Ja cię kocham…

Egg McMuffins from Mickey D’s rock my world.  I can eat one in a matter of moments.  I TRY to savor the taste of each bite but it never works because no sooner I bite the sucker, it’s gone.  My excitement is over.

I try to make “Egg McMuffins” at home but they are always so dry – even with the cheese.  I’ve sprayed/slathered the English Muffin with butter to try to moisten it, but nooooo, the sandwich remained disgustingly dry.  After making my Blue Stilton Cheese Sauce, which is essentially blue cheese with milk, flour, and butter (simple), I decided to use it to alleviate the over-crustiness of my sandwich.  Over-crustiness?  You get my point.

Since I’m “off” from work this week to focus on my thesis for grad school – being “off” is a whole other story in itself – I’ve been making heartier breakfasts.  This particular sandwich is for Jay because it’s really spicy, but the heat can easily be turned down for a heat-sensitive palette.  All that I did was add XXX hot sauce to the cheese sauce recipe.  It was really good but my mouth was on FIRE.  Perfect for Jay.  Then I threw some hot peppers on top.  He loved it.  I should call the sandwich Jay’s Inferno or eat this and your tongue will fall out.  Like I said, don’t do the hot sauce or the hot peppers, and there is no heat.  You’ll survive.  And so will your tongue.

Bacon Egg, and Spicy Cheese Sandwich

Serves 2

Ingredients:

2 english muffins
2 eggs
4 slices reduced sodium, bacon (I like center-cut)
Blue Stilton Cheese Sauce + hot sauce stirred in it (hot sauce optional)
hot peppers (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Cook bacon in a medium/large skillet.  When it’s almost done, push bacon to the side of the skillet and cook the eggs.  If you want to saute your peppers, throw them in the skillet as well.

While eggs are cooking, toast your english muffins.

Place your toasted english muffins on your serving plate and spread the top half with the cheese sauce.  On the bottom half add the egg, bacon, and peppers.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Close them, arrange them so they look pretty on your plate, and enjoy!

Ah yes, you put the lime in the coconut.  Go ahead.  Start singing away!  I won’t stop you!

When I came across this recipe title, I was sold.  Limes and coconuts are so refreshing… especially at the beach…. in the Caribbean… with crystal blue water and spectacular white sand… and a glorious breeze.  Ahhhhh….  pina colada anyone?  How about a margarita?  Now we’re talking!

This chicken is phenomenal.  The coconut milk and lime juice are perfect compliments to the curry, cumin, and coriander.  Although the title whisks me away to the tropics, the spices remind me of Indian fare, which I love!  Depending on your preference you can take it easy or go nuts with the cayenne pepper.  In this house, we like to walk on the wild side.  The chicken can marinate for as little as 15 minutes or as long as 2 hours.  Whatever fits your schedule.

Okay… back to singing… put the lime in the coconut...

Lime and Coconut Chicken

Source: Mildly Adapted from Chaos in the Kitchen/Fine Cooking, Winter 2006

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 tbsp oil
zest of 1 lime
1 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp curry powder
1/2 cup coconut milk
pinch cayenne
1 small fresh hot chili, such as Thai or Serrano, minced (optional)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Fresh limes, cut into wedges
*I added shredded coconut as a garnish

Directions:

Starting on thick side of the breasts slice the chicken breasts almost in half, then open.

Place each open breast between two pieces of plastic wrap, wax paper or inside a large, open, Ziploc bag.  Using a small heavy pan, bottle or smooth meat mallet lightly pound out each breast into even thickness.

Mix all remaining ingredients except fresh cilantro and limes.  Add chicken and marinade to a large bowl or ziploc bag and chill in the refrigerator for up to two hours.

Remove each breast from the marinade. Pour the marinade into a small saucepan and bring to a rolling boil.  Boil continuously for at least 2 minutes, stirring occasionally so it doesn’t burn.

In a heavy skillet or grill pan, heat 1 Tbs. oil over high heat and cook the chicken in batches to prevent over crowding the pan.  Place the breasts in the hot pan and cook without turning for a couple minutes.  Flip the breasts over and cook until the other side is golden.

