Category: International

Asian Skillet with Sesame-Lime Roasted Chicken (or Tofu)

Ben and I have a tradition of getting Chinese take-out for New Year’s Eve. This year, we are going to a New Year’s Eve party at a friend’s house, and won’t be able to get our Chinese. WHAT TO DO?!? Well, I decided that instead, I would make our Chinese a few days earlier (though probably a lot healthier this way!). I chose to throw together a casserole/chicken bake with a medley of grains layered on the bottom (a TJ’s rice blend, quinoa, and lentils), topped with sauteed onions, mushrooms and chopped broccoli. I made up a marinade as well, with soy sauce and a bit of lime and orange juice to brighten up the flavor. And of course, some chili garlic sauce and chili pepper flakes for heat!
I hope you enjoy this one, but I hope you enjoy your New Year (Chinese take-out or not) even more!
Cheers!

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Asian Skillet with Sesame-Lime Roasted Chicken
Asian Skillet with Sesame-Lime Roasted Chicken (or Tofu)
Recipe Type: Casserole
Cuisine: Easy, Healthy
Author: Claire McCormick of “Claire Tastes”
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 8
A customizable and healthy casserole with an Asian flair! Make it with chicken, or tofu (for Meatless Monday!). Serve over spinach with some extra soy sauce or chili garlic sauce, and top with chopped peanuts for an extra crunch!
Ingredients
  • 2 tbsp peanut oil
  • 1 tbsp minced garlic
  • 1 tbsp minced ginger
  • 1 onion, chopped roughly
  • 1 cup baby bella mushrooms, sliced
  • 2 tbsp chili garlic sauce
  • 2 tbsp lime juice
  • 2 tbsp orange juice (from the carton is fine)
  • 3 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1/4 tsp chili pepper flakes
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 package chicken thighs (about 5 medium-sized thighs)
  • 1 package extra-firm tofu, drained and pressed, sliced into 1″ cubes
  • 3/4 cup rice medley
  • 1/2 cup green lentils
  • 1 cup cooked quinoa
  • 2 cups broccoli and cauliflower florets (frozen would be fine as well)
  • 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup frozen edamame
  • 2 tbsp sesame seeds
  • 1/2 cup quartered brussels sprouts (optional)
  • Spinach, for serving (optional)
  • Chopped peanuts, for serving (optional)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9×12 casserole dish with cooking spray. Mix rice, lentils, and quinoa in the bottom of the dish and top with broccoli and cauliflower. Pour chicken broth evenly over top.
  2. In a cast iron skillet (thanks Mary!), heat 1 tbsp peanut oil on medium-high heat.
  3. Add garlic, ginger, and onions and cook until lightly browned- about 3 minutes. In final minute, add mushrooms and cook until slightly softened. Add mushrooms/onions mixture to top of broccoli and cauliflower in the casserole dish.
  4. In a small bowl, combine all ingredients for marinade (garlic sauce through garlic powder) and whisk until combined.
  5. Add remaining 1 tbsp oil to skillet, followed by 2-3 tbsp marinade. When it is bubbling, add the chicken thighs (or tofu) to the skillet and sear 1 minute each side on medium-high, until coated with marinade and lightly browned. Remove from skillet.
  6. Layer chicken or tofu on top of casserole. Pour remaining marinade over top of casserole.
  7. Sprinkle sesame seeds over chicken or tofu.
  8. Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes, then uncover and add edamame and brussels sprouts. Continue to cook 20 minutes uncovered.
  9. Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes. Serve over spinach with some chopped peanuts on top!

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Happy New Year from us both in Durham!

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Massaged Kale & Edamame Salad with Honey Ginger-Lime Vinaigrette

MASSAGED KALE SALAD W/ HONEY GINGER-LIME VINAIGRETTE
MASSAGED KALE SALAD W/ HONEY GINGER-LIME VINAIGRETTE
Massaged Kale & Edamame Salad with Honey Ginger-Lime Vinaigrette
Recipe Type: Salad
Cuisine: Vegetarian
Author: Claire McCormick of “Claire Tastes”
Prep time:
Total time:
Serves: 12
A slightly sweet and tangy vinaigrette complements the chewiness of the kale in this simple, throw-together salad that will be perfect as a side for your next pizza party!
Ingredients
  • 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tbsp honey (more or less to taste)
  • 1/4 cup lime juice
  • 1 tbsp dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • 1 tbsp minced ginger
  • 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1 bag chopped kale, rinsed
  • 1/2 cup frozen edamame
  • 1/2 cup grape tomatoes, halved
  • 1/2 cup brussels sprouts, sliced or shredded
  • 2 large carrots, peeled into long strips
  • 2 clementines, peeled and wedged
Instructions
  1. Combine all ingredients for dressing (up to kale) in the bottom of a large bowl.
  2. Add kale and massage with both hands, working the dressing into the kale until it gets soft and slightly wilted.
  3. Add remaining ingredients and toss.
  4. Serve with extra vinegar or dressing if desired.

