the constant hunger

Shredded Chicken Tacos

When cooking, any home chef should be able to make last-minute adjustments to his/her menu. This weekend I had planned to make pork carnitas. I had bought a nice chunk of pork shoulder on Thursday along with all the accouterments. When I took out the pork from the fridge yesterday to let it get to room temp before cooking, I noticed something funny. Rather, I smelled something funny. My beautiful cut of pork smelled...well, funky. Perhaps I was too optimistic in thinking that I could keep the meat refrigerated for four days without it going bad. Was I crazy to think this?

Having to scrap my idea of making carnitas, along with my beautiful pork shoulder (the marbling was superb), I had to think of a plan B. I still wanted to keep with the Mexican theme so I took out some chicken breasts from the freezer to defrost and went searching for a chicken taco recipe that would use ingredients I already had at home (it was a lazy weekend. Didn't even feel like leaving my cozy apartment). 

I came across this recipe that fit the bill. I made one big adjustment to it though. Instead of frying the chicken breasts, I decided to poach them using this as a guide. As a result, I did not use one drop of oil in the entire recipe. The only fat came from the avocado and the tortilla. Even though this was a very low fat meal, it was full of flavor. I am definitely going to make this recipe again.

Happy cooking! 

Foods That Make Us Beautiful

Monday evening I went to try out a yoga class at Yoga to the People. They have studios in New York and San Francisco and there is no contract or even registration. Just show up to a class and donate what you can. Great concept! Although the class was packed Monday, it was still pleasant. I had planned on going back tonight after work. I got there 30 minutes before class and there was a line-up practically down the block. I had no desire to be in a hot and humid studio, packed in like a bunch of sardines. I am currently researching new yoga studios in my area. 

My desire to eat healthier and exercise (in an attempt to shed some of this winter weight) sparked an interest to research foods and their health benefits. Not just disease prevention, which is certainly important, but I mean more along the lines of foods that improve our appearance. Our skin, hair, etc. Here are some of my favorite foods and their "beautifying" benefits.

I love, love, love salmon. If it's on the menu, I am ordering it. It's loaded with iron, vitamin B-12 and, of course, omega-3 fatty acids. The nutrients in salmon help promote a healthy scalp and everyone knows that a healthy scalp is essential for healthy hair. Salmon does double duty and gives you great skin, too. 

Legumes are chock-full of protein, zinc, iron and biotin. These nutrients help promote hair growth. Make a three-bean salad for a quick health boost. And add some spinach. Full of vitamins A and C, as well as iron and calcium, spinach or any dark green leafy vegetable will prevent your hair from being dry and brittle. 

I love eating berries in the summer, especially blueberries. Blueberries are full of antioxidants. We all know how important antioxidants are in preventing the deterioration of skin cells. Add some to yogurt or your morning smoothie.

The most important thing to remember is to drink lots of water. For properly hydrated skin, meaning skin that is healthy and youthful-looking, get in about two liters of water every day. 

 

Spicy Chickpea and Tomato Stew

What a week I had! Between a quick trip to LA to a heavy work load, I didn't have time to post all last week. So many new developments in my life and new directions it's going in. The only constant thing is my hunger and my love of cooking in my cozy kitchen in my cozy apartment in New York City.

Today's recipe is perfect if you work all day and barely have any time to make dinner (yet still want a home-cooked meal). It's healthy and easy to make. It's literally about popping open a couple of cans and creating some magic in a saucepan. 

Spicy Chickpea and Tomato Stew

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

one medium onion, thinly sliced

2 cans chickpeas, thoroughly rinsed

1 large can crushed tomatoes

1 teaspoon hot paprika

1/2 tablespoon dried oregano 

salt and pepper to taste

2 cups couscous cooked according to package directions

 

Method: 

Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and saute till soft. Add chickpeas, incorporate and cook for about 3-4 minutes.

Add crushed tomatoes, paprika, oregano, salt and pepper. Incorporate and bring to a boil. Lower heat to low and let simmer for about 30-45 minutes. (the longer you let it simmer, the better it'll taste)

Serve over coucous. 

Happy cooking!

