Healthy Snack

Ever since turning 40, I feel like this body has not been so great with the usual eat-all-you-can and eat-anything-you want diet. So, in my attempt to eat healthier and beat feeling old, I've resorted to this trail mix work snack in lieu of the feeling-like-I'm-full soda drinks. We'll see how long this lasts...

Ginataang Tilapia

I'm not usually a fan of coconut milk but when I saw the recipe for this super-easy fish cooked in coconut cream, I just had to try it. The recipe I read about actually had spinach but since I had none at the house at the time, I don't have it included here. This was so easy to make and it was done in such little time, that it made me not only a fan of coconut milk, but confirmed that I'm a fan of super-easy recipes.

Needed:
2 medium-sized fresh-caught whole tilapia, cleaned
1 medium finely chopped onion
3 T finely chopped garlic
1 inch peeled ginger, sliced thinly
1/2 finely chopped japaleno pepper
2 small pieces whole jalapeno peppers
4 T patis (Filipino fish sauce)
1/2 T cooking oil
1 can coconut cream (milk)

1. In a semi-shallow pan over medium heat, saute garlic, onion, pepper, and ginger until onion becomes transluscent. Make sure that the pan you will cook this in can accomodate both tilapia fish without going over the pan. It also should have a cover to steam-cook the fish.

2. Add patis, then add the coconut milk then lay the whole peppers on the milk. Let simmer for about 5 minutes until the coconut milk starts to cook and simmer continously.

3. Lay both tilapia in the pan over the sauce, cover the pan, and lower the heat. Cook for about 15 minutes or until the fish is done. The fish will essentially be steam-cooked in the covered pan in the coconut milk sauce. The fish will render some of its juices that will dilute the coconut milk. Taste the sauce and season to your liking. For added heat, slice open the cooked jalapeno peppers.

4. Enjoy over hot rice.

Rosemary Chicken

This recipe is so easy to make, it's a good choice for a quick evening meal when you don't have much time to prepare and wait for dinner to cook. Using chicken thighs for this recipe renders tender pieces and leaving the skin on also helps in the moist factor. The skin crisps up really well and is very flavorful. Needless to say, I have not tried this recipe any other way. I'm sure for the health-conscious, one can use skinless chicken breasts as an alternative.

Needed:
6 pack chicken thighs, washed and drained, small slits on the meat
2 T olive oil
3 T rosemary
1 pc lemon, sliced thinly
salt and pepper to taste

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Place chicken on a wire rack and then into a baking dish. Squeeze some of the lemon juice on the chicken, then drizzle with the olive oil. Do not use too much oil as the chicken will also render its own grease.

3. Season with salt and pepper. Place rosemary on the chicken pieces. Then, place lemon slices on the chicken.

4. Bake at 400 degrees until chicken browns (about 30 minutes). When chicken browns up, lower the temperature to 350 degrees. Leave in the oven for about 15 more minutes (depending on your preference on done-ness).

5. Let chicken rest before serving to re-distribute juices.

6. Serve with garlic mashed potatoes, rice, corn, or any sides. Your possibilities are endless!

I love making this dish. I especially love posting it here because I got a great picture with my camera and that bokeh is just to die for... I've been trying to get background blur like this for a long time with my camera, and now I know how to do it! I'm just ecstatic.

Oh, and enjoy your chicken!

Sausage Corkscrew Pasta

I've been meaning to post this very simple made up recipe but just have not found the time. It's worth a try, for it is super easy. The best part? You don't have a ton of dishes to wash after cooking.

Needed:

2 cans 14 oz diced tomatoes

1 package corkscrew pasta

1 can cream or half and half (the can is measured from one emptied 14 oz tomato can)

1 T olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped finely

1/4 clove garlic, chopped finely

1 pack (6 to 8 pieces) fresh sausage links (not the breakfast kind), mild or spicy is okay

1 T oregano

1 T basil

salt and pepper to taste

fresh grated Parmesan cheese

1 Cook sausage according to package instructions. If there are no instructions, place sausages in a shallow pay and immerse in water, about halfway high. Let cook over medium heat until sausages cook through. When water is almost all evaporated, add oil to continue to cook sausages through. Cook sausages until tender and not overcooked. Let cool and slice diagonally about 1/4 inch thick. Set aside.

2. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Once done, drain and set aside. There is no need to rinse in running water.

3. In the pasta pot, put olive oil and let heat. Add garlic and onions to brown.

4. Add sliced sausages and let the sausages cook some more to let the onions and garlic flavor it some more.

5. Add the diced tomatoes and let simmer to cook the tomatoes ~ about 10 minutes. Add the cream and simmer for another 10 minutes.

6. Add the pasta, stir thoroughly so all the pasta is covered with sauce.

7. Season with oregano, basil, salt, and pepper to taste.

8. Serve hot and garnish with Parmesan cheese.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Need a simple recipe for mashed potatoes? If you do, you probably don't cook much. LOL! Mashed potatoes are as simple as frying an egg. Sorry if I have offended anyone. Anyway, mashed potatoes making is easy! As the title goes, all you have to do is mash up some potatoes. So, to do that:

1. Boil potatoes. Cut up potatoes about 1 1/2 inches thick and wide, making sure pieces are about the same size for even and fast cooking. Cover the potatoes with just enough water to cook them in. You can leave the potato skins on--it's a good fiber source.
2. Once potatoes break easily with a fork (around 10 minutes of continuous boil), drain the water. Leave potatoes in the pan.
3. Mash up potatoes as smooth as you would like it to be. Some folks prefer lumpy potatoes and yours can be, too--that is if that is how you'd like it to be.
4. In a separate small saucepan, melt half a stick of butter (for about 3 cups of mashed potatoes). While butter is melting, put it half a head of crushed fresh garlic. Allow the garlic to diffuse in the butter for about 3 minutes.
5. Add the melted butter to the potatoes. Add about 1/2 cup half and half also.
6. Continue to mash potatoes to desired consistency.
7. Enjoy with a meat or poultry dish.