Chicken macaroni salad was one of my favorite party side dishes as a child. Back in Manila, it was dotted with raisins, which I’ve grown to dislike through the years. I’ve come to embrace it’s blushing cousin, the dried cranberries, which I simply adore in salads and use as often as I can. I love it with the tuna mac because it adds a touch of sweetness and tartness that complements the tuna and pineapple well.
Tuna is my preferred alternative to chicken in salads for convenience–just drain and voila, you’ll have flavorful protein to add. And thanks to that, you can make this salad in 15 minutes or less, not including the time to wait for the water to boil. To save time, I put the pot of water on maximum heat while I start chopping vegetables to make good on time.
This is a substantial lunch or a good snack to pack for work, but watch out for the tuna smell. The chicken would be less offensive to the olfactory senses for some, for sure. It keeps well in the fridge for up to 3 days if you keep it in the coolest corner, so it’s a good make-ahead dish as well.
I’m making slow and steady progress on the eating-healthier-lunch front, and even smaller steps on blog posting, but I’m getting there. I’m almost ready to make this again for lunch, actually.
I’ve included meat and vegan alternatives in the recipe. Hope you enjoy!
Cook elbow macaroni in salty water according to the package directions for al dente pasta and drain. Transfer pasta into a large bowl and add all the ingredients except for the cranberries. Add salt and pepper as desired. Add cranberries last.
Notes
Meat Alternative: Chopped cooked chicken, especially if you have leftover rotisserie chicken.
Vegan Alternative: You use “simulated” chicken meat sauteed with a little bit of chicken bouillon powder or cube to add some flavor. For the mayo, Earth Balance has a “Mindful Mayo” that is dairy free.
Scheduling lunch or coffee with friends during the week is a must for someone who works from home, not only does it save me from cooking and eating leftovers, it also provides my version of water cooler talk minus the awkwardness and abrupt Gotta-go’s. The fact is here are only so many conversations I could have with the cat at home. We chat about her love of tuna soup, how she can’t wait to rub herself against the bottom of daddy’s pants when he comes back from work, and her deep belief that she really is a queen.
Still, she is not a “co-worker” by any sense of the word. Her furry paws tend to step all over the keyboard and unintentionally sends emails that have not been edited. I can’t deny she is an eye candy when I do stay put to get things done for the day.
When I’m at home during lunch, I can’t possibly share her canned seafood delights and saltine-and-water “meals” can only get me so far in the day. I have been eating my fair share of the latter and it’s shamefully bad, that awful desktop diet. I’ve decided to put a stop to this and commit to cooking real food for myself. For lunch. Because I deserve it.
To motivate (and force) me to continue with this, I will be blogging the recipe of at least one meal I make during the week. Several friends are on the same boat, some subsisting on delivery pizza and Chinese takeout, so this series is for them, too. I hope this will inspire you all to take the plunge and be unafraid of making a little mess in the kitchen to prepare real home-cooked meals for one. It is worth the little time and effort put into them.
Here is last week’s easy lunch meal: Spaghetti Aglio e Olio. It’s a simple pasta recipe made with garlic, salt, olive oil, red pepper flakes and spaghetti noodles.
There’s no excuse not to have all the ingredients at hand. I made this for a get-together at the request of my best friend from high school and they all loved it. It’s one of the quickest dishes you can make and it’s a great alternative for tomato-based pasta. As you can tell, I’m a bit enthusiastic about this new endeavor that I took step-by-step photos to help even the beginner cook. The recipe was inspired by Lidia Bastianich’s new cookbook, Lidia’s Favorite Recipes: 100 Foolproof Italian Dishes, from Basic Sauces to Irresistible Entrees, which I found to be a great resource for easy Italian recipes.
Here’s a simple pasta recipe with ingredients that are often already in your pantry: olive oil, garlic and parmesan cheese.