Healthy Chicken Nuggets

Admit it. You love eating McDonald's chicken nuggets. They are crispy and salty and dipping them in barbecue or sweet and sour sauce makes them even more irresistible. Wouldn't it be great if you could recreate healthier nuggets at home and, get this, only use three ingredients? 

A long time ago I was watching an episode of Nigella Kitchen or Nigella Something and I remember her making homemade nuggets by dipping the chicken in buttermilk and coating them with bread crumbs. But I wanted to make my nuggets a little healthier and luckily the answer was already in my fridge, Greek yogurt. Besides being rich in protein and calcium, yogurt has naturally occurring bacteria that aid in digestion. It's a super food.

One little trick to making these nuggets really outstanding is to properly season them. Salt is important, but for this recipe, use more pepper than you normally would. It really kicks up the flavor. And you can use chicken breast if you prefer, but I think thighs have more flavor. 

Healthy Chicken Nuggets 

Ingredients:

6 small boneless chicken thighs, trimmed of fat and cut into nuggets

2 tablespoons Greek yogurt

1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs, more if needed

salt and pepper (okay, so technically there is more than 3 ingredients in this recipe)

 

Method:

Generously season chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Mix together chicken with Greek yogurt in a bowl. Cover with plastic and refrigerate for an hour. Remove from fridge and let rest at room temperature for 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a bowl, add the panko bread crumbs. Coat the chicken pieces with the bread crumbs and place on the baking sheet. 

Bake immediately for 20 minutes. Rotate chicken pieces and bake for another 15-20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and is golden brown.

Serve with your favorite dipping sauce and a vinegary salad. 

 Happy cooking! 

Light Eggplant Parmesan

Well, it's resolution time and like most people, I resolve to eat better and exercise. In fact, this morning, I did something I've never done before. I woke up at 7:00 a.m. and went for a (short) run. It was bitter cold and I had chest pains for the icy winds, but I toughed it out for 20 minutes, which in my world is amazing. You see, I hate exercising. I can't think of anything more mind-numbingly boring than getting on a treadmill or lifting weights. I have a hard time believing people when they tell me they enjoy it. I think they enjoy the results and not the process. Anyways, I am gonna invest in my favorite activity. Dance. It's the only way I will stick to moving by body on a regular basis.

In terms of my diet, I resolve to eat a little better. On the whole, my husband and I eat rather healthy. Sure, I love butter, cheese and heavy sauces, but I think I'll limit those recipes to once a week (or every two weeks). I also plan to make more budget-friendly recipes and include the price of each recipe with my posts. Today's recipe was made a couple of weeks ago so I don't remember how much it cost, but I'll try to include prices going forward.

One of my favorite dishes to eat is eggplant Parmesan. Layers upon layers of battered and fried eggplants, rich tomato sauce and melted cheese... It's the recipe for deliciousness and, sometimes, heartburn. It's no secret that eggplant Parmesan is a heavy vegetable dish, so when I had a lonely eggplant in my fridge I was determined to turn it into something a little lighter. How? By grilling the eggplant instead of frying it with flour and omitting eggs altogether from the recipe. Not only is the result a lot healthier, but it also took me a fraction of the time to prepare. 

 

Light Eggplant Parmesan

Ingredients: 

1 eggplant sliced thinly (size of your choice)

6 cups basic tomato sauce, heated

1 small ball fresh mozzarella sliced or grated

salt and pepper

2 tbs. olive oil

 

Method:

Season both sides of the eggplant slices with salt and pepper.

You can grill the eggplant a couple of ways. You can BBQ them if you are living in a warmer part of the world. You can arrange the slices on a non-stick baking sheet and broil them, a few minutes each side. I grilled them on the stove top using my double-burner grill. Grill and set aside.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large casserole dish, drizzle the olive oil and a couple of tablespoons of the basic tomato sauce. This will prevent the eggplant from sticking.

Alternate one layer of eggplant with a small tablespoon of tomato sauce. Place a slice of mozzarella (or a bit of grated cheese) on top of the last layer of eggplant.

Bake for about 40-45 min. or until cheese has turned golden brown. Remove from the oven and let stand for 6-7 minutes. Serve.

Happy cooking!