So, my mom is Peruvian. And it's how I know this recipe. And it is SO good!!! So EASY to make, and inexpensive. Great for parties - it's a unique dish and people love it!
1 pound of tilapia
1 pound of uncooked shrimp
6 large, 8 medium or 10 small lemons
1 red onion - sliced into thin strips
2-3 tbsp minced garlic
1/4 cup of parsley
1/4 cup cilantro
Salt & Pepper to taste
for spicy - grated Serrano pepper - no seeds
(I make mine non-spicy - I can always add hot sauce later if I want. For large groups I never add the spicy since not everyone likes spicy)
Squeeze all your lemons and dump juice into a large serving bowl.
Peel all the shrimp and cut in half and cut all your Tilapia into bite sized chunks. Add to the lemon juice.
Add onion, garlic, parsley and cilantro to the fish.
Cover the bowl and place in the refrigerator for at least an hour or two. Until fish is opaque and firm. (The acids of the lemon juice cook the fish).
Add salt and pepper to taste.
For spicy, add the grated Serrano to the lemon juice - blend well - with a whisk or a hand blender/mixer. Then add all your ingredients.
Traditionally, in the Peruvian culture, you would serve this on a leaf of lettuce, surrounded with slices or corn and sweet potato. The sweet of the corn and potatoes are meant to conteract the tartness of the ceviche. I normally just serve mine with tortilla chips. But it's up to you!
Enjoy!
Friday, April 30, 2010
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Sometimes...
Sometimes the day just gets away from me....And I don't get to make the dinner I want to make - and I get a little disappointed! It can be the best part of my day! It's when I get no interruptions (for the most part - Philip does a good job of occupying Aodhan and keeping him out of the kitchen) and I get to create something that we can enjoy together as a family. To me nothing feels better than creating something that other people enjoy. So when I don't get to make dinner, it bums me out! Weird, huh? I know so many people who hate to make dinner! But I have no one else to blame but myself. The process of making dinner usually begins in the morning or early afternoon - to thaw whichever entree....but I had a full morning today and was running out the door....and a doctor appointment in the afternoon...and well....I didn't get home 'til 6!
Not making dinner also means that we grab whatever - meaning something pre-packaged, sodium filled, and generally not good for us. Tonight I was guilty too. Although I had some left over (healthy) meatloaf, I had a helping of Mac n' Cheese , which I quickly cooked up for Aodhan to go with his fish sticks.
Sometimes I find myself torn with serving the right foods and making sure I get rid of what I still have in the freezer or pantry shelves as to not waste money. I usually opt for the healthy, but tonight, quick and easy won out.
Do any of you find yourself in the situation where you have 20 minutes to get dinner prepared and out on the table? What do you cook up in these situations? I would love to hear what healthy last minute dinners you've come up with! Do share!
Not making dinner also means that we grab whatever - meaning something pre-packaged, sodium filled, and generally not good for us. Tonight I was guilty too. Although I had some left over (healthy) meatloaf, I had a helping of Mac n' Cheese , which I quickly cooked up for Aodhan to go with his fish sticks.
Sometimes I find myself torn with serving the right foods and making sure I get rid of what I still have in the freezer or pantry shelves as to not waste money. I usually opt for the healthy, but tonight, quick and easy won out.
Do any of you find yourself in the situation where you have 20 minutes to get dinner prepared and out on the table? What do you cook up in these situations? I would love to hear what healthy last minute dinners you've come up with! Do share!
Monday, April 26, 2010
Soy & Lime Beef & Noodles
I had 2 sirloin steaks thawed and was thinking - I'll just throw these on the grill. But they were kinda fatty, so I needed to slice them up....plus I don't like being so uncreative with my food. So what to cook with sliced Sirloin...... a ha! Here we go...
2 Sirloin Steaks - about a pound or more
3-4 tbsp of peanut oil
1 small/medium red onion cut into 8 wedges (or 10 - whatever)
3/4 of a carton of mushrooms, sliced (I used crimini but whichever)
Splash of soy sauce (maybe 2-3 splashes - do this to taste!)
Juice of one lime - 2 if they are small.
1 tbsp of honey
1/2 cup of green onions
half of a yellow bell pepper sliced into strips
Spaghetti Noodles (I use wheat noodles) 2-3 servings worth
1. Slice thin slices of 2 steaks -Cut out all the fat! Season with garlic powder - set aside
2. Start a pot of water to boil - when water boils, add your noodles.
3. Combine soy, lime juice & honey with a couple of shakes of garlic powder -taste it - add what you need (if any). set aside.
