Ja cię kocham…

Where do you get your cookbooks?  Do you search solely online?  When you travel to different states or countries do you add a cookbook to your collection? What makes a cookbook standout to you?

Personally, I love cookbooks that have pictures to go with every recipe.  A drab book of food with no pictures will not grab my attention.  Bookstores like Barnes and Noble or Borders and craft stores like Michael’s or A.C. Moore tend to have bargain bins.  And in these bins or on these shelves are TONS of cookbooks filled with vibrant pictures and incredible recipes.  I have been known to find these cookbooks for $1 each at a craft store or for $4 at Barnes and Noble.  I venture upstairs to the more expensive cookbooks but they just don’t have the pictures that I want.  I like to see the dish.   From appetizers to world cuisine, I can find just about any type of cookbook in the bargain bin.  Next time you are at a bookstore, grab a cup of coffee and go perusing in the bargain section.  It’s amazing what you will find.

This recipe comes from one of my bargain cookbooks, and I’m very excited to share it with you.  Oh, and it’s on sale on amazon.com for $0.23!!!  Click the link below to get this steal.  It’s a fabulous cookbook!

Florida Keys-Style Citrus Chicken

Source: Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens Big Book of 30-Minute Dinners, p. 59

Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 medium skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 or 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 Tbs butter and/or olive oil
1 tsp. lime zest
2 Tbs. fresh lime juice
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 orange

Directions:

Rinse chicken; pat dry.  In a large skillet cook chicken and garlic in butter/oil over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes or until chicken is tender and cooked through.  During this time, make sure to stir the garlic occasionally while flipping the chicken once.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine lime zest, lime juice, ginger, and red pepper.

Peel and slice orange, reserving juice.  Cut orange into quarters.  Add orange juice to the lime juice mixture.  Place juice into skillet and place orange slices on top of chicken.   Cook, covered, for 1 to 2 minutes or until the oranges are heated through.

Spoon drippings over chicken to serve.  Sprinkle lime and orange zest on chicken for garnish.

*I served my chicken on top of Israeli couscous.

Alright, Philadelphians – I initially wrote “hoagie” in the title but for some reason “sub” was a better fit.  I really want to put hoagie in there given my Philly roots, but it didn’t work.   I just don’t ever see a Philly Deli offering Roasted Red Pepper HOAGIES.  Hoagies are loaded with meats, cheeses, oil, mayo, hot and sweet peppers…. this just isn’t a Philly sandwich.  But feel free to call it a hoagie if it makes you feel better – it tastes just as good. )

This sandwich is great for picnics because the goat cheese lasts a long time in your picnic basket.  Simply wrap it in wax paper and you’re on your way!   It’s also great when you want to have a sophisticated and unique meal at your home without all of the fuss or stress that large and time consuming meals bring about.  Like many of my recipes, this one takes minutes.  You gotta love that!   It goes great with a side salad filled with nuts and dried fruit.

Be creative.  Use this recipe as a template for your own creations.  Add grilled eggplant, portabella mushrooms, chicken… anything to make this sandwich to your liking!  Have fun and enjoy.

If you like this sandwich, check out my Grilled Vegetable, Herb, and Goat Cheese Sandwich!

Roasted Rainbow Pepper Sub

Slightly adapted from: Eatingwell.com

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1 12-ounce jar roasted red, orange and/or yellow peppers, rinsed
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbs. red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
Pinch of salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1 16- to 20-inch baguette, preferably whole-wheat
3 tablespoon olive paste or olive tapenade – or pulse black olives with olive oil and salt in your food processor
4 ounces creamy goat cheese
1 1/2 cups arugula or spinach leaves
1 container of baby portabella mushrooms, sliced and sauteed in olive oil (5 minutes or so)

(PS – this sub is 220 calories per serving!!)

Directions:

Combine peppers, garlic, vinegar and oil in a small bowl; toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper.  (**Note: go easy on the garlic and vinegar.  A little goes a loooong way!)

Slice baguette in half lengthwise.

Spread one half with olive paste and the other half with goat cheese.

Layer pepper mixture, mushrooms, and arugula over olive paste.

Top with remaining baguette. Cut across into 4 pieces.

