Busy weekend fix.

   It's one of those weekends when we might have overcommited to things! We have quite few activities planned and it looks like the entire weekend we will be "on the go", with just a little bit time to sit down and eat lunch or dinner.  That's why I had to come up with a dish that won't require a lot of time commitment...either preparing or serving. I thought fast, easy and delicious tuna salad would be a perfect solution! You make a big bowl of it, you keep it in the fridge and it's ready to be served whenever you are ready to eat! Great dish for a busy weekend.

Ingredients:

* 2 12oz cans of tuna in water
* 6 eggs, cooked and chopped
* red pepper, finely chopped
* 3 celery sticks, finely chopped
* 1 cup sweet relish
* 1 cup mayo
* 1 tbs mustard
* 1 cup chopped parsley

Directions:

1. Drain the tuna.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix until everything is evenly distributed.

3. Refrigerate! The end!

   I think it is the easiest and fastest recipe I've ever posted. I actually had to try really hard to come up with three steps rather than just one! This salad is amazing, it doesn't need any extra seasoning, it just comes out right after you combine everything. How easy is that? You can eat it on a sandwich, or on a cracker or just by itself. You could even use it as a veggie dip (which I do all the time).

Enjoy,
Magda. 

Searching for the "one".

   I always hear mixed opinions about fish tacos, some people love them, some people hate them. I've had few different versions of them and I wasn't really that impressed. I can't say I hated them, they were OK, but I would rather have something else. So as always, I took it as a challenge to make my own and see if I can come up with a recipe that will change my mind about this dish. I decided to pair the fish with some red cabbage slaw and marinated onions - I thought that the acid and crunch would make them much better. So here is my creation:

Ingredients:

*  10-12 oz fish (I used cod)
*  1 tsp taco seasoning
*  salt

*  1/4 red cabbage, thinly shredded
*  1 tsp salt
*  1 apple, shredded
*  2 tbsp fat-free mayo
*  2 tbsp Greek yogurt
*  1 lime
*  1 tsp sugar

*  1 small red onion
*  1 cup apple cider vinegar
*  1 cup water
*  1/2 cup sugar

*  4 corn tortillas

Directions:

1. Using mandolin slicer, thinly slice red onion into half moons.
2. Transfer into a large jar and cover with a vinegar/water/sugar mixture. Refrigerate for minimum 2 hours (over night preferred).
3. To make coleslaw: mix thinly shredded red cabbage with 1 tsp of salt and using your hands "massage" and squeeze the cabbage. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Add mayo, Greek yogurt, sugar and lime juice. Mix to combine.
4. Place fish on a baking dish, sprinkle with salt and taco seasoning and bake at 425F for 15 minutes.
5. Top tortilla with red cabbage slaw, flaked fish and marinated onions.

   Judgement time: they are OK, but again, I'm not too impressed. Everything is delicious (I love, love these marinated onions), but somehow I'm not a fish taco person. We ate them and enjoyed them, but I don't see us making them any time soon. The marinated onions on the other hand... I will make sure we always have them in our fridge - we use them on almost everything. But don't get discouraged by my opinion, if you are a fish tacos lover, you might enjoy the dish - it might be your new favorite!

Good luck,
Magda

No skimpy shirmp!

   What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of Chinese food? Shrimp fried rice - that's my choice! So simple, but so delicious! I love to make my own at home because I can pack it with whatever ingredients I want and with as much ingredients as I want (no skimpy restaurant shrimp portions). I load mine with lots of veggies (especially snow peas - love, love, love), scallions, and pile it with a mountain of freshly cooked shrimp. I know your mouth is watering right about now... I know mine is! Here it is (serves 4):

Ingredients:

*  1 lb raw shrimp
*  2 cups brown rice
*  1 cup snow peas
*  1 cup froze carrot/peas mixture
*  1 red bell pepper, chopped
*  6 scallions, chopped
*  2 eggs
*  2 tbsp butter
*  2 tbsp olive oil
*  1 tsp garlic powder
*  salt

Sauce:
*  1/4 cup soy sauce
*  1 tbsp hoisin sauce
*  1 tbsp agave nectar
*  1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Directions:

1. Cook brown rice in salted water for 30 minutes, drain and set aside.
2. In a deep skillet melt butter, add shrimp season with garlic powder and a pinch of salt. Cook for 3-4 minutes until pink and cooked. Remove the shrimp from a skillet and set aside.
3. Into the same skillet add olive oil and when it's hot add bell peppers, snow peas, carrots/peas, and scallions. Saute for 4-5 minutes on high heat. Add prepared sauce and cook for 1-2 more minutes.
4. Add eggs and cook for 2 minutes constantly mixing.
5. Add cooked rice and shrimp and mix everything to combine.

