Category Archives: Food

Hominy and Jalepeno Chicken Soup

Hominy & Jalepeno Chicken Soup, from the January/February 2013 issue of EveryDay with Rachel Ray Magazine.

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I pulled this recipe from Rachel Ray’s Magazine as noted above. When I was flipping through this issues, this recipe popped at me. It sort of reminded of a combination of menudo and pozole, both popular mexican soups that I love. I was pleasantly surprised by this soup.

I’m completely biased when it comes to trying mexican recipes I find online or in magazines. Sometimes I can’t help but feel like no one can make the dishes as well as my mom, nana or aunt.  But this soup was good, and don’t be scared of the jalepenos! It wasn’t spicy.   If  I was to make this soup again, I would just change one thing – I would take the skin off the chicken before cooking it.

Ingredients
2 TBS of olive oil
3 lbs of chicken thighs, bone in
1 onion, chopped
2 jalepeno chiles, stemmed seeded and thinly sliced
1 clove of garlic,  smashed and peeled
1 tbsp of chile powder
1 1/2 cups of chicken broth
1 cup of canned hominy, drained
1 small bunch of cilantro, stems discarded
1 lime

Directions
1. In a large pot, or dutch oven, heat the olive oil over high heat. Season the chicken pieces salt and pepper. Working in batches if necessary, add the chicken pieces to the pot in a single layer. Cook, turning once, until browned on both sides about 8 minutes.  Transfer to a plate.

2. Lower the heat to medium and discard all but 1 tbsp. of fat from the pot. Add the onion, half of the jalepenos and the garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add the chili poweder, then stir in the chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

3. Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the pot. Add the hominy and enough water  to just cover (about 2 cups). Bring to a simmer over medium low heat, cover and cook for 40 minutes. Remove the chicken pieces and let cool slightly. Shred the meat and return it to the pot. (discard the skin and bones)

4.  Ladle the soup into bowls and top with the remaining jalepenos and the cilantro. Serve with the lime wedges, sour cream and an extra sprinlling of coarse salt and pepper.

Chocolate Banana Bread

Chocolate Banana Bread
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Using my basic banana muffin recipe, I added some cocoa and voila! Chocolate Banana bread was born. It’s perfect to mix up your morning toast with this bread, or to have as a special guest for brunch. The bread is very good straight out of the oven, and even better toasted with yummies on top. I tried it with butter, nutella, and cream cheese. Strawberries are the perfect topping as well.   I hope you like this recipe.

Ingredients
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup of ground oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking power
1/2 teaspoon salt
2-3 large ripe bananas
1 large egg
1/3 cup applesauce
1/4 cup of brown sugar
1/3 cup of cocoa powder

Pre-heat oven to 375.

Directions:
1. Mix together the dry ingredients in a large bowl.  (Flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cocoa)
2. In a separate bowl mash up the bananas. Add brown sugar, egg and applesauce, and mix until well blended.
3.  Add the banana mixture into the dry ingredient mixture. Mix it up.
4.  Pour the mixture into a bread/loaf pan.
5.  Bake for 40 minutes.  Do the toothpick test to ensure done-ness.

Eat this bread warm with dab of butter, or dress it up. Toast it, add some cream cheese and strawberries.
Unlike regular banana bread, I found this chocolate banana bread looses its effect on the taste buds when you eat it cold. So, it’s best warm or toasted. But if you like cold, that’s fine too. :)

I hope you enjoy this bread. Be sure to let me know how you dress it up.

Carrot and Ginger Soup

Carrot and Ginger Soup with Garlic and Bok Choy
Carrot Soup

Ingredients
1 lb of carrots
1 TBS of canola oil
2 large potatoes
1/2 of a yellow onion, diced
4 garlic cloves
4 TBS of minced ginger
3 stalks of bok choy
1 Yellow hot pepper
2 bay leaves
green onions
2 cups of broth (chicken or vegetable)

Peel and carrots and potatoes. Cut the potatoes in to 2-3 inch pieces and cut the potatoes in half. Mince the ginger and three garlic cloves.

