Thai Lettuce Wraps

These come from one of our favorite cookbooks: Everyday Happy Herbivore

Thai Lettuce Wraps:

• Thai Peanut sauce (see below)
• 1/2 c. cooked brown rice
• 1 c. cubed tofu
• 1 cucumber, shredded
• 1 carrot, shredded
• 6 lettuce leaves
• bean sprouts (optional). we use micro-greens instead since we can't ever find bean sprouts.
• 3 green onions (optional)
• fresh cilantro (optional)
• juice of lime wedges (optional)

Spoon all the ingredients, except lime wedges, into lettuce wraps. Squeeze fresh lime juice over the top if desired. Drizzle with Thai Peanut Sauce and serve.

Thai Peanut Sauce:

• 1 T. PB 
• 1 T. warm water
• 1 T. sweet chili sauce
• juice of 1 lime wedge
• 2 tsp. soy sauce
• 1 1/4 tsp. rice vinegar
• few light dashes of garlic powder (granulated)
• few light dashes of ginger
• 1 to 2 drops Sriracha (Asian hot sauce)  (we've never used this)
• 1 T. nondairy milk

In small bowl, combine PB, water, chili sauce, lime juice, soy sauce, rice vinegar, garlic pwdr, ground ginger and Sriracha.  Microwave for 20 seconds, whisk, then whisk in nondairy milk. Taste, adding more hot sauce as desired. 

**note: we always at least double the sauce recipe, and we never measure exactly the veggies. Just put whatever.  It's so easy to pack up and have for lunch the next day, and my kids really love it!

Grandma Hull's Thanksgiving Stuffing

This will be my first year COOKING Thanksgiving dinner. I'm actually really excited. But of course that meant Grandma's Stuffing. I looked and looked for my copy of her recipe, but it was nowhere to be found. I pestered Angie, and cousin Lisa (who got a copy when I did), and finally called Mom. As I talked with her on the phone, it occurred to me to look on my computer (embarrassingly enough, where I keep all my recipes). Sure enough, there it was! 

But in the end, I was glad, because Mom's version and my version are slightly different. So here are both, make what you will:

Here's MY version (Cousin Lisa and I followed Grandma around on that last Thanksgiving before her stroke and wrote down what she did, I think): -->

5 quarts bread (cubed) (~2 loaves)

4 cups Turkey broth

1 can chicken broth

1 cube butter

1 cup chopped onions

3 tsp rubbed sage

¼ tsp pepper

1 tsp salt

bake at 350 (pan in oven) till it's browned

OK, that one was SO simple (too simple?)! Mom's version of Grandma's recipe varies slightly, but has more complex instructions:

Bread Stuffing
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1  large onion, chopped
1 tsp. dried thyme
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1-½ tsp. dried sage
2 cans (14 1/2 ounces) chicken broth
2 loaves (24 oz. each) sliced firm bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

In skillet, melt margarine or butter over medium heat. Add celery and
onion, and cook 15 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally.
Stir in thyme, salt, pepper, sage, chicken broth, and water from
boiled giblets; remove skillet from heat. Place bread cubes in very
large bowl. Add broth mixture; toss to mix well. Spoon stuffing into
13-inch by 9-inch glass baking dish; cover with foil and bake in 325 F
oven for an hour or more, until heated through; or, cook in roaster
oven, stirring occasionally, until browned.

*Mom's note: I think that I use dried onions stirred in rather than sautéing.  I
think that Grandma added the raw ones chopped.

Pasta with Zucchini, Tomatoes and Lemon-Yogurt Sauce

Here's another awesome pasta recipe that uses Greek yogurt.  My kids loved this stuff. It's also a nice change to have a pasta with no tomato sauce.

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. ww linguine
• 1/2 c. non-fat plain Greek yogurt
• 1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese
• 1 T. grated lemon zest
• 1/4 tsp. S+P each
• 1 T. olive oil
• 3 medium zucchini, cut into thin strips
• 2 cloves garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1/2 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise

Boil pasta according to directions. Save 1/4 c. water and drain. Set aside.

Meanwhile, in large bowl, stir together yogurt, parmesan cheese, lemon zest, S+P. Set aside.

