Coleslaw

My husband loves coleslaw and we wanted a nutritious go-to version to use in fish tacos. This recipe is perfect because it uses only fresh ingredients and tastes much better than anything you can purchase. One of the ingredients is a citrus (lemon and orange) infused white vinegar that I found on the blog LittleOwlCrunchyMomma. Her exact recipe is called Orange Vinegar (follow the link). You could use plain white vinegar instead, but the infused vinegar makes it really special.

This is an awesome way to use leftover lemon and orange rinds. I use my citrus vinegar for cooking and cleaning. This recipe is one of my favorite finds of the year. I use up a lot of lemons drinking Warm Lemon Water in the mornings and also a lot of oranges drinking orange water in the evenings. I am so happy to have found such a versatile recipe for my leftover lemon and orange rinds.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Everyone in my household loves take-out "Chinese" food, but we do not love the mystery ingredients. This is a nutritious version of sweet and sour chicken that is so good you will not miss the take-out version.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

My husband makes really delicious chicken enchiladas from scratch, but they are quite labor intensive and so we don't have them very often. I made this recipe to be able to enjoy all the flavors of chicken enchiladas with less work.

Sweet & Spicy Stovetop Beans

I created this recipe when my husband requested a side dish of beans to go with his lunchtime serving of grilled chicken. We had recently purchased roasted Hatch green chiles from our local garden center and I thought they would go nicely with the beans.

Red Beans and Rice

With the weather getting cooler, my mind turns to soups and other comfort foods. This recipe for Red Beans and Rice is really delicious and it makes enough for leftovers or to freeze for future meals.

Tostadas

This is one of our favorite meals and one of the reasons is that I am ususally just a "helper" as this is my husband's recipe and, in fact, one of the things he made me before we got married (like, to "woo" me, and I guess it worked!).

Rice and Lentil Pilaf

This would be great to make on a Sunday so you could have quick and easy lunches all week. If you use a vegetable stock, this is vegetarian.

Lettuce Wraps

We love the lettuce wraps at PF Chang's and make a version at home that is really good. They are also pretty fast to make. It's a great change to the menu rotation that the little one and husband really love. I hope you'll give them a try.

Homemade Hot Sauce (Tabasco Style)

My husband is so wonderful--he shares my time with work and this blog and happily tests out all the things I make. I am not sure he is the best test subject, because he mostly says everything is delicious, but it's certainly good for my self-esteem.

This past weekend he made a hot sauce in the style of Tabasco Sauce, which we had always purchased and kept in the house (prior to making this recipe) and which does not appear to have weird ingredients. But we grow a lot of peppers every year and even husband appreciates the value of foods with ingredients we can follow directly to the source. So this year, he made this sauce and it is even better than the store-bought kind.

Basic Chili

The following is a very flexible recipe for a hearty, rich tasting chili. Feel free to substitute in and out ingredients to your preference using whatever is available at your farmer's market or provided in your CSA box.  

Hamburger Stroganoff

I love the idea of making a "hamburger" stroganoff because it's so easy and relatively inexpensive and everyone loves it. Holy cow, the trifecta of a smart dinner! :) We enjoy this version a lot.

Baked Beans

For this recipe, baked beans is actually a misnomer because they are not baked at all. Although you could bake them, if you are so inclined, but I don't think it's necessary. However, the name "Barbeque" Beans doesn't really work either because barbeque sauce is not a dominant ingredient (and it's optional). So, baked beans it is, but even easier since there is no baking involved!

Avocado-Tomato Salad

You may find this hard to believe, but I never had an avocado until I was in my 20's and I never had an interest in eating one until I read Dr. Hyman's wonderful book, Ultrametabolism. In this book, I learned that avocados were a healthy fat and one should try to incorporate them into one's diet.

Things really didn't go well at first. I thought that avocados were pretty... um... well, like mushy, hm.... and, slimy, and uh... well, just downright disgusting! Ha! I really couldn't stand them at all. But I had recalled hearing somewhere that one should try to eat something 17 or 22 times (anyway, A LOT) before one definitively decided whether or not they liked the taste of something. So, every so often, I bought an avocado and tried to get it down.

So that's the history and now that you know it, you should be totally surprised that I have an avocado recipe here! But, that silly old rule about trying things 17 times was true because finally, after many years (it took something like 5+ years and way more than 17 times) I can honestly say I really do like avocados. And, my body is happier for it. See, I just love stories with happy endings.

Stuffed Peppers II (with Stuffed Pepper Bowl variation)

White Clam Sauce

This recipe is from my grandma and I have been making it in the same way since I first started to cook. It is so delicious and so very easy, I hope you enjoy it.

Meatloaf

Fall is the perfect time to break out the big guns-- the big pile of seasoned, baked meat. Men everywhere love to eat meatloaf, and when prepared nutritiously, women everywhere can be happy to serve it at their tables.

 

Quinoa & Lentil Salad

I made a bunch of quinoa and lentils the other day and this recipe uses up the last of my quinoa. It is really filling and great for a quick lunch, espeically since quinoa packs such a protein punch.

