Thai Lettuce Wraps

Endless variations abound for lettuce wraps, but this is the most recent version I have been enjoying.

Lettuce leaves

Mandarin slices

Water chestnuts

Green onions

Almonds, sliced

Cilantro (optional)

Brown rices noodles (optional)

Sauce:

Peanut butter

Rice vinegar

Soy sauce alt.

Sweet chili sauce

Water

1. Make noodles ahead of time if desired and have with sauce, topped with peanuts, chicken and  green onions. Or use in wraps.

2. To make the sauce, add 1/4c peanut butter into a small bowl.  use a dash of each...rice vinegar, soy sauce, chili sauce and then water to start thinning. Adjust to taste.

3. Place lettuce leaves on plate and top with wrap ingredients. Then drizzle sauce over top as a light dressing.

Apple Wild Rice

This is my favorite rice to eat with salmon!

1 c. wild rice
3 c. water
1/2 c dried apple pieces (I buy bulk from Church cannery for food storage and crumble them some)
1 T soy sauce (or liquid aminos; or neither if you don't have it on hand)
1/2 onion, chopped in pieces
1 T oil/butter
salt to taste

1. sautee the onions in oil or butter until translucent
2. add rice, water and apple pieces and bring to boil; simmer 45 minutes (or until rice is fully cooked)
3. remove from heat and if desired, add soy sauce and salt and mix those in well.

I like to let mine sit for a few minutes with the lid on, but that isn't necessary. And it's great just served with a piece of plain salmon (or soy/teriyaki flavored) and a side vegetable like green beans. Also, I love the large chunks of onion it it...that to me makes this. However, you could probably get away with onion powder if you don't have the real onion (I'd say it was a tragedy if you did that--but hey, I'm not in your kitchen).

*I think I got the original idea from some recipe in the Costco magazine, but I changed a few things and added soy sauce. And of course, I love playing around with flavored rices, so....hopefully I will have more fun variations to share later.

Quinoa Stuffed Red Peppers

I've been enjoying this recipe..though my photo isn't the greatest. And I play around with the seasonings and such, but this is my basic recipe. The cilantro and ginger are great in it!

2 Red Peppers, cored/seeded and cut in half
1 c quinoa
2 c beef broth
1/2 t. ginger, grated
1 garlic clove, minced
1 t cumin
green onions
cilantro
almonds, slivered
salt and pepper to taste (don't skimp on the salt!)
feta cheese (optional)

1. Roast peppers at 400 for about 15 minutes
2. Sautee ginger and garlic in oil or butter
3. Add quinoa and cumin and sautee another minute
4. Add beef broth and bring to boil; cook ten minutes until broth is absorbed and quinoa done.
5. Remove from heat and add green onions, cilantro and almonds (and feta, if desired).
6. Stiff peppers with quinoa mixture and cook 10 more minutes.

Fool-Proof Baked Brown Rice

For those of you who don't own a rice cooker and don't want another random device in your kitchen that you have to fish out of your already over-filled cupboard....or for those of you who don't want to fish out the one you do have.... here's a handy tip for cooking brown rice in your oven.

6 c water
2 c brown rice (or half brown/half white rice and reduce water by 1/2 c)
2 t oil
1 t salt
other seasonings to taste

1. Place all mixed up in 9x13 glass dish and double cover the top with tin foil.
2. Bake at 400 for 1 hour. (or 350 for 11/2 hours)
3. Pull out and fluff. (I leave mine in until dinner is ready if I've only got 10 minutes or so left)

Super easy and you can add onions and garlic or curry powder or cumin or tomato sauce, etc. However you like to cook rice....and it doesn't burn. :) And it's great for leftovers!

Variations
Mexican Rice: add can of tomato sauce and green chiles and onions (you can throw in some full pieces of chicken too if you'd like).

Herbed Rice: add two table spoons butter and various italian herbs (parsley, rosemary, thyme, basil), plus garlic and onion.

