Pappardella Pasta with Garlic,Cherry Tomatoes and Feta Cheese

(An Easy to Make Olive Oil Based Light Pasta Sauce)

Tonight I felt like something filling and hot, but I didn't feel like fussing, so I looked in the refrigerator and this is what I found: some garlic, a handful of cherry tomatoes, a half bottle of white wine, feta cheese and some Kalamata olives. I knew I had some fresh Basil growing outside and then I remembered I had a couple of handfuls of Pappardelle* in the cabinet, here is what I did:

[Preparation time: 20 min = cooking and cutting time]{It took me longer to write this blog}

Servings: makes about 2 medium-sized portions – easily doubled or tripled

Ingredients:

Two (2) servings of Pappardelle Pasta (they come in portions)

The Pappardelle Pasta (*an Italian flat pasta, usually cut into a broad ribbon shape; curled into handful size portions, it’s width is between Lasagna and Tagliatelle), should be cooking while you are preparing the sauce. Cook until El Dente, save about 3 Tablespoons of the pasta water.

Ingredients for the Sauce:

·       5 Tablespoons of good quality olive oil

·       4 cloves of garlic – sliced the long way

·       5 cherry tomatoes cut into quarters the long way

·       ¼ cup white wine

·       4 or 5 fresh basil leaves, sliced

·       Some Feta Cheese – sheep feta – about 3 slices cubed

·       A pinch of sugar

·       ¼ teaspoon of dry oregano

·       3 Tablespoons of Pasta Water

·       Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Fresh ground pepper, sliced garlic and cherry tomatoes

Cherry tomatoes cut in quarters lengthwise

Preparation:

·        In a medium frying pan, heat 5 Tablespoons of Olive Oil

·      Add the garlic slices and simmer until the garlic begins to soften*

·       Add the cut up cherry tomatoes, sprinkle with fresh ground black pepper

Cherry tomatoes and garlic simmering in olive oil

·        Continue cooking until the cherry tomatoes they begin to soften 

·        Add the white wine, the pan will sizzle, let the liquid thicken a bit

·        Add the pinch of sugar

·        Add the dry oregano

·        Mix and let simmer for another minute or two

·        Add the pasta to the sauce

·        Add the 3 tablespoons of the pasta water

Pappardelle added to the Sauce

·        Mix well – give it a minute or two for the sauce to cook into the pasta

·        Salt and pepper to taste

·        Place on serving dish

·        Sprinkle with the Feta Cheese

·        Add the Kalamata Olives

Quick Light Pasta Sauce with Feta Cheese and Kalamata Olives

You might want to add a few grains of kosher salt to enhance the flavors without making this dish too salty. If I were feeling ambitious, I would have made myself a simple green salad and garlic bread. But I didn’t J

*Garlic - be careful not to overcook garlic - it gets bitter

Quick Pan Cooked Chicken Breasts with a Whisper of Asia

This one of the easiest, tastiest, and quickest things to do with fresh Chicken Breasts, and have them come out succulent and tasty. It is also low in calories.

The result is hard to describe, not sweet, not salty – very tasty, delicate Asian flavor. You do have to stand over the stove (10 minutes at most) while they are cooking, but it is certainly worth the effort. 

[Preparation time: 10-15 minutes]

Servings: 6-8 chicken breasts (takes longer if you make more)

Ingredients:                                                 

·        2-3 generous tablespoon of canola oil

·        6-8 fresh chicken breasts (not schnitzel)

·        The star of this recipe is Healthy Boy brand* – Sweet Soy Sauce

·        About 2-4 tablespoons of Sweet Soy Sauce

·        Black Pepper to taste

fresh chicken breasts - not too thick / not too thin

Preparation:

·        Heat your frying pan

·        Add the oil – let it warm up but don’t let the oil smoke

·        Add in a couple of unseasoned chicken breasts

·        Make sure they have oil underneath – I actually use my hand as I put them in the frying pan, dipping them in the oil to coat them and then still moving them where I want them in the pan

fresh chicken breasts in hot frying pan
(with a bit of oil underneath to prevent sticking)

·        Drip a couple of tablespoons of Sweet Soy Sauce on the uncooked side of the chicken

·        Grind some fresh black pepper over the uncooked side

chicken breasts with Sweet Soya Sauce & freshly ground black pepper

·        When the edges of the chicken begin to look whitish (cooked) turn the chicken breasts over

·        Cook gently – as the chicken cooks the sauce begins to caramelize and thicken a bit

·        Keep turning the pieces over until – this takes about 2-3 minutes

chicken breasts after being turned a few times

·        You might want to add a drop or two of water if the sauce begins to dry too quickly

·        Remove from the pan – they are ready to eat!!

succulent chicken breasts 

Careful not to Over Cook!!!

