Spinach Lasagna Rolls

If you can't eat spinach like Pop-eye, this recipe is for you. Also, I've always been intimidated by lasagna for some reason so I never made it. Until now.

Spinach Lasagna Rolls

adapted from Skinnytaste.com

Ingredients:
10 lasagna noodles, cooked
10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and completely drained
15 oz fat free ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg
salt and fresh pepper
32 oz tomato sauce
10 tbsp mozzarella cheese

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350°. Combine spinach, ricotta, Parmesan, egg, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Ladle about 1 cup sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 12 baking dish.

Lay out lasagna noodles. Make sure noodles are dry. Take 1/3 cup of ricotta mixture and spread evenly over noodle. Roll carefully and place seam side down onto the baking dish. Repeat with remaining noodles.

The original instructions say to use wax paper to lay out the noodles. You'll see I ended up using lightly greased cookie sheets because I wanted a hard surface and it made for moving around the kitchen easier.

Also, the original recipe also called for 9 noodles; I actually cooked 10 lasagna strips just in case I tore one, but it turned out 10 portions was exactly right.

I found a pre-made roll of mozzarella and end up just slicing about 1/2 inch thickness to top each spinach roll with. I love the cheesiness. You'll see I actually use less tomato sauce than called for and more cheese.

 Ladle sauce over the noodles in the baking dish and top each one with 1 tbsp mozzarella cheese. Put foil over baking dish and bake for 40 minutes, or until cheese melts. Makes 10 rolls.

To serve, ladle a little sauce on the plate and top with lasagna roll.

 10 perfect servings

Delicious!

Will you Rata- my -touille?

Remy, oh Remy! You have revived my blog! Yes, I still appreciate Disney at my age.

Dear lonely blog, I abandoned you for so long. Life got busy, I cooked less, ate even worse and now I am ready to return. Seriously. I finished school and before I get stuck in a vicious cycle of work I'm cooking almost every day. Also, I've become vegetarian. Yeah, I know, a lot has changed. So welcome back!

First up, ratatouille!!! Caught myself watching Ratatouille and becoming inspired to actually try my hand at it. And it was GOOD. Now YOU go make it!

Baked Ratatouille
from Vmac & Cheese

Ingredients:

• Extra virgin olive oil 
• 1 medium onion, peeled and sliced 
• 5 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped 
• –pinch crushed red pepper flake 
• 1 medium-large zucchini 
• 1 medium-large yellow zucchini 
• 1 orange heirloom tomato [I omitted this one!]
• 4 medium vine tomatoes 
• 1 small Japanese eggplant [Definitely recommended]
• 1 tbsp tomato paste 
• –Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to season [I use the regular stuff]

For garnish:
–Asiago or your choice of cheese [I did Parmesan Reggiano and mozzarella]
–Fresh basil, julienned

Preparation:
Preheat your oven to 400°.

In a medium skillet, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and let cook for a minute until  soft. Add in half of the chopped garlic, the crushed red pepper flake, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Continue cooking over medium heat, stirring occassionally. Prep the vegetables.

Slice the vegetables to your desired thickness. You'll see I went super thin. I'll probably go a little thicker next time seeing as how my tomatoes just refused to be sliced as thin as everything else. Yes, it did drive me a little nuts in the end.

Once the onions are soft, add in the tomato paste to the pan. Let it warm and melt into the onions. Transfer the onion mixture to the bottom of your baking dish, and drizzle with a tablespoon or so of olive oil.

Arrange the vegetables in any pattern you would like, alternating colors. Sprinkle the rest of the garlic over the top of the arranged vegetables, then season the whole thing with salt and pepper, and drizzle with a bit more olive oil.

Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes to an hour, or until the mixture is very bubbly and the vegetables look tender. Remove the dish from the oven, and turn your broiler on to high. Layer shaved or sliced cheese on top of the cooked vegetables, then bake underneath the broiler until the cheese gets bubbly and brown. Let the dish sit for a couple minutes, garnish with freshly chopped basil, and serve.

