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Low sodium sauteed pork chops
Aug. 2nd, 2022 06:45 pmIngredients:
2 boneless pork chops
~1/2 cup diced onion
~1/2 cup diced green pepper
1/2 of a large jalapeno pepper, diced (control the spice level by leaving in or taking out ribs and seeds)
1/2 of a small apple, peeled and also diced
2-3 tbsp oil
~1 tbsp minced garlic
~1 tsp whole cumin seeds
~1 tsp whole mustard seeds
~1/2 tsp smoked paprika
~1/4 tsp garam masala
~1/4 tsp cinnamon
~1/4 tsp curry powder (has salt so be careful with it, basically anything that has fenugreek and turmeric)
White wine, water, or apple juice to deglaze the pan
Directions: Heat oil on medium heat. Add spices and garlic and cook til fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add apple, onion, green pepper and jalapeno and stir to coat everything. Cook on med or med-low for about 8 minutes until the onions and apple start to caramelize. Add pork chops and cook for ~4 minutes per side for small boneless chops. Toward the end of the cooking, deglaze the pan with 1/4 cup of liquid (white wine, applesauce, water) and stir to incorporate everything. Serve chops topped with curried apples and vegetables. I also served a side of broccoli with it.
(Approx 40 mg of sodium per pork chop.)
2 boneless pork chops
~1/2 cup diced onion
~1/2 cup diced green pepper
1/2 of a large jalapeno pepper, diced (control the spice level by leaving in or taking out ribs and seeds)
1/2 of a small apple, peeled and also diced
2-3 tbsp oil
~1 tbsp minced garlic
~1 tsp whole cumin seeds
~1 tsp whole mustard seeds
~1/2 tsp smoked paprika
~1/4 tsp garam masala
~1/4 tsp cinnamon
~1/4 tsp curry powder (has salt so be careful with it, basically anything that has fenugreek and turmeric)
White wine, water, or apple juice to deglaze the pan
Directions: Heat oil on medium heat. Add spices and garlic and cook til fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add apple, onion, green pepper and jalapeno and stir to coat everything. Cook on med or med-low for about 8 minutes until the onions and apple start to caramelize. Add pork chops and cook for ~4 minutes per side for small boneless chops. Toward the end of the cooking, deglaze the pan with 1/4 cup of liquid (white wine, applesauce, water) and stir to incorporate everything. Serve chops topped with curried apples and vegetables. I also served a side of broccoli with it.
(Approx 40 mg of sodium per pork chop.)
10 minute dinner
Jun. 6th, 2022 07:50 pmNeither D nor I wanted to put much time into dinner tonight, but I managed to make something pretty good anyhow, using vegetables and leftovers and some minute wild rice:
1 cup pre-cooked or 1-minute minute rice (I used microwaveable mix of brown and wild rice). you can use more if you want more rice. I am carb-counting and D didn't want a lot of rice so we were good splitting 1 cup cooked.
~1/2 to 2/3 pound leftover protein (We had some leftover grilled pork loin, already cooked, but chicken or shrimp or steak would work fine), chopped into chunks
~4 cups coarsely chopped aromatic veggies. Mine included:
1/2 carrot, sliced into ovals
Mix of red/yellow/orange/green bell peppers
Sweet onion, about 1/3 of a big sweet onion
1 med-sized slice of red cabbage, chopped up
add 2 tbsp olive oil to a med-hot pan and add all veggies. Cook for ~5-7 minutes until they are softened but not mushy. Turn heat down and add the pre-cooked protein to heat it up.
meanwhile, while that is cooking, make a quick Cheese sauce. All of these were eyeballed:
~2 tbsp butter
~2 tbsp flour
~2/3 cup milk (add more milk or water to add as necessary for the right consistency)
~1 tbsp horseradish sandwich spread (optional)
~1 tbsp tahini (optional)
~1 tsp adobo seasoning
~1 to 1.5 cup shredded cheese (about a handful. From my hand. I used mexican blend it was what was in the fridge)
Melt butter in a saucepan, add flour to make a dark roux. When the roux is set up and bubbly, reduce heat, add milk a bit at a time to combine. It should be thick but still liquidy. Add adobo seasoning. If you are adding the horseradish and tahini, add it now, and it might thicken the sauce considerably. Add in some more water or milk to thin it down before you add the cheese. When you get a consistency that is liquid enough (not pasty) add the cheese in and melt it all together. If the mixture is too stringy, add more liquid.
Pour cheese sauce over veggies and protein in the pan. Mix to combine. Heat rice in the microwave and serve veggie/protein mix over rice, immediately.
Honestly this came out surprisingly good. I had a giant jar of tahini leftover from making watermelon poke bowls the other day and have been trying to figure out how to use it. Apparently, sneak it into cheese sauce is a good option! It gives it a hint of that rich sesame flavor. Anyhow I thought it came out quite well for a "winging it" recipe that literally took 10 minutes to make. The longest part was chopping the veggies and pre-cooked protein, and even that didn't take too long.
1 cup pre-cooked or 1-minute minute rice (I used microwaveable mix of brown and wild rice). you can use more if you want more rice. I am carb-counting and D didn't want a lot of rice so we were good splitting 1 cup cooked.
