Spring cleaning!

   No, this post is not going to be about cleaning your house, although it's not a bad idea because there is nothing better than a clean and fresh house! Well, OK, there are better things than that, but lets not go there! Today's "spring cleaning" post will be about cleaning out your fridge's leftover and unused veggies. When they sit in a fridge for a long time they are not as fresh and crispy, so the best thing to do is to put them into a soup! So that is exactly what I did! Don't worry about sticking to the list of ingredients, just check what you have in your fridge and use it. I'm sure it will make a delicious soup anyways. What I used is:

*  1/2 savoy cabbage
*  2 carrots (shredded)
*  1 tomato
*  3 celery sticks
*  1 large onion
*  3-4 tbs tomato sauce
*  dill
*  3-4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
*  2 tbsp fat-free plain yogurt
*  salt and pepper

   Chop the vegetables, put into a big pot with the broth and some water (adjust it to your liking) and cook until veggies are soft. Add tomato sauce, salt and pepper, turn off the heat, and then add the yogurt. It's that easy!

   If you are one of those people that think that soups should be eaten only in fall and winter, I'm sure you will change your mind after trying this one. It's very light and springy and is good all year around!

Enjoy.
Magda

Chicken salad with a kick!

   I think it's high time for one of my own creations. I don't even remember how I came up with this one, I guess it just seemed like the perfect combination. Chicken salad between two slices of bread is not something I grew up with, but I do have to admit that it's a great invention! You can add any ingredient you want and give it your own spin. Some time ago I posted an avocado chicken salad, which I found in "Everyday Food" magazine, and this time I came up with my own version with vegetables and curry sauce! What you need is:

*  2 chicken breasts (poached and shredded)
*  2 celery sticks (chopped)
*  4 scallions (chopped)
*  1 cup raisins
*  1/4 red onion
*  1/2 cup chopped parsley

Sauce:

*  1 cup fat-free yogurt
*  2 tbsp yellow mustard
*  2-3 tbsp curry powder
*  salt and pepper

   In a bowl whisk all the ingredients of the sauce, add chicken, celery, raisins, scallions, onion, and parsley, mix everything together, and it's done. I like to serve it with pumpernickel bread.

   It's creamy, crunchy, sweet, and spicy at the same time. You don't even need a bread but it definitely doesn't hurt!

Enjoy.
Magda

Everybody should try it!

   I have to thank all my friends who insisted that I start a cooking blog! Thank you! It became my favorite hobby, and I am more and more committed to it. I constantly look for cooking inspiration, how to serve my dish, and how to take the best picture! I switched from buying gossip magazines to a cooking magazines and from watching home renovation shows to cooking shows. I used to either cook the dishes I knew from home or I just made up some quick and easy recipes, sometimes with the addition of some "exotic" ingredients. Recently, I started to follow some of my favorite chefs and try out their recipes, and let me tell you... every new dish I make becomes our new favorite! There is no way we could decide which one we like better. Today is no different and I really think everybody should make this dish because it's "out-of-this-world" good. It's Giada's recipe for "Butternut squash and goat cheese pasta" and it's amazing. What you need is:

*  1 lb whole wheat penne pasta
*  1 medium butternut squash (peeled and cut into cubes)
*  1 large onion (chopped)
*  8 oz goat cheese (room temp)
*  1/2 cup chopped walnuts
*  1 cup chopped basil
*  1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
*  olive oil
*  salt and pepper

   Arrange the butternut squash and onions in a single layer on the baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, season with salt, pepper, and bake at 425F for 30 minutes until vegetables are golden. Cook the pasta, drain and reserve about 1 cup of cooking water. Put the pasta, pasta water, and goat cheese in a large bowl, toss until the cheese melts and forms a creamy sauce. Add the squash and onion mixture, walnuts, basil, mix everything together, and garnish with a Parmesan cheese.

   Did I mention that it's amazing? Oh, I did? But let me tell you again, it's amazing!!! Very creamy, but light, earthy, but fresh, and very, very filling! You absolutely have to try it out, I'm sure you will agree with me how delicious it is.

Enjoy.
Magda.

Fruit crostata with a twist.

