Coconut Jasmine Rice

YOU NEED:

1 cup uncooked Jasmine rice

1 1/4 cups water

1/2 cup light coconut milk

1/4 tsp. salt

Combine all the ingredients in a medium sauce pan; bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer; cook 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.  Remove from heat; fluff rice with a fork. Garnish with fresh cilantro, if desired.

Calories: 97 Fat 15g

You can buy any bag of Jasmine rice, it normally just calls for water. But I love to substitute half of the water for Coconut milk to give it more of a creamy taste.

Kung Pao Chicken

Pair with Coconut Jasmine Rice

YOU NEED:

2 tbsps. dark sesame oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken thighs or breast, cut into bite size/1 inch pieces
3/4 cup water
3 tbsps. lower sodium soy sauce
2 tsps. cornstarch
1 tsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. bottled minced ginger
1 to 11/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 cup thinly sliced red bell pepper (about 1 large pepper)
1 cup snow peas, trimmed (cut in half if you prefer)
2 tbsps. chopped unsalted, dry roasted peanuts

1. Heat sesame oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add onion to pan; saute' 3 minutes or until softened.  Add garlic; saute' 30 seconds, stirring constantly.  Add chicken; saute' 3 minutes or until chicken begins to brown.
2. Combine 3/4 cup water and next 5 ingredients (through crushed red pepper), stirring with a whisk until sugar dissolves.  Add water mixture to pan; bring to a boil.  Add bell pepper and snowpeas to pan; cook for 2 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender and sauce thickens.  Sprinkle with nuts.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 cup)
Calories: 275 Fat 13.8g

Discovered this recipe from Cooking Light Quick and Easy cookbook/magazine. I have played around with a few Kung Pao chicken recipes, and love this one as it is simple, flavorful and the hubby loves it...so that's pretty successful all around.  I pair this with Coconut Jasmine Rice (recipe above) but you can add to any of your favorite rice or noodles. You can also add additional vegetables of your choice, like baby corn, broccolli, carrots etc. I also will try this again with Shrimp or tofu.

Sweet & Spicy Almonds

YOU NEED:

2 1/2 cups whole unblanched almonds

1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsps. coarse salt
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tbsp. honey
1 tsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. water

Preheat over to 350.

Spread almonds in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet; toast until fragrant, tossing halfway through, about 10 minutes. In a large bowl, combine sugar, salt, and cayenne pepper.

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook honey, oil, and the water, stirring until combined, about 1 minute.  Add almonds; toss to coat.

Transfer almonds to sugar mixture (do not scrape extra glaze into bowl); toss to coat. Spread almonds on a waxed paper-lined baking sheet and let cool. Nuts can be stored up to 2 weeks at room temperature in an airtight container.

Discovered this recipe from "Everyday Food" cookbook.  First time I made these, the compliments were endless... if you want more sweet and less spicy, just cut the cayenne in half, or leave it out completely. They do have a little kick to them!

Stuffed Poblanos

YOU NEED:

1 can- 28 oz. whole peeled Tomatoes in juice

1 Jalapeno chile, minced (ribs & seeds removed, for less heat, if desired)

2 small Onions, coarsley chopped

3 Garlic cloves (peeled): 2 crushed, 1 minced

Coarse Salt & fresh ground Pepper

1 can 19oz. Black Beans, rinsed & drained
1/2 cup Yellow Cornmeal
1 cup shredded Pepper Jack cheese 4 oz.
1 tsp. ground Cumin
3/4 cup water

4 large Poblano Chilies, halved lengthwise (stems left intact), ribs & seeds removed

Preheat oven to 425, in a blender puree tomatoes along with their juice, jalapeno, HALF the onions, and the crushed garlic until smooth; season with salt. Pour sauce into a 9-by-13inch baking dish, and spread to cover evenly.
In a bowl, combine beans, cornmeal, 1/2 cup cheese, remaining onion, minced garlic, cumin and the water; season with salt and pepper.
Dividing evenly, stuff poblano halves with bean mixture; place on top of sauce in baking dish. Sprinkle poblanos evenly with remaining 1/2 cup cheese; cover dish tightly with aluminum foil.

Bake until poblanos are tender, about 45 minutes. Uncover, and continue to cook until sauce thickens slightly and cheese is browned, 10 to 15 minutes more. Let cool slightly before serving.

* A good addition to this dish is shredded chicken layed in the sauce around the poblanos.

Discovered this dish from the Everyday Food cookbook, I added the chicken in to make it more of a complete meal.  Would be great as a Mexican sidedish.

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

YOU NEED:

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon baking soda

3 eggs

2 cups white sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract 

2 cups grated zucchini

1 cup chopped pecans

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1 tablespoon orange zest

Whipped cream, for serving and/or cream cheese spread

Preheat oven at 350 degrees F. Grease (2) 9 by 5-inch loaf pans.

Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, spices and baking soda.
In a large bowl, beat eggs until light and fluffy. Add sugar, and continue beating until well blended. Stir in oil, vanilla, zucchini, pecans, chocolate chips, and orange zest. Stir in sifted ingredients. Pour into prepared loaf pans.
Bake for 50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove loaves from pans and cool. Chill before slicing or serve warm (my favorite)  Serve with whipped cream or spread with cream cheese.

Discovered this recipe in looking for a Zucchini Bread, with all the Zucchini I get from my mother's garden every year... this is definitely a hit and favorite with my friends and family.  The Chocolate Chips and Orange zest give a delicious sweetness. One of my favorites, this easy recipe makes 2 nice big loaves, one for you and one to share!!

Butternut Squash Soup

YOU NEED:

1 Butternut squash, about 2 pounds

2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped garlic
1/2 cup thinly sliced carrot
1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon finely minced jalapeno pepper
2 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup heavy cream


Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Peel the squash and cut into 1 inch pieces. In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring often, until they begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the carrot, cumin, salt, and pepper. Cook for 1 minute, and then add squash, jalapeno pepper, and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15- 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Remove from the heat and puree the soup using an immersion blender, or transfer to a blender or food processor. Puree until smooth. Return to the heat, add the cream and adjust the seasonings.

* Another addition to this soup, is grilling or pan frying jumbo shrimp, or cooked crispy apple bacon or pancetta. Garnish on soup.

Discovered this recipe from food network in trying to find the best Butternut squash soup, I enjoy this one with the Jalepeno. Gives it a nice kick.

Spicy Mango Shrimp

YOU NEED:

3 tbsp. vegetable oil

1 cup chopped onion

2 tsp. minced garlic

1 tsp. red chile flakes

1/2 cup chopped basil leaves

2 tbsp. soy sauce

1 tbsp. fresh lime juice

About 3/4 lb. medium shrimp (31 to 42 per lb.), peeled and deveined
2 cups cubed fresh (preferably unripe) or thawed frozen mango
1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut, toasted (see quick tip below)

Jasmine Rice



Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat until hot. Add onion and cook, stirring, untill golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes.  Add garlic, chile flakes, basil, soy sauce, lime juice, and shrimp; cook, stirring often, until shrimp turn pink, 3 to 5 minutes.

Add Mango and cook untill warm, sprinkle with coconut.

* Quick Tip: You can often find shredded coconut already toasted, but if you can't, spread coconut on a baking sheet and bake at 325 oven until golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Let cool before using.

SERVES: 4

Discovered this recipe from Sunset cookbook, very light with flavor.