Rice Bowl with Ground Turkey, Edamame, and Toasted Chickpeas

This was one of those saw a good-looking recipe, took what I liked, and made it my own types of meals. Okay, it was the toasted chickpeas that lured me in. If there are chickpeas involved, I am a goner. I'm toast. I'm taken. I just love them. I don't really know why; I mean, they're not that incredible. They're mainly known for being mashed and processed into hummus. Never the less, I like them. A lot.

This rice bowl was really delicious. Because I made a ton, we've been eating it the last couple days and I think it keeps getting better. The first night, I think I was overly consumed with all the flavors because I had been standing over all the skillets and saucepans for too long. I found it to be mediocre when I had a bite. But the next day, it was really good! All about texture and the subtle Asian flavor that come through.

Get some brown rice cooking first. Then, steam florets of cauliflower and thinly sliced ginger in a steamer basket over a saucepan of simmering water. Season with salt and cook until tender, adding in some frozen edamame towards the end of cooking. Meanwhile, saute ground turkey in some neutral-tasting oil (such as canola) until cooked and browned, breaking into little bits. Also, heat sesame oil in a skillet over medium-high and add chickpeas (drained and rinsed), toasting until slightly crisp. Add a little butter and thinly sliced scallions, stirring to combine, then remove from heat.

Combine the vegetables, ground turkey, and chickpeas, then spoon over brown rice. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds. And enjoy.

Asian-Style Salmon with Sauteed Carrots and Leeks

And the Asian-inspired dishes continue.

I found this recipe in a cookbook put out by the American Institute for Cancer Research; it's titled The New American Plate Cookbook. And this salmon dish is actually one of the recipes featured on the cover. The book is really beautiful and has awesome pictures (I'm not going to lie; I only buy or check-out cookbooks with plenty of pictures). The visual catalyst - whether it be fresh, colorful ingredients or a luring picture - is what makes me want to cook. Okay, I know I sound like some sort of dork saying that, but it's true.

Anyways. This cookbook challenges the traditional American plate (a.k.a. large slab of meat with potatoes and a vegetable) with recipes full of vegetables, whole grains, herbs, and nuts (which should make up at least two-thirds of your plate). Some lean meat can make up the last third.

This salmon recipe had Zack's co-workers jealous the next day when he brought leftovers to work. It's good. And it's different. Combine low-sodium soy sauce, fresh-squeezed lemon juice, Chinese-style mustard, and Chinese five-spice powder. Marinate salmon fillets in this mixture for up to an hour in the refrigerator. Broil until cooked through.

Toast sesame seeds in a canola oil coated skillet until golden, stirring constantly. Transfer to a small dish. Saute julienned carrots and leeks until tender for about 5 minutes in the same skillet used for the sesame seeds. Add chicken stock, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer until no liquid remains. Spoon over salmon and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve with rice and/or quinoa.

What made this recipe so incredible was the crust that developed on the salmon. The marinade gave it a beautiful browned quality, and I have to say, this may have been some of the best salmon I've ever had. In the sense, of its preparation; it was so flavorful and the texture was perfect. Just pull one fillet apart to be sure it's cooked all the way through (good thing we did so because ours took a little longer than expected). And the vegetables were a perfect match. The Chinese flavors are so aromatic and delicious. Definitely making this again. Cheers. 

Lemon Yogurt Cake

Lemon yogurt cake. Barefoot Contessa. Need I say more?

I mean, seriously. Ina Garten never disappoints. She just makes good stuff. And this recipe is even greater because it doesn't have butter in it (plain yogurt and oil act as substitutes). Aside from the sugar, it's not even that horrible for you!

Sooooo. Yes. The cake looks a little brown on the outside. One might say, I got a little distracted. In other words, I was just minding my business squeezing lemons and then everything went flying, which resulted in my painstakingly hand-squeezed lemon juice being sprayed all over the kitchen counter and floor. Which in turn taught me that lemon juice is super sticky and hard to clean up. Not to mention, it's clear so you're still stepping into tacky spots the next day.

