Thai Red Curry with Tofu and Vegetables

If you follow my blog you know I'm not a big fan of Thai food. (And that is a HUGE understatement.) But every so often a Thai-ish recipe comes along that sounds ok and sometimes even wonderful.

Such was the case with these bell peppers. I took one look and decided I had to make them if for no other reason than they looked beautiful. But I also detected some of my favorite things like mushrooms, and zucchini.

If you're anti-soy you can substitute chicken for the tofu. Also feel free to ditch the pad Thai noodles for   zucchini noodles, perhaps left over from this anti-pasti recipe, or just make a bit more filling.

Ingredients: (Serves 4)
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 sweet onion, peeled and chopped
2 tbsp Thai red curry paste
2 oz white and/or crimini mushrooms, stemmed and quartered
1 zucchini, trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
8 oz organic medium or firm tofu cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 cup light coconut milk or water
2 tbsp rice vinegar
4 red or orange bell peppers, tops trimmed and reserved
1 cup cooked brown rice pad thai noodles
Sea salt and black pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large saute pan on medium high heat, heat oil. Add onion and saute for about 3 minutes, stirring frequently until tender. Add curry paste and saute for 1 minute stirring frequently. Add mushroom and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Add zucchini and tofu and cook, stirring gently for 2 minutes. Add milk, vinegar, salt and black pepper and bring to a simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
Place bell peppers on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Add noodles into the bottom of each, dividing evenly. Divide tofu mixture evenly into each bell pepper. Pace reserved bell pepper tops over top. Bake until bell pepper is tender but still holding shape, about 30 minutes.

Roasted Chicken with Strawberry Relish

Ahhhhh....meat and fruit. If you follow my blog you know this is one of my favorite parings. Second only to vodka soda and yellow mustard + anything.

The most time consuming thing about this recipe is taking the skin off the chicken so if you want to save time use boneless, skinless chicken breasts.

Ingredients:
4 large bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed, trimmed
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
3 tbsp chopped fresh oregano
2 1/2 tbsp chopped chives, divided
2 cups strawberries, chopped
2 tsp freshly grated lime zest
1tsp sugar
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
Combine chicken in a bowl with oil, oregano 1 tbsp chives, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Place in a small to medium roasting pan.
Roast the chicken until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part without touching bone registers 165 degrees, 35 to 45 minutes depending on the size of the thighs.
Meanwhile, combine strawberries, lime zest, sugar, vinegar, the remaining 1 1/2 tbsp chives and the remaining pinch of salt and pepper in a bowl. Let stand at room temperature until the chicken is done.
Just before serving taste the strawberry relish and adjust the amount of sugar, vinegar and/or salt. Serve the chicken with the relish.

Anti-pasti with Zucchini Noodles

Also known as "anti-pasti anti-pasta." Hehe. I saw the original recipe which called for bow tie pasta in a "health" magazine. Grrrr. But with a few tweaks I was able to clean it up :)

To make zucchini noodles carefully run a Julienne peeler from one end of the zucchini to the other. which will create a half dozen long "noodles." (You can also start from the middle and work outwards to make shorter noodles.) When you get 1/4 way through the zucchini (when the noodles start to get soft) flip it over and peel the other side. You will end up with the middle of each zucchini left over which you can chop and steam or use in a smoothie like I did this morning.

Ingredients: (serves 4)
5-6 zucchini peeled with Julienne peeler
2 cups chopped fennel bulb
1 cup quartered artichoke hearts
1 cup diced bell pepper
1 cup cannellini beans, rinsed
1/2 cup salami, sliced
1/2 cup panchetta, cubed (TJ's)
1/4 cup provolone cheese, shredded
3 tablespoons pepperoncinis, sliced

Dressing:
Whisk 1/4 cup lemon juice, 2 cloves garlic, minced, 2 tbsp olive oil, salt, pepper and a dash of oregano

Barbequed Lime, Coconut and Chile Beef

We felt a little guilty after using, and posting about, our neighbors' BBQ a week after we should have given it back. But it turns out they've been back east since we borrowed it. So the BBQ'ing continues!

The tortilla bowls are optional here. I probably wouldn't have included them but I knew I would get a better picture if I did:) The recipe calls for whole wheat but I used flax seed and quinoa to make myself feel better about the grain....

Ingredients: (serves 4)
2 cloves garlic, minced
Zest and Juice of 1 lime, divided
1/4 cup light coconut milk, divided
1 tbsp chile powder, divided
Pinch each sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, plus additional to taste
1/2 lb outside round steak, sliced into 4 1/4 inch thick steaks
1 sweet potato, peeled and cut lengthwise into 4 slabs for even thickness
4 8-inch wholewheat tortillas
1 tsp olive oil 1/2 red onion, sliced
2 cups broccoli florets

 Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Preheat grill to medium-high and lightly oil grate with cooking oil. In a large bowl, combine garlic with a third of lime zest and juice, 1 tbsp milk, 2 tsp chile powder and pinch each salt and black pepper. Add steak and potato and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Lightly warm tortillas in the oven by wrapping the stack in foil for several minutes.
*The original instructions say to press tortillas into heat proof ramekins but how many people have those lying around? I made my own molds out of aluminum foil.*
Bake until crisp and golden, about 15 minutes. Set aside to cool and, once cooled, remove from molds.
Add steak and potato to grill and cook for about 10 minutes, turning halfway until steak is cooked through and potato is tender. Allow steak to rest 5 minutes. Thinly slice steak and potato and set aside.
In a saute pan on medium-high, heat olive oil. Add onion and saute until tender, about 3 minutes. Add broccoli and remaining 1 tsp chile powder and saute for 1 minute.
Add 6 tbsp water, cover and cook for about 2 minutes, until broccoli is tender-crisp. Add remaining lime zest and juice and 3 tbsp milk and stir to combine.
Add beef and potato, tossing to coat in sauce, until heated through. Season with additional salt and black pepper. Divide mixture among tortilla bowls.

