turmeric black pepper chicken & broccoli

dinner

ingredients

  • ~1 lb chicken breast, cut into 1″ pieces
  • 1-2 lbs broccoli, cut into small florets
  • 4 tbsp honey
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 3 tbsp flour
  • 2 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp soy sauce (optional)

instructions

Stir together water, honey, pepper, and salt together. Set aside.
–
Stir together flour, turmeric, and 1 tsp salt. Set aside.
–
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Toss broccoli with a little olive oil and roast for 20-30 minutes.
–
Add chicken to the flour mixture and stir till well coated. Heat a little oil in a stir fry pan and add the chicken, cooking until chicken is golden brown on both sides (NY Times says 2-3 min per side, for me it was more like 5-7 minutes per side).
–
Add the honey mixture and cook, stirring, until chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened, about 5 minutes. Add in the roasted broccoli and stir well. Serve with brown rice.

Adapted from https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020970-turmeric-black-pepper-chicken-with-asparagus

ham & split pea soup

dinner

ingredients

  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter
  • 2 cups chopped onion
  • 1 cup diced carrot
  • 1 cup diced celery
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 lb dried split peas
  • 1 meaty ham bone
  • 1 large bay leaf
  • 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
  • 6 cups chicken stock
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup diced ham

instructions

–
In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt butter until foaming subsides. Add onion, carrot, celery, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cook until vegetables are softened and just beginning to brown, 5-8 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute, until aromatic. Stir in split peas.
–
Add ham bone, bay leaf, and 1 teaspoon fresh thyme. Stir in chicken stock and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer uncovered for 60-90 minutes, stirring occasionally, until split peas are cooked down and soup is thickened to desired consistency. (Stir more frequently as the soup begins to thicken and add a little additional stock or water if it gets too thick for your tastes.)
–
Add diced ham during the last 15 minutes of cooking. When ready to serve, remove and discard ham bone and bay leaf, and stir in remaining 1 teaspoon fresh thyme. Season to taste with salt, if needed. Serve hot with croutons and cracked black pepper.
–

From https://stripedspatula.com/split-pea-soup-with-ham/

chicken tikka masala

dinner

ingredients

chicken

  • 1 1/2 lb chicken breasts
  • 1/2 cup greek yogurt
  • 1 tbsp minced garlic
  • 2 tsp garam masala
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp salt

sauce

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion, finely diced
  • 2 tbsp minced garlic
  • 2 tsp garam masala
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp sale
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 14oz tomato sauce
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 1 cup evaporated milk/heavy cream/or try yogurt
  • 2 tbsp cilantro

instructions

For the chicken:
–
Combine yogurt and spices to a large bowl. Add chicken and stir to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour up to 24 hours.
–
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Line a baking pan with foil and place a cooling rack on top. Place the chicken pieces on the rack, spacing them out well.
–
Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Turn the chicken over and bake about 10-15 minutes more.
–

For the sauce:
–
While chicken is cooking, prepare the sauce. Add olive oil to a large pan over medium heat. Saute onion until translucent.
–
Add in garlic and spices. Cook about 30 seconds, until fragrant.
–
Pour in the tomato puree and water and bring to a simmer for 3 minutes. Add in the heavy cream and stir until evenly combined, then add in cooked chicken. Serve with brown rice!

Verrrrry lightly adapted from https://iwashyoudry.com/creamy-chicken-tikka-masala-recipe/ and https://cafedelites.com/chicken-tikka-masala/

middle-eastern meat and potatoes

dinner

ingredients

for the baked kibbeh:

  • 1 cup bulgur
  • 1 lb impossible beef
  • 1/4 cup grated onion
  • 2 cups sliced onion, 1/4 inch thick
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • pinch cayenne pepper
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted

for the potatoes:

  • 2 pounds potatoes, cut into 2″ chunks
  • 4 garlic cloves peeled and halved
  • 1/2 cup low-fat yogurt
  • 1/2 cup low sodium vegetable broth
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • roasted veggie of your choice (broccoli, green beans, asparagus, etc.)

instructions

  1. To make the kibbeh:
    –
    Rinse the bulgur well, then cover with cold water and soak for 20 minutes. Drain well.
    –
    Put the drained bulgur, lamb, grated onion, cumin and cayenne in a large mixing bowl. Season with 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Mix well with your hands to distribute the seasoning. With a wooden spoon, beat in about 1/2 cup ice water. The mixture should be smooth and soft.
    –
    Heat the olive oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and fry gently, stirring occasionally, until they soften, about 5 minutes. Season generously with salt and pepper. Raise the heat and add 1/4 cup of the lamb mixture. Continue frying, allowing the meat to get crumbly and the onions to brown nicely, another 10 minutes or so. Stir in the pine nuts and taste. Let cool to room temperature.
    –
    Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil a shallow 9-by-13-inch baking dish, then press half the remaining lamb mixture evenly over the bottom of the pan. Spread half the onion-pine nut mixture over the meat. Add the rest of the meat to the pan, patting and pressing it with wet hands to make a smooth top. If desired, score the top with a sharp paring knife to make a traditional diamond pattern at least 1/2-inch deep.
    –
    Bake uncovered for 35 to 45 minutes, until the top is golden. Spread with the remaining onion-pine nut mixture. Serve warm, at room temperature or cool, with a dollop of yogurt.
    –
  2. To make the potatoes:
    –
    Bring a pot of water to boil. Add cubed potatoes and halved garlic. Boil until potatoes are tender.
    –
    Add yogurt, broth, and butter; mash gently with potato masher. Serve!
    –
  3. To make the veggie:
    –
    Toss 1lb of veggies with a tsp of olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and bake at 425 for 15 minutes.

