Zoodles Pho

Well, finally I am back! Again!  As much as I love to keep up with blogging,  there are certain issues in life that take precedence over other things.  So, here I am , with a quick and easy dish.  I just like to call this Pho but you can call it soup! There is no recipe as I only threw in what I had available in pantry and fridge.  You can add the protein if your choice, be it beef, chicken, shrimp, chick peas and make this your own.  I prepared the bowl for pictures and then dumped the contents in a plastic container as this was my lunch! Took chicken broth in a separate bottle and at lunchtime, heated up the broth, poured over the contents of the lunch box and added some seasonings. And I had hot, satisfying, no guilt lunch!

Zoodles Pho

Ingredients

Zucchini noodles

Cilantro

Sliced garlic, ginger, hot green chillies

Vietnamese basil

Slices of lime

Sliced mushrooms and scallions

Seasonings per taste

Chicken/vegetable broth or water

How to:

Mix everything in the bowl.

Add hot broth or water on top of prepared bowl.

Add soy sauce, fish sauce, hot sauce to your liking.

Enjoy!

Lyonnaise Potatoes

I know, I know. I was AWOL for a long time! But now I am back. Looks like I am up from a long night's sleep. So, Let's have some breakfast!

If you like buttery, crispy potateos with caramelized onions, this is the dish for you. My family and I are big potato lovers. and yes, I am a self-proclaimed QUEEN OF POTATOES! My sister can vouch for that. I love to make and eat potatoes different ways. So here's the story. This restaurant, right in the buidling where I work, serves this potatoes for breakfast. They have all-day breakfast specials and I always go for any kind of eggs with these potatoes. So I knew I ad to make it for my family at least once. And guess what? Once I made it, it didn't stop thiere. I keep on making this every now and then as the request keeps coming in! This is much better than having those uh-so-ugly hashbrowns!

Here's how I made it:

Lyonnaise Potatoes
Ingredients

3-4 large Russet Potatoes,sliced(not too thin)
2 medium onions, julienned
2-3 cloves of garlic, chopped
oil as needed
salt and pepper
Green onions and parsley to garnish

how to:
To speed up the breakfast, I parboil the potatoes(microwaver the sliced potatoes for about 3 minutes, 1 minute per potato).
Keep it aside
Heat oil in a thick bottomed skillet
Caramelize onions on medium high heat. If you have a cast iron skillet, it works best for this.
Once onions are done, start browing potatoes in the same leftover oil.
Do not overcrowd the skileet. Take your time. It won't take too long. Just a few minutes for 3 potatoes.
Season potatoes with salt and pepper as you go.
Keep working in batches.
Keep the golden brown potatoes aside.
Now, heat up a bit more oil, add garlic to it.
Once garlic is soft, add back cooled patotes and onions.
Mix up the vegetables, and garnish with green part of scallions and parsely.
Enjoy!

Roasted Veggies

Again, me with yet another simple dish. For all those veggie lovers and haters out there, this is the dish to try! Lovers will love to have their veggies this way and haters will start devouring their veggies! 

It is so very simple to make. Take as many vegetables as you fancy. Cut them in chunks, make sure they are all uniform in size. now, sprinkle salt, pepper, Italian seasoning or whatever seasoning you have on hand, end with a dollop of oil! Bake in preheated 425° F. hot oven for about 20 minutes or the vegetables are done but still have a bite to them. At this point, you can eat them as it is, sprinkle some grated Parmesan cheese on top, or make a wrap! Choice is yours! Enjoy!

Quick Tortilla Pizza

 

Looks like I’ve been posting all quick and easy recipes lately. This is one of many. Let me tell you again, this is what I would like to make for a quick after school or Friday night movie snack. It’s just so quick and we all have the ingredients in our pantry and fridge. I happened to have Mexican flavoured sauce with sweet peppers and corn and tomatoes in my fridge. But for the faster version, bottled salsa works great.

 

This is how I made it.

