Tomorrow’s lunch of sweet potato-celery-apple slaw and a snack of crispy kale…plus today’s snack of pistachio-stuffed dates!
Get the recipes here:
http://www.wholeliving.com/151696/sweet-potato-celery-and-apple-salad

http://www.wholeliving.com/151709/sesame-kale-crisps

Note: don’t cook the kale at 200 for an hour like the recipe says…crank it up to 350 and it’ll be done in half the time…just be sure to stir halfway through, don’t crowd the pan or it’ll steam rather than crisp, and keep an eye on it…it should brown at the edges and be crispy, not burnt :)

http://www.wholeliving.com/151444/pistachio-stuffed-dates-coconut

Note: I didn’t add salt because my pistachios were already salted, plus I noticed my food processor was having a tough time with the dry nuts so I added a drizzle of EVOO and scraped down the bowl between pulses a few times—came out delicious!

Oven-Fried Pork Chops, Roasted Asparagus, Romano Garlic Brown Rice & Sweet Chili Cabbage Sauté!

This is the fourth time I’ve tried to post this since I made it last night…fingers crossed that this one works :)

All recipes serve 2 (or 1, if you like leftovers the next day).

Oven-Fried Pork Chops & Roasted Asparagus (all on one baking sheet):
- 2 bone-in pork chops
- 1/2 c Italian dressing
- Pan Spray
- 1 c Seasoned Bread crumbs
- Handful of asparagus, rinsed and woody ends trimmed off
- Drizzle of EVOO, sprinkle of s & p

Marinate chops in dressing in a resealable bag at least 15 min, or at most overnight.

Preheat oven to 425 F. Line a baking sheet with foil, spray liberally with pan spray.

Lightly shake off excess dressing from chops, then dredge both sides in crumbs, coating well. Place on one side of pan and bake 15 minutes.

While pork cooks, toss asparagus in oil and salt/pepper to coat, then spread evenly along one half of baking sheet and roast alongside pork chops for an additional 10 minutes or until chops are cooked through.

Romano Garlic Brown Rice:
- 1 c dry brown rice, cooked according to package directions (should yield about 2 c)
- 1/2 c grated Romano cheese
- Sprinkle of garlic powder, s & p, parsley, and onion powder to taste

Combine all ingredients, tossing with a fork to fluff.

Sweet Chili Cabbage Sauté:
- Pan Spray
- 2 t minced/chopped garlic
- 1/4 c thinly sliced onion
- 1.5-2 c chopped cabbage
- 2 T water
- 2 T Sweet Chili Sauce (I like Mae Ploy’s version)
- Dash of red pepper flakes (optional, for a little kick)

Heat a sauté pan over medium heat. Coat with pan spray. Add garlic and onion, stirring until fragrant, about 1 min. Add cabbage, stir and cook about 2-3 min. Add water and let steam uncovered about 2 min. Add sauce (and red pepper flakes, if using) and toss to coat, cooking about 2-3 min more or until desired tenderness (I like mine a little crunchy).

Roasted Zucchini & Squash!

Roasting veggies brings out their natural sugars AND intensifies their flavor due to some of the moisture being removed during the cooking process. Try roasting some veggies at home for a tasty and healthful way to spice up your next meal!

A helpful site for roasting times and temps can be found here:
http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/recipes/cooking-tips/oven-roasted-vegetables

Roasted Zucchini & Yellow Squash for 3:

• 1 large zucchini, rinsed
• 1 large yellow squash, rinsed
• Drizzle of olive oil
• Sprinkle of salt, pepper, and garlic powder, to taste
• 2 T of chopped, fresh herbs

Preheat oven to 400, with a rack positioned in the center of the oven.

     Cut each squash in half lengthwise, each piece in half lengthwise again, and then each long piece in half width-wise, to make little sticks. Each squash should yield about 8 sticks.
     Toss squash in remaining ingredients, distributing the oil and seasonings/herbs evenly to coat. Arrange on a foil-lined baking sheet, and roast for 30 minutes or until fork-tender and slightly golden at the edges. Enjoy!

