High Protein Diet Meal Prep Week 2

One of the biggest lessons I've learned on the road to eating healthy is that preparation is key. If you're working early in the morning or late into the evening, you often don't have the energy to prepare meals when you get a breather. You'd rather relax and kick up your feet for a few moments. Even if you manage to cook once or twice a week, having fresh, homemade, healthy meals every day for every meal is pretty difficult for your average American. Even being a SAHM (stay at home mom), I find it difficult to prepare healthy meals for all three of my family members for every meal.

Tandoori Chicken Burgers

So, I know this post is supposed to be about tandoori chicken burgers, but let me just take a second to bring your attention to something special - the lovely red and green picnic blanket I used in this photo.

Chicken Sandwiches

Hello everyone!

I'm back after a two-month long hiatus with a recipe for the lovely chicken sandwiches pictured above. These past two months have been a roller coaster of life changing events and surprises. Don't worry - I'll blog about these events soon, but for now, lets talk about these sandwiches.

Stuffed Peppers

Hello everyone!

If there's any food that screams fall, it has got to be this colorful stuffed peppers dish. Traditionally, when thinking of fall foods, the things that come to mind are pumpkins, spices, and caramel flavored drinks - on a side note, I can't wait to try the salted caramel mocha at Starbucks. But, I think the colors in this dish really remind me of fall, especially now that the leaves have started to change colors.

Rilakkuma Omurice

I enjoyed editing this picture far too much.

Hello everyone!

The word "cute" was never in my dictionary of descriptive words for foods. Desserts were the only exception... until I discovered the Japanese world of bentos. Bentos are basically meals packed in boxes. Usually, if the bentos are made for kids (or 16 year old sisters), they're all vamped up with "kawaii" (cute) things like animal shapes and hearts. Now, this specific dish isn't in a bento because I don't particularly have any bento boxes at home, but it still looked adorable.

Ever since I started school, from kindergarten all the way to university, I have been surrounded by Asians. So, it's no surprise that I'm quite familiar with and very appreciative of all sorts of Asian cultures from Chinese to Japanese to Korean. The kawaii culture of the Japanese has always been at the top of that list. I mean come on, who doesn't love Hello Kitty and all the other Sanrio characters?!

And the Rilakkuma or Relaxing (sleeping) bear character is no different. His adorableness is to an extreme. When I saw this tutorial for how to make Rilakkuma omurice, I knew I had to make it. And who better to make it for than my omurice-loving sister. Omurice is a Japanese rice dish made of rice cooked in ketchup and wrapped in an omelet.Yumm. Even my brother was fawning over Rilakkuma and his little friend.

Herbed Chicken Pot Pie

There's only one week of winter break left, and I am going to make the most of it- by spending more time in the kitchen.

Today, I was flipping through Sur La Table's book The Art and Soul of Baking when I came across a mouth-watering photo of chicken pot pie. I've never made this dish myself, so I decided to finally try it. The outcome was a success; my entire family approved (surprisingly) and I thought my pie crust tasted especially good with the savory pie filling.


Try this recipe out for yourself! You'll thank me.
Make sure you wear an apron though, because some of the whisking gets a little exciting ;) I found this apron that I decorated when I was younger. It doesn't really fit anymore, but it helped protect my awesome T-shirt from flyaway peas and flecks of butter.


Now you're ready for the recipe! I've made some changes, because my family members would never eat this if it wasn't spicier.

For the filling you will need:

1. 3/4 stick butter
2. 6 tbsp all-purpose flour
3. 4 cups chicken broth
4. 1 tbsp olive oil
5. 1 lb cooked chicken meat, diced
6. salt, black pepper, red pepper (1 teaspoon each)
7. chopped parsley, thyme, and chives (around 1 tbsp of each)
8. veggies:
   10 oz. sliced mushrooms
   1 cup frozen peas
   1/2 cup diced carrot
   1 cup diced onion
   1/2 cup diced celery

STEP 1:
Melt butter in a saucepan. Add the onion and celery, and stir occasionally until softened (5-7 min).
Remove pan from heat and whisk in the flour. Return to heat and cook for 3 minutes, whisking to keep the flour from turning brown.
Remove pan from heat and add 1 cup of broth. Whisk until the mixture is smooth and paste-like.
Make sure there are no lumps of flour, then whisk in the remaining 3 cups of stock.

