Beef & Broccoli

Yum.

Ingredients:
Sirlion Steak
Ginger (a pinch of it grated.)
Garlic 3-4 cloves
Scallions (1 fairly large)
Broccoli
Oil

Marinade
1 Tbs Rice Wine Vinegar
2-3 Tbs soy substitute (we use Bragg's)
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp cornstarch

Sauce
1/3 cup chicken broth
2 Tbs soy substitute (again, Bragg's for us)
2 tsp cornstarch & 1/4 cup water (thickener)


Slice you sirloin into strips against the grain. I prefer smaller pieces so I slice them to be near bite size. Then prepare your marinade in a ziplock (with above listed ingredients).  Marinade for 10 minutes.
While the marinade is doing it's thing, mince/crush your garlic, scallions, and grate your ginger.

Get your broccoli steaming. I use a steam pot (colander with boiling water under). You can microwave it, but I prefer to steam so the broccoli doesn't get soggy and water logged. Let the broccoli cook (while you do the other things for your beef (below) but don't let it get too soggy, you want a little bite to them.
Also, put your sauce ingredients into a bowl, this just makes it easier for you later. (not the thickening agents, of course, but get them ready also in their own cup.)

When you're ready, put your skillet on the heat at high, let it get really hot! Add your oil, then put your steak in. I recommend waiting just a couple minutes to let the beef brown by itself before adding the garlic, onion & ginger. Right before you're ready to flip the beef over throw in the garlic, scallions and ginger. Let cook till beef is browned and garlic, scallion and ginger are tender (it will happen fairly quickly). Then add your sauce liquids. Let simmer to a boil, then add thickening agents. Stir till well combined and sauce is thick. Last, add the broccoli to your pan and toss to coat.
Serve over rice, or if you wish, noodles (but if you're having it on noodles make double sauce!). It's a delicious meal.

Lemon Chicken Asparagus Soup

This was a great light soup. Each of my kids loved it (my boy picked around the asparagus, but still ate it...) We didn't have any leftovers, that's how yummy it was!

Note: A few days ago, I bought a chicken and did a roast chicken with lemon, fresh rosemary and thyme. I used that leftover chicken, diced, in this soup.

Ingredients:
Cooked Chicken (diced)
Asparagus
small onion
3 cloves garlic
1 cup cooked brown rice
1 cup cooked quinoa
5 cups chicken stock
1 lemon

In your soup saucepan, sautee 3 cloves of garlic and 1 small diced onion on low heat with some olive oil till soft and onions are translucent. WATCH it closely, you don't want browned garlic or onion, no burning. Better to go slow than have to start all the way over.
Add diced asparagus, diced chicken, and 4-5 cups chicken stock (or bullion with water). Add pre-cooked quinoa & brown rice.
(I usually try to have both precooked in my fridge, that way I can use it quickly and not have to wait for it to cook. If you don't have it precooked, you can just add it and let it cook in the broth (you'll have to add more liquid as the quinoa and rice soak up the stock, so have some nearby). If you do it that way-- don't add the asparagus till the rice and quinoa is cooked or it will become mushy.)
Allow the soup to simmer till asparagus is tender, add juice of 1 lemon.
Stir.
Enjoy.

Hawaiian Chicken (Crockpot)

This was the meal that I had to get all prepped and ready cause I didn't have time to do much later. (I was carting the children all over for their extra curricular activities!) I browned my chicken, then threw the main dish in the crock pot, chopped my squash, threw it in my colander for steaming. When I came home all I had to do was turn on the pot for the squash to steam, and make the rice. 

For my life, it is absolutely necessary to know some quick crockpot recipes. 

Ingredients:
2 Tbs oil
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1/4 cup Vinegar
14 oz Chicken Broth
1 1/4 cup Orange Juice
2 Tbs Brown Sugar
2 Tbs Bragg (or a soy substitute)
2 minced garlic cloves
1 bell pepper (diced)
3 Tbs Cornstarch
1/4 cup water


Brown your chicken in a skillet in the oil.

Take the remaining ingredients, throw it all in a crock pot. Stir. add chicken breasts.
Cook on high setting for 4-6 hours.