Ingredients
3 oz of dry (uncooked) spaghetti noodles
salt for pasta water and to taste
2 tsp olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
pinch of red pepper flakes
1 to 2 tsp of freshly grated Grana Padano or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Instructions
Cooking Pasta
Fill half a 2-quart pot with water and salt and bring to boil over medium high heat. **As a general rule, water needs to be as salty as seawater when boiling pasta.
Put the spaghetti noodles in the pot and once the water returns to a boil, start timer for 9 minutes. Check pasta and cook until there is no white dot in the middle when you tear a noodle.
Drain water from the pasta and leave about a quarter of pasta water.
Making The Sauce
Heat a teaspoon of olive oil in a small frying pan over medium heat.
Add garlic slices and cook until pale golden. Take off the heat and sprinkle red pepper flakes and salt to taste. Pour the remaining olive oil and the quarter cup of pasta water and put back on the heating element to boil.
Transfer the drained pasta into the frying pan and mix together with the sauce. Cook for a minute before transferring into a bowl and tossing with grated cheese.
Serve in a warm bowl.
Tips:
For this recipe, I start heating the olive oil after the pasta has been cooking for 5 minutes. That more or less guarantees that by the time I need the pasta water, it’s also the same time that the spaghetti needs to be drained.
July. Summer. Fruit Season. Blueberries… {swoon} As someone who didn’t grow up with access to fresh ones, I’m grateful that I’ve been able to enjoy them as much as I can want for the past decade, call me a late blue-mer, if you wish. I bought close to three kilos of these plump indigo-colored berries last week: I ate them, baked with them, made smoothie pops with them, and made jam. Nothing says ‘I love you, fruit!‘ than consuming them in different ways every single day.
One thing I haven’t posted on this blog are jam recipes and I have no good explanation for this. Perhaps it’s due to the fact that I make them late at night when food lighting sucks (and I couldn’t be bothered to shoot photos by the stove with its incandescent lighting), or early in the morning right before breakfast and I simply have no time (or brain power) to think about photos. I know, it’s all about the photos for us food bloggers. And Instagram.
Today I have good reason to be talking about jam because I recently received a copy of Mary Tregellas’ new cookbook, Homemade Preserves & Jams: Over 90 Recipes for Luscious Jams, Tangy Marmalades, Crunchy Chutneys, and More. It’s a beautifully designed paperback that’s just the right size and weight for bringing everywhere (I do this with cookbooks) — like grabbing it last-minute before going to the farmer’s market to get some ideas. I’m thinking of packing this on our next island trip to make full use of the fresh fruits we find.
The recipes are very approachable, clear and concise. Each recipe is laid out in a single page, with often short ingredient list on the left and the step-by-step instructions to its right. Most are accompanied by photos. The book contains a primer on equipment, ingredient notes, and preserving tips, which are very helpful. I appreciate that it doesn’t inundate you with too much information, but has enough to get you started. As you can guess from the title, it does have more to offer: pesto, salads, scones, breads (yes, bread), tarts, and infused liqueurs. Recipes are grouped according to: Luscious, Juicy, Crunchy, Tangy, Tropical, Wholesome, Aromatic, Wild, Intoxicating and Daily Bread. That’s the most part if you would like to know what you can make with the produce you have on hand. Thankfully, the index does its job of pointing you in the right direction.
All in all, it’s a well-rounded book that’s best suited for beginners and preserving enthusiasts like me. This is the perfect gift for friends who are interested in making jams and preserves, but are too intimidated by the process and perceived “complicated know-how” — I know, because I used to be one of them. While it is not a comprehensive reference, this is a great Let’s-Make-Something-Now book, which to be honest, is what you want while the summer fruits and vegetables last.
Because I’m all about the blueberry right now, I made half the recipe for Blueberry Jam with a dash of lime. It made enough for us to last for a few weeks, plus a jar or two give away.
toast + butter + jam = Love
The hint of lime becomes more pronounced after a couple of days. Next time I would even add some finely chopped Moroccan mint for the jar that we’ll consume right away. The jam just has that kind of blueberry mojito character.
