Spaghetti Squash with Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

The best part of blogging for my own keeping of recipes is not feeling like I have to post. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy sharing recipes...but the sole reason this blog exists is to have a reference while I plan meals and to help me have a little extra motivation to try new recipes. Cooking for a three year old and myself doesn't always encourage creativity, but, I am proud that our dinners do not consist of frozen chicken nuggets or canned O's swimming in mystery sauce. Do we have breakfast for dinner often? Yep. Does a quesadilla qualify as the entree almost once a week? Yep. But we do our best and find some recipes worth repeating between nights of omelets or waffles (not of the frozen variety).

Ingredients

For the Spaghetti Squash
1 medium spaghetti squash
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste

For the Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
2 red bell peppers
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion,chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
dash of red pepper flakes
1/2 cup packed fresh basil, coarsely chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt (I used Chobani 0%)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Brush cut sides of squash with oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Place squash on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until tender, about 45 minutes.

2. While the squash is baking, make the creamy roasted red pepper sauce. Roast red peppers over gas flame, under the broiler, or on the grill. Roast for about 10 minutes, or until peppers are completely black. Place peppers in a paper bag to allow to sweat. Peel the charred skins from the peppers and remove the seeds. Chop the peppers and set aside.
3. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the red peppers and diced tomatoes. Add oregano, red pepper flakes, fresh basil, and season with salt and pepper. Simmer on stove for 10 minutes. Stir in the Greek yogurt. Purée the sauce in the pan, using an immersion blender. You can also transfer the sauce to a blender or food processor, but be careful. Make sure the sauce is not super hot so you don't get burnt. Puree until smooth, with some texture remaining.
4. When the squash is done baking, let it cool for a few minutes-until you can touch it. Scrape the squash with a fork to remove flesh in long strands. Place in a large bowl or on individual plates. Top spaghetti squash with the creamy roasted red pepper sauce and serve warm.


From Two Peas and Their Pod

Couscous-Stuffed Peppers with Fresh Basil Sauce

 With red bell peppers 3/$1.00, we've been eating lot and lots of them. We made these on Sunday and they were awesome. It was a combination of sort of unexpected flavors, but we were pleasantly surprised. For Siena, I just gave her some of the filling and she ate it like a champ. Plus, it was a great excuse to use some of our basil that is taking over the garden!

Ingredients

Filling 

 

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth 

2 tsp cumin   

3/4 cup whole wheat couscous  

1 cup canned garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained  

1/4 cup dried currants or cranberries 

1 packed cup chopped baby spinach leaves  

1/3-1/2 cup (approx. 4 ounces) crumbled feta cheese

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling  

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper  

4 bell peppers ( I used red)hot water, as needed (I used chicken broth)

Sauce  

1 packed cup fresh basil leaves  

1/4-1/3 cup (about 4 ounces) creme fraiche ( I used sour cream)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon water

1-2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped  
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, plus a little zest! (about 1/2 a lemon)
1/4 teaspoon sugar  
1/4 teaspoon salt, plus extra, as needed  
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra, as needed

Directions

1. Put an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Prepare the filling: In a medium saucepan bring the chicken broth and cumin to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the couscous. Cover the pan until the couscous is tender and all of the liquid has been absorbed, about 5 to 6 minutes. Put the couscous in a large bowl and add the beans, currants, spinach, feta and 1/4 cup olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir until all the ingredients are combined. 

2. Slice the tops off the peppers and remove all the ribs and seeds. If necessary, cut a very thin slice from the base to help the peppers stand up. Stuff the peppers with the filling and drizzle the tops with olive oil. Put the peppers in an 8 by 8-inch square baking dish. Fill the baking dish with 3/4-inch hot water or broth, cover with foil, and bake until the filling is golden and the peppers are cooked through, about 45-55 minutes, removing foil last 15 min or so .

3. While peppers are baking, in a food processor, blender, or with an immersion blender, combine the basil, sour cream, olive oil, water, garlic, lemon juice, sugar, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, to taste.

4. Remove the peppers from the oven and arrange on serving plates. Spoon the sauce around the peppers and serve. 

Serves 4 
*Right now, it was meatless, to make it truly vegetarian swap the chicken broth for vegetable broth

adapted slightly from Giada

Stacked Roasted Veggie Enchiladas

I was a little hesitant to try this, but having seen this recipe (or very similar) over and over I figured there must be something good about it! It was a great meatless dinner, even Nick approved and was pleasantly surprised. Honestly, we made this so long ago I can't remember if I changed much from the original recipe- I'm pretty sure I used a little less red sauce and only 1/2 a jalapeno since I didn't want too much spice for a 2-year-old.

