Ja cię kocham…

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!  Here is a quick peek at the gorgeous table scape courtesy of my beautiful mother, Patti.

Hi, Mom!

My pictures are a little fuzzy and dark because I was making sure to keep an eye on the food.  Post-picture taking, I realized that my lens was covered with steam.  So I apologize for the lack of crisp pictures.  (I am a bit of a perfectionist…)

I am so thrilled to report that dinner was a hit, and I didn’t serve cold macaroni and cheese!  My biggest fear was the timing of all of the food because I didn’t want to serve my loved ones cold ham and crusty macaroni and cheese.  With help from Ma and Papa Zigs, dinner went without a hitch!  Thank you, Ma and Paps!!

Prior to the main meal, I made some “snicky snacks” or as my Polish Poppy used to refer to them as “hordy doors”.  Ja cie kocham, Poppy!!  Miss you.

A cookie display filled with Nigella’s Chocolate Christmas Cookies, shortbread, gingerbread, homemade chocolate covered pretzels, and caramel bites.  I added a little Chocolate Soynut Butter (sadly, I couldn’t find Nutella, but this work just as well) for the shortbread.

Tzatziki made with my Homemade Greek Yogurt served with Crudites lovingly prepared by my sister and Cleanliness is Next to Godliness Food blogger, Emmy.

We also offered piping hot coffee and warmed mulled apple wine.

Here is my hubby, Jay, partaking in the warmed beverage.  Hi, honey!

And here I am just loving life and my 14 year old doggie, Cricket.

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And now for the main course all served on my Nana’s China:

Holiday Glazed Ham prepared by me and Smoked Turkey prepared by Papa Zigs

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Pineapple Filling

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Homemade Scalloped Potatoes made by Mama Zigs

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Simply Baked Macaroni and Cheese

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Cucumber Salad (one of Poppy’s specialties)

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Roasted Carrots and Parsnips with Sage of which I totally forgot to take a picture!

Photo courtesy of www.jewcy.com

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Fresh Cranberry Sauce with Apples and Ginger

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And also – plain green beans for Mom Mom.  She loves her green beans!

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To avoid complete carb-overload, Mom made me a fresh fruit salad.

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And for dessert….

… a semi-homemade ice cream cake!

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Recipes of our Christmas bounty will come in the very near future.   For now, I am going to make a delicious breakfast with the leftovers…

Until we meet again, I again wish you health, wealth, and a big belly from good food!

If I had known all along how easy this was to make, I would have been doing this instead of buying it!   I LOVE Greek yogurt.  I use it in dips, in desserts, and in my baking.  It’s so creamy and full that it makes other yogurt seem weak.  My only issue with Greek yogurt is its expense.  It’s $5 for a teeny container or nearly $2 for a single serving.  I can’t justify that.

Well, I have found a solution.

Are you ready for the easiest recipe of all time (aside from just buying something from the store)??

Homemade Greek Yogurt

Source: Sunny Anderson

Yields 2 1/2 cups

Ingredients:

4 cups plain lowfat yogurt

Directions:

Line a strainer with a paper towel and place the towel-covered strainer on top of a bowl.  You don’t want the bottom of the strainer to touch the bowl.

Pour yogurt into strainer and place in fridge for 7-8 hours or overnight.  When it’s done, the liquid will be in the bowl and you will be left with the delectable Greek yogurt in the strainer.  Please note that the amount of yogurt will reduce, but you will still have plenty to use.  Discard liquid in bowl.

Enjoy!

Hazelnut Pesto and Grilled Vegetable Pizza

I really wasn’t going to post these dishes because pizza and nachos are easy to make, and you don’t need me to tell you how to make pizza or nachos.   But I decided to pay tribute to fun, festive food consumed when I’m watching football with the hubby.

There is nothing better (well, ALMOST nothing better) than piling on the couch in sweatpants and your favorite sports team’s jersey, turning on ESPN and watching the game with real sports food – pizza, nachos, chips & dip, hoagies, etc.

Yes, I said hoagies.  I’m a Philly girl.  It’s not a sub or a hero.  It’s a hoagie.

