Salmon Cakes

May 26th, 2016 | Posted by Milana in Lunch/Dinner | Recipes - (0 Comments)


I cannot believe how long it took me to actually post this recipe. I have been using this recipe since 2010 when I saw it on Ellie Krieger’s show Healthy Appetite on Food Network. I been hooked since then. It’s probably one of the easiest recipes to cook up on a busy weeknight. The cakes are so moist and packed full of flavor. I usually pair it a veggie and a side of just about any starch such as rice, pasta, quinoa, etc. These cakes would also serve well as sliders with a remoulade sauce or avocado aioli. Try this recipe and let me know how you like it! Enjoy. 

INGREDIENTS:

3-6oz. Cans of Wild Salmon (drained, skinned and deboned)

6 whole wheat slices of soft sandwich bread

2 large eggs, beaten

5 scallions or 1 small sweet onion, chopped finely

1/4 cup Fresh Parsley, finely chopped

Black Pepper

2 Tbsp Avocado Oil for searing cakes

DIRECTIONS:

Break bread into pieces, and process in a food processor until you get a fine bread crumb, set aside. In a large bowl, flake apart the salmon with a fork until it becomes mashed. Add the eggs and mix well. Finely chop scallions and add to the bowl. Add the chopped parsley, pepper, and the bread crumbs and mix well. Using a retractable ice cream scoop.  Shape the mixture into even patties.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 Tbsp of oil over medium heat. Add 6 patties and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side. Transfer the cooked patties to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm. Add the remaining 1 Tbsp of oil to the pan, and cook the rest of the salmon cakes. Serve with any  side of favorite veggies and starch. 

Recipe adapted from Food Network. 

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Rating: 5.0/5 (4 votes cast)

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BANG BANG TOFU

May 10th, 2016 | Posted by Milana in Lunch/Dinner | Recipes - (0 Comments)


INGREDIENTS:

1 package Extra Firm Organic Tofu (drained, pressed to get as much water out as possible..directions follow)

1/4 cup corn starch or arrowroot (for coating tofu)
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp Avocado oil (for pan frying) or any high heat oil
1 zucchini, unpeeled & julienned
1 carrot, peeled and julienned
1-1/2 cups snow peas, washed and dried
1 tsp Fresh ginger, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
Sauce:
1 TBS low sodium soy sauce
 + 1 TBS
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (you may add more if you like your food spicier)

3 TBS honey + 1 TBS
2 tsp Oyster sauce (look for vegetarian oyster sauce if you want to keep this vegetarian)
1/8 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp corn starch
Garnish:
2 Tbsp sesame seeds
3 scallions (green onions), chopped
DIRECTIONS:
Tofu: 

Place a folded clean kitchen towel on the counter. Place the tofu on top of the towel. Top tofu with another clean folded kitchen towel. 

Place something heavy on top of the towel – a cast iron skillet, a heavy cutting board with skillet on top, a bunch of books
Allow to press/drain for at LEAST 20 minutes, the longer the better

After it’s drained for at least 20 minutes, you are ready to get cooking!

Cut the tofu into 1″ cubes and lightly roll coat them in corn starch. Dust off excess and place them on a plate. So the same with the rest of the cubes. 

Heat 1/4 cup of oil in a pan. Drop half of your cubes and fry for about a min on each side or until golden. With a slotted spoon take out the tofu and put them on a platter lined with paper towel to soak up the grease. Fry the rest of the batch. 
Sauce:
Whisk all sauce ingredients and set aside. 
Stir Fry:
Using a woke or a deep skillet. Heat oil and stir fry your veggies for about 2 minutes on high heat. Add ginger and garlic and stir fry for a minute. Add sauce and stir for another 2 minutes until it comes to a boil and starts to thicken for about 2-3 min. Stir in your tofu to coat with the sauce and veggies. 
Serve over steamed brown or white rice garnish with sesame seeds and chopped scallions. Enjoy!

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Rating: 5.0/5 (3 votes cast)

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Stuffed Shells with Spinach and Mushrooms

May 10th, 2016 | Posted by Milana in Lunch/Dinner | Recipes - (0 Comments)


INGREDIENTS:

1 box Jumbo Shells, boiled to al dente and set aside

1 -15oz container Ricotta Cheese

1 Large Egg, lightly beaten

1 Tbsp fresh Basil, chopped finely or 1 tsp dried

1- 10 oz. bag/box of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and moisture pressed out as much as possible or 2 cups fresh baby spinach

1/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese

1-1/2 cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese, ( I use organic)

3/4 Trader Joe’s Mushroom Umami seasoning

1/2 tsp finely ground black pepper 

1-1/2 Tbsp Avocado Or Olive Oil

2 Garlic Cloves, minced

1/2 (10 oz) container baby Bella Mushrooms, diced to a 1/4″

1/4 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp dried parsley

Gallon size ziploc bag

2-1/2 cups Muir Glen Organic No Sugar Added, Italian Herb Pasta Sauce

Cooking Spray (I use Coconut Oil)

9×13 Casserole dish

DIRECTIONS:

Heat oven to 350°F. 