4. Heat a wok or nonstick pan with 1 tbsp of peanut oil. Add red onions and bell peppers and stir fry until they are soft - 5 minutes or so. Add green onions and beef - stir fry for another 5 minutes. Add the soy mixture. Continue stirring.
5. Add mushrooms and cook for a few minutes until they release their juices.
Noodles:
1. Drain your noodles and add to heated nonstick pan with 1 tbsp of peanut oil.
2. Sprinkle some garlic powder all over
3. Add a splash of soy or 2
4. Add your steak and veggies to the noodles - and serve!
2 Sirloin Steaks - about a pound or more
3-4 tbsp of peanut oil
1 small/medium red onion cut into 8 wedges (or 10 - whatever)
3/4 of a carton of mushrooms, sliced (I used crimini but whichever)
Splash of soy sauce (maybe 2-3 splashes - do this to taste!)
Juice of one lime - 2 if they are small.
1 tbsp of honey
1/2 cup of green onions
half of a yellow bell pepper sliced into strips
Spaghetti Noodles (I use wheat noodles) 2-3 servings worth
1. Slice thin slices of 2 steaks -Cut out all the fat! Season with garlic powder - set aside
2. Start a pot of water to boil - when water boils, add your noodles.
3. Combine soy, lime juice & honey with a couple of shakes of garlic powder -taste it - add what you need (if any). set aside.
4. Heat a wok or nonstick pan with 1 tbsp of peanut oil. Add red onions and bell peppers and stir fry until they are soft - 5 minutes or so. Add green onions and beef - stir fry for another 5 minutes. Add the soy mixture. Continue stirring.
5. Add mushrooms and cook for a few minutes until they release their juices.
Noodles:
1. Drain your noodles and add to heated nonstick pan with 1 tbsp of peanut oil.
2. Sprinkle some garlic powder all over
3. Add a splash of soy or 2
4. Add your steak and veggies to the noodles - and serve!
Italian Meatloaf
I can't believe I had yet to make meatloaf in the time I've known Philip. This was a common staple in our home growing up. (My mom is half Peruvian and half Italian) Meatloaf was a little different though when my mom made it - it was a combination of her 2 cultures - and her recipe included raisins and peas. Which I would have added this time, but wanted to try it without.
1-2 cups of boiling water (amount doesn't matter really)
1/2-1 cup of Sun-dried Tomatoes, dry (not packed in oil)
1 cup of ketchup split into 2 half cups
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 large onion finely chopped
1/2 cup basil (fresh or dried)
1/2 cup of shredded low fat Mozzarella Cheese (or Italian Cheese blend)
2 large egg whites (I used a 1/2 cup of my All Egg Whites carton)
1 tbsp of minced garlic - and 2 tsp of garlic powder
1 pound of 4% fat Ground Beef or 1 pound of Ground Turkey
1. Boil water and pour into a bowl. Throw in your Sun-dried Tomatoes - get them soft. Let them sit while you combine the rest.
2. Preheat your oven - 350.
3. Combine 1/2 cup of the Ketchup and the next seven ingredients in a large bowl and mix with your hands.
4. Remove your sin-dried tomatoes and chop them and add them to your mixture. Mix well.
5. Spray a broiler pan and shape the meat mixture into a loaf shape. Use the other 1/2 cup of ketchup to coat it. Sprinkle some garlic powder all over it.
6. Cook in the over for 50 minutes or until your meat thermometer says 160. Don't use your little beverage thermometer - I did and I melted the face of it. Idiot.
In the future, I may add the peas, and instead of ketchup, make a veggie tomato sauce (tomato sauce with squash zucchini, broccoli and mushrooms added to it) and may even finely (and I mean finely!) chop yellow squash and green beans and throw it in there! Anything to get more veggies in him!
1-2 cups of boiling water (amount doesn't matter really)
1/2-1 cup of Sun-dried Tomatoes, dry (not packed in oil)
1 cup of ketchup split into 2 half cups
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 large onion finely chopped
1/2 cup basil (fresh or dried)
1/2 cup of shredded low fat Mozzarella Cheese (or Italian Cheese blend)
2 large egg whites (I used a 1/2 cup of my All Egg Whites carton)
1 tbsp of minced garlic - and 2 tsp of garlic powder
1 pound of 4% fat Ground Beef or 1 pound of Ground Turkey
1. Boil water and pour into a bowl. Throw in your Sun-dried Tomatoes - get them soft. Let them sit while you combine the rest.
