Chicken Pasta Salad

Light & Easy Pasta Salad

Photo & Recipe from:  "Jovial" brand Gluten Free Spiral Pasta Box

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
3-6 tbsp. jovial extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar *or lemon juice
1/2 tsp. sea salt
2 tbsp. minced fresh parsley
1 tbsp. minced fresh mint
1 small head of lettuce
1 thinly sliced red onion
1 cup diced celery
* 1 tomato or 1/2 red, yellow, or orange pepper
1 cup fresh arugula *or spinach, sorrel, or water cress
1/2 cup black olives
* 2 or 3 chicken tenders seasoned with garlic salt
* Freshly ground black pepper
* Seasoning salt or garlic salt optional

Garden Salad with Lime Cilantro Dressing

Garden Salad with Lime Cilantro Dressing

Recipe & Photo From:  "Laylita's Recipes"

Link:  http://laylita.com/recipes/2008/02/15/garden-salad-with-lime-cilantro-dressing/

Original Site Includes:  Spanish version

Yield: For 6-8 people as a starter or side salad.

Ingredients:

• 1 head of lettuce, washed and leaves cut or torn into large pieces
• 2 tomatoes, sliced or quartered
• ½ red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 avocado, sliced or diced
• 1 tbs finely chopped cilantro
• Juice of 2 limes
• 2 tbs olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. To make the dressing whisk the chopped cilantro, lime juice, olive oil, salt and pepper together.
2. Combine the lettuce, tomatoes, onions and avocado in a large bowl.
3. Toss the salad with the dressing and serve.

Notes

Add slices of grilled chicken or meat, or leftover salmon/shrimp to make this full entree style salad.

Vietnamese Summer Rolls

Vietnamese Summer Rolls with Avocado & Mango

Recipe & Photo From:  "Inquiring Chef," Jess Smith

Link:  http://www.inquiringchef.com/2013/07/22/vietnamese-summer-rolls-with-hoisin-peanut-dipping-sauce/

Original Site Includes:  Step-by-step Photos & Nutrition Information

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 1 package (about 20) round rice paper wrappers (see note)
• 1 head romaine lettuce, torn into pieces
• 1 bunch fresh basil leaves (Thai basil will work best, but any other variety will do)
• 1 red pepper, cut into thin strips
• 1 carrot, cut into thin strips
• 1 cucumber, cut into thin strips
• 1 mango, cut into thin strips
• 1 avocado, cut into thin strips (squeeze a little lemon over this if you won’t serve it right away)
• Hoisin-Peanut Dipping Sauce (recipe below)

Instructions

1. Set out all ingredients listed above. Just before serving, soak 1 rice paper at a time in water until it becomes oft and shake to drain. Lay rice paper out on a large plate or cutting board. Add ingredients of choice in a line across the lower quarter of the paper in the following order – lettuce, basil, red pepper, carrot, cucumber, mango, avocado.
2. Close the rolls by folding the left and right sides of the paper towards the middle and rolling up tightly from the bottom of the roll.
3. Serve immediately with Hoisin-Peanut Dipping Sauce.

Notes

Rice paper wrappers can be found in the Asian section in most grocery stores with other dry goods - most often they are labeled as Thai or Vietnamese. The kind used for this recipe are never refrigerated or frozen. They are crisp like a cracker when you buy them but become soft and pliable when soaked in water for a minute.

Brown Rice Tortillas

Brown Rice Tortillas

Recipe & Photo From:  "Nourishing Meals"

Original Site Includes:  Details on healthier types of brown rice flour, Tortilla Press information

Link:  http://www.nourishingmeals.com/2014/01/how-to-make-brown-rice-flour-tortillas.html


Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups brown rice flour *(Can be purchased from health foods store, or ground from dry rice grains in a mill)
1/2 cup arrowroot powder or tapioca flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup boiling water
virgin coconut oil, for cooking *(Olive oil works just as well)

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the brown rice flour, arrowroot, and sea salt. Add the water and mix with a wooden spoon. Knead the dough a little in the bowl, then let it rest for a few minutes while the skillet heats up. Add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, if the dough feels too dry.

Preheat a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Divide the dough into six equal-sized balls. Place a piece of unbleached parchment paper on the bottom of a tortilla press then place one of the balls in the center, cover with a second sheet of parchment, and press to form a thin, round tortilla.

Add about 1 teaspoon of coconut oil to the hot skillet. Gently remove the top sheet of parchment, place the tortilla into skillet, then remove the second sheet of parchment. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes on each side. Repeat making tortillas with the remaining dough. Transfer the cooked tortillas to a plate and flip another plate over the top to keep the tortillas warm and soft. Let them sit for about 20 minutes inside the plates; this way they will be nice and pliable for serving.