   I think you are going to see more and more recipes inspired by Giada De Laurentiis. I am absolutely in love with her show and her dishes. It took me a while to get to like her, but once I did I couldn't stop watching the "Giada at home" show. She always have great ideas for interesting twists on traditional recipes and she also comes up with new and unexpected dishes. To make things "my own" I give it my own spin and the combination of Giada's and my ideas creates an amazing dish (how modest am I?). This time I made an apple/pear crostata with walnuts and Gorgonzola cheese. Here is the recipe:

Crust:

*  1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
*  1/2 tsp salt
*  2-3 tbsp sugar
*  3 tbsp unsalted butter (cut into small pieces)
*  1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
*  lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
*  2-3 tbsp ice water

Filling:

*  2-3 tbsp butter
*  2 apples (peeled and cut into thin slices)
*  2 pears (peeled and cut into small slices)
*  1/4 cup sugar
*  1 tsp cinnamon
*  lemon juice (1 lemon)
*  lemon zest
*  1/2 cup chopped walnuts
* 1/3 cup Gorgonzola cheese
*  1 egg (beaten)

    For the crust: In a food processor combine the flour, salt, and sugar. Pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the butter is finely chopped and the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Add the cheese, lemon juice, and the ice water and run the machine just until the mixture is moist and crumbly, but does not form a ball. Do not over mix. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

   For the filling: Saute apples and pears with butter, sugar, and cinnamon. Cook until the fruit is softened, but not mushy. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice, lemon zest, walnuts, and cheese. Roll the dough out into an 11-inch circle, about 1/4-inch thick, put onto the parchment paper, and spoon the fruit filling into the center of the dough. Spread the filling evenly, leaving a 2-inch border. Fold the dough border over the filling to form an 8-inch round. Pleat the edge of the pastry and pinch to seal any cracks in the dough. Using a pastry brush, brush the crust with the beaten egg. Bake at 400F for 25-30 min until the crust is golden.

   It looks very "homey" and it tastes even better. The filling is super flavorful, sweet, tangy, crunchy, and every now and then you get a surprising and delicious bite of Gorgonzola cheese. The recipe is definitely a keeper.

Good luck.
Magda

My very first muffin pan!

   I know it's hard to believe, but there were days when I didn't own a muffin pan. We don't use them in Poland too often, so it was an unnecessary gadget for me, but I have no idea how I survived so long without it! Thank God for my friend who introduced me to breakfast egg muffins and also gifted me with my very first six cup muffin pan to make them in. Life was never the same after that. Not only did I come up with many different recipes for sweet/savory/breakfasty muffins, but I also gained a lot of weight because of them. Don't worry, today we will make some healthy and high in protein breakfast muffins (tribute to my muffin pan gifter) with my personal twist. What you need to make 6 big muffins is:

*  10 eggs
*  1/4 cup milk
*  2 tbsp flour
*  1/2 cup reduced-fat shredded mozarella
*  1/2 cup chopped parsley
*  1 cup reduced-fat turkey breakfast sausage (sauteed)
*  1 tbsp garlic powder
*  salt and pepper

   Whisk eggs with milk, flour, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Add mozzarella and parsley, combine everything and transfer to the greased muffin pan (about 3/4 full). Spoon the turkey sausage into each cup and bake at 350F for 15-20 minutes until the eggs are set.

   As you can see some got more sausage than others and guess which one Justin is having for breakfast tomorrow? Yeah, you got it! If you love eggy breakfasts (like I do), but don't have too much time in the morning to prepare it, this is your recipe. It takes 30 minutes of your time and you have breakfast for the entire week (unless you eat them all at once).

Smacznego.
Magda

Enjoy the weather!

   I love spring. This is absolutely my favorite season with warm, but not hot weather, beautiful green trees, herb gardens, and GRILLING!!! The second you go outside you can tell that all our neighbors loves grilling as well, because all you smell is deliciousness in the air! I can't say enough good things about grilled food, it's super flavorful, smoky, healthy, and fun. You can get super creative and come up if all sorts of different things which are wallet and figure friendly. Today, I will show you how to make the best chicken skewers ever with colorful veggies.

*  2 chicken breast (two halfs)
*  1 red bell pepper
*  1 medium onion
*  12-15 small white mushroom
*  1 medium zucchini
*  olive oil
*  salt and pepper

Marinade:

*  1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
*  1/4 cup lemon juice
*  lemon zest
*  2 tbsp honey
*  1/4 cup soy sauce
*  1 tbsp fresh grated ginger

   Mix all the ingredients of the marinade, cut the chicken into uniform cubes, and soak in the marinade for at least 24 hours (more or less, I just prepare it the night before). Cut all the vegetables (besides mushrooms) into bite size pieces (generous bites), drizzle with some olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and put it all onto the skewers. I put the vegetables on separate skewers than the chicken (different cooking time) and I alternate the chicken pieces with chunks of onions (for extra flavor). Grill on medium heat for about 3-4 minutes on each side (remember that skewers have 4 sides) until chicken is completely cooked but not dry.

   Don't be afraid of the black color on the meat or vegetables, this is absolutely the best part of the dish. That smoky and delicious char makes grilled food so special. The grilling season in the Morgan's household is on, so stay tuned for more delicious recipes.

