Chicken Potato Marinara

Chicken Potato Marinara

Wow, tonight is Christmas Eve already, and here I am still trying to keep up with my back log on posts that I missed to post.

I still wonder what I will contributing to cook later. I haven't made up my mind yet. Oh well, might as well post something while waiting for my other companions to arrive and help me get things rolling.

Enjoy this chicken potato marinara that I made. It was very delicious and aromatic.

You can still go low carb with this one, just omit the potatoes! I had to use some so my son can eat some carbs.

Vegetable Pork Oy-Stir Fry

Vegetable Pork Oy-Stir Fry

Welcome to my Stir-Fry December. I can't even begin to comprehend that December is almost over and I have been slacking off in updating posts and recipes that I have. I can't blame myself though. I have started a new job and before I can even think of typing my first word, my head is off to dreamland. I am that tired. Hence, the stir-fried foods. I need something quick and easy to prepare because right now I just don't have the luxury.

They may be stir-fried, but STILL they are healthy options. I just wanted to have more veggies in my plate lately, that;s why you are seeing lots of vegetable plates.

DO ENJOY!

Meaty Marinara Sauce

Meaty Marinara Sauce

I made my first marinara sauce a few months back, but I only got the chance to post it now because I have the need to use it again in one of my recipes. I made a slight adjustment and addition to this recipe and my, oh my, it is heavenly I TELL YOU!

This recipe is flexible, you can remove the ground turkey ingredient if you just want to make the sauce.

I use this for my pasta recipes or anything that needs pasta sauce. You can be creative.

The Noodle Garden

The Noodle Garden

I just made this recipe up, and it came out really, really good, especially if the commenter came from my sister who is really picky when it comes to food and she came to get a second helping.

If you are a fan of Asian noodles, then this is a recipe for you. A definite MUST try!

Three Cheese Elbow Macaroni Marinara

Three Cheese Elbow Macaroni Marinara

I always loved pasta even if I am on a special diet. A month can't possibly go by without me having to bake, or cook one especially for my son. Of all the pasta treats that I make, this one takes the cake. It was the tastiest so far that I ever made.

I used three kinds of cheese for this recipe. If you love cheese, you will definitely love this one. The flavor is just amazing!

Green Beans and Shrimp

Green Beans and Shrimp

Finally, December is here! I am excited for all the wonderful dishes I am about to cook this month. Before we know it, it will be a new year! So many things are happening at once, many changes, many beginnings, I am looking forward to it.

Well, I might as well be well-nourished to tackle everything.

Here's my recipe for today;

Chicken Liver saute

Chicken Liver Saute

My, my, November has come and gone along with my cooking. It turned out that November was pretty much the busiest, and to say the least, the most stressful month so far this year. I had so many things to do and accomplish! There's the full-time job of looking for a full-time job, driving practice, interviews, and the last and final league of all these craziness, the driving test! Wish me luck. All these activities made me prepare and eat sodium-packed food. Not that I am complaining.

Pancit Canton Guisado - Sauteed Vegetable with Noodles

Pancit Canton Guisado

 
I can't believe that November is almost over. It's almost four months since I started experimenting in the kitchen. Not that I do not know how to cook, I do. Only when I came to America, my opportunity exploded into a thousand different proportion that I do not really know where to start, so I just have to deal with what I can and with what I have.

California Blend

California Blend

Another one of my low carb dishes, and still on the budget end. I tend to mix a lot of vegetables when I am on budget mainly because it is inexpensive, and a good low go for low carb followers.

Enough about the chit-chat, here's the recipe. It's as easy as one, two, three. Let me know how yours turned out.

Tinolang Manok - Chicken soup in vegetables

Tinolang Manok

Another budget meal coming up! I guess now, you noticed that I am fond of soup. Mainly, it's because of my young boy whom needs to eat something that he can swallow easily . Might as well serve him a nutritious meal that everyone can benefit from this chilly weather that we are having.

