Vegetarian mashed potatoes with mushrooms

This vegetarian mashed potato and mushroom recipe is an ideal recipe for families. Even the most capricious will enjoy it with great appetite! It also has a vegan version.

You must try this recipe for vegetarian potato mousse with mushrooms ! It simply has a texture and taste similar to those of the original meat recipe.

My mother was the first to create this vegetarian potato bite. Mine began to eat less and less meat, and my mother began to "vegetarianize" all the classic recipes she used to prepare. I am very happy that I managed to change their thinking and show them the benefits of a healthy vegetarian diet. 🙂

Yes, this vegetarian potato bite will take you some time in the kitchen, but I can honestly say that it is worth the effort! It is one of my favorite recipes. 🙂

PS If you don't want to use soy texture (because I know it's not healthy, but it helps to create the meaty texture in this recipe), you can add another half kg of mushrooms + 1 cup of breadcrumbs. So replace the 100g textured soybean granules.

Andie's PPS Musacaua vegan is next on my list of recipes to test. 🙂

Vegetarian mashed potatoes

This vegetarian mashed potato and mushroom recipe is an ideal recipe for families. Even the most capricious will enjoy it with great appetite! It also has a vegan version. Prep time - 10 mins Cook time - 40 mins Total time - 50 mins Serves - 10+

Ingredients

• 1 kg of red-shelled potatoes

• 100g textured soy, granules

• 1 kg Champignion mushrooms

• 1 carrot

• 1 red bell pepper

• 2 medium onions, finely chopped

• a dill, chopped link

• a bunch of parsley, chopped

• 2 eggs (or 5 tablespoons inactive yeast flakes + 4 tablespoons tapioca flour, for vegans)

• salt to taste

• ½ teaspoon ground pepper

• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika

• 1 tablespoon thyme

• 2 tablespoons sunflower oil

Instructions

1. Peel the potatoes, cut them into cubes and put them in a pot of water. Boil them and then puree them, without adding water.

2. Cut the mushrooms in half, grate the carrot and chop the bell pepper. Put them all in the food processor and process them until they crumble well.

3. Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the above mixture, chopped onion, chopped greens, soybeans and eggs, or egg substitute, and spices. Saute for 10 minutes.

4. Covers a tray of approx. 40x15cm with baking paper.

5. Divide the mashed potatoes into two equal amounts.

6. Put half of the amount on the bottom of the tray. Add the filling and cover it with the rest of the puree.

7. Preheat the oven to 200C.

8. Put the tray in the oven and bake for 40 minutes.

9. Do not cut the mace immediately. Let it cool a bit.

Notes I used a tray of ~ 40x15cm.

5 Amazing Benefits of Bee Pollen You Must Know About

Bees are amazing! I love everything about them. Honey, royal jelly, bee pollen, propolis, all these are heavenly gifts! Everyone has heard of honey and maybe royal jelly, but not so many know that bee pollen is also very nutritious and has really great healing properties.

I don’t use bee pollen as often as I use honey, but once every 3 months I eat bee pollen daily for one week, in order to fill my body with vitamins and strengthen my immune system. In the following paragraphs, I will tell you everything about the great benefits of bee pollen.

1. Bee pollen is an amazing B vitamins source

Why is bee pollen so great? Well, first of all, bee pollen is very rich in B complex vitamins and also contains an important amount of vitamin C. It also contains proteins, amino acids, hormones and other good substances with really complicated names. What you need to know is that when you have a vitamin B deficiency, bee pollen is the right treatment for you. It is best to take our necessary vitamins from food rather than from artificial sources like vitamin pills. This way our body assimilates them better.

2. Bee pollen is a superfood

Nutritionally speaking, bee pollen is a super-food. It is recommended in anorexia cases because it increases the appetite. This doesn’t mean that if you want to lose weight you cannot consume pollen. You just have to be careful on the quantity. Pollen also regulates digestive functions and even ameliorates depressions and insomnia.

3. Aids both digestive and nervous systems

It is recommended to consume bee pollen when passing through a rough time. It removes intellectual and physical fatigue and also helps us maintain an optimistic thinking.

If you have any hepatobiliary diseases pollen is the natural remedy for you. It is known that bee pollen helps to dissolve gallstones and also improves liver functions.

