Eggs in Cream

Even though I am now being healthy I just couldn't resist these eggs in cream. Hey I can't be good all of the time, and I am exercising again so it helps. I love eggs but with high cholesterol I only have them once in a while. Of course as of late I think 'they' have decided eggs are a good source of protein and not so bad for you if you have high cholesterol.... so I choose to believe 'them' :) Sometimes I have these eggs for lunch or dinner, to make them more of a meal include a few strips of bacon or 1-2 breakfast sausages or maybe you can throw in an extra egg.

Ingredients
dab of butter
1/3 cup cream
1 egg
dash red peper flakes
seasoned salt to taste
pepper to taste
1 slice buttered toast
bacon or sausages (optional)

Directions
1. In a small skillet ( 2-3 inches wide) melt the butter over medium to high heat
2. Add the cream first then the egg on top
3. Cover and cook until desired donenss
4. Sprinkle with desired amount of red pepper flakes, seasoned salt and pepper

Servings 1

Clay Baker Country Chicken

This is the easiest and juiciest chicken I have ever made, it comes out great every time using my Romertopf clay baker. They are easily found and affordable in most kitchen gadget stores. It is not only for chicken though you can make fish, meatloaf, roast beef, baked apples and even a great bread loaf. Best of all the chicken is very healthy which is my main goal nowadays.

Ingredients
3 lb whole chicken
1 yellow onion
1/2 a lime
parsley
2 TBSP butter
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp rosemary
1/2 cup white wine
2 cups of your favorite vegetables (potatoes, onions, carrots, tomato)
salt & pepper to taste

Directions
1. Completely submerge your clay baker for 15 minutes in water
2. Wash the chicken and rub the inside with salt and pepper.
3. Place the onion, lime and parsley in the cavity of the chicken; tie the legs together
4. Place in bottom of pot and brush with butter, season with thyme, rosemary, salt & pepper
5. Add wine and vegetables all around
6. Cover pot and place in a cold oven. Bake at 450º for about 85 minutes
7. For crispier skin remove the top and broil for 3-5 minutes

Servings 4

Salmon Coulibiac

We had this for New Year's Eve also a treat. I am not a huge fan of salmon but in this dish it all comes together great. It is best to do all of the prepping the day before and put it together 2 hours before baking. This is a russian fish pie packed with salmon, rice, hard-boiled eggs and mushrooms wrapped in puff pastry.

Ingredients
1/4 cup rice, cooked
3 eggs, hard bolied and finely chopped
3 TBSP butter
1/2 cup scallions, finely sliced
1/4 cup shallots, finely sliced
12 oz mushrooms, finely diced
2 TBSP lemon juice
4 cups salmon, cooked
1 1/2 lb puff pastry
2 1/2 TBSP fresh dill, finely chopped
1 egg yolk
1/3 cup yogurt, plain

Directions
1. Melt half the butter in a saucepan and add the scallions, cook 4 minutes or until soft; season to taste and set aside
2. Melt the remaining butter and ad the shallots, cook gently for 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms, lemon juice, salt & pepper and cook until the mushrooms are dry.
3. Cut the pasrty in half on a lightly floured surface; roll out one half to a 1/8 inch-thick rectangle. Transfer to a cookie sheet and trim to about 9x14 inches
4. Wrap and chill the trimmings
5. Leaving a 1 inch border on all sides, spread the rice in the center of the pastry
6. Sprinkle with 1/2 TBSP dill, then the salmon, salt and pepper, mushroom mixture, chopped eggs and scallions in separate layers
7. Beat the remaining egg and brush over the border.
8. Roll the remaining pastry to 18x12 inches and place over the filling, press the edges together to seal then trim neatly and brush top with egg
9. Roll out the reserved trimmings into strips to decorate the pie. Lay them on as a lattice
10. Place pie in the refrigerator for 15 minutes
11. Preheat oven to 400º Beat the egg yolk and brush over the pie. Make 3 small holes down the center of thepie using a skewer
12. Bake for 30 minutes, until crisp and golden
13. Stir the remaing dill into the yogurt and serve alongside the coulibiac

