Category: International

Thai Peanut Quinoa Fried “Rice”

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Thai Peanut Quinoa Fried “Rice”
Recipe Type: Salad
Cuisine: Asian, Quinoa, Healthy
Author: Claire McCormick of “Claire Tastes”
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 8
Here’s a lightened up version of your traditional fried rice, this time using quinoa instead of white rice. I used a bag of Asian coleslaw mix and tossed in some frozen edamame before stir frying it all with a bunch of Asian spices. Serve with chopped peanuts over the top to give it a nice crunch! Can be eaten warm or chilled, and you can even drizzle a bit of the extra juice from my Sesame Teriyaki Chicken (previous recipe) to give it a bit more flavor. I served mine over a bed of spinach greens with some chicken and stir fry vegetables on the side!
Ingredients
  • 1 cup dry quinoa, rinsed
  • 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
  • 2 tsp + 1/2 tsp peanut oil
  • 1 14 oz bag Asian coleslaw mix (without the creepy mix-ins they include)
  • 1 1/2 cups frozen shelled edamame
  • 1/2 cup chopped green onions
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup chopped peanuts, divided
  • For Peanut Sauce:
  • 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
  • 3 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 2 tbsp water
  • 1/4 cup orange juice
  • 1 tbsp + 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 1/2 tbsp peanut butter
  • 2 tsp chili garlic sauce (I found this next to the hot sauce at the store!)
Instructions
  1. Add quinoa and broth to rice cooker and set to cook.
  2. Combine ingredients for sauce in a small bowl and microwave in 20 second increments, stirring until smooth. Set aside.
  3. Whisk egg and 1/2 tsp peanut oil in a small bowl. Set aside.
  4. Heat remaining oil in a large wok or skillet on high heat. Add coleslaw mix, edamame, and green onions. Stir until tender, about 3 minutes. Make a space in the middle by pushing the slaw out to the sides of the pan. Pour beaten egg/oil into center and stir immediately until you see nice little chunks of scrambled egg in the mixture.
  5. Add cooked quinoa and sauce to the skillet and combine. Stir in half the peanuts and top with the other half right before serving!

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Sesame Teriyaki Chicken with Grilled Pineapple

Do you love a good umami but prefer not to send yourself into that inevitable post-Chinese-take-out-MSG-coma that you always go into because you just can’t say no to that second third helping of General Tsao’s? I’ve created a recipe that allows you to indulge in the same meaty umami flavor with about an eighth of the calories, fat and sodium that your entree of sesame chicken would provide. I used chicken thighs to preserve the satisfaction factor and keep them moist, and then I covered them in a tangy but not too heavy marinade with just the right amount of spice. I baked, not fried, them, over regular frozen stir fry veggies with the reserved marinade, and for an extra burst of sweetness to balance out the spice, served with grilled pineapple over the top. (Besides, grilled fruit just looks pretty.)

This recipe also pairs well with my Thai Peanut Quinoa Fried “Rice,” slightly adapted from Iowa Girl Eats. Enjoy!

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Sesame Teriyaki Chicken with Grilled Pineapple
Recipe Type: Chicken, Stir Fry
Cuisine: Asian
Author: Claire McCormick of “Claire Tastes”
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 8
Chicken thighs doused in a tangy teriyaki marinade, baked over stir fry vegetables makes a perfect weeknight dinner! Serve with grilled pineapple rounds and my Thai Peanut Fried “Rice” with Quinoa!
Ingredients
  • 2.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 8 thighs)
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 cup chopped green onion
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 1/3 cup soy sauce (use low-sodium if desired)
  • 1/4 cup orange juice
  • 3 tbsp rice wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp chopped fresh ginger
  • 1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • sesame seeds
  • 2 tsp peanut oil
  • 2 bags frozen stir fry or mixed vegetables
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • fresh pineapple rounds
Instructions
  1. In a large casserole dish sprayed with cooking spray, place stir fry mix and sprinkle with garlic powder. Drizzle with peanut oil and toss.
  2. Whisk together all remaining marinade ingredients (except chicken) in a small bowl until combined. Set aside.
  3. Place chicken in a large zip-top bag. Pour in the marinade and refrigerate for 1 to 4 hours, flipping once.
  4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place chicken over veggies in casserole dish and pour marinade over top. Sprinkle chicken with additional sesame seeds or green onion if desired.
  5. Bake for 40 minutes, basting with marinade every 10 min or so.
  6. Preheat broiler and broil on high for 6-8 more minutes until top of chicken is just charred! Remove from oven and allow to rest for at least 10 minutes.
  7. Optional: Preheat grill to medium heat. Grill pineapple slices for 3 minutes per side. Serve over chicken with Thai Peanut Quinoa Fried “Rice.”

