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!
Pregnant this Christmas season? What a pity! You can't drink alcohol, have to say no to sweets, eat just right (not for two! haha)~ which are all hard to do when you're bombarded with yummy Christmas food almost every day! And the never-ending parties? Temptation through and through! :p
So what's a pregnant lady got to do? Find safe for pregnancy non-alcoholic holiday drinks and healthy (AND scrumptious) party food of course! :) Here's an oldie but goldie drink recipe that I loved when I was pregnant for the first time in 2009:
3 ounces pomegranate juice 2 teaspoons white sugar 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated ginger 3/4 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice 1/2 ounce lime-flavored club soda 1 tablespoon raw brown sugar (garnish) *1 lemon twirl (optional garnish)
Heya everyone! It's been 5 looong years since I last updated this blog and I was thinking of retiring it for good. But when I checked the pageviews, I (surprisingly) still got a lot of visitors from Google! And I thought that if people still come here to get information then I should not close the blog. So here I am, blogging again about food and recipes. And because it's Thanksgiving, I'm sharing one of my favorite low-fat turkey dish from Delish.com :) No, it's not a roasted turkey recipe nor a Thanksgiving stuffing / side dish as we don't really celebrate Thanksgiving here in our country. I hope you enjoy it! And if you have any yummy turkey dish to share, feel free to comment below. Happy cooking dearies!
Bobby Deen's New-Fashioned Meat Loaf
Ingredients:
2 tbsp ketchup
2 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp yellow mustard
1 large egg
1/4 cup tomato sauce
1/4 cup 1-percent milk
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Kosher salt
Pepper
1 cup (from about 3 slices bread) fresh whole-wheat bread crumbs
2 medium carrots, coarsely grated
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/2 sweet onion (such as Vidalia), finely chopped
1 1/4 pound lean ground turkey
Directions:
1. Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with nonstick foil. In a small bowl, combine the ketchup, brown sugar and mustard.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg, tomato sauce, milk, Worcestershire, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; stir in the bread crumbs. Add the carrots, garlic, and onion and mix to combine.
3. Add the turkey and mix just until incorporated. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking sheet and shape into a 9- by 3 1/2-inch loaf. Brush the loaf with the ketchup mixture. Bake until the internal temperature registers 160 degrees F, 40 to 45 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
This recipe will yield 4 servings. Cost per serving is $1.25 :) Total time is 1 hour and 5 minutes (prep time is 15min). ENJOY and Happy Thanksgiving!
In most parts of our country, Thanksgiving (that the US celebrates every fourth Thursday of November) is not a known event. Needless to say, we don't celebrate it. But with the advent of online shopping, we became more aware of this event because of the Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals. The former happens the next day after Thanksgiving and the latter, on the Monday after Thanksgiving weekend. Both, of course, have retailers offer massive discounts and deals to consumers and signal the start of the holiday shopping season ^_^
This year, I decided that we'll celebrate Thanksgiving. We have so much to be thankful for and I wanna glorify the Lord's uber-goodness with my cooking =) But no, we won't be having a turkey, (it's too big for the 3 of us!) just roasted chicken and some stuffing plus other dishes to go with it. For this Thanksgiving post, I'm sharing recipes from RecipeSecrets.net and a video on how to properly carve a turkey (or chicken in our case). Now, let's get on with the cooking!!
Southwestern Cornbread Stuffing
Ingredients 4 chorizo sausages 2 cups yellow corn meal 2 tsp baking powder 1 tps baking soda 2 cups buttermilk 4 lrg eggs 1/4 cup melted unsalted butter 2 cups canned cream style corn 2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese 2 cans (4 oz. size) diced peeled green chilies 2 sml onions, grated 1/2 cup minced fresh coriander
Procedure 1. Heat the oven to 350 F. Cook chorizos in small heavy skillet until brown on all sides, then cut into 1/4 inch slices. 2. Mix corn meal, salt, baking powder and baking soda in medium bowl. Stir chorizo chunks and remaining ingredients together in a large mixing bowl until thoroughly blended. Add the corn meal mixture and mix well. Divide batter between two well-seasoned 10" cast-iron skillets (or bake in 2 batches). 3. Bake the cornbread until brown on top and a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Let cool completely on wire rack then crumble coarsely for stuffing.
