Tomato pasta with wine and spinach

I have been M.I.A for a week, sorry but I have been working like crazy on the upcoming e-cookbooks as well as the content for the new website that will be up an running in less than two weeks.

To be honest I don't think that everything will be done, so much to do, but I will try my best!!

I have been cooking and baking up a storm the past 2 weeks trying to catch up on my recipes. I have done some great ones and some not so great, trial and error I guess, but for the most part I am quite content with the results.

Stay tuned for the books, I think you are going to be quite happy about them. Remember all of the pictures I have been posting on facebook with all of those yummy goodies? were they will all be included in the books. I am so so pumped.

Well, about this dish now, to be honest this is a very similar one I made a while back. The only difference with this one is that I used tons of parsley and blue cheese as well as marinara sauce instead of chopped tomatoes. I also used white wine so I think this one is a good contender too. You see, we love blue cheese, even my kids liked it in this dish. Granted they will not eat it all on its own, but in the pasta it is rather yummy. it gave it a very distinctive flavor.

You can use any other  type of cheese you may like though. I did a combination of the blue cheese and Parmesan and it was rather good, so go ahead and used your favorite combination.

I never get tired of pasta. I sometimes use gluten free pasta made with brown rice which is also very good. Since we do eat quite a bit of pasta switching to a gluten free kind is something that we do often.

Anyhow, I hope you like this tomato pasta version. Until my next post,

Enjoy!

Ingredients

Makes 4-6 servings

1 lb whole wheat penne, You can use any other type of whole wheat pasta of your choice
1 lb jar organic marinara sauce, use your favorite one
1 onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 10 oz bag fresh spinach
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon pepper flakes, optional
1 teaspoon of salt or to taste

Cook pasta to aldente stage.

Meanwhile, in a heavy sauce pan, over medium to high heat, place oil and onion and cook the onion until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute, just until fragrant. Add the wine and salt and cook for about 2-3 minutes until the wine has reduced to half the amount.

Add the tomato sauce, cheeses and heavy cream and stir until well incorporated. Add the parsley. Turn heat off and add fresh spinach. Toss in the drained cooked pasta and stir to combine.

Serve.

Makes 4-6 servings

1 lb whole wheat penne, You can use any other type of pasta
2 14 oz can chopped tomatoes, juice drained
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon pepper flakes, optional
1 10 oz bag fresh spinach
1 cup shredded Romano and Parmesan cheese (You can add any other type of cheese. Sometimes I use a combination of Gorgonzola and Parmesan cheese )
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon of salt or to taste

Cook pasta to aldente stage.

Meanwhile, In a heavy sauce pan, over medium to high heat, place oil and garlic and cook for 1 minute, just until fragrant. Add drained tomatoes, salt and pepper flakes if using. Cook tomatoes for about 8 minutes.

Add cheese and heavy cream and stir. Add more seasoning as need it. (If you find the sauce is too thick for your liking you may add more cream) Turn heat off and add fresh spinach. Toss in the drained cooked pasta and stir to combine. - See more at: http://eatgood4life.blogspot.com/2012/03/pasta-with-creamy-tomato-sauce-and.html#sthash.n6piD7vJ.dpuf

Nutrition facts calculated based on the recipe giving 6 servings.

Makes 4-6 servings

1 lb whole wheat penne, You can use any other type of pasta
2 14 oz can chopped tomatoes, juice drained
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon pepper flakes, optional
1 10 oz bag fresh spinach
1 cup shredded Romano and Parmesan cheese (You can add any other type of cheese. Sometimes I use a combination of Gorgonzola and Parmesan cheese )
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon of salt or to taste

Cook pasta to aldente stage.

Meanwhile, In a heavy sauce pan, over medium to high heat, place oil and garlic and cook for 1 minute, just until fragrant. Add drained tomatoes, salt and pepper flakes if using. Cook tomatoes for about 8 minutes.

Add cheese and heavy cream and stir. Add more seasoning as need it. (If you find the sauce is too thick for your liking you may add more cream) Turn heat off and add fresh spinach. Toss in the drained cooked pasta and stir to combine. - See more at: http://eatgood4life.blogspot.com/2012/03/pasta-with-creamy-tomato-sauce-and.html#sthash.n6piD7vJ.dpuf

Makes 4-6 servings

1 lb whole wheat penne, You can use any other type of pasta
2 14 oz can chopped tomatoes, juice drained
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon pepper flakes, optional
1 10 oz bag fresh spinach
1 cup shredded Romano and Parmesan cheese (You can add any other type of cheese. Sometimes I use a combination of Gorgonzola and Parmesan cheese )
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon of salt or to taste

Cook pasta to aldente stage.

