Wordless Wednesday

Teriyaki Chicken Stir Fry (5 ingredients!)

This stir fry is extremely quick and easy! I am definitely on a five ingredient kick these days. Nothing like a great tasting and healthy recipe that isn’t a bunch of muss and fuss. I like to make this stir fry ahead of time and reheat it as needed. If you’re not into mushrooms, you could use any other veggie you like. I think onion, carrot, snow peas and baby corn would all work very well. Same goes for red bell peppers… If you’d rather not use those, just substitute one of the above. This recipe makes enough for four generous portions. I’ll be serving this over steamed brown jasmine rice with a little hot sauce. Feel free to add a little extra teriyaki sauce when serving, but a little goes a long way. This recipe could easily be doubled for a larger group… or for more leftovers!

What You Need:

1 lb chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces (about ¾”)
4 ½ cups broccoli pieces, fresh or frozen (defrosted) would work here
10 mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 red pepper, chopped into 1/2” pieces
¼ cup bottled or homemade teriyaki sauce

½ Tbs olive oil

What To Do:

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Once the oil is hot add the mushrooms and sauté for 5 minutes or until they release their liquid and shrink.

Moving the mushrooms aside, brown the chicken for 4 minutes. Turn chicken over half way through the cooking process.

Next, add all the remaining ingredients and reduce heat to medium and cover.

With the cover on, cook for 4 minutes. Serve over steamed brown jasmine rice or quinoa.

**Edited to add: Makes about 3 - 2 cup servings

Nutritional Stats for 1 serving

Bon Appétit!

Mary

Gingery Maple Stir Fry with Snow Peas, Broccoli and Kelp Noodles

My gingery maple stir fry has the same basic components found in all of my stir frys: vegetables, protein and sauce. This spin off is sweet, savory and spicy. The kelp noodles are a fun way to bulk up this quick and easy dish. They are low calorie and add a nice, somewhat crunchy texture to this meal. For those that cannot find these, I would substitute Thai rice noodles. Although the texture is quite different, they’re still very noodley. Not only are kelp noodles a great low carb substitution for rice noodles, but they are nutritional power houses! In a Natural News.com article by Matt Monarch (http://www.naturalnews.com/025816_kelp_food_health.html), it spells out why on earth we’d want to eat these seaweed noodles. Turns out they’re not just a low cal noodle solution.

“Kelp grows in oceans and so is rich in all the nutrients which the ocean contains, most of which are needed also by the human body in various amounts. These include over 70 minerals, trace elements, enzymes, iodine, potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron and 21 amino acids. The complex range of nutrients makes it an essential promoter of glandular health. Kelp is also a natural antibiotic because of its iodine content, which helps the body fight bad bacteria and infections. “

What You Need:

16 oz firm tofu, cut into 1” cubes

12 oz kelp noodles, cut into bite sized lengths

4 carrots, peeled and sliced
5 cups broccoli pieces
9 oz snow peas
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
5 cloves garlic, minced
4 tsp ginger
3 Tbs maple syrup
1 ½ Tbs soy sauce
1 Tbs sesame oil
1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
Hot sauce to taste



What To Do:

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Once hot, brown tofu for 10 minutes and set aside.

Combine broccoli, peas, carrots and mushrooms in the same skillet and sauté for 5 minutes with the lid on, stirring occasionally.

After vegetables have been partially cooked, add kelp noodles, tofu, garlic, ginger, green onions (reserving some for garnish), syrup, soy sauce, sesame oil and hot sauce. Stir fry for an additional 5 minutes. Serve with soy sauce and hot sauce, garnished with green onions.

Serves 6

Bon Appétit!
Mary

Egg White Frittata with Broccoli, Zucchini and Cremini Mushrooms

Frittatas are one of my most favorite ways to get my veggies in the morning. Whenever I make this breakfast, I feel like I’m starting the day out right. If you’re short on time, just scramble up the egg whites and skip putting it in the oven. If you do have the time, I urge you to finish it in the oven because the broccoli will be almost sweet from roasting. The key to keeping your vegetables crisp is not cooking them too long in the skillet. Nobody likes mushy, over cooked veggies.

