Sour Cream Chicken and Mushroom Pasta

Ingredients

3/4 lb chicken tenders
1/4 c all purpose flour
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbs butter
1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 c sour cream
1 c chicken broth
1 1/2 c sliced mushrooms
1 1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 lb dried fettuccine (or other pasta of your choice)

Method

Put chicken, flour and salt and pepper into a large bowl and toss to combine. Set aside. Melt butter in a skillet with olive oil. Add chicken and brown on all sides. Stir in sour cream, broth, mushrooms and paprika. Cover and simmer on low heat for 25-30 minutes. Prepare pasta according to package instructions. Drain well, then transfer to bowls and spoon chicken and its sauce over the top. Serve hot.

Nutritional Information per serving:

600 calories (220 from fat)
fat - 25 grams
saturated fat - 11 grams
cholesterol - 75 mg
sodium - 990 mg
protein - 28 grams
carbohydrate - 65 grams

German Potato Salad

Ingredients


2 lbs Yukon Gold or yellow potatoes, unpeeled
1/2 lb bacon
1 large white onion, chopped
2 tbs safflower or canola oil
3 tbs whole-grain mustard
6 tbs apple cider vinegar, or to taste
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 tbs chopped parsley

Method

Boil potatoes in a large pot until tender, 15-20 minutes. Don't let them get too soft--fork should go in but potatoes should not fall apart. Drain and cool slightly, then peel if desired and slice.

Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp; transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to let drain. When cool enough to handle, crumble into small pieces. Drain off all but 1 tbsp fat from the skillet, then return to medium heat. Add white onion and cook until lightly browned, 7 to 8 minutes.

In a large bowl, gently toss together warm bacon, potatoes and white onion with oil, mustard, vinegar, green onions, salt and pepper. Garnish with parsley and serve warm.

Pinangat na Pompano

I've seen this recipe prepared in many variations from using kamias, calamansi and sinigang mix and pepper, but I still prefer the simple way my father used to cook it.

Ingredients

2 pompano (whole)
3 medium tomatoes (sliced thinly)
1 small onion, 
1/4 cup calamansi or lime (or lemon) juice
3/4 cup water
1 tbs olive oil
Salt and black pepper to taste
2 spring onions (cut diagonally, about 1")

Method

Clean the fish and cut two diagonal slashes on both sides. Slice tomatoes and onion into round slices thinly. Place half of the onions and tomatoes on the bottom of a deep pan. Add fish, the rest of the onion and tomatoes, lemon or lime juice, water, olive oil, spring onion, and salt and crushed pepper to taste. Let boil on medium-high heat, then cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until the fish is done.

Variations

This recipe can also be baked by following the instructions here and using a baking dish instead of a pan, cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes or until fish is done in a 375 degree F oven. Another method is to prepare it placing individual fish atop a sheet of foil. Add the ingredients over the fish. Fold the foil onto itself, crimping the edges tightly to keep the juices from dripping out. Put the packages in the baking pan and bake for about 15-20 minutes.

Easy, healthy couscous

This recipe is a great way to substitute rice with if you are trying to reduce your starch intake. This Mediterranean style recipe is light but delicious.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups instant couscous
2 cups chicken stock
4 oz dried apricots, finely diced
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
1/4 c pitted kalamata olives, chopped
3 scallions, thinly sliced

Method

Place couscous in a large mixing bowl. In a saucepan, combine chicken stock, apricots, salt and pepper and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Pour the boiling liquid over the couscous and toss to moisten every grain. Sprinkle with olives and scallions and cover tightly with plastic saran wrap. Let stand for 10 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed.

Japanese Cucumber Salad

Ingredients

4 cups large Japanese cucumbers (you may also use English cucumbers), sliced thinly
6 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
1/8 tsp dried chili flakes

Method

In a bowl mix together the vinegar, mirin, sugar, salt and chili flakes. Thinly slice the cucumbers and toss in the dressing mixture. Let sit in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving.

Korean Style Steak

Korean flavor, with its sweet and spicy flavor, is a favorite in our household. The next time you have steak for dinner, try marinading it with Korean style marinade and serve it with your favorite vegetables or side dishes.

Ingredients

4 choice rib-eye steak (I like Rib eye steak but you can choose what you like)
3 tbsp rice vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
5 tsp sesame oil
brown sugar
3 spring onions, chopped

Method

Combine vinegar, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, sugar, and soy sauce. Place steak into a marinating container and work in the marinade by massaging the meat. Cover tightly and allow meat to marinade for at least two hours. Heat a large oiled skillet over medium-high heat. Remove steaks from marinade. Place steak in hot skillet, and cook on each side to the desired degree of doneness.

Note: Turn the meat only once (3-6 minutes on each side) to seal in all the flavor.

Skinny Tilapia Recipe

This Tilapia recipe is what I call "no fuss meal," but healthy and delicious at the same time. It's best to buy the fillets fresh. In the Philippines, Tilapia is often deep fried with head and all, but I don't like having to worry about fish bones while eating so I prefer to prepare it this way. For health reasons, I bake instead of frying. However, for those without ovens, you may fry the fish with very little oil.

Ingredients

4 Tilapia fillets (about 1 lb)
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tsp paprika
1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 lemon, cut into wedges

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a shallow dish, combine cheese, paprika, parsley and salt and pepper. Drizzle the fish with olive oil and dredge in the cheese mixture. Place fish on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake until fish is opaque in the thickest part (about 10 - 12 minutes). Serve fish with the lemon wedges. Serve hot with steam vegetables or green salad.

Healthy Steak Salad

This is a great steak salad I've taken from one of my Weight Watcher's recipe book. This is a great way to turn your left over steak to a great tasting salad for lunch the next day.

Ingredients

1 lb lean sirloin steak (I use rib eye)
1 medium garlic clove, minced
Salt & Pepper to taste
4 tbsp sherry vinegar
1 tsp honey
2 tsp olive oil
1 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
6 cups romaine lettuce, torn into bite pieces
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese (I don't like goat cheese so I use Parmesan flakes or Feta)

Directions

Dressing
In a small mixing bowl, combine garlic, salt, pepper, vinegar, mustard, and honey; whisk in olive oil.

Steak
Coat skillet with oil, set over high heat. Sear steak (about 3 minutes per side) to desired degree of doneness. Let rest for 5-10 minutes, then slice thinly.

Place lettuce in a large salad bowl; add steak, cranberries and cheese. Drizzle with dressing and toss before serving.

Note: You may also substitute steak with chicken or skip the meat altogether and add avocado instead.