In a medium sauce pan, add four cups of water and add the carrots and potatoes. Cook until tender. Remove the carrots and potatoes from saucepan and add to a blender, along with 1/2 cup of the water.  Blend until you have a nice puree.

In the same sauce pan, add the canola oil. Once heated, add the onion, minced garlic and ginger, and sautee for 2 minutes. Remove from the pan and add to the puree  along with the last garlic cloves. Pulse in the blender for about 30 seconds. In same saucepan, cook the bok choy for 2-3 minutes, then remove from the pan. Pour half of the puree back into the sauce pan, add the broth. Keep on a medium heat.

With the remaining half of the puree in the blender, add the bok choy and pulse until blended. Then add it to the sauce pan. Add the hot yellow pepper into the sauce pan. Let simmer for 20-30 minutes.  Remove the hot pepper before serving.

Serve with green onions on top.
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This recipes serves 4.

Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Ganache

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Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Ganache

This recipe is modeled after the Hershey’s  ”Perfectly Chocolate” Chocolate Cake recipe with a just a few modifications. And I just winged it with the ganache! I hope you like this cake. It’s quite delicious and taste best warm.

Ingredients
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup Stevia
3/4 cup Hershey’s Cocoa
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 3/4 cup of whole wheat flour
2 eggs
2 tsp of vanilla extract
1 cup of vanilla soy milk
1/2 cup of  unsweetened applesauce
1 cup of fresh brewed coffee

Heat oven to 350 degrees and grease two 9 inch round cake pans.

1. Stir together sugar, stevia,  flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl.

2. Add the eggs, milk, applesauce and vanilla to the flour mixture and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Stir in fresh brewed coffee (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.

2. Bake 30 to 35 minutes and do the Toothpick Test.  Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.

Chocolate Ganache
2 TBS of butter
7 squares of the Baker’s Chocolate
1/4 cup of vanilla soy milk

1. In a medium saucepan, fill with 4 cups of water and bring to a boil. Sit an aluminum mixing bowl over the boiling water.
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2. Add the butter to the mixing bowl as it sits over the water. As it melts add the chocolate squares and the soy milk.  Keep stirring until smooth, about 3-5 minutes.

3. Get your cakes ready.  On one cake, add two spoonfuls of ganache and spread evenly. Keep the ganache warm and smooth by keeping the chocolate in the bowl and back into the saucepan while your spreading.  Add the second cake on top of the first cake. Pour the ganache over the cake spreading it along the top of the cake and letting it drip off the sides.

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Spinach and Cheese Omelette Enchilada Style with Green Chili Sauce

Spinach and Cheese Omelette, Enchilada Style with Green Chili Sauce

Um, yes please!

Enchilada Omelette
I had some green chili enchilada sauce left over from a previous meal and while gathering items from the refrigerator to make an omelette I got the fine idea to create an enchilada omelette. Ooooh weeee, I was not disappointed. Here goes the recipe. Hope you like it.

Ingredients
2 eggs
1/4 cup white onion, chopped
1 cup of baby spinach
1 corn tortilla (yellow or white corn), cut into strips
3 TBS of Monterrey Jack Cheese
1 TBS Canola Oil
1/4 cup of enchilada sauce

1. Heat a small pan over medium-high heat with the canola oil.  Add the spinach, onion, and strips of the corn tortillas.  Saute for 2-3 minutes.
spinach onions and tortilla strips
Remove the items from the pan and set aside in a small bowl.
Crack your two eggs into a bowl and scramble them up really good. Drop the heat to medium.

2.  Pour the scrambled eggs to the same pan. Using the handle the on the pan, tip the pan back n forth and around to make sure the eggs are spread around evenly. Don’t stir it.  Let it set/cook for about 45 seconds. Using a rubber spatula gently push one edge of the egg towards the center of the pan, while tilting the pan to allow the still liquid egg to flow in underneath. Repeat with the other edges, until there’s no liquid left. Let the egg set, and it slide around the pan. If not, loosen with the spatula.  *using a rubber spatula is key.  Gently flip the egg over. On one half of the egg, add the sautee’d items, and cheese, then fold the egg in half covering the sauteed items. Let cook for about 30 seconds, then flip and let cook for another 30 seconds.  Remove your omelette from the pan and onto your plate.

