Recipes Discovered - Recipes

Read my review of this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups less-sodium chicken broth
• 1  cup  light coconut milk
• 1/2  teaspoon  ground turmeric, divided
• 1  cup  long-grain parboiled rice (such as Uncle Ben’s)
• 1  teaspoon  olive oil
• 1  cup  chopped onion
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 1  teaspoon  chopped fresh or1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Bring broth, coconut milk, and 1/4 teaspoon turmeric to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat; add rice. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat; keep warm.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and pepper; sauté 5 to 10 minutes, until soft. Season with salt, pepper, thyme, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon turmeric. Add rice to onion mixture, stirring to combine.

Serves  6.

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

To make this into a full meal, saute 2 cups of peeled and cubed butternut squash to the onion and pepper mixture and saute an additional 10 minutes. Then add a 15 ounce can of rinsed and drained black beans. Stir all together and serve.

Recipe courtesy of My Recipes.

Read my review of this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup long grain rice
• 7 ounces chopped tomatoes in juice
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 3 fresh green chiles (jalapeno, Serrano, fresno, ect)
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup frozen peas (optional)
• Pepper, to taste

Directions:

Put the rice in a large heatproof bowl and pour in enough boiling water to cover the rice. Stir once, then let stand for 10 minutes. Transfer to a strainer over the sink and rinse the rice under cold water. Set aside to dry slightly.

Meanwhile, place the tomatoes with juice,  onion, garlic, and chiles in a food processor or blender and process until smooth.

Heat the oil in a large, heavy saucepan, add the rice and cook over medium heat until it becomes a light golden brown. Stir occasionally to ensure the rice does not stick. Add the tomato mixture and stir over medium heat until all the liquid has been absorbed. Stir in the stock and salt and continue  to cook, stirring occasionally, until all the liquid has been absorbed (do no stir too often at this point or the rice will break down). The whole cooking process takes about 15 to 20 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat, add the peas (if using), and cover with a tight fitting lid. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes. Season with black pepper.

Serves 6.

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

Recipe courtesy of The Complete Book of Mexican Cooking

Read my review of this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup brown rice
• 2/3 cup wild rice
• 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 orange, peel and pith removed, segmented and sliced (about 2/3 cup)
• 10 large basil leaves, sliced into ribbons (about 1/3 cup)
• 1/4 cup minced red onion
• 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
• 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoon orange juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Combine brown rice, wild rice and chicken broth in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to a simmer and cook until all water is evaporated and rice is fully cooked, about 45 to 55 minutes. Remove from heat and cool completely.

When rice is cool, add orange slices, basil, red onion, and orange zest; mix to incorporate.

Combine the vinegar, orange juice, mustard, honey and salt in a metal bowl and whisk to incorporate.

Pour over rice mixture and toss to incorporate.

Serves 6.

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

I used all brown rice.

Adapted from Ellie Krieger.

Read my review of this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup green lentils
• 1 cup bulgur
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 small red onion, finely diced (1 cup)
• 3 yellow peppers, seeded and finely diced
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
• 1 lemon, juice and zest
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

Place lentils and 2 cups broth in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil 5 minutes, then reduce to a simmer and cook until lentils are tender and most liquid is dissolved, about 30 minutes. Drain any remaining liquid. While lentils are cooking, place bulgur and remaining 2 cups chicken broth in another small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until most liquid is dissolved and bulgur is tender, about 13 to15 minutes. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork. Add the bulgur to the lentils.

Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add peppers and cook until peppers are tender, another 5 minutes. Add the onion mixture to bulgur-lentil mixture. Stir in parsley, basil, chives, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper and toss to incorporate.

Serves 4.

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

I topped the pilaf with a couple of sauteed shrimp. It was great.

Recipe courtesy of

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Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup mirin or semisweet white wine, like Riesling
  
• 1/4 cup orange juice
  
• 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
  
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  
• 1/4 cup water
  
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
  
• 8 ounces beef round tip steak, sliced 1/4-inch thick
  
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
  
• 2 cups fresh snow peas (6 ounces)
  
• 1 large bunch broccoli (1 1/4 pounds) trimmed and cut into small florets
  
• 1 bunch asparagus (1 pound), trimmed and sliced on diagonal into 2-inch pieces
  
• 2 cups (8 ounces) frozen shelled edamame
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 1/4 cup warm water
  
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

Directions:

Combine mirin or white wine, orange juice, soy sauce, rice vinegar, red pepper flakes and water in a small bowl.In a large wok or very large (14-inch) saute pan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook, stirring, until just browned, about 2 minutes. Transfer the beef to a plate. Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil over medium heat and cook garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add snow peas, broccoli, asparagus and edamame, raise heat to medium-high, and cook for 3 minutes until vegetables are slightly softened. Add the mirin-soy mixture and cook, stirring, until edamame are cooked and asparagus is crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Add the beef and dissolved cornstarch and stir to incorporate. Cook until mixture thickens slightly and beef is heated through, an additional 2 minutes. Drizzle with sesame oil and serve.