A good chicken soup isn't only best served for the sickly and faint. It's a hearty meal, healthy and light. One serving is a meal in itself, well unless you want something added to it. Another good thing about this recipe is that it is under $ 10.00 and you still have plenty of left-overs for the next day.

This recipe is quite versatile in what greens you want to put in. There's a wide variety of vegetable to choose from

Ginisang talong sa alamang - Sauteed eggplant in shrimp paste

Ginisang talong sa alamang - Sauteed eggplant in shrimp paste

November became a budget month for me. Times are tough and so is my budget, but that doesn't stop me from serving healthy meals even on a tight budget. I still stay low carb and that's most important.

I am sharing this Filipino dish that I really liked, this is very good if you are fond of Asian recipes. I like the salty taste of this recipe.

Low Carb Turkey Bacon Wrapped Asparagus

Turkey Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus

This is the first time that I made a bacon-wrapped asparagus and it was mighty yummy! Next time though I will be sticking with using a pork bacon for flavor purposes, but this turkey-bacon is just fine. You should try this for yourself.

Pork chop with sauteed zucchini

Pork chop with sauteed zucchini

Today, I am kind of getting lazy to prepare something fancy, I ended up frying my food. Still, I used a minimal amount of HEALTHY oil. The emphasis is on the word healthy here because even if it is fried use whatever is best for you.

This is fast and relatively easy to prepare. You can marinate the pork in advance or just prep it up with a little bit of salt and pepper and you are good to go.

Salt and Pepper Shrimp

Salt and Pepper Shrimp

I have not been able to post as much lately, as much as I want to. Things are getting crazy out there!

Okay now, I was hungry, I need a quick fix of quick food, and all I have in the fridge are jumbo shrimp and chicken? Now, what am I going to do with that? Salt and pepper shrimp!

The salt and spiciness drives the spike out of this recipe. It was just too good, my mouth waters as I type along the ingredients for this recipe. 

Bacon Wrapped Crusted Jalapeño Poppers

Bacon Wrapped Crusted Jalapeño Poppers

Okay, so I suddenly had this urge to eat something really spicy, and I was eying the jalapenos at the counter top which I had for days...I have read about jalapeno poppers and they said that it's quite good so I decided to make a go for it, and...TA DAHHH! It was sooo good that I made a second batch the next day, only the I didn't make it with crust and I prefer it that way. Either way is good but I liked the one without the crust better. I didn't know it was that heavenly, I should have tried it sooner!

Low Carb - Chili

Low Carb Chili

*UPDATE: I replaced the picture posted here guys, this one looks more like it.

Ever since I got to taste the chili, I found myself craving for it more and more. Like say, every week. I REALLY LOVE IT! The only beef I have with it is the beans. Since I am following a low carb lifestyle, I looked over the internet for some good substitute for beans. I found one that suggested to use celery stalks. Well, I tried it and it was very good! I don't even miss the beans in it. It was cooked to that spiciness that I like, and it's low carb. PLUS factor? It was raining and cold outside. Good to eat it facing the window. Ahhh...just pure heaven.

Oh, please don't mind the picture...that's the only 'better' looking shot that came out. BUT I bet the taste isn't just better, it's VERY GOOD.

Bistek - Steak, Philippine Style

Bistek

This recipe is one of my childhood favorites. I am glad that I thought of making this because I didn't know how much I missed eating Bistek! You should try it, too. It is an easy recipe, and cooks in less than 30 minutes.

I prepared this tonight because I wanted to just re-heat it for tomorrow, I guess somebody just couldn't wait for tomorrow to come because it's almost halved now. Tsk.

The marinating time takes longer though. BUT TOTALLY WORTH IT! It's also low carb by the way.

Eggplant Bake - Low Carb!

Eggplant Bake

This dish can serve as an appetizer or light meal. I am not a big fan of eggplants, but I decided to try this one because after all, cooking for me, is all about adventure, good food and good health.