As much as I love lazy days when I can go less than a mile down the road and order a pizza, nachos, or a hoagie, I also love the days when I can have my favorite sports meals made with a little lovin’ from my own kitchen.  And I use lotsa lovin’.

The pizza in the first picture – we’ll call it Hazelnut Pesto & Grilled Vegetable Pizza – was made using whatever I had in the fridge.  I did this before when I made my Everything But the Kitchen Sink Pizza.  I enjoy these types of recipes because I get to use up all the leftover veggies lingering in my fridge before they go funky on me.  I don’t do funky veggies.  And I get so upset when I have a few slices of bell pepper in the fridge with no purpose.  I can’t just throw it out.  I’ll just put it on my pizza…

Hazelnut Pesto & Grilled Vegetable Pizza

Ingredients:

Pizza dough
olive oil

For the pesto:
2 LARGE handful of basil leaves, stems removed
handful of hazelnuts
1 Tbs. Parmesan cheese
2 tsp. olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

For the toppings:

4 slices of bacon
1/4 cup eggplant, diced
1/4 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup orange bell pepper
1/4 sweet onion, chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, finely minced
your favorite cheese, shredded

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Put all pesto ingredients except for the olive oil into a food processor and start pulsing it.  While pulsing, add the olive oil.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Set aside.

Place a medium skillet on medium-high heat.  Add bacon slices.  Cook until crispy.  Set aside.  Leave drippings in pan.

Still on medium-high, add vegetable toppings (except garlic) to skillet.  Saute for 4 to 5 minutes or until softened.

Roll out your pizza dough on a floured surface and brush lightly with olive oil.  Spread pesto onto pizza surface.  Then add sauteed vegetables, garlic, and cheese.

Place in oven for about 10-15 minutes or until edges brown and cheese melts.

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Ja Cie Kocham’s Loaded Nachos

My family has a thing for nachos.  We’re known to order them as our main meal at a restaurant and eat the whole thing by ourselves.

What?  Nachos are AWESOME.  I bet you do it, too.

Nachos can be zapped in the microwave…. I have seen a few friends put tortilla chips on a plate with salsa and cheese and microwave them for 30 seconds, which is totally acceptable but I wanted some pizazz for these babies.

I wanted the works – the salsa, the fresh tomatoes, the scallions, the avocado, the refried beans, the bacon, the beef, and most importantly THE CHEESE.  I seriously made enough for 8 people for Jay and I, and we almost polished off the entire thing on our own.  I couldn’t breathe when I was done and I was even full the next morning… now that’s what I call loaded nachos!

Ja Cie Kocham’s Loaded Nachos

Ingredients:

1 bag of corn tortilla chips
4 slices of bacon
1 – 1.5 lbs. hamburger
1 15 oz. can refried beans
1 jar chipotle salsa
your favorite shredded cheese
2 plum tomatoes, diced
1 avocado, diced
2 scallions, chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

In a medium skillet placed on medium-high heat, cook your bacon.  Once bacon is crispy, remove it and keep the drippings in the pan.  Add the hamburger.  Cook until brown.

On a large cookie sheet covered in nonstick spray, spread out the nachos.  Add the hamburger, refried beans, salsa and cheese.  Bake for 10 minutes or until refried beans and salsa are hot and cheese is melted.

Crumble up bacon that you have set aside.

Take out of oven and add the remainder of the ingredients, including the bacon that you have reserved.  Serve immediately.

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Other fun recipes for sports watching at home:

Crab-Stuffed Mushrooms

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Hot Bean and Cheese Dip

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Petite Pineapple and Prosciutto Pizzas

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White Bean and Roasted Red Pepper Dip

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Enjoy yourself and give your sports food a little lovin’ from your kitchen…

I love game days.  Saturday for the first time in…oh let’s see… 4 or 5 years, I put on my shin guards, picked up my old stick and stick bag and played some field hockey.  It felt so good to be a part of a team again, and I look forward to playing more and more.  (I just need to get back into shape before I REALLY enjoy it!)

I also love game days at home.  Jay had the picture-in-picture (PIP) on our television so we could watch two football games simultaneously.  Most of this multi-game interest can be attributed to a fantasy football league that someone is participating in addition to our Philadelphia Phillies who were ALSO playing at the same time.  Busy day!  A busy day of sports calls for game day snacks!

