greek lemon rice

 

I forgot to get a photo of my greek lemon rice until my greek bowl was stirred up and looking not so photogenic.  That's alright- the rice was great!

greek lemon rice (creme de la crumb)

1 cup long grain white rice

1 tablespoon butter

2 cups chicken broth

1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh herbs (I used 1 teaspoon dried dill)

In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt butter.  Stir in rice for 1 minute then stir in turmeric.  Stir in the broth, lemon juice and salt and bring to a boil.  Reduce to a high simmer, cover, and cook for 20-25 minutes, stirring once or twice throughout.  Fluff with a fork, stir in fresh herbs if desired and serve.

ginger chicken asparagus stir fry

 

This is the best stir fry I've ever made.  My son had three helpings!

I halved the sugar; the full amount is not necessary.

ginger chicken asparagus stir fry (foxandbriar.com)

1 pound skinless boneless chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces

1 pound asparagus, ends trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

8 ounces crimini mushrooms, sliced

1 onion, sliced

2 tablespoons oil

salt

pepper

for the sauce

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup brown sugar (I used 2 tablespoons and it was plenty!)

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger root 

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon garlic chili sauce

Whisk together all ingredients for the sauce and set aside.

Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the mushrooms and saute until they have released their water and the pan is dry 5-10 minutes.  Remove mushrooms from the pan.

Return pan to heat and add one tablespoon of oil.  Add the chicken and season with salt and pepper.  Cook, stirring often until chicken is cooked through.  Remove chicken from pan.

Wipe out pan if needed.  Return pan to heat and add the other tablespoon of oil.  Add the onion and saute for about 5 minutes until softened and starting to turn golden.

Add the mushrooms and the chicken back to the pan, cook for 3 minutes, until starting to brown.

Add the asparagus and cook 1-2 minutes, until turning bright green.

Add the sauce and stir until everything is coated and sauce has thickened, about 1 minute.

Serve over rice if desired.

mexican street tacos (carne asada)

 

My son said they were "fire".  Or was it "gas"?  Either way,  I'll take it!

mexican street tacos (damndelicious)

2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

1 tablespoon oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 1/2 pounds skirt steak, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

mini corn or flour tortillas, warmed

3/4 cup diced red onion

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

1 lime, cut into wedges

In a medium bowl, combine soy sauce, lime juice, garlic, chili powder, cumin and oregano.

Add steak and marinate for at least 1 hour up to 4 hours, turning the bag occasionally.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add marinated steak and cook, stirring often, until steak has browned and marinade has rediced about 5-6 minutes or until desired doneness.

Serve steak in tortillas, topped with onion, lime and cilantro (I combined the onion, lime and cilantro with some diced tomatoes).

easy vegan cabbage roll soup

 

I made this soup for my vegan daughter and froze small portions for her to have on hand.  She texted me, "Wow that was definitely the best vegan soup I've ever ever had!!!  Thank you very much it was super yummy!!"  I'll be making it again for her.

easy vegan cabbage roll soup (adapted from it doesn't taste like chicken)

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped

1 yellow onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound green cabbage, chopped into bite-sized pieces (5 cups)

6 cups vegan beefless broth or vegetable broth

1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes

3/4 cup uncooked basmati rice (I used 1 (15 ounce) can white beans)

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 bay leaf

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 cup vegan beef crumbles

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, roughly chopped for garnish

In a large soup pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat.  When hot, add the carrots, onion, and garlic and saute for about 5 minutes until the onions have turned translucent and begin to brown.

Stir in the cabbage, 6 cups of broth, crushed tomatoes, rice, and all the spices. 

Add the vegan beef crumbles.

Bring the soup to a simmer and cook stirring as needed, for about 25 minutes or until the rice (I used beans) and cabbage are tender.

Serve hot with fresh parsley.

no bake chocolate cheesecake

 

Our sweet neighbor and her daughter delivered a slice of chocolate cheesecake to daughter #3 who LOVES Oreos (the crust is made from Oreos).  It was of course delicious and I want to make it sometime.

This recipe had me at no bake.

no bake chocolate cheesecake (my friend and neighbor jenny)

18-20 Oreo cookies- blend in food processor until crumbs

6 tablespoons, melted- add to Oreo crumbs and blend until combined

Press Oreo mixture into a 12" springform pan.  Freeze for 30 minutes.

filling

2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips, melted

3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese

2 cups powdered sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup whipping cream- whisk until soft peaks form

Mix cream cheese until light and fluffy.  Add powdered sugar, vanilla and salt to cream cheese and mix until well combined.  Add melted chocolate chips and mix well.  Gently fold in whipped cream.  Pour mixture over frozen crust.  Spread evenly.  Refrigerate overnight or until set.

topping

1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons whipping cream

Heat chocolate chips and whipping cream in a glass bowl in the microwave.  Stir after 1 minute.  Continue to heat until it is fully blended and mixed together.   Pour over top of cooled cheesecake.  Refrigerate 1 hour.  After the cake is cooled, slide a butter knife around the edges of the pan to loosen.  Open springform pan and slice.  Top with berries if desired.

thai chicken soup

This soup is so simple yet so very good.  It was to good I plan to use red curry paste just to test the difference.

thai chicken soup (adapted from food network)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 onion, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons green curry paste

6 cups chicken broth

1 (15 ounce) can coconut milk

1 tablespoon fish sauce, plus more to taste

1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

4 ounces thin rice noodles, broken into pieces

2 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts, very thinly sliced crosswise

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, plus more to taste

1 cup roughly chopped cilantro

Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned, about 8 minutes.  Add the garlic and curry paste and cook, stirring 1-2 minutes.  Add the chicken broth, coconut milk, and fish sauce; cover and bring to a boil.

Add the bell pepper and noodles and simmer, uncovered, until the noodles are al dente, about 3 minutes.  Add the chicken and simmer until just cooked though, about 3 more minutes.  Stir in the lime juice and cilantro.  Add more fish sauce and lime juice, if desired.

garlic-ginger chicken thighs

 

Excellent flavor.

garlic-ginger chicken thighs  (food network)

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1 cup thinly sliced red onion

2 tablespoons minced garlic

2 tablespoons minced peeled ginger (used 1 tsp ground ginger)

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup fresh orange juice

freshly ground pepper

olive oil for the grill

Combine the chicken, onion, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, juice and 1 teaspoon pepper in a large resealable plastic bag.  Seal and shake to coat the chicken with the marinade.  Refrigerate 1 hour or overnight.

Preheat a grill to medium heat and oil the grate.  Grill the chicken until marked 5-6 minutes.  Flip and continue to grill until cooked through, about 5 more minutes.  Let rest 5 minutes before serving.