My Twist on Spinach Salad

Ingredients:

1 Packet of baby Spinach
1 can Beetroot, round slices
1 red onion
2 Avocados, ripe
1/2 cup of frozen edamame, beans only
Handful of parsley, roughly chopped
Toasted shredded almonds
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup white vinegar

Dressing:

1/4 tsp Honey
1/4 tsp Dijon Mustard
1 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
2 tbsp Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

Method:

- Clean and wash the baby spinach
- Cut beetroot rounds into halves, discard the liquid
- Cut the red onion into thin slices, julienned, then place in a bowl and pour the vinegar on top of it. set it side until assembling the salad.
- Cut the avocado into cubes and cover them with lemon juice to avoid them going brown
- In a big bowl arrange the salad ingredients by starting with the spinach leaves on the bottom, topped with the beetroot.
- Add the onions without the vinegar.
- Add the avocado, then the frozen edamame.
top the salad with the chopped parsley and toasted almonds.
- Add the dressing when serving and mix.

Homemade Pita Chips.. Twice the fun!

Those are easy chips to make at home for any dip..
It goes great with my Homemade Guacamole Dip or my Homemade Beetroot Dip.




Chips #1: you will need:


2-3 Thin Pita Breads cut into small triangles.
Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
Olive Oil
Dried Oregano


- Place the triangles of pita bread on a baking tray & drizzle them with a a little bit of olive oil.
- Sprinkle the pita bread with the parmesan cheese & oregano.
- Bake them in a preheated oven for around 10 to 15 minutes or until they are crispy.

Chips #1

Chips #2: you will need:


2-3 Pita Breads cut into small triangles 
A Griddle Sandwich Maker

Chips #2

- Place the triangles on the griddle sandwich maker and close it on them to create the grill marks effect.

Homemade Guacamole Dip .. with a Tip!

Ingredients:


4 Ripe Avocados ( Reserve 1 avocado, chopped to add towards the end for chunkiness)
2 tbsp Sour Cream 
3 tbsp Lemon Juice + 1 tbsp Lime Juice (Optional)
Few drops of Tabasco Sauce (Optional)
2&1/2 Ripe Tomatoes, Seeded & Chopped (Reserve 1 tomato, chopped to add later for chunkiness)
Handful of Chopped Spring Onions
Handful of Finely Chopped Coriander
Sea Salt to taste
1 Fresh Red Chili (Mild), Seeded & Finely Chopped


Method:


- In a food processor, throw in 3 avocados, 1 tomato, and the red chili and pulse.
- Add the spring onions & coriander and pulse again.
- Add the sour cream and a good pinch of salt and taste. Pulse for the last time.
- Remove the mixture from the food processor and add the remaining chopped avocados & tomatoes for chunkiness.  
- Season with more sea salt and lemon & lime juice until you reach the desired taste.
- Add the Tabasco and mix well.
- Serve with Tortilla chips or homemade pita chips.


Tip 1: To keep the guacamole bright green and avoiding that bad browning from oxidizing, keep one of the avocado seeds in the dip and add enough lemon or lime juice.


Tip 2: To keep the guacamole in the fridge for a few days without it changing color and oxidizing, put it in a Tupperware and put a direct cling wrap (plastic wrap) on the guacamole dip and let it stick to it to block air and then close it with the lid.


Enjoy!

Homemade Beetroot Dip ..

This Bright Pink Dip has lovely flavor, easy to make and full of healthy goodness!

Ingredients:

2 Large Beetroot, peeled

1 clove of garlic, minced

1&1/2 Sour Cream container or Yogurt

1 tbsp fresh mint, chopped

1 tbsp apple vinegar

2 tbsp Olive Oil

1&1/2 Lemon Juice - or more according to taste

Method:

Boil the beetroot until tender.

Wash under cold water.

Grate the beetroot into a sieve on a bowl to drain all the water. Leave it for 5 minutes to drain well.

In another bowl, combine the garlic, mint and beetroot.

Add the sour cream, olive oil, vinegar & lemon juice and taste until you reach the desired taste and flavor. (I like it sour)

Stir well and combine. could be refrigerated for a couple of days and the flavors intensifies because of the lemons.

