Talin’s Avocado Recipe Special – A Whole New Twist into Avocado!

I know that Avocado’s are high in fats, but they are good fats and a lot great health benefits come from Avocados. It’s a yummy yet scrumptious vegetable and it does wonders for the body, heart, facial complexion, gives you great energy, hair follicles, and helps keep your hair shiny and vibrant. Did you know it also helps prevent so many cancers, it is also great for the eye health, and the metabolism. Its a great treat that keeps the doctor away and on your way to a healthy, vibrant, you. It is incredible what you can do with food and how merge different spices, herbs, flavors and types of food together. I love the art of cooking and it is one of the greatest things to do in my book. Well without further delay, Here is a recipe I came out with all on my own with experimenting the other day making a healthy hearty lunch. This does not require Lettuce. It is a salad, but without the Lettuce.. This is a one person Serving as I did this for my own as I am losing weight and on my way to a healthy new me.

What you will need and how to prepare:

1-2 Avocados – Wash the shell, Make sure that its a little tender and cut in the middle and all around and then to separate it, just do a little twist and take it out and then the seed in the middle just put a small hole with your knife and take it out. The take the avocado and cut it up in different sizes and shapes. It doesn’t need to be so perfect. Put this at the very last…. —- Make sure when you get Avocados from the grocery store, make sure the shell is green to slightly darker colour and make sure you keep it out about a day or 2 or else it will be very hard to chew and cut into and the taste will not be there. So keep that in mind. its best to consume the Avocados within the week you purchase them. They do not last very long.

1 red Onion — Only Use half of it. Chop the Onion into bite sized pieces as for salad. After doing so put it in your salad bowl.

1 green Onion — Wash then chop them into small pieces. Use both the white and green parts of it. (do not get confused with the regular cooking onions) these ones look like leeks, but they aren’t

1 Red Apple — Wash and take out the core of the apple, chop it up with the apple skin….

half a cucumber — wash and thinly slice the cucumber then put it into the salad

1 Celery Stick — Wash and chop it into a moon shape or like how you see the elbow macaroni style:

1 Tomato on the Vine — Wash first they happen to be one of the best for salads with Avocado and Apples — Cut them up into half and then chop them into half moon shape and put it into the salad

1-2 Fresh Lemons — Washed Thoroughly on the top, Freshly Squeezed — A dash of Black pepper, A dash of Salt, lightly zest with Lemon skin, Extra Virgin Olive Oil — Mix them together, drizzle it on top, then add the avocado and lightly mix it all, and don’t mush up the avocado. You want to taste the avocado and apples together with a sweet and sour touch to it with the lemon. There you have it!

Enjoy your meal!

Talin’s Mixed Vegetable Brown Rice Medley With Chicken Breast

This is one of my favourite healthy dinners.

It is filled with goodness and nutrients and also great for weight loss control…

This is an easy meal…

To Prepare the Chicken Breast…..

First you prepare the chicken breast as it takes close to an hour to cook… Add Lemon Cracked Pepper for seasoning, as well as all spice, cumin and all purpose seasoning — you mix all those ingredients together, then you marinate the chicken breast for half an hour to an hour, then you preheat the oven to 350 to 375 for an hour, until ready, Then you put the chicken in the oven when your oven heats to those temperatures…

AS the Chicken is cooking in the oven…. time to prepare the brown rice and vegetables.

To Prepare the Brown Rice….

Brown rice takes a bit longer to cook than the regular parboiled rice because it is a grain brand and it takes anywhere between half an hour to close to 45 minutes… It also depends on how many people you are feeding…

If your feeding 3-4 people you made 2-3 cups….

Wash the brown rice before cooking 3 times —- then put 2 tablespoons of low fat margarine butter, melt that… then add the 3 cups of brown rice and put 6-7 cups of water … Keep the lid open until thoroughly boiled, then add 1 teaspoon to 2 teaspoons of salt, then let cook. Do not let it get so mushy either. Rice is not good when It is too mushy.

To Prepare the Mixed Vegetables…..