In large skillet, heat olive oil over med-hi heat. Add zucchini and cook until wilted, flipping occasionally (zucchini will be soft and somewhat see-through). Push zucchini aside and cook garlic 15-30 seconds until golden (not brown). Mix the garlic into the zucchini. Stir in the tomatoes and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Transfer the zucchini mixture to the yogurt mixture and stir to combine. 

Add drained linguine and toss gently. Add the reserved pasta water 1 T. at a time, if necessary, to thin it. Divide among 4 bowls and serve.

Penne pasta with "creamy" tomato sauce

We just discovered a couple really awesome pasta recipes that are really easy. There's not a lot of marinara in this one but it's still really creamy--just not from any cream! It uses Greek yogurt instead (which is high in protein, in case you didn't know).

Ingredients:

• 12 oz. ww penne pasta
• 1 T. oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
• 8 oz. button mushrooms, sliced
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
• S+P to taste
• 4 c. fresh spinach
• 1/2 c. marinara sauce
• 1/3 c. fat free plain Greek yogurt
• 1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to directions.

In large skillet with lid, heat oil on med-low heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cooked about two minutes or until garlic begins to soften. Add in mushrooms, tomatoes and S+P. Cook 5 minutes or until mushrooms release their water. Remove from heat and add in spinach. Let wilt for 2 minutes with lid on. (The spinach won't look very wilted, but by the end of the next step it will). 

Remove lid and place skillet back over low heat. Add the penne, Greek yogurt and pasta sauce. Stir until sauce is mixed and everything is coated. Heat until warmed through. Serve warm topped with parmesan cheese. 

p.s. this is also on my pinterest page if any of you are on there and want to see a picture. ours was devoured before we snapped a pic.

Lemon herb tempeh

This was pretty much the most delicious way I've ever eaten tempeh. We're definitely adding this to our repertoire.  Sorry the picture's not awesome--we barely got one in time as it was! This would be good over rice or just as an appetizer or side dish. You do need a few other things to make it a full meal. 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 c. veg. broth
• 1/3 c. lemon juice
• 1/4 c. olive oil (we used barely any and it was totally fine)
• 2 T. soy sauce
• 1 T. honey
• 1 T. chopped fresh thyme
• 1 T. chopped fresh oregano
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced
• 2 8-oz. pkgs tempeh, each sliced into 8 pieces

1. In med. bowl, add the veg. broth, lemon juice, olive oil, soy sauce, honey, thyme, oregano and garlic. Whisk to combine. 

2. Add tempeh pieces to the bowl, tossing gently to coat all sides in the marinade liquid. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour, or as long as overnight.  (that's the only part I dislike--you have to plan ahead a little for this one.)

3. Remove the tempeh from the marinade and place on baking sheet. Transfer the marinade to a small saucepan over med-hi heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes or until the liquid has thickened slightly. Remove from the heat and strain liquid. 

4. Preheat the broiler, and broil the tempeh for 7-8 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges. Pour the sauce over the tempeh and serve hot. 

Cowboy Caviar

I'm making this later this week but I'm packing my recipe right now.  This is an awesome chip dip or tortilla filling.

Combine the following:

• 1 can black-eyed peas
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 cans corn
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped finely
• 1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped finely
• 2-3 large tomatoes, diced
• 4 ripe avocados, chopped
• 2 T red-wine vinegar (pour over avocados to keep fresh)
• S+P to taste

Yumm Sauce

Please don't disregard this recipe because it has a cheesy-sounding name. This is a popular dish in Oregon that has changed our lives (besides, who doesn't want to be popular?).  We eat this sauce on just about everything.

Blend in food processor:

• 1/2 c. olive oil
• 1 T. toasted sesame oil (I don't know what toasted sesame oil even is . . . I just use regular)
• 1/2 c. almond butter
• 1/2 c. garbanzo beans, drained
• 1/4 c. soybeans/edamame or 6 oz. tofu (my friend uses edamame and cooks it first. We always use tofu. Can't tell the difference, so just use whichever one you have on hand)

Then blend in:

• 1/3 c. nutritional yeast
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. curry powder

• 1/2 c. water
• 1/2 c. lemon juice

Add liquids one at a time. Puree until smooth. Add more water if you prefer it thinner; it thickens as it chills.  I recommend making it the night before and refrigerating until dinner. 