STEP 2:
Return to heat and bring to a boil. Add carrots and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

STEP 3:
Heat the olive oil in a saute pan. Add the mushrooms and cook until deep golden brown (10-12 min).
Mix the mushrooms, chicken, peas, parsley, thyme, and chives into the filling. Add the seasonings.
Set the filling saucepan in a large bowl filled halfway with ice water. This is to chill the filling so that it doesn't melt the flaky pie dough when it is placed on top of the pie.

STEP 4
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Scrape all of the filling into a pie pan and cover it with pie dough. I made my own pie crust, but you can also buy it ready-made at a grocery store.



In a small bowl, beat an egg yolk with 2 tbsp of milk and use a pastry brush to brush this glaze across the surface of the pie.

Bake for 40-45 minutes until the filling is bubbling and the crust is crisp and golden-brown. Transfer to a rack and cool for 15-20 minutes. Serve hot, spooning filling and crust into wide, shallow bowls. Enjoy your chicken pot pie!

Old World Manicotti

Old-world manicotti holds some sweet childhood memories for me. When we were young, my mother's friend would visit our family and each time, she would make some type of pasta for us. It was then that I first had manicotti and I've loved it ever since. I made it myself for the first time when I was holding a little gathering. I was digging through my piles of recipe cards when I found this one:

I just knew I had to make it. Though it tasted as amazing as I remembered it to be, I ran across a big problem while making it. All the manicotti shells had broken while they were being boiled!

I decided that to solve this, I had to pipe the manicotti filling onto the shell as planned. But then, I would wrap the two edges of the shell around the filling and place it seam side down on to the dish. This proved to be successful! So if any of you decide to try this recipe out, don't worry about the problems. They can all be fixed and as my dad loves to say, "It all looks the same in your stomach anyways."

Sadly, I don't have any pictures of the final dish for you guys. We were too busy digging in to take pictures. But, do enjoy the recipe card from Grandma's Kitchen! Best of luck,

Wardah

Vegetarian Enchiladas

Hello and happy holidays everyone! 

How is everyone enjoying their break? I'm certainly enjoying mine. It's been highlighted with loads of laughter, good times, and even better food. Speaking of good food, one mouth watering dish that has been on my mind recently is vegetarian enchiladas. After being constantly bombarded with thoughts of enchiladas, I finally decided to give it a go, making vegetarian enchiladas as to suit my entire family's tastes.

In the process of making the enchiladas, I snapped a few quick shots so I could share it with everyone. So, enjoy my rendition of the classic enchilada!

Vegetarian Enchiladas
Serves 6

16 oz. sour cream
16 oz. cream cheese
1 can of black beans
1 cup cooked rice
1 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup jalapeno peppers
salt and pepper (optional)
12 tortillas
1 can enchilada sauce
shredded Mozzarella cheese

1. Make filling:

Mix sour cream and cream cheese together until smooth.

Drain and mix the beans in.

Mix in the cooked rice.

Add in the jalapeno peppers and green onions. Add salt and pepper to taste (optional).

2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly oil a 9" by 13" baking dish; set aside. Warm tortillas on stove. Top each tortilla with a heaping of filling; roll up tightly and arrange, seam side down, in prepared baking dish.

3. Top with sauce and dividing evenly, sprinkle enchiladas with cheese. Bake, uncovered, until hot and bubbly, and cheese has melted, 15 to 20 minutes.

4. Cool for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Love,

Wardah

Cheesy Goodness: Lasagna!

You know it's been too long since you last made lasagna when you stop by the cheese section at the grocery store to daydream.

I got the chance to make lasagna when I was invited to a sleepover (AKA a Qiyam) at a friend's house. When I went shopping for the ingredients, I chose monterey jack cheese, mozzarella cheese, and ricotta. I also picked up some mushrooms for the sauce.

Back at home, I prepared the sauce and sliced the jack cheese while the lasagna noodles boiled.

I also beat the ricotta with a couple eggs. Done with the cheeses.

Next step: layering! Start by spreading some sauce on the bottom of the dish you will be using for the lasagna. This keeps the bottom layer from sticking.

Place some lasagna noodles on the sauce, overlapping them. Cover these with more sauce.

Using a spatula, spread some of the ricotta mixture on the sauce.

Cheeese time :D

Throw on some more noodles.