You can get mixed Vegetables from your grocery store in the freezer section and you can get about 1 or 2 bags of it, and it had all your corn, peas, green beans, carrots all in the bag, in a separate pot after the rice has cooked, get your vegetables to be hot, but don’t over boil your veggies and don’t add too much water to boil it. then put that to the side until the rice has cooked. put that toward the last 10 minutes remaining when the rice cooks….

Then mix the Brown Rice and Veggies together straining the water…. NOW if you need to add more salt you can as much as you desire, but do not add too much salt as its not good for you..

BON APETIT!

Talin’s Healthy Avocado Apple Spinach Salad

I have not written a recipe for sometime now. Today is the day I want to share with you all a recipe I came out with this past week. My Healthy avocado, apple, spinach Salad with other healthy ingredients. Since I am on the path of weight loss and getting fit, I has to do with the food consumption and what you eat as well. Remember to have a balanced diet and as well as exercise incorporated into it. I have been eating with smaller portions and have been incorporating a lot more greens, veggies and fruits. Its very important to have when losing weight. without further delay, here is my recipe:

Ingredients & Amount Needed

1 or 2 bags of Fresh Baby Spinach — Wash them really well. – Do not get rid of the stems as the stems have a lot of nutrients in them as well.

3 Avocado’s —- Cut them into medium cubes — Put them aside in a bowl— Add this one last on top then toss — Avocado’s do not last for a long time, so you must consume it when you cut it.

2 Green Apples — Washed really well — Sliced then stack them together and cut the slices into long pieces — then toss

1 Red Onion — Medium Sized — Chop it in the middle, then make 2 – 3 slices on each side horizontally, then cut 3 times vertically. then toss

1 cup of Almonds — With the skin on top — Non Salty Non Seasoned – then toss

15 Fresh and Very red Cherry Tomatoes or as desired — Washed well— then toss

Dressing Ingredients All Mixed into a separate bowl before adding to Salad.

3 tblsp of Dijon or Regular Mustard

2 tblsp of Olive Oil

half to 1 teaspoon of salt – flattened

sprinkle of cracked black pepper

2 tablespoons of balsamic Vinegar

1 teaspoon of ground powdered Mint – OR Mint Leaves

1 tablespoon of squeezed Lemon.

—————

Mix the dressing ingredients very well before adding it to the Salad —- Then toss the salad with the dressing mix.

You can serve this with grilled chicken breast with natural seasonings, with Brown Rice.

Or you can eat it just like that.

Then Voila! you have a healthy and great salad

 

BON APETIT!

 

Banana, Cinnamon, Walnut Sandwich on a Thin Pita Bread

Lately I have been incorporating more fruits in my diet and finding ways to get more nutrients in my body as its very important for longevity and health.

For years My mother and I have had this delicious sandwich of Banana, Cinnamon and Walnuts in an Arabic Pita Bread and I just lovvvve it! Here is what you do.

You take a whole banana, you tear apart the Arabic Pita Bread, and you put in the Banana, then you add Walnuts, after you add the Cinnamon on top.

It is so healthy and Cinnamon is a great defense for so many things and you get your daily potassium and protein from the Walnuts….

 

You can also add into the sandwich some real pure honey. It tastes incredible.

 

A Fruitful Breakfast With Waffles

Recently, I discovered new and exciting recipes to incorporate fruits in my daily intake. So I decided to make a fruitful breakfast with regular waffles.

Here is what I do…

I chop up 1 banana into small round pieces, then I take 4 or 5 strawberries, 15 blueberries, and 1 apple chopped…. I wash the apple, strawberry and blueberries. I put them together and then I make sure they are nicely decorated around my 2 waffles… I buy the regular waffles at the store. I toast it, then I use the fruit on my waffle and eat it. No Syrup required..

There you have it

Bon apetit!

