Lumpy like Fergie! That probably doesn't make this seem appealing, but, trust me, this soup is good and healthy!
Ingredients:
1.5 cups of dried black-eyed peas (soaked for at least 45 minutes)
1 small onion (chopped)
1 398 mL can of whole plum tomatoes
1/2 bunch of kale (chopped)
2 cloves of garlic (minced)
1 tsp of chili powder
1 tsp of ground black pepper
1/2 cup of chicken broth
You can also flavour with tobasco sauce if you want something spicy.
Cooking instructions:
Soften the onion in a soup pot over medium-high heat.
Add plum tomatoes, including juice, crush them against the side of the pot with a cooking spoon.
Add chicken broth, kale, peas, garlic*, and enough water to cover all ingredients.
Add chili powder.
Stir the ingredients.
Cover the pot and let it boil.
Reduce to low heat and simmer for 2 hours or until the peas are soft.
*You can add smoked ham if you want something meaty.
Serves 4-5.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Couscous
I loved this shit when I was in France and used to eat the store stuff until I realised that couscous is probably one of the easiest things you can make.
Couscous is semolina and also known as bulgur wheat.
Ingredients:
½ an onion - minced
1 tomato - finely chopped
1 zucchini - julienned or cut into sticks
1 or 2 carrot(s) - julienned
½ or 1 red pepper - chopped
1 cup of raisins
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp Cinnamon
2 tsp Turmeric powder
Salt and Pepper to taste
Minced mint leaves to taste
Couscous - cook according to package.
Cooking instructions:
1) Heat oil in large frying pan at medium heat and soften the onion.
2) Add the tomato; turmeric; cinnamon; and half the lemon juice and cook until everything is evenly coated with turmeric
3) Add zucchini; carrot; and raisins and mix everything; add a cup of water; remaining lemon juice; salt and pepper, and cover.
4) Cook for 10-15 minutes.
5) Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered.
6) Make the couscous about now.
7) When carrots and zucchini are soft, add the red pepper and mint leaves and continue to simmer.
Serves 4-5.
Couscous is semolina and also known as bulgur wheat.
Ingredients:
½ an onion - minced
1 tomato - finely chopped
1 zucchini - julienned or cut into sticks
1 or 2 carrot(s) - julienned
½ or 1 red pepper - chopped
1 cup of raisins
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp Cinnamon
2 tsp Turmeric powder
Salt and Pepper to taste
Minced mint leaves to taste
Couscous - cook according to package.
Cooking instructions:
1) Heat oil in large frying pan at medium heat and soften the onion.
2) Add the tomato; turmeric; cinnamon; and half the lemon juice and cook until everything is evenly coated with turmeric
3) Add zucchini; carrot; and raisins and mix everything; add a cup of water; remaining lemon juice; salt and pepper, and cover.
4) Cook for 10-15 minutes.
5) Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered.
6) Make the couscous about now.
7) When carrots and zucchini are soft, add the red pepper and mint leaves and continue to simmer.
Serves 4-5.
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Eggplant Parmesan
This is better if you make the marinara sauce more "chunky" and less watery. So, don't add the juice from the can if you make your own sauce. I'm more of a taster/cooker so the cooking times might not be very accurate. Just check when it's ready based on how it looks and tastes.
Ingredients:
1 eggplant - sliced into discs
Parmesan - the real stuff tastes better but it's more expensive than the Kraft stuff.
Mozzarella - shredded
Prepared marinara sauce
1 tbsp oil
Prepared chunky marinara sauce or tomato sauce from a jar or can.
For breaded:
1 cup bread crumbs
1 egg - beaten
Prep:
1) Layer the eggplant over a large baking sheet. Lightly salt and cover with cloth or paper towel to soak up water. Leave for 4-5 hours.
Cooking instructions:
For breaded:
1) Pre-heat oven to 350°C.
2) Heat oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat.
3) Individually dip eggplant in eggs and bread crumbs and brown both sides in frying pan.
4) Layer browned eggplant in rectangular baking pan, adding cheese and sauce to each layer ending with a cheesy, saucy top layer.
5) Bake for 25-35 minutes or so or until the cheese on top is melted and maybe kind of golden.
For non-breaded:
Do all steps except 3. Also, be careful because eggplant really soaks up oil but I usually cook it before baking just to speed it up. Also, you will want to bake it in the oven covered with aluminum foil for about 20 minutes and then uncovered for maybe 10 minutes.
Serves about 4-5.
Ingredients:
1 eggplant - sliced into discs
Parmesan - the real stuff tastes better but it's more expensive than the Kraft stuff.
Mozzarella - shredded
Prepared marinara sauce
1 tbsp oil
Prepared chunky marinara sauce or tomato sauce from a jar or can.
For breaded:
1 cup bread crumbs
1 egg - beaten
Prep:
1) Layer the eggplant over a large baking sheet. Lightly salt and cover with cloth or paper towel to soak up water. Leave for 4-5 hours.
Cooking instructions:
For breaded:
1) Pre-heat oven to 350°C.
2) Heat oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat.
3) Individually dip eggplant in eggs and bread crumbs and brown both sides in frying pan.
4) Layer browned eggplant in rectangular baking pan, adding cheese and sauce to each layer ending with a cheesy, saucy top layer.
5) Bake for 25-35 minutes or so or until the cheese on top is melted and maybe kind of golden.
For non-breaded:
Do all steps except 3. Also, be careful because eggplant really soaks up oil but I usually cook it before baking just to speed it up. Also, you will want to bake it in the oven covered with aluminum foil for about 20 minutes and then uncovered for maybe 10 minutes.