Enjoy.
Magda.

Asian influence!

   We love Asian inspired cuisine and if we could, we probably would eat in Asian restaurants every day. There are many reasons why we can't make it our daily routine (the risk of not fitting into the door being one of them), so I had to come up with home-made, healthier version. It might not be authentic but it's definitely delicious! This time I made some sesame and peanut butter noodles with grilled chicken. Well, I don't know how figure friendly it is (with all this peanut butter and pasta) but somehow the ability to control the quality and quantity of the ingredients makes me feel better about it. Here is the recipe:

*  whole grain linguine pasta
*  grilled chicken breast
*  1/2 napa cabbage (chopped)
*  1 red bell pepper (chopped)
*  3-4 scallions (chopped)
*  1/2 cup peanuts
*  1/4 cup chopped cilantro
*  1/4 cup sesame seeds

Sauce:

*  1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
*  3 tbsp soy sauce
*  2 tbsp rice vinegar
*  1 tbsp canola or vegetable oil
*  1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
*  1 tbsp honey
*  2 tbsp sesame oil
*  zest and juice of 1/2 lime

   Place the peanut butter in a bowl and microwave to soften (10-15 seconds). Whisk in with the soy sauce, vinegar, canola oil, ginger, honey, sesame oil, lime zest, and juice. Thin with warm water 1 tablespoon at a time as needed (dressing should be thick, but pourable). Combine together cooked pasta, chicken, napa cabbage, bell pepper, scallions, cilantro, peanuts, and half of the sesame seeds. Pour the dressing in, mix everything together, sprinkle with the rest of the sesame seeds, and delicious dinner is ready.

   I don't even know where to start with describing all the flavors and textures this dish has. Sweet, salty, creamy, crunchy, you name it, you got it! I can't decide which one is my favorite. I want to say sesame oil, but then I remember there is peanut butter and honey, and lime juice, and peanuts, and bell peppers, I'm losing my mind! I love them all!!!

Enjoy.
Magda.

Which side do you prefer?

   I'm not talking about your right of left side (hopefully you like both of them equally)... I'm talking about starch or veggies! Some people mostly focus on the main dish (usually meat) when planning a dinner party but for me the side dishes are equally as important. I always serve two of them, one being a starch and the other one a salad (again one of those Polish habits) and I try to keep them different and original each time. This time I decided to change the old and boring rice into a healthy, fun, fresh, and flavorful dish, full of fiber and vitamins. It might not be the most inventive and sophisticated dish but it definitely is super delicious. Here is what you need:

*  2 cups basmati rice
*  1 cup wild rice
*  1 cup fresh green peas
*  1/4 red onion (finely chopped)
*  1/2 tsp powdered ginger
*  1 tbsp soy sauce
*  1/2 stick of butter (melted)
*  1 tbsp lemon juice
*  salt and pepper

   Cook the basmati and wild rice separately in salted water with ginger. I usually boil my rice in an excess of water and when it's soft, but still a little bit al dente, I drain it in a strainer. Mix the cooked rice together, add fresh peas, chopped onions, melted butter, lemon juice, and season with soy sauce, pepper, and salt as desired.

   It's delicious! Ginger and lemon juice give it a fresh and exotic flavor, peas gives it sweetness, and red onion gives it a crunch. Justin is not a starch eater but he loved this one so much that he even had seconds!

Enjoy.
Magda

Happy Easter!

   I hope everybody is enjoying the Easter Weekend! We are almost ready, just a few more strokes of the duster, a few more eggs to boil, and we are good to go. We are planning to sit back, relax, and enjoy the weekend with friends and family. Polish Easter food is all about eggs, kielbasa, and yeast cake called "Babka" (yes, that means "grandma", but what can I say, we love our grandmas)! It's not the quickest cake to make because it requires a lot of patience to let the dough rise (twice) while the yeast is doing it's job. But don't get discouraged because it's all worth it and the final result is very unique and delicious Oh and it makes your entire house smell like the Holidays too. Here is the recipe:

*  1 package dry yeast
*  1/4 cup warm water
*  1/4 cup warm milk
*  1/2 cup sugar, divided
*  1/4 cup butter (room temp)
*  3 eggs
*  2 1/2 cup flour
*  1/4 teaspoon salt
*  1/2 cup dry raisins and cranberries

   Dissolve the yeast in water; stir in milk and 1 teaspoon of sugar. Set aside for about 30 minutes, or until bubbly. Using an electric mixer, beat butter with the remaining sugar. Beat in eggs, flour, salt and yeast mixture until smooth and elastic. Cover and let rise for about 1-2 hours or until doubled. Stir in raisins and cranberries, put into greased tube pan, cover, and let it rise for about 45 minutes. Bake at 350F for 30 - 40 minutes until well browned. Take it out of the pan immediately and let it cool on a wire rack. When it's cooled, top it with a vanilla glaze (I use a store bought glaze), sprinkle with some cranberries, and it's ready to enjoy.