 

Quick Tortilla Pizza

 

Ingredients

1 large-10” tortilla

3 tbsp bottled or homemade salsa

2 tbsp sharp cheddar cheese, grated

Sour cream, avocadoes slices, cilantro for garnish-all optional

 

How to:

Preheat the oven to 400° F.

Brush one side of the tortilla with little oil.

Place the oil side down on baking tray.

Spread with salsa and cheese.

Bake in the hot oven for about 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and tortilla is crisped up.

Top with your favourite toppings.

Enjoy!

Healthy Eggplant Parmesan

 

This is not your regular eggplant parmesan! First of all, it is an appetizer. Second, it’s just baked egg plant. No layer of bread crumbs, no complicated layering, no gimmicks.

 

Here’s how I made it.

 

Healthy Eggplant Parmesan

Ingredients

1 small Italian egg plant,sliced into two and then cubed into bite sized pieces

1 cup Marinara sauce, bottled or home made

1 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

2-3 tbsp grated mozzarella cheese

 

How to:

Roast the egg plant cubes with salt, pepper and oil in a hot oven until they are just tender.

Spoon Marinara sauce over the cubes, sprinkle with cheeses and again stick them in the hot oven till cheeses are melted a bit.

Serve with your choice of crackers(I used parmesan chips that I made earlier) and sauce(again, I served with roasted red pepper coulis).

Enjoy!

Roasted Edamame with Mushrooms

 

Edamame are just fresh soybeans. They either come in the pods or beans only. mostly frozen if just the beans. They are chockfull of nutrients. I love to snack on them or use them to make chillies and soups. This is yet another quick and tasty side dish that can be used as a salad as well. You can have it as it is or place them with roasted potatoes or your choice of greens.

 

And there is no recipes. Frozen beans, sliced mushrooms, salt, pepper and some oil. Place them in a foil pack for the easy clean up. Either roast it in a hot oven at 425° F for about 20 minutes or if you have an outdoor grill, use it.

Enjoy!

Grilled Sweet Potatoes

 

Keeping up with Christmas dinner theme,this is another quick dish which is delish as well as nutritious.By now we all know the goodness of sweet potatoes. This is yet another way to incorporate this vegetable in your diet. You can grill a bagful of sweet potatoes ahead of time and use them for this dish, make quick French fries or soup.

 

Here’s how I made it.

 

Grilled Sweet Potatoes

 

Ingredients

3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled

Salt and pepper to taste

¼ cup oil

1 tbsp sugar

½ cup goat cheese crumbles OR your choice of cheese

Parsley for garnish(optional)

 

How to:

Slice the sweet potatoes into 4, and again into 2s.

You will have 8 wedges from 1 sweet potato.

Prepare  all of them like this, place them in a microwave safe tray.

Pour oil, sprinkle salt and pepper.

Microwave for about 3 minutes or until just tender.

Pre heat grill.

Grill the parboiled wedges until nice grill marks appear.

At this point, you can place them in an oven and roast them until charred a bit.

Sprinkle goat cheese, more salt and pepper if needed and garnish with parsley.

Enjoy!

Broccoli Salad

Yet another easy and satisfying salad. I bet even your picky eaters wouldn’t mind having a cup or two of this salad. And it’s very simple to prepare. Perfect for busy moms who would like to feed their families healthy and yet, inexpensive dinners. You can add cooked or grilled chicken to make a wholseome meal and serve it with garlic rolls.  

Here’s how I made it.

Broccoli Salad

Ingredients

4 cups broccoli florets, chopped stems etc.

1 tbsp sugar

½ cup Hellmann’s Mayonnaise

¾ cup sour cream

1 tbsp white vinegar or lemon juice

Salt and pepper to taste

A handful of Sultana raisins, dried cranberries, chopped walnuts, almonds-all optional

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Bacon pieces, optional

How to:

Mix sugar, mayo, sour cream, vinegar, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl.

Add broccoli florets and toss in the vinaigrette mixture until thoroughly coated.

Top with your favourite nuts, dried fruits, bacon pieces and cheddar cheese.

Cover and keep it in the fridge for at least 4 hours.

This salad tastes better if kept overnight in the fridge.

Enjoy!

