Dirty Cupcakes!

   No, I did not drop cupcakes on the floor to make them dirty! I put dirt on them on purpose! But, not your regular dirt... it's a delicious Oreo dirt with some nasty worms sticking out of it. Last weekend I had some friends over for a Halloween dinner and since we decided not to dress up for it, I made my dessert wear a Halloween costume. Since I made the entire dinner from scratch, I decided that it's OK to take a little shortcut for the dessert and I used a store bought red velvet cake mix. As long as you add your own twist to it, it's perfectly fine... at least that's what I keep telling myself! Here is the recipe for Red Velvet cupcakes with raspberry cream cheese frosting (makes 24):

Cupcakes:

*  store bought Red Velvet cake mix
*  3 eggs
*  1/3 cup vegetable oil
*  1 1/4 cup water

Frosting:

*  16oz cream cheese
*  1 cup powdered sugar
*  1 cup raspberries
*  1 tbsp lemon juice
*  6 Oreo cookies, without white filling, finely crushed
*  24 gummy worms

Directions:

1. Combine cake mix with eggs, oil and water and beat everything with hand mixer. Transfer batter into 24 cupcake liners (about 3/4 full), and bake at 350 for 20 minutes.
2. Cool cupcakes completely before frosting.
3. Beat together cream cheese, powdered sugar, lemon juice and raspberries until smooth.
4. Frost cupcakes with the cream cheese, cover with Oreo dirt and place a gummy worm on top of it.

   It's a funny looking and delicious dessert. The raspberry cream cheese frosting is one of my favorite and pairs perfectly with red velvet cake. Who said silly food is only for kids... adults (I'm not sure if we qualify) can have lots of fun with it too!

Happy Halloween,
Magda

Different side of you!

   I have another side dish recipe, that I adore and make very often. It's very flavorful, refreshing, a little chewy and a little bit crunchy. It's a great and different side dish that will impress everybody! Unfortunately I did not come up with it on my own... I kind of took my inspiration from Giada, added my little touch, and serve to my guests as my own! I always make a little bit more than needed for dinner and take it for lunch the next day. Yes, it's that good! Here is the recipe:

Salad:

*  1 1/2 cups Israeli couscous
*  4 cups chicken (or vegetable) broth
*  1 apple, finely chopped
*  3/4 cup dried cranberries
*  3/4 cup toasted, slivered almonds
*  1 tbsp olive oil

Dressing:

*  1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
*  1/4 cup olive oil
*  3 tbsp agave nectar (or honey)
*  1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
*  1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
*  1 tbsp chopped fresh mint
*  salt and pepper

Directions:

1. In a pot, heat the olive oil, and couscous and toast for 5 minutes (stirring constantly) until golden brown.
2. Add the broth (stand back, because the couscous is super hot and might splash the broth!) and cook for 10-15 minutes until couscous is al dente.
3. In a meantime, in a deep bowl whisk together apple cider vinegar, olive oil, agave nectar, herbs, salt, and pepper. Add chopped apples, cranberries, and slivered almonds.
4. Drain couscous, let it cool for 5 minutes and add to the salad. Mix everything together and refrigerate for minimum 30 minutes before serving.

   Sweet, tangy, crunchy, and refreshing. One of my favorite side salads, which is a great substitute for plain old rice. You can pair it with any meat or you can just enjoy it by itself, it works both ways!

Enjoy,
Magda.

Spotted cookies!

   OK, I am going to do something really bad... I will skip the introduction and go straight to the recipe! I promise I will do better next time! Here is the recipe for delicious, double-colored, vanilla cookies:

Ingredients:

*  2 sticks of butter (room temperature)
*  1 cup white sugar
*  3 cups all-purpose flour
*  2 tsp vanilla extract
*  1 tsp baking powder
*  1/2 tsp salt
*  1/2 tsp cinnamon
*  1/4 tsp nutmeg
*  1 tbsp cocoa powder

Sugar coat:

*  3 tbsp white sugar
*  1/2 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

1. Cream together butter and 1 cup white sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Beat in vanilla extract, baking powder, salt, 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 1/2 tsp nutmeg.
3. Beat in flour, 1 cup at a time.
4. Divide the mixture into two equal part (in separate bowls) and add cocoa powder to one of them. Mix until combined.
5. In a shallow bowl combine 3 tbsp of sugar with 1/2 tsp of cinnamon.
6. Using your hands combine 1 tsp of brown dough with 1 tsp of white dough and form two-colored balls.
7. Place on a baking sheet, flatten using bottom of a glass.
8. Bake at 350F for 14 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack.

   Cute and delicious! I think I will stop here, I don't even think I need to convince you to try them... I know you will!

Enjoy,
Magda.

Fall or any other season.