Servings 8

Authentic Spanish Paella

We had this for Christmas Eve dinner and it was a real treat. It has a lot of steps so it's not something you will make often but for a special occasion it is the perfect meal. It helps if you can make the broth a day ahead. The authentic way to make paella is outdoors but this one has been adjusted to make at home. Paella is best prepared over an open fire, charcoal BBQ or gas paella burner. The reason for this is so that the heat is evenly distributed and because the heat should gradually decrease as you are cooking it. If you prepare paella often, you may want to invest in a Paella Burner & Adjustable Tripod Stand, designed specifically for cooking paella outside. They usually come with two ring burners and allow adjusting each ring separately. These burners connect to a propane tank via a hose and regulator. (see photo below)

Broth
Ingredients
2 TBSP olive oil
12 cups chicken or fish broth
1 cup white wine
3 stalks celery, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
handful each of parsley and cilantro
2 bay leaves
1 tsp thyme
6-8 whole black peppercorns
2 stalks green onion
1 onion, quartered
4 whole garlic cloves, peeled
1/4 tsp cumin
3 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 TBSP saffron threads, crushed
splash tabasco sauce

Directions
1. Add all of the ingredients to a large soup pot
2. Boil for 30 minutes (it should be pretty salty)
3. Cool, sieve and refrigerate

Sofrito (you will need 4 cups total)
Ingredients
3 medium onions
8 plum tomatoes with seeds and skin, cut in half
1/4 cup pimentos

Directions
1. Place onions in a cuisinart and process until finely diced.
2. Add the tomatoes and pimentos, process until everything is diced; set aside

Paella
Ingredients
1/4 cup olive oil
10-12 cups broth (remove from refrigerator a few hours before using)
4 cups sofrito
4 large garlic cloves, pressed
8 cups arborio rice
2 lbs. shrimp, shelled, deveined, lightly salt & peppered
3 lobster tails, shelled, sliced, lightly salt & peppered
2 lbs. chicken breast, cut into small chunks, lightly salt & peppered
1 1/2 lbs. pork loin, cut into small chunks, lightly salt & peppered
1 cup frozen peas, thawed and drained
1 cup artichoke hearts, quartered
fresh asparagus tips (for decoration)
pimentos, sliced into strips (for decoration)
green olives (for decoration)

Directions
1. Place the broth in a large soup pot and heat through, lower heat but don't allow to cool
2. In an 18 inch large skillet heat the olive oil, almost covering the bottom (this might seem like a lot but it's not)
3. Add pork and sauté until no longer pink
4. Add chicken and sauté until no longer pink; Add the garlic
5. Add sofrito and cook about 5 minutes or until onions are translucent
6. Add the rice and stir well
7. Start adding the broth slowly, stirring in between until you have added 10 cups (save remainder in case you need more later)
8. Continue simmering, add the peas, artichoke hearts, asparagus, pimentos and olives
9. Cover with foil and lower temperature to low for 10 minutes.
10. Do not uncover just shake the skillet from side to side to prevent sticking
11. Leave an additional 10 minutes, uncover if too dry add a bit more broth
12. Add the shrimp and lobster (do not stir in just place on top of the rice), cover and leave another 10 minutes or until seafood is done (when it turns opaque)
13. Take off heat and let rest for 10 minutes, covered

Servings 12

Drink to your Health!

I am starting the year off with a bang of health but don't worry I will be back to my regular recipes which will undeniably be healthier since all the festivities are over. I will continue to exercise though, I have to offset all of this food. I went on my first run in a long time yesterday and I could barely get out of bed today. I didn't realize I was so out of shape....
I am posting two drinks that I have most days. One is just plain good, the other is a really simple way to start your day on a good and healthy note. Okay I think this completes my health benefits section for a while, tomorrow I will be back with real food. I am hanging up my Doctor's hat ;)

Drink #1
Ginger, Honey, Lemon Tea


I first had this little concoction while I was in India. There is no true recipe just adjust to your own taste. I make my favorite tea (green or black) add a few squirts of lemon, a squeeze of honey and a few slices of ginger. It's a great remedy to soothe the stomach and we all know how good tea is for us.
To make sure I always have ginger available, I pickle it and keep it in the refrigerator.
Buy a big piece of ginger, using the back of a small spoon peel it and slice into ovals. Fill a glass jar with equal parts water and plain vinegar (just eyeball it, it doesn't have to be perfect) then add the sliced ginger. This is a great way to always have ginger on hand even for cooking, it retains it's flavor and will not taste vinegary.