 

 

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Chicken Mole Corncake with Fried Plantains

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Chicken Mole Corncake with Fried Plantains
Recipe Type: Casserole, Chicken
Cuisine: Mexican
Author: Claire McCormick of “Claire Tastes”
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 8
Here’s a fun twist on a classic Mexican dish! Top a regular cornbread mixture with some mole-seasoned chicken and top with fried onions and plantains. An easy supper that’s hearty and exotic! Serve with a freshly sliced peach and side salad.
Ingredients
  • 1 box Trader Joe’s Corn Muffin Mix and package ingredients (mine called for 1 egg, 1/2 cup vegetable oil, and 3/4 cup milk)
  • 1 tbsp mole seasoning (if you don’t have mole seasoning, combine 1 tbsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp cumin and 1/2 tsp cinnamon)
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder
  • 2 tbsp water
  • 1 tbsp olive oil, plus additional for pan
  • 4 chicken breasts
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • 1 ripe plantain, sliced into 1/4″ slices
  • 1/3 cup shredded cheddar
  • fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 deg.
  2. Grease a 8×8 casserole dish.
  3. Prepare cornbread according to package directions and pour into bottom of dish.
  4. In a large ziplock bag, combine all ingredients from mole seasoning to olive oil. Shake bag to mix. Add chicken and marinate at least 30 minutes.
  5. In a saute pan, heat more olive oil on medium-high. Add garlic and onions and continue to cook until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add plantain slices and fry (add more oil if you need to) until lightly browned and fragrant, flipping halfway through. Remove from pan and set aside.
  6. In same pan, cook chicken until just browned- about 1 min each side.
  7. Top cornbread with chicken, pressing gently down into the mixture.
  8. Return onions and plantains to pan, scraping up the browned bits from bottom. Add to top of chicken.
  9. Sprinkle cheese and parsley on top of casserole, cover and bake 35-40 minutes, until cornbread is brown around the edges.
  10. Cool at least 10 minutes before serving.

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Couscous Tabbouleh

DSC01737This recipe for tabbouleh could NOT be easier. I didn’t have to heat up a pot on the stove, chop any veggies, or deal with mushy, overcooked grains. With whole wheat couscous, all you have to do is add boiling water and let them sit for a few minutes before fluffing with a fork (anyone wonder why it’s called “fluffing” btw? A fork doesn’t exactly seem like a good “fluffer”).

I added a TON of lemon juice, both fresh and from the bottle, for max tang factor . I also cut down on the amount of olive oil typically used in tabbouleh (aka ‘tabouleh’ or ‘tabouli’… I just chose the one with the most letters), as I didn’t want a salad to sit in my fridge dredged in oil for a week. Yes, that is how long I plan on keeping this stuff around. I’m gonna be a working woman now, people! I may add more oil and juice later if it gets too dry- we’ll see. Free free to do more or less of the oil/lemon to your liking.

I also added 2 cans of garbanzo beans to help increase the protein in the salad- it seemed like it was missing something “meaty.” As I plan to eat this as a main course most days, I wanted a bean in there to help keep me fuller for longer.