Roasted Veggie Salad

By now you all have known about me that I love my veggies mostly grilled or roasted. This wasn’t an exception. When I get tired of eating plain ol’ lettuce salads, I go for something like this. It can be a side dish or a dish on its own. Or it can be eaten as a salad. Again, it can’t be simpler than this. Just toss your favourite veggies with salt, pepper, EVOO and whatever other spices you would like to add, grill on the bbq or roast it in the oven till they are fork tender. I used asparagus, red pepper, butternut squash, onions, brussels sprouts and used all the seasonings plus Italian spice blend. 

Enjoy!

Quick N Easy Spinach Pesto

I love spinach. I like it cooked as a curry with potatoes, peas, chicken etc. I like it sauteed with onions and pepper in pasta. I like to chew on raw spinach when I feel that hunger pang. It was on my mind to make spinach pesto and use it for something. Finally, I got to make it. Got a boxful of baby spinach and then realized that we wouldn’t be home for about two weeks. I thought uh oh, this beautiful spinach would go bad in two weeks. Then I thought about making pesto and store it in the back of the fridge so that it stays fresher without freezing it. I’ve got to use it in recipes though. And the beauty of this recipe is that it doesn’t require that much of oil unlike it’s counterpart Basil Pesto. So for now, 

Here’s how I made it.

Quick N Easy Spinach Pesto

Ingredients

4 cups baby spinach, washed

1 cup walnut pieces

4-5 cloves of garlic or to taste

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

About ½ cup EVOO

How to:

place first 4 ingredients in a food processor.

Run the food processer on medium speed, drizzle the EVOO from the spout.

It might take about ¼ cup of EVOO.

Place the pesto in the wide mouth glass bottle and pour about a tbsp. of EVOO. This helps keep the pesto to the freshest green.

Enjoy!

“Fried” Goat Cheese Medallions with Spring Greens

A few months ago, I had this salad at a restaurant. It was so elegant and so eye pleasing, let alone the taste of deep fried goat cheese medallions.  I knew instantly I had to make it at home. Goat cheese is one of the cheeses I always have in my fridge. I absolutely love to have goat cheese smeared on my toast with little bit of salt, pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. Making the medallions was not hard at all. I made sure to make more and popped them in the freezer for later use. Good thing I went away for a vacation right after I made these so they are still safe in the freezer, waiting to be enjoyed.

 

Here’s how I made it.

 

“Fried” Goat Cheese Medallions with Spring Greens

Ingredients

1 block of goat cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

1 cup panko bread crumbs

1 cup cold milk

1 egg, whisked

¼ cup oil

 

How to:

Slice goat cheese medallions with a sharp knife. I find it very easy with the dental floss.

Coat the medallions with bread crumbs(salted and peppered), then dip in milk, again in bread crumbs, then in egg and finish with coating with more bread crumbs.

Freeze the medallions for about 30 minutes or so.

Heat oil in a shallow skillet.

Lay the medallions flat on hot oil, shallow fry until golden brown on both sides.

Add more oil if required.

Serve atop your favourite salad.

Enjoy!

 

Jalapeno Jam!

 

Last September, my co worker gave me a bagful of jalapeno peppers. She and family went pepper picking! I was like, really, pepper picking?! She said they wanted to do something different this time and ended up with bushel of jalapeno peppers and didn’t know what to do with them. So she asked me if I would like to get some and I didn’t say no. I know I could make the poppers or at least pickle the peppers. And then I realized I had 2 big bottles full of pickled jalapeno! So that idea was cancelled. Then I thought about making jam. I wasn’t sure how hot it would turn out to be but to my sheer luck, the peppers were farm fresh so very tender and kind of mild. They still had a bite but not too too hot.

 

Here’s how I made it.

 

Jalapeno Jam

Ingredients

12 tender small sized Jalapeno peppers

1 cup sugar free apple juice

1 cup white vinegar

1 small granny smith apple, cored and cubed

½ cup sugar

 

How to:

Place everything except sugar in a blender and puree

Place in a sauce pot and cook on medium high heat until you get the jam like consistency.

