Fennel Bulb Salad

Knowing my love for dill, a friend brought me some a couple weeks ago. Not knowing that there were other plants with leaves almost exactly like dill, he had picked up fennel instead of dill :). I had used fennel leaves in salads before but wasn’t sure what to do with the bulb. I tasted it and it had an extremely refreshing taste, but a fairly hard texture. So, I roasted and softened it up just a little (still keeping it crunchy) and made a simple salad with fresh lemon dressing to compliment the taste of fennel. To highlight the taste and the fresh aroma of the fennel, I decided not to add any other vegetables to the salad.

Ingredients:

1 fennel/anise bulb (I can’t tell the difference between the two herbs)

1 tbsp olive oil

lemon juice (to taste) - I used juice of ½ lemon.

zest from ½ lemon.

¼-½ tsp honey

salt, crushed black pepper

~½ tsp minced fresh garlic / garlic powder (or to taste)

1 tbsp anise/fennel leaves (chopped)

Remove the hard outer layers of the bulb. Clean the bulb thoroughly to remove any dirt. Cut the stem such that there is about an inch left above the bulb.

Carefully slice the bulb to ~¼ inch thick slices. For the slices towards the center, cut out part of the tough core at the bottom while still making sure that the slice will remain intact.

With a few drops of olive oil in a pan, roast the fennel slices over medium heat for 3-4 minutes until browned before turning them and roasting on the other side. Thicker slices might take a little longer. Remove the slices on a plate and let them cool slightly before drizzling the salad dressing.

For making the dressing, mix the olive oil, lemon juice, zest, honey, salt, pepper, garlic and chopped fennel leaves. Using a whisk or blender works well for getting the oil and lemon juice mixed properly. Adjust the ingredients to taste.

Drizzle the dressing over the fennel bulb slices, and garnish with more fennel leaves and lemon zest to brighten it up. This refreshing salad can be served warm or at room temperature.

~Gayatri

Parmesan-crusted Chicken

Crispy, cheesy, flavorful chicken...what could be more delicious? Okay, maybe a lot of things. But for meat-eaters, sometimes nothing beats some crispy fried chicken. A lot of my (and my husband’s) favorite dishes at places like Noodles or Carrabba’s or Spageddies have some sort of breaded chicken, so I thought it was high time I made my own (slightly healthier) version. It took a few attempts, but I eventually got just the right breading and seasoning mix for some delicious homemade Parmesan-crusted chicken.

Ingredients:

~3 chicken breasts, filleted or thinly sliced for 6-8 pieces

~2-3 large eggs, beaten (I’ll typically use EggBeaters)

cooking oil of choice (I use canola)

For the breading:

~1-1 ½ cups grated Parmesan cheese (I use the typical Kraft-in-a-container stuff, but fresh grated would work as well)

~½-1 cup bread crumbs of choice (plain, panko, seasoned...I’m particularly fond of pulverizing old cereal such as Kix or plain Cheerios - works just as well and the cereal doesn’t go to waste!)

blend of spices to taste (suggested quantities listed):

1 tsp fresh ground pepper

1 tsp thyme

1 tsp rosemary

1 tsp sage

1 tsp marjoram

1-2 TBSP garlic powder (you can never have too much garlic!)

NOTE: If using seasoned breadcrumbs, reduce seasoning quantities as desired. Fresh spices would also work, but make sure they are well-dried (especially garlic) so the mixture doesn’t become clumpy.

 

 

Pour cheese, bread crumbs, and spices in a large bowl and mix well. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs.

 

Heat about 1 TBSP of oil in a large pan over medium heat. Dredge chicken slices in the egg, then coat both sides with the breading mixture. Fry covered in the pan (in a single layer) for about 3-5 minutes each side, depending on thickness, until cooked through and crispy on the outside. Repeat until all slices are fried, adding more oil when necessary.

 

If you have extra egg and breadcrumbs leftover, mix them together and fry it up to make a delicious appetizer patty!