Here's how to make the Yumm Bowls:

• Brown rice (cooked, obviously)
• black beans, drained and heated
• red beans, drained and heated (we often leave these out)
• sliced olives (really? who likes olives?)
• cilantro, finely chopped
• cheddar cheese, shredded
• tomatoes, diced
• diced avocado
• salsa
• yumm sauce

You just sort of pile it all on sort of like a Hawaiian haystack. It really is so good. We use the yumm sauce as sandwich spread, carrot dip, cracker spread, salad dressing . . . basically anything that tastes good will taste even better with this on it. 

Green Smoothie

I was nervous my kids wouldn't dig the green-colored drink, but it turned out that Jeremy and I were more reluctant. The girls call it their "green-eggs-and-ham drinkable" or Abby calls it "Sam-I-Am" because of the color and my insistance that we all try it. Turned out fabulously, and now we do it almost daily. What a great way to get some spinach or kale in on a regular basis!

For a family of 4:

Handful of (washed) Kale,

2 Bananas

Oatmeal (1-2 handfuls)

10 ice cubes

agave/sweetener

water or milk

optional things:

flax seeds

protein powder

flax oil

spirulina

Drink Up! Make sure to take pictures of your mustache!

***

A day after posting the above, I realized I forgot the most important part of this post. I always like knowing general principles, so that I'm not stuck to recipes. SOO the secret for any vegetable drink of any kind is what kind of fruit you pair it with for flavor. The rule of thumb is to stick to the correct color scheme. You wouldn't want tomatoes (red) and kale (green) because they are complimentary colors and will make BROWN. Welcome back to kindergarten, right? Seriously though! So that's why yellow/whitish fruits like bananas can combine well with any green vegetable. Carrots go well with Strawberries. And so on. If you want to try a new vegetable, just add a fruit you like that has the correct color rules. :)

Tempeh Spaghetti

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes

You can't beat this!  It's delicious; easy/fast prep; quick clean-up; lots of vegetables that kids can't detect; did I mention it's delicious?  Even meat-lovers will eat this:

-Boil water (for pasta of choice)
-In separate pan, saute 1 package of tempeh, onion & garlic in olive oil.  Pour soy sauce on to flavor.
-Blend the following together: 1 red bell pepper, 1 green bell pepper, sun dried tomatoes, cilantro.
-Pour blended concoction into pan with tempeh and add spaghetti sauce of choice.
-Add salt, pepper, chili powder and/or any other spice of choice.

Serve over any noodle, pasta or gnocci (or even rice).

Char-Baked Tomato, Zucchini and Eggplant

not the most creative name I've ever heard, but the taste totally makes up for it.

This can be either a side dish or a main dish (I'd serve rice or something with it, though).

Here's the teaser from the website:

"A vegetable dish that even those who think they hate zucchini and eggplant will love. The trick to this dish is to bake it much longer than you might expect and keep pushing down the mixture with a spatula to release the moisture. When it's done, the vegetables will be deeply caramelized, soft and luscious."

Ingredients:

• 1/3 c. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 onion, peeled and sliced (do you ever not peel an onion?)
• 5 small tomatoes, thinly sliced
• coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 small eggplant, about 6" long, thinly sliced crosswise
• 2 zucchini, about 5" long, thinly sliced lengthwise
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1/2 tsp. fresh thyme (you used 1/3 the amount if you use dry, so says google)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Pour some of the olive oil to cover the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch rectangular or 12-inch oval baking dish. Layer in half of the onion slices and one third of the tomatoes. Generously sprinkle with S+P. Add a layer of eggplant and sprinkle on more salt. Add another third of the tomatoes, the zucchini, garlic, thyme, and the remaining onions. Top with the remaining tomatoes. Press down on the mixture with your hands. Pour over the remaining olive oil. Season generously with S+P. (Don't worry. The vegetables will be piled high but collapse as they cook.)

Bake uncovered for 1 1/2 hours. After 45 minutes, press the mixture down firmly with a spatula. The vegetables should be reduced in height, and should be brownish-black and caramelized, almost charred in places. Return to the oven to finish roasting. Let cool for at least 10 minutes, so the mixture can solidify a bit. Cut into squares and serve.

