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Maple Chipotle Winter Roast Veggie Salad

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This is a great recipe for bringing a little summer to winter time vegetables.

Maple Chipotle Winter Roast Veggie Salad

Sometimes in winter things can get a little dull. Everyone is making soups, stews, and sauces with mainly creamy and savory components. Don’t get me wrong I love that stuff but sometimes I just want some freshness in my life even if it’s frozen tundra outside. Some freshness and some heat. Who says we can’t eat summery style food with our winter veggies? Not I.

What I’m getting at is that this recipe is the perfect way to squash the summery food craving. The sweet heat of Chipotle and Maple combine to bring a summer barbecue-esk flavor that lends itself well to the warm roasted veggies and fresh kale. Spiced squash seeds add just a touch of the necessary crunch to bring this whole dish together.

Maple Chipotle Winter Roast Veggie Salad

Maple Chipotle Winter Roast Veggie Salad
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 2 Servings
Ingredients
  • 1 red onion, peeled and quartered twice
  • 2 turnips, peeled and quartered twice
  • 2 beets, peeled and quartered twice
  • 2 cups butternut squash, peeled & cubed
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • ¼ cup squash seeds, cleaned & dried
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon cumin
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 3 cups chopped kale
Instructions
  1. Place the onion, turnip, beets, and squash on a large rimmed sheet tray. Sprinkle with chili powder and drizzle with roughly 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Place in the oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the veggies are soft.
  2. Reduce the heat to 325 and spread the squash seeds in an even layer on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle with paprika, cumin, and cayenne pepper. Drizzle with remaining oil and cook for 10 to 12 minutes or until they begin to pop in the oven. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes.
  3. To assemble the salad place half the kale in each bowl, top with cooled veggies, seeds and drizzle with Maple Chipotle vinaigrette (Recipe Follows). Serve immediately.

Maple Chipotle Vinaigrette

1/3 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon chipotle powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until well blended. Serve immediately.

Maple Chipotle Winter Roast Veggies

Satay Style Chicken Lettuce Wraps

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This is a great recipe for Satay Style Chicken Lettuce Wraps. Utilizing the flavors of satay chicken in a new and unique way.

Satay Style Chicken Lettuce Wraps with peanut suace

I am just not in the Christmas Spirit this year. Call me a Grinch, but decorating has never been high on my priority list and as someone who is trying to downsize their stuff and move away from the excessive commercialism that is part of our culture the idea of shopping for more commercial stuff is just not appealing. Aside from the occasional soup I am not really into the Christmas food yet either. I’m hoping you guys won’t mind my lack of Christmas Posts this year, I mean everyone else in blog land is doing them so you can get your fill elsewhere, and I will just be your escape from it all.

This recipe is pretty much the last thing I think of when I of Christmas but as far as keeping it healthy and delicious around here it was perfect. So, perfect.

Both Chuck and I loved this recipe, and it came together quickly which is always a good thing, especially when your time is limited.

Satay Style Chicken

Cooking the chicken in a pan this way means that it can then be put over salad greens or steamed veggies with rice to create a number of different kinds of meals. I love versatility.

Now I know that the ingredient list looks gigantic, but do not let it scare you. If you enjoy Asian style foods you probably have most of these in your pantry already, so there is very little actual prep time, despite the large list of things.

Seriously give it a shot. It’s a great way to break up those heavy holiday foods with some healthy Asian style excitement.

Satay Style Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Satay Style Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4 servings
Ingredients
  • Chicken
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • 2 teaspoons honey
  • 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken, cut into bite size pieces
  • Peanut Sauce
  • ½ cup smooth peanut butter
  • 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 2 teaspoons fish sauce
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons sriracha (optional)
  • Romaine or butter lettuce leaves for serving
  • 1 carrot, peeled and julienned
  • ½ a red pepper julienned
  • 1 tablespoon scallions, chopped (optional)
Instructions
  1. In a large bowl whisk together the sesame oil, ginger, garlic, turmeric, lime juice, and honey. Add chicken and toss.
  2. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minute to 2 hours.
  3. Once marinade, heat a large skillet over medium high heat and add the chicken. Cook chicken, while stirring for 6 to 8 minutes or until cooked through. Remove from heat and set aside.
  4. In a small bowl whisk together the peanut butter, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, fish sauce, and sriracha until well blended and set aside.
  5. Stuff each lettuce leaf with carrot, pepper, and chicken. Drizzle with peanut sauce, top with scallions and serve.