This is a combination of layers of eggplant, tomato sauce, mozzarella, and Parmesan cheese. I didn't even get to taste the eggplant. So if you like eggplants, and you are up for cooking variety, here's the recipe for you:

Arroz Caldo Con Pollo - Rice Chicken Soup

Arroz Caldo Con Pollo

My mom is kind of sick the day I made this, so I thought that I would make her a chicken soup, chicken soup with rice. It is particularly known as lugaw in my country, Philippines.

This is a very hearty meal, and is really good for the sick, AND not to say, COLD WEATHER! The good thing about this kind of recipe is that, you only have to put everything inside the pot, stir, wait for it to get done and serve.

Low Carb - Cauliflower "Rice"

Cauliflower "rice"

The start of November is kind of lousy for me, I haven't been cooking much, and I haven't been uploading my long-waiting-on-the-list recipes. That doesn't mean that I will stop cooking, discovering and sharing new recipes, though.  I still have a long way to go for my goal, and I kind of like what I am getting myself into.

Giniling or Picadillo

Picadillo or Giniling

In the Philippines, this is one of the popular dishes prepared among the Filipino people, we call this recipe, "giniling" or grounded.  You can use a variety of meat for this recipe, I have seen people who used lamb, beef, chicken, and turkey. Several ingredients can be added or substituted, but for me, I like to keep it simple and as much as possible, less oil. So here's my recipe for you:

Barbeque and Buffalo Wings

Barbeque and Buffalo Wings

For the love of everything spicy, here is my one chance to make something without everyone giving me "the eye" just because they can't have something they cannot eat. So, to resolve matters, I made TWO recipes out of one meat. That way they can eat what they want, and I can eat what I want to my hearts content.

AND IT'S NOT FRIED! Whoohoo! So, here are the recipes that I used;

Twice-cooked pork with bean sprouts

Twice Cooked Pork with bean sprouts

Okay, another Asian inspired dish that I have here, the recipe I found was too 'pure meat' so, I incorporated it with a little vegetable mix to add variety, color and volume. It was really good! You should try it sometime.

Pork Pepper-o-nuts!

Pork Pepper-o-nuts!

The past week seemed like it was a week of Asian foods. I got tired of cooking the same old concept of low carb that I needed to find something 'new' to my taste. Or, perhaps not that new at all. My Filipino culture is known for its mixed diverse culture when it comes to cooking. The influence is wide. The category for every food is non-existential. So here's a taste of Asian cooking, blended with, I don't know but hey, cooking is about creativity, outlet and health!

Chile Chicken

Chili Chicken

This recipe is also popularly known in my country (Philippines) as "halang-halang" or spicy food. Mostly it is a cooked spiced chicken skin, similar to this one except that I didn't use any skin.

It tastes very good, with that little salt and sour spicy mix. Perfect for fall. You can adjust the spiciness of this recipe to your liking.

Cucumber Salad

Cucumber Salad

This is a great starter or just plain snack. It is healthy and light, and yummy, yummy, yummy! It doesn't matter season you prepare this. It's QUICK and EASY!

INGREDIENTS:

1 Pc Cucumber, peeled, and sliced thinly in circles
A few pieces cherry tomatoes, halved
1 Pc medium red onion, cut into rings
1 Cup rice wine vinegar
1 Tbsp honey
Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Just mix everything, season to taste and refrigerate. Best served if chilled.

Grilled Prawns with Avocado Salad

Grilled Prawns with Avocado Salad

Another cooking adventure I took on was about shrimps. I used to cook shrimp and they ALWAYS came out rubbery. Yes, you read that right. I always thought that you have to cook them longer you know. AND THEN, I just learned that you have to cook them in as little as 2-3 minutes so they will NOT come out rubbery AT ALL.

This was a surprise because I DID NOT ever imagined that the shrimp and avocado salad could come out good together. EVER.

