Bellygasm

Easy Eggs Benedict in Minutes

2009-08-29T18:37:24-07:00

Everytime I see eggs benedict on a menu, it puts a smile on my face. I like to dub it as sunshine on a plate: two softly poached eggs on top of a Canadian bacon and a warm, toasted English muffin served with a dollop of creamy, luscious hollandaise sauce. In other words, "Good Morning, Sunshine!"

Admittedly, I love eggs. It's one of my favorite food. I like it poached, fried, scrambled, deviled... you name it. I'll pass on Wheaties for eggs anyday. Adios, Mary Lou.

My eggs benedict recipe is a breakfast worthy of champions. Contrary to popular assumptions, it's actually easy to make eggs benedict with homemade hollandaise. It's all about timing and quick assembly. Follow my instructions, and you too will get a gold medal from your Sunday brunch guests.

Suggestion: For a lighter, healthier option, you can swap the the Canadian bacon for a slice of tomato. For a more glamorous version, you can use prosciutto or smoked salmon for the savory component. For a French twist, try it with crossiant halves in lieu of English muffins.

Serves: 2-4
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

4 slices of Canadian bacon or prosciutto
1 teaspoon of white vinegar
4 large eggs
2 tablespoons of butter
2 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
1 teaspoon of tabasco sauce
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of pepper (preferably white)
4 English muffins halves
Dash of cayenne pepper

Preparation

In a large saucepan, bring 3 inches of water to simmer.
While water is coming to a simmer, lightly brown the Canadian bacon evenly on both sides over medium-high heat in a skillet. Set aside. Cover to keep it warm.
Melt butter in a microwave safe bowl until bubbly about 1 minute. Add egg yolks, lemon juice, salt, pepper and tabasco and whisk until smooth. Cover and set aside
Add vinegar to water. Break 1 egg into a bowl and slide it into simmering water as close to the surface of the water as possible. Repeat with other eggs.
Use a slotted spoon to gather any egg whites that might have spread out toward the yolk. You have to do this in the beginning of the poaching process. Cook about 2-3 minutes. Remove and drain on a paper towel. (Tip: Sight & touch are important for determining when the eggs are ready. For a soft, runny yolk, carefully bring an egg above water with a slotted spoon. You want it still jiggly like extra soft tofu, not firm like jello.)
Toast English muffins to warm.

Serving suggestion. Place a muffin on a plate. Top with 1 slice of Canadian bacon, 1 poached egg, a drizzle of your homemade hollandaise sauce, and a sprinkle cayenne pepper. Serve immediately.

(Note: You can poach the eggs and make the sauce before your guests arrive. Just drop the eggs in simmering water to warm them and add a few drops of hot water to your hollandiase sauce to bring it back up to temperature and thin it out since cold sauce tends to thicken.)

Best Lasagna Recipe Made Easy

2009-08-22T23:02:25-07:00

Before The Simpsons, there was Garfield. As a child, I read the comic strip, watched the cartoon, and even had a stuck-on-you doll with suction cups on the paws that I put up on my mom's car windows. (Sorry, bad trip to the 80's.)

I always felt a particular kinship with the orange tabby cat. Besides being cynical, sarcastic, and borderline sadistic to John, his owner, Garfield loathes Mondays, diets, or any form of exertion. He is truly one badass kitty.

So what does Garfield have to do with my easy recipe for lasagna, you ask?

1. Garfield is the original foodie who was born in an Italian restaurant kitchen.
2. He eats practically everything, and his favorite food is lasagna.
3. As all impressionable, Saturday morning cartoon devotee, I too became food obsessed and a lover of lasagna.

I hope my simple lasanga recipe, a rendition on the classic, will be as well received for you as it did for me. My guests enjoyed 2nds and even 3rds!! If you prefer a vegetarian lasagna, just swap the sausage for sliced zucchinis and/or squash. I promise you'll never buy a frozen Stouffer's again.

Serves: 8-10
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes

Ingredients

1 pound of spicy Italian sausage or ground beef (sausages are seasoned so it adds more flavor & complexity)
1 10-oz. box of spinach, defrosted, drained, & squeezed of any liquid
1 9-oz. box of no-boil lasagne noodles (barilla or your favorite brand)
6 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup of parmesan cheese

For Marinara Sauce:
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 small onion, finely diced
1/2 teaspoon of dried basil
1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano
1 tablespoon of olive oil
4 1/2 cups of crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup of red wine
Salt & pepper