Blueberry Cheesecake Pie(not really a traditional Thanksgiving dessert but hubby adores this so much!)
1. Mix the crumbs, sugar, cinnamon, and butter in a nine inch pie pan or spring form pan. Mix until the crumbs have absorbed the butter and the mixture is uniform. 2. Press the crumbs across the bottom of the pan and up the sides. 3. Bake for ten minutes at 350 degrees. Note: This is a crumb crust that will tend to burn during baking. To reduce the chances of burning, use a ceramic pan or a bright silver pan. A ceramic pan will tend to insulate the crust and a silver pan reflects heat.
Filling 2 8-ounce packets of cream cheese, softened 1/2 cup sugar 2 large eggs 1/2 teaspoon almond extract 1 21-ounce can of blueberry pie filling
1. In a bowl, beat the cream cheese until soft. Add the sugar and beat until smooth. 2. Add the eggs one at a time and the extract. Continue beating until smooth. 3. Pour into the pie shell and bake at 325 deg until the center of pie no longer jiggles. 4. Cool on a wire rack. Spoon the prepared pie filling over the cheese filling.
Mexican food always get the bad rap of being unhealthy -- it's too oily, high in cholesterol, etc, etc. But I love Mexican cuisine and I just couldn't bear not eating my favorite empanadas, tortillas, chimichangas and burritos for "health" reasons! Thank god I stumbled on a copycat recipe of Chi−Chi’s famous healthy Baked Chicken Chimichangas. Nomnomnom! =) You can use ground pork or beef for this recipe but that would defeat the purpose of eating healthy so try to use chicken or turkey or any white meat. Me, I use leftover chicken -- no skin of course!
Ingredients: 2 1/2 cups chicken, cooked, shredded 2 tablespoons olive oil 1/2 cup onion, chopped 2 garlic cloves, minced 1/2 tablespoon chili powder 16 ounces salsa 1/2 teaspoon cumin pinch of salt 6 − 10 inch flour tortillas 1 cup refried beans Olive oil (for basting) Sour Cream Guacamole
Method: 1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. 2. In a large saucepan, saute onion and garlic in oil until tender. Stir in chili powder, salsa, and cumin. Stir in shredded chicken. Let cool. 3. Grease rimmed 15 x 10 x 1 baking pan. 4. Working with one tortilla at a time, spoon a heaping tablespoon of beans down center of each tortilla. Top with a scant 1/2 cup of the chicken mixture. 5. Fold up the bottom, top and sides of tortilla; secure with wooden toothpicks if necessary. 6. Place chimichangas in greased baking pan, seam side down. Brush all sides with the oil. 7. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown and crisp, turning every 5 minutes. 8. Serve with sour cream and guacamole. This recipe has 8-10 servings.
I DO! And I love onions too! In fact, I love eating spices and stuff that makes your breathe smell foul after, hehe! :p Today's recipe is Garlic Sauce -- perfect as bread or pizza dip! I also added some tips from SecretRecipes.net in using garlic to flavor your cooking. Enjoy!
GARLIC SAUCE
Ingredients: 1/4 - 1/2 stick margarine or butter 1/2 Tablespoon Garlic powder 1/4 teaspoon salt
Method: Melt butter in the microwave (about 30 seconds). Put in salt and garlic powder (to taste). Microwave for 5 seconds longer.
GARLIC COOKING TIPS
- ONE finely minced or pressed raw garlic clove releases MORE flavor than a dozen cooked whole cloves. So always chop your garlic!
- If you want a sweet, almost nutty flavor (perfect for pastries & ice cream) from garlic with no pungency whatsoever, cook the cloves whole. Don't mince!
- When sauteing garlic, be very careful not to burn it. The flavor will be intensely bitter and you'll have to start over.
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.
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.
I'm so happy to have finally found the recipe to Mrs. Fields' oatmeal cookies!! ^_^ I can't get enough of these stuff and I can't wait to bake these cookies when I have the chance! This recipe will make 48 cookies. Enjoy and happy cooking!