Meanwhile, In a heavy sauce pan, over medium to high heat, place oil and garlic and cook for 1 minute, just until fragrant. Add drained tomatoes, salt and pepper flakes if using. Cook tomatoes for about 8 minutes.

Add cheese and heavy cream and stir. Add more seasoning as need it. (If you find the sauce is too thick for your liking you may add more cream) Turn heat off and add fresh spinach. Toss in the drained cooked pasta and stir to combine. - See more at: http://eatgood4life.blogspot.com/2012/03/pasta-with-creamy-tomato-sauce-and.html#sthash.n6piD7vJ.dpuf

Green tea latte

I recently stopped at a very popular coffee shop with my husband where he ordered a Green tea latte. I was kind of looking forward to trying it and perhaps order one for myself as well, however, after trying it, I was really disappointed.

I mean, how much sugar did this green tea latte have? It was not drinkable at all. We had to go home and dilute the thing with more milk and by then the green tea taste was almost gone.

I really don't know who can drink this sweet drinks but for sure not me.
Anyhow, enough of my rant. This incident prompt me to make my own green tea latte at home and to tell you the truth I don't know why on earth I waited so long to start make them.

This not only was super easy to make but a hell of a lot cheaper and tastier all together. I actually made a big batch and kept it in the fridge for future consumption. I really love green tea and from now on I am going to use it much more.

It is very cold here in NJ so excuse me while I make another batch of this Green tea latte and warm myself up with it :-).

Enjoy!

Ingredients

Yields 2 servings

2 Tbsp Matcha powder, Green tea powder
3 cups organic hot milk, any type will work, I used soy but I also use almond milk sometimes
3 Tbsp hot water
2-3 Tbsp maple syrup, honey or 1/2 dropper nunaturals stevia liquid extract

I have seen many methods of making green tea latte but this is my preferred method.

In a big jar or glass mix the hot water with the green tea powder until it dissolves. Add the maple syrup and milk and mix though. Serve

I keep some of it in the fridge for future consumption.

Nutrition facts calculated based on the recipe giving 2 servings.

Caribbean Chicken

How good is this recipe? Well, let me just tell you that you just need this Caribbean chicken recipe in your life is that good. Trust me, if you like chicken, this will become one of your favorite chicken recipes.

This recipe has been past down to one of my best friends, which comes from her mother in law's housekeeper while they where living in the Caribbean. She used to fix it all the time and everyone used to always raved about how good it was.

I first had this Caribbean chicken about 2 months ago when I went to my friends house for dinner and she decided to fix it.

O.M.G, I had to have the recipe at once, and since, I have made this recipe several times.

I am not much of a poultry or meat eater but between this Caribbean chicken, the Moroccan chicken, the parsley and garlic chicken cutlets, and chicken paprikash I made a while back I think is going to be hard to beat these chicken recipes.

I think my chicken recipe repertoire has gotten a lot better in the past month, however, I think I am going to take a brake from the chicken and focus more on veggies and fish for a while.

Anyhow, a few suggestions for this dish:

1. Make sure you use a big bowl to marinate the ingredients in. The bigger the better.
2.Turn ingredients around 2-3 times while marinating to make sure all of the liquid distributes equally over the ingredients.
3. Cook Caribbean chicken in a big, more like huge, pot :-)

Well this is a super winner chicken recipe. If you make it serve it with brown rice. It goes perfect with it.

Enjoy!

Place the ingredients in your preferred big bowl and mix through. Cover and place it in the fridge for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Place the sugar in your preferred heavy pot and when it is bubbling and turning brown take the chicken pieces and brown on all sides, as best as you can, but it is OK if some sides don't brown. Mine are never perfect. Then place the marinated ingredients in the pan plus ketchup and about 1-2 cups of water.

Ingredients

Yields 8 servings

1 whole organic chicken cut into pieces
4-6 organic chicken thighs
4-6 organic drumsticks
2 large tomatoes, sliced into big chunks
2 large onions, cut into large chunks
4-6 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 tsp celtic salt
1 tsp black pepper
2 tsp dried thyme
3 Tbsp olive oil
4 Tbsp unrefined sugar
1/2 cup organic ketchup


Place first 12 ingredients into a large bowl and mix well. Let chicken stand in seasonings for at least 30 minutes, like in the pictures, cover and place in the fridge. I have done between 30 minutes to1 hour most times.