Place cooked breasts on a plate in a warm oven or under foil while cooking the remaining chicken. Sprinkle with fresh lime juice, shredded coconut and cilantro. Serve with sauce on the side.

I’m not going to lie.  I completely made this recipe up.  Now I’m sure that somewhere out in cyberspace there is a recipe similar to this, but for me, this was totally original.  The only inspiration that I had was my craving for Mexican food and steak.

I knew that I didn’t want nachos.  As delicious as they are, I have no control over how many I eat.  My family is known for ordering nachos as our main meal when we go out to eat.  Forget nachos as an appetizer to nibble, I want the whole plate!  Because of this obnoxious need I have to eat all of the nachos, I steered clear from them for this meal.  I wanted the flavor without the tortilla chips.

What I really liked about this recipe is how versatile it is.  It’s great on steak, chicken, and fish, and then make great wraps the next day for lunch.  When I made this recipe, I also snuck a piece of chicken in the mix, and I think that it turned out better than the steak.  The chicken was soooo moist from marinating in the fresh lime juice.  It was super tender and juicy even after microwaving it the next day at work for my wrap.  Fan-flipping-tastic!

I had every intention of making my own salsa for this recipe, but I didn’t want to spend $6 or$7 on tomatoes when I was already buying avocados at $1.50 each.  Instead I bought a much cheaper, fresh pico de gallo.  Just in case you don’t know what pico de gallo is, it’s a Mexican condiment very similar to salsa.  The only difference is that pico de gallo isn’t nearly as watery as salsa.  It’s pretty much just coarsely chopped tomatoes, onions, and jalapenos.  It’s very fresh and very good.

Lime Chili Steaks with Pico de Gallo and Homemade Guacamole

Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 steaks or chicken breasts with all fat removed
3-4 limes
3 avocados  (Make sure that when you squeeze them, the flesh gives just a little.  That’s how you know they are ripe.)
1/4 of a red onion, coarsely chopped
1-2 jalapeno, seeds removed and thinly sliced
a handful of cilantro
salt and pepper
4 Tbs. chile powder (I used a blend of ancho, chipotle, and Mexican chile powder)
1 Tbs. olive oil**  (Only if you are using an indoor grill or skillet.)
1 container pico de gallo
1 small container sour cream
handful of scallions, chopped, for garnish

Directions:

If you are using an outdoor grill, preheat it to medium-high.  If you are cooking it indoors, skip this step.  You will preheat your grill pan later.

Roll all of the limes on your cutting board, placing an ample amount of pressure on them while you roll them.  This helps them to get ‘juicier’.   Juice all but one lime into a medium-sized bowl.  Place meat in with the lime juice.  Let marinate for at least 10 minutes.

While meat is marinating, juice your final lime into another medium-sized bowl.   Peel the avocados and cut the flesh into large chunks, placing them into the second bowl of lime juice.  For instructions on how to cut an avocado, click here.  Add onion, jalapeno, cilantro to lime/avocado mixture.  Toss gently.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Set aside.

If you are using an indoor grill pan or large skillet, preheat it with 1 Tbs. olive oil to medium-high for steak and medium for chicken.

On a large plate, rub steaks/chicken with chile powder.

Regardless of which grill you are using (indoor or outdoor)…

Steak:  Cook for 2 minutes on each side or until at desired cooking temperature.
Chicken:  Cook for 3 minutes on each side or until no longer pink.

Let meat sit for 10 minutes, covered with aluminum foil.

Then place on serving plate.  Top with pico de gallo, guacamole (avocado mixture), and sour cream.  Garnish with scallions.

This recipe has typical North African flare because it incorporates the subtle heat with the sweet and savory flavors.  What makes this meal most impressive is the use of pantry ingredients.  I was ready to go to the store to get what I needed for the dish when I realized I had everything already.  That gets an “A” in my book.