Mrs. Fields Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients: 2 1/2 cups Flour 1 cup Quick oats (not instant) 1/2 teaspoon Salt 1 teaspoon Soda 1 teaspoon Cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon Cloves 2 teaspoons Grated lemon zest 1 cup Dark brown sugar, packed 3/4 cup Butter 1 large Egg 1/2 cup Honey 1 cup Raisins
Topping: 1/2 cup Quick oats
Directions: -Preheat oven to 300 degrees. -In a medium bowl combine the flour, oats, salt, soda, cinnamon, cloves and lemon zest. Mix well and set aside. -Cream the sugar and butter together in a large bowl using an electric mixer. -Add the egg and honey and beat at medium speed until smooth. -Add the flour mixture and raisins, and blend at low speed until just combined. The dough will be quite soft. -Drop by rounded tablespoons onto ungreased baking sheets, 1 1/2 inches apart. If you wish, sprinkle the cookies with oats. -Bake the cookies for 23-25 minutes or until the bottoms are golden. ENJOY eating!! ^_^
Ingredients: 1 cup Ham, cooked and cubed 4 slices Bacon, cooked and chopped 1 – 10 oz package Spinach, frozen, thawed and drained 1 – 4oz can Mushrooms, drained ¼ cup Onion, chopped ½ cup Swiss Cheese, shredded ½ cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded ¼ cup Whey Protein Isolate 1/8 tsp Pepper ½ cup Heavy Whipping Cream ¼ cup Water 4 Eggs, large
Directions: 1. Heat oven to 400°F 2. Grease 9-inch pie plate with nonstick spray. 3. Sprinkle ham, bacon, spinach, mushrooms, onions and cheeses in bottom of pie plate. 4. Stir together whey protein isolate and pepper in mixing bowl. Add cream, water and eggs. Mix until well blended. Pour over ingredients in pie plate. 5. Bake quiche for 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. 6. Cool 5 minutes before serving.
And voila! A lovely, delicious quiche that’s uber-healthy! BTW, you can buy whey protein in health food stores anywhere.
With the economic recession and people losing jobs left and right, we have to be creative in stretching our budget.. And we have to grab as much freebies as we can as they are offered. Anyway, here are some stuff that will get you free food. Easy peasy! ^_^
CLICK HERE to get four 1/2 pound bags of best gourmet coffee! $38.00 value for only $7.95 with FREE S&H!
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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!
And to welcome the hottest season of the globe, here's a "Jamba Juice Banana Berry Smoothie" recipe for you! Perfect to cool you and your homies after some fun under the sun ^_^ The smoothie is very easy to make (it only has one step, LOL) and will definitely quench anybody's thirst! And it's very healthy too so go and make some!
Ingredients:
1 scoop fat-free vanilla frozen yogurt
1 scoop of raspberry sherbet
3/4 cup strawberry nectar
1 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 cup apple juice
1 cup of ice
1 banana
Method:
Combine all ingredients in a blend and blend until smooth. Makes 1 24-ounce smoothie. EASY!
YEAH!! FREEBIES!! ^_^ I just received an email from Yehey! Dispatch today announcing Italianni's latest promo. And yep, there's a FREE meal to be had! If you buy one of their "Small Price for a Big Lunch" meals and get a second one of same or lesser value, it's for FREE! So whoever said "There's no such thing as a free lunch." haven't been to Italianni's! LOL! =) This promo is valid until May 31, 2009 so hurry -- you only have 45 days to enjoy it!
I know Valentines Say is over and there's no use for aphrodisiacs anymore. But hey, who said you can't be libidinous on other days? LOL! And eating healthy veggies at that! So, without further ado, here are the surprising vegetables "slash" aphrodisiacs:
Asparagus boosts histamine production, helping both sexes to achieve orgasm. The spears are also rich in folic acid and vitamin B6, which can boost arousal and orgasm.
Celery contains the male hormone androsterone that stimulates sexual arousal. The Romans were hip to celery’s sensual side: They dedicated it to Pluto, the god of sex.
Chilies contain capsaicin, a chemical that can induce the release of endorphins to create a temporary euphoria. Capsaicin also increases circulation and sensation in the genital area.
