heat the milk of your choice with the honey and optional coconut oil.

Step 2
Bring to the point where it is almost boiling, then remove from heat.

Step 3
Whisk in the spices until well blended. Strain through a fine mesh strainer, if desired.

Step 4

Add some freshly ground pepper, stir with a cinnamon stick and serve.

reference: yummynotes

Cream of mushroom soup is a simple type of soup where a basic roux is thinned with cream or milk and then mushrooms and/or mushroom broth are added. It is well known in North America as a common type of condensed canned soup. Cream of mushroom soup is often used as a base ingredient in casseroles and comfort foods. This use is similar to that of a mushroom-flavored gravy.

History of Mushroom Soup

Soups made with cream and mushrooms are much older than the canned variety. Ancient Italian (Salsa colla) and French (Béchamel) cream sauces, and soups based on them have been made for many hundreds of years. In America, the Campbell Soup Company began producing its well-known “Cream of Mushroom Soup” in 1934, the same year that it introduced “Chicken with Noodles”.

Ingredients

• 500 gr carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
• 400 gr mushrooms
• 1/4 a large onion
• 2 tablespoon of oil
• 2 whole cloves garlic, skin on
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage (optional)
• 200 gr chopped chicken in small pieces or 4 cups homemade chicken broth
• 1 cup dairy-free sour cream

Instructions

Step 1

Wash the mushrooms, onion. Then dry them and cut them vertically into slices. Dice the onion until you have 2 tablespoons of chopped onion.

Step 2

It’s time to grated carrots, as well as add oil and chopped garlic. Pour all these chopped vegetables to the saucepan and let it cook for 5 minutes.

Step 3

Place the veggies and 1 cup of chicken broth in a blender and blend until smooth.

Step 4

Add the pureed veggies to a soup pot over medium heat and add additional broth until the desired consistency is reached. Add the sage and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook until heated through. Serve in bowls.

Step 5

Place the dairy-free sour cream and cut a small hole in the corner. Pipe a swirl of sour cream around the bowl starting in the center and working your way to the outer rim of the bowl.

Notes

When you are satisfied with the flavor of the soup, turn off the heat or keep it at a simmer to keep the soup warm. Pour the soup into a bowl and garnish with free sour cream.

Reference: yummynotes

Lentil soup is a soup based on lentils; it may be vegetarian or include meat, and may use brown, red, yellow or black lentils, with or without the husk. Dehulled yellow and red lentils disintegrate in cooking, making a thick soup. It is a staple food throughout Europe and Middle East.

Variety of Lentil Soup

Lentil soup may include vegetables such as carrots, potatoes, celery, parsley, tomato, pumpkin, ripe plantain and onion. Common flavorings are garlic, bay leaf, cumin, olive oil, and vinegar. It is sometimes garnished with croutons or chopped herbs or butter, olive oil, cream or yogurt.

Indian lentil soup contains a variety of aromatic spices. In the Middle East, the addition of lemon juice gives a pungent tang and cuts the heaviness of the dish. In Egypt, the soup is commonly puréed before serving, and is traditionally consumed in the winter.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 carrots
• 1 onion
• 5 cups vegetable stock
• 1 cup natural yogurt
• 1 cup brown lentils
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice (optional)
• 1 clove garlic (optional)

Instructions

Step 1

Get a pot, pop it on a low heat and add the olive oil.

Step 2

Cut the carrots, onion and grate the garlic.

Step 3

Throw them in the pot, cook for a minute or two and chuck the lentils in after.

Step 4

Stir a little until the lentils are covered with oil (they open their pores which then tastes better).

Step 5

Add the vegetable stock and yogurt.

Step 6

Let the soup simmer for 15-20 minutes on low heat.

Step 7

Season with salt and pepper.

Step 8

Add the lemon juice.

Step 9

Blend it with a hand blender if available, don’t worry if you can’t.

Notes

Eat with bread, add your favorite herbs for variety, and some more yogurt or sour cream.

Reference: yummynotes

Oatmeal is a type of coarse flour made of hulled oat grains (groats) that have either been milled (ground), steel-cut, or rolled. Ground oats are also called “white oats”. Steel-cut oats are known as “coarse oatmeal”, “Irish oatmeal” or “pinhead oats”. Rolled oats can be either thick or thin, and may be categorized as “old-fashioned”, “quick”, or “instant”, depending on the cooking time, which is shortened by the size of the oats, precooking, and sometimes the addition of enzymes.