Lesson learned: don't use the backside of an ice cream scoop to press the last bit of juice out of the flesh of your lemons. You're hand just might slip, collide with your glass juice bowl, and knock it over. I usually use my thumb, but I happened to have a paper cut on it, and you know how lemon juice stings! I guess I'll just stick to old-fashioned squeezing from now on.

I'll just end with this. Despite being a little brown, this cake still tasted delightful. Light and zesty. And the glaze is perfect. Not to mention the clear pre-glaze you pour over the cake when it's still warm. It just soaks in only to enhance the incredible lemon flavor. Love.

Fennel-Crusted Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Potatoes

The pork tenderloin makes a reappearance. You may be asking, why so soon? Didn't we just have Pork Tenderloin with Carrots and Couscous? And yes, we did, but the pork happened to come as a set of two (much to our surprise). So here we are: fennel-crusted pork tenderloin.

Fennel seeds are very aromatic with an almost licorice-like flavor. They act as a really great spice; strong and full of impact. You really don't need much else. I found this spice mixture in the Food Made Fast: Weeknight (Williams-Sonoma) cookbook, which I checked out from our public library. The spice mixture also consists of fresh lemon juice and zest, in addition to salt, fresh ground black pepper, finely chopped garlic, and extra-virgin olive oil. Simply rub on your pork and roast in a 425 degree Fahrenheit oven until browned on the outside and barely pink in the center (around 145-150 degrees Fahrenheit).

I also roasted chunks of sweet potato, red potato, and Yukon gold potato after tossing them in extra-virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper. Because I had them in the same baking dish as the pork, they got a little doused with fennel seed also (probably because I stirred the vegetables often throughout the duration of roasting).

The fennel has a bite to it; it really spices up what could be just a regular, ordinary piece of pork. Definitely plan to make this recipe again in the future. Here's to more pork tenderloin. A fine piece of meat indeed.

Pork Tenderloin with Carrots and Couscous

Here's another one of my makeshift recipes utilizing chosen components from a recipe in a cookbook. Pork tenderloin with a sort of vegetable medley over couscous.

I set Zack to work with the pork tenderloin. He rubbed it with paprika (and probably some other spices as he usually does), salt, and fresh ground black pepper, then put it on the grill and cooked until an instant-read thermometer reached about 138 degrees Fahrenheit.

Meanwhile, I cooked my couscous and started in on the vegetables. 

Heat a neutral-tasting oil (such as canola) over medium heat in a large skillet. Add sliced carrots, frozen corn, and whatever other vegetables you would like to have. Like bok choy. Ha ha. Okay, I know bok choy is going to sound a little weird with this (especially considering the Mexican-influenced spices involved), but I had some leftover on hand! At this point, we just needed some green and bok choy was it. Chinese cabbage. Ugh, here's the amateur cook coming into play... but I am happy to say that this vegetable combination was delicious. Spices and all.

Cook vegetables until crisp-tender and slightly browned (5-7 minutes). Add paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring, until spices are fragrant. Add the pork tenderloin and any accumulated juices to the skillet along with some fresh squeezed orange juice and chicken stock. Cover and simmer until vegetables are soft and pork is cooked through. Serve with couscous.

This was delicious. And even better the next day, I would say. Even with the bok choy. He he heee. 

Brown Rice with Shiitake Mushrooms and Spinach

Power Foods. Brown rice with mushrooms and spinach. Fact of the matter was this. I originally wanted to serve this rice dish with pork tenderloin, but Zack and I ended up just wanting a quick meal after our long days of work. So we just grilled up a couple chicken breasts; nothing fancy.

Stir together short-grain brown rice, water, finely chopped fresh ginger, minced garlic, and salt. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook until rice is tender and all liquid is absorbed (45-50 minutes). Stir in baby spinach, cover, and let steam for 3 minutes. Stir in sauteed shiitake mushrooms, finely chopped scallions (white and pale green parts only), chopped cilantro, tamari soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil.  