One of the snacks that I prepared for my darling sports-junkie husband was this hot and cheesy bean dip.  In 10 minutes I had it on the table with tortilla scoops.  The dip was so amazingly good that I wish that I had made more because between Jay, my sister, and myself, the bowl was completely polished clean!

Next time you have friends over to watch a game, whip up this dip.  It will be a crowd favorite, guaranteed.

Hot & Cheesy Bean Dip

Source: Annie’s Eats

Serves: 6 (or three piggies like the ones in my household!)

Ingredients:
1 Tbs. olive oil
½ onion, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
1 (14.5 oz) can refried beans
2 Tbs. sour cream
¼ tsp. ground cumin
½ tsp. kosher salt
1/3 cup cheddar cheese, in ½-inch cubes
1/3 cup pepper jack cheese, in ½-inch cubes

Directions:
Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Add the onions and jalapeno, and sauté until tender, about 3-5 minutes.

Stir in the refried beans and cook until smooth, stirring occasionally.

Stir in the remaining ingredients and cook until the cheese is melted.  Transfer to a bowl and serve hot.

Jay tells me that I’m a facebook addict.  Apparently I completely zone out and do not hear anything anyone is saying while I’m surfing my friends’ pages.   Sorry, honey.  You know I love you anyway.

Here are some perks to succumbing to online social pages:

1. You find out that dear friends from preschool and elementary school live a quarter mile down the road.  (Hi Christina!)
2. You don’t feel so lonely on lazy Saturday nights because you find out that there are other people staying home, too.
3. You can send out invitations to parties without having to spend a dime.  A simple mass message on FB does the trick… AND it keeps track of who’s coming and who isn’t.
4. People post food that they are making allowing you to be nosey and ask for their recipe.

This leads me to my friend Molly.  I have known Molly since elementary school.  (I even have our 4th grade class picture from Mrs. High’s class…hehehe.)  Well, yesterday on Facebook, she posted that she was making crab-stuffed mushrooms for a family picnic.  CRAB-STUFFED MUSHROOMS!  I immediately asked for the recipe because it just sounded so good.  What makes this recipe even better is how easy it is to make them!  In a matter of minutes, I have these adorable mushrooms on my table and a happy husband with delicious food while watching the Eagles game.

Thank you, Molly!  These are literally the best stuffed mushrooms I have ever had.

Molly’s Crab-Stuffed Mushrooms

Serves 6

Source: My childhood friend, Molly

Ingredients:

24 baby portobella mushrooms, stems removed, and cleaned with a damp paper towel
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
6-8 oz. lump crab meat (sift through it with your fingers to make sure there aren’t any shells)
1 Tbs. Parmesan cheese
1 Tbs. +1 tsp. fresh parsley or dill, chopped
1 tsp. garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
cayenne pepper (optional)
mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray baking sheet with cooking spray.  Place mushrooms on sheet.

In a medium-sized bowl, mix the cream cheese, crab, parmesan, 1 Tbs. dill/parsley, garlic powder, salt/pepper, and cayenne pepper.  Put a generous amount of cream cheese mixture into the cavity of each mushroom.  Add a dash of cayenne pepper and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the mushrooms are hot and water starts to appear on the baking sheet underneath the mushrooms.  Garnish with dill/parsley.  Serve immediately.

I wish I could relive this moment over and over….

Despite the fact that our wedding day has passed, Jason and I continue to create and enjoy memories that are tender, loving, and sweet.

 

One fond memory is this weekend’s feast in celebration of our upcoming anniversary – made from scratch and made from love.

 

As I mentioned in my previous post, we wanted a fun and exciting meal, but we didn’t want to gorge ourselves into utter guilt and discomfort.  Our meal was made from just about all clean ingredients (we did have some wine spritzers!).  Eating clean simply means that you are staying away from processed foods.   Slightly processed items such as spices and extra virgin olive oil are perfectly fine, but the key is staying away from packaged goods with chemicals and scary toxins.