~1/2 to 2/3 pound leftover protein (We had some leftover grilled pork loin, already cooked, but chicken or shrimp or steak would work fine), chopped into chunks
~4 cups coarsely chopped aromatic veggies. Mine included:
1/2 carrot, sliced into ovals
Mix of red/yellow/orange/green bell peppers
Sweet onion, about 1/3 of a big sweet onion
1 med-sized slice of red cabbage, chopped up
add 2 tbsp olive oil to a med-hot pan and add all veggies. Cook for ~5-7 minutes until they are softened but not mushy. Turn heat down and add the pre-cooked protein to heat it up.
meanwhile, while that is cooking, make a quick Cheese sauce. All of these were eyeballed:
~2 tbsp butter
~2 tbsp flour
~2/3 cup milk (add more milk or water to add as necessary for the right consistency)
~1 tbsp horseradish sandwich spread (optional)
~1 tbsp tahini (optional)
~1 tsp adobo seasoning
~1 to 1.5 cup shredded cheese (about a handful. From my hand. I used mexican blend it was what was in the fridge)
Melt butter in a saucepan, add flour to make a dark roux. When the roux is set up and bubbly, reduce heat, add milk a bit at a time to combine. It should be thick but still liquidy. Add adobo seasoning. If you are adding the horseradish and tahini, add it now, and it might thicken the sauce considerably. Add in some more water or milk to thin it down before you add the cheese. When you get a consistency that is liquid enough (not pasty) add the cheese in and melt it all together. If the mixture is too stringy, add more liquid.
Pour cheese sauce over veggies and protein in the pan. Mix to combine. Heat rice in the microwave and serve veggie/protein mix over rice, immediately.
Honestly this came out surprisingly good. I had a giant jar of tahini leftover from making watermelon poke bowls the other day and have been trying to figure out how to use it. Apparently, sneak it into cheese sauce is a good option! It gives it a hint of that rich sesame flavor. Anyhow I thought it came out quite well for a "winging it" recipe that literally took 10 minutes to make. The longest part was chopping the veggies and pre-cooked protein, and even that didn't take too long.
Had friends over last night to play cards, and I put together this queso dip that turned out pretty well (all amounts approximate)
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp flour
3/4 c whole milk
1/4 c jalapeno flavored cream cheese (I used philadelphia brand)
1/2 c restaurant style Mexican salsa (I used leftovers from our last order from the local Mexican restauarant)
2 c shredded cheese (I used a mix of muenster and cheddar. Best to grate these from a block, not get pre-shredded)
pinch of chili powder and chipotle powder to taste
melt butter in a saucepan over low-med heat. add flour a bit at a time and incorporate into a roux. It doesn't have to brown, you just want it to be able to thicken the sauce. when the flour/butter mixture is consistent (it can be quite thick), add the milk a bit at a time until you get a smooth consistency. Add the cream cheese and melt it to incorporate. Add the salsa and stir until everything is smoothly combined. Add the cheese a bit at a time until it melts and incorporates. If the result is too stringy (eg, behaves like melted cheese instead of a more liquid sauce), add a bit more cream cheese until you get a more sauce like consistency. Do a taste test and add chili powder/chipotle to taste. Simmer on low-med heat until the excess moisture is boiled off and the sauce thickens. Serve with veggies or tortilla chips!
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp flour
3/4 c whole milk
1/4 c jalapeno flavored cream cheese (I used philadelphia brand)
1/2 c restaurant style Mexican salsa (I used leftovers from our last order from the local Mexican restauarant)
2 c shredded cheese (I used a mix of muenster and cheddar. Best to grate these from a block, not get pre-shredded)
pinch of chili powder and chipotle powder to taste
melt butter in a saucepan over low-med heat. add flour a bit at a time and incorporate into a roux. It doesn't have to brown, you just want it to be able to thicken the sauce. when the flour/butter mixture is consistent (it can be quite thick), add the milk a bit at a time until you get a smooth consistency. Add the cream cheese and melt it to incorporate. Add the salsa and stir until everything is smoothly combined. Add the cheese a bit at a time until it melts and incorporates. If the result is too stringy (eg, behaves like melted cheese instead of a more liquid sauce), add a bit more cream cheese until you get a more sauce like consistency. Do a taste test and add chili powder/chipotle to taste. Simmer on low-med heat until the excess moisture is boiled off and the sauce thickens. Serve with veggies or tortilla chips!
(no subject)
Jan. 17th, 2022 06:28 pmCrockpot chicken and wild rice with mushroom sauce.
I refuse to use canned cream of mushroom soup for anything, so this is what I did instead.
( under the cut )
I refuse to use canned cream of mushroom soup for anything, so this is what I did instead.
( under the cut )
Black Bean and Rice Enchiladas
Jan. 14th, 2022 01:38 pmThese just used a few canned pantry staples but came out really good.
6-7 small or 4-5 large tortillas (corn or flour, whatever your preference)
1 container (1 cup) Minute brown and wild rice
1/2 package of Uncle Ben's Zesty Mexican Beans
2/3 cup (approx) frozen corn
1 15 oz can green enchilada sauce
1/2 cup shredded mexican cheese
2 tbsp canned green chilies (optional)
1 tsp hot sauce or zhoug sauce (optional)
black olives for the top (optional)
more cheese to sprinkle over the top (optional I guess but you probably want this)
If using corn tortillas, heat them each with a dab of oil in a sautee pan over medium heat for about 1-2 min per side so that they won't crumble or break when rolled.
Preheat oven to 350.