 

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Spicy Lentil Portobella Stew

Happy week after Thanksgiving! If you’re like our family and indulged perhaps a bit too much this past week, you may be looking for something to fill you up without weighing you down. This week for Meatless Monday, I’ve created a new recipe- vegetarian and gluten-free- that will help you with your “Turkey Day Detox” efforts… and, it’s a great way to use up leftover carrots and sweet potatoes! The lentils added some bulk, and the potatoes and ‘shrooms provided some “meatiness.” I also threw in a few more spices, including some thyme and bay leaf, which really gave the stew an extra kick. (Side note: I’ve heard that spicy foods cause people to eat less during a meal? Are we going to start seeing cayenne-glazed turkeys next year?)

Serve with with some plain yogurt on top (predictable, I know) and some crackers or blue corn tortilla chips for dipping! You’ll be set to start training for next year’s Turkey Trot in no time!

…Too bad the Christmas treats are just around the corner. Except not really too bad. Heaven.

Spicy Lentil Portobella Stew
Spicy Lentil Portobella Stew

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Spicy Lentil Portobella Stew
Recipe Type: Stew
Cuisine: Greek, Southern Mediterranean, Vegetarian
Author: Claire McCormick of “Claire Tastes”
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 8-12
A hearty post-Turkey Day stew that will fill you up without weighing you down! Also a great way to use up leftover Thanksgiving veggies.
Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 cup lentils
  • 5 cups water or vegetable broth (low sodium)
  • 2 cans diced tomatoes and juice
  • 1 package baby bella mushrooms
  • 1/2 package onions and peppers (I used a TJ’s medley of green, red, & yellow peppers and onions!)
  • 2 medium sweet potatoes, cubed
  • 4-5 carrots, sliced into buttons
  • 2 tbsp minced garlic
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1 tbsp spicy brown mustard
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp salt
  • Spinach or kale, optional
  • Greek yogurt for serving
  • Crackers or tortilla chips
Instructions
  1. Combine all ingredients up to balsamic vinegar in crock pot. I like to put the potatoes and carrots on the bottom since they take the longest to cook! Set to low and simmer all day (I let mine go about 8 hours and then turned it down to warm). About half an hour before serving, add the vinegar, pepper, salt, and greens (if desired).
  2. Serve with a dollop of plain Greek yogurt and some crackers on the side.
Serving size: 1/10 Calories: 163 cals Fat: 1 g Carbohydrates: 32 g Fiber: 8 g Protein: 10 g

 

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Red Curry Quiche with Lentil-Quinoa Crust

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Red Curry Quiche with Lentil-Quinoa Crust
Recipe Type: Quiche, Casserole, Vegetarian
Cuisine: Thai
Author: Claire McCormick of “Claire Tastes”
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 8
Take your ordinary quiche to a whole new level with this ethnic spin on the classic recipe. I added a bit of red curry paste and chili sauce to the egg mixture, then poured it over caramelized veggies. The best part of this quiche, though, is that instead of that store bought crust packed with preservatives and chemicals, I toasted quinoa and lentils and let them serve as the bottom layer! They soaked up the egg and created a perfect base for holding the rest of the pie together. I will never, ever buy that yucky store crust again!
Ingredients
  • 1/4 cup black lentils
  • 1/4 cup quinoa
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp minced garlic
  • 1 bunch (about 2 tbsp) fresh thyme
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 1/2 cup red and green bell peppers (I used a frozen mixture from TJ’s)
  • 3 large carrots, sliced thinly
  • 1/4 cup red cooking wine
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 can white beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1/2 cup baby spinach or kale
  • 1 tomato, sliced
  • 6 eggs
  • 3 tbsp water
  • 1/3 cup milk
  • 1 tbsp red curry paste
  • 1 tsp garlic chili sauce
  • 1/4 tsp cumin
  • Goat cheese, for topping
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375. In a pie pan sprayed with cooking spray, spread the uncooked lentils and quinoa and toss the pan a bit to form an even layer. Blind bake in oven for 10-12 minutes, or until toasted.
  2. Heat oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. Add garlic, thyme, onion, red peppers, and carrots. Cook until soft and browned, about 4 minutes. Deglaze pan with red wine. Stir in soy sauce, beans and spinach.
  3. Layer veggies on top of quinoa-lentil mixture. and press down firmly.
  4. In a medium bowl, add eggs, water, milk, red curry paste, chili sauce, and cumin. Whisk until frothy, about 1 minute.
  5. Pour egg mixture on top of veggies.
  6. Top with tomato slices and goat cheese.
  7. Bake 30 minutes or until egg is set and lightly browned.
  8. Cool at least 5 minutes before slicing! Serve with side salad and a dollop of Greek yogurt.
Calories: 236cal Fat: 8g Carbohydrates: 28g Fiber: 6g Protein: 14g

