Vegetable Fried Rice

Healthy alternative to the original fried rice. Pretty tasty and you can use whatever vegetables you have on hand.

What you will need:
1 cup of white or brown cooked rice
2 egg whites, beaten
2 teaspoons canola oil
1/2 red bell pepper sliced
1/4 cup of broccoli, chopped
2 tablespoons water chestnuts, drained & chopped
2 green onions, sliced
1/2 bunch of asparagus trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoons ginger
1 teaspoons sesame oil
sriracha sauce to taste

Directions:
Cook eggs in a wok or sauce pan sprayed with Pam for 30 seconds over medium heat. Move to a bowl. Add oil to wok and cook the asparagus for 2 minutes. Add broccoli, bell pepper, chestnuts, green onions, garlic,  and ginger. Combine and cook for 2 minutes, add sesame oil and sriracha sauce, cook for 1 minute, add egg whites and serve.
ENJOY!

Chinese Turkey Cabbage Wraps

These are absolutely Delicious! I promise you will make again & again!

For this recipe you will need:
1 cup cooked white or brown rice
1 pound lean ground turkey
3 teaspoons sesame oil
1 clove garlic, pressed
1/2 can water chestnuts, drained & chopped
1/2 red bell pepper
1/2 tablespoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon cracked pepper
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup chicken broth, reduced sodium
2 tablespoons plum sauce
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
1 tablespoon mint, chopped
2 green onions, sliced
1 head of green cabbage
1 carrot, shredded
For dip:
2 tablespoons Hot chili oil
2 tablespoons soy

Directions:
Heat 2 teaspoons of sesame oil in a wok and add the ground turkey.
Add ginger and cook through. Stir in 1/2 cup of rice, bell pepper, chestnuts, garlic, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, salt, pepper, soy sauce, vinegar, broth, carrot and plum sauce. Cook about 2 minutes. Par-broil the head of cabbage, move to paper towel and peel off the leaves
To assemble, spoon an even amount of turkey mixture into the cabbage leaves. Top with herbs, and sprinkle with some rice wine vinegar. Roll the cabbage like a burrito. Mix together hot chili oil and soy for a dipping sauce.
ENJOY!

Szechuan Chicken

This is a regular in my home. It's an incredibly flavorful dish yet so simple.

What you will need:

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, pounded thin and cubed

1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar

1 teaspoon soy sauce

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 teaspoons corn starch

1 tablespoons canola oil

2 1/2 inch ginger slices 

2 cups of mixed vegetables for stir fry

I use carrots, broccoli, sugar snap peas and water chestnuts.

But you can use whatever you like!

2 green onion, chopped

1/4 cup dry roasted peanuts, chopped 

For the szechuan sauce you will need:

1 tablespoon ketchup

2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar

1 teaspoon soy sauce

3 tablespoons chicken broth

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1/4 teaspoon corn starch

1/4 teaspoon crushed red peppers or more if you like it spicier! 

Directions:

Combine chicken, vinegar, soy, garlic, and cornstarch in a bowl. Mix thoroughly 

Heat peanut oil in a wok on med-high heat. 

Add ginger and sir-fry for a 1 minute, add chicken and stir-fry until chicken begins to brown on all sides.

Form a well by pushing the chicken to the outer sides of the pan, add vegetables and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes. 

Mix all the szechuan sauce ingredients together add to the pan and cook for 1 minute or until sauce has thickened. 

Discard the ginger, plate and top with the green onions and peanuts.

ENJOY!

Pot Roast with Red Wine

I'm always a fan of crock-pot meals especially on busy weeknights. Get home from a long workout at the gym with a great meal ready to eat, what could be better?

For this dish you will need:
3 pound boneless beef round rump roast, trimmed of fat and cut into 3 to 4 pieces
1/2 red wine i use Merlot
3/4 cup water
1/2 onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 beef bouillon cubes
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon pepper
handful of baby carrots
3 medium sized baby red potatoes, quartered
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
Directions:
In a saute pan sear the beef on all sides. In a crock pot on high add the seared beef. In a small bowl mix wine, water bouillon cubes, onion, garlic, thyme, and pepper. Pour over the beef. Cook for 3 hours, then add carrots and potatoes, cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until beef is cooked through.
Scoop the beef and veges onto a platter, pour the juice from the pot into a gravy separator or into a bowl and skim the fat off the top. Heat a saucepan, add the juice, cornstarch and water cook until mixture thickens to a gravy texture.
Pour over beef and vegetables.
ENJOY!

Vege Hummus

I love hummus and have many ways I make it...here is a lower calorie version and if served with raw veges it's a nice healthy snack.

For the hummus you will need:
1 can garbanzo beans, drained & rinsed
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 tomato, chopped
1 green onion, chopped
1 tablespoon parsley, minced
pinch of paprika

Directions:
Put garbanzo beans, garlic, tahini , lemon juice, and olive oil in a blender or food processor. Mix until combined and smooth, you may need to add more Olive oil.
Combine the tomato, onion, and parsley in a small bowl.
Scrape out the hummus mixture and pour into a serving dish. Put a light sprinkle of olive oil on top, the paprika and tomato mixture.
Serve with raw vegetables or wheat pita bread.
ENJOY!

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

This is a tasty German dish but is usually filled with bacon, breadcrumbs, and fried in bacon grease. So here is my version, hope you like!

For the cabbage rolls you will need:
3/4 pound lean ground beef
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1 egg beaten
1/2 cup water
6 cabbage leaves
1 cup cooked white rice
3/4 can condensed tomato soup
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tablespoon olive oil
Directions:
Par broil the cabbage leaves in a lightly salted pot of water, remove and pat dry.
Mix together in a small bowl, the soup, water, sugar, lemon juice, and garlic.
In a medium size bowl combine the beef, rice, onions, egg, salt, pepper and 3 tablespoon of the soup mixture.
Distribute even amounts of beef mixture onto the cabbage leafs, roll up like a burrito and put seam side down in a saute pan with the olive oil. Pour the rest of the soup mixture over the rolls. Bring to a boil, lower heat to a simmer, cover, baste the rolls periodically with the soup mix.
Cook for 40 minutes.
ENJOY!

BBQ Chicken Pizza

Americans eat an average of 46 slices of pizza a year! And there's a reason, its simply delicious. But not exactly healthy.....to cut back on calories, leave out all the greasy pepperoni and instead do a shredded BBQ chicken with low fat mozzarella cheese and a whole-wheat crust. (optional)

If your making the crust, you will need:
3 1/2 cups wheat flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil

Put all the ingredients in your bread machine on the dough setting. When finished, roll out on a lightly floured surface.

For the pizza you will need:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup BBQ sauce
1 tablespoon margarine
1/4 cup marinara for pizza
1/4 red onion, sliced
1 package of low fat mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese, shredded
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Directions:
In a crock pot put the chicken, the margarine and 1/2 cup of BBQ sauce. Cook on high for 2 hours or until done. Shred the chicken.
On a prepared crust brush with olive oil lightly, mix the remaining BBQ sauce and marinara in a small bowl, spoon on to the crust cover to the edges. Sprinkle half of the cheese, then meat, red onion and top with remaining cheese to your liking. Parmesan, and Italian seasoning to top it off.
Bake at 450 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until crust is done.
ENJOY!