Serves about 4-5.
Mango Salsa
I think I stole this from Martha Stewart.
Ingredients:
1 large mango (I like the ones from Mexico) or 2 small/medium-sized ones - chopped to size appropriate for salsa
1 red onion - finely chopped
½ cucumber - finely chopped
Jalapeno peppers and cilantro - finely chopped - to taste.
*This salsa is really good with fish and white meat. I usually eat it with fish or chicken tacos/burritos, or on top of grilled chicken or fish burgers - also during my Foreman grill phase.
Ingredients:
1 large mango (I like the ones from Mexico) or 2 small/medium-sized ones - chopped to size appropriate for salsa
1 red onion - finely chopped
½ cucumber - finely chopped
Jalapeno peppers and cilantro - finely chopped - to taste.
*This salsa is really good with fish and white meat. I usually eat it with fish or chicken tacos/burritos, or on top of grilled chicken or fish burgers - also during my Foreman grill phase.
Hot Lime Salsa
I went through a phase when I ate veggie burgers and salmon or halibut burgers that I bought at Choice's at least twice a week, and used this in place of condiments. I had one of those George Foreman grill type things and I was pretty obsessed.
I think that my brother and I came up with this after we tried to copy a salsa we tried from a BC manufacturer of Mexican food stuff called Que Pasa.
After this salsa, we have never gone back to the gross commercial stuff:
Ingredients:
4-5 tomatoes - chopped to salsa size
1 red onion - finely chopped
2-3 jalapeno peppers - finely chopped
The juice from 2-3 limes
1 bunch of cilantro - finely chopped
Tastes better after you let it marinate overnight in the refrigerator.
I think that my brother and I came up with this after we tried to copy a salsa we tried from a BC manufacturer of Mexican food stuff called Que Pasa.
After this salsa, we have never gone back to the gross commercial stuff:
Ingredients:
4-5 tomatoes - chopped to salsa size
1 red onion - finely chopped
2-3 jalapeno peppers - finely chopped
The juice from 2-3 limes
1 bunch of cilantro - finely chopped
Tastes better after you let it marinate overnight in the refrigerator.
Basic Marinara
Ingredients:
1 can of plum tomatoes
1 onion – thinly sliced into strips
1-2 bulbs of garlic – finely minced
(I prefer this sauce without the herbs but you can add ½ tsp of any dried - or a bunch of chopped fresh - herbs you like, like oregano; basil; thyme; tarragon; or Italian seasoning)
Salt and pepper to taste
(Add Spinach, or cooked chicken breast, ground beef, sausage, hot dogs, or whatever else you want to make it more like a meal).
Cooking instructions:
Fry the onions in a large saucepan until soft.
Add the plum tomatoes crushing them against the side of the saucepan with a wooden spoon, spatula, plastic spoon, whatever you're using to cook.
Add salt and pepper and herbs.
Stir occasionally until the tomato sauce bubbles.
Reduce to low heat and mix the minced garlic into the sauce.
Leave to simmer for 15 minutes or so.
You can eat this with pasta as it is, or use this sauce for almost any dish that requires a basic pasta sauce.
1 can of plum tomatoes
1 onion – thinly sliced into strips
1-2 bulbs of garlic – finely minced
(I prefer this sauce without the herbs but you can add ½ tsp of any dried - or a bunch of chopped fresh - herbs you like, like oregano; basil; thyme; tarragon; or Italian seasoning)
Salt and pepper to taste
(Add Spinach, or cooked chicken breast, ground beef, sausage, hot dogs, or whatever else you want to make it more like a meal).
Cooking instructions:
Fry the onions in a large saucepan until soft.
Add the plum tomatoes crushing them against the side of the saucepan with a wooden spoon, spatula, plastic spoon, whatever you're using to cook.
Add salt and pepper and herbs.
Stir occasionally until the tomato sauce bubbles.
Reduce to low heat and mix the minced garlic into the sauce.
Leave to simmer for 15 minutes or so.
You can eat this with pasta as it is, or use this sauce for almost any dish that requires a basic pasta sauce.
Poached White Fish with Ginger and Tomato*
I was given this recipe by the nicest lady in the world who works at the Chinese herb shop I was going to in Vancouver, Yvonne. I think I went there with you the first time when you bought that pearl cream. Anyway, this is probably one of the healthiest dishes you could have for dinner. Just have it with some rice and a plate of boiled green Chinese veggies like bak choy cooked with garlic and ginger.
Ingredients:
Use any kind of white fish
1 tomato - chopped
Ginger – sliced or minced depending on if you just want the flavour, or if you eat ginger.
Cooking instructions:
In a large frying pan (skillet) cook the tomato and ginger over medium heat, with a bit of oil, salt, and water until it's like a sauce at a boil.
Reduce heat to low and add the fish and cook for about 15 minutes covered. Fish cooks really fast and you know it's done when it's flaky.
*This recipe also works with carrots instead of tomato.
Ingredients:
Use any kind of white fish
1 tomato - chopped
Ginger – sliced or minced depending on if you just want the flavour, or if you eat ginger.
Cooking instructions:
In a large frying pan (skillet) cook the tomato and ginger over medium heat, with a bit of oil, salt, and water until it's like a sauce at a boil.
Reduce heat to low and add the fish and cook for about 15 minutes covered. Fish cooks really fast and you know it's done when it's flaky.
*This recipe also works with carrots instead of tomato.
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