Oats and Natural Yogurt

Oats are one of the best sources of slow-release energy. They’re great with a dollop of unsweetened natural yogurt, slices of fresh banana, and a drizzle of honey on top.

Scrambled Eggs and Salmon

You can whip this delicious and nutritious meal up in about five minutes. Simply scramble your eggs, season them with salt and pepper, and add the shreds of smoked salmon. Tip: if you want extra creamy scrambled eggs, mix in some natural yogurt while beating the eggs.

Protein Smoothie

One of the quickest, easiest, and least filling ways to get your daily fix of energy is to blitz a high protein smoothie. Mix up a combination of fruits, oats, natural yogurt and some plant-based protein powder. It fires you up without bloating.

The post Energizing Breakfasts to Get You Through the Day appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Pineapple

There are two popular choices for preparing juicy pineapple. Cut away the tough exterior until you have the soft pump within. Then either chop the pineapple on its side into large disks or alternatively chop it into bitesize chunks.

Mango and Melon

Mangos and melons are bursting with flavor and color, and complement one another for a tropical-style fruit salad. Fortunately, both are prepared in the same way. Cut them in two and throw away pips or stones. Cut each half into cubes and pop them out into the salad bowl and they’re ready to eat.

Pomegranate

Pomegranate seeds provide ruby red color and offer a nice contrast to some of the sweeter fruits. Cut the pomegranate in half and carefully pop out all the seeds. Make sure you don’t get any of the bitter pith in the salad!

Strawberries

If you’re working with strawberries, always cut away the green leaves at the top. You can then either out them in whole or cut them in half.

The post The Best Ways to Chop Fruit for a Fruit Salad appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Ginger

Ginger tea is perhaps the most effective at combating the symptoms of hay fever. It helps unblock runny noses and is great at treating nausea. This means that it will help with sneezing, coughing, and feeling sick.

Peppermint

Peppermint is very useful for treating sinus infections, coughs, and congestion. It’s a good way to get an energy boost without caffeine, which can exacerbate these symptoms.

Lavender

Lavender calms the nerves, treats infection, and helps you relax. A cup of lavender tea in the evening should help you sleep well. This is very important as our bodies do a lot of healing while we are asleep.

Chamomile

This is another traditional herbal tea that calms the nerves, helps you sleep, and can be useful in managing the stresses of daily life. It can soothe congestion and the stomach as well if you are feeling sick.

The post Best Herbal Teas to Protect Against Hay Fever appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Fortunately, there are loads of breakfast food combinations that can help improve your energy levels throughout the day and boost your body’s nutrition.

Here are some of the best.

Oats and Honey

A bowl of oats is always going to be a good start to your day. They provide slow release energy that can keep you functioning all day long. Have your oats with milk, banana slices, blueberries and a drizzle of honey to top it off. Delicious!

Eggs

Besides oats and wholegrains, there are few foods that can match them for long lasting energy levels. Fortunately, eggs is one of them. You can have them poached, fried, scrambled, boiled, or even as an omelet. It’s your choice. Personally, a winning combination is scrambled eggs on freshly buttered toast, seasoned with salt and lots of black pepper.

Fruit Salad with Natural Yogurt

Packed full of all kinds of vitamins and minerals, natural sugars and probiotics, this is a lighter option that still packs quite a punch. Mix together a combination of your favorite fruits and add a dollop of creamy unsweetened natural yogurt on top. The texture and bitterness of the yogurt complements the soft and sweet fruit. If you like, drizzle a little honey on it as well.

The post Nutritious Breakfast Ideas to Kickstart Your Day appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Here are some delicious ways to cook your root vegetables.

Fry

Depending on your preference, chop your root vegetables up into fine slices or thicker chunks and fry them in olive oil. This can be as part of a stir fry, salad or side dish. Season with parprika or salt and lots of black pepper.

Bake

An easy way to prepare your root vegetables is simply to place them on a baking tray, season them, sprinkle with olive oil and bake them in the oven. This is good way to make vegetable chips or as quick snacks.

Roast

Season your vegetables, place them on a baking tray with a roast chicken or beef, and brush with olive oil. These can make a great addition to a roast dinner. They even soak up the juices of the meat and the seasoning for extra flavor.

Puree

Throw your vegetables into a blender and blitz until pureed. Add salt, pepper and flavors as you please. This can be a good smoothie or finishing touch to a dish.

The post 4 Ways to Cook Root Vegetables appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Here are some of the key things you’ve got to know about looking after your steak.

Properly Source

The first thing is to make sure you buy a good cut. A good steak can be of any type, but the main thing you want is to miss the sinew. A good way to ensure your steak won’t have tough sinews running through it will be to buy it at a butchers and ask them to remove it.

