الجمعة، 30 ديسمبر 2011

VEGETABLE FRIED RICE

Vegetable fried rice

Ingredients

Basmati/long grain rice 1 cup
Cabbage,chopped 1 cup
Carrot 1 no., small
Capsicum 1 no., small
Spring onion 6-7 sprigs
Pepper 1 & 1/4 tsp
Soy sauce 1 tsp
Ajinomoto(optional) 1/2 tsp
Salt As needed
Olive oil 3-4 tblsps

Fried rice

Method:

  1. Soak basmati rice for an hour(optional) and cook rice : water 1 : 2 ratio. Cool and make the grains separate.
  2. Cut the veggies as long thin strips as shown in the picture. Chop the base white part of spring onion and the green part separately.
    All the veggies
  3. Edited to Add: This is the way I julienned the carrots..Click to enlarge the picture.Hope it is clear to understand.
    Cut Slice
    stack cut to strips

  4. Heat a broad pan and add the olive oil. First add the white part of the spring onion and then carrot,cabbage and capsicum,in order one by one,frying each for a minute. (add ajinomoto at this stage,if wanted)
    spring onion white part carrot
  5. Lastly add the pepper and soya sauce and give it a stir.Add the spring onion green part and give it a stir. All the process has to be done in high flame.
    soy sauce pepper
  6. Transfer this to the cooled rice along with salt and mix well. Eat hot !!
    Done Mix with rice
I prefer this to serve with any kind of Manchurian side dish! DSC_0413
Notes:

  • I used freshly ground black pepper powder, you can substitute with white pepper powder.
  • Dont over fry the veggies,retain its colour and crunchiness.
  • Be liberal in adding olive oil. Always eat hot!!

الأربعاء، 28 ديسمبر 2011

Huevos Rancheros


My friend Deysi taught me how to make this savory Mexican egg breakfast and I'm glad she did because it was such a wonderful change from the usual egg dishes and it's really easy to make. You can also serve this with sliced avocados on the side. Buen Provecho!

Huevos Rancheros
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 2 • Serving Size: 1 egg, tortilla and sauce • Old Points: 4 pts • Points+: 5 pts
Calories: 194.3 • Fat: 10.1 g • Protein: 12.1 g • Carb: 14.4 g • Fiber: 2.3 g • Sugar: 1.6

  • 1/2 tsp oil
  • 1/2 onion, minced
  • 1 medium tomato, minced
  • 2 tbsp chopped green chiles (I used Old El Paso)
  • oil spray
  • salt and pepper
  • pinch cumin (optional)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/4 cup shredded lettuce
  • 1 oz shredded cheese (I used Cabot 50% reduced fat Pepper Jack)
  • 2 tsp chopped cilantro
  • olive oil spray (I used my Misto)
  • 2 corn tortillas (I used Mission Extra Thin yellow corn)

Heat oil in a small pan. Add onions and cook one minute, add tomatoes, chilies, cumin, salt and pepper and cook another few minutes. Set aside and keep warm.

 
In another medium non-stick pan, lightly spray the tortillas with oil on each side and heat a few minutes on both sides until tortillas gets crispy and pockets or air bubbles start to form inside. Set aside. 


In the same pan, lightly spray more oil and add eggs, salt and pepper. Cover and cook until sunny-side up or to your liking.

To serve, place a tortilla on each plate, top with egg, tomatoes, lettuce, cheese and cilantro.


More Latin Egg recipes you may like:
(Recipes from other blogs may not always be Weight Watcher friendly)

Skinny Low-Yolk Egg Salad


What to do with all your leftover Easter eggs? Make this easy guiltless egg salad made with mostly egg whites and scallions. Serve this on your favorite whole grain bread or enjoy on lettuce cups.

I like to keep my egg salad simple, that is just my preference but you can add chopped celery, bell pepper or even pickles to yours. Have fun with it and adapt it to your taste! This recipe easily doubles or triples. Hate mayo? Use fat free Greek yogurt instead. Add some paprika, curry powder... the ideas or endless.


