Thai Basil Chicken

While I was living down in Maryland for school, my friends and I would sometimes pop over to D.C. to shop, eat, drink and roam around. There is a great Thai restaurant in Chinatown where I would get the same delicious dish every time - chicken with basil and fresh chilies.

It's been a couple of years since I've visited the area, but I remembered it recently - and the thought was enough to make me crave it. After thumbing through a few recipes, I put together one that I think really hit the spot. Typically this dish includes fish sauce, but the last experience I had with it was terrible so I decided to cook without it and increased other ingredients - it came out just fine!

I have already made this dish twice for my brother and I, and it's starting to become a bit of an obsession. Hope you enjoy it :) Let me know what you think below in the comments.

THAI BASIL CHICKEN

INGREDIENTS

1 lb. ground chicken

1 medium onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, finely chopped

2 tbsp. soy sauce

2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. hoisin sauce

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1 tbsp. water

2 tbsp. cooking oil

3-4 cloves garlic, minced/finely chopped
3 dried Singapore red chilies (you can use any other kind or just use chili powder to taste, but I like the flavor they leave behind)

Red chili powder, to taste (try 1/8-1/4 tsp. at a time)
Salt & pepper

1 1/2 cups Thai basil, chopped (if you don't find Thai basil, sweet basil is fine - that's what I used!)

1. In a medium bowl, combine chicken, soy sauce, sugar, water, hoisin sauce & 1/8 tsp. red chili powder. Let marinate for 30 minutes-2 hours in fridge. In a small bowl, combine red peppers and rice vinegar. Let marinate for an 1 hour.

2. Heat oil on a large pan. Add 1/4 tsp. black pepper. Remove the peppers from the rice vinegar, saving the rice vinegar to add for flavor later. Then, on medium heat, add red chilies, onions and peppers. Saute until onions and peppers have softened slightly, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and stir to distribute, sauteing for less than a minute.

3. Then, increasing heat to medium, add chicken to pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes, and check to see if the bottom has cooked a bit. Flip over and break up into separate pieces with a spatula, letting cook for another 2 minutes. Stir and cook until all pieces have cooked through - sample a piece if you are unsure. [Add red chili powder to increase spice in dish if needed, along with salt, more sugar and other sauces/vinegar to taste.] Once chicken is done, remove from heat and add about half of basil and stir. Top with the rest of the basil once the chicken is in the serving dish.

4. Enjoy over steaming hot white or brown rice, a glass of wine and good company. :)

i'm thankful for...mac & cheese

I volunteer to make baked macaroni & cheese for Thanksgiving with my family every year.  For the past couple of years I've tried different ways, from simple to fancy gourmet recipes. I think this is the best so far, and I'll be sticking to it for Thanksgivings to come. I took direction from this recipe, but I made several changes and made it less fattening.

My family typically eats Indian food around Christmas time. But for all those who eat more traditional American foods during Christmas, be sure to add this to the line up for your holiday feast!

And by the way - I'm sharing this recipe with a caveat: it's rich and delicious and you can't stop at one bite. Enjoy :)

BAKED MACARONI & CHEESE

INGREDIENTS

3 tbsp. unsalted butter for breadcrumbs

1 cup Panko breadcrumbs

1 lb. macaroni
6 tbsp. unsalted butter for macaroni & cheese

3 cups 2% milk

2 cups half & half

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1/2 tsp. red chili powder or red pepper flakes

1 tsp. garlic powder
bay leaf

1/2 tsp. nutmeg (1/4 tsp. if fresh)

2 cups white cheddar cheese, shredded

2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

1 1/2 cups Swiss cheese, shredded

1 1/4 cups Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 340. Keep half & half and butter at room temperature.

Set a large pot to boil for macaroni. [Later, once water has boiled, salt the water then add macaroni and cook al dente. Add some butter to the pasta so it doesn't get sticky. Set aside till cheese sauce is done.]

While waiting for water to boil:

Melt butter (6 tbsp) in a large saucepan (enough to hold 10 cups) over medium heat. When butter melts, add flour. Cook, whisking, for 1 minute. While whisking, slowly pour in milk and half & half. Add salt, black pepper, red pepper, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, nutmeg and bay leaf. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick. Discard bay leaf. Remove pan from heat and stir in 2 cups of white cheddar cheese, 1 cup of sharp cheddar cheese, 1 cup of Swiss cheese, and 1 cup of parmesan. Add the macaroni to the cheese sauce and stir well.

Combine breadcrumbs, 3 tbsp. of melted butter and 1/2 tsp. garlic powder. Set aside.