I often find myself wrestling with my cravings and my energy level especially around dinner time.  Currently, my husband and I are a little unconventional in the sense that we eat so stinking late at night.   I get home from work at the earliest around 6:30, which means I normally don’t start cooking until close to 7.  You see, I immediately need to take Noodles out, come in and change into sweat pants.  I cannot relax or start my evening before the sweat pants are on and the make-up (if I have any on) is off.  It just a personal preference.  If I am in my home I must be in comfy clothes.    Needless to say, an early dinner for us is 7:30.  Eeks!

This means that both of us are pooped and don’t feel like cooking and cleaning the dishes.  I mean, come on, most of you (I hope) at 8-8:30 are DONE with dinner and DONE with the dishes.  We even have nights when it’s 9pm and we’re JUST sitting down for dinner.  Scary thought.

This meal is simple, it’s quick, and light.  By 9pm I’m STARVING but do not want to stuff my face with heavy food or put the effort into a large meal.  Now you see where the wrestling comes in??  I’m very hungry but very blah.  These are the evenings that I fantasize about my dream kitchen and dining room with my dream personal chef.  I come home with the candles lit, soft music playing, dinner ready, dishes done.  *Sigh*  Maybe in my next life ;o)

Well this meal is a good as it gets for late night dinners that have to be prepared by you or your spouse.  Light cooking, light meal, light cleanup.

This dish goes great with rice or spaghetti – or on its own!

Baked Shrimp and Mozzarella

Adapted from Annie’s Eats

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

1 tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes, with juices
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1 tbsp. minced fresh basil or 1 tsp. dried basil
1 to 1 1/4 lbs. medium raw shrimp, peeled and deveined (thawed if frozen)
Salt and pepper, to taste
3 oz. mozzarella cheese (about 2/3 cup, crumbled)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the onions and cook until soft, 3-5 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds more.

Add the tomatoes and bring to a simmer.  Reduce the heat and let the sauce simmer for 5-10 minutes, until the juices thicken a bit.  Remove the sauce from the heat, and stir in the herbs, shrimp, mozzarella cheese, and salt and pepper to taste.

Transfer to a baking dish, if desired, add more cheese to top, and bake until the shrimp are cooked through, about 10-12 minutes.

Serve immediately.

Omigosh, I know – it’s chicken!  We all thought that I was vegetarian!!!  I didn’t eat meat for MONTHS.  I was absolutely appalled by the thought of meat.  But the truth be told, I’m anemic, and months without adequate iron and protein left me exhausted.  I seriously thought that I had mono again.   Despite all of the multi-vitamins, leafy greens, and other supplements that I was consuming to compensate, I still felt like I was hit by a large truck every single morning.  It got to the point that no matter how gross I thought that meat was, my body craved it.  I fought it for a while, but eventually caved in.  I’m sorry vegetarians and vegans.  I knew deep down that this wasn’t permanent.  I just didn’t know how long my meat-free ways would last.   I still prefer vegetarian meals, and I always have, but if my body screams for meat, I will give my body meat.  And let me tell you, the day after I finally ate meat for the first time, I seriously felt like a million bucks!  I went and ran for an hour.  Fantastic.

Anyway… I was flipping through my Eating Clean magazine and came across a winner.  Long ago, I made an Eat Clean Pad Thai and was not too fond of it, but these two recipes were awesome!!  I’m so glad that I tried them.

Fresh after work on a day that my students were screaming, kicking their peers, and jumping in puddles in their socks in front of their mothers, I needed a real meal.  (And a real drink.)

Here it is!  The meal was perfect for the day that I felt that wouldn’t come to an end ;o)

Stuffed Chicken & Sweet Chile Roasted Vegetables

Source: Eat Clean Magazine July/August 2009

Serves 4

Chicken Ingredients:

Olive oil spray
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 cup fresh spinach, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 roma tomatoes, seeded, cored and diced
2 Tbs. bread crumbs
4- 4 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breats, pounded thin (I found chicken breasts cut thinly at the market that avoided this step)

Chicken Directions:

Heat a large nonstick or cast orin skillet over medium-high heat for 2 minutes.  Mist with cooking spray and add onion, garlic, spinach, and tomato.  Saute for 5 minutes or until just cooked.  Remove from heat and mix in breadcrumbs.