Tine's Notes: As you can see from my pictures, I sliced my veggies super thin. By hand. [Don't worry, I still have all my fingers intact.] I'm a bit of a masochist like that. Don't worry, I have a mandolin on my Amazon wish list. I followed the recipe pretty much at a T, I used 2 types of cheese to top since that's what I had on hand - Parm Reggiano and mozzarella. I had so many veggies that I had this dish plus a 6x6 pyrex filled to the brim. I actually added more pepper and red pepper flakes to the onions at the bottom of the smaller dish and it really shined through to my liking.

Ode to Health

The last couple of weeks, I have done a number on my body. Eating out multiple times a week so now when I'm cooking at home, I feel the need to make it up.


Pan-Seared Salmon
From Southern Living

Ingredients:
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
4 (6-ounce) salmon steaks
Garnish: orange rinds, optional

Preparation:
1. Combine brown sugar and soy sauce in a shallow dish or large zip-top freezer bag, and add salmon.
Cover or seal, and chill 2 hours. Remove salmon from marinade, discarding marinade.

2. Cook salmon in a lightly greased skillet over medium-high heat 4 minutes on each side or until fish flakes with a fork. Garnish, if desired.

paired with....

Broccoli with Garlic Butter and Cashews
from Southern Living

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs fresh broccoli
1/3 cup butter or margarine
1 tbsp brown sugar
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp white vinegar
1/4 tsp pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup salted roasted cashews

Preparation:
1. Remove and discard broccoli leaves and touch ends of stalks; cut broccoli into spears. Arrange broccoli in a steamer basket over boiling water. Cover and steam 5 to 6 minutes or until crisp-tender. Arrange broccoli on a serving platter. Set aside, and keep warm.

2. Place butter in a 1-cup glass measuring cup. Microwave on high 15 seconds or until butter melts. Stir in brown sugar and next 4 ingredients. Microwave at high 45 seconds or until mixture comes to a boil. Stir in cashews. Pour garlic sauce over broccoli, and serve immediately.

Tine's Notes: Followed each recipe to a T. Have yourself a dinner that doesn't feel like grazing on fluff or too indulgent. There seemed to be a theme of brown sugar and soy sauce that day.

Chicken Breasts in Caper Cream Sauce

Paired this with the Greek Orzo from last post for a dinner. Contrasting flavors, but it worked out for me.

Chicken Breasts in Caper Cream Sauce
Recipe from Allrecipes

Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 teaspoon lemon pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried dill weed
1 teaspoon garlic powder
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons capers, drained and rinsed

Preparation:
1. Season chicken breasts with lemon pepper, salt, dill weed, and garlic powder.

2. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Place breasts in skillet, and increase heat to medium-high. Turn chicken frequently, until brown, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, and cook 5 to 7 minutes, until breasts are cooked through. Remove chicken to a warm serving platter, and cover with foil.

3. Return skillet to stove, and increase heat to high. Whisk in whipping cream, whisking continuously until reduced to sauce consistency, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in capers. Pour sauce over chicken, and serve.

Tine's Notes: The only change I did was use only 2 chicken breasts and 1 tbsp of butter. The amount of seasoning I used was the same and it made for a really tasty chicken breast.

School Lunch menu: Friday = Pizza Day

Remember those days when you would get a printout of the lunch menu for the entire month in elementary school? Every Friday was designated Pizza Day. I have to admit, I actually wasn't so grossed out with school cafeteria food until middle school when almost every meal was drowning in oil *shudders*

Just because I check an older age box now doesn't mean I can't enjoy pizza every once in a while. I just have to watch what's in it... hello pretty pizza.

Ricotta Cheese Pizza
Recipe from Allrecipes



Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter
1 skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized chunks
1 (8 ounce) container ricotta cheese
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 (12 inch) pre-baked pizza crust
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup chopped fresh broccoli
1 (3 ounce) can sliced mushrooms, drained

Preparation:
1. Preheat an oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).

2. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium heat. Cook the chicken in the butter until no longer pink and the juices run clear, 7 to 10 minutes; remove from heat and set aside.

3. Combine the ricotta cheese, 1 tablespoon butter, garlic powder, oregano, salt, and pepper in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in microwave for 1 minute; stir to combine. Spread the mixture over the pizza crust. Scatter the mozzarella cheese evenly over the pizza. Arrange the cooked chicken, broccoli, and mushrooms evenly on top of the pizza.