   Oh that juicy, juicy shrimp! Crispy veggies, juicy shrimp, super flavorful sauce... how can you not like it? You add what you like, as much as you like, and no need to pay for a second helping... perfect (homemade) takeout!

Enjoy,
Magda

Sanwdich for dinner.

   Justin thinks that soup (which I love) is not really a dinner dish, and I think that sandwich (which Justin loves) is not really a dinner either! But as any other married couples, we compromise and he eats a little bit of soup and I sometimes eat sandwich for dinners. The advantage for me is that I usually make dinners, so I can "customize" it and make any sandwich into a delicious and more dinner-like dish. Check out these reconstructed, open-face tuna melts loaded with herbs and vegetables. It's a perfect example of a compromise dish that makes both of us happy! It makes 6 servings, so we usually have it for 3 dinners, but if you are not crazy about eating the same time every day just cut the recipe in half.

Ingredients:

*  6 kaiser buns
*  12 slices tomatoes
*  1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
*  2 12oz cans of tuna in water, drained
*  1 cup frozen corn, thawed
*  1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
*  1/3 red onion, finely chopped
*  1/4 cup pickle relish
*  1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley
*  1/3 cup fat-free mayo
*  2 tbsp honey mustard
*  salt and pepper

Directions:

1. In a bowl, combine tuna with corn, bell pepper, onions, and parsley. Add pickle relish, mayo, mustard, season with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Slice the buns in half, cover generously with tuna mixture, top with tomato slices and mozzarella cheese. Bake at 400F for about 5-6 minutes until cheese is melted and a bun is crispy.
3. Keep the tuna mixture in the fridge and prepare freshly baked sandwiches just before serving each day. 

   Such a delicious sandwich. Hot, crispy and satisfying. I hate to admit it, but my husband was right... you can have a sandwich for dinner and be happy with it!

Half calories comfort!

   Another "comfort Friday" dinner recipe post. I was waiting the whole week for this evening. First, because it means two days off of work and second, because it means a bowl of delicious comforting food, enjoyed on a couch, with a good movie on (and Spikey watching us like a hawk, waiting for one of to drop something on the floor). I wanted to show you that a bowl of delicious comforting food doesn't have be loaded with fat and calories, and that you can enjoy a great dish which super light and guilt free! For me comfort food usually involves some kind of pasta, so I decided to substitute half of the noodles with vegetable ribbons and use herbs and citrus rather than heavy sauce to dress it all up. Oh, and lets not forget shrimp... that screams comfort too, at least for me! Here is the recipe which serves 2-4 (depending on how rough your week was!).

Shrimp marinade:
*  1 lb raw medium shrimp (about 30-40 shrimp)
*  1/4 cup olive oil
*  lemon (zest and juice)
*  1/4 cup fresh, chopped mint
*  1 tbsp fresh chopped thyme
*  1 tsp garlic powder
*  salt and pepper

Noodles:
*  2 cups rice noodles
*  2 large carrots, peeled
*  2 small zucchinis, peeled
*  2 tbsp black sesame seeds
*  salt

Directions:
1. In a bowl, mix olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, mint, thyme, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Whisk everything together, add shrimp and marinate for 10-15 minutes.
2. Using a vegetable peeler thinly slice carrots and zucchini into ribbon-like slices, set aside.
3. Boil a pot of salted water, add rice noodles and cook for 5 minutes. Add zucchini and carrots and cook for additional 5 minutes.
4. In a meantime, heat the skillet, add shrimp together with marinade, and cook everything for 6-7 minutes until shrimp is pink and cooked.
5. When shrimp is ready, drain the noodles and vegetables, add to shrimp and toss everything together. Sprinkle with black sesame seeds and it's ready to serve.

   One of the best dishes I've ever created on a spot! Mint and lemon are definitely the star, light, bright, and flavorful. Zucchini and carrots "stretch out" the noodles without adding any calories, making the dish super colorful at the same time. 

Have fun,
Magda.

