#light dinners

[thetockablog]

Gochujang Chicken Wings

I have been experimenting with Asian flavours recently, and I came across gochujang paste at woolies and you know I had to get it, even though I was there for something else, which I ended up forgetting and had to go back to the store to get it. Story of my life!  Anyway, these wings are delicious, crispy and so flavourful. Sweet, sour, spicy and sticky, the husband said it was the best he has…

View On WordPress

[col-life23]

4 Changes You Need To Make To Your Night-Time Routine For Better Digestion And Good Sleep

4 Changes You Need To Make To Your Night-Time Routine For Better Digestion And Good Sleep

Weight loss: Keep a gap of at least 2 hours between dinner and bed time

Highlights

Have light dinner at least 2 hours before bed time

Practice portion control and never starve yourself

Eat till you are 80% full

You must have commonly heard that having early and light dinners is important if you want to lose weight. Not just weight loss, but there are other benefits of eating light…

View On WordPress

[creamedbutter]

Cream of Spinach Soup

Cream of Spinach Soup

On our last night in Prague the Foundation took all of us Fellows out to dinner.  It was a beautiful restaurant with delicious food, but unfortunately I was so turned around walking the old streets that I couldn’t tell you how to get there and I cannot for the life of me remember the name.  (‘Something Café’ or ‘Café Something’?  Maybe.)

One of the courses we were served was this amazing delicate and delicious cream of spinach soup.  I have been trying to recreate that soup ever since.  The recipe which follows is not that soup. But it is good, and pretty close.

Cream of Spinach Soup

Adapted from The Adventures of Kitchen Girl

4 cups chicken stock

½ cup white wine

1 small shallot, minced

2 tbsp butter

1 bag of baby spinach

¼ tsp salt

2 tbsp flour

2 egg yolks

1 cup heavy cream

In a soup pot or large deep sauce pan sauté the shallots in the butter until softened.

Turn the heat to medium-low; add in the spinach, cover, and let the spinach wilt in the steam.  This should take 8-10 minutes.

Sprinkle in the flour and stir constantly for 3 minutes.  This should make a very strange spinach roux.

Pour in the wine, stir.  Slowly add in the chicken stock, stirring well between additions.

Cook the soup for five minutes then, using either an immersion blender or a standard blender (be careful because the soup is hot!) blend until smooth. Return the soup to a very low simmer.

Beat the two egg yolks into the cream and pour into the soup.  You don’t want the soup to boil or it will curdle the eggs.

Serve immediately with some crusty bread. The restaurant also added a dollop of creme fresh and a slice of bacon on the side.

[creamedbutter]

Tilapia in Tomato Wine Broth

Tilapia in Tomato Wine Broth

It’s been cold here.  After all the December days when it felt like late-March we have finally gotten some winter weather.

So I, of course, decided to make this very summery dish.  I can never seem to be seasonally appropriate.

I like tilapia. I know a lot of people think of it as a boring fish, but I have found several ways to cook it and find it versatile. 

I started eating it in law school because fish=brain food and I had to eat fish before every exam.  I don’t know if that has any basis in truth or reality, but I passed so….

And I’m still eating tilapia.  This is my new favorite recipe.  And so summery on a cold cold winter day.

Tilapia in Tomato Wine Broth

From Neighborhood Food

1 tbsp olive oil

2 shallots (or 1 small onion), diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 bay leaves

15-20 cherry tomatoes (or grape tomatoes)

1/2 cup white cooking wine

1/2 cup chicken broth

2 tilapia fillets

juice of 1/2  lemon

salt and pepper

1 tbsp parsley

1 tbsp lemon zest

In a large skillet sauté the olive oil, garlic and shallots.

Sprinkle with salt and add in the bay leaves and tomatoes. Cover the pan and cook until the tomatoes burst.  It should take about 10 minutes; be sure to shake the pan to keep the onions from burning.

Uncover the pan and add in the wine and chicken broth.  Simmer for 1-2 minutes.

Gently add the tilapia fillets and squeeze the lemon half over the top.  Cover and poach in the broth (or bullion cube) for 8-10 minutes.

Serve in shallow bowls with a good amount of tomatoes and broth.  Top with parsley and lemon zest.

[themasonjars]

Late night, after hot yoga dinner.

[theoeufandi-blog]

poached egg on fresh corn, tomato, & arugula

[whatgirlseat]

After a week of gorging (thrice cooked chips, mac and cheese.. you know the vibes) I fancied a light and quick dinner. I picked up two of those nice long bell peppers from the corner shop, rinsed them, put in a casserole dish, poured over olive oil, salt and pepper and put them in a blasting hot oven until slightly blackened and wilted (about 20 mins depending on your oven). Yum. You can scoop out the seeds just before eating (if with company) or do as I do and eat most of them, leave the rest on the site. I had one pepper with some left over Israeli salad (diced cucumber, red onion, tomato) and saved the other to pimp today's lunch.