It seems like once a week we have a "stand-by" meal - something quick and easy to prepare, but not exactly inspiring. This usually ends up being veggie burgers or hot dogs on the grill. Tonight happened to be one of those nights. But, I decided to inject some interest and flavor with curry aioli. This can be made vegan with a couple of small substitutions.
For the curry aioli:
1/2 C non-fat plain yogurt
1/4 C low-fat mayo (you can substitute 3/4 veganase mayo for the yogurt and regular mayo)
1/2 medium sweet onion, roughly chopped
10 mint leaves
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp mild curry powder
1 tsp cumin
1 lime, zested and juiced
1/4 tsp salt
Combine the above ingredients in a food processor or blender and mix until smooth. For best results refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.
This aioli can be used as a spread on your favorite veggie burger or as a dip to accompany some fries. It only takes a few minutes to make, but can transform an ordinary meal into something delightful!
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Hawaiian "Chicken"
We were recently invited over to dinner at a friend's house and were served a delicious meal that gave me the idea for this recipe. The rice we had was cooked in coconut milk to add flavor, and it really made a big difference. With a couple of other small additions, here is my version of Hawaiian "Chicken".
For the Rice:
1 Cup Basmati Rice
1 Cup light coconut milk
1 Cup pineapple juice
1 tsp salt
dash of pepper
I used a rice cooker to make my rice. If you have one, cook as you ordinarily would using the above ingredients. If you don't have a rice cooker, in a medium sauce pan, combine all ingredients, bring to a boil, cover, and reduce temperature to a simmer. Allow to cook for about 20 minutes. Do not open the lid until 20 minutes has passed. Fluff with a fork.
For the Sauce:
1 Jar plum sauce
1 Cup pineapple juice
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp hot sauce (optional - if you like a little kick!)
salt & pepper to taste
In a small sauce pan, place the oil and garlic. Gradually heat the oil and garlic until you start to smell the garlic. Add the juice, vinegar, and plum sauce. Stir until well combined. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for about 10 minutes.
For the Chicken:
1 box (4 cutlets) Quorn Nak'd Chicken, partially thawed (brushed with oil on both sides)
1 can pineapple slices
Heat up a grill to high heat. Add the chicken and cook for about 5 minutes. Flip the chicken. At this time, add the pineapple to the grill. Cook the pineapple for about 2 minutes on each side, or until you get golden brown grill marks. (Cooking the pineapple with make it less acidic and very sweet.) Remove everything from the grill.
Now, its just a matter of assembling! I placed the rice first, then the chicken, followed by the pineapple. I poured the sauce over everything. I served mine with a side of steamed broccoli.
For the Rice:
1 Cup Basmati Rice
1 Cup light coconut milk
1 Cup pineapple juice
1 tsp salt
dash of pepper
I used a rice cooker to make my rice. If you have one, cook as you ordinarily would using the above ingredients. If you don't have a rice cooker, in a medium sauce pan, combine all ingredients, bring to a boil, cover, and reduce temperature to a simmer. Allow to cook for about 20 minutes. Do not open the lid until 20 minutes has passed. Fluff with a fork.
For the Sauce:
1 Jar plum sauce
1 Cup pineapple juice
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp hot sauce (optional - if you like a little kick!)
salt & pepper to taste
In a small sauce pan, place the oil and garlic. Gradually heat the oil and garlic until you start to smell the garlic. Add the juice, vinegar, and plum sauce. Stir until well combined. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for about 10 minutes.
For the Chicken:
1 box (4 cutlets) Quorn Nak'd Chicken, partially thawed (brushed with oil on both sides)
1 can pineapple slices
Heat up a grill to high heat. Add the chicken and cook for about 5 minutes. Flip the chicken. At this time, add the pineapple to the grill. Cook the pineapple for about 2 minutes on each side, or until you get golden brown grill marks. (Cooking the pineapple with make it less acidic and very sweet.) Remove everything from the grill.
Now, its just a matter of assembling! I placed the rice first, then the chicken, followed by the pineapple. I poured the sauce over everything. I served mine with a side of steamed broccoli.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Balsamic Barbecue "Chicken"
This is a very simple way to dress up Quorn naked chicken cutlets. It added tons of flavor and moisture. I served mine with grilled asparagus.
