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. 

Honey Dijon Salmon with Green Beans

I’m always looking for different ways to cook fish.  We are big fish fans and I’m always afraid we’ll get bored with the same preparations over and over.  So when I saw this in a pile of recipes I had pulled from old magazines, I thought I’d give it a try. 

Now here’s a salmon recipe with an added bonus – leftover honey Dijon vinaigrette to use with salad or veggies later in the week!  A quick whisk of oil, mustard, honey, and vinegar makes a good amount of dressing and for this salmon you only use a couple tablespoons. 

I had never thought of baking the salmon right on top of onions before, but it really worked well.  The onions came out so tender and sweet and gave the salmon an extra hint of flavor.  Mixed with some steamed green beans and a little drizzle of the vinaigrette and this dish packs a sweet and subtle flavor not to be missed. 

Quick, easy, and light, this salmon recipe is a good base to try lots of different flavors.  And best of all – when all was said and done – my recipe looked just like the one in the magazine photo, so I was pretty damn excited!

Honey Dijon Salmon with Green Beans

 

Honey Dijon Salmon with Green Beans

What You Need:

• 2 tsp honey
• 4 tsp Dijon mustard
• 3 tbsp white-wine vinegar
• 1/2 c olive oil
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 4 tbsp panko breadcrumbs
• 2 6-oz pieces salmon
• 1 pound green beans, trimmed

How You Do It:

1. Whisk together honey, mustard, vinegar, and oil; season with salt and pepper.
2. In a deep baking dish, toss onion with 2 tablespoons vinaigrette and bake at 425* for 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, stir 1 tablespoon vinaigrette into panko. Coat fish with 1 tablespoon vinaigrette and season with salt and pepper; top with breadcrumb mixture and add to baking dish. Bake until fish is cooked to your liking, about 12-15 minutes.
4. While the salmon cooks, steam green beans to desired tenderness.
5. Remove salmon from baking dish and set aside. Drain green beans and toss with onion and 1 tablespoon vinaigrette. 

Honey Dijon Salmon with Green Beans recipe adapted from Martha Stewart Everyday Food.

Ramen Vegetable Lo Mein

Sometimes the best cure for a rough day is dinner with friends.  So when I got a text from a girlfriend that she was going to be around tonight and wanted a hug, I offered to ease up the rest of the of the night with dinner at our place. 

Knowing I had to make a meat-free meal (she’s a Chopra, look it up!), I stopped at the store on my way home to pick up some vegetables to make a stir-fry and remembered yet another pin for a recipe using Ramen noodles. 

I couldn't believe how quickly the HUGE bowl of stir-fried vegetables and noodles cleared.  While I thought the meal was just mediocre, apparently I was in the minority.  I thought the sauce I used was a little sweet and could have used a hit of red pepper flakes, my dinner “guests” said not to tweak a thing. 

So, here’s the recipe, without tweaking a thing.

Ramen Vegetable Lo Mein

 

Ramen Vegetable Lo Mein

What You Need:

• 4 packages Ramen noodles
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 1 package shredded carrots
• 1 package broccoli florets
• 3 large cloves garlic, pressed
• 1 c chicken broth
• ½ c teriyaki sauce (I used this)

How You Do It:

1. Boil noodles according to package, discarding seasoning packet.  Drain and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, heat sesame oil in large skillet.  Add onion and sauté until slighted softened.  Add broccoli and carrots and continue to sauté until tender.
3. Add garlic and sauce, stirring to combine and soften garlic.
4. Add noodles and chicken brother, toss to combine and heat through.

Skillet Chicken & Noodles

Do you ever have one of those nights when comfort food sounds like the only thing that will hit the spot but when you think about how many times you'll have to hit the gym to work if off,  you change your mind?

Well this skillet version of chicken pot pie actually isn't so bad.  Combining veggies with chicken, noodles instead of crust, and a low-fat sauce, you've got that comforting chicken pot pie sans pie.  And - it's all done on the stove-top in one pan.  Perfect for a weeknight comfort.

