“Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live.”
— Jim Rohn.
Victoria’s Kitchen is the place to come if you are looking to improve your eating habits, but also hates the kitchen! As many other college students out there, I too do not enjoy spending endless hours in the kitchen in order to prepare a meal. I can also relate to other college students who prefer ordering food instead of cooking. I get it, cooking is hard… Except that it is not!
Over my young 21 years of age I learned the hard way that eating out can heavily affect both your health and pocket. Most often than not the food we buy is not healthy, let alone cheap. So why do people still avoid cooking healthy meals for themselves? In my case it is just plain laziness. Nevertheless, overtime I learned how to appreciate eating homemade food because I learned how to cook healthy, tasty and easy recipes. That is the focus of this blog: healthy, delicious, REAL food, with a side benefit of being feasible and simple.
Celebrating holidays among family members is a tradition most of us follow; however, this might be the first time we celebrate important dates in smaller groups, or in some cases, alone. Easter is right around the corner and I’m guessing that most of you, such as myself, have never cooked anything sophisticated designed for such occasions. If you’re isolated and will have to cook for yourself on this date, don’t freak out! You will not have to order food, trust me! I will share with you today an incredibly easy Baked Garlic-Butter Salmon recipe so you can enjoy your Easter, even if not with your family.
For this recipe you will need the following ingredients:
2 lemons, thinly sliced
1 large salmon fillet (about 3 lb.)
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
6 tbsp. butter, melted
2 tbsp. honey
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. chopped thyme leaves
1 tsp. dried oregano
Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil and grease with cooking spray. To the center of the foil, lay lemon slices in an even layer.
Season both sides of the salmon with salt and pepper and place on top of lemon slices.
In a small bowl, whisk together butter, honey, garlic, thyme, and oregano. Pour over salmon then fold up foil around the salmon. Bake until the salmon is cooked through, about 25 minutes. Switch the oven to broil, and broil for 2 minutes, or until the butter mixture has thickened.
Garnish with parsley before serving.
Staying quarantined can be a burden to many, as it is to me. But unfortunately, now is the time to protect ourselves, our loved ones and all others by isolating ourselves. Easter is an important holiday in which we celebrate Jesus’ resurrection; it represents new beginnings. Although we are now living in a chaotic situation, let us take this as an opportunity to restart our year, our lives and our mindset, giving it all a new beginning. This may not be the Easter celebration many of you expected, but it may be the beginning of a new tradition. This easy and tasty Salmon recipe will help you occupy your mind and hopefully bring you closer to the traditional Easter Dinner you’re used to. I hope you enjoy it! Stay safe, stay positive, stay healthy!
I know that pandemic and food don’t seem like the best combination, but I’m here to prove you different. In the midst of a worldwide pandemic, many people are now quarantined in an attempt to slow the spread of the newly discovered virus. You may ask yourself “Why is she writing about a Pandemic in a food blog?”, and the answer, my friend, is very simple: we eat a LOT when we’re confined at home with nothing to do. I constantly find myself walking to the kitchen several times a day, not because I’m hungry, but because I just feel like eating again. This is reasonable, given the circumstances; however, the more we stay at home, the more we eat and, therefore, the more we gain weight.
Today I will share with you a fast, delicious and healthy Skinny Alfredo Pasta recipe that will fulfill your food cravings while keeping your carb consumption on track. For this recipe, you will need:
12 oz.
whole-wheat linguine1 tbsp.
extra-virgin olive oil3
cloves garlic, minced2 tbsp.
all-purpose flour1 c.
low-sodium chicken broth3/4 c.
1% milk1/2 c.
freshly grated Parmesan2 tbsp.
plain Greek yogurt (optional)
Freshly ground black pepper
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
Freshly chopped parsley, for serving
Preparation
In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook linguine according to package directions until al dente. Set aside ½ cup of pasta water, then drain pasta and set aside.
In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Sprinkle flour over evenly, then stir and cook until mixture is lightly golden.
Very gradually add broth in while whisking, 2 tablespoons at a time, waiting for mixture to become completely smooth before adding more broth. Bring mixture to a boil, then gradually stream in milk while whisking. Bring to a simmer and cook until sauce is thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.
Remove from heat and add Parmesan and yogurt, if using. Season with salt, pepper, and a pinch of red pepper flakes.
Add pasta and a 1/4 cup reserved pasta water to sauce and toss to combine. If sauce is too thick add more pasta water, a tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency.
Garnish with parsley before serving.
You can make small changes to the recipe in order to better adapt it to your taste, substituting linguine for penne, or adding a choice of protein, for instance.
I know that this is an unusual recipe when compared to the others I’ve posted before, but don’t let yourself feel intimidated. It seems longer, but in reality this recipe is easy and fast, taking a total of 30 minutes to be made.
Times like this require comfort food, but too much of it may cause discomfort. This Skinny Alfredo Pasta recipe will provide you with the satisfaction of eating GOOD food while respecting your health. Furthermore it will hopefully help you take your mind off this stressful experience we’re all living, even if for a bit. I hope you enjoy every bit of it as much as I did!