4. Treats circulatory system diseases

The many uses of bee pollen don’t stop here! Pollen is extremely efficient in treating circulatory system diseases like phlebitis or varices and it also strengthens our hearts.

5. Recommended for diabetics.

Bee pollen is highly recommended for diabetics because it increases our tolerance to glucose. This wonderful natural remedy is also good for our skin. It maintains the collagen levels and accelerates the healing of wounds.

The daily dosage of bee pollen

It is very important to slowly start to consume bee pollen, because it may cause some allergic reactions to sensible persons. You can test your sensibility by putting a few granules under your tongue. Gradually, you can increase the dosage to 1-2 TSP a day, or more depending on each person’s metabolism. For a better absorption of all chemical compounds, the granules must be chewed, in order to crack open the cellular walls. You can mix pollen with honey, or you can simply add it in juices or smoothies.

The daily dosage for adults is 1 TBS/day dissolved in liquid, taken 30 minutes before breakfast. For kids, you can start by giving them 3 granules a day, increasing the dosage up to1/2 TBS/day.

I really hope that you will treat yourself with nature given medicines before taking pills. Nature provides us with everything we need in order to have a healthy body and a healthy mind. Start eating correctly! Start exercising! And use natural remedies! You’ll see that you’ll feel much better. Just be patient and believe in nature’s amazing healing powers.

5 Amazing Benefits of Cinnamon You Must Know About

Here are some amazing benefits of cinnamon. Learn about healthy cinnamon cures and how to prepare at home some healthy cinnamon recipes and cosmetics.

Cinnamon is a delicious spice that it’s obtained from the inner bark of the cinnamon tree. It’s commonly used as an aromatic condiment and a flavoring additive in both sweet and savory dishes as well as in hot and cold drinks. That’s why today we’re going to take a look at this versatile spice and see what else it has to offer us on top of delicious flavor and amazing aroma!

1. Regulates blood pressure

Cinnamon is highly recommended as part of a healthy diet. If consumed daily, it regulates blood pressure, and it also contains antioxidants which we all know are very important for our bodies.

Cinnamon oil has a spicy, pleasant aroma meant to revive tired or weak bodies. Two or three drops of cinnamon oil poured into a glass of cold water can do wonders if the mixture is smelled by a tired person. I usually add 3-4 drops of cinnamon oil to my face and body creams (I will post soon about my daily beauty routine which includes only natural products).

2. Cinnamon reduces cholesterol levels

Cinnamon is a spice that stimulates the production of digestive fluid and eliminates stomach pain. According to American researchers, cinnamon is a real medicine. A little cinnamon every day (half a teaspoon) can reduce triglycerides and total cholesterol level by 30%.

I use honey as the main sweetener in all of my desserts. I use only honey from verified beekeepers and I never buy honey from the store. I don’t know if you are aware that most of the beekeepers feed sugar or high fructose corn syrup to bees to rapidly increase the production of honey; therefore, all the great qualities of honey disappear.

One way of testing honey is to introduce a teaspoon in the honey jar and then lift it, poring the honey back into the jar and observing its consistency. If the honey flows continuously it means that it is natural, when it’s dripping the honey is counterfeit.

4. Antibacterial properties

Bacteria find a feared enemy in cinnamon. This amazing spice has antimicrobial properties and, when consumed regularly, it prevents bacterial growth and infection. One of the best benefits of cinnamon is that it is a very good brain tonic and has anti-inflammatory properties.

5. Can be used in homemade cosmetics

Make your cinnamon mouthwash at home! I use cinnamon + sodium bicarbonate + aloe Vera juice (pure and unsweetened) as a mouthwash. I don’t use alcohol-based mouthwashes because they are carcinogenic. Once a week I brush my teeth with sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) because it is a great teeth-whitener.

Take my advice and start using cinnamon daily. You will notice the results sooner than you think. Also, your immune system will be a lot stronger; honestly I don’t even remember the last time I had the flu since I started consuming cinnamon in larger amounts! Try it and find out for yourselves how cinnamon can help you strengthen and protect your body!

There are so many health benefits of cinnamon and everyone should take advantage of them!