Complete Meal: Naked Salmon Salad

Yes...the title is interesting. Let me tell you why I picked it. Paul and I are doing a two-week gluten-free, processed sugar-free, dairy-free nutrition experiment--kind of like a detox. So we needed to figure out what to eat for lunch on Saturday, since we were running around without much time. We popped salmon patties in the toaster oven and opened a can of kidney beans and grabbed some spinach. And then we had a salmon salad of sorts, but all separate on the plate. And I thought it was simply delicious--as in simple + yummy (nothing amazing in others' eyes, I'm sure...but soo healthy and easy). And since it was like a salad that wasn't put all together I thought of "Undressed Salad." And Paul said that would be a Naked Salad then. And that title stuck. :) We had it Sunday for lunch too, because I thought it so yummy.

1 Salmon patty (from Costco, or just a fillet)
2 handfuls spinach
1 dollop of mustard
----
1/2 can kidney beans
dash of onion pwder
dash of garlic pwder
salt to taste

Optional:
1 serving of a grain (quinoa or millet, cooked)
dash of cumin
---

1. Cook salmon in toaster oven 10 mins at 375.
2. Place fish on a bed of spinach on your plate.
3. Warm can of beans (if desired) and add seasonings. Then place next to spinach/fish (and on top of grain if you chose that addition to the meal).
4. Add the dollop of mustard on the plate somewhere.

We eat a bite of fish with spinach and add a bean or two, then slide the fork into the mustard sometimes. So you're basically eating it all together in a salad, but they're all still separate on your plate. :) With millet and the beans you're getting a complete protein! Paul chose how to season the beans....he's surprisingly amazing when it comes to playing with seasonings--he always smells them and decides. He must have an good nose for smells, because he always picks good spice combos.

Spicy Parmesan Kale and Green Beans

This was a great side with fish. It's hot and better than just plain sauteed kale or greenbeans by themselves. The flavors work well together. And if you wanted, you could turn it into a casserole and add buttered, toasted breadcrumbs on top (in addition to or in place of the almonds) and make it more of a main dish, rather than a side.

3 T olive oil

1 onion, sliced

1/4 lb mushrooms, sliced (opt.-I don't always have these on hand)

1 1/2 lbs. green beans, trimmed and slice into 1-inch pieces

2 t. salt

1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup white wine (I use unsweetened apple juice)

1/2 t. red pepper flakes

1 bunch kale (1/2 pound), rinsed, stemmed, and roughly chopped

2 T lemon juice (about 1/2 a lemon)

3 T grated Parmesan

 handful of slivered almonds

Warm the olive oil in a large, heavy saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the mushrooms, green beans, salt, and pepper and cook for 2 minutes. Add the wine and continue cooking until the green beans are almost tender, about 5 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes and the kale and continue cooking until the kale has wilted, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the lemon juice and the Parmesan cheese. Toss to coat and serve immediately.

**original recipe from foodnetwork

Stuffed Onions

4 lg. onions2 T extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 c cooked brown rice
1/4 c crispy pine nuts (soaked and toasted as noted below**)
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 c parmesan cheese, grated
2 tsp. parsley, finely chopped
1 egg, lightly beaten
sea salt and freshly ground pepper

---
*soak pine nuts in filtered water with a little sea salt for 7 hours, drain in a colander and put on cookie sheet to bake in a warm oven-no hotter than 150 degrees for 24 hours or in a dehydrator till completely dry. Store the rest in an airtight container

Cut onions in half along the equator and remove all layers inside except the last 2.  Brush the inside of each onion half with a butter and place them on a buttered glass casserole dish ready to fill.  You can cut the very bottom of them to help them stand.

Chop the onion taken from the centers and saute in olive oil until tender.  Add rice, pine nuts, oregano, cheese and parsley and mix well.  Remove from heat, stir in the egg and season to taste.  Fill the onion shells with the stuffing.  Add a little water to the baking pan and bake at 300 degrees for 1 hour. 


