Safe Bet

It hasn't been a great couple of weeks in terms of home cooking. Some very busy days at work and a few weddings here and there on the weekends has not led to a lot of meals being made in the kitchen.

For times like this it's always good to have some standbys that you know are easy and reliable. For me, these dishes typically involve pasta, anything with garlic bread, eggs and chicken parm.

Mmm...I can't put into words how much I love chicken parm. I don't even really like chicken but when they're thinly pounded, breaded and covered with cheese, de-lish! Not to mention that it goes well with pasta AND garlic bread. Heaven.

This recipe is pretty basic. The only things I would really emphasize are to use fresh breadcrumbs if you can (it really makes the texture a whole lot better than store-breaded chicken) and to properly season at every step. I should probably point out that I am a salt fiend and may have a tendency to overseason, but even if you use less salt and pepper than I do I would still recommend that you make sure your chicken, egg and breadcrumb mixture is all seasoned. That way you won't get any bland bites. Also, the sauce isn't really anything special - just your standard tomato sauce using whole canned tomatoes, but it's nice and fairly tomato-y which works for me!

Oh, and I used a cup of cornflake crumbs because for some reason we have some kicking around the kitchen and have been adding them to everything. They were actually really good and added a nice extra crunch to the chicken, so I'm keeping it in the recipe.

Chicken Parmesan

Sauce
1 small onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 16 oz. can whole tomatoes
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat some olive oil in a medium-sized pot and add onions. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until translucent. Add garlic and cook for another minute or so. You don't want the onions or garlic to burn so make sure the heat isn't up too high.

2. Add tomatoes and give it a stir. Add herbs and let simmer for awhile. If you have a couple of hours, great but most of the time I do this for about 20 minutes to a half hour (I am clearly not claiming that this is an "authentic" tomato sauce by any means, but it's simple and tastes pretty good!). Add tomato paste to desired texture, depending on how thick you like your sauce (this will also vary based on how long you cook the sauce for)

Chicken Parm
4 chicken breasts
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup milk

1 cup breadcrumbs (preferably fresh)
1 cup crushed cornflakes (or just more breadcrumbs)
1 cup grated parmesan
4 tsp black pepper
3 tsp salt
2 tsp paprika
cheese (I used havarti, you can really use any cheese you want)

1. Flatten chicken - Using a meat tenderizer or mallet (I use a rolling pin and cover the chicken with plastic wrap), flatten chicken breasts to 1/4 inch thickness. Depending on how large the breasts are, I also sometimes cut the breasts in half first.

2. Combine egg and milk in a shallow dish, beating lightly with a fork. Add salt and pepper to season. Combine breadcrumb mixture in another shallow dish.

3. Dip chicken breasts in egg mixure and coat with breadcrumbs.

4. Heat a large frying pan to medium heat and add some canola oil. Once heated through, fry chicken breasts for about 5 minutes on each side, or until cooked through. If you're worried about the chicken cooking through, cover with a lid while it's cooking. I don't generally find this a problem since the chicken has been pounded down.

5. Cover with cheese and cook under the broiler for a couple of minutes, until cheese is bubbly. Serve with tomato sauce and pasta, if that's what you're doing.

twenty years, two girlfriends.

29th july 2009

it's our 1st date *wink wink*. i mean, since finaz blk dr russia, our 1st date utk jln2.

owhhh. sgt seronok. sampai2 i mmg attack MPH dlu. MPH member's sale!

dkt situ pon stuck bout an hour. sbb ade dlm 4-5 books yg rase cam nakkk sgt3!!!

but 4 sure la x ckup duit plak nnt kan. then i decided to take this book.

