Monday Munchies: Veggies & beef!

Hello everyone! Monday is here again, starting a new week, and I'm finally returning to blogging again. Last week was a busy week for me, and work was leaving me completely drained and tired.

I had plans to have shared a recipe of my own creation I was planning on working on Sunday for Mimosa cupcakes, but come Sunday I realized I had not enough butter... and not enough motivation to get in the car and drive to look for a place open to buy it. But, I'll make them sometime this week for sure, so I'll probably share it next Monday! So, for this week's Monday Munchies I have another non-cupcakes recipe!

Veggies & Beef

Serves 4

Ingredients:

- 800 gr thin beef steaks

- 1 medium size zucchini

- 2 carrots

- 2 chives

- 1 green pepper

- 2 garlic cloves

- 1 spring of parsley

- Olive oil

- Salt & pepper

Method:

- Wash and cut the ends of the zucchini. Scrape the carrots and wash them. Wash the pepper, cutting off the  seeds. Cut everything in stripes.

- Wash and clean the chives, cutting the roots and the less tender green parts, slice them but not too thin. Cut the beef into thin stripes. Reserve all the ingredients separatedly.

- In a deep frying pan or a wok, heat up enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan and sautee first the pepper for a pair of minutes on high heat, add salt and pepper to taste and remove from the pan, draining well. Saute the rest of the veggies separatedly the same way.

- Add the beef stripes to the same pan and saute till they start turning brown. Add salt & pepper to taste and the reserved cooked veggies. Stir everything together for about 1 minute and serve immediately, sprinkled with some chopped parsley.

- Enjoy!

Monday Munchies: Curry Pasta!

Monday is here again! And if for quite a number of people it can be a bit of tough Monday, going back to work after the Xmas break (here in Spain), we should always look forward to a new week that starts!

For this week's Monday Munchies I'm gonna take a break from all the cupcake recipes I've been sharing as of late, and share something a bit more healthy and more everyday like meal, which combines two of my fave things: pasta and curry! I love the smell of cooking with curry and spices, it makes me think of India and the bf!

Curry Pasta

Serves 4

Ingredients:

- 300 gr farfalle (or any other pasta you have around).

- 2 onions

- 2 apples

- 1/2 lemon

- 1 teaspoon curry (or more, as you like it)

- 1 teaspoon corn flour

- 150 ml cream or double cream, the one for cooking only

- olive oil

- salt and pepper

Method:

- Peel, core and cut the apples in bite size bits. Squeeze the half lemon and pour it over the apple so it doesn't darken. Peel the onions and slice them, so you get long but thing onion bits.

- In a deep pan, heat 4 tablespoons olive oil and saute the onion for about 8 mins until it is soft and transparent. Add the apple bits, and also add with curry and pepper. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring carefully with a wooden spoon. Disolve de corn flour in the cream and add it to the pan. Cook in low heat for about 12 minutes stirring with the wooden spoon.

- Boil the pasta in salted water, according to the packet instructions. Drain them and mix them with the onions and apples. 

- Serve hot & Enjoy!

Don't worry if you don't like onions much, I don't and I love this dish! The onions aren't the main flavour here, and if you cook them right, they won't have the crunchy taste you might dislike!

Monday Munchies: Hummus, yummy hummus!

A new week is here, and while I recover from last night's shift at work, I wanna share with you a very easy & yummy recipe to feed the tummy on this Monday Munchies edition!

Hummus

Serves 4

Ingredients:

- 400 gr boiled chickpeas (a can of ready made chickpeas will work)

- 1 garlic clove

- 1 lemon

- 3 tablespoons sesame seeds

- Ground cumin

- Paprika

- Salt

- Black pepper

- Olive oil

Method:

- Drain the chickpeas & wash them to get rid of the preserving liquid in the can, drain them well again; put them in the blender. Crush the sesame seeds in a mortar till you get a paste, dilute it with a bit of water and add it to the blender too.

- Peel the garlic clove and squeeze the lemon, filter the juice. Add both to the blender with a drizzle of olive oil, a pinch of ground cumin, salt & pepper to taste. Blend everything till you get a thick paste but no lumps, you can add a bit of water if it's too thick.

- Sprinkle a bit of paprika & olive oil on top, and serve with stick of raw carrot & cucumber and some pita bread for a delicious lunch or dinner!

Monday Munchies: Honey Chicken with Veggies!

Well, well, well. Finally we're back to normal, back to work, and back to a normal blogging schedule.

And to kick start the week right, nothing better than a yummy recipe to get us to start the week right with today's Monday Munchies!

As usual, it's a recipe from the Easy Cooking magazine!

Even Gaurav liked it, and he's not big on veggies!