Skinny Low-Yolk Egg Salad
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 2 • Serving Size: 1/2 of salad • Old Points: 2 pts • Points+: 2 pts
Calories: 81.2 • Fat: 4.4 g • Protein: 9.3 g • Carb: 1.2 g • Fiber: 0.2 g Sugar: 0.1 g

  • 4 hard boiled eggs, peeled
  • 4 tsp Hellman's light mayonnaise
  • 1/2 tsp dijon mustard
  • 2 tbsp chopped green scallions or chives
  • salt and fresh pepper to taste

Separate the yolks from the egg whites and discard 3 of the yolks. Chop eggs and combine with mayonnaise, dijon mustard, scallions, salt and pepper.

whole wheat pancakes


Whole Wheat Pancakes {New and Improved}
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 7 Size: 2 pancakes  • Old Points: 3 pts • Points+: 4 pts
Calories: 171.7 • Fat: 2.1 g • Carbs: 31.5 g • Fiber: 4.9 g • Protein: 8.9 g • Sugar: 2.5 g
Sodium: 561.4 g


Ingredients:
  • 2 cups whole wheat flour (I used white whole wheat)
  • 4 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 cups + 2 tbsp fat free milk
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • cooking spray

Directions:

Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl. Add wet ingredients to the mixing bowl and mix well with a spoon until there are no more dry spots; don't over-mix.

I had my assistant help me mix the batter.

Heat a large skillet on medium heat. Lightly spray oil to coat and pour 1/4 cup of pancake batter. When the pancake starts to bubble, you may add your fruit if you wish. When the bubbles settle and the edges begin to set, flip the pancakes. Repeat with the remainder of the batter.

Makes 14 pancakes.

الثلاثاء، 27 ديسمبر 2011

Gingerbread Pancakes

Gingerbread pancakes are easy, fast, and made with pantry staples. Molasses is a pantry staple for you, right?
So if you still have a little Christmas spirit left, but are lacking a grand plan, here is a great Christmas morning breakfast that you can have on the table in 15 minutes. Get out the butter and the real maple syrup because here is breakfast. These aren’t “cake sweet” as is. Thus the syrup.  I always recommend real maple syrup if you have it, too.
Preparation:
1 cup all purpose flour
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon salt
1½ teaspoon baking powder
3 tablespoons molasses
3 tablespoons brown sugar
½ cup milk
1 egg
1 tablespoon canola oil
Necessary accompaniments: butter and real maple syrup
Optional accompaniment: warm apple sauce
Mix together the flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the molasses, brown sugar, milk, egg and oil. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk them to combine.
Heat a nonstick skillet over medium low heat. Spray the pan with nonstick cooking spray just before adding the pancakes. Using a small measuring cup, pour four small pancakes onto the pan. When the cakes begin to bulge and bubbles start appearing and popping on the surface, turn the cakes. When the cakes are golden on both sides, remove them from the skillet. Top the cakes with butter and real maple syrup and serve immediately. Repeat the process with the remaining batter.
This makes 15 silver dollar or 8 small pancakes.

الأربعاء، 21 ديسمبر 2011

pineapple teriyaki chicken thighs

Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken Thighs

Print Friendly and PDF
Total Recipe cost: $9.94
Servings Per Recipe: 7-8
Cost per serving: $1.42
Prep time: 20 min. Cook time: 55 min. Total: 1 hr. 15 min.


INGREDIENTS COST
1 clove garlic $0.08
2 inches fresh ginger $0.25
1 Tbsp vegetable oil $0.08
1/4 cup soy sauce $0.24
1 (18 oz.) jar pineapple jam $2.78
1/2 Tbsp rice vinegar $0.02
1/2 Tbsp corn starch $0.03
4 lbs. bone-in chicken thighs $6.46
TOTAL
$9.94

STEP 1: Peel the ginger (use a vegetable peeler) and grate it into a medium sauce pot with a small cheese grater. Mince the garlic and add it to the pot along with 1 Tbsp of vegetable oil. Saute the garlic and ginger over medium heat, just until soft (about one minute).

STEP 2: Add the soy sauce, pineapple jam, and rice vinegar. Bring the mixture up to a simmer over medium heat. Dissolve the cornstarch in just enough water to make a slurry and pour it into the bubbling sauce. Allow to simmer for about five more minutes. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

STEP 3: Prepare a baking sheet with foil and nonstick spray. Place the chicken thighs on the baking sheet. Reserve about 1/3 of the pineapple teriyaki sauce in a bowl for spooning over the chicken after cooking (you don't want to contaminate this with raw chicken). Using about half of the rest of the sauce, brush a thick layer over the chicken.

