Posts Tagged roasted garlic

What’s For Lunch?

February 22, 2010 at 11:01 am · Filed under Pasta, Recipes ·Tagged , , ,

Penne with roasted garlic and pancetta is what’s for lunch.

I love recipes that use simple and few ingredients but still manage to produce a wonderfully flavored dish. I guess that’s the art of cooking – being able to maximize an ingredient’s full potential.

This dish is so easy to make that anyone can probably make it under 3o minutes.

Ahhhh. I love non-working holidays 🙂

Penne with Roasted Garlic and Pancetta

  • 3 heads of garlic, roasted (how to prepare roasted garlic)
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 1/2 c. all purpose cream
  • 1/4 c. sliced pancetta or bacon
  • chili flakes
  • flat leaf parsley (or any herb you prefer, like basil)
  • salt and pepper
  • 1/8 c. olive oil
  • 1/2 lb. penne

Using one garlic first, remove it from the skin and mash with a fork.  Set aside.  Remove the garlic from the two remaining heads and set aside.

In a non-stick pan, heat the olive oil and saute the onions until transparent and soft.  Add the pancetta and saute until golden brown.  Add the mashed garlic and simmer for about 2 minutes.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Sprinkle the chili flakes, parsley and add the rest of the garlic. Add sauce to the pasta while hot.

If the sauce gets too thick, you can always add a few tablespoons of  water or chicken stock then simmer for a few minutes

*It’s always best to work with fresh ingredients so feel free to add whatever you might have in your kitchen or garden.  Tomatoes and mushrooms will work wonderfully with this recipe, too.

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Sunday Dinner

May 24, 2009 at 10:15 am · Filed under Fruits and Vegetables, Low-Carb, Recipes ·Tagged ,

I am a carnivore and cannot imagine living my life without hamburgers, hotdogs and steaks. But just because I love meat, it doesn’t mean I cannot love vegetables and fruits just as much. I am quite proud of being a very balanced eater, always making it a point to have a serving of vegetables with every meal.

This Sunday, I prepared (an almost completely) vegetarian meal for dinner. Whoever said that vegetables can’t fill you up should try to prepare these dishes and see that they can have the same gratification as a meat-filled spread.

Stuffed tomatoes

Stuffed tomatoes

I wanted to make use of the tomatoes that my Mom brought back from Baguio and made something similar to my couscous stuffed peppers, except this time, I added a little protein in the form of chicken breast. This was actually a meal in itself, but knowing my family, I had to prepare something else. I paired these tomatoes with a roasted garlic and potato soup that was naturally creamy and had a slight sweetness that came from the roasted garlic. With so much tomatoes available, my Mom also decided to make a  tomato basil bruschetta with kesong puti.

garlic is good for managing your cholesterol.

garlic is good for managing your cholesterol.

After having a little bit of everything, I was substantially full and happy.  There’s something about filling yourself up with healthy eats that makes you feel good about yourself.

I’m off to my regular Sunday badminton game now… Have a healthy Sunday, everyone!

Roasted Garlic and Potato Soup

  • 3 garlic heads, roasted          IMG_5208
  • 4 potatoes, peeled and cubed
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 celery stalks, chopped
  • 1 carrot, chopped
  • 3 cups chicken stock
  • 1/2 cup milk or all purpose cream
  • rosemary or basil (optional)

In a pot, saute onions, carrots and celery in olive oil until soft. Add cubed potatoes and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Simmer for 15 minutes or until potatoes are cooked.  Add garlic, milk or cream and rosemary. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Blend mixture using an immersion blender or a food processor.  If soup is a little too thick, you can choose to add more chicken stock.

Drizzle with a little olive oil, garnish with herbs and serve.

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