Drink #2
Water, Lemon, Maple Syrup and Cayenne Pepper


Make it a part of your daily routine to start every morning with a mug of warm water, lemon, maple syrup and cayenne pepper. The detox drink is rich in vitamin E, vitamin C, and carotenoids that help in improving your overall health.
Benefits: due to excessive intake of processed and junk food, very little nutrients enter into our bodies. Hence, our bodies have to really work hard to get rid of these low nutritional valued food. Also, ingestion of numerous chemicals and toxins in the body while breathing keep getting built up over the years.
This lemon cayenne pepper drink increases the body's metabolic rate and improves the flow of stomach secretion that helps to sooth the digestive tract and remove toxins from the body. Regular intake of the detox drink boosts your energy levels and helps in weight loss. I sometimes omit the maple syrup and it seems to work just fine too.

Directions
2 TBSP freshly squeezed lemon (don't use concentrates and drink mixes as they contain preservatives)
2 tbsp organic or natural maple syrup
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper, as per taste
8 oz. fresh water
Mix the above mentioned ingredients and enjoy either hot or cold.

Papaya Fast***

Okay all this eating has got to stop..... I am taking a break for the next 2 days. I am going to post some great cleaning 'fasts' and a drink you should have every morning.. I like to do a papaya and water fast at least once a month, it is really good for you... not only do you give your body a much needed rest, papaya has many health benefits. It cleans the stomach and studies have shown that papaya alone eaten for 2 to 3 days has a highly beneficial tonic effect upon the stomach and intestines. The papaya is an amazingly rich source of the proteolytic enzymes. These are the chemicals that enable the digestion of protein. It is a fruit high in fiber which lowers cholesterol levels.
It can also:
• Revitalize the human body and maintain energy and vitality.
• Encourages the renewal of muscle tissue.
• Supports cardiovascular system.
• Boosts up the immune system.
• Helps with the digestive system, by breaking down the proteins and supporting production of digestive enzymes.
• Prevents the cataract formation.
• Due to high vitamin A, it lowers the risk of emphysema in smokers and passive smokers.
• Alleviates inflammation.
• Helps with the nausea and constipation.

So once you are cleared by a doc give this a try. Just slice up a papaya drench it in lime juice and enjoy the benefits. I eat it throughout the day with lots of water and I always feel great the next day.

***If you have any health issues or concerns please speak to your doctor before beginning any fast. I am not a doctor!***

Artichoke Stuffed with Brie

This is not one of the best photos but I was in such a hurry to eat that I am glad I took at least one photo. These artichokes are the perfect blend of tart, savory and cheesy! We had the artichokes as an appetizer on New Year's Eve this year and they were the perfect match for a special occasion.

Ingredients
6 large Artichokes
12 ounces brie
1/4 cup shallots, chopped
2 cups white wine
1 cup butter
1/3 cup whole grain mustard
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
squeeze of lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1. Cut off the top and bottom of the artichoke. Cook it in boiling water for 10-15 minutes until the bottom is easy to pierce with a fork.
2. Run artichoke under cold water to stop the cooking process.
3. When cool enough to handle, cut the inner choke away from the heart.
4. Cut the brie into 1/2" chunks. Place the brie into the artichoke and throughout the leaves.
5. Place on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees until the brie is melted (approximately 10 minutes).
6. To make the mustard sauce, combine Shallots and white wine in a saucepan over high heat. Slowly add the butter and remove from heat. Then add mustard, white wine vinegar, salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice to the mixture.
7. Drizzle the sauce over the artichokes and serve.

Servings 6

Prosciutto Pillows

These wonderful little 'pillows' are a perfect appetizer. I entered them in a Real Women of Philadelphia contest and even though they didn't win they are great, in my opinion :) I have said in the past that I love savory sweet combinations and these fit the bill. I always make extra and freeze them for unexpected visitors. I wish everyone a very safe and Happy New Year's! See you next year...

Ingredients
2 cans (8 oz) Pillsbury refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
6 oz PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
5-6 slices deli sliced prosciutto ham, chopped
6 oz Major Grey's Mango Chutney
2 TBSP basil, chiffonade

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375º
2. Roll out dough and press perforations to seal
3. Using a biscuit cutter, make rounds (whatever size you would like)
4. Generously spread half of the rounds with cream cheese
5. Place 1 TBSP of prosciutto on top
6. Put about 1 tsp of mango chutney over prosciutto then sprinkle with basil
7. Using the remaining rounds 'cover' and seal the pillows (you can use a fork to seal or a fluted biscuit cutter)
8. Bake 12-15 minutes or until golden

Servings 4