Room Temperature

Before cooking, leave your steak out for about an hour, or until it reaches room temperature. If you take it straight out of the fridge, it won’t cook properly.

Hot Pan

Make sure your pan is very hot before you start cooking the steak. This ensures the outside will nicely caramelize.

Don’t Over Do It

A simple trick to cooking a good steak every time is to remove it from the pan just before you think it will be ready. This is because it always cooks more than you think.

Leave to Stand

It might be tempting, but don’t eat it straight away. It needs to rest a while so it’s all tender and perfectly juicy.

The post How Can You Look After Your Steak? appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Here are 5 top herbal teas, and the healthy effects you can expect if you drink them.

Ginger

Ginger tea is a spicy, warming brew that can alleviate digestive trouble, reduce feelings of nausea and get your gut working properly. It is also said to have healing properties such as helping skin conditions.

Lavender

This floral tea will have you calm and relaxed in no time. The soothing aroma and soft taste reduce stress, alleviate anxiety and help you to feel mindful and grounded.

Chamomile

This tea also alleviate the symptoms of stress and anxiety. Your body will relax, your muscles loosen and you will feel yourself noticeably happier.

Lemon

Lemon tea is an effective way to unblock congested sinuses and clear your airways. This makes it an ideal drink in the winter months, when many people have colds.

Peppermint

Peppermint is especially useful as it relaxes, freshens and energizes you all at once. A draft in the morning will wake you up, at lunch will energize you, and in the evening will help you relax.

The post Feel Great With These Warming Herbal Teas appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

These are your ingredients.

Green Leafy Vegetables

You want a big gathering of green leafy vegetables such as kale, lettuce and spinach. These lay down the base on which the salad will build, and are high in vitamins and minerals.

Avocado

Next, chop up an avocado into fairly small chunks, season with slat and black pepper and add to the leaves. This will provide a buttery texture.

Cucumber

Slice up about half a cucumber and toss into the salad. Cucumbers are 95% water and have a soft alkaline pH. This will hydrate you, make your salad even fresher, and combine with the other ingredients on this list to make a refreshing alkali meal. This will aid digestion and reduce heartburn.

Tomato and Beet

Next, chop up a large tomato and some beets. This adds some nice shades of red to the green of the salad and introduces some nice textures. The acidity of the tomatoes contrasts nicely with the avocado and cucumber.

Nuts, Breadcrumbs and Olive Oil

Sprinkle on some crushed hazelnuts with a few breadcrumbs and toss sald in olive oil and balsamic vinegar dressing.

The post Try Out this Delicious and Nutritious Salad appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Here are 6 you should always have in your kitchen.

Paprika

An incredibly useful spice, paprika can transform potato, meat and fish dishes. Just sprinkle on the top of prepare a marinade.

Coriander

Coriander completes noodle dishes, soups and salads. The powerful, fresh taste complements the other ingredients and can turn a bland meal into a beautiful one.

Garlic

Garlic is of course the basis of many a-delicious meal. Crush or chop the garlic cloves as a base for a stew, a salad, Bolognese, pizza, pastas or stir-fries. A simple alternative to garlic cloves is to buy a pot of garlic powder. This can easily be sprinkled with minimum fuss.

Cumin

Cumin can combine beautifully with other herbs such as coriander, cinnamon, thyme, mint or fennel, for both savory and sweet dishes.

Italian Mixed Herbs

If your kitchen is well stocked with these Italian herbs, you can make mouth watering pizzas, pastas and cheese on toast. Simply sprinkle your herbs before serving.

Pepper

And finally, ground black pepper is a classic for a reason. It seasons bland food and makes it taste great. Combine it with salt, and you will have a simple but always tasty dish.

The post Herbs and Spices You Should Always Have in Your Kitchen appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Here are 3 of the most popular fish dishes Japan has to offer.

Nanbanzuke

In Japanese this dish means “foreign marinade.” This is because the fish is marinated in vinegar, deep fried and served with onions, cucumbers and hot red peppers. These were foods introduced from the West.

Unadon

This interesting dish is made from grilled eel fillets and steamed rice. The eel is specially grilled in the kabayaki style, where it is put on a skewer and grilled in tare sauce.

Hitsumabushi

This traditional Japanese dish centers around grilled eel and steamed rice again. But it is accompanied by a number of garnishes and condiments and is served in a very particular way. It is served in four portions. The first is eaten on its own. The second is served with seaweed, green onions and wasarbi sauce. The third is the same but with a green tea soup addition, while the fourth can be enjoyed in whatever way you like.

