Better Than Take-Out Spicy Broccoli

It's Friday night! Time to order out, or not. Here's a great spicy treat to make instead.
ingredients

1 large head broccoli, trimmed and broken into pieces
1 Tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp sea salt
1 Tbsp Siraccha
1 12/2 tsp. honey
1 large clove of garlic, minced
1 1" piece if ginger, minced
1 -2 tsp toasted sesame seeds
2 scallions, chopped.


Melt the coconut oil in a skillet that has a lid. Add broccoli and stir fry for 2 min. to get a little color on it.  Add ginger and garlic and saute another 2 min. Add 1/4 cup water and cover for 3 min. . Mix Siraccha and honey together and pour over broccoli, mixing in without breaking broccoli up, let heat up for a min or two.. Take off heat and sprinkle with sesame seeds and scallions.

Broccoli and Brussels Salad with Cranberries and ALmonds

A healthy and delicious alternative to regular cole claw.

Ingredients:

2 cups	Broccoli Slaw
1 cup	Raw Brussels Sprouts, ends trimmed and sliced thinly
1	Large Apple, chopped (i like the tartness of winesap or granny smith
¼ cup	Dried Cherries
½ cup	Dried Cranberries
1 cup	Plain Greek Yogurt
1 Tbsp	Mayonnaise
1 Tbsp	White Balsamic Vinegar
½ tsp	Sea Salt
½ tsp	Cracked Black Pepper
½ cup sliced	or Chopped Toasted Almonds

Directions:

Mix together the Broccoli slaw, Brussels sprouts, Apple, Cherries & Cranberries. In a small bowl mix Yogurt, Mayonnaise, vinegar, salt & pepper. Toss the Salad with the dressing and top with the toasted almonds.

Helpful Tips:

To make this salad a meal I like to add some grilled chicken or sliced turkey. Enjoy!

SO Good Veggie Soup

I made this on a Saturday and luckily it makes enough for quite a few lunches. To make it Paleo- omit the beans. Good stuff for cold and flu season, too.

Ingredients-

1 carton Rachel Ray's Vegetable stock
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 head cabbage, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
3 parsnips, chopped
1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped into small chunks, about 1 inch
1/2 tsp each- coriander, lemon pepper, dill, smoked paprika, and flakes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated
1 can cannelinni beans, rinsed and drained
1 can cherry tomatoes with juice (or use a can of diced tomatoes)
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper

in a Dutch Oven heat the olive and saute the onions, carrots, parsnips and sweet potatoes until soft, about 5-7 min. Add in cabbage, spices  and garlic, stir and saute another 5 min. Add tomatoes and broth, salt, pepper. Bring to a boil and lower to simmer for 40-50 min, until veggies are all soft. Add in cannellini beans and simmer another 30 min.

Sante Fe Squash Casserole

Making this tonight- using up just some of our bounty from the garden- zucchini and jalapenos!

Ingredients-

4 Cups summer squash, sliced 1 /4 inch thick

2 Tbsp. Butter

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 /3 Cup chopped onion

1 clove garlic, minced

3 Tbsp. Flour

One and half Cups warm milk

1 Cup grated Monterey Jack cheese, plus 1/4 cup to put on top, shredded

1-2 chopped jalapeno peppers, 

 

 

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8 inch casserole. Boil squash in water 2 to 3 minutes, until tender.  Drain and spread in casserole. Heat butter and oil in saucepan over medium heat. Saute onion and jalapenos until limp, about 3 min. Add garlic and saute 2 min more. Whisk in flour, making a roux, stirring constantly over low heat 2 to 3 min until flour is very pale gold. Whisk in milk, stir constantly until thick and bubbly, about 3 min. remove from heat, stir in cheese. Pour sauce over squash in casserole. Top with the 1/4 cup shredded cheese. Bake uncovered 28-30 minutes. Serves 6-8.

