Shrimp-Artichoke Frittata

Ingredients

• 4 ounces fresh or frozen shrimp in shells
• 1/2 of a 9-ounce package frozen artichoke hearts
• 2 cups refrigerated or frozen egg product, thawed
• 1/4 cup fat-free milk
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• Nonstick cooking spray
• 3 tablespoons finely shredded Parmesan cheese
• Cherry tomatoes, quartered (optional)
• Italian parsley (optional)

Directions

1. Thaw shrimp, if frozen. Peel and devein shrimp. Rinse shrimp; pat dry. Halve shrimp lengthwise; set aside. Meanwhile, cook artichoke hearts according to package directions; drain. Cut artichoke hearts in quarters; set aside.
2. Stir together egg product, milk, green onions, garlic powder, and pepper; set aside.
3. Lightly coat a large nonstick skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Heat skillet over medium heat. Add shrimp to skillet; cook shrimp for 1 to 3 minutes or until shrimp turn opaque. Reduce heat to medium-low.
4. Pour egg mixture into skillet; do not stir. As the egg mixture sets, run a spatula around the edge of the skillet, lifting edges to allow liquid to run underneath. Continue cooking and lifting edges until mixture is almost set (top will be wet).
5. Remove skillet from heat; sprinkle artichoke pieces evenly over the top. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Let stand, covered, for 3 to 4 minutes or until top is set. Loosen edges of frittata. Transfer to a serving plate; cut into wedges to serve. If desired, garnish with cherry tomatoes and parsley. Makes 3 servings.

p/s  a frittata is an open-faced (unfolded) omelet. This yummy shrimp and artichoke frittata will be on the table in less than 30 minutes. Seafood frittata can be served on a busy weekday morning or on a lazy weekend morning. Pair it with a fresh tossed salad and serve this low-fat seafood and vegetable dish at dinnertime.

Artichoke-Turkey Casserole

 Ingredients

• 1/2 cup chopped carrot (1 medium)
• 1/2 cup chopped red sweet pepper (1 small)
• 1/4 cup sliced green onion (2)
• 1 tablespoon butter or margarine
• 1 10.75-ounce can condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1 8- to 9-ounce package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and cut up
• 1-1/2 cups chopped cooked turkey or chicken (see tip)
• 1 cup cooked long grain rice or wild rice
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (2 ounces)
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
• 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 
  

Directions

1. In a large skillet cook carrot, sweet pepper, and green onion in hot butter over medium heat until carrot is crisp-tender. Remove from heat. Stir in soup, artichoke hearts, turkey, rice, mozzarella cheese, milk and thyme . Transfer turkey mixture to a 2-quart rectangular baking dish. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
2. Bake, covered, in a 350° degree oven for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake about 20 minutes more or until bubbly. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Makes 6 servings.
3. Make-ahead directions:Prepare as above through step 1. Cover and chill for up to 24 hours. Bake, covered, in a 350° oven for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake about 20 minutes more or until bubbly.

***Low-Fat Menu

Smoked Salmon Frittata

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 12 extra-large eggs
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 4 ounces fresh cheese, crumbled
• 1/2 pound smoked salmon, chopped
• 3 scallions, chopped, white and light green parts
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Saute the onion and butter in a 10-inch oven-proof omelet pan over medium-low heat until translucent, about 5 minutes.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs. Add the heavy cream, goat cheese, smoked salmon, scallions, dill, salt, and pepper and combine. Pour the mixture over the onions and place the omelet pan in the center of the oven. Bake the frittata for about 50 minutes, until it puffs and a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Serve hot directly from the pan.

Jambalaya

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs smoked sausage , cut into 1/4 inch pieces
• 2 -3 green peppers , chopped
• 1 red pepper , chopped
• 2 onions , chopped
• 4 stalks celery , diced
• 2 (14 ½ ounce) cans tomatoes seasoned with basil garlic & oregano
• 10 ounces tomato paste
• 2 (14 ounce) cans beef broth
• 2 tablespoons dried parsley
• 1 tablespoon dried basil leaves
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
• 1 ½ teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce (optional)
• 2 lbs cooked shrimp , shelled
• 6 cups brown rice , cooked regular

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients except shrimp and rice in 6 or 7 quart slow cooker.
2. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours.
3. Add shrimp and rice the last 30 minutes of cooking.