Kibbeh recipe from: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1013841-baked-lebanese-kibbe
Potatoes adapted from: https://feelgoodfoodie.net/recipe/healthy-mashed-potatoes/
Green bean recipe from: https://cookieandkate.com/roasted-green-beans-recipe/

(O)mega healthy one-pan dinner

dinner

ingredients

  • 2 filets frozen salmon (or fresh if you can ofc)
  • a green veggie, like broccoli, asparagus, green beans
  • brown rice, cooked and tossed with 1 tsp olive oil

instructions

  1. Lay veggie and and rice in a sheet pan lined with aluminum foil and bake, loosely covered with foil) at 400 for 20 minutes.
    –
  2. Reduce heat to the directed temperature for the fish.
    _
  3. Push rice and veggies to the side and bake with fish for cooking time recommended on package.

quinoa tortilla soup

dinner, mexican

ingredients

  • 1 cup quinoa, cooked
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 14oz can chopped tomatoes
  • 1 1/2 quarts chicken stock, vegetable stock, or garlic broth
  • 6 corn tortillas, cut into strips or some tortilla chips
  • 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
  • 2 tbsp lime juice

instructions

  1. Heat a little olive oil in a heavy soup pot over medium heat and add onion. Cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add a generous pinch of salt and chili powder and stir together for a minute, then add garlic and continue to cook, stirring, for another minute, until fragrant.
    –
  2. Add tomatoes, stir well to deglaze bottom of pot, and cook, stirring often, until tomatoes have cooked down and smell fragrant, about 10 minutes. Add salt to taste. Add stock or broth, bring to a simmer, cover and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes.
    –
  3. While soup is simmering, toast tortilla strips in batches in microwave. Place in a single layer on a plate and microwave at full power for 1 minute. Turn strips over and microwave for another minute. Repeat if necessary for 30 seconds, or until crisp and light brown. Set aside.
    –
  4. Using an immersion blender, blend soup until smooth. Bring back to a simmer and stir in cilantro. Simmer for 1 minute. Taste and adjust salt. Stir in lime juice.Distribute toasted tortilla strips and quinoa among soup bowls and ladle in the soup. Top with crumbled cheese and serve.

Lightly adapted from https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017116-tortilla-soup-with-roasted-cauliflower-rice

fish tacos w/corn salsa

dinner, mexican

ingredients

  • 2 servings of a fish of your choice
  • tortillas and brown rice for serving
  • 4-6 ears sweet corn
  • 1/2 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 diced, ripe avocado
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro
  • 1-2 medium jalepenos, finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup lime juice
  • 1 tbsp white vinegar
  • 1/4 tsp chili powder
  • 1/4 tsp cumin

instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place fresh/defrosted salmon on a lined baking sheet and sprinkle with panko, chili powder, and cumin, maybe a squeeze or two of lime juice. Bake 18-20 minutes or until cooked through. Set aside. (if using a different fish, cook in the way that particular fish should be cooked)
    –
  2. In a large bowl, combine the sweet corn kernels with the remaining ingredients and mix to combine.
    –
  3. Serve with brown rice and tortillas. Option to serve also with a sriracha-mayo as fish tacos often are.

Corn salad from https://cookieandkate.com/fresh-corn-salsa-recipe

Broccoli Brown Rice Stir-Fry with Peanut Sauce

asian, dinner

ingredients

  • plain brown rice, boiled and drained
  • 1-2 heads broccoli
  • one package of a protein of your choice (tofu, seitan, etc, meat maybe)

For the peanut sauce

  • 1/2 cup peanut butter
  • 1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 2 tsp sesame oil
  • 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
  • pinch red pepper flakes

instructions

  1. Rinse the rice thoroughly. Boil in water and drain like pasta after 30 minutes. Drain and return to pot. Let sit covered for 10 minutes. Set aside.
    –
  2. Make the sauce. Combine all the ingredients and whisk together until smooth. Set aside.
    –
  3. Stir ya fry. Sautee your protein until it’s ready to go. Set aside. Sautee broccoli on medium-high heat for about 8 minutes (higher heat and shorter cooking time is the key to a good vegetable stir fry).
    –
  4. Add the sauce. Add the sauce to the stir fry and stir until combined over medium heat. Serve over the brown rice.

With some help from:
– https://www.thekitchn.com/brown-rice-pasta-technique-22997438
– https://themodernproper.com/tofu-stir-fry-with-peanut-sauce
– peanut sauce adapted from Love Real Food, Cookie + Kate

mom’s baked french toast

breakfast, Seitan

ingredients

  • 4-5 cups cubed french bread
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup milk/buttermilk (for buttermilk, mix some greek yogurt into your milk to the consistency of heavy cream)
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp salt

instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350. Spray an 8×8′ pan with pam. Arrange bread cubes in pan evenly.
    –
  2. Beat egg. Add milk, sugar, cinnamon, and salt to eggs and beat again.
    –
  3. Pour egg mixture over bread. Bake uncovered about 30 minutes.
    –

Brown Rice Pilaf

dinner, new american, pasta/grains

ingredients

  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 2 cups long grain brown rice
  • 1 small/medium onion, chopped
  • 4 cups stock (chicken or veg)
  • 1 tbsp chopped parsley
  • salt & pepper

instructions

  1. Melt the butter over medium heat in a large skillet with a lid. Add the rice and onion. Saute until the rice the becomes opaque and the onion starts to become translucent.
    –
  2. Add the chicken broth and parsley and bring to a slight boil. Cover and reduce the heat. Cook for 40 minutes, covered, until the liquid is absorbed. Fluff with a fork, season with salt and pepper, and serve.

From: https://goodcheapeats.com/simple-rice-pilaf/