Tomato Lasagna

Officially I am in diet :). Difficult as you might think, because I love to cook, among many other things I love to make with my own hands, cooking might share No. 1 position with Bags-making

So as you will notice in the coming weeks, I will be posting low-fat and low-carbohydrats recipes. I try always to make all my meals as low-fat as a I can, but I always tended to munch a lot of carbs. They are not a monster to defeat, we just have to be friendly to them and tell them from time to time: No.

Today I will share with you a yummy recipe that came to me from my husband's secret box of recipes (to give it a cool name), shared from his mom, and I think also from his grandmother. All 3 of them know a lot of how to combine well food groups as all 3 live with diabetes, the 2 different kinds, and all 3 are in excellent health conditions!

So for this Tomato-Lasagna, you will only need tomatoes, fresh mozarella, fresh cottage cheese, some basil, very few heavy cream and some lasagna noodles. Very fast to make and some minutes to bake, but please, enjoy slowly! :)

Ingredients:

• 1 kg. Tomatoes
• 400 gr. Mozarella (diced)
• 300 gr. Fresh Cottage Cheese
• 1 handfull fresh Basil / 1-2 Tbsp dried Basil
• 4 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 100 gr Heavy Cream
• 100 gr Cheese for gratin (Edam or Gouda works best)
• Lasagna Noodles

Preparation:

Wash well all your tomatoes. Dice them and place them in a big bowl. Add the mozzarella dices, basil (if fresh cut the leaves in smaller pieces) and olive oil. Mix everything well. (Here you have done a Caprese Salad).

In another bowl mix the Cottage cheese, heavy cream and the cheese for gratin. Season with salt and pepper.

In your Lasagna baking pan, cover the bottom with a layer of lasagna noodles. Then add a part of the Tomatoes-Mozzarella mix. Now add another layer of lasagna noodles. Now add a part of the Cottage cheese mix, then the tomatoes-mozzarella. Close with a last layer of noodles and on top the last of the Cottage cheese mix. Add some freshly grounded pepper on the top and some basil for an extra touch.

Bake at 180°C / 356°F for around 20 minutes.

Apple Roll

Happy New Year to all Bag-makers and bag-lovers!

My first recipe of the year is my version of a yummy apple roll we had at Ikea a weeks ago. I couldn't let it pass and wanted to try it and to present it. It is very simple, just Apples, sliced almonds, a bit, really a bit of sugar, some cinnamon and pre-made Puff Pastry (welcome if you want to make your own. I didn't want to risk it, so I bought a pre-made pack with I've had no troubles at all).

So here it is the recipe, and I hope you enjoy it. Serve warm with some warm vanilla sauce, or whipped cream (I recommend the vanilla sauce, hmmmmm going to have some later this afternoon!).

Ingredients:

• 3 Medium Sized Apples
• 1 package Pre-Made Puff Pastry
• 1 Tbsp Margarine
• 2 Tbsp Sugar
• 3 Tbsp Sliced Almonds
• 1 tsp Vanilla powder
• 1 tsp Cinnamon powder to decorate

Preparation:

Leave your Puff Pastry roll outside to reach room-temperature. If its frozen, let it defrost naturally in your fridge or outside. For best results, follow instructions in your package.

Clean carefully your apples. Remove the core and peel them off. Cut the apples in halves, and slice each half in pieces aprox. 1/4 inches (1/2 cm) thick. Reserve.

In your clean working area, carefully extend the puff pastry roll (leave its protective paper, this will protect the pastry from sticking to your table).

Once its extended, use your cooking brush to paint the puff pastry with previously melted margarine. Reserve the rest of the margarine.

Mix sugar and vanilla powder in a small bowl. Sprinkle the surface of the pastry you just painted with margarine. Spread the sliced almonds in all the surface.

Now lay the apple slices covering all the pastry surface. Leave a small space on the side you're going to begin to roll, and a bigger space on the side you will finish, or close your roll.

Carefully and not that tight, begin to roll, covering the apples and closing both ends of the roll to avoid apple pieces to fall out. Be sure to work slow but steady, and to remove carefully the protective foil from the pastry as you roll it.

Close the roll, rolling it over the bigger space reserved to close it. Carefully lay the roll in your baking tray (prepared with baking paper). Be sure that the closing is below the roll.

Paint with the rest of the margarine. Mix the cinnamon with the rest of the sugar. Sprinkle this sugar-vanilla-cinnamon mix over the roll.

Bake at 200°C /392°F for 25-30 minutes, or until the surface turns golden-brown.

Serve warm and accompany with warm vanilla sauce, or whipped cream.

Enjoy!

Pan de Jamón (Ham Bread)

Christmas time is always the best days to polish cooking skills and offer something special to the family and friends. This personal tradition comes from my mom, who has been always in full stress, making something really special and unforgettable for the Christmas and New Year's Eve family dinner, preparing delicious dishes since days before the big event.