Pour mixture into the casserole dish. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese and the bread crumbs on top. Bake for about 25-30 minutes. I turned on the broiler for a little just so the top would get a little golden brown touch (it made all the difference!).  Let it cool for 5 minutes, and serve.

bruschetta pasta

It's been a while since I've updated my blog, but I'm back with tons of new dishes and more experience - which hopefully means they're more delicious. :)

Last night a friend of mine came over for some wine and leftover Halloween candy, and we got really hungry. So, I decided to whip up something fast that is delicious, simple, and seems fancy. Try it out and let me know what you think of this pasta in the comments!

INGREDIENTS

1/2 lb. whole wheat angel hair

Parmesan

olive oil

1 plum tomato, chopped or grape tomatoes, halved

two cloves of garlic, grated or finely chopped

handful of basil, chopped

salt, pepper

[*Whenever I make this dish, I add the olive oil, salt and pepper to taste (no specific measurement). So have fun with it!]

While the pasta is boiling, mix tomatoes, basil, olive oil, parmesan, salt and pepper to taste in a big bowl. Once cooked, drain the pasta, splash with a little bit of cold water, drain again. Add to bowl, and mix until combined. 

Eat with friends and a bottle of wine :)

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tilapia tacos

I made these fish tacos as a welcome home dinner for my mom and brother who went away to D.C. and California (resp.) for a couple days.  I can't go wrong with tacos for my brother, and my mom appreciates anything I cook with fish.

I came across a great recipe for sustainable and mayo-free tilapia fish tacos - which looked delicious.  I knew they would be too dry for our taste, so I found another recipe that contained a chipotle crema and combined them.  So they didn't stay cream free, but they were really delicious.  A big part of this was that I was making everything - fresh ingredients, made the way I want with salt and spices that I controlled.


Also, since I'm on a mission to try to fatten up my skinny brother (in the best way possible), I thought I would make homemade guacamole to top the tacos with - and the best part is, you can eat the leftovers with chips! It takes some time to prep, but this recipe is actually very easy and everyone loved them. 

I N G R E D I E N T S

corn or flour tortillas
2 fillets, tilapia
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tbsp. olive oil
juice of 1 lime

1 cup low-fat sour cream

1 can chipotle in adobo sauce

1 cup chopped green onions/scallions

1 1/4 cup chopped tomatoes
big handful chopped cilantro

1 avocado, mashed

juice of 1 lime
1/2 onion, finely chopped

D I R E C T I O N S

Once you rinse the fish & pat them dry, sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.  Let rest for a couple minutes.  Then, mix spices, olive oil and lime juice in a bowl.  Brush fillets on both sides with the mixture and let marinate at room temp. for 15-20 minutes (Credit: Blue Kitchen).

Meanwhile, mix the mashed avocado, lime juice, 1/4 cup chopped tomato, the 1/2 onion and a small handful cilantro.  Add salt & pepper to taste. Add more of other ingredients to taste as well. Set aside.  Then, take two tsps of the chipotle adobo (you can blend it, but I opened the can and literally just took the adobo sauce) and mix well with the sour cream.  Set aside. Put chopped tomatoes and scallions in their own bowls.

Either grill the fish a couple minutes on each side or saute on pan with olive oil, about 4 minutes on each side. Place in serving dish and cover with foil for a couple minutes.  Then, cut into separate pieces. Serve with slices of lime for people to squeeze onto fish if desired.

Heat up the tortillas and serve immediately. Now this is my favorite part - you make your own tacos!   This is how we made ours: take taco and add dollop of chipotle crema.  Add a couple pieces of fish.  Add some tomatoes, scallions, cilantro and a generous helping of guacamole. Close the taco. Take a bite... :)

Heart-healthy vegetable pitas & white bean hummus

For Valentine's Day, I was out with Harboring Hearts for a fundraiser at the Ainsworth - so the following day, I decided to cook my mom a (belated) heart-healthy V-day special.  Since I've been involved in Harboring Hearts, and February is heart month, I felt that the best way to show my mom I love her was by serving a dish that was as delicious as it was nutritious. 

The final product! Note my mom's barbie pink nail polish :)

And it honestly was - I loved the way the freshly-made white-bean puree / 'hummus' gave it a layer of great flavor (instead of a fattening sauce), and it served as an extra dose of nutrition with the vegetables & nuts. Plus - it was so easy to make in the food processor!

For this dish, I googled what kinds of spices are used together in Mediterranean food and went from there.  Giving a bit of thought to nutrition for my health-conscious mom, rummaging through the fridge & pantry, and with a little inspiration from Food Network, I came up with this:

Vegetable pitas & white bean hummus

Whole wheat pita pockets

For the 'hummus':

1 (15-ounce) can white beans (cannellini) or chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 to 2 tablespoons water

handful of grated parmesan (can use manchego or pecorino romano cheese)

2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 tsp salt

Pinch crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper
(this is a slightly altered recipe from Food Network for white bean puree)

For the vegetables:

3 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped into quarters

1 red pepper, chopped

1 yellow pepper, chopped

1/2 tsp thyme (add more to taste - didn't actually measure it!)