When it comes to eggplant, what are we really talking about? We’ve reached dark times in which talking about eggplants can have multiple and crazy meanings – millennials, right? However, for the purpose of this blog we are strictly sticking with the literal definition of what is an eggplant: a fruit. Yes, a fruit! As many of you, I had also thought eggplant was considered to be a vegetable. However, this incredible ingredient is actually categorized as a fruit! Surprised?
Today I will share with you an amazing Eggplant Caponata recipe I found on “Cooking Light”, that, of course, is eggplant based. If you’re not crazy about eggplant, this post may not be for you. However, if you’re one of those who absolutely love eggplant such as I do, PLEASE MAKE THIS RECIPE.
In order to make this recipe you will need to go shopping for a few ingredients, unless you have them, of course. The ingredients are as follows:
3 tablespoons golden raisins
1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 ounces eggplant
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
3/4 cup chopped white onion
1 cup chopped tomato
2 tablespoons chopped drained capers
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
Preparation
Combine golden raisins and red wine vinegar in a bowl.
Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Cut 8 oz. eggplant into 3/4-inch cubes. Add chopped red bell pepper, chopped white onion, and eggplant cubes to skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 10 to 12 minutes.
Stir in chopped tomato, chopped drained capers, crushed red pepper, and raisin mixture. Simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped fresh mint.
As I already shared with you, this is a very simple recipe, yet very nutritious and tasty. This recipe brings back important memories; therefore, the process of making it was even more special to me. When I was younger, my mother would make the best eggplant recipes: eggplant lasagna, baked eggplant, and this eggplant caponata.
Although many of you may not have the same experience as I did, one thing is for sure: you will absolutely love this recipe, even if you’re not that crazy about eggplant. This recipe can help you survive those lazy nights when you just can’t think about cooking. It’s easy, it’s healthy and it is delicious! Who knows, maybe it will become part of your family tradition too! Enjoy!
Today I would like to share with you a recipe that became part of my diet after I started going to College. I have never been fond of fish, in general. In fact, among most common animal proteins, fish stands at the bottom of my list of preference (or at least did). You may ask yourself why is this ingredient so present in my life even though I never really liked it, and the answer is: efficiency!
Fish might be one of the most easy ingredients out there to prep, and even though it’s not my favorite choice, I can’t deny the fact that it tastes really good once it’s done. Therefore, today I will share with you an easy, healthy tilapia recipe that you can cook on one of those days – or nights – you just can’t think of going to the kitchen.
For this recipe, you will need the following ingredients:
1 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. garlic powder (I personally prefer using real gloves of garlic for a more natural flavor)
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
4 (6-oz.) tilapia filets
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp. canola or vegetable oil
2 tbsp cilantro leaves
Lime wedges
Preparation
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, and cumin. Whisk to combine.
Season tilapia filets generously with salt and pepper, then dip each in flour mixture, shaking off any excess flour. Place on a clean plate or baking sheet.
In a large, nonstick skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Add 2 filets and cook 3 to 4 minutes per side, until crust is golden and fish flakes easily with a fork. Repeat with remaining filets.
Serve immediately with cilantro and lime wedges.
A tip for those who prefer an even healthier option would be to make the tilapia grilled rather than fried; however, it’s optional.
Call me biased, but I simply love this recipe; it’s easy to make, it’s healthy, and it has lots of limes (I LOVE limes). Serve this meal with a salad of preference and your dinner is done! It takes a total of 35 minutes to prepare this meal, it can’t get easier than this.
For my first post I would like to share with you a delicious – and extremely easy – recipe that I found on Whole Foods’ website: Avocado, Lettuce and Tomato Pita Pockets. As a fan of all the ingredients listed so far, I barely had to read the full recipe to realize this dish would definitely become part of by daily meals. Its easy, its practical and its delicious!
In order to make this meal you will need only 10 minutes of your time and the following ingredients:
1 large avocado
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Pinch fine sea salt
Pinch ground black pepper
2 whole grain pita pockets
4 butter lettuce leaves
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
2 medium tomatoes, each cut into 4 slices
Preparation
In a small bowl, mash avocado with vinegar, salt and pepper until smooth
Cut pita pockets in half. Stuff pita pockets with lettuce leaves and basil
Evenly divide avocado mixture between pita pockets, spreading it on the lettuce leaves
Add 2 tomato slices to each pocket
Besides being extremely nutritious, this recipe requires few ingredients, and it accommodates different diets such as vegetarian and vegan. While I do enjoy vegetarian meals, I have always been crazy about protein – yes, animal protein. Therefore, for those who can relate, I would recommend adding grilled chicken or even steak if you are a meat lover.
I hope you love this recipe as much as I do. Furthermore, I hope it becomes part of your diet as it became part of mine. So enjoy and bon appétit!
Victoria's Kitchen 