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Borislava

@borislava_av

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🥗 nutritious recipes & slow living
🏋️‍♀️ mostly high-protein & whole foods
✉️ [email protected]
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Connecting with food, from where it grows to what ends up on the plate 🥺🤎 by @borislava_av

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5 days ago

Why does it feel so good to look for mushrooms?

There’s actually a fascinating explanation for why walking through a forest, slowing down, searching for mushrooms, and gently touching their textures can feel so therapeutic.

1. Your brain gets a break from concentrated attention
Psychologists call this soft fascination.
When you’re looking for mushrooms, your attention is naturally drawn to little shapes, colors, and textures. You’re engaged, but not in the same demanding way as when you’re working or scrolling through your phone.

According to Attention Restoration Theory, natural environments may help replenish our capacity for directed attention.

2. Touching natural textures can feel grounding
Think about the sensation of touching velvety mushroom caps, cool moss, or rough tree bark.
Your skin contains sensory receptors that detect pressure, vibration, and texture. Exploring these surfaces gives your brain immediate sensory information.

This can help bring your attention into the present moment, much like mindfulness exercises.

3. Searching for mushrooms creates little moments of reward

Mushroom hunting is essentially a treasure hunt.
You don’t know exactly where the next mushroom will appear, so every discovery brings an element of surprise.

Novelty, anticipation, and discovery engage brain systems involved in motivation and reward, including dopamine signaling.

That little feeling of excitement when you spot a mushroom hidden beneath the leaves? It’s part of what makes the experience so satisfying.

4. The forest can help your body relax
Research on forest bathing, known in Japan as shinrin-yoku, suggests that spending time in forests can reduce perceived stress and, in some studies, lower heart rate, blood pressure, or cortisol.

5. You’re practicing curiosity without needing to accomplish anything
This might be my favorite explanation.
Most of our daily activities are goal-oriented. We do something because we need a result.

But when you’re wandering through the forest, looking at mushrooms, examining their shapes, and noticing how they grow, curiosity itself becomes the reward.

#mushroomforaging #mushrooms #forestbathing #slowliv taken in Chicago, Illinois by @borislava_av

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10 days ago

Well, that was a little unexpected 🤎

#ludovicoeinaudi #chicagosymphonycenter #livemusic by @borislava_av

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13 days ago

Fall, but told through food 🍂

Warm soups, one-pot meals, slow-cooked lamb, pumpkins and banana bread.

#fallvibes🍁 #fallcooking #fallrecipes #fallmeals #slowliving taken in Chicago, Illinois by @borislava_av

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19 days ago

Fall flower workshop 🤎🍂 by @borislava_av

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24 days ago

If you leave it in the fridge overnight, this fall pumping banana bread should taste even better the next day.

Per slice
Protein 6 g | Carbs 31 g | Fat 3 g | Calories ~163
Fiber: ~3 g

Ingredients
- 2 very ripe bananas
- 1/2 cup homemade Delicata squash purée
- 1/2 cup cottage cheese
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cups oat flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp sea salt

Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Peel and deseed the Delicata squash. Cut into chunks and boil until fork-tender.
- Drain very well and let it sit for about 10–15 minutes to release excess moisture. Mash or blend until smooth, then measure 1/2 cup.
- Smash the bananas, add the honey, eggs, Delicata purée, cottage cheese, and vanilla until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, combine the oat flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
- Add the wet mixture to the dry and gently mix until just combined.
- Pour into a parchment-lined loaf pan.
- Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until the center is set and a toothpick comes out mostly clean.
- Cool for at least 20-30 minutes before slicing. This is especially important with oat flour because the loaf continues to set as it cools.

#bananabread #bananabreadrecipe #fallrecipes #highproteinmeals #cleaneating taken in Chicago, Illinois by @borislava_av

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23 days ago

This is probably the year I’ve stayed home the most, and I think it has a lot to do with creating a space that feels cozy, grounded, and actually makes me want to do things at home. One of my friends calls me “stay at home influencer” 🤭😅

My favorite little corner is the balcony garden. And this year, absolutely everything was edible.