Serve over rice (we did brown tonight)

Lemon Chicken with Roasted Asparagus

Lemon Chicken
Twice around the pan with the olive oil, then throw in your diced raw chicken, sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. You just want to quickly sear. Reduce heat and add in the 4 cloves garlic (I used my garlic press, but chopped is fine, too), till they start to sweat and soften. sprinkle in your parsley. Add the chicken broth & lemon juice. Let the chicken simmer in the sauce to finish cooking and to absorb that flavor!
Serve over rice.

Roasted Asparagus
Just cut the tops and about 3/4 of the bunch into bite sizes. Drizzle with olive oil, then salt and pepper. Cook in oven till tender and nice and crisp on the outside. (time will vary according to the thickness of your Asparagus). I sprinkled a little Mozzerella on top of my serving. Enjoy!

Bacon Tomato Pasta with Roasted Cauliflower

This recipe is a family favorite. 

• 
  
• 3 green onions (trimmed and thinly sliced) *I have omitted this when I didn't have it on hand
• 2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 6 slices center-cut bacon, chopped into pieces
• 3 cloves garlic, very thinly sliced, or chopped
• Salt and pepper
• 1 28-ounce can Italian diced tomatoes, with liquid
• 1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped (or 1 Tbs dried)
• 1 bag GF spaghetti noodles 
• Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• A handful of fresh basil, thinly sliced or chopped (or 1 Tbs dried)

Heat a deep skillet over medium-high heat olive oil. Add bacon and crisp. Add onions and garlic, cook 2-3 minutes to soften. Season with black pepper. Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Add tomatoes and purée to pan. Bring up to a simmer and let thicken over low heat while you cook pasta. Stir in parsley. Salt pasta water and cook pasta to al dente. (BEFORE draining pasta, put about 1/2 cup of noodle starch water into pasta sauce) Drain pasta and toss with sauce for a minute or so. Serve in shallow bowls with cheese and basil on top.

For the Cauliflower:

Cut cauliflower into pieces. Spread on cookie sheet... drizzle with Olive Oil and some red pepper flakes. Broil till starting to brown. It's delicious! Nutty and amazing!!!

Blondies

Ingredients:
10 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated white sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/4 cups gluten free flour
1 1/4 cups sweetened flaked coconut
1 1/4 cups mini M&M’s
a few extra M&M’s

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 8x8-inch pan with nonstick spray and then line the bottom with parchment paper.
2. Heat butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until it browns and begins to smell nutty (watch it closely so it doesn’t burn). Let the butter cool for a few minutes, until just barely warm.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the browned butter and sugars. With a wooden spoon, stir in egg, vanilla and salt. Stir in flour, coconut and M&M’s until batter is blended.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle a few additional M&M’s on top. Bake 25 to 30 minutes. Let the blondies cool before turning them out onto a cutting board and slicing into squares (chilling them will make that process even easier)


Recipe by Paige Nisson 

Fish with bell peppers

Tonight's dinner was simple. And really well received.

Ingredients:
White Fish (1 filet for each person, tonight I used Tilapia)
Bell peppers (yellow, red, green) sliced into strips.
1 Onion, sliced.
Pepper
Salt
Chili oil (1/4 tsp red pepper flakes in 1/4 cup olive oil)
Lime

For the potatoes:
2 large potatoes sliced (I use my mandolin so that they are all the same)
seasoning salt
pepper
olive oil

Take sheets of tin foil. Later onion, peppers, and then fish. Sprinkle salt and pepper on the fish. Spoon olive oil on the fish, about 2 small spoons. (if you want it hot, you can let your spoonful have the flakes in it. For me and the kids, NO flakes.) Squeeze 1/4 lime on each fish. Tent the foil to seal (roll the middle together, then pinch the sides in). Bake 450 for about 25 minutes or till fish flakes easily.

Slightly grease a cookie sheet with olive oil. Spread your potatoes across (be sure not to have them too overlapped). Sprinkle with pepper, and seasoning salt. Drizzle with olive oil. Bake in oven till soft, not crispy though!

Great meal for us. So easy for me :) and that's awesome on a day where we have Jiu Jitsu! My SON even ate the potatoes!!! WHOA! My baby wouldn't' touch it, but I'm used to that. If it's not on her approved list-- forget about it. My oldest devoured it!
Hubby loved it too.