Store in a bottle and refrigerate it for about 2 months.

I like to eat this jam on crackers with cream cheese spread

Enjoy!

 

this is soo good

 

 

“Steak” pizzaiola

Normally, this dish calls for steak. A nice and juicy beef steak. I wanted to make it vegetarian way and I decided to go with Portobello mushrooms. I really needn’t say more. Make it yourself and see! It is as good with pasta as it is with mashed garlicy potatoes. And again, this makes very good sandwiches.

 

 

 

Here’s how I made it.

 

Portobello Steak Pizzaiola

Ingredients:
2  tablespoons olive oil
1  medium onion, thinly sliced
1  green bell pepper, cut into thin strips
4 big Portobello Mushrooms
¼ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4  teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 can  (14.5 ounces) pasta sauce
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

how to: In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat.

Add the onion and bell pepper and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes, or until tender.
slice the mushrooms and season them with the onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper.

Push vegetables to edge of pan.
Place mushrooms in pan and brown them for 2 minutes.

Add the diced tomatoes, cover, and cook for 5 minutes.

Reduce the heat to low, uncover skillet, and simmer for 7 minutes.

 Sprinkle cheese over the mushroom steaks and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.

Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

 

Honey Dijon Dressing

 

My family loves Renee honey dijon dressing. We just can’t get enough of it. This time around, I was out of it and my son wanted that dressing with his salad. I searched online and found this recipe on Food Network. Alton Brown is my favourite chef on Food Network and if it’s his recipe, I would follow it in a heat beat. And it’s so easy. It’s perfect for salad dressing, dip and marinade.

 

Here’s how I made it.

 

Honey Dijon Dressing

Ingredients

5 tbsp honey

3 tbsp Dijon mustard

2 tbsp rice wine vinegar( I used white vinegar)

 

How to:

 

Easy. Mix all the ingredients in a bottle and use it.

Roasted Red Pepper Dip

I am not a fan of dips to tell you the truth. I don’t need dips for my veggie stix or my chips. I can enjoy my veggies and chips just like that. But with my family, it’s a different story. To make them eat vegetables, I either have to have the dip or make the dip out of the vegetables. This dip was just that. a necessity! I normally deep fried the pita chips for them to enjoy. This time around, I baked them and I knew that unless I’d make something tempting, lip smacking good, these baked chips are difficult to sell! I always keep a jar of roasted red peppers in my fridge. I like to use them for sandwiches and wraps. So I used them this time for this dip. And yes, you guessed it right. Baked chips were gone as if they were deep fried. I also like to use this dip as a spread for the sandwiches. That time, I don’t thin it out as much.

Here’s how I made it.

Roasted Red Pepper Dip

Ingredients

1 medium red pepper, seeded

Oil to spray the pepper with

Salt and pepper per taste

1 cup greek yogurt

How to:

Spray the pepper with oil and stick it into the hot toaster oven for about 20 minutes or until it’s charred. You can do this on the bbq as well.

Place the roasted pepper in a plastic bag for a couple of minutes. This will steam the pepper and make it easier to peel.

Once cool enough to handle, peel the pepper, place in a blender.

Add ½ cup greek yogurt or sour cream to it and blend to smooth.

Take it out in a bowl, adjust the consistency by adding more yogurt or sour cream.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy!

Parmesan Crusted Tofu

I used these tofu pieces as an appetizer with the garlic aioli as well as superb sandwich, loaded with lots of stir fried veggies and a couple of slices the tofu. I forgot to take the pictures of that sandwich but I made a tomato and lettuce tofu sandwich later on. That was my take on BLT! my TLT! I don’t think I will be making this again in near future as my family and I are not big on tofu. So,here it is.

Parmesan Crusted Tofu

Ingredients

½ lb. tofu, sliced(about ¼” thick)

½ cup milk

½ cup AP flour

1 cup bread crumbs

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp Italian seasoning

2-3 tbsp oil

How to:

Press the tofu inbetween 2 plates and drain well.

Slice the tofu.

Mix bread crumbs, salt, peppr, seasoning and grated cheese in a plate.