Take the plastic top off the rice and heat in the microwave for 1 minute
Put the frozen corn in a microwave safe dish with some water and heat for 2 minutes, drain
Warm the beans according to directions (90 seconds in the microwave)
Mix together rice, beans, corn, 1/2 cup cheese, about 4 tbsp of the enchilada sauce, green chilies and hot sauce if using. Layer a bit of oil or butter onto the bottom of a glass pan (so the tortillas don't stick) that will fit all your enchiladas and then spread a thin layer of enchilada sauce over that. Fill the tortillas and place them folded ends down in the pan. Top with olives (if using) and pour over the rest of the enchilada sauce. Bake for 20 minutes until the sauce is bubbling. Sprinkle cheese over the top and bake for another 5 minutes. Serve.
6-7 small or 4-5 large tortillas (corn or flour, whatever your preference)
1 container (1 cup) Minute brown and wild rice
1/2 package of Uncle Ben's Zesty Mexican Beans
2/3 cup (approx) frozen corn
1 15 oz can green enchilada sauce
1/2 cup shredded mexican cheese
2 tbsp canned green chilies (optional)
1 tsp hot sauce or zhoug sauce (optional)
black olives for the top (optional)
more cheese to sprinkle over the top (optional I guess but you probably want this)
If using corn tortillas, heat them each with a dab of oil in a sautee pan over medium heat for about 1-2 min per side so that they won't crumble or break when rolled.
Preheat oven to 350.
Take the plastic top off the rice and heat in the microwave for 1 minute
Put the frozen corn in a microwave safe dish with some water and heat for 2 minutes, drain
Warm the beans according to directions (90 seconds in the microwave)
Mix together rice, beans, corn, 1/2 cup cheese, about 4 tbsp of the enchilada sauce, green chilies and hot sauce if using. Layer a bit of oil or butter onto the bottom of a glass pan (so the tortillas don't stick) that will fit all your enchiladas and then spread a thin layer of enchilada sauce over that. Fill the tortillas and place them folded ends down in the pan. Top with olives (if using) and pour over the rest of the enchilada sauce. Bake for 20 minutes until the sauce is bubbling. Sprinkle cheese over the top and bake for another 5 minutes. Serve.
Made turkey stuffed peppers tonight, Italian style. Winged the recipe and it's cooking now but it smells good anyhow. It has some carbs from the rice (but you can use brown or wild) and the bread crumbs (but there aren't many of those).
So before I forget ( this is what I did )
I shall report back on the outcome.
Verdict: the flavor profile was great, but there was too much moisture for the egg/rice and bread crumbs to work as a binding, would need way more bread crumbs. So next time I will probably leave those out and just have it be crumbly (since it was crumbly anyhow). The other option would be to put way more cheese in them and have them stick together that way.
So before I forget ( this is what I did )
I shall report back on the outcome.
Verdict: the flavor profile was great, but there was too much moisture for the egg/rice and bread crumbs to work as a binding, would need way more bread crumbs. So next time I will probably leave those out and just have it be crumbly (since it was crumbly anyhow). The other option would be to put way more cheese in them and have them stick together that way.
Thanksgiving... salad?
Nov. 28th, 2021 03:14 pmI know usually salad isn't the star of the show but I wanted to share this one I made that was really really good. I got inspiration from a poached pear and goat cheese salad that we had at an Italian restaurant in Siesta Key:
I used a bag of forelle pears; they are like 1/3 the size of regular pears and were a good size for a small serving of salad.
Champagne Poached Pears:
12 forelle pears or 4 big pears (sturdy and firm)
1 bottle dry champagne (I used prosecco)
1 cup orange juice
some freshly grated cinnamon (I didn't use a whole stick b/c I thought it might overpower)
handful of dried cranberries
~1/2 to 1 cup of sugar (to taste)
water to cover
Peel the pears (could also core them but could do that later as well). You can put the peeled ones in a bowl with some lemon juice mixed with water in order to keep them from browning as you peel more and do the other steps. Mix orange juice, sugar, cranberries and cinnamon in a stock pot or dutch oven and stir to incorporate the sugar. Stand the pears up on end in the pot, put on med-high heat and pour in the prosecco and enough water to cover. You can also put a "top" on the pears of parchment paper cut to the shape of the pot, with a hole cut in it to let steam escape and to keep the pears completely submerged. Boil until pears are tender, approx 15 minutes for little pears, maybe 25 for big ones.
Remove from heat and store pears in the poaching liquid in the fridge.
Salad:
50/50 mix of arugula and organic spring mix
poached pears (cut in half and cored, 1/2 pear per serving if the servings are small, could use more)
a few sliced strawberries
Toasted pecans
Salted/roasted Pepitas
crumbled Goat Cheese
diced roasted pumpkin (with enough water roasted out of it that it has a good consistency and isn't mushy)
Raspberry walnut vinaigrette dressing. (This was what I had in the fridge, "Newman's Own" brand. It worked well. If you want to make your own champagne vinaigrette or something, that would work well. Salad does not need a ton of dressing, just a little bit).
It was really good.
I used a bag of forelle pears; they are like 1/3 the size of regular pears and were a good size for a small serving of salad.