Dinner Tonight: Pan-seared lemon pepper tilapia, sauteed spinach, fettuccine alfredo, and fresh blueberries and diced avocado :) 

Land & Sea Penne for 2!

Cook 1/2 box whole wheat penne according to package directions in salted boiling water, just shy of al dente (so if pkg says 9-11 min, cook for 8).

Meanwhile, over medium heat, drizzle pan with olive oil and sauté sliced fresh baby carrots 2-3 min. Add a splash of white wine (we didn’t have any, which is very unlike us, but we did add some beer instead, lol) a sprinkle of red pepper flakes, black pepper, sliced onions, sliced zucchini and minced garlic, stir, sauté til carrots and squash are slightly tender (2-3 min), stir in 1 can of tuna packed in water (drained). Cook to warm tuna but only just enough so that the veggies still retain a bit of crispness. Remove from heat. To the side, I also cooked up some small grunt filets from the husband’s catch the day before, but it’s not necessary (we just really like fish).

For the sauce: crack 1 egg, draining off whites and reserving the yolk into a small bowl. Add 1 ladleful of starchy pasta water, whisk.

Once pasta is drained, return to pot over medium heat. Stir in the veggie-fish mixture, toss for about 1 min to continue to cook the pasta, toss in the yolk mixture for another minute, remove from heat. Add more pepper, pepper flakes, and/or salt to taste. We sprinkled ours with a bit of shredded cheese (Parmesan and fresh chopped parsley would be perfect, too).

*Note: this recipe was created out of necessity…meaning we didn’t have much around (wallet-wise and ingredient-wise) so I kind of just threw things together based on what was at hand (we are still squatting in our home waiting for the movers to deliver our things…the joys of military life). We have some pots & pans, an air mattress, and a few other small creature comforts like lawn chairs and a tv with no sound as of yet (long story), but despite that, I’ve discovered from situations like these that sometimes you can still create some of the tastiest dishes simply by throwing together things you have in your fridge and pantry! Luckily, my husband has discovered the joys of fishing and that helps supplement our meat supply, as well—when he catches something, anyway :) On a positive note, after a week of waiting, we should have our household goods delivered late this afternoon. Moral of the story: when life gives you lemons… Well, you know the rest. :)

Caribbean Tiger marinated chicken thighs, with sautéed garlic-wine veggies and wilted lemon-butter spinach!

Basically, marinate chicken thighs in a mixture of Caribbean jerk sauce and half as much tiger sauce overnight, then grill to an internal temp of 165 F. I used a George foreman grill, medium-high setting, for about 13 min.

Veggies: cut up a handful each of baby carrots, broccoli, green beans, peppers, green onions, and mushrooms into bite size pieces. Sauté carrots over medium-high heat about 3 min with some olive oil and butter (enough to coat pan). Stir in garlic, cook until fragrant. Stir in rest of veggies (except onions and mushrooms) and 1/4 c white wine, cook about 5 min more, stirring occasionally. Add remaining veggies and continue to cook 3 min.

Spinach: after plating up the veggies, return the pan to stove over medium heat. Add 1/2 bag rinsed and drained baby spinach, 1T butter, stir. Squeeze juice of 1 lemon wedge, stir until wilted and warmed throughout. Done!

Enjoy!

Goodies from our EarthFare adventure: Sapporo, sprouted quinoa blend, red & white Spanish Protocolo wines, Rogue Dead Guy Ale, local honey from SC’s own Bee City, Vosges Haut-Chocolat Mo’s Milk Bar (chocolate with BACON!), and various organic produce to make the tonight’s tropical quinoa salad with honey-glazed pork chops :) I’m gonna miss this market…

Meatloaf!!!
I wasn’t able to eat this yesterday (refer to the post before this one), but I did take a small taste test (never serve anything you wouldn’t eat yourself), and it’s delish!
Nice thing is, its easy to hide lots of good-for-you veggies in this dish… In case you have any picky eaters at the table. Another successful Paula Deen recipe, adapted for a crowd of 50 coasties, of course :)
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/old-fashioned-meat-loaf-aka-basic-meatloaf-recipe/index.html