1/2 tsp oregano (")

fresh feta cheese, crumbled

dried cranberries ("craisins")
Optional: handful mint, chopped

D I R E C T I O N S

Heat olive oil on big saute pan with pinch or two of black pepper.  Turn heat low to cook garlic till it releases its fragrance (under a minute), then add onions and cook for another minute.  Add peppers, cook for a couple minutes, watching it so it softens only slightly.  Add zucchini and cook till desired tenderness.  Add thyme, oregano, s&p, stir and add more to taste.  Add generous handful of craisins and stir.  Remove pan from heat and add crumbled feta (and mint if available) to the vegetables, stirring gently.

Combine the white beans, water, cheese, lemon juice, salt and red pepper flakes in a food processor (I used a blender) and puree until completely smooth, about 5 minutes. While the motor is running, pour in the olive oil and process until fully incorporated and velvety. Season with pepper to taste. (also from Food Network)

Lightly toast the pitas in an oven/toaster.  Spoon in some hummus to coat the inside and then add vegetables. Add more hummus and mint to the top if desired, and enjoy! :)

NOTE: This recipe can also be found on HarboringHearts.org as a heart-healthy food blog - check it out here! 

Meyer lemon ricotta pancakes w/ strawberry coulis

These pancakes were just amazing...light, fluffy, a hint of zesty lemon. Mmmmm.

I saw Anne Burrell from Food Network make these on her show a while back, and it sounded so interesting to me.  So when I found that our local grocery store was selling bags full of Meyer lemons, I was excited to try out the recipe.

Anyone who knows me knows that I've always loved lemony things.  For so many years I have asked for the same kind of birthday cake - lemon with chocolate frosting, that too out of a box.  Now that I have taken more interest in fine cooking and baking, somehow it hasn't changed -- maybe it's the simple contrast of the tart lemon to the sweet chocolate?  I love that you can do so many different things with lemon. I guess you can say that about citrus fruits in general, but there's something so unique about the lemon with it's tart flavor.

The Meyer lemon is unique because it is slightly sweeter than other kinds of lemons.  It's distinctive, mostly because of the hint of tangerine -- I read somewhere that it is actually a cross between a lemon and a mandarin orange.  It is, as a fruit, an inspiration to many chefs - because it's not just an average lemon.

For brunch Saturday morning - just for my mom and myself - I made these delicious Meyer lemon ricotta pancakes, adapted from Chef Anne Burrell's recipe.  Instead of from scratch, I used Log Cabin's whole wheat pancake mix (meaning no baking powder necessary). 

Meyer Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with Macerated Strawberry Coulis

Strawberry coulis:

• 1 quart strawberries, topped and quartered
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup orange juice

Pancakes:

• 2 cups Log Cabin All Natural Pancake mix (from whole grains)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt, plus a pinch for egg whites
• 4 eggs, yellows and whites separated
• 1 heaping cup ricotta cheese
• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 Meyer lemons, zested and juiced
• Canola oil, for cooking the pancakes
• Powdered sugar, for dusting

Directions

Strawberries:

Toss the strawberries with the sugar and orange juice. Cover and let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.

After the berries and sugar have macerated and become very juicy, remove 1/2 of the berry mixture, put it in a food processor (and hand blender will do) and puree until smooth. Return it to the rest of the berries and reserve until ready to use.

Pancakes:

Sift together all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl. In another bowl, combine the egg yolks, ricotta, milk and lemon zest and juice, and mix until it becomes homogeneous. Make a well in the dry ingredients, add the wet ingredients to the well and whisk until combined.

Preheat a griddle (or nonstick pan).

In another bowl, using a whisk or electric mixer, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt to stiff peaks. Fold the egg whites into the flour mixture in thirds. Do this quickly and gently so the pancakes will be light and fluffy.

Pour a couple drops of oil onto the preheated griddle (or nonstick pan), and spread it around with a paper towel to remove any excess oil. Keep the fire on medium-low, as the pancakes can burn quickly.  Spoon or ladle the pancake batter onto the prepared griddle to desired size of the pancake. When the top of the pancake is full of holes, like bubbles have risen to the surface and burst, the pancake is ready to flip. (Another way to test this is to when trying to pick the pancake up from the side, see if the spatula becomes wet from the batter - it still needs time then.)  Flip the cake(s) and cook until the bottom is golden brown.