Champagne Poached Pears:
12 forelle pears or 4 big pears (sturdy and firm)
1 bottle dry champagne (I used prosecco)
1 cup orange juice
some freshly grated cinnamon (I didn't use a whole stick b/c I thought it might overpower)
handful of dried cranberries
~1/2 to 1 cup of sugar (to taste)
water to cover
Peel the pears (could also core them but could do that later as well). You can put the peeled ones in a bowl with some lemon juice mixed with water in order to keep them from browning as you peel more and do the other steps. Mix orange juice, sugar, cranberries and cinnamon in a stock pot or dutch oven and stir to incorporate the sugar. Stand the pears up on end in the pot, put on med-high heat and pour in the prosecco and enough water to cover. You can also put a "top" on the pears of parchment paper cut to the shape of the pot, with a hole cut in it to let steam escape and to keep the pears completely submerged. Boil until pears are tender, approx 15 minutes for little pears, maybe 25 for big ones.
Remove from heat and store pears in the poaching liquid in the fridge.
Salad:
50/50 mix of arugula and organic spring mix
poached pears (cut in half and cored, 1/2 pear per serving if the servings are small, could use more)
a few sliced strawberries
Toasted pecans
Salted/roasted Pepitas
crumbled Goat Cheese
diced roasted pumpkin (with enough water roasted out of it that it has a good consistency and isn't mushy)
Raspberry walnut vinaigrette dressing. (This was what I had in the fridge, "Newman's Own" brand. It worked well. If you want to make your own champagne vinaigrette or something, that would work well. Salad does not need a ton of dressing, just a little bit).
It was really good.
(no subject)
Sep. 18th, 2019 09:10 pmD got tortellini to make and because I've decided diets are for chumps, I was like, "Oh, we have asparagus and fresh tomatoes, and they would be great with tortellini in a lemon garlic cream sauce." So I made lemon garlic cream sauce tonight. It came out really well and D told me to write it down so we can re-create it.
I started with this blog post which I will post below in case it gets taken down
( lemon garlic cream tortellin-not-fettucinne )
I started with this blog post which I will post below in case it gets taken down
( lemon garlic cream tortellin-not-fettucinne )
chocolate peanut butter oats
Mar. 23rd, 2019 09:48 am~280 calories
1 cup water
1/2 cup oats (old fashioned or steel cut) : 160 calories
(This will cook to make 1 cup oats)
2 tsp peanut butter : 64 calories
1 tsp dark cocoa powder : 4 calories
cinnamon to taste : 6 calories
1 tsp honey : 20 calories
3 or 4 tbsp Silk protein nut milk : 18-25 calories (or almond milk, or regular milk if you prefer)
I always cook the oatmeal in water and then add a splash of more milk at the end. Esp. with nut milk, I don't want it to separate or act weird when heated. But anyhow, just cook the oats with water as per directions. In the bowl you will be using, put peanut butter, cinnamon, honey and cocoa powder. Stir the cooked oats into the bowl and mix everything up. Add the splash of milk at the end, mix together and eat immediately, yum!
1 cup water
1/2 cup oats (old fashioned or steel cut) : 160 calories
(This will cook to make 1 cup oats)
2 tsp peanut butter : 64 calories
1 tsp dark cocoa powder : 4 calories
cinnamon to taste : 6 calories
1 tsp honey : 20 calories
3 or 4 tbsp Silk protein nut milk : 18-25 calories (or almond milk, or regular milk if you prefer)
I always cook the oatmeal in water and then add a splash of more milk at the end. Esp. with nut milk, I don't want it to separate or act weird when heated. But anyhow, just cook the oats with water as per directions. In the bowl you will be using, put peanut butter, cinnamon, honey and cocoa powder. Stir the cooked oats into the bowl and mix everything up. Add the splash of milk at the end, mix together and eat immediately, yum!
Zucchini pasta recipe
Mar. 2nd, 2019 07:37 pmThis is super easy and delicious. Slight edits to this recipe according to what I had available. Can also use chopped tomatoes (add at the end if you do).
1 box of mixed zucchini/carrot/squash noodles like you can get from the store (~1 lb).
~2 cups angel hair pasta (cooked). This is about 3/4in circle of dry noodles
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
3 or 4 big cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp dried italian herbs (I get the "lightly dried" ones from the store)
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp water
parmesan cheese to taste
Cook angel hair according to directions, drain and set aside. Heat oil, garlic, lemon juice and pepper flakes in a deep dish skillet on medium. When garlic begins to simmer/pop add the zucchini noodles and herbs and cook them about 5-7 minutes until they get wilty but not mushy. Remove the noodles to a bowl and set aside. To the juices left in the pan stir in 1 tbsp water and tomato paste and mix until well mixed. (Add the tomatoes here too if you have them). Then when everything is combined stir together the angel hair pasta and the veggie noodles back into the pan to combine with the sauce. Sprinkle everything with parmesan cheese and serve.
1 box of mixed zucchini/carrot/squash noodles like you can get from the store (~1 lb).
~2 cups angel hair pasta (cooked). This is about 3/4in circle of dry noodles
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
3 or 4 big cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp dried italian herbs (I get the "lightly dried" ones from the store)
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp water
parmesan cheese to taste
Cook angel hair according to directions, drain and set aside. Heat oil, garlic, lemon juice and pepper flakes in a deep dish skillet on medium. When garlic begins to simmer/pop add the zucchini noodles and herbs and cook them about 5-7 minutes until they get wilty but not mushy. Remove the noodles to a bowl and set aside. To the juices left in the pan stir in 1 tbsp water and tomato paste and mix until well mixed. (Add the tomatoes here too if you have them). Then when everything is combined stir together the angel hair pasta and the veggie noodles back into the pan to combine with the sauce. Sprinkle everything with parmesan cheese and serve.