4. Bake in the preheated oven until the cheese is melted, about 20 minutes.

Tine's Notes: I used homemade pizza crust for this using the bread maker. It irks me to buy that kind of stuff sometimes because of how inconvenient it is to store it unless you plan to use it right away. Really who stocks up on pizza crust? You? Oh sorry then. I always have flour. Also, I used fresh mushrooms and frozen broccoli. I guess we're even then.

Flounder; not Ariel's friend

Sorry that was my favorite childhood movie... and no, I didn't know about the castle. Anyway, to the cooking portion of this show....

I realize many of the dishes I have made include components that are not to be considered healthy: butter (oooh butta), heavy cream... well actually, those two are really the big players I'm taking about. They add an integral part of each dish, I cannot deny them... so this dish is a wonderful change. It includes neither and you will feel a tad healthier after eating this.


Flounder Mediterranean
Recipe from Allrecipes

Ingredients:
5 roma (plum) tomatoes
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 Spanish onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 pinch Italian seasoning
1/4 cup white wine
24 kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
4 tablespoons capers
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
6 leaves fresh basil, chopped
3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 pound flounder fillets
6 leaves fresh basil, torn

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).

2.Bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Plunge tomatoes into the boiling water, and immediately remove to a medium bowl of ice water. Drain, and remove skins. Chop, and set aside.

3. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, and saute onion until tender. Stir in garlic and Italian seasoning. Stir in tomatoes, and cook until tender. Mix in wine, olives, capers, lemon juice, and 1/2 the basil. Reduce heat, blend in Parmesan cheese, and cook until the mixture is reduced to a thick sauce, about 15 minutes.

4. Place flounder in a shallow baking dish. Cover with the sauce, and top with remaining basil leaves.

5. Bake 12 minutes in the preheated oven, until fish is easily flaked with a fork.

Tine's Notes: I reduced this recipe by half since I'm only feeding two and it was the perfect serving size. I used 4 flounder fillets, 2 tomatoes, and left out the kalamata olives. Olives are pretty heavy in sodium and the capers added just the perfect amount to make this dish stand out. Don't skimp on the white wine, I probably added a little more than the 1/4 cup. Simple and delicate, great dinner served over brown rice.

I've already made this twice with some variations (e.g. lime juice instead of lemon, more onions, less tomato, more Parmesan). This recipe was made to be customized for your flavor preference. Have at it!

I haz chiken?

I know, I know. The meme is so played out. Give me a break, I cook all these dishes and I'm supposed to worry about what to title a blog post? Priorities.

To the food!

Chicken Parmesan

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts, skinless and boneless
1/4 c. Italian dressing
1/2 c. plain bread crumbs
2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp basil leaves
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 parsley flakes
1 tsp garlic salt
1/4 c. grated Parmesan
1/2 c. tomato sauce
1/4 c. Parmesan
1/4 c. Mozzarella cheese

Cooking:
1. Dip chicken in Italian dressing. Mix dry ingredients in a bowl except for remaining cheeses and tomato sauce.

2. Bake chicken for 10 mins per side. Generously top with sauce and cheese, cook for another 2 minutes.

Tine's Notes: I used the NuWave oven for this but the HI setting is equivalent to a 350 degree oven so no worries about that. For the mozzarella, I used an Italian blend. And because you can't have too much cheese, I threw in a couple tsps of grated Pecorino Romano. You'll probably need to avoid salt for a bit after this meal.

Also, a couple of days later, I also made Tofu Parmigiana. I warned you I like Italian flavors...

Thing I learned: This dish is entirely too easy to make. Will not be ordering it at a restaurant again. And neither should you.

P.S. I bought a springform pan so be on the lookout for that Mocha Mousse Cheesecake soon. =)~

Da-na da-na

Laugh now, but this is serious stuff. My mother can't eat because of this. Well, she couldn't eat much of it because of the connotation but you get it, right?



My brother went deep sea fishing about a week ago and his spoils came to about, oh I'd say about 25 lbs of black tipped shark meat. I had no idea what to do with all of it let alone how to cook it. Google-fu to the rescue.