BC Blueberry Facts: 1. We have a BC Blueberry Council, which sounds like a cool company to work for, just because of the name. 2. British Columbia has over 800 blueberry growers. 3. BC is the number one highbush blueberry-growing region in the world.
For those of you who are still undecided whether jamming is something you’d like, just invest about half an hour of your time to try this out. It really doesn’t require much effort.
Cooking the blueberries until they soften.
Trust me, you’ll be happy you made it. It’s great on pancakes and waffles, PB&J sandwiches, muffins, rolls, biscuits, what have you. I even added it to blueberry smoothie popsicles!
Mix the blueberries, lime juice and zest, lemon juice and water in a preserving/muslin pan or large heavy-based stainless steel pan. Cook over moderate heat for about 10 minutes, until the blueberries soften. Some will burst, while others will grow extra plump. Use a long wooden spoon to stir occasionally.
Take the pan off the heat and stir in sugar until fully dissolved. Return the pan to the heat and boil. Allow to cook at full rolling boil for 4 minutes, then add pectin. Boil for another minute or two. Take the pan off the heat and proceed with testing for a set.
Test for a set using the wrinkle test: Chill a saucer in the freezer for a few minutes. Place half a teaspoon of jam on the saucer and return to the freezer for a minute. Then push the jam with your finger — it is set when it wrinkles. If it hasn’t set, cook for a couple more minutes and redo the test.
Ladle the hot jam into hot sterilized jars, filling them almost to the top. Screw the lid on tightly.
Notes
Makes 3 to 4 12-ounce jars of jam. Keeps for 12 months.
Between us two, Jens & I consume a fair amount of chocolate on a daily basis. When they’re not in the form of bars, truffles or chunks, they are in something baked. These brownies have certainly been on rotation to help keep up with our quota, but there’s always room for more.
I had my heart set on this cookie recipe since I got Alice Medrich’s book last year. What’s stopped me from making them was the need to refer to another page in another section of the book for the chocolate wafer recipe. This stresses me so.
One evening a couple of weeks ago, the need to bake something chocolate-y overruled my cookbook pet peeve. I just wish it happened sooner. The original recipe called for pecans and sour cherries, but I stuck to what we had on hand at midnight: cashews and dried bing cherries. J would have preferred hazelnuts, but we were out of them, too.
I debated about making my favorite homemade Oreos instead of trying something new–but this fruit and nut chocolate cookie might have just stolen my comfort cookie spot. Heck, they could even substitute for brownies.
They keep well for 2 weeks, but tend to disappear. Just saying.
Give them a try this weekend. I already saved you the agony of having to go to another page to begin the recipe. [There must be someone else out there who doesn't like this.] I have it all right here. Ha.
These moist, chewy and brownie-like cookies with fruits and nuts make for an indulgent snack. Warm, these cookies go really well with vanilla ice cream. Milk “dunkability” tested, it will not get soggy and disintegrate. These pair surprisingly well with red wine, too.
Ingredients
1 ½ cups (6.75 ounces) unbleached all purpose flour
6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, cut in small chunks (chocolate chips or chunks would work, too)
1⅓ cups (5.25 ounces) chopped toasted cashews (toasted at 325°F for 8 to 10 minutes)
1 cup (6 ounces) dried cherries, chopped (I used bing)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F, with racks on the upper and lower third of the oven. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Add flour, cocoa powder, sugar, salt, and baking soda in a food processor and pulse. Add butter and pulse several times. Combine milk and vanilla in a small bowl and add through the feed tube. Process until the thick paste clumps together on the blade or around the bowl. Transfer into a large bowl and fold in the chocolate pieces, cherries and cashews with a sturdy spatula or wooden spoon.
Drop half dome mounds of dough using a tablespoon measure, about 2 inches apart, on the lined cookie sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the cookie tops look dry but are soft (not mushy) when touched lightly with a fingertip. Rotate pans after 8 minutes, top to bottom and front to back. Transfer the cookies on parchment paper on racks. Cool completely before storing. These cookies are best stacked with wax or parchment paper in between cookies; will keep in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
Notes: These cookies break easily when they first come out of the oven. They will become crispy on the outside and softer inside once they cool.
