Ramen with Chicken

Originally from forknifeswoon.com

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts (boneless) (if you want to go vegetarian, you can easily bake some tofu to use instead of chicken)
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 Tbs unsalted butter
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tsp fresh ginger, minced
• 3 tsp fresh garlic, minced
• 3 Tbs low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 Tbs mirin
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1-2 oz mushrooms
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup scallions, sliced
• 2 (3 oz) packages of dried ramen noodles

Directions:

1. Cook the chicken: Preheat oven 375 degrees. Season chicken generously with salt and pepper. Melt butter in a large oven safe skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook until golden brown on each side. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast for 15-20 minutes. Remove from the oven and cover with foil until ready to serve.
2. Make the ramen broth: Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and ginger, and cook for a few minutes until softened. Add the soy sauce and mirin and stir to combine. Cook for another minute. Add the chicken stock, cover, and bring to a boil. Remove the lid and let summer for about 5 minutes, then add the mushrooms. Simmer for another 10 min and season with salt.
3. Make the soft-boiled eggs: Fill a pot with enough water to cover the eggs and bring to a boil. Gently lower the eggs into the boiling water and let simmer for 7-8 minutes.
4. Fill a large bowl with ice water. When the eggs are done, move them directly into the ice bath to stop the cooking process. Wake for a few minutes until cool enough to handle and then carefully peel the shell and slice in half.
5. Assemble the ramen bowls: Chop scallions and slice chicken into thin pieces. Add the Ramen noodles to boiling water and cool for 2-3 minutes and then divide the noodles into two large bowls. Add the sliced chicken and the ramen broth. Top with scallions and egg.

Spicy Chorizo “Migas” with Sweet Potato Noodles

Another great recipe from my inspirilized.com listserv. This is a good one with eggs that can definitely go with brunch as well as dinner.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 Tbsp EVOO
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled, spirilized into noodles
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/2 pound chorizo links, decased
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 large red bell pepper, diced
• 2 tsp minced jalapeno
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp oregano
• 6 eggs, beaten
• 1 Tbsp chopped cilantro

Directions:

1. Place a large skillet over medium heat and add in the olive oil.
2. Once oil heats, add in the sweet potato noodles and season with garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
3. Cover and cook, uncovering occasionally to toss, for 5-7 minutes or until potato noodles are cooked to al dente.
4. Set the noodles aside in three plates and cover to keep warm.
5. Add the chorizo to the skillet, crumbling with a wooden spoon. Cook until browned, about 7 minutes.
6. Set chorizo aside and add in onions, bell pepper, and jalapeno. Season with paprika, oregano, salt, and pepper. Cook for 3 minutes or until vegetables soften.
7. Add in the cooked chorizo and the eggs. Cook until eggs are scrambled.
8. Divide chorizo-egg mixture on top of the sweet potato noodles. Garnish with cilantro and serve.

Harissa Chicken Stuffed Eggplant

This is an new FAVORITE of mine. I’ve made it quite a few times now and it is such a great blend of the vegetables, meat and spice! Originally from a new fav blog, Lexi’s Clean Kitchen.

Ingredients:

• 1 large eggplant
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 3/4 lb chicken breast, cubed small
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup mushrooms, chopped
• 2 cups fresh spinach
• 14 oz canned diced tomatoes
• 1 tbsp Harissa
• 1 tbsp fresh basil
• salt to taste
• red pepper flakes to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Slice eggplant in half and scoop out the center, set aside for later use.
3. Brush eggplant with olive oil and place on a lined baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes.
4. In a skillet over heat, add tsp of oil and garlic. Saute for 2 minutes.
5. Add in chopped onion, chicken, mushrooms, and the remaining eggplant (chopped).
6. Cook until chicken is opaque.
7. Add in tomatoes, harissa and spiced; allow to cook 2-3 minutes.
8. Add in spinach and mix until wilted.
9. Place mixture in the eggplant bowls and bake for another 10 minutes.

Tuscan Kale and Sausage Ragu with Butternut Squash Fettuccine

Another great inspiralizer recipe from inspiralized.com!

Ingredients:

• 3/4 lb spicy Italian sausage, decased and crumbled
• 1 small sweet onion, diced
• 2 garlic clothes, minced
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 28 ounces canned peeled tomatoes
• 1/5 Tsp tomato paste
• 1/4 cup red wine (or beef broth)
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 bay leaf
• salt and pepper to taste
• 4 cups chopped kale
• 1 cup canned white beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 medium butternut squashes
• olive oil
• fresh basil
• parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place a large pot over medium heat and add in the sausage.
3. Crumble the sausage further with a wooden spoon and cook until browned, about 10 minutes.
4. Add in the onions, garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
5. Crush the tomatoes over the pot and use a wooden spoon to crush them so no large chunks remain.
6. Add int he tomato paste, wine (or broth), basil, oregano, bay leaf and season with salt and pepper.
7. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to medium-low and allow to simmer.
8. Cook for 30-35 minutes or until reduced by half and then stir in the kale and beans.
9. Cook for another 5 minutes so kale wilts and sauce is thick.
10. Peel and spiralize the butternut squash. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lay out the buttnut squash noodles.
11. Drizzle with olive oil and massage into the squash.
12. Roast for 8-10 minutes or until cooked to al dente.
13. Divide the butternut squash noodles into bowls and top with ragu, basil and parmesan cheese.

