Stuffed Red Bell Peppers / Turkey Version

         Wow, two months flew by without me updating my blog. It takes time and motivation to study medicine, and sometimes we have to miss out on things we enjoy doing the most, but only for a short while. Balance is the key to success. I've probably repeated that statement many times on my blog.

I tried this recipe back in December during my Christmas break, and my family and friends loved it. The stuffed red peppers taste better after they have really absorbed all the flavors, reheat the next day and really taste how delicious this meal is.

Ingredients-

1. 6 Red Bell Peppers

2. 500g Ground Turkey 

3. 200g Parboiled Rice

4. 1 Small Onion

5. 150g Feta Cheese

6. 1/2 Cup of Chopped Parsley

7. Salt (add to taste)

8. Black Pepper (add to taste)

9. Paprika Powder (1/2 tsp.) 

10. Herbs Mix (oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary)

11. Homemade Garlic Sauce (click here for recipe)

12. Olive Oil 

Instructions-

1. Prepare meat in a large bowl. Add herbs with plenty of salt and pepper to taste.

2. Finely chop one small onion and add to meat. 

3. Cut feta cheese into small cubes or crumble and add to meat.

4. Finely chop fresh parsley and add to meat. Set aside.

5. Cook 200g of rice according to package. Set aside to cool.

6. Add cooled and fluffed rice to meat. Mix very thoroughly with hands.

7. Set aside in fridge for about 24 hours.

8. Next day, wash and prepare red bell peppers. Cut the head and remove insides.

9. Do not remove the "cap" of the pepper, save for later, they will baked, too.
10. Spray or oil the red peppers on the inside with a sprinkle of salt.
11. With a spoon, stuff each red bell pepper with a generous portion of the meat stuffing.
12. Add the red bell pepper "cap" on top and set aside.
13. Preheat oven to 180C/350F.
14. Bake for about **50minutes.
15. Serve with chilled garlic sauce.

**Baking time must be adjusted accordingly. I baked my stuffed peppers for about 1 hour and the peppers were almost falling apart because they were so well cooked. If you prefer a more al dente dish, do not bake for more than 50 minutes.

Enjoy!

Baked Ginger Chicken Drumsticks

 

 

Ingredients-

1. 5 Chicken Drumsticks

2. 2 tsp. of Soy Sauce

3. 2 tsp. of Vegetable Oil

4. 1/2 tsp. of Dried Cumin Powder

5. 1/2 tsp. of Dried Ginger Powder

6. 1/2 tsp. of Dried Garlic Powder 

7. 1/2 tsp. of Paprika or Cayenne Pepper (add cayenne pepper for more spice)

8. 1 tsp. of Lemon Juice

9. Pinch of Salt

10. Black Pepper (add to taste)

Instructions-

1. Prepare chicken drumsticks. Wash and dry. Place in dish.

2. Add soy sauce and lemon juice.

3. Add vegetable oil. Mix well with hands.

4. Add all dry spices to the chicken and spread evenly.

5. Set aside in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours. 

6. Preheat oven to 180C/360F.

7. Bake for about 50 minutes in baking dish, covered with lid.

8. For crispy and brown skin, remove lid after 60 minutes of baking.

9. Bake for about another 10 minutes.

10. Remove from oven and serve with choice of favorite side dish.

*Try this baked ginger chicken with a side dish of yellow rice with peas and carrots.

ENJOY!

Turkey Ragu with Penne

Another pasta dish, I simply can't resist!

However, this is a healthier twist because I substituted pork/beef with turkey.

This is a wise choice because the entire meal will have less calories and fat.

Surprisingly, it does not affect the taste. This was absolutely delicious!

Ingredients- (makes several servings)

1. 500g Ground Turkey
2. 2 Cans of Chopped Tomatoes (with basil and oregano, optional)
3. 1 Large Carrot
4. 4-5 Celery Stalks
5. 1 Large Onion
6. Vegetable Oil
7. 4 Garlic Cloves
8. 4 tbsp. of Tomato Paste
9. 300g of Penne Pasta
10. Grated Parmesan Cheese
11. Salt
12. Pepper
13. 1/2 tsp. of Basil
14. 1/2 tsp. of Oregano
15. 1/2 tsp. of Powdered Garlic
16. 1/2 tsp. of Sugar
17. 1/2 tsp. of Salt-Free Garlic Herb Seasoning Mix (optional)

Instructions-

1. Wash and clean vegetables. Chop carrots, onion, and celery.
2. Preheat large sauce pot with a thin layer of vegetable oil.
3. Add chopped onions and cook for one minute.
4. Add sugar to the onions and stir.
5. When onions brown, add chopped carrots and celery. Add salt to taste.
6. Cook with lid covered and stir frequently.
   *Add water if necessary to prevent burning.
7. After about ten minutes of cooking, add two cans of chopped tomatoes. Add herbs.
8. Cook on low heat for about 1 hour. Stir occasionally.
9. In the meantime, preheat skillet with 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil.
10. Add ground turkey and cook. Add salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper.
11. Add a pinch of basil, oregano, and powdered garlic to the meat.
12. When the meat begins to brown, add 3 tbsp. of tomato paste and stir.
13. Cook for about two more minutes then remove from heat and set aside.
14. When the tomato sauce has been cooking for about an hour, check the vegetables.
15. When vegetables are soft, remove sauce from heat and let it slightly cool.
16. Once the sauce is cooled, blend thoroughly with a blender.
17. Add cooked meat to the blended sauce and stir. Reheat entire turkey ragu sauce.
18. Simmer for about twenty more minutes
19. In the meantime, cook penne pasta al dente.
20. Combine sauce and pasta, and serve with grated Parmesan cheese. Delicious!