To stuff chicken:

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat again for two minutes.

Place 1.5-2Tbs. veggie-breadcrumb mix in the middle of each chicken breast.  Fold chicken over filling and secure with toothpick.

Mist skillet with cooking spray.  Place stuffed chicken into skillet and cook for 3-4 minutes per side or until golden brown.

Sweet Chile Roasted Vegetables:

Source: Eat Clean Magazine July/August 2009

Serves 4

Roasted Vegetables Ingredients:

2 Tbs. agave nectar (or honey)
2 tbs. water
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar (if you have white balsamic, use that)
1/2 tsp. chile powder (I used chipotle chile powder, YUM)
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp. each of salt and pepper
1 medium head of cauliflower
24 pieces thin asparagus, ends trimmed
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise

Roasted Vegetables Directions:

Preheat oven or toaster oven to 400 degrees F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a small bowl whisk together all ingredients except for veggies.  Set aside.

Cut cauliflower into florets about 1 inch in size.  Place them into a large mixing bowl, add half of marinade to bowl and toss gently.  Arrange cauliflower in a single layer onto one baking sheet.  Using the same mixing bowl, repeat with remainder of veggies, arranging them in a single layer on the other baking sheet.

Place veggies into oven and rost for 12-15 minutes, until tender or a light goldern brown color.  Serve immediately.

The only credit that I can take for this recipe is the basil on top and the steamy photo.  (I forgot to wipe off my camera lens, which has caused the steamy/smoky effect in the picture!)

I came home from work last week to find dinner piping hot on the table.   I plopped right in the chair, gave thanks, and DUG IN!   I am one lucky girl!!  Thank you, Sweetheart!!

What makes me even more lucky is how considerate this meal is because it’s from one of my Weight Watchers magazines.  My amazing talented, smart, and gorgeous sister is getting married next year, and we have to be fitted for our bridesmaids dresses in August.  Yep, I have a deadline.  The flabbie must go!   Needless to say, I have some weight to lose to get back into my running 5-6-7 miles a day, every day college bod (was I nuts???), so starting NOW I have to be careful about what I eat.  I have 3 months.  I can do it.  I hope… ;o)

This meal took as long to prepare as it does to boil your pasta.  Not to bad, huh?  Plus, it involves basic ingredients that most of us have in our cabinets.

Thank you, Jay for this wonderful meal! <3

Jay’s Tuna Pasta

Source: Weight Watchers Magazine, May/June 2009, p. 100

Serves 2

5 points/1.5 cup serving

Ingredients:

3 cups whole wheat pasta
28-oz. can diced tomatoes
4 tsp. olive oil
1 Tbs. minced garlic
2 5-oz cans solid white tuna in water, drained
Salt to taste
Basil, to garnish (optional)
Red pepper flakes (optional)

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile, placed diced tomatoes, oil, and garlic in a large skillet and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in cooked pasta and tuna.

Season with salt, top with basil and red pepper flakes.

It’s that simple!

I discovered this Godsend in college.  I struggle with meal-making decisions because I want something light but I want something that fills me.  Normally an hour after a light meal I’m already hungry, and I end up snacking my face off until bedtime.  Yeah, I know.  The light meal was pointless if I am going to snack all night. )

But then my Mom came to the rescue with a fantastic recipe.  It was fantastic in so many ways.  Being young, I didn’t really know how to cook, but this recipe looked simple enough.  It was fantastically inexpensive, which was great because I worked in the school library for pennies.  And all in all, spaghetti squash is simply a fantastic vegetable.  It has all the qualities of pasta without all the pasta.  Make sense?  You could fill up on this stuff, eat some more, then eat some more and there is no guilt.    It’s light because it’s all veggie, but for some reason it fills you up for hours.  No need to snack after this meal.  I’m satisfied.