Makes a ton
1 box tri-color rotini, cooked according to directions.
1 lb chicken breast cut into chunks (optional; omit for vegetarian or vegan recipes)
4 small beets sliced into ~1/8 in half-moons
1 medium zucchini sliced into ~1/4 to ~1/2in half-moons
1 small pattypan squash sliced into small sections
2/3 cup diced red onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
10 oz spinach (fresh or thawed & drained if frozen)
~1/4 cup fresh raspberries, mushed up (approximately 10 or so raspberries? Maybe more. I didn't measure.)
~1/4 cup chopped walnuts pounded with a kitchen mallet into tiny chunks
~1/2 tbsp Tamicon (tamarind concentrate) paste. (You can probably substitute tomato paste if you can eat tomatoes.)
pinch of salt
approx 3 tbsp sherry vinegar (I eyeballed it)
approx 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (again eyeballed, just basically enough to make a marinade to coat the veggies)
sprinkling of Italian spices: oregano, marjoram, basil, black pepper, parsley and a dash of red pepper flakes
chicken or vegetable broth or water to help aid simmering
(Probably you can boil the beets first for a little while before marinating and then cook the pasta in the beet juice? The way I did it, the squash came out perfect but the beets were a little on the firm side. Or you could marinate them longer or slice them thinner)
mix 3 tbsp sherry vinegar and 1/4 cup evoo together with 1 clove garlic and Italian spices. Mix up zucchini, beets and squash with the marinade and set them in a ziplock for at least 1/2 hour.
mix up red onions, raspberries, walnuts and tamicon paste and simmer in a large pan on medium heat with olive oil and the other clove of garlic until soft. Add the marinade + veggies and a bit of chicken stock so nothing sticks to the pan & the squash and beets have some liquid to absorb. Add spinach and wilt it in with the cooking veggies.
Cook until veggies are to desired firmness, then remove from pan and set aside. Deglaze pan with a bit of olive oil and chicken stock and add chicken. Cook chicken chunks in pan until they are cooked through. Add veggies back in, stir and then stir in the rotini. Serve warm with some parmesan cheese.
1 box tri-color rotini, cooked according to directions.
1 lb chicken breast cut into chunks (optional; omit for vegetarian or vegan recipes)
4 small beets sliced into ~1/8 in half-moons
1 medium zucchini sliced into ~1/4 to ~1/2in half-moons
1 small pattypan squash sliced into small sections
2/3 cup diced red onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
10 oz spinach (fresh or thawed & drained if frozen)
~1/4 cup fresh raspberries, mushed up (approximately 10 or so raspberries? Maybe more. I didn't measure.)
~1/4 cup chopped walnuts pounded with a kitchen mallet into tiny chunks
~1/2 tbsp Tamicon (tamarind concentrate) paste. (You can probably substitute tomato paste if you can eat tomatoes.)
pinch of salt
approx 3 tbsp sherry vinegar (I eyeballed it)
approx 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (again eyeballed, just basically enough to make a marinade to coat the veggies)
sprinkling of Italian spices: oregano, marjoram, basil, black pepper, parsley and a dash of red pepper flakes
chicken or vegetable broth or water to help aid simmering
(Probably you can boil the beets first for a little while before marinating and then cook the pasta in the beet juice? The way I did it, the squash came out perfect but the beets were a little on the firm side. Or you could marinate them longer or slice them thinner)
mix 3 tbsp sherry vinegar and 1/4 cup evoo together with 1 clove garlic and Italian spices. Mix up zucchini, beets and squash with the marinade and set them in a ziplock for at least 1/2 hour.
mix up red onions, raspberries, walnuts and tamicon paste and simmer in a large pan on medium heat with olive oil and the other clove of garlic until soft. Add the marinade + veggies and a bit of chicken stock so nothing sticks to the pan & the squash and beets have some liquid to absorb. Add spinach and wilt it in with the cooking veggies.
Cook until veggies are to desired firmness, then remove from pan and set aside. Deglaze pan with a bit of olive oil and chicken stock and add chicken. Cook chicken chunks in pan until they are cooked through. Add veggies back in, stir and then stir in the rotini. Serve warm with some parmesan cheese.
This was quick and super easy to make last night. The ingredients were slightly off from true banh mi, but they were close enough.
Asian slow-cooker BBQ sandwiches:
2 to 3 pounds beef roast (also would work with pork shoulder)
1 package Campbell's Sweet Korean BBQ slow cooker sauce
~1 to 1.5 cups pre-shredded broccoli slaw mix (the bag of veggies, not anything that comes with sauce)
1 carrot, grated
a bunch of chopped cilantro to taste
1 jalapeno pepper
1 cucumber
1/2 c rice wine vinegar
1/4 c sugar
1/4 c water
rolls
Cook beef or pork according to the slow cooker sauce instructions (pour sauce over meat, cook on low for 7 hours for beef, probably longer for pork). When it is done, take it out and shred with 2 forks, then add back enough of the juice/sauce mix to make it a good consistency (not too soupy).