What did I discover? There are two options to cook shark: frying and baking. I found this recipe and thought we should get a jump start on consuming this... meat.

Seven Spiced Shark Steak

Ingredients:
3 (8 ounce) shark steaks
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 tablespoons garlic salt
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
2 tablespoons ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chili powder

Cooking:
1. Rinse the shark steaks and trim off any skin.

2. Mix together the soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, garlic salt, thyme, black pepper, and chili powder in a small bowl to form a paste. Spread a thin layer of the soy sauce mixture on both sides of each shark steak. Place on a plate and cover. Allow to marinate in the refrigerator at least 30 minutes.

3. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Arrange the shark on a baking sheet. Bake the shark in the preheated oven until cooked completely through, about 40 minutes, turning the steaks over once, about half-way through the cooking time.

Tine's Notes: Subbed dried thyme for the fresh [who actually has that on-hand all the time?] Shark meat is very clean tasting and not at all fishy like I thought it may be. The spices in this recipe really go all out. You should probably taste it before slathering it on as I did not. Needless to say our sinuses were quite clear after dinner this night. It's quite a kick. [I hear shark tacos are the way to go. Anyone have a recipe or suggestions for more shark recipes? Better yet, anyone want to take some off our hands?]
Seeing as how my mother flips out knowing she is eating shark, brother instructed that I continue to cook it and tell her it's just fish. On it.

Here's a pic: Shark is not pretty.

*NEW Thing I learned: I suck at filleting.

Cream = comfort food

The TV is constantly on at my house. Just think of it as background noise. Don't think less of me, it's usually on the Food Network. Lately, everything that Giada De Laurentiis makes causes this strange sensation.... also known as drool face -> :-)~

Can't help it. She went to Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. I admire that she's a real chef unlike some other people parading around that network.... Anywho, this is one of her recipes from her grandmother.

Nonna Luna's Rice
Ingredients:
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, divided, at room temperature
2 cups parboiled long-grain rice
3 1/2 cups chicken stock
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 clove garlic, smashed
2 pounds small shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 cup lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
1 tablespoon hot sauce
1 cup whipping cream
Freshly ground black pepper

Cooking:
1. In a medium nonstick saucepan, heat 1/2 of the butter and smashed garlic clove over medium-low heat. Remove garlic to another pan to cook with shrimp.

2. Add the rice and cook, stirring frequently, until golden, about 6 to 7 minutes. Add the chicken stock and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer covered for 20 to 25 minutes until the rice is tender and all the liquid is absorbed. Remove the pan from the heat and rest covered for 5 minutes.

3. In a large skillet, melt the remaining butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for 1 to 2 minutes until aromatic. Add the shrimp, lemon juice, and hot sauce. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the shrimp is pink and cooked through. Stir in the cream and heat through. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

4. Using a fork, fluff the rice and arrange on a platter. Spoon the shrimp cream sauce over the rice and serve.

Tine's Notes: I used brown rice for this and the chicken broth really adds the flavor you are looking for. This slightly tart, but creamy sauce is definitely a comfort food. Enjoy!

Bu- boo- Bolognese!

After a friend introduced me to The Pioneer Woman, I've been hooked. You will be too if you have yet to check out her site. It's full of food, home, photography and randomness that I LOVE. I envy her lodge kitchen T  H  I  S much. Maybe more.

Perusing her site will easily suck hours out of my life. Finding this recipe during one of those time warps was definitely worth it.

Entered as Bolognese Sauce in my recipe collection-- it's Pastor Ryan's Bolognese Sauce if you want to get technical. I just know it's dee-li-shous. Look at it, how could it not?


Ingredients:
½ cups Olive Oil
1-½ cup Grated Carrots
1 whole Large Red Onion, Diced
2 pounds Ground Beef
2 Tablespoons Dried Oregano
2 Tablespoons Dried Basil Flakes
1 can (6 Ounce) Tomato Paste
5 cloves Garlic, Minced
1 cup (to 2 Cups) Red Wine
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire
2 cans (28 Ounce) Whole Tomatoes
1 cup Milk
Salt And Pepper, to taste
Fresh Parmesan Cheese

Cooking:
1. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or skillet over medium heat. Add grated carrots and onions and cook for a few minutes. Make a well in the center of the mixture, and then add in the ground beef. Cook for a few minutes until brown, gradually stirring it into the carrot mixture.