Licorice is potent in taste and smell. Black licorice was also shown to increase blood flow to the genitals, leading to improved erection in men.
Love Mexican food but is now trying to eat healthy? Good news! Today we have a recipe guaranteed to squash your Mexican food cravings but won't make your cholesterol and fat blood levels soar ;-) Presenting to you -- Tex Mex Salmon! Yup, salmon as in fish. That's what make this "Mexican" recipe healthy. Plus the fact we won't be frying anything in oil or lard. But, don't push it and eat as much as you can -- that's still unhealthy! :p Anyway, happy cooking and always, always eat moderately!
Ingredients (6 servings)
1 7 oz. package of Ortega taco chips/shells
2 lbs. salmon fillets in pieces (you can actually use any fish you want)
1/2 cup olive oil (or any healthy oil you want)
Taco sauce (optional)
Instructions
Heat taco shells/chips according to package directions.
In food processor or blender, finely crush shells. Blend in Taco seasoning.
Dip fish in olive oil. Coat with crumbs.
Arrange in shallow baking dish.
Bake in preheated 425 degrees F oven for half hour or until fish flakes easily when macerated with a fork.
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.
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.
Mix vanilla pudding with cream cheese until well blended and creamy (no lumps). Cover and refrigerate immediately. This mixture will store (covered) in the refrigerator up to 5 days.
Procedure: (serves 1)
Prepare pancake batter and preheat griddle. Ladle batter onto hot griddle and sprinkle evenly with pecans and banana slices. When they bubble and edges are dry, flip to cook second side.
When done, place pancake on plate, top with 4 tablespoons Vanilla Cream Cheese mixture and top with second pancake. Ladle with caramel sauce and sprinkle with confectioners' sugar. Garnish with whipped topping.
Tips:
- Be sure to let the pecans and bananas show for a nice presentation.
- For a more intense flavor, use a banana-flavored pudding in lace of vanilla.
- For a completely different variation, add chocolate chips and serve with chocolate or fudge topping.
Valentines Day is fast approaching and if you haven't had any plans yet, why not have an aphrodisiac picnic somewhere dark? Hehe! Here's some yummy foods that will put love and romance in the air.. ;-)
Avocado:The Aztecs called the avocado tree Ahuacuatl, which translated means "testicle tree." The ancients thought the fruit hanging in pairs on the tree resembled the male's testicles. This is a delicious fruit with a sensuous texture.
Chocolate:"Love," someone said, "is like swallowing hot chocolate before it has cooled off. It takes you by surprise at first, but keeps you warm for a long time." The Aztecs referred to chocolate "nourishment of the gods." Chocolate contains chemicals thought to effect neurotransmitters in the brain and a related substance to caffeine called theobromine. It was actually banned from some monasteries centuries ago.
Honey: Many medicines in Egyptian times were based on honey including cures for sterility and impotence. Medieval seducers plied their partners with Mead, a fermented drink made from honey. Lovers on their "honeymoon" drank mead and it was thought to "sweeten" the marriage.
Durian:It smells like hell but tastes like heaven. In Indonesia, the Javanese impose a strict set of rules on what may or may not be consumed with it or shortly thereafter. A saying "Durian jatuh sarung naik" ("The durians fall and the sarungs come up) refers to this belief. The warnings against the supposed lecherous quality of this fruit soon spread to the West, the Swedenborgian philosopher Herman Vetterling commented on so-called "erotic properties" of the durian in the early 20th century.
Garlic:The "heat" in garlic is said to stir sexual desires. Make sure you and your partner share it together. Garlic has been used for centuries to cure everything from the common cold to heart ailments. This is a good time for moderation.
Oyster:Oysters were documented as an aphrodisiac food by the Romans in the second century A.D as mentioned in a satire by Juvenal. He described the wanton ways of women after ingesting wine and eating "giant oysters." An additional theory is that the oyster resembles the "female" genitals. In reality, oysters are a very nutritious and high in protein. Raw oysters are very high in zinc which raises sperm and testosterone production.
More of the aphrodisiacs HERE --> it's my source article actually. Hehe! What I listed above are just my fave aphrodisiacs =) For Valentines gift ideas and gift tips, click HERE. Good luck! =)