I will be the first to admit that I am not always good at eating clean.  Cake and ice cream just tempt me beyond belief (you know, the kind with all that high fructose corn syrup and “natural flavors”, which are nothing more than chemicals), but just know that it is okay to eat that kind of stuff as a treat every once in a while.  Just don’t make it a daily ritual.

I am reminded of an episode of Oprah I watched last year; a girl in her twenties was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer and was basically handed a death sentence.  She decided that it was not her time, bought a juicer and began consuming loads of fresh fruits and vegetables.  Her clean diet saved her life.  She is now in remission.  REMISSION!!!  Healthy food has power, people!  It saves lives!

Now that I have said my piece, I will step off of my soap box and focus on our anniversary meal ;o) …

Jason and I thoroughly enjoyed our clean meal.  We ate until we were full and an hour later, we felt great!  (Even ready to eat a little more!)   The next day, my little pudgy belly was flatter, and I felt incredible!   Need I say more?!

 

Here is our wonderful pre-anniversary dinner menu with recipes:

Roasted Eggplant Dip with Herb Rubbed Pita

Adapted from: Martha Stewart Living, July 2009

Serves: a hungry crowd

 

Ingredients for Dip:

3 medium eggplants
1 small garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup + 2 Tbs. olive oil
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (the recipe calls for full-fat, but I used non-fat and it turned out well)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from two lemons)
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Chop up eggplant into small chunks.  Place on baking sheet, toss in 2 Tbs. olive oil, and bake for 20 minutes or until browned and tender.

Using a knife, press the flat side of the blade back and forth across the garlic with 1.5 tsp. salt to create a garlic paste.

Add eggplant and garlic into food processor.  Gradually add the remaining olive oil while processing.   Once done with processing, place mixture into a bowl.  Gently stir in yogurt and lemon juice.  Season with salt and pepper.

 

Ingredients for pitas:

1/4 cup finely chopped mint
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
Coarse salt and pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
4-6 pitas, sliced horizontally if thick

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degree F.  Stir herbs together in a small bowl.  Season with salt and pepper.

Rub over pitas, and slice into triangles.

Place on baking sheets and bake for 10-14 minutes until golden brown.

 

 

Pumpkin & Pear Soup

Source: Oxygen Magazine, June 2009

Serves: 4-6

 

Ingredients:

2 Tbs. olive oil
1 chopped onion
1/2 cup fresh ginger, minced
3 pears, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
2 small cans pumpkin puree
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
4 cups chicken broth

 

Directions:

Put first four ingredients in a large soup pot and saute until tender, about 10 minutes.

Stir in remaining ingredients and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Puree in batches in a blender or use a stick blender to blend until soup is smooth.

 

 

Moroccan Chicken and Lentils

Source: The Eat-Clean Diet Cookbook, p. 150

Serves: 12 (we made 4 servings for our meal)

 

Ingredients:

8 cups water
3 tsp. sea salt, divided
1 lb dried lentils, rinsed drained and picked over

1 cup plus 2 Tbs. olive oil
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
3 Tbs. ground cumin, divided
2 Tbsp. plus 2 tsp. chili powder
2 garlic clove, peeled and minced

1 large onion, peeled and chopped
2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken or turkey breast, thinly sliced
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 cup fresh parsley or cilantro

 

Directions:

Combine water and 1 tbs. salt in stock pot over high heat.  Add lentils.  Bring to a boil.  Cover and reduce to medium heat.  Simmer until lentils are soft, about 20-25 minutes.  Drain well.  Rinse under cold water and drain well.  Place in a large bowl and set aside.

In a small bowl, mix 1 cup oil, vinegar, 2 Tbs. cumin, 2 Tbs. chili powder, garlic and 1 tsp. salt.  Pour all but 2 Tbs. of this dressing over lentils.  Toss gently and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat 2 Tbs. oil.  Add onion and saute until well cooked, about 5 minutes.  Onion should appear dark brown and soft.  Add chicken or turkey and saute 2 minutes more.  Add 1 tsp salt, 1 Tbs. cumin, 2 tsp. chili powder and cinnamon.  Saute until chicken/turkey is cooked through.