Preparation

In a large skillet, add oil over medium-high heat. Removing casing and add sausages in bite sized chunks to brown for about 5 minutes. Remove and set aside leaving oil and any fat rendering.
Add onion to sauté until translucent while scraping any carmelization. Add garlic, basil, oregano, crushed tomatoes, and red wine. Bring it to a boil before reducing heat and cover to simmer for 10 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.
While the marinara sauce simmers, prepare spinach and set aside. (Tip: If the spinach is frozen, defrost in microwave per instruction. If already defrosted and at room temperature, make sure to drain and squeeze out any liquid.)
Preheat oven at 375F. Grease the bottom and the sides of a 13x9x3 baking pan with olive oil.
Spread 1 cup of sauce evenly on the bottom of baking pan.
Layer 4 uncooked lasagne sheets, half of the sausages, 1 1/2 cup of mozzarella, and 1 cup of sauce.
Repeat another layer of uncooked sheets, spinach, 1 1/2 cup of mozzarella, and 1 cup of sauce.
Repeat another layer of uncooked sheets, remaining sausages, 1 1/2 cup of mozzarella, and 1 cup of sauce.
Add final layer of uncooked sheets, remaining sauce, remaining mozzarella, and parmesan cheese.
Cover tightly with foil. Bake for 50 minutes until bubbly. Uncover foil and continue to bake for another 15-20 minutes until cheese is completely melted and starts to brown.
Remove from oven and let it stand for 15 minutes before serving.

Everyday Roast Turkey Dinner

2009-08-22T19:16:18-07:00

A friend asked me the other day if I have to eat the same meal everyday for the rest of my life, what would it be? I didn't think twice about before blurting out, "Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings!"

I just love everything about Thanksgiving: roast turkey with gravy, stuffing, cranberry sauce, yams, green beans... In fact, I decided why wait til November when I can have an oven-roasted turkey dinner tonight.

For this easy weeknight recipe, I choose turkey breast tenderloins, rather than breasts, because it's faster to cook yet thick enough to remain moist and juicy. My turkey tenderloin recipe is actually similar to how I cook pork tenderloin. Plus, I want to make two of my favorites sides while the tenderloins finish in the oven: stuffing and collard green. Now that's what I call a quick, soul-satisfying meal. Don't forget to say grace!

Serves: 4
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

3-4 turkey tenderloins (about 2 lbs)
1 tablespoons of dried rosemary
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 tablespoon of butter
1 tablespoon of flour
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350F. In a oven safe skillet, heat oil in medium-high heat.
Pat turkey tenderloins dry and season with, salt, pepper and rosemary. Quickly sear the outside to lock in moisture.
Roast tenderloins for about 10-15 minutes, to an internal temperature of 160F.
Remove promptly and let stand for 10 minutes. (Tip: While the tenderloins cook and rest, you can prepare your sides.
Pour any juice from the tenderloins back into the skillet and deglaze with a cup of chicken stock.
Make a beurre manié or "kneaded butter" (equal parts of butter and flour) to thicken gravy.
Whisk in beurre manié and cook over low heat.

Serving suggestion: Slice tenderloins in 1/2-inch diagonal pieces. Serve with homemade gravy.

Summer Lentil Soup

2009-08-10T19:27:26-07:00

Let go my Lentil! I'm so excited. As a soup lover, I will choose a cup of hot savory soup over, say, a bowl of ice cream any day. In honor of the summer and the bounty of fresh vegetables, I have an easy lentil soup recipe that is so good you'll start to stock up on lentil beans (red, beluga, yellow) on your next trip to the grocery.

Depending on the stock you prefer to use, it can be a simple vegetarian lentil soup. For this recipe, I think green lentil is best because I use more tomato than in a typical French lentil soup. I always like to have as many different color on the plate, in this case, bowl as possible. Another reason why I think it's the best lentils soup ever is because it's pretty low fat so I indulge myself to multiple servings.

P.S. It actually get's better the next day so make sure to save some for leftover.

Serves: 4
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 60 minutes

Ingredients

1 cup of purple onion, diced
1 cup of white onion, diced
1 1/2 cup of carrots, diced
1 1/2 cup of celery, diced
5 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
5 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
5 cups of broth (chicken or vegetarian)
1 tablespoon of celery salt
1 tablespoon of dry thyme
4 bay leaves
1 1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Celery leaves 4 garnish

Preparation

In a large pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté for 3-4 minutes.
Add carrots and sauté for 2 minutes.
Add celery and sauté for another 2 minutes. (Tip: Sometimes I like to layer in the flavors one at a time to add complexity)
Add garlic sauté for 1 minute.
Add thyme, celery salt, and 1 1/4 cup of green lentils. Stir to blend evenly.
Add crushed tomatoes, stock and bay leaves. Stir and bring it to a boil.
Cover and lower heat to low-medium. Simmer for about 45 minutes.Finish with balsamic vinegar and celery leaves for garnish.

