Soba Noodle Stir-Fry

I've made this with a huge array of veggies; it's a great way to use whatever is in the box this week!   Sometimes, we make it with chicken, sometimes not.  I've also served it over a bed of lettuce; the sauce from the stir fry acts like a salad dressing and the cold lettuce with the warm stir fry creates a pleasant contrast.  There are no quantities indicated for the ingredients because it's infinitely flexible--use what you have and however much you want of it.  Makes delicious leftovers too! 

Ingredients:
Soba noodles, cooked according to package directions
a mix of vegetables, such as snow peas, radishes, onions, scallions, mushrooms, carrots, bok choy,
        broccoli, etc.  Leave snow peas whole, julienne other vegetables or dice
garlic or garlic scapes, chopped
chicken breast, cubed (optional)
neutral flavored cooking oil (such as canola)
toasted sesame oil (a little goes a long way)
soy sauce
hoisin sauce
sesame seeds
salad greens (optional)

Method:
1.  In a bowl, mix equal parts hoisin sauce and soy sauce.  Whisk to dissolve the hoisin sauce.  A stir fry for a family of four usual takes about 2 Tbsp of each.   

2.  Heat neutral oil in a large skillet or wok.  If using the chicken, cook, unseasoned, in the oil until cooked through.  Remove from pan and set aside.

3.  Cook the vegetables in the neutral oil.  Add them in reverse order of cooking time (radishes and carrots take longer to cook, snow peas only take a few minutes).  The idea is to have all the veggies cooked through at the same time.

4.  About two minutes before the veggies are finished cooking, add the garlic or garlic scapes.  Cook until fragrant, about a minute.  Add the sesame oil and a generous helping of sesame seeds to coat the vegetables.  Add the cooked chicken, if using, and the soba noodles.     

5.  Stir in the hoisin and soy sauce mix.  Be sure that everything is thoroughly coated by the sauce.  If it's not thoroughly coated, add a little more of both sauces.

6.  Serve as it is or over a bed of salad greens.

Citrus-Glazed Cornish Game Hens with Maple-Braised Root Vegetables

I whipped this up for a quick date night one evening.  It looks super fancy, but is remarkably easy and only takes about 30 minutes start to finish, including cooking time!

Ingredients:
2 Cornish Game Hens, spatchcocked
medley of root vegetables (I used beets, radishes, Harukei turnips, and carrots),
     cut into similar-sized pieces
handful of microgreens
2 Tbps citrus marmalade
1 Tbsp pure maple syrup
white wine vinegar
olive oil for cooking
salt and pepper to taste

Method:
1.  Generously salt and pepper the hens top and bottom.  Preheat the oven to 400.  In a large skillet, heat a small amount of olive oil.  Sear the hens, skin side down, until browned.  Turn them over and sear the underside.  Glaze the hens with the marmalade and place them in the oven to finish cooking.  Hens are fully cooked when the thighs register 165F.  When finished, remove from the oven, baste with the pan juices, and allow to rest about 10 minutes.

2.  While the hens are cooking, place the root vegetables in a small sauce pan and barely cover with olive oil.  Gently poach the vegetables over medium heat until tender.  Season with salt and pepper to taste and stir in maple syrup.  Cook a minute more to combine the syrup with the oil.  When serving, scoop veggies out with a slotted spoon; they will be coated in just enough oil/maple glaze. 

3.  Make a vinaigrette with the white wine vinegar, a bit of the marmalade, and olive oil.  Salt and pepper the microgreens.  Dress with the vinaigrette.

4.  To plate, place the root veggies in the middle of the plate, top with the hen (you can remove the legs to make it look better and plate them separately) and top with the microgreen salad.  Enjoy! 

Soy Marinated Steak with Sauteed Bok Choy and Wasabi Mashed Potatoes

This meal tastes like restaurant food and is easy to create at home for less than half of what it would cost in a restaurant.  Here's to date night in your pajamas!

Serves Two

Ingredients:

For the Steak
 -One grassfed boneless ribeye or two small filets
-2 Tbsp brown sugar
-1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
-1/2 cup sake
-1 tsp siracha
-4 scallions, green parts only, chopped (reserve white parts for the bok choy)
-1 clove garlic, finely chopped
-1 1/2 piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped
-dash of toasted sesame oil

For the Potatoes
-4-6 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
-1/2 stick butter
-1 Tbsp Wasabi powder, mixed with a little water form a paste
-cream and/or milk to achieve desired consistency
-salt and pepper to taste

For the Greens
-1 large head bok choy, greens only, washed and finely chopped
-4 scallions, white parts only, chopped
-2 Tbsp soy sauce
-1 tsp siracha
-1 Tbsp sesame seeds
-1/2 tsp brown sugar
-olive or vegetable oil mixed with a dash of toasted sesame oil for sauteeing.

