Chicken lettuce wraps !

Hello everyone ! I made chicken lettuce wraps for my husband and I . We are so in love with these wraps. They are healthy and delicious. The lettuce adds a perfect crunch and trust me you won't miss the bread ! This is perfect for someone who is trying to eat less carbs. This recipe serves around 3 people. Hope you enjoy ! 

You will need:

1 tomato

1 onion

3-4 garlic cloves finely chopped

3 chicken breast fillets chopped into bite size chunks

Spicy sauce ( see recipe below )

Fry onions on medium heat until they are caramelized.  Once they are brown add tomatoes and fry for a bout 5 minutes. Add the chopped garlic and fry this on low heat for 2-3 minutes.

You can use store bought chilli sauce but I made my own " sauce" which consisted of 1 tablespoon ketchup, crushed red chilli peppers, 1 tsp vinegar and soy sauce. Add pepper and salt accordingly. 

Add the chicken to the wok and turn up the heat. Stir fry for 5-7 minutes. I love chicken breast because it cooks so fast. Add the sauce at the end.

Scoop the chicken into lettuce. I used iceberg lettuce because I love the taste and texture of it. Garnish with parsley ( you can also garnish with peanuts, sesame seeds, or a drizzle of hot sauce ) 

This was seriously so delicious and surprisingly filling.  This is going to be a staple in my diet now !

Decadent brownies !

It's been snowing here in Virginia since morning and the cold dreary weather had me craving brownies ! Brownies are so easy to make. The only step that requires "hard work" is mixing the ingredients lol. 

Ingredients:

2 eggs

Quarter cup of crushed almonds

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter

1.5 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

2/3 cup of all purpose flour

Half cup semi-sweet chocolate chips melted ( melt in microwave at 15 seconds intervals)

Pinch of salt

In a mixing bowl whisk together butter and sugar until the mixture is fluffy. You can do this by hand but I prefer to use an electronic hand mixture.

To the butter mixture add eggs, vanilla, flour, crushed almonds, cocoa powder, salt and melted chocolate. Mix until well incorporated but don't over mix.

The mixture should be thick and not too runny

Spray a baking dish with non-stick oil and line with parchment paper. Slowly pour in the mixture. Bake in oven for about 20 minutes at 350. The baking time will depend on your oven. If you want to check the readiness of the brownies carefully stick in a toothpaste. If the toothpick comes out wet your brownies still need more time. The brownies are ready when the toothpick comes out with some soft crumbs.

These brownies turned out so delicious. I had them warm with a glass of cold milk. I dusted some confectioners sugar on top. I used crushed almonds in the mixture but if you want you can use pecans as well.

Cheesecake in a cup !

I've been browsing Pinterest a lot recently and noticed this new trend of "cakes in a cup" recipes. This is my version of a berry cheesecake with crushed biscuits and almonds topped off with fresh strawberries and blueberries. You can even add whip cream on top ! I love this recipe because it's so easy to make and you can control your portions depending on the size of the mug you use. This is also a great idea for tea parties because the cakes look so pretty in dainty cups ! Hope you like it . My recipe yields serving for two people.

You will need ( depending on the size of the mug you use):

2 egg whites

1 cup of sour cream

1 teaspoon of lemon juice

1 tablespoon of flour

3-4 tablespoon sugar

Half cup of cream cheese

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

You will also need crushed almonds ( I simply crushed almonds in a blender ), some digestive biscuits, and strawberry jam for garnishing at the end.

Whisk together flour, lemon juice, egg whites, sour cream, cream cheese, sugar and vanilla extract. I used an electric mixer because I find it gives a better consistency for the batter.

Pour the mixture into the cups. Take some strawberry jam and mix it into the mixture.

 Microwave each cup separately and keep a close eye to make sure you don't over cook it. Each microwave is different, my microwave cooked the mixture in about 1 minute. I would recommend checking the mixture at 20-30 seconds intervals. You will know the mixture is done when the center bubbles. Take out the cup and let it set at room temperature and then set it in the fridge for 2-3 hours. In the mean time crush some digestive biscuits in a bag and cut fresh strawberries and blueberries.

Take out the cheesecake and garnish the top with crushed almonds and biscuits. Next, arrange the fresh fruits on top and top off with whip cream if you want to go all out. At this point you can also add more strawberry jam if desired.

This cheesecake is the ultimate comfort food for me now. I love scooping it out with a spoon while watching my favorite show or movie !

Flat bread pizza recipe !

Happy 2015 everyone ! I kicked off the new year with this super easy to assemble whole wheat flatbread pizza. It was so delicious and filling. I love this recipe because it can be customized to any taste palette. Hope you enjoy this recipe :)

You will need:

1 cup of chicken ( I used chicken tenders cut into small pieces seasoned with paprika, salt, and pepper )

1 cup of green/yellow/red bell peppers

1 cup of roughly chopped onions

1 cup of black kalamata olives

1 cup of arugula leaves

I bought ready made whole wheat flat bread for the base.

Spread a layer of pizza sauce on the bread. I usually use the brand Prego. 

Next put cheese, I like using colby/monterey jack cheese. 

Add the rest of the ingredients on top of the cheese.

Pop in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for about 20-25 minutes.

I like my pizza a bit crispy so I tend to brown the crust a little.

I added black kalamata olives and arugula leaves at the end.  

Bon Appetit !