Ingredients

1 large red pepper, chopped, seeds removed
1 medium zucchini, chopped
1 medium yellow squash, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeño, minced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 cups red enchilada sauce
9-10 small corn tortillas
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place red pepper, zucchini, yellow squash, and onion on a large baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and toss until vegetables are coated. Season with salt and pepper. Roast vegetables for 30-40 minutes, or until tender, stirring occasionally. Remove vegetables from oven and let cool to room temperature. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F.

2. Grease an 8x8 square baking pan and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine roasted vegetables, black beans, cumin, chili powder, garlic, jalapeño, and cilantro. Stir and season with salt and pepper.

3. Spread 1/4 cup of enchilada sauce into the bottom of the baking pan. Add a layer of tortillas, to completely cover the bottom of the pan. You might have to cut the tortillas to make them fit. Top with 1/3 of the vegetable/bean mixture and 1/3 of the cheese. Make a second layer of tortilla, enchilada sauce, vegetables/beans, and cheese. Top with with a layer of tortillas, enchilada sauce, vegetables/beans, and cheese. Spray a sheet of aluminum foil with cooking spray and cover the pan.

4. Bake enchiladas for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and the enchiladas are bubbling. Remove enchiladas from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Cut into squares and serve warm.

from twopeasandtheirpod

Swiss Miss Veggie-filled Pasta Sauce

 

Okay, probably not the Swiss you're thinking. It's going to be a cool 112 today and this is certainly not about hot chocolate. Swiss as in Swiss chard. We tried out an awesome grocery store the other day that had amazing deals on produce. Like bananas for $0.10, key limes for $0.04 (we made key lime pie), peaches for $0.18, plums for $0.07, cumbers for $0.25, and on and on. I wanted to frame my receipt. We also picked up some beautiful Swiss chard. We've pureed it in a food processor and added it to omelets as well as made a veggie-filled pasta sauce. Looks like a winner. Pretty much anywhere you would use spinach you can try Swiss chard.

Veggie-filled Pasta Sauce

Ingredients (estimations-everything was eyeballed)

drizzle extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup yellow onion, diced
1-2 large carrots, shredded or finely chopped
2-3 large Swiss chard leaves, shredded or finely chopped
1-2 cloves of garlic, diced
8-12 oz tomato sauce
oregano, to taste
basil, to taste
salt & pepper, to taste
 
1. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté yellow onion and carrots. When soft, add Swiss chard and garlic til just cooked.  Add tomato sauce and season with oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Let simmer, the longer the better. Serve with favorite pasta and freshly grated Parmesan, to taste.


Other options: bell peppers

Orzo-Stuffed Peppers

adapted from Giada's Kitchen: New Italian favorites

This was a treat to make. We had home-grown tomatoes, zucchini, mint, and basil to enjoy. The red bell peppers were on sale for $0.49 each, so the meal was planned before I knew it. We ate this with a Caprese salad on the side to make it a meat-less meal, but I do think these would pair nicely with a grilled little something on the side. Next time, I will try incorporating a stronger cheese within the bell pepper to give it a little more punch.

Ingredients

1 (28 oz) can whole Italian tomatoes- I used 3 large fresh tomatoes
2 medium zucchini, grated
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese, plus more for sprinkling
optional: stronger cheese like Gorgonzola or Feta
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
dash of Italian seasoning
dash of oregano
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth {can use vegetable broth to make it truly vegetarian}
1 1/2 cups orzo
6 sweet bell peppers (red or yellow)
1/4 cup fresh basil, for garnish

Directions

1. Pour tomatoes and their juices into a large blow and break them into pieces. Add zucchini, mint, cheese, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.

2. Meanwhile, bring the chicken broth to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add the orzo and cook for 4 minutes.  The orzo will only be partially cooked. Drain the orzo through a sieve, reserving the chicken broth and add the orzo to the large bowl with the vegetables. Stir to combine. Transfer the warm chicken broth to a 3-quart baking dish.

3. Slice the tops off the peppers and removed all ribs and seeds. Cut a very thing slice fro the base to help peppers stand up, if needed. Spoon the orzo mixture into the peppers. Place the peppers in the backing dish with the warm chicken broth. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 45 min. Remove the foil, sprinkle each peppers with cheese, and continue baking until the cheese is golden, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and carefully transfer the stuffed peppers to serving plates. Garnish with basil, if desired.