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Last of Summer’s Best: Turkish Tabbouleh w/ Lemon-Dill Couscous

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It’s always a sad day when you realize that that peach you were saving in the fridge (you know that peach? the one you were waiting for just the right moment to sink your teeth into, anticipating the sight of that bright orange interior and feeling the juice running down the side of your cheek) has gone bad. That’s right, badddddd. Now it’s mealy and browned in spots when you cut it open. Bummer! Luckily, theres about one square inch of it that you can salvage, but it’s really just a tease until next summer when peaches are in season again.

If you know the feeling, you know just as well as I do that it may just be time for fall. Here in NC, early fall doesn’t mean the same thing it does “up North.” We don’t start our apple picking for at least a month, and apple cider doesn’t start appearing on supermarket shelves until October. (For some strange reason, Pumpkin Spice EVERYTHING and candy corn make their debuts in late August… thank you, commercialism, Starbucks, and Cadbury.)

I don’t mind the end of summer, but I sure do miss the produce that I’ve been able to get a bounty of at the farmers’ market every week. Tomatoes, peppers, corn on the cob, and PEACHES galore! I took this gorgeous picture this week at the market, just for the colors! I can’t stop looking at it!

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Anyway, this salad makes the most of the very “best of” the last of the summer produce (including that salvaged pear!). Roasted veggies, mushrooms, and garbanzo beans blend with the salty kalamatas and a crisp lemon-dill sauce to make a perfect side dish or main. I mixed mine with whole wheat couscous (mostly because I’m lazy and couscous is as easy as stirring boiling water into the grains and letting it sit) for a Meatless Monday salad. Topped with a fried egg, a few peach wedges, avocado, crumbled feta, and a few chopped dates, this salad is a perfect combination of everything I love about summer salads. Fresh, hearty, and stick-to-the-bones-not-the-hips delicious!

Last of Summer’s Best: Turkish Tabbouleh with Lemon-Dill Couscous
Recipe Type: Salad
Cuisine: Vegetarian
Author: Claire McCormick of “Claire Tastes”
Prep time:
Total time:
Serves: 12-20
Here’s a quick make-ahead salad that I promise will just keep growing, and growing, and growing. Roasted veggies, mushrooms, and garbanzo beans meld perfectly with slightly savory kalamata olives and lemon-dill sauce to make a salad that’s perfect as a side dish or hearty enough to serve for Meatless Monday!
Ingredients
  • 2 cans garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 container mushrooms
  • 1 container broccoli and cauliflower florets
  • 1/2 red onion, roughly chopped
  • 1 tbsp greek seasoning
  • 2 tbsp minced garlic
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1 bunch fresh dill, roughly chopped
  • juice of one lemon
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tbsp EVOO
  • 1/2 cucumber, seeded and roughly chopped
  • 1 container grape tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted
  • 1/2 cup marinated artichokes, roughly chopped
  • 4 large carrots, peeled into strips with vegetable peeler
  • Baby spinach
  • 1 cup whole wheat couscous
  • feta cheese, avocado, and pita for serving
Instructions
  1. Heat oven to 375. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients up to cucumber. Bake for 20 minutes, toss, and bake 10 minutes more. Set aside.
  2. Add cucumber, tomatoes, olives, and artichokes to food processor and pulse 2-3 seconds or until roughly chopped. Remove from processor and set aside.
  3. Add half of the chickpea mixture and pulse until roughly chopped (we’re not going for hummus here!). Add to remaining half of the chickpeas. Toss it all with the other veggies and carrots.
  4. Boil 1 1/2 cups water. In a large bowl, stir boiling water into 1 cup couscous and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Fluff with fork and add to the rest of the salad.
  5. Top with feta cheese and more lemon to taste.
  6. Serve on pita bread or over quinoa, couscous or other grain of your choice!