Serves 6-8.

Vegetable Fajitas

In large bowl combine the following ingredients:

• 1/4 c. olive oil
• 1 T. red wine vinegar
• juice of 2 limes
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 1 tsp. minced garlic

Place the following veggies in ziplock bag and pour marinade over top. Make sure it's spread evenly. Marinate 30 min. to 24 hours. 

• 1 zucchini, julienned
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 1 green, yellow and red bell pepper, each cut into strips

Saute veg. in skillet over med-hi heat with a little olive oil until tender. In a bowl combine 1 can corn and 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained. Heat in microwave or on stove top. Assemble fajitas in tortillas with beans, corn and avocado.

(nate and i often do this without the corn and beans and they're still really yummy)

Quinoa and Black Beans

Mom made this for us and we all enjoyed it very much about 10 minutes ago. Now the only thing not to enjoy is the fact that it's gone.

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 1 sweet onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 c. uncooked quinoa
• 1 1/2 c. vegetable broth
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
• S+P to taste

Heat the oil in a saucepan. Stir in onion and garlic and saute until lightly browned. Mix quinoa into the pan and cover with veggie broth. Season with cumin, cayenne, S+P. Bring to boil and reduce heat. Simmer for 20 minutes. 

• 1 c. frozen sweet white corn, thawed (can used canned)
• 2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced (mom adds towards end so they're not too hot)
• 1 T. fresh squeezed lime juice
• 2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 c. chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 diced jalapeno (optional)

Stir in corn and continue to simmer for another 5 minutes until heated through. Stir in black beans and cilantro.  Just before serving add cotija cheese crumbled on top. 

Nutty Sweet Potato Soup

A friend made this for our book group and I loved it. It wasn't Nate's favorite, so try it out and tell me what you think. We dipped fresh bread in it and I thought it was delicious. It comes from the food network but don't ask me which chef it is.

Ingredients:

• 1 large onion, diced (~2 c.)
• 1 med. red bell pepper, diced (~1 c.)
• 2 med. carrots, diced (~1 c.)
• 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. fresh ginger
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed (~2 c.)
• 6 c. chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomato with its juices
• 2/3 c. creamy peanut butter
• 2 tsp. honey
• 1/2 c. chopped scallion greens (~3 scallions)

Heat 1 T. oil in large soup pot over med-hi heat. Add onions, bell peppers and carrots and cook, stirring until softened, ~5 min. Add cayenne, black pepper, garlic and ginger and cook 1 more min. Stir in sweet potato, broth and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to med. low and simmer until potatoes are tender, ~20 min.

Puree soup in blender* or food processor and return to pot. Add PB and honey and stir. When PB is melted, serve warm. Garnish with scallions.

*when blending hot liquids: Remove liquid from heat and let cool at least 5 minutes. Transfer to blender and fill no more than half way. If using a blender, release one corner of the lid to prevent the vacuum effect that creates heat explosion. Place a towel over machine, pulse a few times then process on high speed until smooth.

Curry in a Hurry?

I love the book "I Dare You to Eat It" because it has been helping me plan meals using my food storage and, novel to me... plan my meals! So last night I got home around 7 and had to make a quick meal plus put Aaron to bed. This recipe was not only a life-saver, but Adam said it was "the best meal [he's] had in a long time!" It is easily converted to vegan or vegetarian, and uses canned, frozen, or fresh items.

Coconut Beef Curry

1 can beef chunks
1 can coconut milk
1 can diced potatoes
1 can sliced carrots
1 can peas
2 T. flour
4 t. curry powder
1/4 t. ground red pepper
1 envelope Lipton Onion Soup mix

cilantro, chopped

Combine everything but the cilantro in a medium pot (drain vegetables). Simmer for 10 minutes and serve over hot rice, garnished with fresh, chopped cilantro. *I also added coconut and peanuts to ours. Adam said, "Wow! This just went from a meal that I like a lot to a meal that I really want to eat a lot of!" So there you have it. Easy easy easy and amazing.


Oh, and I used frozen ingredients this time but the author of the book says it is a great way to disguise canned vegetables. Good, since I hate them and wouldn't know what to do with them in my food storage without recipes like this.