Winter Squash Soup with Gruyère Croutons

adapted from Bon Appetite 

I've heard how much people love butternut squash soup and I've even tried some before and didn't love it. Maybe my tastebuds are maturing, or maybe I just needed these croutons to entice me to try this soup- but we really, really loved it. The pairing of the croutons is vital to this little concoction- they are so delicious. One afternoon we paired the leftover soup with a Gruyère grilled cheese sandwich and it was equally tasty. This dish goes wonderfully with a side or salad which includes pears... maybe since I love pears dipped in Gruyère fondue...

Ingredients


Soup
1 butternut squash (about 1 1/2 lbs)
1 acorn squash (about 1 1/2 lbs)
4 large garlic cloves
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
4-5 cups low sodium chicken broth (or vegetable broth to make it vegetarian)
1/4 tsp. dried thyme (or 1/2 tsp. fresh)
1/4 tsp. dried herbs de provence
1/4 tsp. dried sage ( I used 1/2 tsp. fresh)
1/4 cup cream

Croutons 
butter
baguette bread sliced 1/4 in thick
grated Gruyère cheese
thyme & sage to sprinkle (fresh or dried)

Directions

1. Wash squash, cut in half, and remove seeds.  Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper, and put a garlic clove in each hole. Place cut-side down on baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 30-40 min. Meanwhile, melt butter in large pot. Add diced onion and sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. When squash is done, scoop out and add to onions. Add broth and herbs.

2. Working in 2 batches or so, puree soup in blender. Return soup to same pot. Stir in cream; bring to simmer. Season with salt and pepper, if needed. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill. Rewarm over medium heat before serving.) 

  

For croutons:
Preheat broiler. Butter 1 side of each bread slice. Arrange bread, buttered side up, on baking sheet. Broil until golden, about 1 minute. Turn over. Sprinkle cheese, then thyme and sage over. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Broil until cheese melts, about 1 minute. Ladle soup into bowls. Top each with croutons and serve.

Sweet Pea Cauliflower Couscous

 

from Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice

I'm pretty sure this is the first time I've ever bought cauliflower. It just isn't one of the veggies I am naturally drawn to, but I really enjoyed it in this simple side.

 
2 cups cauliflower florets
3/4 cup sweet peas
2 cloves garlic, minced
coconut or olive oil for sauteing
3/4 cup whole wheat couscous
1 + 1/2 cup water
1/2 lemon, juiced
Sea salt and fresh pepper to taste

Directions

1. Steam the cauliflower and peas to desired tenderness.  

2. In a large skillet saute garlic in a teaspoon of oil until fragrant over low heat. Add couscous, cauliflower, peas and water. Remove from heat and put a lid on the pan. Allow to sit for ten minutes.

3. Add lemon and mix well. Salt and pepper to taste.

Chinese Chicken and Broccoli

 adapted from the Nest and Annie's Eats

I love broccoli. Lucky for me it is available for a good part of the year. The first time I made a variation of this dish the broccoli was overcooked which was blah and the meal did not reheat well at all. This time around I was extra careful to leave my broccoli with lots of crunch and it was just as great the next day.


Ingredients

2 tsp. cornstarch

2 tsp. rice wine

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces

2 tsp. peanut oil, divided

2 tsp. sesame oil, divided

4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. freshly grated ginger

1/4- 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

4 cups broccoli florets

6 Tbsp. chicken broth, divided

3 Tbsp. soy sauce

2 Tbsp. hoisin sauce

1 ½ tsp. brown sugar

1 (8-ounce) can sliced bamboo shoots, drained {forgot to add this time, but it adds some great texture}
scallions, chopped
sesame seeds, for garnish

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and wine. Add the chicken and mix well. Heat half of the peanut oil and the sesame oil in a large skillet or wok over medium high heat. Add the chicken pieces to the pan and saute until golden brown and cooked through. {I threw in a bit of salt here}.

2. Using a slotted spoon, transfer cooked chicken to a bowl. Add remaining oil to the pan. Add garlic and ginger and saute about 30 seconds to a minute. Add red pepper flakes and broccoli.

3. Pour in half of chicken broth (it should steam and boil quickly). Allow broccoli to cook until most of the broth has evaporated but the broccoli is still semi-crisp (2-3 min). Add the bamboo shoots and stir to combine.

4. In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, hoisin sauce, brown sugar, and remaining 3 Tbsp. of chicken broth add to pan along with the cooked chicken. Heat through, stirring frequently, until the sauce thickens, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and add scallions. Garnish with sesame seeds.

Serve over brown rice.

Grilled Lemongrass Chicken with Red Quinoa and Vegetables

adapted from Self

Easy enough for prepare? Check

Healthy? Check

Delicious? Check

Husband liked it? Check

I liked it? Check

Baby liked it? Check

The lemongrass in this has such a wonderful aroma. I may or may not be salivating a bit thinking about it. I got a few stalks from Whole Foods for honestly $0.25 or so- don't be tricked into buying the pre-made stuff in a tube. Be sure to add fresh mint into the mix because it really is the ticket to making this extra delicioso.