This rice was really delicious (even though it doesn't photograph that amazingly), but apparently, Zack and I need to learn how to saute mushrooms. Because ours were mediocre. Like so mediocre we pulled them out the next day when we were eating leftovers. More on that later I suppose, because I'm sure I'll be cooking with mushrooms again. Other than that, this rice was real comforting and had great chunky texture. And I am totally digging my experiments with Asian-influenced sauces lately. 

Chicken and Vegetable Stir-Fry with Sprouted Rice and Quinoa Blend

Well, my latest culinary tendency is to browse through recipes, pick one for it's framework, and then put my own twist on the ingredients. This spicy stir-fry was originally supposed to contain soba noodles and tofu (which would have been equally as lovely), but we had a rice and quinoa blend on hand, and I decided to throw in chicken for some meatiness.

This is all about the vegetables: bell pepper, broccoli, and bok choy. And an incredible sauce, which has the texture and feel of a peanut sauce, but actually calls for almond butter (which I love) instead.

Just heat a bit of grapeseed oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add bell peppers, broccoli, bok choy, garlic, red pepper flakes, and salt. Cover and cook, tossing occasionally, until vegetables are crisp-tender (about 8-10 minutes). Meanwhile, whisk together almond butter and a little bit of water, then whisk in rice vinegar and soy sauce. Add cooked chicken and toss until it is heated through, 2-3 minutes.

This was a really excellent stir-fry creation. And the nice thing about a stir-fry is that you can make it in many variations. I would definitely like to try this with noodles and maybe even some other vegetables. Here's to stir-fry heaven. Cheers.

Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry with Quinoa

Since I started cooking, I've sort of gone through phases. During the summer, we enjoyed a lot of fresh Mexican-inspired dishes. Tostadas, burritos, fish tacos, etc. Then, I went through an I'm-in-love-with-pasta phase, but soon realized Italian isn't always the most light and healthful. Throughout November and December, I made stews and soups non-stop; they're just all I want on a cold, crisp day. Now, let the Asian-inspired phase commence! Don't get me wrong, I'm all over the place when it comes to cooking, so Zack and I are not going to be solely eating rice and sushi. But do prepare to see some good stir-fried dishes.

First off, beef and broccoli from Power Foods. Heat a neutral-tasting oil (such as canola) over medium-high. Saute minced garlic, finely julienned ginger, and red pepper flakes until golden. Stir frequently. Increase heat to high, add sliced beef and broccoli, and cook until beef is seared and broccoli is crisp-tender. Stir in tamari soy sauce and fresh-squeezed orange juice. Serve immediately over quinoa or brown rice.

I've never really stir-fried before. I think the one thing you've got to know is this: have all ingredients ready (measured, set out, chopped, etc.). Thank goodness I had the sense to do so. Because once you increase that heat to high, you're throwing things into that saute pan so fast and it's cooking so fast. And you're stirring like a crazy person. Or making those mad chopping movements in the air like you see Asian chefs do on TV.

For a split second, I think I actually thought I was a chef in an Asian restaurant. My stainless steel pan was sizzling, clanging, and steaming like none other. In fact, Zack (who has good experience making stir-fries) happened to leave the room when I was throwing in the garlic, and by the time he came back in, I was done. I'm like, "Oh hey, dinner's ready. Yeah, I made it in like 2 minutes. And yes, my face and hair have been steamed to the maximum." Definitely used that overhead fan for like the first time. On high.

Well, the adventure continues tonight. How about some chicken? With a little almond butter, rice vinegar, and tamari soy sauce mixture? Oh yes. Hot steam facial #2.

Sausage Lasagna

A healthier take on lasagna indeed. Found this on the Food Network. Seriously, if you have an iTouch, iPhone, or iPad check out the Pulse News app. It's a compilation of different types of news sources that you can choose personally based on your interests (sports, politics, health, food, science, etc.). Naturally, I have the Food Network's Dish dialed into my Pulse News preferences. And they feature some great recipes here and there. Here's one.