   The smell of baked yeast is just amazing. It feels like home and even if you never had it when you were growing up, there is something about it that just makes you feel like a small kid in your mom's kitchen. It just makes the Easter a little bit more special, even though I am thousands miles away from home.

Happy Easter.
Magda.

Appetite for an appetizer!

   I always look for a new ideas for the appetizers so I can serve something different each time we have company over. My friends are super easy to entertain because most of them are open minded foodies that are ready to try whatever I may come up with.  Whenever I make something completely new that I have never tried before, I like to also put out something "safe" like humus, salsa, guacamole, or cheese just in case the "experiment" didn't work (if only it was so easy in the lab). This time I decided to take a new recipe for a "test drive" before having people over for Easter dinner just to make sure that this appetizer is worth serving. I saw it on the "Giada at Home" cooking show (which I'm kind of addicted to) and I must say this is amazingly delicious and it will definitely be on my Easter menu. I'm talking about Artichoke and Bean Crostini and here is what you need to make it:

*  french baguette
*  1 can (12oz) artichoke hearts or 1 bag frozen artichokes, thawed
*  1 can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
*  1/4 cup olive oil
*  1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
*  1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
*  zest from 1/2 lemon
*  lemon juice (from 1/2 lemon)
*  salt and pepper

   In a food processor combine the artichoke hearts, cannellini beans, basil, cheese, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Pulse until the mixture is chunky and then while the machine is running, slowly add the olive oil. Slice the baguette, drizzle it with a little bit of olive oil, and bake at 400F for about 5-7 minutes until golden brown. Spoon the artichoke mixture on top of the bread and it's ready to serve. You can also sprinkle it with some crisped prosciutto for a nice crunch.

   It's so delicious! Kind of reminds me of humus a little bit, but I think it's much more flavorful and refreshing (lemon and basil). Actually it's so good that I promised my girlfriends that I'm going to bring it to our next girls' night. I'm sure they are going to love it. 

Enjoy.
Magda

Broccoli cheddar soup after lipo!

   Broccoli and cheddar soup is one of those things that I never had before I came to the US, but I fell in love with it at first sight (taste). I knew right away that we would become best friends, I just didn't know that my hips would love it so much too. So after so many years of "tasting" this glorious soup, I blame it for at least 5 pounds on me! I just couldn't deal with all the guilt anymore after consuming so many calories in a soup, so I made my own version without all the heavy cream and buckets of butter and cheese. Just to make it a little bit exciting I added a twist with few cubes of reduced fat ham (mostly to "encourage" Justin to eat a soup for dinner). What you need is:

*  3-4 cups broccoli florets
*  5 cups fat-free milk
*  1 large onions (chopped)
*  1 cup reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese (shredded)
*  pinch of nutmeg
*  salt and pepper
*  1 tbsp butter
*  1 cup cubed reduced-fat ham (optional)

   Don't be afraid of a little bit of butter, 1 tbsp won't kill you and there is absolutely nothing that can give you this specific taste. Melt the butter in the pan, add chopped onions, and cook for 4-5 minutes. Add broccoli florets, nutmeg, salt and pepper, pour the milk (enough to cover the vegetables), and simmer on low heat for 15-20 minutes, until the broccoli is nice and tender. Blend everything with a hand blender, add cheese and ham, bring it to a boil, and you are ready to enjoy it.

   Like I said before, ham is totally optional and the soup is super delicious even without it, but it definitely adds an interesting bite to it. Even though it's called broccoli and cheddar soup you don't have to go crazy on the cheese (unless you absolutely want to!) and use much more broccoli which will make the soup thick and flavorful without adding all the calories. 

Enjoy.
Magda.

Chickens like beer too!

   Here is another one of my creations that makes a perfect dinner after a long day at work. It's easy, quick, and super flavorful, oh ... and it has beer in it too. Somehow I think that chicken and beer is meant to be together because they make a great couple. Add some mushrooms and sour cream to the mix and you will end up with a delicious sauce that will make you lick your plate! Cook it for your man and you will be his super hero for days! The list of ingredients is:

*  2 cups pasta (any shape you like)
*  chicken breast (cubed)
*  2 cups sliced mushroom
*  1 chopped onion
*  1 beer
*  1 cup fat-free sour cream
*  1 cup chopped parsley
*  2-3 tbsp soy sauce
*  1-2 tbsp olive oil
*  salt and pepper

   Heat olive oil in a pan, add onions and mushrooms, and saute for about 4-5 minutes. Add chicken, parsley, salt, pepper, and soy sauce and cook for 5 more minutes. Pour the entire bottle of beer into the chicken, cook for 4-5 minutes to let the sauce reduce. When chicken is completely cooked and the sauce is reduced add sour cream and cooked pasta and it's read to serve!