Honey Chicken With Veggies

Serves 4

Ingredients:

- 800 gr chicken breast

- 1 fairly big chive

- 1 leek

- 1 zucchini

- 2 carrots

- 200 gr green beans

- 1 garlic clove

- Juice of 1 lemon and its zest

- 1 tablespoon honey

- olive oil

- salt

- a few black peppercorns

Method:

- Clean and cut the chicken into thin stripes, marinate them for at least 30 min in the fridge with a marinade made with the lemon juice & zest, a bit of olive oil and the peppercorns. A word of advice, if you don't appreciate crunching on peppercorns while eating, I'd recommend you count them at this stage and also when getting the chicken out of the marinade.

- Scrape the carrots, cut the ends of the zucchini and clean the beans; wash and cut everything into thin stripes/sticks. Then boil the beans in salted water for 5 min and drain them. Clean the chive & leek and slice them.

- Saute the chive & leek in a pan with a little oil for about 5 min. Add the carrots and beans, and saute them on high heat and stirring them often for another 2 to 3 minutes, then add the zucchini. Add salt to taste, and after 2 more minutes, remove the veggies from the pan and reserve.

- Add a little more oil to the pan and brown the garlic clove, previously cleaned & minced. Add the chicken drained from the marinade (and if you're like me, without the peppercorns!) and saute it. Add what's left of the marinade and the honey. Finally add back the veggies, saute everything together for a minute and serve.

- Enjoy!

Monday Munchies: Sauteed Veggies With Turkey!

Monday has arrived, and this week it's the tummy's turn to be fed.


For this Monday Munchies I'm sharing yet another recipe from the Easy Cooking (Cocina Fácil) magazine.




Sauteed Veggies With Turkey
Serves 4

Ingredients:

- 800 gr thin breast turkey steaks
- 150 gr carrots
- 200 gr zucchini
- 1 red pepper
- 2 green peppers
- 50 gr soy sprouts
- shredded ginger
- 2 tbps soy sauce
- olive oil
- Half a lemon
- salt & pepper

Method:

- Wash & dry the lemon, grate the lemon peel and squeeze the juice. Wash & dry the turkey. Cut it into bite sized pieces and marinate them for at least half an hour with the shredded ginger, the grated peel & juice of the lemon, a pinch of pepper, the soy sauce and a drizzle of olive oil.

- Scrape the carrots and wash them. Cut the ends of the zucchini and wash them. Wash and clean the peppers, cutting out the seeds. Cut everything into thin stripes.

- Put a wok with a bit of oil at high heat, once the oil is very hot add the carrots and saute for 2 min, add the peppers and continue to saute, after 2 more min add the zucchini. Saute everything for 2 more min and reserve the veggies.

- Add some more oil to the wok if necessary and saute the turkey (with its marinade) for 3 to 4 min. Add the reserved veggies and the soy sprouts, previously washed and drained. Saute everything for another pair of minutes and serve.

- Enjoy!

Monday Munchies: Macaroni with Sausages!

Hello everyone!


On a very stormy Monday, there's nothing like a yummy recipe to raise the spirits and if it's a pasta dish, it'll give you an energy kick!




Macaroni with Sausages
Serves 4

Ingredients:

- 300 gr macaroni
- 200 gr mushrooms
- 200 gr sausages (I use precooked ones but you can use fresh).
- 40 gr shredded cheese
- a whole garlic clove
- 2 sprigs of garlic

Method:

- Clean & wash the mushrooms, and cut them in fours. Wash the parsley, drain and separate the leaves.

- Cut the sausages in bit sized pieces. In a nonstick skillet, saute them for about two minutes with enough oil to cover the bottom of the skillet. Add the mushrooms, and the garlic, peeled and cut, and continue to saute, stirring often, for about three more minutes.

- Boil the macaroni with about 1 litre salted water till it's al dente (tender) and drain it. Add them to the skillet with the sausages & mushrooms, add salt & pepper to taste and saute all together to combine.

- Serve with the parsley leaves and the shredded cheese. Enjoy!

Monday Munchies: Macaroni with broccoli and tomatoes!

Monday Munchies are back! Mondays will be days to feed the tummy or the mind, so I'll keep alternating between books and recipes from now on!


Today's recipe is perfect for the warmer days ahead, it's very easy to make, very healthy and very quick! As usual, has been taken from the Spanish magazine "Easy Cooking" and translated by yours truly.




Macaroni with broccoli and tomatoes
Serves 4

Ingredients:

- 1 small broccoli head
- 1 onion
- 1/4 kg cherry tomatoes
- 300 gr macaroni
- 80 gr grated cheese
- olive oil
- salt & pepper

Method:

- Wash the broccoli and cut the head into flowerets. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni, cook for 8 to 10 minutes until it's al dente (tender but not too much). Drain and reserve them.