Skillet Chicken & Noodles

Skillet Chicken & Noodles

What You Need:

• 1 lb chicken breasts, sliced thin
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 1/2 c chicken broth
• 1 can condensed cream of celery soup (I used this)
• 1 package frozen vegetables
• 2 cups uncooked spiral pasta
• 1/2 tsp lemon pepper seasoning

How You Do It:

1. Cook chicken and onion in a large skillet with a cover until chicken is browned and onion is tender.
2. Add remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and cook 15 minutes until noodles are tender and chicken is fully cooked.

Skillet Chicken & Noodles recipe adapted from Pillsbury.com.

Raw Veggie Pizza

While the husband was off gallivanting with a couple of his basketball players at a Women and Sports seminar, I hopped in the kitchen to whip together an appetizer to bring with us to dinner tonight.

If you know me at all, you know deciding on what to bring to someone's house is almost as agonizing as deciding what to serve guests (and even my husband, for that matter) for dinner. So for the past two weeks I've been thinking about this, combing Pinterest, sorting through my piles, yes piles, of recipes, and of course consulting my mom. Finally yesterday it hit me - my girlfriend from the ol' days at Polaroid used to make the most delicious cold veggie pizza. Biscuit crust, cream cheese + sour cream + ranch, veggies - done and done.

I consulted the master and this afternoon got to work...

Raw Veggie Pizza

Raw Veggie Pizza

What You Need:

• 2 cans Pillsbury Seamless Crescent Sheets
• 1 package cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 c sour cream
• 1/2 packet Hidden Valley Ranch Dip Mix
• Raw veggies (I used shredded carrots, cucumbers, grape tomatoes, & broccoli)

How You Do It:

1. Unroll both crescent sheets onto 10x15x1 baking tray, blending the seams in the middle and pushing the dough up the edges to form a crust.
2. Bake at 375* for 17 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool at least 30 minutes.
3. Once the crust is cool, using a stand mixer, coming cream cheese, sour cream, and ranch mix. Spread evenly over crust.
4. Top with veggies. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Raw Veggie Pizza recipe adapted from Pillsbury.com & TGalv.

HG Veggie-Loaded Pasta Amore

Meatless Monday was in full effect in our house last night.  I whipped together this little doozy of a pasta dish, loaded with sautéed veggies of my favorite sorts, and a creamy tomato sauce.  I got home from the gym and in the amount of time it took to boil the water and cook the pasta, this puppy was a go! 

A quick, easy, and veggie-packed pasta dish ready in no time!

HG Veggie-Loaded Pasta Amore

HG Veggie-Loaded Pasta Amore

What You Need:

• 8 oz. uncooked thin spaghetti
• 1 c creamy tomato soup 
• 1/2 c light sour cream
• 1/3 c chopped fresh basil
• ¼ tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 package sliced mushrooms
• 2 small zucchini, chopped
• 2/3 c frozen peas, 
• 1 roasted red pepper, drained and chopped

How You Do It:

1. In a medium-large pot, cook pasta per package instructions.
2. In a medium bowl, mix tomato soup with sour cream until uniform. Stir in basil and Italian seasoning.
3. While the pasta cooks, bring a large skillet sprayed with nonstick spray to medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and zucchini. Cook and stir until softened, about 5 minutes.  Reduce heat to low. Add peas, chopped roasted red peppers, and soup mixture. Cook and stir until hot and well mixed, about 2 minutes. 
4. Add cooked pasta, and toss to coat.

HG Loaded-Veggie Pasta Amore recipe adapted from HungryGirl.

Baked Chicken Fajitas

Over the weekend we were chilling at some friends’ house watching the Packers beat the Vikings (WOO!).  When we hang out, we almost always have dinner together.  We usually order a chicken marsala pizza (oh so good, but oh so bad) and make a huge salad, but since we’re all on a healthy kick-start to 2013, we decided to make dinner instead.  Usually I bring the recipe and handful of not-so-common ingredients, and we whip something up together.

