Veggie cups with dip

 

Cut a variety of vegetables into thin tall strips, serve In a small glass or plastic cup-

peppers, celery, carrots, cucumber, jicama, cherry tomatoes on a toothpick

PF Chang Lettuce Wraps and Fried Rice

 4 servings

LETTUCE WRAPS 

prep and cook time 20 min

1 T olive oil
1 lb ground chicken
2 garlic cloves
1 onion diced
1/4c hoisin sauce
2 T soy sauce
1 T Rice wine vinegar
1 T grated ginger
1 T sriracha
1 (8oz) water chestnuts (could use grated carrots, broccoli, peppers
2 green onions
salt and pepper
I head butter lettuce (or ice berg lettuce)

Heat oil in sauce pan on medium high. Add and cook ground chicken til brown 3-5 min. Drain fat

Stir in garlic, onion, hoisin, soy, rice wine, ginger, sriracha.

Stir in chestnuts and green onions, 1-2 min

To serve, spoon several tablespoons

My friend Dayna says she doesn't like water chestnuts so she uses other veggies in their place

FRIED RICE

4 cups white rice at least a day old chilled in the refrigerator.*
4 TBS sesame oil divided (I used bacon oil)
1 TBS peanut oil (I used olive oil)
1 tsp minced garlic

1/2c chopped celery
½ cup diced onion
1 cup Slivered carrots
½ cup frozen peas
2 TBS soy sauce
¼ tsp ginger
2 eggs
pinch of sea salt
1 tsp sesame oil
Green onions to garnish

1. Cook the eggs:
2. Heat 1 tsp sesame oil in a large skillet (at least 10”) over medium heat.
3. Beat eggs with a pinch of sea salt, then pour into heated pan and spread evenly into one thin, round layer.
4. Cook 2-3 minutes, or until the egg is firm and bubbles appear on the top.
5. Flip and cook and additional 2 minutes until the egg is cooked.
6. Remove from heat, transfer to a cutting board and cut into thin pieces. Set aside.
7. Make the friend rice:
8. Sauté onion, garlic and carrots in 1 TBS sesame oil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Cover and cook until vegetables are soft and just starting to brown (about 5-7 minutes).
9. Add 3 TBS sesame oil and 1 TBS peanut oil to the vegetables.
10. Add rice, stir and cook on high for 9-10 minutes, or until the rice just begins to brown, stirring occasionally.
11. Add peas, soy sauce and ginger, stir to combine.
12. Carefully add the egg and gently stir it into the mixture.
13. Cook on medium-high heat for 5 minutes, or until the rice is lightly browned.
14. Serve immediately and garnish with green onions.

To make rice for the fried rice:

1. Bring 2 cups salted water to a boil
2. Add 1 cup white rice, stir.
3. Bring mixture to a boil, cover and reduce heat to a simmer.
4. Simmer 15-20 minutes until water is absorbed.
5. Turn off heat, let rice sit for 10-15 minutes, fluff with a fork or spatula.
6. Let rice cool, then transfer to an airtight container in the refrigerator. Store in the refrigerator overnight, then use the chilled rice in this recipe. (I didnt make the rice the night before. I cooked it the day I was making the fried rice. After the rice was completely cooked I put all the rice on an oiled iron pan. I flipped the rice every 5minutes so it would get crunchy, but not burned. I kept flipping the rice for probably 20 min or so) I love the crunch/toastedness of the rice

Dayna one Skillet Curry

Chicken marinade-
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs (i cubed mine)
1/2 t cumin
1 t paprika
1 t turmeric
1t garlic powder or 3 garlic cloves
1t ginger (she said 1 T)
3/4t salt and and dash pepper
1/4-1t cayenne (I omitted)
3/4c nonfat plain greek yogurt (I didnt have yogurt so I used mayo and tahini)
1 small lemon


Rice
1 T oil
1 can coconut milk
1/2t red pepper
1/2t turmeric
1/2t cumin
1/8t coriander
1/2t salt
pepper
1c uncooked rice
3/4c green peas
carrots, peppers, potatoes, zucchini

In a bowl add the chicken and marinade seasonings let sit for 1-5 hours.
In large skillet add oil, wait till hot, add chicken cook till browned 4-5minutes, then flip and cook 2 min. Remove from pan and put on a plate.

In same skillet add coconut milk and all rice ingredients , bring to simmer, then pour in rice. Add browned chicken on top of rice. Reduce heat to low and cover skillet, cook for 20-25 minutes.