Serve with triangles of oven baked pita bread ! Yum!

Nigella's Ritzy Chicken Strips.. An Easy Lunch or Dinner..

This practically took minutes to prepare and a few more minutes to cook. But needs a couple of days for it to be ready, so prepare them a day in advance. If you have kids, they will love this recipe and grownups do too! I tried this Nigella Lawson easy breezy recipe accompanied by homemade Honey Mustard Sauce.. tastes sooo good!

Ingredients:

2 Packets of boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup buttermilk (Leban) - I prefer KDD because it's think and creamy
20 pieces of Ritz cracker crushed to form bread crumbs


Method:


. Put the chicken breasts into a freezer bag flat.
. Bash them gently with a rolling pin until the chicken is quite thin.
. Once done, take them out of the bag and slice them.
. In a bowl, place the butter milk and chicken and leave then in the fridge to marinade for 24 hours atleast.
. When ready to cook, prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven.
. Take the bread crumbs and place them in a shallow dish to coat the chicken.
. Take the chicken out of the fridge, take each piece, shake off the excess buttermilk and dip them in the crumbs.
. Coat them well and lay them on the baking sheet, bake for 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown. and Voila !!!!

Dinner is served! ... or lunch ;)

Earthy .. Lovely .. Cream of Eggplant Soup.

Ingredients:


Couple of eggplants, grilled, peeled, & cut into cubes.
1 Onion roughly chopped
1 Potato roughly chopped - preferably small pieces so it cooks faster
1/2 cup KDD cream - or Creme Fraiche if available
1 tbsp Flour
a little bit of butter
Olive Oil
2 cups Chicken stock
Salt & Pepper
1 tsp Ground caraway
a little bit of Nutmeg
Finely chopped parsley for garnish


Method:


- In a medium size pot, start off with the olive oil and butter and let the butter melt.
- Add the chopped onions and the salt to help it sweat and soften.
- In goes the garlic and pepper and mix well.
- While stirring, add the flour and mix well so it doesn't burn at the bottom of the pot.
- Add the chopped potato and mix all together well, then add the caraway.
- Add the chopped eggplants to the mixture and stir for 3 minutes then add the chicken stock.
- Leave the mixture to simmer for 30 minutes and bring it to a boil.
- Transfer the mixture to a blender and ladle in half of the soup so it doesn't fill up the blender.
- Transfer the bended soup into a new pot and ladle the rest to blend.
- Add the other blended amount of mixture into the new pot and put it on the stove again.
- Add the cream and mix.
- Add the nutmeg and a little bit more caraway for taste.
- Finely pour into a soup dish and garnish with finely chopped parsley. 




P.S. Salt should be added in moderation because the chicken stalk is already salted.

Zucchini, Yellow Squash & Potato Gratin

A new recipe.. I had a craving for Zucchini & Summer squash, it's healthy & tasty.. So I decided to browse through my recipes in search for a nice recipe that combines both of those ingredients. 
I came across many recipes but this particular one caught my attention because it included potatoes.
I tried it as a side dish for lunch, next to grilled chicken and a crisp green salad. It turned out lovely and delish!!

Ingredients:


1 packet of KDD cream or 1 cup of heavy cream
1/2 cup breadcrumbs 
2 Potatoes, sliced
4 Small Zucchini (Courgette), thinly sliced
1 large summer squash sliced
3 tbsp Butter 
2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
1 small onion, sliced
Salt & Black Pepper
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese
1/4 cup Mozzarella Cheese


Method:


Prepare the oven by reheating at 400 degrees. Set aside until needed.
On the stove, medium heat, in a large skillet, melt the butter.
Add all the vegetables to the butter, saute & stir.
Add the salt & Pepper according to taste.
Cook the veggies until tender while stirring slowly and carefully.
Add the cream and cook for 5-7 minutes until it thickens.
Once cooked, remove from the stove and place in a Pyrex or a baking dish.
Sprinkle the breadcrumbs on top of the mixture and the Parmesan & Mozzarella cheese.
Bake this dish for 25 minutes to cook, then turn on the broiler for 5 minutes until it gets golden on top.