- Peel and cut the onion into julienne. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a pan and saute the onion for about 8 minutes, till it starts to brown. Add salt and pepper, then the broccoli and saute 2 more minutes.

- Wash the cherry tomatoes and cut them in half. Add them to the onion and broccoli and saute for about 3-4 more minutes. Add half a glass of water and a pinch of salt. Cover and let boil for 5 or 6 minutes, till all the juices are gone.

- Mix the veggies with the pasta. Mix well, add a drizzle of olive oil. Serve sprinkled with the grated cheese.

- Enjoy!

Monday Munchies: Sauteed Chicken

Sunny Monday and time for yet another yummy recipe on the Monday Munchies.




Sauteed Chicken
Serves 4

Ingredients:

- 800 gr chicken breast
- 1/2 kg natural pineapple
- 1 red onion
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
- some parsley or coriander
- olive oil
- salt

Method:

- Cut the chicken in thin stripes. Peel the onion and cut in thin stripes too. Peel & core the pineapple, chucking out the central fibrous part, then cut it in small bite pieces. Wash & dry the parsley/coriander and chop it finely.

- Sauté the onion in a pan with two tablespoons of olive oil for about 2 minutes. Add the chicken stripes and sauté them for about 5 minutes. Then add the pineapple and cook for 2 more minutes.

- Add now the sesame seeds, soy sauce and the chopped parsley/coriander. Add salt to taste and stir to mix all ingredients. Sauté for one more minute and serve immediately. Enjoy!

Monday Munchies: Stuffed Eggplant!

Hello everyone!


It's Monday once again, and after my adventure stuck in Heathrow for 5 days due to climate conditions and poor preparations from BAA, after Christmas, and after an awful morning shift today at work... I'm finally back on track on my blog!


And to celebrate, nothing like a yummy new recipe. Quick, easy & healthy for after indulging in Christmas, and enough of a comfort food for the cold days we have ahead! This one is filling enough to be a single dish dinner or served with some salad.


Stuffed Eggplant
Serves 4

Ingredients:

- 4 small eggplants
- 1 onion
- 150 gr grated cheese
- 200 gr cottage cheese
- 2 eggs
- Small branch of parsley
- Small branch of mint
- Olive oil
- Sea Salt
- Salt & Black pepper

Method:

- Blunt & cut the eggplants in half lengthwise. Spread the sea salt on them and leave them facing down for about 30 minutes in veggie drainer, so they’ll lose their bitterness. Wash & dry them up with kitchen paper.

- Preheat the oven at 180ºC (350ºF) and bake them in a baking tray for 30 or 35 minutes. While still warm hollow them with a small spoon, be careful to keep the skin intact, and reserve the pulp for later.

- Peel and chop the onion in small pieces, fry it in enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan for about 7 minutes. Then transfer it to a bowl with the grated cheese, the cottage cheese crumbled, the chopped parsley & mint, the two beaten eggs and the chopped eggplants pulp. Add salt & pepper to taste and mix till combined well.

- Stuff the eggplant halves with this mix and bake again at 180ºC for about 15 to 20 minutes. Grill for about 5 more minutes till the top starts to turn a lil brown.

- Transfer to plates, two halves per person, and serve while still pipping hot. Enjoy!

Monday Munchies: Sweet & Sour Chicken with Mashed Potatoes.

A new weekly feature for the blog! Monday Munchies!



Monday Munchies are my way of sharing recipes I love to start the week with something yummy to look forward to! They might not be an every week feature though, but now and then, you'll be getting one!


Today's recipe is from a Spanish magazine called "Cocina Fácil" (Easy Cooking) and it's one of my favourite dishes, yummy, super easy to make and total comfort food!


Sweet & Sour Chicken with Mashed Potatoes
Serves 4

Ingredients:

- 800 gr chicken breasts.
- 1 tablespoon wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (also known as Módena vinegar)
- 1 tablespoon honey
- olive oil
- salt & pepper
- Mashed Potatoes (you can use a ready made mix, I just make them from scratch).
- Milk
- Butter

Method:

- Cut the chicken breasts in bite sized pieces & season them with the salt & pepper.




- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium size pan (a wok would work too) on high and fry the chicken on all sides till golden.




- Lower the gas, add some more salt & pepper to taste, add the honey, the vinegars, and small glass of water. Let the chicken boil on low gas for about ten minutes, till the mix begins to thicken and look like caramel.



- If it gets too dry too soon, add some more water and simmer for an extra 5 minutes.





- While it boils prepare the mashed potatoes. I just boil the potatoes (make sure you so this in advance, so the chicken doesn't get cold while you prep the mashed potatoes), mash them with a fork and add the butter & milk and voilá, done!





- Distribute the mashed potatoes on the plate, and serve the chicken on top of it, all piping hot!



Enjoy!