2. Throw in oregano and basil. Use fresh if you have it; if you don’t, it’s fine. When the meat is browned and combined with other ingredients, make another well. Add tomato paste and let it heat. Add garlic and stir to combine.

3. Make a well in the center of the mixture and add red wine. Stir together. Add Worcestershire and stir. Add canned tomatoes. Finally, pour in milk, stir, and let simmer for 30 minutes to 2 hours—however long you need.

4. Serve with pasta and a generous sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.

Yields: 8 servings

Tine's Notes: I pretty much followed the recipe exactly. I used dried oregano and basil-- so fragrant! The only major change I made was to use only 1 can of whole tomatoes and 2 quartered fresh roma tomatoes. Also added a dash of sugar to balance out the acidity. Served on whole wheat rotini with grated Pecorino Romano. YUM YUM YUM

Hmmm pie + chicken

That's right, the quintessential home-cooked meal. Chicken. Pot. Pie. I remember the first time I had one at a friend's house down the street. It was of the personal sized pre-frozen variety, but I was so intrigued by this pie that was not a dessert.

Now is the time I have to admit something to you, fair reader(s). Sometimes I cheat. At cooking, I mean. I consider some forms of cooking to be shortcuts and I'm fine with them, other times I just can't conceive doing something like cooking an entire meal in the microwave. I draw the line there. Other than the microwave, I'm not really opposed to exploring other methods. Thus enters... the NuWave oven. Yes, we have one. Ok, fine we have two, but that's a story for another time. Back to the oven-- it takes up a good amount of counter space so I decided that it needed to earn its due if it was going to stay there or be demoted to the bay window sill, or worse, under the counter cabinet. I am not usually the cook who used it so this would be something I needed to do a little research. If you've seen the infomercials, I'm sure you know all the bells and whistles this thing can do. Me? Sort of, I just knew I could cook frozen things in there. Great! Convenient for me! No more thawing!

Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients:
1 (10 oz.) can Campbell's Cream of Chicken Soup
1 1/2 cups frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
1 1/2 cups cubed, cooked chicken
3/4 cup chicken broth combined with 3 tablespoons flour
2 Pillsbury pie shells

Cooking:
1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Mix soup, vegetables (may use fresh vegetables), chicken, and broth. (The mixture should be somewhat thick.)

2. Put mixture into the bottom pie shell. Cover with the top pie crust and crimp to seal. Slice a few vent holes in the top.

3. Bake for 40 minutes or until golden. Cover pie edge with aluminum foil or a pie shield if it begins to brown too quickly.

Tine's Notes: I used Cream of Chicken and Mushroom soup but it tasted just fine. I also added 2 tbsp of milk to make it more creamy. I used fresh carrots, but frozen peas and corn. Variety is good right? Instead of pre-bought shells, I made my own courtesy of Mrs. Fields and only used it to top the chicken and vegetable mixture. And yes, I sure did use the NuWave oven. 35 minutes on high if you need to know. =)

Yields: One 9-inch pie

Crust:
6 tbsp cold unsalted butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 to 3 tbsp ice water

1. With a pastry blender, incorporate the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Toss the mixture with a fork, sprinkling on just enough of the ice water to form a cohesive dough. Flatten the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for 45 minutes. Roll out to an 11-inch circle and fir into a 9-inch pie plate. Trim and crimp edges. 

**This a pic free post. No, I won't be doing it often, I just don't want to steal a pic for this. Just know it didn't take long to eat.

No Gno [cchi]

I knew it had to had to be coming: my first food failure. Collective sigh here. I adore Italian food and carbs even more so gnocchi naturally was on my 'to try' list of dishes. It now has moved to 'try again' list.

Pretty isn't it? Yeah, I didn't make this.

That would be a lunch in Rome. I ate about 3/4 of that in one sitting. If that doesn't scream glutton to you, then we can be friends.

I used this recipe and it came out more like potato porridge than dumpling. I don't even want to show you the aftermath, but I will tell you it tasted pretty damn good but for texture snobs, this would not be ideal. Odd textures don't scare me. My parents trained me well I guess.