Chicken  Taco  Pizza

Ingredients:

1 12-inch pre-baked thin Italian pizza crust
1/2 cup refried beans
1/2 cup salsa
2 cups cooked shredded rotisserie chicken
2 cups shredded Mexican-style cheese blend
1/2 cup sour cream
Any of your favorite taco toppings: shredded lettuce, chopped tomato, sliced red onion, black olives, avocado
1/2 cup crushed Doritos

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Place pizza crust on a cookie sheet and spread refried beans over surface, stopping about 1 inch from the edges. Stir together salsa and chicken in a small bowl.

2. Spread chicken mixture over refried beans. Top with cheese. Bake 8-10 minutes or until cheese is melted and pizza is thoroughly heated.

Turkish  Fish  Stew

 Ingredients:

• 3 cups water
• 1 1/2 cups dry couscous (semolina)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small white onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup marinated artichoke hearts, liquid reserved
• 2 teaspoons capers, liquid reserved
• 12 small green olives
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can chopped stewed tomatoes, drained
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 cup water
• 2 teaspoons sumac powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root
• ground black pepper to taste
• 1 pound fish / tilapia fillets, cut into chunks

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, bring 3 cups water to a boil, and stir in the couscous. Remove from heat, cover, and let sit 5 minutes.
2. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, and saute the onion and green pepper about 5 minutes, until tender. Mix in the garlic, and continue to cook and stir about 2 minutes. Mix in the artichoke hearts with reserved liquid, capers with reserved liquid, and olives. Stir in the tomatoes, lemon juice, and 1 cup water (or enough to attain desired thickness). Season with sumac powder, red pepper, basil, cumin, ginger, and pepper.
3. Bring the mixture to a boil, and mix in the fish chunks. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes, or until the fish is easily flaked with a fork. Serve over couscous or baguette. 

Lebanese  Style  Tabouli

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Bulgar/bulgur  wheat , dry (can be bought in AEON)
• 2 -3 cups cold water
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• ¼ cup fresh lemon or ¼ cup lime juice
• 1 teaspoon fresh garlic , crushed
• ½ teaspoon dried mint
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• ¹⁄₈; cup olive oil
• fresh black pepper
• 1 cup parsley , freshly chopped and packed
• ½ cup scallion , chopped (include the greens)
• 2 medium tomatoes , diced

Directions:

1. Prepare the bulgar by soaking it for 2-3 hours in cold water. Most recipes that use bulgur wheat instruct you to use boiling water, but this "cooks" the wheat a bit and makes it mushy and sticky. Soaking in cold water results in a fluffier grain that doesn't hold onto the water. This gives it more capacity to absorb the liquids in the ingredients, without getting soggy. Check it after an hour or two to see if it's gotten to a pleasing texture. It should be "al dente" like good pasta: still offering some resistance to the tooth.
2. When it reaches the "al dente" stage, drain it thoroughly by lining a colander or large strainer with cheesecloth. Dump the wet bulgur into the cheesecloth, gather up the corners and squeeze the water out of the wheat. While preparing the other ingredients, let the damp wheat sit for another hour, stirring and tossing it from time to time, to fluff it and dry it.
3. Add the lemon juice, garlic, oil, mint and seasonings and mix thoroughly.
4. Add the chopped parsley and onions and toss everything together.
5. Just before serving, add the chopped tomatoes. Add seasonings.