I dug out of the first Pinterest recipes finds I tried and we got to it.  We chopped some veggies, sliced some chicken, tossed it in a large Ziploc bag with some seasonings, and let it sit for an hour or two.  When ready, we dumped the contents, liquid and all, into a baking dish, popped it in the oven, and 30 minutes later, had an awesome meal.

I’m telling you – this is the way to do it!   And… another Green Bay WIN!

Baked Chicken Fajitas

Before & After:
Baked Chicken Fajitas

What You Need:

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 bell peppers (I used orange and yellow)
• 1 large onion
• 2 tsp cumin
• 2 tsp chili powder
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• 1 (15oz) can diced tomatoes with green chilies
• Toppings such as tortillas, rice, sour cream, shredded cheese, etc.

How You Do It:

1. In large Ziploc bag, combine chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, and oregano.  Shake to mix.
2. Thinly slice chicken, peppers, onion, and add to bag. 
3. Drain tomatoes and green chilies and add to bag.  Shake to combine.
4. Let mixture sit in refrigerator to marinate, 1 hour to overnight.
5. Dump mixture into baking dish and bake 350* 30 minutes.

Baked Chicken Fajitas recipe adapted from RealMomKitchen.com.

Veggie-Loaded Cashew Chicken

You know how when you order cashew chicken from a Chinese restaurant it's always more celery than chicken and cashews?  And remember how I told you there are a few - yes, a very short list - things my husband really doesn't like?  Well, celery is a big one of them.

This cashew chicken recipe is fully-loaded with veggies - more mushrooms than most of our friends would be interested in, a diced onion, garlic (lots of garlic), and much to my husband's dismay, pea pods.  (He really is the best - doesn't mind that I cook with pea pods, just chooses to push them aside.)

While I would doctor the sauce a little next time to add a little more flavor, maybe a pinch of red pepper flakes, less vinegar, and some fresh ginger, this is a good, healthy option, (with no celery) for cashew chicken.

Veggie-Loaded Cashew Chicken

Veggie-Loaded Cashew Chicken

What You Need:

• 1 c chicken broth
• 1 tbsp cornstarch 
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 2 8-oz packages sliced mushrooms
• 1 small onion, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, pressed
• 1 lb. chicken tenderloins, cut into small chunks
• 2 c snow peas
• 1/2 c unsalted cashews

How You Do It:

1. In small bowl, mix broth, cornstarch, soy sauce, vinegar, and ginger.  Mix to combine and until cornstarch dissolves.
2. In a large skillet, saute onion, garlic, and mushrooms until tender, 5-6 minutes.
3. Add chicken, snow peas and cashews.  Mix to combine and cook until chicken is cooked through and veggies are tender, 4-5 minutes.
4. Stir sauce and add to skillet.  Mix to combine and cook until sauce has thickened.

Veggie-Loaded Cashew Chicken recipe adapted from Hungry Girl.

Zucchini Tots

I've been battling a nasty head cold for the past couple days and last night I was finally feeling well enough to hop into the kitchen.  The hubs was grilling up some steaks, so I took to the kitchen to saute some onions and mushrooms and whip together this doozie of a size dish.

Everyone loves those over-fried tator tots.  You can't deny it - they are amazing in all their greasiness.  So I took to Pinterest once again to find something similar but different.  Much to my delight... a zucchini version!  While these tots are not fried in gallons of oh-so-delicious grease, they are crispy and amazing nonetheless.

Zucchini Tots

Zucchini Tots

What You Need:

• 1 cups zucchini, grated
• 1 egg 
• 1/4 onion, diced
• 1/4 c shredded cheese (I used Colby-jack)
• 1/4 c seasoned breadcrumbs

How You Do It:

1. Grate the zucchini and squeeze out the excess water with paper towel.
2. In a bowl combine, the egg, onion, cheese, breadcrumbs, and zucchini.
3. Using a small cookie scoop, fill prepared mini-muffin cups to the top.
4. Bake at 400*F for 15-18 minutes, or until the top is browned and set.