The post 3 of the Best Japanese Fish Dishes appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Oats and Natural Yogurt

Oats are one of the best sources of slow-release energy. They’re great with a dollop of unsweetened natural yogurt, slices of fresh banana, and a drizzle of honey on top.

Scrambled Eggs and Salmon

You can whip this delicious and nutritious meal up in about five minutes. Simply scramble your eggs, season them with salt and pepper, and add the shreds of smoked salmon. Tip: if you want extra creamy scrambled eggs, mix in some natural yogurt while beating the eggs.

Protein Smoothie

One of the quickest, easiest, and least filling ways to get your daily fix of energy is to blitz a high protein smoothie. Mix up a combination of fruits, oats, natural yogurt and some plant-based protein powder. It fires you up without bloating.

The post Energizing Breakfasts to Get You Through the Day appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Pineapple

There are two popular choices for preparing juicy pineapple. Cut away the tough exterior until you have the soft pump within. Then either chop the pineapple on its side into large disks or alternatively chop it into bitesize chunks.

Mango and Melon

Mangos and melons are bursting with flavor and color, and complement one another for a tropical-style fruit salad. Fortunately, both are prepared in the same way. Cut them in two and throw away pips or stones. Cut each half into cubes and pop them out into the salad bowl and they’re ready to eat.

Pomegranate

Pomegranate seeds provide ruby red color and offer a nice contrast to some of the sweeter fruits. Cut the pomegranate in half and carefully pop out all the seeds. Make sure you don’t get any of the bitter pith in the salad!

Strawberries

If you’re working with strawberries, always cut away the green leaves at the top. You can then either out them in whole or cut them in half.

The post The Best Ways to Chop Fruit for a Fruit Salad appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Ginger

Ginger tea is perhaps the most effective at combating the symptoms of hay fever. It helps unblock runny noses and is great at treating nausea. This means that it will help with sneezing, coughing, and feeling sick.

Peppermint

Peppermint is very useful for treating sinus infections, coughs, and congestion. It’s a good way to get an energy boost without caffeine, which can exacerbate these symptoms.

Lavender

Lavender calms the nerves, treats infection, and helps you relax. A cup of lavender tea in the evening should help you sleep well. This is very important as our bodies do a lot of healing while we are asleep.

Chamomile

This is another traditional herbal tea that calms the nerves, helps you sleep, and can be useful in managing the stresses of daily life. It can soothe congestion and the stomach as well if you are feeling sick.

The post Best Herbal Teas to Protect Against Hay Fever appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Fortunately, there are loads of breakfast food combinations that can help improve your energy levels throughout the day and boost your body’s nutrition.

Here are some of the best.

Oats and Honey

A bowl of oats is always going to be a good start to your day. They provide slow release energy that can keep you functioning all day long. Have your oats with milk, banana slices, blueberries and a drizzle of honey to top it off. Delicious!

Eggs

Besides oats and wholegrains, there are few foods that can match them for long lasting energy levels. Fortunately, eggs is one of them. You can have them poached, fried, scrambled, boiled, or even as an omelet. It’s your choice. Personally, a winning combination is scrambled eggs on freshly buttered toast, seasoned with salt and lots of black pepper.

Fruit Salad with Natural Yogurt

Packed full of all kinds of vitamins and minerals, natural sugars and probiotics, this is a lighter option that still packs quite a punch. Mix together a combination of your favorite fruits and add a dollop of creamy unsweetened natural yogurt on top. The texture and bitterness of the yogurt complements the soft and sweet fruit. If you like, drizzle a little honey on it as well.

The post Nutritious Breakfast Ideas to Kickstart Your Day appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Here are some delicious ways to cook your root vegetables.

Fry

Depending on your preference, chop your root vegetables up into fine slices or thicker chunks and fry them in olive oil. This can be as part of a stir fry, salad or side dish. Season with parprika or salt and lots of black pepper.

Bake

An easy way to prepare your root vegetables is simply to place them on a baking tray, season them, sprinkle with olive oil and bake them in the oven. This is good way to make vegetable chips or as quick snacks.

Roast

Season your vegetables, place them on a baking tray with a roast chicken or beef, and brush with olive oil. These can make a great addition to a roast dinner. They even soak up the juices of the meat and the seasoning for extra flavor.

Puree

Throw your vegetables into a blender and blitz until pureed. Add salt, pepper and flavors as you please. This can be a good smoothie or finishing touch to a dish.

The post 4 Ways to Cook Root Vegetables appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Here are some of the key things you’ve got to know about looking after your steak.

Properly Source

The first thing is to make sure you buy a good cut. A good steak can be of any type, but the main thing you want is to miss the sinew. A good way to ensure your steak won’t have tough sinews running through it will be to buy it at a butchers and ask them to remove it.