Ingredients

Marinade

3-5 medium shallots

4-5 stalks fresh lemongrass (tough outer leaves removed)

1 piece ginger (about 1 1/2 inches), peeled

¼- 1/3 cup canola oil

½ cup fresh lime juice

2 Tbsp. tamari (or soy sauce)

2 Tbsp. light brown sugar

1 tsp. sea salt, plus more to taste

1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoon ground coriander

3-4 boneless, boneless skinless chicken breasts

drizzle olive oil (1-2 tsp.)

1 cup red quinoa

2 cups chicken broth (or stock) or water

1 pound (about 3 cups) fresh sugar snap peas, strings removed

1-2 (2 cups) red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and thinly sliced

fresh mint, chopped

Directions

1. To make the marinade puree shallots, lemongrass, ginger, oil, lime juice, tamari, sugar, sea salt, pepper, and coriander in a food processor, until smooth. This should make about 1 ¼ cup of marinade. Place chicken in a baking dish and spoon on ¾ cup marinade, rubbing it on all sides. Cover; chill 1/2 to 2 hours. Reserve and refrigerate remaining ¾ cup of marinade.

2. When chicken is ready to cook, preheat grill. While grill is heating up, heat a drizzle of olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook quinoa until toasted, 3 to 4 minutes. Add broth; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until quinoa absorbs liquid, about 15-20 minutes. Turn off heat; let sit, covered, until ready to serve.

3. Meanwhile, grill chicken over medium heat turning once, for 4-6 minutes per side. Remove chicken; let rest two minutes. Slice each breast on the diagonal into 1/2-inch pieces.

4.While chicken is grilling, remove reserved marinade from refrigerator-whisk to freshen. Pour 1 Tbsp. of marinade in a large skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Cook sugar peas and peppers until crisp-tender, about 3-4 minutes. Turn off heat. Add fresh mint and toss. Serve chicken and vegetables with a side bed of quinoa. Warm-up reserved marinade and drizzle on top of chicken and vegetables for a little extra flavor, if desired.

Baked Ziti with Spinach and Tomatoes

adapted from Epicurious

Ingredients

3/4 lb. sweet Italian sausages, casing removed (I used low fat turkey Italian sausage)
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
3 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 28-ounce can diced peeled tomatoes
1/4 - 1/3 cup pesto sauce ( I buy in bulk and freeze)
salt and pepper, to taste
1 box Barilla ziti or penne pasta, freshly cooked
6-8 cups fresh baby spinach (about 8 oz.)
6-8 ounces mozzarella cheese, cubed*, with some shredded to top pasta (I used fresh)
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add sausage, onion and garlic and sauté until sausage is cooked through, breaking up meat with back of spoon, about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes with juices to pan. Simmer until sauce thickens slightly, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. {While simmering, cook the pasta, if eating immediately.} Add pesto to sauce. Season sauce with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to simmer before continuing.)

2. Preheat oven to 375° F. Lightly oil 13 x 9-inch glass baking dish. Combine pasta, spinach, cubed mozzarella and 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese in large bowl. Stir in hot tomato sauce. Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish. Sprinkle remaining 2/3 cup Parmesan and shredded mozzarella. Bake until sauce bubbles and cheeses melt, about 30 minutes.

*To have a more even distribution of cheese, make mozzarella cubed on the smaller size. If using fresh mozzarella, there may be a bit of excess moisture after pasta has baked, this can easily be spooned out if needed.

Serves 6-8

Black Bean and Corn Salad

adapted from Nancy Hatch

Ingredients

1/4-1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup fresh lime juice, about two limes
1 clove of garlic, minced, or about 1 tsp.
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground cayenne pepper
1-2 (15 oz) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1-2 cups frozen corn, cooked
1-2 tomatoes, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1-2 avocados, diced
6 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped


Directions

1. In a salad bowl, combine beans, corn, tomatoes, bell pepper, avocados, green onions, and cilantro.

2. In a small bowl combine olive oil, lime juice, garlic, salt, and cayenne pepper. Whisk well until combined. (Can also be done in a salad dressing bottle.) Pour dressing over salad, a little at a time. Gently stir tough to coat salad ingredients. Add more dressing as desired.