Broccoli Chicken Potato Parmesan

Broccoli Chicken Potato Parmesan

This is a new recipe that I found on the internet, and I was curious to try it out. I just wanted to find something to do with the frozen cooked chicken breast nuggets my child won't eat. AND this was a GREAT IDEA! After adding some twist to that boring old nugget, my child did ate everything on his plate.

It was really creamy and tasty. I still have some of those nuggets left and I can't wait to try this out again. Maybe without the potatoes though, because I don't want to eat them.

For the ingredients, I always try to substitute the ingredients to make them healthier by choice, so my family and I can still eat them without worrying so much about the risk factors.

No Pasta Lasagna!

No Pasta Lasagna

I love everything pasta, but ever since I started following the low carb lifestyle, I tend to avoid anything that has heavy carb contents. BUT this? I never knew that it was possible to eat pasta without the PASTA itself!

I am glad that I found this recipe, because now I can make them anytime and eat without the guilt. I carry enough baggage already to add more of guilt.

The creator of this dish was right, it is indeed easy but takes time to do so. Don't be scared with all the ingredients it asks, because in the end it will all be worth it. You won't even notice the difference that the REAL PASTA isn't there.

Baked Turkey Burger Mix Patty

Turkey Burger Mix Patty in Avocado Salad

This makes wonderful light meals, you can eat them any mealtime. I thought of making this because I kind of miss eating picadillo but I don't want to eat using turkey meat. Instead I just thought of making something else. Next time though, I'm going to make the patties a 'little' wider so they won't come off as mini-burgers. PORTION people. PORTION!

Grilled Chicken Leg Quarters with Asparagus

Grilled Chicken Leg Quarters with Asparagus

I bet you just want to sink your teeth into that leg right now. Me, too. I was having one of my lazy days and I just wanted a quick fix for food but I do not want to make anything that's from a box. Here, you can have before 30 minutes is up. Fast, easy and YUMMY! Very.

Chicken in Avocado Salad

Chicken in Avocado Salad

This was supposed to be a chicken salad avocado wrap, but the wrap that I bought was not the one I wanted so it ended up as a salad instead. It's still good, just missing the tortilla, that's all. This can be served as an appetizer, snack or light meal. Anyway you like it.

Parmesan Crusted Shrimp

Parmesan Crusted Shrimp

Ahhh, the shrimp. This is also one of those dishes that I made for my sister's birthday. Sadly, it didn't last very long. It almost didn't made its presence at the dinner table. I don't know if the cooking is really that good (Can you sense some false humility there?) or they just really like shrimps. Aherm.

Baked Spaghetti with Cream of Mushroom

Baked Spaghetti with Cream of Mushroom

When I made this spaghetti for my sister's birthday, the noodles were a little undercooked and I can't throw it away because I already put everything in it. Stupid huh? I was assuming that it was already one, and I was also preparing and cooking other dishes as I was doing this.

Ranch Chicken Skewers - Low carb recipe!

Ranch Chicken Skewers

I wonder why is it that when I cook something from a recipe, it doesn't come out and looks exactly the way I followed it to the letter. Just like this one. I can't say it taste bad because it was literally so good that I was holding myself down not to finish all of it.

Chickie-Shrimp in Mixed Green Bean Stir-Fry

Chickie-Shrimp in Mixed Green Bean Stir-Fry

I rarely cook vegetables that requires stir-fry because I prefer them baked, blanched, steamed or anything on that level. BUT since this looks so good and I had everything as well, I decided to take it into consideration, which I didn't regret and I WILL definitely cook it again. A MUST TRY!

Sweet Chili Stir-Fried Shrimp

Sweet Chili Stir-Fried Shrimp

I found this recipe from a fellow blogger who has a knack of cooking Asian foods, and I happen to like sea foods for that matter. This is really easy and the aroma is just...mouth watering.

Low Carb Spiced Chicken Thighs

Spiced Chicken Thighs

Ever since I started this low carb lifestyle thing, I have been a little obsessed with looking for recipes that I can use for this special diet.