Chicken and Sweet Potato Foil Packets

After more than two months of "living" (out of boxes, without any art on the walls, decorative pillows etc.) in our new place Dave and I finally threw a house warming party last weekend.

It was so fun showing off our new place, especially after putting a ton of time and energy into it in recent weeks. But one of the coolest things was being able to wheel our neighbor's BBQ over for a "cook out" as Dave calls it.  I have never owned a BBQ (I still don't technically) and though I have become quite the expert at using the stove top grill, it's not the same.

We decided to take advantage of still having the BBQ last night (yeah, we're "those" neighbors) so we whipped together some chicken foil packets.

The most time consuming thing about this recipe is preparing the sauce so if you can do that in advance you'll be in great shape.

Ingredients (Serves 4):

Olive oil cooking spray
12 oz green beans, trimmed
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2 inch chunks
1 red onion, sliced
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 1 inch pieces

Sauce: 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter 1/4 cup light coconut milk 2 tbsp rice vinegar 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro leaves (optional of course!) 1 tbsp raw honey 1 tbsp fresh lime juice 1 tbsp minced fresh ginger 1 tsp reduced sodium soy sauce or tamari 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes 1 clove garlic, minced

Directions:

Preheat grill to medium-high or preheat oven to 450.

In a medium bowl whisk together all sauce ingredients (peanut butter, milk, vinegar, 2 tbsp cilantro, honey, lime juice, ginger, soy sauce, pepper flakes and garlic. Set aside.

Cut 4 12x16 inch pieces of foil and mist with cooking spray. Divide green beans, potatos and onion evenly into the center of each piece of foil. Divide chicken and peanut butter mixture between foil pieces, over top of vegetables. Bring the edges of the foil together and fold to seal.

Place foil packets directly on the grill or on a large rimmed baking sheet in the oven. Grill or bake for 25 to 39 minutes until chicken is cooked through and potatoes are tender.
Transfer content of packets to plates and garnish with additional cilantro...or not:)

Peach Coconut Smoothie

As you may have suspected if you follow my blog (or by glancing at the huge gap between my fairly regular May posts and the two measly June posts) this month has been crazy!

My new job in advertising has meant long days/weeks and I'm lucky if I get a full night's sleep let alone have a chance to cook dinner. It has also been increasingly difficult to squeeze in my morning workouts (though I often do so at the expense of sleep, hence not getting any!)

Given all this craziness it's more important than ever that I eat healthy and especially that I don't skip breakfast. This smoothie is packed with nutrients and includes enough protein to get me through the morning. It's also perfect for summer weather which has finally arrived in Southern California. Heat wave!!

Ingredients:
1 cup raw spinach
1 cup frozen peaches
1 cup frozen pineapple
1 tsp organic flax seed
1 tbsp dried coconut flakes
1 scoop protein powder
1/2 banana
1 cup almond milk

Directions
Add almond milk, spinach, peaches, banana and pineapple to the blender. Add flax seed, coconut flakes and protein powder. Blend until smooth.

Beet, Apple and Arugula Salad

Some people (like me) love beets. Cold, hot, in salads, stews or smoothies... you name it, I like it. Others, like my mom, spend their entire lives avoiding them until they finally find a preparation they like. (One of my recipes of course ;)

If you are an avoider I hope that this recipe will be your turning point. Why? Because beets are a source of: Vitamin A, B, (folic acid) C, iron, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, carotenoids and dietary fiber. (Phew!) They are used to detoxify the liver and spleen and to help balance the blood’s pH balance by reducing the blood’s acidity. (Acidic blood creates a welcome environment for viruses and bacteria to flourish.) But the best news for those who are trying to lose weight is that the cellulose content of beets acts as a bulk residue increasing peristalsis (the muscle contractions that move food through the digestive tract.) In other words, they keep you regular:-P

Hope you enjoy! 

Ingredients:
1 1/2 small beets (Trader Joe's has precooked beets if you want to skip a step. Use 2 TJs beets.)
1 granny smith apple, peeled cored and chopped
1/4 cup chopped raw pecans
1 1/2 packed cups baby arugula, lightly chopped 
goat cheese, crumbled

Dressing:
1/2 small orange, juiced and zested
1/2 tbsp olive oil 
1/2 tbsp honey
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
sea salt
ground black pepper

Directions:
Preheat over to 400. Cut tops off of beets and brush off any dirt with a towel (washing them will cause them to boil rather than roast. The skin will be removed and they will be washed after roasting.) Place on a baking sheet wrapped in foil and bake for about an hour.
Take out of the oven and place in a large bowl, then submerge with cold water. Wait about 20 minutes then peel the skin off under water with your hands. It should come off easily. 
Chop beets into bite sized pieces and place in a large mixing bowl.
Fill the bottom of a medium sized saucepan with water and place a steamer basket in it. Place over medium high heat and bring the water to a boil. Add the chopped apples, cover and steam for about 2-3 minutes. (Don't lose track of time or your apple slices will be soggy like mine.)
To make the dressing add olive oil, apple cider vinegar, orange juice and orange zest. Add black pepper and sea salt to taste. Add additional orange juice or vinegar to taste. Pour over the beet mixture and toss to coat. Add the arugula and pecans and toss again. Plate and top with goat cheese.