Potato-Sausage Lagsana

I

  Ingredients

• 1/2 pound bulk Italian sausage or ground turkey sausage
• 2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
• 4 medium (1-1/4 pounds) potatoes (such as long white, round white, round red, or yellow), peeled and thinly sliced (4 cups)
• 1 beaten egg
• 1-1/2 cups ricotta cheese or cream-style cottage cheese, drained
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
• 1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons margarine or butter
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1-1/2 cups milk
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (4 ounces)

Directions

1. In a 10-inch skillet cook sausage and mushrooms until meat is brown. Drain off fat.
2. In a large saucepan cook sliced potatoes, covered, in boiling water for 5 minutes (they won't be thoroughly cooked). Drain; set aside.
3. For filling, stir together egg, ricotta or cottage cheese, and Parmesan or Romano cheese. Stir in spinach.
4. For sauce, in a medium saucepan cook onion and garlic in hot margarine or butter until onion is tender but not brown. Stir in flour and nutmeg. Add milk all at once. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly.
5. Layer half of the potatoes in a greased 2-quart rectangular baking dish. Top with half of the spinach filling. Top with half of the meat mixture, half of the sauce, and half of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers, except reserve remaining cheese.
6. Cover with foil and bake in a 350 degree F. oven about 35 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Uncover; sprinkle remaining cheese atop and bake about 5 minutes more or until cheese is melted. Let stand for 10 minutes. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

 

Baked  Chicken  Parmesan

Ingredients:

8 thin chicken cutlets (1 1/2 pounds total), 

kosher salt and black pepper, 

1/4 cup all-purpose flour, 

2 large eggs, beaten,

2/3 cup bread crumbs, 

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, 

3 tablespoons olive oil, 

1 24-ounce jar marinara sauce,

1 pound fresh mozzarella, sliced

Directions: 

 

Heat oven to 400º F.

Season the chicken with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper.

Place the flour and eggs in separate shallow bowls; in a third shallow bowl, combine the bread crumbs and Parmesan. 

Coat the chicken with the flour, then dip in the eggs (letting any excess drip off), then coat with the bread crumb mixture, pressing gently to help it adhere. 

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. 

Cook the chicken in batches until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. 

Pour the marinara sauce into a large, shallow baking dish. 

Top with the chicken and mozzarella. 

Bake until bubbling and golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.

Lasagna

Ingredients

• 12 ounces bulk sausages or ground beef
• 1 cup chopped onion (1 large)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
• 1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning, crushed
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 6 dried lasagna noodles
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 15-ounce container ricotta cheese or 2 cups cream-style cottage cheese, drained
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 6 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
• Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions

1. For sauce, in a large saucepan cook sausage, onion, and garlic until meat is brown. Drain.
2. Stir undrained tomatoes, tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, fennel seeds (if desired), and black pepper into meat mixture. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Meanwhile, cook noodles for 10 to 12 minutes or until tender but still firm. Drain noodles; rinse with cold water. Drain well; set aside.
4. For filling, combine egg, ricotta, and the 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Set aside.
5. Spread about 1/2 cup of the sauce over the bottom of a 2-quart rectangular baking dish. Layer half of the cooked noodles in the bottom of the dish, trimming or overlapping as necessary to fit. Spread with half of the filling. Top with half of the remaining meat sauce and half of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers. If desired, sprinkle additional Parmesan cheese over top.
6. Place baking dish on a baking sheet. Bake in a 375 degree F oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until heated through. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
7. Makes 8 servings
8. Make-ahead directions: Prepare as above through Step 5. Cover unbaked lasagna; chill for up to 24 hours. To serve, bake, covered, in a 375 degree F oven for 40 minutes. Uncover; bake about 20 minutes more or until heated through. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound bulk Italian sausage or ground turkey sausage
• 2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
• 4 medium (1-1/4 pounds) potatoes (such as long white, round white, round red, or yellow), peeled and thinly sliced (4 cups)
• 1 beaten egg
• 1-1/2 cups ricotta cheese or cream-style cottage cheese, drained
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
• 1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons margarine or butter
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1-1/2 cups milk
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (4 ounces)