Feel free to add your favorite pasta fixings to this dish.  It’s very versatile and super easy to make, and its bright contrasting colors make this particular recipe irresistible to the eye and to the mouth )

Spaghetti Squash with Red Bell Peppers and Basil

Serves 4 as main dish; serves 6-8 as side dish

Ingredients:

1 large spaghetti squash
3 cups of veggie or chicken broth
1 cup sweet onion, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
Parmesan cheese
Salt to taste (if broth is not overly salty)
Fresh basil, for garnish
Red pepper flakes (optional)

Directions:

Poke several holes in the spaghetti squash.

Microwave for 10 minutes.  Using an ovenmit to protect your hand, slice in half and allow to cool so that it’s manageable to touch.

Scoop and discard the seeds.  Then using a fork, scrape the insides of the squash into a large skillet.

Add veggie broth and onion, and peppers to skillet.

Cook uncovered on medium-high until all of the broth is absorbed by the squash, about 10 minutes.  Add desired amount of cheese, red pepper flakes and salt.

Upon serving add basil.  The heat of the squash browns the basil quickly so make sure to add the basil immediately before serving!!

Enjoy!

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.

Forgive my absence on here.  Life has created a whirlwind that has picked me up, whooshed me around, and before I knew it, it was the end of April.  Where has the time gone??!

No worries, though.  I have plenty of recipes to be posted in the next few days or week….  I won’t let you down.  Promise.

Lucky for me red peppers are on mega sale this week.  They are always so painfully expensive, but THIS week they were more than 50% off!  SCORE!  As soon as I saw them, I piled them into my cart with a huge grin on my face.  Stuffed peppers dinner!  Yes!

This recipe was literally thrown together with whatever I had in my fridgie and cabinets.  Don’t you just love those experimental meals?  You hope and pray that it turns out okay since there is absolutely no recipe in sight.   And guess what.  These stuffed peppers were delightful!   The pineapple gave them a hint of summery sweetness while the red beans gave them the heartiness I need in a meal.

Get creative with your pepper stuffing.  Throw in whatever you would love to eat in your rice!  Or do what I do and just throw in whatever you got.  You won’t be disappointed.

Stuffed Peppers with Pineapple Rice

Ingredients:

Extra virgin olive oil or cooking spray
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 3/4 c. vegetable stock (or whatever amount of liquid that your rice calls for)
2 c. instant brown rice
1 c. diced pineapple (Dole has the Pineapple “tidbits” that are perfect!)
1 can small red beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 c. part-skim mozzarella cheese
2 Tbs. fresh rosemary, chopped
Pepper to taste (If your veggie stock isn’t salty, then add salt to taste)
3-4 red bell peppers with tops cut off and discarded, seeds and ribs removed

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Heat oil on medium in large skillet.  Saute garlic until fragrant.  About 3-5 minutes.

Add veggie stock to skillet, bring to a boil.  Add rice and cook according to directions.

Toss in the rest of the ingredients except for the peppers.

Fill a baking pan with an inch of water.

Divide the rice evenly among the peppers and fill them to the top.  Place stuffed peppers into the baking pan with water and cook for 30-45** minutes or until peppers begin to wrinkle and rice begins to brown on top.  Feel free to top the peppers with cheese with about 5-7 minutes left to cook.  I opted not to because I was looking for a more low-fat meal.

**IMPORTANT FYI – Many recipes call for 40-50 minutes but my peppers were done in 30 so use your judgment.  It doesn’t hurt to check them at 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

To all of my quirky friends out there, this dish was made with Soba Noodles.  My beautiful puppy, Noodles, was not boiled, tossed in oil, and served in a bowl.  She is alive and well, still loving her fluffy pillows and eating carrots and peanut butter.

Noodles loves her pillows…

Moving on to the soba noodles…  I’ve been really trying to find easy recipes using only the ingredients in my cabinets.  Often, these meals are what I would post on here because they are simple, no brainers, but this recipe is totally post-worthy.  From the time that I put the water in the pasta pot to the time I mixed the sauce in finished noodles, this meal took all of 10 minutes.  Fan-flipping-tastic!

And, I discovered that soba noodles are now my all-time favorite pasta.  I could eat them when they are crunchy and raw – yeah, I know, I’m weird.  The closest thing that I can compare it to is an angel hair pasta as far as consistency goes.  Regardless (or should I say, irregardless?  JUST kidding.  That word drives me nuts!), this meal is a winner.  It’s fast, it’s light, and it’s inexpensive to make.  Oh, and Jay gave me the HUGEST hive-five after his first bite!