Enjoy !!

Oktoberfest Bavarian Potato Salad - Recipe Trial # 1

After my visit to Munich, Germany last year,I fell in love with the city and with Germany all over again, for many different reasons. The food, the atmosphere, the people and my wonderful travelling partner :)
The food was just terrific, one of the special things I have tried was their Bavarian Potato Salad. I fell in love with it immediately, such a hearty and lovely dish, accompanied by grilled chicken and your favorite beverage :P

I'm trying out several recipes to find the perfect one, this is my first trial, it turned out nice and light, in terms of the dressing. I give it a 4 star.. but that's only in my book, try it out and see what you think.. Enjoy !

Ingredients:

3-4 Medium white potatoes
1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil EVOO
1/3 cup white Vinegar
1/2 Vegetable or Chicken Stock
3 tbsp finely chopped onions
Salt & Pepper
Dash of Sugar
3/4 cup diced cucumbers
1/2 tbsp Dijon Mustard
1 tbsp finely Chopped Chives - I bought a fresh plant from TSC
2 tbsp Relish

Method:

1- In a large pot filled with water and some salt, boil the unpeeled potatoes until tender.

2- Once done, drain the potatoes, peel them and chop them, then place in a large bowl.

3- In a separate smaller bowl, combine all of the following ingredients: Oil, Vinegar, Onion, S&P, Stock, Sugar, Mustard, Cucumber & Relish. The mix it well to form the dressing.

4- Pour the dressing over the peeled and chopped potatoes and gently mix them together.

5- Garnish the salad with chives.

Cucumber & Yogurt Dip

Ingredients:

- 3 pieces of seedless cucumber

- 1 cup plain yogurt

- 1 cup water

- salt

- juice of 1 lemon

Method:

- In a bowl, grate the cucumber or chop into small pieces.

- Add yogurt & water and mix well until blended.

- add salt and lemon juice according to taste.

- Serve with oozie, falafel or as a dip for any other dish.

Fried Calamari with mixed greens

Serves 4


Ingredients:

2 teaspoons oil
500g calamari rings
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon sweet chilli sauce
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon water
12 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cucumber, seeded and sliced
1 red onion, sliced
1/4 cup small mint leaves
1/4 cup coriander leaves
3 onions (shallots), sliced
1 tablespoon thinly sliced lemongrass
radicchio leaves, to serve


Method:

In a wok, heat the oil. Stir-fry the calamari for 1 minute.

Add the lemon juice, sauces and water. Stir-fry for 2 minutes, until calamari is cooked and tender.

Transfer the calamari with sauce to a bowl and toss through remaining ingredients.

Serve on a bed of radicchio leaves.


Enjoy..

Oriental Salad ~ Chinese

Ingredients:

capellini pasta, cooked, drained
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, grilled, thinly sliced
2 carrots, thinly sliced
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup bean sprouts
1/4 cup red peppers, finely chopped
1/2 cup oriental sesame dressing
2 green onions, sliced


Method:

Toss all ingredients except dressing and onions in large bowl. Add dressing; mix lightly.

Sprinkle with the green onions.

Enjoy...

Low-fat Caesar Salad ~ Diet

Ingredients:

1 head of lettuce, washed and Dried
1 cup low-fat mayonnaise (I prefer Hellman's)
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 cup sugar substitute (equal or sweet'n low)
1/4 cup water
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon mustard
garlic croutons


Method:

Wash and thoroughly dry the Romaine lettuce.

Cut the lettuce in pieces and set aside.

Place all ingredients in plastic bowl and beat together.

Add lettuce leaves, tossing to coat thoroughly.

Arrange on two dinner plates and garnish with garlic croutons.


Enjoy...