Chicken and Pesto Zucchini Fettuccine With Tomatoes

Not sure I mentioned this, but I got an Inspiralizer for my birthday last year! These are great and you can do so much with them. I subscribed to inspiralized.com which sends me daily recipes. Here is one from that blog which is awesome!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb boneless chicken breast, cubed
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp dried oregano
• pinch of red pepper flakes
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 5-6 medium zucchinis, inspiralized into a fettuccine shape
• 2 Tbs pine nuts (I actually used walnuts because they’re cheaper)
• 2 cups packed basil
• 2 Tbs parmesan cheese
• 3 Tbs olive oil
• 1 large garlic clove

Directions:

1. Place a large skillet over medium heat and add in the olive oil. Once oil heats, add in the chicken and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano and red pepper flakes.
2. Cover and cook until chicken is halfway cooked, about 3-4 minutes. Then add in the tomatoes. Finish cooking for another 3-4 minutes.
3. While the chicken is cooking, prepare the pesto: add nuts, basil, parm, olive oil and garlic into a food processor and pulse until creamy.
4. Transfer the chicken to a plate, leaving the juices in the pan.
5. Immediately add in the zucchini noodles and toss for 3-5 minutes.
6. Drain the noodles in a colander and then add to a bowl with the pesto, chicken and tomatoes. Toss together and enjoy!

Crockpot Moroccan Turkey Stew

This one is originally from the foodnetwork. It is a great fall stew with a cilantro-parsley sauce to include. I made the sauce, but I think it is optional. It is really delicious with or without it.

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• salt
• 4 skinless bone-in turkey thighs (about 4 pounds)
• 1/2 medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into 2 inch chunks
• Two 15 ounce cans of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 28 ounce can whole peeled tomatoes with juices
• 1 cup dried apricots
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 8 medium carrots, cut into 1.5 inch pieces
• 3 medium red onions, halved and cut into wedges
• 2 whole dried red chiles
• 1/2 lemon
• 2 cups cilantro
• 1 cup fresh parsley
• 1 close garlic, smashed
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 cup olive oil

Directions:

1. Combine the allspice and 3 tsp salt in a small bowl. Season the turkey thighs with half the salt mixture in a 5-quart slow cooker.
2. Toss the squash, chickpeas, tomatoes, apricots, raisins, carrots, onions, and chiles with the remaining spiced salt.
3. Pour the vegetables over the turkey. Cover and cook on high for 6 hours or low for 7-8 hours.
4. Spoon the vegetables and broth into bowls. Remove and discard the turkey bones and place meat on top of the vegetables.
5. Juice the lemon and pulse with the cilantro, parsley, garlic, cumin and 1 tsp salt in a food processor.
6. Add the oil and process until smooth. Serve the stew in bowls and drizzle with the cilantro-parsley sauce.

BBQ Chicken Burgers with Slaw

This recipe surprised me with how good it was. It is originally from Rachael Ray at foodnetwork.com. Great for the summer, bbqs, and whatnot.

 

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbs butter
• 1 small red onion, 1/2 finely chopped, 1/2 thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 Tbs tomato paste
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 Tbs worcestershire sauce
• 1 Tbs hot sauce
• 1.25 lb ground chicken
• 1 Tbs grill seasoning
• 3 Tbs olive oil
• 2 Tbs honey
• 1 lemon
• 2 cups shredded cabbage mix
• salt and pepper
• 4 rolls or hamburger buns

Directions:

1. In a small skillet over medium heat, melt the butter.
2. Add chopped onions, garlic, tomato paste and cook for about 5 min.
3. Sprinkle in sugar and remove from heat.
4. Cool in a bowl for a few minutes and then add in the Worcestershire and hot sauce.
5. Add the chicken and grill seasoning. Combine to distribute the flavors.
6. Heat 1 Tbs olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Form the chicken mixture into 4 patties and cook, about 6 min on each side.
7. Meanwhile, combine the honey, lemon juice and remaining olive oil in a bowl. Add in the cabbage mix and sliced onions. Season with salt and pepper and toss to combine.
8. Serve the burgers on the buns topped with slaw.