10/10/19 I really loved it, the mayo and tahini worked well for the yogurt.  next time do 2 c of rice and increase rice seasonings and coconut milk

BEST BLACK BEAN BURGER

Tastes Better From Scratch

Makes  4 or 5 patties

Ingredients

For the Burger:

• 15 ounce can black beans , drained and rinsed
• 1/2 green bell pepper
• 1/2 small onion
• 2 cloves garlic , peeled
• 1 large egg , beaten (*see note below)
• 2/3 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs (or crushed tortilla chips)
• 1 Tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• salt and freshly ground black pepper , to taste

For the Chipotle Mayo Sauce:

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• 1 Tablespoon adobo sauce (from a can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce)
• 2 teaspoons lime juice
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• hamburger buns
• desired burger toppings: lettuce, tomato, etc.

Instructions

To make the Burger:

1. Place rinsed and drained black beans in a bowl. If needed, blot them with a paper towel to remove any extra moisture. Place in a large bowl and mash well with a fork.
2. Place the bell pepper, onion and garlic in a food processor and process until finely minced. 
3. Transfer mixture to a fine mesh strainer to remove the excess water. (Remove as much moisture as you can--if it's too wet, the burger wont hold together as well.)
4. Add the strained vegetable mixture to the bowl with the black beans.  Add the chili powder, cumin and salt and pepper and stir to combine. 
5. Add beaten egg and mix. Stir in bread crumbs. Form mixture into 4 or 5 patties.

At this point you can choose to:

1. Grill the burgers on a well oiled grill for about 4-5 minutes on each side.
2. Bake them at 375 degrees F on a lightly oiled baking sheet, for 10 minutes on each side.
3. Cook them on your stove using a grill pan, for 4-5 minutes on each side.
4. Refrigerate them for later.
5. Freeze them, covered, in a freezer ziplock bag for a quick weeknight dinner in the future.

For the Chipotle Mayo Sauce:

1. Add all the ingredients to a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Serve burgers on a white or whole wheat bun topped with a spoonful of chipotle mayo, lettuce, tomato, cheese, avocado, or any other desired toppings!  Enjoy!
3. Serve with one of these healthy side dishes!

SOME TIPS FOR SUCCESS:

1. AFTER CHOPPING THE BELL PEPPER AND ONION, STRAIN THE MIXTURE REALLY WELL.

Removing that extra liquid will keep the burger from falling apart. Once you add the egg and breadcrumbs they will bind together really well.

2. IF YOU DECIDE TO GRILL THEM, MAKE SURE YOUR GRILL IS WELL GREASED.

We don’t want them to stick the grill when you try to flip them. You could use cooking spray, or oil your grill with a brush.

3. YOU CAN MAKE THESE BURGERS IN ADVANCE IF YOU WANT A STRESS-FREE DINNER.

Make them and cover them well in the fridge before baking. They also freeze really well! I lay them flat inside a ziplock freezer bag. Place a piece of parchment paper between them if you stack them.

When you’re ready to grill them you can cook them from frozen or let them come to room temperature in your fridge.

4. THE TEXTURE OF THESE BURGERS IS A LITTLE SOFTER THAN A REGULAR BURGER, WHICH CAN BE EXPECTED SINCE IT’S MADE WITH BLACK BEANS, BUT IT’S TOTALLY AMAZING!

Pile on the homemade chipotle mayo sauce, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, and avocados and you’ll be in healthyburger heaven!

3 ways to roast a pepper

Tori Avey

OPTIONS-
1. In oven at 400 degrees roast 6 at a time, 20 min turn them, turn 20 more min, turn 20 more min and last time turn 20 more min
2. Or in broiler. It is faster but you need to watch more carefully they burn quicker. Place them 8-9 inches away from broiler, roast 20-25 min, turning every 5 min
3. stove top method or on grill - just put whole pepper on top of the gas flame. Let it roast for 20-25 minutes. Use a pair of tongs to give the pepper a quarter turn every 4-5 minutes.

If the pepper is soft and easily yields to the tongs, it is ready. If the pepper still feels somewhat firm, let it continue to roast for a few more minutes until it softens.

 I chose the #1 method- I put 3 whole peppers on a cookie sheet with a chopped onion. I did need to put olive oil where the onions were b/c they were sicking to the aluminum foil. The onion only needed 30-40min

After you roast, then follow -

Steaming Your Peppers

1. Once you have roasted your peppers, you will need to steam them. This process will help you peel the tough skin from them more easily. There are a few ways to steam the peppers. 
2. I like to place the roasted peppers on a flat, smooth surface like a cutting board, then invert a large bowl over the top of them. The bowl traps the steam inside or I wrapped a plastic grocery bag around the peppers. Steam for 15 minutes.