The actual dish was Gnocchi with Sage Butter sauce. More like mashed potatoes and sage. Alright reader, you've beat it out of me, I'll share a pic. Be kind.... I promise I'll do better next time.

Feelin' Jamaican mon!

This dish actually says to use a grill pan, but it SMELLS so heavenly it kind of makes you want to grill outside so the neighborhood can envy your dinner. Maybe that's just me. I paired this with a rice dish, but you may want to do something else, lighter, maybe some type of salad.

Jamaican-Spiced Chicken
from Cooking Light Eat Smart Guide

Ingredients:
1/4 cup diced red onion
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp finely chopped and seeded jalapeño pepper
2 tsp cider vinegar [I used apple cider]
2 tsp low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 salt
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp ground red pepper
8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs (about 1 1/2 lbs)
cooking spray

Cooking:
1. Combine first 10 ingredients in a large bowl; add chicken; toss to coat.

2. Heat a grill pan to medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray.  Add chicken to pan; cook for 4 minutes. Turn chicken over; cook for 6 minutes or until done.

Yields: 4 servings (serving size: 2 chicken thighs)

Side dish.... this is turned out a bit mushy, I have a feeling it was because I kept adding more water because I didn't want it to burn [I used brown rice] and we're not the type of people who cook rice in pots. Rice cooker all the way! Next time, I'll be sure to use white and see how it goes. The rice has a mild flavor and really pairs well with spiced dishes.



Rice with Peas (kidney beans)


Ingredients:
3 cups of rice
1 can of tinned or 1 cup of fresh red peas (either kidney beans or pigeon peas)
5 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
1 uncut scotch bonnet pepper (1 jalapeno pepper may be used as a substitute)
3 Scallion (spring onions may be used as a substitute)
1 tin (or one cup) of coconut milk
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of black pepper
2 sprigs of fresh thyme (2 teaspoons of dried thyme may be used as a substitute)

Cooking:
1. Bring seven cups of water to a boil in large pot.
2. Add garlic, kidney beans, coconut milk, rice, pepper and thyme. If using fresh kidney beans, you need to soak them in 3 cups of water overnight and let boil for 40 minutes before adding the rest of the ingredients. [I basically used all the substitutes-- canned kidney beans, jalapeño pepper, spring onions and dried thyme. I'm all for simplifying recipes.]
3. Rice should be done cooking in approximately 40 minutes depending on the type of rice used. Garnish with fresh thyme optional.

  

Baked Falafel with Tzatziki Sauce

So there's this little restaurant I love called Baba's Mediterranean Grill that we frequent. I'm proud to say that the cultural food options have really expanded since I last lived in the area. [Although I have yet to find a decent Thai place.] When eating out, I almost always add it to the mix of options. My family even ate here for my birthday. As much as I like to try new dishes, I like to stick to what I know there-- usually a falafel platter which comes with 2 sides. Ever since, I've been curious about making my own... and for the health conscious, this is great because it is baked and NOT fried like typical falafel.

Baked Falafel

Ingredients:
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup minced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup cilantro leaves (tightly packed)
1/4 cup parsley leaves (tightly packed)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Plain, dried breadcrumbs for forming balls (optional)

Cooking:
1. Preheat oven to 425 F. Combine all of the falafel ingredients except 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the breadcrumbs in food processor.

2. Process the mixture for 10 seconds, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and process for 10 more seconds. The ingredients should be well incorporated but the mixture should still be slightly coarse; go through 1 or 2 more processing cycles to achieve this consistency, if necessary.

3. Divide the mixture into tablespoons and form into a ball. [I ended up with about 15 balls] Lightly roll the falafel balls in plain dried breadcrumbs to help hold them together during baking and placed them on a unlined baking sheet.

4. Brush the falafel balls with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and place them in a 425F oven. Bake the falafel in 4 stages. After 10 minutes, I rotated my baking sheet front to back. After 20 minutes, I used a spatula to flip the balls. After 30 minutes, I rotated my baking sheet front to back again. After 40 minutes, I removed the falafel from the oven.

I served the falafel in pita pockets with the chopped romaine, tomatoes, and tzatziki sauce.