Polish or Greek?

   Why not both? Actually it's two in one, it's a traditional Polish dish called "Fish a la Greek". No, it has nothing to do with Greece, it doesn't originate from Greece, and I'm not sure Greek people ever heard of it, but that's how it's called and don't ask me why! All I know is that it's delicious, rich, and healthy, and to be honest that's all I need to know. I almost forgot about this dish, and how much I love it, so I decided to make up for lost time and made a huge batch of it. Here is the recipe (serves 4):

Fish:
*  4 filets white fish (anything you like)
*  1 tbsp olive oil
*  salt and pepper

Sauce/hash:
*  5-6 large carrots, shredded
*  3 parsnips, shredded
*  1 small celery root
*  1 large onion, chopped
*  4-5 tbsp tomato paste
*  3-4 bay leaves
*  3-4 allspice berries
*  salt and pepper
*  2 tbsp olive oil
*  fresh parsley

Directions:
1. In a deep pot, heat olive oil and saute onions for 3-4 minutes.
2. Add carrots, parsnip, and celery root, and cook everything for about 5 minutes.
3. Add tomato paste, bay leaves, allspice, and salt and pepper. Add a little bit of water and cook everything for about 20 minutes until veggies are soft. You can keep adding water if needed, you want the sauce to be rather thick, but you don't want it to burn or stick to the bottom.
4. In a meantime, layer the fish on a baking dish, brush with some olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake at 380F for 10-15 minutes, depending on the filet thickness.
5. To serve, top the fish with the veggie hash and sprinkle with fresh, chopped parsley.

   It takes me right back to Poland, I love this dish. Justin was a little bit intimidated by all these veggies, but the second he tasted it, all intimidation went away and he really enjoyed it. The fish is flaky and delicate and the hash is sweet, tangy and a little bit salty, too. I'm sure you will like it.

Smacznego,
Magda.

Amuse-bouche!

   Amuse-bouche is nothing else than a fancy name for "one-biters" and I would probably never know this term if I didn't spend hours watching cooking shows. But, I do have to admit that it makes me feel sophisticated and almost "aristocratic" when I say that I made "amuse-bouche"... I think Justin just rolled his eyes on me when he saw "aristocratic". OK, maybe I'm going a little bit over board here with the terminology but, I do love my one-biters. They are perfect party food, easy to grab and easy to eat, no need to struggle with a knife, fork or even teeth (I always drag the entire topping with my first bite!). So here is the recipe for delicious mini blinis with avocado mousse and smoked salmon.

*  1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
*  2 eggs
*  1 cup warm milk
*  1 packet (1/4 oz) dry yeast
*  1 tbsp white sugar
*  1/2 tsp salt
*  vegetable oil 

*  1 ripe avocado
*  1 lime
*  1 tbsp fat-free sour cream
*  dash of salt

*  smoked salmon
*  fresh thyme

1.  In a bowl, whisk milk and eggs together, add yeast, flour, salt and sugar. Mix everything together, cover with a kitchen towel and put in a warm place for an hour so the dough can rise. If after an hour the dough seems to be a little bit "runny", add some more flour. You want it to be nice and thick so you can make a small and fluffy blinis.
2. In a skillet, heat the oil to a high temperature and using a tablespoon scoop a little bit of dough into the oil (to make a small circle), fry for about 20-30 seconds on each side (until golden brown) and transfer onto a paper towel to drain the excess oil.
3. When the blinis are cooling, blend together avocado, sour cream, lime juice and salt until smooth.
4. To assemble, scoop a little bit of avocado mousse on the top of blini, top with a piece of salmon and sprinkle with fresh lemon thyme.

   They fry so fast that you can make a huge batch of them in a matter of minutes! There is something about yeast containing food that makes me feel very homey and comfy. I think it's because it reminds me of my grandma who is the queen of yeast cakes! It's not only quick, but also super delicious, very elegant and unexpected. Perfect as an appetizer for your next party!

Enjoy.
Magda

Quick Quiche!