Enjoy!

Pan-fried Salmon with Garlic-Dill Sauce and Rice & Broccoli

Pan-fried Salmon with Garlic-Dill Sauce 

and Rice & Broccoli

A delicious and healthy dinner :) 

All natural products that are high-fiber and heart-healthy. 

Ingredients-

1. 2 Portions of Salmon Filet
2. 200g White Rice
3. 1 Broccoli
4. 2 tsp. Soy Sauce
5. 2 tsp. Lemon Juice
6. Lemon Slices
7. Salt
8. Pepper
9. Pinch of Garlic Powder
10. Pinch of Sodium-Free Vegetable Seasoning (Dash, etc.)
11. My Recipe For Homemade Garlic Sauce
12. Handful of Fresh Dill

  

Instructions-

1. Prepare two portions of salmon filet. Season with salt, pepper, soy sauce, and lemon juice. Set aside.
2. Add a pinch of dried vegetables/herbs mixture onto the salmon. (optional)
3. Bring salted water to a boil. Cook broccoli to desired tenderness. Do not overcook!
4. Bring salted water to a boil and cook rice. When cooked, fluff rice with a fork.
5. Combine broccoli and rice.
6. Heat pan with vegetable oil and fry salmon skin-side first. Cook for about two minutes then flip.
7. When salmon is pink, remove from pan.
8. Finely chop fresh dill and add to prepared garlic sauce. (Click Here for my recipe!!!)
9. Cut lemon into slices and set on plate. Add a serving of rice and broccoli with salmon filet.
10. Drizzle garlic-dill sauce over plate and salmon. Serve.

Enjoy!

Penne with Chicken and White Wine Sauce

Penne with Chicken and White Wine Sauce

 

Welcome back:)

Can you believe it's September already? Where has the time gone?

Summer isn't over yet, at least for me it isn't. I have one month left of vacation.

For those whose summer is over, I hope to cheer you up with a delicious pasta dish :)

 



Ingredients-

1. ~1kg Chicken Thighs
2. 1 Handful of Spinach Leaves
3. 2 Small Carrots
4. 1 Green Pepper
5. 1 Onion
6. 1/2 Head of Garlic
7. 2 tbsp. Italian Dressing
8. 1 tsp. Paprika
9. 1 tsp. Italian Seasoning
10. Salt
11. Pepper
12. ~500ml 12% Sour Cream
13. 1 Cup of White Wine
14. 2 Boxes of Barilla Penne Pasta
15. 1 Handful of Freshly Chopped Parsley
 

Instructions-

1. Marinate chicken with Italian dressing, seasoning, paprika, salt and/or Vegeta and pepper to taste.
2. Set in the fridge for at least an hour, you may omit this step.
3. Prepare vegetables. Finely chop onion and garlic. Dice green peppers and carrots.
4. Preheat large sauce pan. You may add oil if necessary.
5. Cook chicken until juice is released. Add onion and cook until translucent.
6. Add salt and remaining vegetables (garlic, green peppers, and carrots).
7. Add white wine and cook on low-medium heat, covered with a lid for about twenty minutes.
8. Taste vegetables and when they are semi-soft, add sour cream. Season sauce to taste.
9. Add fresh chopped parsley and stir. Cook on high heat until sour cream thickens.
10. Add spinach in the last few minutes of cooking.
11. Cook penne according to package instructions. Serve when hot and fresh!

Enjoy :)

Quick & Easy Spaghetti Bolognese

Spaghetti Bolognese 

Everyone loves spaghetti, right?! 

I know kids love it, and most of us are kids at heart, anyways.

Although I did post a recipe a few months back that seems to be very similar

to spaghetti bolognese, it included more vegetables and I used a different pasta.

Today, I made traditional Italian inspired Spaghetti Bolognese, red wine included. 

I usually blend my vegetables into a tomato sauce puree, 

but this is the time-saving version. No loss of flavor occurred!

Words cannot express how delicious this sauce was. 

Ingredients-

1. 500g 100% Ground Beef (High-Quality, grind the meat yourself if possible!)
2. 2 Cups Red Wine (optional, or try using only 1 cup instead)
3. 3 Carrots
4. 2 Onions
5. 1 Red Bell Pepper
6. 3 Celery Stalks

7. 1 Head of Garlic

8. 1 Box Spaghetti (I used Barilla No. 5)

9. 3 Cans of Chopped Tomatoes

10. 2 tsp. Herbs (Basil, Oregano, Thyme)

11. Salt and Pepper (add to taste) 

12. Olive Oil

13. 2 tsp. Sugar

Instructions- 

1. Heat skillet and add a splash of olive oil. Brown meat and break it up into chunks.
2. When meat is brown, add 1 cup of red wine.
3. Add 1 tsp. of mixed Italian herbs. Stir gently.
4. When meat is cooked, remove from heat. Set aside for later.
5. Chop 2 onions and prepare all vegetables. Peel carrots and slice. Slice celery and red bell pepper.
6. Heat large sauce pan and add plenty of olive oil. Add onions.
7. As onions change color, add 2 tsp. of sugar, this will really release their true sweetness.
8. Add sliced vegetables and stir. Add salt and pepper to taste.
9. Cover sauce pan. If your pan is NOT non-stick, add 1/2 cup of water to prevent burning.
10. Cook vegetables for about 15 minutes, then add 1 cup of red wine to the vegetables.
11. Cook vegetables to desired tenderness then add cooked meat. Stir in gently.
12. Add canned tomatoes, 1 tsp. of herbs, salt and pepper (if needed) and cook, covered, for 30 min.
13. Cook pasta according to instructions and serve when hot with grated cheese.

ENJOY :)