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"Healthy eating is a marathon, not a sprint." - Gordon RamsayI absolutely love this saying. Healthy eating is a lifestyle, not just a fad, but every now and then, little indulgences are perfectly fine as long as they're kept under control. While the physical benefits may be questionable, these "cheat meals" helps you keep sane and stay in good mental health. I eat pretty healthily 6 days out of the week but on Sunday's I like to indulge in dishes like these.With that said, this dish is by no means completely healthy and I sure wouldn't recommend eating this every night of the week (even you Michael Phelps). What I can guarantee is that this dish is rich, flavorsome and absolutely delicious.It's a relatively simple dish, you can make the risotto with whatever you have on hand, and I'm assuming there's a bottle of Marsala wine somewhere in your kitchen (...there is right?). If you don't, I suggest going out and purchasing a bottle. It's a very versatile dry wine that's used for Tiramisu, various dishes, etc. The Marsala means that we'll be deglazing and speaking of deglaze, check out Christina at Deglaze Me. It's a great blog with recipes, stories and restaurant reviews. It has to be one of my absolute favorite blogs right now.Chicken Breast w/ Marsala SauceOriginally by Me, Serves 2Ingredients:- 2 shallots (or 1 large banana shallot)- 1 clove garlic, crushed- 0.5 cup risotto rice- 0.33 cup white wine- 2 cups chicken stock + 1 cup for the marsala sauce (3 cups total)- 1 cup green peas (thawed if frozen)- 0.5 cup grated Parmesan- bunch of flat leaf parsley- 1 tablespoon of butter- 2 chicken breasts (skin on if you're feeling dangerous)- about 0.5 cup Marsala wine1) Slice your shallots and season the chicken breast with salt and pepper. Mop up any excess seasoning on the cutting board/plate and set the chicken aside.
2) In a hot pan, add olive oil and throw in your shallots. Add in a clove of crushed garlic and sauté for about 2 minutes. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Meanwhile, get that chicken stock simmering.3) Add in the risotto rice and blanch for about 2 minutes. After the blanching's finished, add in the white wine.
Now, don't judge me but why am I using that white wine? a) I'm not 21 (yet) and b) I didn't bring a bottle of white wine from home when I came back to school. At least I'm using some sort of alcohol...?4) After the alcohol has cooked off, add in your simmering chicken stock 1 ladle at a time. Stir and shake the risotto to release the starches and to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom. Stir the risotto whenever you get a chance. Read steps 5 AND 6.5) When the risotto is about 3 minutes to being al dente, season with the grated Parmesan, roughly chopped parsley and add in the green peas. Right before the risotto finishes, shake in the tablespoon of butter. Once al dente (you'll be able to see the white of the grain in the middle) taste and adjust seasonings if needed. If that white disappears from the grain, it's been overcooked.
6) Ready for some multi-tasking? About 12-15 minutes into the risotto cooking, heat another pan with olive oil. Add in the chicken breast and sauté on each side for about 3 - 5 minutes (depends on the thickness of the chicken breast). Make sure you get a nice golden color. No color = no flavor. Take out the chicken breast and let rest. Ready the Marsala wine.
7) DEGLAZE the pan with Marsala and add in chicken stock until you get the consistency of a nice pan sauce.8) To serve: on a plate, shake the plate to spread the risotto. Cut the chicken breast into 4 large slices and place on top. Drizzle the marsala sauce over the chicken. Garnish, clean plate and serve._______________________________________________________Leftover risotto? No problem. Stay tuned...
Oatmeal and cottage cheese. My day starts with a good bowl of oatmeal and ends with a serving of cottage cheese.Oats are packed with fiber, can lower LDL, a good source of protein and are slow releasing, complex carbs to give you energy throughout the day. Cottage cheese is low in calories, fat, carbs and high in casein protein which is a slow digesting protein.Lots of people think eating healthy is boring and tasteless but I'm on a lifelong mission to prove to people that healthy food is good food and it's just as exciting. Combining these two superfoods together, a delicious Spiced Oatmeal Pudding can be made.This dish is rich, creamy and full of flavor which healthy foods often have a streotype of not having. The pudding is extremely simple to make and even the most novice cooks couldn't mess this up. Just mix, and pop in the oven for 1 hour. It really is easy as that.Spiced Oatmeal PuddingAdapted from Inn Cuisine, Serves 4-6Ingredients:- 1 cup cooked oatmeal, made with low-fat/fatfree milk- 1 cup low-fat/no fat cottage cheese- 1 large egg- 0.5 cup skim milk/fat free milk- 3 tablespoons of sugar- pinch of nutmeg- pinch of allspice- ground cinnamon and brown sugar to garnish***PREHEAT OVEN TO 325°F***1) In a large mixing bowl, whisk the egg and sugar together until smooth. Taste the cooked oatmeal and adjust salt slightly. The cottage cheese will add saltiness so don't go overboard.2) Add the cottage cheese, cooked oatmeal (slighlty cooled) and the milk. Oatmeal must be slightly cooled because if it's too hot and it goes straight into the bowl, it'll curdle the egg and we don't want that to happen.