Before the meat is done:
chop jalapeno to rounds
mix together broccoli slaw mix and carrots
peel & slice cucumber
Heat rice vinegar, water & sugar in a small pan on the stove on med-high approx 2 minutes until sugar dissolves. Let cool. Pour in a ziplock with the carrot/broccoli mix, let sit for 30 min in the fridge, then add cilantro & jalapenos.
Serve meat in sandwich rolls topped with the slaw and the cucumbers.
Asian slow-cooker BBQ sandwiches:
2 to 3 pounds beef roast (also would work with pork shoulder)
1 package Campbell's Sweet Korean BBQ slow cooker sauce
~1 to 1.5 cups pre-shredded broccoli slaw mix (the bag of veggies, not anything that comes with sauce)
1 carrot, grated
a bunch of chopped cilantro to taste
1 jalapeno pepper
1 cucumber
1/2 c rice wine vinegar
1/4 c sugar
1/4 c water
rolls
Cook beef or pork according to the slow cooker sauce instructions (pour sauce over meat, cook on low for 7 hours for beef, probably longer for pork). When it is done, take it out and shred with 2 forks, then add back enough of the juice/sauce mix to make it a good consistency (not too soupy).
Before the meat is done:
chop jalapeno to rounds
mix together broccoli slaw mix and carrots
peel & slice cucumber
Heat rice vinegar, water & sugar in a small pan on the stove on med-high approx 2 minutes until sugar dissolves. Let cool. Pour in a ziplock with the carrot/broccoli mix, let sit for 30 min in the fridge, then add cilantro & jalapenos.
Serve meat in sandwich rolls topped with the slaw and the cucumbers.
Thai coconut curry soup.
Nov. 18th, 2017 02:59 pmThis turned out really good, even though it was basically just from stuff I had around the kitchen (no grocery shopping necessary!).
Easy peasy to make vegan: just use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. You could also use more or less pumpkin vs sweet potato vs carrot depending on your taste and what you have on hand.
ingredients:
1 butternut squash, sliced in half, de-seeded and baked skin side up on a sheet at 350 for 45 minutes.
~1.5 cups leftover baked sweet potato
1 carrot, grated
~1.5 cups chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp whole curry spice blend (coriander, clove, cumin, ginger, some other stuff I guess)
~2 tbsp tandoori spice paste (I didn't have Thai chili spice paste, which is what you would probably want to use, but this worked)
Some shakes of crushed red pepper
~4 cups (??) chicken broth
~1.5 cups full fat coconut milk (actually 1 can Trader Joe's coconut cream but without all the fat from it, just the milk and maybe 1/3 of the fat)
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tsp Swad coriander chutney
Directions: melt coconut oil in pot, add garlic, pepper flakes and whole spices to toast on medium for 2 or 3 minutes. Add onion and carrot and thai (or tandoori) spice paste, cook til onions are translucent and carrots are cooked through. Add pre-cooked squash (minus skin obvs) and sweet potatoes and cook for another 5 minutes or so. Add broth to a bit under desired thin-ness. Bring to boil, reduce heat, simmer for 10 minutes or so. Add coconut milk, lime juice and coriander chutney. Run through immersion blender to smooth everything out, serve.
Turned out good as above but I think next time I might want to toast the spices dry and then put them into a mortar & pestle to grind them. Otherwise, it was pretty good.
Easy peasy to make vegan: just use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. You could also use more or less pumpkin vs sweet potato vs carrot depending on your taste and what you have on hand.
ingredients:
1 butternut squash, sliced in half, de-seeded and baked skin side up on a sheet at 350 for 45 minutes.
~1.5 cups leftover baked sweet potato
1 carrot, grated
~1.5 cups chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp whole curry spice blend (coriander, clove, cumin, ginger, some other stuff I guess)
~2 tbsp tandoori spice paste (I didn't have Thai chili spice paste, which is what you would probably want to use, but this worked)
Some shakes of crushed red pepper
~4 cups (??) chicken broth
~1.5 cups full fat coconut milk (actually 1 can Trader Joe's coconut cream but without all the fat from it, just the milk and maybe 1/3 of the fat)
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tsp Swad coriander chutney
Directions: melt coconut oil in pot, add garlic, pepper flakes and whole spices to toast on medium for 2 or 3 minutes. Add onion and carrot and thai (or tandoori) spice paste, cook til onions are translucent and carrots are cooked through. Add pre-cooked squash (minus skin obvs) and sweet potatoes and cook for another 5 minutes or so. Add broth to a bit under desired thin-ness. Bring to boil, reduce heat, simmer for 10 minutes or so. Add coconut milk, lime juice and coriander chutney. Run through immersion blender to smooth everything out, serve.
Turned out good as above but I think next time I might want to toast the spices dry and then put them into a mortar & pestle to grind them. Otherwise, it was pretty good.
eggplant sticks
May. 10th, 2017 07:18 pm1 eggplant
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
1/4 c seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 tsp salt
ground black pepper
Peel and slice eggplant into thin sticks. Toss in a bowl to coat with olive oil. Sprinkle other ingredients, toss to coat, bake at 400 ~17 minutes or until desired doneness.
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
1/4 c seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 tsp salt
ground black pepper
Peel and slice eggplant into thin sticks. Toss in a bowl to coat with olive oil. Sprinkle other ingredients, toss to coat, bake at 400 ~17 minutes or until desired doneness.