Directions

1. In a 10-inch skillet cook sausage and mushrooms until meat is brown. Drain off fat.
2. In a large saucepan cook sliced potatoes, covered, in boiling water for 5 minutes (they won't be thoroughly cooked). Drain; set aside.
3. For filling, stir together egg, ricotta or cottage cheese, and Parmesan or Romano cheese. Stir in spinach.
4. For sauce, in a medium saucepan cook onion and garlic in hot margarine or butter until onion is tender but not brown. Stir in flour and nutmeg. Add milk all at once. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly.
5. Layer half of the potatoes in a greased 2-quart rectangular baking dish. Top with half of the spinach filling. Top with half of the meat mixture, half of the sauce, and half of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers, except reserve remaining cheese.
6. Cover with foil and bake in a 350 degree F. oven about 35 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Uncover; sprinkle remaining cheese atop and bake about 5 minutes more or until cheese is melted. Let stand for 10 minutes. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Masak Lemak Daging Salai
(Roasted Beef in Coconut Gravy)

Ingredients

1 kg beef
salt
turmeric powder

Cut the beef in cubes and marinate with salt and turmeric powder.
Bake in a 140C oven for approximately 75 minutes.
Let it rest before cutting into bite-sized pieces.

10 pcs bird's eye chillies
fresh turmeric
4 shallots, sliced
2 cloves garlic, sliced
2 pcs asam gelugor
3 stalks lemon grass
500 ml water
500 ml coconut milk
4 potatoes, or brinjals/egg-plant (cubed) 
salt, to taste

Method
 

Grind the chillies and turmeric until fine.

In a pot,add together the beef, and the ingredients, shallots, garlic, asam glugor, lemon grass and water. Boil over medium heat.

Add coconut milk, potatoes and salt.

Reduce the heat and keep stirring every now and then until gravy and egg plant/potatoes are cooked.

ASAM  PEDAS  DAGING

Bahan  masakan:

500 gm daging - dipotong kecil
7 helai daun limau purut
1 pokok daun ketumbar
2 biji tomato - dipotong empat
1 kuntum bunga kantan
2 cwn air
1 cwn air asam jawa
3 sudu makan minyak masak
garam secukup rasa
1 kiub perisa daging

Bahan  dikisar:

20 tangkai cili kering
8 ulas bawang merah 
4 ulas bawang putih
1 1/2 inc lengkuas
1 1/2 inc halia
3 batang serai
3 biji buah keras
1 sudu teh jintan manis
1 sudu teh jintah putih
1 sudu teh lada hitam
1 inc belacan
4 helai daun limau purut
1 pokok daun ketumbar

Cara:

Kisar sekali daun limau purut dan daun ketumbar bersama2 bahan kisar dan tinggalkan 3 helai daun limau purut untuk disiat2kan ke dalam lauk.
Sekiranyer tidak menggunakan daging batang pinang, seeloknya daging itu direbus terlebih dahulu. Dan 2 cawan air itu digantikan dgn 2 cawan air rebusan daging.
Panaskan minyak, tumis bahan yg dikisar hingga garing dan naik bau.
Masukkan daging dan biarkan sehingga pecah minyak semula.
Masukkan air asam jawa, kiub daging dan biarkan seketika sehingga daging masak dan empuk.
Kemudian masukkan daun limau purut, tomato dan bunga kantan. Biarkan rmendidih sehingga pekat dan pecah minyak.
Angkat dan hidangkan dgn taburan daun ketumbar.

p/s  love to consume this with pitta bread/nan.
  

DAGING  DENDENG 

1 kg daging lembu yg tiada lemak - "batang pinang"
100 gm bawang goreng

Bahan Kisar

15 tangkai cili kering - digoreng dan dikisar
10 ulas bawang merah - digoreng dan dikisar
2 inc halia - digoreng dan dikisar
3 ulas bawang putih - digoreng dan dikisar
2 sudu besar ketumbar

2 cm lengkuas

3 batang serai

Bahan Tumis

5 biji buah pelaga
3 batang kulit kayu manis
3 kuntum bunga lawang
5 kuntum bunga cengkih

100 gram gula kabung, iris halus

2 butir kelapa yang cukup tua, parut

Cara:

 
Daging dipotong nipis kemudian direbus
Apabila lembut, toskan dan kemudian digoreng
Tumis buah pelaga, kulit kayu manis bunga lawang dan bunga cengkih
Masukkan bahan yg telah dikisar kasar tadi.
Biarkan hingga naik bau dan naik minyak
Barulah masukkan daging yg telah digoreng tadi.