This recipe was adapted from Alice Medrich’s book, “Chewy Gooey Crunchy Melt-In-Your-Mouth-Cookies” [http://gourmeted.com/chewygooeycrispycrunchy]
After a busy day, there’s nothing more that I want than fast food. Not the McD kind or the pizza kind. I want something I could fix ASAP without having to fret over ingredients I’m missing. You must think I just bake and eat baked goods all the time with everything that I’ve been posting lately, but I still do cook. I want to spend my time in the kitchen wisely (=quickly), making something that’s good enough to eat and enjoy, but still healthy. I mean, cutting out the part where I drink wine is eating healthier, right? Aha.
There were still fresh pasta and prosciutto from my last trip to Granville Island, and a bunch of almost- forgotten Swiss chard that commanded attention or they will take a direct trip to the food scrap recycling bin. And then there’s the leftover ricotta from my crumb cake baking, plus a lonely shallot bulb. I’m not organized enough to have my market loot assigned into dishes and menus, so this is a regular plight: Get available and/or in-season ingredients and figure it out in the kitchen later. The pantry and fridge supplies my cooking notes, and sometimes we orchestrate some magic. This one will be added to my pile of go-to quick food, with the greens adapted to what’s in season or easily available.
Simple food can be satisfying, you just have to be willing to try. And don’t forget to check what you already have in your kitchen. Yes, that is a lesson for myself as well.
If you’re into Swiss chard, check this other recipe, too: Eggplant & Chard Lasagne. It’s a vegetarian dish that has a good chance of winning the meat lovers over. :)
After a busy day, there’s nothing more that I want than fast food. Not the McD kind or the pizza kind. I want something I could fix ASAP without having to fret over ingredients I’m missing. You must think I just bake and eat baked goods all the time with everything that I’ve been posting lately, but I still do cook. I want to spend my time in the kitchen wisely (=quickly), making something that’s good enough to eat and enjoy, but still healthy. I mean, cutting out the part where I drink wine is eating healthier, right? Aha.
There were still fresh pasta and prosciutto from my last trip to Granville Island, and a bunch of almost- forgotten Swiss chard that commanded attention or they will take a direct trip to the food scrap recycling bin. And then there’s the leftover ricotta from my crumb cake baking, plus a lonely shallot bulb. I’m not organized enough to have my market loot assigned into dishes and menus, so this is a regular plight: Get available and/or in-season ingredients and figure it out in the kitchen later. The pantry and fridge supplies my cooking notes, and sometimes we orchestrate some magic. This one will be added to my pile of go-to quick food, with the greens adapted to what’s in season or easily available.
Simple food can be satisfying, you just have to be willing to try. And don’t forget to check what you already have in your kitchen. Yes, that is a lesson for myself as well.
If you’re into Swiss chard, check this other recipe, too: Eggplant & Chard Lasagne. It’s a vegetarian dish that has a good chance of winning the meat lovers over. :)
I foresee simple meals until the end of Christmas.
I’ll tell you why: I’ve wanted to be able to make all the gifts I’ll be giving for Christmas for the longest time and I think this year it’s finally going to happen. [Right, I could be crazy.] Of course, whenever I make that decision, things happen. However, I’m going to tough it out and fight my odds through the years. I’ll be sewing and baking like there’s no tomorrow.
It’s only this year that I really appreciated the fact that the Canadian Thanksgiving is in October, I have to say. It really does give me more time to prepare for Christmas, even though I’m still trying to catch my breath and hoping I make all my deadlines.
When I was in the midst of my cross-stitching frenzy, I cooked this quick stir-fry of sliced steak with green peppers and onions, eaten over a steaming bed of rice.
Heaven for the weary.
Anyway, back to the dish. This is easy to make, and you don’t really need a recipe. So below is a “guideline” to create your own recipe. It’s something you can put together with whatever you have. :)
Sorry, this is short and sweet, BUT I promise you: Donuts this weekend!
