Spaghetti with anchovies

Looking back at this blog, which I initiated over a year ago, I noticed that the scope has switched slightly. I had the goal of reaching a fit body with healthy eating. I think I found out that it was more enjoyable writing about food than fitness. Did I meet my goals? Yes. I am a frequent jogger and yoga addict. My eating habits are not as obsessive as before in terms of eating only micro stuff (mostly because it is expensive and I don’t have a job now) Ah!. But the mediterranean diet is perfectly healthy, I would say the best for me and many other in the world!

Here to celebrate one year of this blog a simple recipe, which I might have blogged before? Not sure, but it involves pasta and nobody can live without pasta. 

So my friend and food blogger Melissa makes a delicious version of this. Check out her blog. 

What you need: 

I used half box of quinoa spaghetti (it was great). 

3 filets of anchovies (the ones in oil)

parsley (1/4 cup)

Bread crumbs to sprinkle at the very end

parmigiano reggiano grated

olive oil (only extra virgin), salt, pepper, and red pepper

small white onion (one) They are very very small and very sweet.

(optional) dry bottarga

Cook the pasta as directed.

In a skillet place the olive oil and onions. When the onions are transparent add the anchovies and smash them. They need to dissolve in the oil. Add parsley, red pepper, pepper and let it cook for few minutes. 

Drain the pasta, put it in the skillet and turn it so it absorbs all the juicy. Place in a bowl. On top put the cheese, bread crumbs and bottarga. Serve with toasted 5 cereals bread sprinkled with olive oil.

Spinach meatlessballs

You can use anything left in the fridge to make this recipe.

what I used: spinach meatballs

frozen organic spinach (400 grams or a big bag), garlic, feta cheese, parmigiano reggiano, salt, pepper, bread crumbs, one egg, vegetable oil for cooking, spices (oregano, paprika, red pepper, thyme, etc).

What you do: strain the spinach of excess water and place in a skillet with chopped garlic, onions and olive oil. Add salt and pepper and let it cool until warm. Set aside to cool.

In a bowl combine grated cheese (you can use any cheese you want) 1/2 (cups), bread crumbs (one cup), one egg, the spices and the spinach. Make medium size balls or small if you like with the spinach mixture and cover them in bread crumbs.

Warm up in a skillet the vegetable or olive oil (you just cover the bottom of the skillet, I don’t go crazy with it). Cook each side 2.5 minutes and let them cool on a plate with paper towel to absorb the excess oil.

If you like make on a side a tomato sauce with olive oil, a spoon of tomato paste and fresh chopped tomatoes or the ones in a jar.

The picture shows both spinach and meatballs. I ll blog about the other recipe another time.

Easy Classic Hamburger

I usually don’t make hamburgers because they always turn dry inside. I also don’t eat much red meat. Though this week we are basing our recipes on proteins, which includes meat and eggs (and green veggies).

American Classic Hamburger

one pound of ground beef (grass fed); 1/4 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of pepper; one tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce; 1/2 teaspoon of soy sauce; 1 teaspoon chili powder; 1 teaspoon fresh Asian hot chili sauce (optional); one clove of fresh garlic minced; 1 teaspoon of dry green herbs (could be anything from basil, to thyme). 2/4 cups of bread crumbs.

American Cheddar Cheese for garnish. 4 slices of crispy bacon. Papaya, Ketchup or Mustard (optional). Obviously, you can add/omit any of the ‘garnish things.’

Mix in a bowl the meat and all the ingredients  very well and let rest in the fridge for at least 4 hours. You probably want to prepare this in the morning or at night so you will have an easy dinner the next day.

When you are ready to use the meat, prepare from 4 to 6 patties, shape them like hamburgers. (I like mine to be small, but thick). Heat up a grill and when it is hot enough cook the patties and the bacon on both side. It will take the hamburgers around 15 minutes to cook (depending on how you like your red meat cook). These were medium. The last 2 minutes, place the cheddar cheese on the burgers and let melt. At that point your hamburgers are ready.

Absorb the extra oil from the bacon. On a plate place the hamburger. Then on top of the cheese put one long strip of bacon. On top of that if you like put diced/minced papaya.

Add other condiments if you like. I do not like bread with my hamburger. I found it to be useful extra empty carbs I don’t really need or enjoy.

I served the hamburger with a spinach salad and papaya slices.