 

Pepper Steak and Vegs

This is a take on pepper steak- added eggplant and cabbage, along with hot pepper sauce. You can leave them all out if it's not to your liking but it was very good as is!
serves 4
Ingredients:

1 lb sliced pepper steak (I buy it pre-sliced, but you can also slice your own)
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 green pepper, sliced
1 large onion, sliced
1 small eggplant sliced into rounds
1/2  small head of green cabbage, sliced thin
1 clove garlic chopped
1 inch piece of ginger, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp Siraccha (Chinese hot sauce)
2 cups cooked jasmine rice (you can buy it in a package and heat in microwave if you're pressed for time)
1 Tbsp lite soy sauce
2 Tbsp oil (I used olive oil but you can also use canola or vegetable)
2 tsp sesame oil (totally can omit if you don't have it)

Season the beef, both sides with a little of the salt and pepper. Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a large skillet and saute beef, 2-3 min per side until browned. Take out and set aside.

Add peppers, eggplant, onions, and cabbage and stir until cooked tender, about 5 min. If you need more oil, add the additional Tbsp now. Add garlic and ginger and stir for another 2 min. Add in soy sauce and hot sauce, top with beef and stir gently until just heated. Serve over cooked jasmine rice.

note- as you can see I burnt the veg's a bit, they were still good! I also had a yellow pepper from the garden so I added it this time.

Ginger Steak and Vegetables

I am tempted to call this a stir fry, although it's much easier, less oil and I don't have a Wok! It's a little spicy, very healthy and simply delicious. The best "Stir Fry" I have ever made...my husband said so!
6 servings
Ingredients:

Sauce-

Stir together-
1/2 bottle Makoto ginger dressing
1 clove garlic, minced
half of a 1 inch piece of ginger, grated (save the other half for the vegs)
1 Tbsp Sirracha chili sauce
1 Tbsp lite (low salt) Soy sauce
1/2 tsp sesame oil
Mix and set aside

(This sauce is dynamite for dipping-egg rolls, dumplings, etc. I might make a new batch and dip my veggies in it. Ive been taking leftover broccoli and vegs for lunch with hummus. But this might be a little bit better).

Ingredients:

2 Baby bok choy, rinsed and quartered lengthwise
2 handfuls baby spinach leaves
2 cups fresh mushrooms, cleaned and sliced thin
1 clove garlic, minced
4 medium carrots, peeled and sliced on the diagonal
fresh broccoli florets, cut up
2 handfuls snow peas

1 1lb thin, boneless sirloin steak, trimmed of fat and sliced in thin slices.
1 tsp coconut oil

2 bags Success Basmati Rice

In a large skillet add 1-2 inches water, layer broccoli, bok choy and carrots, cover and bring to boil. Steam for 3 min. Add pea pods and spinach, cover and turn off heat. Remove to a large bowl and cover to keep warm. Add 1 tsp coconut oil to skillet and heat on high. Add sirloin and saute until just no longer pink, turning once. Add a little salt, if desired. Remove to bowl with the vegs, add another tsp cocnut oil and saute mushrooms. Meanwhile cook rice in boiling water 10 minutes, drain and layer rice in large bowl, adding vegetables and sirloin. Pour sauce over each layer.

Welcome Spring- Green Stir Fry

Trying to eat light (less carbs, more vegetables) is not my favorite way to eat. I need something to crunch! This delivers ( as an added treat, it has bacon!) So, it may not be the lightest vegetable dish but it was delicious.

Ingredients:

1 head bok choy, rinsed and sliced thin
frozen baby Brussels sprouts, defrosted and drained
1 onion, sliced thin
2 cloves garlic, sliced thin
2 tbs olive oil
3 slices bacon, chopped
1/2 carton baby spinach, rinsed and drained

I like to fold the bacon in thirds, stick it in the freezer for a few hours. I think it's easier to chop that way.