2. Preheat your oven - 350.
3. Combine 1/2 cup of the Ketchup and the next seven ingredients in a large bowl and mix with your hands.
4. Remove your sin-dried tomatoes and chop them and add them to your mixture. Mix well.
5. Spray a broiler pan and shape the meat mixture into a loaf shape. Use the other 1/2 cup of ketchup to coat it. Sprinkle some garlic powder all over it.
6. Cook in the over for 50 minutes or until your meat thermometer says 160. Don't use your little beverage thermometer - I did and I melted the face of it. Idiot.
In the future, I may add the peas, and instead of ketchup, make a veggie tomato sauce (tomato sauce with squash zucchini, broccoli and mushrooms added to it) and may even finely (and I mean finely!) chop yellow squash and green beans and throw it in there! Anything to get more veggies in him!
funny
I start my blog on my grandmother's birthday...who has since passed and died on my birthday - August 4th, 2003. I have always felt a connection with her, especially since we share this date. How funny :)
Veggie Soup with Noodles
My mom often made soup for dinner. And what ever soup she made, she always added noodles! And sometimes beans. So, although this isn't a traditional Veggie soup, it is to me. It has no meat, and Veggie stock is used.
I love shopping at Trader Joe's - so most if not all of my veggies come from there - they are organic and I trust their produce. I also used their Vegetable Stock for this recipe - it's sodium free and gluten free.
Serves 7-8 (so freeze your left overs or eat throughout the week!)
Olive oil (for your pan)
2 small yellow onions or one large, finely chopped
2 tbsp of minced garlic (you'll find I over do it on my garlic - I LOVE garlic)
2 tbsp finely chopped rosemary
1 1/2-2 cups of finely chopped carrots
2 yellow squash - finely chopped
2 14oz cans of stewed whole tomatoes with juices (you can cop them or not - I didn't)
1 15 oz can of white beans, drained (draining reduces your sodium)
about 2 cups of Whole wheat organic Rotelle pasta (I eye balled this - depends how much noodles you want in your soup)
4 cups of Vegetable stock
2 cups of water
Fine Sea Salt and Ground black pepper to taste
** You can add pretty much any veggie to this - Zucchini, Celery...I happen to hate cooked celery, and haven't warmed up to zucchini yet.
1. Heat your olive oil in a large pan - add onions and cook on low until soft. Like 5-6 minutes. Then add garlic, rosemary and carrots. Cook on low stirring occasionally - until soft - like 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
2. In a large stock pot, add your tomatoes and squash on medium high heat. Immediately follow with your carrot mixture. Cook for 5 minutes. Add your veggie stock and water, your Rotelle noodles and beans. Bring to a boil then simmer for 20 minutes.
3. Taste it! Season with more salt ( I needed to, as much as I wanted to limit the salt in this recipe, it was hard to sacrifice the taste) and garlic powder to your desired taste. If you added too many noodles and have sucked too much water out of your soup, add more water. It really depends how thick you like your soup.
I tend to make my soups on the thick side - it makes it easier for Aodhan to eat it. And he did eat this soup! He loves noodles so as soon as he saw the noodles it created enough of a diversion for him to eat the soup with the veggies!
I love shopping at Trader Joe's - so most if not all of my veggies come from there - they are organic and I trust their produce. I also used their Vegetable Stock for this recipe - it's sodium free and gluten free.
Serves 7-8 (so freeze your left overs or eat throughout the week!)
Olive oil (for your pan)
2 small yellow onions or one large, finely chopped
2 tbsp of minced garlic (you'll find I over do it on my garlic - I LOVE garlic)
2 tbsp finely chopped rosemary
1 1/2-2 cups of finely chopped carrots
2 yellow squash - finely chopped
2 14oz cans of stewed whole tomatoes with juices (you can cop them or not - I didn't)
1 15 oz can of white beans, drained (draining reduces your sodium)
about 2 cups of Whole wheat organic Rotelle pasta (I eye balled this - depends how much noodles you want in your soup)
4 cups of Vegetable stock
2 cups of water
Fine Sea Salt and Ground black pepper to taste
** You can add pretty much any veggie to this - Zucchini, Celery...I happen to hate cooked celery, and haven't warmed up to zucchini yet.