This dish (taken from the book, Nourishing Traditions), goes very well with fish and some green sauteed vegetables! 

from charise

Spicy Black-Eye Peas N' Ham

6 c. chicken broth (or water with a little chicken seasoning)

1 lb. dried black-eyed peas, sorted and rinsed (or canned)

1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, diced

1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and diced

1 jalapeno chile, seeded and minced (opt.)

8 oz. diced ham

4 slices bacon, chopped

1/2 t. cayenne pepper

1 1/2 t. cumin

salt and pepper to taste

    

QUICK METHOD (using canned beans): Sautee onion, garlic and pepper in oil. Add seasonings. Then add the rest of the ingredients and simmer until done. Pretty easy.               

SLOWCOOK METHOD (using dried beans): Put everything in the slowcooker with beans on the bottom. Cover and cook on Low for 10 or so hours until the beans are tender, or half the amout for high. If beans are still hard 30 minutes before needing to eat, pressure cook everything according to instructions for black-eyed peas.

*This is not a soup. It's more like pork and beans, but my husband said it's way better. It tastes delicious as a side, served with a big warm slice of corn bread! And if you're worried about the cholesterol from bacon, just eliminate it or only do one piece, pre-cooked and grease removed and then crumbled in to simmer with the rest of the ingredients. And I frequently don't have jalepenos, so we don't always put that in and it still tastes delicious.

From allrecipes.com

Cheesy Corn Quesadillas with Guacamole

Avacados, peeled and mashed with a fork

Cilantro, washed and chopped

Onion, finely minced

Lime, juiced

Garlic Powder

Salt

Pepper

Corn Tortillas

Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded

1. Prepare all ingredients before peeling the avacados because they brown very fast!  Still tastes fine, but doesn't look that great after sitting out a while.

2. Mix the first 7 ingredients to your preferred taste.  Start with a small amount of everything. 

3. On a non-stick skillet over med. high heat, place the tortillas topped with cheese and another corn tortilla on top of that.  Flip on the other side until cheese is melted and tortillas are a little crispy.  

4. Top the quesadillas with fresh homemade quacamole.  This makes a quick, fresh and delicious snack! 

Salmon Croquets

1 salmon fillet (or canned salmon)
1 c. rice, cooked
2 eggs
1/2 t. ground red pepper
salt and pepper to taste
saltines, crushed
butter for sauteeing

1. Mix everything together, with just enough saltines to help things stick together, but still stay a little moist.
2. Put butter in the pan on med heat and place flattened spoonfuls of mix into pan and cook about 3 minutes on each side.

*you can do bite-sized croquets or full-size patties. I add some spinach cut in little pieces and some ground flax seed, but you can try may other variations. These taste good with yummy cheesy mash potatoes (from the Tolleys)

Cilantro-Lime Rice

3 c. rice
3 T chicken buillon
2 T lime juice
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped finely
1 t. salt

mix all and cook as you would normally cook rice.

*Idea: eat with yummy salsa baked chicken

Indian-Style Pilaf

1/2 c. onion, chopped
1/4 c. celery, chopped
1 T butter
2/3 c. rice
1 1/3 c. water
1 t. chicken buillon
1/2 t. curry powder
1/4 t. salt and pepper
1/8 t. allspice (opt)
1/2 c. raisins (opt)
1/2 c. peanuts or cashews, chopped (opt)

1. Sautee onion and celery in butter until tender
2. Stir in rice to brown it (if desired), or just add the water and seasonings at same time. Bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer covered 15-20 minutes.
3. Add remaining optional ingredients as desired.