Heat skillet with the 1 tbsp olive oil. When hot, add bacon and cook until crisp. Remove bacon and set aside. Drain grease. Add another Tbsp olive oil to skillet and add onions. After a few min add the bok choy. Follow with the garlic and Brussels sprouts. Add spinach at the last minute. Season with plenty of cracked pepper and check if it needs salt. Spoon into a large bowl and top with bacon.

Roasted Balsamic Carrots

¼ cup balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp packed dark brown sugar
¼ cup butter
1 tsp salt
4-5 large carrots, peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In large skillet bring vinegar and sugar to a boil. Reduce until sauce starts to thicken. Add butter and salt. Stir and simmer  few minutes. Mix in carrots until coated. Spread mixture onto a  foil lined baking pan and roast stirring occasionally until carrots are slightly browned on edges, about 40 minutes.

Roasted Butternut Squash and Brussel Sprouts

Try this even if you do not like butternut squash or brussel sprouts. It may surprise you.

Ingredients:

1 medium butternut squash, peeled and seeded, chopped into 1/2 in cubes
1 container fresh brussel sprouts, rinsed, and ends cut off, sliced into 3-4 slices (depending on the size)
2 tbs olive oil
1-2 tbs butter
Rachel Ray's 24/7 Everyday Seasoning
1 Tbsp brown sugar

Preheat oven to 375 . Toss the brussel sprouts and squash wiht the olive oil. On a foil lined sheet pan bake for 30 min. Remove from oven. In a hot skillet, add the butter (you may not need both tbsp). Season with 10-15 twists of RR seasoning (If you dont have it or cant find it sub salt and pepper and 1/2 tsp cumin). Toss the aquash and brussels wiht the butter and seasoning in a hot skillet for 6 min. Add 1 tbs brown sugar, saute for an additional 3 min. Add 1/4 cup water, cover and cook on low for 5 min.

You could easily skip the butter/skillet part and sprinkle the brown sugar on the veggies in the sheet pan and bake an additional 4-5 min. I end up burning it becasue I forget about it so I keep it on the stove where I can see it!

Southwest Chopped Chicken Salad

A version of this is making the rounds on Pinterest. Since I always make a recipe my own, here is my version. ALso, I prefer to use my own spice mix- no preservatives and much less salt.

Ingredients:

2 cups shredded chicken(I used a Rotisserie chicken from the deli)
1 can black beans, rinsed
2 ears of jersey corn, cooked and chopped form the cob and chilled)
2 jersey tomatoes, diced
4 green onions, sliced
1 head iceberg lettuce, washed and chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1 cup small black olives
1 ripe avocado, diced
1 cup crushed tortilla chips
1 lime- juiced- half for salad and half for dressing
dressing:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 tbsp ranch dressing
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne
1/2 lime juiced
1/2 tsp chili powder

Squeeze half thelime on avacado as soon as you dice it. Combine the salad dressing ingredients. Mix salad ingredients in a large bowl and pour dressing over, mix well. Chill until ready to serve then add  1 cup crushed blue torilla chips.

Rainbow Veggies

saute' grated zucchini, carrot, chopped onions, garlic, any fresh herbs and a little salt and pepper in some olive oil. Fast side dish

Italian Eggplant Casserole

I have been making a version of this casserole for about a year. Here's another take on it:
ingredients:

2 eggplants, sliced thin, about 1/4 inch

3 large eggs, beaten

2 slices good bread (I used sourdough) broken up

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

handful fresh basil

handful fresh parsley

1 cup tomato sauce

filling -

1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

2 cloves garlic

1 cup ricotta cheese

1 clove garlic

more basil and parsley

In a mini chopper combine bread and pulse into crumbs, then add basil and parsley, garlic and pulse.

Dip eggplant slices first in egg, then bread crumbs. Lay on a foil lined cookie sheet that you have drizzled with olive oil. Bake in preheated 375 degree oven for 30 min.