Zack and I made a really great tall, restaurant-style lasagna awhile back, but this was a different (in a good way) take on your basic lasagna. Not only did I get to use my new food processor again, but we got to pack this lasagna with some goodness. How about an incredible marinara made from crushed tomatoes, red wine, garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, and fresh sprigs of basil? Plus, part-skim ricotta and part-skim mozzarella, in addition to spinach and Italian chicken sausage. Talk about light and fresh, with big flavor.

Find the Sausage Lasagna recipe here through the link. We left out the cottage cheese (because we're not big fans) and replaced it with more ricotta, but keeping it probably would have added to the health factor. And we simply used chicken sausage instead of turkey sausage because it was what we happened to find at Trader Joe's. We're learning to put our own spin on things.

Great flavor, delightful texture, and the ricotta/spinach/basil pureed mixture is incredible.

Spinach-Chickpea Spread for Pita Sandwiches

Chickpea this, chickpea that. I know. They're good, okay? And iron- and folate-rich too. I've been wanting to make this spread recipe from Power Foods for awhile now. The catch was this: I didn't have a food processor. And somehow, the blender didn't really seem like it was going to cut it for this recipe. But, now we have a food processor (a special thanks to Ron)! Zack and I are so blessed to have people in our lives that support and care about our culinary adventures, so thank you. I know that's kind of corny, but I'm serious. Thank you.

This spread is meant to go on a pita along with some sliced tomatoes (at least that is how it is featured in my Power Foods cookbook), but really, this could be used just as a dip. We've dipped Trader Joe's multigrain pita chips into it as a snack, and we think it would be good with anything you might usually have hummus with. Because that is pretty much what this is; a spinach hummus.

Cook minced garlic in extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add chickpeas and lemon juice. Add spinach, salt, and crushed red pepper flakes. Cover; raise heat. Cook until spinach is wilted, uncover, raise heat to high. Cook, stirring, until most of the liquid has evaporated. Let cool. Then, pulse the chickpea mixture (in a food processor) with some tahini sesame seed paste and a little more lemon juice and salt. Easy as that.

I'm excited to try making some of my own hummus recipes based off of this one. I think you could substitute the spinach with some other vegetables. Think red bell pepper, eggplant, sweet potato, etc. Ahhh yeah. Cheers to cooking experiments, one and all.

Hearty Spinach and Chickpea Soup

Another winner from Power Foods. Although, I left out the shiitake mushrooms (for the sake of not going out to the grocery store), I did add some leftover ground turkey to hopefully make up for it. Brown rice, chickpeas, and spinach make for a hearty soup. And again, you can't go wrong with that ground turkey; its flavor just overwhelms whatever stock you use. It's delicious. Onion, garlic, and rosemary just add to the flavor.

I was mostly excited to make this soup because I had all ingredients on hand, and I got to use my new Dutch oven that Zack got me for Christmas. Yessssss. In fact, I never thought I would get this excited about receiving cookware for Christmas. But oh my word, it's pretty much the greatest. Thanks to Zack's dad, we also have ourselves some mighty fine stainless steel skillets and saucepans. And my parents overjoyed Zack and I with a Sur La Table gift card, which we promptly used to purchase some much needed items we've been somehow living without. The blog will surely benefit; no doubt.  

So. About the soup. Start by making the brown rice. Meanwhile, cook onion, garlic, and ground turkey in your large saucepan or Dutch oven. Throw in a couple sprigs of rosemary. Add stock, bring to a boil, stir in rice and chickpeas, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for a few minutes allowing the flavors to blend. Wilt in some baby spinach, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then serve with grated parmesan.

I made 6 servings of this soup, so Zack and I will be pulling some out of the freezer to warm up and enjoy in the future. Really comforting. Great variances in texture and flavor. Here's to another delicious soup fit for winter cuisine.