   Here is another one of the simple dishes that I make once in a while for a quick and delicious dinner. It takes only few ingredients mixed together, covered with cheese, and baked to perfection. It can be made with any ingredients you want or have on hand and always tastes good. I am talking about quiche, a French pastry crust dish filled with an eggs/cream/cheese mixture. Not only will you end up with a delicious dinner, but also you can show off in front of your friends that you can make French dishes! Here is my favorite combination of ingredients (makes 2 quiches)

*  2 store bought quiche crusts
*  1 cup cooked broccoli
*  1 cup sliced baby portobello mushrooms
*  1 1/2 cup shredded crab meat
*  8 eggs
*  1 1/2 cup fat-free milk
*  2 cups reduced-fat shredded mozzarella
*  1/2 tsp curry powder
*  1/2 tsp salt
*  1 tbsp butter

1. Whisk eggs, milk, and spices together. Add shredded mozzarella cheese, divide in half, and set aside.
2. Saute sliced mushroom with butter for 5 minutes until softened, mix with cooked broccoli and transfer into one of the crusts, and cover with half of the egg mixture.
3. Fill the other crust with shredded crab meat and cover with the egg/milk mix.
4. Bake both quiches at 380F for about 45 minutes. Let it cool for 15 minutes before serving so everything can set.

   I think the broccoli/mushroom quiche is my favorite. Portobello mushrooms are so meaty and flavorful, and broccoli is fresh and crunchy. But that doesn't mean the the crab quiche isn't good.

   It's actually Justin's favorite, so we didn't have to fight for last piece, because each of us wanted a different one. Is that a perfect marriage or what? You can probably fill it with anything and when you cover it with eggs and cheese... it will taste good no matter what.

Enjoy.
Magda.

Quick fixin!

   I think it's time for one of my famous super quick dinners that take less than 5 minutes to make, but are filling and delicious. Perfect for the middle of the week, when you get home late from work and you don't really feel like whipping up home made ravioli with four home made cheeses in it! So, the star of today's episode is a pita bread pocket stuffed with herby, crunchy, and delicious tuna "concoction" (sounds much better than a tuna salad).  I think the pita sandwiches (sandwiches in general) are Justin's favorite, not only because they are quick and easy, but also because there is not too many dishes left to clean! And since he is the one who cleans all the pots, pans, plates and millions of used utensils, he always encourages me to make "something easy", especially when we both had a busy day. So here you go, this is a super easy recipe for a crunchy tuna salad inside of a pita bread:

*  2 cans tuna in water
*  1/2 cup fat-free mayo
*  1 cup sweet relish
*  1/2 cup chopped radishes
*  2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
*  2 tbsp chopped fresh dill
*  salt and pepper

*  4-6 pitas

1. Mix all the ingredients (besides the pitas!) in a bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Cut pita bread in half and stuff each half with a generous spoon of tuna filling.
3. Decorate the pockets with lettuce and radishes and it's ready to eat.

   If you don't have radishes, or if you are not the fan of them you can substitute them with chopped celery stalks. Just make sure you have something crunchy inside, it makes the dish much more "exciting". Relish makes the salad a little bit sweet and dill gives it a summery kick! I usually slice some more radishes and eat them on a side as I would potato chips... it's much healthier and much prettier.

Good luck.
Magda.

Seafood junkie!

   I love seafood. All kinds of fish, shrimp, muscles (love, love muscles), scallops, octopus.... not enough space to mention all the delicious creatures living in the sea that I love! If I have an option in a restaurant, I order seafood. I always have some in the freezer in case of emergency cravings and if we get Chinese take out... you guessed, it's usually shrimp for me! If you are not crazy about shrimp or fish come over to my house and I will make you change your mind. If you don't want to come over, I will show you how to make the best shrimp pasta ever. The rule of a thumb is to have butter, white wine, garlic, and herbs. Add a little bit of lemon juice and you have a simple and delicious dish. Here is the recipe that makes 4 portions:

*  1 lb shrimp (shelled and deveined)
*  1 lb angel hair pasta
*  1 stick of butter (I know, just indulge this one time!)
*  4 cloves of garlic (mashed)
*  1 cup white wine
*  1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
*  1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
*  lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
*  lemon juice (from 1/2 lemon)
*  salt and pepper

1. Cook pasta to be a little bit al dente.
2. In a meantime in a large skillet melt butter, add mashed garlic, herbs, lemon zest, lemon juice, and cook everything together for 1-2 minutes.
3. Add shrimp, wine, salt, and pepper, and cook for 5 minutes until shrimp is cooked (pink and curly). Add cooked pasta, toss everything together and let it cook for 2-3 minutes so the pasta can soak some of the juices.