In mini chopper combine ricotta, basil and parsley and garlic, set aside.In large casserole dish layer eggplant slices with ricotta, Top with more eggplant slices, sauce and if you have any extra bread crumbs toss them on top. Then sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake for 30 min until browned on top. Let sit for 10 min, and enjoy! Sometimes I add sliced browned mushrooms or zucchini, you can make this your own with whatever veggies you like. The picture is terrible, it tastes splendidly good, hubby said it is one of his new favorites!

Roasted Pork Chops, Sweet Potato Hash and Spicy Chinese Broccoli

In the Winter months it's all about trying to somehow make those winter vegetables a little more tasty and interesting ithout adding butter. This meal will satisy and help you get those nutrients in. This is as good as take-out and healthier!

Serves 4

Ingredients:
4 boneless pork chops
1 t tsp olive oil, extra virgin
salt and pepper to taste


2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced small
1/2 red onion, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 sprig fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dried
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp xtra v. olive oil
1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 bunches broccoli, rinsed and trimmed into florettes

1 tsp sesame oil
2 tbsp Hoisin (chinese BBQ sauce)
1 -2 tsp low salt soy sauce
1-3 tsp Sirachha (chinese hot sauce)
2 tsp sesame seeds
1/2 tsp black pepper

Bring a pot of water to boil and add carrots and sweet potatoes, Lower heat and low boil for 20 min until tender, remove with slotted spoon. In same pot of water boil broccoli until tender (5 min) drain. Preheat oven to 375. Season both sides of pork chops and brush with oilve oil, bake in oven for 20 min.
Preheat skillet, add the vegetable oil and when hot add onions, saute for 3 min, then add carrots and sweet potatoes and seasonings/herbs. Cook on medium heat, flipping vegetables until carmellized, about 8-9 min. Sprinkle with a little cumin and cinnamon. In a small bowl mix sesame oil, soy sauce, Siraccha and pepper. Add broccoli and toss in heated skillet for 3 min, and top with sesame seeds. I actually loved the sauce so much I just made more and poured over the chops before baking!

Green Beans Kicked up a Notch

Boring green beans get a flavor re-do.

Ingredients:

1 bag frozen whole petite green beans
3 strips bacon, diced
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste.

Cook bacon until crispy in a skillet. Remove all but about 1 tsp of the bacon grease. Add defrosted green beans over low heat. Stir in brown sugar, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Heat until beans are cooked through, about 6-8 min.

Fresh Vegetable Gratin

This is so fresh tasting and it's not even summer yet. All the better it will be with fresh veggies from our garden. And there were no leftovers.

1 zucchini, sliced
1 cup fresh spinach
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tbsp xtra virgin olive oil
5 basil leaves, chopped
2 garlic cloves, sliced thin
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (I used 1/2 tsp)
1/4 cracked black pepper
1/4 cup pine nuts
2 slices whole grain bread, toasted

1 tsp olive oil
Combine veggies, basil, garlic and 2tbsp olive oil and toss to coat. Fill casserole or gratin baking dish.

Pulse toast in a food processor and stream in the tsp of olive oil. Top vegetables with the bread crumbs and pine nuts. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for about 35-40 min.

Bayou Fish (or chicken) Tacos

I am really into tacos lately, that and my broccoli slaw. Combining the two in this recipe.

Makes 8-10 Fish (chicken) tacos

Ingredients:

1 lb halibut (or use tilapia) or 1 1lb chicken tenders, or combo of both.

3/4 cup pineapple juice * see below
1/4 cup sesame oil
2 tbsp Emeril's Bayou Blast seasoning or use any Cajun seasoning
juice of half an orange (mineolas are very juicy)

Season fish (or chicken) with seasoning, covering 1 side of each piece. Marinate fish (or chicken tenders if using chicken, I made both) in the ingredients above in a glass or plastic container, cover and chill.

