Chard and quinoa moussaka is one of my family’s favourite spring meals. You will love it because you can make it quickly, it’s healthy, tasty and leaves you full.
If you love moussaka, you will adore this version, too. Instead of chard, you can use any leaves such as spinach and vine leaves.
Let’s start. Do as you usually would when preparing meat filling. Heat the olive oil, saute the onions, add salt, and then add garlic. After a few minutes add spices of your choice. This time I used cumin, paprika, and cinnamon. Add the minced meat (800gr for 4 people). Break everything up with a wooden spoon and turn the heat up a little. Fry until all liquid evaporates and it starts to turn lightly brown. In the meantime, boil 1 cup of quinoa for 7 minutes. Add to the meat filling and season generously if needed.
Pour boiling water onto previously washed leaves. Oil the baking dish, layer 1/3 of blanched chard, then half of the mince mixture. Repeat once more, and finish with the leaves on top. Cover with aluminium foil, and put into the preheated oven at 200°C. Bake for 45min.
Here you go, your perfect moussaka, easy way to get kids eating quinoa. Best served with a spoon of Greek yogurt or as we do with sheep’s yogurt.
And most important – it’s easy to pack and give your kids to bring it to school for lunch, it can be made the day before. In the morning just slice chard and quinoa moussaka, transfer into the box and kiss your kids goodbye wishing them a nice day.
Now, one wonderful recipe for all dark chocolate lovers – chocolate brownies – salty edition.
My teenage daughter adapted the classical brownie recipe into delicately salted chocolate cubes. Matches perfectly with strawberries, or less healthy option with whipped cream.
So here we go. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Melt 100gr of dark chocolate and cut into small pieces another 100gr. Then mix 125gr of melted butter and 100gr of brown sugar. Beat in 2 eggs and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract. Whisk in melted chocolate, then sift in the 100gr of flour of your choice (she put Half–white flour (TYPE 850) and 30gr of cocoa powder and 1 teaspoon of salt. Fold in finely cut chocolate and transfer the mixture on to prepared baking dish (lined with baking paper).
Bake 25 minutes and enjoy your lovely salty chocolate brownies. Do not forget to add some fresh fruits and do not hesitate to add some fresh cream.
You have only an hour to make a nice family dish. Do not worry, risotto is always something you can prepare. This time I added a little bit of oriental taste to Italian dish – and it turned great. Of course you can always make your own combination. This recipe allows you to omit anything you do not like or you do not have at home.
The best thing if you have some time to cut marinade small pieces of chicken breasts small pieces in mustard. If not, just massage the mustard in the meat and it will do fine. Fry them on the olive oil until get nice and golden. Take it out of the pan and let them wait you comfortably wrapped in an alufoil.
Add the onion in the pan, season with salt and add the spices of your choice (I put sweet curry, turmeric, cumin, garlic powder, pepper, ginger powder). Add rice (100ml per person) – this time I have mixed long grain red and white rice. Stir it well, add finely chopped dry apricots (you can replace them with any dry fruit), and continue cooking while adding stock. Mind you for some rice you will need 45min of cooking, while for some other 15-20minutes will be enough (read the labels, please).
When rice is cooked, return the chicken to the dish, add some Worchester sauce and taste if it is OK for you. Remove the pan from the heat, add 1 knob of butter and stir well. Cover and allow to sit for 2 minutes – this is the very important, as this is when it becomes creamy and cool a little bit before adding citruses. Final touch –add just few drops of lemon essential oil, or squeeze of real lemon. Serve with fresh mixed green salad, or cherry tomatoes. And guess what- can be easily packed in the lunch box.