Italian Meatballs

I love Italian food! Have I mentioned that?
Today for dinner I'm making Italian Meatballs..now I just have to decide whether I want to serve it over pasta, rice, or....hotdog buns??? Mmhhhh...

Ingredients:

2/3 cup fresh bread crumbs
1/2 cup water
1 egg
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp  salt
1/2 tsp  pepper
1/4 cup  grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 lb  lean ground pork
1 onion, finely chopped
28 oz  diced tomatoes
1 cup chicken stock
1 zucchini, grated
1/2 tsp  dried basil
1/2 tsp  dried oregano

Preparation:

In a bowl, combine fresh bread crumbs with water; let stand until absorbed, about 5 minutes. Beat in egg, 1 clove garlic, salt, pepper, cheese and parsley. Mix in pork. Roll  into balls.
Brush large nonstick skillet with vegetable oil; heat over medium-high heat. Brown meatballs, in batches, about 5 minutes. Transfer to bowl.
Drain any fat from pan. Add onion and garlic; cook over medium heat, stirring often, for 3 minutes.
Add tomatoes, chicken stock, zucchini, basil and oregano; simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 25 minutes. Puree in a blender until it's rather smooth then return to the pan with meatballs about 20 minutes.

Vegetable Biryani Rice

Ingredients:
Rice:
2 cups basmati rice
3 cardamom pods, lightly crushed
1 bay leave
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp kosher salt

Vegetables;
6 cups mixed frozen veggies
3 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp. minced ginger
3 cardamom pods
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 large pinch of saffron dissolved in 1/4 cup of warm water

Garnish:
1/4 cup raisin
1/4 cup cashew
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Preparation:
Rinse the rice 3-4 times until the water runs clear. Cook rice in a pan, add spices and salt. Boil until the rice just tender but still crisp.

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a large skillet heat vegetable oil over medium heat.
Cook onion, garlic, ginger, stirring for a minute. Add the spices and stirring for another minute. Add water, vegetables and salt, cook, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are warmed through.

In a baking dish, pour the rice and vegetables and mixed it. Drizzle the saffron water mixture on top, cover with aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes.

Serve the rice with raisins, cashews and cilantro on top.

Butter Chicken

BEWARE!!!!
This recipe will cause addiction! The sauce is OUT OF THIS WORLD!
You have been warned!

Ingredients:

2 onions, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp  butter
2 tbsp grated fresh ginger
2 tbsp packed brown sugar
2 tsp  chili powder
3/4 tsp ground coriander
3/4 tsp  ground turmeric
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp  ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 can diced tomatoes
1 cup  sodium-reduced chicken broth
1/4 cup  almond butter
3 lb (1.4 kg) boneless skinless chicken thighs, quartered
1 cup sour cream
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation:

In a blender, combine onions, garlic, ginger, brown sugar, chili powder, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon, cumin, salt, pepper and tomatoes.
Whisk broth with almond butter, mixed with the puree and pour into slow cooker. Put the butter and chicken into the slow cooker.
Cover and cook on low up to 8 hours.
Stir in sour cream. Serve sprinkled with cilantro.

 

Quesadilla Pie

This recipe is a show stopper and feed the crowd!

Ingredients:

1 pkg fresh spinach
2 cups cottage cheese
1 egg
3/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 tsp  pepper
1 can  red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup  mild salsa
1/2 cup  corn kernels
3 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
2 cloves garlic, minced
10 large flour tortillas
1 large tomato, sliced

Preparation:

Trim and rinse spinach; shake off excess water. In large saucepan, cover and cook spinach over medium heat, with just the water clinging to leaves, for 8 minutes or until wilted. Drain in sieve, pressing out moisture. Let cool slightly and chop.

In food processor or blender, process cottage cheese until smooth. Add egg, 1/4 cup of the shredded cheese and pepper; pulse to combine. In bowl, stir cottage cheese mixture with spinach; set aside.

In separate bowl, mash beans with fork; stir in salsa, corn and 2 tbsp of the coriander. (Recipe can be prepared to this point, covered and refrigerated for up to 12 hours).

Stir garlic into cheese mixture. Place 1 tortilla on baking sheet. Spread with generous 1/2 cup cheese mixture; cover with another tortilla. Spread with generous 1/2 cup salsa mixture; cover with another tortilla. Repeat cheese and salsa layers 3 times. Spread with remaining cheese mixture; top with remaining tortilla. Arrange tomato on top; sprinkle with remaining shredded cheese.

Bake in 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) oven for 30 minutes. Broil for 2 to 3 minutes or until cheese is melted and golden. Garnish with remaining coriander.