   It's super fast and super delicious. The beer gives the sauce "a different" taste, a little bit tangy, a little bit bitter, and it's a perfect combination with the mushrooms and pasta. I don't even have to tell you that it's one of Justin's favorite dishes. It has three of "his" ingredients: chicken, mushrooms,... and beer, what's not to like?

Enjoy.
Magda.

To shell or not to shell?

   Another busy day? Do you need some comfort food which doesn't involve slaving in the kitchen for hours? I have just the perfect thing, which is fast, easy, fresh, and delicious. Who doesn't like tacos? I think it's Justin's favorite Mexican dish (just after quesadillas) and he likes them in the hard, crunchy shells. I'm not crazy about hard shells because somehow they always break when I bite them and I end up with taco all over my table and floor, and not much in my mouth. So I introduced Justin to a taco salad and I got rid of taco shells and substituted them with crunchy tortilla strips as a topping. What you need is:

*  1 lb ground turkey
*  1 large onion (chopped)
*  2 tomatoes
*  shredded lettuce
*  taco seasoning
*  1 cup chopped cilantro
*  sour cream
*  tortilla strips
*  1 tbsp olive oil

   Saute onions with olive oil, add ground turkey, and cook until no longer pink. Add taco seasoning and a little bit water to create a sauce and cook for 4-5 minutes so all the flavors marry together. That's all you need to do before building the taco salad. Put shredded lettuce on the bottom, top with meat, tomatoes, tortilla strips, cilantro, and sour cream. If you have some salsa you can also add it to the mixture, which will make the salad even better.

   Who needs taco shells? This way it's much easier to eat and you save a lot of calories... which can be used for a big bowl of ice cream as dessert! Isn't it a better solution?

Enjoy.
Magda.

Pigs have great shoulders!

   Do you have people coming over for dinner and you want to serve them a meal that they will never forget? I have a perfect dish, which doesn't require a lot of work, but will definitely be the star of the evening (as long as your guests eat pork). Pork is one of those things that if made properly is super flavorful and elegant. Don't be scared of it, it's so easy. What you need is: 

*  pork shoulder
*  2 carrots (chopped)
*  1 large onion (chopped)
*  2 cloves garlic
*  1 tbsp fresh grated ginger
*  vegetable oil
*  3 cups chicken broth
*  1/2 cup soy sauce
*  1/2 cup rice vinegar
*  2 tbs Worchestire sauce
*  3/4 cup light brown sugar
*  1 orange (zest and juice)
*  salt and pepper

   Coat a large Dutch oven with some oil and bring the pan to high heat. Sprinkle the pork with salt and pepper, brown it on all sides, and remove from the pan. Into the same oil add onions, carrots, garlic, and ginger, and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add soy sauce, Worchestire sauce, rice vinegar, orange zest, orange juice, and cook for 5-6 minutes to reduce it a little bit. Add chicken broth and brown sugar, return the pork to the pan, and bring to a boil. Cover tightly with a lid and transfer into a 300F oven for about 3 hours. The meat should be 3/4 covered with a liquid, so you can turn it during roasting. You will not believe how moist and tender it will become.

   Do you see this bone in the middle? The meat was so soft and tender that the bone just fell off when I touched it. You don't even need teeth to eat it...it just melts in your mouth! And the flavor is amazing! A little bit sweet, salty, and tangy. It's so yummy that even vegetarians would love it (maybe!).

Enjoy.
Magda.

Super salad.

   Who said that salad has to be boring and predictable? All you have to do is mix and match different ingredients and each time you can end up with a different salad. Try with substituting at least one component at a time with something completely different and you will see how much fun a simple salad can be. I usually have some kind of greens and veggies in a fridge for the days when I feel like "dieting" or not cooking so I can just toss everything together and have dinner ready in seconds! This time I made spinach salad with grilled beef. The list of ingredient is:

*  baby spinach leaves
*  1/2 white onion (thinly sliced)
*  1 red pepper (chopped)
*  grilled beef
*  1/2 cup blue cheese
*  1/2 cup dried cranberries
*  1 cup slivered toasted almonds
*  3 sliced scallions
*  raspberry vinaigrette dressing

   You know the drill... just mix everything together, drizzle with a raspberry vinaigrette and that's it! I usually buy already grilled and packed beef because it's fast and easy, and why wouldn't you make you life easier if you could?

