The world of Cooking

Strawberry Banana Smoothie

2006-09-20T18:51:00.000-07:00

I'm drinking it now and it's yummy, so I figured I'll save the recipe...

1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup strawberry yogurt
1/2 cup vanilla icecream
2 bananas
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Blend all ingredients until thick and creamy.

Nectarine Chicken Salad

2006-08-02T15:08:00.000-07:00

This is another easy-to-make fruity salad that goes well for lunch or supper.

Ingredients for 2 servings
1 green lettuce
1 nectarine or peach
2 pieces chicken breast or thigh
powdered ginger and dried herbs for seasoning the chicken

Coarsely chop the lettuce, arrange it on 2 serving plates and sprinkle it with a tablespoon of olive oil. Cut the nectarine in half and remove the pit, then cut each half in thin slices. Arrange the slices in a circle on top of the lettuce, and sprinkle with some lemon juice.
Rub the chicken with a little powdered ginger and your favourite dry herbs - such as basil or thyme or oregano. Grill the chicken on both sides, then cut it into slices and layer it in the middle of the plates. Decorate with a couple more nectarine slices, and you're done.
Ready in minutes!

Spaghetti Marinara

2006-08-01T17:05:00.000-07:00

This is an easy way to make some fish fillets or whatever seafood you have in your fridge go a long way and create a delicious meal.

Ingredients:
2 cloves of garlic
1 onion
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound fresh tomatoes or 2 cans diced tomatoes
1/2 pound or more - fish and other seafood: shrimp, prawns, mussels, scallops or calamari rings
1/2 cup of dry white wine
1 tablespoon butter
spaghetti
parsley or basil for garnish

If you decided to use fresh tomatoes, you have to peel them and dice them first. The easiest way to do this takes just 3 steps:
1. remove the hard core of the tomatoes
2. cut a 1-inch cross on the opposite side.
3. drop them in boiling water for about 20 seconds, or until you see the skin starting to peel back.
Then you can rinse the tomatoes in cold water to cool them down, and you can peel off the skin in seconds. All there's left to do is dice them, and then you can proceed.

Finely chop the onion and 2 cloves of garlic. Heat some olive oil in a frying pan and saute them carefully, so as not to burn the garlic. Then add the fish pieces, squid rings, scallops or what ever you will be using. If your shrimp or prawns are already cooked, they can be added later.
Cook on medium heat until the fish is almost completely cooked, then remove the seafood and save into a dish.
Put diced tomatoes into the fry pan and cook on high heat for 10 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent burning. If you have canned tomatoes, however, you can add them directly into the seafood since they are partially cooked.
Add the wine and some black pepper to the tomatoes in the fry pan, and stir in the rest of the seafood. Allow them to simmer until they are completely heated through.

In the meantime, boil the spaghetti until cooked, but still a little firm (al dente). Drain them and rinse them in hot water to remove the starch, then melt a little butter through. This will not only make them taste good but also ensure that they do not go dry or stick together if they remain in a bowl.

Place the pasta in a serving dish or on plates, top with the marinara and decorate with some chopped parsley or basil leaves.

Strawberry Stilton Salad

2006-07-31T12:53:00.000-07:00

Well, the original recipe calls for Stilton but in fact any blue cheese will do well. This recipe is worth a try even if you don't particularly like blue cheese - combine it with strawberries and the taste will be much improved.

Ingredients:
2 cups quartered strawberries
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
4 cups mixed salad greens
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
a little lemon juice and olive oil

Chop the greens and arrange them on 4 serving plates. Sprinkle with olive oil and lemon juice, then top with the strawberries, blue cheese and basil. Goes well with French bread.
Enjoy!

Simply Green side salad

2006-07-28T11:30:00.000-07:00

Rediscover the fresh taste of an all green salad aside your meal!

For about 4 servings, use one head of butter lettuce and 8-10 fresh basil leaves.
Chop or tear the lettuce into coarse pieces and chop the basil leaves into fine shreds. Toss the lettuce and basil with 1 tablespoon olive oil and one of lemon juice, OR 2 tablespoons Caesar dressing. Divide onto 4 side plates and serve.
Savour the aroma of fresh basil!

Baccala alla Livornese

2006-07-28T11:07:00.000-07:00

Well, this isn't the easiest of recipes, but it's a delicious way to cook salted cod. It works just as well with unsalted fish, too, you can try using cod or salmon.