Singapore-Style Shrimp with Sweet & Sour Pineapple

2009-08-10T12:33:58-07:00

I'm such a junkie for Singapore noodles (星洲炒米粉) that I order it whenever I see it on a menu. I read from a Chinese cookbook once that it's a Cantonese invention. Do you think it's true? In any case, whoever came up with it is a mad genius. As an homage to my favorite noodle dish, I created this easy shrimp recipe that is so healthy and delicious that you will want to make it again and again.

In the summertime, I love to feature fruit as a central ingredient in a recipe. For this Singapore-style shrimp recipe with sweet & sour pineapple, I prefer to use canned pineapple for the guaranteed sugar level. The sweetness from the pineapple and the smokiness from the Madras curry are a quintessential match made in food heaven. I just imagine the two flavors dancing cheek-to-cheek inside my mouth like a sizzling couple on Dancing with the Stars.

As an added bonus, my recipe for shrimp stir-fry is simple to prepare yet complex to the taste. Serve it on a bed of jasmine rice for a complete and well-balanced meal.

Serves: 4
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

1 pound of large shrimp, peeled, de-veined, rinsed & drained
1/4 cup of sugar
3 tablespoons of soy sauce
1 tablespoon of sherry or white wine
1 cup of water
1 tablespoon of cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon of ground pepper (preferably white pepper)
1 tablespoon of ginger, minced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
3 tablespoons of canola oil
1 small onion, thinly sliced
2 medium carrot, julienned
2 cups of pineapple chunks, drained (reserve 1 tablespoon of pineapple juice)
1 green bell pepper, julienned
1 tablespoon of Madras curry powder
1 tablespoon of red-wine vinegar

Preparation

Whisk and dissolve sugar, soy sauce, sherry, white pepper, water and cornstarch. Add shrimp and marinate for 20 minutes and drain.
In a large wok or heavy skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat. Add ginger and garlic, be careful not to burn.
Add shrimp and stir fry for 1-2 minutes. Cook in 2 separate batches if necessary to avoid crowding and steaming. Remove promptly and set aside.
Add remaining oil to stir fry onion for a minute. Add carrot, pineapple and bell pepper to stir fry for another minute. Remove and set aside
Return shrimp, pineapple and vegetables to wok. Add curry and stir fry for about 1-2 minutes until heated through. Add pineapple juice, vinegar, and toss quickly to combine. Salt & pepper to taste.

Suggestion:

Add a little Sriracha and you'll have sweet, sour, smoky and spicy!

Summer Salmon with Pineapple in Orange-Ponzu Sauce

2009-08-10T00:05:10-07:00

Salmon is one of my favorite fish. When I was at WholePaycheck today, I was pleasantly introduced to Wild Keta Salmon. Two of my favorite salmons to eat and to cook are Wild King and Copper River Salmon. I've never cooked Keta Salmon so needless to say, I was curious. Frankly, the salmon filet was so gorgeous that I had to take it home...

For a light, summer fish recipe, I grabbed a fresh pineapple. The pineapple that I picked was so succulent, sweet and ripe that I need something salty and tart for balance. One of my favorite sushi restaurants in LA, Sushi Zo, pair certain fish with a dash of ponzu, and the first time I had it was a revelation. Naturally, when I saw the bottle of ponzu soy in my fridge, I knew it'd make a perfect sauce for my summer salmon recipe with pineapple. I'm happy to say my latest recipe for salmon is a little slice of Hawaii. Aloha!

Serves: 4
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

4 Keta salmon fillets (for medium or medium rare, at least 1 1/2 inch thick prevent overcooking)
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 carrots, julienned
2 stalk of celery, julienned
1 tablespoon of peeled ginger, julienned
1 cup of orange juice
2 cups of pineapple, cubbed (preferably fresh but canned is ok, just make sure to drain liquid)
4 tablespoons of ponzu soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar

Preparation

To cook salmon:

Preheat oven to 400F with a large baking pan that fits 4 fillets without crowding and lightly brush with olive oil (Tip: this will help stick the skin to the pan but the skin will hold the fillet together)
Once the oven reaches the desired temperature and the pan is also heated, season fillets with salt and pepper and transfer to the baking pan in the oven to cook for approx 10 minutes for medium. Remove from oven promptly. (Tip: Simply insert a metal spatula right above the skin of each fillets and lift; the skin should be stuck to the pan, giving you beautiful skinless, salmon fillets)

To make sauce:

Combine orange juice, ponzu soy, rice vinegar and ginger in a small sauce pan and boil to reduce liquid by half.
While the sauce is reducing, saute pineapple in a skillet to warm for approx 2-3 minutes on medium-high heat to release sugar.
Add carrot and celery to sauté for about 1-2 minutes to soften slightly yet still firm.
Strain sauce to remove ginger if desired. Combine with pineapple, carrots and celery. (Depending on the sugar level in the oj & pineapple, you may need to adjust with either sugar or salt.)

