Chicken Ghiveci

 

Chicken Ghivich

People often ask me what “Moldovian food” is. This is a pretty difficult question to answer since I’ve figured out that it is truly a mishmash of Romanian, Ukranian and Russian food. Growing up, my family would often get together for meals and I always assumed that what we were eating was just “Moldovian food”. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve figured out that so much of what I eat is actually Romanian or  Ukranian. I usually make a list for people that includes “chicken jello” (trust me, you don’t want to know…its actual name is Halodets), “Olivier salad” (the Eastern European version of potato salad), and “pirozhki” (post on these will happen very soon as they are one of my favorite foods in the world).

Ghiveci is usually on this list as well. This ‘chicken ghiveci’ is a Romanian dish that I absolutely love. It can be made vegetarian just by excluding the chicken (and still tastes great). It’s a very good dish for cleaning out your refrigerator as you can throw pretty much any vegetable into it. Warm and very similar to a vegetable/chicken stew, for me, this is truly comfort food.

Chicken Ghiveci

Ingredients
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 mild onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 red bell peppers, seeded and sliced
1 1/2 lbs chicken breast
6 Tbsp tomato paste
3 potatoes, diced
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp dried marjoram
1/2 tsp dried thyme
3 carrots, cut into chunks
1/2 small celeriac, cut into chunks
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 zucchini sliced
salt and black pepper

Directions

Heath the oil in a large flameproof casserole. Add the onion and garlic andcook for 1-2 minutes, until soft.
Add the chopped red peppers
Cut the chicken into 1-2 inch cube, place in the casserole and brown on all sides.
after 15 minutes, add the tomato paste, potatoes, herbs, carrots, celeriac and white wine and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Cook over low heat, covered for another 40-50 min.
Add zucchini slices 5 min before end of cooking. Adjust the seasoning to taste.
Serve with dark rye bred.

Source: Adapted from: Russian, German & Polish Food & Cooking

Buffalo Chicken Wrap

 

Buffalo Chicken Wrap

I can safely say that hospital food would fall under both my and my husband’s  list of ‘least favorite foods’. It is often fried and over-salted and just not very appetizing. However, once in a while, they will hit it spot on and make something actually good! Francis had the pleasure of visiting me at the hospital one day last year when they had buffalo chicken wraps and since then, he has been requesting that I make these wraps in our kitchen. I didn’t really have a recipe for them, but tried to throw them together with what I had and they actually turned out better than the originals (Homemade food tasting better than hospital food? Shocking!). Also, I know that ‘the match’ is not for two weeks (the day that decides where I will spend the next seven years of my life for residency), but if it happens to not be at my current hospital, it’ll be nice to know that I will have this dish as a reminder of my med school hospital.

Buffalo Chicken Wraps

Ingredients

For the chicken:

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup Frank’s Buffalo Wing Sauce
2 Tbsp Butter, melted
salt and pepper
Vegetable oil (approximately 2Tbsp)

For the wraps:

3-4 9″ Flour tortillas
Shredded lettuce
Ranch dressing for spreading
1 Roma tomato
Mexican blend shredded cheese
1/2 chopped shallot

Directions:

Place flour seasoned with salt and pepper in a shallow dish.
Pour the buttermilk in another dish.
Dip the chicken pieces in the buttermilk followed by into the flour.
Heat up the vegetable oil in a skillet and cook the chicken pieces for 7-10 minutes, turning occasionally.
Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix the melted butter and buffalo sauce.
When the chicken is cooked through, throw the chicken into the bowl with the buffalo sauce and toss to coat.
Heat up a tortilla and spread ranch dressing on it. Add vegetables and chicken.
Enjoy!

Source: Adapted from: Eat at Allie’s

Grilled Balsamic Steak Salad

 

Grilled Balsamic Steak Salad

I’ll be honest…steak is not one of my strong suits. This could possibly have to do with the fact that I don’t eat red meat. I’m always interested in finding different ways to marinate and  prepare  steak but then when it comes to actually grilling it and taste-testing it,  I’m completely useless. So, this dish is pretty much  as close as my husband and I come to cooking ‘together’ in  our kitchen. I marinate the steak and then he stands over me while I  grill it going  “Flip it! Now! Now!” It’s  pretty amusing. And he of course does the taste testing to determine if it’s a good recipe. That was pretty much the case with this recipe. I prepared  the steak and we jointly grilled it. It was actually husband’s idea to throw it over spinach and toss some cheese on (which  surprised me tremendously). Overall, I’d say this was a success.

Grilled Balsamic Steak Salad

Ingredients

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
1 garlic clove, minced
1 pound skirt steak, trimmed and cut into 4 pieces
1 Tbsp butter, unsalted
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup cheddar cheese
2-3 cups Spinach leaves

Directions

Combine first 4 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add steak, turning to coat; seal and marinate at room temperature 8hours or overnight, turning once.
Remove steak from bag; discard marinade.
Heat a large grill pan over medium-high heat. Add 1/2 Tbsp butter.
Sprinkle both sides of steak with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper.
Add steak to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness.
When turning the pan, put the other 1/2 Tbsp of butter on top of the steak.
Remove steak from pan; sprinkle with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Tent with foil; let stand 5 minutes. Cut steak diagonally across the grain into thin slices.
Place steak over bed of spinach and cheddar cheese.

Source: Adapted from: Cooking Light
*Disclaimer: Steak was grilled to medium by my husband, Francis,  because I’m completely incompetent when it comes to steak grilling.

Grilled Portobello Mushrooms

 

Grilled Portobello Mushrooms

So, do you have cavities yet from all of the sweet posts?