One more thing. Make sure not to skimp on the parsley. I used curly parsley because it’s a bit chewier and also easier to pluck from the stems (which is a super annoying task). Other than that, this salad takes less than 30 minutes and will only get better over time! With a food processor, you don’t need to chop any veggies or onions into perfect little slices- just pulse and add to the couscous!

This would be incredible over more greens with a fried egg on top and/or a little dollop of greek yogurt or crumbled feta (or both!). You could also serve it stuffed in a pita pocket or with some whole grain crackers on the side. Enjoy!
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Couscous Tabbouleh
Recipe Type: Salad, Vegetarian
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Author: Claire McCormick of “Claire Tastes”
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 12-20
Here is another easy and extremely versatile salad recipe, made with whole wheat couscous and packed with protein and fiber! I added garbanzo beans to bulk it up a bit and only used a bit of olive oil because I didn’t want it “overdressed.” Lots of lemon juice in this recipe, but feel free to add more or less oil/lemon if you prefer! This salad is great over greens, stuffed inside a pita, or served on whole grain crackers. It’d probably be excellent with a dollop of plain Greek yogurt on top as well. As always 🙂
Ingredients
  • 2 cups whole wheat couscous (TJ’s)
  • 1 cup boiling water
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 lemon, halved
  • 8 tbsp lemon juice, divided
  • 2 bunches parsley, rinsed and stems cut off
  • 1 cucumber, rinsed and peeled
  • 1/2 red onion
  • 2 cans garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 carton cherry tomatoes, rinsed
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
Instructions
  1. Pour couscous into a large bowl. Add boiling water and stir. Add olive oil and juice from 1/2 of lemon, plus 4 tbsp regular lemon juice.
  2. In a food processor, add parsley, cucumber, red onion, and juice from the other half of the lemon, plus remaining 4 tbsp lemon juice. Pulse until roughly chopped. (It helps to give it a quick stir after each pulse to avoid getting one big parsley “paste” with big chunks of red onion at the top of the bowl!)
  3. Using a spatula, add processed mixture to the bowl with the couscous.
  4. In food processor, add garbanzo beans and tomatoes. Pulse until just roughly chopped- two or three times for about 2-3 seconds is all you need!
  5. Add to the bowl with the other ingredients and toss to combine. Add pepper, salt, and garlic powder and stir.
  6. Serve with additional greens like spinach or kale and a dollop of plain yogurt on top, or stuffed in a pita pocket for a hearty sandwich!

 

ClaireLeave a comment

Honey Sesame Sweet Potato Fries, Inspired by the Best Place on Earth

There are many things in life to which I can practice self-control. A trip to Trader Joe’s is not one of them. We are very fortunate to live an entire city away from the nearest TJ’s, because frankly, I would probably not be allowed to own a credit card if we lived any closer. I swear, every time I walk into one of those stores, my eyes turn into giant saucers and my legs go all jello-y. A strange, ethereal melody known only to me fills the room, and I saunter my way through aisles of the juiciest Bosc pears, Sun Gold cherry tomatoes, and ohhhhhh— those delectable organic Fuji apples! Don’t even get me started!

Then comes the cereal aisle. It’s almost too overwhelming to walk by and a lot of times I just have to put my hand up on the side of my face to shield all of the gluten-free granola, lightly-sweetened shredded wheat squares, perfectly mouth-sized O’s and A’s and whatever other types of letters they are using in cereals these days. Next is the yogurt, and I can never make a trip without passing up the Australian-style plain yogurt that has the perfect tartness and goes so perfectly with that granola I couldn’t resist just moments before and a little drizzle of honey (ooh that reminds me, next stop- the honey aisle!). After stocking up on about two dozen little tubs of greek yogurt of every single flavor, I catch a waft of something delectable. Oooooh, freeeeeee samplesssss!!! I drop my basket right where I stand (hopefully I didn’t put any eggs in yet!) and rush over to the little stand in the corner of the store where a man in a TJ’s polo stands spooning up little portions of chicken salad with greek goddess dip, a gluten free tortilla chip, and a plump little cherry garnish. A small crowd hovers in awe. “Excuse me, excuse meeeee,” I say as I push my way through the gathering, a bit exasperated that they are all so annoyingly blocking my path to the FREE FOOD. I feel like a college student again.