Broccoli Slaw-
1 bag broccoli slaw
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup craisins
1/2 can pineapple tidbits, drained. Use the pineapple juice in the marinade.
1 tsp Bayou Blast

8-10 fajita size (medium) tortillas, flour or corn



Mix together and set aside the slaw ingredients. Grill fish and chicken until done on medium grill. Takes about 3-4 min per side depending how thick they are. When your fork goes through with no resistance and the fish flakes they are done. Keep warm.
Lay tortillas on the grill for 2 min per side. Keep warm. Assemble by putting slaw on the bottom and top with the fish or chicken. Serve with lime wedges, salsa, avocados, whatever your favorite toppings are.

Fall Broccoli Slaw

This slaw is nutricious and delicious, trust me, even my teenager ate it.

Ingredients:

1 bag broccoli slaw with carrots

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup mayonaise

1 red apple, skinned & diced

1/4 cup diced red onion
1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped
2 tsp white raisins
1 Tbsp white balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds (toast in dry skillet for 3-5 min until golden)
cracked black pepper

Combine mayonaise, sour cream and vinegar. Add 1 tsp black pepper. Add slaw to bowl and mix with dressing. Stir in raisins, cranberries, apples, and onions and top with almonds. You can also add shredded red cabbage.

Provencal Flounder and Vegetables

Ingredients:

1 lb fresh flounder
2 cups cut up veggies- red bell peppers, zucchini, yellow wax beans, green onions, cherry tomatoes, roasted yellow/poblano peppers, etc.
2 tsp minced garlic or Tastefully Simple's Garlic Garlic
a few basil leaves, and 1/2 tsp dried oregano
Salt, cracked black pepper
butter.

Butter a casserole dish and spread vegetables, top with salt, pepper, basil, oregano. Add flounder and a little salt and pepper. Lightly drizzle the top of the flounder w/ a little olive oil.

Bake at 350 degrees until flounder is done, approx. 30 min.

If you have other fresh veggies, use them instead. I used what I picked from my garden today.

I roasted the peppers to give them a smoky flavor, but you don't have to. Tonight I served this with brown rice and orzo pilaf and roasted cauliflower.

Italian Roasted Potatoes

serves 4-6
4 Potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1 inch dice
1/2 cup tomato pesto (usually sold where fresh tomatoes/basil are in the supermarket)
3 fresh basil leaves, shredded
2 Tbsp garlic (I used Garlic Garlic from Tastefully Simple)
kosher salt , ground black pepper
1 tsp oregano
1/4 cup asiago cheese (or parmesean)
2 Tbsp xtra virgin olive oil (if mixture seems dry you can add an additional Tbsp olive oil.)

Scrub poatoes and cut into dice, keep in a container of water until ready to use (prevents them from turning brown)
Mix all ingredients. Drain potatoes thoroughly. Toss with tomato mixture and spread onto a roasting pan or sheet pan that has been lined with foil and sprayed with cooking spray or brushed with a little olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and roast in a preheated 425 degree oven for 20 min. Continue roasting for another 20 min. until golden brown.

Barbequed Salmon

Ingredients:
juice of 1 tangerine or orange
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar (I used chili rice wine vinegar for some spice)
juice of 1 lime
1 Tbsp lite soy sauce
1 scallion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, grated or minced
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 1b fresh salmon, skin on
fresh ground black pepper

Mix ingredients together and set aside about 2 tbsp of marinade. Pour the remainder  over salmon in a baking dish. Let sit for 1/2 hour. Grill on preheated grill on grilling plate on medium heat. Start with skin side down and flip after 8 min. If the salmon is thinner at one end, turn the burner off for that section so it does not overcook. I cooked mine for about 12-15 min. Pour the reserved 2 tbsp of marinade over salmon before serving.

I made xtra marinade and set aside some to toss with a salad of baby romaine and cucumbers. Also served with bulgur salad w/ cucumbers, tomatoes and chick peas.