Adzuki Beans and Rice

Seriously good (the little guy ate two helpings!). Seriously non-photogenic.

I'm not really sure what led me to purchase adzuki beans, other than perhaps flipping through a blog that used them in a recipe and realizing they don't need to be soaked before cooking. The next time I went to our local health food store, I was determined to find them. They look like this:

(source)
After much research regarding cooking times and suitable meals to make with these brick red beauties, I decided on this recipe, with a few very minor changes.

First, I halved it. I had no idea how my men would react to this dish and didn't want to have 4-6 portions leftover. Second, I used spicy Italian turkey sausage, which my store happened to have on sale. Finally, I subbed organic, no-MSG, gluten-free beef stock concentrate for the bouillon cube. Other than that, we made it as directed.

But really. There was no chance I'd post a picture of it, and you all know how low my photo-quality standards are. Just try it. Take a big forkful and fill your belly with the mildly spicy deliciousness. Maybe close your eyes first.

One-stop meal, courtesy of Ken's

This dinner was made possible thanks to Ken's Fruit Market, that local gem that we've been thrilled to have in our neighborhood since last summer. I didn't realize it when I formed the meal in my head, but as I was assembling it, I had to laugh. Earlier this year I made a week-long challenge to myself to shop only at Ken's for our dinners, and here I accomplished the same thing by mere coincidence.

Grilled chicken breasts, marinated in Garlic Expressions dressing/marinade, topped with pico de gallo, and served with cilantro-lime brown rice (yep, even rice-cooker friendly brown rice can be found at Ken's!) and homemade baked corn tortilla chips made the perfect complement to the brilliantly sunny, breezy spring day we had here.

While The H grilled the chicken, I chopped all the goodies for the pico and cut/seasoned the corn tortillas. A few minutes of baking--just until browned on the edges--at 350* was all they needed.

Aside from the kosher salt, olive oil, and dried coriander I used in the rice and on the tortilla chips, everything I used in this meal can be found at Ken's.

While we may get a few "Oh hi, ma'am, you again?" looks behind the pleasant smiles that greet us at Ken's when we dash in for the third time in a week, we'll continue going back because it's perfectly located (can't beat less than a half-mile walk when gas is so expensive!) and they carry what we use at good prices. And no, this is not a paid advertisement. I just like the local guys!

I find myself very content when the little guy and I (and The H, when he's home) can spend a day grocery shopping, visiting the library, picking up a few things at the hardware store, mailing our bills, grabbing some cash from the ATM, and capping the day with treats from our favorite pizza joint and/or ice cream shop, without leaving our little neighborhood or hopping into the car. It makes me want to spend that much more time and money investing in our super-local community businesses, and happy that we have so many to choose from.

Beef & Snow Pea Stir-Fry

Ever since we bought a half-of-a-half of beef this past winter, I've been thrilled to find new clean-eating ways to use it. This stir-fry from Clean Eating Magazine (March 2011) appeared in front of me at just the right time!

Beef, Snow Pea, and Shiitake Stir-Fry
from Clean Eating Magazine, Vol. 4, Issue 3
serves 4

1 cup brown rice
12 oz top sirloin beef, trimmed of fat and sliced into 1/2-inch thick pieces
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
1/4 cup low-sodium tamari sauce (if you are gluten-free, make sure your sauce is, too!)
1/4 cup water
2 tsp tapioca starch (I used arrowroot powder)
1 Tbsp raw honey, local if you can find it
1 Tbsp coconut oil, divided
2 cups sugar snap or snow peas
2 cups small fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed (I used baby portobellos)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tsp grated fresh ginger root
8 sprigs fresh cilantro (optional--for garnish, or chop and add to dish before serving)

1. Cook rice according to package directions; while it is cooking, prepare the rest of the meal.

2. In a medium bowl, combine beef, salt, and five-spice powder until evenly coated; set aside.

3. In a small bowl, whisk tamari, tapioca starch, honey, and 1/4 cup water; set aside.

4. Using a large nonstick skillet or wok, heat half of the coconut oil on medium-high heat. Add beef and cook, stirring often, for 1 minute. Transfer beef to a clean large bowl. Add remaining half-tablespoon of oil to wok, followed by peas, mushrooms, garlic, and ginger. Saute 2-3 minutes or until peas are crisp-tender. Add veggies to beef bowl.