Seeding and Peeling Your Peppers

1. Once you have roasted your peppers, you will need to seed and peel them. This is kind of a messy process, but it's well worth the effort. Note that some people like to seed their peppers before roasting. When I have tried this in the past, the results are never as good as when I keep the whole pepper intact during roasting-- I recommend roasting the peppers whole and seeding after the roast.
2. Strip off the charred skin. If you want a more charred flavor, you can leave a few small blackened bits on the skin.
3. Once you've peeled and seeded your peppers, you'll end up with soft, sweet, tasty pepper flesh. 
4. If you want to store the peppers short term, put them in a sterile glass jar and cover them with olive oil. Cap the jar tightly and refrigerate. If you don't plan on using them within a few days, pressure can them: https://toriavey.com/toris-kitchen/2013/09/pressure-canning/ or freeze the roasted pepper strips in Ziploc bags... they actually hold up well to freezing and retain much of their flavor when thawed.
5. They can be added to stews and pasta sauces or chopped into salsa. They can even be mixed with fresh basil and olive oil to create a peppery bruschetta. I have many recipe ideas on my website, just search Roasted Bell Peppers for ideas. Enjoy!
   See the full post:https://toriavey.com/how-to/roasted-bell-peppers/#D3at7z3RJXIiImeq.99

Taco salad and chipotle ranch dressing

One Lovely Life

Dressing
1 cup mayonnaise or veganaise (homemade or store-bought)
1/4 cup full-fat coconut milk (or dairy milk or water)
1 chipotle peppers in adobo
juice of 1 lime
salt, to taste

1/2t garlic powder

In a food processor, blender, or using an immersion blender, puree all ingredients (start with 1 pepper!) until very smooth. Taste and add additional salt or chipotle pepper as desired.
Dressing will keep in the refrigerator up to 1 week.

I served with Lisa Morby's Taco salad-

Romaine lettuce

lightly smashed tortilla chips

ground beef or shredded beef, pork, or chicken (look at recipe link below)

black beans

corn

chopped tomatoes
chopped peppers

shredded cheese

avocado
optional- chopped 1/2 red, 1/2 yellow, 1/2 orange peppers

I prepared, cooked and chopped everything in the morning. Then reheated the beans and beef b4 dinner and then dinner was ready in the evening!!! Delicious

#1. I have used this Crockpot Mexican Chicken for the meat, turned out delicious

#2. Or Beef Carnitas  

https://www.onelovelylife.com/slow-cooker-beef-carnitas/#tasty-recipes-22054-jump-target

Sheet Pan Chicken & Veggie Stirfry

GimmeSomeOven

Ingredients-
1.25 lbs of chicken cut in slices or pieces
1 to 3- red, yellow, orange bell peppers sliced
1 onion sliced
Optional-(1/2lb asparagus, 3 c broccoli, 2 c brussel sprouts)

Season with Teriyaki sauce or Mexican Seasonings-
1. Teriyaki Stir-fry sauce (or Buy Kikkoman Stir-fry Sauce)
1/3c soy sauce
3 T rice wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
1 T oyster sauce (I used fish sauce)
1t pepper
1t garlic powder
1 t sesame oil (didn't have)
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger


Heat oven 425. Spray baking sheet.
combine chicken and stir-fry sauce and let it refrigerate or marinate for 8 hours if desired.
Cut veggies right before cooking and pour marinade on them.
Cook 14-16min
Serve with rice or roll up in a tortilla

Serve with Spanish Rice and Guacamole or Serve Avocado-Cilantro Sauce:

Sloppy Joes

BettyCrocker

1 lb. lean ground beef 

1c lentils

1

 cup chopped onions

1 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper 

1(12-oz.) bottle chili sauce or (2 t chili powder)

1 t mustard

1 (6-oz.) can tomato paste

2 to 3 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 

added 1 T BBQ sauce 

1/4 teaspoon pepper 

16 sandwich buns, split

• In large skillet, cook ground beef, onions, celery and bell pepper over medium-high heat for 5 to 7 minutes or until beef is thoroughly cooked, stirring frequently. Drain.
• 2 In 3 1/2 to 4-quart slow cooker, combine ground beef mixture and all remaining ingredients except buns; mix well.
• 3 Cover; cook on low setting for 4 to 6 hours.
• 4 Stir; spoon beef mixture into buns.
• I made extra then froze it in a ziplock bag for a future dinner