 

Thai Glazed Salmon in foil

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This is a recipe for Thai Glazed Salmon in Foil that comes together in minutes with fresh Asian style herbs and spices.

Thai Glazed Salmon in Foil

So I think Chuck and I found our new favorite salmon recipe. Chuck even said he might like it better than the Maple Salmon that I usually make him, and this is a man who eats maple everything.

I myself could not get enough. The sauce it sweet, and tangy with a little heat at the end, and it goes great slathered over rice, and veggies. The little chunks of lemongrass, garlic, and ginger add little bursts of flavor that send the whole thing over the moon.

Thai Glazed Salmon in Foil

I like the idea of cooking it in foil because it keeps all the juices in, while the last few minutes of broiling add a wonderful char, caramelizing and a bit more flavor.

Thai Glazed Salmon in Foil

Thai Glazed Salmon in foil
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4 Servings
Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons fresh grated lemon grass
  • 2 tablespoons grated ginger
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
  • 3 teaspoons sesame oil
  • 1-2 teaspoons Sriracha (to taste)
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
  • 2 lbs salmon
  • Hand full of green onions for garnish
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
  2. In a small bowl whisk together lemongrass, ginger, garlic, soy, sesame oil, sriracha, honey, and vinegar.
  3. Lay a large piece of foil (large enough to wrap the salmon) on a baking sheet and place the salmon skin side down.
  4. Spoon the sauce over the salmon and fold up the sides of the foil creating a sealed packet.
  5. Bake for 17-20 minutes.
  6. Turn up the oven to broil and open the packet. Cook for another 2-3 minutes. The sauce should caramelize and the salmon will flake with the flat side of fork when cooked through.
  7. Garnish and serve.
Thai Chicken Burgers

Thai Chicken Burgers

Chopped Thai Chicken Salad

Chopped Thai Chicken Salad

Easy Lemon Pepper Fish

Easy Lemon Pepper Fish

 

Blue Apron Review & Thai Chicken Burgers

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This is a review of Blue Apron & their Thai Chicken Burger Recipe. I was not compensated by Blue Apron for this review.

Thai Chicken Burgers

Recently a couple friends of ours, we shall call them the Birdtails (long story unimportant story) offered Chuck and I the opportunity to try out Blue Apron. Apparently after you receive a few deliveries you can then let someone else try it out for free, which is a pretty cool way for them to build business if I do say so myself. I wasn’t planning on reviewing it, but I really want to share this amazing burger recipe so I figured it was only fair.

I like to cook so this was never really something that interested me however with the wedding coming and all the crafts that I had going on I thought that it would a good time to try it out. For that purpose it worked out great. I didn’t have to meal plan or grocery shop and everything comes premeasured, with instructions so food life was pretty easy. Most of the recipes were pretty good, especially these burgers, which we will get to soon. However I did have a few qualms; while all the packaging is recyclable it’s still a lot of packaging, and my environmentalist heart just can’t stomach that. The other thing was the delivery times, wed, thurs, fri, or sat for my area just doesn’t work the end of the week is always tough for us, because we travel or go to my parents for dinner, so I’d prefer a Monday or Tuesday delivery. I also think that the recipes available might be a little too much for a picky eater, there aren’t any plain Jane recipes here folks, this is geared toward foodies. As you can probably tell my gripes are few for the huge benefit that comes from the service, and the awesome food that results.

So now that the review is out of the way let’s talk burgers.

Thai Chicken Burgers

I absolutely loved these burgers, like can’t stop thinking about them, must make them again soon, they might be my favorite burger ever, kind of love. I was not expecting this. In fact I was expecting to hate these. You see lemon grass and I don’t generally get along. I’ve had it in tea, and occasionally in food, and every time after a few tastes, my stomach does a back flip and it takes everything I have not to throw it up (sorry; truth). My feelings for cilantro aren’t far off, while cilantro doesn’t make my stomach flip, I can only handle a small amount before it takes over my taste buds and the rest of the dish is ruined. In this case though I was piling it on! It was all just so good together. So amazingly wonderfully good!

Now the hoisin mayo is the stuff that dreams are made of in burger world. A two ingredient simple sauce that really brings the whole burger together. Its hard to say what my favorite part of this burger was, everything went so perfectly together and the overall flavor was spot on.