From those long hours of running around in the kitchen, me and my sister, helping my mom, and asking all the time tips of her recipes, I learnt how to make the 4 main dishes from Venezuelan Christmas food tradition.

Pan de Jamón (Ham Bread) is one of the most loved Christmas food from Venezuelan cuisine. It was invented by a baker from Caracas, who was looking for a way to get new clients and give something special to the people during Christmas times. He added typical elements from the Spanish cuisine, like olives and raisins, plus ham and bacon. The result is a delicious bread that slowly is making its way in the international cuisine as long as we, venezuelan food lovers, learn to make it and spread it.

Pan de Jamón (Ham Bread)

Typical Venezuelan Christmas Ham bread
For 2 big breads (32 cm - 12.5 inches aprox.), or 4 smaller breads (25 cm- 9.8 inches aprox.)

Ingredients:

• 1kg (or 2.2 Lbs, or 4 cups and a bit more) Wheat Flour (all purpose)
• 2 cups of milk
• 6Tbs. Sugar
• 2Tbs. Yeast (fresh the better) + 1Tbs. sugar
• 6 eggs (complete) + 1 egg yolk (yellow of the egg) to decorate
• 100 gr. (or 3.5 oz) Margarine room temperature
• 1Tbs. salt

Filling:

• 1kg (or 2.2 Lbs) Cooked Ham
• 250gr. (o.5 lbs) Bacon
• 1 cup Raisins
• 1 cup olives filled with paprika (you can avoid them if you don't like olives, like me!)

Preparation:

Warm half of the milk and add the yeast and sugar (1Tbs). Mix well and cover until it ferments, keep covered until use.

Clean very well the surface where you will work. Form a "volcano" with the fluor (make a mountain and open a hole in the center until you reach your work table). Add all the ingredients for the dough in the center, except the salt that has to be spread around (outside) the "volcano". Be specially careful to add the liquid milk with yeast in the center to avoid a river out of the volcano!, if happens, mix all very quickly.

Mix all from inside to outside and and add liquid or flour if needed when kneading (if too sticky add flour, too dry add the rest of the milk by portions, its a matter of how the dough feels when touching it). Be patience and keep on kneading and kneading until you get a homogeneous dough.

Let the dough rest for 1 hour or more, in a warm place without wind. Place it in a bowl covered with a warm wet towel (I usually put it in my previously light-warmed -and then off- oven). After 1 hour, the dough size should have grown the double. Place it in the working surface and hit it with your fists (to release the air inside the dough). Knead again for some minutes until you feel the dough soft and firm.

Cut in half, or in 4 pieces. For each piece (one by one) spread the dough with a roller in a rectangular form. Cut the borders to make it even and keep them apart. Then add the ingredients for the filling as follows:

First the Ham slices, covering the whole dough, leaving 5 cms (2 in.) on one of the ends of the long side of the rectangle, then spread the bacon leaving spaces between, parallel to the long side of the rectangle. Spread the raisins, and the olives.

Now its time to roll up. From the opposite end of the rectangle to where you left the 5 cms (2 in.), begin to roll up carefully but not tight (so when baking the bread won't open), when reaching the end, brush water in the 5 cm (2 in.) left of the dough, roll up and paste. Keep the union on the down side of the bread.

Use the rest of the dough you have reserved when cutting the borders of the rectangle off, to decorate as you wish. (Laces, lines, balls. I used Christmas cookies form for one of the breads). Mix one egg yolk and 1 Tsp sugar and using a cooking brush, paint all the surface of your bread. This will make its surface get shiny and a beautiful dark brown color. Pinch the bread with a fork or a stick to release the vapor when baking.

Place in the oven plate with baking paper, brush with the egg yolk thoroughly and let it rest for 30 mins. before baking.

Bake at 180°C-200°C (356°F - 392°F) for 35 mins or until you see its golden brown on the surface. Enjoy the smell and keep an eye on it while baking!

Serve warm, cut in slices and enjoy !

And I wish to you all Merry Christmas and hope Santa will bring to you a lot of happiness, love and success for the next year that is soon to begin! Let the light and magic of the Christmas Angel illuminate our roads!

Sweet & Sour Healthy Chicken

Since long I wanted to show you all, this recipe I found in a local magazine. At first glance looked weird. But after we tried it, it is now one of our favorite recipes! After reading "Sweet & Sour Chicken" I bet all of you might be thinking about the chinese fat-full red sweet chicken! But this is not! Here the sweet comes from the Tangerines and the sour from Yoghurt!