In a large skillet, heat oil, add mushrooms and Sauté for about 4 minutes stirring every min. Add garlic and sautéed for another min on medium heat. Add 1/4 tsp Umami seasoning, basil, and oregano and sauté for another min. Add another 1/4 tsp Umami. Stir until spinach wilts and shrinks in size. Cool mixture until warm. 

In the meantime, in a large bowl, mix ricotta, 1/2 cup mozzarella, egg, Parmesan, 1/4 tsp Umami, parsley and pepper. Stir in your mushroom and onion mixture. Transfer mixture into Ziploc bag and cut one corner.

Have a 9×13 casserole dish greased with cooking spray. Pour about 1-1/2 cups of the sauce into the casserole dish so it can evenly spread out and cover the whole bottom. 

Stuff each shell with a generous amount of mixture and place them into the casserole dish. Pour more sauce around and on top of the shells. Sprinkle a little more Parmesan and then the remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake for 30 minutes. Serve with a side of salad…Enjoy!

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Rating: 5.0/5 (4 votes cast)

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The BEST Chicken Marinade

March 1st, 2016 | Posted by Milana in Lunch/Dinner | Recipes - (2 Comments)


I have used many different chicken marinades over the years and just recently came across a delicious marinade that I know will have every person asking what’s in it after they taste it! The inspiration came from Bella Davy, a self acclaimed chef and creator of  group, Cooking Kosher with Bella. I have adjusted certain ingredients and their amounts as well as added an ingredient or two to make it my own.  Finally found the Holy Grail chicken marinades!

INGREDIENTS:

1 whole Chicken, Butterflied

3 cloves garlic minced

1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Tbsp Organic Dried Parsley

1/2 tsp Organic Ground Turmeric

1-1/2 tsp Organic Smoked Paprika

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1/4 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp zatar spice

1/4 tsp sea salt

1 lemon, juiced

1 sweet onion, chopped coarsely

1 roasting bag

DIRECTIONS:

Mix all ingredients except for onion in a small bowl. Using a 9×13 foil pan or baking dish, place the roasting bag inside. Add the onions inside the bag. In a separate large bowl, add your chicken and marinade mixture. Massage it evenly to all areas of the chicken and put it in the refrigerator up to an hour (if short on time can be baked immediately). Finally add the chicken to your roasting bag. Seal tightly with string. Make 4-6 small cuts with scissors on top of the plastic for steam to escape. Roast at 400F for about an hour and 15-20 minutes depending on how big your chicken is.

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Rating: 5.0/5 (2 votes cast)

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Creamy Balsamic Salad Dressing

January 11th, 2016 | Posted by Milana in Appetizers | Lunch/Dinner | Recipes - (0 Comments)

  
This is my all time favorite salad dressing recipe! I always make a big batch of it and store it in the fridge, which usually lasts me a week. I use about a Tablespoon or 2 at a time for a large salad. 

Serves: 6

INGREDIENTS:

Dressing:

2 Tbsp Organic Balsamic Vinegar

1 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar

2 cloves Organic Garlic, minced

1 tsp Dijon Mustard

1 tsp Raw Unrefined Honey

1/4 tsp Finely ground black pepper

1/4 Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salad:

3 Cups Organic Baby Lettuce and Baby Spinach

6 Campari tomatoes, quartered

2 Persian Cucumbers, sliced on a bias

1/4 Cup Organic Sliced Almonds (toast on a dry skillet for 2 minutes on high heat or until fragrant)

2 Tbsp Creamy Balsamic Dressing

DIRECTIONS:

Whisk all ingredients and store in the fridge in a tight container. 

For the salad, layer the greens, then cucumbers and tomatoes. Finish off with sprinkling the almonds and drizzle with dressing. Fast, easy, delicious and absolutely nutritious!

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Rating: 5.0/5 (2 votes cast)

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Chicken Francaise w/ Steamed Broccoli

January 11th, 2016 | Posted by Milana in Italian Cuisine | Lunch/Dinner - (0 Comments)

  

Yields: 8 Servings

INGREDIENTS:

3 Tbsp Avocado Oil

1/2 cup White Whole Wheat Flour (for dredging)

Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp dried basil

4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts (Butterflied, pounded to 1/4″ thickness and cut in half)

3 Eggs plus 3 Tbsp of water (whisked)

3 Garlic Cloves, minced

1 cup White Cooking Wine

1 Cup Low Sodium Homemade Chicken Stock or Broth

2 Lemons (zest and juice)

2/3 cups Capers (optional)

1 Cup Fresh Chopped Parsley, divided

4 Tbsp Vegan Shortening

DIRECTIONS:

Heat a large deep sauté pan with the avocado oil on medium/high heat.

