Garlic Teriyaki Edamame

Last night’s salmon left much to be desired, but I’d be doing you all a disfavor not talking about the edamame we had alongside.

First off, edamame are fun – you can eat them with your fingers without being frowned upon, they fun to suck out of the pods, and let’s not forget the amazing nutritional value behind them.

Usually pan seared and sprinkled with sea salt, you’ll find these little gems in most Asian restaurants.  We, however, had them at home last night and they were amazing.

The sauce really deserves all the credit.  A little garlic, teriyaki, and brown sugar goes a long way.  Once the pods are all tossed and covered in the goodness, sprinkle the bowl with some sesame seeds for the added flare and sense of “fancy”.  When you combine it all together, you are left with the perfect combination of sweet and salty.

Garlic Teriyaki Edamame

Garlic Teriyaki Edamame

What You Need:

• 1⁄4 c water
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 16 oz package frozen edamame, in the pod
• 1⁄4 c teriyaki sauce
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• Sesame seeds

How You Do It:

1. Bring the water and garlic to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat.
2. Stir in the edamame, and cook until the edamame are hot, and the liquid has nearly evaporated, about 5 minutes.
3. Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the teriyaki sauce, brown sugar, and vinegar.
4. Stir constantly until the sauce has thickened and coats the edamame, about 4 minutes.
5. Sprinkle with sesame seeds to serve.

Garlic Teriyaki Edamame recipe adapted from Kitchme.com. 

Slow Cooker Teriyaki Pineapple Beef

I have always been a fan of the slow cooker, I think that's probably becoming apparent by now. I mean really, taking ingredients, dumping them into a pot, and setting the timer - what could be worse?! The slow cooker does all the work!

And this doozie was a mere three ingredients: beef, teriyaki, & pineapple chunks. Similar to the chicken I made last week, all you do is dump the sauce over the meat and let it rip. An hour or so before you want to eat, dump in the pineapple and away you go!

I did, however, find the sauce to be a little runny, so while I boiled the noodles, I removed the lid from the slow cooker, added in a slurry (cornstarch + water), and turned the heat to high until the noodles were done cooking (leave it uncovered). Perfect.

Slow Cooker Teriyaki Pineapple Beef

Slow Cooker Teriyaki Pineapple Beef

What You Need:

• 2 lbs stew meat
• 1 bottle teriyaki sauce
• 1 can pineapple chunks, drained

How You Do It:

1. Combine the beef and teriyaki sauce in slow cooker.
2. Cook on low 7-8 hours.
3. During the last hour, add drained pineapple.

Slow Cooker Teriyaki Pineapple Beef recipe adapted from Eat At Home.

Teriyaki Turkey Lettuce Wraps

I don't love cooked carrots.  Just ask my mother - I would and still (almost always) pick out the cooked carrots.  However, when I came across this healthy, five-ingredient recipe for lettuce wraps jam-packed with carrots, I thought I'd give them another try.

Let me be honest... there were a lot of carrots in this recipe.  A lot, a lot.  Now, I will also be honest and tell you I didn't hate them.  I did, however, pick some out.  There were just too many.  Next time, less carrots.

I also only had romaine lettuce in the house.  Not so easy to hold the meat, so next time, boring ol' iceberg will have to do.

I'm not ready to give on on this one quite yet.  It was super easy, super inexpensive (note I did not call it "cheap", mom!), and really quite healthy.  The way you see it below is how I would make it next time:

Teriyaki Turkey Lettuce Wraps

Teriyaki Turkey Lettuce Wraps

What You Need:

• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1/2 large onion, diced
• 5 oz (1/2 bag) shredded carrots
• 1/3 c teriyaki sauce
• Iceberg lettuce

How You Do It:

1. Heat a large skillet with 1 tablespoon oil.  Add ground turkey and onion, breaking up and cooking until turkey is no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
2. Add 1/4 c water and carrots, cover and cook 5 minutes or until carrots are soft.
3. Add teriyaki sauce and heat another 5 minutes.
4. Serve in lettuce cups.

Teriyaki Turkey Lettuce Wraps recipe adapted from EveryDay with Rachael Ray.

Teriyaki Turkey Meatballs

One of my husband's favorite meals (which I must admit I don't make all that often due to my affinity for trying new recipes) is a meatball recipe.  Not your average meatballs-in-red-sauce recipe, but one with lots of garlic.  When I came across this one, I knew it would be a winner.  Garlic and ginger - two of our favorite flavors.  What could be wrong?!  So tonight, I gave it a try...

But before you read much further or try this one yourself, there is one thing you must remember when studying and/or trying any of the recipes I post:

I use a ton of garlic.  When a recipe calls for garlic, I usually at least double it.  So when you see the amount of garlic listed in the posts, the quantity is the actual amount I used, not what was originally sited.  Therefore, use the amount of garlic you like -- or go big and use what I do.  If you're anything like us, you won't be sorry!

Now then...

Teriyaki Turkey Meatballs

Teriyaki Turkey Meatballs


What You Need for the Meatballs:

• 1 1/4 lb. ground turkey
• 3 large clove garlic, minced
• 2 tsp fresh ginger
• 1/4 cup chopped Italian Parsley
• 1/2 tsp  ground allspice
• 1/4 cup egg substitute
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. panko breadcrumbs

What You Need for the Sauce:

• 2.5 tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 2.5 tbsp water
• 2 tbsp low-sodium soy sayce
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 2 tsp fresh ginger
• 3 large cloves garlic, minced

How You Do It:

1. Preheat oven to 350*.
2. Add all ingredients for the meatballs in a large bowl and, using your hands, mix to combine.  Using about 2 tbsp (or the amazing meatball shaper I got as a wedding gift) form meatballs and place on baking sheet.
3. Bake 15-20 minutes or until cooked through.
4. Meanwhile, whisk all sauce ingredients together in a saucepan.  Simmer until slightly thickened.
5. Once meatballs are cooked, place into saucepan and cover with sauce.  

Teriyaki Turkey Meatballs recipe adapted from Tracey's Culinary Adventures