Chinese: Shrimp Fried Rice

Yield: 3 Servings
---CATE VANICEK---
c Cold cooked rice
3 Eggs, slightly beaten
1/3 c Raw shrimp, cleaned and
Slivered
1/3 c BBQ pork
1/2 t Cornstarch
1 t Wine
1 T Soy sauce
1/4 t MSG (optional)
2 Green onions, diced
1 t Salt
Peanut oil
Pan-fry the eggs into thin sheets in a frying pan. Remove and cut into
small strips.
Heat peanut oil over high heat. Stir-fry shrimp and chicken. When
done, sizzle in 1 tsp. wine.
Add the cooked rice. Stir until well-mixed. Add 1 tbsp. soy sauce, /4
tsp. MSG and the diced green onion. Add 1 tsp. salt (or more).
Stir-frry for at least 10 minutes over MEDIUM heat. Add egg strips.
Serve hot.
Note: The cooked rice should not be sticky. It might even be better to
use day-old rice. If you must use freshly cooked rice, you may spread
the rice on a cookie sheet and let cool completely before you stir-fry
it.

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Chickenlegs with Mango Chutney & Carott Rice

Yield: 2 Servings
18 oz Chickenlegs,allready cooked
---Chutney:---
1 Mango, fresh or
1/3 oz Mango ,canned
1 Onion
1 Piece of fresh Ingwer
1 T Oil
2 oz Raisins
1 T Sugar
3 T Vinegar
1 T Catsup
Pepper
1/2 t Coriander
1/2 t Kurcuma
---Rice:---
5 oz Rice
3 T Coconut, shredded
3 1/2 oz Carotts
1/3 oz Butter
2 T Sugar
Bake the precooked chickenlegs in 200 C oven untill they are brown. 2.
Peel the mango, remove stone and cut into small cubes. 3. Peel and chop
onion finely. 4. Peel and chop ingwer finely. 5. Heat the oil and saute
the onion; add the mango and ingwer.Saute a minute more.Add the rest
and let it simmer 30 minutes. Let it cool and season as hot as you
like. 6. Simmer the rice in saltwater until done; keep warm 7. Put the
coconut into a dry skillet and brown it. Peel the carotts and cut into
fine strips or grate them. 9. Heat the butter in skilett and fry the
carotts shortly; add sugar and heat until sugar has become caramel.
Stir all the time. 10.Add carotts and the coconut to the rice, mix and
serve with the cold chicken and the cold mango. Good for hot
summerdays.

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Chicken Yellow Rice

Yield: 4 Servings
2 x Chicken Breasts, Halved
1 T Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
Garlic Clove, Chopped
1 sm Onion, Chopped Fine
1 c Raw Rice
3 c Water
1 pn Saffron Threads Or Powder
1 c Chopped Broccoli (Or Frozen)
Saute the chicken in the oil with the garlic and onions until lightly
browned. Remove mixture to a large pot, discarding excess oil. Add the
rice, water, and large pinch of saffron to the pot and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat and simmer. tightly covered, until the rice is tender
(at least 30 min.), adding extra water if necessary. When the rice is
nearly tender, add the broccoli to the top of the pot and cover. Cook
for 5 min more. Broccoli should be bright green and tender when the
meal is cooked. If the rice is done before the broccoli, simply turn
off the heat, cover the pot again, and let the broccoli finish cooking
by steaming. Children like the novel idea of "yellow" rice.

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Saucy Chicken Parmesan

Ingredients

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (1 to 1-1/2 pounds)
Nonstick cooking spray
1 slightly beaten egg white
1 tablespoon water
3/4 cup cornflakes, crushed (about 1/3 cup)
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning, basil, or oregano, crushed, or 1 teaspoon snipped fresh basil or oregano
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1-1/3 cups spaghetti sauce
4 ounces dried spaghetti, fettuccine, or other pasta, cooked according to package directions and drained
Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
Fresh herb sprigs (optional)


