In the last post, I showcased a delicious tasting menu that I was lucky to enjoy at Pepperoncinis Sotto of Phoenixville, PA. One of my favorite dishes of the menu was the refreshing, yet comforting Arugula salad. This salad was so good, that I had to try to remake it at home.  This may not be the exact recipe, but I thought it came really close!

Ingredients:

Citrus Vinaigrette 

• 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/2 cup grapefruit juice
• 2 tablespoons canola/ olive oil
• Salt n Peppa

• 4 cups Arugula greens
• 1 cup cooked chickpeas
• 1/2 cup sliced radish
• 1/2 cup halved Kalmata olives
• 1/4 cup pistachios
• 2 oz shaved parmesan or to your liking

Preparation:

I recently had a delicious side dish from an Ethiopian Vendor while visiting a local fresh food market. I can’t seem to remember the actual name of the dish, but it was a mixture of steel cut oats and cauliflower. The flavors, textures and overall taste was so comforting and yummy.

As usual, the mad scientist in me tried to recreate this dish

Not only did I recreate this recipe, I reinvented it! Instead of just cauliflower, I added more veggies, broth, beans and spices.. End result: AMAZING

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup steel cut oats
• 1 1/2 cup veggie broth
• 1/2 cup chopped cauliflower
• 1/2 cup chopped carrots
• 1/2 cup chopped eggplant
• 1/2 cup chopped cherry tomato
• 1 cup chopped kale
• 1/2 cup chickpeas
• salt n peppa
• Italian seasoning or curry depending on your taste (I love curry!)

Preparation:

• Bring your veggie broth to a boil
• throw your oats in, lower heat and let it simmer for 5-10 min
• In a wok, sautee your veggies and chickpeas for a few minutes until almost cooked
• Don’t forget to season with your preferred choice of spices (italian or curry)
• 10 minutes after oats are cooking, combine the veggies and mix in.
• Let it simmer some more for another few minutes
• If you need more broth, feel free to add more too depending on what consistency you like

Voila!

I’m not a vegetarian, but I do enjoy vegetarian dishes throughout my week. This dish provides a complete protein (chickpeas + grains = complete protein), complex carbs and plenty of nutritents!

I hope you enjoy my crazy yet yummy concoction!

Oh! and if you happen to know what that Ethiopian dish is called, I would love to hear from you!

Since posting the smallworld beauty supplements online, I have been receiving many requests on creative ways to incorporate the Slim & Sculpt  protein powder into their day.

Smoothies are always an easy and fast way to consume protein! Throw in some ice, 2 scoops of whey, 1 fruit and even a little plain yogurt…mmmm…

I love mixing it up! I love protein pancakes, protein muffins and one of my favorite recipes is this low carb Peanut butter, whey balls…

Are you ready to fall in love?

Ingredients:

• 4 scoops of Slim & Sculpt vanilla Whey protein (zero fat/ zero carbs)
• 1 cup peanut butter ( I love Naturally More w/ flax and honey)
• 1 cup almond butter
• ¼ cup of each of these: sunflower seeds, sesame & almonds
• ¼ cup dried fruit (I love dates and apricots)
• ¼ cup shredded coconut
• ½ tsp cinnamon

Preparation:

• In a bowl, mix peanut and almond butter together
• In a separate bowl, mix cinnamon and protein powder together
• Slowly incorporate protein into butter mixture
• Add fruit and nut and blend again
• Create mini balls and store in fridge

I love these as a snack or even after a meal if I’m craving something sweet. They’re so rich and decadent that one or two are enough. Be careful of the calories and fat, so be moderate. Portion control still applies here

Enjoy!

I recently dined at an Afghani Kebab house that incorporated fruity ingredients in their meats and appetizers. My favorite item served was the side of raisin rice that came with my grilled kebab. The nutty rice and the plump raisins complimented each other perfectly. It was so simple, yet delicious. Valentine’s Day is coming up in February, so you have plenty of time to practice this dish!

