Sweet Love and Ginger

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Swai with Brussels Sprouts & Potatoes in Sweet Mustard Sauce

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I’ve mentioned before that this is the time of year when we
are all surrounded by incredibly rich and heavy food. In an attempt to eat a
little better on the weeknights during this busy season I have been
experimenting with a number of different dishes that can be cooked easily and
quickly.
This particular recipe was a huge hit in our household,
which is quite impressive since Chuck is not really that in love with fish. He even went for seconds!
What I liked most about this recipe was the amazing sauce
that brought all of the different base flavors together. It was perfectly sweet
with a slight hint of smokiness from the paprika.

I want to mention quickly that it is possible to cook the
potatoes in the same pan as the Brussels sprouts and fish. They simply have to
start cooking 15-20 minutes before you add the fish and sprouts. The benefit of
doing it this way is that it is the entire meal can be prepared in a single
sheet tray, saving you a bit of clean up.

Swai with Brussels Sprouts & Potatoes in Sweet Mustard Sauce (Serves 2)
1lb yukon gold potatoes, cleaned and chopped into bite size pieces
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt & pepper to taste
1/4 cup grainy Dijon mustard
1 tbsp honey
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 lb Swai fish fillets
1 lb Brussles sprouts




Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Spread the potatoes out on a rimmed baking sheet and toss with oil, salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 35-40 minutes, tossing again half way through. Meanwhile mix together the mustard, honey, smoked paprika, and oil in a small bowl until well combined.  Dredge the fish in the mustard sauce and place on a greased rimmed baking sheet. Clean and dry the Brussles sprouts then cut the large ones in half so that they are all bite size.Toss the Brussels sprouts in the remaining mustard sauce and spread them out on the baking sheet with the fish. Place in the oven for 15 minutes. The fish should flake easily with a fork when done. Serve fish, potatoes, and sprouts together.

PS Since the holidays are fast approaching I will be taking a few days off from posting to enjoy them. I’ll be back sometime after the 25th of course, but in the mean time I wish you all the best!

15 Minute Lo Mein

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So I’ve been really into Asian food lately.

It seems like I go through ethnic spurts every few months. This time last year it was all things German (evidenced here, here, and here). Over the summer it was Mediterranean food (note here, here, here, and here), then Indian food (this is the only one that made it to the blog, I have a lot to learn with Indian spices).
So lately I have been learning how to make homemade wonton soup, ramen, and sticky chicken. Some things may be showing up here in the near future, be prepared.
Today I want to talk about easy lo mein. This is one of those recipes that have been my go to lately since Chuck has been away for work for whole weeks at a time. I like it because I can add, chicken, shrimp, beef or whatever else I feel like and have a totally different flavor profile. I usually make the lo mein and serve it to myself with a side of steamed veggies. This way I can get to meals out of this recipe, who doesn’t want an awesome hot lunch the next day?
So the cooking time on this is actually way less than 15 minutes, however I’m calling it 15 minutes because I’m counting the time it takes to cut the vegetables. If you wanted to make this entire thing in say, 5-10 minutes you could opt for frozen stir fry mix. I’ve totally done this, more than once.

 

15 minute Lo Mein (Serves 1)
1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 clove of garlic, crushed
½ tsp ground ginger
Pinch of sugar
½ tbsp canola oil
½ cup shredded cabbage
½ cup bean sprouts
1 small carrot, julienned
½ a small red pepper, julienned
½ cup sliced mushrooms
½ cup snow peas
1 scallion. Julienned
3 oz lo mein noodles
1 cup broth
Toasted sesame seeds for garnish (optional)
 

In a small bowl whisk together soy sauce, sesame oil, crushed garlic, ginger, and sugar. Set aside. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add in all vegetables, except the dark green parts of the scallion, and the snow peas. Turn the heat to high and cook for one minute while tossing the vegetables. Stir in the broth and noodles then cover and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add the snow peas. Stir in sauce mixture and toss. Cook until the liquid has evaporated and all of the veggies and noodles are coated, about 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and top with dark green parts of scallion, sesame seeds and serve. 


PS: Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and around here things are busy, what with the NaNoWriMo Challange and all, so I have opted to take the next few days off. I will be back on Dec. 1 with the usual Recently Post. Have a good weekend!

Maple Chipotle Turkey Chili

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Maple Chipotle Turkey Chili

Thanksgiving is on its way and of course I’m already thinking about what I can do with the leftovers. My priorities are on point.