   For some people fall is a "soup season". For me fall is a season when I can eat soup all the time, without people asking me: you eat soup in the middle of summer? Yes, I do eat it all year round and I am not planning to change this habit any time soon. Justin doesn't really agree that soup is a dinner itself... for him it's an appetizer or a great addition to a giant sandwich, but for me a bowl of delicious chunky or creamy soup is all I need. Since it's the entire meal for me, I tend to use a "substantial" bowls to serve it in, so that might explain the amount of soup you will get using my recipes. Here is one of them, a recipe for delicious creamy leek and potato soup:

Ingredients:

*  3 medium leeks
*  3 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
*  3 tbsp butter
*  2 vegetable bullion cubes
*  salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Slice the leeks (white part and about 2-3 inches into a green part) and put in a bowl of warm water to wash them. Drain and let them dry a little bit.
2. In a Dutch oven melt 3 tbsp of butter, add washed leeks, and cook for 5-6 minutes until softened.
3. Add cubed potatoes, vegetable bullion cubes, salt and pepper. Add water to about 2 inches over vegetables.
4. Cook everything for 15-20 minutes until potatoes are soft. Turn off the heat and blend everything with hand blender until smooth and dense.
5. If you are not a vegetarian try to garnish it with some crisped turkey bacon - delicious!

   You can adjust the amount of water to make is as dense as you like. You can serve it not only with turkey (or regular) bacon, but also with some fresh herbs or a spoon of sour cream. I usually just eat it plain, but I have to admit that this bacon garnish was pretty good and I think it will be my new go to.

Enjoy,
Magda.

Fall tradition!

   Fall is back and that means that chili and pumpkins are back as well. There is nothing better than a bowl of warm and comforting food enjoyed on the couch while watching some of our favorite shows. It's a tradition that when temperatures go below 50F I make chili. It's also a tradition that I make a double batch of it, portion it, and have a whole week of lunches and some "reserves" in the freezer. To makes things a little bit different, but not to change tradition too much, I decided to make a "taco" soup instead of chili. The same concept, but slightly different flavors going on and some extra ingredients. Here is the recipe that serves... a army!

Ingredients:

*  2 lbs lean ground turkey
*  1 large onion, chopped
*  1 can crushed tomatoes
*  1 can whole corn
*  1 can black beans
*  1 can green chilies
*  2 McCormic Taco seasoning mixes
*  1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
*  1 tbsp olive oil
*  salt and pepper

*  shredded cheese for garnish

Direction:

1. In a Dutch oven, heat the olive oil, add onions, salt and pepper, and cook for 3-4 minutes.
2. Add meat and cook for 5-6 minutes until no longer pink.
3. Add crushed tomatoes, corn, black beans, green chilies and cilantro. Mix together and bring to boil.
4. Add Taco seasoning and a little bit water to reduce it to the desired density. Lower the heat and cook for about 20 minutes.
5. Serve sprinkled with some cheese.

   Dense, rich and flavorful. The perfect dish for cold and dark evenings. It warms you up, comforts you, and makes everything better. You can serve it with a spoonful of sour cream to cool it down a little bit and add some contrast.

Enjoy,
Magda

Bowl of crunch!

   Looking for a healthy and delicious lunch/dinner idea? You came to the right place. I've got the perfect pasta salad, which is healthy, fresh and satisfying. Yes, pasta can be healthy and it doesn't have to be a taboo if you are on a diet. Just make sure it's whole grain and that it's accompanied by buckets of fresh veggies and fat-free yogurt instead of mayo. I was just playing with some of my favorite ingredients and what I've got is a bowl of crunchy flavorful goodness that will satisfy any hungry dieter (and we dieters are always hungry!). Here is the recipe (serves 6-8):

Salad:

*  1 lb whole grain rotini pasta
*  1 red bell pepper
*  1 green pepper
*  2 zucchini
*  1/2 red onion
*  4-5 medium pickles
*  1/4 cup chopped  black olives
*  1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Dressing:

*  3/4 cup fat-free Greek yogurt
*  2 tbsp fat-free mayo
*  2 tbsp Dijon mustard
*  1 tbsp soy sauce
*  1 tbsp lime juice
*  1 tsp seasoned salt
*  black pepper

Directions:

1. Cook pasta, toss in cold water, drain and let it cool.
2. Finely dice all the vegetables, combine in a bowl, add pasta and mix everything together.
3. Combine all the ingredients of the dressing, add to salad, mix everything together and refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.

   It's fresh, light, crunchy, and delicious. Cilantro is just a perfect addition to this salad and gives it an exotic and interesting accent. If you are not a fan of cilantro you can definitely substitute it with parsley and I'm sure it's going to be delicious as well.

Enjoy,
Magda.

Pooch Love!

   We love our dog and our dog loves... peanut butter!!! Every time I open a jar of this creamy goodness his ears stand up like one of NASA's antennas and he stares at it until he almost melts the jar with his laser eyes! Look at him!