Arrange lentils on a large serving platter.  Place sliced chicken on top of lentils.  Use any remaining dressing to pour on top.  Sprinkle with chopped parsley.  Serve at room temperature.

 

 

Marinated Zucchini with Mint

Source: Everyday Food, July/August 2009

Serves: 4

 

Ingredients:

3 zucchini, thinly sliced lengthwise
4 Tbs. olive oil
coarse salt and ground pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
1 Tbs. white wine vinegar
2 Tbs. fresh mint

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 475 degrees F.  On two large rimmed baking sheets toss zucchini with 2 Tbs. oil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Roast until tender and brown underneath, about 10-15 minutes.

On a serving platter, sprinkle zucchini with garlic and 2 Tbs. oil and vinegar.  Let stand for an hour.  (If you don’t have time to let it stand, don’t worry about it.  It tastes great served immediately!)

Sprinkle with fresh mint.

If my husband had to survive on anything for the rest of his life (other than Yuengling Lager), it would be chips and salsa.  I buy jars and jars of it per week, and they are gone in a few hours.  We have all types – chipotle, tequila and lime, southwestern – and they are all big hits.  This time I wanted to make something a little different.

We’ve always been big fans of the mango salsa at Costco so I took the fruit salsa to the next level – completely tropical.  It’s bright, it’s colorful, and it’s versatile.  Next time I think I’m going to be even more daring and throw a papaya in this mix.  This salsa was a crowd pleaser, and the recipe yielded PLENTY for a huge group.  If you’re a chips and salsa lover like my man, try this one out.  It’s sure to please.

Tropical Fruit Salsa

Source: Party Food, p. 36

Serves 8-12

Ingredients:

1 pineapple, peeled, cored, and diced
2 mangoes or papayas (or one of each), seeded, peeled, and diced
1-2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
1 fresh red chili, chopped
1 red onion, chopped
2 Tbs. sugar
juice of 2 limes
6 Tbs. fresh mint
salt to taste

Directions:

Combine all the ingredients in a nonmetallic bowl.  Cover and let chill until served.

My apologies for the not so fabulous pictures.  I was making it quick so I could serve them warm.  )

You will quickly notice that the pineapple is making an appearance in the next few postings.  Pineapple adds a subtle sweetness to the most savory dishes, and a little goes a long way.  It worked beautifully in my Stuffed Peppers with Pineapple Rice as it did with these delectable pizzas.

I am going to safely assume that these pizzas are incredibly tasty because no sooner did I have them on the platter, they were gone.   Nope, I didn’t get to taste them!   My family downed them in about 5 minutes or so!

If you’re having a get together and want to make something unique and popular without a lot of effort, I suggest trying this recipe out.  They will be ready in minutes – allowing you to mingle with your guests without have to stress about the food.

Petite Prosciutto and Pineapple Pizzas

Source: Party Food, Paragon Publishing, p. 227 – (One of the $5 cookbooks you can find in Barnes and Noble!)

Serves 8

Ingredients:

4 English Muffins
1/2 cup pizza sauce or marinara sauce
2 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, chopped (mine were dry, so I plumped them up in water over night and then tossed them in oil)
2 oz. prosciutto
2 rings fresh or canned pineapple, chopped (Dole has pineapple tidbits that save you from chopping)
1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped (I omitted this)
4.5 oz. mozzarella cheese thinly sliced
olive oil, for drizzling
salt and pepper
fresh basil leaves, to garnish

Directions:

Preheat your broiler to medium.  Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.  Cut the English muffins in half and toast the cut side lightly.

Spread the tomato sauce evenly over the English muffins.  Sprinkle the sun-dried tomatoes on top of the sauce.

Cut the prosciutto into thin strips and place on the muffins with the pineapple and pepper.

Carefully arrange the cheese slices on top.

Drizzle each pizza with a little bit of olive oil and add salt and pepper to taste.

Place under hot broiler and cook until the cheese melts and bubbles.

Garnish with basil and serve immediately.

Well hello wonderful sandwich that is figure friendly, sweet, and simple.  Thank you for being so incredibly satisfying in that roaring belly of mine.  You make me happy, very happy.   I want to have you on my plate every night for the rest of my life.   Would you mind that?