Red Coconut Curry Noodles

I was a little nervous to try something new, but even I did ok with this one. And we substituted the chicken with tofu. Nate says this is his new favorite meal, if that tells you anything. I will warn you, though, it's probably too spicy for kids. and it makes quite a bit, so make it when you're having guests!

wow, the picture really doesn't do justice to how wonderful this one was.

ingredients:

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 T. oil
• 2 cans coconut milk
• 1 T. red curry paste
• 1 T. freshly grated ginger
• 1 T. chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/4 c. sweet Thai chili sauce
• 2 1/4 c. chicken broth
• 1 pkg (13.5 oz) rice noodles (I used the ones from Trader Joe's)
• 1 yellow onion, sliced into thin half moons
• 2 red peppers, cored and sliced thinly
• 1 c. broccoli slaw or thinly sliced matchstick carrots
• 1 tsp. salt to taste

In large pot over med. heat use cream from top of cans of coconut as the fat for cooking curry paste and ginger (if using lite coconut, there won't be cream, so use oil). Let simmer, stirring constantly, for 1 min.

Add chicken (or tofu) and onions. Cook, stirring constantly, about 5-6 min. or until chicken is no longer pink. Add coconut milk, sweet Thai chili sauce, cilantro, chicken broth. Bring to a simmer.

Add the red peppers, broccoli slaw (or carrots), rice noodles and salt. Simmer, stirring occasionally, about 5-8 min. The noodles will thicken and plump as they absorb the liquid. Mixture will be slightly soupy when noodles are finished cooking.

Take pot off the heat and let sit about 5 min. The mixture will continue to thicken. Garnish with more cilantro if desired.

breaded tofu

this recipe is out of the cooking bible. check it out for a better picture. we loved this one, although it wasn't totally filling on its own. next time we make it we'll serve it with rice or something. we all really loved the tofu, though; a great change-up from stir fry.

ingredients:

• 2 c. fresh snow pea pods (8 oz)
• 1 12- to 16-oz. pkg tofu (make sure you use firm or extra firm!)
• 3 T. teriyaki or soy sauce
• 1/4 c. yellow cornmeal
• 1/8 tsp. ground red pepper
• 2 tsp. toasted sesame oil
• 1 med. red sweet pepper, cut into thin strips
• 1 med. yellow sweet pepper, cut into thin strips
• 8 green onions, cut into 2" pieces
• 2 tsp. cooking oil
• 1 T. white or black sesame seeds, toasted (optional)

1. Remove strings and tips from pea pods. Set pea pods aside.

2. Cut tofu crosswise into 8 1/2" slices. Arrange slices in a single layer in a 2-quart rectangular baking dish. Pour 2 T. teriyaki sauce over tofu; turn slices to coat. Let marinate at room temperature for 15 minutes.

3. In a shallow dish combine cornmeal and red pepper. Drain tofu, discarding marinade. Carefully dip tofu slices in cornmeal mixture; press gently to coat both sides. Set tofu slices aside.

4. Pour 1 tsp. of the sesame oil into a large nonstick skillet. Preheat over med-hi heat. Stir-fry sweet pepper strips for 2 minutes. Add pea pods and green onions; stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes or until crisp-tender.

5. Remove skillet from heat; stir in remaining 1 T. teriyaki sauce. Transfer vegetable mixture to a serving platter; cover and keep warm. Wipe skillet clean.

6. In same skillet heat remaining 1 tsp. sesame oil and the cooking oil over medium heat. Cook the coated tofu slices for 2 1/2 to 3 minutes on each side or until crisp and golden brown, using a spatula to turn carefully. Serve tofu slices over vegetable mixture. If desired, sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Tofu Casserole

Here's another good one that April taught us. And it's obviously vegetarian-friendly. It's basically a tofu-lasagna and it's really, really good. Even if you don't like tofu you might like this because it hides the texture of it.

Ingredients:

• 1 T. + 2 tsp. olive oil
• 1/2 c. chopped onion
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 c. cottage cheese
• 14 oz. firm tofu, divided
• 2 15-oz. cans crushed tomatoes
• 2 T. chopped cilantro
• 1 T. chili powder
• 1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 6 6-inch corn tortillas (we're not fans of corn tortillas, so we use pita bread or regular tortillas)
• 2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 c. sliced green onions
• 10 black olives, sliced (except who likes olives?)