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp Olive oil or Spray
• 1 medium yellow onion finely chopped
• 2 large celery stalks
• 1 cup California and Golden raisins mixed
• 2 cups instant brown rice
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds
• Salt n Peppa

Preparation:

• Toast slivered almonds in pan or roast in oven until brown then set aside
• Soak 1 cup of raisins in boiling water for 5 minutes and let it plump. Drain and set aside
• Saute onions and celery in another pan for a few minutes
• In a pot, pour 1 3/4 cups of water and bring to a boil
• Dump your brown rice and stir
• Lower heat, simmer for 5 minutes
• Pour your raisins into your rice and stir
• Turn off heat and cover for another 5 minute to let it sit and settle

Now, remember we still have the onion, celery and almonds to mix.  Grab a cute large colorful bowl, pour in your raisin rice, then your onion and celery mix. Season it with a little salt n peppa and stir. Take a handful of the toasted almonds and decorate the top. Leave some on the side so your guest can add as he/she pleases.

Mmmm… You can serve this with a light fish like Tilapia or even a juicy lamb chop.

I promise you’ll love it!

Ingredients:

• 3 oz Tilapia fillets
• Jerk marinade (my favorite is Dave’s Jammin’ Jerk)
• Lime juice
• Salt n Peppa

Preparation:

• Marinade Tilapia overnight in Jerk marinade, salt n peppa and lime juice
• Preheat oven 400 degrees
• Seal Tilapia tight in aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes

Was that too easy or what!

Serve this with roasted veggies like asparagus or broccoli. If you’re really in the Island mood, saute some plantains and hook up a fresh coconut smoothie for dessert.

Enjoy!

I ran into this recipe at a fine dining restaurant and fell in love with the flavors and textures that it provided. I never thought grilled lettuce would ever work well in my mouth, but it’s one of my favorites! I decided to showcase this simple recipe at the 4th of July dinner and sure enough, everyone was in love too! You definitely should try it for your guests at your next picnic. The recipe takes minutes, but the impression you leave on your guests will last hours.

Ingredients:

• 4 heads of Romaine lettuce
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• Salt n Peppa
• Ceasar dressing
• 1 tbsp parmesan cheese
• 1 tbsp sunflower seeds

Preparation:

• Turn grill on medium to high heat
• Slice Romaine lettuce in half
• Toss in olive oil, salt n peppa
• Grill halves for 1 minute on each side
• Remove charred halves into bowl
• Pour Ceasar dressing on top
• Sprinkle your parmesan and sunflower seeds to finish

How easy was that! And wait until you take a bite! Absolutely delicious!

Feel free to add more healthy toppings like grilled shrimp, chicken and crunchy veggies.

Sometimes the best tasting dishes happen by accident. When I started my healthy eating, I replaced my salt with lemon juice and dressed everything with it. One day, I drenched some grilled chicken and potatoes with so much lemon juice to test the taste. It was delicious!

Make this citrus infused roast for your love and make him think you’re the ultimate chef.

Ingredients

• 6 boneless chicken breasts or a whole cut up chicken
• 3 yellow onions
• 5 Gold potatoes sliced
• 1 cup Lemon Juice
• 1 can chickpeas (optional)
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Salt n Peppa
• Italian seasoning

Preparation: So Easy!

• Preheat oven at 375 degrees
• cut up onions
• slice up potatoes
• open can of chickpeas
• Throw chopped onions, chickpeas, sliced potatoes, chicken in roasting pan or tin
• drizzle olive oil on top, throw in minced garlic, season with salt n peppa and italian seasoning and pour in the lemon juice
• Using your hands, mix all ingredients together
• Roast for 45 minutes

Your house is going to smell like chicken heaven! Serve this tangy chicken and potatoes with a side of steamed spinach or sprinkle some roasted almonds on top.

Let me know how it goes!

Love,

Ghada

As you know, I don’t discriminate when it comes to food. I recently ate at a Moroccan restaurant and had some of the best meatballs ever! Unlike the standard Italian meatballs with tomato sauce, these balls were sweet and tangy.. I would have never thought of that combo.

So I searched around and found a similar recipe for you…

Here you go!