What You Need:

1 ¼ cups egg white

1 cup Cremini mushrooms, sliced

1 cup broccoli, cut into bite sized pieces
1 sm zucchini, cut into bite sized pieces
¼ cup shredded sharp cheddar
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional: hot sauce and ketchup



What To Do:
Pre heat oven to 400*.

Heat oil over medium heat in a medium sized, oven safe, skillet. Once oil is hot, add mushrooms and sauté for 3 minutes or until mushrooms begin to brown.

Add broccoli and zucchini and sauté for another 2 minutes. The vegetables will be barely cooked, but that’s what you want because they will finish the cooking process in the oven. Season with salt and pepper.

Add egg whites and cook until the edges begin to firm up, but the center is still raw.

Bake for about 8 minutes or until egg whites are cooked through.

Top with onions and cheese and bake for another two minutes to melt the cheese. Serve with toast.







Serves 2-3


Bon Appettit!
Mary

Orzo Salad with Artichokes, Sun Dried Tomatoes and Orange Scented Balsamic Dressing

When the weather starts warming up, the last place I want to be at the end of the day is a hot kitchen. I prepared this salad while the cool morning air was still lingering to accompany my grilled salmon and asparagus for dinner last night. By cooking the pasta in chicken broth, you really boost the flavor of the pasta. If you happen to be out of broth, use well salted water instead. Also, if you don’t want to turn on the oven, you could blanch the broccoli for two minutes in boiling water and then shock in an ice water bath to stop the cooking process. The ice water bath helps the broccoli retain its bright green color.  This salad can be made a day ahead. The longer the salad sits, the better it tastes. I highly recommend refrigerating it over night.

What You Need:

12 oz orzo, cooked as directed in chicken broth

14 oz can artichokes, quartered

½ - 8.5 oz jar julienned sun dried tomatoes
½ cup toasted pine nuts
12 oz roasted broccoli, recipe follows
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1 recipe orange scented balsamic, recipe follows

What To Do:

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.  You could serve the salad immediately, but the longer it sits in the fridge, the better it tastes.  I recommend refrigerating the salad for at least two hours, but preferably over night.

Serves a Crowd!

Bon Appetit!
Mary



Roasted Broccoli

What You Need:

12 oz broccoli pieces

½ Tbs extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

What To Do:

Roast in a 400* oven for 12-16 minutes, or until broccoli is golden brown at the edges. Set aside.






Orange Scented Balsamic

What You Need:

1/8 cup balsamic vinegar

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

2-3 small cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp honey
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp orange zest
Salt and pepper to taste

What To Do:

Combine all ingredients in a small food processor and pulse until dressing becomes slightly thickened. Set aside.

Creamy Oven Roasted Vegetables with Whole Wheat Pasta for One

For those nights when you’re cooking for one, this creamy comfort food satisfies that craving for pasta with cream sauce. By using the laughing cow cheese wedge, you feel like you’re eating an herby cream sauce even though you’re keepin’ it healthy.  If you want it to be extra creamy, add two wedges. Top with parmesan and red pepper flakes to complete this hearty pasta dish. To add some protein to your meal, you could add your favorite bean (ex: garbanzo, cannellini, red kidney) or left over chicken.

What You Need:

• 
  
  1 – ¾ cup serving whole wheat pasta, boiled in chicken broth according to packaged instructions
• 1 laughing cow garlic and herb cheese wedge, broken into small pieces
• 1 Tbs cooking liquid from pasta
• 1 ½ cups roasted vegetables, recipe follows
• Garnish: parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes and thinly sliced green onions

What To Do:
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and microwave for 30-40 seconds or until cheese has melted, stir well. Garnish with parmesan, red pepper and green onions.


Serves 1


Bon Appétit!
Mary



Roasted Vegetables

What You Need:

3 cups broccoli and cauliflower

6 cremini mushrooms

½ Tbs extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste



What To Do:
Toss vegetables with oil, salt and pepper. Roast in the oven at 425* for 20-30 minutes or until vegetables are browned. Keep warm.