Directions
1. Place each piece of chicken between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Using the flat side of a meat mallet, lightly pound to flatten slightly (about 1/2 inch thick). Remove plastic wrap.
2. Lightly coat a shallow baking pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside. In a shallow dish combine egg white and the water. In another shallow dish combine crushed cornflakes, the 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, the Italian seasoning, and pepper. Dip chicken pieces, one at a time, into egg mixture; coat with crumb mixture. Place coated chicken pieces in prepared baking pan.
3. Bake in a 400 degree oven about 15 minutes or until chicken is tender and no longer pink (170 degrees F).
4. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan warm spaghetti sauce over low heat. Divide pasta among 4 dinner plates. Place chicken on top of pasta. Spoon spaghetti sauce over chicken. If desired, sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese. If desired, garnish with fresh herb sprigs. Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition Facts
Calories 312, Total Fat 3 g, Saturated Fat 1 g, Cholesterol 68 mg, Sodium 566 mg, Carbohydrate 37 g, Fiber 3 g, Protein 34 g. Daily Values: Vitamin A 0%, Vitamin C 0%, Calcium 0%, Iron 0%. Exchanges: Vegetable .5, Starch 1, Other Carbohydrate 1.5.
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

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Four Season Grilled Chicken

Ingredients

1 medium onion, finely chopped (1/2 cup)
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons margarine or butter
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teasoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
6 medium skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 1-1/4 pounds total)
Shredded lettuce (optional)
Chopped tomato (optional)
Avocado slices (optional)


Directions
1. In a small saucepan cook onion and garlic in melted margarine or butter until tender. Stir in the chili powder, cumin, and ground red pepper. Cook for 1 minute. Brush half of the onion mixture over chicken.
2. Grill chicken on an uncovered grill directly over medium coals for 6 minutes. Turn chicken; brush with remaining onion mixture. Grill for 6 to 8 minutes more or until chicken is tender and no longer pink. (Or, place chicken on the unheated rack of a broiler pan. Broil 5 to 6 inches from the heat for 10 to 12 minutes, turning once and brushing with remaining onion mixture.) Serve with shredded lettuce, chopped tomato, and avocado slices, if desired. Makes 6 servings.

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How to Make Chocolate Cake

QUICK CHOCOLATE CAKE

Servings: 12
Prep: 5 minutes
Total: 35 minutes

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups cold water
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
Ice cream (optional)
Whipped cream (optional)
Powdered suger (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl combine flour, granulated sugar, the water, the vegetable oil, cocoa powder, baking soda, white vinegar, salt, and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer on medium to high speed until well combined. Pour batter into a greased 13x9x2-inch baking pan.
Bake for 35 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. If desired, serve with ice cream or whipped cream, or dust with powdered sugar.

NUTRITION FACTS

Calories 359, Total Fat (g)13, Saturated Fat (g)1, Sodium (mg)406, Carbohydrate (g)59, Fiber (g)2, Protein (g)4, Calcium (DV%)1, Iron (DV%)11. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet.

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10 Reasons Why I Hate My Diet

hree weeks ago on the advice, no let’s be more accurate, the DIRECT ORDER of my cantankerous & curmudgeonly doctor I went on a diet. So I thought it was time to check in with an update on the 10 Reasons Why I Hate My Diet.

1 – I hate my diet because it has the letters “D – I – E” in it and early on it felt like it too….but it hasn’t killed me yet so I might as well keep going.

2 – I hate my diet because it says you should drink DECAF coffee with fat free half & half….but there are some things in life I can’t do and decaf with my 2 hour commute is a definitely one of those things so I am still having my KAHUNA sized travel mug on the way to the train but I have stuck with the fat free half & half (oxymoron) and stopped getting the double espresso from the office swill machine.

3 – I hate my diet because I can’t eat regular bacon and we all know that bacon makes everything better and this diet needs a lot of help in becoming even tolerable….but turkey bacon, while having fake white stripes that crack me up, and Canadian bacon aren’t actually half bad. In fact, as a kid I used to order Canadian bacon whenever I saw it on the menu so in some ways my diet is nostalgic.

4 – I hate my diet because during the first few weeks you aren’t allowed fruit yogurt which to my son isn’t a bad idea at all as he can’t stand yogurt even though I try to tell him that it is fruit pudding….but I couldn’t give up my morning fat free yogurt so I didn’t. My diet was just going to have to live with that.