3) Throw in the nutmeg and allspice. Stir together until incorporated.4) In a lightly oiled baking dish, pour in the custard mixture.5) Pop into the oven for about 1 hour until the edges are browned and the center is set. Check on the pudding at about 45 minutes in as the baking times will differ based on the oven and the baking dish.6) Serve with dusted cinnamon and brown sugar crumbles.
These spicy pork ribs have been family favorites ever since I was born. It's spicy enough to give a kick without making you sweat and slightly sweet that goes brilliantly with the natural sweetness of the pork. Here's the thing: the marinade is a secret that my mother refuses to give up.I've been trying to figure out how to make the marinade for awhile now and although I've gotten close, there's still something missing. So far, I know there is:- Ginger- Garlic- Onions- Sugar- Gochujang (Korean hot sauce)- PaprikaI know there is one more ingredient but my palate isn't able to uncover the last puzzle piece...yet.As for how the pork ribs are cooked, they are first boiled briefly with a variety of vegetables and spices to infuse various flavors to the actual pork meat. The marinade is then added along with the pork ribs and set aside in the fridge overnight. The pork is then broiled in the oven for about 10 - 15 minutes. Because they've already been slightly boiled, the cooking time is relatively low.As always, the pork ribs were delicious and left me longing for more as the bones started to accumulate on our plates. Hopefully one day I'll be able to figure out my mother's marinade!
We were able to get our hands on some free venison loin and mince the other day. What better way to use a mince than to make a burger patty?
I've been on a campaign for quite sometime now to get more vegetables into my brother's diet. This was another perfect opportunity to hide vegetables and reveal to him afterwards what it was filled with. This way, his tolerance for taste will get wider and he'll be able to appreciate tastes of more foods in the future. It's been working out pretty well so far, I've even got him eating onions now!
With that said, I hope that everyone tries new foods at least once when the opportunity arises (maybe except for roadkill). Venison tastes quite similar to beef but has less fat and is a lot leaner. It's not very gamey and is a perfect alternative to those who are looking for meats that are low in fat. This Venison Burger is lean, nutritious, packed with protein, and full of flavor.
Venison Burger
Original, Serves 2-4
Ingredients:
- 1 lb ground venison
- 1/4 cup onions, finely diced
- 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 1/4 cup mushrooms, finely diced
- leaves from 1 sprig of thyme
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 0.5 teaspoon pepper
- 4 Hamburger Buns (I used Kaiser Rolls)
1) Preheat the grill.
2) Mix everything together in a bowl.
3) Divide the meat mixture into 4 portions and make into patties.
4) Grill the burgers on each side for 3 - 4 minutes on each side or to desired doneness.
5) Drizzle the buns with olive oil and place on the grill over medium heat, inside down, for 30 seconds.
6) Take the burgers and buns off the grill and serve with garnishes and condiments.
After a rough week of tests and lab practicums, I'm back home and waiting for me are stacks of notes and a horrid book known as Anatomy & Pathophysiology (and this amazing SLR camera, thus the better picture quality). Such is the life of a pharmacy school student but we endure and learn to aid the public when we go out into practice. I will say though, I enjoy learning about everything in school (even though some things seem COMPLETELY irrelevant) and being surrounded by an amazing group of friends.
My brother and I were left to fend for ourselves tonight and I decided to put together a Cottage Pie for supper. Cottage pie is a variation from shepherd's pie that uses beef instead of lamb. I wanted to make shepherd's pie but my brother isn't the biggest fan of lamb (he literally spit out his lamb at Fogo the first time he tried it). This dish is tasty, relatively fast and extremely simple to assemble.
**PREHEAT OVEN TO 350°F. Also, get a pot of salted water boiling for the potatoes!**
Cottage Pie
Inspired by Gordon Ramsay, Serves 4
Ingredients: (Beef Layer)
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1 large onion, grated
- 1 large carrot, grated
- 2 cloves garlic, grated
- 1 tablespoon tomato puree
- 1-2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- Leaves from 1 sprig of thyme (you can substitute dried)
- 1 cup red wine
- 1.5 cup chicken stock
1) In a hot pan, add olive oil and fry the ground beef for about 2 - 3 minutes until you start to get a nice browned color. Season with salt and pepper.
2) Drain the ground beef and in the same pan, add the grated onion, carrot and garlic. Return the drained ground beef into the pan.
3) Add W sauce, tomato puree and thyme and cook for 2 - 3 more minutes. The vegetables shouldn't be colored, they should be sweated.
