Vegetarian Sesame Udon Noodles

This next vegetarian dish I found over on Allrecipes.com and it has quickly become one of our favorites. In fact, I'm getting hungry just writing about it!

I've modified this one a bit to make it more like a stir-fry, but you can also follow the original and cook it in the microwave!

Ingredients

The Sauce:
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root (make sure you add this, it makes the dish!)
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/4 cup peanut oil
3 tablespoons sesame oil
1 dash hot pepper sauce (I add red pepper flakes to give it a little more heat too)

2 Tbls Olive Oil
1/2 yellow onion, sliced
1/2 green bell pepper, sliced
1/2 red bell pepper, sliced
2 cups diagonally sliced snap peas
2 cups rough chopped kale
1 cup sliced mushrooms

1/2 block firm tofu cubed

4 green onions, minced
2 Tbls fresh basil
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted (use toaster oven or dry frying pan to toast the seeds)
1 (7 ounce) package fresh udon noodles

Directions

In a jar with a tight fitting lid (I use a salad dressing container), combine the garlic, ginger, soy sauce, rice vinegar, peanut oil, sesame oil and hot pepper sauce or flakes. Close the lid, and shake vigorously to blend. Set aside to let the flavors blend.

 

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add udon noodles and follow package directions to cook until tender. Drain, and set aside for later.

Heat oil in a large skillet or wok. Add peppers and onion and sautee for about 2 minutes over medium heat. Add in peas, kale, mushrooms and tofu and stir fry until veggies are cooked.

 

 
Add drained noodles to the pan and pour sauce over entire dish. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and gently toss all ingredients together using tongs. Let simmer for 1-2 minutes to allow noodles to soak in some of the flavor.

 

Serve in a deep bowl with chop sticks and top with sliced green onion and fresh basil.

(Not into the vegetarian thing? Try adding chunks of Asian inspired, grilled salmon (with a sweet and spicy glaze), as an alternate source of protein.)

Black Bean & Sweet Potatoe Chili

Continuing on with my vegetarian recipes (as promised!), this next one is an awesome and quick, all-veggie chili that is super delicious! Serve it up with a little cheese, a dollop of plain Greek yogurt (instead of sour cream) and a corn muffin on the side! Yum!

Found my inspiration for this one on About.com.

The Ingredients:

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, diced
2 small sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped (you may consider boiling these for a few minutes to speed up the cooking time)
2 medium carrots, sliced (you may consider boiling these for a few minutes to speed up the cooking time)
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped (I used green in this version since that's what I had)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 15 ounce can black beans
1 15 ounce can diced tomatoes or tomato sauce
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne (or to taste, we like it a little bit hot!)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
3/4 cup frozen corn (I like to add corn to my chili)

The Directions:

Sautee onions and garlic in olive oil for a minute or two, then add bell pepper and simmer until onions are almost soft. Add in (par-cooked) sweet potatoes & carrots, diced tomatoes, beans, spices and stock. Stir to combine and reduce heat to low.

Simmer, partially covered and stir occasionally, for approx 15-20 minutes, until flavors have mingled and vegetables are cooked. Add in frozen corn in last 5 minutes of simmer.

Serve in a deep bowl with Jack cheese, Greek yogurt and corn bread or muffins!

Napa Cabbage Salad

Since I promised to do a series on our vegetarian eating, I'm continuing with this next oh-so-delicious "Napa Cabbage Salad." I'm sure it isn't new to many people, but to us it was new when we tried it at our cousin's Easter get together last month. It's pretty simple and seriously addicting (watch out!).

Some of the recipes I've found online for this salad are not-so-healthy, so I tweaked ours a little so we can eat it more than once a year and not feel so guilty!

Ingredients

1 head Napa cabbage - shredded
5-7 green onions - sliced
1 cup slivered almonds
1 package dry Ramen noodles
2 TBLS sesame seeds
2 TBLS Butter
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 TBLS sugar
2 TBLS soy sauce

Directions

Shred cabbage and slice onions and combine in a large bowl together. Chill in the refrigerator.