Serves 4.

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

I’ll admit that I did omit the beef, but it wasn’t the stir-fry itself that I had a problem with. There wasn’t enough sauce, however, so I doubled it (omitting the water).  I really enjoyed the mix of veggies, but there was a taste to the sauce (I think the mirin) that I didn’t enjoy. I would try the recipe again, altering the sauce.

Recipe courtesy of Ellie Krieger.

Read my review of this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon oil
• 2 medium carrots, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 medium green pepper, chopped
• 1 medium sweet red pepper, chopped
• 6 ounces portobello mushrooms or cremini mushrooms, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 15 ounces red beans or black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 cups cooked brown rice
• 14-1/2 ounces diced tomatoes, drained
• 1/4 cup shredded Asiago or Parmesan cheese

Directions:

In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat; saute the carrots, onion and peppers for 10 minutes. Add mushrooms and garlic; saute 1-2 minutes longer or until vegetables are tender.
Stir in the beans and rice. If dry, add some chicken stock or water. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in tomatoes; heat through. Just before serving, sprinkle with cheese.

Serves 4.

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

Adapted from Taste of Home.

Read my review of this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups water or stock
• 1 cups polenta (cornmeal)
• 2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 pound mixed mushrooms, sliced (portobello, shitake, chestnut, button, porcini, ect)
• 1 cup red wine or beef stock
• 14 ounces canned tomatoes, drained and chopped
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme or 1 tablespoon dried thyme

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, celery, and garlic and cook for 5 minutes until they begin to soften. Raise the heat to medium high and add all the mushrooms. Cook for another 10 minutes. Pour in the wine or stock and boil for 2 minutes, then add the tomatoes. Stir in the tomato paste and thyme, and season with salt and pepper. Lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Heat the water or stock in a large saucepan. Add a pinch of salt (or more if using water). As soon as it simmers, begin whisking and slowly add the polenta until the mixture is smooth. Turn the heat to low, cover the pan, and allow to cook for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring every few minutes to avoid sticking. Stir in half the Parmesan cheese and some pepper.

To serve, divide the polenta among 4 shallow dishes and top with the mushroom sauce. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan cheese.

Serves 4.

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

I would skip the celery next time. Even though there was very little of it, it stood out in the sauce more than I liked.

Recipe courtesy of Mediterranean, 500 Best-Ever Recipes

Read my review of this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup water
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup couscous
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh dill
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest

Directions:

Bring the water to a boil; add lemon juice and remaining tsp of olive oil; stir in couscous; cover; reduce heat to low and simmer 1 minute. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in dill and lemon zest.

Serves 4.

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

Recipe courtesy of Whole Foods Market.

Read my review of this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound string beans, cleaned and trimmed
• 12 ounces extra-firm tofu, sliced into strips
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 2 cups cooked brown rice

Sauce:

• 2 cups lite coconut milk
• 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 cup peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• Juice of 1 lime
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
• 2 tablespoon Thai sweet chili sauce
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon water

Directions:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook string beans for two minutes. Drain and plunge into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking and retain their vibrant green color. After 1-2 minutes, drain and pat dry. Set aside.

To cook tofu, add 1 teaspoon sesame oil to a large non-stick skillet. Add tofu and saute over medium-high for 7-10 minutes, or until lightly golden and crispy.

To make the sauce, combine all ingredients in a bowl, and whisk until nearly smooth (the pb is chunky, after all).

In a medium pot, add the peanut butter sauce and cook over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, until bubbly. Lower the heat, and continue cooking until sauce begins to thicken. Add the cooked string beans to the skillet with the tofu, then pour the sauce on top. Mix well and cook over a low heat for 2-3 minutes, or until the sauce clings to the tofu and beans.

Serves 4.

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

I have made this sauce so many times in many different ways. I have used milk and chicken stock in place of the coconut milk, both are equally delicious. I have used rice vinegar in place of the lime juice. For the tofu, I have used chicken and shrimp. My favorite veggie combination is sugar peas and red pepper. Instead of rice, I served the sauce of whole wheat pasta. Any way its served, the sauce is simply amazing.

Recipe courtesy of Food Blogga.

Read my review of this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 shallot, minced
• 1/2 cup bulgur
• 1 1/4 cups water
• 1 chicken bullion cube
• 6 sun-dried tomato halves, chopped
• 1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup corn, thawed if frozen
• 1 small red pepper, chopped
• 1 small green pepper, chopped
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Heat a saucepan over medium heat, and add the shallot. Saute for 1 minute before adding the bulgur, water, chicken bullion, and sun-dried tomatoes. Bring to a boil, and then cover, turn the heat to low, and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, until liquid is absorbed.

Remove from heat and add black beans, corn, and peppers. Season with cumin, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine, and adjust seasonings to taste. Can be serves warm or at room temperature.

Serves 2 as a main dish or 4 as a side dish.

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

My own concoction.