Serving suggestion:
Plate salmon fillets on plate. Serve pineapple and julienned veggies on top with reduced orange-ponzu sauce.

Bistecca alla Fiorentina (Florentine Steak)

2009-07-07T20:01:00-07:00

On my first trip to Italy over 10 years ago - wow where did the time go?, I dined on my first Bistecca alla Fiorentina (Beefsteak Florentine style), and it was like nothing that I've ever tasted before or any beef for that matter. The way the steak was cooked simply and rare I could almost taste the pasteur which the animal had roamed and grazed on. For one entire week all around Tuscany, I ate nothing but a Bistecca Fiorientina for lunch, a thick Porterhouse with a filet mignon on one side of the T-bone and a NY strip on the other. After devouring the entire Bistecca by myself, I always finished ceremoniously by licking my fingers for having picked up the T-bone and gnawed off any meat stuck to it. I called it a "No meat left behind" policy.

My Florentine Steak recipe is close to tradition. Some recipes call for a few anchovy fillets with the rosemary mixture, but I think just salt tastes more primal.

Serves: 2-3
Prep Time: 3 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

1 2-1/2 to 3 inch thick Porterhouse steak
3 fresh sprigs of rosemary
2 tablespoon of kosher salt or coarse sea salt
3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

Preparation

Take the steak out of the fridge and let it to come to room temperature upto 6 hours before cooking.
Remove rosemary leaves from sprigs. Grind with salt in a mortar and pestle to a coarse paste. Drizzle in oil and mix until it looks almost like a pesto.
Get your grill (mine is gas) as hot as you can, and I mean REALLY hot. Find a hot spot, season the steak only with salt (pepper will cause bitterness) and sear without moving it for 4 minutes per side. Leaving it undisturbed will get a good grill mark too. (FYI: I also like to rotate and sear the edge a little (the height of the steak) especially the fat part.)
The steak is ready: 1. if you Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the steak and get a reading of 120F, 2. the meat is springy to the touch, or 3. your mouth starts watering (Ok, the last test can be subjective.)
Transfer steak to a carving board. Let it rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing; resting allows the juice to redistribute in the steak. Spread rosemary mixture generously. (Tip: You can tent it with foil or just put it in the oven without any heat.)

Serving suggestion: I normally carve the meat out from the bone and cut both filet and strip diagonally into 1/2-inch thick slices. If serving at the table, reassemble the Bistecca Florientina with the T-bone back in the middle. Add a little freshly ground pepper before you serve.

Quick & Comfy Chicken Fricassée

2009-07-01T11:09:00-07:00

Do you like chicken fricassée? How about chicken dumplings? Well, I happen to love 'em both, "equally", as my mother would say when asked about her 3 children...

Last night I made chicken fricassee with dumplings for a comfy weeknight meal. It's a classic dish made easy. Rather than making my own dumplings, I used store bought DeCecco potato gnocchi which is as good as homemade. Plus, my easy chicken fricassee recipe transcends three cultures, starting with French to America and back across the pond to Italy. (I always associate chicken and dumplings with Southern comfort food.)

By the way, this melting pot of yummy soulfulness tastes even better the next day. Heck, I just filed this under easy chicken recipe as a 1-pot meal.

Serves: 6 to 8
Prep Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 55 mins

Ingredients

4 pounds of chicken pieces (I prefer thighs, but breasts is also good)
2 tablespoon of olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1 garlic clove, crushed & chopped
1 cup chopped celery with leaves
1 cup of carrots, chopped diagnoally
1/4 teaspoon of cayenne
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 1/2 cups chicken broth or water
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 package of gnocchi
1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce
1 cup of bell peppers, chopped in 1-inch pieces
1 can of cream of mushroom soup