Lemon Garlicky Chicken

This recipe has enough garlics to kill a vampire..but if you love garlic and lemon like I do, give this recipe a try! It's delicious!

Ingredients

• 8 chicken thighs with bones and skin, about 3 1/2 pounds
• 1 3/4 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 cups thinly sliced onions
• 30 cloves (about 2 heads) garlic, peeled and smashed
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1 pound pasta
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves, plus more for garnish
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Season the chicken thighs with 1 1/4 teaspoons of the salt and 1 teaspoon of the freshly ground pepper.
Place the flour in a shallow dish. Lightly dredge the chicken in the flour and set aside.
In a large wide saute pan with 2 to 3-inch sides, heat the oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot but not smoking, add the thighs and brown well on both sides, about 6 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.

Add the onions to the oil and cook, stirring to scrape up any browned bits from the chicken until wilted, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, crushed red pepper, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the bay leaf and cook 1 minute. Add the lemon juice, chicken broth, and browned chicken thighs to the pan. Bring the mixture to a simmer, cover tightly, and place in the oven. Bake for 20 minutes, remove the lid and cook an additional 15 minutes, or until cooked through and tender.

While the chicken is baking, cook the pasta until al dente, 4 to 5 minutes for dry pasta. Drain well and toss in a large bowl with 3 tablespoons of the parsley and the butter.

To serve, place a portion of pasta in the center of 4 large plates. Arrange 2 thighs around each serving of pasta and drizzle lemon garlic cooking liquid over the pasta. Garnish with additional parsley and serve immediately.

Fish Taco with Mango and Avocado Salsa and Yogurt Sauce

Ingredients

• 8 oz (227 g) tilapia fillets
• 1/4 tsp  ground allspice
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 pinch pepper
• 2/3 cup  panko bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 egg lightly beaten
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 8 corn tortillas

Mango Salsa:

• 1/2 cup  diced pitted peeled mango
• 1avocado, pitted, peeled and diced
• 1/3 cup finely chopped red onion
• 1 tsp grated lime zest
• 2 tsp  lime juice
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 pinch pepper

Yogurt Sauce:

• 1/2 cup Greek-style yogurt
• 1 tbsp. lime juice

Preparation

Sprinkle fish with allspice, salt and pepper. Place panko, flour and egg in separate shallow dishes. Dredge fish in flour, shaking off excess. Dip in egg, letting excess drip off. Dredge in panko, pressing to adhere.

In nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat; cook fish, turning once, until golden and fish flakes easily when tested with fork, 6 to 8 minutes. Break into chunks and keep warm.

Mango Salsa: Meanwhile, combine mango, avocado, onion, lime zest, lime juice, salt and pepper; set aside.

Yogurt Sauce: Combine yogurt with lime juice; set aside.

Heat tortillas according to package directions. Divide fish among tortillas; top with mango salsa and yogurt sauce.

Notes:
If you want super quick and easy version, you can use store bought fish fillets. Heat it up in the oven as per the packaging, cut into cubes and all you need to do is the avocado/mango salsa & yogurt sauce.
 

Classic Greek Salad

Greek Salad is one of my favorites. It's colorful, fresh, and super healthy and easy to make!


INGREDIENTS
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved or 2 large tomatoes, cut in wedges
1/2 red onion, sliced
1 medium cucumber, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
Handful Italian parsley, chopped
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
Salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
2 handfuls kalamata olives, pitted
8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled or cubed

PREPARATION

Add tomatoes, onion, cucumber, green pepper and parsley to large bowl.
Drizzle salad with olive oil and red wine vinegar. Toss to combine. Taste and adjust for seasoning. Garnish with black olives and feta.

Bakwan Udang Sayur (Indonesian Vegetable & Shrimp Fitters)

All Indonesians love these! It's a savory snack that you can find in almost street corner in Jakarta. But to me, it is also great for dinner.
If you are vegetarian and want to dismiss the shrimps, that's absolutely fine. But to me the chopped shrimps really added flavor to it.

Ingredients:
4 eggs, beaten
1 1/4 cups rice flour
4 tbsp. all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup chicken broth (if you are vegetarian, feel free to use vegetable broth)
1 pack of shredded cabbage & carrot (coleslaw salad packaging)
1 pack of small shrimps, chopped
1 red onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 green onions, chopped

Mix the first seven ingredients in a bowl.
Add the rest of the ingredients into the batter.
Heat the pan over medium heat.
Take a spoonful of the mixture and fry it until golden brown.

