Tag Archives: dinner

My Favorite Asian Chicken Dish Ever….You have to try this!

Posted on by
24

My sister-in-law lived in the Thiland, Japan and Philipines and while there adapted and learned how to cook really delicious food. My favorite that she makes for me pretty much anytime I  visit is Chicken Adobo. I love this dish there is just something about it that I can’t seem to get enough of I love the sauce and the way the chicken literally falls apart when you eat it, you don’t even have to use a knife. It does have soy sauce in it but when you cut that with the vinegar it somehow seems to just give it a nice a subtle flavor and doesn’t leave you swollen the next day because of the sodium.

This is her recipe that she passed on to me, I am sure that there are other variations of how to make this dish, but I have to say that this is the best ever for me. I like to accompany it with some steamed broccoli, or green beans, or a mix of veggies that are steamed or you can opt for the traditional jasmine rice, I prefer to use brown rice, but in this case I only had white. This is a very easy and fast dish to make so don’t feel pressured and let’s cook something different today so that you can show off your culinary talents. Enjoy!

 

Ingredients:

6 Chicken legs*

3 large Garlic cloves

4-5 dried Bay leaves

1 tbsp whole Peppercorns

1 tbsp cornstarch, optional

1/2 cup low-sodium Soy sauce

1/2 cup white Vinegar

1 cup Water

1/2 Bullion cube

11/2 tbsp Olive oil

First mince the garlic and sauté in olive oil until golden in a medium pot, add the chicken and allow to get golden brown then flip over cook for about 5 minutes.
Add all the liquid ingredients plus the peppercorns, 1/2 bullion and the bay leaves; cover and let boil for approx. 20 minutes stir the chicken, then turn heat down and let simmer for about another 20 minutes.
If the sauce needs thickening you may use the cornstarch mixed with water and throw it in, I prefer it just the way it turns out and pour it over the veggies, so you don’t have to use the cornstarch.

You may turn off the chicken and begin to serve accompanied by whatever you wish. Yum!

* I like to use chicken breast because I don’t like the fat, but keep in mind that it will be dryer, so I suggest to still add atleast 1-2 chicken legs to give your sauce that delicious flavor.

 

Healthy and Elegant Zucchini Ribbon Salad

Posted on by
20

Try this for your meatless Monday. I truly enjoy salads, and I like exploring in the vegetable world and seeing what I can use in a salad so that we never get bored or feel that it’s too monotonous. Salads don’t just have to be made of leaves, it can be of anything you like. I am determined to believe that the more you explore and diversify your meals the more you look forward to experimenting and eating healthy foods. i.e. if you make the same salad everyday, then you start feeling as if you are deprived but if you spice it up and add different things you start forgetting all the other bad foods and start craving and looking forward to the foods that you are eating.

I am a firm believer that you crave what you eat, if you eat too many sweets you are going to be craving sweets, if you snack on junk food, your body will crave junk food anytime it’s hungry, if you eat too much meat your body will crave more meat, and when meat (or any other food) is not included in a meal you may feel as though you are still not satisfied because your body will send signals to the brain that its missing something. So, if you eat veggies, or fish, or nuts, or any healthy eating habit you’ve formed your body will be more inclined to craving that vs. the other. I am not saying by any means that meat is bad for you, I understand that we all have our opinions and a good grass fed filet of meat is delicious; but eaten in moderation. In my opinion meat should not be eaten all the time, once in awhile is good, there are so many better for you replacements out there like; fish, chicken, eggs, nuts and etc….

However seeing that this is a dedication to meatless Monday lets stick to no meat at all. This recipe is nutritious, vibrant, healthy, low carb and most of all delicious. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 Zucchini

1 handful Rucola

1 Jalapeno, optional

1 handful Parmigiano Reggiano Shaves

2 1/2 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/2 Lemon Juice, freshly squeezed

Salt and pepper to taste

Start off by washing all your vegetables. Get a salad bowl and a mondoline*, now get you zucchini chop off the 2 ends and lay longways on the mandoline and start shaving (slicing) you don’t want them too thin, if you have one of those that adjust make sure that it is almost transparent. Once you are done with those add your handful of rucola and if your adding your chopped jalapeno add it now as well. In a separate little bowl mix the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Pour over the salad and gently mix all the ingredients, be careful to not break the zucchini.

Plate and shave some parmigiano over the dish and serve. If you like you can drizzle a little olive oil over the dish or you could also sprinkle some toasted pine nuts. You can do what you like. I hope that you like and enjoy this recipe.

* if you don’t have a mandoline you can also use a peeler, hold the zucchini in your hand and run the peeler across, it should do the trick.

 

In a rush? Try this delicious Homemade Pizza

Posted on by
25

You ever think about wanting to eat a pizza, but would like it to be healthier? Lighter? Not as fattening as the ones you order out? Maybe more vegetables or only with certain ingredients? Real mozzarella? Well, you can have it.