Preparation

In a Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Brown chicken on all sides, in separate batches to avoid crowding, for approx. 8-10 minutes. Remove chicken and set aside.
Deglaze pot with white wine while scrapping the tasty bits. Sauté onion for about 3 minutes or until translucent. Add garlic, celery, carrots, cayenne, and bay leaves to sauté for 2 minutes.
Return chicken to the Dutch oven. Add 2 cups of broth or water, perferably heated to maintain a consistent temperature in the pot, and cover to bring it to boil before reducing to a simmer for about 20 minutes or until chicken is just cooked yet tender.
Remove chicken from the Dutch oven and let it cool before removing meat from bones. Cut into bit size.
While chicken is cooling, cook the gnoochi as instruction indicted but in only half the time (approx. 5-6 minutes). Drain and set aside.
Add mushroom soup and remaining broth or water. Return chicken to the Dutch oven. Add gnocchi, bell peppers, and Worcestershire sauce. Raise heat to medium-high to finish cooking gnocchi until thickened and bubbly. Stir to combine and keep gnocchi from sticking to the bottom of pot. Salt and pepper to taste.

Easy, Creamy Potato Leek Soup

2009-06-27T13:04:00-07:00

I'm a big fan of soup, especially in the winter but come to think of it, in the summer too. Potato leek soup is one of those recipes that is good all year round. I often get inspired by the fresh produce at my local farm stand. When I saw these beautiful, vibrant green leeks and big russet potatoes that looked like it just came out of the earth, I immediately wanted to rush home and make a bowl of creamy (yet light) potato leek soup for lunch. Mmm...

This is about as easy as it gets for potato leek soup recipes. If I may be so bold, it's close to being the best potato leek soup recipe that you can make it in less than 30 minutes. It's low fat and hearty at the same time. Say what? Use vegetable broth in lieu of chicken, and you'll have a delicious vegetarian potato and leek soup.

Serves: 4
Prep Time: 5 mins
Total Time: 25 mins

Ingredients

2 leeks, both green and white part, rinsed well & chopped
1 tablespoon of butter
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 pound of potatoes (russet is preferred), peeled & cut to 1/2-inch cubes
4 cups of chicken or vegetable broth
Salt & pepper to taste

Preparation

In a large pot, melt butter with olive oil over medium heat. Add leeks and season with salt and pepper. Sauté leeks for 5 minutes or until tender and slightly brown.
Add potatoes and sauté for 2 minutes. Add warm broth and bring it to a boil before reducing to simmer for about 10-12 minutes. (Tip: Whenever I use broth, I always heat it up to maintain a consistent temperature with what I'm adding to as well as to speed up cooking time.)
Remove pot from heat. Using a hand blender, purée the soup. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serving suggestion: Sometimes I like to add small cubes of croutons for texture. Other times, I may sprinkle a teaspoon of Parmesan cheese or spice it up with a dash of cayenne. If I'm having the potato leek soup as a meal, I may also toast some baguette slices with a nice layer of goat cheese or chèvre. Yum..... It's really delish.

Hail, Caesar Salad! Light & Classic, 1.0-3.0

2009-06-22T08:27:42-07:00

Hail Caesar! Salad, that is. I love Ceasar salad. I love MAKING caesar salad dressing even more with my beloved mortar and pestle. You can make this recipe with a food processor, but the mortar & pestle is just perfecto for making cesar dressing. Let the truth be told: I haven't bought any salad dressings period (uh huh,thats right ) for 8 months, and I have yet to look back. This is the 1st of many salad dressing recipes to come.

This homemade caesar salad dressing recipe with no egg is so easy that you'll want to make it fresh everyday. It's also low calorie so you can enjoy it guilt free. I also have several variations (below) to tantalize your tastebuds and hopefully inspire your creativity.

Serves: 4-6
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

2 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon of salt
2 tablespoon of anchovy paste or 3 anchovy fillets
2 teaspoon of pepper
2 tablespoon of lemon juice
1 cup coarsely grated Parmesan cheese (Parmigiano-Reggiano is my fav)
1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil
1 pound of Romaine hearts, chopped

Preparation

1.0 - Light & Classic

Crush and mash garlic with salt using a mortar & pestle or food processor.
Add anchovy paste or fillets and mash with garlic.
Add pepper, lemon juice, 3/4 of a cup of Parmesan and mix well.
Drizzle in olive oil and continue to whisk until emulsified. (Tip: If time permits, chill in refrigerator for 10-15 minutes or 5 minutes in freezer allows ingredients to intensify.)
Toss with chopped romaine hearts and remaining Parmigiano Reggiano.
Salt & pepper to taste.

2.0 - Creamy & Complex

Add a teaspoon of Dijon mustard, Tobasco, & Worcestershire sauce before step 4.

3.0 - Pesto-esque

Add 1/2 cup of basil before step 2 and mash.

Serving suggestion: Top with croutons or add grilled chicken, shrimp or salmon for a low-carb meal.