Lemon Dill Rice

I am not exactly sure how to describe the taste of this dish. But for the most part it is really light and refreshing with a nice hint of citrus. I have always used baby dill to make this dish but you can use dill if you need to. The taste of dill may be a bit strong to some so be careful! The best part about making this dish is that you add in the dill and lemon once the rice is cooked. That way, you can always add the amount of dill and lemon according to your liking.

No exact recipe here. Just like how you normally cook basmati rice,use the same amount of chicken broth that you would use if you used water. The chicken broth really gives this dish an extra kick.

3-4 servings

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups basmati rice
chicken broth (enough for amount of rice)
1 tbsp finely chopped dill
Lemon


Directions: 
1. cook rice with chicken broth
2. once the rice is done, fluff it up and add the dill (remember to add a little at a time and taste as you go)
3. A light squeeze of lemon drizzled around the cooked rice
4. Ensure that the rice is well mixed

Skinny Smoothie

Need a guilt free smoothie to kick start your summer? I think this smoothie recipe will do the trick. The secret? Non fat yogurt and skim milk. Just forget the calories from the bananas in this skinny strawberry banana smoothie.

Makes 4 cups

 2 frozen bananas
 4 frozen strawberries
1/2 cup non-fat plain yogurt
2 cups skim milk

1. Put everything into the blender and use the 'crush ice' mode
2. Once the frozen bananas and strawberries are crushed and mixed use the 'liquid mode' and blend until well done.

Enjoy!

Edamame Rice

Some days I just get tired of eating plain rice. To jazz things up a bit, I make edamame rice and suddenly I am a rice lover again! No particular recipe here. I  just threw in whatever I have in my pantry and bought some frozen edamame (without shell) to add a nice crunch to my rice.

The only thing you need to be careful of is when you add the rice vinegar to your rice. Too much of it will greatly affect the flavor of your rice.

Ingredients
2 cups brown rice
frozen edamame boiled according to instructions
roasted seaweed strips
sesame seed
1/2 tsp to 1 tsp Marukan rice vinegar

1. Cook brown rice accordingly
2. While rice is cooking, cook frozen edamame according to instructions
3. When the rice is done, add in the rest of the ingredients and mix well.
4. If you are not sure what your rice will taste like with the rice vinegar, add a little at a time and mix well.

Cilantro Pesto Pasta

Cilantro pesto is a great substitute to basil pesto. I love basil pesto but I do not love the price tag that comes with making basil pesto. In my local grocery store, basil leaves are expensive and pine nuts are virtually pricey everywhere. Since cilantro only cost a few cents for a big bundle, naturally this would be a more economical choice for me.

I started out experimenting with the ingredients for my cilantro pesto based on the basic formula of making basil pesto; basil leaves, pine nuts, olive oil, shredded cheese and garlic. Since I had pecan nuts in hand, I decided to use that instead of pine nuts and since I rarely have cheese in my pantry, I did not use cheese.


I usually eyeball my recipe for four servings of pasta. Below is my approximation of what you need to make this tasty economical cilantro pesto pasta

Ingredients:
3 cups packed cilantro with most stems removed (usually about 2 bunches of cilantro)
1 tsp minced garlic
5-8 pieces of toasted pecan nuts
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp lemon juice 

1. Add cilantro, garlic and toasted pecan nuts in a food processor.
2. Gradually add the olive oil a little bit at a time and pulse it
3. If the mixture is still too dry, add more olive oil.
4. Slowly pulse the mixture until it becomes a paste
5. Add the lemon juice to the paste and pulse it one more time.
6. Don't forget to taste it and adjust everything to your liking!
7. Toss it with your pasta

Mini Falafel Patties

Quinoa Salad with roasted cauliflower and falafel

Falafel Mmmmm. My favorite Mediterranean dish. Can't go wrong with a freshly deep fried falafel on a nicely toasted pita bread. Since I don't have a deep fryer I decided to make a patty out of it; not as great as deep fried falafel but definitely a healthier substitute.

Ingredients for 16 pieces
2 cans garbanzo beans/chick pea drained (15 oz each)
1/2 cup tightly packed cilantro leaves
Half a red onion diced
2 tsp curry powder
2 tsp cumin powder
2 cloves garlic minced
2 egg whites

1.Place the beans in the food processor and pulse it until it breaks into crumbs
2. Add the rest of the ingredients except for the egg white in the food processor and pulse it until it's well mixed
3. Pour the mixture into a bowl and add the egg white into the mixture. Be sure to mix well as the egg white will act as a glue to the patties.
4. Form the mixture into tiny round shapes if deep frying if not form it into patty shapes.
5. Heat oil on non-stick pan and pan fry until both sides are golden brown
6. Serve it in a pita bread or as a side. Top it up with some mint yogurt sauce!

Mint Yogurt Dip

A light and refreshing go to dip when I make chicken tikka and falafel. This will definitely go well with some Mediterranean dishes especially lamb! *yum* 

I used non-fat plain yogurt for this but this can be substituted with Greek yogurt for a heavier creamier texture.

Yields approximately  1 1/2 cups of yogurt dip 

1 cup plain yogurt

4 sprigs of mint leaves  

5 1/2 inch slices of cucumber

1. loosely chop the mint leaves 

2. cube the slices of cucumber 

3. Add the yogurt, mint leaves and cucumber in the food processor and pulse it until everything is well mixed and finely chopped

4. Do a taste test and add more mint or cucumber according to your liking

Oven Baked Five Spice Chicken

This recipe was inspired by the roasted chicken rice recipe from seasaltwithfood. Of course I did not have the patience and endurance to make such an elaborate meal so I decided to improvise a little bit.The chicken should be marinated for at least 2 hours. I omitted the ginger juice from the recipe of seasaltwithfood as I did not have enough but I am sure that would be a great addition to the chicken!

Recipe:
5 pieces of drumstick/approx 1.25 lbs of chicken.Slit the meat on the drumstick to allow for marinade to absorb.
For Marinade: 

1 clove of finely minced garlic
1/2 tsp of five spice powder
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp water
2 tsp honey


1.Mix the marinade in a bowl.
2. Marinade the chicken in a zip lock bag for at least two hours. Turn it often to make sure the whole surface of the chicken is covered in marinade
3. Set oven to 375 F. Line aluminum foil in a baking tray and place chicken in the oven. Save some marinade in a bowl for basting.
4. Bake for approximately 45 minutes occasionally basting and turning it until golden brown