Maple Chicken

20 Jan 2010 1 Comment

by marisashealthykitchen in Home Cooking Tags: , , , , ,

This is a super simple recipe I just whipped up for Michael. If I know I am not going to have a lot of time one evening to cook, I love setting up something in a marinade the night before so all I have to do is cook. I am a big fan of the foodsaver but you could just use a gallon size bag to marinade. I doubled the recipe as usual, but wrote it for 4 servings. Michael really enjoyed the flavor of this chicken dish!

Maple Chicken
4 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 tablespoon tamari, nama-shoyu or soy sauce
juice from 2 lemons
2 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoon ginger, minced
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

  1. In a large plastic bag pour all ingredients except the chicken and mix. Add chicken and marinate from 2 hours to overnight.
  2. Heat a grill pan or skillet on medium heat and spray with cooking spray. remove chicken from the marinde (reserve) and grill chicken untikl cooked through on both sides, flipping once.
  3. While the chicken is cooking, pour the reserved marinade into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat until reduced by half. Pour over cooked chicken and serve.

Cold Sesame Noodles

13 Jan 2010 3 Comments

by marisashealthykitchen in Home Cooking, Vegan Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

I was always obsessed with Cold Sesame Noodles from Chinese restaurants. If there is one food that I remember loving from my childhood, it is this one. And although I occasionally indulge in it now, we rarely order it in.  We ordered some recently from Vegetarian Paradise 2, so yummy! I love this place but since it basically is just vegan chinese food, we almost never treat ourselves to it.  After having that small taste, a couple of days later I was hankering for more. I chose to whip some up for myself and I was pleasantly surprised by how deelish it came out!

Before Mixing

After Mixing - don't they look so authentic!?!?!

Cold Sesame Noodles

3 tablespoons tamari
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
A squeeze of Sriracha
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
1/2 cup water
1 pound spaghetti

In a pan combine the soy sauce, vinegar, Sriracha, brown sugar, peanut butter, oil, ginger, and water. Simmer the mixture while stirring until thickened and combined, only a few minutes. Cook the noodles and drain. Toss with the sauce and chill until it reaches your desired temperature or if you just can’t wait any longer. if you want it traditional add chopped scallion and cucumber strips

YUM!!

Dina’s Chili-lime Ginger Tofu in Coconut Basil Broth with Rice Noodles

02 Dec 2009 5 Comments

by marisashealthykitchen in Home Cooking, Vegan Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

My fabulous girlfriend Dina sent me the most deelish and simple recipe recently. I made it and was beyond delighted. I am already thinking about making it again soon. It was really quick and I had almost all the ingredients in my house already. This was just so tasty! I used wide noodles which took about 10 minutes to cook. It came out with the most delicious, thick, coconuty sauce! If you use thin noodles, it might need less cooking time and turn out more brothy. I had sliced the yam with a mandolin so it was super thin and broke up during cooking which just added to the thickness of the sauce.  We do not normally eat that much tofu in our house, but Michael and I agreed that this was the best we ever had it prepared, it was so good!

Dina’s Chili-lime Ginger Tofu in Coconut Basil Broth with Rice Noodle

2 cups veggie broth
1 can light coconut milk
1 cup coconut water (or more veggie broth/coconut milk)
Fresh basil, chopped
1 yam, peeled and slice thin
rice noodles
2 tsp safflower, grapeseed or another neutral oil
1 block tofu, cubed
Soy sauce or tamari, to taste
fresh ginger, grated
juice and zest from 1 lime
red pepper flakes
sriracha sauce.

Combine the veggie broth, coconut milk and coconut water in a saucepan over medium heat. Next add basil and the yam and bring to a boil. Cover and let simmer until the potatoes were tender. Add the rice noodles and cook till soft, 3-7 minutes.

Pour the oil in saute pan over medium heat and add the tofu. Hit it with some soy sauce, ginger, lime zest, lime juice, red pepper flakes and sriracha sauce. Saute until  nice crust forms on tofu.

Combine broth, noodles and tofu in a bowl. As Dina says, “Holy guacamole!!!!!!!! Try it! You’ll never do Thai takeout again!!”