Masukkan gula kabung dan kelapa parut,
Masukkan garam dan perasa kacau rata.
Masakkan hingga kering.

Kemudian taburkan bawang goreng.

p/s  this menu is from indonesia and is one of  the most favourite dish of Hamengkubuwono IX or HB IX (12 April 1912 – 2 October 1988) was the first Governor of the Special Region of Yogyakarta, the ninth Sultan of Yogyakarta and the second Vice President of Indonesia during the rule of Suharto. I remembered taking this DD about three kilos of them to the land of the roses; cooked and packed by my mum. At least it keeps my tummy filled up for some time before i get myself collected and organised after the jet-lag!  So thoughtful of my mum...

Lentil  Tacos

1 cup onions, diced
1/4 cup celery, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup brown or green lentils, dry
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 cup water or vegetable broth
3 tablespoons dried black currants or raisins, minced
1 cup salsa, plus additional for topping
8 6-inch pepper tortillas
shredded lettuce
chopped tomatoes
shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

In a large frying pan over medium heat, onions, celery, and garlic in the olive oil for five minutes or until vegetables are soft. Stir in the lentils, chili powder, cumin, and oregano. Cook for one minute. Add the broth and raisins. Cover and cook for 20 minutes, or until the lentils are tender (add more water or broth as needed). Remove the lid and cook an additional 10 minutes (until lentils are thick), stirring often. Fold in the salsa. Wrap the tortillas in a damp white cotton towel and microwave on high for one minute. Spoon the lentil mixture among the tortillas. Top with lettuce, tomatoes, and cheese.

p/s  ...This Mexican dish is so savoury, you'll never miss the meat. Overall though, very tasty, good texture with the lentils...no cows harmed in the making of this taco.  Enjoy!

Parmesan  Chicken

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed and finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 cups prepared marinara sauce (made from grind garlic,onion, pepper, chili and tomato sauce)
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1 (8 ounce) package shredded mozzarella cheese
1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 (5 ounce) package garlic croutons

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Coat the bottom of a 9x13 inch casserole dish with olive oil, and sprinkle with garlic and hot red pepper flakes. Arrange the chicken breasts in bottom of the dish, and pour marinara sauce over chicken. Sprinkle basil over marinara sauce, and top with the mozzarella cheese, followed by half the Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle on the croutons, then top with remaining half of the Parmesan cheese.
3. Bake in preheated oven until cheese and croutons are golden brown and the chicken is no longer pink inside, about 35 minutes. 

p/s  this chicken Parmesan is done casserole style (so, no breading or frying!), but still offers up that irresistible combination of tender chicken, crunchy/cheesy coating, and flavourful sauce.

Kelantan Ayam Percik

Ingredients ( A):
  3 pieces of chicken breast
  4 cups thick coconut milk
  1 piece dried tamarind
   mix a little cornstarch
   pinch of salt to taste
   pinch of sugar

  Ingredients  B (blended ingredients)
     2 inch ginger
     4 stalks lemongrass
     5 shallots
     2 cloves garlic.

     10 chilies if need it hot.

Methods

  In  a saucepan, simmer coconut milk, tamarind paste and  ingredients B.
  Keep stirring so that the gravy is not lumpy.
  Add salt and sugar. Stir until the gravy thickens. (To quickly thicken the gravy, add a little mix of corn.)
  When the gravy is ready, pour it onto the half-cooked chicken and bake it in the oven.
  Keep turning the chicken once in a while and pour the chicken with the gravy sauce.

    

*** When serving, pour some sauce on the grilled chicken.