Ingredients:
2 cups soaked and cooked quinoa
1 cup soaked and cooked lentils
1 1/2 to 2 cups soaked and cooked black beans
1 cup frozen corn, rinsed and thawed
1 tomato finely chopped
1/4 cup onion, finely diced
1/4 cup bell pepper, diced
2 tbsp parsley, finely chopped

For dressing:
1/2 cup olive oil, try this one
3-4 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp chopped fresh basil
3-4 cloves of garlic minced
Sea salt & pepper to taste

How To:
Combine the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and set aside. Combine the remaining ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Pour the dressing over the quinoa and lentil mixture and mix well.

Comments:
This actually takes a little bit of time, at least 20 minutes due to all the chopping. But, it makes a very large batch that you could store in the refrigerator and have lunches or dinners for a week.

Soaking--Quinoa, lentils, and the black beans should all be soaked to maximize the nutritional benefits. Soak quinoa 12 hours, lentils seven hours, and black beans for 24 hours -- all in warm water with whey, or buttermilk, or lemon juice or vinegar, etc. After soaking, cook and store for future use. 

 

This post was shared at Thank Your Body Thursday, Simple Lives Thursday, Waste Not Want Not Wednesday, and Thank Goodness It's Quinoa.

Beef Stir Fry

My husband loves it when I make this dish, which is super fast to make and tastes so very good. It is also a nice change of pace from the standard chicken fare.

Ingredients:
One pound beef for stir frying (we like this flank steak for this recipe)
2-3 cups assorted chopped vegetables such as zucchini, onions, spinach, mushrooms, onion, pepper, baby corn, bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, carrots, yellow squash, etc.
About 1 teaspoon Chinese 5-spice seasoning
About 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Black pepper
Soy sauce, naturally fermented, to taste (about 2-3 tbsp at least...), try this
Rice wine vinegar, about 1-2 tsp (start with less), to taste
Sesame oil
1-2 tbsp Grade B maple syrup (optional)
If you would like a thicker sauce:
1/4 cup cool broth or cool water or soy sauce (or a combination)
Abt 4 tsp arrowroot powder
**Combine in a little glass and add at the end.

How To:
1. In a saute pan (cast iron or stainless steel), over medium heat, cook beef in sesame oil until browned. Season with soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, garlic powder, ground black pepper, and 5-spice powder. You should have a decent amount of liquid in the pan, but if not, don't worry about it. We'll add some in the following steps.

2. While the beef is cooking, chop and prep the vegetables, add them to the pan, and season with more soy sauce. If you don't have much liquid in the pan (and you would like more of a sauce), add a little beef stock (or chicken stock or water with a little more soy sauce).

3. Saute and adjust seasonings, as needed, until vegetables are crisp cooked--about 5 minutes. Drizzle with maple syrup, if using, and stir to combine. If you want to thicken the sauce, slowly add the broth/arrowroot mixture (described above) and gently stir. You should notice the sauce getting a little thicker after stirring a bit.

4. Serve over rice or soba noodles.

 

Comments:
If using bean sprouts, add at the very end, after making broth. All canned items should be rinsed before adding. Try serving over brown rice, we make two cups and usually have a little rice left over, or soba noodles. This serves 4-6 people.

This is very, very good! Easy to make other than lots of chopping going on. Probably takes about 20-30 minutes total. Super fast! Also, this is a great article from the Nourishing Gourmet that will help you select a good soy sauce.

Test Kitchen: Mediterranean Style Pork Chops

This recipe is a nice change of pace. I think you'll really enjoy.

Kung Pao Chicken

Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked short grain brown rice (or your rice preference)
3 tbsp. naturally fermented soy sauce, divided, like this one
1-2 tsp. white wine (pick one you like to drink)
3 boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 cup chicken or turkey stock, make your own
1/8 cup rice vinegar and 1/8 cup balsamic vinegar to make 1/4 cup
4 1/2 tsp. arrowroot powder, like this one
1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. sesame oil, like this one
1 tsp. hot chili oil, you can make your own
1 large bell pepper, diced
1/2 medium onion diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
a 1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced
3 tbsp. chopped (soaked & dried) cashews

How To:
1. Make Rice, Marinade, and Sauce: Prepare rice. In the meantime, combine 1 tbsp. soy sauce and white cooking wine with the chicken and set aside at room temperature. In another bowl, combine broth, vinegar, 2 tbsp. water, arrowroot, sesame oil, and remaining 2 tbsp. soy sauce. Set aside at room temperature.

2. Cook Chicken & Combine: When rice is about 10 minutes from being done, heat sesame oil and add chicken. Cook until done. Add bell pepper, onion, garlic, and ginger and cook, stirring frequently until bell pepper begins to soften--2 to 3 minutes. Add broth-vinegar mixture and stir until sauce thickens, just a few minutes. Add cashews on top and serve over rice.

Comments: This is a really delicious dish. You can add more hot chili oil and even chili peppers if you like a spicier dish. However, with a six-year old in mind, I try to keep the heat level low. He thought it was a little spicy but still ate three helpings when I made it for dinner tonight, and he hates chicken. Ha!!