Chicken Stir-Fry with Edamame and Brown Rice

30 Sep 2009 1 Comment

by marisashealthykitchen in Home Cooking Tags: , , , , ,

As the weather gets cooler I start breaking out the crock pot more and more. It is so nice to come home to a house with the great smells of home cooking yet all the work is already done! It was the perfect way to make this dinner super quick in the end. I put the dry brown rice, water and salt in the slow cooker in the morning and when I came home the rice was perfect and all I had to prepare was the stirfry. I also made sure to make extra rice for the rest of the week. If you prepare the chicken first and then prep the rest of the ingredients the chicken will be ready to cook and the entire meal will take you under 30 minutes to prep and cook. So fabulous after a long day! ENJOY 🙂

IMG_2281

Chicken Stir-Fry with Edamame and Brown Rice
Recipe inspired  from Bon Appétit
Serves 6

1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
4 tablespoons tamari soy sauce

1.5-2 pounds chicken tenders, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon honey

4 teaspoons sesame oil
4 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups short-grain brown rice, cooked and cooled
12 ounce bag shelled cooked edamame beans

2/3 cup chopped green onions

Combine chicken, 2 tablespoons tamari and honey in medium bowl; toss to coat. Let stand 15 minutes.

Toast walnuts in a skillet for 3 minutes, shaking the pan consistently. Add 2 tablespoons tamari and stir until tamari coats walnuts, about 45 seconds. Cool.

Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add chicken and stir-fry 2 minutes. Add ginger and garlic and stir-fry 30 seconds. Add cooked rice and edamame; reduce heat to medium and stir-fry until heated through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Divide rice mixture among plates. Sprinkle with green onions and walnuts.

IMG_2282

Ginger-Poached Noodles

16 Sep 2009 1 Comment

by marisashealthykitchen in Home Cooking, Vegan Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

This was deelish! I love soba noodles because I love pasta and I feel so much better eating buckwheat pasta than regular ole’ semolina. It was strange boiling the pasta in such a small amount of liquid but it became this thick soupy sauce that tasted delightful. Scooping out all the ginger pieces was quite a task so maybe consider tieing them up in a cheesecloth that you can quickly remove. We do not normally cook too much tofu in my house, but this was  a great tofu dish. It was able to soak up so much of the flavor from the ginger and the broth. Enjoy 🙂

IMG_2245

Ginger-Poached Noodles
adapted from 101cookbooks

4 cups vegetable broth
2 ounces fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
8 ounces firm tofu, cut into small cubes
1-2 cups (half a bunch) of broccolini, broccoli, or baby broccoli – trimmed
8 ounces dried spinach noodles, soba, or noodles of your choice
1 – 2 tablespoons shoyu or soy sauce
1/4 cup fresh basil, shredded
scant 1/4 cup fresh mint, shredded
a squeeze of lime juice
crushed red pepper flakes (opt)
toasted sesame oil (opt)

Place the broth, ginger and tofu in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and gently simmer for ten minutes or so. Remove (just) the tofu from the pan using a slotted spoon and set aside. Now add the broccoli to the simmering broth. Cook for just a minute, until bright, and remove from pan with slotted spoon. Add pasta to ginger broth and cook until done, stirring regularly. Remove pasta with fork, set aside, and remove all the ginger slices. Return the tofu, broccoli and noodles to the pot. Stir in the soy sauce, basil, mint, and a squeeze of lime juice. Finish with a couple pinches of crushed red pepper flakes. Taste and season to taste with salt, soy sauce, and perhaps a drop or two of toasted sesame oil.

Serves 3-4

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Herb-Grilled Chicken Breasts, Thai Style with Bok Choi Stir-Fry

05 Aug 2009 Leave a comment

by marisashealthykitchen in Home Cooking, Vegetarian Recipes Tags: , , , , , ,

chicken - herbs greens

This may not be the prettiest dish but it smelled super great and Michael really enjoyed the flavors! I would suggest slicing the chicken afterwards to make a prettier presentation. The bok choi cooks quick so put it on right after you get the chicken on the grill. You could also substitute the bok choi with other Asian greens to compliment the flavors of the chicken or to eat on their own as a vegetarian dish. I love bok choi, especially in the summer when they are so strong and a beautiful green!