1. Heat your olive oil in a large pan - add onions and cook on low until soft. Like 5-6 minutes. Then add garlic, rosemary and carrots. Cook on low stirring occasionally - until soft - like 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
2. In a large stock pot, add your tomatoes and squash on medium high heat. Immediately follow with your carrot mixture. Cook for 5 minutes. Add your veggie stock and water, your Rotelle noodles and beans. Bring to a boil then simmer for 20 minutes.
3. Taste it! Season with more salt ( I needed to, as much as I wanted to limit the salt in this recipe, it was hard to sacrifice the taste) and garlic powder to your desired taste. If you added too many noodles and have sucked too much water out of your soup, add more water. It really depends how thick you like your soup.
I tend to make my soups on the thick side - it makes it easier for Aodhan to eat it. And he did eat this soup! He loves noodles so as soon as he saw the noodles it created enough of a diversion for him to eat the soup with the veggies!
My turn around
OK - This may be the boring part, but this is my blog. So I'm writing it.
After reading some of my recipes, you'd be surprised to know that most of my life, I could not have cared less about nutrition, my health or healthy foods. I HATED vegetables, as most kids do, but I never grew out of it (until very recently!). Now I am still trying new ways to eat vegetables so that I can actually get it down my throat. But generally, through high school and my 20's I felt I could eat anything. Although I lived at home, so for most of that time I ate well (meaning healthy), and I played sports, so being overweight wasn't too much of a concern - it didn't occupy my mind on a daily basis (like it does now!). That being said, I did not think I was perfect. I always thought I could lose a few pounds here and there (totally ridiculous when I look back on the pictures of myself in my early 20's!). But a few pounds here and there turned into 20-30 pounds by the time my mid to late 20's showed up. Years of not caring, having fun at bars, thinking I couldn't gain THAT much weight, (being in the wrong relationships) and overall laziness (let's face it, I still have a hard time dragging my butt to the gym) added 25 pounds to me (give or take). I am fortunate that I am tall! But even that didn't disguise the fact that I jumped from a size 8 to a 14.
At the time I was living on the East Coast, and was having a very hard time getting motivated and being happy. I moved back in 2004, and by 2005 I hit bottom of the 'happiness barrel'. In June of that year, I began my slow climb out. And it really wasn't until mid to end of 2006 that I began to have more confidence. I had hired a trainer for 6 months, I began going to the gym 5-7 days a week and I had lost 15 pounds and 2 sizes - and I DID NOT diet! I still really didn't care about nutrition. I kind of watched what I ate - but I didn't really sacrifice. When I work out, I tend to eat better anyway, but I didn't give up my White Chocolate Mochas or drinks on the weekends. (And before you think - wow- only 15 pounds in 6 months? Know that my body is the athletic type. I had ALOT of left over muscle hanging out on my body which jumped into place as soon as I started working out - so since it weighs more than fat, I never really lose pounds - I lose inches.) Then things began to turn around - I started a new career doing what I love - I met Philip & Aodhan...and never thought I could ever be this happy. I honestly thought that the term 'soulmate' or the phrase 'true love' was some made up words for movies so that those who believed in that junk would pay to see that movie - a marketing ploy to get our money. And now - ha! I am the biggest believer! Although I don't think that it happens to everyone. And I don't know what the trick is. But I got very lucky.
It's funny how when things line up like that, how much you want to protect it and improve it. Meaning - now that things have balance in my life, I now am inspired to do it right and learn to make my life and Philip & Aodhan's life better. I've always loved to cook, but I had no one to cook for, and I alone was never a good enough reason to take the time to make a decent meal. I did every once and a while, but it wasn't fun for me like it is now. And as soon as Aodhan became a part of my life, I knew that I had the responsibility of providing him with the life he deserved. And since I wasn't an aunt, or had any other young children in my life, I had to study on my own. I read books, I asked questions, I networked with the other mom's in my life, including my own, and of course, the internet. The more I studied, the more I loved my new challenge as mom. Now, I couldn't imagine my life as anything else!
So! As a mom, I became aware of how vital it was to feed my son the right foods - how these foods effect his growth, brain activity and overall development. I still read books on nutrition - currently "Eat your way to Happiness" and I am still learning how different foods have different chemical reactions in your body; how food can motivate you, feel happy and energized. It has been a real eye opener for me. I mean - it's no secret, veggies and fruits are good for you, fast food is bad for you. But I guess I never knew how good, or how bad, and how easy good eating can be! Especially if I prepare them tastefully!