   It's absolutely the perfect combination of flavors and textures. Spinach gives the salad freshness; almonds, onions, and peppers give it a crunch; cranberries and a raspberry vinaigrette give it sweetness and tang; and blue cheese gives it a nice richness. What's more can you ask for in a salad?

Enjoy.
Magda.

Expect the unexpected!

   I love to experiment in the kitchen. The more bizarre the combination of ingredients, the more I want to try it out and see how it works together. I found this great recipe for cookies made out of something you would never expect. When I told my friends that I'm planning to make them they looked at me with a "what-a-lunatic" facial expression and they couldn't believe that I said that. I did not understand them, because for me "Potato Chip Cookies" just sounded like an amazing and delicious idea. And trust me, I wasn't wrong about it, they turned out to be awesome, and I think they made my top-ten-desserts list! Here is what you need:

*  1 cup (2 sticks) room temp. butter
*  3/4 cup light brown sugar
*  1/3 cup white sugar
*  1 tsp vanilla extract
*  3 eggs
*  2 cups all-purpose flour
*  1 tsp baking soda
*  2 cups crushed potato chips
*  1 cup chopped pecans

   In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla extract, add flour, baking soda, potato chips and nuts, and mix to combine. Drop tablespoon size of a cookie dough onto a baking sheet (about 2 inch apart) and bake at 375F for 10-12 minutes until golden brown. Don't worry about the shape of the dough, they are going to spread and make a perfect round cookie.

   They are so yummy! Super crunchy, sweet, and salty, just the perfect combination! Don't be scared of potato chips in a dessert, they fit right in! If you don't believe me try it for yourself.

Good luck.
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.

More Polish goodness!

   If you started to wonder where are all those recipes from the old country, here you go! I present you with another delicious and very traditional Polish dish called "lazanki". Actually it was a request from my friend, who is going to be a proud Mama soon, who was craving lazanki the other day (sorry Agatka for a delay)! You know you can never say no to a pregnant woman, especially if she is your close/far friend (she is my close friend who lives far, far away). Besides Justin is a huge fan of lazanki too, so it worked out for everybody. Here is my version of the recipe, and I'm sure everybody has their own spin on it. What you need is:

*  pasta (seashells or bow ties)
*  1 small cabbage head (chopped)
*  2 cups sauerkraut
*  1 cup chopped Canadian bacon  (bacon or kielbasa, whatever you like)
*  1 chopped onion
*  2 tsp chopped fresh dill
*  soy sauce
*  olive oil
*  salt and pepper

   Cook chopped cabbage and sauerkraut in salty water until it's soft (depending on how soft you like it). Saute onions and Canadian bacon with a little bit of olive oil until the meat is nicely seared and a little bit browned. You can substitute Canadian bacon with regular bacon, turkey bacon, or kielbasa, but I like to use Canadian bacon because it's delicious, and much leaner then other things. Combine sauteed meat and onions with cooked cabbage and pasta, and then season it with salt, pepper, soy sauce, and dill. That's it, the dish is ready.

   You can adjust the ratio of cabbage to pasta however you like. I'm not sure if you can see it in the picture, but we like ours to have a lot of cabbage (hey, I'm Polish and I love my cabbage!). Agata, I know it's late, but this post is a special dedication to you Mama (hopefully your wonderful man will make it for you next time you crave it!).

Enjoy.
Magda.

Nuts for coconuts?

   Last Christmas my aunt sent me the best Christmas card ever.  Rather than adding a picture or a letter she inserted a recipe for a delicious coconut cake. How cool is that? So simple, but yet so thoughtful. I am a little bit embarrassed that it took me three months to finally make the cake, but I guess it's better late than never. Justin is not too crazy about coconut in general, so I took it as my personal challenge to change his mind. It worked just great, the cake turned out delicious, Justin had a huge piece of it, and didn't mind the coconut at all! Here is the recipe:

*  2 cups toasted sweetened coconut
*  2 cups all-purpose flour
*  1 cup butter (room temp.)
*  6 eggs
*  0.5 tsp salt
*  1 tsp baking powder
*  1.5 cup sugar
*  2.5 tsp almond extract

   To toast the coconut spread it thinly in a shallow baking dish and bake at 350F for 5-10 minutes, stirring frequently until it's a little bit brown. Do not leave it in the oven for too long because it browns pretty fast. After it's done, set it aside to cool down before mixing it into the cake. In a large bowl beat the butter until creamy and then gradually add sugar while beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs (one at a time) and almond extract, mixing well after each addition. Remove the bowl from the mixer and using a big spoon stir in all dry ingredients and coconut. Transfer the cake batter into a baking pan and bake at 325F for about one hour.