4) Add in the red wine and reduce to get rid of the alcohol.
5) Add in the chicken stock and cook until the sauce is thickened.
6) Taste to check seasonings and set aside until the mashed potato component is finished.
Ingredients: (Potato Layer)
- 2 lb potatoes (Yukon, White, anything you can mash with)
- 2 egg yolks
- Parmesan cheese, grated
1) In the salted, boiling pot of water, add the potatoes and cook until tender. My peeled and quartered potatoes took about 8 minutes. The smaller the potatoes, the faster they cook!
2) Drain the potatoes and return to the pot to dry out.
3) Add in the 2 egg yolks and 2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan and mash until smooth.
4) Taste to check seasonings.
Assembly:
1) Place the meat sauce on the bottom of an oven-safe bowl.
2) Place the mashed potato on the top and smooth out with a spatula.
3) Sprinkle with salt, pepper and grated Parmesan over the mashed potatoes.
4) Place in the oven for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are golden brown.
5) Serve immediately.
Here's what mine looked like once it was out of the oven. I forked through the top of my potatoes to make it look cool but it's completely unnecessary. It's for show, so do it anyways :)
It's always a good sign when picky eaters (aka most children) finish all of their food. Aside from adding flavor and texture, using grated vegetables is a great way to hide our nutritious friends! On a side note, I hate those flower dishes/cups my mom has. I've been promoting clean, white plates for sometime now but I don't see any of them being purchased in the near future...or ever.
I'm always hesitant to buy fruit at the supermarkets. Especially fruit I can't tell if it's been ripened enough for consumption (like grapes). How do I know it tastes good even if it looks good? Luckily, I ended up buying some delicious strawberries the other day and decided to incorporate them into a tasty Sunday treat.I made some Crème Pâtissière Pastries and Strawberries caramelized in Balsamic Vinegar to create a delicious concoction. With spring break looming (in 5 more days for us), this may not be the best dessert if you're watching your waist line...But then again, if you haven't been excercising/working out regularly for the last 3 months, don't expect to see immediate results in 1 week. That being said, I recommend you make this anyways. 1 tart won't kill you :-)Creme Patissiere PastriesOriginally by Me, Serves 6-8Ingredients: (Pastries)- 1 sheet puff pastry1) Preheat the oven to 400°F.2) Place the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface and flour out your rolling pin.3) Roll out the puff pastry to about a 0.5 cm in thickness (you can do thicker if you want) and cut to desired shape/sizes.4) Place in the oven for 12 - 15 minutes or until golden brown on the outside.**please note that baking times will differ depending on the size and thickness of your pastry**Ingredients: (Crème Pâtissière)- 2 large egg yolks- 0.25 cup plus 3 tablespoons milk- 0.25 cup heavy cream- 2 tablespoons sugar- 1.5 tablespoons flour- **0.5 tablespoon corn starch****Not necessary but if you're afraid that the creme might split, add it in. If it's not thickening up like it should, add a tad in**1) Add the milk and heavy cream to a small sauce pan and bring to a boil.2) Add egg yolk and sugar to a mixing bowl and whisk until smooth and creamy.3) Add the flour (and corn starch if desired) and whisk again.4) Add a third of the milk/cream mixture and whisk. Once smooth and well incorporated, add the rest of the milk/cream mixture and whisk.5) Pour the custard back into the sauce pan and bring up to a boil to thicken. Make sure to keep whisk/stirring. The consistency should look somewhat like a thick pancake batter.6) Chill in the fridge and set aside.Ingredients: (Balsamic Strawberries)- Strawberries, hulled and halved- Icing sugar- Balsamic vinegar1) Wash, drain, hull and halve the strawberries. Place the strawberries on a plate.2) Sift/sprinkle icing sugar evenly across the strawberries.3) Drizzle balsamic vinegar amongst the strawberries (put your thumb over the mouth of the bottle to control the volume poured).4) Sift/sprinkle icing sugar on the strawberries again.5) In a hot pan, add the balsamic strawberry mixture and caramelize for 15 - 20 seconds. Set aside in another plate.Assembly:1) Cut the puff pastry in half. Give the crème pâtissière a good stir to make the mixture smooth and place a drop between the middle of the puff pastries.2) Place tarts onto the serving plate.3) Sift icing sugar over the tarts and go over the tarts with chocolate sauce.4) Place some of the balsamic strawberry mixture on the side. Add a sprig of mint (which I didn't have on hand) to finish.
