Dinner in 1-2-3!

Photography by Donna Samonte

We always want to have something really healthy to eat. But sometimes our schedules are just crazy to cope with everyday life. Cooking shouldn't be that hard, there's always some food that can be made as easy as 1-2-3 and yet healthy.

Pan-Broiled Lamb Chops

Ingredients:

4 pcs lamb chops about 1 1/4 lbs
3 tbs soy sauce
2 minced garlic
1/4 freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

Wash and pat dry lamb chops, combine all ingredients in a bowl and rub unto steaks. marinate for about 10 minutes.

Heat heavy skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the steaks and reduce the heat to medium. Cook for 6-8 minutes per side for medium-rare (depending on thickness), or until the steaks are nicely browned on the outside but still a bit soft to the touch. (If the steaks are super thick, you may want to cook them for a few minutes on each of the short sides as well.)

Best served with potatoes, corn and veggies.

Left-over Chicken?

Photography by Donna Samonte

I always look for new ways to create old things and when you'd a baked chicken and leftovers from roasting or simply nilaga, this is a perfect 2nd time around. In tagalog..."pang-gat" in a different style.

In a newspaper interview, 3 top NY chefs agreed on the characteristics of a fine cook: He/she could chop an onion, roast a chicken and creatively use up left-overs from a refrigerator. A left-over can be anything from a surplus of a bountiful serving.


Chicken Salad Spread

Ingredients:
2 c. chopped boiled chicken (or any left-over from roasting or nilaga)
1/4 c. mayonnaise
3 tbsp. chopped, scraped celery
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. white pepper
3 tbs sliced scallions

Preparation:
Cook chicken in 1 cup water, adding a pinch of salt and a dash of pepper. Simmer until cooked. Then chop in small chunks.

In a bowl, combine all ingredients except scallions and mix gently. Then sprinkle scallions on top. Serve with bread of your choice.

I like using french bread and even crackers! :P