*eat with a yummy piece of chicken (I'll bet a cranberry marinade would taste good)

Bacon Risotto

1/2 pound bacon, diced
5 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (opt.)
salt and black pepper to taste

1.Cook and stir the diced bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until browned, about 10 minutes. Drain the bacon and reserve.
2.Bring the chicken stock to a boil in a saucepan over high heat; reduce heat to low to keep the chicken stock hot.
3.Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic; cook and stir until the onion begins to turn golden brown at the edges, about 2 minutes. Pour in the rice and stir until the rice is coated in butter and has started to toast, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium; stir in one-third of the hot chicken stock and continue stirring until the rice has absorbed the liquid and turned creamy. Repeat this process twice more, stirring constantly. Stirring in the broth should take 15 to 20 minutes in all. When finished, the rice should be tender, yet slightly firm.
4.Remove the risotto from the heat and stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, the Parmesan cheese (if desired), and the reserved bacon. Season to taste with salt and pepper before serving.


* Add peas or cooked spinach for a complete meal...yum.

Swiss Chard Cakes with Mascarpone-Creamed Spinach

recipe by Douglas Keane

3 T unsalted butter
2 shallots, minced (or red onions)
1 garlic clove, minced
5 pounds Swiss chard (about 3 bunches w/ thick steams discarded)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 cups panko (coarse dry bread crumbs)
Dijon mustard, for brushing
1 pound baby spinach
1/4 cup mascarpone (cream cheese/sour cream mixture)
1/2 cup pure olive oil

1.In a large pot, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add half of the minced shallots and all of the garlic and cook over moderate heat until softened. Add the Swiss chard and cook, tossing, until wilted. Transfer the chard to a colander and let cool. Press out as much liquid as possible and coarsely chop. Season with salt and pepper and press the chard into 6 patties; don't worry if they don't hold together.
2.In a small bowl, whisk the flour with the cornstarch and 1 teaspoon of salt. Sprinkle the mixture onto a work surface and set the chard cakes on top. Turn the cakes, pressing and squeezing them into compact patties and working in a little of the flour mixture as you go.
3.Spread the panko (bread crumbs) on a plate. Brush the tops of the cakes with mustard and invert them one at a time into the panko. Brush the bottoms with mustard and sprinkle panko on top; press to adhere. Transfer the cakes to a plate and refrigerate until firm, about 20 minutes.
4.In a large skillet, melt the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter. Add the remaining minced shallot and cook over moderate heat until softened. Add the spinach and cook, tossing, until wilted, about 5 minutes. Transfer the spinach to a colander and press out as much liquid as possible. Return the spinach to the skillet. Stir in the mascarpone and season with salt and pepper. Keep warm.
5.Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet. Add the chard cakes and fry over moderately high heat, turning once, until golden and crisp, about 6 minutes. Spoon the spinach onto plates and top with the chard cakes. Serve right away.

*Hint: I cut the recipe in half and is nice with a piece of meat and some small red potatoes...YUM!

Spicy Sweet Potato Fries

1 lg sweet potato, cut into French fries
2 t. canola oil
1 t. garlic
salt and pepper to taste

1.Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
2.Combine all ingredients except pepper.
3.Spread the fries out in a single layer, spread apart, on two large baking sheets and bake for 15 minutes, then turn the fries over using a spatula, and cook for another 15 minutes, or until they are all crispy on the outside and tender inside. Thinner fries may not take as long.
4. Season with fresh pepper and most as if desired (right when they come out of the oven).

other options
- add garlic
- add rosemary and garlic
- add cinnamon (without the pepper)
- add cumin and/or chili powder

*from AV Thomas Produce - Costco Yam's

Corn and Zucchini Medley

4 slices bacon
2 c. chopped zucchini
1 1/2 c. fresh corn kernels
1 small onion, chopped
1 pinch pepper
1/4 c. feta cheese

1.Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until evenly brown. Reserve 1 tablespoon of drippings. Drain bacon, chop, and set aside.
2.Heat the bacon drippings in the skillet over medium heat. Saute the zucchini, corn, and onion until tender but still crisp, about 10 minutes. Season with pepper. Spoon vegetables into a bowl, and sprinkle with chopped bacon and cheese.