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Baked Stuffed Tomatoes Recipe: Eat Yourself Beautiful

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Posted on Wednesday, November 23, 2011 | By: Carmen Anderson

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Tomato is one of nature's super foods. They are full of vitamins and contain the powerful antioxidant Lycopene, which prevents cancers and protect your skin from aging. In fact, the benefit of tomato is one of the best kept beauty secrets of Italian women, just look at the ageless Sophia Loren. (see Roma facial)


Unfortunately I have never been a big fan of tomatoes, I just don't like their mushy soft texture. However, I am determined not to miss out on the benefits of this natural beauty food and want to include more tomatoes in our diet. I had been looking around for some interesting ideas to make tomatoes more tasty, then one day  I came across this delicious looking French side dish called Tomates a la Provencale.

While the original stuffing of this recipe is made of breadcrumbs or couscous, I have changed it to rice and added some crispy bacon pieces and Viola! Gone was the mushy texture of tomatoes, instead it was crunchy, juicy and very much appetizing.

This warm, cheesy dish pairs tomato with Parmesan cheese  and makes a healthy and delicious winter dish. 

Cook Time: 45 mins
Serves : 2 
Estimated Cost: $ 8

Ingredients
  • 2 slices bacon, diced
  • 4 large tomatoes
  • 1 green bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon of mixed Italian herbs
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 cup of rice, cooked and cooled
  • 2 tablespoon of Olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Fry bacon pieces in a large pan until golden brown. Set aside.
  3. Wash tomatoes and cut a thick slice off the top of each tomato.Scoop out seeds , pulp, juice, leaving a 1/2 inch wall. Keep 1/2 cup of tomato juice and pulp.
  4. Stir bacon, cooked rice, cheese, green pepper, into tomato pulp. Add a tablespoon of mixed Italian herbs and 2 tablespoons of olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well. Spoon the rice filling into the tomato shells. 
  5. Prepare a baking tray by lightly greasing it with olive oil. Place stuffed tomatoes onto prepared baking dish.
  6. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes until heated through.
Husband says: "I could use some of the healthy powers of tomatoes, considering that my lunches usually consist of pizza, big ass burritos or other fairly ah, unhealthy foods. I'm a huge fan of tomatoes. Tomatoes with salt alone is tres tasty. But this is a step up. Never been a huge cooked tomato guy, but this dish was goooood."


Chicken And Vegetable Fried Rice Recipe: Tastiest Leftovers

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Posted on Wednesday, November 16, 2011 | By: Carmen Anderson

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Fried Rice is an extremely popular meal in many Asian cuisines perhaps because there are so many ways to make a quick fried rice dish. I hate to waste food and I simply cannot bring myself to throw out any perfectly good leftover food. I have discovered that fried rice is the perfect way to use up leftovers. Seriously. It is.

A Quick story about this recipe:  I randomly raided the fridge one rainy day (too lazy and cozy to go to market!) and managed to find enough leftovers to whip up this chicken and vegetable fried rice recipe. I was surprised how vibrant and colourful it looks, and  that it came out almost as good as the fried rice I used to get from my favourite take-away place in Hong Kong!

Cook Time: 20 mins

Estimate cost: $ 5  ( or nothing if you are using leftover )

Serve 2- 3

Ingredients

  • 1/2 (12 oz.) chicken breast, diced
  • 1 large egg  ( beaten )
  • 1 1/2 cup of cooked rice ( Be sure to cook the rice ahead of time so it has time to cool down )
  • 1 tablespoons soy sauce 
  • 1 teaspoons sesame oil
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 cup of  frozen mixed vegetables
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

Preparation

  • Mix chicken pieces with soy sauce and sesame oil. Allow it to marinade for 30 minutes.
  • Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large pan. Stir-fry prepared chicken for 2-3 minutes or until lightly golden. Transfer chicken to a plate.
  • Add vegetable oil to a pan and fry onion for 3 minutes. When the onion has softened, stir in vegetables and cook for 1 minute  The turn up the heat ( make sure the pan is hot enough ) and stir in rice and cook  for 3 minutes, keep tossing and mixing with a wooden spoon.
  • Finally, stir in egg mixture and soy sauce, heat through. Serve warm.
Husband Says: "She makes it. I eat it. Happily. No joke on it being comparable to authentic Hong Kong rice! "

The BIG APPLE Pie Recipe: Tribute To My New Home

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Posted on Sunday, November 13, 2011 | By: Carmen Anderson

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It really is as easy as pie to make your own homemade apple pie. There is nothing quite like its familiar aroma. This classic pie is really versatile, people have their own preferences of how to serve their apple pie. Some people like it with sugar sprinkled on top, some like it with whipped cream. Me, I like it with hot custard poured on top and my husband likes it with vanilla ice-cream.

This Apple recipe is mixed with traditional American touch with a few European twists, it is colourful, metropolitan, and never boring just like my new home New York City.

Therefore I've decided to dedicate this recipe to New York, by naming it the BIG APPLE pie!

