Healthy and Delicious Recipes!
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free skin care · Mon Apr 09, 2007 12:12 pm

Hi Everyone!

I rarely post here in the lounge but I came up with what I thought was a great idea... hopefully!

I cook a lot for myself at home, but mostly at night. Since I've been doing this, I've lost and kept off about 10 pounds (depending on my totm). I was really scared that moving to paris would make it all come back, but guess what? I've lost even more. What they say about living in France is all too true--I eat chocolate croissants, baguettes, crepes, quiches and steaks, and I've lost 10 lbs while I've lived here WITHOUT so much as a lick of exercise. It's amazing--I think it is due to restaurants not using processed ingredients in their food. Most everywhere uses market-fresh produce, meat, and other goods. I usually start off the day with whole milk plain yogurt sweetened with cinnamon (regulates blood sugar) and agave nectar, topped with fresh african mango, my homemade granola, and a little move agave), then I eat whatever I want for lunch, and I cook for myself at home. I know la vie is going to come here and try to castrate me for saying the above, because she begs to disagree. But SHE broils filet mignons every night and finishes them with wine and cream and serves them with potatoes au gratin...

Anyways, back to the point of this thread: I wanted to share some recipes with you that I just adore cooking and that are delicious and healthy. I hope you like them and more importantly, I hope others post recipes as well!

I like eating a protein, some fiber, and a good vegetable every night--it is filling and digestible.

Here's one that was so good, I just thought you guys NEEDED to have it immediately:

Parmesan-Crusted Chicken Cutlets
3/2007

The chicken breasts will be easier to slice into cutlets if you freeze them for 15 minutes until firm but not fully frozen. To slice in half, place one hand on top of the breast to secure it, hold a chef's knife parallel to the cutting board, and slice through the middle of the breast horizontally. Note that 1/2 ounce of Parmesan is grated on the smallest holes of a box grater (or Microplane rasp grater); the remaining 6 ounces are shredded on the largest holes of the box grater (see photos below). We like the flavor that authentic Parmigiano-Reggiano lends to this recipe. Less-expensive DiGiorno Parmesan cheese can also be used, but the resulting cheese crust will be slightly saltier and chewier. Serve this chicken with a simple salad. Although the portion size (1 cutlet per person) might seem small, these cutlets are rather rich due to the cheese content. To make 8 cutlets, double the ingredients and cook the chicken in 4 batches, transferring the cooked cutlets to a warm oven and wiping out the skillet after each batch.

Serves 4
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (8 ounces each), tenderloins removed, breasts trimmed of excess fat and halved horizontally
Table salt and ground black pepper
1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour plus 1 tablespoon
1/2 ounce grated Parmesan cheese (about 1/4 cup), see note above
3 large egg whites
2 tablespoons minced fresh chives (optional)
6 ounces shredded Parmesan cheese (about 2 cups) see note above
4 teaspoons olive oil
1 lemon , cut into wedges

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. Place chicken between sheets of plastic wrap and pound to even 1/4-inch thickness. Pat dry with paper towels and season both sides with salt and pepper.

2. Set wire rack on rimmed baking sheet. Whisk together 1/4 cup flour and grated Parmesan cheese in pie plate. In medium bowl, whisk egg whites and chives (if using) together until slightly foamy. In second pie plate, combine 2 cups shredded Parmesan and remaining tablespoon flour.

3. Using tongs and working with 1 cutlet at a time, coat chicken in flour mixture, shaking off excess. Transfer chicken to egg-white mixture; coat evenly and let excess run off. Coat chicken with shredded Parmesan mixture, pressing gently so that cheese adheres. Place on wire rack.

4. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Place 2 cutlets in skillet and reduce heat to medium. Cook until cheese is pale golden brown, about 3 minutes. While chicken is cooking, use thin nonstick spatula to gently separate any cheesy edges that have melted together. Carefully flip cutlets and continue to cook until cheese is pale golden brown on second side and meat is no longer pink in center, about 3 minutes. Transfer chicken to wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet and keep warm in oven. Wipe out skillet with paper towel and return to medium heat. Add remaining 2 teaspoons oil and cook remaining 2 cutlets. Serve immediately with lemon wedges.