Preheat oven to 350.

Crumble tofu into pea sized pieces and set aside. In medium saucepan, heat oil. Stir in onion and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add tomatoes, cilantro, chili powder, cumin and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, until sauce is consistency of pudding. Add cottage cheese and tofu and cook for 1 more minute.

Spray a 9x13 casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. Spread 1 c. sauce in bottom of pan. Layer with half the tortillas, then sauce, cheddar cheese and green onions. Repeat layers, top with olives. Bake until lightly browned and cheese is bubbly, about 30 minutes.

Canellini Bean Sauce

This one's really good to serve over cheese tortellini but since it's kind of pricey we just do it over whole wheat pasta. My next-door neighbor who's Kenyan taught me to make this and basically everything she cooks is amazing. And healthy. You herbivores out there, this one's for you.

Ingredients:

• 1 15-oz. can canellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 3/4 c. milk
• 5 oz. fresh parmesan cheese
• 1/2 each red and green bell peppers
• 1 T. oregano
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp. cayenne

Place beans and milk in food processor or blender. Cover and blend until smooth. Transfer to a large skillet. Stir in parmesan cheese, bell peppers (add last if you want them more crunchy. Can also add a serrano pepper if you like it spicy), oregano, S+P, nutmeg and cayenne. Stir over low heat until heated through.

Serve over pasta.

Sesame Chicken and Asparagus Pasta

another post, you say? i know, that means i've cooked more than once in the last week AND it's turned out well. it's for sure worth documenting. and the best part? you can leave the chicken out (that's actually how we prefer it) and it's a great veggie dish.

sauce:

• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 T. red wine vinegar
• 1 T. brown sugar
• 6 T. chunky peanut butter
• 1/4 c. soy sauce
• 1/4 c. sesame oil
• 1/2-1 T. hot chili sauce (i leave this out because i never have it)

peanut sauce:

• 2 large chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
• 5 T. sesame seeds, toasted
• 1 lb. asparagus, trimmed and blanched
• 3 scallions, white and green parts
• 1 small cucumber

8 oz. linguine noodles

directions:

Cook and shred chicken (boiling works). Mix 1st 6 sauce ingredients and blend (or magic bullet) for 1 minute. Add hot chili sauce and continue blending. Set aside.

Cook 8 oz. linguine noodles according to package directions. Rinse under cold water and drain.

Slice asparagus in 1/2" pieces and blanch in boiling water. Drain and add to noodles.

Cut cucumber into small chunks and dice scallions. Add chicken and sesame seeds to noodles. Toss, add in peanut butter sauce, and toss again. Top with cucumber and scallions.

Ratatouille

At my Mom's request, here's a recipe for Yummy Ratatouille. I was a little reluctant to try making it because it has a weird name and calls for Eggplant in the recipe. But after the Pixar movie, you have to try it. It actually turned out REALLY well. Well enough that we just made it again (only a few days later). So, Enjoy!

Prep: 25 minutes, cook: 10 minutes, 4 servings (this serving size was actually pretty accurate)

1/2 c. chopped onion (medium)

1 clove garlic

1 Tbs olive/cooking oil

3 cups cubed, peeled Eggplant

1 medium zucchini, halved the long way, then cut in slices

1 c. chopped, peeled tomatoes OR one 7 1/2 oz. can tomatoes, undrained and cut up

3/4 cup chopped green sweet pepper (I used regular bell peppers, since I had them on hand)

3 Tbs dry white wine or water

1 Tbs snipped fresh Basil

In a large skillet, cook onoin and garlic in the hot oil over med heat until tender

stir in everything but the basil, and add 1/8 tsp salt and pepper

bring to a boil, then reduce heat.

simmer, covered, for about 10 minutes or until veggies are tender

uncover and cook about 5 more minutes, or until most of the liquid has evaporated, stirring occasionally.

Add Basil

It is REALLY yummy! We served it along side a green salad and some fruit. (the dish turns out really red-ish from the tomatoes, so if you color-coordinate your meals, plan accordingly)