Spread more sauce! (and cheese)

And the rest of the ricotta..

Repeat: Cheese, lasagna noodles, sauce

Top it off with the mozzarella cheese. I used shredded.

Bake, cool slightly, and serve.

Although putting together lasagna can be really fun, eating it is by far the best part :)

Recipe!

· 3/4 pound lean ground beef
· 1/2 cup minced onion
· 2 cloves garlic, crushed
· 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
· 2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
· 2 (6.5 ounce) cans canned tomato sauce
· 1/2 cup water
· 2 tablespoons white sugar
· 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil leaves
· 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
· 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
· 1 tablespoon salt
· 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
· 4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
· 12 lasagna noodles
· 16 ounces ricotta cheese
· 2 eggs
· 1/2 teaspoon salt
· 3/4 pound mozzarella cheese, shredded
· 3/4 cup sliced monterey jack cheese



1. Cook ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until well browned. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water. Season with sugar, basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons parsley. Simmer, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.


2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain noodles, and rinse with cold water. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, remaining parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.


3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).


4. To assemble, spread 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Arrange noodles lengthwise over meat sauce. Spread with one half of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with a third of the monterey jack cheese slices. Spoon 1 1/2 cups meat sauce over cheese, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup mozarella cheese. Repeat layers, and top with remaining sauce and mozzarella cheese. Cover with foil: to prevent sticking, either spray foil with cooking spray, or make sure the foil does not touch the cheese.


5. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.

A Lunch Your Heart Will Thank You For

I always post about the cakes I make, which are tasty but sugary. My last food post was of my sister's potato salad which was quite tasty, but also high in fat and cholesterol.

The following pasta recipe contains a good source of fiber, an essential carbohydrate, which is found in whole grains and vegetables. The recipe also uses canola oil, which is the best oil someone can use as it contains little saturated fat and a lot of monounsaturated fat - the good kind of fat. Make sure to always include fiber-full ingredients in your meals. Also, reduce saturated fat consumption because saturated fat can lead to cardiovascular heat diseases such as coronary artery diseases.

So today I've decided to share with you a nutritious meal from my kitchen which not only contains whole grains and vegetables - but it also tastes amazing!  

Whole Grain Pasta with Bell Peppers and Chicken

Hearty Chicken Soup with Vegetables and Pasta



Leafy Salad

The pasta recipe is simple:

Whole Wheat Penne Pasta with Bell Peppers and Chicken

Ingredients:

     1 lb. boneless chicken breasts
     2 tbs canola oil
     1 onion
     1 green bell pepper (or any color you like)
     26-oz. jar tomato sauce
     1 box whole wheat penne pasta
     optional: Italian seasoning, garlic or dried herbs

Cut chicken breasts into 1⁄2-inch strips. Sauté strips in frying pan with canola oil. Set aside.

Slice onions and green peppers. Sauté sliced onions and peppers in canola oil in a medium saucepan until tender add tomato sauce and cook until it begins to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until pasta is ready. Cook pasta according to directions on package.

Measure out 1 cup pasta onto each plate, then top with 1⁄2 cup sauce. Place chicken on top of or beside the pasta. You can also serve it by stirring all the sauce into the pasta before serving.

Good luck!

Wardah

Easy Scrumptious Potato Salad

Hello guys, I am Wardah's sister and fellow partner-in-thyme. I'm there for her when she is frantically searching for a substitute for sour cream and I am her photographer. I'm also the one who helps her clean up after she makes a huge mess in the kitchen.
















She recently had the pleasure of trying my potato salad, and in a moment of inspiration (and a stroke of pure genius), she asked me, "Why don't you write guest posts for my blog? You can bake too."

Why thank you for noting, Wardah.

I actually taught her everything she knows about the world of combining ingredients into edible creations, but she won't admit it ;)

Today I'll be sharing my version of the potato salad.



















This "salad" is high in cholesterol, but it tastes SO GOOD. You will want to find family and friends to share it with, or you might end up eating it all by yourself.

































I didn't write it on my recipe card, but adding garlic powder makes this potato salad taste even yummier. How much powder? I say go crazy with it!

I also added some shell pasta because my siblings like it.

Unfortunately, my family finished it off before I could get a picture of the completed potato salad. I think you will have to try this recipe for yourselves to see what it looks like- and more importantly, to taste it :)