Mushroom Strudel

What an easy recipe. It s a mushroom strudel which only takes few minutes to prepare.
strudel mushroom

One pack of pastry dough found in the freezer section of Publix unless you want to make it home-made but then it would not be fast and easy;)
One box of mushrooms (champignon)
Fresh thymes
One teaspoon butter
One teaspoon white wine
Feta cheese (one cup)
One slice of ham
One egg

I suggest to stop by at the supermarket after work and buy the pastry dough because it needs 45 minutes to defrost- so by the time you get home it will be ready. Wash the mushroom and in a skillet place the butter to melt. Add the mushrooms, fresh thymes, salt pepper and white wine. Cook under tender. Set aside. Work the dough like it was a pizza dough until it is thin and shape in a long rectangle. With a brush pour a little bit of melted butter on it. Add a layer of mushrooms, ham, and cheese. Roll it and close the edges. Whisk the yolk and brush the strudel very well.
Place in the oven for 50 minutes- The oven should be at 350!!

So the preparation requires only 10 minutes. You can place it in the oven and work out or take a shower.

By the way the other thing on the dish is chicken but I ll get the recipe another time.

Spring Salad

I made this incredible and super fast salad. I used organic fresh arugula from my garden. It grows so fast I need to find ways to use it. It is bitter so I paired it with corn and broad beans. Delicious.

Spring Salad
Fresh big arugula leaves
Half bag of frozen corn with broad beans
One small can of organic mushrooms
Two tomatoes
One can tuna in olive oil
Olive oil, salt and pepper

Now, I hate can tuna in water. It is disgusting. We only have can tuna in oil in Italy. The frozen corn and flat beans, I found at my supermarket. When it comes to corn always buy organic. I actually don’t like corn, never did. This the only one I like and only in salads. Most corn in USA is GMO or genetically modified organism. Independent research from the FDA and Monsanto, this latter produces gmos has indicated possible side effects for the health of the population and the environment. You can easily google the issue at stake. Anyway, since the FDA does not mandate gmo labeling it is hard to have a choice in terms of buying products like corn, or everything actually unless it is organic. The moral of the story is that I don’t eat corn unless it is organic and in a salad.

Sorry I got carried away…. Mix all ingredients together and enjoy cold with a fresh lemonade!!!

Also for those who were wondering whether I lost those cookies pounds from xmast, the answer is yes. I lost 4 pounds for an average of one pound each month. I think I hit a point during my work out and healthy diet in which i achieved a balance. I can eat like a pig again without having to worry. I think for me was definitely being more active since my diet has always being healthy. It is also true I eat pasta at least twice during a meal. I still do that. Ahahah

Glazed grilled chicken

Hot April so far. In the 90s here. So I stopped eating pasta because I just can’t stand the idea of eating something hot and heavy. I opted for grilled veggies and marinated chicken or hamburger. 

I wonder how do you grill in NYC without burning the entire unit? I guess you can use one of those indoor grill pan. I actually have a nice one for the winter, but it just ain’t the same my friends. I love grilling because it is a very healthy choice of cooking, even thought it can also be carcinogenic. 

I am actually not the one grilling. Shawn is. Ahahahah! Is it that weird, this gender phenomenon of equaling men to the grill. It’s such a machismo activity. I just don’t like to get hot and sweaty. 

Grilled orange glazed chicken

two big chicken breast 

two full big tablespoons of orange marmalade or apricot or pineapple

one full tablespoon of mustard

1/4 cup of soy sauce

Fresh pineapple cut in slices 

Green and red peppers (1 each)

mushrooms (one box)

For the chicken

put all ingredients in a bowl mix and blend very well. Place the chicken in the sauce and marinate the meat for one hour or longer if desire. Place in the fridge. 

In the meantime prepare all the vegetables for the grill by using a long wooden stick. Make sure to wet the stick because it prevents from burning on the grill. The peppers can be cut in squares while you can keep the mushrooms intact. 

The pineapple was simply cut in long slices and placed on the grill until it became gold and crispy. You can also try this other version I found on one of my favorite food blogs. I think she adds cinnamon on top. I just kept mine simple. 

After one hours you can place your meat, #veggies, and fruit on the #grill. The meat can take up to 20 minutes. It should be juicy inside and ‘glazy’ outside.

You can top the chicken with fresh pineapple or the grilled one. There is really no order on how to eat it.