Options:
Thinly slice the breasts and add them to a salad.
Cube into small pieces and add them to fried rice

*I have been using Healthy Boy Sweet Soy Sauce for over 20 years.
I use it for my fried rice and it is a fantastic seasoning for other Asian dishes.

   Healthy Boy Sweet Soy Sauce

*You can order it on Amazon if you cannot find it in the Supermarket or in an Asian food shop near you.

Calories in Healthy Boy Sweet Soy Sauce

Nutrition Facts

Healthy Boy - Sweet Soy Sauce

    

Calories	60	Sodium	240 mg
Total Fat	0 g	Potassium	0 mg
Saturated	0 g	Total Carbs	14 g
Polyunsaturated	0 g	Dietary Fiber	0 g
Monounsaturated	0 g	Sugars	12 g
Trans	0 g	Protein	0 g
Cholesterol	0 mg

Cracked Chocolate Cookies

These are the most amazing chocolate cookies. They are called cracked chocolate cookies because the tops crack as they bake. Now that I think about it, I have been making these cookies with my kids for over 20 years! Can't wait to bake them with the next generation - it makes for a great tradition!

The recipe is simple, not many ingredients, you do not have to roll out the dough or cut shapes or sprinkle flour. You do not need a mixer. 

You do need to measure, you do need to pour, you do need to roll the dough into little balls, and then roll these balls in a little bowl of sugar (great fun for kids) and you only need a medium-size bowl, a small bowl (for the sugar topping) and a spoon to mix with. You will line the baking sheets with parchment paper so clean-up is easy and most important they are so much fun to make with kids.

You also get instant gratification because the cookies bake quickly (please be careful not to over-bake), don't forget to let them cool.

(from top left) Karo corn syrup, margarine, flour, cocoa powder, sugar, vanilla extract

[Preparation time: 15 min + baking time ~9-12 minutes]

Servings: about 30-40 cookies depending the size

Ingredients:                                                 

·        ½ cup melted margarine – about 100 grams

·        ½ cup light corn syrup*

·        ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

·        ¼ cup granulated sugar

·        1 teaspoon baking soda

·        1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

·        1 teaspoon vanilla extract

·        1½ cup regular or plain flour

Topping: ¼ cup sugar in a small bowl

*Corn syrup can be bought in most supermarkets or health food stores.

Preparation:

·        Heat oven to 180°C – line your baking sheets with non-stick parchment paper (which makes for easy clean-up)

·        In a medium sized bowl mix the melted margarine, corn syrup, sugar and vanilla extract with a spoon

Mixture of Karo corn syrup, margarine, cocoa powder, sugar, vanilla extract 

·        Add the flour and the baking soda and cinnamon

Add flour

·        Gently mix together, until the flour disappears – careful not to over-mix

(The mixture should be firm but not sticky)

Cookie dough is ready once the flour is mixed in - notice the consistency

·        Make small balls, about 1 inch diameter

(The dough should not stick to your fingers)

Cookie - after rolling into a ball - note the smooth non-sticky surface of the dough 

·        Roll each cookie in the sugar that was reserved for topping

Ball of cookie dough rolled in sugar

 ·        Place the sugar coated cookies about 1 inch apart on a baking pan, give each ball a gentle pat (they will spread as they bake)

Cookies ready for baking

·        Bake at to 180°C for about 9-12 minutes

·       As the cookies bake they puff and crack on top 

   They are ready to come out of the oven

Baked cookies - the dough spreads as it bakes so leave room between each cookie

  

Notice the cracks on top?

BE CAREFUL NOT TO OVER BAKE – 

DO NOT LEAVE THEM IN THE OVEN TO COOL

OR THE COOKIES WILL DRY OUT.

THE ARE READY WHEN THE TOP BEGINS TO CRACK!!!!

A pile of baked Cracked Chocolate Cookies

Cool on the cookies sheet outside the oven – when completely cool store in an airtight container up to 1 week – they can also be frozen.

Serving Suggestions:

Munch on them with your coffee, tea, milk or hot chocolate

Serve with vanilla ice cream and powdered sugar as a fancy desert