You know why 🤭 👩‍🍳 🎥 taken in Chicago, Illinois by @borislava_av

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a month ago

This Chicken & Sweet Potato Bowls has: Protein + complex carbs + fiber + healthy fats. Super simple, especially if you make a big batch of sweet potatoes and freeze them.

Per serving:
Protein | Carbs | Fat | Calories
65 g | 75 g | 22 g | 670 kcal
Fiber: ~13–15 g

🌱 Ingredients (serves 2)

- 2 chicken breasts
- 2 sweet potatoes
- 2 zucchini
- 5 mini cucumbers
- ½ red bell pepper
- ½ avocado
- ½ lemon
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Sea salt

Directions

- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Cut the sweet potatoes in half and roast for 30-40 minutes, or until fork-tender. Remove from the oven and let them rest.
- Cook the chicken breasts in the air fryer at 350°F for 15-17 minutes, or until it reaches 165°F. Let them rest before chopping.
- Chop the cucumbers, red pepper, avocado, cooked chicken and potatoes.
- Lightly spray a pan with olive oil and add the zucchini. Cook until golden brown on one side, flip, lower the heat, and continue cooking until tender.
- Add the chicken, cucumbers, red pepper, and avocado to a bowl. Drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil, season with sea salt, and gently toss. Fold in the cooked zucchini.
- Place the roasted sweet potato over the top. Serve with lemon wedges.

#highproteinmeals #volumeeating #chickensalad #wholefooddiet #gymfood taken in Chicago, Illinois by @borislava_av

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3

a month ago

Mostly whole foods, simple cooking, lots of color, and 48 g of protein.

Per serving:
Protein 48 g | Carbs 48 g | Fat 27 g | Calories ~625
Fiber: ~7 g

🌱Ingredients (serves 2)
- 4 to 5 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 4 medium young potatoes
- 1 ear of corn, husk on
- sea salt
- paprika
- 1 tsp olive oil

For the salad
- 2 heirloom tomatoes, red and yellow
- 1/2 cup burrata
- a few fresh basil leaves
- 1 tsp olive oil
- sea salt

Directions

- Cook the potatoes: Boil the young potatoes over medium heat until fork-tender. Drain and let them cool slightly, then season with 1 tsp olive oil and sea salt.
- Bake the chicken: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Season the chicken thighs with sea salt and paprika. Arrange them skin-side up and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until golden and cooked through.
- Cook the corn: Leave the corn inside its husk, place it on a baking sheet, and cover with foil. Bake at 400°F for about 30 to 35 minutes. Nothing else is needed. The corn steams right inside the husk.
- Make the salad: Peel and slice the tomatoes. Tear the burrata into smaller pieces and layer it between the tomato slices with fresh basil. Finish with 1 tsp olive oil and sea salt. Don’t mix the ingredients, so every bite gets a little bit of everything.
- Serve: Plate the chicken thighs with the boiled young potatoes, corn, and layered tomato and burrata salad. Keep the corn husk and use it as a natural plate for a rustic look.

#highproteinmeals #cleaneating #chickenrecipe #healthymeals #slowliving taken in Chicago, Illinois by @borislava_av

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a month ago

Skirt Steak & Chicken with Creamy Kidney Beans + Bok Choy

🌱Ingredients

- Skirt steak, cut into bite-size pieces
- Chicken breast, thinly sliced
- Creamy kidney beans
- Bok choy, chopped
- Feta, crumbled
- Fresh dill
- Salt

Directions

- Heat a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the skirt steak and cook until browned. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Add the sliced chicken directly to the same pan and cook it in the rendered fat and juices from the steak.
- Once the chicken is cooked through, return the steak to the pan and toss everything together.
- Add the chopped bok choy, cover, reduce the heat to low, and steam for 1–2 minutes, just until the leaves wilt and the stems soften slightly.
- Spoon the creamy kidney beans onto the plate.
- Add the steak, chicken, and bok choy.
- Finish with crumbled feta and plenty of fresh dill