Ingredients:

Preparation:

• In medium bowl mix together the meat, one chopped onion, eggs and bread. Season with salt and pepper.
• Form into small balls. Heat 1/4 cup oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and saute the meatballs until browned.
• Remove from pan and set aside.
• In large saucepan heat remaining oil and fry onions until golden.
• Add meatballs, raisins, cinnamon, honey and water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat and simmer for about one hour, check seasoning and add salt and pepper before serving.

This dish is sooo tasty! Serve your honey meatballs with some whole grain rice or couscous.

By the way, I would love for you to share your recipes too! Email me…

Love,

Ghada

My mom makes an amazing eggplant dish that everyone slobbers over. I have been receiving so many requests for her recipe so I decided to spend some time in the kitchen with her while she demonstrated how to make the dish step by step.

I apologize for the unprofessional photos, but I just wanted to make your cooking experience as simple as possible.

Ingredients:

• 2 large eggplants
• 1 yellow onion
• 1 lb ground beef/ or turkey
• 1 can low sodium chicken broth
• 1 jar of natural tomato sauce
• 2 ripe tomatoes
• 2 green sweet peppers
• Salt n Peppa

Preparation:

• Prepare the oven: Set heat on 370 degrees
• Prepare and chop up your veggies. Slice up your eggplants, tomatoes, onions and sweet peppers and set aside.
• Prepare your meat. Take half of your chopped onions and saute in a pan until a little brown. When the color starts turning, pour in your can of chicken broth. Let it simmer and top it with your ground meat. Stir in half the pasta sauce and cook for a few minutes (medium).

* Take half the eggplant slices and lay them on the bottom of your pan.

* Pour your meat sauce right on top.

You may add some minced garlic on top for extra flavoring.

* Lay the next half of eggplant slices on top as if you’re creating lasagne layers.

* Lay  your tomato, onions and sweet pepper slices on top and pour the other half of your tomato sauce on top.

BAKE: Insert the concoction into your oven for 1 hour and let it bake. When it’s almost done, you may top it off with some cheeses and set it under the broiler for a few minutes to get a prettier presentation.

My family usually eats this dish with pita bread. Tear your pita and dip it into the sauce or make a meaty sandwich. A side salad is always refreshing with this hot dish.

Enjoy it and let me know how your Eggplant dish turns out!

Love,

Ghada

Bubba Blue from Forest Gump: “Anyway, like I was sayin’, shrimp is the fruit of the sea. You can barbecue it, boil it, broil it, bake it, saute it. Dey’s uh, shrimp-kabobs, shrimp creole, shrimp gumbo. Pan fried, deep fried, stir-fried. There’s pineapple shrimp, lemon shrimp, coconut shrimp, pepper shrimp, shrimp soup, shrimp stew, shrimp salad, shrimp and potatoes, shrimp burger, shrimp sandwich. That- that’s about it.”

Bubba Blue got it right! I love shrimp too and that’s why I like to hook up my Garlic & Shrimp linguine dish for my love. Now, you can try it!

Ingredients:

• Drizzle of Olive oil
• A bunch of shrimp
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 sweet red pepper
• Salt n Peppa
• 1/2 cup cooking wine
• A few sprinkles of Italian Seasoning
• Whole grain linguine
• Garlic powder

Preparation:

Prepare the Shrimp: Boil the shrimp to make it easier for cleaning. After shrimp is cooked, peel and clean and set aside.

Prepare the linguine: boil until it’s el dente!

Prepare the concoction: Drizzle your olive oil in the wok/skillet and heat till it starts to sizzle a little. Throw in your minced garlic and let it brown a little. Throw in your cut up sweet pepper, Italian seasoning, Garlic powder, Salt n Peppa and cooking wine. Let the flavors blend then add your cooked shrimp and linguine, and stir for a few minutes.

Squisito! Così romantico

(That was Italian for “Delicious! So Romantic”.. I don’t even know if that’s the proper way to say that.. correct me if I’m wrong. I tried.. )

For a more romantic night with your love, set the table for two, dim the lights and light a few candles.

Enjoy a heart-healthy glass of red wine (limit your intake to 1 glass unless your mission is to be taken advantage of) with your shrimp-filled entree.

I hope you’ll enjoy making this dish, because I did.

Love,

Ghada