CYNDREL LOVES TO COOK (Vol. 1)

I'm not sure if I have stressed this enough but I really DO love food and cooking is one of the things I really take seriously (When I'm in the mood!). I have been trying to maintain a "healthy lifestyle" ever since I started gaining weight like a new born baby. I have been battling with weight gain for about 6 years now. Maybe part of the reason I haven't been getting good result is that I do not combine a good workout routine with my chronic dieting. Haha! 

So, I've been trying to come up with healthier options when it comes to food. I'm not always successful but I'm proud of myself when I am able to eat something that is less trashy. I'm NOT a pro but I've always been a chef-wannabe. So, I want to share with you guys two of my very own simple and healthy recipes. The first one is kinda weird, just like me, but I think there's no harm in trying? Yeah? Yeah! So...

#1 East meets West (Yup, I made this up! Haha!)

Ingredients:

 Chinese noodles 

cherry tomatoes (or any kind of tomato)

6 cloves garlic

red or white onion

green bell peppers 

canned tuna (in brine or vegetable oil)

cooking oil/margarine/butter

salt and pepper 

fresh basil leaves/parsley (optional)

How to cook:
a) Cook Chinese noodles according to instructions from its packaging. Set aside.
b) In a frying pan with oil or butter, saute' garlic, onion and bell pepper. Add the canned tuna, then, add tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes start to make a paste. Remove from heat.
c) Pour the sauce over the cooked Chinese noodles. Garnish with fresh basil leaves or parsley.

#2 Tuna, tomato and garlic pasta

Now, this might be a bit similar with the East meets West, they have pretty much the same ingredients after all, but for this one, we'll be using more garlic and we'll use Italian pasta! 

Ingredients:

Fettucine /Spaghetti/Penne Pasta (200-250 grams)

8-10 regular sized tomatoes (seeded and sliced or cubed)

1 whole garlic bulb (minced or grounded)

Olive oil 

fresh basil leaves (optional)

butter/margarine

salt and pepper 

grated cheese or Parmesan cheese
one small or medium can of tuna

How to cook:
a) Cook pasta according to the packaging instructions. Drain the pasta and set aside.
b) In a frying pan, saute' garlic and tomatoes in butter or margarine. Then, add one can of tuna. Add salt and pepper to taste.

c) Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and stir. Remove the pasta from heat and add about 1/2 cup olive oil. (You can add more if you want!)

d) Top it off with chopped basil leaves and cheese. Makes 2-3 servings.

There you have it! I'm addicted to pasta and if I'm in the mood to use the kitchen, I almost always make pasta dishes. I will be posting more of my kitchen adventures soon, so, stay tuned! 

Happy eating!