   It's delicious on its own, but I decided to "dress" it up a little bit with drizzle of chocolate. I melted a few pieces of chocolate with 2 tbsp of milk and an orange zest and drizzled it over the cake. It's yummy, super coconuty, and super rich, so it's the best when served with a scoop of refreshing fat free raspberry sorbet!

 

   Do you see how fluffy the cake is? The almond extract and toasted coconut is just a perfect marriage of flavors and make this desert super tasty. I'm sure everybody will love it.

Good luck.
Magda.

Emergency plan.

   I usually plan all my meals ahead for the week. First, so I can get all my groceries at one time and second, so I don't have to worry about planning and figuring out what I'm going to make later during the week. Well, it works most of the time because sometimes (like few days ago) in the middle of cutting some mice tails I realized that I forgot to take a chicken breast out of the freezer. Hey, don't judge me, I have to kill time somehow when I'm in the animal room so yes, I'm thinking about cooking while genotyping! I knew my chicken dinner is not going to work since the main ingredient was frozen solid and that I have to come up with an emergency plan that does not involve a trip to the grocery store. This is one of those days when I look through my pantry, see what I have, and put it together somehow to make a delicious and creative dinner. And here is what I found this time:

*  Chinese Jade noodles (you can use any pasta)
*  1 bag of frozen spinach
*  1 chopped onion
*  2 cloves garlic
*  2 tbsp butter
*  1 cup chopped parsley
*  2 cups chopped walnuts
*  1 cup of heavy cream
*  salt and pepper

   I've never done it before, but somehow I knew it would all make sense together and I was right. Saute onions and garlic with butter, add frozen spinach (you don't even have to defrost it), parsley, 1 cup of walnuts, and salt and pepper. Cook everything for 5-10 minutes until the spinach is nice and soft, add the cream, and blend everything in a blender until it is nice and smooth. Mix it with cooked noodles, sprinkle with the remaining walnuts, and serve it.

   It's very flavorful, a little bit naughty... I mean nutty, healthy, oh it's fast and easy too. Simple dish with a "complicated" flavor that you can come up with in seconds while cutting mouse tails and toes for example!

Enjoy.
Magda.

Abuela's secrets!

   I'm sure everybody has at least one favorite dish that can only be made by your Grandma and nobody can repeat it and make it taste exactly like hers. Reason # 4582 why I love to be married to Justin is that I gain a Puerto Rican Grandma (Julia) who is an amazing cook and makes the best "Arroz Con Pollo" in the entire world! There is no way anybody can ever make it taste the same as hers, but we can definitely keep trying. My sister-in-law, Rachel, was trying to get Abuela's recipe for years and all she got was: it's so easy, you add a little bit of that and a little bit of that, and when it feel like that you add a little bit of that! Yeah right, good luck with that! So she took matters in her own hands, watched Abuela making it all the time, writing down the "observations", and trying it out over and over again until she got it pretty close! And guess what, she was super nice to share the recipe with me, so now I'm sharing it with you! The list of ingredients is:

*  chicken (I use 4 drumsticks and 2 tights)
*  Adobo seasoning
*  2 cups long grain rice
*  1 can (8oz) tomato sauce
*  1/4 cup manzanilla olives (stuffed with pimientos)
*  1 tsp. capers
*  1/2 cup Sofrito (I got the red one)
*  2 cloves garlic
*  1 envelope onion soup
*  1 envelope Sazon seasoning
*  1/3 cup oil
*  3 cups water (you may need to adjust it depending on how you like your rice)

   OK, don't be afraid of all those "exotic" names, you can find all of this in the International/Latin section of any supermarket (GOYA makes all of them). Here is what you do: sprinkle the chicken with an Adobo seasoning and keep in the fridge for a couple of hours. Heat the oil in a pan, brown the chicken on both sides, and remove from the pot. Into the same pot add sofrito, tomato sauce, olives, capers, and garlic and cook on low heat for about 5 minutes until the flavors "marry" together. Add the onion soup, sazon, and rice and cook everything for 5 more minutes, stirring it often so it won't stick to the bottom of the pot, and then add water and cook on low heat until half of the water evaporates. Return the browned chicken to the pot, "bury" it in the rice, cover with the lid and simmer for about 30-40 minutes. I was afraid that the rice will burn a little bit on the bottom so I used the dutch oven as my pot, covered everything with the lid and baked in the oven at 350F for 40 minutes. It turned out just right.

   It's hard for me to judge the authenticity of the dish, but I think I did a good job because Justin told me he was not hungry and then he had a huge bowl of my Arroz Con Pollo! I think I still need to adjust few things to make it more "Abuela's like" but I think that as for a first try I did good! Thank you Sis for sharing the recipe!