5. Heat tamari mixutre in the wok over medium-high heat and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened--about 30 seconds. Return beef and veggies to wok and stir to coat.

6. Divide cooked rice between serving bowls and top each portion with beef-veggie mixture. Garnish with cilantro sprigs and serve hot.

I've mentioned before that soy sauce is not one of my favorite flavors, and it is fairly prominent in this dish, so next time I make it I will decrease that slightly; perhaps using some beef broth in its place would lend a rich, but not as salty, flavor.

Mustard-Marinated Beef

Tonight's dinner was brought to you by the game "Rummage in the freezer 'til you find something that won't take too long to thaw, marinate, and cook.. ready? Go!" Aaand we have a winner!

A quick allrecipes.com search led me to this recipe, which I modified a bit (shocker, I know). We served it over brown rice, with roasted garlic-lemon broccoli on the side. Here is my version.

Mustard-Marinated Beef
modified from this recipe
serves 4

1 lb sirloin steak, sliced against the grain into thin strips
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce (some brands contain HFCS--read the labels!)
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp olive oil, plus 1 Tbsp for the pan later
2 Tbsp (two big squirts) prepared yellow mustard
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Brown rice

1. In a shallow dish, whisk together Worcestershire, balsamic vinegar, 2 Tbsp olive oil, mustard, and pepper. Place steak strips into mixture and marinate at least 30 minutes.

2. Cook rice according to package directions.

3. Heat a medium skillet (cast iron works great!) over medium-high heat and add the remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil. Swirl the pan to coat the bottom. Add marinated steak strips to pan; discard unused marinade. Cook steak 3-5min per side, or to your desired doneness. Serve over hot cooked rice.

Next time I make this, I will double the recipe to make sure we have leftovers for lunches. The beef was very tender and flavorful. The original recipe calls for onion, which I didn't have, but I can see how it would be a tasty addition to this dish, perhaps even with a sliced bell pepper.

Something from nothing

The other day I needed lunch and there was "nothing to eat." Or so it would seem, to the untrained (read: non-cheapskate) eye.

I knew I had about a cup of brown rice to use, and after that I was winging it. Pulling random things out of the fridge suddenly gave me an idea...

I sauteed a clove of garlic with green onions, then added some thawed shrimp and crushed red pepper flakes.

Then I added 1/2 of a summer squash and a giant handful of Napa cabbage. When all that was wilty, I removed it from the skillet and tossed in my cup of brown rice, which I seasoned with wheat-free tamari.

When it was warm, I stirred in a whisked egg until it was cooked through, then added back the rest of my goodies, plus some Microplaned ginger.

And shrimp fried rice was born.

I was too heavy-handed with the tamari; next time I'd err on the side of not enough, and add more to taste later. The chopsticks are for decoration only--this stuff got shoveled in faster than the 'sticks could handle, so a fork was my weapon of choice. Nice mental pic, huh? What I meant was "It was very good."

Oh look, chicken and rice!

One of our favorite recipes for chicken actually came from a recipe called "Grilled Marinated Shrimp" on allrecipes.com several years ago. The flavor of this marinade rivals that of shrimp skewers from well-known steakhouses, and is equally delicious on chicken or shrimp.

I had intended to eat shrimp and save the chicken for The H and the little guy, but since the shrimp shrunk more than I had intended, I had some chicken as well. Aren't my shrimps cute? The flavor on them was so concentrated.