Tuna & Potato Salad

Serves 6


Ingredients:

500g small potatoes
olive oil for coating
250g cherry tomatoes
200g green beans, topped and tailed
200g tuna in olive oil, drained
1 large bunch of basil

For the dressing:

2 shallots, finely diced
3 tablespoons white vinegar
2 tablespoons grainy mustard
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
7 tabelspoons extra virgin olive oil


Method:

- Gently cook the potatoes in their skins in a pan of simmering water for 20 minutes.
- Heat the oven to 200°C.
- Lightly brush a baking tray with olive oil.
- Toss the cherry tomatoes in the oil to coat them and roast in the hot oven for 10 minutes.
- Put the dressing ingredients, except the oil, into a jar with a tight fitting lid and shake until well blended. Then add the olive oil and shake vigorously again.
- Drain the potatoes, cut them in half and place in a salad bowl.
- Pour the dressing over and toss to coat the warm potatoes. Plunge the green beans into boiling water and cook for 2 minutes. Drain well and add, warm, to the potatoes.
- Flake and add the tuna along with the tomatoes straight from the oven, and gently mix.
- Tear up the basil, scatter it over the Tuna Salad and serve at once.

Enjoy...

Satay Chicken ~ Thai

Ingredients:

6 Chicken breast halves boned, skinned and cut into strips

To marinade it:

1 tablespoon Light brown sugar
1 tablespoon Curry powder
2 tablespoons Crunchy peanut butter
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
Crushed dried chile peppers


For the peanut Sauce:

2/3 cup crunchy peanut butter
1&1/2 cups Coconut milk
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon fresh ginger root, grated
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup heavy cream
Cayenne pepper
Grated lime zest
Fresh cilantro sprigs


Method:


- For the marinade, combine the brown sugar,curry powder, peanut butter, soy sauce, lime juice, garlic and chile peppers in a shallow dish.

- Thread the chicken strips onto bamboo skewers, place the skewers into the soy sauce mixture and let it marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.

- Make the peanut sauce by combining the peanut butter, coconut milk, lemon juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger and garlic in a saucepan. Season to taste with cayenne pepper.

- Cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until the sauce is as thick as heavy cream (about 15 minutes).

- Transfer to a food processor or blender and puree briefly. Add chicken broth and cream and blend until smooth. This mixture can be made several hours ahead and stored in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before serving.

- preheat a broiler.

- Cook the skewered chicken, turning several times and basting with the marinade, until crispy on the outside but still moist on the inside, about 8 minutes.

- Sprinkle grilled chicken with lime zest and garnish with cilantro leaves. Serve with the peanut sauce as a dip.


Enjoy...

Mushroom & Parsley Couscous

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup sliced button mushrooms
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup couscous
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons chicken broth or water
2 tablespoons minced parsley
Salt and pepper, to taste


Method:

In a saucepan, heat the oil and add the mushrooms and a pinch of salt. Sauté for 3 minutes, stirring often.

Add the couscous, broth, parsley and salt and pepper. Stir and bring to a boil.

Remove from the heat and cover. Let mixture sit 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve hot.


Enjoy...

Balsamic Mushrooms

Ingredients:

1 diced red onion
2 cups any type of mushrooms
1 Garlic clove
3 tabelspoons Balsamic vinegar

3 tablespoons pomegranate juice concentrate
olive oil
Thyme
Basil
parsley
a little bit of lemon juice

Method:

Place a pan with olive oil in it on medium to high heat.

Saute the onions for 2 minute or until they're soft and alittle golden.

Add the garlic and saute for 1 more minute.

Add the mushrooms, balsamic, pomegranate juice, lemon juice, thyme, basil and parsley.

Lower the heat and cover the pan.

Cook for 7-12 minutes or until the mushrooms have turned brownish and soft.


Enjoy...

Gather around .. Chips & Dips

Chips

Yields: 8 dozen chips


Ingredients:

1/2 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 package white or whole wheat pita bread


Method:

1. Preheat oven to 425° F. In a liquid measuring cup, with fork, mix oil, Parmesan, chili powder, and cumin.

2. With knife or kitchen shears, carefully split each pita. Brush insides of pita halves lightly with oil mixture. Cut each half into 8 wedges.

3. Transfer wedges to 2 ungreased large cookie sheets (wedges can overlap slightly). Place cookie sheets on 2 oven racks and bake chips 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are golden. Watch carefully, as they can burn quickly.

4. Cool chips on cookie sheets on wire racks. Store chips in tightly covered container or large self-sealing plastic bag up to 1 week.