it was the last book i saw & terus rase nak ambik. there goes my 60++~

and...after that mmg round2 je. mls nak tgk movie since da x de cerita best sgt. we went to... topshop, sasa, watsons, ms. read, JJ, guess, and many other places and plg x leh bla time survey perfume la kan. finaz is totally falling in love with my chanel - chance. and we were like, looking over all places utk survey perfume2. tester x yah ckplah... mmg bnyk sgt. owh yar, perasan x, mostly workers dkt counter2 make up cam high class skit such as CD, La Mer, Chanel, DKNY, majority semua berlagak cam sombonk2. pilih customer nak layan. this is based on pengalaman n pemerhatian sdiri. majoriti camnih la. but yg friendly, mmg best~!!! but, tah pape je... kalo pk blk la kan, kalo die org nak pndng hina dkt customer yg nmpk biase2 je kan, pk la. customer pon leh pndng hina dkt die org yg kerja setakat layan org tuh. haih~

then. cam da ptg2 skit, makan!!! secret recipe. owhhh. lame gile teringin nak mkn cake die kot! ahah... yup. teringt dkt BH~ we took bout an hour. then jln2 lg. then last b4 blk, mkn choc sundae from Mc D with auntie anne's. then, balikkk... but mmg best. cam, the whole day just jln survey all the things n shop. OMG. seriously bnykkk sgt baju, kasut, semuaaa like lawa2. i guess if i've got 1million cash, blh habis kot 1 hari d mid valley tuh. seriously. insya allah habis. and yar, i'm happy spending my time with her. thanks babe. thanks 4 trying ur best 2 make sure that i'm really ok. beta akan jauhkan diri dr kemurungan~ hukkk.

finaz & me

30th july 2009

sejak beberapa hari ni, mcm da jd adat. lepas subuh, tak terus tidur balik.

bgn, tgk barn buddy [kebun d fb]. seawal mane pun bgn, mesti ade je org curi. tension~

mama selalu ckp. hidup sy dah bahaya. sbb dikawal oleh internet. haha.

dlm pukul 8am, sy tdow blk. sampai 9:30am. mandi, siap2, gi klinik dlu. mama demam.

jmpe dr mariam~! rindu dr! owhhh. dr ckp lame x nmpk muke sy. ok la tu.

tande sy sehat... alang2 tuh. sy check air kencing jgk. sbb kencing x lawas tuh~

alhamdulilah semua ok. ingt nak borak2 n gelak2 lg. tp ramai pesakit lain...
then. drive-thru mc d. akhirnya, double cheeseburger. lame kempunan~

brunch dlm kereta. then mama hantar ke LRT.

all the way to KL central, it took me bout 20mins if i'm not mistaken.

and i saw this guy... not so tall, & yet, not shorter than me. it reminds me of him.

with her semi-formal dress code, a kinokuniya bookstore plastic bag, his calm face...

owh yup, he walked-in the train from KLCC. i just looked at him 4 a moment.

then, i just looked out of the window, as i usual did. and suddenly, he's standing in front of me.

i don't know. i felt, ermmmmmmm... safe. and, both stopped at KL Central.

then i continued my way to mid valley. waiting for KTM, would be the bored thing ever.

owh yup. i went there to meet my dearest friend from melawati, ili athirah.

it's been 5 years. wahahahaha...crazy~

then. ili got a few prob with her iphone n transport. so, i went to the ATM. n jeng3...

finally i bought that cardigan yg sampai tdow pun termimpi2 kan. ahah~

and i went to nose as well...there goes my money flying without wings~

and and. i've tried my best to avoid myself from entering MPH, studio R, Body shop.

it's hard. yes it is very hard. btw. few minutes later, i met ili. and, went to metrojaya.

and, we ate gelato fruity ice cream~! delicious... it remind me of him. again.

it was 5pm when we're heading to KLCC. owh...iphone ili berjaye dselamatkan.

so, we decided to duduk2 dkt taman2 air pancut tuh. ramai btol couple merendek~

me & ili.

both of them were asking me a same question.

d mane sy beli selendang sy? ngeh3... nah nah nah. carik!!! XD

http://shawl-d-homyshop.blogspot.com/

http://lovelyaustere.blogspot.com/

http://radiusite.blogspot.com/search/label/shawl

and tak lupe...nak promote butik shawl cik iqah~! hee. =]