Lately I have been in a love triangle with chipotle and maple.
What is it about maple in the fall? We typically make this stuff by the gallons in the spring, but I’m all jazzed up to use it in the fall. I don’t know what the deal is with that, but the combination of maple and chipotle is seriously holding the reins around here.
I’m putting it in everything, even my tea. Ok that was a lie, but you see where my obsession is going here. It’s an awesome combination that I think you should try soon and preferably with this recipe or this one. There may be more similar recipes coming soon, I know you’re as excited as I am.
This recipe is a pretty simple recipe you can make for a different twist on leftover turkey. Don’t get me wrong I love a good, hot turkey sandwich, pot pie or soup, but sometimes you just need a little something different.
Maple Chipotle Turkey Chili

 

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Easy Tuscan Bean Soup

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Tuscan Bean Soup

These are the months where soup is king. It’s loaded down with nourishing vegetables and holds the warmth and comfort we all need this time of year.

There is something about it that is just so healing.
This soup was especially well received in our house. I think the craziness of the summer and the gazillion fall weddings that are happening have both Chuck and I craving a slower pace. We need something home cooked, rustic, and hearty. It just has to happen.
Honestly I didn’t hold any hope that this would be a soup that chuck would fall for, usually he shy’s away from these light flavors, and complains about the lack of meat, but he seemed really into it. He liked the flavor that the kale absorbed from the broth, and had several bowls. The whole wheat oat bread (that I totally bought pre-made) was also a nod to a hearty rustic meal, adding some grit and texture that was a perfect match.
It was the perfect thing to usher in fall as the temperatures begin to drop, and we begin to re-establish ourselves in a new season.
Tuscan Bean Soup

 

Easy Tuscan Bean Soup
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: Serves 4
Ingredients
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 4 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • 2 medium to large carrots, chopped
  • 2 stalks of celery, chopped
  • 4 cups of low sodium vegetable broth
  • 2 sprigs of thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 cans of cannellini beans, drained & rinsed
  • 4 cups chopped kale
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • Fresh grated Parmesan Cheese for Garnish
Instructions
  1. In a large thick bottomed sauce pan heat oil over medium high heat and sauté onion until it becomes translucent (about 1-2 minutes).
  2. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute before adding carrot and celery.
  3. Cook for another minute before adding broth, thyme, and bay leaf.
  4. Bring to a simmer and add beans and kale.
  5. Cook stirring regularly until the kale turns dark green and beans are soft.
  6. Adjust seasoning and serve warm, with a sprinkle of cheese on top.

 

Red Lentil Stuffed Peppers

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Chuck and I have about a million favorite restaurants, but Boca is pretty high on the list. They are always coming out with more and more impressive items on their Spanish style menu, and they never disappoint.
This recipe is my own version of something off one of their tappas menus. They served piquadillo peppers stuffed with a wonderfully creamy red lentil stuffing that was pocked with texture building black beans. It was served on a super hot plate topped with an amazing salsa verde.
For my version I went with a larger bell pepper, mostly so I didn’t have to stuff 8 million peppers for one meal, and they were cheaper. I served a premade salsa on the side, because I’m a busy girl, and an added side of Spanish style rice to make it a little heftier.
It came out wonderfully, and I have now made it a bunch, it’s so filling that even Chuck doesn’t mind that it’s ‘gasp’ vegan. I mean woah. He does prefer to put the rice inside his pepper rather than on the side.
This is the kind of thing that would make a great dinner party or picky family meal. You could set up all the fillings, meat, rice, cheese, beans, or sautéed veggies and let each person stuff their own pepper before popping them in the oven together.
For someone who always thought they didn’t like stuffed peppers, I am now a convert.
Red Lentil Stuffed Peppers
Red Lentil Stuffed Peppers
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4 servings
Vegan Red Lentil and Black Bean Stuffed Peppers 1 cup red lentils 4 medium bell peppers ½ tbsp oil 1 small onion, diced 1 cup vegetable broth 1 tsp cumin ½ tsp chilli powder Salt & pepper to taste 1 (14 oz.) can black beans, drained & rinsed Add 2 cups of water to the lentils and let them sit overnight.
Ingredients
  • 1 cup red lentils
  • 4 medium bell peppers
  • ½ tbsp oil
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 1 cup vegetable broth
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • ½ tsp chilli powder
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • 1 (14 oz.) can black beans, drained & rinsed
Instructions
  1. Add 2 cups of water to the lentils and let them sit overnight.
  2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  3. Slice the tops off of the peppers and remove seeds, then set aside.
  4. In a thick bottomed skillet sauté onion over medium high heat, until it turns translucent.
  5. Add lentils, broth and spices, stirring well to combine. Transfer to a blender and blend until smooth.
  6. Return to pan and stir in black beans. Adjust seasonings, and cook until the mixture is thick and creamy (it should roughly hold its shape if you plop a spoonful on a plate).
  7. Stuff peppers with the filling and place in an oven safe pan.
  8. Cover the pan with tin foil and cook for 35-40 minutes or until the peppers begin to soften and brown.
  9. Serve immediately.