   Oh, I just noticed I grabbed a chipped wine glass... there goes my perfect picture! Well, but let's focus on the dish. So simple and so incredibly delicious. You can taste the butter, the garlic, and the wine, and then you bite into a juicy tender shrimp. The herbs give the dish an amazing aroma and make it so much better. I am telling you this is the best shrimp dish ever. Trust me, I'm a doctor!!!

Good luck.
Magda.

Curious George!

   Are you curious what I was curious about? Well, some time ago I was looking for canned tuna and suddenly I saw a can of "Pink Salmon". My first thought was: "Ugh! That's disgusting!", but each time I saw it, I was more and more curious about it. Few years later (!) my curiosity took over, and I finally bought one. When I opened the can, I knew right away that you can't really eat it by itself, and that it's going to take a lot of "dressing up" to make it appetizing. So I mixed it with lots of herbs and veggies and made colorful and delicious salmon cakes. Here is the recipe for 10 cakes:

Salmon cakes:

*  2 cans pink salmon
*  1 red bell pepper (finely chopped)
*  1/4 red onion (finely chopped)
*  2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
*  1/4 cup chopped parsley
*  2 eggs (beaten)
*  1/4 cup bread crumbs
*  seasoned salt
*  pepper
*  olive oil

Sauce:

*  1 cup fat-free yogurt
*  1/2 cup pickle relish
*  1/4 cup crushed black olives
*  1 tbsp lemon juice
*  salt and pepper

1. Crush drained salmon and mix it with red onion, bell pepper, thyme an parsley.
2. Add eggs, bread crumbs, salt, and pepper, mix everything until combined, and form patties (the size of medium burger)
3. In a non-stick pan, heat a little bit of olive oil, and saute salmon cakes for about 3-4 minutes on each side.
4. Mix all the ingredients of the sauce, season with salt and pepper to your liking and keep in the fridge until served.

   Who would have thought that you can get such a delicious dish using a not so sexy ingredient? Onions and peppers give it a nice crunch and herbs are flavorful and fresh. If you are a fish lover and looking for some alternatives, this is the dish for you.

Enjoy.
Magda.

Simple sophistication!

   Who said that weeknight dinners have to be bland and boring? And who said that all delicious and good-looking meals have to be difficult and time-consuming? Well, I'm gonna prove that you can get a restaurant quality dish which is not only good for you, but also for your wallet! Justin was actually pretty impressed that I just came up with that dish on a spot and that it looked and tasted so good. Who knew that putting together such simple ingredients as salmon, yams, and some veggies would make such a sophisticated dinner? Well, check it out for yourself. Here is what you need:

*  4 fillets of salmon

*  3 medium yams
*  1/2 tsp cumin

*  3 medium tomatoes
*  1 medium cucumber
*  1/4 onion
*  2 tbsp chopped dill
*  2 tbsp wine vinegar
*  1 tbsp sugar
*  salt and pepper

   Peel the yams, cut them into cubes and cook for 15-20 minutes until fork tender. Mash the yams with salt, pepper, and cumin. Put salmon fillets on the baking sheet, sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake at 400F for 10-12 minutes. Chop tomatoes, cucumber, and onion, mix all together, add dill, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper and chill in the refrigerator for 10 minutes. To "assemble" the dish put a spoon of yams on the plate, cover them with a piece of salmon, and top everything with the vegetable mix.

   It's very light and super flavorful. The cumin and yams go great together and make it "different" and exotic, while the vinegar's acidity brings everything to life! And doesn't it look like something you would get in a restaurant? Well, maybe not, but I like to think so.  :)

Enjoy.
Magda.

As seen on TV.

   Are you hungry? Are you watching your calories? Do you like delicious food? If you answered "yes" to at least one a question, this post is for you. No, this time I didn't come up with the recipe myself, I just copied it from Lisa Lillien from the Food Network show "Hungry girl". She always has great ideas on how to make guilt free dishes without scarifying the flavor. This recipe especially caught my eye. It combines all of my favorite ingredients, is perfect not only for lunch, but also as an appetizer for a party, and is super fast and easy. Oh probably I should tell you what dish I'm talking about, huh? The Crab Rangoonies, yeah this name didn't tell me anything either. Here is the recipe:

*  8 oz. flaked imitation crab-meat
*  1/2 cup fat-free cream cheese
*  2 wedges of The Laughing Cow Light Creamy Swiss cheese
*  3-4 chopped scallions
*  1 tsp soy sauce
*  2 cloves garlic (minced)
*  1/2 cup chopped parsley
*  salt and pepper
*  small square wonton wrappers (about 30)


    To make the filling, combine all the ingredients except for the wonton wrappers in a bowl, breaking up the cheese wedges as you add them. Mix until uniform.