Dairy free coconut custard
May. 7th, 2017 10:04 amCustard recipe
1 can trader joe’s coconut cream
6 egg yolks
1 egg
1/3 c sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt (approx)
a few grates of fresh nutmeg
0.5 - 1 tbsp flour or 1 tsp cornstarch if needed
Whisk the eggs all together in a bowl and set aside. Scrape/pour the coconut cream into a double boiler and heat at med-high nearly to boiling but do not boil. It will smooth out and integrate the milk and the cream. When the coconut milk is hot, whisk in vanilla, salt, nutmeg and sugar. Temper the egg yolks by taking a few tablespoons at of the hot milk mixture and pouring them in the egg yolk bowl, stirring vigorously. (do this a few times until the yolks have heated up a bit). Slowly pour the tempered egg yolks back into the milk on the stove, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring at least every minute or so, until the mixture thickens. It should be pourable but thicker than e.g. a Hollandaise sauce. Set the mixture aside and let it cool. Serve at room temperature or chilled.
Temperature is important in this recipe. The milk needs to be very hot at the beginning and the milk/egg mixture needs to reach a certain temperature before the thickening occurs (like I think 180 degrees). Stove temperatures vary (I tried this with medium and low heat and my custard didn’t get hot fast enough and didn’t set, so I have upped the heat in the recipe directions).
If the mix isn’t thickening or gets to a sauce consistency and then stops thickening, first try turning up the temp on the double boiler. Second try spooning a little bit of the mix into a tablespoon of flour (or tsp of corn starch), whisking that to a paste—to keep it lump free— and whisking that back into the mix.
If the mix hasn’t set after it’s been chilled (this happened to mine), you can re-heat it on the double boiler and try the fix-its above, and it should be okay as long as you’re careful. It might separate out a bit of the fat (oil) from the coconut but the result is still edible. Highly recommend trying to get it to set correctly the first time.
Paleo custard recipe that I adapted (paleo doesn’t use granulated sugar, but I do): http://meritandfork.com/paleo-dairy-free-vanilla-custard/
Problems and solutions for custard: https://www.craftybaking.com/learn/baked-goods/custard/problems-and-solutions
1 can trader joe’s coconut cream
6 egg yolks
1 egg
1/3 c sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt (approx)
a few grates of fresh nutmeg
0.5 - 1 tbsp flour or 1 tsp cornstarch if needed
Whisk the eggs all together in a bowl and set aside. Scrape/pour the coconut cream into a double boiler and heat at med-high nearly to boiling but do not boil. It will smooth out and integrate the milk and the cream. When the coconut milk is hot, whisk in vanilla, salt, nutmeg and sugar. Temper the egg yolks by taking a few tablespoons at of the hot milk mixture and pouring them in the egg yolk bowl, stirring vigorously. (do this a few times until the yolks have heated up a bit). Slowly pour the tempered egg yolks back into the milk on the stove, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring at least every minute or so, until the mixture thickens. It should be pourable but thicker than e.g. a Hollandaise sauce. Set the mixture aside and let it cool. Serve at room temperature or chilled.
Temperature is important in this recipe. The milk needs to be very hot at the beginning and the milk/egg mixture needs to reach a certain temperature before the thickening occurs (like I think 180 degrees). Stove temperatures vary (I tried this with medium and low heat and my custard didn’t get hot fast enough and didn’t set, so I have upped the heat in the recipe directions).
If the mix isn’t thickening or gets to a sauce consistency and then stops thickening, first try turning up the temp on the double boiler. Second try spooning a little bit of the mix into a tablespoon of flour (or tsp of corn starch), whisking that to a paste—to keep it lump free— and whisking that back into the mix.
If the mix hasn’t set after it’s been chilled (this happened to mine), you can re-heat it on the double boiler and try the fix-its above, and it should be okay as long as you’re careful. It might separate out a bit of the fat (oil) from the coconut but the result is still edible. Highly recommend trying to get it to set correctly the first time.
Paleo custard recipe that I adapted (paleo doesn’t use granulated sugar, but I do): http://meritandfork.com/paleo-dairy-free-vanilla-custard/
Problems and solutions for custard: https://www.craftybaking.com/learn/baked-goods/custard/problems-and-solutions
All measurements approximate
6 to 7 oz assorted mushrooms
1 cup beef broth (sub. vegetable broth for vegan)
3 tbsp red lotus cashew sour cream
1 tbsp bacon bits (omit for vegan)
1 tbsp earth balance
1 tbsp flour
lemon juice to taste (maybe 2 tsp?)
melt earth balance in med-high pan, add mushrooms and cook down. Sprinkle with flour and mix around until it's incorporated.
Whisk together broth, cashew cream and lemon juice. Add to pan and simmer until thickened and mushrooms are to desired doneness.
6 to 7 oz assorted mushrooms
1 cup beef broth (sub. vegetable broth for vegan)
3 tbsp red lotus cashew sour cream
1 tbsp bacon bits (omit for vegan)
1 tbsp earth balance
1 tbsp flour
lemon juice to taste (maybe 2 tsp?)
melt earth balance in med-high pan, add mushrooms and cook down. Sprinkle with flour and mix around until it's incorporated.
Whisk together broth, cashew cream and lemon juice. Add to pan and simmer until thickened and mushrooms are to desired doneness.
White bean chicken chili
Jan. 24th, 2017 08:31 pmCombined two recipes,
This salsa Verde recipe and this recipe.