Herb-Grilled Chicken Breasts, Thai Style
Recipe adapted from July 1998 Bon Appétit

  • 1/3 cup finely chopped fresh basil
  • 1/3 cup finely chopped fresh mint
  • 1/3 cup finely chopped cilantro
  • 3 tablespoons finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons tamari
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce (nam pla)
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons (packed) dark brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Sriracha or 1 hot chili chopped
  • 6 skinless boneless chicken breast halves (about 2 1/2 pounds total)
  1. Combine first 10 ingredients in processor. Process until well blended, scraping down sides of bowl occasionally.
  2. Arrange chicken in 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass dish. Spoon herb mixture over chicken, covering completely. Cover dish; chill at least 2 hours, turning chicken occasionally.
  3. Set grill to medium-high heat. Grill chicken until cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to plates and serve.

Bok Choi Stir-Fry

  • 1 medium bunch of bok choi
  • 3 tablespoons peanut or sesame oil
  • 4 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon Sriracha or 1 hot chili chopped
    1. Clean and wash the bok choi carefully. (There tends to be dirt caught under the leaves)
    2. Cut into 3 inch pieces
    3. Heat the oil in a wok or large pot and add the garlic, salt and Sriracha and stir for about 1 minute
    4. Add the greens and stir until the greens go limp but the stems are still crunchy about 4 minutes.
    5. Add salt to taste

chicken - herbs

Super Fast Veggie Stir-fry

28 Jul 2009 1 Comment

by marisashealthykitchen in Home Cooking, Vegan Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

I am sure everyone has those nights where they need to throw dinner together quickly or you have an abundance of gorgeous veggies in the fridge you have to use up soon. Here is a great go to stir-fry recipe that I throw together when I need something like that. Super fast, tons of nutrition and really deelish! Of course you can substitute any veggies you have in the fridge for what I have used. The same goes with the seasonings. Also I tend to just pour on the ingredients so the measurements are not exact and you should season to taste.

stir-fry side

Super Fast Veggie Stir-fry

1 tablespoon canola
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 red pepper, sliced
1/2 lb snap peas, cleaned
1/4 head of red cabbage, chopped
8 ounces of mini portobello mushrooms, sliced
1 package of seitan or soy chicken (I used Morningstar meal starters chicken)
3 tablespoons mirin
2 tablespoons agave
2 tablespoons tamari
1 teaspoon ginger powder (or fresh ginger)
1 teaspoon Sriracha

    1. Heat the oil in a wok or large pan and add onions and garlic and sauté for about 2-3 minutes
    2. Add the red pepper, snap peas, cabbage, mushrooms and soy chicken and combine well
    3. Add the mirin, agave, tamari, ginger powder and sritacha and mix well
    4. Continue to sauté for another 4 minutes or until the veggies reach your desired texture
    5. Taste and adjust seasonings, Enjoy 🙂

stir-fry top

Rice Noodle and Vegetable Stir-Fry

17 Apr 2009 1 Comment

by marisashealthykitchen in Vegan Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes Tags: , , , , , , , ,

As much as I love Passover and my birthday (which normally falls during the holiday) I know there is a rush for the carbs when it is over. I don’t even typically eat many carbs, but because they were not allowed for 8 days there is a desire for them afterwards anyway.

This recipe is really great and really really quick! It is great for all year but I especially love it for the after Passover feast as you still involve veggies in all that pasta!!

ENJOY 🙂

rice-noodle-

Recipe fromVegan

SERVINGS 2

COOK TIME 10 minutes

TOTAL TIME 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS
2 ounces rice noodles
2 1/2 teaspoons coconut oil
1 red onion, sliced
8 ounces rehydrated soy protein or tofu
2 tablespoons soy sauce (or tamari)
8 lychees, peeled, pitted and quartered (adds such a nice sweetness!)
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 cup finely sliced cabbage
1 cup bean sprouts
2 1/2 teaspoons blackstrap molasses
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped

To Serve:
Nori flakes
Sesame seeds
Lime wedges (optional)

PREPARATION
1. Soak the rice noodles in boiling water for 4 minutes, then rinse in cold water and drain.

2. Heat a wok or large frying pan until very hot, add the coconut oil, then the onion and soy. Stir briskly to sear on all sides until golden.

3. Pour in the soy sauce and stir to coat the mixture.

4. Reduce the heat and add the remaining ingredients plus the drained noodles, stirring until hot.

5. Transfer the stir-fry to warmed serving bowls, sprinkle with the nori flakes and sesame seeds, and serve with wedges of lime, if desired.

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