 

Instead of frying, I have also baked the chicken: dredge each piece in egg, then coat with breadcrumb mixture. Arrange all pieces in a lined baking dish and bake at 400F for about 20-30 minutes (until cooked through, depends on thickness of the chicken), or broil on high for about 6-7 minutes each side.

 

This lightly-breaded, lower-cholesterol (if you use EggBeaters) Parmesan-crusted chicken can be served as part of a variety of dishes (recipes to come!):

 

 

 

 

NOTE: The Parmesan-crusted chicken in the broccoli-pesto cavatappi dish is baked instead of fried.

~Karla

Frozen Oatmeal Cups

We all know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day - well, at least that’s what we’re told. Personally, I do feel a lot more energetic throughout the day if I start with some exercise and a good breakfast. Weekday mornings, however, don’t make it too easy to accomplish all that. In the past I would often throw together all the ingredients for instant oatmeal in a microwaveable container and bring it to work. That hardly took any time in the morning to prep, but I got tired of eating instant oatmeal. It is mushier and lacks the hardy texture and taste of old fashioned oats. Determined to still be able to have oatmeal as an option for weekday breakfast, I decided to cook a large batch of old fashioned oats over the weekend, freeze it and enjoy it through the week. The toppings are frozen right into the oatmeal, making it very convenient to grab some from the freezer before heading to work in the morning. This has been working really well for me and its so versatile that I look forward to making new flavors each week!

Ingredients (makes ~10 muffin cups):

1.5 cups old fashioned oats

2 cups water

1-1.5 cups milk

The water-milk ratio is up to you - you can completely eliminate one or the other as well. The package instructions typically ask for 1 part oats, 2 parts liquid. I generally add a little more liquid since it gets absorbed as the oatmeal cools down and then reheating it in the microwave can make it even drier.

Optional toppings: (pretty much anything you put in your regular oatmeal)

Sweeteners:

White sugar, brown sugar, honey, agave nectar, maple syrup, chocolate chips

Fruits:

Dried fruits - cranberries, raisins, chopped apricots

Berries (fresh or frozen)

Any other chopped fruit (preferably non citrus if using milk)

Nuts and seeds:

Chopped walnuts, pecans, almonds, pine nuts, sunflower seeds, soaked chia seeds, poppy seeds

Granola for extra crunch (I generally avoid this and just use nuts)

Spices and flavoring:

Cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, vanilla essence, cocoa powder

Extra nutrition:

Flaxseed/chia seed powder

vanilla/chocolate protein powder (eliminate sweetener if powder is sweet)

Bring the water-milk mixture to a boil on medium heat. Add the oats and cook for about 5 minutes.

Add any spices/flavorings that you plan to use. You may also add sweetener while cooking - I typically add a drizzle of honey/agave as a topping. Take off the heat and let the oatmeal cool down a little.

Divide the cooked oatmeal into muffin cups leaving a little room on top for the add-ins (silicone moulds work wonderfully for this - but you should be able to pop the frozen oatmeal out even without the moulds). Add your favorite toppings. Make sure everything touches the oatmeal so that it sticks. You can push the fruit in a little to make room on top if needed. Put it in the freezer for a couple hours. Once frozen, you can pop them out from the pan and store in an airtight plastic bag or container.

Here are a few flavor combinations that I’ve made so far (and remembered to take pictures of). I'll keep updating this space whenever I make something new/interesting.

The possibilities are endless and it is a lot of fun experimenting! When you’re ready to eat, heat as many oatmeal cups as you like in the microwave. I generally heat up two for my breakfast and it takes about 1-1.5 minutes on high setting to heat up. Add a little water/milk if desired and enjoy a hot bowl of hearty oatmeal.

~ Gayatri

Balsamic stir-fried vegetables

This recipe is inspired from my impatience and Karla’s delicious balsamic marinated mushroom and bell pepper sandwiches. To cut down the time between me and the tangy, delectable vegetables, I decided to use the marinade for making a stir fry. Since the marination time was omitted, I chopped the vegetables smaller to make sure they soak up the flavor from the sauce. Just like the previous recipe, any crunchy vegetables like carrots, broccoli, sugar snap peas etc. would work well in this recipe. 