Ingredients:
pure or virgin or extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, thinly sliced, + 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped + 5 large fresh basil leaves + 3 ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped (or you can use Hunt's Tomatoes Sauce with Basil, Garlic and Oregano, to save effort)
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 pound salt cod, prepared for cooking and cut into 4 x 6-inch pieces
All-purpose flour for dredging

In a medium size pan, heat a little olive oil and cook the onion until translucent. Then add the garlic, tomatoes and basil (or the Hunt's sauce - I swear I'm not advertising for them, it's just my favourite sauce :) ). Also add 1 tablespoon parsley and season with salt and pepper (careful with the salt if you're using salted fish). Simmer on low heat for about 20 minutes if you're using fresh tomatoes, as they need to be cooked through.
Meanwhile, dredge the fish pieces in flour, heat the rest of the olive oil in another pan, and fry the fish until golden all over.
Transfer the fish into the sauce pan and cook for another 5-10 minutes, as the sauce will absorb some of the flour and become rich and thick.

Serve the fish with tomato sauce on a bed of spaghetti and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Enjoy!

American style Bruschetta

2006-07-26T11:50:00.000-07:00

This delicious bruschetta is a perfect appetizer for a romantic dinner since it contains no garlic.

Just spread half a teaspoon Caesar or Ranch dressing on each slice of French bread, top with chopped or thinly sliced tomatoes, and sprinkle with parmesan and oregano on top. Then broil for a couple of minutes, checking that the bread doesn't burn, and you're done!

Happy cooking!

Spaghetti in Tuna Sauce

2006-07-25T17:25:00.000-07:00

Looking for a fast and easy to cook lunch? You just found it.

All you need is a handful of spaghetti, a can of tuna, some garlic (or onions if you prefer), olive oil, and a can of tomato sauce. Hunt's Tomatoes Sauce with Basil, Garlic & Oregano tastes absolutely delicious, if you have that, there's practically no need for spices.

Set a pot of water to boil and add a tablespoon of olive oil. When water is boiling, add the spaghetti and cook for 5-10 minutes or according to package instructions.
In the meantime, mince the garlic and saute it in another tablespoon of olive oil. When it starts to turn brown, add the drained tuna and the tomato sauce, and spice with some salt, pepper and oregano, if desired. Simmer for a minute or two, and the sauce is done.
If you find the sauce is not consistent enough, separately mix a tablespoon of flour with two tablespoons water and a little bit of sauce, then pour into the tuna sauce and let boil for a couple more minutes, stirring constantly.

Rinse the spaghetti and toss them with the tuna sauce, then arrange on serving plates. A little grated parmesan and some fresh basil make a nice finishing touch.
Enjoy!

Strawberry coffee frappe

2006-07-25T14:29:00.000-07:00

Wonderfully refreshing drink for the hot summer days...

Pour a half cup milk and a half cup strawberry icecream in a blender (you can substitute your favourite icecream, of course). Add a teaspoon of instant coffee, a couple of ice cubes, and, if you like, some sugar.
Blend on highest speed, then top off quickly with whipped cream - it keeps the air bubbles inside to keep the frappe nice and foamy for a longer time. Sprinkle on some ground cinnamon or chocolate.

Lounge in the sun, relax and enjoy!

Quick and easy Caesar salad

2006-07-25T11:32:00.000-07:00

Craving a Caesar?
Here's how you can make a delicious salad at home in just about 5 minutes...

Chop the salad greens (traditionally romaine lettuce) into a salad bowl; toss with desired quantity of Caesar dressing, grated parmesan & mozzarella, and some garlic croutons. Arrange on serving plates and sprinkle some more cheese on top.
Ready!

If Caesar dressing is not available in your area or you simply don't have it in your fridge, you can still make it yourself. Just whisk 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise with 1/4 cup olive oil, 2 tbsp lemon juice, a minced garlic clove and some salt and pepper to taste, and you've got enough for 4 servings.

Optional: for a more nourishing main-dish salad, top the plates with some easy-to-prepare grilled chicken. Defrost one boneless chicken breast or thigh for each serving (check your microwave settings for the time). If they're too thick, cut them lengthwise in half to a thickness of about half an inch - this is easiest to do while the chicken is still a bit frozen.
Preheat your grilling pan, and in the meantime sprinkle both sides of chicken pieces with salt, pepper and your favourite dry herbs ( for instance oregano or basil). Grill the chicken for about 2 minutes on each side - or until it's well done. Then cut the grilled chicken into strips and layer it on the Caesar salad.

Enjoy!