Healthy Eating: Cumin Chicken with Avocado Salsa

After my carb binge, I needed to go back to something healthy. It’s funny now that I’ve been eating so healthy, my body can really feel it when I eat rich and heavy foods. So I was craving some clean, fresh flavors. Since chicken breasts were on sale ($1.99/lb), I stocked up again. I butterflied them and froze all but one half for dinner.

Cumin Chicken with Avocado Salsa on Israeli mint couscous. This was a super fast, simple dish. And as you know from my earlier post, I am now in love with Israeli couscous!

• Sprinkle the chicken breast with (kosher) salt, black pepper and cumin (light dusting). Pan fry in a bit of olive oil on medium heat for a few minutes on each side, depending on thickness.
• Heat a bit of olive oil and toast about one cup of couscous for a couple minutes. Add just over a cup of chicken stock. Bring it to a boil and reduce to simmer for about 15 minutes. Let cool few minutes and add fresh lemon juice and zest and chopped mint.
• Finely chop red onion and cube a ripe avocado. Squeeze fresh lime juice and add salt and fresh black pepper. Then plate up!

For a bit of creaminess and just a little indulgence, I added some crumbled feta to top it off! Happy healthy eating.

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Food Trucks: Sometimes You Just Need Carbs..

So as you can tell, I’ve been pretty healthy recently.. Well sometimes a girl just needs some carbs! Having a pregnant sister that lives around the corner is a really good excuse too. So we went to the Moveable Feast just down the road. It’s a street food market set up in the parking lot right by the VTA stop at Curtner & Canoas Garden. There are usually about 15 or so trucks that vary week to week. There are both sweet and savory trucks, and some even take credit card over a certain amount. As it’s set up in a parking lot, little buckets are provided by the Moveable Feast group (along with temporary toilets). It can get pretty busy so be prepared to wait in line! But it’s usually worth the wait.

Here are some highlights.. Check out the Grilled Cheese Bandits. (Need I say more?!) One thing I noticed about these guys is that they were really nice and organized. They made sure to label both our orders. And I really like how they serve it in a box. Despite being just a small sandwich, the fact that it’s in a box and not wrapped in foil means it doesn’t get soggy! And FYI the Texas toast was the most incredible, light, fluffy, crispy bread.

The Butch Cassidy (provolone, Russian dry salami, Organic San Francisco sourdough batard)

The Dillinger (garlic jack with homemade garlic seasoning on Texas toast)

Our next stop was the Little Chef Counter which specializes in Poutine. Poutine is a dish that originated in Quebec. It’s a dish of French fries topped with gravy and cheese curds. The Little Chef Counter have elevated the dish one more step by adding either braised short ribs or duck confit. Feast your eyes on it…

Poutine with gravy, duck confit and cheese curds

Another great truck that I didn’t manage to get a picture of (because I was too busy eating..) is the BBQ Kalbi. We had a Bibimbahp Burrito which was filled with grilled meat, rice and lots of veggies and sauce. Their side sauces were great too.. There was a mango one we loved. As you can see, I have no photo because I was unable to stop consuming the burrito! Definitely a must try..

And last but not least, I must rave about Fairy Cakes. These guys are almost always at this Moveable Feast location and thank goodness for it. I dream about these cupcakes.. I’ve had Sprinkles and Magnolia’s.. But these cupcakes.. First of all I love their unique flavors like my favorites: the Elvis (organic banana cake filled with chocolate ganache, topped with peanut butter buttercream) & the PB&J (rich vanilla cake with raspberry jelly surrounded with peanut butter buttercream). Their carrot cake is also extremely exceptional.. They’re so good I’ll be ordering them for my sister’s baby shower! Highly recommended! Oh, by the way, they serve it with ice cold Organic low fat milk. So perfect.

Fairy Cakes

Sigh.. At least we walked back to my sister’s house after this piggy session! Until next time..

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Farmers Market Figs With Bacon (Of Course)

San Carlos

Last week I popped into San Carlos to meet a friend. I was so pleasantly surprised when it turned out there was a farmers’ market going on – otherwise known as Hot Harvest Nights. It was so picture perfect that evening. It was a very comfortable 70F-75F degrees. There was some live music playing. Fresh produce and hot food stalls lined the street. There were couples of all ages and little kids running around. I bought some fresh figs from one Organic farmer and settled into The Cask Wine & Cheese Bar to wait for my friend. I had a glass of Pinot Grigio and their aged English cheddar with orange preserve and crostini. The wine was cold, the cheddar slightly salty, the windows open and a nice breeze coming through. I would definitely come back to this place to have a proper meal. The service was really great too. Unfortunately, my friend wasn’t able to make it, but I came away with some delicious figs. The market was also extended one more week, so I might just go back this Thursday!