Method:

1. Combine all the "steak" ingredients except the steak itself in a large zip-top bag and mix to combine.  Add the steak, zip the bag closed, and place it in a bowl in the refrigerator for 1-4 hours.

2.  About 1/2 hour before you want to eat, begin preparing the rest of the meal.  Preheat the oven to 425.  Place the potatoes in a steamer basket over some water and cook until fork tender (about 10 minutes).

3.   Drain the water from the pot.  Run the potatoes through a ricer or food mill back into the same pot.  Add the butter and stir in milk or cream until potatoes are desired consistency.  Stir in Wasabi paste.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Cover the pot and set aside.

4.  Pat the steak dry with a paper towel.  Heat a small amount of oil to smoking in a skillet.  Add the steak and sear well on both sides.  Place the skillet in the oven.  Cooking time will vary, depending on how well done you like your meat and how long you sear it on both sides.  Check with an instant read thermometer (125 for rare, 130 for medium rare, 135 for medium, 145 for well done).

5.  While the steak is in the oven, prepare the greens.  Heat the mixture of olive or vegetable oil and sesame oil in a large pan until nearly smoking.  Add the greens and the scallions (watch out for splatters!).  Cook, stirring frequently, until the greens are wilted.  Sprinkle with the brown sugar.  Add the siracha and soy sauce and cook until all the liquid is gone.  Stir in the sesame seeds and cook a minute longer.  Remove from the heat. (If they get cold before the steak is done, they reheat nicely.  Just turn the burner back on briefly until heated through).

6.  When the steak is at your desired temperature, remove it from the skillet.  Let it rest 5 minutes before cutting into it to preserve the juices.  Serve with the greens and the potatoes and enjoy!

Stuffed Chiles

This is my healthier take on chiles rellenos.  Rather than battering and deep frying, I treated these more like Mexican stuffed peppers.  The result was a satisfying, vegetarian dinner!

Serves 2

Ingredients:

2 large poblano peppers, halved and seeded
1/2 brown rice
1 cup vegetable or chicken stock
1/2 sweet onion, diced
1/4 cup raisins
1 clove garlic, smashed and diced
1 Tbsp cumin
2 tsp olive oil
1 cup cheese (I mixed sharp cheddar and cotija)
chopped cilantro
salt to taste

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 400.
2. Heat olive oil in a small to medium sauce pan.  Add the onions and saute until softened (about 5 minutes).
3.  Add the raisins and garlic.  Cook for about a minute.
4.  Add the rice and the cumin and toast for a few minutes, stirring regularly.
5.  Add the stock.  Stir and bring to a boil.  Cover and reduce to a simmer.  Continue to cook until the rice is cooked through and the liquid is all absorbed (about 20 minutes).
6.  Stir in the cilantro and fluff the rice with a fork. 
7.  Fill the chiles with the rice mixture.  Top with cheese.  Bake until the peppers are soft and the cheese is melted and bubbling (about 20 minutes).

Enjoy!

Warm Kale & Potato Salad

Ingredients:

*large bunch organic kale

*4-5 [small to medium] organic potatoes

5 cherry tomatoes, halved

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup diced green scallions

1-2 TBS extra virgin olive oil

sea salt and coarse ground pepper to taste

1. Wash kale well with cold water and do not pat dry, the extra moisture is good and will help cook the kale down a bit. Cut each kale leaf down to bite-sized pieces. Because of their bitterness and texture, I cut out the stems and use only the kale leaves.

2. Heat a large sauteing pan and a few drops of olive oil on low, toss in the kale, garlic and add then add a 1/4 cup of water; mix and cover with a lid. Simmer the leaves down until they've become very soft and a deep green. You can't really over cook kale, so just cook it until your desired texture.

3. As the kale is cooking, bring water in a medium sized pot to a boil. Peel each potato and cut into bite-sized pieces. Boil the potatoes for about 7-10 minutes or until tender.

4. When the potatoes are done cooking, drain and toss in with the kale. Now add in the cherry tomatoes, scallions and a tablespoon of olive oil; mix together well and continue to cook until all the ingredients are warmed through. Season with salt and pepper and serve!

Serves: 4

Total time: 25 minutes

*Kale and potatoes are both on the Dirty Dozen list, choose organic whenever possible.

LIVING SIMPLY GLUTEN FREE