http://iqahshawlsparadise.blogspot.com/

not 2 4get, sy akan blk ke kuching, sarawak agak awal. which is...tomorrow night. idk, somehow kene cepatkan. so, x dpt nak keluar dah. kene cancel plan. ahah...tak packing lg. esok tgh hari la. haha. my flight would be around 10pm, kot? kot la. but lepas maghrib da gerak ke KLIA. so... i'll be away [insya allah... ] from 31st july - 5th august. nobody gonna miss me instead. owh barn buddy... sape curik, mmg nak lepok2 je. haha. farm ville, ladangku~! and plg penting... LOLA syg busyuk. i'm gonna miss u bby. i guess this is the 1st time kot i'll b away from u. lola pandai2 cari mkn taw? sruh sape2 mandikan... happy2 menari, kiss, gadow, tgk tv, hug, buat lawak dgn kwn2 pet yg lain taw? erm. yup. i wouldn't bring my lappy n broadband. i'm too lazy 4 that. but if... IF tibe2 on9 kejap dkt fb tuh, mama la tuh yg rajin bwk. hahahahahah...

so. till then. take care ppl. be selfish. well i mean, in a positive way la kan. life goes on~

I could actually see myself watching this

July 31

I’ve gone on the record many, many times as basically not being able to watch food TV, not because it’s bad (much of it is, but that’s beside the point) but because I want to turn my brain off when the TV’s on, and if it’s about food I have to pay too much attention. I hate that.
Unless it’s Jacques Pépin. I’ll watch Jacques Pépin.
I particularly hate cooking competition shows, because to me food is art, not sport.
But I might actually tune in to the next season of “The Next Iron Chef,” because on it are a lot of chefs that I like.
Here’s the list:

Nate Appleman (celebrity chef of the moment, just left San Francisco for New York)
Dominique Crenn (Luce, in San Francisco)
Brad Farmerie (Public, Double Crown etc, NYC)
Amanda Freitag (The Harrison, NYC)
Jose Garces (Philadelphia’s darling these days)
Eric Greenspan (The Foundry on Melrose, LA)
Jehangir Mehta (Graffiti, New York)
Seamus Mullen (Boqueria, New York)
Holly Smith (Cafe Juanita et al, Seattle area)
Roberto Treviño (Budatai, in San Juan)

I don't really know Nate. I met him at the Beard Awards when he was named Rising Star Chef:
"Congratulations."
"Thanks."
I don't think that counts.
Dominique is a charming French woman who ran an all women's kitchen in Jakara, which is, like, crazy. Here’s a link to an interview I had with her.
Brad is just about the nicest person you’d want to meet, and one of the few chefs I know who manages to keep chicken off of his menu (he might be serving it these days — I don’t know — but for many years he didn’t)
I just met Jose very briefly a few years ago, when he was chef at a Stephen Starr place called El Vez. He seemed cool and innovative.
Jehangir is a brilliant pastry chef and good conversationalist, and Graffiti’s an interesting restaurant, in a good way.
Seamus can spin a yarn like no one’s business, and tells good stories about his world travels (here’s a previous blog entry with him in it, in case you’re curious). And I respect anyone who buys whole pigs.
Holly Smith does all sorts of interesting things at Cafe Juanita. I haven't interviewed her in awhile, but I remember having a good conversation with her about squab back in 2001.
This link to that story might work, but it was so long ago that it might not, and so, an excerpt:
“I like throwing things like truffle oil and foie gras on squab,” says Holly Smith, chef-owner of Cafe Juanita in Kirkland, Wash.
She menued it once on a sweetbread ragoût with fava beans and morels bound in marsala, butter, truffle oil, thyme and sea salt.
“My friends would come and order it, but other people would say, ‘I didn’t know you were supposed to have all that stuff on a plate,’” she says.
Her squab appetizers sell better, she says, such as the half squab she served with potato gnocchi rolled around an almond-coated date and accompanied by foie gras and a syrup of vin santo.
“I think it likes a little sweetness and it also loves a little richness thrown on,” she says.

I haven’t met Amanda, Eric or Roberto, but I wish them well anyway.

Step by Step Brisket Cooking Instructions

Here is a step by step brisket cooking tutorial for your enjoyment. You can use this with a charcoal grill or smoker. If you use a charcoal grill cook only over indirect heat.

The first step to delicious brisket is to prepare the meat. A 10-12 pound brisket works best for me. Make sure your brisket has some fat on it as this is a key to tenderness. The first thing you want to do is drain you're brisket in the sink for at least 10 minutes. Once you have done this you should score the fight layer by cutting squares right down to the meat. Now you have a decision to make. Do you want to use a dry rub or marinate your brisket in a liquid concoction.