This dish looks slightly similar to my Florida Keys-Style Citrus Chicken and my Moroccan Chicken with Lentils found in my Eat-Clean Anniversary post.  Despite appearances, they all have their unique flavor that sets the apart from one another.

Paillards are simply cuts of meat (poultry, beef, pork) that are flattened so they cook quickly.  If you have a meat mallet, go wild, but I’m always a fan of the skillet.  A few whacks with the skillet and the chicken is evenly flattened.  Make sure to place plastic wrap on top of and below the chicken first so you don’t spray your kitchen with chicken juice.  You’ll end up having to disinfect your entire kitchen.   And that’s no fun.

Upon my first bite, the orange and honey flavor immediately popped while the paprika, cumin, and red pepper flakes gave it even more personality.  This isn’t your typical chicken dish.  Although it’s simple to prepare, your mouth is going to burst with flavor.  If you’re not too crazy about the heat, avoid the red pepper flakes.  If you LOVE heat, throw in some more.  The recipe didn’t call for a garnish, but I added some dill to give it some color.  I then served the chicken with my all-time favorite Trader Joe’s Grains Harvest Blend (Israeli-style couscous, orzo, red quinoa and baby garbanzo beans).

Be ready to get whisked away to Northern Africa in minutes!

North African Grilled Chicken Paillards

Source: Mildly adapted from Blue Kitchen

Serves 4

For sauce:
1/4 cup orange juice (fresh is best!)
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1  cinnamon stick
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

For paillards:
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil  (If you do not have an outdoor grill, you will need 3 Tbs. but keep 1 Tbs. separated.)
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
salt to taste

Preheat your grill.  If you don’t have a grill, ignore this step, duh.

Chicken: Make sure that your chicken is rid of any fat.  Then place each chicken breast between two pieces of plastic wrap and on top of a cutting board.  Pound with meat mallet or skillet until 1/4 inch thick.

Sauce: Simmer all of the sauce ingredients except for the butter in a small saucepan, uncovered for 2 minutes.  Stir occasionally.  Set aside.

Spiced Oil: Cook cumin, paprika and pepper in oil in a small skillet over moderately low heat, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Transfer spiced oil to a small bowl, reserving skillet for sauce.  Do not wash the skillet.

If you are using an indoor grill pan, preheat it to medium high and add 1 Tbs. olive oil.

Brush the cumin-spiced oil on each side of the chicken.  Season with salt and place on grill.  Grill 2 minutes, then turn over and cook until it is cooked through, about 3-4 minutes more.

Pour sauce through a mesh sieve into reserved small skillet, discarding solids.  Bring to a boil.  Add butter and gently stir until butter is just incorporated. Season sauce with salt and spoon over chicken. Serve.

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.

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.

I was beyond ready for dinner today.  I mean, I was trying not to eat my own hand as I drove home.  My stomach was gurgling and turning to the point that I seriously considered picking up a snack at a gas station in order to make it home.  This whole hunger extravaganza started because I woke up this morning at 4am for no apparent reason other than the fact that I was in the mood to exhaust myself today.  Grrr*  Eating breakfast at 5am, leads to an earlier lunch than usual, leading to wanting an early dinner.  The problem is that I work until 6 and have a 30-35 minute commute home.  Yeah, I was in no mood for a late dinner.  Crabby, perhaps?

Yes!  Crabby!!  Very, very crabby.  That’s just the sort of word that inspired tonight’s dinner.  Pasta is fast, fish is fast, and the two together are very tasty.  This was a night that called for throwing anything in your kitchen cabinets and fridge into a dish and calling it dinner.

I bought this canned crab from Trader Joe’s a little while ago and it was just sitting in my kitchen waiting to be appreciated.  I’ve been eating so many fresh fruits and vegetables lately that I have neglected my cabinet of goodies.  It was finally time for Mr. Crabby.  I was a little hesitant about the canned crab because I didn’t want it to be ridiculously salty or fishy.  Surprisingly, it was neither!  For $2.50 a can, it’s worth the investment for a nice pasta dish.  Of course fresh is better, but since it’s $30+ a pound, I stuck with the can.