Melt butter in a sauce pan. Break up the Ramen noodles into small pieces and add to butter along with almonds and sesame seeds. Mix just enough to coat evenly. Spread "crunchies" mixture on a baking sheet and pop into 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes. (Be sure to mix several times so all sides get toasted and brown.)







Rinse out the sauce pan and combine cider vinegar, oil, sugar and soy sauce. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for about 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and let come to room temperature.

Just before serving add the crunchies to the cabbage and toss with the dressing.

That's it! It's done, it's delicious and watch out...it's addicting!

Happy Spring time eating!

Veggin' Out

Well it's May 1st (where has the time gone?) and I've got one wedding down, and one to go (for now!). This weekend's day-of coordination turned out well, after a bit of a rocky start, we pulled together a fun and beautiful event! I learned a lot along the way, met some great people and am even more excited for the next one in just 2 short weeks!

For today though, since I've so been neglecting my little blog, I decided to share some of the new, delicious and simple recipes that have had us veggin' out!

That's right, we've gone vegetarian. Okay, not entirely, but I did go all-veg for one full week and the hubby totally dug everything that I made! I decided to start reducing the amount of meat in our diets and pumping up our vegetable intake (even more than we already do) to see if it made a difference on how I felt. It actually does and I feel great!

So, these next couple of posts are dedicated to some of my new favorite vegetarian recipes! Hope you'll try them out and enjoy them as much as we do.

This first recipe in this little veggie series is based off of Jeanie's Falafel, a recipe I found on All Recipes.com.

Ingredients

• 1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup fine dry bread crumbs
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper  
• 1 egg
• vegetable oil for frying
• Middle Eastern flat bread or pita
• 1/2 red pepper, sliced
• spinach
• tzatziki Sauce
• tahini Sauce 

 

Directions

1. Use immersion blender or food processor to mash garbanzo beans to a thick paste consistency.
2. Stir in the onion, garlic, parsley, cumin, turmeric, baking powder, bread crumbs, egg, salt and pepper.  Mix to dough-like consistency.
3. Heat oil in deep pot about 3/4"-1" deep. (you can deep fry them if you prefer, but I like to minimize the amount of oil I use and just get a good crust on two sides)
4. Use your hands to form balls about 1"-1 1/2" in diameter and drop into the oil.
5. Cook until golden brown on one side and then flip to brown the other.
6. Remove falafel balls onto a paper towel.
7. Warm the flat bread and lightly coat one side with about 2 tbls tahini sauce. 
8. Add spinach, peppers and falafel balls and top with tzatziki sauce.
9. Grub!

Jeanie's recipe was a great start for ingredients and directions (since I had no idea where to begin), but since The Hubby doesn't love cilantro, I left that out and I added an egg to make the falafel a bit more moist since it has a tendency to be a dry. This is a meal that anyone will enjoy.

Happy Mediterranean Eating!

 

Our New Favorite Pizza!

We have a new favorite pizza at the Donnelly house. It's what I like to call the "Trader Joe's Special" because all of the ingredients are from there. I still have it on my to-dos to try making my own crust (I promise April and Jon, I will do this one day!) but until then, this recipe is delicious and quick.

The Ingredients: 

1 package pizza dough (we use the plain one, but the whole wheat would be good too)
2 tsp corn meal
1/2 jar pesto sauce 
1/2 block reduced fat mozzarella cheese (shredded)
3-4 slices Italian Turkey Meatloaf (from the refrigerator section) (cut into small chunks)
10-15 grape tomatoes cut in half
1/4 cup parmigiano cheese (shredded)
1 tsp dried oregano (optional)

before baking

The Directions:

Let the pizza dough come up to room temperature. Spread the corn meal onto a surface (cutting board, counter, etc) and roll out the dough to desired thickness (I like thick, he likes thin, so we go somewhere in between!). Place on cookie sheet or pizza stone.

