Good Afternoon Ladies and Gentleman!
So it's a gorgeous Saturday in Central NJ, and I am doing a little bit of cooking. It's mainly healthy, and kind of low in salt (if you know how to use a "pinch" of salt right
) But before I go into what I've made, some advice for those when it comes to cooking. It will help, and it will make things better.
1) NEVER USE TABLE SALT! That's probably one of the biggest tips I tell people. It's not only unhealthy, but it's also a salt that can be used too much, way to easily. I always use kosher salt and sea salt. Not only are they healthier, but they help bring out more flavor in what you cook. They key too, always use a "pinch." Meaning, use your index finger, middle finger, and thumb. That's a pinch.
2) Always use fresh ingredients. Dried herbs can only go so far. If you look close enough, a "bunch" of herbs like parsley, cilantro, mint, are all between $1-$3. Not bad compared to the almost $4 you have to pay for something from McCormick. Which (somehow) leads to my next tip
3) Have a fully stock pantry. Spices and seasonings will be your best friend. Trust me, with a fully stock pantry, some pasta, and fresh veggies, you can make a five star meal. Have necessities like cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper, a pepper mill, etc etc. If you can find it cheap, go for it.
Now with tips out of the way, what I made was simple, delicious, and can be very impressive to the untrained eye =). Let's start with the appetizer: Tomato, Basil, and Mozzarella with extra virgin olive oil. What you need:
1 Fresh Ripe Tomato
1 Small ball of FRESH Mozzarella (fresh mozzarella has a lot less sodium than regular mozzarella you get at a pizza place)
Fresh Basil
What to do: Slice the tomato about 1/2 inch thick, and lay it out on a plate. Season with a PINCH of kosher/sea salt. Next, pick off a basil leaf one a time for each piece of tomato. Then, slice the mozzarella about a 1/4 inch thick. Lay on top of the basil leaf. After, drizzle a tiny bit of good quality extra virgin olive oil. Put in your fridge for about a couple hours so the olive oil can infuse with everything. Once chilled, take out, and enjoy. Simple right? Now, a pasta dish that's a little bad for you, so make sure you take your binders
What you need:
2 pounds of chicken
Seasonings (which will be listed in the process)
3 cloves of garlic
2 shallots
1 container of Grape tomatoes
1 package of Sun dried tomatoes
Basil
Parsley
1 small carton (half pint) of Heavy Cream
1 14.5 can of NO SALT diced tomatoes
Seasoning mix:
Pinch of salt
1 tsp of oregano
1/2 tsp of thyme
1/2 tsp of ground turmeric
1 tsp of chili powder
1 tsp of cayenne pepper
1 TBSP of paprika
Mix all together and season chicken with it
In a large saute pan on medium high heat, add 3 TBS off olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the seasoned chicken. Let the chicken cook for 10 minutes. Then add grape tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, and the can of no salt diced tomatoes (drain the juice of course.) Let that cook for another 10 minutes. Next, add the shallots and garlic. Keep mixing, and pop the grape tomatoes. Let that cook for 10 minutes. Now, within the last 5 minutes, add a handful of fresh parsley, 6 fresh basil leaves (finely diced) and add the heavy cream. Let simmer. Boil some pasta (anything curly is what I prefer,) and you have a wonderful pasta dish that serves about 6. So if you don't have that many people, you'll have plenty of left overs to heat up.
I hope you enjoy this as much as I loved making it! Sometime within the next week...well I don't know. I like to surprise people with "pot luck" dinners.
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