Room Temperature

Before cooking, leave your steak out for about an hour, or until it reaches room temperature. If you take it straight out of the fridge, it won’t cook properly.

Hot Pan

Make sure your pan is very hot before you start cooking the steak. This ensures the outside will nicely caramelize.

Don’t Over Do It

A simple trick to cooking a good steak every time is to remove it from the pan just before you think it will be ready. This is because it always cooks more than you think.

Leave to Stand

It might be tempting, but don’t eat it straight away. It needs to rest a while so it’s all tender and perfectly juicy.

The post How Can You Look After Your Steak? appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Here are 5 top herbal teas, and the healthy effects you can expect if you drink them.

Ginger

Ginger tea is a spicy, warming brew that can alleviate digestive trouble, reduce feelings of nausea and get your gut working properly. It is also said to have healing properties such as helping skin conditions.

Lavender

This floral tea will have you calm and relaxed in no time. The soothing aroma and soft taste reduce stress, alleviate anxiety and help you to feel mindful and grounded.

Chamomile

This tea also alleviate the symptoms of stress and anxiety. Your body will relax, your muscles loosen and you will feel yourself noticeably happier.

Lemon

Lemon tea is an effective way to unblock congested sinuses and clear your airways. This makes it an ideal drink in the winter months, when many people have colds.

Peppermint

Peppermint is especially useful as it relaxes, freshens and energizes you all at once. A draft in the morning will wake you up, at lunch will energize you, and in the evening will help you relax.

The post Feel Great With These Warming Herbal Teas appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

These are your ingredients.

Green Leafy Vegetables

You want a big gathering of green leafy vegetables such as kale, lettuce and spinach. These lay down the base on which the salad will build, and are high in vitamins and minerals.

Avocado

Next, chop up an avocado into fairly small chunks, season with slat and black pepper and add to the leaves. This will provide a buttery texture.

Cucumber

Slice up about half a cucumber and toss into the salad. Cucumbers are 95% water and have a soft alkaline pH. This will hydrate you, make your salad even fresher, and combine with the other ingredients on this list to make a refreshing alkali meal. This will aid digestion and reduce heartburn.

Tomato and Beet

Next, chop up a large tomato and some beets. This adds some nice shades of red to the green of the salad and introduces some nice textures. The acidity of the tomatoes contrasts nicely with the avocado and cucumber.

Nuts, Breadcrumbs and Olive Oil

Sprinkle on some crushed hazelnuts with a few breadcrumbs and toss sald in olive oil and balsamic vinegar dressing.

The post Try Out this Delicious and Nutritious Salad appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Here are 6 you should always have in your kitchen.

Paprika

An incredibly useful spice, paprika can transform potato, meat and fish dishes. Just sprinkle on the top of prepare a marinade.

Coriander

Coriander completes noodle dishes, soups and salads. The powerful, fresh taste complements the other ingredients and can turn a bland meal into a beautiful one.

Garlic

Garlic is of course the basis of many a-delicious meal. Crush or chop the garlic cloves as a base for a stew, a salad, Bolognese, pizza, pastas or stir-fries. A simple alternative to garlic cloves is to buy a pot of garlic powder. This can easily be sprinkled with minimum fuss.

Cumin

Cumin can combine beautifully with other herbs such as coriander, cinnamon, thyme, mint or fennel, for both savory and sweet dishes.

Italian Mixed Herbs

If your kitchen is well stocked with these Italian herbs, you can make mouth watering pizzas, pastas and cheese on toast. Simply sprinkle your herbs before serving.

Pepper

And finally, ground black pepper is a classic for a reason. It seasons bland food and makes it taste great. Combine it with salt, and you will have a simple but always tasty dish.

The post Herbs and Spices You Should Always Have in Your Kitchen appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Here are 3 of the most popular fish dishes Japan has to offer.

Nanbanzuke

In Japanese this dish means “foreign marinade.” This is because the fish is marinated in vinegar, deep fried and served with onions, cucumbers and hot red peppers. These were foods introduced from the West.

Unadon

This interesting dish is made from grilled eel fillets and steamed rice. The eel is specially grilled in the kabayaki style, where it is put on a skewer and grilled in tare sauce.

Hitsumabushi

This traditional Japanese dish centers around grilled eel and steamed rice again. But it is accompanied by a number of garnishes and condiments and is served in a very particular way. It is served in four portions. The first is eaten on its own. The second is served with seaweed, green onions and wasarbi sauce. The third is the same but with a green tea soup addition, while the fourth can be enjoyed in whatever way you like.

The post 3 of the Best Japanese Fish Dishes appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.