   How can you resist? No matter how hard you try to ignore the "peanut-butter-stare", you know you will give in sooner or later, and he will get his way! He always gets his way... he wants to go for a walk - we go, he wants to sleep in our bed, taking 80% of the space - he does, he wants to eat Justin's chicken nuggets when nobody is looking - he eats them! And you know what, we don't care! We love him, we spoil him, and we would do anything for him! So to spoil him even more, I made crunchy peanut butter dogy treats, so he can enjoy his own guilty pleasure!  Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

*  1 cup wheat germ
*  3 cups whole wheat flour
*  1/2 cup oats
*  1 cup all-natural peanut butter
*  3 tbsp canola oil
*  1 egg
*  1 cup water

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together and using your hands knead the dough until no longer sticky.
2. Divide in half and then on a lightly floured surface roll out dough to 1/4 inch thickness.
3. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters and bake at 300F for 40 minutes.
4. Turn off the oven and leave biscuits inside until crunchy for at least 1 hour.
5. Store in a sealed container.

 

   Hmm, how am I going to describe the taste? Well, I just had to try a piece. If you ask me, a little bit tasteless and bland, but if you ask Spikey he would say: "freaking delicious"!!! I though he would bite my fingers off, he couldn't wait to sink his teeth in those peanut butter goodies!

Woof, woof,
Magda.

Sliding dinner!

   So what is your go-to dish? I'm sure you have something that no matter where you go, if you see it on the menu, you are probably gonna order it. Even though we always like to try new things, there are some dishes that we just can't pass up and no matter how much we try, we always end up with them. French onion soup, creme brulee, and eggs benedict are our absolute favorites and we never (and I mean never) miss a chance to try them. Justin has one more "cryptonite" that he can't resist, which he always gets if it's available. It's all sorts of sliders, any form, and shape, any flavor... he loves them all! So I decided to make some for dinner and just to make things more exciting I used chorizo sausage rather than beef and garnished them with avocado mayo. Here is the recipe:

Sliders:

*  1 lb uncooked chorizo sausages
*  1 tsp garlic powder
*  1 cup fresh chopped parsley
*  10 mini potato rolls (or any rolls/buns you like)

Mayo:

*  1 avocado
*  2 tbsp fat-free mayo
*  1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley
*  1 tbsp lime juice
*  salt and papper

Directions:

1. Take chorizo sausages from the casing. Mix with garlic and parsley until combined.
2. Form 10 mini burger patties and grill for 3-4 minutes on each side.
3. To make mayo, combine chopped avocado, fat-free mayo, parsley, lime juice, salt and pepper and mix everything together.
4. Spread the sauce on the roll, top with chorizo patty and enjoy!

   Not only small and cute, but also super duper extra delicious! You can eat as many or as few as you want to. Perfect for parties or just dinners for two. The chorizo is a little bit spicy and it pairs beautifully with the fresh and cool avocado mayo. One fun and delicious meal!

Enjoy,
Magda

Dr. Morgan prescribed!

   My very good friend was in rough shape recently, physically and emotionally, and it just happens that I am a doctor and that I had a perfect treatment for her! OK, I might be a "doctor of philosophy", but that only makes me more competent to address problems of life and existence! There is absolutely no better cure for all problems than a good conversation... and a big bowl of comfort food. I'm sure I mentioned it many times already, but just in case you missed, comfort food for me is always pasta, and lots of it! Since my friend is vegetarian I decided to make a white sauce and spinach pasta. Just not to feel too guilty about eating it, and to be able to eat more (the more you eat the faster you heal - remember I am a doctor!) I chose whole grain linguine and fat-free milk. Without further ado here is the recipe (serves 4-6, depending on how much "cure" you need):

Ingredients:

*  1 lb whole grain linguine
*  1 bag of frozen spinach, thawed and drained
*  1 large onion, chopped
*  3 garlic cloves, minced
*  2 tbsp butter
*  2 tbsp flour
*  2 cups fat-free milk
*  1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
*  pinch of nutmeg
*  salt and pepper
*  juice of half lime

Directions:

1. Cook pasta in salted water until al dente.
2. In a meantime, in a deep skillet melt butter on a medium heat and slowly saute onions and garlic until soft (about 10 minutes). Gently salt the onions, it will help to soften them.
3. Add flour and cook for 3-4 minutes. Then add milk, pepper, nutmeg, and lime juice. Cook for 6-7 minutes until sauce thickens.
4. Add spinach and Parmesan cheese and cook for additional 2-3 minutes to warm the spinach up.
5. Drain the pasta, add it to the sauce, mix everything together and get ready to indulge!

   It's so creamy and decadent. You have big chunks of spinach in a delicious and cheese sauce, with a hearty pasta wrapped all around it. How can you not feel better after eating this?

Stay comforted,
Magda.

One Lady Down!

