DIY BITES

Fun, Healthy, Delicious Recipes

PUFF PASTRY

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Puff Pastry Recipe DIYBITES

Aerial and crisp, puff pastry is the richest pastry; still, it’s the lightest. The recipe uses equal quantities of butter and flour. It’s a bit time consuming; however, it doesn’t require plenty of work, only re-rolling it once every 30 minutes. The lemon juice softens the gluten in the flour and makes the dough more supple but measure it carefully, as too much lemon juice can make the pastry difficult to handle 🍋. Try not to chill the pastry longer than 30 minutes between re-rolling it as the butter will harden and can break the dough. If left for longer than 30 minutes, let the puff pastry rest for 10 minutes at room temperature before re-rolling.

It is essential to work on cold surfaces and chill water and butter before using them. The recipe makes enough for two single–crusts for 1.5 liter pie dishes or fifteen 8.5cm vol-au-vents. Both sweet and savory fillings or topping work great. In the picture above I used caramelized red onion and brown creminis to make a delicious and easy appetizer. 🍴😎

Puff Pastry
 
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Aerial and crisp, puff pastry is the richest pastry; still, it’s the lightest of all pastries.
Author:
Recipe type: Pastry
Serves: 15
Ingredients
  • 225 gr/2 cups white bread flour
  • 225 gr/1 cup chilled butter
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • Pinch of salt
  • 150 ml/2/3 cup chilled water
Instructions
  1. Sift flour and salt into a mixing bowl. Cut or rub 2 tbsp of butter into flour until it resembles fine crumbs.
  2. Place remaining butter between two sheets of plastic wrap and gently beat it up into a 15 cm/6 in flat square using a rolling pin.
  3. Make a well in the middle of dry ingredients. Combine lemon juice with water and add to well. Stir with cold utensil adding more water if necessary. The dough should be soft but not sticky.
  4. Flour rolling pin and roll out a 25 cm/10 in square. Don’t kneat it even if it looks lumpy.
  5. Place butter diagonally in the center of dough and bring each side of the dough in the center of the butter, to enclose it completely.
  6. Roll the dough to a 40 x 50cm/ 16 x 6in rectangle, then fold the lower third if the pastry over the center third and the top third of pastry down over that. Seal edges gently with rolling pin. Brush off any excess flour and wrap the pastry in plastic wrap, then chill for 30 minutes.
  7. Roll out the pastry to the same size again, with sealed edges on top and bottom. Fold and chill as before.
  8. Repeat 5 more times.
  9. Use right away according to recipe directions or wrap tightly in clear film and use in the next 3 days.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 162 Fat: 12 g Saturated fat: 7.6 g Unsaturated fat: 4.4 g Carbohydrates: 11.4 g Fiber: 0.4 g Protein: 1.68 g Cholesterol: 3.1 g

 

AVOCADO TZATZIKI SANDWICH WITH RADISH AND BLACK PEPPER

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Avocado-Tzatziki-Sandwich-with-Radish-and-Black-Pepper-DIYBITES

So I opened my fridge, made eye contact with this avocado and he was totally giving me the “put me into a sandwich” look 👀 ✨. And I did. Aaaaand it was pretty much heaven, probably because of the freshly baked bread I got 15 minutes before, and the mix of flavors that almost brought a couple of tears to my eyes.

I used whole wheat mini baguettes for the sandwich, and I would recommend (based on my personal preferences) using a crusty bread. It just makes a better match with the tzatziki and avocado combo. But hey, you can use whatever bread you like the most or whatever bread you have at home. However, if you use sliced bread, toast it for a couple of minutes before using it for the sandwich 👌. If you don’t have one of your own, check out my tzatziki recipe here. It’s SO simple and tastes way better than the store-bought ones. #ikidyounot 😋

Recipe and nutritional information below ⬇️

Avocado Tzatziki Sandwich DIYBITES 65

 

Avocado Tzatziki Sandwich with Radish and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
 
