Chicken Salad with Parsley Walnut Pesto

By Angelika Hanna Prep Time: 25 min Cook Time: 15 min (for grilling the chicken) Total Time: 40 min Yield: 4 servings Cuisine: North American/Canadian Author: Angelika Hanna / Zest4Food Ingredients: 2 chicken breasts, grilled, skinless, cooled off 2 cup Italian parsley leaves, packed down 1/2 cup toasted walnuts, chopped 1 – 2 garlic cloves, smashed 1/4 cup extra…

Fried Cauliflower “Rice” & Spinach

By Angelika Hanna A Ree Drummond inspired recipe from The Pioneer Woman TV show. My version is an easy and quick-to-prepare vegan/vegetarian weekday meal full of flavor. Ree upgraded this dish with an egg topping and garnish (see below). Recipe: Prep Time: 20 min Cook Time: 10 – 12 min Total Time: 30 min Yield: 4 servings…

Ina Garten’s Tomato Tart

By Angelika Hanna This is a Barefoot Contessa inspired recipe. I think it is a great alternative to pizza. Personally, I am not into yeast doughs, mainly for health reasons. So any recipes that don’t use yeast are very welcome to me. Recipe: Prep Time: 40 min Cook Time: 45 min Total Time: 1 hr 40 min…

Watermelon & Strawberry Popsicle

By Angelika Hanna It is one of the easiest DIY in the kitchen. Fruit popsicles. All you need is your favorite fresh or frozen fruit, or – to make it even more easy – your favorite fruit juice, and some water. For some watery fruits you do not even need to add any water. As…

Baked Turkey Meatballs

By Angelika Hanna Recipe: Prep Time: 20 min Cook Time: 25 min Total Time: 45 min Yield: Approx. 30 turkey balls Author: Angelika Hanna / Zest4Food Ingredients 2 pounds ground turkey 1/3 cup plain bread crumbs Cold pressed extra virgin olive oil 1 onion, diced 2 eggs Fresh parsley, chopped 3 cloves garlic (optional) Kosher salt, to taste Freshly ground black pepper, to taste Red pepper flakes, to…

Stuffed Mini Peppers from the Grill

By Angelika Hanna I got the idea for this lunch from a potluck recipe post. It is an easy and quick-to-make summer lunch or party/potluck snack. Recipe: Prep Time: 20 min Cook Time: 10 min (+ 10 min to pre-cook meat) Total Time: 30 min Yield: 3 servings Cuisine: North American/Canadian Author: Angelika Hanna / Zest4Food Ingredients: 1 pound…

Portobello Burgers

By Angelika Hanna A Ree Drummond recipe from The Pioneer Woman TV show. Recipe: Prep Time: 15 min Cook Time: 20 min Total Time: 35 min Yield: 4 servings Cuisine: North American Author: Angelika Hanna / Zest4Food Ingredients 1 1/2 pound lean ground beef A few dashes Worcestershire sauce, to taste 2 eggs 2 cooking onions, chopped Kosher…

Zucchini & Spinach & Mushroom Lasagne

By Angelika Hanna A Ree Drummond inspired recipe from The Pioneer Woman TV show. Recipe: Prep Time: 25 min Cook Time: 60 min Total Time: 1 h 25 min Yield: 8 servings Cuisine: Italian-North American Author: Angelika Hanna / Zest4Food Ingredients Extra virgin cold pressed olive oil 1 package (20 oz) cremini mushrooms, sliced (I used the brown…

Green Power Smoothie Summer 2020

By Angelika Hanna It’s refreshing, vegan, healthy, and tasty all together. Recipe: Prep Time: 20 min Blend Time: Approx. 3-5 min Yield: 2 servings Author: Angelika Hanna / Zest4Food Ingredients: 2 cups spinach 1 mini cucumber (also known as Persian cucumber) 1 celery stalk 1 mango, fully ripened 1/2 avocado, fully ripened 1 tbsp hemp hearts 1…

Colorful Summer Potato Salad

By Angelika Hanna This German-inspired vegan potato salad recipe is a delicious side dish. Recipe: Prep Time: 30 min (plus cooking and cooling time for the potatoes) Yield: 3-4 servings Cuisine: German-inspired Author: Angelika Hanna / Zest4Food Ingredients: 3 baking potatoes*, cooked, peeled, cut into bite-sized chunks 1 red Bell pepper, cubed 1/4 red onion, cubed…