     Lay one wonton wrapper flat on a dry surface. Spoon the filling into the center, moisten all four edges by dabbing your fingers in water and going over the edges smoothly, fold the bottom left corner to meet the top right corner, forming a triangle and enclosing the filling. Press firmly on the edges to seal. Place each rangoonie flat on the baking sheet, spray the tops with nonstick spray, and bake at 375F for about 12 minutes until golden brown. They are very good on their own but you should definely try them with my signature dipping sauce, because it just makes them unbelievable. To make the sauce mix equal parts of teriyaki sauce, BBQ sauce, ketchup, and lime juice! It's awesome!

   Just be careful... they are super addictive! They might be diet friendly (4 of them are about 140 calories) but it doesn't really matter if you end up eating 20 of them... and it's not that difficult!

Enjoy.
Magda.

Simplicity at its best!

   You can't go wrong with a dish if you let the ingredients shine on their own! This is especially true for fish, which is delicious on its own, and doesn't need to be drenched in thousands different ingredients. Of course only if you get a good quality piece of fish! Since I'm a fish lover I've tried many different kinds of fish and liked most of them, so this time I was trying to be adventurous and get something I'd never tried before. I looked through the seafood section in the supermarket and found one thing I've never heard of before: Swai Fish. Somehow in my head I imagined that this is super sophisticated and luxuries fish but as it turned out it's "only" a shark catfish. Well, not what I expected but you have to make the best out of what you have and I decided to make a citrus baked Swai fish. You couldn't need fewer ingredients than this:

*  4 fillets of fish (you can use any white fish you want)
*  orange
*  cilantro
*  butter spray
*  salt and pepper

   Spray the bottom of a baking dish with a butter spray (you can use a real butter, but I'm trying to cut down on the calories) layer the fish fillets and season them with salt and pepper. Cut four thin slices of orange and use the remaining fruit to squeeze out the juice over the fish. Put a couple of cilantro leaves on the top of the fillet, cover with a orange slice, and bake at 350F for 15 minutes.

    So simple and so flavorful. You don't need anything else to dress it up, the orange and cilantro do a great job. Since it's such a "delicate" dish you don't want to serve it with anything heavy and starchy. My favorite thing to pair it with is a simple veggie bouquet, and I use a frozen mixture which I just warm it up in a pan with some garlic, salt, and pepper.

   Isn't it pretty? Who said that healthy food has to be bland and ugly? This one is definitely pretty, delicious, and nutritious!

Enjoy.
Magda

When I was a student...

   ... I was young and energetic... no wait, that's not what this blog is about. I wanted to say that when I was a student (and didn't have much time to cook or too much money to go out to eat) my best friend introduced me to a tuna spaghetti. Oh yeah, it's not a mistake, I did say tuna spaghetti. It's super easy, super cheap, and super delicious. I love it so much that I introduced Justin and some of my friends to it and now we all eat it all the time. I have a feeling that Justin thinks that something is missing from his life if there is no tuna spaghetti for more than two weeks. It is one of those dishes that is perfect if you don't know what to make and you always have the ingredients for it in a pantry. What you need is:

*  Angel's hair pasta (or any other)
*  1 can tuna in water
*  1 chopped onion
*  2 tsp capers
*  1 cup fat-free sour cream
*  1/2 cup chopped parsley
*  olive oil
*  salt and pepper

    Saute onions with olive oil and capers (if you are not a fan of capers you can skip them all together), add drained tuna and cook for about 5 minutes. About a minute before the end add sour cream, parsley, salt, and pepper and you are done! Serve it with pasta as you would serve a regular spaghetti.

   It might not be the prettiest dish to photograph, but trust me it's absolutely delicious. You should see Justin's face when I told him for the first time what I'm making (kind of scared) and when he was eating it few minutes later (kind of scared that there won't be enough for seconds!).

Enjoy.
Magda

The ultimate Suthern Belle.