This cute treat was a spectacularly light and satisfying dinner for Jay and me.  Typically this recipe is for a brunch but it worked well for us as night time.  I always have a huge craving for dessert after dinner but this sammie was nice and sweet and satisfied the Sugar Monster that visits me around 8 o’clock every night.  He looks remarkably similar to the big, hairy, orange Hunger Monster on the Weight Watchers commercials.  Sugar Monster doesn’t bother me all day, but as soon as dinner is over he throws Hershey kisses and ice cream sandwiches at my face.  Crazy monster.  Will you ever leave me be?  Probably not – unless, of course, I eat this sandwich for dinner every night.

Speaking of Weight Watchers, this sandwich is only 3 points (per full slice of bread with topping).  I recommend using the Pepperidge Farm Cinnamon Raisin Bread because it is only 80 calories a slice.  )

Hands-on prep was all of 10 minutes and cook time was as long as your toaster takes to make your toast.

If you’re a mom or dad, Mom-Mom or Pop-Pop, you’re (grand)kids will love these!  They can be cut into hearts, stars, or whatever cookie cutter shape you’ve got!  This recipe reminds me so much of my Mom-Mom and Poppy.   I used to go on summer vacation for a week at a time at their house, and they always made me sliced strawberries mixed with sugar.  Mmmmmm…. I love the fond memories.  This takes me back to the 1980s…

I regret that I didn’t have the required raspberries for this recipe, but I definitely added some lime zest for a kick and some contrasting coloring.

Berry and Cream Cheese Open-Face Sandwiches

Source: Weight Watchers All-Time Favorites Cookbook, p. 75

Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 large strawberries, hulled and sliced
1/2 cup raspberries
1 1/2 Tbs. sugar (I used turbinado)
1/2 tsp. grated orange zest
2 tsp. fresh orange juice
4 Tbs. light cream cheese
2 tsp. honey or agave nectar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
4 slices cinnamon-raisin bread
lime zest for garnish

Directions:

Combine the berries, sugar, orange zest and juice in a small bowl.  Let it sit for 5 minutes (or until sugar dissolves) while stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, combine the cream cheese, honey, and vanilla in another small bowl.

Toast the bread; let cool about 30 seconds.

Spread 1 Tbs. of cream cheese mixture on each slice of bread.  Cut each slice in quarters and top each quarter wtih about 2 tsp. of berry mixture.  Sprinkle with lime zest.  Serve immediately.

So cute!  Enjoy guilt-free!

Couscous is an awesome food.  I have made it several times, and it always comes out perfectly, AND it takes all of 5 minutes.  The person that invented couscous deserves a kiss from all of the busy people around the world…

Normally I just whip up a batch of couscous as is…maybe adding some cheese or something, but last night I decided to try someting a little different.

I was watching Giada at Home on the Food Network, and besides sitting there in complete awe and shock of her enormous house (that I KNOW she doesn’t have to clean), her hot tub, her patio, and her KITCHEN, I was in awe of her couscous cakes.   They looked simple enough, and her recipes always taste good so I decided to give them a try.

And they were pretty fantastic tasting although I had immense trouble keeping the little buggers intact while cooking them.  As I watched Giada make them I remember thinking how messy they looked and how all of a sudden they turned out so perfectly on her plate.  That’s TV for you.  I had to add an extra egg and some bread crumbs for a more suitable stickiness, and they still somewhat fell apart.   I think it’s because I used more couscous than the recipe called for.  It didn’t stick together with one egg and one yolk.   No worries, though.  It was my oversight, and they still tasted great!

Couscous Cakes

Source: Giada at Home

Yields: 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked couscous, prepared according to package instructions and cooled
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 lemon, zested
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup mild mango chutney – (I used my Homemade Pineapple Chutney)

Directions:

In a medium bowl, mix together the couscous, cilantro, egg, egg yolk, coriander, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture. Mix until combined.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Form 1/4 cupfuls of the mixture into 8 patties. Add 4 of the patties to the pan and cook for 3 to 4 minutes each side until golden. Drain on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining couscous mixture.

Serve the couscous cakes with mango or pineapple chutney.