Nutty Wild Rice Salad, by Cheryl

This is a recipe from Once Upon a Chef. It's the cookbook my friend chose for the cookbook club this month. This recipe was a hit! It's great cold or slightly warmed up. So flavorful and yummy! And not too bad for you either. Yum!

Ingredients:

1 cup wild rice, rinsed
1 1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp orange zest
1/4 cup fresh orange juice from 1 orange
1/4 cup EVOO
3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp honey
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 cup pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley,
2 celery stalks, diced
1 tart yet sweet apple, peeled, cored, and diced
1/4 cup roasted and salted pepitas
2 scallions, light and dark green parts, thinly sliced

Directions:

1) In a medium pot, cook the wild rice according to package directions.

2) In a large bowl, whisk together the orange zest, orange juice, oil, vinegar, honey, mustard, pepper, and remaining salt. Add the cooled rice, pecans, dried cranberries, parsley, celery, apple, pepitas, and scallions. Taste and adjust the seasoning if desired. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Steak Bites with Peppers and Sweet Potato, by Cheryl

These steak bites were so delicious, filling, and easy to make! I had them on their own, but you could easily put them on top of some rice or in a tortilla like my daughter did. I didn't think they'd be as flavorful as they actually were.. I was really surprised! I've made them twice (the second time I doubled the recipe so I could have some for lunch). The original recipe is Whole 30, but I substituted soy sauce for the coconut aminos. I also didn't microwave the sweet potatoes, but cooked them in a pot on the stove. This is a big YUM!

Ingredients (from here)

1 large sweet potato, diced into 1 inch pieces
1 tsp sea salt
1 lb flat iron steak, diced into 1 inch pieces
3 tbsp olive oil, divided
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 bell peppers, diced into 1 inch pieces
4 green onion, thinly sliced
2 tbsp coconut aminos (I used soy sauce)
2 tbsp black pepper
2 tbsp fresh chopped cilantro

Directions:

1) Put sweet potatoes in a pot with a dash of olive oil and salt over medium heat. Cover, but stir often, and cook until you can pierce the potatoes with a fork, about 10 minutes.

2) While the potatoes cook, heat a skillet over high heat. Add 2 tbsp of olive oil and once hot, add the steak in a single layer. Cook, turning every couple of minutes until the center is medium, about ten minutes. Remove the steak and set aside onto a plate.

3) Add the sweet potatoes into the skillet, toss to coat with olive oil, and cook until browned. Make a well in the center of the pan and add the garlic. Saute until fragrant, about 1 minute.

4) Add the bell pepper and scallions and toss with the potatoes. Saute until tender, about 3-4 minutes.

5) Add the steak and juices back into the skillet along with the soy sauce. Toss everything together and cook additional 1-2 minutes until the juices have evaporated.

6) Add the pepper and cilantro, toss, and remove from heat. Top with more fresh cilantro if desired. Serve immediately.

Egg Roll in a Bowl, by Diane

Finally, after a long hiatus I'm back to making new recipes! This recipe is a combo of what I've seen on the internet, and it was easy and really really good! Looking forward to lunches this week already...


Ingredients:

Sesame oil
1 lb ground chicken
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp. minced ginger
1 medium yellow onion, sliced in thin rings
1.5 cups matchstick carrots
1 bunch scallions, chopped (green and white parts!)
1 box sliced mushrooms (I used shitake)
1 large head green cabbage, cut into strips
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
3 tbsp hoisin sauce


Directions:

1. Heat a large pan on medium high and put appox. 1 tbsp of sesame oil in. Cook the chicken, crumbling with a spoon into smaller pieces, until fully cooked through and set aside in a large bowl after draining.

2. Add another 2 tbsp sesame oil into the pan, and add in the garlic, ginger, and onions. Cook until browned and fragrant. Add in the carrots, scallions, and mushrooms, and cook until softened. Add into the bowl with the chicken and set aside. If you have a big enough pan, you can add the cabbage in at this step and cook with the other ingredients. I didn't- hence step 3!

3. Add 2 tbsp more sesame oil into the pan, add the cabbage and salt, and cover. Uncover and stir until the cabbage is softened and brown. Add the cabbage to the bowl.

4. Add the soy sauce and hoisin sauce into the bowl and mix well. Enjoy!

Creamy Asparagus Potato Soup, by Cheryl

This comes from my Eating Well magazine. I was intrigued by it since we always eat roasted asparagus, but I never know what else to do with it! This recipe was just okay... I found it to be a little bland (I, of course, added salt... but that doesn't mean anything). I also didn't find it to be very creamy, but I think I could have cooked the asparagus and potatoes longer. It was good, not great, and I won't be making it again. I didn't even eat the leftovers! Yum?