Hope you like it.
Magda

The sequel to the pork tenderloin.

   Remember my last post (it was just two days ago!) about the two pork tenderloins? One was stuffed with apricots and the other mysteriously disappeared in the middle of the post and never came back. Don't you worry, there is absolutely no food missing in my kitchen (well, it disappears but I usually know where it goes!) and this time was no different. I made two loins and I used one for a few dinners (served with some starch and vegetables) and the other one I made into delicious and filling sandwiches for lunch. Forget about store bought lunch meat, there is nothing that can beat this. It's fresh, juicy, low salt, and no artificial ingredients (I know, I sound like a sales rep). Keep it in the fridge and slice it whenever you are craving a delicious sandwich. Just look at it:

   I know that sandwich building is an art form and it's very personal and different for everybody (some people are very "particular" about how they want their sandwich to be prepared)! What I do, and what I think is the best is:

*  ciabatta roll
*  2 tsp horseradish spread
*  lettuce
*  sliced provolone cheese
*  sliced tenderloin
*  tomato
*  chopped parsley (this is my favorite component on all my sandwiches!)

   Spread the horseradish on a roll, layer all the ingredients and here is what you end up with:

 

   Now, that's a sandwich. You probably wonder how can somebody possibly bite this gigantic mountain of food, right? No worries, first of all I have a big mouth (that's what I've been told) and second, everything is so fresh, juicy, and fluffy that you can just squeeze it together and bite it no problem. Try it!

Smacznego.
Magda.

Pork with an attitude.

   If you are a vegetarian you may want to skip this post (unless you actually enjoy looking at my amateur pictures), but if you are a meat lover and looking for a fast and easy recipe you are in a right place. Some people are afraid to cook with pork thinking that it requires a lot of experience and magic skills to make it taste good and moist. This is so not true. In my opinion pork is super easy and much more forgiving than beef for example, it's actually pretty hard to make it dry or not tasty. Let me show you what I do. All you need is:

*  pork tenderloin
*  1 onion (sliced)
*  2 cloves garlic
*  dried apricots (or plums)
*  1/2 cup chopped parsley
*  6-7 juniper berries
*  fresh rosemary
*  salt and pepper

   Take a long and skinny knife and insert it in the middle of the tenderloin (length wise) to make a cut. If your knife isn't long enough to cut through the entire loin you can always "attack" it from both ends and cut it half way from each side. Stuff it with dried fruit (apricots or plums, which ever you like better), put the meat on aluminum foil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, cover with onions, garlic, parsley, rosemary, juniper berries, and wrap everything with the foil as tightly as you can. Bake at 370F for 1 hour.

   I don't know if you can see it in the picture, but I had two separate loins. I seasoned both of them with the same things, but I stuffed only one of them (and "decorated" it with some extra fruit on the top). The other one I just left the way it was. After it's baked remove the rosemary and juniper berries, slice it and it's ready to serve. It's super juicy and flavorful and all it needs is some light and fresh starch to complement it. I decided to serve it with couscous mixed with lots of parsley and lemon zest.

   You probably wonder what I did with the other tenderloin don't you? Well, be patient, come back in two days and the mystery will be revealed! For now enjoy this juicy, fruity and delicious dish!

Enjoy.
Magda

Sunshine in a bowl.

   You know what time it is? It's time for another soup recipe! Since Justin was out of town for the entire week I took it easy on cooking and I made a huge pot (almost a bathtub) of creamy cauliflower and potato soup and I had it for dinner every night. I made it thick, rich, and flavorful so it can satisfy my evening hunger and comfort me since there is nobody to cuddle with (and Spikey just can't handle all this "love" I'm giving him). The list of ingredients is:

*  1 cauliflower (florets)
*  2 medium potatoes
*  2 carrots
*  1 onion
*  vegetable broth
*  1 tsp curry powder
*  1 tsp turmeric
*  lemon zest
*  lemon juice (from half a lemon)
*  chopped parsley
*  salt and pepper

   Chop all of the vegetables and cook them with the vegetable broth, lemon zest, lemon juice, and all the spices. Adjust the amount of broth depending on how thick you want your soup to be, I usually add enough liquid to cover all the vegetables. Cook everything for 15-20 minutes until the veggies are tender (but not mushy) and then blend everything with an emulsion blender, sprinkle with chopped parsley, and it's ready to serve.

   Cauliflower and carrots make it healthy, potatoes make it creamy, curry makes it warm and comfy, turmeric makes it sunny, and lemon makes it zesty and refreshing! If it's not quite satisfying enough you can always serve it with a grilled cheese or turkey sandwich and you have a great dinner.

Have fun.
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