While I do not claim to have created the recipes you will find here...I do lay claim to having prepared them all. As a society we have lost our way when it comes to healthy eating and preparing our own meals. We rely heavily on fast food chains and pre-made boxed meals as the means to feed ourselves. I urge you to take the time to do a little meal planning every week, and prepare simple and healthy meals for your family every day. It may take a little time...but you're worth it.
In a small bowl combine chili powder, cumin, cayenne pepper, and garlic powder. Sprinkle evenly over bothl sides of the fish (I didn't use all of it, but you could if you like things spicier) and salt and pepper to taste.
Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add the fish and cook, undisturbed, for several minutes per side. Check the middle of the fish for doneness. It should flake easily and be opaque throughout. Remove the fish from the pan and set aside.
If necessary, add another drizzle of olive oil to the pan and add the onion, pepper, and corn. Cook over medium high heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp tender, about 7 minutes. Add the black beans and heat through.
Layer rice, bean mixture, and fish in a bowl and top with avocado, cilantro, and lime juice if desired.
Get a large pot of hot water heating and begin cooking the macaroni as per the directions on the macaroni package.
While the water is heating and macaroni cooking, prepare the sauce. In a skillet, brown the ground beef in a tablespoon of olive oil on high heat. Stir only infrequently so that the ground beef has an opportunity to brown. When the beef has mostly browned, add the onions to the pan and toss to combine. Cook until the onions are soft, about 4-6 minutes.
Add the celery seed, a dash of crushed red pepper and the Vegesal or other seasoned salt. Pour in canned tomatoes, add the Worcestershire sauce and stir to combine. Simmer for 5 minutes. Mix in the drained and cooked macaroni and the parsley. Cook for another 5 minutes.
Add freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste.
Place chicken breasts into food processor and pulse until it reaches a ground texture. Combine ground chicken with red pepper, green onions, jalapeno, mango, coconut, parsley, and egg in a large bowl.
Mix with hands and form burger patties.
Cook burgers on medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes on each side. Season with salt & pepper and serve on toasted buns.
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed (3-4 cups)
16 oz chicken sausage, cut into small rounds
2 c chicken broth
¾ c milk
¼ c flour
¾ c shredded Gruyere cheese
2 c kale, finely chopped
Heat the olive oil in a large pan over high heat. Add the sweet potatoes and Italian sausage. Shake to coat in oil, let sit for a few minutes to brown, and shake the pan gently again to move everything around. Repeat until the sweet potatoes and sausage both have golden brown exteriors. Toss with the kale and transfer to a greased 9-inch square baking dish.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bring the broth and ½ cup milk to a low boil, then turn the heat to keep it at a low simmer. Whisk the flour and remaining ¼ cup milk to form a thick paste. Add this to the broth, whisking to keep the sauce smooth. Add ¼ cup Gruyere and stir until melted.
Pour the sauce over the sweet potatoes, kale, and sausage in the baking dish. Top with remaining ½ cup cheese and bake for 10 minutes or until the sauce is bubbly and the cheese is melted.
One pack of firm tofu, drained, pressed (for at least 10 minutes) and cubed
1 tsp sugar
oil
dried red chili pepper flakes
Accompaniments
julienned carrots
bean sprouts
cucumber, cubed
cilantro
sliced green onions
fresh Thai chili peppers
fresh lime slices
Rinse out the rice a couple of times with water and then throw all the rice ingredients in a rice maker and set it to cook. You can also use the stove top, though you may have to adjust the amount of liquid. Moving on to the sauce. In a small cup dissolve the curry paste in about 2-3 tbs of coconut milk. Now place the coconut milk, peanut butter and dissolved curry paste in a pot on medium heat and stir. Once the peanut butter has mostly broken down, add the rest of the sauce ingredients and let simmer for ~10 minutes.
Place the tofu in a pan with a tablespoon or so of oil on medium high heat. Toss in the sugar and chili peppers to coat the tofu. Let the tofu sit for a couple of minutes on each side until they turn a crispy golden brown on the outside.
Put everything in a bowl however you like. I started with rice, then added tofu and the rest of the accompaniments. I used more sauce in my bowl than what is pictured here and also added a splash of lime juice.
1/3 c firmly packed cup fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
Heat the oven to 400°F. Slice the tops off the garlic heads. Drizzle with olive oil and place in the center of a large square of foil and fold to seal. Place the packet in a baking pan and roast for 40 to 50 minutes, or until the garlic is very soft. Remove, and let cool.
Cook the pasta according to directions. Drain and remove to a large bowl. Toss with a little olive oil, and let cool while making the dressing. Whisk the ricotta and yogurt together until lightened and smooth, and add in all of the roasted garlic - squeezing the soft garlic out of each clove. Whisk vigorously, until the garlic is well-incorporated. Whisk in the salt and season generously with black pepper. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Pour the ricotta mixture over the pasta and add the tomatoes, olives, and basil. Toss to coat. Taste and season further if needed with salt and pepper.
In a large bowl or a food processor add the beans. Mash them up while still maintaining some bits of bean. Add to the remaining ingredients except for the eggs. Taste for seasoning then add the eggs. Let this sit for 15 minutes.
Line a sheet pan with parchment and a bit of oil or pan spray. Form four patties and place in a 375*F pre-heated oven. Bake 10-15 minutes on each side. Serve on crusty bread or a hamburger bun with spicy mustard, pickles, and greens.