Tangerines and yoghurt is a common mix for desserts (usually adding honey), but in this case makes an unique, healthy and really unexpectedly delicious combination with Chicken breast!. Don't hesitate to try it! It is reaaaaally easy to make and you won't be disappointed! I recommend to accompany with white rice, a good and fresh lettuce salad, or as I made it this time, with Couscous with carrots. Delicious, filling and healthy!

Ingredients:
(for 3-4 portions)

• 4 chicken breast filets
• 3 tangerines (you can use Mandarine Orange, or Clementines)
• 200 - 250 gr. Natural (no sweetened) Yoghurt
• 3-4 Tbsp. Sweet Corn (those that comes in cans)
• 1 Tbsp Cheese cream (Philadelphia)
• 1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 tsp Mustard
• 1/2 tsp Curry
• 1/2 tsp granulated garlic
• 1 tsp Marjoram, Oregano or Thyme (I used Marjoram)
• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• Salt, pepper, chili as desired

Preparation:

Cut the chicken breast filets in small pieces (can be big dices as well). Heat the olive oil in a big pan. When hot, add the chicken pieces until they are cooked all around.

Add garlic, corn, chili, pepper, salt and cover for about 3 to 5 minutes.

During these short time, prepare the tangerines. Remove the skin, separate and cut each segment in halves or dices. Reserve.

After the chicken is totally cooked, I recommend to uncover the pan and let the juices from the chicken evaporate, letting the chicken to get a bit fried on all its surface. It will get a bit of that nice golden color, but don't let it burn or fry too much.

Now add the curry and mustard. Mix all very well and remove from the heat (turn it off).

In a separate bowl. Mix the diced tangerines, the chicken just cooked, yoghurt, cream cheese, Worcestershire sauce, herbs (marjoram, oregano or thyme). Mix well and rectify the seasoning.

Serve hot or cold. It is really good both ways. Ideal for camping, picnic, quick lunch, dinner, etc.

Enjoy!

Cachapas (sweet corn pancake)

Cachapas is one of the most beloved, delicious and treasured Venezuelan typical dishes, Cachapas is like a pancake made out of pure fresh sweet corn (original English name: Maize, Spanish Maíz, German: Mais), a bit of butter, maybe one egg, and salt. Just to mention them reminds me the delicious aroma that the corn mix has when its being cooked in the pan... hmmmm its so delicious... it is something you must try as it is so easy to make!

Since some months ago I wanted to try to make it as our ancestors did, today you can find ready made mix, where you just need to add water and done, taste is nothing compared to the original grounded corn. As right now its the time when the corn is ready to be cropped, it is corn time. Though it can be made in any time of the year. In Venezuela, Cachapas are eaten mostly for breakfast or for supper.

In any case as breakfast it is very filling and can keep your belly full for several hours, as it is pure corn, it is also healthy. Add some white soft fresh shredded cheese (I added Mozzarella), or some ham.. or both! Cream Cheese (Philadelphia style) goes excellent as well with it.

Cachapas
(8 to 10 portions)

Ingredients:

• 3 Corn Cobs
• 1 Tbsp Cooking Oil (Corn, Sunflower, Olive)
• 1 Egg
• Salt for seasoning
• 1Tbsp Sugar (only if the corn is not that sweet, or if you like it sweeter)
• Butter for the pan (or use a nonstick pan)
• White fresh shredded cheese, or mozzarella cheese in pieces, ham, or cream cheese to accompany

Preparation:

Wash the Corn Cobs carefully, and then in a clean area proceed to cut the seeds out of the cob. Be careful not to cut too much of the base of the seed (the brighter or white part that joins the corn seed to the main cob). This will make the mix a bit bitter, and these parts takes much longer to be cooked and softened. So better avoid it.

This first part might be a bit messy as the seeds of the corn can be VERY juicy. So be prepared to have paper towels at hand and a clean area.

Once the corn seeds are cut, add them to your mixer (or a bowl) and add the egg oil, salt and sugar if you want. I recommend to use the mixer as it is much better grounded and mixed. When mixing in the bowl, you must mix very strongly and if possible ground the corn as much as you can. The mixing result will be much more grainy than with the mixer.

The resulting mix should be thick and a bit grainy. See the next photo for reference.

Heat the pan on high heat, while the mix rests around 5 minutes. Add a bit of oil or butter to secure non-stickiness, and reduce the heat to medium. Add one serving soup spoon of the mix to the pan. Let it cook between 5 to 10 minutes on each side.

Be sure before attempting to lift one side that the Cachapa is cooked well on that side, otherwise will break when turning it around and believe me, it can be a mess (though the sticky mix might help to "glue" it again hehe). If the mix is still too liquid and breaks easily, add another egg. (The liquidness might be different according to how juicy the corn seeds are).

Once the Cachapa is done on both sides, keep it warm until served. To serve add a bit of butter, cheese and/or ham. Enjoy!