Thai Chicken Burgers

Now I do have to note I changed up the recipe a bit because of my apprehension, so this is my version of the Blue Apron Recipe.

Blue Apron Thai Chicken Burgers
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4 Servings
Ingredients
  • 1 inch piece of ginger grated (about 2 tablespoons grated ginger)
  • 1 stalk of lemongrass grated (about 2 tablespoons grated lemongrass)
  • 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons of oil – seperated
  • 1 ½ lb ground chicken
  • 1 ½ cup panko bread crumbs
  • 2-4 teaspoons sriracha (add to taste)
  • 4 teaspoons sesame oil
  • 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
  • ¼ cup mayo
  • 2 tablespoons Hoisin sauce
  • Bunch cilantro, stems removed
  • 1 tomato, sliced thin
  • 4 buns
Instructions
  1. In a large pan heat 2 teaspoons of oil over medium high heat. Add the ginger, lemongrass, and garlic. Cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute or until the mixture becomes aromatic. Remove from heat and place in a large bowl to cool.
  2. Lightly wipe out the pan. And make the Hoisin mayo by whisking together the hoisin sauce and mayo until well combined. Set aside.
  3. When the lemongrass, garlic, ginger mixture has cooled add the ground chicken, breadcrumbs, sriracha, sesame oil, and soy sauce. Using your hands mix the ingredients until well combined and then begin to form the mixture into patties about ½ inch thick.
  4. In the same pan used earlier heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium high heat. Add the burgers to the pan and cook for 3 ot 5 minutes per side, until browned and remove from heat.
  5. Toast the buns if desired in the same pan before assembling burgers with burger, slice of tomato, cilantro, and hoisin mayo.
  6. Serve immediately.

More Burger recipes:

Mediterranean Chickpea Burgers

Mediterranean Chickpea Burgers

Thai Ground Chicken Salad

Thai Ground Chicken Salad

Chicken Caesar Buger

Chicken Caesar Buger

Garlic Parmesan Pasta with Chicken & Peppers

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This is a recipe for Garlic Parmesan Pasta with Leftover Chicken and fresh peppers. It’s a great way to use up leftover chicken and please the whole family.

Garlic Parmesan Chicken & Peppers Pasta

Sometimes when you stumble on fresh vegetable bounty you just have to throw caution to the wind and fly by the seat of your pants.

That’s been the thing lately.

Despite not having a successful garden of our own right now we are still full of fresh veggies thanks to our family and friends. I’m so thankful that so many of them love to garden as much as I do, it has been awesome.

Zucchini, cucumbers, and green beans seem to be the big stars at the moment, though as summer winds down I’m looking forward to more tomatoes, peppers, squash, and root veggies.

Recently I walked into the store for some pantry staples and my jaw dropped when I saw the abundance of red, green, and yellow peppers lining the produce section shelves. I tossed my original dinner plan and decided to make something with these beautiful little babies instead.

Garlic Parmesan Chicken & Peppers Pasta

I decided on a variation of Chuck’s favorite Garlic Parmesan Pasta, needless to say this recipe got a double thumbs up. I just like that it’s a different way to use up cooked chicken, which we always seem to have hanging around our house. The peppers wilt just a little and add a wonderfully sweet flavor to the dish balancing out the salty and creamy nature of the parmesan.

If you were interested in leaving the chicken out it would also make a really great side dish to go with a number of summer meals.

Garlic Parmesan Chicken & Peppers Pasta

Garlic Parmesan Pasta with Chicken & Peppers
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4 Servings
Ingredients
  • 1/3 package whole wheat pasta
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 4 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 red pepper, sliced thin
  • 1 yellow pepper sliced thin
  • ½ cup chicken broth
  • ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 cup shredded, cooked chicken
  • ¼ cup fresh grated parmesan
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • 1 tablespoon chopped basil for garnish (optional)
Instructions
  1. Cook pasta according to package directions and set aside, reserving 1/3 cup of pasta water.
  2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add peppers and cook for another minute.
  3. Stir in broth, cover and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the peppers have softened.
  4. Add the red pepper flakes chicken, pasta and reserved liquid tossing to combine.
  5. Remove from heat and add parmesan cheese and toss gently.
  6. Adjust seasonings and serve with garnish.