Author Archives: Janis Chanin

Broccoli Cheddar Omelette

03 Wednesday Feb 2016

Posted by in Breakfast, Healthy, Quick and Easy, Vegetarian

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Broccoli Cheddar Omelette

Start your day right with this omelette!  It comes together quickly and never disappoints.  Who doesn’t love the classic combination of broccoli and cheddar?

Broccoli Cheddar Omelette
Yield:  2 servings
Time: 20 minutes total

¼ cup broccoli, diced into small pieces
4 eggs
¼ cup whole milk
¼ tsp. paprika
¼ tsp. salt
pinch of black pepper
1½ oz. finely shredded cheddar cheese

  1. Place the broccoli in an 8-inch non-stick skillet.  Cook over medium heat for about 4 minutes, until the broccoli is slightly softened.
  2. Beat together the eggs, milk, paprika, salt, and pepper.  Pour over the broccoli.  Top with 1 oz. of the shredded cheddar cheese.  (Reserve the remaining ½ oz. as garnish at the end.)
  3. Continue to cook over medium heat for 6-7 minutes, gently lifting the cooked edges of the egg periodically while tilting the pan to allow the runny uncooked egg to drip underneath the cooked part.
  4. Once there is very little runny uncooked egg remaining on top, gently fold the egg in half, creating a half-circle.  Place a lid on top of the pan to trap the heat and continue to cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, until fully cooked and the egg is sufficiently puffy.
  5. Sprinkle with remaining cheddar cheese and enjoy!

PDF to Print Recipe for Broccoli Cheddar Omelette

Spiced Molasses Sugar Cookies

22 Friday Jan 2016

Posted by in Dessert, Holiday, Quick and Easy, Vegetarian

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Spiced Molasses Sugar Cookies

I have a distinct memory back from when I was about 12 years old of my mom driving me to an orthodontist appointment to get my braces tightened.  As we turned onto a street called “Molasses Hill Road” my mom started talking about a cookie recipe that she had forgotten about and wanted to dig up to make again soon.  The cookies she made that night were similar to these, just without the kicked up spices.  They’ve always been a favorite in my family and a staple around the holidays.  The winter spices in this cookie will warm your heart, and the cayenne will warm your mouth just enough to linger for a second after you finish eating the cookie.  I hope you love them as much as my family does!

Spiced Molasses Sugar Cookies
Yield:  3 dozen cookies
Time:  40 minutes active, 2+ hours total (includes chilling)

¾ cup butter, softened to room temperature
½ cup sugar
½ cup dark brown sugar, packed
¼ cup dark molasses
1 egg
1½ tsp. minced fresh ginger (could use dried if necessary)
2¼ cups flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
¾ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. ground cloves
¼ to ½ tsp. ground cayenne pepper (depending on how spicy you like them!)
¾ cup Sugar in the Raw (or white sugar)

  1.  Cream together the butter and both sugars.  Stir in the molasses, egg, and fresh ginger.
  2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, cloves, and cayenne.  Add to the butter/sugar mixture and stir until combined.
  3. Cover and refrigerate the dough for about an hour and a half, until it’s chilled and easier to handle.  (Note:  I often make the dough the day before baking and I chill it overnight.)
  4. Pour the raw sugar into a shallow bowl.  Form the dough into balls of ½-inch diameter.  Roll in the raw sugar to fully coat the surface.  (Note:  At this point, you can freeze the raw dough balls in a single layer until frozen solid, about 6 hours. Keep frozen for up to one month.  When you’re ready to bake them, simply take them out of the freezer and allow to thaw at room temperature for about 20-30 minutes prior to baking.  This can be a HUGE time saver, especially around the holidays!)
  5. Bake at 350ºF on lightly greased cookie sheets for 8-10 minutes, until fully cooked through.

PDF to Print Recipe for Spiced Molasses Sugar Cookies

Rigatoni Amatriciana

08 Friday Jan 2016

Posted by in Dinner

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Rigatoni Amatriciana

There’s a restaurant about ten minutes from my parents’ house that makes the most amazing Amatriciana sauce I’ve ever had!  It’s so delicious that I’ve even had dreams about it.  (Sad, I know!)  When my parents took me and my husband there for my birthday, the waitress wasn’t at all surprised to receive four identical orders–Cavatelli Amitriciana!  Since it’s one of my all-time favorite dishes, I’ve ordered it in many restaurants, including in Boston’s North End, NYC’s Little Italy, and even in Umbria, Italy near where the recipe originated in Amatrice.  This recipe here rivals some of the best restaurant versions I’ve tasted.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

By the way, in case you have no idea how to pronounce the word Amitriciana, here’s a phonetic guide:  “Ah-mah-tritch-ee-ah-na”.  Now you’ll sound like a pro when you serve this recipe!