Spread an even layer of pesto over the dough leaving the edges free for the crust. Sprinkle about 2/3 of the mozzarella over the pesto sauce. Spread the turkey meatloaf chunks and grape tomato halves evenly on top of the cheese and then cover with remaining mozzarella and parmigiano cheeses. Sprinkle oregano on top of the cheese and bake as directed on the dough package instructions until the crust is golden brown.

after baking

Slice and eat!

I know, this doesn't sound all that impressive, but there's something about the combination of the spices in the meatloaf and the flavor that develops in the grape tomatoes when they cook along with the pesto that is super delicious.
 
Enjoy!

Steak Fajitas -Yum, Yum, Yum!!!

I wasn't planning on blogging about this meal, but as I began putting it together it looked so delicious I started snapping shots (just in case!).

Since I wasn't prepared, wouldn't you know it, our camera died halfway through and I had to resort to an iPhone to finish the photos. So, apologies in advance for the crappy photos in this post!

Now for the recipe! This meal is an excellent way to incorporate very nutritious food into your dinner diet, and I'd be willing to bet you could get just about anybody (kids, husbands, etc) to eat lots of veggies and not even realize it (or at least not care)!

Ingredients:
Steak - (your favorite cut, I used Top Sirloin)
Taco or Fajita Seasoning (keep a few of these packets on hand at all times!)
Olive Oil
Balsamic Vinegar
Worcestershire Sauce
1 can Pinto Beans (or make your own)
Flour Tortillas (I LOVE the handmade ones from Trader Joe's, so good!)
Low-Fat Sour Cream (or substitute this for non-fat Greek yogurt!)

Veggies (anything you want to use):
1/2 Yellow Onion sliced
1 Green Bell Pepper sliced
1 Red Bell Pepper sliced
2 Cloves Garlic thin sliced
1 cup sliced Crimini Mushrooms
1 med Zucchini sliced
1 cup Kale torn or chopped
1/2 can diced Tomatoes (with juice)

How to make it:
Slice the steak into strips about 1/2" thick and 4" long and put into a bowl. Drizzle lightly with olive oil, 2 Tbls balsamic vinegar, 2 Tbls Worcestershire and 1/2 packet of taco or fajita seasoning. Mix to coat meat and let marinate for at least 15 mins while you prep everything else.

Prepare all of the veggies as directed above (I like long slices of pepper and onion and thicker half slices of mushroom and zucchini for this dish). Heat pinto beans in small pot on low. Preheat grill pan and large skillet. Lightly coat grill pan with cooking spray (I use olive oil spray) and spread steak strips evenly on the grill. Brown one side then flip to brown the other.

While steak is browning, add 2 Tbls olive oil to skillet and begin to saute the veggies. Start with onions, garlic then add peppers. Add zucchini and mushrooms when you flip the meat.

Once both sides of the steak are evenly browned, remove steak from grill pan and add to veggie mix in the skillet. Add in kale, 1/2 can diced tomatoes, remainder of seasoning packet and about 1/3 cup of water. Toss everything to coat, reduce heat and cover. Simmer for approximately 5 mins.

 
While the filling is simmering, heat the tortillas (if you have a gas range, you can do this on the burner, flipping quickly and often to avoid burning, or in the microwave for 30 secs, but you should rub them with a little bit of water to avoid drying).

Assemble fajitas with steak and veggie filling, pinto beans (for extra protein and fiber) and a dollop of sour cream.

Enjoy alone or with Spanish Rice (bonus recipe below)! So delicious and really quite healthy!


This super simple Spanish Rice is a great way to use up left over rice from a previous meal. Start with 1/4 chopped yellow onion and 1 large clove of garlic, diced. Saute the onion and garlic in 1 Tbls olive oil in a small pot.

When onion and garlic start to look translucent, add in about 1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice, 1/2 can diced tomatoes and juice, 1 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp salt and 1-2 Tbls Tapatio or Cholula (depending on how spicy you like it!). Stir, reduce heat to low and let simmer while you prepare the main course! That's it! Very easy!

Suzy's Salmon

My good friend Suzy made me dinner a few months back and I have literally been making it once a week ever since! This Salmon recipe is THE BOMB! (and so super simple!)