So the basis of my blog is basically to share my cooking adventures. I may interject here and there about my life in general, but it will be mostly on the food. As I prepare my meals, I always start with the thought process of "What can I make that's healthy, What do I have and how much time do I have". I decide on the main item - Chicken, Beef, Fish, Turkey, Steak or Pork. Then I look to my cookbooks for some inspiration. I find something that has a basis of what I have in my kitchen and then take that recipe and use parts of it and tweek it with things that I like. So here we go!
After reading some of my recipes, you'd be surprised to know that most of my life, I could not have cared less about nutrition, my health or healthy foods. I HATED vegetables, as most kids do, but I never grew out of it (until very recently!). Now I am still trying new ways to eat vegetables so that I can actually get it down my throat. But generally, through high school and my 20's I felt I could eat anything. Although I lived at home, so for most of that time I ate well (meaning healthy), and I played sports, so being overweight wasn't too much of a concern - it didn't occupy my mind on a daily basis (like it does now!). That being said, I did not think I was perfect. I always thought I could lose a few pounds here and there (totally ridiculous when I look back on the pictures of myself in my early 20's!). But a few pounds here and there turned into 20-30 pounds by the time my mid to late 20's showed up. Years of not caring, having fun at bars, thinking I couldn't gain THAT much weight, (being in the wrong relationships) and overall laziness (let's face it, I still have a hard time dragging my butt to the gym) added 25 pounds to me (give or take). I am fortunate that I am tall! But even that didn't disguise the fact that I jumped from a size 8 to a 14.
At the time I was living on the East Coast, and was having a very hard time getting motivated and being happy. I moved back in 2004, and by 2005 I hit bottom of the 'happiness barrel'. In June of that year, I began my slow climb out. And it really wasn't until mid to end of 2006 that I began to have more confidence. I had hired a trainer for 6 months, I began going to the gym 5-7 days a week and I had lost 15 pounds and 2 sizes - and I DID NOT diet! I still really didn't care about nutrition. I kind of watched what I ate - but I didn't really sacrifice. When I work out, I tend to eat better anyway, but I didn't give up my White Chocolate Mochas or drinks on the weekends. (And before you think - wow- only 15 pounds in 6 months? Know that my body is the athletic type. I had ALOT of left over muscle hanging out on my body which jumped into place as soon as I started working out - so since it weighs more than fat, I never really lose pounds - I lose inches.) Then things began to turn around - I started a new career doing what I love - I met Philip & Aodhan...and never thought I could ever be this happy. I honestly thought that the term 'soulmate' or the phrase 'true love' was some made up words for movies so that those who believed in that junk would pay to see that movie - a marketing ploy to get our money. And now - ha! I am the biggest believer! Although I don't think that it happens to everyone. And I don't know what the trick is. But I got very lucky.
It's funny how when things line up like that, how much you want to protect it and improve it. Meaning - now that things have balance in my life, I now am inspired to do it right and learn to make my life and Philip & Aodhan's life better. I've always loved to cook, but I had no one to cook for, and I alone was never a good enough reason to take the time to make a decent meal. I did every once and a while, but it wasn't fun for me like it is now. And as soon as Aodhan became a part of my life, I knew that I had the responsibility of providing him with the life he deserved. And since I wasn't an aunt, or had any other young children in my life, I had to study on my own. I read books, I asked questions, I networked with the other mom's in my life, including my own, and of course, the internet. The more I studied, the more I loved my new challenge as mom. Now, I couldn't imagine my life as anything else!
So! As a mom, I became aware of how vital it was to feed my son the right foods - how these foods effect his growth, brain activity and overall development. I still read books on nutrition - currently "Eat your way to Happiness" and I am still learning how different foods have different chemical reactions in your body; how food can motivate you, feel happy and energized. It has been a real eye opener for me. I mean - it's no secret, veggies and fruits are good for you, fast food is bad for you. But I guess I never knew how good, or how bad, and how easy good eating can be! Especially if I prepare them tastefully!
So the basis of my blog is basically to share my cooking adventures. I may interject here and there about my life in general, but it will be mostly on the food. As I prepare my meals, I always start with the thought process of "What can I make that's healthy, What do I have and how much time do I have". I decide on the main item - Chicken, Beef, Fish, Turkey, Steak or Pork. Then I look to my cookbooks for some inspiration. I find something that has a basis of what I have in my kitchen and then take that recipe and use parts of it and tweek it with things that I like. So here we go!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)