MEAL PROPOSALS BY FLORIN CUJBĂ - DINNERS

DINNER 1

Tuna salad (1 serving)

INGREDIENTS:

3-4 cups baby spinach

75-100 g cooked quinoa

1 tuna can (150 – 180 grams)

½ avocado

Salt and pepper

PREPARATION:

Place spinach on a plate. Heat quinoa, add tuna and sliced avocado. Mix well with a fork. Add the mix to spinach and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

DINNER 2

Wholemeal spaghetti with salmon (recipe for 3-4 servings)

INGREDIENTS:

250 g wholemeal spaghetti

1 clove minced garlic

½ tablespoon salt

½ tablespoon black pepper, freshly ground

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 pieces salmon, approximately 100 g each

¼ fresh basil, chopped

3 tablespoons capers

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 cups baby spinach leaves

PREPARATION:

Place a big pot with water and salt on the heat and bring to boil. Cook pasta al dente, stirring occasionally (8-10 minutes). Drain the water and transfer pasta into a big bowl. Add garlic, extra-virgin oil, salt and pepper. Mix well.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a pan on a medium-high heat. Sprinkle the salmon with salt and pepper. Add fish into the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, then turn off the heat and remove the salmon.
Add basil, capers and lemon juice to the pasta and mix well. Prepare 4 plates and place ½ spinach on each of them. Add ¼ pasta and a piece of tuna.

DINNER 3

Turkey breast with brown rice (5-6 servings)

INGREDIENTS:

1⅓ cups round grain brown rice

½ teaspoon Kosher salt

3 cups chicken soup

1 turkey breast (approximately 1 kg, bone included)

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon soy sauce

4 cups baby spinach

1 handful green onion, chopped

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon sesame seeds (optional)

PREPARATION:

Pre-heat the oven to 200°C. Into a pot on medium heat add rice, ¼ tablespoon of salt, 2 cups of chicken soup and a cup of water, Cover and bring the contents to boil. Reduce the heat to minimum and cook until the rice gets tender (approximately 45 minutes).
Meanwhile, place turkey in a tray lined with aluminium foil or cooking paper and brush it with oil. Sprinkle it with ¼ tablespoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of pepper and brush with ½ tablespoon of soy sauce. Place it in the oven until the turkey is well cooked (50 -54 minutes, turn off after 20-25 minutes). Take the turkey out of the oven and transfer it onto a knife board. Cover with foil and leave to rest for 5 minutes.
Mix spinach, green onion and ½ teaspoon of soy sauce with rice and a cup of chicken soup.
Cut the turkey into thin slices, brush each piece with sesame oil and sprinkle with sesame seeds if you wish.

DINNER 4

Salad with pasta and vegetables (recipe for 3-4 servings)

INGREDIENTS:

300 grams of wholemeal fusilli pasta

250 grams of cheddar cheese

3-4 broccoli florets

200 g cherry tomatoes

50 g pitted green olives

ITALIAN SAUCE:

6 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons white vinegar

2 tablespoons parsley

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 clove minced garlic

1 teaspoon dried basil

¼ teaspoon dried chili pepper

dried oregano

PREPARATION:

Place ingredients for the sauce in a jar and stir it well.
Boil the wholemeal pasta and leave to drain. Bring a pot of water to a boil and scald the broccoli and cauliflower florets so that they stay crispy. Drain and leave them to cool. Cut the tomatoes into quarters or halves, cheese into cubes. In a big bowl, mix the wholemeal pasta with vegetables, cubes of cheese and olives.
The salad is served with sauce.

DINNER 5

Spring salad with shrimps (1 serving)

INGREDIENTS:

1 tablespoon peanut butter

1 ½ teaspoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon rice vinegar

1 teaspoon maple syrup

1 teaspoon tamari or soy sauce

1 teaspoon water

½ teaspoon minced garlic

ground chilli pepper (optionally)

3 handfuls salad

100 g boiled shrimps

¼ cup chopped red cabbage

¼ cup sliced red chili pepper

¼ cup carrot sticks

¼ cup cucumber sticks

¼ cup avocado

mint and sesame seeds

PREPARATION:

Shrimps (peeled shrimps):
Fill a pot with water. Keep on high heat until the water is boiling, then add shrimps. Boiled for 1-2 minutes at a high temperature, and then turn off the heat. Leave them in hot water for 5-10 minutes, until they turn pink.
Dressing: Whisk peanut butter with oil, maple syrup, soy sauce (tamari), water, garlic and ground chilli pepper until you get a fine blend.
Salad: Mix salad, shrimps, rice, cabbage, slices of chilli pepper, carrot, cucumber and avocado in a bowl. Add dressing and top with sesame seeds to taste.

DINNER 6

Spinach salad with strawberries (serving for 1)

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups baby spinach

1 cup green salad, chopped

½ cup sliced strawberries

2 tablespoons raw sunflower seeds

½ broccoli florets

1 boiled egg

¼ canned beans

2 tablespoons vinaigrette

FOR THE VINAIGRETTE:

juice from ½ lemon

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 clove garlic

1 teaspoon honey

black pepper freshly ground

PREPARATION:

Combine all ingredients and top with dressing.

DINNER 7

Chicken salad with rice and grapes (3-4 servings)

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups brown rice, boiled

½ cup Greek yoghurt 2% fat

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice + 1 teaspoon pulp

1 green onion, chopped

1 minced clove of garlic

Kosher salt and black pepper

½ cup chopped nuts

3 cups chicken, cut into pieces

2 cups grapes without seeds

¼ cup parsley

3-4 cups baby spinach

PREPARATION:

Add rice into hot water for 8-10 minutes (or until it gets tender). Meanwhile, mix yogurt, oil, lemon juice and pulp, onion, garlic, 1 ½ teaspoon of salt and a pinch of pepper in a blender. Roast nuts on medium heat until they turn brownish (1-2 minutes).
Mix chicken with grapes, parsley and spinach in a big bowl and add half of the dressing. Add hot rice and roasted nuts and add the other half of dressing.