5 – I hate my diet because I am addicted to chocolate and there are no two ways about it, chocolate is not allowed….but I will have to give it up to the people at Baskin-Robbins who have made great SUGAR FREE Mint Chocolate Chip and SUGAR FREE Cookies & Cream hard candies. My daughter swears that if you freeze them, they taste like a nugget of ice cream in your mouth and they are only 10 calories.

6 – I hate my diet because I had to start it just before my daughter’s birthday and my birthday and my daughter’s birthday party and a Mother’s Day Brunch so there were plenty of minefields and culinary booby traps in my path….but I didn’t let those bother me, I had a sliver of cake for my daughter, I had a slice of cake for me, I had a sip of a Red Velvet Cupcake Smoothie for the party and I skipped dessert and had sugar free jello when I got home from the Mother’s Day Brunch instead.

7 – I hate my diet because I can’t eat fruit during the first couple of weeks and I love fruit….but those first few weeks are almost over and in checking the booklet I see that pineapple, watermelon & raisins seem to be the only fruits I can’t have. Summer is almost here and not only do I love watermelon but I have a couple of great watermelon ties so we shall have to see about this one.

8 – I hate my diet because I need to run every morning at 3:45am so I can still catch my train in the morning and see my kids at a somewhat decent hour each night….but getting up early to workout (which I used to do a lot before I got fat) actually isn’t so bad now that I have a DVR on the basement TV. Combine that with Xfinity On Demand and I actually have something to watch other than infomercials & repeats of Joy Behar while I count down the miles.

9 – I hate my diet because it says that Gatorade is not a beverage that is allowed…. but if you think I am going to run 3+ miles every morning and work on my garden outside and only drink water, then you are crazy. I drink one bottle of Gatorade (17.5 oz) every 2 days during the week and 1 to 2 a day on Saturday & Sunday depending on how much work I am doing. I shoveled 7 cubic yards of dirt this past Saturday so I might have had an extra bottle.

10 – I hate my diet because during this first phase, pasta is not allowed and I have to go to a lot of charity events & cocktails parties where I have discovered that pasta is served a lot….but having to cut back on most cocktail party & charity dinner foodstuffs other than beef, veggies & cheese actually hasn’t been so bad. My lovely wife (and partner in dieting crime) has been extremely amenable to just make an appearance and get the hell out so I am spending less time standing around eating goat cheese puffs and slimy stuff on a stupid. (As an side to all caterers out there – stop serving food on a spoon unless the server is going to stand there and wait for me to slurp whatever the hell it is in there)

BONUS # 10 (because I don’t know how to count) – I hate my diet because I love desserts and I have always had a sweet tooth….but where there is a will, there is a way and with the help of Fat Free Cool Whip, Sugar Free Jell-o, Splenda, Light Ricotta Cheese, Vanilla extract and Werther’s Sugar Free Caramel Coffee, Caramel Cinnamon & Caramel Mint hard candies I have been able to keep my sweet tooth somewhat at bay. I did make one of those weight watchers diet soda cakes and the kids liked it. I had a small bite and will try it again but I will bake it longer and will try a different flavor – the lemon cake dominated the diet orange soda.

So with all this hating of my diet, how have the results been you ask ? Well head to your pantry or to the baking aisle at your local grocery store and pick up a 5lb bag of sugar. Now pick up another one. If you can, pick up one more and start walking around. Now put them down and start walking around again. It isn’t easy carrying 15 extra pounds around with you and I bet it felt good to put the bags down. Well 15lbs (as of last Friday, I refuse to weigh myself on a Monday Morning) is what I have lost so far and it does feel good to get the weight off again. I am eyeing that 4th bag of sugar as we speak.

Come back next time when we discuss what I am watching at 3:45am as I run and how I am doing once I transition to Phase 2 of the diet and start adding back some forbidden foods who’s absence have helped me lose as much as I have.