1 C balsamic vinegar
3/4 C ketchip
1/3 C brown sugar
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 package Quorn Naked Chick's cutlets, thawed for about 30 minutes
Combine the first 8 ingredients in a small sauce pan until smooth. Simmer over medium-low heat for 15-20, or until reduced by 1/3. Generously coat both sides of the cutlets. Grill over medium heat until warmed through. You can re-baste the cutlets after you flip them. I served mine with a little extra BBQ sauce on the side for dipping.
*BBQ sauce recipe from FoodNetwork.com
1 C balsamic vinegar
3/4 C ketchip
1/3 C brown sugar
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 package Quorn Naked Chick's cutlets, thawed for about 30 minutes
Combine the first 8 ingredients in a small sauce pan until smooth. Simmer over medium-low heat for 15-20, or until reduced by 1/3. Generously coat both sides of the cutlets. Grill over medium heat until warmed through. You can re-baste the cutlets after you flip them. I served mine with a little extra BBQ sauce on the side for dipping.
Panini Sandwiches with Gruyere and Olive Tapenade
This is another Cooking Light find. It was outstanding! I used a panini press to grill the sandwiches, but you can achieve a similar result a couple of different ways. You could cook them on a grill over medium heat. Place a cast iron pan or another heavy skillet on top while cooking. Cook on each side for about 2 minutes or until golden brown. Alternately you could grill them as you would a grilled cheese on the stovetop over medium-high heat, using the same method described above. Enjoy!!
3-4 sun-dried tomatoes, in oil
12 pitted kalamata olives
2 cloves garlic
1-2 tbsp oil from the tomatoes, or olive oil
8-1/4 inch thick slices of focaccia or other hearty bread
1/4 C freshly grated parmesan cheese
2 oz gruyere cheese, grated (you could substitute your favorite cheese - havarti and fontina would melt nicely)
8 slices tomato
To make the tapenade, combine the first 4 ingredients in a food processor and mix until smooth. Brush one side of each bread slice with the tapenade. Top half the slices with the cheese and tomato. Place the remaining slices on top and grill as described above.
3-4 sun-dried tomatoes, in oil
12 pitted kalamata olives
2 cloves garlic
1-2 tbsp oil from the tomatoes, or olive oil
8-1/4 inch thick slices of focaccia or other hearty bread
1/4 C freshly grated parmesan cheese
2 oz gruyere cheese, grated (you could substitute your favorite cheese - havarti and fontina would melt nicely)
8 slices tomato
To make the tapenade, combine the first 4 ingredients in a food processor and mix until smooth. Brush one side of each bread slice with the tapenade. Top half the slices with the cheese and tomato. Place the remaining slices on top and grill as described above.
Gorgonzola Polenta & Vegetables
I found this recipe in Cooking Light magazine and was intrigued. I have used pre made polenta before, but have not made it from scratch. I figured this would be the prefect opportunity! It was not only easy, but delicious...and fast.
8 oz mushrooms, sliced (I used a mix of white, cremini, and shitake)
2 bell peppers, sliced thin (I used 1 yellow, 1 orange - I find them to be the sweetest)
1 1/2 C sweet onion, sliced thin
1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil, divided
3 cloves minced garlic
3 C low-fat milk (can substitute vegetable broth for vegan)
1/2 C water
2/3 C quick-cook polenta
3/4 C gorgonzola cheese, crumbled (you can substitute any cheese that melts well or even Daiya Vegan cheese)
salt & pepper to taste
Warm 1 tbsp oil over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and cook for about 4 minutes, or until soft. Add peppers, onions, and garlic and the remaining tbsp of oil. Lightly salt and pepper. Cook until vegetables are soft, about 8-10 minutes. Meanwhile, bring milk and water to boil in a medium sauce pan. Add 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp black pepper. Stir in polenta and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently. The polenta will thicken. Remove from heat and stir in cheese. Serve with vegetables on top.