STEAK STRIPS, PEPPER AND ONION STIR-FRY Serves 2 to 3
Ingredients
19 0z of steak
1/2 green pepper, sliced into thin strips
1 tsp oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
Preparation
1. Heat oil on medium high and saute peppers for 2 mins. Transfer to a plate.
2. Place onions in the pan and cook for 1 minute and put on another plate.
3. Heat garlic and meat sprinkled with salt and pepper. Turn occasionally and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until all the liquid from the meat is almost gone.
4. Add back the pepper and onions and toss with the meat for a few seconds before transferring onto a serving plate. Enjoy with some pita bread or place over a bed of fresh steamed rice.
I foresee simple meals until the end of Christmas.
I’ll tell you why: I’ve wanted to be able to make all the gifts I’ll be giving for Christmas for the longest time and I think this year it’s finally going to happen. [Right, I could be crazy.] Of course, whenever I make that decision, things happen. However, I’m going to tough it out and fight my odds through the years. I’ll be sewing and baking like there’s no tomorrow.
It’s only this year that I really appreciated the fact that the Canadian Thanksgiving is in October, I have to say. It really does give me more time to prepare for Christmas, even though I’m still trying to catch my breath and hoping I make all my deadlines.
When I was in the midst of my cross-stitching frenzy, I cooked this quick stir-fry of sliced steak with green peppers and onions, eaten over a steaming bed of rice.
Heaven for the weary.
Anyway, back to the dish. This is easy to make, and you don’t really need a recipe. So below is a “guideline” to create your own recipe. It’s something you can put together with whatever you have. :)
Sorry, this is short and sweet, BUT I promise you: Donuts this weekend!
STEAK STRIPS, PEPPER AND ONION STIR-FRY Serves 2 to 3
Ingredients
19 0z of steak
1/2 green pepper, sliced into thin strips
1 tsp oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
Preparation
1. Heat oil on medium high and saute peppers for 2 mins. Transfer to a plate.
2. Place onions in the pan and cook for 1 minute and put on another plate.
3. Heat garlic and meat sprinkled with salt and pepper. Turn occasionally and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until all the liquid from the meat is almost gone.
4. Add back the pepper and onions and toss with the meat for a few seconds before transferring onto a serving plate. Enjoy with some pita bread or place over a bed of fresh steamed rice.
Some of you might find the concept of eating avocado outside the constricts of a vegetable salad or a Mexican dip bizarre. On the contrary, when I moved to North America in the late ’90s, I had a mental gag when I discovered that my beloved avocado was made into anything other than a dessert — fresh spooned out of the skin, as an ice cream or a filling shake. Worse, it was sometimes being touted as something really fattening. Yikes.
This is my all-time favorite way of eating avocados: sprinkled with sugar and powdered milk (preferably Nido) and straight into my mouth. Creamy, dreamy dessert!
I'll eat you without dieter's remorse.
Have you tried this before? What other food do you eat differently than others do?
Sorry Fuss-Free Friday was late. I have to admit that the day just crept up on me this afternoon. If you have other fuss-free recipes to share, please leave the link in the comments section. Thanks and enjoy your weekend!
Some of you might find the concept of eating avocado outside the constricts of a vegetable salad or a Mexican dip bizarre. On the contrary, when I moved to North America in the late ’90s, I had a mental gag when I discovered that my beloved avocado was made into anything other than a dessert — fresh spooned out of the skin, as an ice cream or a filling shake. Worse, it was sometimes being touted as something really fattening. Yikes.
This is my all-time favorite way of eating avocados: sprinkled with sugar and powdered milk (preferably Nido) and straight into my mouth. Creamy, dreamy dessert!
I'll eat you without dieter's remorse.
Have you tried this before? What other food do you eat differently than others do?
Sorry Fuss-Free Friday was late. I have to admit that the day just crept up on me this afternoon. If you have other fuss-free recipes to share, please leave the link in the comments section. Thanks and enjoy your weekend!
, which I found to be a great resource for easy Italian recipes.