Here are recipes for wet marinade and a dry rub
wet
5 slices bacon, minced
1 c. minced onions
1 1/2 c. beef broth
1/4 c. vegetable oil
1/2 lemon, quartered
2 tbsp. chopped fresh thyme or 1 tsp. dried
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
cook bacon and add all ingrdients to sauce pot and heat until bacon is done
put brisket in a glass,stainless or copper bowl or pan(never use plastic) cover, refrigerate and let stand overnight

DRY RUB:

2 tbsp. seasoned salt
1 tbsp. cracked black peppercorns
1 tbsp. cracked white peppercorns (I substitute ground white pepper)
1 tbsp. garlic powder
1 tbsp. onion powder
1 tbsp. paprika
1 tbsp. dry mustard
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. distilled white vinegar

mix all ingredients together and pat unto brisket
wrap brisket in aluminum foil and let rest in refrigerator 2-4 hours

Now its time to cook
Start your fire. I use a charcoal water smoker grill with beef broth in the water pan
when the coals are ready(usually around 30 minutes)its time to place the brisket on the grill. ALWAYS cook the brisket fat side up as the melting fat is what will tenderize the brisket. Cover the grill and cook for 8-12 hours. Remove brisket from grill and wrap with foil. Let brisket rest for 1 hour. Slice and enjoy
It is really a very easy process to make a great brisket so please give it a try

If your looking for a good smoker then check out http://www.ibuybarbeques.com/

Lunch slump much?

I got a blog request this week from my friend up in Chicago. She wants to know lunch and snack ideas, as well as times of the day to be eating. Kristin, here you go…it’s a long one!

Eating right while managing a busy career and life can certainly be a challenge, but it’s also certainly very manageable if you keep things fresh, exciting…and plan ahead! As far as times of the day to be eating, this certainly varies on an individual basis. Personally, I bring with me everyday to work a snack to have before lunch, as well as one to have after lunch, which is typically in the car on my way home from work.

Ideally, I don’t recommend going more than 5-6 hours without eating. And 3 smaller meals with 2-3 healthy snacks a day is a great routine to get into. However, listening to your body is extremely important as your body will tell you when it’s hungry. If you’re not hungry, save the snack or have a later lunch. No reason to eat when you’re not hungry. Unless, of course, you’re my husband and refuse breakfast…in which case I recommend stock-piling a box or two of granola bars or cereal in your desk drawer. I force Mark to do this, and he typically has a mid-morning breakfast at work each day. The times at which you eat during the day should fit with your schedule. Find a pattern that works for you and be flexible. Packing things that aren’t too messy, labor-intensive or time-consuming to prepare ahead of time is also key.

Make snacks satisfying – include both carbohydrate and protein in a snack so that they are more satisfying and filling. Great snack ideas include:

- apple slices dipped in ½ c. fat-free yogurt

- 1 ½ sheets of graham crackers and 1 c. low-fat/fat-free milk

- 1 medium banana and 1-2 Tbsp peanut butter

- small handful of almonds

- apple and a 1 oz. slice of cheddar cheese

- string cheese and wheat crackers (6-7)

- a slice of bread or 6-7 crackers with 1-2 Tbsp peanut butter

- a high-fiber granola bar

- 1 serving of animal crackers and an 8 oz. glass of milk

- a Luna bar

- a fat-free/sugar-free pudding cup

- 2/3-3/4 c. cottage cheese and peaches/pineapple/melon

- 2-3 Tbsp hummus and 6-7 crackers

- 1 oz. meat and 1 oz. cheese with 6-7 crackers

- carrots, celery, cucumber, and bell pepper slices with 2 Tbsp light ranch dressing

…to name a few ideas!

As for lunches, here’s some ideas. Those asterisked have recipes below! Be creative…plan ahead…enjoy!

