Not Giada de Laurentiis

Chicken Empanada with a twist

Remember an older entry, empanada muffin?  The crust of that pie is a buttery, flaky one that melts in your mouth in every bite. That one’s a winner!  But even though the filling was delicious, I wanted something that is not dry, but with a little bit of sauce, so to speak.

So…using the same recipe for the crust, I experimented with my own version of chicken empanada filling. And like the crust, I came up with an unbelievably easy-to-do and delicious recipe for a filling.

• 1 cup shredded chicken meat
• minced onion and garlic
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Saute onion and garlic. Add chicken meat.
2. Add cream of mushroom soup. Season to taste.
3. Put in crust as filling.

Note/Tip: You can also use cream of chicken soup.

Sizzling Eggplant Frittata

I like cooking light dinners. You know the saying, “Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper?” Well, I’m a firm believer of that. Plus, it helps in weight loss.

One such light dish is none other than eggplant frittata. Aside from getting enough protein from eggs in this dish, eggplants are known to be a rich source of dietary fiber, minerals, Vitamin B complex and potassium.

It’s very easy to cook a frittata. It basically involves beating eggs, mixing in the meat (or roasted eggplant, in this case) and seasoning it to taste.

But I chose to take it to another level.  I took out my sizzling plate, placed it over high heat, sauteed sliced onions in a little oil and splashed some soy sauce before putting the eggplant frittata on it. Voila! A superbly simple meal. Like us, you can drizzle ketchup on it for a more satisfying taste.

Who says light dinners are boring?

Cheesecake with Cinnamon Oatmeal Streusel Topping

(This post is long overdue because of my busy schedule. But I’m posting it anyway)

“Happy Mother’s Day. . . Daddy!” (bellows of laughter follow)

That’s my eldest son. After almost a week of reminding him about Mother’s Day, this is what I get. Don’t you just love being a mom?

Seriously, I know my husband and sons appreciate me. It shows in all they do and say everyday—not just on Mother’s Day. And cracking jokes made the occasion all the more joyful.

But since it’s my day, I have to have a cake.  And, unfortunately, hubby and kids don’t know how to bake, so it’s up to me. I chose to make myself a cheesecake. Not with the usual-topping-cheesecake. Mine has a nutty-crunchy-cinnamony-buttery topping.

I made my own variations and added a secret ingredient to the basic cheesecake (sorry I can’t post it here), but the original recipe is from here.

For the cinnamon oatmeal streusel topping:

• 1/2 cup oats
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup crushed graham crackers
• 2 tsp. cinnamon powder
• 3 TBSP salted butter

1. Using a whisk, mix together oats, sugar, graham crackers and cinnamon powder.
2. Cut in the butter until crumbs form.
3. Bake for 10 minutes in a 300 degrees F oven.
4. Sprinkle over baked cheesecake.

Notes & Tips:

1. It is always better to cool the cheesecake in the fridge for a minimum of 24 hours before slicing.
2. Some bake the cheesecake in a water bath to prevent it from cracking.