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Pan-Roasted Asparagus with Toasted Garlic and Parmesan
3/2005

This recipe works best with asparagus that is at least 1/2 inch thick near the base. If using thinner spears, reduce the covered cooking time to 3 minute and the uncovered cooking time to 5 minutes. Do not use pencil-thin asparagus; it cannot withstand the heat and overcooks too easily.

Serves 4 to 6
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 medium cloves garlic , sliced thin
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 pounds thick asparagus spears (see note), ends trimmed
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 lemon (optional)

1. Heat the olive oil and sliced garlic in 12-inch skillet over medium heat; cook, stirring occasionally, until garlic is crisp and golden but not dark brown, about 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer garlic to paper towel-lined plate.

2. Add the butter to the oil in the skillet. When butter has melted, add half of asparagus to skillet with tips pointed in one direction; add remaining spears with tips pointed in one direction. Using tongs, distribute spears in even layer (spears will not quite fit into single layer); cover and cook until asparagus is bright green and still crisp,about 5 minutes.

3. Uncover and increase heat to high; season asparagus with salt and pepper. Cook until spears are tender and well browned along one side, 5 to 7 minutes, using tongs to occasionally move spears from center of pan to edge of pan to ensure all are browned. Transfer asparagus to serving dish, sprinkle with grated Parmesan and toasted garlic, adjust seasonings with salt and pepper, and, if desired, squeeze lemon half over spears. Serve immediately.

To Serve 2-3:
Cut all ingredient amounts in half. Cook asparagus in 10-inch skillet over medium heat, covered, for 3 minutes. Remove cover and cook over medium-high heat until tender and browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Do not adjust heat when cooking garnishes; however, cooking times for garnishes should be reduced by 1 to 2 minutes.

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And finally, a wonderful salad that my friend Brooke and I made up:

Midway Chopped Salad
all ingredients added to taste:
belgian endives, roughly chopped
radicchio, roughly chopped
head watercress, washed, dried, roughly chopped
scallions, sliced thin (chives are optional)
blue cheese, a good one, like maytag, fourme d'ambert, or amish blue
red grapes, seeded and sliced
lightly toasted whole pecans, then broken up loosely into pieces

shallot vinaigrette:
1/2 shallot, finely chopped
1 part balsamic vinegar to 2 parts olive oil
scant teaspoon dijon mustard
salt and pepper

throw all salad ingredients together, emulsify dressing, and enjoy!

By the way, the parmesan cutlets with the above salad was DIVINE! by mistake i bought grated gruyere cheese, but they were fabulous and so easy to make nevertheless.

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Another AMAZING ONE:
Mario Batali's winter caprese salad:
RECIPE
Winter Caprese Salad
(from Molto Italiano by Mario Batali (HarperCollins, 2005), page 30)

6 Plum tomatoes, cut lengthwise in half (or large cherry tomatoes)
3/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 clove garlic
3 tablespoons freshly grated Parigiano-Reggiano
3 cups fresh Basil Leaves, plus a few more for garnish
2 tablespoons Pine Nuts
4 large Bocconcini from buffalo mozzarella cut into quarters (or Burrata)

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. In a medium bowl, toss the tomatoes with 1/4 cup of the olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Place cut side down on a small baking sheet and bake for about 2 hours or until the tomatoes are softened. Remove the tomatoes from the oven and let cool.

Transfer the cooled tomatoes to a colander and set aside to drain while you make the pesto.

Combine the garlic and Parmigiano in a blender and pulse until the garlic is roughly chopped. Add the basil and pulse 7 or 8 times, or until the leaves are shredded. With the blender running, slowly add the remaining 1/2 cup of the olive oil, blending until smooth.

Toast the pine-nuts in an 8-inch saute pan over medium heat, tossing frequently, until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool.

To serve, arrange 3 tomato slices cut side down on each plate. Place a ball of mozzarella (or scoop of burrata) in the center, and spoon 2 tablespoons of the pesto onto each ball of mozzarella. Sprinkle with the pine nuts and garnish with the basil leaves.

Please post your recipes, too!

--avalange

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