Tag: spicy

Noodle Bowl with Seasoned Egg & Pan Fried Tofu

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Have I said I’m obsessed with “Bowls”!?!?! Well I am…for the last year or so. My newest creation wasn’t ramen…or soup…or with rice. This had a creamy peanut sauce covering the noodles, topped with pan fried crispy tofu, roasted baby bok choy, fresh carrot sticks, chopped cilantro, green onions and pickled ginger. Oooohhhhhh the pickled ginger I absolutely love! It’s a must have on any Asian inspired bowl I make.

Some details in case you would like to make your own:

  • I cheated and bought the peanut sauce. It was a quality one but there are tons of recipes on Pinterest if you’d like to make your own. Use it to coat the noodles and marinate the tofu before pan frying.
  • Roast the baby bok choy with olive oil and salt and pepper until they’re soft. That’s all you need here!
  • Cut all you fresh veggies while you fry the tofu and cook the noodles.
  • Put all your toppings on the noodles and enjoy – and I added a little sesame seeds at the last minute ☺️
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    Earthy, Vegetarian Breakfast Wrap

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    What makes this earthy? The “sprouted lentils” is certainly it. I accidentally stumbled upon sprouted lentils when I realized I hydrated too many dried lentils for another recipe. I left them in the fridge and next thing I knew there were sprouts! They’ve lasted a couple weeks now. To keep them sprouted, I spray a bit of water and toss them a bit. 

    Sprouted Lentils

    Since I have no idea what to do with all these I’ve been using them in a variety of recipes as a test. I’ve read that, once sprouted, they are easier to digest because the complex sugars break down. 

    As for the breakfast wrap, it was pretty good. You be the judge. 

    What you’ll need:

    • 1 egg
    • 1 tsp olive oil
    • 1 small soft taco shell
    • 1 Tbls hummus
    • A sprinkle of sprouted lentils
    • Black beans
    • Spinach
    • Hot sauce, optional

    What to do:

    Turkey and 3 Bean Chili

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    This was a perfect meal for the weekend considering it was damp and “chilly” outside. Even if you don’t like my jokes I guarantee you’ll like my recipe. I always say to feel free and make it your own how you choose! 

    My goal is to stop eating canned goods. So, I use dried beans and a mix of fresh and jarred tomatoes for this recipe. 


    The only thing missing from the pic is my husbands homemade crusty bread. Yum…


    My very special spicy sauce is the white sauce you see here. It’s Greek yogurt based but feel free to use what you like i.e. Sour cream. The red is a Mexican hot chili sauce…wowza its spicy! I can’t even tell you how to make it; it’s my momma’s. 

    Here’s what you’ll need:

    • 2 1/2 cups dry black beans
    • 2 cups dry kidney beans
    • 1 1/2 cups dry great northern beans
    • 1/2 cup dry green lentils
    • 2 lbs ground turkey
    • 2 tbls olive oil
    • 2 1/2 sweet bell peppers, coarsley chopped
    • 1 red onion, chopped, plus more for topping
    • 1 carrot, chopped
    • 8-10 garlic cloves, minced
    • 24 oz Campari tomatoes, quartered
    • 24 oz strained tomatoes 
    • 4 tbls nutritional yeast 
    • 4 tbls cumin
    • 4 tbls coriander
    • 5 tbls chili powder
    • 4 dashes of franks hot sauce
    • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, reserve some for topping
    • S & P

    Here’s what to do:

    1. Hydrate the beans and lentils according to their instructions. If you’re not using dried, canned are fine too just skip this step and rinse them all clean. 
    2. Heat the Dutch oven on medium heat with some olive oil and, once hot, brown the turkey. Season it with S & P and some cumin. 
    3. Set aside and add some more oil to the Dutch oven. 
    4. Add the onions and sautée for 2 minutes. Add the peppers and carrots, more S & P and sautée another 5 minutes stirring occasionally until soft. 
    5. Add the garlic and stir continuously for 1 minute. Add the Campari tomatoes and stir to combine. 
    6. Add the strained toms plus a little water that I used to rinse out the jar. 
    7. Add all the spices, nutritional yeast, cilantro, S &P and stir to combine. 
    8. Let the pot reduce a bit and then add in the browned turkey and beans. 
    9. Summer on low for an hour stirring occasionally. 
    10. Top with fresh cilantro, red onion, and/or any of your favorite toppings. 

    Enjoy!!

    Coconut Curry Chicken

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    If you’re not sure if you like curry or if you’ve tried it and on the fence, this is a good dish to start experimenting on. It’s lightly flavored with curry but combined with other Indian and Asian spices that blend nicely. Give it a try!!

    First prep the chicken and season it with salt, pepper and brown rice flower. If you don’t have brown rice flour, feel free to use whatever kind you have in your pantry. Sear the things skin side down in coconut oil until they become brown and crispy in a Dutch oven. Flip and repeat on the other side. 