Yield: about 6 tortillas

*These can be frozen and reheated

Cilantro Lime Quinoa

Cilantro Lime Quinoa

Recipe & Photo From:  "Two Peas & Their Pod"

Link:  http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/cilantro-lime-quinoa/#_a5y_p=1551016



Yield: Serves 4
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. In a large pot, bring the 2 cups of vegetable broth to a boil. Stir in quinoa and cook until broth is evaporated and quinoa is tender, about 20 minutes. Pour quinoa into a medium bowl and fluff with a fork.
2. Stir in garlic, lime juice, cilantro, and sugar. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve warm.

Cabbage Rolls

Steamed Cabbage Rolls

Recipe & Photo From:  "Lil Mys Ninja"

Link:  http://www.lilmysninja.com/2012/04/tasty-tuesdays-steamed-cabbage-rolls.html


INGREDIENTS:

• Cabbage
• 1LB lean ground beef
• 1C cooked rice
• red pepper
• yellow pepper
• garlic powder
• onion powder
• salt

DIRECTIONS:

1. Season beef with garlic powder, onion powder, and salt; brown.
2. Diced peppers and mix well with browned beef and rice.
3. Separate cabbage leaves and wash clean.
4. Blanch cabbage leaves in boiling salted water for about 3 minutes.
5. Scoop filling onto leaf, fold in sides, and roll closed.
6. Lay seam down in the steamer and steam for 10 minutes.
7. Serve warm and if desired, with a homemade sauce.

HOMEMADE SAUCE:Combine one can of tomato sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, dried parsley, and dried basil; warm on stove top. Pour over steamed cabbage rolls, then bake in oven @ 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Serve warm.

Roasted Cauliflower

Roasted Cauliflower with Tahini-Lemon Sauce

Recipe & Photo From:  "Wandering Spice"

Link:  http://www.wanderingspice.com/2012/09/04/roasted-cauliflower-with-tahini-lemon-sauce/


Cauliflower Instructions:

Provisions:

1 head cauliflower, sliced into 1″ discs or broken into florets

Cumin powder, to taste (about 2 generous teaspoons)

Salt and pepper, to taste

Olive oil, for brushing

 

Method:

Pre-heat oven to 200C / 400F. 

Slice the cauliflower into 1″-thick discs (all the way across), or separate into large florets. Arrange on a nonstick baking sheet. Brush each piece lightly with olive oil (coating both sides) and sprinkle with the cumin, salt and pepper. Place in the oven to roast for 20 minutes or until golden brown, carefully flipping once halfway through.

 

Sauce Instructions:

 

Provisions:

1/2 cup tahini

Juice of 1/2 a lemon

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 big spoonful plain yogurt (if mixing the tahini sauce)

 

In a small bowl, combine the tahini, lemon juice, minced garlic and yogurt. Add a pinch of salt to taste, if desired. Drizzle or spread atop each crispy piece of cauliflower. 

If tahini becomes oily or too thick when mixed with other ingredients, mix the crushed garlic with the lemon juice and drizzle over the cauliflower, followed by the plain tahini.

 

A note on tahini: I’ve found that different brands yield different consistencies when mixed with other elements (like lemon juice or water). Some brands split and go oily, while others morph into a stodgy, unspreadable mess.

In the event you find yourself in either of the aforementioned scenarios, fear not. Do a test run with a small scoop of tahini (say 1 tbsp, mixed with a drop of lemon juice or water). If   the consistency changes for the worst, simply deconstruct the sauce instead of mixing it together. Mix the lemon juice and garlic and drizzle over the baked cauliflower, followed by a generous spoon of tahini.

Avocado Chicken Salad

Avocado Chicken Salad

Recipe & Photo From:  "Becoming Betty"

Link:  http://becomingbetty.blogspot.com/2011/09/avocado-chicken-salad.html


Ingredients:
chicken, cooked and shredded
avocado
mayo, just a little
green onion, sliced
cilantro
lime juice to taste
salt/pepper to taste
*Try garlic salt for variety

 *Sorry there aren't any measurements.  I just asked what was in it and then made it to my liking.  I probably had 2 cups of chicken and then just threw the rest in until it tasted good.  I only used 1 avocado but if you really love avocados, you could use more.  I loved the lime juice, so I kept adding more of it little by little.  You definitely need a little salt, but the pepper is just if you want to.  I used a lot of cilantro and a moderate amount of green onion.  Probably 2-3 of them.  You can serve this in pitas or just eat it with chips.  

Stuffed Squash

 

Origins Farm: Stuffed Pattypan Squash Recipe

 

Recipe & Photo From:  "17 Apart"

 

Link:  http://www.17apart.com/2013/06/origins-farm-stuffed-patty-pan-squash.html

 

Original Site Includes:  Step-by-step Photos

 

Ingredients: (stuffing enough for 10 pattypan squashes)

• Pattypan squashes (one per person if serving as a side, otherwise 3 per person)
• 1/2 cup organic pearl barley
• Fresh sage leaves from a whole stem, some chopped, some whole
• Medium red onion, diced
• Garlic clove, diced
• 8 0unces whole hog pork sausage
• Salt and pepper to taste

Grease baking sheet with olive oil or cooking spray and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook 1/2 cup dry pearl barley according to package directions and set aside for use in stuffing.