Cook time: 30 hour 

Preparation time: 2.5  hours

Estimated cost: $10

Ingredients

For the pastry
  • 9 oz plain flour
  • 5 oz hard butter ( soft butter spread won't work )
  • 4 tsp cold water
  • 1/2 teaspoon of sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon of salt
For the filling
  • 5 cooking apples,sliced
  • 1/2 cup of sugar
  • 2 teaspoons of cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon of water
  • Carmen's Touch  Drops of lemon juice

Preparations

To Stew Apples: 
  1. Peel apples and slice them up.
  2. Saute apples, sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon and a tablespoon of water in a saucepan for 5 minutes. Keep stirring all the time. If they get too dry just add more water.
  3. Taste to check sweetness,allow it to cool once you've got the consistency you desire.

 To cook pie:

  1. Preheat the oven to 400F.
  2. Use hands to rub butter and flour together until the mixture resembles wet sand.
  3. Add the cold water to the flour mixture. Use your hand to firm up the mixture.Wrap up pastry dough with cling film and put it in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
  4. Divide the dough into 2 halves, take one half and roll it out so that it is big enough to cover a 20cm baking tray
  5. Cover the pastry with the stewed apples.
  6. Roll out the other half of the pastry,  put it on top.
  7. Press down on the pastry edges, making sure that they are properly sealed. Trim off any excess pastry with a knife.
  8. Prick the surface of the top pastry lightly before placing the pie in the oven. Cook for 25 - 30 minutes. Until it is golden brown.
  9. Serve with hot custard, vanilla ice-cream or just simply sprinkle sugar on top
Husband Says: "De-lish. There's only two women in my life that can make this pie and make it work. My mom and now my wife. Lucky I am."

    English Cottage Pie Recipe: The 'Other' Shepard's Pie

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    Posted on Saturday, November 5, 2011 | By: Carmen Anderson

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    Shepherd's pie is old-fashioned British pub grub I cannot live without and I have always wanted to make it  for my husband! I finally got around to making this homey dish this week and it was a (great) success. However, my recipe also turned out to be not quite true to this great comfort pies' history. I later found out that proper Shepherd's Pie is meant to be made with Lamb rather than beef, (which made a lot of sense since shepherds keep sheep not cows ). But since the recipe was so good, I have decided to keep it as it is and give it its proper name, that's how this Cottage Pie recipe was born.

    Cook Time: 1 hour
    Serve: 2-3

    Estimated Cost: $ 8

    Ingredients:
    • 1 1/2 lbs minced beef
    • 1 large onion, chopped
    • 2 large potatoes 
    • 1 cups mixed vegetables (carrot cubes, corns, peas )
    • 4 tablespoons butter 
    • 1/4 cup of cooking wine
    • 1 cup of gravy (prepared according to pack instructions)
    • 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
    • Salt and pepper to taste

    Preparation:

    1. Peel potatoes, cut them into pieces. Boil them in salted water until tender (about 20 minutes).
    2. Fry onions in butter until tender over medium heat.
    3. Add minced beef and cook until no longer pink. Add salt and pepper. Add Worcesterchire sauce, wine. Saute over low heat for 10 minutes. Add in mixed vegetables and gravy
    4. Mash potatoes in bowl with butter.
    5. Place cooked mince and veggies in baking dish. Spread mashed potatoes on top.
    6. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until golden-brown and bubbling.
    Husband Says: "Sooo gooood. Splash a bit o A1 steaksauce or HP sauce for even more deliciousness."

    Breaded Pork Cutlet With Salad Recipe: Crispy And Juicy Game-Day Recipe

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    Posted on Tuesday, November 1, 2011 | By: Carmen Anderson

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    Everybody loves Breaded Pork Cutlets (except maybe Vegans, their loss), the Japanese have their Tonkatsu, the Italian have their Cotolette Milanese, while the Viennese have Schnitzel.

    It is very easy to recreate this world famous dish at home, the ingredients are easy to find and it takes less than 30 minutes to cook. It's a prefect game-day recipe, as your man can have his food on a lap-tray in front of the TV, and it does go well with a beer!

    Cook Time: 30 minutes

    Serve: 2

    Estimated Cost: $ 8

    Ingredients:
    • 4 boneless pork cutlet, pounded thin
    • 2 egg white 
    • 2 tablespoon water
    • 1/2 teaspoon of sesame oil (Carmen's touch)
    • 1 tablespoon of white cooking wine (Carmen's touch)
    • 1/2 tablespoon of Worchestershire source
    • 1 cup flour
    • 1 cup dry bread crumbs
    • Salt and Pepper to taste

    Preparations:
    1. Pound the pork chops with the textured side of meat hammer.
    2. In a small bowl mix together sesame oil, cooking wine and the worchestershire sauce together. Lay the pork chops out  in a shallow dish and then pour in the mixture. Sprinkle salt and pepper on pork chops. Let  them sit for at least 1/2 hour.
    3. In a large bowl, beat the egg whites and water until it starts foaming
    4. Heat up1 to 2-inches of oil a heavy saucepan.
    5. Lay out 3 large plates. Put the flour in the first plate. Egg white and water in the second plate. Put the breadcrumbs in the third plate.
    6. Coat each Pork Chop first with the flour, then the egg white and then the breadcrumbs
    7. Carefully place the breaded pork chop into the hot oil. Cook 1 minute and turn, repeat twice until golden brown.
    Husband Says: "Perfect game-day food indeed! Would be tasty with BBQ sauce or a dash of A1 as well. I can't wait for the next big game."

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