Saturday, February 28, 2009

HomeMade Chicken Soup



Two Professional Techniques are used here.The Chicken Breast is added toward the end of cooking to keep it moist, and most of the vegetables are added for flavor and discarded before serving

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 Hour
6 Servings

2 Large Ribs Celery
2 Carrots, Peeled
2 Onions
1 Parsnip, Peeled
3 Springs parsley
1 Whole stewing hen or chicken, about 5 pounds, Cut into 8 Pieces, Breast meat reserved
10 Black Peppercorns
2 Bay Leaves
1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt
2 Quarts Cold Water

Preparation


1: Finely Chop 2 Tablespoons each of celery, carrot, onion and parsnip and set aside; leave remaining large pieces of vegetable whole.Place Whole vegetables parsley, chicken (except reserved breast meat), peppercorns, bay leaves and salt in a large soup pot, Pour in Water.

2: Bring to a Rapid Boil; skim off any foam that rises to the surface.Lower heat to a gentle slimmer. Cook 1 Hour. Discard all cooked solids. Strain Soup into a smaller soup pot.

3: Halve Chicken Breast Horizontally. Bring Soup Back to Boil. Add chicken and chopped vegetables; cover and remove from heat. Allow to sit 10 to 15 minutes, until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are under.

4: Remove chicken breasts from stock, cut into strips and return to both. Reheat soup and serve.

Thursday, February 26, 2009

Asian Crispy Tofu Salad recipe - 90 calories



Here’s a delicious way to prepare tofu - it’s very easy to make and so tasty! Crispy on the outside and a little soft inside, this tofu salad is great as a snack, as a meat substitute, or served on top of a bed of greens with a little balsamic or rice vinegar.

Asian Crispy Tofu Salad recipe - 90 calories

Ingredients:

14 ounces low-fat extra firm tofu
1-2 scallions, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 garlic cloves (smashed with the back of a knife)
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 inch fresh ginger, sliced
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon fresh or dried lemongrass (optional)

Preparation:

1. In a 9×9-inch square baking dish, whisk all the ingredients (except for the tofu).
2. Drain the tofu and slice in half lengthwise; blot with a paper towel.
3. Preheat a non-stick skillet over medium heat and spray with non-stick spray.
4. Slide the tofu slices in the skillet and grill for about 4-5 minutes on each, flipping carefully with a large spatula. Brown it nicely to give it color and texture.
5. Slip the tofu slices into the marinade, turning with a spatula at least once.
6. While the tofu is sitting in the marinade, cut each slab 3 times lengthwise and widthwise with a sharp knife (so that you have 16 squares per slab). Toss carefully.
7. Let the tofu marinate for up to 30 minutes.
8. Remove the ginger slices and garlic. Serve warm, at room temperature or chilled.

Servings: 4


Nutritional information for one serving:

Calories: 90
Calories from fat: 47
Total fat: 5.3g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 766mg
Total carbs: 3.2g
Fiber: 1.1g
Protein: 9.7g
WW points: 2

Easy Orange Slush recipe - 153 calories



This is a delicious and refreshing homemade slush that I love to drink everytime I have a cold (it’s really soothing for my sore throat). It’s fruity and full of Vitamin C, and extremely easy to prepare (ready in less than 5 minutes).

Easy Orange Slush recipe - 153 calories

Ingredients:

1 (11 ounce) can mandarin orange sections, drained
1/2 cup orange juice
1 cup orange sherbet
4-6 ice cubes


Preparation:


1. Using a blender, blend together the first 3 ingredients (the orange juice, orange sherbet and mandarin orange sections).
2. Add the ice cubes (one at a time), and blend to form a slush.

Servings: 3

Nutritional information for one serving:

Calories: 153
Calories from fat: 10
Total fat: 1.2g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 29mg
Total carbs: 36.1g
Fiber: 2.4g
Protein: 1.3g
Weight Watchers points: 3

Chicken and Mushrooms recipe - 189 calories



A few years ago I had a revelation: chicken and mushrooms go extremely well together. Since then, I’ve tried many recipes using these two main ingredients, and this one is one of my favorites (another really nice one is the creamy chicken and mushroom soup recipe).

If you prepare this, don’t forget to leave a comment and let me know if you liked it!

Chicken and Mushrooms recipe - 189 calories


Ingredients:
4 small boneless chicken breasts
2 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 tablespoon minced onion flakes
1/2 cup chopped red or green pepper
1 dash garlic powder
2 teaspoons honey
1/4 cup soy sauce


Preparation:


1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Place the chicken breasts in a 9×13 baking dish.
3. Sprinkle the chicken with the onion flakes.
4. In a small bowl, combine the honey, soy sauce, and garlic powder; pour the mixture evenly over the chicken.
5. Cover and bake for about 30 minutes.
6. Spread the mushrooms and red or green peppers evenly over the chicken and continue to bake, covered, for about 20 more minutes (or until the mushrooms are tender).