Bakwan Jagung (Indonesian Corn Fritters)

This is one of my all time favorites. Once you start, you just can not stop eating it, trust me!
There are so many recipes for Bakwan Jagung out there but this one has been perfected many times. You can rest assure to get a crunchy coating and delicious flavors inside.
The secret is to use a lot of rice flour and less all purpose flour.

Ingredients
4 eggs, beaten
1 1/4 cups rice flour
4 tbsp. all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup chicken broth (if you are vegetarian, you can use vegetable stock)
3 cups frozen corn
1 red onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 stack of celery, chopped
3 green onions, chopped
2 jalapeno pepper, chopped

Preparation
Mix the first seven ingredients in a bowl.
Then put the vegetables into the batter.
Heat the pan on medium heat and take a spoonful of the mixture and fry it until golden brown.

Caprese Pasta Salad

I love cold pasta salad in a hot summer day! And if you have not tried bocconcini cheese, this is a great recipe that will make you fall in love with this cheese!

INGREDIENTS

Tomato Vinaigrette
1 large plum tomato, roughly chopped
2 to 3 oil-packed sundried tomatoes, finely chopped
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 garlic clove, chopped
1/2 cup olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Caprese Pasta Salad
14 ounces short pasta
1 pint grape tomatoes, cut in half
16 mini bocconcini, left whole or cut in half
1 small bunch basil, roughly chopped

PREPARATION
 Tomato Vinaigrette
Add plum tomato, sundried tomatoes, red wine vinegar, garlic, olive oil, and salt and pepper to food processor. Pulse until smooth. Taste and adjust for seasoning.

Caprese Pasta Salad
Cook the pasta in salted boiling water until al dente. Drain. Rinse pasta under cold water and drain well. Add pasta, grape tomatoes, bocconcini and basil to large bowl. Add vinaigrette and toss to combine.

Panzanella Salad with Poached Eggs

If you have left over old bread that starts to get hard, don't throw it away! You can make croutons out of it and toss it in a salad. Like this recipe, Panzanella Salad with Poached Eggs. I love how simple it is but the flavor is bold! The secret ingredient? Anchovies! Yes, you heard me. Anchovies! Wink wink..

Ingredients:
Cut your old bread into cubes, about 4 cups
1/3 extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp. red wine vinegar
4 anchovies, finely chopped
2 shallots, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbsp. capers, drained well
pinch of salt & pepper
2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
2 cups cubed seeded English cucumbers
1/4 cups chopped fresh basil
4 eggs poached

How to poach a perfect egg:
Bring a pan to almost boil and add 1 tbsp. of vinegar
Crack an egg in a bowl and place the bowl as close as possible to the water and gently drop the egg to the water. Let it sit for few minutes. The vinegar will help the egg white to come together. When the egg is set, lift it up with a slotted spoon.

Do this one egg at the time for perfect result.

Preparation:
Spread cubed bread on a baking sheet, drizzle with 2 tbsp. of olive oil. Bake in 350F oven for about 15 minutes.
Mixed all ingredients together in a big salad bowl (except the poached eggs), toss to coat.

When serving in a plate, top the salad with poached egg.

Vietnamese Spring Roll with Peanut Sauce Dressing

I love Vietnamese Spring Roll! It's healthy, colorful and yummy! It's also very easy to make; just a lot of preparations to be done.

Ingredients for spring roll:
115 gram rice vermicelli
1 tsp sesame oil
12 large rice paper wrappers
36 cooked large shrimps
1/2 sweet red bell pepper
1/2 sweet yellow bell pepper
1 English cucumber, seeded, cut in thin strips
1/2 mango, peeled and thinly sliced
1 cup fresh mint leaves
1 cup fresh cilantro

Ingredients for peanut sauce dressing:
1/4 cup crunch peanut butter
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
2 tbsp. rice vinegar
2 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tbsp. hot sauce (you can adjust this according to your taste bud)
3 tbsp. water
Mixed all together in a bowl, set aside.

Preparation:
Break rice vermicelli in a bowl and pour hot boiling water on top. Soak until tender about 3 minutes. Drain well and toss with sesame oil.

Fill in a shallow bowl with warm water. Soak rice paper one at the time in a water until softened and pliable, about 30 seconds.
Spread wrapper on a clean kitchen towel.
Along the bottom third of wrapper place 3 shrimps, top with vermicelli, red and yellow peppers, mango, and cucumber. Top with mint and cilantro.

Roll wrapper over filling. Fold the side over like an envelope. Place seam down on a tray, and repeat for the remaining.