In a large heavy pot heat oil over high flame. Add the sugar distributed through the bottom of the pan like in the pictures. When the sugar begins to bubble and the color is getting brown take pieces of chicken and drop them into the pot. Make sure you don't burn the sugar though. Do a few pieces at a time and brown well on both sides.

When all pieces are browned return all the chicken pieces to the pot, add ketchup and the marinade. Add 1-2 cups of water  and stir until blended. Bring chicken to a rapid boil, then lower the flame, cover pot partially, and let cook for 1 hour. You may have to stir once or twice.

Serve over brown rice.

NOTE: If you have too much liquid at 45 minutes, uncover the pot and turn the heat to a high setting. Some of the liquid will cook away. I like my gravy on the thicker side so this is what I do around 45 minutes.

Nutrition facts calculated based on the recipe giving 8 servings.

Mixed berry dream parfait

 Happy valentine's to all my family, friends, and followers.

I have something especial to share here with you today. These are no bake, and super easy to put together.

These were a last minute thing that I came up with because this week and the past have been nothing but crazy. Gosh do I wish I had a personal assistant or something :-) Maybe one day right? or not....

As we speak, I am multitasking writing this blog entry, making some gluten free cupcakes for my son's valentine's party at school today, cleaning the house and preparing a especial dinner for tonight including a Caribbean chicken recipe, that I must  share with you soon because it is out of this world, and a chocolate mousse made with silken tofu that it is to die for.  

So yes I could use a personal assistant/house keeper of some sort!! I won't complain though, I know other mommy's out there are about doing the same :-)

Anyhow, I will keep my writing short and sweet on this one, so I hope everyone has a wonderful great valentine's day.

Stay safe and...

Enjoy!

These mixed berry parfaits have quite a bit of saturated fat, but guess what?, it is valentines so indulge, I know I will...

Ingredients
Yields 6 parfaits

2 cups heavy cream
2 cups Greek yogurt
1/4 cup maple syrup
6 oz mixed organic berries
2 full droppers nunaturals stevia liquid

In a large bowl whip heavy cream until firm peaks form. Fold in stevia liquid and 1 cup of Greek yogurt and set aside.

In the food processor puree the berries with maple syrup. Transfer to a bowl and fold in the other cup of Greek yogurt and half of the heavy cream mixture.

In parfait glasses, or any glasses of your choice, place a few table spoons of the mix berry mixture and top with the white heavy cream.

Serve or keep refrigerated.

Nutrition facts calculated based on the recipe giving 6 parfaits.

Gluten free peanut butter cookies

What a week this has been. Crazy doesn't begin to describe it and on top of it we got this crazy snow storm, NEMO, that actually got us bad. Well I guess not as bad as other places but never the less bad!!

Anyhow, through out these few days I have baked these peanut butter cookies, which were a saver for us. I really like the filling of a warm peanut butter cookie and a glass of milk when cold outside! 

My kids were thrilled I made them and they couldn't believe these peanut butter cookies were gluten free. I am actually loving all of the gluten free goodies I have been baking lately and I truly don't miss the whole wheat flour at all. I will still use it eventually but for now I am liking the oat, almond and coconut flour thus far. I think they are great to bake with.

Anyhow, I left the peanut butter cookies as is and did not use any chocolate or anything else for that matter. I also used crunchy peanut butter but just stick with the smooth kind because I think it will give you a better result.

By the way the new website will come very very soon. I am so excited to share it with you all...

Enjoy!!

Make sure you flatten the cookies with the palm of your hand before placing in the oven. Also use creamy peanut butter. I used crunchy but the results will be better with a creamy kind. Also be ware of trans fat peanut butter versions out there!

These cookies were nice and chunky. They were crispy as well :-)

Ingredients

Yields 20 large cookies

16 oz organic peanut butter, room temperature 
3/4 cups unrefined sugar 
1 tsp baking soda
2 organic eggs
2 tsp gluten free vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350Fº and line two cookie sheets with parchment and set aside.
 
Place peanut butter, sugar, and baking soda in a medium bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, and mix on medium speed until well blended.  Add the eggs and vanilla and continue mixing on low just until blended... about 25 seconds.
 Roll tablespoon sized balls of dough, about 1-inch in diameter, and place on the prepared baking sheet about 1 1/2 inches apart. Press the balls flat with the heal of my hand.

Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on the baking sheet before removing.

Recipe adapted from liv life

Nutrition facts calculated based on the recipe giving 20 cookies.

Beet and mixed berry smoothie

I have been experimenting with smoothies lately and getting more creative. I want to try other flavors and ingredients so stay tuned for new ones to come.

This beet smoothie is a prime example. I did too use beets for another smoothie not long ago and we really liked it. I think the ginger in that one was what made the smoothie over the top.

This beet smoothie version is good too but I think it resembled a bit more of the beet flavor. It was no a favorite for my kids but they did drank it anyways :-)

For the e-books I have included a few awesome smoothies that I think everyone is sure to like. So far my kids are loving them so I hope you do too.

If you are not fond off or can't get veggies and fruits in your diet through out the day much you should try to make smoothies. They are super simple to put together, quick and ultra nutritious.

I have seen many places that do sell them but to tell you the truth I find them very expensive and not as good. I also find them super sweet too, which pretty much ruins the smoothie.

Anyhow, let me know how like this beet and berry smoothie if you get to try it.

Enjoy!

This smoothie is really good. If you like you can add more mixed berries. I just added 6 oz. I have just discovered roasted organic beets at my store and I am going to use them much more often. I actually want to use them to make some type or red velvet cake so will see how it goes!

Ingredients

Yields 5 servings

4 cups apple juice
2-3 ripe bananas
9 oz roasted organic frozen beets, I buy them at the store already roasted and then I freeze them
6 oz mixed organic berries, frozen or fresh

Place all of the ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth.

Nutrition facts calculated based on the recipe giving 5 servings.

Chicken Paprikash: A Hungarian dish

Lately, I find myself cooking quite a bit of chicken dishes. My family is thrilled, as they love any type of chicken there is. Personally, I enjoy eating fish much better but because this dish has been in my to do list for at least a year, I figured it was time to make it. It was also perfect timing since I have recently bought some Hungarian paprika :-)

This chicken paprikash is quite simple. It can be done in a mere 20-30 minutes from star to finish. I paired it with brown rice but you can do with pasta, quinoa and some veggies on the side. How ever you serve it it will be fine.

When I got to make my version I forgot to add the 1/2 teaspoon of arrowroot powder to the Greek yogurt so my sauce kind of curdle up a bit. We still ate it, but I did not like the look of the curdle sauce, so make sure you don't forget to add the arrowroot powder, or cornstarch :-)

The actual recipe calls for veal, but to be honest, I wouldn't buy veal, let along eat it, but be my guess. If you like veal go for it.

As you can see, I have also altered the recipe from the original, I made the method way easier to make it more convenient. I don't like when there is cooking involved and you have to cook things separate in batches, get them out of the pan, and the back into the pan. That is time consuming and dirts even more dishes, not good for me!!

Well I hope you get to try this one. I suggest you don't omit the shallots because it really brings out the flavors of the spices, weird but true :-)

Enjoy!

Place the chicken into the pan first and  cook for about 5 minutes. Then add the onions and shallots and cook further for 3 minutes or so. Then add the remaining of the ingredients except the yogurt and arrowroot powder and keep cooking for another 5-10 minutes.

Once the 5-10 minutes are up add the yogurt with arrowroot powder and mix through without boiling. In the right picture you can see my result which it curdle up a bit because I forgot to add the arrowroot powder. We ate though and it was really good. Next time I just hope I don't forget to add it :-)

Ingredients

Yields 6 servings

3 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 shallot, chopped
2 1/2 lbs organic chicken breast, cut into cubes
14.5 oz canned chopped tomatoes
2 Tbsp tomato sauce
1 Tbsp Hungarian paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, optional
2 tsp dried marjoram
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1/2 tsp arrowroot powder or corn starch, to prevent curdling
1/2 tsp celtic salt
Brown rice to serve

In heavy large skillet over medium heat add the oil followed by the chicken. Cook for about 5 minutes until it is brown on some sides. Add onions and shallots and cook further for another 3-5 minutes.

Add tomatoes with juice, tomato sauce, paprika, cayenne, marjoram and salt. Simmer 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. On the mean time, mix the Greek yogurt with the arrowroot powder.

Add yogurt into sauce and heat through (do not boil). Pour over rice and serve. 

Recipe adapted from epicurious

Nutrition facts calculated based on the recipe giving 6 servings