Season your flour with salt, pepper, oregano and basil. Dredge chicken lightly in the flour. Set aside. Using 1/2 of the chopped parsley ( reserve the rest for sauce and garnish), whisk in to the egg wash. Dip chicken breasts into the egg wash and carefully lay it into the pan. Cook 2 min until golden brown, flip and cook an additional 2 minutes. Set aside on a plate. The chicken will finish cooking in the sauce. 

Add the minced garlic to the pan and cook for about 20 seconds. Deglaze with the wine, scraping up brown bits with a wooden spoon. Stir in the broth, lemon juice and capers and allow to reduce for 2 minutes. 

Add the lemon zest, parsley, vegan butter and swirl to emulsify. Place the chicken back into the pan with the sauce, close lid and cook for 15 min on low heat. Serve with favorite pasta, steamed broccoli, and a salad. Enjoy!

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Rating: 5.0/5 (2 votes cast)

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Pomegranate Bracelet

December 31st, 2015 | Posted by Milana in Appetizers | Lunch/Dinner - (0 Comments)

   

      

 Happy New Years Eve Everyone!!!! My family and I are ringing in the New Year with this absolutely delicious Russian appetizer, Pomegranate Bracelet! It has yummy layers of boiled shredded potatoes, carrots, beets, eggs,sautéed onions & garlic, and poached shredded chicken breast. Sealed with mayonnaise and jeweled with beautiful ruby-like pomegranate seeds! It is a little time consuming but this appetizer is usually made only for the special occasion of starting a new year! It’s totally worth it! ~Makes one large bracelet, enough for 8-10 people depending how large you cut each piece. 

Note: To save on calories, use light or Vegan Mayonnaise. Otherwise you may use Original Mayonnaise. 

INGREDIENTS: All of the following vegetables must be boiled or steamed until tender, peeled and shredded on the coarse side of a box grater or food processor and set aside before starting your layering process. 

3 medium carrots

3 medium potatoes

2 medium beets (boil these separately otherwise you will color all your other veggies)

3 eggs (hard boiled, shelled and shredded on a small side of the box grater)

1 cup walnuts, coarsely ground

2 medium chicken breast halves, poached in salted water, bay leaf and some thyme or sage, drained and shredded 

1 large sweet onion and 3 cloves of minced garlic, sautéed 

Finely ground Black Pepper

About a cup of Mayonnaise of choice (more or less depending how much you use to dress each later )

1 Large Pomegranate, seeded

DIRECTIONS:

Put a tall drinking glass in the middle of a large flat serving plate. You will arrange the ingredients in layers on the plate around that glass, and remove the class once the appetizer has been assembled. Begin evenly layering the ingredients on the plate in the following order. Sprinkle the layers with some black pepper and salt if you boiled your veggies without salt, but be VERY careful since it’s easy to over salt your layers since mayonnaise also contains salt. 

1. Potatoes

2. Mayonnaise (about 2 Tbsps)

3. Half of the Chicken

4. Half of the sautéed onions and garlic

5. Mayo

6. Half of the beets

7. Mayo

8. Carrots

9. Mayo

10. Walnuts

11. Remaining chicken

12. Remaining sautéed onions and garlic

13. Mayo

14. Eggs

15. Mayo

16. Remaining beets

17. Mayo

18. Pomegranate seeds, press a little to adhere

Now you can carefully slide out your glass and cover with plastic wrap and let it set in the refrigerator  for at least 1 hour before serving, to allow the flavors for a chance to mingle. ENJOY!

Original recipe was adapted from AZ Cookbook. 



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Rating: 5.0/5 (3 votes cast)

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Traditional Stuffed Peppers with Gravy

November 16th, 2015 | Posted by Milana in Lunch/Dinner | Recipes - (0 Comments)

   
 Hey everyone! Hope your weekend is going well….so many people have asked me for my fool proof stuffed peppers recipe and I just never got around to posting the recipe.  My sister, Diana has perfected this recipe since my Mother gave it to her years ago. Diana has now passed it down to me and I made it as-is for the first few times-which was finger lickin good… and then with time I added a couple of ingredients to make it my own. Here it is…..hope you all enjoy it as much as we do. Happy Cooking!