Line the tray with foil to make for easy cleanup!

As for the figs – I decided to roast them with one of its perfect partners: bacon. The saltiness of the bacon offsets the sweetness of the figs. It’s also incredibly easy to make this little nibble. Use either bacon or prosciutto (which would cook faster). Cut the tops off, wrap it around the figs and stuff either blue or goat’s cheese inside. Drizzle honey over it and roast them at 350F until the bacon is crispy. Check out this perfect hors d’oeuvre and others above in Nina’s Nibbles.

Sweet, crispy, gooey goodness

 

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Healthy Eating: Yogurt Marinated Chicken With Chickpea Tagine & Israeli Couscous

In continuing my efforts for Chris and I to eat healthy rounded meals, I decided to go Mediterranean/Moroccan. I was inspired by a recipe I saw in the Sunday Yes! Essential Shopper mailer, distributed by the San Jose Mercury News. It was a recipe for a Chickpea and Date tagine. The recipe called for a mix of spices including ground cumin, coriander, ginger and cinnamon. These are very common Moroccan spices that can really warm up a dish. They can fill a dish with so much flavor that you won’t need much salt (making it healthier!). I wanted to make the dish a bit heartier which is why I added the chicken.

Yogurt marinated chicken makes for very juicy, moist meat. It’s a method used around the world including India and the Mediterranean. I originally wanted to use Harissa (check out this recipe). Sadly, it’s not that common in the States so can be hard to find. Instead I did a combination of other spices (paprika, cumin, cayenne, garlic salt). The yogurt creates a nice crust as well. Reserve some on the side for a nice cool topping. The fresh cilantro and lemon juice brightens the entire dish up as well.

I added in the couscous to lighten all the flavors and make the dish a bit heartier. I’ve recently gotten hooked on Israeli couscous. I find its texture is similar to orzo pasta but without being too heavy. The couscous is even better when it’s been toasted and made with chicken stock instead of water. Good quality extra virgin olive oil and fresh lemon zest and juice are key ingredients. This citrus couscous is so universal and could go with mixed greens or tossed with feta and olives.

This is a great dish for using up leftovers as well! You can add chicken stock to all the ingredients to make a really nice, filling soup for leftover lunch. You could add the chicken and tagine into a flatbread with some cucumber mint yogurt for a wrap. You could opt to make this dish slightly healthier and use chicken breast as well. Or go vegetarian and add some eggplant or zucchini to the tagine.

Here’s my recipe for Yogurt Marinated Chicken with Chickpea Tagine & Israeli Couscous. Hope you enjoy!

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Healthy Eating : Grilled Chicken and Portobello

After a weekend of eating with my family (which is often done way over the top), my hubby and I were keen to be super healthy. Over the past couple of years I’ve learned to accept the fact that I am not very good at dieting. If I feel deprived, I will just eat more of something really naughty like brownies or penne alla vodka. So I’m constantly trying to think of healthy recipes that are also filling. Also, as always, I try to cook meals that are great as leftovers or can be altered to make a ’round-two’ meal.

One thing I would like to mention is that my mother has always taught me to look out for the best deals (in all aspects of life really). And that’s no different when it comes to grocery shopping. The shops in the States are great at sending out weekly deals in the post. They often run Wednesday to Tuesday and usually include items that are in season. This should be a clue for what to cook fresh. It’s a great way to get ideas for soups or fruit salads etc.

Recently a new grocery store opened down the street from me called Sunflower Market which (I think) is a joint venture or merger with Sprouts Farmers Market (a HUGE favorite of mine in Arizona). They had some crazy deals going on for their grand opening which included trays of three insanely large chicken breasts (about 2″ or 2.5″ inches thick!!) for something nuts like $1.99 per tray. So my sister and I both loaded up on chicken. You can’t really go wrong with having chicken breast in your freezer. When you do buy in bulk like this, I highly recommend butterfly-ing the breasts (slice in half lengthways). In my case I had to butterfly twice for certain pieces! Then freeze them in a few Ziploc/freezer bags (maybe 2-3 pieces per bag). Then to defrost them, either toss them in the fridge in the morning or place them in a bowl with ice cold water and another pot on top to submerge them. The key is to defrost them at a cool temperature to avoid bacteria.