Start with a couple of good portions of salmon. You can either make this as one big piece or individual servings.

Go to Trader Joe's (hopefully you have one of these closeby because it is the best store in the world!) and pick up their Aioli Garlic Mustard Sauce and a jar of capers.

Lightly coat a non-stick baking sheet with olive oil spray and place salmon, skin-side down (if you left the skin on). Evenly spread a layer of aoli over the salmon flesh to cover. Then using a fork (or clean fingers) place capers in the aoli evenly on the salmon.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 24 mins (this time may vary with your oven and fish size).

That's it! So easy! Low calorie! And delicous!

I serve it up with veggies for a nice well-rounded meal and last week I tried the Trader Joe's brand of crescent rolls, which were really good too! (not as buttery & greasy as the Pilsbury brand)

Enjoy! (and thanks Suz for an awesome new dish!)

Skillet Lasagna

Okay, so I guess I took a slightly longer break than I had planned, but the honeymoon was just so much fun and so relaxing that it's taken me a little longer to get back into my groove! Can you blame me though? I mean look where I was:

Alright so, back to blogging! One of my very favorite meals is lasagna, but let's face it who has the time to make lasagna during the week? So I was stoked when I found this awesome recipe for Skillet Lasagna in a Pampered Chef cookbook called "29 Minutes to Dinner". I love this book because everything is super easy and takes less than 30 minutes to make. It's great!

As I commonly do, I've tweaked the recipe a bit to be my own, but it's delicious and easy anyway you choose to make it! (My version is a great way to sneak extra veggies into your kid's diet without them ever knowing it!)


Ingredients:
(From the cookbook:)
1 jar marinara sauce
3 cups water
8 oz lasagna noodles
1 lb hot Italian turkey sausage or sausage links (casings removed)
2 garlic cloves, pressed
2 oz Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 cup whole milk Ricotta cheese
1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
1/4 tsp black pepper


(From my kitchen:)
Substitute turkey sausage for lean ground turkey, regular noodles for wheat and whole Ricotta for low or non-fat.
2-3 cups Chopped veggies of your choice - onion, broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms and squash all work well.
3/4 cup frozen corn.

How to make it:
In a large skillet, brown ground turkey or sausage (I flavor the ground turkey with dried oregano, onion powder, salt and pepper.) Drain as needed.
Add in garlic and veggies and cook for about 2 mins.

Break up lasagna noodles into pieces and layer into skillet with meat and veggies.
Add 1 jar sauce and water.
Stir and bring to a boil.
Reduce to a steady simmer, cover and let cook for about 20 mins.

When noodles are soft, spoon in Ricotta and stir in Mozarella cheese and frozen corn.
Let cook for another 3 or so minutes, turn heat off and let sit for about 2 minutes.

Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve with garlic toast or a side of roasted asparagus.

Enjoy this delicious, fast and healthy comfort dish any day of the week!

Roy's Tamale Pie

One of my all-time favorite meals to make is Tamale Pie. It's one of those comfort foods that you can make in about thirty minutes and eat for a couple of days. Kind of like lasagna, it's better as leftovers!

I learned this dish from a friends dad who used to make it in an old cast iron skillet, with full fat beans and ground beef. Yum! Needless to say, I've altered this recipe quite a bit to be a healthier version of my own.

Ingredients:

1lb lean ground turkey
1 packet taco seasoning (try to find one with reduced sodium if possible - or make your own with ground cumin, garlic powder, paprika, hot sauce and a little salt!)
2 tbls olive oil
1 medium white onion, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
2 cups chopped kale
1 can fat free re-fried or low sodium black beans 
1 medium or 2 small tomatoes diced
1 cup frozen corn
4 sliced green onions
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 box Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix
fat free sour cream


Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a medium mixing bowl, prepare Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix as per package directions and set aside to rise. In a large skillet brown 1 lb lean ground turkey over medium heat and season with taco seasoning. Remove from pan and let drain on paper towel. Add 2 tbls olive oil to pan over medium heat, saute chopped onion and peppers 1-2 minutes and then add minced garlic. Let cook for 1 more minute and add the chopped kale to the pan. Let veggies saute for 1-3 minutes or until onions are translucent and kale begins to wilt down. 