Health 101 — Vegetarian Dinner – Garden Salad, Steamed Vegetables/Brown Rice

We are so concerned about losing weight, keeping it off, getting more healthier, and we often are worried about gaining weight again, well, with this recipe you control your weight, lose weight and feel healthier when incorporating a lot of greens. Greens are an antioxident that prevents cancer, diabetes, and other forms of disease. Here is my recipe to health and longevity. With your dinner, always have water and refrain from soft-drinks and other drinks. Purified/Filtered water would be the best source. Drinking water from water bottles carry sodium and unwanted calcium build up in our bodies and it can be detrimental to the body…
This also helps with exersizing as well.
Salad Dressing: (Healthy and Easy)
1/2 tsp of salt 1 tbsp of mint leave powder 4 tbsp of olive oil 1 or 2 Lemons (squeeze all juice) (more if desired, depends on size of Salad) Mix the Dressing together.
Incorporate Lettuce, Celery, Carrots, Red Onions, Green Onions, Green Peppers, Red Peppers(mild), Cucumbers, Cherry Tomatos in the Salad — You are done
Steam vegetables like — Mixed vegetables like how you get from the grocery store, heat them serve.
Then cook some brown rice. Make sure Rice is thoroughly washed… Brown Rice takes a little longer to cook then regular parboiled rice, so use as desired quantity, and only take 2 dinner cooking spoonfuls to your plate. Brown rice is essential and healthy for losing weight and it gives energy to you.
That is all!
HEALTHY EATING MEANS HEALTHY LIFE!

Talin’s Roast / Marinade

Today I will be discussing on how to cook Roast with great Marinading sauce.

It is so important to incorporate the Tomato Paste as that is the key ingredient as well as lots of Garlic.

Roast Marinade.

You get some roast, cut it up — wash it, clean it,

1. 5 Tablespoon full of Tomato Paste
2. 1 Teaspoon of All Spice
3. 1 Teaspoon of Salt
4. 1/2 Teaspoon of Black Pepper
5. 5 Cloves of Garlic Chopped into Fine Pieces .. Do not squeeze the garlic. You want to have the Garlic pieces everywhere.
6. 1 or 2 cups of water so it can cook— Remember Tomato Paste Absorbs a lot of water so add a bit more to your satisfaction to prevent from burning…

Cook for about half an hour — depending on the size of the roast. the smaller ones take about 15 minutes….

And your done!

Talin’s Signature/Famous Cake Recipe

Baking cakes is one of my favourite things to do in the Kitchen… Here is my recipe:

6 Large Eggs ( must be mixed very well before adding things to it) must be like a very creamy colour.
1 1/2 Tsp of Vanilla Extract
1 Cup of Canola or Mazola oil
2-3 Cups of 1% Milk (Depending on the consistency)
1 1/2 to 2 cups Sugar
1 1/2 tsp of Baking Powder
3 cups of Flour (Make sure the batter is not too watery not too thick – in between but more to the watery side, but a creamy effect to it)(Put each cup one by one. let one dissolve then put the other in and repeat)
1 Tbsp of Cinnamon (OPTIONAL- You do not really have to)
Mix all that together in a Cake Mixer Machine (Or Dough Mixer)

Mix all ingredients very well and keep doing that for about 10 minutes with all of that.

Instructions

1. Get a Cake Baking Bowl or a Pyrex – Depending on the Batter Size. (Remember it will rise because of the Baking powder)
2. Spray the Bowl or Pyrex with Cooking Oil Spray – Covering the whole thing. do not miss spots.
3. Put the Cake batter (Let the cake batter Settle in…
4. Preheat the oven to 350 Degrees Celsius
5. Put the Cake in (cook for 45 minutes to an hour) depending on the strength of your oven. It may Vary so do check up on it from the oven window. If it starts to get golden brown on top it doesn’t really mean the inside is ready. (DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN DOOR – That will make the cake flat)
6 – You know it will be ready if you stick a Toothpick in the cake and you play around a bit then take it out and if you see it clear with no batter stuck to it, then it is ready.
7. Take it out, let cool for 20-30 minutes maybe an hour then serve.

Then you have the option of decorating it with sprinkles, icing, or anything you want or have it plain too.
Will make a great dessert after dinner, or if you have a dinner party or take it to someones house. Very easy..

Estimated Preparation/Cooking time is an hour and a half

Meatballs with Yogurt Soup (Matzounov Kufteh)

I know in my previous article, i stated to write how to make mantee, but that will come up in next issue…

Meatballs with Yogurt is a favoured Armenian Dish.
Anyone can try it. It is a tasty dish, that is served at lunch or dinner.