Salmon & Salad Plate

By Angelika Hanna Recipe: Prep Time: 10 min Cook Time: 10 min Total Time: 20 min Cuisine: World Cuisine Author: Angelika Hanna / Zest4Food Ingredients: Raw salmon filet Flavorless vegetable oil Missed lettuce leaves Celery stalk Sweet onion Black Kalamata olives Red Bell pepper Baby carrots Lemon juice High quality extra virgin cold pressed olive oil Kosher salt…

Veggie Stew & Fried Polenta Squares

By Angelika Hanna This recipe is inspired by TV cook Mary Berg from her CTV show ‘Mary’s Kitchen Crush‘. It is a hearty and earthy vegetarian meal. To make it vegan, leave out the feta crumble topping. Recipe: Cuisine: Canadian Author: Angelika Hanna / Zest4Food Ingredients For the Veggie Stew: 1 can (28 oz) Marzano tomatoes…

Low-carb Spinach Lasagne

By Angelika Hanna Low carb, vegetarian, and super tasty! To make it more healthy, I used brown rice noodles instead of regular pasta. Recipe: Prep Time: 20 min Cook Time: 40 min Yield: 4 servings Cuisine: Italian-American Author: Angelika Hanna / Zest4Food Ingredients: Extra-virgin cold pressed olive oil 1 clove garlic, minced 2 tsp fresh thyme, minced;…

Giada’s Aqua Pazza

By Angelika Hanna A recipe inspired by TV cook Giada de Laurentiis from her show ‘Giada’s Capri.’ I modified Giada’s recipe in that I used haddock fillets instead of sea bass fillets. Any firm white fish works best, such as halibut or sole. Recipe: Cook Time: 35 min Yield: 4 servings Cuisine: Italian Author: Angelika…

Matcha Cookies

By Angelika Hanna Recipe: Prep Time: 20 min Bake Time: 15 min Dough Cooling Time: min. 2 hrs, overnight, can stay frozen in the freezer up to 2 months Total Time: min. 2 h 35 min Yield: 20 cookies Cuisine: Japanese Author: Angelika Hanna / Zest4Food Ingredients 2 cups pastry flour 2 1/2 tbsp good quality Matcha powder…

Chicken Cacciatore

By Angelika Hanna Recipe: Prep Time: 15 min Cook Time: 35 min (plus cook time for the pasta) Total Time: 50 min Yield: 4 servings Cuisine: Italian Author: Angelika Hanna / Zest4Food Ingredients Any pasta of your choice (I used red & white quinoa macaroni) 4 chicken thighs Kosher salt, to taste Freshly ground black pepper, to taste…

Kale & Brown Rice & Quinoa Casserole

By Angelika Hanna Recipe: Prep Time: 10 min Cook Time: 45 min (plus cook time for the rice and the mushrooms) Total Time: 55 min Yield: 4-5 servings Cuisine: World Cuisine Author: Angelika Hanna / Zest4Food Ingredients Extra virgin cold-pressed olive oil 1/2 pound mixed mushrooms (Cremini and wild mushrooms), dried or fresh (If you use dried mushrooms, boil…

Lentil & Sweet Potato Spice Soup

By Angelika Hanna Recipe: Prep Time: 10 min Cook Time: 30 min (If you use canned lentils) Total Time: 40 min Yield: 4-6 servings Author: Angelika Hanna / Zest4Food Ingredients 1 sweet potato, peeled and diced 2 carrots, diced 2 medium-sized cooking onions, diced 2 stalks celery, sliced 1 red Bell pepper, diced 3 cloves garlic, minced 2…

Ina’s Chicken Thighs & Creamy Mustard Sauce

By Angelika Hanna Recipe: Prep Time: 10 min Cook Time: 35 min Total Time: 45 min Yield: 4 servings Cuisine: North American/Canadian Author: Angelika Hanna / Zest4Food Ingredients: 4 medium chicken thighs, bone in, skin on (the skin prevents the chicken from drying out; remove it after the chicken is cooked if you don’t like to…

My Best Ever Oxtail Dish

By Angelika Hanna This recipe is inspired by native South African foodblogger, recipe developer, and freelance writer Jeanne Horak’s potje. Potje is the South African word for a stew that is slowly cooked in a cast iron pot or Dutch oven. I wanted my dish a bit lighter, less thick and rich; therefore, I did…

Stuffed Roasted Butternut Squash

By Angelika Hanna Recipe: Prep Time: 30 min Cook Time: 1 h 30 min Total Time: 2 h Yield: 6 servings Cuisine: North American/Canadian Author: Angelika Hanna / Zest4Food Ingredients 1 butternut squash Extra virgin cold-pressed olive oil 1 Nantes carrot , finely cubed 1 celery stalk, finely cubed 1 small cooking onion, finely cubed 1 clove garlic,…

Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Casserole

By Angelika Hanna Recipe: Prep Time: 10 min Cook Time: 50 min Total Time: 60 min Yield: 3-4 servings Cuisine: North American/Canadian Author: Angelika Hanna / Zest4Food Ingredients: 2 chicken breasts and 2 chicken thighs, boneless, skinless, cut in bite-sized chunks (or any equivalent amount of chicken) 3 cups broccoli florets 1 cup of chicken stock…

Beef Short Ribs & Root Veggies

By Angelika Hanna Recipe: Prep Time: 10 min Cook Time: 3 h Total Time: 3 h 10 min Yield: 6 servings Cuisine: North American/Canadian Author: Angelika Hanna / Zest4Food Ingredients 4 pounds beef short ribs, cut into 2- to 4-inch pieces 1 tbsp canola oil 3 carrots, halved and cut in thirds 1 parsnip, halved and cut in…

Baked Grains Fusilli & Tomatoes & Eggplant

By Angelika Hanna This recipe is inspired by Ina Garten’s Baked Pasta with Tomatoes and Eggplant. I modified Ina’s recipe in that I left out the fennel bulb and seeds. Instead of the fennel bulb I added the zucchini. It turned out as a delicious choice of vegetables. Further, I replaced the regular pasta with…

Hearty Chicken Soup

By Angelika Hanna This simple and easy-to-make chicken soup is one of my favorite soups on a cold winter day. An old saying tells that chicken soup is Penicillin. The legend says that our ancestors apparently healed their colds and flues through eating chicken soups. I believe that there is some truth in this adage.…

Chicken & Kimchi Ramen Soup

By Angelika Hanna It was years ago when I visited New York City that I had Ramen soup in a Japanese restaurant. Normally, I don’t cook Asian meals for various reasons. One of them is that I am not confident in cooking oriental meals. Another reason is that I have to purchase exotic ingredients which…

Beefy Eggplant Parmesan

By Angelika Hanna Recipe: Prep Time: 20 min Cook Time: 85 min Total Time: 1 h 45 min Yield: 4-5 servings Cuisine: Italian-North American Author: Angelika Hanna / Zest4Food Ingredients 1/2 pound lean ground beef 1 medium eggplant, halved lengthwise, cut into 1/4 inch thick half moons Extra virgin cold pressed olive oil Dried oregano Kosher salt Freshly…

Winter Greens and Sausage

By Angelika Hanna This is a recipe, I grew up with in Germany. Simple and earthy; full of flavor from the greens, and spiced up with a spicy or smoked sausage. Any bitter green winter vegetable works for this meal. You can use collard, Swiss chard, or kale. It is truly a healthy and tasty…

Jamie Oliver’s Perfect Roast Chicken

By Angelika Hanna ‘There is something romantic about roasted chicken,’ stated celebrity cook Ina Garten in one of her interviews. And Prince Harry and Meghan confirmed Ina’s statement publicly before their wedding. The legend goes even further. It tells that girls who know how to make a tasty roasted chicken for their boyfriend or fiancee,…

FYI: How to Store Fresh Herbs

By Angelika Hanna Getting fresh herbs in the winter time is often a challenge. Either what you look for is not available at any time in the grocery stores or it is wilted or bad. Also, the price is higher when not in season. I used to suffice with dried herbs over the winter until…

Shrimp & Broccoli Pan

By Angelika Hanna Recipe: Prep Time: 10 min (plus de-frosting time for the shrimps) Cook Time: 20 min Total Time: 30 min Yield: 3 servings Cuisine: Italian/North American Author: Angelika Hanna / Zest4Food Ingredients 1 pound medium-sized shrimps, pre-cooked, peeled, and deveined Extra virgin cold pressed olive oil 1 tsp sesame oil 2 shallots, finely chopped 1/2 jalapeno…

Roasted Eggplant Parmesan

By Angelika Hanna This recipe is inspired by Ina Garten‘s Roasted Eggplant Parmesan on the Food Network channel. However, I made a few changes to Ina’s recipe. I did not add any extra topping. My casserole ends with the layer of Mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. I learned from experience that bread crumbs in combination with…

Turkey Soup

By Angelika Hanna One thing I like as much as the holiday turkey itself is the turkey soup after the feast meal. When you cook a whole turkey, not only do you get different types of meat – the white meat from the breast, and the dark meat from the legs and wings – but…

Ground Beef & Kale & Mixed Rice

By Angelika Hanna I love to incorporate kale in my meals – whether it is a soup or a stew – in the winter time. There are a few reasons, besides ‘delicious’ why I like to use kale: It is healthy and it is one of the few vegetables that is available fresh in the…