 

Reduce heat to low and mix in 1 can beans, 3/4 diced tomatoes (reserve 1/4 tomatoes for later), corn and cooked turkey to the veggie mixture. Cook 1 minute until the beans loosen and everything is evenly mixed together. Turn heat off and scoop mixture into a deep baking dish. Mix in 1/2 cup shredded cheese and 3/4 sliced green onions. Pour prepared corn muffin mix over top and sprinkle with 1/4 cup shredded cheese.

Bake in preheated 400 degree oven for approximately 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out of the corn bread mixture clean. Let sit for two minutes, then scoop into bowls or plates and top with fresh diced tomatoes, sliced green onions, a dollop of sour cream and a little more cheese.


  




I like this recipe because you can change up the veggies to match whatever you have in the fridge and it still comes out tasty. I've used zucchini, squash and even broccoli before and they all tasted great!

MMMmmmm...Happy leftovers!

Mango Chicken Curry

I've recently discovered the amazingness that is curry and a few months ago tried my hand at making it for the very first time. I've now made this Mango Chicken Curry recipe several times and I have to say, I'm getting pretty darn good at it.

It's kind of a labor of love, but totally worth the work.

Here are a few tips from my kitchen:
I cube and pre-sear the chicken before adding it into the sauce to ensure that it is fully cooked and to help lock in the moisture. I also skip the cilantro (Kevin's not a huge fan), add cayenne powder to increase the heat and use coconut milk rather than heavy cream. Lastly, I serve the curry over basmati rice with slivered almonds to add a bit of a crunch. Don't skip the golden raisins! They add just the right amount of sweet to this spicy (in my kitchen) and savory dish!

• 3 Tbsp (or more) of vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, chopped (1 1/2 to 2 cups)
• 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 Tbsp fresh minced ginger
• 2 Tbsp yellow curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• (optional 1 Tbsp of cayenne powder for heat or to taste)
• 2 mangos, peeled and diced
• 2 Tbsp cider vinegar or white vinegar
• 1 1/4 cup water
• 1 1/4 pounds skinless boneless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/3 cup golden raisins
• 1/2 cup heavy cream (can substitute all or partially with coconut milk)
• Salt and pepper
• Cilantro for garnish

 1 Heat 2 Tbsp oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the red bell pepper and another tablespoon of oil, cook for a couple more minutes. Add the curry powder and cumin (and optional cayenne powder), cook for a few more minutes. The spices will absorb some of the oil, so if anything begins to stick too much to the bottom of the pan, add a little more oil to the pan. Add the ginger and garlic, cook for one minute more.

 
2 Add the vinegar, water, and a 1/2 of the chopped mango to the pan. Increase the heat and bring to a boil, then lower the heat to maintain a low simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove pan from heat. Scoop the sauce into a blender (or use an immersion blender). Purée the sauce, pulsing until smooth. Return the sauce to the pan.

 3 Add chicken pieces and raisins to the pan. Return to a low simmer. Cover the pan and let cook for 8-10 minutes. Chicken should be just cooked through. Use a knife to cut open the largest piece to check.
    
4 Add remaining mango pieces to the pan. Stir in the cream or coconut milk. Let cook at a very low temperature for another minute or two, uncovered. Do not let boil! Or the cream may curdle. Adjust seasonings. If a little too sweet, add a little more vinegar. If not sweet enough, you can add a dash of sugar. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve over rice. Garnish with cilantro. Serves 4.

(Note: The last time I made this, I added chopped fingerling potatoes which added another texture and buttery flavor to the curry. If you do this, either par cook the potatoes before adding them to the sauce, or be prepared to let it simmer for about 15-20 until the potatoes cook through.)

 

Mmmmmmm, my mouth is watering just thinking about this one again, enjoy!