 

Meanwhile, slice thin point off bottoms of squash so they'll balance evenly on baking sheet. Compost, discard or reserve tips for use later.

 

Flip over and slice tops, reserving each to cap squashes later.

 

Gently scoop out insides of each squash with a spoon, careful not to scoop all the way through the bottom. Dice and reserve squash flesh in a bowl to use in stuffing later, and arrange squashes on baking sheet:

 

Let's make some stuffing!

 

Combine diced squash, onion, garlic and sage in a bowl. Cook pork sausage in a pan over medium heat, breaking up to separate and until lightly brown. Once cooked, mix in diced ingredients to combine:

 

Once mixed well, incorporate cooked barley into stuffing mixture and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste:

 

Generously stuff each pattypan squash with stuffing mixture and top with a small fresh sage leaf:

 

Top each squash with their original caps and drizzle lightly with olive oil.

 

Cover the entire baking sheet with foil and roast in oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil and roast for another 10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before plating:

Turkey-Zuchhini Burger

Spicy Turkey and Zucchini Burger Recipe

 

Recipe & Photo From:  "Simply Recipes"

Recipe adapted from the cookbook Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi.
 

Link:  http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/spicy_turkey_and_zucchini_burger/

Original Site Includes:  Step-by-step Photos

 

• Prep time: 25 minutes
• Cook time: 25 minutes
• Yield: Serves 4-6.

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground turkey meat
• Just under 2 cups, lightly packed, coarsely grated zucchini (from about 2 to 3 small zucchinis or one medium zucchini)
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced, onion greens included
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh mint (spearmint)
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro (tender stems included)
• 1 clove garlic, crushed and minced
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
• 3 Tbsp vegetable oil

Sour cream sauce:

• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Pinch of freshly ground black pepper

1 Make the sour cream sauce by placing all of the sauce ingredients in a bowl and stirring until combined. Chill until ready to use.

 

2 In a large bowl place the grated zucchini, sliced green onions, chopped mint, cilantro, and garlic, ground cumin, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Stir to combine. With your hands, mix in the ground turkey until the zucchini mixture is well distributed through the ground turkey.

 

3 Use your hands to form 3 to 4 inch wide patties, placing them on a baking sheet. Note that the patties will be rather wet, so they may be a little tricky to handle.

4 Heat 3 Tbsp of vegetable oil in a large frying pan on medium high heat. Once the oil is hot, lower the heat to medium. Working in batches, place the patties in the pan. Let cook for about 5 minutes, then flip the patties over and cook for another 5 to 6 minutes. You want them to brown and to gently cook all the way through. If the temperature is too high, they'll get browned on the outside but the inside will still be raw. So, cook them gently. If the outsides are browned and the insides still aren't done, lower the heat and cook longer.

5 Once the first batch of patties are done, remove to a paper towel-lined plate while you cook the second batch. Or you can keep the patties warm in a 200°F oven.
Makes 8 large patties or up to 18 small ones. Serve with the sour cream sauce.

Quinoa Chicken Curry

Quinoa Chicken Curry

Recipe & Photo From:  "I Can Cook That"

Link:  http://www.icancookthat.org/2012/09/quinoa-indian-chicken-curry.html

Original Site Includes:  Step-by-step Photos

Ingredients:

1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed and drained

4 cups chicken broth, divided

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

6 teaspoons curry powder, divided

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup frozen peas

1 medium head cauliflower, chopped into 1 inch pieces

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp celery seed

1/2 tsp fennel seed

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt (optional)

1/3 cup nonfat sour cream (optional)

1/2 cup cashews (optional)

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

 

Add the quinoa and 2 cups chicken broth to a pot and bring to a boil.

Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for about 15 minutes or until almost all the liquid has been absorbed. 

Cut the chicken into 1 inch pieces. Add the chicken to a bowl with 1 tablespoon olive oil and 2 teaspoons curry powder. Mix to coat.

Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the chicken pieces and cook for about 7 minutes or until just done, stirring to cook evenly. Set aside.

Using the same sauté pan, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the yellow onion and garlic. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

 Add the peas, cauliflower, cumin, celery seed, fennel seed, turmeric, and the remaining 4 teaspoons curry powder.

Add the remaining 2 cups chicken broth and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. (The original recipe didn’t specify when to add the chicken pieces back in. I decided to add them along with the chicken broth to allow them to simmer in the mixture.)

Remove from heat and stir in the low-fat yogurt and nonfat sour cream.

Stir in the quinoa, cashews, cilantro, salt, and pepper.

 

Yields 5 cups, or about 4 servings.

 

*Hint - curry is best when sautéed in oil before blending with other foods.  This helps lessen bitterness, and releases the flavor.