Remove the pancakes from the grill to serving plates. Top with the macerated strawberry coulis and garnish with powdered sugar.

Enjoy on a weekend morning for brunch with family & friends :)

Harboring Hearts' first heart-healthy blog post :)

I so appreciate all of your support over the last year with my blog! I realize I have been SUPER m.i.a., but I'm back! :)

Since I've been gone, I started an internship with Harboring Hearts doing their Social Media & Events.  It's a tiny little office and I work with the two co-founders - Michelle Javian and Yuki Kotani.  They are beyond amazing women and they inspire me everyday.  Their own personal experiences inspired them to start this organization.  Despite their own health issues, they power through and remind me that illness does not define you.

Below I am including the very first post of the Heart-Healthy Food Blog I started with them, which I wrote (See it on our website! http://www.harboringhearts.org/2011/10/food-blog-quinoa-upma/).  It's a simple recipe for Quinoa Upma - quinoa is a powerfood that has become popular in recent years.  My mom of course helped me through this recipe as the upma-expert, so due credit goes to her.  Enjoy!

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We want to share heart healthy recipes and inspiring stories with you!

Forward by Yuki Kotani

We are very excited to introduce our newest social media intern to the Harboring Hearts’ team, Pareesha Narang.  Our interns are invaluable to our organization.

Pareesha is a recent graduate of University of Maryland’s Philip Merrill’s College of Journalism and she came to us with a strong interest in working for a start-up non-profit organization.  Michelle Javian (co-founder) and I immediately saw potential in Pareesha because of her willingness to learn and take initiative on projects.   Most importantly, we felt she truly grasped Harboring Hearts’ mission and vision because of her own personal experiences.  We appreciate Pareesha for sharing her story with us today.

I hope you are inspired by her story and heart-healthy recipe!

——————————————————————————————————–

My family made a choice to be heart-healthy when my father was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor back in 1995.  Note that I say family, not just my father. My mother had consulted a special dietitian, and he told us that in order for this to work, we had to do it as a family.

My younger brother and I were both under 10 at the time, and we were told that we weren’t allowed to bring home cookies and all sorts of other unhealthy foods anymore, we were pretty bummed — it seemed so drastic!

As time went on, we got used to better alternatives to all the sugary, fattening foods.  We kept hearing that cancer loves sugar (just Google it and you’ll see what I’m talking about), so as a family, we became more conscious about what we put in our bodies.

I was born with a sweet tooth, so it definitely took work to get to where I am today.  Over time, I’ve limited the amount of sweet things I eat in a day, drink lots of water and eat a balanced diet filled with vegetables, fruits, whole grains, protein, and a couple of supplements.  I don’t count calories because my weight isn’t a concern, but I do read the ingredients – I like to know what I’m putting in my body!

In April 2009, my father passed away — but he proved the doctors wrong for many years.  I believe that his dedicated change in diet and meditation kept him with us for 14 years since his diagnosis.

When an illness happens to one person, it impacts the whole family.  What helped our family was sticking together and supporting each other.  After my father’s passing, my family continues to eat a healthy, well-balanced diet.   It was a good reminder for me that though I’ve been blessed with good health so far, it takes work to keep it that way.

My challenge to you:

• Replace one unhealthy food in your diet with a healthy alternative.
• Do something for yourself everyday.

A powerful motivation for me to eat healthy and stay positive is my ability to be there for my mom and my brother – my family.

Here is the recipe for a scrumptious dish I made with my mom, with heart-healthy ingredients including quinoa and chana dal.

Quinoa Upma

Serves 6-8

2 1/2 tbsp. olive oil, we use extra light
1 tsp. mustard (rye) seeds
1 stem curry leaves (about 15 leaves), remove leaves from stem
1/4 cup of chana dal, stones/junk removed and washed (find it at any Indian grocery store)black pepper
12 oz. quinoa, washed
8 oz. pack of frozen mixed vegetables
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 tsp. salt (less if you’re watching your salt intake!)
1/4 tsp. red chili powder (cayenne)
24 oz. water
fresh cilantro, chopped
lime
roasted peanuts (optional)

Heat the oil in a large pan (make sure you have a lid for it), medium heat. Add mustard seeds, curry leaves and a generous pinch of black pepper.  Stir, then add the chana daal and saute for 2 minutes.  Add quinoa, dry roast for about 7-8 minutes until it gets a little color (turn down heat slightly if needed).  Add onion and frozen vegetables, saute until cooked, about 5 minutes. Add salt and red chili powder, saute for 30 seconds, then add water.  Cover the pan. Once water comes to boil, lower the heat and let cook for 20 minutes.

Sprinkle a handful of cilantro, juice of a lime, and sprinkle crushed peanuts on top.  Enjoy it guilt-free!