The term oatmeal is also used in the U.S. and parts of Canada to describe a popular oat porridge made from either ground, steel-cut, or rolled oats.

Dieting and having a proper diet plan with a bit of planning and preparing a variety of foods is possible. You may have heard the name of this snack before. Oatmeal is one of the dietary and tasty, quick, filling breakfast and a protein meal. Oatmeal is a perfect snack or breakfast for most people, especially athletes. Are you ready for an easy and healthy oatmeal recipe?

Ingredients

• 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (such as Quaker Oats Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats)
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup water
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon honey

Instructions

Step 1

Combine oats, milk, water, salt, and cinnamon in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low.

Step 2

Simmer uncovered for 3 to 5 minutes until thickened, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

Step 3

Divide equally between two bowls. Drizzle each serving with 1/2 teaspoon honey. Add additional desired toppings and serve.

Notes

Desired toppings with pomegranate seeds.

reference: yummynotes

Hot Chocolate is a delicious and popular drink, especially in the cold seasons. The Mexican Hot chocolate has a slightly different flavor and aroma than the ordinary hot chocolate, which adheres strongly in the cool autumn and winter weather. Are you ready for heart-warming Mexican hot chocolate recipe?

Ingredients

• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
• 4½ ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ¹⁄8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Small pinch of ground cayenne pepper
• cinnamon sticks(Optional)

Instructions

Step 1

Place the milk and brown sugar in a medium saucepan and bring just to a simmer.

Step 2

Off the heat, whisk in the chocolate, vanilla, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper. Allow to steep for 3 minutes. Reheat the mixture over low heat until it almost comes to a simmer.

Step 3

Pour hot chocolate into mugs. Top it with cream, sprinkle some cocoa powder and red pepper (optional).

Notes

For serving: Cinnamon Baked Doughnuts (see recipe) or store-bought cinnamon doughnuts

A doughnut or donut (the latter spelling often seen in American English) is a type of fried dough confection or dessert food. The doughnut is popular in many countries and is prepared in various forms as a sweet snack that can be homemade or purchased in bakeries, supermarkets, food stalls, and franchised specialty vendors.

Doughnuts are usually deep fried from a flour dough, and typically either ring-shaped or a number of shapes without a hole, and often filled, but can also be ball-shaped (“doughnut holes”). Other types of batters can also be used, and various toppings and flavorings are used for different types, such as sugar, chocolate, or maple glazing. Doughnuts may also include water, leavening, eggs, milk, sugar, oil, shortening, and natural or artificial flavors.

Ingredients

• 3½ cups all-purpose flour
• 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2¼ teaspoons instant yeast
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup whole milk, lukewarm
• ¼ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into small cubes
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 8 tablespoons granulated sugar, for coating
• 4 cups canola or vegetable oil, for frying

Instructions

Step 1

Make the dough: In the bowl of a standing mixer, mix flour, sugar, and yeast. Fit mixer with the dough hook, and add egg, milk, butter, zest, vanilla extract, and brandy to the flour mixture. Mix on low-medium speed until a soft ball of dough starts to form, about 3 minutes.

Add in salt. Keep mixing for 8 minutes, until dough is soft and elastic and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rest in a warm place for about 2 hours, or until doubled in size.

Step 2

Gently punch the dough to remove air. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into 1 cm thickness. Cut into doughnuts using a doughnut cutter or with a 7 cm round cutter and with a 2 cm round cutter for the holes.

Re-roll scraps and repeat. Place doughnuts on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest to rise for about 60 minutes, or until doubled in size.

Step 3

Make the cinnamon sugar mixture: Place 8 tablespoons sugar and 1 tablespoon cinnamon in a small bowl and toss to combine. Set aside.

Step 4

Frying: In a large, deep, heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat 2 in/5 cm of oil until a thermometer inserted into the oil reaches 300F. If you don’t have a thermometer to test, insert a wooden spoon into the oil; it’s ready for frying when tiny bubbles appear around the stick. If it bubbles vigorously, it’s too hot. Carefully add doughnuts, a few at a time, depending on how large the saucepan is. Fry until golden brown, about 2 minutes on each side. Drain doughnuts on a paper towel-lined plate. While doughnuts are still warm, dip them in cinnamon sugar mixture and coat from all sides.

Step 5

Doughnuts are best the same day they are made.

reference: yummynotes