Warm up the enchilada sauce in a microwave safe bowl.

3. Pour the enchilada  sauce over the omelette, and sprinkle a tad bit of cheese. Now it’s ready to eat.

SAMSUNGYum!
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Ways to mix this recipe up:
- add chicken or turkey
- add jalepenos or serrano pepper to make it spicy
- use a red chili sauce instead

Mini Pumpkin Cupcakes with a Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

Mini Pumpkin Cupcakes with a Cinnamon Cream Cheese Topping

Ingredients
2 cups of whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp of ground cloves
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 cup of brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) of unsalted butter
4 eggs
1 can of pumpkin puree

Cinnamon Cream Cheese topping
1/2  package of low fat cream cheese
1/2  stick of unsalted butter
1 cup of confectioners sugar
1 tsp of cinnamon
1 tsp of vanilla extract

Pre heat oven to 350

1. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon ginger, nutmeg and ground cloves. Set aside

2. In a large bowl, whisk together sugars, butter and eggs. Add dry ingredients and mix until smooth.

3.  Line cupcake tins with the cupcake cups. Divide evenly into the the mini cupcake tins. Bake for 14 minutes. Do the toothpick test. Allow to cool.

This batch makes 6 dozen mini cupcakes.

To make the frosting
Using an electric mixer,  mix the cream cheese butter, cinnamon and vanilla. Gradually add the confectioners sugars. Mix until completely blended and smooth.

Frost the cupcakes to your liking.  I like just a tad bit of frosting.
I don’t own a pastry bag,  so I put the frosting into a small plastic baggie, let it all fall down to one corner. Using scissors, cut a small corner of the bag off.


Eat up!
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I much prefer mini cupcakes as to the regular sized ones.  They are just so cute..

Broccoli and Ginger Stir Fry with Chicken

Broccoli and Ginger Stir Fry with Chicken over Steamed Brown Rice

Ingredients
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 head of broccoli, cut into florets
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 TBS of fresh ginger, minced
1/4 cup white onion, chopped
1 TBS of canola oil
1/2 TBS of canola oil
1 cup of brown rice

Servings: 3-4 servings

Prep: Prepare rice according to instructions. I cook my rice in a rice cooker. Every rice cooker is different, and the cook time varies depending on how much rice you are cooking.  I usually wait for my rice to finish steaming, before I begin the stir fry and let the rice sit in the cooker on the warm setting.
Chop onion, cut broccoli, and mince the garlic and ginger.

1. In a large pan, over medium high heat, add 1 tablespoon of canola oil.  Add chicken, and cook until browned all over, 4-5 minutes. Remove chicken and set aside.

2. In the same pan, add the addition 1/2 tablespoon of the canola oil. Swirl it around the pan, letting it get warmed up. Add the garlic, onion and ginger and broccoli. Stir and let cook for 2-3 minutes, then add the chicken back in.  Stir around, letting it brown up a little bit all over, usually about 5-6 minutes.  Serve over steamed brown rice.
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This dish smells so good. It’s also perfect to take to work for lunch!

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The 2012 Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap

The  Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap is back!

What is The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap you say? Well, it’s a cookie swap amongst food bloggers. Hosted by Love and Olive Oil and The Little Kitchen, both food bloggers who joined forces in 2011 for the first ever food blogger cookie swap. There was over 600 food bloggers from around the world sending over 22,000 cookies. Below is a short snippet describing the swap.

The GREAT FOOD BLOGGER COOKIE SWAP brings together food bloggers from around the world in celebration of all things scrumptious. The premise is this: sign up. Receive the addresses of three other food bloggers. Send each of them one dozen delicious homemade cookies. Receive three different boxes of scrumptious cookies from other bloggers. Eat them all yourself (or, you know, share. If you want. No judgement either way.) Post your cookie recipe on your blog. See everyone else’s cookie recipes. Salivate. Get lots of great ideas for next year’s cookie swap. Rinse and repeat.

This year, they are partnering with Cookies for Kids’ Cancer and all participants will make a $4 donation to the national non-profit.