My husband and I do love to indulge in pizza here in Italy they make it with really thin crust, fresh ingredients and with just about anything you want on it. One night we decided that we were going to make it at home, we didn’t have the time to make the dough from scratch but you can find fresh pizza dough in just about any grocery store, (especially here in Italy) although while in the USA I found it in quite a few grocery stores, just ask for it.
He loves his pizza with Mozzarella, Pomodoro (Tomato) and Salame Piccante (Hot Salami) and I like it with less cheese and with any vegetable offered, from Mushrooms, Artichokes, Radicchio, Cherry Tomatoes, Eggplant and always topped off with Rucola. (I do love Prosciutto Crudo on it also).

Now I think that when you make it at home you get to each prep it and make it just the way you like and it is not as complicated or as time consuming as it seems. It is not something unhealthy or bad for you when made at home because you pick the ingredients, the size and you know exactly what is going in it. (and that is always a plus)

I hope that you enjoy my simple explanation and ingredients and just remember this is easy, fun and great for any evening; whether it’s an activity with your kids, something fun for an at home date night, girls night as something to munch on, friends night or while having friends over for a dinner party as an appetizer you can do it whenever and look as if you worked for hours. Enjoy.

Ingredients:

Serves 2

2 Balls of Pizza dough

Flour for dusting

1 qt. lb Fresh Mozzarella, grated

1  4oz can of fresh Tomato Paste

2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt to taste

And then you pick the rest of ingredients

Preheat your oven at 350°. In the meantime roll out your pizza over a floured surface to desired thickness, lay on parchment paper over a pizza tin.

Open your can of tomato sauce and ladle over the dough about 1/4 in away from edges (not too much, just enough to cover bottom evenly), sprinkle with a little bit of salt and 1 tbsp. of Olive oil. Get your mozzarella and evenly layer of the tomato sauce and then finish adding your ingredients, don’t over do it (remember healthy does it).

Put in the oven and bake in the center for about 20 minutes. You want to make sure that the cheese is melted and that the bottom in golden brown. Pull out of oven and if you ae adding rucola add it on top and serve.

*I added Tomato sauce, radicchio, proscuitto, salame and rucola.
**My Husband added tomato sauce, moazzarella, chilli flakes, prosciutto and rucola.

 

 

Low Fat has Never Tasted So Delicious: Vongole con Vino Bianco (White Wine Clams)

Posted on by
20

Oh, yes I love Clams! They are the perfect low-fat and low-calorie food. They are so delicious and it’s always an enjoyment to eat them.
Here in Italy it is a very common and delicate dish. They are fresh everyday from the fisherman that go out in the middle of the night and then sell them or at the fish markets or the fish stores. They are a very summer thing to eat and as soon as Spring comes it’s one of the first thing Italians are out to eat. The more common and known way to eat them would be “Spaghetti or Tagliolini alle Vongole” which means “Spaghetti or Tagliolini with Clams”, but here in Italy it is also very common to have them served in a light wine sauce with toasted bread on the side to dip in and do the “Scarpetta”.  Clams are one of the simplest things to cook and require basically no time at all.

I’ll explain the way to clean them so that you too at home can make them.

First of you want to buy them fresh. Rinse them real quick under cold water. Grab a tray that has edges, I normally use one of my larger baking trays (like the one I use for Lasagna), lay the clams evenly (don’t worry if they are a bit over layered) and fill with cold water just about 1/2 an inch above your clams. Sprinkle with abundant sea salt, shake the tray around a bit and let sit for about 3-4 hours. (You can let sit over night as well, just remember the longer the better).

What the salt water does is help the clams spit out the sand that they might have inside. They basically clean themselves, this is the only way to get rid of any sand they might have in them. If you look at them during this process you will see them open and spit out the sand or move around; it’s quite interesting.

Once the time has passed you can grab a handful of the clams and throw them in a plate, shake up and down a few times, and then put in a bowl or colander. This method helps them spit out anything left. (don’t worry if they don’t spit out anything) that means that they are perfectly clean. Rinse once more real quick under cold water and they are ready for cooking.
Here’s the recipe. I hope that you enjoy.

Ingredients:

1 lb Vongole Veraci (Clams), cleaned

1 Garlic Clove, Minced or Whole

1/4 cup White Wine

Red Chili Flakes (optional)

3 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Handful chopped Parsley

Grab a nice large sauté pan put over medium heat with the olive oil (I like the garlic whole, but if you are mincing it that’s delicious also), once the oil is heated add you garlic and chili flakes allow to get just golden and throw in your Vongole (Clams) with the wine. Cover and let them cook about 10 minutes. You will know once they are ready because they will all be open. Turn off heat and throw in your parsley mix gently and serve*. Tata, Buon Appetito!

* I serve in bowls or deep plates I put the vongole first and then I add all the remaining sauce.

Okay, now this dish I accompany with toasted bread or bruschetta. The other night I made bruschetta to go along. But do what you wish. Enjoy