   The day has come... we have to say goodbye to one of our "Girls-night-in" members, Marta. She is moving back to Europe, and even though we are happy for her new adventures, it's hard to envision our get-togethers without her! Last weekend we had our last "Crazy-ladies-night-in" with all five of us, and as always, there was a lot of food and even more alcohol, finished with a huge bowl of cream puffs! I always try to come up with some new dishes (girls asked me if I am testing my food on them...and yes, they are my control group!) and this time as one of the appetizers I decided to make "fake" flat-bread with rosemary, sesame seeds and sea-salt! Here is how easy it is:

Ingredients:

*  Pillsbury Classic Pizza Dough
*  1 tbsp olive oil
*  2 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
*  1 tbsp black sesame seeds
*  1/2 tbsp sea-salt

Directions:

1. Roll the pizza dough on a greased baking sheet.
2. Add 1 tbsp of olive oil on the top and using a pastry brush distribute it evenly on the dough.
3. Using a fork prick the dough, so it will stay flat without fluffing up (very important step!).
4. Sprinkle with rosemary, sesame seeds and sea-salt and bake at 400F for 15-18 minutes (depending on the package directions) until it's golden brown.
5. Slice it into small squares and it's ready to serve.

   How easy was that? It involves almost no work and no ingredients, but trust me, it makes a huge impact. Super simple and super delicious. And yes, you guessed it, we paired it with my favorite drink... mojito! The girls brought gallons of rum and some blackberries so we made beautiful and delicious blackberry mojitos...and we made lots of it!

Have a safe trip Marta,
Magda

Who doesn't love gadgets?

   Recently I got all bunch of fancy kitchen gadgets from my husband, so I had no choice rather than come up with a dish that would require using some of them. I chose two of my favorite things from the pile: a nice and new zester and a "citrus-juice-squeezer" and decided to make a lime chicken with a creamy sauce. Man, I did not know you can get so much juice out of a lime! I always thought I am a strong girl and can squeeze the last drop of juice out of the fruit with my bare hands, but boy was I wrong! This little metal thing is pretty powerful, and I love it! Here is the recipe for my last minute, simple lime chicken (serves 4):

Ingredients:

*  1 chicken breast, cubed
*  2 limes
*  1 large onion, chopped
*  2 tbsp flour
*  1 1/2 cup fat-free milk
*  1 cup fresh chopped parsley
*  pinch of nutmeg
*  1 tsp black pepper
*  salt
*  1 tbsp olive oil

Directions:

1.  In a skillet, heat the olive oil and saute onions until translucent (4-5 min).
2. Add chicken, salt and pepper, and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add zest of 2 limes and juice of 1 lime and cook everything until chicken is no longer pink inside (6-7 minutes).
3. Add flour, cook for 2-3 minutes, add milk, nutmeg, mix everything together and cook for 3-4 minutes until sauce thickens. Add fresh parsley and serve with rice or pasta.

   Saucy, limy and peppery, that's how you can describe this dish... oh, and fast and easy, too! It's not heavy, it's not too intense, it's just perfect refreshing quick dinner!

Enjoy,
Magda.

Vietnamese memories.

   We all have our favorite restaurants. They don't have to be super fancy or to be the best restaurants in town, but they are special to us for one or another reason. There was (maybe still is) this "Vietnamese" place in Krakow, where me and my sister Dorota used to go all the time. We would order this chicken dish (I don't even remember the name of it), which was absolutely the best (and the cheapest) dish ever. Every time we would want comfort food, we knew where to go. I almost forgot about it, but then my sister found a "Vietnamese chicken" recipe on one of the cooking blogs and she said I have to try it! Oh, she was right, this dish is definitely a must to try. Sweet, salty, spicy and very, very similar to the dish from our favorite restaurant. Check out the recipe (serves 4):

Ingredients:

*  2 chicken breast, cubed
*  1 large onion, thinly sliced
*  1/4 cup soy sauce
*  1 tbsp olive oil
*  2 tbsp sugar

Spice blend:

*  1 tsp garlic powder
*  1 tbsp sweet paprika powder
*  1 tbsp smoked, spicy paprika powder
*  1 tbsp curry powder
*  pinch of salt 

Direction:

1. In a bowl combine all the spices (garlic powder, paprika, curry and salt). Toss the cubed chicken breast and coat all the pieces piece.
2. In a skillet, heat the olive oil, add sugar and cook for 1-2 minutes to create the caramel. Add spiced chicken and cook everything together for 6-7 minutes making sure that all the pieces of chicken are coated with caramel (you can add some water in necessary).
3. Add thinly sliced onions and soy sauce and cook for 3-4 more minutes. 
4. Serve it with white or brown rice.

   Sweet, spicy, and a little bit exotic. The caramel and soy sauce gives it a nice and rich brown color. Smoky paprika and curry give it a kick and an exotic flavor. It definitely brings back the memories of our favorite comfort restaurant. 

Enjoy,
Magda

Homemade CPK!

