Ginger Soy Broccoli Rice Bowl

Recipe thanks to JS!

“You can mix this up in 5 minutes & add to a rice bowl with steamed broccoli &/or any lean protein like salmon, chicken or sliced pork tenderloin. Healthy & delicious!”

1 tablespoon minced ginger (buy the little jars sold in produce)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/3 cup neutral oil
1/3 cup minced scallions (white & I use most the green part just not ends)

Chicken Chili

Recipe thanks to KG!

“Our go to is easy chicken chili.   I think it lives in our fridge from Dec through Feb!”

2 lbs ground chicken (turkey)
2 packets McCormicks Chili Mix (low sodium)
2 15oz cans of tomato sauce
2 15oz cans of diced tomatoes
2 cans of kidney beans rinsed
Cook chicken in large pot, drain fat.  Return chicken to pot add the rest of ingredients.  Stir. Bring to boil.  Cover and reduce heat to simmer for 10 min. Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream, diced scallions, oyster crackers if desired.  So easy and always a hit!!

Thai Chicken Curry

Recipe thanks to GS!
Serves: 4-6 people (recipient can be doubled with great results)
1 yellow onion
1/3 cup scallions (white and green parts)
1 sliced red, green and yellow pepper (any color pepper you prefer)*
2 minced garlic cloves
2-1/2 Tablespoons of Green Thai Curry paste (available at most grocery stores)
1 can of full fat coconut milk (14 ounce)
1/4 cup of water or chicken stock
2 tablespoons of fish sauce (use clam juice if you can’t find Asian fish sauce. If you buy a bottle of Asian fish sauce, it will last forever. It doesn’t smell good on its own but it’s an important ingredient in manyThai dishes).
1 or 2 tablespoons of brown sugar
2 lbs of diced, browned chicken
Garnish (optional)
Chopped Thai or Italian basil
Chopped peanuts
Lime wedges
Instructions:
Brown the chicken in the oil over medium heat for about ten minutes (until lightly browned. Don’t worry if chicken isn’t cooked all the way, it will cook in the sauce). Put aside.
In a larger skillet, sauté the onion and peppers for about five minutes. Then add the garlic and curry paste and cook for about 2 more minutes.
Next add the coconut milk, water (or chicken broth), fish sauce and brown sugar and bring to a gentle boil. Then add the chicken and stir. Allow sauce and chicken to simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.
Serve with jasmine rice and optimal lime wedges, peanuts and basil.
*Many vegetables can be used/omitted for this dish. Great options include long green beans, egg plant and/or sliced carrots.
**I have cheated and thrown all of these ingredients (minus the chicken) into a slow cooker. I cook it on low for 2 to 3 hours. Then I add shredded rotisserie chicken into the pot. If I’m super lazy, I’ll use instant jasmine rice (steamed in the microwave). Nobody seems to notice the difference! In addition, shrimp works well for this recipe too but don’t add the shrimp until the end or it will be over cooked. I recommend quickest waiting the shrimp for 3 to 4 minutes in some oil and then adding it into the sauce right before serving.

Black Bean Tacos

Recipe thanks to JS!

“I make a version of this a couple times a month & sometimes just for myself.”

Drain & rinse a can of black beans
Mash beans with a fork and mix with a tablespoon of ground cumin & salt
Heat a tablespoon or more of neutral oil to medium in frying pan (I use cast iron for almost everything)
Place corn tortillas in pan with a scoop of the bean mixture on one side and add some feta cheese on top… try to fold tortilla into taco shape once it starts to warm up.  This is only tricky part!  The shells will start to brown & you want even cooking on both sides & sometimes the filling wants to fall out
Serve with
Bag shredded cabbage for coleslaw mixed with:
Juice 1-2 limes
1/4 cup neutral oil
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup minced scallions
Salt

THAI CRUMBLED BEEF IN LETTUCE WRAPS

Recipe thanks to BS!
“This is a fun easy dinner. Serve rice on the side with olive oil and lots of tamari mixed in.”

1 teaspoon vegtable oil

3 or 4 small hot red chillies, finely chopped
1 1/2 lb ground beef
2 scant tablespoons fish sauce
8 scallions, white part only chopped
zest and juice of 2 limes
8 tablespoons chopped cilantro
2 or 3 heads of boston or iceberg lettuce
Add oil to fry pan on medium heat and add chillies, cook for a couple of minutes. Add beef, turn up heat and brown well, breaking up with spoon until there is no pink meat.Add fish sauce and cook until evaporated. Off heat and add scallions,zest and juice of limes, and cilantro. Seperate and place lettuce leaves on plate and set on table next to warm pan of beef. Let kids scoop the meat into the lettuce cups at the table. Delish!

Pesto Pasta with Grilled Shrimp and Asparagus.

Recipe thanks to RC!
24 Shrimp.
1 jar prepared pesto (or you can make your own, but I always have it in my pantry)
I box pasta of your choice.  I suggest penne or fettuccini
1 bunch asparagus
3 tbsp Olive oil
1/2 Lemon ( or more to taste )
2 tablespoons butter (optional)
Directions:
*HINT*  Do yourself a HUGE favor and start buying frozen shrimp. They are fantastic to have on hand for a quick, last minute dinner like this.  They are perfect in salads, pastas or on their own!  I always buy the frozen shrimp with the shell on, but you can buy them shelled and deveined.  Just make sure they are farmed or wild from the USA.  I wouldn’t buy any shell fish (or any fish for that matter) from Asia.  OR you can obviously buy them fresh and cook them that night!
I do a quick marinade on the shrimp.  Just put them in a freezer bag and add salt, pepper, 2 tbsp olive oil and 1/4 fresh lemon juice (I usually add a splash of soy sauce too, but not necessary). Marinate for 30 mins to 2 hours or not at all! They are fine with out a marinade since the pesto will be the sauce.
Boil water for the pasta and cook according to your liking.
Grill shrimp on a grill pan or in a frying pan.  Shrimp cook fast, 2-3 minutes per side.  I like grilling them since it gets a nice color on them.  If you want to be fancy, squeeze the other 1/4 of a lemon on the grill pan and throw a pat of butter on the shrimp…super easy and super yummy.
Steam asparagus (or roast it).
Drain pasta, remove shrimp from pan, chop up the asparagus into 2 inch spears and combine.  Add pesto spoonful by spoonful until it gets to the consistency that you want…AND VOILA! Protein, carbs and veggies in one dish.  Super simple!
PS:
Works great with grilled chicken too! Add chicken breast with 1/2 bottle Italian dressing in a freezer bag and marinate up to 24 hours in the fridge.  Grill, chop up and add to pasta and asparagus and serve. Asparagus can also be swapped out for any frozen veggies you may have on hand. Peas work great in this recipe too!