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The avocado made me do it.
Author:
Recipe type: Breakfast, Lunch, Sandwich
Serves: 1
Ingredients
  • • Fresh bread
  • • 3-4 tbsp of tzatziki (see the recipe I used for tzatziki)
  • • ½ avocado, sliced
  • • 5-7 red radishes, sliced
  • • Freshly ground black pepper
  • • Sea salt
Instructions
  1. • Slice bread horizontally
  2. • Spread tzatziki over one side of the bread
  3. • Place slices of avocado on top of tzatziki
  4. • Place radises over avocado
  5. • Add freshly ground pepper and sea sald to taste
Nutrition Information
Serving size: 1 Calories: 355 Fat: 16.9 g Saturated fat: 2.6 g Unsaturated fat: 12.9 g Carbohydrates: 36.6 g Sugar: 7.1 g Sodium: 275 mg Fiber: 10.2 g Protein: 19 g Cholesterol: 5 mg

 

BRAISED RED CABBAGE WITH APPLES

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Braised Red Cabbage with Apples DIYBITES

Look at how pretty this looks 💜 What’s up with these awesome colors? Well, the purple color from red cabbage comes from these badass pigment molecules called anthocyanins. Anthocyanins pigments also produce magenta, pink, and red colors in plants and you can see them in leaves and flower petals.

Red cabbage is a rich source of fiber, iron, vitamin C and vitamin A. It actually has 10 times more Vitamin A and twice as much iron as green cabbage. This recipe calls for vinegar. And that’s for two reasons: it tastes realreal good and because normally, red cabbage would turn blue when cooked 😀

Fun fact. Because red cabbage contains anthocyanins, its juice can be used as a pH indicator. Red, purple or magenta in acids  [pH < 7], purple in neutral solutions [pH ~ 7], and ranges from blue-green-yellow in alkaline solutions [pH > 7]. Yup, science. Recipe and nutritional information below. 👇

Braised Cabbage w Apples DIYBITES

BRAISED RED CABBAGE WITH APPLES [Vegan]
 
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Recipe type: Vegetarian, vegan, lactose-free, diary-free, light
Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • • 1 medium red cabbage, halved, cored and thinly cut crosswise in strips
  • • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • • 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
  • • ¼ carrot, sliced
  • • 1 large apple or 2 small apples (Jonathan or other similar), cored and diced, peeling optional
  • • 4 tbsp apple vinegar
  • • Fresh parsley, optional
  • • Freshly ground pepper to taste
  • • Salt to taste
  • • 200 ml/1 cup water, more if needed
Instructions
  1. Choose a lidded skillet or casserole.
  2. Heat oil over medium heat and add onion and carrot. Cook while stirring, until tender, for 3 minutes.
  3. Add cabbage, then vinegar, and mix. Add water, cover with lid and cook on medium heat for 35-40 minutes while checking if it needs liquid every 5-7 minutes.
  4. Add diced apple and cook for another 10 minutes.
  5. Season with salt, freshly ground pepper and optionally fresh parsley
Nutrition Information
Serving size: 1 Calories: 279 Fat: 7.5 g Saturated fat: 0.8 g Unsaturated fat: 6.2 g Carbohydrates: 102.3 g Sugar: 28.4 g Sodium: 155.2 mg Fiber: 16.2 g Protein: 6.4 g Cholesterol: 0

 

TZATZIKI

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Tzatziki DIYBITES

This Greek dip can be served in so many ways. It makes a perfect match with fresh or grilled veggies, pita, crackers, as a dressing in salads, or as a spread for sandwiches. It’s that good.

You only need a few ingredients: cucumbers, yogurt, garlic, dill, lemon & spices. The recipe calls for whole milk Greek yogurt but if not possible, low-fat yogurt can also work but will change the texture of the dip. Remember after dicing or grating the cucumbers, they need to be well drained before adding them to the yogurt. The easiest way to do that is to squeeze them tight by the fistful. You can also leave the grated cucumber to drain overnight, refrigerated, in cheesecloth. I usually use the first method because, you know…

ain't nobody got time for that

Refrigerate for at least 1-2 hours. The flavors are even better the next day. Optionally, you can add 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil, fresh mint, or za’atar. You can also brush a pita with olive oil, sprinkle it with za’atar, bake it until crispy and serve it with tzatziki.

Full recipe and nutritional information below.