   We love, love, love California Pizza Kitchen... the variety and quality of pizzas and salads they serve is unbelievable. Our favorite kinds of pizza from this place are the ones with a fresh and crispy salad/slaw on top, especially the "burger pizza". It has ground beef, pickles and fresh lettuce tossed with dressing on top. It's so amazing that we got really addicted to it (and I mean a serious obsession) and the second we got addicted ... they took it off the menu! I think we cried for 3-4 days straight and thought that life will never be the same, until I decided to make my own! It may not be exactly the same (I've yet to crack the CPK secret), but it's pretty damn good and that's all I care about! Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

*  Pillsbury Refrigerated Thin-style Pizza Crust
*  1lb lean ground beef
*  2 tbsp grill seasoning (I use Weber Gourmet Burger)
*  1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
*  1 cup of sliced pickles
*  2 cups chopped or shredded lettuce
*  2 tbsp fat-free mayo
*  2 tbsp fat-free Thousand Island dressing
*  1 tbsp olive oil

Directions:

1. Heat a non stick skillet and brown the beef with grill seasoning and Worcestershire sauce for 5-6 minutes. Drain the fat.
2. Roll the pizza dough on a baking sheet, drizzle with 1 tbsp of olive oil and brush it onto entire dough. Prebake at 400F for 3-4 minutes.
3. Take out pre-baked pizza dough, spread the browned meat on the top of it and bake at 400F for about 10 more minutes (until the crust is golden brown)
4. When the pizza is ready, top it with sliced pickles and lettuce tossed with mayo and thousand island dressing.
5. It's ready to enjoy!

   If you want to you can drizzle it with a little bit of ketchup (you know I did that!) to make it more burger-like. The crust is crispy, meat is hot and flavorful, and pickles and lettuce are fresh, crunchy and tangy. Delicious, interesting and "different" kind of pizza!

Enjoy,
Magda

Cinderella salad.

   Cheap and simple salad in a beautiful dress, aka how to turn simple ingredients into a sophisticated dish. Usually when I plan my dishes I focus mostly on a taste, but ever since I started this blog I also keep in mind how it would look in a picture. Probably I am willing to sacrifice the "look" of the dish for the sake of taste, but never the other way around, who cares if it looks awesome if it's not edible. Fortunately in this dish I did not have to sacrifice anything... it is absolutely delicious and it looks super cute! Perfect dish to entertain with and impress your guests! Simple Greek-style couscous salad stuffed in sexy tomatoes! If you wonder what sexy tomatoes look like... wait until you see the picture! Here is the recipe:

Couscous:

*  2 cups dry couscous
*  2 1/2 cup boiling water
*  3 sun dried tomatoes, finely chopped
*  salt and pepper

Salad:

*  1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded and finely chopped
*  1/3 medium red onion, finely chopped
*  1/2 cup black olives, chopped
*  3/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
*  1 cup fresh parsley, chopped
*  4 tbsp balsamic vinaigrette

*  small to medium tomatoes (as many as you wish to stuff)

Directions:

1. In a bowl, mix couscous with salt, pepper and chopped sun dried tomatoes. Add 2 1/2 cup of boiling water, mix to combine, cover with a lid (or a big plate) and let it stand for 7 minutes.
2. Using a fork, fluff up the couscous and let it cool a little bit.
3. In a separate bowl mix chopped cucumber, onions, olives, feta cheese and parsley. Add chilled couscous and balsamic vinaigrette and toss everything together.
4. Cut the top of the tomatoes and using a small spoon remove all the seeds to make a bowl. Spoon salad inside the tomato and it's ready to serve.

   Isn't it cute? Not only good-looking but super flavorful and refreshing. It makes a lot of salad (about 4.5 cups), so it's up to you how many tomatoes you want to stuff, and you can definitely serve it in a regular bowl... it's great no matter what.

Have fun,
Magda.

Stew without stewing!

   I love stews...any kind, any flavor, meat-less or meat-full. Justin's favorite are kielbasa-full, so I decided to make one of those for him. I kind of took the inspiration from a Polish dish, changed it a little bit to make it less soupy (Justin is not a big fan of soups) and I got delicious and satisfying dish. Why did I call it a stew without stewing? Because it takes only a few minutes to make and it has the "stew" flavor and heartiness without hours of cooking, simmering, reducing, and concentrating. Here is the recipe (serves 4):

Ingredients:

*  1 lb turkey kielbasa, chopped
*  2 cans (15 oz each) white beans
*  1 can (15 oz) crushed tomatoes
*  1 large onion, chopped
*  2 tbsp ketchup
*  2 tbsp dry marjoram
*  1 tbsp olive oil
*  salt and pepper

Directions:

1. In a deep pot or a Dutch oven heat the olive oil and saute onions with salt and pepper for 5-6 minutes.
2. Add kielbasa and cook everything for 8-10 minutes until nicely browned
3. Add white beans, tomatoes, ketchup and marjoram. Mix everything together and cook for about 10 minutes to marry the flavors.

   It's a very simple, but hearty dish. Ready in minutes, doesn't involve much work or ingredients... prefect for a busy night. You might find adding ketchup a little bit odd, but trust me it's a perfect addition. It adds a little bit of sweetness and tang at the same time. I actually use ketchup in lots of dishes (people who know me well, know that I might have a small ketchup addiction!).

Enjoy,
Magda.

Cheesy mac!

