Midnight Dip

Ingredients

1 container Cream cheese

1 Onion (chopped finely)

1 small Garlic clove (chopped finely)

1 Cucumber

1 can Artichokes (cut each into fours)

Plain Yogurt

S + P

Hot Sauce (optional)

Fry onions and garlic in a pan (until golden). Put half a container of cream cheese in the pan. Put the artichokes in the pan. Add S + P and your hot sauce (optional) Mix all together. Once the cream cheese softens and becomes creamy, remove from the stove. Put the dip in a large bowl. Add one cup of yogurt to the bowl. Grate the peeled cucumber into the bowl. Mix it all together.

(Try this! - > Warm up pita bread in the oven for dipping)

EZ and Delicious

- shivz & beets

Baked Halibut in Orange Juice

Ingredients
2 Onions (peeled and sliced)
2 Tomatoes (chopped)
1 tbsp. Curry powder
1/2 cup Orange Juice
1 Pound fresh Halibut
1 tablespoon Canola oil
S + P

Cost of groceries - less than $20! (serves 2 persons)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Place onions in an 8" by 8" baking pan and then add tomatoes, curry powder, salt and orange juice
Rub fish with oil and salt and pepper and place on top of the vegetables.
Bake for 20-30 minutes or until the fish flakes and is just cooked through
(you can substitute Halibut with Tilapia or any other kind of white fish for that matter ;))

-shiva & beets

Pesto - Side Dishes -

Basil Pesto

Ingredients
1 large bunch of basil
1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup olive oil
Sea salt

Puree the parsley, cheese, pine nuts and oil in a food processor until smooth. Season with salt.
Add a splash or two more of oil if needed to help the mixture puree.
(You can store pesto in a small jar in the fridge for up to 3 weeks)

Sun-dried Tomato Pesto

Ingredients
1 cup sun-dried tomatoes
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup grated Grana Padano Parmesan cheese
1 small bunch parsley
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Puree everything together in a food processor until smooth.

-shivz & beets

Baked Salmon with Dijon and Mayo

Ingredients
2 Salmon Filets (small-medium sized)
1 tbsp Mayonnaise (regular or light)
1 tbsp Dijon Mustard
1/2 tsp. S+P
1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder

Cost of groceries - less than $15! (serves 2 persons)

Preheat your oven to 350°F.
Rinse fish and pat them dry with paper towel
Slightly grease baking pan with olive oil
Arrange the fish in an appropriately sized baking pan
Season each fish fillet with S+ P and garlic powder (do this on both sides of the fillet
With a knife, apply mayonnaise and Dijon mustard all over the fillets (make sure you only do this on ONE side of the fish)
Bake for 20-30 minutes, until the fish is just cooked through and flakes easily when tested with a knife

It's healthy, good and super EZ!

-shivz & beets

Red Hot Penne Pasta

Ingredients

1 box of Penne Pasta

2 cloves of Garlic (finely chopped)
1 medium onion (finely chopped)
1 can (medium) Diced Tomatoes
4 tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar
1 Red Hot Pepper (hot green pepper works too!) finely chopped
A handful Red Pepper Flakes

Cost of groceries - less than $20! (serves 2 persons)

Sauce:

Over medium heat, cook garlic and onions until golden
Add red pepper 
Add balsamic vinegar
Add whole can of diced tomatoes (with its water)
Add red pepper flakes (a good handful)

Stir it all together!

Penne:

Boil water in a pot and add a pinch of salt

Add the uncooked penne in the water

Cover the pot

Check if the pasta is cooked by tasting one (if it's a bit chewy, it's done)

Drain the water once the pasta is cooked

Over low heat, add the sauce to the penne and stir all the contents together!

-shivz & beets

Comfort Chicken

Ingredients

2 Chicken Legs with Skin and Bones

1 tsp. Turmeric

1 White Onion  (thin slices)

1/2 tsp. Salt

1 cup Brown Rice

Cost of groceries - less than $12! (serves 2 persons)

Chicken:

Add 1 cup of water in a large pot. Add the chicken legs, turmeric, salt and onions into the pot. Mix it all together. (This method of cooking is great for a healthy diet (no frying!)) Put the pot on the stove and set to High heat. Cover the pot. Let the water boil with the chicken. Turn the heat down just a bit (Medium-High) after 20 mins (should still be boiling!). Keep the pot covered. After 45-50 mins your chicken should be tasty and juicy!

Cooking time : 45-50 mins

Rice: 

Add 1 cup of Brown Rice in a pot. Add 2 cups of water and a pinch of salt into the pot. Cover the pot. Check your rice after 30 mins. If there is no more water left in the pot and the rice is fluffy, take it off the stove.  It's ready to be served!

Cooking time: 30-40 mins

(Add Plain Yogurt on the side to make your dish even more tastier!)

-shivz & beets

EZ Banana Bread

Ingredients

3 or 4 ripe bananas (smashed)

1/3 cup melted butter

1 cup sugar (can easily reduce to 3/4 cup)

1 egg, beaten

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. baking soda

Pinch of salt

1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

1 cup choco chips or crushed walnuts (optional)

No need for a mixer for this recipe! Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). With a wooden spoon, mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour last, mix. Pour mixture into a buttered 4x8 inch loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour. Cool on a rack. Remove from pan and slice to serve.

-shivz & beets

Pomegranate Pear Salad

Ingredients 

Mixed Greens

Pomegranate Seeds

1 Pear (cut into cubes)

Goat Cheese

Cost of groceries - less than $12 (serves 3 persons)

Dressing:

Balsamic Vinegar

Olive Oil

1 tsp. Sugar

1 Garlic Clove (crushed)

This salad goes well with chicken and red meat. 

Want a light meal? Try adding chicken to your salad!

-shivz & beets

Honey Citrus Glaze Chicken and Green Lentil Dish

Honey Citrus Glaze Chicken

Ingredients

Two Chicken Legs with Skin and Bones

Sauce:

1/2 Container of Minute Maid Frozen Orange Juice Concentrate

5 tbsp. Honey

Salt + Pepper (S + P)

Green Lentil

Ingredients

1 cup Dry Green Lentil ->Pressed for time? Use Canned Cooked Green Lentil

10 oz. (medium bag) Fresh Spinach

1 container Fresh Mushrooms (type optional)

1 large White Onion

2 Garlic Cloves

S + P

1 tsp. Cumin

5 tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar

Red Pepper Flakes (optional)

Cost of groceries - less than $20.00!

Sauce:

Heat pan on high with honey and orange minute made 

Add a pinch of S + P

Lower heat and stir ingredients until smooth. Remove from heat

Chicken:

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Rinse chicken with water and pat it dry with paper towel

Heat olive oil in pan on high (about 1/4 cup)

Place chicken legs in pan. Turn on both sides until golden/brown

Remove pan from stove when both sides of the chicken are thoroughly golden

Place chicken legs in a Pyrex and pour sauce all over chicken legs

Cook in oven for 45 mins (without aluminum cover)

Green Lentil:

Boil lentil with 3 cups of water in a pot (1cup of lentil = 3 cups of water)

Add 2 pinches of salt

Water should dissolve in 35-40 mins

Once dissolved, add balsamic vinegar and S + P

In a pan, saute onions and garlic with olive oil (until golden)

Add onions and garlic into the lentil pot and stir

Cut up spinach into small pieces (removing stems) and slice mushrooms vertically (like how they are on pizzas!)

Add spinach and mushrooms to pot and stir until cooked 

Add cumin

Add red pepper flakes (optional)

EZ right?!

-shivz & beets