Dredge tofu in the flour.

Dip it in milk.

Now dredge in bread crumb mix.

Pat gently with hands so that the crumbs form nice coating on tofu slices.

Heat oil in a skillet on medium high.

Shallow fry tofu, pressing lightly with a spatula to crisp it up.

Serve with dip of your choice, use it in sandwich or top your salad with it.

Enjoy!

No Carb Spaghetti

Surprised?! Don’t be. This is just a vegetable that miraculously transforms into these beautiful threads that resembles to angel hair pasta and thus, is called Spaghetti Squash.  I wanted to try it myself as I have heard others raving about this absolutely gorgeous, no fuss, no starch pasta dish that comes from a squash. Now I am a believer. It does resemble spaghetti(or angel hair) and is so delicious and nutritious at the same time. Too bad, can’t say the same about pasta!  I only added salt, pepper and lots of extra virgin olive oil with Parmesan shavings in my pasta. You can whatever vegetable that suits you and even soak it in your best marinara sauce. Top if off with meatballs. Your squash, your dish, your whim!

Truly, no recipe requires. For those who know me, this is one of my kind dishes. So, cut the spaghetti squash in half, oil inside and outside well, sprinkle with salt and pepper and throw in 450° F hot oven for about an hour or until the vegetable is soft.

Let it cool down a bit so that you can handle it and grab a fork, start shredding it! That’s it. There’s your spaghetti. Toss it in salt, freshly cracked pepper, shavings or grated Parmesan cheese and extra virgin Olive oil and serve.

Enjoy!

Mediterranean Pizza

Remember my grilled chicken and veggies, Mediterranean way? Well, I call this pizza Mediterranean as all the leftovers from that grill landed on this pie! It’s that simple. Pile up any veggies with lean protein on a pizza crust and even the pickiest eater would gobble it up. Pizza is the best way to get your kids eat their vegetables! No kidding. So this is just the basic idea. Make your pizza dough and bake your own pizza with whatever you have on hand or whatever you would like to eat. I bet you won’t pick up that phone to order delivery!

Basic Pizza Dough

1 pkg. dry yeast
3/4 c. warm water
1/4 tsp. salt
1 T. oil
1 tsp. sugar
3 c. flour

Mix ingredients together, adding flour last. Cover and let rise 1 hr.

Now, spoon your favourite pizza sauce on top, pile up all the leftover chicken and veggies and top off with loads of shredded mozzarella and cubed feta cheeses.

Bake in a very hot oven till the crust is golden brown and cheeses are melted.

Enjoy!

Grilled Chicken and Vegetables

 I wanted to go Mediterranean with this grilling. So I chose chicken, peppers, potatoes and feta. Of course with lots of Greek Oregano.  The beauty of Mediterranean cuisine is that it is very simple and yet very very delicious. You don’t have to labour over the hot stove for hours, no need to gather lots of spices and herbs. Just a few simple ingredients, a few simple steps and voila, dinner is served!

Join me at my table today for this flavourful Mediterranean meal.

Here’s how I made it.

Grilled Chicken and Vegetables

Ingredients

1 lb. bonelss, skinless chicken breasts, cubed

2-3 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

Salt and pepper to taste

¼ cup olive oil

2 tbsp oregano, crushed between your palms to release the flavour

1 each red, orange and yellow pepper, medium sized, cubed

3 russet potatoes, washed and thinly sliced

How to

Marinate peppers and potatoes separately using oil, salt,pepper and oregano for about an hour.

Marinate chicken as well. Overnight is the best.

Preheat the grill.

Skewer chicken or just leave the cubes as it is and grill chicken and peppers and potatoes until vegetables are tender and chicken is cooked through.

Arrange on a serving platter and garnish with chopped parsley(optional) and feta cheese crumbles and serve.

Enjoy!

Easy Summertime Entertaining And See You In September!

Need I say more?!  The pictures are self explanatory right?  This is just to give you guys something to braistorm and come up with new ideas to post and share with all of us! 

Until then, See you in September.  Keep on blogging girls!  Ciao.

Have a Safe and Happy Summer!