   Yes, you guessed it... it's Mac & Cheese time! It's just more evidence that I am really getting "Americanized". Is there a more American dish than that? I don't think so, and I am surprised that it took me so long to actually make it. And let me tell you... I don't think I've ever seen Justin so excited for a dinner as this time. I actually had to stop him from having a thirteenth serving of it, because I knew he would be in trouble later on. It did came out pretty delicious, in his defense. To make it even more interesting (yes, it is possible) I added some turkey bacon... you need to keep things exciting in the ... kitchen, right? Here is the recipe:

Pasta:
*  1 lb elbow macaroni pasta
*  12 slices turkey bacon, chopped
*  1/2 cup bread crumbs
*  olive oil

Sauce:
*  1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
*  1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
*  2 tbsp all-purpose flour
*  2 cup fat-free milk
*  2 tbsp Dijon mustard
*  2 tbsp butter
*  pinch of nutmeg
*  salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Heat a nonstick pan to a high temperature, add chopped turkey bacon and cook for 7-8 minutes until crisp. Transfer onto the plate and set aside.
2. In the same pan, melt 2 tbsp of butter, add flour and cook for 2-3 minutes to create a roux.
3. Add milk, mustard, salt, pepper, pinch of nutmeg and whisk everything together. Cook whisking constantly for about 5-6 minutes until sauce lightly thickens. 
4. Add cheese and stir until it melts.
5. In a meantime, cook pasta in salted water until al dente. Drain and return into the hot pot.
6. Into the hot pasta add cheese sauce and crisp bacon, mix everything together, transfer into a baking dish, top with bread crumbs and gently sprinkle with olive oil (it helps to bro the bread crumbs). Bake at 350F for about 30 min.
7. I put half of the mixture into a baking dish and half into a large muffin pan, making individual lunches.

   I don't think I even have to describe how it tastes! I'm sure you know that it's creamy, gooey, bacony with a nice crunch of the top! If you are not fan of a turkey bacon, you can skip it... or if you are a fan of a "real" bacon, you can definitely use the real deal. Great idea with the muffin pan, this way I could portion it into individual lunch boxes and not eat all of it at one sitting! Yep, it's that good.

Enjoy,
Magda.

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.

Something different!

   Bored of always serving your dishes with rice, pasta or potatoes? I have the perfect solution. Actually, it was my sister, Dorota, who had a solution first, and I totally stole her idea and I'm sharing it with you. Of course I added my own touch to it and you can do your own spin on the dish as well. Oat cakes - fast, easy, cheap, healthy and delicious, can you ask for more? It really can change an ordinary dinner into something exciting and "different", give it a try. Here is the recipe (serves 4):

Cakes:

*  2 cups old fashion oats
*  1 cup boiling water
*  2 eggs
*  1/2 cup fresh, chopped parsley
*  1/3 tsp cumin
*  salt and pepper
*  2 tbsp olive oil

Directions:

1. In a bowl, combine oats, cumin, salt, and pepper. Mix everything together.
2. Add boiling water, mix in and let it stand for 5 minutes to soak up all the water.
3. Add eggs and parsley and mix everything until combined.
4. In a skillet, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil and using a spoon form 4 medium cakes (using half of the oat mixture) and cook 3-4 minutes on each side on a medium heat.
5. Remove cakes, add remaining tbsp of olive oil and cook another four cakes.

   You can serve them with whatever you want to, chicken sauce, mushroom sauce, whatever-you-feel-like sauce. You can probably eat them without anything, whatever you prefer. They are very filling and will keep you satisfied for a while. Cumin is just a perfect spice to use here, but you can get as creative as you want and make your own version.

Enjoy,
Magda

Ladies of the night!

   Now I got your attention, didn't I? Well, today's post is about mini pulpety (Polish meatballs) in Puttanesca sauce! You wonder why the title than? Puttanesca in Italian means nothing other than "ladies of the night"... actually it translates to only one word, but it's a family friendly blog and I'm not gonna use the "W" word!!! You probably also wonder why I said pulpety rather than meatballs, but the difference is that pulpety are cooked in a sauce (or water), rather then being baked or seared with oil, which makes them much healthier (and it also sounds much better that way!). So the dish is half Polish (meat) and half Italian (sauce) ... and the marriage is just delicious! And to make things even more interesting lets throw a Japanese accent in and serve it with Soba noodles. It looks dark and naughty, but hey... you saw the title! Here is the recipe that serves 6:

Pulpety:

*  1 lb lean ground turkey
*  1/2 cup bread crumbs
*  1 egg
*  2 tbsp grilling seasoning
*  3/4 cup fresh chopped parsley

Puttanesca sauce:

*  1 large onion, chopped
*  3 garlic cloves, minced
*  1 tbsp anchovy paste
*  1  32oz can crushed tomatoes
*  3 tbsp capers
*  4 tbsp chopped black olives
*  1 cup fresh chopped parsley
*  1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
*  1 tbsp olive oil
*  salt and pepper

*  1 lb Soba noodles

Directions:

1. To make pulpety, combine meat, bread crumbs, egg, parsley and grilling seasoning. Using your hands, mix everything together and roll small balls (about one inch in diameter). From 1 lb of ground meat you should get about 30 balls (I told you they are mini). Place them on a plate and set aside until the sauce is ready.
2. To make the sauce, in a deep pan heat the olive oil, add anchovy paste, onions and garlic. Cook everything for 4-5 minutes.
3. Add tomatoes, olives, capers, red pepper flakes, parsley, salt and pepper. Bring to boil.
4. Reduce the heat, gently drop the meat balls in a sauce, covering them completely. Simmer on low heat for about 20 minutes.
5. In a meantime cook Soba noodles in salted water for about 6-7 minutes.
6. To serve pour sauce and pulpety over bed of Soba noodles.