Right now, I am really lagging behind with all my blog posts, I still have more than 10 recipes that needs to be uploaded. With all these things going on around me, I hope I can finish it all this week. Sometimes I wonder where the time goes, it seems there is too little of it left at the end of the day.

Oven Baked Crispy "Fried" Chicken (Low Carb and Gluten Free!)

Oven Baked 'Fried" Chicken

Enjoy the chicken ala-'fried' without worrying about the fats and oil from deep frying.

I always love chicken, no matter what the recipe, and come on, oven baked'fried' chicken without really frying? It's something worth trying. I gave up (not totally) on eating fried foods because I am trying to lose weight here, but this is too good to pass up.

Asparagus Salad

Asparagus Salad

This by far is my easiest discovery. You can just make these any way you want. You can grill, saute, blanche, use it for salad or side dish. I just love these!

Squash, Veggies and Beef Casserole

Squash and Beef Casserole

This sounded so good and I was a little disappointed that I THOUGHT this was 'healthy' just because it was veggies. I mean, to me it is unhealthy because I am watching my carb intake. Only to find out later that I have EATEN so much of this and bloated. Well, I can't blame the food. It was very good.

Yummy Bacon Meatballs (Low Carb and Gluten Free!)

Yummy Bacon Meatballs

As I was browsing through a fellow bloggers blog, I found this but with a slight difference in presentation and flavor. This is perfect for a small gathering and you want to prepare something cute but not too fancy but still good.

Broccoli and Cheese Frittata

My first ever Broccoli and Cheese Frittata

I was a little intrigued to see frittatas over the net. They look delicious and tempting to eat. I like temptations. That is another reason why I love to try new things to add to my cooking adventure.
So here's another to my many firsts.

Roasted Cauliflower w/ Herbs and Parmesan Cheese

Roasted Cauliflower


I saw this recipe from other low carbing bloggers as a substitute to their potato or rice and I decided to give it a go.
I am glad that I did because it really satiated my cravings for the rice.

Progress

Photo: chandrajones.blogspot.com

I started my journey to be healthy, one month two days ago. I am proud to say that I have lost a considerable amount of weight and feeling fine, which NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE! no matter what kind of diet or exercise I have gotten myself into.

I wouldn't call this dieting since I can pretty much eat anything I still want to eat but I chose not to, I just substitute them for healthier choices and not waste my calories away.

How To: TIps on Soaking Beans, Dried and Legumes

Photo: prudhwija.wordpress.com

I have found a gem of a book, called the KITCHEN COMPANION by POLLY CLINGERMAN. It is an absolute kitchen bible for me that I can't help but share her bits and tips to help beginners learn.

SOAKING

- can make dried beans cook quickly
- when soaking, first rinse, then pick through small stones
- use 2 quarts of cold water per pound of beans

TO SHORTEN SOAKING TIME

- cover beans with cold water by 2 inches, bring to a quick boil and simmer over low heat for 2 minutes
- take pot off the heat and let the beans stand covered for an hour.
- discard water when you are ready and get on with recipe

Low Carb Stuffed Peppers

Stuffed Peppers

Inspired by Peace, Love and Low Carbs recipe. A must try!

Pork and Beans

Homemade Pork and Beans

Watching my father in the kitchen when I was younger, this was in the books whenever there is a family gathering. We grew up looking forward to every meal and leftovers when we have this at the dinner table. It was always a happy occasion.

Pork Kilawin

Pork Kilawin

Okay, although it says 'Kilawin" - or raw food, It's not what it is. That is our left-over pork chops and I need to do something else about it because we just have too much meat. That is the only thing change in the recipe. Everything else, I got it.

This is good to have if you have a boys night 'in', or some gathering where drinks (beer) are being served.

Meaty Spaghetti

Meaty Spaghetti

As per request, I had to cook a spaghetti because my son loves it so much.