Bruscetta

I miss cooking. I used to have weekly parties, very informal, in which everyone I new who had nothing else to do would show up at my place on a saturday night, because they knew that if they brough a random ingredient, I would add it to whatever meal I was cooking, and we would all end up with a gourmet, definitely better than any college kid ever eats, kind of a dinner. Then we would play a ridiculous party game and laugh until 2 am. The thing is, cooking is no fun if you don't have people to cook for, so the rest of the week I would eat ramen and cold cereal, always looking forward to the saturday night party, that nobody ever planned, and it was better for it. Undoubtedly, someone would call satuday afternoon and ask to come over, and I would say "bring some baguettes!" From there, anyone who came by, called, or who we felt inspired to call, would get the invite and be told to "bring something to eat, or an ingredient for something to eat. We'll figure it out when you get here." That is how you make bruscetta. It is also the best way to eat it.

There are, however, a few basics you need.

Olive Oil (all mormons have it on hand.)
Vinegar (prefferably flavored, i prefer balsamic, but apple or otherwise fruity works)
Fresh tomatoes.

Now for the variables.

Spices. (salt, sugar, rubbed sage, mustard powder, lemon pepper, herbes de provence, basil, any seasing blends you have laying around, and garlic.)

Avocado
Cheese chunks
peppers
onion (whatever kind)
cucumbers
lettuce
artichoke hearts
tofu chunks
bacon
water chestnuts
radishes
crasins
palm hearts
hot dog chunks (it sounds gross, but if you chop them up enough, you don't get the texture, just the flavor.)

This list can continue to include anything you might want in a salad that will absorb the flavor of the vinegar, but it all must be cubed or chopped. little chunks people, so they can blend together and be spooned onto bread.

use a 2:1 ratio on the Oil:vinegar. If you have good mustard (not the yellow american stuff, but maybe grey poupon, with the seeds in it even) blend a couple of tablespoons of that in too. Then pur it over all of the stuff you have chopped up, and mix it so you have a salsa like consistency (chunky, fresh salsa.) Then season to taste. If you think it needs more salt, add a little sugar first to see if that helps. Mom puts a little extra sugar in more things than we know. A teaspoon here and there makes everything taste more like home.

My favorite blend ever was tomatoes, chives, white onions, avacado, mozerella, and a mustard vinaigrette with rubbed sage and lemon pepper. Two of my roommates got engaged over that particular batch of bruschetta.

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Chicken Vegetable with Noodles

This dish is very tasty and my family always enjoys it.

Ingredients:

1 lb (½ kg) chicken breast
½ lb(¼ kg) pasta noodles or thin spaghetti
1 lemon or lime
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or sesame oil
1 teaspoon fresh garlic or garlic powder
1 red onion (sliced)
1 cup chicken broth or water
2 scallions (trimmed and sliced)
2 sweet peppers (red and yellow)
2 tomatoes
2 carrots (peeled)
A pinch of ginger (minced)
1 tablespoon teriyaki or soy sauce
½ teaspoon fresh basil (diced)
½ teaspoon chili pepper (berbere) or ½ teaspoon red crushed red pepper.
A pinch of black pepper
Salt to taste.

Preparation:

1st Step: remove fat, clean and soak the chicken breast in lemon/lime;

2nd Step: Boil the tomatoes; remove skin and seed. Mince well;

3rd Step: Slice the the rest of the vegetables in medium length;

4th Step: Rinse, pat and shred the chicken breast;

5th Step: Heat the oil in a frying pan; add ginger and chicken; stir fry for 5 minutes;

6th Step: Add carrots, onions, garlic to the chicken. Stir for 5 minutes;

7th Step: Add the minced tomatoes, broth or water, scallions, basil and red hot pepper to the chicken. Stir for 5 minutes;

8th Step: Add the teriyaki or soy sauce. Stir for 5 minutes. Black pepper and salt to taste;

9th Step: Meanwhile, boil water in large pot, add noodles. Cook for 5-7 minutes (al dente) or follow instruction on the package;

10th Step: Mix the chicken and the noodle in lower heat for 2 minutes. Serve it warm.

4 Servings.

For nutritional facts of this recipe please visit http://www.recipezaar.com/324220. For vitamin content please click on "Print Recipe" on aforementioned site.

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Stir-fried Cauliflowers

Delicious side-dish.

2 medium head cauliflowers
4 eggs (optional)
1½ cup milk or rice milk
½ cup white all purpose flour
1 cup vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves (sliced)
¼ teaspoon Salt
¼ black pepper

Preparation:

1st Step: Cut the cauliflower into florets and discard the leaves; rinse with cold water;

2nd Step: Boil water in a large pot; add salt and the cauliflowers; Cook it for two minutes and drain;

3rd Step: Beat the eggs and milk very well; add a pinch of salt and the black pepper; slowly add the flour and blend it till smooth; OR mix the rice milk, the flour, black pepper, salt and beat until smooth;

4th Step: Dip the cauliflower florets with the mixture until each floret is coated well;

5th Step: In a large non-stick pan, in a medium heat sauté the garlic with one tablespoon of oil for a minute; remove garlic; add the rest of the oil;

6th Step: When the oil is hot, place the whole florets piece by piece on the pan; stir well for two minutes or until lightly brown; remove from heat/oil with straining spoon. Serve it warm.

Six servings

For nutritional facts of this recipe please visit http://www.recipezaar.com/345954. For vitamin content please click on "Print Recipe" on aforementioned site.

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