Chicken Saltimbocca

serves 4
2 boneless chicken breast
2 Tbsp. olive oil
8 oz button mushrooms, halved
1/2 cup dry marsala
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 oz prosciutto chopped (1/2) cup
2 tbsp sage
2 tbsp butter

-Slice chicken breast in half lenght wise
, and pound each piece with a mallet
-Saute pieces of breast in the olive oil until browned, 3 to 5 mins. Transfer to a plate.
-Saute mushrooms in the same pan until starting to brown. About 5 mins.
-Deglaze pan with marsala wine, scraping all the brown bits on the bottom. Add broth and bring to a boil, simmer until liquid is reduced by half.
Off heat, stir in prosciutto sage and butter.
Serve everything with chicken.

Tortellini Soup

I've heard of totellini soup, but I've never had it. So I gathered a few recipes of different versions of this soup online, and this is what I came up with. I literally made this in 15 minutes, and it's delicious!! This is definetly one of those recipes I'll make regularly. Enjoy!

Yield: 3-4 servings
Ingredients:
1 tbsp. olive oil
½ cup onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp. dried oregano
1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes, with juices
4 cups chicken broth
9 oz. tortellini, any variety
1 - 10 oz frozen spinach
1- 10 oz frozen butternut squash
Salt and pepper
Grated Parmesan, for serving

Directions:
In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions to the pan and cook until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Add in the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, just until fragrant, about 1 minute. Mix in the oregano and diced tomatoes. Add the broth to the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil. Add the tortellini to the pot and cook according to the package directions. One minute before the tortellini is fully cooked, stir in the spinach. Remove from the heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm with grated Parmesan as desired.

Source: slightly adapted from The Well-Fed Newlyweds

Eggplant and Potato Curry

Ingredients

2 large eggplants (about 1 1/2 pounds each), pricked all over with a fork
3 tablespoons cooking oil
2 onions, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 jalapeño pepper, seeds and ribs removed, minced
1 pound baking potatoes (about 2), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups water
3 medium tomatoes (about 1 pound), chopped
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Directions
Heat the broiler. Put the whole eggplants on a baking sheet and broil, turning occasionally, until charred and soft, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
In a Dutch oven, heat the oil over moderately low heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the coriander, cumin, fennel seeds, and jalapeño and cook, stirring, for 1 minute longer. Add the potatoes, salt, and water and bring to a simmer. Cook, covered, until the potatoes start to soften, about 10 minutes.
Cut each eggplant open and spoon the pulp into the potato mixture. Simmer, uncovered, until the potatoes are tender, about 5 minutes more. Add the tomatoes and heat through, about 2 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice and cilantro.

Turkey Sausages and Peppers

I know I have said this before, but this is the best spicy tomato sauce you can buy packaged. It's a bit on the pricier side compared to others, buts it's definetly worth it.


Serves 4

1 thinly sliced green pepper
1 thinly sliced red pepper
1 thinly sliced onion
1/2 tsp minced garlic
14 oz 95% fat free turkey sausage cooked and sliced
1/2 a jar of Arrabiata Sauce

1- In a large sauce pan drizzle some olive oil, and saute the first 4 ingredients until soft. About 4 minutes.
2- Add sliced turkey pieces and saute with the rest for another 3 minutes.
3- Add sauce and stir everything together until sauce gets warm. Serve over whole wheat pasta, rice or serve alone.

Coconut Shrimp

Frying food requires high temperatures which is why you need to use an oil that has a high smoke point. Let me explain this without sounding crazy...
The smoke point of oil is very important to know because after the oil has reached it's smoke point and it's begun to break down its no longer good for consumption. A lot of people dont know this, but once you start to see your oil smoking and releasing a harsh smell, it's a done deal. It will leave your food tasting greasy and looking burnt, aside from releasing large quantities of free radicals which contribute to cancer.
Olive oil has a very high smoke point, but since frying requires a lot of oil your best bet is to use the "inexpensive" peanut oil.

Phew! Where was I?!? Oh...right...coconut shrimp! This is a fast recipe and its super yumms. Enjoy!

Makes 18

3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
salt and pepper to taste
2 large eggs
18 uncooked large shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails left intact
peanut oil


1.Mix the first 3 ingredients in a bowl.
2. In a separate bowl mix beat 2 eggs.
3.Working with one shrimp at a time, dip shrimp in beaten egg then in coconut/ panko mixture.
4.Pour enough peanut oil (about 1/2 inch)in a frying pan and heat over medium high heat.
5. Work in batches, cook shrimp for about 2 minutes each side until golden and crusty.
6. Drain on paper towel and serve warm.

Meatballs

I went to bed at 9:00 the night before last. This isn't anything out of the ordinary for me though, I like my sleep. The thing about that night is that it was New Year's Eve, so I totally felt like I missed out on the fun, to say the least.
I know its the beginning of the year and my plan was to eat healthier and drink less, but I started with the complete opposite. I drank vino all day and made meatballs! I stuffed myself with spaghetti and meatballs for lunch, then of course made meatball subs for dinner with the leftovers. But that's it! I will start eating healthy on Monday!

I wasnt really in the mood to make tomato sauce from scratch so I used Mario Batali's Arrabiatta Sauce thats made with San Marzano tomatoes. Its delicious.

Meatballs
2 large garlic cloves, peeled
2 pounds of ground veal/pork/beef mix
2/3 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
2 large eggs
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon minced fresh marjoram
2 teaspoons dried crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper


Meatballs

Mix all ingredients for meatballs in a large bowl and mix with your hands. Let stand 15 minutes. Using moistened hands roll meat mixture into 1 1/2-inch meatballs. Add a drizzle of oil onto a med frying pan heat over med heat and start adding meatballs and saute until brown.

In a separate pot bring the sauce to a boil, add meatballs and simmer for about 10 mins. DONE!!!

Seksu Tanjaoui

If it wasn't for me making this in culinary school, I would have never even known this dish existed. I remember making this, and having no expectations at all, and to be honest, I didn't even put that much love into it. That all changed once I tasted it! I love this dish, and so does everyone I know that ever tasted it. I highly recommend it.

INGREDIENTS

4 boneless chicken thighs - cut into small pieces
1 onion - sliced
2 tsp salt
1 tbl pepper
2 1/2 tsp ground ginger
a pinch of saffron threads
1/2 tsp of tumeric
1 pinch of cayenne pepper
6 oz butter
3 pt of chicken stock
10 oz Israeli couscous
2 oz raisins
4 sprigs of cilantro - chopped
4 sprigs of parsley - chopped

1. In a large pot saute chicken, onion, ginger, saffron, tumeric and cayenne in butter. Season.
2. Add stock and cook until chicken is tender
3. Add couscous and raisins and cook until tender about 10 minutes, stirring constantly.
4. Serve in a bowl and garnish with cilantro and parsley.