   OK, making shrimp and grits doesn't make me a Southern Belle (it would take much more than that), but I am really fascinated by delicious comfort southern food and I want to learn how to cook it. Ever since I came to the US, especially after moving to Richmond, I kept hearing about the famous shrimp and grits, and couldn't stop and wonder what's so special about them? One day we discovered this small and cozy place called Mosaic Cafe (you should definitely check this place out!) and I found out why so many people are crazy about the glorious shrimp and grits! Their version of the dish is absolutely insane. Creamy, cheesy, buttery, bacony, smooth, and rich... do I need to go on or do you get my point? It was love at first sight... I think Justin should be a little bit jealous about my relationship with this lowcountry cuisine dish. I can't spend all my time in the Mosaic Cafe so I decided to start cooking it myself... and as always I make a healthy version of it (the guilt after consuming 2789 calories in one sitting was just unbearable)! What you will need to prepare the dish is:

2 cups of skim milk
1 cup of water
3/4 cup quick-cooking grits
1 cup of fat free shredded cheddar cheese
6 slices of turkey bacon (chopped)
1/2 chopped onion
1 small chopped red pepper
1 lb cleaned shrimp
1/2 teaspoon of hot sauce
salt and pepper

   Boil milk with water, add salt, grits, and cheese, and cook on reduced heat for 5-6 min while stirring often. Meanwhile in a skillet saute bacon until brown and crispy and then set it aside. In the same skillet saute onions, bell peppers, shrimp and hot sauce until everything is cooked and then add prepared earlier bacon. To serve, spoon grits into a shallow bowl, top with shrimp and you will end up with a piece of heaven on a plate.

    There is nothing left to say. It speaks for itself. If you are a fan of comfort food, shrimp and grits should definitely be on your to-do list.

Good luck,.
Magda.

Fishy party!

   Do you also spend hours thinking about what appetizers to bring to the party? In my opinion, appetizers should be not only delicious and colorful, but also easy to grab and eat without too many
utensils. I usually try to make something fast, easy, tasty, and something that is unique. Of course the
easiest thing to do is to grab salsa or guacamole (nothing wrong with that, I bring both of them very
often to the parties!) but the real challenge is to come up with something different, inventive, and
unusual. Something that everybody will want to try even out of curiosity. Some time ago I came up with
this simple idea of one-bite-pumpernickel sandwiches. You can buy a thinly sliced pumpernickel bread,
either already small and ready to use, or in a regular, toast-size slices and just cut them in 4 pieces. It's
absolutely up to your imagination what you are going to put on the top of the bread, but my favorite
choices are kind of fishy... salmon and sardines. There is absolutely no work for the salmon one. You just
spread a salmon cream cheese on the bread, put a piece of a smoked salmon on the top, and decorate
with some dill!

   The second one is not complicated at all but reacquires mixing few ingredients together. I mix canned
sardines (in water) with a spoon of light mayo, a big spoon of cream cheese, and horse radish sauce (as
much as you want, according to your taste) and viola, the spread is ready. It's good to decorate it with
some fresh and crunchy vegetable since the spread tends to be very creamy and rich. I think cucumber is
perfect for the job!

   Even if you are not a "fish person" you still may like it because the horse radish gives it very unique flavor, far from what regular sardines are. It definitely looks colorful and fun put together on a plate.

  
   Try it, you may surprise yourself and your guests as well. Worst case scenario you have a great conversation starter, so you have nothing to lose.

Good luck.
Magda.

Not your ordinary tuna salad.

   I think the first time I made this dish was over 10 years ago when I was in college and I've been making it every once in a while ever since. It's cheap, fast, easy, and delicious, which is perfect for students, busy professionals, or anybody who doesn't like to slave in the kitchen for hours. You make a big bowl and you have more than a few lunches and dinners for the entire family, well, as long as they like tuna. All you need is 2 cans of tuna in water, 4-5 boiled eggs, can of corn, jar of pickles, 2 cups of cooked pasta, fat free mayo, salt, and pepper. Cut the eggs and pickles into medium sized cubes, add the remaining ingredients, mix everything together, and voila, the salad is ready! I also like to add a teaspoon of soy sauce at the end, it gives the salad an interesting and naughty flavor.

   You can eat it with regular bread, wasa flat bread (as seen above), crackers or just by itself. It's good no matter what! If you don't want to eat it for next few days you can cut the recipe in half and it's still gonna be plenty.

Hope you like it.
Magda.