Ingredients: (Makes ~1.5 cups of stir fry)

~8 mini sweet peppers - seeded and julienned

½ cup shredded carrots

white/portobello mushrooms - sliced (need to check package size at walmart)

1 clove of garlic - chopped / 1 tsp garlic powder (optional)

½ tsp olive oil

salt (or a drizzle of soy sauce)

black pepper

toasted sesame seeds (optional)

For the Marinade

3 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1-2 tsp honey mustard (or other type of mustard)

½ tsp olive oil
lemon juice (optional) - Balsamic vinegar made it tart enough for me, so I didn't add any lemon juice, but if you like it more tangy, add lemon juice to taste.

To make the marinade mix all the ingredients. If required, adjust the quantities as per your liking.

Saute the mushrooms and garlic with ½ tsp oil (just enough to prevent the mushrooms from sticking to the pan until they start sweating) over medium heat. Depending on how soft you like your carrots you can add them while the liquid from mushrooms is reducing. To keep the crunch in the peppers, add them when most of the liquid has evaporated. Add about 2 tbsp of the marinade. Season with salt/soy sauce and pepper. Keep cooking over medium high heat stirring occasionally, for a few more minutes, until the liquid evaporates and the veggies get a little charred (but not burned!). Mix in toasted sesame seeds and take pan off the heat.

Serving suggestions: 

1. Serve as is with the remaining marinade drizzled on top. 
   

   
   

 

2. Make a delicious sandwich! - I used mini ciabatta rolls, spread a little bit of the marinade on one side, topped with a couple pieces of lettuce, a simple chive omelette, and the crunchy stir fried vegetables - so many different textures!
   
   

These little colorful sandwiches are packed with a lot of flavor. This is definitely my favorite way of eating the vegetable stir-fry.

~Gayatri

Balsamic-marinated Porto-Bell-Pepper Sandwiches

I got this recipe straight from my mom, and every time I make it I can't get enough, it's so deliciously tangy! I typically use it to marinate bell peppers and Portobello mushroom slices, but carrots, snap peas, broccoli, onions, and even proteins like chicken or tofu can also work well. It can really be used for anything you care to try!

 

 

Ingredients: (makes 6-8 sandwiches)

3 bell peppers, sliced (I use one each of red, yellow, and orange, and avoid green because of its strong, not-so-sweet flavor)

~4 Portobello mushroom caps, sliced about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick

For the marinade:

1 cup canola or extra virgin olive oil

6 TBSP balsamic vinegar

4 TBSP grainy mustard (I use regular yellow condiment mustard)

2 TBSP lemon juice

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp salt (optional - I usually skip the salt)

 

 

Combine all marinade ingredients in a bowl or large Ziploc bag and mix well. Add sliced mushrooms and peppers to the bowl or bag and stir or shake contents so everything is well-coated in the marinade. Set aside and refrigerate for 8-48 hours (I will usually let it sit for at least a day).

 

When ready to cook, heat oven to 400F. Spoon the veggies into a baking pan (I use a 9x13 brownie pan). If you have excess marinade, you can save it and use as salad dressing. Bake the veggies 15-30 minutes, depending on how crunchy or soft you like them. I prefer a bit softer, so I usually bake 30 minutes.

 

A lot of the time, I will make a double batch of the marinade and use it for chicken as well as veggies. About 12 boneless skinless chicken thighs or 6 chicken breasts (halved or quartered) will work well for this amount of marinade. Bake the chicken at 400F for an hour.

 

When done baking, let the veggies (and/or chicken) cool for 5-10 minutes. Assemble sandwiches using your bread of choice - ciabatta works quite well! Garnish with tomato, lettuce, sprouts, etc. if desired. Makes a deliciously colorful and juicy sandwich!