Rigatoni Amatriciana
Yield:  6 servings
Time:  40 minutes

8 oz. pancetta
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 large onions, coarsely chopped
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp. salt
Two 28 oz. cans crushed tomatoes
1 lb. rigatoni (I prefer mezzi rigatoni…it’s a smaller version)
¼ cup fresh finely chopped parsley
½ cup finely grated fresh Parmesan

  1.  Sauté the pancetta in olive oil over medium-low heat until the fat is rendered and the pancetta begins to turn golden brown, about 10 minutes.
  2. Add the chopped onions, crushed red pepper flakes and salt to the pancetta.  Cook over medium heat until the onions soften and turn translucent.
  3. Stir in the crushed tomatoes and bring to a low boil.  Simmer for 15 to 45 minutes.
  4. Meanwhile, cook the pasta for one minute less that what is recommended on the package.  Once done, drain and toss into the sauce.  Continue cooking over medium heat for 5-10 minutes to give the pasta time to soak up all those gorgeous flavors!
  5. Garnish with fresh parsley and Parmesan.  Enjoy!!

PDF to Print Recipe for Rigatoni Amatriciana

Whole Wheat Oat Pancakes

21 Monday Dec 2015

Posted by in Breakfast, Healthy, Quick and Easy, Vegetarian

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Whole Wheat Oat Pancakes

When I was little, my dad used to make us pancakes for special occasions.  Since he firmly believed that breakfast was the most important meal of the day, he refused to feed us junk in the morning (or ever, for that matter…but especially in the morning!)  His version of a pancake usually included flax or chia seeds, buckwheat, oat flour, and sometimes millet if we were really unlucky.  As a child, I’d always wished that he would just make us the fluffy buttermilk pancakes that I ate at friends houses after sleepovers, but now as an adult I am grateful that my dad made pancakes the way that he did.  Not only did it sneak some extra fiber into my growing body, but it also gave me an appreciation for whole, natural, and healthy ingredients.  This recipe is the perfect bridge between my dad’s über-healthy pancakes and those delicious fluffy pancakes I used to dream of.  The batter really does come out light and airy and the pancakes actually are healthy considering they contain whole wheat flour and whole oats, while leaving out the butter altogether.  It’s the best of both worlds!

The first time I made this recipe my husband asked me why I ever made the “unhealthy kind” because not only were these Whole Wheat Oat Pancakes healthier than normal recipes, they also tasted better.  This is now my go-to pancake recipe, and I hope it becomes yours too!

 

Whole Wheat Oat Pancakes
Yield:  12 pancakes
Time:  20 minutes total

1 cup whole wheat flour
½ cup Old Fashioned oats
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 egg
1 cup skim milk
2 tbsp. brown sugar
¼ cup yogurt
1 tsp. vanilla extract

  1. In a medium mixing bowl, mix together the flour, oats, baking powder and cinnamon.  Set aside.
  2. In a separate medium mixing bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, brown sugar, yogurt, and vanilla.  Whisk until no lumps remain.
  3. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, being careful not to overmix.  (You’ll get lighter, fluffier pancakes if you don’t overbeat the batter!  Nobody likes a tough, dense pancake!)  Allow the batter to sit for 5 minutes before cooking.
  4. Heat a pancake griddle or frying pan.  Lightly coat with non-stick spray and cook the pancakes over medium heat for about 2 minutes per side.  The best way to know when the pancake is ready to be flipped over is to look for the little bubbles that rise to the surface and pop.  Once you see a handful of these bubbles appear, it’s time to flip!
  5. Enjoy with your favorite toppings:  maple syrup, butter, fresh berries, sliced bananas,…

PDF to Print Recipe for Whole Wheat Oat Pancakes

 

 

Baked Tomatoes

30 Monday Nov 2015

Posted by in Healthy, Quick and Easy, Side Dishes

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Baked Tomatoes

These Baked Tomatoes make for a healthy side dish when you’re pressed for time.  An extra bonus?–they’re made mostly from ingredients you probably already have in your pantry!

Baked Tomatoes
Yield:  2 servings
Time:  20 minutes

2 large beefsteak tomatoes
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil (for drizzling)
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil (for filling)
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
¼ cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
¼ cup Panko (Japanese-style breadcrumbs)
¼ cup freshly grated Asiago cheese
2 tbsp. coarsely chopped fresh parsley
¼ tsp. garlic powder
¼ tsp. onion powder
4 slices of deli ham, diced

  1. Preheat the oven to 425ºF.  Lightly grease a baking dish and set aside.
  2. Carve out the stem of the tomato, partially hollowing out the inside of the tomato.  Drizzle ½ tbsp. of olive oil inside the cavity of each tomato.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  3. In a mixing bowl, combine the following ingredients: 1 tbsp. olive oil, breadcrumbs, Panko, Asiago, parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, and ham.
  4. Fill the tomatoes with the breadcrumb/cheese mixture and place in the prepared baking dish.
  5. Bake at 425ºF for 10-15 minutes, until heated through and golden brown.

PDF to Print Recipe for Baked Tomatoes