Visit the website at www.fbcookieswap.com to find out How it Works, get information on Deadlines and Requirements, and quite possibly Sign Up. I did!  Deadline to sign up is November 5th.

View my recipe and posting from the 2011 Cookie Swap here. Also, view recipes and photos of the all the cookies’ swapped last year at the following cookie round-up links. Round Up Part 1 and Round Up Part 2.

Well I’m signed up and am brainstorming a recipe.

Not a food blogger, but still interested in participating? Veronica’s Cornucopia is coordinating a similar cookie swap. Find out more HERE

-xoxo

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Apple-Cinnamon Granola

Apple Cinnamon Granola

Ingredients
2 cups of rolled oats
2 cups of puffed red wheat cereal
1 cups of chopped walnuts
2 cups of dried apple rings, chopped
2 TBS of brown sugar
1/2 cup of unsweetened apple sauce
3 TBS of cinnamon
1 TBS of apple spice
1 TBS of canola oil
1 TBS of honey
1/4 cup of almonds, chopped or slivered

Preheat oven to 300 degrees
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or foil.

In a large mixing bowl, add the rolled oats, puffed rice, walnut and almonds.  Mix and set aside.

In a small sauce pan, over medium heat, at the canola oil, apple sauce, brown sugar, cinnamon and apple spice. Stir and let it get to a boil.  Remove from the heat, then pour over the oats/nuts mixture. Stir it, making sure it’s evenly mixed. Sprinkle in a little more cinnamon.   Pour the mixture onto the cookie sheet and spread evenly.

Bake in the oven for 12 minutes. Using a spatula, stir the mixture, turning it over. Then bake for an additional 12 minutes and remove from the oven.

In a small bowl, add the chopped apple rings,  the honey, sprinkle some cinnamon and stir around.  Add the apples to the granola on the cookie sheet.
Stir the mixture and turn it around, then  put it back in the oven for 15 minutes.  After the 15 minutes, turn the mixture over again, then bake for just another 5-7 minutes.

Remove from the oven, and let cool completely. The granola will get its crunchiness at this stage.

Store in an airtight container.

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Eat with yogurt, milk,  or ice cream. It’s soo good.
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Other Granola Recipes:
Cranberry Almond Granola

Turkey and Kale Omelette

SUPER OMELETTE

This omelette is made with kale and avocado, and has kick of heat from a serrano pepper. I like make this after a tough morning workout, or just on days when I want my breakfast to fill me up.

Here’s what you need:
2 large eggs
1/2 cup of kale
Half of a ripe avocado, sliced
1 serrano pepper, diced
2-3 of turkey deli meat, I used Cracked Peppered Turkey
1/4 cup of cheese of your choice. I used Monterrey Jack
Red Onion, chopped – about 3 TBS
1 TBS of Canola Oil

In a small sautee pan, heat the canola oil. Add the onion, serrano pepper and kale. Let sautee for about a minute, then add the turkey meat.   Stirring, let cook  for another minute. In a mixing bowl, crack open the eggs and scramble.  Remove the turkey and kale mixture from the pan, leaving just a tab bit in the pan. Lower heat to medium-low.

Some people like to just stuff the omelette with the yummies inside, but I like to keep some of it in the pan to cook with the egg . In the pic, you can see where some of the kale is popping thru.

With some of the yummies still in the pan, just even them out, then pour the scrambled eggs to the pan, allowing to cook for about a minute. Don’t stir it. Using a rubber spatula gently push one edge of the egg into the center of the pan, while tilting the pan to allow the still liquid egg to flow in underneath. Repeat with the other edges, until there’s no liquid left. Let the egg set, and it slide around the pan. If not, loosen with the spatula.

Gently flip the egg over. On one half of the egg, add the sautee’d items, and cheese, then fold the egg in half covering the sauteed items. Let cook for about 30 seconds, then flip and let cook for another 30 seconds.  Remove your omelette from the pan and onto your plate.  Add the slices of avocado to the top the omelette and it’s ready to eat.

Pumpkin Oatmeal

Steel Cut Oats with Pumpkin Puree,  Pepitas and Fall spices

Oats can get boring from time to time, so it’s great to mix it up by adding different seeds, nuts, spices, honey, fresh fruit, dried fruit etc. This morning I wanted something pumpkin-ish, so I created this fall inspired steel oat recipe with hints of pumpkin spices to give me that taste I was craving.