Tzatziki Sauce

Ingredients:
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup sour cream
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill (optional: mint)
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
1 kirby cucumber, peeled and finely diced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a small mixing bowl; stir to incorporate. Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes prior to serving. Taste after chilling and adjust seasonings if necessary.

[This was perfect, I didn't need to add any more salt or pepper.]

And of course, you need pitas... yes, this meal took awhile to make...

Spicy Basil Chicken

I just LOVE this recipe when I'm craving Thai spices. I'm a huge fan of basil, I pretty much want to put it in every dish. Ok, maybe every other. It's divine.

Spicy Basil Chicken

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons chili oil [I used fresh chilis, you can also the garlic chili sauce]
2 cloves garlic
3 hot chile peppers
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into bite-size pieces
1 1/2 teaspoons white sugar
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
5 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 cup fresh mushrooms
1 cup chopped onions
1 bunch fresh basil leaves

Cooking:
1. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, and cook the garlic and chile peppers until golden brown. Mix in chicken and sugar, and season with garlic, salt and pepper. Cook until chicken is no longer pink, but not done.

2. Stir oyster sauce into the skillet. Mix in mushrooms and onions, and continue cooking until onions are tender and chicken juices run clear. Remove from heat, and mix in basil. Let sit 2 minutes before serving.

Shrimp Saté with Pineapple Salsa

Following along with all my dog-eared pages from my newly acquired quick meal cookbook, this was up next. Also, I'm beginning to develop an obsession with fresh pineapple. Is that a problem?

Shrimp Saté with Pineapple Salsa

from Cooking Light Eat Smart Guide

Salsa:
3/4 cup finely chopped pineapple
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1 tbsp minced seeded jalapeño pepper
1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
1 tbsp cider vinegar (I used apple vinegar)
1 tsp honey (I substituted this with a dash of Splenda)

Saté:
2 tbsp chopped fresh mint
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp chili powder
24 ( about 1 1/2 lbs) large shrimp, peeled and deveined
cooking spray
4 cilantro sprigs (for garnish)

Cooking:
1. Prepare grill. (Indoor grill pan once again, today it's rainy)

2. To prepare salsa, combine first 6 ingredients in a medium bowl.

3. To prepare saté, combine mint, juice, salt and chili powder in a large bowl; add shrimp, tossing gently to coat. Thread 3 shrimp onto each of 8 skewers. Place shrimp on grill rack coated with cooking spray (I skipped the skewers and grilled them individually); grill 1 1/2 minutes on each side or until shrimp turn pink. Serve with salsa. Garnish with cilantro sprigs, if desired.

Yield: 4 servings (2 skewers/6 shrimp and 1/4 cup salsa)

Side dish...
Almond Rice Pilaf

Ingredients:
3/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups uncooked instant rice [I used regular long grain white rice]

Cooking:
1. In a saucepan, saute onion and almonds in butter until the onion is tender and the almonds are lightly browned.

2. Add broth; bring to a boil. Stir in rice and cover. Remove from the heat. Let stand for 5-8 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed.

Chicken Saté with Ponzu Sauce and Chinese Napa Cabbage Salad

Decided to get in touch with my Asian side. Hilariously, I mixed Japanese and Chinese influences. Get along, kids.

Chicken Saté with Ponzu Sauce
from Cooking Light Eat Smart Guide

Ingredients:

4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breasts (I used tenders which cuts down on cutting the breasts into smaller pieces later)
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup sake (rice wine)
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 tsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 tsp dark sesame oil
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
cooking spray

Cooking:
1. Prepare grill. (I used a grill pan which worked just fine)

2. Cut each chicken breast half lengthwise into 4 strips. Combine sugar and next 7 ingredients in a small bowl; stir until sugar dissolves. Combine chicken and half of sake mixture in a large bowl. Let stand 10 minutes. Reserve remaining sake mixture.

3. Drain chicken, discarding marinade. Thread 1 chicken strip onto each of 16 skewers. Place chicken on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 2 minutes on each side or until done. Serve with remaining sake mixture.

Yield: 4 servings (4 skewers/person)

Served with a side dish of 
Chinese Napa Cabbage Salad