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Crock Pot Chicken & Sweet Potato Curry

Here’s a fun new one to try! I was in the mood for Indian tonight, and wanted something that I could let stew away in the Crock Pot all afternoon so that I’d be able to smell it while I got ready for the week ahead (truth be told I will probably be smelling curry for about 3 days… our house has abnormally good insulation of heat AND smells, for better or for worse!). I decided to dream up this chicken curry and sweet potato casserole with onions, tomatoes, and mushrooms, spiced with curry, cilantro, and a heap of other Indian spices, and spread in a casserole dish over a medley of lentils, brown rice, and veggies.

It was definitely a hit! I topped it with some feta cheese (I don’t know if that really counts as “Indian,” but what the heck- it was what I had on hand), more cilantro, and a dollop of plain greek yogurt, as well as some chopped dates and a handful of sliced muscadine grapes that I’d gotten fresh from the farmers’ market yesterday morning (muscadines are apparently native to North Carolina, so does that make this an Indian-Carolina fusion meal?)

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This casserole is not only healthy, packed with protein, whole grains, and vitamins, but it was also delish! Ben thought it was a hit, too. I love the fact that I didn’t need to think about which grain I was going to use, which veggies I was going to have to cook to serve on the side, etc. Casseroles are so great because they have everything you need for a complete meal in one container! A sure time-saver for weeknight meals to come, since I will certainly be enjoying this healthy, exotic casserole all week long!

Crock Pot Chicken & Sweet Potato Curry
Recipe Type: Casserole, Chicken
Cuisine: Indian
Author: Claire McCormick of “Claire Tastes”
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 12
Here’s a super-filling and healthy Indian curry casserole that’s sure to keep you satisfied and promise leftovers to last you all week long! Spiced with red curry paste, cilantro, and a hint of lime, chicken breasts are cooked in the crock-pot with sweet potatoes, mushrooms and onions, then shredded and layered on top of a medley of brown rice, black lentils, and veggies.
Ingredients
  • 4 chicken breasts
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion, sliced thinly
  • 1 tbsp minced garlic
  • 1 carton baby bella or mixed variety mushrooms, sliced
  • 2 sweet potatoes, chopped into 1/2″ cubes
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 2 tbsp red curry paste
  • 4 tsp curry powder
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp oregano
  • 2 tsp whole coriander seed
  • 1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
  • 2 cups chicken broth, divided
  • 1 small can capers
  • 2 cans whole, peeled tomatoes in their juice
  • 2/3 cup orange juice
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, plus more for topping
  • 1 cup uncooked brown rice
  • 3/4 cup dry black lentils
  • 1 cup chopped broccoli and cauliflower
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 3 tbsp lime juice
  • Chopped dates, optional
Instructions
  1. Place chicken breasts on the bottom of crock pot sprayed with cooking spray and set to high heat.
  2. In a large skillet, heat olive oil on medium-high heat and add onion, garlic, and mushrooms. Cook until translucent- about 3 minutes. Add sweet potatoes and continue to cook until tender. Stir in salt, pepper, red curry paste, curry powder, cumin, oregano, red pepper flakes, and coriander seed and stir continuously for 1 minute. Deglaze pan with 1 cup chicken broth. Turn heat down to low and add capers, tomatoes (chopping them up a bit in the pan!), and orange juice. Top with cilantro and simmer for 15 minutes.
  3. Add potato mixture to top of chicken in crock pot. Cook on high heat for 3-4 hours until chicken is cooked through.
  4. Preheat oven to 350 deg.
  5. In the bottom of a sprayed 9×13 casserole dish, layer rice and lentils. Top with broccoli, cauliflower and peas.
  6. Layer crock pot contents except for chicken, leaving behind some juice in the crock pot.
  7. Pour 1 cup of remaining chicken broth on top of veggies.
  8. With two forks, shred chicken. Add more spices if desired (I ended up adding a bit more cumin, red pepper flakes, curry paste and curry powder). Stir in lime juice. Continue to cook for about 30 more minutes to allow shredded chicken time to really soak up the flavor.
  9. Add chicken to casserole dish and cook, covered, for 50 minutes.
  10. Cool 10 minutes before serving.

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