- almond butter and apple slices on wheat bread

- tuna salad in a pita

- chicken salad flatbread (Flatout is a popular, healthy brand)

- crab salad in a whole wheat, high-fiber tortilla

- egg salad* sandwich on whole wheat

- cracker sandwiches made with 2% cheese and lean luncheon meat (turkey, ham, roast beef, chicken)

- cold whole-wheat pasta salad with low-fat Italian dressing (include 2% cheese cubes, turkey pepperoni, salad peppers, olives, bell peppers, artichoke hearts, onion, and cherry tomatoes

- cherry tomato, mozzarella, and fresh basil pita with Flaxseed Lemon Vinaigrette*

- BLT sandwich on whole wheat*

- pear and Swiss cheese sandwich on whole grain bread with Flaxseed Lemon Vinaigrette

- taco salad with 1 serving of whole grain tortilla chips

- grilled mozzarella and tomato sandwich on whole wheat

- Chicken Caesar salad pita (use bagged low-fat Caesar salad mixes – just add grilled chicken strips!)

- Pin wheels – roll-up luncheon meat, cheese, veggies, and condiments in a tortilla and cut into rolled bites held together with toothpicks

- Cold pizza!

- Leftovers!

Other suggestions:

- Pre-mix mayonnaise made with canola oil (see Monday’s blog) with yellow, brown, or honey mustard to mix delicious flavors…and cut out fat and calories!

- Make your lunch the night before.

- Commit to trying a new lunch each week

- Aim to make your co-workers jealous of your packed lunches – it’ll happen if you put in a little effort!

- Include something you love – if you’re a salty kinda person, opt for a bag of baked chips for a side to your meal, and if you’re a sweets kinda person, opt for a small cookie or pudding cup to compliment your meal

Recipes (taken from The Flexitarian Diet by Dawn Jackson-Blatner)

Egg Salad

1 boiled egg, chopped**

2 boiled egg whites, chopped**

2 tsp. mustard

1 Tbsp light canola mayonnaise

1 stalk celery, chopped

½ c. cucumber, chopped

Dash of pepper

2 slices of whole wheat bread

Mix the ingredients together and spread onto bread.

**Substitute tofu for the egg for a vegetarian meal!

Nutrition Information: 310 calories, 11 g. fat, 693 mg. sodium, 5 g. fiber

BLT (Balsamic, Lettuce, and Tomato) – This is a favorite of both mine and my parent’s!

4 Tbsp hummus

2 slices of whole grain bread, toasted

¼ avocado, mashed

Romaine lettuce

Tomato, sliced

1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

Spread hummus on one slide of toast and avocado on the other. Top hummus with lettuce and tomato, and drizzle with vinegar. Close sandwich and enjoy!

Nutrition Information: 370 calories, 15 g. fat, 434 mg. sodium, 9 g. fiber

Pear and Swiss Sandwich

2 slices whole-grain bread, toasted

1 small pear, thinly sliced

1 oz. (1 slice) Swiss cheese

2 tsp. mustard

Nutrition Information: 300 calories, 6 g. fat, 440 mg. sodium, 9 g. fiber

Universal Lemon-Flax Vinaigrette

¼ c. lemon juice (1-2 lemons)

¼ c. flaxseed oil

¼ c. white balsamic vinegar

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

1 clove garlic, minced

Salt and pepper to taste

Whisk all ingredients together. Keep in fridge up to 7 days.

Nutrition information (2 Tbsp): 88 calories, 9 g. fat, 59 mg. sodium, 0 g. fiber

Get to packin’!

Useless things (quick and stupid post)

Nowadays there's plenty of social networks around the net. Some of them are fun, like facebook 8for me facebook is fun) but others are just silly... and I'm addict to them! Like Twitter! I made an account recently and I didn't use it for two months.. and now, I'm using it a lot...

I leave you here all my "useless accounts": twitter, facebook, pouppegirl... add me if you want!

(And now, Libertad's useless things!)

* Twitter: http://twitter.com/Sahakiel
* Facebook: Libertad Sahakiel
* Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/libertad-sahakiel/
* Pouppe Girl: http://pupe.ameba.jp/profile/Bjgy8pPwLxTJ/
* Modepass: http://modepass.com/Sahakiel


This, with my two blogs (here and the Metrobblogen one) are the things I use more... I'm leaving the links in my link's box...

By the way (and looking to Modepass), my friend Fernan told me about two more fashion communitys that I must join... and as you can see, today I'm not so busy at work :)

I'll post later about my japanese lunch on Tuesday! And as Laia reminds me, I must post my new Mando Diao's t shirt too, yaw!!