    Prep the veggies and sautee them in the same pot as the chicken. I used a whole white onion, red bell pepper and king oyster mushrooms. Again, feel free to use what you like if you don’t want these exact ingredients. Half way through add two stalls of lemongrass, fresh ginger and fresh garlic. 


    Add coconut milk, curry paste, sambal oelek (or any chili garlic sauce), a good amount of curry powder, ground turmeric and S & P. Bring to a simmer. 

    Nestle the chicken breasts back in and bake in the ove with the lid on at 275 for 2 hours. 

    Yum!! 

    What you’ll need:

    • 4 bone in chicken thighs
    • 8 oz king oyster mushrooms, chopped
    • 1 medium sweet onion, chopped
    • 1 red bell pepper, chopped
    • 2 stalks lemongrass
    • 2 tsp fresh ginger, grated
    • 3 cloves garlic, diced small
    • 2 Tbls brown rice flour
    • 2 Tbls Coconut oil
    • 1 can coconut milk
    • 2 Tbls Curry powder
    • 2 Tbls turmeric 
    • 1 Tbl Curry paste
    • 1 Tbls Sambal oelek and more for topping (optional)
    • 2 cups dry jasmine rice
    • Cilantro, chopped for topping (optional)
    • Green onion, chopped for topping (optional)

    Put everything over some rice, I prefer jasmine rice, and top with fresh cilantro, green onions and/or chili garlic sauce for an extra kick. 
    Enjoy!!

    Cast Iron Vegan Chili

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    I made this for all my vegan and vegetarian friends and family. Not all meals have to have meat and some taste even better without it. If you are a carnivore, just give this a try and you’ll realize what I mean.  Look at the vibrant colors! You see onions and red, yellow and purple bell peppers. 

    Add the carrots for some orange…

    Put everything together…

    I’m really enjoying a local farm stand this summer that’s right down the road from me. All ingredients came from there and I believe one of the reasons this dish tasted so delicious. The fresher the better! 

    Serves 8

    What you’ll need:

    • 1 cup each dry black and pinto beans, rehydrated according to the instructions (or use canned beans and will equal about 3 cups total after draining)
    • 2 ears corn (or 1 can of corn)
    • 2 carrots, diced
    • 1 onion, diced
    • 3 large garlic cloves, chopped small
    • 3 bell peppers, largely diced 
    • 3 fresh tomatoes, diced
    • 13 oz can of diced tomatoes
    • 3 oz Tom paste
    • 28oz can tomato sauce
    • 1 tsp coriander
    • 1 tsp cinnamon
    • 1 bay leaf
    • 1 tsp ground mustard
    • 2 tsp cumin
    • 2 tsp chili powder
    • 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
    • 2 Tbls olive oil
    • Pink Himalayan Salt
    • Fresh ground black pepper
    • 2 jalapeños, roasted and diced small for garnish
    • red onion, diced small for garnish
    • cilantro or parsley, for garnish

    What to do:

    1. If you’re using the dried beans like I did, you’ll need to start this the night before or follow the instructions for the quick cook. 
    2. In a large cast iron Dutch oven, heat the olive oil on medium. 
    3. Sautée the onions and bell peppers with some salt and pepper about 5 minutes until slightly soft. 
    4. Reduce the heat to medium low and add the the carrots and garlic. Sautée another 5 minutes stirring frequently. 
    5. Add the fresh tomatoes, a little more salt and pepper, stir and simmer until you see the liquid expel from the tomatoes. 
    6. Boil the corn, let cool, slice off with a knife and add to the pot. 
    7. Add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and paste, stir until combined and add all the spices and nutritional yeast. Reduce the heat to low and stir again. 
    8. Simmer on the lowest heat for an hour to hour and a half stirring occasionally. 
    9. Serve in a bowl with the garnishes listed or whatever you choose. Feel free to add some hot sauce for some heat if you don’t do the jalapeños 😉

    Side note: You can roast your own jalapeños directly on your stove top. Be sure to char all sides, let cool, peel the char and diced away. Very simple and can be done with any kind of peppers. 

    Enjoy!

      Tomatillo Verde Sauce

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      Talk about a versatility…this sauce is the epitome of it. You can put this on top of tacos, eggs, salads as your dressing, dip, you name it. 

      What you see above is the Verde Sauce on top of a salad I threw together with the various things I had in my refrigerator. I also had left over shredded pork from pork tacos the night before (which also had verde on it 😉) that you see on top. 

      The pork tacos were quasi tacos because I’m really trying to cut carbs and sugar from my diet. I used Boston Bib lettuce for the wrap but a mini romaine lettuce would also be perfect. The recipe for the pork is here. I topped everything with tomatoes, avocado, red onion, fresh cilantro, carrots, and a little extra salt and pepper to the pork. 