Origins

The origins of cinnamon go way back! It’s mostly noticed in Ancient Egypt, where it was imported as early as 2000 BCE. Cinnamon is surrounded by exclusiveness; it was highly prized among nations, and it was even thought to be a present worthy of kings and even the gods. We know that it is native to India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Myanmar.

References to cinnamon in Greece have been found as far back as the seventh century BCE. It spread to Rome where about 327 grams were worth ten months’ labour. In fact, the infamous Emperor Nero is said to have burnt a year’s worth of the city’s supply of cinnamon for the funeral of his wife Poppaea Sabina. He did this after he “accidentally” killed her from a strong kick to the stomach. The burning of the cinnamon was supposed to show just how sorry he was, given that it was such a precious commodity.

In early modern times, cinnamon was discovered in the 1500s in Sri Lanka. When Dutch traders established in Sri Lanka, they made sure to take control of cinnamon manufactories, and they discovered it was all around them. Eventually, it made its way all across the world, and now we can enjoy it without having to pay absurd amounts of money for it.

Benefits of Cinnamon

Cinnamon has been known for its medicinal properties through the ages. What makes cinnamon so unique as far as flavour and smell is the compound called cinnamaldehyde. This same compound is responsible for its powerfully positive effects on health and metabolism.

One of the medicinal properties of cinnamon is that it can stop blood from clotting as it inhibits the release of an inflammatory fatty acid called arachidonic acid. This same property makes it a natural anti-inflammatory. It also has very effective anti-microbial properties that can stop fungal and bacterial growth. Cinnamon is known to offer relief from constipation or diarrhea as well.

One of the many benefits of cinnamon is that it’s loaded with antioxidants and it helps to control blood sugar levels. It does this by slowing down the rate at which the stomach empties after meals and it improves insulin response in type 2 diabetics. Cinnamon is known to reduce blood sugar levels, triglycerides, LDL cholesterol, and total cholesterol. This also makes it very beneficial for heart health! It’s a great source of fiber, calcium, and minerals like manganese.

Fiber and calcium help remove bile salts from the body, which is why cinnamon helps protect the colon and the digestive system. Thanks to this removal, cinnamon also helps lower cholesterol levels.

Cinnamon is even beneficial for brain function. Its powerful smell can boost brain activity and it enhances cognitive processes such as attention, virtual recognition memory, working memory and more.

General Facts about Cinnamon

• Cinnamon oil keeps mosquitoes away! Add a few drops to your lotion or sunscreen if you’re ever in need of protection.

• Adding cinnamon to your conditioner, applying it to your hair and exposing it to sunlight can lighten it!

• Cinnamon used to be 15 times more expensive than silver because supply was very low. It used to be regarded as a precious commodity.

• In ancient Egypt, cinnamon was used in the embalming process and also for blessings. It was also a common ingredient in perfumes.

• Cinnamon can help preserve food thanks to its antimicrobial properties.

• Lipsticks with cinnamon can cause a temporary swelling of the lips.

• Cinnamon is used in traditional medicine to facilitate digestion, reduce flatulence, to reduce high blood sugar level and as a local anesthetic.

Cinnamon in the Kitchen

Cinnamon is not only for sweet recipes, even though there are so many more ways to use it to make sweet baked goods like cinnamon cookies, muffins, cupcakes, cakes, crumbles, cinnamon rolls, cinnamon pies, chips, cinnamon bread, cinnamon buns, and a whole lot of things that are making my mouth water!

Cinnamon can also be used for savoury recipes in spite of its sweet flavour. We have to remember that it’s a spice, after all, so let’s take a look at a few ways we can use it.

You can use cinnamon in stir-fries. Start with olive oil, a diced shallot or white onion, a teaspoon of cinnamon, and a pinch of turmeric, powdered ginger, and salt. Sauté that and then add any vegetables you want, meats, cooked grains, dried fruits and even nuts. Cinnamon also goes great with any kind of curry!

You can use it with squash as well, sprinkle a bit of cinnamon on top and some oil and salt, and then roast it to make a wonderful side dish. Cinnamon can also be added to any dish you make out of beans! It gives them a unique taste. You can also add a touch of cinnamon to your eggs! It might sound strange but try it. It gives the eggs a higher flavour and it goes great with toast for a delicious breakfast. Speaking of which, cinnamon also goes great with oatmeal, quinoa, amaranth, and millet.