DIP


Ingredients:

1 package frozen chopped spinach
1 envelope dried vegetable recipe-and-soup mix
2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
2 green onions, cut up
1 cup light mayonnaise
1 container reduced-fat sour cream
1 jar sliced pimientos, drained
1 tablespoon cider vinegar


Method:

1. Remove frozen spinach from package. In microwave-safe medium bowl; heat block of frozen spinach in microwave oven on High 1 minute. Break up spinach with fork, then heat 30 to 45 seconds longer or just until spinach is mostly thawed but cool enough to handle. With hands, squeeze spinach to remove excess water. Pour off any liquid in bowl; return spinach to bowl.

2. From envelope of vegetable soup mix, measure 3 tablespoons dried soup mix, making sure to incorporate all soup ‑- mix components if possible. Reserve remaining soup mix for use another day.

3. In food processor with knife blade attached, combine spinach, dried soup mix, Cheddar, green onions, mayonnaise, sour cream, pimientos, and vinegar; pulse just until mixture is almost smooth. If not serving dip right away, cover and refrigerate up to 3 days. Serve with vegetables.


Enjoy...

Healthy Vegetable Soup ~ Diet

Serves 8


Ingredients:

3 medium zucchini, sliced
2 medium carrots, sliced
10 mushrooms, sliced
1 medium onion, sliced
1 potato, peeled,cut into 1-inch pieces
3 cans vegetable broth
3 cups canned crushed tomatoes, with added puree
1 can stewed tomatoes
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
additional chopped fresh parsley


Method:

- Combine zucchini, carrots, mushrooms, onion and potato in heavy large Dutch oven.

- Add vegetable broth, crushed tomatoes, stewed tomatoes, 3 tablespoons parsley, cilantro, garlic, basil and oregano.

- Bring mixture to boil.

- Reduce heat, cover and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.

- Strain cooking liquid into large saucepan; reserve vegetables.

- Place 3 cups vegetables in blender. Add 1/4 cup cooking liquid. Puree until smooth.

- Stir puree into remaining cooking liquid in saucepan. Return remaining vegetables to cooking liquid.

- Season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring soup to simmer. Ladle into bowls. Sprinkle with additional parsley.



Tip:

Can be prepared 5 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.

Chicken Tandoori Salad

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 Cup yogurt
2 Teaspoons garam masala powder
1 Teaspoon ground ginger
1 Teaspoon minced garlic
1 Teaspoon ground turmeric
1 Teaspoon coarse salt
1 jalapeno chile, stemmed seeded, and finely minced (optional)
1&1/2 Pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, gently flattened and cut into strips
1 small head shredded lettuce, (3 cups)
1 small head shredded red cabbage, (3 cups)
6 large diced tomatoes, (3 cups)
1 sliced radishes, (1 cup)
1 large sliced cucumber, (2 cups)
1&1/2 white turnip (optional)
1 scallions, minced
1 Cup cilantro leaves, finely chopped
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
Juice of 2 to 3 small lemons


Method:

- Prepare the marinade: In a medium bowl combine yogurt, garam masala, ginger, garlic, turmeric, salt, and jalapeño, if using.

- Add chicken and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate while preparing salad.

- In a large bowl, toss together lettuce, cabbage, tomatoes, radishes, cucumber, scallions, white turnip(optional), and cilantro; set aside.

- Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken along with the marinade and cook, stirring, until the chicken is just cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes.

- Transfer chicken and pan juices to salad mixture and toss to combine. Drizzle with lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine.


Amazing...

Mushrooms Provencale ~ French

Ingredients:

3 tablespoon Olive oil
1 bunch Parsley chopped
1 pound Mushrooms
1/4 cup Bread crumbs
2 cloves Garlic
1/2 Lemon juiced


Method:

1. Crush the garlic , add the parsley and combine.
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet.
3. Add the mushrooms, salt, and cook for 5-10 minutes over high heat, tossing constantly, until mushrooms lose and reabsorb their moisture.
3. Add the parsley and garlic, stir, add the lemon juice, stir.
4. Toss with breadcrumbs and pepper,

Yummy..