Simplified Recipes by Issa :)

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you had a great Christmas holiday! Us? We did but it was a tad busy, shuttling back and forth between 3 nearby cities. The perils of having a huge families on both sides, lol! As such I don't have a new recipe to share with you from the holidays, BUT I have two very easy recipes from our new homeschooling blog that you'll love because of its simplicity! Below are the links to the recipes which I now branded as "Simplified Recipes by Issa", haha! Feeling Martha Stewart much! ;-)

2-ingredient healthy cookies - Yes, there's only 2 basic ingredients for this healthy treat! You can add more of course, but why complicate life? When you're a busy mom, every second counts. The faster the chore (cooking) gets done, the better it is for our sanity! Haha!

Chicken Cacciatore ala Issa - Instead of pan-frying the chicken like in the original cacciatore recipe, this one has no frying involved but just as yummy! No frying = less cooking time which means (not-so busy) happy mommy!

Give the recipes a try and tell me how it went okay? I love feedback! :) And to wrap up, once again, a happy new year to all of you! May you achieve all your goals this 2014, and may you be a good force here on Earth!

Obama Family Chili Recipe

This recipe would not be possible if it weren't for Good Morning America! =) So, to their website updaters, thank you for putting this up. I hope you don't mind me sharing this to my readers.. We just adore chili!! ^_^

Obama Family Chili Recipe

Ingredients:
1 large onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
Several cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound ground turkey or beef
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon ground basil
1 tablespoon chili powder
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Several tomatoes, depending on size, chopped
1 can red kidney beans

Procedure:
Saute onions, green pepper and garlic in olive oil until soft.
Add ground meat and brown.
Combine spices together into a mixture, then add to ground meat.
Add red wine vinegar.
Add tomatoes and let simmer, until tomatoes cook down.
Add kidney beans and cook for a few more minutes.
Serve over white or brown rice. Garnish with grated cheddar cheese,onions and sour cream.

Chili Cooking Tips
1. If your chili is too thick, use chicken or beef broth to dilute it. Don't use water!
2. If your chili is too thin, try adding tomato paste in small amounts to thicken it to your desire. If the tomato paste doesn't work, try a small amount of cornstarch or flour. Some people say a tablespoon or two of instant mashed potatoes work to thicken a chili.

tips for soft, chewy cookies

Last time, I shared Mrs. Fields Oatmeal Cookies recipe and it seems that a lot of you were wondering how to make it softer and more melt in your mouth. Well, here are the tips to help you make chewy cookies (and maintain it that way) that we all love!

- VERY IMPORTANT: Do not over mix the dough or use too much flour.

- Bake cookies the minimum amount of time, even though the center may look slightly underbaked. Let cookies stand on baking sheet for one to three minutes to continue to bake, then remove to cooling rack.

- Store soft cookies in an airtight container.

- Do not store soft chewy cookies with crisp type cookies.

- Use shiny aluminum cookie sheets, not dark colored ones.

Source: RecipeSecrets.net ^_^

summer cookout tips!

Of course we all know that summer won't be complete without the barbecue cookout -- yum-my! I won't be sharing recipes today, instead I'll be giving tips to ensure that your summer cookout will be a success. Read on and let's get ready to chow!!

1. Choose the menu with care. Aside from the usual hotdogs and burgers, serve another crowd pleaser: chicken wings!! =)

2. Preheat a gas grill for 10 minutes before cooking. For charcoal grills, wait 20-30 minutes for the charcoal to turn to a light gray.

3. Use long-handled tongs or a spatula to turn food. Do not pierce the food while cooking. Piercing lets all the juices out = dried out meats! Not good!

eat healthy - GRILL FOOD!

And the best food to grill? Vegetables! Now that's doubly healthy eh? =) A word of warning though, GRILL LIGHTLY -- don't char the food being grilled. If ever charred, remove the blackened portion (don't eat!) coz that's carcinogenic =( Also, use OLIVE OIL and other healthy oils to toss your veggies. Anyway here are tips for grilling vegetables. Stay healthy and always, always eat moderately!

GREEN BEANS OR HARICOTS VERTS

Trim the ends and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Grill over direct high heat 3 to 5 minutes.

SWEET POTATOES

Peel and slice into 1/2" thick wedges before tossing with olive oil, salt and pepper. Grill over direct medium heat, turning often 15 to 20 minutes.

SUMMER SQUASH

Bias slice into 1/2" thick planks, then toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Grill over direct high heat 5 to 7 minutes.

WHOLE BABY ZUCCHINI

Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper then grill over direct high heat 7 to 10 minutes.

ASPARAGUS

Trim off woody ends then toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Grill over direct high heat 3 to 5 minutes.

CORN ON THE COB

Shuck ears, trim ends and halve crosswise. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Grill over direst high heat 10 to 15 minutes turning often.

GRILLED BAKED POTATOES

Wash and dry russet potatoes (8-10 oz. each) then rub with olive oil, salt and pepper. Grill over indirect heat for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

tips in using chicken

We all know that when improperly handled and cooked, chicken dishes can give us a bad case of food poisoning. Often the culprit is Salmonella, which is also prevalent in improperly cooked dairy products and eggs. To prevent food poisoning from chicken, simply follow the tips below PRIOR to cooking. Learn it, don't forget it, always SAFE FOOD first!

- Refrigerate raw chicken promptly. Never leave it on countertop at room temperature.

- Freeze uncooked chicken if it is not to be used within 2 days.

- If properly packaged, frozen chicken will maintain top quality in a home freezer for up to 1 year.

- Thaw chicken in the refrigerator -- not on the countertop -- or in cold water. It takes about 24 hours to thaw a 4-pound chicken in the refrigerator. Cut-up parts, 3 to 9 hours.

- Always wash hands, countertops, cutting boards, knives and other utensils used in preparing raw chicken with soapy water before they come in contact with other raw or cooked foods.

- When shopping, buy groceries last. Never leave chicken in a hot car. Refrigerate immediately on reaching home.