Ingredients:

Olive oil
1 medium shallot, chopped
3 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into pieces
1 cup diced peeled potato
2 teaspoons horseradish
1/4 teaspoon salt
sliced scallions for garnish

Directions:

1) Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add shallot and cook, stirring until softened, 2-3 minutes. Add broth, asparagus, potato, horseradish, and salt; bring to boil.

2) Reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Puree with an immersion blender.

3) Serve the soup topped with croutons, or scallions.

Spanakopita (Greece), by Cheryl

As you can see I had trouble. But the middle one looks good! 

Mmm... these were quite tasty. But I do have to say that I refuse to work with phyllo dough for a very very long time. What a pain, haha. If I ever do make these again I will use more layers than just one when folding the triangles. I did this for a few at the end because I was frustrated and they turned out better than my earlier tries. Nonetheless, they were really tasty and if someone else folds them then I will gladly make them again! Yum!

Ingredients (recipe from the Food Network :

1/3 cup olive oil
2 pounds spinach, drained and washed (I did half kale, half spinach)
1 bunch scallions, white and green parts, chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
salt and pepper
1/2 pound feta cheese, crumbled
1-2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 sticks butter, melted (didn't use anywhere close to that, maybe 1/4 stick?)
filo pastry sheets

Directions:

1) Heat some oil in a pan and saute spinach until it wilts. Remove spinach and get rid of excess water. Chop roughly.

2) Cook scallions with a tablespoon of oil, and saute until soft, maybe 2-3 minutes. Add the spinach, parsley, salt, and pepper, and cook over low heat for 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.

3) Stir the feta and as much of the beaten egg to moisten the cooled spinach mixture.

4) Preheat the oven to 350. Brush a baking sheet with some melted butter.

5) Unroll the filo dough on a flat surface and keep it covered with waxed paper and a damp towel so it doesn't dry out and become brittle. Using a sharp knife, cut the filo into 3 by 11 inch strips, and recover with the towel. Use a pastry brush to brush a strip of filo with melted butter. Place a small spoonful of spinach filling 1 inch from the end of the pastry. Fold the end over the filling to form a triangle, then continue to fold up the strip in triangles, like folding up a flag. Continue with remaining strips of dough, placing filled triangles on the baking sheet and keeping them covered with a towel until all are ready to bake.

6) Brush the triangles lightly with butter, then bake for 20-25 minutes. Serve hot. 

Classic Crab Cakes, by Cheryl

What a surprisingly easy recipe! I got this recipe from Cooking Light magazine and boy is it good! You can make them up to a day ahead of time, which can be a big time saver when it comes to dinner time. They were excellent on their own, but next time I'll buy some tartar sauce to accompany them. I served them with a sweet potato and asparagus and it was a great dinner! Yum!

Ingredients:

2/3 cup panko, divided
1 tbsp minced fresh flat leaf parsley
2 tbsp finely chopped green onions
2 tbsp canola mayonnaise
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/8 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp ground red pepper
1 large egg, lightly beaten
8 ounces lump crabmeat
1 tbsp olive oil
1 lemon, quartered

Directions:

1) Combine 1/3 cup panko and next 10 ingredients (through egg) in a large bowl, stirring well. Add crab; stir gently just until combined.

2) Place remaining 1/3 cup panko in a shallow dish. Using wet hands, shape crab mixture into 4 equal balls. Coat balls in panko. Gently flatten balls to form 4 patties.

3) Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add patties; cook 3 minutes on each side or until golden. Serve with lemon wedges.

Pea and Scallion Pancakes, by Diane

I love scallion pancakes, and try to get them whenever I go to a Korean restaurant. I found this recipe in Bon Appetit for scallion pancakes with spring peas, and decided to give it a try. The batter came out much thicker than it should have been, and as a result the pancakes browned too much on the outside while the middle took too long to cook. The flavor was good though, and I may try to recreate the recipe with a thinner batter.

Ingredients:

1 cup shelled fresh peas (from about 1 pound pods) or frozen peas, thawed
1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more
3 large eggs
1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons vegetable oil plus more for skillet
4 scallions, thinly sliced, plus more for serving
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) salted butter, melted (I skipped this since it's only a garnish and adds calories)

Directions:

 

1. If using fresh peas, cook in a small saucepan of boiling salted water until tender, about 3 minutes (if using frozen peas, do not cook). Drain. 

 

2. Purée eggs, cottage cheese, flour, 2 tablespoons oil, and 1 teaspoon salt in a blender until smooth. Transfer batter to a medium bowl and stir in peas and 4 scallions. (Batter should be thick but pourable; stir in water by tablespoonfuls if too thick).

 

3. Heat a lightly oiled large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, add batter to skillet by 1/4-cupfuls, spreading out to 3-inch-4-inch rounds with a spoon. Cook pancakes until bubbles form on top, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook until pancakes are browned on bottom and the centers are just cooked through, about 2 minutes longer. 

 

4. Serve pancakes drizzled with butter and topped with scallions.