Hot and Sour Noodle Salad (without my puppy)

Source: The Vegetarian Cookbook, p. 155

Serves 4

Ingredients:

12 oz. thin pasta (I recommend rice vermicelli or SOBA NOODLES!)
4 Tbs. sesame oil (canola or vegetable works well if you don’t have the sesame)
3 Tbs. soy sauce
juice of 2 limes
1 tsp. sugar
4 scallions, finely sliced (use any onion if you don’t have these on hand)
1-2 tsp. hot chili sauce (any hot sauce is perfect)
2 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

Prepare the noodles according to the package instructions.  Drain, put in a bowl and toss with half the oil.

Mix the remaining oil, soy sauce, lime juice, sugar, scallions, and chili/hot sauce together in a bowl.  Stir into the noodles.

Toss in the cilantro and serve.

Please pardon the horrible picture with the enormous shadow.  It was pretty late at night, and the lighting was non-existent.

Omigosh, this salad was SOOOO good.  My favorite part is the Creamy Cilantro Dressing.  I used fresh limes, and it is absolutely divine.  I’m typically a ranch girl, but this dressing has swayed me away from ranch.

Another not so pretty picture, but it’s so delicious that I want to lick my computer screen!

This salad is really fun because I used a glass trifle dish to expose all the colorful layers of the salad.  It’s perfect for a small gathering of friends and family.  This baby makes you look like you know what you’re doing, and it’s so simple.

Aside from the fact that it is quite tasty and presentable, there are a few changes that I will definitely be making.   There was simply not enough lettuce.  I felt like I was eating a cheese salad.  Now don’t get me wrong, I love cheese, but I need some other flavors and textures incorporated in there.  Next time I’m going to add an additional layer of lettuce after the first layer of cheese.

Secondly, inasmuch as the cornbread croutons look amazing nestled on top of the salad, there were simply too many of them!   My plate was full of cornbread and I had to put them back in the trifle dish.  It’s a shame because that’s what really makes the salad look beautiful.  I say either bake half of the amount of cornbread mix the recipe calls for or just bake all of the mix, put half on the salad, and serve slices on the side as well.

With minor alterations, this salad is extraordinary!  It’s fresh, vibrant, and oh so yummy.

Layered Tex-Mex Salad with Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing

Source: Cooking for Real by Sunny Anderson

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

Butter, for preparing 8 by 8-inch glass pan
1 (8.5-ounce) box cornbread mix (recommended: Jiffy)
1 large egg
1/3 cup milk
1 (15.5-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 packet sazon seasoning (It’s made by Goya, but 1-2 tsp. ground coriander and 1-2 tsp. cumin work well if you don’t have sazon.)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup salsa
2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 large head romaine lettuce, cut into strips
Creamy Lime Dressing, recipe follows*
1 1/2 cups grated Monterey jack Cheese
1 1/2 cups grated Cheddar Cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Grease an 8 by 8-inch glass pan with butter.

Stir together the cornbread mix with the egg and milk. Evenly spread into prepared pan and bake on the middle rack for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan to cool completely.

Mix together the beans with the sazon (or cumin and coriander) and season with salt and pepper.

Toss the salsa with the tomatoes.

When ready to serve, cut the cornbread into 1/2-inch croutons.

Toss the lettuce with 3/4 cups of the dressing and split into two piles.

In a clear trifle dish, layer the Tex-Mex Salad beginning with the black beans followed by the Monterey jack cheese, one pile of lettuce, the tomato salsa mixture, the Cheddar, the remainder of the lettuce and top with the cornbread croutons. Serve the remaining dressing on the side.

Creamy Lime Dressing*

Yields 1 1/2 cups

2 tablespoons freshly chopped cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon lime zest
1/4 cup lime juice (I recommend FRESH!!)
1/2 cup sour cream
1 clove garlic, smashed
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Blend all the ingredients except the olive oil until smooth. While machine is running, slowly drizzle in the oil until incorporated. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Soooooo good!!!