Caramelized Fall Vegetables & Kale & Ginger & Brown Rice

By Angelika Hanna I have had this vegetarian recipe saved in my drawer for a good two months now, and today I finally have the time to transcribe and post it. It was inspired by a recipe from Editor-in-Chief of Kitchn Faith Durand. I made a change to my meal, though, in that I replaced…

Fudgey Brownies

By Angelika Hanna Recipe: Prep Time: 20 min Bake Time: 45 – 50 min Cuisine: North American, Canadian Author: Angelika Hanna / Zest4Food Ingredients: For the Brownies: 1/2 cup all purpose flour 2 sticks unsalted butter 1 cup white sugar 3 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 3 large eggs, at room temperature 2…

Ina Garten’s Roasted Brussel Sprouts

By Angelika Hanna I had this recipe from TV cook Ina Garten on my mind for quite a while and today I am finally cooking it – as one of the holiday side dishes. Prep Time: 10 min Cook Time: 40 min Total Time: 50 min Cuisine: American Author: Angelika Hanna / Zest4Food Ingredients: Brussel sprouts, cut in half…

Scalloped Potatoes without Cream/Milk

By Angelika Hanna When we hear scalloped potatoes, we usually think of a heavy creamy side dish; tasty but also high in carbs and calories. I browsed around to find a recipe without cream or milk; and yes, it still qualifies to be called scalloped potatoes. In fact, the term ‘scalloped’ refers to the shape…

German Spice Cookies (Lebkuchenplaetzchen)

By Angelika Hanna This is a traditional German Lebkuchen recipe. The cookies are soft and chewy, full of nutty and fruity flavors with the classic German Lebkuchen spice mixture. This cookie is naturally gluten free. Recipe: Prep Time: 20 min (plus refrigerating time overnight) Bake Time: 22 min Yield: Approx. 20 cookies Cuisine: German Author: Angelika…

Holiday Choco Roll Ups (Schoko-Roellchen)

By Angelika Hanna This recipe is inspired by one of my favorite Food Network cooks Molly Yeh. I took Molly’s Chocolate Sea Salt Rugelach recipe as a guideline for my Chocolate Roll Ups with a few changes I made to my ccokies. Molly’s rugelach are on the salty side; I made my rolls less salty…

Debbie’s Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

By Angelika Hanna The most liked cookies on our annual cookie exchange among friends were these simple chocolate balls our friend Debbie brought. Sometimes the easiest to make and the most simplistic recipes are the most delicious and the favorite of all. Needless to say, I asked for the recipe and now share it here…

Holiday Shortbread Cookies

By Angelika Hanna Recipe: Prep Time: 25 min (+ cooling time) Bake Time: 20 min. Yield: Approx. 20 cookies Cuisine: World Food Author: Angelika Hanna /Zest4Food Ingredients: 3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature 1 cup white sugar 1 tsp pure vanilla extract 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/4 tsp salt Holiday sprinkles Dark melted…

Walnut/Marzipan Fingers

By Angelika Hanna Another delicious German recipe from Manja’s holiday bakery. Recipe: Prep Time: 15 min Bake Time: 12 min Yield: Approx. 20 cookies Cuisine: German Author: Angelika Hanna / Zest4Food Ingredients: 2/3 cup ground walnut 200 g marzipan 1 egg white 3 drops almond extract Dark melted chocolate Instructions: Preheat the oven to 355 degrees Fahrenheit.…

German Chocolate Truffle Cookies

The credit for these delicious cookies go to my cousin’s wife Manja in Germany. Manja and her two daughters are avid bakers during the holiday season. They baked 21 different sorts of cookies this year. I saw her photos on FB and these truffle cookies caught my attention. I translated the recipe from German into…

Mushroom Risotto & Onions

By Angelika Hanna Recipe: Prep Time: Approx. 15 min Cook Time: Approx. 55 min Total Time: Approx. 1 h 10 min Yield: 4 -6 servings Cuisine: Italian/North American Author: Angelika Hanna / Zest4Food Ingredients 1/2 ounce dried wild mushrooms, boiled Extra virgin cold pressed olive oil 3 medium cooking onions, chopped 4 cloves garlic, minced (optional) 8 ounces…

Dark Chocolate & Nut Barks

By Angelika Hanna Recipe: Prep Time: 15 min + 30 min refrigerating time Cuisine: North American Author: Angelika Hanna / Zest4Food Ingredients: Dark chocolate to melt (I used dark chocolate wafers) Any sort of nut of your choice (I used hazelnuts and peanuts) Holiday-themed sprinkles Instructions: Place the chocolate wafers in a large heat-safe bowl and…