We all have our own method for cooking oats, some like it creamy or lumpy, some folks will only use milk, etc. I usually cook mine in water and add a little almond milk or regular milk at the end to increase the creamy ratio. I say, make them how you usually do, but add the extras listed below. You can use rolled oats or steel cut oats to create this flavorful breakfast.

Ingredients
This recipe is for 1 serving
1/2 cup of steel cut oats
1 1/2  cups of water
Pinch of salt
Extras
2 invidual packets of Stevia
3 TBS of pepitas
1 TBS of Chia Seeds
2 TBS of pumpkin puree
Cinnamon
Ground Cloves
Ground nutmug

In a small saucepan, let the water come to a boil. Add the oats and salt, stir and let it get back to a boil. Drop the heat to a low- simmer and let cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring from time to time so it doesn’t stick to the bottom on the pan.

Add the stevia, pepitas, puree, chia seeds and sprinkle some cinnamon, ground cloves and ground nutmeg. I recommend tasting the oats and add more of the spices as needed.

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Chicken and Quinoa Salad

Chicken and Quinoa Salad

Chicken and Quinoa Salad

2 boneless skin less chicken breasts
1/2  cup of quinoa
1 cup of baby spinach
1 cup of red leaf lettuce
1 cup of kale
1 carrot, shredded
4 TBS of crumbled blue cheese
4 TBS of dried cranberries
4 TBS of sliced almonds
honey
balsamic vinegar
extra virgin olive oil

Serves 4

Prep:
Grill chicken evenly on both sides. Set aside to cool.  Cut up chicken into  1/2 inch pieces. Divide to create 4 servings

In small sauce pan, heat 1 cup of water and add quinoa. Once boiling, set to a simmer, cover and cook for 15-20 mins. Remove from heat and fluff quinoa with a fork. Set aside  to cool.

Mix all the greens and the shredded carrot in a large bowl.

Gather 4 plates. Add greens to each plate. Top with 1/4 cup of the cooked quinoa,  a serving of chicken, 1 TBS each of cranberries, almonds and blue cheese.

In a small dish add 4 TBS of olive oil and 1 TBS of honey. Blend with a fork. Then add 2 TBS of balsamic vinegar.  Stir it lightly.

Pour the dressing evenly on each salad.

Ready to serve and eat.

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Chicken Over a Mango-Lime Couscous

Chicken Over a Mango-Lime Couscous

Ingredients
1/2 cup of couscous
1 Mango
1 Lime
2  Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
Garlic Salt
Garlic Pepper
1 tablespoon of Olive Olive

Prep:
In small sauce pan add 1 cup of water and heat on High. In a sauce pan add the olive oil and set to a medium high heat.  Cut lime in fourths and remove the skin from the mango and cut it up.

Directions:
1. Sprinkle garlic salt and garlic pepper and both sides of the chicken breasts and add to the saute pan.

2. When the water in the sauce pan begins to boil add the couscous, drop the heat to medium, stir and let cook.

3. Allow the chicken to cook on each side for 3-4 minutes depending on the thickness of each breasts. The couscous should begin soak up the water, use a fork to fluff it up. Squeeze the lime into the couscous, add the mango, add some garlic salt,  stir and let sit on low heat for 2-4 minutes.

Serve the chicken over the couscous.

Rinse, Cut and Store Fruits for Easy Snacking

Quick Snack Idea – Fresh Fruit.

As soon as I come home from the grocery store, I rinse the fruits and veggies and cut up any fruits that require being cut. I store them in clear containers and leave them in the refrigerator for quick snacking, or use them when packing my lunch for work.

It’s so simple and time-saving. Rinse, cut, store. Then it’s ready to eat. Imagine if you had to cut open the watermelon just to have a piece, or rinse the berries and grapes first. You’d probably change your mind and choose something that doesn’t require prep.

This morning when packing my lunch, I just pulled out the various fruits in the fridge and put them in a container.  Now I have a fun midday snack.

 Rinse, cut, store.  Do it.

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