Ingredients:

Fine Boulgour
Ground Beef
Salt
Walnuts (OPTIONAL)

Yogurt
1 Egg
Lemon Squeezed
Dried grinded Mint

DIRECTIONS..

1. mash the ground beef together, adding 1 or 2 cups of Fine boulgour and a little bit of salt to the meatball ingredients, then roll the meatballs to bite sized pieces.

WARNING: Do not put tooo much boulgour as the meatballs will come apart while cooking. Make sure the meatballs are soft, but a little hard.

2. have half a pot of boiling water

3. Get a bucket or 2 of plain yogurt, crack 1 egg into the yogurt in a mixing bowl, and add some dried grinded mint, and then add quarter cup lemon juice so the yogurt sticks together and doesnt break in the water and with the meatballs. PUT THIS IN LAST.

4. Cook meatballs for 5-10 minutes as it wont take long.

5. add the yogurt mixture in.. cook for 5 minutes and serve.

FOR FUN — Add some walnuts into the meatballs for a game. who ever gets the walnut, can win a prize or something. HAVE FUN with your food…

BY: TALIN ORFALI

Talin’s Pomegranate Vegetable Salad

Pomegranates are one of my favourite fruits to eat and pomegranates can be used in so many ways as juices, a snack, salads and so much more. Pomegranates Originated from Armenia. Even though the Apricot is Armenia’s National fruit, but Pomegranates are equivalent to that. Pomegranates have so much nutrients and health benefits. You can get them at your local grocery store or specialty grocery stores. They are lovely fruits and I like them a lot. Well, here is how you make Talin’s Pomegranate Vegetable Salad.

You will need:

- 1 Red Onion – Chopped into Salad Size…

- 1 or 2 Romaine Lettuce – the full thing —- depends on how many people will be having salad.. Wash the romaine lettuce

- 2-3 Pomegranates — take the red seeds out — first before doing so, wash the pomegranate from the outside….

- Washed 1 Green Pepper — chop into salad size pieces.

- Half of a Cucumber or a whole one — Washed and chopped  into salad size pieces.

- 1 or 2 tomato’s on a vine — washed and chopped into salad sized pieces.

- 2 or 3 Celery Sticks WASHED. Chopped into elbow macaroni like pieces but slightly bigger…..

- 2 Lemons washed skin — Squeezed  ————— Mix this with the 2 ingredients below:

- 2 tablespoons of Olive Oil

- 2-3 sprinkles of SEA SALT

—- Optional — You can put Feta Cheese, A little Cracked black pepper, Black Olives…

*****Remember to wash all your ingedients very well and discard the ends.******

To Prepare:

Just incorporate all the salad ingredients into a big salad bowl, then add the pomegranate seeds on top then the Lemon Olive Oil juice, then toss and mix the salad very well until all the ingredients incorporate with each other and there you have it. A HEALTHY SALAD.

Enjoy!!!!

 

Red Lentil Soup — With Parboiled Rice, Potato & Carrots

Hello, Here is one of my favourite and easy recipes to make on a cold winters day. Red Lentil soup is high in Iron, and Goodness and very healthy to eat. This concoction is a hearty soup and its incredible… Here is how to make it.

You will need:

- 1-2 teaspoons of Ground Cumin

- 1 Cup of thoroughly washed Parboiled Rice – Make sure you wash it very well until water becomes transparent….

- 2-3 cups of Red Lentil — Make sure this is also washed 3-4 times.

- 1-2 teaspoons of salt — use as desired, but I do not recommend it to be too too salty, so use it to your discrection.

- 3-4 potato’s — chopped and diced — wash the potato’s as well — Use regular sized potato’s but not too big.

- 1 to 2 carrot sticks, washed and zested, but diced as well.

To Prepare:

First you put the Red Lentils in the large pot to cook with the water, and bring it to a boil and make sure all the red lentils cook very well until you don’t see the lentils anymore just a light coloured mixture. Make sure there is enough water, then you put in the parboiled Rice, you let that cook for a good 10-12 minutes, but after 8 minutes of cooking the rice, put in the potato and carrots at the same time, then put in your Ground Cumin and Salt — Make sure the soup has enough water. keep adding water if desired, but make it hearty…. There you have it… RED LENTIL SOUP with Parboiled Rice, Potato and Carrots..