Zucchini Tots adapted from The Curious Country Cook.

Chicken and Vegetable Lo Mein

Since this week I will be away Monday night, Wednesday night, and possibly even Tuesday night for a tv commercial shoot, I wanted to be sure there were plenty of leftovers to keep the hubs fed while I'm away this week.

Tonight's dinner did just that -- this recipe made about 6 portions of what was a delicious combination of chicken, pasta, and vegetables, all with an Asian-like sauce.  A good make-at-home, healthier version of Lo Mein.  Jam-packed with veggies, you can pick and choose your favs and make this your way.  I learned tonight that while my husband doesn't love corn, he definitely does not like baby corn.  Next time, I'll do him a favor and leave them out.  

With our bellies full and four packages in the refrigerator  I think he'll have enough to suffice while I'm shooting the next best Brother™ P-touch® commercial.

Chicken and Vegetable Lo Mein

Chicken and Vegetable Lo Mein

What You Need:

• 1/2 box thin spaghetti
• 3 tbsp hoisin sauce
• 1/4 c chicken broth
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh ginger
• 1 medium onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
• 1 package sliced mushrooms
• 1/2 c thinly sliced carrots
• 1 c broccoli florets
• 1 c sugar snap pea pods, halved
• 1 (15-ounce) can Chinese baby corn, drained and cut in thirds
• 3 large chicken breasts, cut into small chunks

How You Do It:

1. Cook the noodles according to the package directions until just tender. Drain and set aside.
2. In a small bowl, mix the hoisin sauce, chicken broth, soy sauce, sesame oil, and cornstarch. Set aside.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet. Stir-fry the ginger and onion for 2 minutes until onions are tender.
4. Add the mushrooms and carrots and stir-fry 2 minutes more.
5. Add the broccoli, pea pods, and corn. Stir-fry the vegetables for 2 more minutes, then transfer them to a large bowl.
6. Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in the pan. Add chicken and stir-fry it until no longer pink. Add the cooked noodles, vegetables, and sauce. Lightly toss the mixture until heated through, about 3 minutes.

Chicken and Vegetable Lo Mein recipe adapted from Fun Family Magazine

Garlic Turkey-Broccoli Stir-Fry

Here's a make-your-own-take-out recipe for the books.  While everyone loves Chinese food, it doesn't always come with the healthiest of ingredients and/or preparations.  This recipe, however, is not only delicious, but easy to make and quite healthy.  Lean turkey tenderloin accompanied by fresh veggies and a light sauce, make for a balanced and healthy entree.  I served mine with some brown rice.

Garlic Turkey-Broccoli Stir-Fry

Garlic Turkey-Broccoli Stir-Fry

What You Need:

• 2 tsp sesame oil, divided
• 1 (1 lb) turkey tenderloin, cut into thin strips
• 1 cup chicken broth (I used fat-free, reduced sodium)
• 4 large garlic cloves, pressed
• 1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 bell pepper, cut into thin strips (I used orange)
• 2 cups fresh broccoli florets
• 1 (8 oz) can diced water chestnuts, drained
• 2 tbsp soy sauce (I used low sodium)

How You Do It:

1. Combine broth, garlic, cornstarch, and red pepper flakes.  Stir until cornstarch dissolves and set aside.
2. Heat 1 teaspoon sesame oil in large skillet until hot.  Add turkey and stir-fry until cooked through, about 5 minutes.  Remove from pan and set aside.
3. Add remaining teaspoon sesame oil to skillet and add pepper strips and broccoli.  Stir-fry until slightly tender, about 3-4 minutes.
4. Add water chestnuts and stir-fry another 1 minute.
5. Stir broth mixture and add to skillet, along with soy sauce, turkey and remaining juices.
6. Bring to a boil; cook 1-2 minutes or until thickened.

Garlic Turkey-Broccoli Stir-Fry recipe adapted from: MyRecipes.com