This can be done before hand, up to overnight to enrich flavor. Great as a side or with tortilla chips as a bean salsa.

other options: kidney beans, canellini beans, red onion in place of green onion

Pasta with Asparagus and Arugula

adapted from Quick Food

Ingredients

1 Tbsp. olive oil
dash of salt
16-20 thin asparagus spears, cut into 2 inch pieces
12 oz. pasta
4 handfuls arugula, shredded
1-2 small fresh red chilies, finely chopped (if not available can use red pepper to taste)
2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 cup grated Parmesan
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/4- 1/3 cup olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil over medium heat. Add 1 Tbsp. of oil and a pinch of salt. Blanch the asparagus for 3-4 minutes. Remove the asparagus with a slotted spoon, rinse under cold water, drain, and place in a bowl. Return the water to a rapid boil and add pasta. Cook pasta until al dente, drain, and return to saucepan.

2. While pasta is cooking, add the arugula, chilies, lemon zest, garlic, and 2/3 of the Parmesan to the asparagus. Mix well. Add to the pasta, pour on the lemon juice and 1/4 - 1/3 cup olive oil. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir well to evenly coat the pasta with the mixture. Top with remaining Parmesan.

This is great as a main dish, but would go well as a side paired with a grilled entree.

Serves 4-6.

Spaghetti Squash

Ingredients

1 large spaghetti squash
olive oil, to taste

salt and pepper, to taste (optional)

Directions

1. To bake the squash, cut in half, scoop out the seeds, and lay open side up on a baking sheet.

2. Drizzle with olive oil, optional salt and pepper, and place in the oven at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes to an hour.

3. When the squash is done, use a fork and strip out the insides. It should be string-like, not too crunchy, but not a soft noodle.

Goes great with Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs.

Serves 4.

Veggie Dip

from Nancy Hatch

Ingredients:

3/4 cup low fat mayo
3/4 cup low fat sour cream
1-2 Tbsp. minced onion, dried
1 Tbsp. dried parsley (could try with fresh, but adjust amount)
1 tsp. dillweed
1 tsp. Beau Monde seasoning

Directions:

1. Mix ingredients well. Adjust seasoning as desired. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight before serving.

Serve with favorite fresh veggies. Keeps up to 1 week in the refrigerator.

Broccoli Salad

Ingredients:

1-2 large heads broccoli, washed and cut into florets
1/4 - 1/2 cup red onion, diced
1/2 cup dried cranberries (or golden raisins)
1/2 cup roughly chopped walnuts (or pecans)
1/4 - 1/2 lb bacon, cooked and crumbled (optional)
1/2 cup lowfat mayo
2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
3 Tbsp. sugar

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine broccoli, red onion, cranberries, nuts, and bacon.

2. In a medium bowl, mix mayo, vinegar, and sugar until combined well.

option 1: for immediate serving (broccoli will be very crunchy) pour dressing over salad and serve.
option 2: refrigerate salad overnight (leave out bacon if you want it to stay crispy), a few hours before serving- toss with 3/4 of dressing and return to the refrigerator. Add on remaining dressing and bacon just prior to serving. This will give enough flavor and still leaves some good crunch to the broccoli.
option 3: Pour dressing over salad and refrigerate dressed salad overnight. The broccoli will be softened the most with this option.
(I prefer option 2)

Toss well before serving.

Serves 6-10, depending on amount of broccoli.

Lime and Cilantro Chicken

adapted from Quick Food

This recipe can easily be adapted to serve however many people. I plan on 1/2 a chicken breast for each serving (maybe 1 per person depending on size.) Adjust the rice and veggies accordingly

Ingredients:

3 tsp. fresh ginger, finely grated
1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves
1 1/2 tsp. grated lime zest
1/3 cup lime juice (divided)
2-4 chicken breasts
2 cups jasmine rice
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1-2 zucchini, cut into wedges
4 large, flat mushrooms, stems trimmed (optional)
salt and pepper

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, combine ginger, cilantro, lime zest and 2 Tbsp. of lime juice. Spread 2 tsp. of the herb mixture over each chicken breast and season well. Marinate for 1 hour. Combine the remaining herb mixture with the remaining lime juice in a container with a lid and set aside.

2. Cook rice in rice cooker or in large sauce pan.

3. While rice is cooking, heat grill pan (I grill on an outdoor grill) to medium and lightly brush with oil. Brush zucchini and mushrooms with remaining oil, season lightly with salt and pepper if desired. Place chicken on grill and cook an each side 5-6 minutes or until cooked through. During the last few minutes, add the vegetables, turning frequently until browned on the outside and just barely softened. Cover with foil until ready to serve. (Vegetables can also be grilled in a grill basket or a little bed of foil.)

4. Serve rice into bowls. Cut chicken breasts into long, thick strips and arrange on top of rice. Add vegetables. Shake dressing well and drizzle over the chicken.

Serves 4-6.