Now that Valentine’s Day is past, I thought I would start posting “real” food posts again…not that dessert isn’t ‘real’ food but I think I’m in the minority when I claim that dessert should be the bottom of the food pyramid.

I’m not a red meat eater, so whenever I make my husband steak, I usually scavenge around the kitchen trying to find something for myself to eat…and that ‘something’ usually ends up being a Boca burger. Well, one night, I got tired of doing  that so I decided to actually make a gourmet meal and make grilled portobello mushrooms for myself. I had only had portobellos in sandwiches before but let me tell you, these were incredible! They were juicy and flavorful, and I didn’t feel at all like I was missing out by not eating steak that night.

This recipe would probably work well with the whole portobello caps too, but I used what was on sale (pre-sliced stems) and it was so delicious. I highly recommend this recipe for any vegetarian or non-vegetarian willing to be adventurous.

 

Grilled Portobello Mushrooms

Ingredients

4 large portobello mushrooms, washed, stems cut off and caps cut into slices
1 1/2 Tbsp butter
1 1/2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
black pepper, to taste

Directions

Melt the butter, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic & pepper together in a small saucepan.
Brush the mushrooms generously with the melted butter and olive oil mixture.
On a grill pan, grill the portobello mushrooms for about 8 minutes. Turn and grill the tops of the portobello mushrooms for 6 to 8 minutes longer. The grilled portobello mushrooms should be tender and nicely browned.

Source: Adapted from: Southern Food About dot com

Indonesian Grilled Swordfish

 

Indonesian Swordfish

Whenever I eat swordfish, I think of that line from Finding Nemo about the “fish with a nose like a swooord”…wow, I know that movie way too well, but it’s one of those movies that just makes me feel good whenever I’m having a terrible day.

This fish is an Ina Garten recipe and while absolutely delicious and healthy (a bonus), I have a confession…an appalling and shocking confession. Okay. Here it goes: I don’t like Ina Garten. I know…how could a person not like the Barefoot Contessa? Don’t get me wrong, I think she’s a wonderful chef and has a lovely personality, but because of her and her popularity, people have been calling me Ina (enunciate the ‘I’) as opposed to the proper way to pronounce my name Inna (like the ending of Tina or Dina or Nina…EEEEnna). I will still continue to love her food and make it all the time, but I do get a bit disgruntled whenever I introduce myself to people or they see my name and say “Oh! Ina! Like the Barefoot Contessa!!!”. Alright, enough of  the rant.

This swordfish is as delicious as it is simple to make. It has a ton of flavor and the best part is that I bought  this swordfish on sale (frozen, but on sale) at the grocery store 🙂

Indonesian Grilled Swordfish

Ingredients

1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup vegetable oil
vegetable oil spray for grille pan
2 Tbsp fresh lemon zest
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup minced or finely chopped ginger root
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
3 Swordfish steaks

Directions

Combine the soy sauce, vegetable oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, ginger root, garlic, and mustard in a bowl.
Pour the sauce in a bowl and place swordfish stakes inside, ladling the marinade over the fish.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight.
Heat up a grill pan with vegetable oil spray.
Cook swordfish steaks approximately 8-10 minutes per side, brusing with extra sauce every time you flip the steaks.

Source: Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa, Back to the Basics

Blackened Salmon

 

Blackened Salmon

As a medical student, I am always looking for new ways to make dinners…and quick! On those nights when I come home late and want nothing but to curl up on the couch with a Snuggie (yes…I’m a Snuggie person), dinner does not have a very high priority in my mind. Luckily, I came up with this dinner. It’s simple, delicious and does not take much time to make. Pair it with steamed green beans or mashed potatoes and voila; an easy solution to a weeknight meal!

Blackened Salmon

Ingredients

2 6oz salmon fillets
1 Tbsp Paprika
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp basil
2 Tbsp butter, melted

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Mix together Paprika, salt, red pepper flakes, oregano and basil in a small mixing bowl.
Pour melted butter over salmon fillets.
Sprinkle spices over salmon fillets and rub them in.
Cook salmon for 20-24 minutes.
Enjoy!

Source: Innochka’s Kitchen

Kung-Fu (Kung-Pao) Chicken

 

Kung Pao Chicken

It just hit me. I have only posted desserts since I first created this blog.

Although that is a pretty accurate reflection of what type of food appeals most to me (I have always been one of those ‘eat dessert first’ type of people), I do make things that do not involve a pound of butter and 8 cups of sugar.

This recipe is near and dear to my heart. It was in my first cooking blog and is one of my ‘go-to’ meals when I am working late at the hospital and have very little energy to cook when I come home. Also, being a good little Jewish girl, I am obligated to eat Chinese  food on Christmas, so it is fitting that I am posting this on Christmas Eve.

To those who celebrate it, Merry Christmas to all! To those who do not celebrate Christmas (and who share my Chinese food and going out to the movies Christmas tradition), enjoy your day off!

Kung-Fu (Kung-Pao) Chicken

Ingredients

2-3 chicken breasts chopped in cubes
2Tbs soy sauce + 4Tbsp soy sauce
1/2 cup water
1 Tbs corn starch
Crushed red pepper flakes (amount varies depending on how much spice you like in your life)
1/2 tbs sugar
4 Tbsp lemon juice

Directions

Marinate chicken breasts in 2-3Tbsp soy sauce.
Meanwhile, combine water, corn starch, red pepper, sugar, lemon juice and remaining soy sauce in a small bowl.
Cook chicken in extra virgin olive oil 5-6 minutes on med-high heat. May add onion / pepper and cook 2-3 more minutes (we do not do this in our house due to my husband’s aversion to onion!).
Add mixture (with water, corn starch, etc.). Simmer for 5-10 min.
Enjoy!

Source: In-law Family recipe 🙂