Buffalo Chicken Bites

Great Superbowl snack choice!! These were well-liked and much neater than buffalo chicken wings. Relatively easy to make and turned out crunchy and just a little spicy. Originally from http://sweetpeaskitchen.com/2011/09/buffalo-chicken-bites/

Ingredients:

• 3 cups shredded cooked chicken
• 1/4-1/2 hot sauce to taste (I used sriracha)
• 3 1/2 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 3/4 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1/4 cup chopped scallions
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 3-4 cups Corn Flakes cereal, crushed

Directions:

1. To make the shredded chicken, I took about 5-6 chicken thighs and put them in a slow cooker with a little olive oil and chicken broth and cooked it on high for four hours.
2. Once that was down, I pealed off the skin and shredded the chicken with my hands.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with some parchment paper.
4. In a large bowl, combine the shredded chicken, cream cheese, hot sauce, cheddar cheese and green onions. Mix well.
5. Place flour in a shallow dish, eggs in another dish, and crushed cornflakes in a third dish.
6. Roll a heaping tablespoon of the mixture into a ball and roll around in the flour, then the egg, then the cornflakes. Repeat for the entire bowl.
7. Place on baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes. Serve with ranch or blue cheese dressing.

Note: If you want to make some of this ahead of time, you can freeze them right before you bake them.

Eggplant Parmesan Meatloaf

This recipe was a really big hit! Meatloaf kind of rubs me the wrong way, but adding in the flavors, the eggplant, and the cheese made it more appealing to me and tasted amazing. The recipe originally calls for ground beef, but we aren’t big red meat eaters to we went ground turkey.

Ingredients:

• 1.5 pounds ground turkey
• 2/3 cup chopped fresh basil
• 2/3 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
• 1 and 1/2 cup jarred tomato-basil sauce
• 1/3 cup breadcrumbs
• 2 and 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 and 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3 large cloves garlic, minced
• 2 large eggs, at room temp
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup EVOO
• 1 medium eggplant, trimmed and cut into 6-8 1/2 inch thick slices
• 1/2 cup coarsely grated mozzarella

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the ground turkey, basil, parmesan, 2/3 cup tomato-basil sauce, breadcrumbs, 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper, garlic, eggs and onion until combined.
3. Press the mixture onto the bottom of a nonstick baking sheet or pyrex pan. Bake until cooked through, about 20-25 minutes.
4. While the meat is cooking, in a large skillet, heat the EVOO over medium-high heat. In batches, add the eggplant slices and cook until lightly browned, 2-3 minutes.
5. Turn the slices over and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 2-3 more minutes.
6. Remove the meat from the oven and arrange the eggplant slices on top of the meatloaf in a single layer.
7. Spoon the remaining tomato-basil sauce on the center of each eggplant slice.
8. Top with the mozzarella cheese and bake for about 5 minutes, until the cheese in melted.

 

Thai Pork and Noodles

Here is a new Asian favorite for Dave and I. I had this recipe sitting in my email for a while and I wanted to try something new and pulled it out! It was so delicious and is now going to be a regular for us! The main protein is pork, but you could easily make it tofu, chicken, or beef. This is originally from foodnetwork.com, I just added a little more of the seasonings.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb thin boneless pork chops
• 8 ounces Thai rice noodles
• 1 cup fresh cilantro (stems and leaves)
• Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime
• about 1-2 inches of peeled, roughly chopped ginger
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 green or red jalapenos (the original recipe calls for 3, but I thought 2 was enough, up to you), cut them in half, seed, and coarsely chopped
• 2 shallots roughly chopped
• 3 Tbs fish sauce
• 2 Tbs brown sugar (I was running low and probably only used about 1 and it came out fine)
• 1 Tbs water
• 4 Tbs peanut oil (I used olive and it turned out fine)
• 1/4 lb green beans, cut in half

 

Directions:

1. Put the pork in the freezer for about 10 minutes so it’s easier to slice.
2. Boil water and pour over noodles. Let them soak per the directions, about 10 minutes.
3. Puree the cilantro,lime zest and juice, ginger, garlic, jalapenos, shallots, fish sauce, brown sugar and 1 Tbs water in a food processor until smooth.
4. Take the pork out of the freezer and slice.
5. Heat 3 Tbs oil in a sauce pan over high heat and add half of the cilantro mixture. Stir fry for about 1 minute.
6. Add the pork and stir fry until no longer pink, about 2-3 minutes.
7. Take the pork out and set on a plate. Add 1 more Tbs oil and add the green beans. Stir fry for about 4-5 minutes.
8. Add the noodles and the pork back into the sauce pan and warm up, add the rest of the cilantro mixture.

Per serving: Calories 553; Fat 24 g (Saturated 6 g); Cholesterol 60 mg; Sodium 1,210 mg; Carbohydrate 61 g; Fiber 3 g; Protein 22 g