Bread making is the ultimate study break and partner. It requires 10 - 15 minutes of attention every hour and while developing the dough, there's plenty of time to study. My friend Michelle had requested a bread recipe that she could make and I decided today was the day to fulfill her request.This Honey Wheat Bread is fluffy, sweet and amazing for sandwiches. The whole wheat is nutritious and adds fiber while the honey adds a touch of sweetness and chewiness that just melts in your mouth.If you're looking to use this in another recipe, I suggest visiting Kevin at Closet Cooking. It's an awesome blog with great recipes. Definitely worth a visit.Honey Wheat Bread
Originally by Me
Ingredients: (makes 2 loaves)- 4.5 teaspoons yeast OR 2 packages of active dry yeast- 0.5 cup lukewarm water- 0.33 cup honey- 0.25 cup (4tbsp) of butter- 2 teaspoons salt- 1.75 cups lukewarm water- 3 cups what flour- 3 cups AP flour**Being the good baker I know you are, you may be wondering why AP instead of bread flour? We don't need the extra protein from the bread flour because we're using whole wheat and combining the whole wheat with the AP flour gives rise to a wheat bread without the dense/heaviness.1) Activate your yeast if using active dry. Combine the yeast and 0.5 cup of warm water with a pinch of sugar. The sugar gives the yeast something to feed on while being activated. I actually had a packet on hand so here's what it'll look like when you combine.
This is what it looks like after 10 minutes. If your yeast didn't rise like this, either a) the water was too hot and you killed the yeast or b) the yeast is too old and can't be used anymore2) In a mixing bowl, combine the whole wheat flour , AP flour and salt. I recommend using the King Arthur's brand but any will do.
3) To the dry goods, add in the softened butter, honey, remaining warm water and the activated yeast. It should look something like this:
4) Using a wooden spoon, incorporate everything together while rotating the mixing bowl. Think of the spoon as a hook and the rotation of the bowl as a mixer. Of course, if you have a Kitchen-Aid Mixer, it makes this process so much easier. Add more warm water (1 tablespoon at a time) if you feel that the dough is way too dry. Adding water 1 tablespoon at a time will prevent you from ending up with pancake batter (which is extremely difficult to fix).
You'll end up with a rough dough looking like this after a few minutes:
Place the dough onto your counter. If you're using the Kitchen-Aid, you can leave it in there for the kneading process. Actually, you can't take it out and knead by hand. It'll taste better in the end. Trust me.
5) After about 10 - 15 minutes of kneading, you'll end up with an elastic, tacky dough looking like this. If you didn't listen to me and you used the Kitchen-Aid, it should be done in about 8 - 10 minutes.
Lightly grease a container/bowl and spray some oil on top of the dough as well to prevent a hard surface from forming. Cover and let this ferment for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.
6) After an hour, the dough should've doubled in size and look like this. Beautiful isn't it? Degas the dough lightly to distribute the gas that's been trapped inside.
7) Now, you can get creative here with the shaping. You can make dinner rolls by forming boules, baguettes by forming bâtard, etc. I decided to experiment and divide mine in half, flatten it and roll it up.
So they looked like this in the end:
8) Lightly grease the loaf pan and the top of the dough as well to prevent a crust from forming. Let it proof for 1 more hour or until doubled in size.
9) After 1 hour, the dough will rise like this. I topped my doughs with oatmeal before letting it proof. You can also dust it whole wheat flour, regular flour, sesame seeds, or whatever you want. Now, depending on how you shaped your bread before proofing, you may need to score the bread at this point. If you have a lamé, by all means use it but a simple serrated knife will do. I didn't have to score mine but if you're making baguettes or a traditional shaped loaf, you'll have to score it about 0.5 inches deep into the dough. Scoring allows the bread to expand in the oven and prevents it from falling on itself.
10) Preheat your oven to 375°F and place your loaves in. The baking times will differ depending on how you shaped it but for loaves. It will take about 40 - 45 minutes. The outside should be a dark brown and when tapped, it should come back with a hollow sound. Obviously, the smaller the dough, the faster it will bake so make sure you watch your dough if you didn't shape it into a loaf. It'll look like this once it's done:
11) Cool AT LEAST 15 minutes before slicing. I know it's tempting but if you try to eat it now, you'll end up burning your mouth and the protein/carbohydrate complex inside the bread needs time to cool down and set into place.
Making bread by hand has to be one of life's greatest therapeutic triumphs. After forming that rough dough, kneading is a great way to relieve stress and personally, it's quite fun. This weekend was one of those days where you just stop and think about what in the heck is going on in this world. There's just some things logic just can't explain and I really hope things work out for my best friend soon. Anyways, more about the food.
4) Dump the dough back onto the counter after the primary fermentation and gently/tenderly/lovingly press the air out of the dough. Fold into a boule (ball) shape and let it sit under a plastic wrap for 20 minutes. It'll look like this after:
5) Dump out the dough again and press out the dough with your hands until about 0.75 inches in thickness. Cut the dough into small chunks and the shape of the chunks does not matter.
The verdict? Delicious.