   So delicious. Rich and earthy, but still light and healthy. No cream, no heavy sauces, no fatty meats. Red pepper flakes definitely give it some kick, so if you are not a fan of it you may want to skip them. Pulpety are tender and flavorful, the sauce is thick, but light and fresh. Capers and olives add some saltines which balances the acid from tomatoes. It's a really great dish!

Enjoy,
Magda.

Almost Classic.

   Pizza again! "Classic" - margherita, "almost" - fresh tomatoes rather than marinara sauce! This was a special request from my lovely husband, who had this pizza when we were vacationing this summer and he was so impressed by it that he talked about it for next two days. I do have to admit it was pretty amazing... fresh, light, flavorful, just a perfect simple margherita pizza. I still have tomatoes and basil in my garden, Justin spotted a great deal on a huge ball of fresh mozzarella cheese, so how could I not make it? It's one of those dishes that are supper simple, with only a few ingredients, but man do they taste good! Here is the recipe and few tricks on how to make this pizza perfect.

Ingredients:

*  Pillsbury Refrigerated Thin-style Pizza Crust
*  2 medium red tomatoes, sliced
*  1 cup yellow grape tomatoes, halved
*  1 ball of fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
*  1 tbsp olive oil
*  10-15 fresh basil leaves

Directions:

1. Place the pizza dough on the baking sheet or a pizza stone. Drizzle with 1 tbsp of olive oil and using a pastry brush spread it on the entire dough.
2. Bake the crust at 400F for 6 minutes. It's important to pre-bake it, because you don't want to bake tomatoes for too long, not to make them mushy.
3. Remove pre-baked crust from the oven and cover with tomato slices and mozzarella cheese. Return into 400F oven and bake for 7-8 more minutes.
4. Sprinkle baked pizza with fresh basil and serve your dinner!

   Such a great pizza. The simplicity of the ingredients allows all of them to stand out and shine. Tomatoes are sweet and juicy, mozzarella super gooey, and the basil is fresh and fragrant. Brushing olive oil on pizza dough changed my life, it makes it so much better, you should definitely try this trick. No need for any sauce, it's just perfect the way it is.

Enjoy,
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.

Puerto Rican note!

   I cannot even express how much I love Puerto Rican dishes made by Justin's Grandma. All grandmas' cooking is so special, they cook with only a few ingredients, toss everything together and what you get is just amazing. So simple, so flavorful, so authentic... and you cannot get the same dishes anywhere else but their kitchen! Forget fancy restaurants and famous chefs, there is absolutely nothing better than grandma's dinner. Here is another one of Abuela's Puerto Rican dishes, cracked and decoded by my sister-in-law, Rachel. It's fancy called Habichuelas con Arroz Blanco (at least I think so), but it's simply rice and beans... well, amazing rice and beans I should say! Recipe makes 4-6 servings:

Ingredients:
*  1 29oz. can of kidney beans
*  1 8oz. can tomato sauce
*  1 packet of sazon
*  2 Tbsp sofrito
*  7-10 green olives
*  1-2 tsp capers
*  2 potatoes, cubed
*  2 tbsp olive oil

*  3-4 cups of cooked rice

Directions:
1. In a deep pot, heat the olive oil, add sofrito and cook for 1-2 minutes.
2. Add the tomato sauce, sazon, olives, and capers. Cook for 2 minutes.
3. Add the beans along with all their juices, potatoes, 1/2 water and stir everything together.
4. Once boiling, cover, turn the heat down and let it simmer for about 20 minutes.
5. Serve over rice.

   Man, I love Puerto Rican cooking!!! Such different flavors than the ones I grew up with. Lots of beans, capers and olives, that's my kind of food. It's salty and tangy from the capers and olives, the big chunks of potatoes give it some "hardiness", and the sauce-covered rice is just a perfect combination.

Enjoy,
Magda.

Lord of the Rings!