[ View Recipe ]

Grilled Chicken Parm Cheese

Chicken Parm Grilled Cheese

a;lkdsfkdsfkadslkjf;jldkfjf!!! That’s the only way I can think of to express my excitement about this sandwich through words over the Internet. This Chicken Parm grilled cheese idea had been floating around in my head for a long time but I never gave it a shot. I thought critically about the construction of it. The bread has got to be right, I used a good Italian bread. The cheese should be a good quality fresh mozz, although I have a hunch that the dried mozz would melt quicker (give it a shot and let me know). The chicken cutlet MUST be pounded out thin. When we talk about grilled cheese, its all about proportions. You can’t have a thick breaded chicken breast in there, it just doesn’t work like that, its not a grilled cheese. The tomato sauce needs to be simple and fresh. There are four ingredients in mine. I start with thinly sliced garlic and basil stems that cook in olive oil to flavor the oil. Then I pour in a can of whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes, some salt and I cook it for about 30 minutes and then blend it smooth. At the end, check for salt, tomatoes NEED salt and depending on the acidity, one can may need more salt than another so you must taste it. Its fool-proof! But the kicker in this sandwich is the fresh basil leaves. It really brings home the Italian flavors. This sandwich makes me proud. PLEASE try this recipe, its amazing, you will cry tears of joy, just DO IT (and email me a pic of it because its basically food porn…and I love that! thefoodfreak@gmail.com)

Ingredients:

1 Homemade breaded organic chicken breast, pounded thinly. Try to create a piece of chicken that will fit the shape of the bread that you use.

1/2 Cup (4-5 slices) Mozzarella cheese

4-5 Fresh basil leaves

2 Slices of a Italian Bread

Fresh Tomato Sauce

Mayo, instead of butter for spreading on the outside of the bread.

_________________________________________________

Thinly slice up the mozz.

Take your cooked chicken cutlet and dip it in hot tomato sauce. The reason I highlight hot is because mozzarella can be difficult to fully melt. By having the sauce hot, it helps cook the grilled cheese from the inside out, helping to speed up the process.

To assemble the sandwich, place about 2 slices of mozzarella on each side of the bread along with 2-3 basil leaves. Then lay the hot tomato sauce covered chicken cutlet on one side and close up the sandwich.

Evenly spread the mayo all over the outside surface of the bread.

It’s best to use a cast iron pan if you have one, if not, a good non-stick works fine. You don’t want the heat too hot but you don’t want it too low either. You have to find a happy medium. Don’t melt butter the pan, the mayo browns the bread really nicely. You could use a butter/mayo mix as well, that’s probably the best. Some grilled cheese places will say they have a “special” spread that crisps the bread up real nice…yea, that’s just mayo and butter.

Cook it until the bread it nicely golden brown and then carefully flip it. Cook the same way on the other side. If the cheese isn’t fully melted but both sides are browned keep flipping the sandwich to keep it on the heat but preventing it from getting burnt.

Once the cheese is melted, cut the sandwich in half and revel in the absolute beauty of this beast.

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Almond and Rice Flour Bread with Poppy Seeds

Yield: 1 Serving
1/2 c Whole almonds, with skins
1 1/2 c Brown rice flour
4 t Baking powder
1/4 t Salt
3 t Poppy seeds
1/2 c Plain low-fat yogurt
1/2 c Water
1 lg Whole egg
1 lg Egg white white
2 T Vegetable oil
This and the following two recipes are wheat free, utilizing brown rice
flour. They're from an article by Jacqueline Mallorca in the Chron.
For those to whom it is important, she's working on a book about
wheat-free baking. No hint as to the release date though.
Preheat oven to 350F. Butter an 8 x 4inch loaf pan.
Place almonds and 1/2 cup of the flour in bowl of a food processor and
grind until a fine meal is formed++the flour will prevent the nuts from
turning oily. Add remaining rice flour, the baking powder, salt and 2
teaspoons of the poppy seeds; process briefly.
Combine yogurt, water, whole egg, egg white and oil in a 2-cup
measuring cup.
With processor motor running, pour liquid ingredients through feed tube
over flour mixture, processing just long enough to mix.
Transfer batter to prepared pan. Sprinkle with remaining poppy seeds,
and bake for 55 minutes. Turn out onto a rack to cool. (Bread slices
best after several hours, or the next day).
Makes one 18-ounce loaf (18 slices).
PER SLICE: 90 calories, 3 g protein, 11 g carbohydrate, 4 g fat (1 g
saturated), 12 mg cholesterol, 115 mg sodium, 1 g fiber.

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