INGREDIENTS:

2 lbs Extra Lean Ground Beef

1/4 Cup Parboiled Brown Rice (I use Uncle Bens), washed and drained

3/4 Cups Medium Grain Fancy White Rice (I use Kokuho Yellow), washed and drained

1 bunch of Fresh Dill, finely chopped

1 large zuchinni, unpeeled and grated 

4 large Italian Green Bell Peppers; washed, ribbed and seeded

7 small to medium orange, yellow, & red bell peppers; washed, ribbed & seeded

4 Large Beefsteak Tomatoes (or any large tomatoes will do), chopped 

3 Tbsp Avocado oil

Salt & pepper 

1 tsp coriander

1/2 can Chickpeas (optional)

1-1/2 Cups of Sour, unripe plums (alcha), washed in boiling water until water is clean

6 cups Boiling Water

DIRECTIONS:

In a large bowl mix your ground meat, dill, rice, zucchini, coriander, salt and pepper. Set aside to rest for 10 minutes. 

In the meantime, heat oil in 6 quart pot. Add tomatoes and sauté for about 5 minutes on medium high heat. Add some salt to taste. Let simmer for an additional 5 minutes on very low heat. 

Before stuffing your peppers, lightly sprinkle some salt in the cavity. Stuff with ground beef mixture packing tightly to the top and leveling off with your fingers. 

Sprinkle 3/4 cups of your sour plums on top of the tomatoes in the pot. Start layering the stuffed peppers on top. After layering, sprinkle the rest of the sour plums on top on the peppers and pour your boiling water all way to the top of the peppers. Peppers should peek out of the water about an inch. Bring to a boil on high heat. Then cover lid tightly and let simmer on very low heat for 2 hours. Checking every hour if it needs more boiling water. 



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Rating: 5.0/5 (3 votes cast)

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Turken Kabobs

November 15th, 2015 | Posted by Milana in Lunch/Dinner - (0 Comments)

  
Yields: 11 Kabobs 

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb Ground Turkey

1 lb Ground Chicken Breast

1/4 cup white whole wheat flour 

2 medium Vidalia sweet onions, minced well or grated

1/2 cup fresh chopped Parsley or 3 Tbsp Dried

2 tsp ground turmeric

3 tsp coriander, divided

1 tbsp paprika

1/2 tsp ground cumin

Salt and pepper to taste

Cooking spray 

1 Cup Tricolor Bell Peppers, julienned 

1 tbsp Tomato Paste

1 cup Chicken Stock or Broth

DIRECTIONS:
Heat oven to 400F. Mix your ground meats with all spices in a bowl with your hands until well combined. Set aside to let it rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or foil and grease with cooking spray. 

Form your kabobs about 4 oz. each. I used a kitchen scale to get them all the same size. I got 11 Kabobs. Spray your kabobs with some cooking spray before baking. Bake for 10 minutes. In the meantime sauté your peppers in some cooking spray   Once they soften just a bit (about 3 minutes on medium heat) add stock and tomato paste. Season to taste with salt, pepper and the rest of the coriander. Stir and let simmer for 5 minutes on medium low heat.

When kabobs are done in the oven. Transfer them into the sauce pan with the pepper mixture and let simmer on low heat for an additional 10 minutes. 

Serve with any side of veggies and carb that you like. I served with a side of Brown Rice medley and Roasted Cauliflower. 


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Rating: 5.0/5 (2 votes cast)

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Vegetarian Chickpea Cakes

November 5th, 2015 | Posted by Milana in Appetizers | Lunch/Dinner | Recipes - (0 Comments)

  
*Makes about 7 cakes

INGREDIENTS:
1 (15 oz. ) can Organic Chickpeas/Garbanzo Beans, rinsed & drained

1/4 cup Fresh Organic Parsley

2 cloves Organic Garlic

1 Large Organic Egg

1/2 Cup Organic Fat free Greek Yogurt

2 Tbsp Organic Low Fat Milk

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/4 cup white whole wheat flour

2 Tbsp avocado oil for pan frying 

DIRECTIONS:

Place chickpeas and parsley in food processor. Pulse to coarsely grind, not until smooth but with no whole chickpeas remaining.
Add the remaining ingredients except for the olive oil and process into a smooth, creamy mixture, scraping sides with a spatula as needed. Don’t over-process – stop processing as soon as mixture is smooth.

Heat 2 Tbsp of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Drop the batter onto the skillet, about ¼ cup per cake. I measure with a 4-tablespoon ice cream scoop.

Fry on medium heat, about 5 minutes on each side, until deep golden-brown. 

**Original recipe adapted from Healthy Recipes Blogs. 
Nutrition Per Serving:

Serving size: 2 chickpea cakes; Calories: 243.5; Fat: 15.2g; Carbohydrates: 19g; Sugar: 2.1g; Sodium: 223.7mg; Fiber: 4g; Protein: 9.9g

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Rating: 4.3/5 (3 votes cast)

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