8 oz mushrooms, sliced (I used a mix of white, cremini, and shitake)
2 bell peppers, sliced thin (I used 1 yellow, 1 orange - I find them to be the sweetest)
1 1/2 C sweet onion, sliced thin
1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil, divided
3 cloves minced garlic
3 C low-fat milk (can substitute vegetable broth for vegan)
1/2 C water
2/3 C quick-cook polenta
3/4 C gorgonzola cheese, crumbled (you can substitute any cheese that melts well or even Daiya Vegan cheese)
salt & pepper to taste
Warm 1 tbsp oil over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and cook for about 4 minutes, or until soft. Add peppers, onions, and garlic and the remaining tbsp of oil. Lightly salt and pepper. Cook until vegetables are soft, about 8-10 minutes. Meanwhile, bring milk and water to boil in a medium sauce pan. Add 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp black pepper. Stir in polenta and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently. The polenta will thicken. Remove from heat and stir in cheese. Serve with vegetables on top.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Veggie Fajitas
I have made fajitas a number of times, but have always used prepackaged spices. Then it occurred to me that making my own combination of spices would be easy and tastier. So, I gave it a try and this is what I came up with:
For the fajita seasoning:
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (more if you like the heat)
1/4 tsp cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp salt
2 tsp chili powder
For the fajitas:
2-3 bell peppers (I like red, orange, and yellow), sliced
1 medium onion, sliced
1 poblano pepper, stem and seeds removed, and sliced
8-10 baby portobello mushrooms, quartered
Fresh corn tortillas, warmed
For topping the fajitas:
1 tomato, diced
Cilantro, chopped
Avocado or guacamole
In a saute pan, add the cooked peppers, mushrooms, and onion. Add 1/2 cup water and 2-3 tbsp of the fajita seasoning. Stir and cook over medium-low heat until the sauce just starts to thicken. Place the vegetable combination in the tortillas and top with tomatoes, sour cream, and/or guacamole. You can use a variety of other vegetables as well, including yellow squash and zucchini.
For the fajita seasoning:
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (more if you like the heat)
1/4 tsp cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp salt
2 tsp chili powder
For the fajitas:
2-3 bell peppers (I like red, orange, and yellow), sliced
1 medium onion, sliced
1 poblano pepper, stem and seeds removed, and sliced
8-10 baby portobello mushrooms, quartered
Fresh corn tortillas, warmed
For topping the fajitas:
1 tomato, diced
Cilantro, chopped
Avocado or guacamole
In a saute pan, add the cooked peppers, mushrooms, and onion. Add 1/2 cup water and 2-3 tbsp of the fajita seasoning. Stir and cook over medium-low heat until the sauce just starts to thicken. Place the vegetable combination in the tortillas and top with tomatoes, sour cream, and/or guacamole. You can use a variety of other vegetables as well, including yellow squash and zucchini.
Arugula Pesto Pasta
I am so excited about this recipe - for 3 reasons: 1) It was tasty 2) It took 10 minutes to make 3) My kids gobbled it up. For me, that is a home run! The pesto doesn't require any oil, so it makes it the perfect light, summer dish. You will need:
3-4oz baby arugula (about 3 cups)
1 C packed fresh basil
2-3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
2 avocados, peeled with pit removed
Juice of 2 medium sized limes
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper (optional)
1 C shredded parmesan cheese
1/2 C toasted almonds or pine nuts, toasted
1 pound pasta (I used linguine)
Cooked the pasta until al dente. Place in a serving dish, but reserve about 1 C of the pasta water. Meanwhile, place the arugula, basil, garlic, avocados, lime juice, salt and pepper (if using) in a food processor and mix until smooth. Spoon the pesto over the hot pasta and toss to coat. Add the cheese and nuts and toss again. You can add some of the reserved pasta water to thin out the sauce to the desired consistency. Enjoy!
3-4oz baby arugula (about 3 cups)
1 C packed fresh basil
2-3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
2 avocados, peeled with pit removed
Juice of 2 medium sized limes
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper (optional)
1 C shredded parmesan cheese
1/2 C toasted almonds or pine nuts, toasted
1 pound pasta (I used linguine)
Cooked the pasta until al dente. Place in a serving dish, but reserve about 1 C of the pasta water. Meanwhile, place the arugula, basil, garlic, avocados, lime juice, salt and pepper (if using) in a food processor and mix until smooth. Spoon the pesto over the hot pasta and toss to coat. Add the cheese and nuts and toss again. You can add some of the reserved pasta water to thin out the sauce to the desired consistency. Enjoy!
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