—– You can add Cooking Onions if you like into the soup…. that adds a bit more flavour… about 1-2 onions….

 

Zakhtari KEKHGEH – Zahtar Thyme Cookies

2 Cups of Flour

1 cup of Zakhtar

1 cup of Mazola or Olive Oil

a little bit of Salt

1-2 cups of Water

1 teaspoon of Baking powder

Mix it up —– and make them into any shape you want

bake it until you see it get light golden brown.

take out, let cool

then serve…..

Carlos Bakery — Cake Boss — Buddy Velastro — So Much Respect

I have been watching Cake Boss for a while now, and I must say, I respect Buddy and his team so much. I mean it is just cakes and pastries, but they take the job so seriously, and they set really good examples. I love the show. So much creativity with cakes, pastries, cookies and everything. It is not easy to do those everyday. It can be strenuous, it can often be stressful especially when making huge cakes. I gotta hand it to them. The cakes are out of this world. It is incredible how big cakes can be and all that batter, icing, and everything. I got big respect for bakers, cookers, and people in the culinary industry. It takes a lot of time and effort..

I will visit Hoboken, New Jersey just to go Visit Carlos’ Bakery. I must say I love Buddy’s Mom, Mario, Frank, the whole crew do an awesome job together, they work so well together and it is just fabulous. It is not easy at all. I love you guys! You all inspire me…

Healthy Hearty French Toast

I know you may think french toast is full of carbs and calories, but really it isn’t… Not when you have 100% whole wheat bread…

 

My recipe for a great tasting french toast…

 

get whole wheat toast… People get 100% Whole Wheat and Multigrain mixed up….

Multigrain can still have a high amount of calories… 100% Whole wheat or Whole Grain is the way to go.

 

It depends how many you make for yourself. whether it is 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 of them…

Make sure you have enough eggs to cover it all…

 

If you make 3 toasts, cover them with 2 beat eggs….

If you have 4 french toasts, beat 3 eggs… Incorporate that with the yellow yolks too..

 

When beating the eggs, you have the option of adding cinnamon to add flavour or vanilla extract…

 

If you watch your calorie intake, then use low sugar syrup or add REAL PURE Honey (Not those billy bee imitation honey)…

 

With french toast you can cut up banana’s, apples, you can put blueberries, strawberries, rasberries to get your fruit intake…

You can have a glass of Orange juice or have a cup of coffee or tea to your preference, and voila!!! A HEART Breakfast!

 

Bon Apetit!

Armenian Pizza – Recipe — In Armenian It’s Called Laghmajoun (Mesa-Shod)

Due to Popular Demand and People wanting to know how to make this delicious Armenian dish, I’d like to welcome you to today’s recipe. They call it Armenian Pizza,

We have other words for it such as, Laghmajoun, Lahmajoun, Mesashod — For the correct pronounciation (MES-A-SHOWED) (LAG-MA-JUNE)

Ingredients.

• Ground Beef (you can substitute Ground beef for Lamb Grounds, but GROUND BEEF is a lot tastier)
• Fresh Garlic
• Parsley
• Tomato
• Pepper

 

How to Make…. (Credit — http://allrecipes.com/recipe/lahmahjoon-armenian-pizza/ )

Place ground lamb or ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and break into small pieces until mostly browned. Drain any excess grease. Add the onion, green pepper, and garlic. Cook until onion is translucent. Stir in diced tomatoes and tomato paste, then season with parsley, basil, mint, cumin, and if using, cayenne. Simmer for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and refrigerate overnight to blend the flavors.

•                     Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Distribute the lamb mixture evenly over the tortillas, and spread out to the edges. Place the tortillas onto a baking sheet.
•                     Bake for about 20 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove from the oven and place the lahmahjoons onto a large piece of aluminum foil so that two of them are meat side to meat side, then stack the pairs together, and bring the foil up over the top to keep warm. These can be served hot or cold. Cut into small wedges.