Servings: 4


Nutritional information for one serving:


Calories: 189
Calories from fat: 74
Total fat: 8.3g
Cholesterol: 55mg
Sodium: 1063mg
Total carbs: 7.3g
Fiber: 1g
Protein: 21.7g
Weight Watchers points: 4

Monday, February 23, 2009

Butterfly Prawns



Ingredients:

• 12 Large prawns
• 1 tbsp Chinese wine or dry sherry
• 1 Clove garlic, crushed
• 2 tbsp Light soy sauce
• 1 Egg, beaten
• Breadcrumbs for coating
• Peanut oil for deep frying
• 1/2 tsp Finely grated fresh ginger
• 1/2 Cup corn flour
• Salt to taste

How to make Butterfly Prawns:

• Shell the prawns and remove the tails.
• From the interior curve, cut the meat leaving the thin layer on the back.
• Mix soy sauce, garlic, wine, salt & ginger.
• Dip prawns into corn flour.
• Now dip the prawns into the beaten egg.
• Use breadcrumbs for coating.
• Fry the prawns properly until they become crispy

Friday, February 20, 2009

Mushroom Soup



Ingredients:

• 400 gm Mushrooms
• 4 Cups chicken stock
• 3 Cloves garlic, crushed
• 60 gm Butter
• 1 Cup cream
• 1/4 Cup flour
• Salt and Pepper as needed

How to make Mushroom Soup:

• Wash and chop the mushrooms.
• Melt butter in a saucepan and add garlic and mushrooms in it.
• Cook them for about 5 minutes
• Add flour, stir for about 1 minute.
• Add chicken stock, salt and pepper, cover it and simmer for about 10 minutes.
• Blend it, then combine cream with it and serve.

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Aloo Ki Sabzi



Ingredients:

• 4 Potatoes (boiled and peeled)
• 2 tsp Turmeric Powder
• 1/2 tsp Red Chilli Powder
• 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
• Salt to taste
• 1-1/2 tbsp Oil

For the puree:

• 2 Onions
• 4 Cloves garlic
• 2 Green chilies
• 2 Tomatoes
• 1 Piece very small ginger

How to make Aloo Ki Sabzi:

• Cut the potatoes into small chunks and slightly mash them. Keep it aside.
• Blend all the ingredients of puree to form a smooth paste, keep it aside.
• Heat oil over medium heat in a non stick heavy base skillet and add cumin seeds.
• Allow spluttering and then add turmeric powder, red chili powder, salt and wait for 10 seconds.
• Now mix the puree and saute for 2-3 minutes until the raw smell is gone and oil appears on the sides of the skillet.
• Add potatoes and 2 cups of water.
• Simmer it for about 15 minutes.
• Aloo curry is ready to serve with rice or roti.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Avial



Ingredients:

• 3/4 kg Vegetables (drumsticks, brinjals, yam, string beans, raw banana, ash gourd, ridge gourd)
• 1 tbsp Tamarind paste
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp Red chilli powder
• 6 to 8 Green chillies
• 1 Cup grated coconut
• 2 tbsp Oil
• 5 to 6 Curry leaves

How to make Avial:

• Wash, peel and cube the vegetables.
• Slightly cook drum sticks with salt.
• Grind the coconut to form a fine paste.
• Boil water in a skillet and add cubed vegetables.
• Mix red chilli and turmeric powder with it.
• Cook the vegetables properly.
• Add green chillies, salt, tamarind extract and coconut paste. Stir it.
• Now cook over low heat for about 15 minutes.
• Take a small pan and heat oil.
• Add the curry leaves to it.
• Fry until the leaves change color.
• Now pour over the cooked vegetables.

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Chiroti



Ingredients:

• 1 Cup maida
• 1 Cup fine Semolina
• 1/2 Cup rice flour
• 1-1/2 Cup Ghee
• Salt to taste
• Oil for frying

For Badam Milk:

• 40 Badam
• 1 Litre, half cream milk
• Few strands of Saffron
• Sugar to taste

How to make Chiroti:


• Soak the badam in warm water for 30 minutes.
• Peel and grind to make a fine paste.
• Bring the half cream milk to boil, add badam paste, sugar and saffron to it and simmer, keep aside.
• Take a bowl and combine maida, semolina, 1/2cup ghee and salt in it.
• Make soft dough, set aside for about 30 minutes.
• Make 10 small balls from it and roll to chapatti’s size.
• Combine ghee and the rice flour to make a fine paste.
• Spread this paste on each of the chapattis and manage one above the other and roll it like a Swiss roll.
• Slice the roll into 2 inch size pieces and press lightly on swiss roll and flatten to make a small poori.
• Take a pan and heat oil in it.
• Deep fry the pooris, sprinkle sugar on it.
• Phenori is ready to serve with Badam milk.

Monday, February 2, 2009

Matzo Brei



Ingredients:

• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1 Sheet of Matzo
• 1 tsp Vegetable Oil
• 1 Egg

How to make Matzo Brei:


• Break the matzo into small pieces in a bowl. Add hot water so as to immerse the pieces and then cover the bowl for a minute. Squeeze out the water.
• Beat the egg in a small bowl and add salt, pepper and matzo to it. Mix well.
• Heat the oil in a frying pan on medium flame. Now pour the mixture into the pan and swirl it so that the mixture evenly spreads.
• Cook until one side is brown then turn over and cook for a while and turn off the flame.
• Transfer the Matzo Brei to a plate; sprinkle the top with powdered sugar.
• Matzo Brei is ready. Serve hot.

Sunday, February 1, 2009

Pear Honey



Ingredients:

• 8 cups Pears (peeled, cored and diced)
• 8 cups Sugar
• 1 cup Unsweetened Pineapple Juice

How to make Pear Honey:

• Combine all the ingredients in a pot and bring it to a boil.
• Now lower the flame and cook until the pears are almost translucent and golden.
• Put off the flame and strain the mixture.
• Spoon into air-tight sterilized jar and keep at room temperature.