When we were using this marinade multiple times a week, I'd shake up a big batch in a Mason jar and keep it in the fridge, pouring out what I needed depending on the meal. Our favorite way to enjoy it used to be on shrimp/veggie skewers that were served over--and eventually mixed with--orzo.

Grilled Marinated Shrimp (marinade only)

from allrecipes.com

1 cup olive oil

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Juice of 1 lemon

2 Tbsp hot pepper sauce (I use Frank's RedHot)

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp tomato paste

2 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp salt (1/2 tsp is more than enough)

1 tsp ground black pepper (I always use less)

2 lbs shrimp, chicken, or a combination

1. Combine marinade ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine.

2. Place shrimp or chicken in a resealable container or zip-top bag and pour marinade over, reserving some for basting if desired. Marinate 2-8 hours.

Tonight I served it with a brown rice pilaf made with celery, onion, yellow and orange bell peppers, and seasoned with salt, pepper, and vegetable broth.

The veggie broth made up one-third of the 3 cups of cooking liquid. I added too much water, though, considering the rice wasn't *quite* a full 1.5 cups. Boo to smushy rice. But I did use up the ends of two separate bags of brown rice, so yay for that.

At the last minute, I also decided to use up the broccoli in the fridge and quickly sizzled it in my cast iron skillet with grapeseed oil, crushed red pepper, and lemon zest.

The zest was made possible by my endless freezer stash of really cool stuff. :D

I served a dish of strained plain yogurt--which becomes like sour cream--on the side because the spice level was pretty powerful.

We capped the evening with garbanzo bean brownies and some delicious Gevalia creme brulee decaf.

Chicken and rice... with mushrooms!

This super-fast recipe is from one of the tear-out cards in Clean Eating Magazine. Sorry, I don't remember which issue. It really came together quickly and was surprisingly delicious given the short cooking time. Usually when I make lemon-flavored chicken, it ends up dry and overly tart. Not this one! We'll be having it more often for sure. Another variation on The H's beloved chicken and rice!

Skillet Chicken Cutlets with Mushrooms

from Clean Eating Magazine

serves 6

total time 21 minutes

Ingredients

1 1/2 lb chicken cutlets (I used two large boneless, skinless chicken breasts that I split in half)

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

4 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, divided

2 tsp olive oil

1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced (I used frozen sliced mushrooms, thawed lightly)

2 Tbsp parsley, chopped

2 tsp whole capers

Lemon slices, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Season chicken with salt and pepper and drizzle with 2 Tbsp lemon juice.

2. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and mushrooms and cook chicken for 2-3 minutes per side or until golden brown and mushrooms are softened. Add remaining lemon juice, parsley, and capers and cook 2 more minutes. Garnish with lemon slices before serving, if desired.

When the chicken and mushrooms were done, I removed them from the skillet to keep warm, then boiled 1 cup chicken broth with some cornstarch to make more of a sauce--it took about 6 minutes to thicken up, after which I poured it over the plated chicken. We served this over brown rice (see first picture) with a side of steamed (frozen) broccoli topped with shredded cheddar. Hey, we do have a toddler to please. :)

Nutrition information per 4oz serving, not including rice, broccoli or cheese

Calories - 140

Total fat - 4g

Saturated fat - 1g

Carbs - 1g

Fiber - 0g

Sugars - 0g

Protein - 23g

Sodium - 170mg

Cholesterol - 65mg

Chicken and Rice

Whenever I ask The H what he wants to eat in any given week, his typical answer is, "Hmm, how about chicken and rice?" Like that doesn't have 80 million variations. It's been one of my personal missions to find new ways to serve "chicken and rice" since I *did* ask, after all, so I might as well make him what he wants. One of our favorites, chicken-salsa-rice, came out of this quest. Tonight's dinner, which came entirely from Clean Eating Magazine, also fits the bill, though it may not yet be considered a favorite.

And yes, I know it didn't photograph well... and I didn't have the time, energy, or daylight to attempt an improvement. Such is life with an overtired, hungry toddler. I had a few issues with these recipes and will explain at the end.