#highproteinmeals #healthyrecipes #wholesomefoods #wholefoods #steakrecipes taken in Chicago, Illinois by @borislava_av

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2

a month ago

Simple, high-protein food to keep you full and extra fiber from the chia seed tea 🤎

Per serving:
Protein 47 g | Carbs 29 g | Fat 23 g | Calories ~500
Fiber: ~5 g

Ingredients (serves 1)
- 2 eggs
- 1 can tuna, packed in water, drained
- 1/4 cup low-fat greek yogurt
- 1/4 avocado
- 1/4 cup cooked sushi rice
- 4-5 mini zucchini
- 2 tbsp corn
- sea salt, to taste
Directions
- Cook the rice: bring rice and water 1:1 to a boil, cover, and Simmer on the lowest heat for 13 minutes.
- Fry the eggs over easy: heat a lightly oiled pan and cook 2-3 minutes per side until the whites are set and the yolk stays runny.
- Make the tuna salad: mix the drained tuna with the greek yogurt and a pinch of sea salt.
- Golden the zucchini: spray with olive oil and sear 2-3 minutes per side without stirring, so a real crust forms.
- Golden the corn: spray with olive oil and sear until lightly charred.
- Mash the avocado with a pinch of sea salt.
- Plate the rice, tuna salad, eggs, zucchini, corn, and avocado together.

Notable nutrients: • Vitamin B12 • Vitamin A • Potassium • Vitamin C

#tunasalad #highproteinmeals #healthyrecipe #cleaneating taken in Chicago, Illinois by @borislava_av

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0

a month ago

Warm and comforting Yellow Curry Halibut, but with enough freshness and texture that it doesn’t feel heavy. The curry sauce is definitely the part that makes the whole thing.

Serves 3
Ingredients
- 1 lb halibut, skin on, cut into 3 pieces
- 1-2 shallots, diced
- 1 can full-fat coconut milk, do not shake
- 2 Tbsp yellow curry paste
- 1 cup roasted Japanese sweet potatoes
- 2-3 baby bok choy
- 2 Japanese eggplants, sliced into rounds (or 1 regular eggplant)
- 1 lime, sliced for serving
- olive oil
- sea salt

Per serving:
Protein 35 g | Carbs 34 g | Fat 28 g | Calories ~520
Fiber: ~7–8 g

Directions
1. Prep everything. Slice the shallots and eggplant, trim the bok choy, and cut the halibut into 3 portions.
2. Season the halibut. Pat the fish dry and season with salt on both sides.
3. Start the curry sauce. Saute the shallots until softened. Open the coconut milk without shaking the can and scoop the thick coconut cream from the top into the pan. Add the yellow curry paste and cook for about 1 minute, stirring until fragrant and well combined.
4. Finish the sauce. Stir in the remaining coconut milk. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the sauce thickens slightly.
5. Cook the vegetables. Spray a separate pan with olive oil and add the eggplant. Cook for 2-3 minutes per side until golden and tender. Add the bok choy, cover, and steam for 1-2 minutes. Bok choy cooks very quickly, so keep it slightly crisp.
6. Cook the halibut. Heat a pan over medium-high heat and lightly spray with olive oil. Place the halibut skin-side down and gently press each piece for the first 20–30 seconds so the skin stays flat. Cook for about 4-5 minutes, until the skin is crisp and the fish is mostly opaque up the sides. Flip and cook for another 1-3 minutes, depending on thickness, until the center is just cooked through and flakes easily.
7. Plate. Start with the roasted Japanese sweet potatoes and bok choy. Add the halibut, spoon the yellow curry sauce generously around and over everything, then add the eggplant last.
8. Serve with fresh lime slices.

#highproteinmeals #wholefoodingredients #dinnerrecipes #thaicurry #fishcurry taken in Chicago, Illinois by @borislava_av

83

2

a month ago