Stir fried veggies

This is something I've been doing for a long time, and everybody loves it once they try it. I can never give the recipe exactly so I'm going to get it close. It's a little more complicated than a lot I do, but it's not hard...just takes steps. What makes this a hit is the mixture...crunchy of okra, twang of green tomato, "normal" of the squash and onions. It's a great combo!

Ingredients:

• 4 small squash
• 4 to 5 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion
• 2 small green tomatoes, quartered or smaller (preference)
• 10-11 small to medium okra, cut
• 1/4 cup almond or coconut milk
• 1/2 cup brown rice flour (If you don't want to be healthy, you can choose white flour:)
• salt and pepper to taste
• garlic salt
• 1 to 2 Tbs lemon pepper
• 1 to 2 Tbs Tony's creole seasoning

Directions:

1. Heat oil on medium to high heat.
2. Cut up squash and onion, add to heated oil.
3. While the squash and onions are cooking, I get the okra ready.
4. I put the milk in the tray and soak the okra so it can be ready to take the breading.
5. Make the breading mixture...the flour, lemon pepper, creole seasoning, salt and pepper. (as shown on the pic). I mix it up and coat the okra.
6. By this point, the squash and onions are moving right along (my goal is to get them all to a "fried state"...with a little burn to it; however, you have to keep an eye on it so that you don't burn one part. Add the tomatoes and stir for about 2 minutes.
7. Add okra and garlic salt. To keep it all cooking correctly, I add liquid as needed. You can add water, but for more flavor, I use low sodium or veggie broth.
8. When it's all cooked correctly, I turn up the heat to do the "burn/crispy" part. I need to make a good pic of the final look, although it doesn't always look beautiful.
    

Cilantro lime shrimp

Disclaimer: I randomly threw this together. If I did it again, I would double the recipe. I think my husband could have eaten a LOT more than this made. It was enough for the three of us to eat over rice and have a good portion.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 lb of shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 3 Tbs lime juice
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 4 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp minced garlic (I use fresh or the kind in the jar, not dried)
• 3 Tbs chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 Tbs basil

Directions:

1. Heat oil over medium heat while allowing shrimp to sit in 2 Tbs of lime and the cumin.
2. Once the oil is ready, add the shrimp, garlic, cilantro, and basil.
3. Stir fry and add the last of the lime.
4. This makes a great "sauce". It is super yummy.

I put this over brown rice because of my diet needs, but I think it would be better over noodles. I might try the brown rice noodles next time. In addition, I think I'll double the recipe and add a tiny bit of chicken broth and brown rice flour to give it a "roux" to put over the noodles. It is really a simple recipe.

 

 

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

Keep in mind, I'm a "throw it together and hope it works" kind of girl. This means that sometimes I forget to measure my portions, or sometimes I may realize it needs something once I've done it. That's how this spaghetti sauce came to existence last night so all of the ingredients would be "to taste".

See below for options...

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1 Tbs olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 4 oz baby bella mushrooms, chopped
• 1 can (organic) diced tomatoes, Italian style
• 3 regular cans of diced tomatoes or 1 can crushed tomatoes-all organic (My daughter likes her sauce more smooth than chunky so I throw this in the blender so that it has that texture.)
• 1 can (organic) tomato paste 
• 2 Tbs basil
• 2 Tbs oregano
• 2 Tbs minced garlic
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp coconut palm (if you're not going organic, you can use reg sugar, preferably brown)
• salt and pepper to taste 

Directions

1. Heat olive oil on medium heat.
2. Add onions and peppers, sauté until tender.
3. Add mushrooms and cook for another minute.
4. Add turkey and cook until browned.
5. Add remaining ingredients, and bring to bubble.
6. Immediately reduce heat and let simmer for 30 or more minutes.

*I use Quinoa noodles (wheat and gluten free option). They are honestly good.
**Sometimes I want to do something other than turkey so I do a chicken and shrimp spaghetti, and it's YUMMY. Just replace the turkey with chicken. Add the shrimp last because it won't take long for them to cook.

Easy and Healthy Egg Muffins

Ingredients

• 8 eggs
• 1/2 bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 6 pieces of thinly sliced turkey (I just used sandwich meat.)
• 2 Tbs bacon bits (real bacon)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp garlic salt

*You may add a couple of dashes of hot sauce if you like, and/or you may add 1/2 cup cheddar cheese if you can have dairy.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. In a small mixing bowl, crack eggs and scramble.
3. Chop turkey (or tear as I do for quick/easy) and add to eggs.
4. Add remaining ingredients and mix.
5. Add mixture to muffin pan cups (I use cupcake holders, sprayed with olive oil spray so it's easy to get them out of the holders when I am ready to eat.) This is enough for a 12 muffin pan.
   
   
   
   
   
6. Cook for 20-25 minute (check to be sure a knife comes out clean).

I bag these 2 or 3 at a time for a quick breakfast. It's just as good the 2nd time...and 3rd:)

Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients

• 4 bell peppers (any color)
• 1 lb of ground turkey
• 1/2 chopped onion
• 4 oz chopped baby bella mushrooms
• 1 Tbs olive oil
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. In large skillet, heat oil on medium and then add onions.
2. While cooking, cut off bell pepper tops and discard seeds.
3. Add ground turkey, salt, pepper, and garlic salt.
4. After about 4 min of cooking, add mushrooms. Cook until the turkey is browned.
5. Place peppers in a glass baking dish.
6. Scoop mixture into the peppers, then fill the dish with about 1/4 inch water.
7. Cook at 400 until pepper are done. This usually takes 35-40 min.

* As a side note: We used the pepper in the middle of the bowl and ladled the tomato soup (earlier post) over the pepper. It was super yummy!

Tomato Soup

Ingredients

• 1-28 oz can of crushed tomatoes (preferably organic or you can stew your own and crush them in the food processor)
• 1 cup of low sodium chicken or veggie broth
• 1/2 cup of coconut milk
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 Tbs olive oil
• 1 tsp fresh minced garlic
• 2 Tbs oregano
• 2 Tbs basil
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Heat oil on medium heat, then add onion to the pot and sauté until they are clear.
2. Add garlic cloves and sauté for another minute.
3. Add rest of ingredients and bring to a boil.
4. Reduce heat and simmer. Soup will be done in 25-30 mine, but of course, the longer the simmer, the better the flavor.

Almond Macaroons

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups almonds, coarsely ground
• 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 2 egg whites, beaten
• 1/4 cup raw honey
• 1 tsp lemon juice

Directions
 

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
2. Mix cinnamon and lemon zest in bowl (I don't have a zester so I used a grater to make the zest.)
3. Beat egg whites and add to mixture
4. Add honey and lemon juice and stir-vigorously to blend thoroughly
5. add almond mixture and blend thoroughly
6. line baking sheet with parchment paper
7. Use a teaspoon to scoop small portions of the batter onto paper
8. Bake 30 min
9. Remove from paper with a spatula while still slightly warm

*Makes 15-20 small cookies