      As for the Verde Sauce itself…

      What you’ll need (and remember I make in bulk to freeze some for future so feel free to cut it in half):

      • 18 Tomatillos 
      • 2 jalapeños 
      • 4 cloves of garlic
      • Juice of one lime
      • fresh cilantro to taste
      • S & P

      What to do:

      1. Boil a pot of water that will hold tomatillos and jalapeños. 
      2. Remove the husks off the tomatillos and run them under water until clean.  Also, clean the jalapeños.
      3. Boil the tomatillos and jalapeños for 10 minutes and strain. 
      4. Place them in a food processor with the remaining ingredients. 
      5. Pulse until smooth. 

      Use it for whatever you want and enjoy!

        Crockpot Beef Tacos for Toddlers (or Adults)

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        I really think older babies (when ready for solid food) and toddlers should eat just like adults. My husband and I LOVED our beef tacos so why not share with Grady?!?!

        What you need to put in the crockpot:

        • 1 lb flank steak
        • 1 small jar salsa
        • 1/2 cup beef broth
        • 4 cloves garlic

        Toppings and shell:

        • Avocado
        • Greek Yogurt
        • Sharp Cheddar Cheese
        • Deathwish hot sauce (for the adults)
        • Whole wheat soft taco shells 

        What to do:

        1. Add the ingredients to the crockpot and cook on low for 6 hours. 
        2. Shread the beef and cook another 1/2 hour – 1 hour. 
        3. Put it all on a shell with as much or as little of the toppings. I recommend that you drain some of the juice from the crockpot beforehand. 

        At the very end I wanted to make sure Grady had enough vegetables so I added some raw carrots. He loved it all!

        Enjoy!

            Buffalo Chicken Meatballs with Sriracha Honey Garlic Sauce

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            Warning: These are not healthy by any means, however, they are SOOOOOOO delicious. I made them for a food day and brought them into the office for my team. They were a big hit! They would also be good as an app for any kind of party or get together. Eh hem….Super Bowl party 🙂

            What you’ll need:


            Meatballs…

            • 3 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
            • 2 eggs (I forgot to add them in the pic)
            • 3/4 cup Panko bread crumbs
            • 3 carrots
            • 3 stalks of celery
            • 1/2 medium onion
            • Handful of parsley
            • Fresh cracked pepper
            • All season salt
            • Blue Cheese dressing, I like Kens

            Sauce…

            • 1 cup Franks hot sauce
            • 1/2 cup Sriracha
            • 1 cup honey
            • 4 cloves garlic, minced
            • 2 sticks butter
            • 1 Tbls whole grain Mustard
            • Fresh cracked pepper
            • All season salt

            Back to the meatballs…

            1. You’ll need a meat grinder. I used my Kitchen Aid attachment. If you don’t have one, just buy ground chicken.
            2. Preheat the over to 375.
            3. Trim some of the fat from the thighs. Put all the chicken through the meat grinder. Also, put the carrots, celery, onion and parsley through the grinder. If you’re not using a grinder, mince it in a food processor.
            4. Add the Panko, eggs, salt, and pepper to the mixture.
            5. Mix everything together and use a teaspoon to make mini meatballs.
            6. Bake for 15 minutes

            And now back to the sauce…

            1. Melt the butter in a medium sauce pan on medium low heat.
            2. Add the garlic and simmer for 2 minutes continuously stirring to make sure the garlic doesn’t burn
            3. Add the remaining ingredients
            4. Simmer for about 15-20 minutes. Taste to make sure it’s not too spicy for you. If it is, add more butter. Just remember that it will always taste spicier on its own.
            5. Poor the sauce over the meatballs in a crock pot and place on warm.
            6. Serve with the blue cheese dressing and some fresh celery and/or carrots

            Enjoy!

            Start The Day Off Right | Breakfast Sandwich

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            Farm fresh, organic eggs are simply the best! They’re even better if you mix them with the right stuff. These items are the makings of my favorite Sunday breakfast. 

             
            What you need:

            • 2 eggs
            • 2 slices of Fresh Whole Grain Bread
            • Avocado
            • Your choice of greenery, butterhead lettuce is shown
            • 1 Slice of Cooper Cheese
            • 3 Tbls Greek Yogurt
            • 3-5 Dashes Hot Sauce
            • All-Season Salt
            • Black Pepper
            • Garlic Powder
            • 1Tbls Olive Oil
            1. Make the sauce. In a tiny dish, mix the yogurt, hot sauce, garlic powder, all-season salt, and pepper. You choose how much hot sauce to use. Deathwish is my absolute favorite and made from habanero peppers and cayenne, so, this is really spicy.  It should like like this…   
            2. Mash the avocado and spread it on one slice of bread. Spread the yogurt sauce on the other slice of bread and top with lettuce.         
            3. In a nonstick pan, coat olive oil and heat the pan on medium high heat. Crack the eggs into the pan. Cook on one side until the whites are almost cooked through.    
            4. Flip the eggs and put 1/2 slice of cheese over each egg. Cover and turn off the heat.    
            5. Put the eggs on the bread, put the top on the bottom and slice in half.       

            Enjoy!!