STEP 4: Place the pineapple teriyaki coated chicken in the preheated oven and bake for about 20 minutes. Take the chicken out and brush with more sauce (not the sauce reserved for after baking). Brush as much on as possible. Place back in the oven and bake until the sauce turns golden brown and bubbly (about 30 minutes more).

STEP 5: Take the chicken out of the oven and allow to rest for about 5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a serving dish and spoon some of the reserved (uncontaminated) sauce over top.

Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken Thighs


Step By Step Photos


garlic ginger
First, peel the ginger and then grate it using a small cheese grater. Mince the garlic. Place both in a medium sauce pot with 1 Tbsp of vegetable oil. Saute just until soft (about one minute).

pineapple jam
The one time I wanted pineapple jam, they actually didn't have it at the store. But they *did* have this apricot pineapple jam. I used it and it was still delicious! I ended up using the entire 18 oz. jar.

pineapple teriyaki sauce
Add the jam, soy sauce, and rice vinegar to the pot with the garlic and ginger. Stir to dissolve the jam and allow it to come up to a simmer over medium heat.

cornstarch slurry
While the sauce is coming up to a simmer, dissolve the cornstarch in just enough water to make a slurry (a tablespoon or so of water).

thicken sauce
Pour the cornstarch slurry into the bubbling sauce. Stir it in and allow it to simmer for about five more minutes.

raw chicken
Place the chicken on a baking sheet covered with foil and non-stick spray. I experimented with skin on and skin off. They both turned out delicious and moist, although the skin on was prettier! The number of servings you'll get from this depends on how many chicken thighs you get per 4 pounds. One of my packages had four, while the other had 3... I didn't look before I purchased.

coat chicken
Pour off about 1/3 of the sauce for use after cooking the chicken - you don't want it to get contaminated with raw chicken. Using about half of the rest of the sauce, coat the chicken. The sauce may be kind of thin because it's hot, so don't worry if you can't get it on too thick. You'll be putting more on half way through baking.

bake chicken
Bake the chicken in a preheated 375 degree oven. After about 20 minutes, pull the chicken out and coat with more sauce (the "contaminated" sauce, not the reserved sauce). This is what my chicken looked like after the second coating. Place it back in the oven and bake until the sauce turns a nice golden brown (about 30 more minutes).

baked pineapple teriyaki chicken
And this is what the chicken looked like after about 50-55 minutes of total baking time.

pineapple teriyaki chicken
You can serve it as is (this picture) or spoon some of the reserved (uncontaminated) sauce over top (the top photo in the post). I liked having that extra bit of sauce spooned over top!

الأحد، 18 ديسمبر 2011

Vanilla Cardamom French Toast:

Start with some pretty basic pantry ingredients. You will also need some oil for the griddle or pan you're using, I highly suggest trying unrefined coconut oil, it adds a little something extra delicious!


Crack your eggs into a dish.


Pour in two tablespoons of milk.


Lightly beat the eggs along with the whole milk.


Grab the vanilla.


Measure out two teaspoons and add it to the egg and milk mixture.


Next grab the cardamom. Cardamom is a strong citrusy spice,  so if you are unsure if you are a cardamom fan... maybe try a quarter teaspoon. 


Measure out a half a teaspoon and whisk away. You will have to keep whisking here and there in between bread dipping because the cardamom likes to settle to the bottom of the dish. It's insanely aromatic and I seriously couldn't help from taking in deep breaths of the egg mixture!


Dip one side...


...And then the other side...

Then place onto a lightly oiled, preheated 375 degree griddle, or medium to medium-high heat if using a pan.


See those black specks... it's the cardamom... and it smell HEAVENLY!!


Flip when the bottom is golden and repeat.


This is a great way to use the extra cardamom in your cupboard.

Butter... Maple Syrup... Delicious!


Vanilla Cardamom French Toast:
{Makes 8 Slices}

Ingredients:

8 Slices of Bread
4 Whole Eggs
2 tablespoons Whole Milk
2 teaspoons Real Vanilla Extract
1/2 teaspoon Ground Cardamom
1 teaspoon Oil {like coconut oil}
Butter, for serving
Real Maple Syrup, for serving

Preparations:

Preheat a lightly oiled griddle to 375 degrees. Lightly beat eggs with whole milk. Add vanilla and ground cardamom, whisk until combined. Dip both sides of bread into egg mixture and place on hot griddle. Repeat with bread, whisking the egg mixture every so often to redistribute cardamom. Flip when golden and serve with butter and real maple syrup.