   Justin is no Lord, but he definitely loves his Rings... onion rings that is. I'm not crazy about them and I would much rather have diamond rings than fried and greasy onions, but because he loves them so much, I decided to make them just for my man! I do have to admit that they are definitely much cheaper than diamond rings, but what can I say ... you like what you like! I decided to experiment a little bit and I made them two ways, with and without bread crumbs (or rather saltine crackers crumbs). And since I wasn't planning on eating them myself, I made them super duper extra spicy! That's how my man likes it, that's how my man gets it (hopefully I will get a super duper extra diamond ring too!). Here is the recipe: 

Batter:
*  1 cup flour
*  1 cup fat-free milk
*  1/2 tsp baking powder
*  1 tsp salt
*  1/2 tbsp Tabasco smoked chipotle sauce
*  1/2 tbsp Sriracha sauce

Bread crumbs:
*  30 saltine crackers
*  1 tbsp garlic powder
*  1 tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
*  1/2 tsp ground cumin

*  2 large yellow onions, sliced into thick slices
*  vegetable oil (about 1 bottle)

Dipping sauce:
*  2 tbsp fat-free yogurt
*  1 tbso ketchup
*  1 tbsp BBQ sauce
*  1 tbsp Sriracha (I told you it's a spicy dish!)

Directions:
1.To prepare batter, whisk all the ingredients together until smooth. If you are not a spice-lover, you can skip the hot sauces.
2. To prepare bread crumbs, put the saltine crackers in a plastic Ziploc bag and beat it with a rolling pin until all crushed into a fine crumbs. Add garlic powder, rosemary and cumin, and mix everything together.
3. In a Dutch oven (or equally "tough" pot heat the vegetable oil to a high temperature. You want to have at least 2-3 inches of oil in the pot.
4. When oil is hot, dip onion slices in a batter, then in bread crumbs and put into the oil. Fry for about 20-30 seconds until golden brown.
5. Mix all the ingredients of a dipping sauce together and you are ready to enjoy.

   I made few without the bread crumbs, but they are not as good and flavorful as the one with the breading on them (at least that's what Justin said). The rosemary, cumin and garlic in a breading makes all the difference, it's very tasty and fragrant. You could smell the piny rosemary and garlic on all three levels of the house! You have a sweet onion covered with a little bit spicy batter and aromatic, crunchy breading... even though I didn't try them, I could tell Justin loved them a lot. Even Spikey got one!

Enjoy,
Magda.

Giada-inspired.

   Well, probably I should say Giada-copied, not inspired, because I basically copied the entire recipe step by step. Everything she cooks seems to be so light, healthy and delicious, and I love to make her dishes. I think I watched all of the episodes of her show at least twice, if not more. This time I stole another of her ideas for a great appetizer for our "girls-night-in". I do have to warn you, that you probably should really like green peas before you make it, because you can really taste it (might be due to 99% peas content).

Pesto:
*  1 package frozen peas, defrosted
*  1/2 cup shredded Parmesan
*  1 garlic clove
*  1/4 cup olive oil
*  salt and pepper

Bread:
*  French baguette

Direction:
1. In a food processor, combine peas, garlic, Parmesan, salt, and pepper. Pulse
2. With machine running, slowly add olive oil until pesto is smooth and well combined.
3. Slice the French baguette, layer on the baking sheet and bake at 400F for 4-5 minutes until crisp.
4. Top slices of the bread with pesto and you are ready to serve!

   It's sweet, it's creamy, and it's very light. The creaminess is perfect with the crunchy, warm, and toasted bread and a little bit of pesto goes a long way. I think it makes a great "girly" appetizer which perfectly pairs with a glass of wine...big glass of wine :).

Enjoy,
Magda

Chili without the suntan!

   I know, it's still summer and I'm making chili, which is usually a fall or winter dish, but trust me, I know what I'm doing. There is nothing wrong with a bowl of delicious light chili made out of chicken, cannellini beans and some heat. For me "White chili" is a late summer version of the more known, regular beef/kidney beans dish, which can be rich and heavy (perfect for winter evenings). The longer I'm married to Justin the more spicy food I can handle, so I decided to spice this dish up with some Sriracha (super hot Thai sauce). Couple of years ago I couldn't even smell it without crying and look at me now... a full tablespoon of it in my chili! Here is the recipe that makes 4 dinner entree servings or 6 lunch servings.

Chili:
*  2 chicken breasts, cut into small cubes
*  2 15oz cans oz cannellini beans
*  1 large onion, chopped
*  1 small can green chilies, chopped
*  2 cloves garlic, chopped
*  1 tbsp ground cumin
*  1/2 tsp dried oregano
*  1/2 tsp black pepper
*  1/2 tsp paprika
*  1 tbsp Sriracha sauce
*  salt (to taste)
*  olive oil

Garnish:
*  fat-free sour cream
*  fresh cilantro

Direction:
1. In a deep pot, heat the olive oil and saute onions for 3-4 minutes.
2. Add cubed chicken and cook everything for 5-6 minutes.
3. Add canned chilies, beans (with the juices), and all the spices. Cook everything together for about 20 minutes. You can add some water if you like your chili more soup-like.
4. Serve with a spoon of sour cream and chopped cilantro.

   Wow, it does have some kick to it... I might have spoken too soon about how much Sriracha I can handle. That's why you need a sour cream, which cools down the fire in your mouth a little bit and makes this dish super delicious. Chunks of chicken, creamy beans, cold sour cream and fresh cilantro is just the perfect combination!

Enjoy,
Magda.