Chicken with Artichokes and Lemon

       1 1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs or chicken breast cutlets, rinsed and patted dry
  2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  1 cup white wine or chicken broth
  1 12 ounces jar artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped
  1 lemon, thinly sliced
  1/4 cup all purpose flour
  Salt and pepper
  1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme or parsley


   Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper and dredge in flour. Warm oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook, turning once,until browned on both sides, about 4 minutes total.

  Add wine or broth and artichokes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until chicken is almost cooked, 10 to 15 minutes.

  Scatter lemon slices over chicken, cover and cook until chicken is done, 2 to 3 minutes longer.

  Transfer chicken and lemon slices to a platter. Stir thyme or parsley into sauce and season with additional salt and pepper, if  desired. Pour over chicken and serve. 
 

 

Buttermilk Biscuits.

  

      1 cup all purpose flour
  1/2 cup cake flour
  3/4 cup buttermilk
  1 tablespoon baking powder
  1 teaspoon salt
  1/3 cup butter, chilled

  Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
 
  Place 1 cup all purpose flour, 1/2 cup cake flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl and whisk to blend. Cut the butter into 1-tablespoon chunks and dump into the flour.

  Use pastry blender to cut the butter into the flour, until the mixture resembles coarse meal with some split-pea sized pieces of butter.

  Gradually add buttermilk, fluffing with a fork, until the mixture looks like very thick, lumpy oatmeal or sticky pie dough.

  Sprinkle 1/4 cup of flour onto your rolling surface, flour the palms of your hands, turn out the dough onto the floured surface, gently kneading the dough for a few seconds. Pat the dough into 1-inch-high circle.

  Use a 2-inch round biscuit cutter to cut out the biscuits.

  Place an inch or so apart on a greased or nonstick cookie sheet.

  Bake in the middle of the oven for 10 to 12 minutes.

  Remove to wire rack to cool five minutes before serving.

  Makes 12 biscuits.



 

 

Parmesan - Crusted Tilapia with Bulgur Pilaf

      Tilapia is a variety of mild white fish available year-round whole, fresh or frozen, usually as fillets.

  Tilapia is rich in high-quality protein, low in fat and good source of vitamins and minerals essential for human health.

  Tilapia is rich in vitamin B3 or niacin, vitamin B12, phosphorus, potassium and selenium. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, tilapia is low in methyl mercury.

      

      
     4 tilapia fillets (about 1 pound total) 
     1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  1 teaspoon paprika
  1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
  1 lemon, cut into wedges

   1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, F.
   2. In a shallow dish, combine Parmesan cheese with paprika and
 parsley.
   3. Drizzle the fish with olive oil and dredge in the cheese mixture.

   4. Place the fish on greased 13 by 9 inches baking pan.

    5. Bake until the fish is opaque in the thickest part, 10-12 minutes.
   Serve the fish with the lemon wedges. 

                      Bulgur Pilaf


     Bulgur Wheat is whole wheat that has been precooked, (steamed) then dried, then cracked.You can use it just like rice or couscous, or any other whole grain, such as barley or quinoa.

  Different types of bulgur wheat require different cooking times, so it's best to check the package instructions.

  Bulgur wheat is naturally cholesterol-free food. One cup of cooked bulgur wheat provides 151 calories, 0.4 grams of fat, 8.2 grams of dietary fiber (that's about 33% the recommended daily value), and a healthy  5.6 grams of protein.

   1 cup uncooked (dry) bulgur
   2 tablespoons butter
   1 tablespoon onion, finely chopped
   2 cups chicken broth
   1/2 teaspoon salt
   few grains pepper

   Melt butter in skillet, add bulgur wheat and onion, stir and cook until golden.

  Add broth and seasonings.

 Cover, bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes.

  

Asparagus Gruyere Tart.

 

    Flour, for dusting
   1 sheet frozen puff pastry
 5 1/2 ounces  (2 cups) Gruyere cheese, shredded
 1 1/2 pounds medium or thick asparagus
 1 tablespoon olive oil
  Salt and pepper

   Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. On a floured surface, roll the puff pastry into a 16-by-10-inches rectangle. Trim uneven edges.  

  With a sharp knife, lightly score pastry dough 1 inch in from the edges to mark a rectangle. Using a fork, pierce dough inside the markings at 1/2 inch intervals.

    Place pastry on a baking sheet and bake until golden, about 15 minutes.

  Remove pastry shell from oven, and sprinkle with Gruyere cheese.

    Trim the bottoms of the asparagus spears to fit crosswise inside the tart shell. Arrange in a single layer over Gruyere, alternating ends and tips. Brush with oil, season with salt and pepper and bake until asparagus is tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

   Makes 6 or 8 appetizers.

    

Salmon Health Benefit.

      Only one food has the reputation from time immemorial of being a "brain food". That is fish... You should plan to eat a seafood meal seven days a week - and salmon at least five times a week

                   - Nicolas Perricone, M.D., "The Perricone Prescription"

        

    Salmon health benefits range from strengthening your muscles and heart to reducing your chances of developing some diseases. Studies have shown that consumption of the Fatty acid rich salmon can help you live longer and be healthier while you do it.

             MUSCLE AND TISSUE BENEFITS

     The protein in salmon is easy for people to digest and absorb into their bodies. Salmon does not have cancer causing substances in it that some other protein sources do. Proteins which are also referred to as amino acids and are vital to the health of your entire body. Salmon's main health benefit is that it is an excellent good fat or Omega-3 fatty acids. Vitamins A,B and D as well as the minerals Calcium, Iron and Selenium are in salmon.