We had one 7-oz can of mild green chilis. We didn't have those light green jalapeños, so we used 2 green banana peppers and one dark green jalapeño instead. I used Adobo seasoning instead of garlic salt. And I didn't have as much oregano as it called for in the chili recipe. I went light on the red pepper flakes and instead used about 1/2 of the salsa verde stirred in to the broth, seasoned to taste. I used 3 undrained cans and 2 drained cans of the beans.
It came out really good. We're going to freeze the rest and bring it on our hockey friends ski trip. I am slowly accumulating stuff that I know I can eat for it, lol.
recipes reposted below in case they go away
( recipes )
This salsa Verde recipe and this recipe.
We had one 7-oz can of mild green chilis. We didn't have those light green jalapeños, so we used 2 green banana peppers and one dark green jalapeño instead. I used Adobo seasoning instead of garlic salt. And I didn't have as much oregano as it called for in the chili recipe. I went light on the red pepper flakes and instead used about 1/2 of the salsa verde stirred in to the broth, seasoned to taste. I used 3 undrained cans and 2 drained cans of the beans.
It came out really good. We're going to freeze the rest and bring it on our hockey friends ski trip. I am slowly accumulating stuff that I know I can eat for it, lol.
recipes reposted below in case they go away
( recipes )
dinner concoction
Oct. 30th, 2016 11:02 pmWe had about 1/2 of a pack of plain cooked egg noodles left over in the fridge from when I made beef stroganoff last week. And a container of sliced brussels sprouts. And some frozen chicken breasts. So I made this recipe which was pretty good!
( Recipe posted below in case that link goes away )
The changes I made: I used pre-sliced brussels sprouts (though I did slice the halves a bit more as well). Instead of caraway seeds, which I did not have, I used whole toasted cumin seeds (approx 1/2 tsp) and one star anise--just let them toast in the pan w/ olive oil before adding the onion. I eyeballed the lemon juice. I cooked the noodles and the chicken at the same time in 2 different skillets though I did end up switching them because I needed the big pan when I added the copious amounts of brussels sprouts. Everything came out really good. I was very pleased.
( Recipe posted below in case that link goes away )
The changes I made: I used pre-sliced brussels sprouts (though I did slice the halves a bit more as well). Instead of caraway seeds, which I did not have, I used whole toasted cumin seeds (approx 1/2 tsp) and one star anise--just let them toast in the pan w/ olive oil before adding the onion. I eyeballed the lemon juice. I cooked the noodles and the chicken at the same time in 2 different skillets though I did end up switching them because I needed the big pan when I added the copious amounts of brussels sprouts. Everything came out really good. I was very pleased.
New recipe!
Aug. 21st, 2016 08:48 amWell, likely very old, but new to me!
Dutch Baby breakfast pancake
Ingredients:
3 eggs
½ cup flour
½ cup milk
1 tablespoon sugar
Pinch of nutmeg
4 tablespoons butter
Syrup, preserves, confectioners' sugar or cinnamon sugar
PREPARATION
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Combine eggs, flour, milk, sugar and nutmeg in a blender jar and blend until smooth. Batter may also be mixed by hand.
Place butter in a heavy 10-inch skillet or baking dish and place in the oven. As soon as the butter has melted (watch it so it does not burn) add the batter to the pan, return pan to the oven and bake for 20 minutes, until the pancake is puffed and golden. Lower oven temperature to 300 degrees and bake five minutes longer.
Remove pancake from oven, cut into wedges and serve at once topped with syrup, preserves, confectioners' sugar or cinnamon sugar.
I didn't have regular milk so I used a 1/2 and 1/2 combination of Silk light vanilla almond milk and powdered nonfat milk. It turned out well, looked just like the video. We served it with apple butter, yum. I probably could have dialed the sugar down a little bit because the almond milk was sweetened but it tasted good. I might try and see if I could reduce the butter because a half-stick is a lot for one recipe.
The down side is that we are not a large enough household to eat an entire one of these on our own! It would be great for company though. It's super simple to make and looks fancy ;) I wonder if it freezes (probably not, but I might try).
Dutch Baby breakfast pancake
Ingredients:
3 eggs
½ cup flour
½ cup milk
1 tablespoon sugar
Pinch of nutmeg
4 tablespoons butter
Syrup, preserves, confectioners' sugar or cinnamon sugar
PREPARATION
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Combine eggs, flour, milk, sugar and nutmeg in a blender jar and blend until smooth. Batter may also be mixed by hand.
Place butter in a heavy 10-inch skillet or baking dish and place in the oven. As soon as the butter has melted (watch it so it does not burn) add the batter to the pan, return pan to the oven and bake for 20 minutes, until the pancake is puffed and golden. Lower oven temperature to 300 degrees and bake five minutes longer.
Remove pancake from oven, cut into wedges and serve at once topped with syrup, preserves, confectioners' sugar or cinnamon sugar.
I didn't have regular milk so I used a 1/2 and 1/2 combination of Silk light vanilla almond milk and powdered nonfat milk. It turned out well, looked just like the video. We served it with apple butter, yum. I probably could have dialed the sugar down a little bit because the almond milk was sweetened but it tasted good. I might try and see if I could reduce the butter because a half-stick is a lot for one recipe.
The down side is that we are not a large enough household to eat an entire one of these on our own! It would be great for company though. It's super simple to make and looks fancy ;) I wonder if it freezes (probably not, but I might try).