Sesame-Mango Chicken with Brown Rice

from Clean Eating Magazine, Vol. 1, Issue 4, Fall 2008

serves: 4

total time: 30min

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups water

2 tsp salsa

1 cup brown rice

2 Tbsp sesame seeds

1 tsp olive oil

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts or tenderloins

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1 mango, peeled and diced (approx. 1 cup)

3 medium tomatoes, diced

1 Tbsp fresh lime juice

Instructions:

1. In a medium-sized saucepan, bring water and salsa to a boil. Add rice and simmer over low heat for about 25 minutes or until rice is done.

2. Meanwhile, toast sesame seeds in a medium skillet over low heat for about 2 minutes or until golden brown. Pour onto a plate to cool.

3. Add olive oil to the skillet, swirl to coat the bottom, and add chicken. Sprinkle garlic, ginger, and pepper over the chicken and increase heat to medium. Cook about 4 minutes, then turn over, stirring to keep garlic from burning.

4. Add diced mango to pan; saute for 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and lime juice. Simmer 5 minutes or until tomatoes are hot and mango is juicy. Serve over rice.

Nutrition information for 1.5 cup serving: 391 calories, 6g fat, 1g saturated fat, 51g carbs, 4g fiber, 10g sugars, 32g protein, 112mg sodium, 66mg cholesterol.

Thai-Style Broccoli with Peanuts

from Clean Eating Magazine, Vol. 1, Issue 4, Fall 2008

serves: 4

Ingredients:

1 bunch broccoli, cut into small florets (about 4 cups)

1 cup water, divided

1 Tbsp natural peanut butter

1 Tbsp fresh lime juice

1/8 tsp crushed red pepper

1/8 tsp sea salt

2 Tbsp dry roasted peanuts, coarsely crushed

Instructions:

1. Place broccoli florets and 1/2 cup of the water in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Immediately ocver and set a timer for 2 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the peanut sauce.

2. In a small glass bowl, stir together peanut butter and 2 Tbsp water. Microwave for 15 seconds; remove and stir until cream. Stir in lime juice, red pepper, and salt.

3. When the broccoli is done, drain water and place broccoli on a serving plate. Top with peanut sauce. Sprinkle with crushed peanuts and serve.

Nutrition information per 1 cup serving: 69 calories, 4g fat, 0.5g saturated fat, 6g carbs, 3g fiber, 0g sugar, 4g protein, 82mg sodium, 0mg cholesterol.

Here are my thoughts about these recipes:

First, the chicken. It was good, but the rice needed salt. I always salt the water when I make rice, so I don't know why I didn't this time. Also, 2 teaspoons of salsa is NOTHING in 2 1/2 cups of water, so I increased to 2 tablespoons (of my beloved Trader Joe's Smoky Peach goodness). The water called for was about 1/2 cup too much in my opinion, and it took longer than 30 minutes to cook. The end consistency was more like a thick risotto than the fluffy rice shown on the magazine page.

But what about the sesame seeds? Where do these tiny shiny fellows get added back in? The recipe does not say. Thus, you see in the first two photos above that I simply scattered (ok, dumped) them on top before serving.

And now the broccoli. I loved it, but it would've been much tastier if it had been hot. Make this *just* before you serve it, because once you drain it, there is no good way to keep it warm without causing it to turn that weird yellow-green-gray shade of overcooked vegetation. Also, note how much water is called for: 1 cup. Yet in the recipe instructions, you simmer the broccoli in exactly half of that, then make the peanut sauce with a mere 2 tablespoons of the remaining half cup. What happens to the other 6 tablespoons? (FYI: there are 16 Tbsp in a cup.)