           HEART HEALTH

    The above mentioned Omega-3 fatty acids in salmon will help lower your cholesterol. Usually the first thing doctors recommend after a heart attack is to lower your bad cholesterol (LDL) and triglycerides levels. While salmon is lowering you bad cholesterol it is also raising your good cholesterol (HDL). Salmon can also help riper heart damage and strengthen the heart muscles. Salmon also helps lower your blood pressure and even prevent hardening of your arteries which will lessen your chances of having a heart attack.

                   Brain and Nerve Benefits

    Those Omega-3 fatty acids help your brain work better and improve your memory. In conjunction with Vitamins A and D, amino acids and Selenium those acids also also protect your nervous system from the deteriorating effects of aging. This makes salmon work as a natural anti depressant. Alzheimer's and Parkinson diseases are two of the biggest fears facing you as you age. The consumption of salmon has been shown to lower your risk of developing those diseases. Omega-3 fatty acids also help prevent blood clots which can lessen your chances of having strokes.

                MISCELLANEOUS BENEFITS

    The health benefits of eating salmon also include speeding up your metabolism. This facilitates your sugar absorption rate and can lower your blood sugar level. Which in turn lowers your risk of developing diabetes.
    The Omega-3 acids and amino acids help prevent macular degeneration. This is age-related condition that affects older people that can result in vision damage and loss.
    If you want shiny hair, bright eyes and healthy skin salmon consumption can do provide that as well. Credit those Omega-3 fatty acids and Selenium in the salmon for that.
   Four ounces of wild salmon gives you a full day's required amount of Vitamin D. That same amount of salmon also gives you more than half of the B 12,Niacin and Selenium that you need daily. In addition, that four ounce serving of salmon gives you almost thirty grams of protein. That is more than half of the Food and Drug Administration's recommended daily amount.

       CONCLUSION

   Salmon's health benefits are far too many to ignore. It is power packed with disease fighting acids, minerals and vitamins. So whether you bake it, broil it, grill it or eat it raw, salmon is a powerful addition to your healthy lifestyle.




                      Poached Salmon with Herbs and Caper Vinaigrette.
                                   Adapted from: Cooks Illustrated.

   2 (6 ounce) skinless center-cut salmon fillets, about 1 1/2 inches thick*
   1 lemon
   1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
   1 1/2 teaspoons honey
   1/4 cup dry white wine
   1/4 cup water
   1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and coarsely chopped
   1 shallot, minced (about 3 tablespoons)
   1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, stems reserved
   1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon, stems reserved
   Salt and pepper

   1. Trim the top and bottom off the lemon, then cut it into about eight 1/4-inch-thick slices. Arrange the lemon slices in a single layer over the bottom of a 10-inch skillet. Scatter the parsley stems, tarragon stems, and 1 tablespoon of the shallot over the lemon slices and add the wine and water.

  2. Lay the salmon fillets in the skillet, skinned- side down, on top of the lemons. Set the pan over high heat and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the sides of the salmon are opaque and the thickest parts register 125 degrees on an instant thermometer, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and, using a spatula, carefully transfer the salmon and lemon slices to a pepper towel-lined plate. Tent the salmon loosely with foil and let rest while making the vinaigrette.

  3. While the salmon rests, return the pan to medium-high heat and continue to simmer the cooking liquid until it has reduced to 2 tablespoons, 2-3 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons shallot, chopped parsley, chopped tarragon, capers, olive oil and honey in a medium bowl. Strain the reduced cooking through a fine-mesh strainer into the bowl with the shallot-herb mixture, whisk to combine, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

  4. Season the salmon lightly with salt and pepper. Using a spatula, carefully transfer the salmon fillets to individual serving plates, discarding the lemon slices, and serve with vinaigrette.


  * If you can't find skinless salmon at the store, you can easily remove the skin yourself.



  

Tilapia with Tomatoes and Capers.

    3 tilapia fillets
    1/4 cup dry white wine
    1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
    2 tablespoons olive oil
    2 tablespoons lemon juice
    1 tablespoons capers, drained
    1/4 cup all purpose flour
    1 tablespoon butter
    2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
    salt and freshly ground pepper
 
   1. Rinse fillets and pat dry. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and lightly coat in flour on both sides.
 
   2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add fillets, cook 1 1/2 minutes, reduce heat to medium, turn fillets and cook 1 minute or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Transfer fillets to a plate and keep warm.

   3. Add wine, lemon juice, tomatoes and capers to the pan, cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in butter until melted. Spoon wine mixture over fillets, sprinkle with parsley. Serve  immediately with steamed vegetables or  mixed green salad.  

Orange Olive oil cake

   
   For this cake you going to need:



   4  large  eggs
 1 1/2  cups  sugar
 3/4  cup  walnut
 1/2  cup  olive  oil
 1  cup  all  purpose  flour
 Finely grated zest of 1 orange
 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (2 oranges) 
 1  tablespoon  baking  powder
 1/2  teaspoon salt
  Confectioners' sugar, for dusting


     1. preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 9-inch spring form pan.

  2. Grind walnuts in food processor until finely ground, almost like bread crumbs. Combine ground walnuts, flour, baking powder and salt and set aside.
   

  3. Using an electric mixer, beat the eggs in a large bowl until frothy, about 2 minutes. Gradually add 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar and beat until mixture is light, thick and lemon-colored, for about 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/2 cup fresh orange juice, orange zest and continue beating. Slowly beat in walnut-flour mixture and mix until just combined.  

    

     4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with a spatula. Bake the cake for 50-60 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

       5. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, remove sides of pan and then carefully invert it onto wire rack. Cool completely. Place cake on a cake plate and dust with confectioners' sugar.