 

 

~Karla

 

NOTE: You can also serve with rice instead of making sandwiches. Leftover marinade makes for great snacking with excess rice!

Ricotta pancakes with carrots and chives

This recipe is a result of a whatever I had available in the fridge on one particular evening, when I got home from work and was too hungry to make anything that needed more than 15 minutes total. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed these soft fluffy pancakes speckled with little bits of carrots and chives. The creaminess of ricotta cheese elevates both the taste and the texture.

Ingredients:

¼ cup ricotta cheese (I used low fat)

1 egg

¼-½ cup milk

½ cup of whole wheat flour (or all purpose flour)

2-3 tbsp finely grated carrots

1-2 tbsp chopped chives

1 tbsp Chia/Flax Seed powder (optional)

salt

pepper

~1 tsp oil/butter for frying the pancakes

Beat egg, add ricotta, carrots, chives and mix well. Add flour and milk (adjust milk quantity till you get desired consistency to make pancakes). Add chia/flax seed powder (optional). Add salt and pepper to taste and mix well.

In a pan over medium-low heat, add a couple drops of oil. Add about ¼ cup of batter. Cover and cook for about a minute until the bottom is cooked and the pancake can be lifted without breaking. Uncover and flip the pancake. Let the other side cook for a minute or so. Repeat with remaining batter.

Serving suggestions:

1. Serve warm with a dollop of sour cream and garnish with chopped chives.

2. Serve warm topped with a poached egg. The runny yolk makes for a wonderful sauce.

3. Make a “sandwich” with two pancakes. I did this with the leftovers as lunch for the next day (it reheats nicely in the microwave in just a few seconds). For the filling, I thinly spread sour cream on one side, avocado on the other side, and the filling was thick and chunky tomato sauce that I had leftover from something else. You can get creative with the fillings.

Any way you choose to eat it, it will make a delicious snack/meal!

~Gayatri

Easy Apple Crisp

This past holiday season, our employer gave out some pretty nice treats – our choice between a whole ham, turkey, or fruit basket with option to add sausage and cheese. I opted for the fruit basket with sausage and cheese – and boy, did it come with a lot of great fruit! I thought I might not be able to finish it all before they had chance to go bad. There were a lot of apples that needed to be eaten, so I figured the best way to make use of them was obviously a dessert ☺
 

I didn’t have any pie crust, so wanted to make something like a quick cobbler. I searched for some recipes, and cobbled together one of my own roughly based on a handful that I liked. I have made mini-crisps in a muffin pan, as well as one big crisp in a large baking dish. It turned out moist in the middle and crumbly in all the right places and full of great apple flavor!
 

 

Ingredients 

5-6 medium-sized apples

1 cup margarine
1½ cups oatmeal 
1½ cups brown sugar 
1½ cups flour (I used whole wheat)

  

Preheat oven to 350F.

  
Peel, core, and chop the apples into roughly ½-inch cubes and place in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine margarine, oats, brown sugar, and flour, and mix until a crumbly dry-ish mixture forms. Scoop about one-half to two-thirds of the mixture into the bowl with the apples, and stir to combine so that it is evenly distributed throughout the apples.

  
For mini-crisps: line a muffin pan with muffin liners (the foil kind works best) and fill each cup almost to the top, leaving about a quarter to half an inch for the crumbly crust. Sprinkle about half a tablespoon of the crumbly mixture on top of each muffin cup and pat down to form a crust, adding more if needed. Bake 15-20 minutes until the crumble crust is golden-brown. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

For large crisp: pour the apple-crumb mixture into a baking dish (I typically use one of those oval Corningware casserole dishes). Pour the remaining crumbly mixture on top and pat down to form a crust. Bake 30-35 minutes until the crumble top has turned a golden-brown color. Let cool before serving.

 

Serve up the apple crisp as is, or with a scoop of cool vanilla ice cream. This is one dessert that reheats quite well, and usually goes fast in our house!

  
 ~Karla