These aren't deal-breakers by any means; if anything, they make me want to try these recipes again to see if my fixes would improve them at all. The H liked both dishes, but didn't really appreciate them together. Too much "roasty" he said, with the combination of sesame seeds (which are a surprisingly brilliant source of calcium, did you know?) and roasted peanuts. The little guy ate a little bit of each dish before he put his feet up on the table and demanded to be let down to wash his hands. Next time I attempt these it won't be so close to bedtime. I would eventually like to try the peanut sauce over rice noodles, perhaps with some extra vegetables, and serve it as a main meal. Stay tuned. :)

Cooking ahead

"What's for lunch?" is often a more difficult question for me to answer than the usual, "What's for dinner?" Dinner (or supper, if that's what you call it) means cooking for my family. Dinner is why I comb through cookbooks and magazines in my spare time looking for delicious and healthy meals that fit with our clean-eating lifestyle. Dinner is eating with other people, so it's fun (for me, anyway) to plan for and look forward to.

But lunch? Lunch is lonely. It's something to get through on the way to my son's naptime, or eaten in a hurry at my computer while I try to get some work done once he's down. Lunch is usually leftovers, if The H hasn't taken them to work. Lunch is boring. A hurdle to jump over on the way to a delicious dinner.

Enter cooking ahead. Determined not to have boring lunches all week, I decided to make things from my clean cooking resources that The H wouldn't appreciate as much, or can't eat because of his allergy. Cooking ahead saves time in the long run, which is always nice, and something I've heard readers asking about lately. It doesn't take a lot of time, promise.

Tonight's dinner was one of our old standbys, a CrockPot casserole-type thing we call "chicken-salsa-rice." It's really a hands-off dinner, since the only real prep is pouring a jar of salsa over frozen chicken and turning the crock on low. Closer to serving time, cooked rice and shredded cheese are added, and sour cream if you want. When I made the rice this afternoon during snack time, I figured I might as well make a big batch to keep in the fridge for lunches or another dinner later this week.

After dinner, once the baby was fed, bathed, and in bed (by 7:30) I got to work in the kitchen. I'd had a package of Trader Joe's extra-firm tofu staring me in the face every time I opened the refrigerator and figured I should use it--the tofu burritos from Tosca's family & kids book were a perfect fit. The H has also been asking for hard-boiled eggs, so those needed to get made. And then there were the chicken breast tenders I wanted to use for dinner tomorrow (chicken taco salad). Sounds like a lot! But you know what? I was done, with the dishwasher running and my pans hand-washed, sitting in front of my computer before 8:45.

First, The H (never turn down free help!) put the eggs in a pot and started them cooking. He also laid out all the chicken tenders on a baking sheet and drained the tofu for me. And then it was my turn. Onion, garlic, jalapeno, bell pepper and tofu got chopped. Canned tomatoes were drained; juice was saved and labeled. Oil heated, veggies added, tofu stirred in. Mixture seasoned and simmered. Eggs done and cooled. Burrito filling container labeled and filled (I love my label maker), burrito pan washed. Egg pan rinsed and dried. Chicken checked, not done, timer set for another 10. Then I went to shower (ran a quick 3 miles before dinner) and came back to put the chicken away. Chicken pan rinsed, dishwasher started, the end! Whew.

Now I have a fresh (as in not left-over) option for lunch. I can add brown rice to the tofu filling in my whole-grain wrap, or use some plain tenders + rice + whatever seasoning for a different flavor, in a wrap or not. I can make a clean egg salad to eat on Ezekiel bread. My son can have an egg with his morning fruit-and-waffle. If The H doesn't take dinner leftovers, those are still available, too.

Tomorrow I will make a batch of oatmeal-egg-white wheat-free pancakes (would have made them tonight but didn't feel like washing the blender) to freeze for another breakfast or lunch choice. And you know what else? I haven't gone grocery shopping since last Sunday. All of this was made with ingredients I had hanging around! If you ask The H, or even my son's sitter, they'd have likely told you there was nothing to eat. Surprise!

I love cooking ahead. It might even help me love lunch.