I loosely adapted this recipe from Gourmet magazine (May 2008) that I found on Epicurious.  I needed some inspiration.  I didn’t just want butter.  Butter and Lemon would have been good, but I wanted something with a zing.  Something unique.  Add a little chipotle chili pepper and hot sauce to your crabby noodles and you’ve got pizazz in less than 30 minutes!  Just what I wanted…

Crabby Pasta with Lemon and Spice

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1/2 pound spaghettini (thin spaghetti)
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 can of crab meat (or if you want fresh crab – 1/2 pound shelled cooked crab meat, cut into 1-inch pieces (from about 1 1/4 pound thawed frozen king crab legs)
1 Tbs. chipotle chili pepper
1 tsp. hot sauce – your favorite brand (ours is D.L. Jardines)
1 to 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
zest of 1/2 a lemon
2 tsp. dill weed
2 tablespoons salted butter
Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Cook spaghettini in a pasta pot of boiling salted water (3 tablespoons salt for 6 quarts water) until al dente.

Meanwhile, cook onion in oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring, until softened, then add crab meat. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring frequently, just until crab meat is heated through.

Drain pasta, then add to skillet along with remaining ingredients and toss to coat well.

So unbelievably yummy!  Enjoy!

I love noodles. (Yes, my dog is named Noodles for this exact reason… I love NOODLES!)  To be honest with you, I’m happy with a bowl full of simple, yet heavenly buttered noodles.  The problem is that I have reached an age that sends white pasta directly to my hips and my double chin. (I know you’re with me on this, ladies!)  Fortunately I have found that whole wheat pasta is a nice substitute for white pasta.  If you are one of those people who cannot stomach the idea of wheat and pasta in the same meal, by all means use plain old penne pasta.  You won’t hurt my feelings.  Just know that mine is packed with fiber and Omega-3 fatty acids that allow me to eat much more guilt-free. ;o)

I have a weakness for ethnic food, especially African food.  So when I found this Cooking Light recipe on the My Recipes website, I couldn’t help but get excited.  Since Harissa can be used in moderation, I had no problem adding it to my pasta knowing that my spice-man of a husband could just add more later.  I omitted the arugula because it’s bitter after taste does not suit my taste buds.  On a positive note, the basil added a fragrant bite to it that I really enjoyed!

Just remember to be very careful when handling the Harissa.  A little bit on your fingers can be quite hot!  Just make sure NOT to touch your face while handling it.  The results could be painful!!

North African Harissa Penne Pasta

Ingredients:

I am married to man that LOVES spice… and when I say spice, I mean burn your mouth off, oh my God I think I’m going to die spice.  There is no hot sauce in the grocery store that is spicy enough for my man.  We have to travel over an hour to a store that provides XXX Hot sauce, and he barely flinches!  I know… is he human?  At this point, I’m not sure. ;o)

After browsing recipes for something unique, I came across a Harissa Paste.  Harissa is made of 10-12 chili peppers.  Um, whoa there, this stuff is HOTTTT.   Yay for Jay.  Ouch for me.  Harissa is a condiment that is found most often in North African cuisine, mainly in Morocco, Liberia, and Algeria.  Luckily for me (someone who appreciates spice but has a relatively sensitive mouth) Harissa can be used in extreme moderation allowing those less fond of spice enjoy a meal simultaneously with someone who adds XXX hot sauce to everything.  Phew!

Please note that when cooking with hot peppers, it is advised that gloves are worn.  (As I type this my right hand is completely on fire because I thought that I could handle it…)

Harissa Paste

Ingredients:

10-12 dried red chili peppers (I used fresh!)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground caraway seeds (whole seeds works fine, as well)
1/2 teaspoon cumin

Directions:

Soak the dried chilies in hot water for 30 minutes. (If chilies are fresh, just omit soaking them in water.) Drain. Remove stems and seeds.

In a food processor combine chili peppers, garlic, salt and olive oil. Blend.

Add remaining spices and blend to form a smooth paste.