Tzatziki
 
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This Greek dip can be served in so many ways. It makes a perfect match with fresh or grilled veggies, pita, crackers, as a dressing for salads, or as a spread for sandwiches. It's that good!
Author:
Recipe type: Dip, Appetizer
Cuisine: Greek
Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • • 250 g / 1 cup plain Greek yogurt, whole milk
  • • 1 medium English cucumber, seeded, and grated or finely diced, then drained
  • • 2 cloves garlic, pressed
  • • 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill
  • • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice or ½ tbsp white vinegar
  • • ½ tsp kosher salt
  • • Fresh ground black pepper
  • • Optional: 1 tbsp olive oil, fresh mint, za’atar
Instructions
  1. Peel the cucumber, cut it in half, and use a spoon to scoop out the seeds. Dice or grate the cucumber and use a cheesecloth or your hands (it’s faster) to drain the juices from it.
  2. Mix yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, salt & pepper. Add cucumber and dill, then mix.
  3. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour and serve.
Nutrition Information
Serving size: 125 g Calories: 101 Fat: 4.4 g Saturated fat: 2.65 g Unsaturated fat: 1.35 g Carbohydrates: 10.7 g Sugar: 7.4 g Sodium: 63 mg Fiber: 1.1 g Protein: 5.6 g Cholesterol: 16.25 g

 

BANANA PANCAKES [Gluten-Free, Lactose-Free]

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BANANA PANCAKES GLUTEN-FREE LACTOSE-FREE VEGETARIAN

These banana pancakes are everything. Gluten-free, lactose-free, fluffy, fast to make, and they taste amazing 🙆. It’s a three ingredient recipe which you can change according to preferences cravings. I chose to serve the pancakes with honey, coconut flakes, and raw walnuts. You can also serve them with chocolate chips, fresh strawberries, blueberries, roasted hazelnuts, or even with just a drizzle of maple syrup. If you prefer to add extras directly into the batter, do it by sprinkling them directly to the pancake, while it’s cooking on the first side. For an extra fluff to the pancakes, add ½ tsp of baking powder.

Use a quality, non stick pan to make your life easier. If not available, use a tiny bit of vegetable oil or butter. You need to keep these pancakes smaller than the usual pancakes. Two tablespoons of batter are enough for one pancake. This trick will help you with the flip. Yes, the flip. Check if the first side of the pancake is golden-brown by lifting it just a tiny bit. If so, use the thinnest spatula you have and sloooowly slide it under the pancake. Flip the pancake carefully, as the batter can easily break apart. Cook second side of the pancake until golden as well.

Done.

Full recipe and nutritional information below ⤵️

BANANA PANCAKES GLUTEN-FREE LACTOSE-FREE VEGETARIAN DIYBITES

BANANA PANCAKES [Gluten-Free, Lactose-Free, Vegetarian]
 
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These banana pancakes are everything. Vegetarian, gluten-free, dairy-free, fluffy, fast to make, and they taste amazing.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert, Breakfast
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • • 1 medium-large ripe banana
  • • 2 medium size eggs
  • • 3 tbsp of rice flour
  • • 1⁄2 tsp vanilla extract
  • • ½ tsp baking powder, optional
Instructions
  1. Peel the banana, break it into pieces and mash it with a fork until no big lumps remain.
  2. Whisk the eggs together and pour them over the mashed banana and give it a good stir, until well combined. If you opt to use vanilla extract, this is when you bring it to action.
  3. Sift rice flour into the mix and stir, one tablespoon a time.
  4. Sift baking powder and stir. The batter should be loose, so don’t freak out.
  5. Use a quality, non stick pan to make your life easier. If not available, use a tiny bit of vegetable oil or butter. Heat up the pan to medium heat and drop two spoons of batter for each pancake.
  6. Cook for 1 minute on first side. If you prefer to add extras such as nuts or fruit, now’s the time.
  7. Check if the first side of the pancake is golden-brown by lifting it just a tiny bit. If golden brown, use the thinnest spatula you have and slowly slide it under the pancake. Flip the pancake carefully, as the batter is still easy to break apart.
  8. Cook second side of pancake for 1 minute, or until golden brown.
Nutrition Information
Serving size: 1 Calories: 84,5 Fat: 2.4 g Saturated fat: 0.95 g Unsaturated fat: 1.4 g Carbohydrates: 12.5 g Sugar: 3.7 g Sodium: 32 mg Fiber: 1.1 g Protein: 3.6 g Cholesterol: 81 mg