So this week, I used up about four pieces of chicken breast to make Grilled Chicken and Portobello with Farro Salad. For those of you who follow my blog, you might remember when I first discovered farro at a small Venetian restaurant in Brooklyn (post on my NY trip). I immediately fell in love with this grain that was slightly chewy, slightly nutty and (I think) way better than its similar-looking friend barley. I was delighted to find they sell it at Whole Foods in bulk so you can buy a little if you don’t want to try it out. It’s incredibly filling and heart healthy. You can serve farro as both warm or cold really. I’ve made it before as a hearty winter dish with butternut squash (recipe here). This time around I wanted it as a side rather than the main ingredient. I made a bit extra though for lunch the next day. You can easily skip the cheese like I did for dinner and sprinkle in some feta for lunch!

For the chicken, I went super simple. Sadly I don’t have a grill at the moment. So I call this recipe grilled because that’s what I would do if I had one! Instead I simply pan seared it. Try to turn the chicken only once like with steak. Know your stove and keep it at medium/moderate heat as you don’t want it to burn before it’s cooked through. And the key is to let it rest!! It’s just like steak in that way too in that the juices need to get back into the meat. This is how you get super moist chicken breast. If you’re worried about over cooking, then check it early. It’s always better to be able to continue cooking. You can’t undo it! Simple season it with garlic salt (or salt and garlic powder) and freshly cracked black pepper. Use this simple yet tasty chicken for many leftover dishes! Here are some ideas for leftover grilled chicken breast:

• Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad : you can be quick and just buy the salad kit with croutons and dressing ready made.
• Grilled Chicken Quesadilla : on low/medium heat, toast tortillas with chicken and shredded cheese or melt it in the oven to make a ‘Mexican’ pizza. Serve with salsa, sour cream and/or guacamole.
• Grilled Chicken Pizza : buy ready made pizza crust, add store bought marinara, cheese, chicken. This would be great with some caramelized onions and blue cheese! Or even skip the marinara and use BBQ sauce.
• Vietnamese Chicken Sandwich : using either sliced bread or a baguette (toasted preferably), put some mayonnaise on both sides, add a bunch of fresh cilantro/coriander sprigs, layer the chicken, add freshly cracked black pepper and drizzle some Maggi or light soy sauce.
• Leftover Chicken & Farro Salad with Spicy Yogurt Sauce : to the leftover farro salad, add some fresh arugula/rocket leaves and the sliced chicken. Then make a yogurt sauce with plain yogurt, bit of fresh lemon juice, salt , bit of hot sauce (Sriracha recommended!) and a bit of cumin/coriander/garlic powder. Or if you have it, just yogurt, lemon and harissa. Serve the sauce as a dollop right in the center.

I could go on.. But you get the idea! Grilled chicken is sooo universal! One more thing about this meal is the garlic lemon olive oil ‘sauce’. This came from one of my favorite dishes of slow roasted lamb, a recipe by British Chef Andy Bates who features on the Food Network UK. This olive oil infused with garlic and lemon is also another universal ingredient. I would recommend making a cup or more and keeping it on the side next to your other oils. If you add some lemon juice or white wine vinegar to it, you have salad dressing! Heat it up on a low heat and melt in some feta cheese and you have a sauce. It’s SO delicious and tastes incredibly fresh. I would definitely recommend though that you use a zester or grater for the lemon zest. You could peel it and remove the zest later if need be too.

Hope you like the dish and leftover other ideas! Happy eating 🙂

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Happy Labor Day!

When I went outside this morning, I felt a breeze and realized that summer may very well have ended. But I took full advantage of the long weekend and grilled loads with my family. When it comes to visiting my parents, there are a couple staples we ‘kids’ always request. This weekend included my Dad’s gigantic steaks, grilled corn, my Mom’s Vietnamese egg rolls and my Dad’s grilled Vietnamese pork (Bún Thịt Nướng, previous post). My hubby and I are moving into a new place soon, and I canNOT wait to get us a grill for the new patio. You really can’t beat the flavor that comes from grilling. It just transforms the simplest ingredients.

Prime example is sweetcorn on the cob. Boil or grill? I’ll always choose the grill. It’s such a simple food, yet there are SO many variations on how to eat it. We went simple this time and just topped it with some salted butter. Some of my other favorite ways to eat it:

• Vietnamese Style : on low/medium heat, sauté several bunches of thinly sliced green onions (scallions) with plain oil and fish sauce. Don’t brown the onions but get them nice and soft. Slather onto freshly grilled corn.
• Mexican Style : there are a few variations on this one, but the basic ingredients are mayonnaise, Parmesan or Cotija cheese, lime juice and butter.
• Cajun Style : this is pretty straightforward by simply adding some Cajun spice on top of the melted butter or you can make your own rub (try this one)

 

My Dad’s Perfectly Charred Rare Steak!

 

Taking my British husband on an All-American ‘vacation’!!

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