But then, after I have finished my sample and my stomach has been temporarily quieted, the REAL reason for my visit is upon me. With sudden tunnel vision, a tongue wetted by the small meal I have just devoured, and lips so pursed that those around me wonder if I need to use the ladies room, I make my way to the aisle of light. Also known as the trail mix aisle.

Around Trader Joe’s trail mixes, all bets are off. No self-control is retained. I have literally spend thirty minutes trying to decide whether to get the “just a handful of simply almonds, cashews, and cranberries” (but why would I want JUST a handful?) mix, “Happy Trekking” mix, “Go Raw,” or “Oh My! Omega Trek Mix.” The owner of the store has literally come over to ask me if I needed his help deciding. I lay out the pros and cons for him of the two bags in hand (“Wellllll sir, this one has the raw almonds, but THIS one has the tart cherries!”) without scaring him. In the end I usually decide to get both and mix them together. You only live once.

One item, though, that somehow always finds a way to jump into my already-overstuffed basket is the Sesame Honey Almonds. Perfectly sweetened with a honey glaze and rolled in raw sesame seeds, these little morsels of decadence are a staple in the McCormick household. I savor them like no other pantry item, taking out about 4 at a time and letting them soften slightly in my mouth before I take the first crunch. (Ok that might be too much information.) Anyway, they’re delish. This recipe is inspired by these gems of honey-roasted genius. These sweet potato fries are like candy. Dip ’em in ketchup, BBQ sauce, soy sauce, or whatever else you dream of. There are no rules in this game! Just promise me you will exercise a bit more self-control that I do the next time you make a trip to that Trader we call Joe. 🙂

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Honey Sesame Sweet Potato Fries
Recipe Type: Side, Fries
Cuisine: Asian
Author: Claire McCormick of “Claire Tastes”
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 2
Here’s a fun twist on a classic sweet potato fries recipe! Inspired by those heavenly honey roasted sesame almonds from TJ’s, I doused sweet potato wedges in some olive oil and honey, then sprinkled them with sesame seeds. Practically like candy!
Ingredients
  • 1 sweet potato, evenly sliced into thin wedges lengthwise
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 1 tbsp sesame seeds
Instructions
  1. Heat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Spread sweet potato wedges on a foil-lined baking sheet (or very well sprayed one) and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with garlic and chili powders and toss.
  3. Drizzle honey over sweet potatoes and toss again.
  4. Bake at 400 deg for 15 minutes, then remove from oven to toss and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
  5. Return to oven for 15 more minutes, until brown and crispy.

 

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Mustardy Mediterranean Potato Salad (Mayo-free!)

Though the Fourth has come and gone, picnic season is in full swing! This recipe was created out of the desire to make potato salad for our Fourth of July guests while staying as farrrrrrr away from mayo as possible. Well, in the spirit of all things substitutions, why not use Greek yogurt? (all the cool kids are doing it!). Add a few spices, some mustard, and a squirt of honey and you’ve got yourself a mayo-free and lightened-up potato salad that complements that juicy burger next to it on your plate. 🙂 Just think, now you can have the cheese on your burger AND those irresistible baked beans that have been wafting through the house all.day.long!

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Mustardy Mediterranean Potato Salad (Mayo-free!)
Recipe Type: Salad, Side
Cuisine: Picnic, American, Mediterranean
Author: Claire McCormick of “Claire Tastes”
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 12-16
Perfect picnic potato salad that uses Greek yogurt in place of mayo, and a squirt of whole grean mustard and honey for some extra zest and sweetness!
Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
  • 2 tbsp whole grain mustard
  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 3 tsp dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp dried parsley
  • 1/2 tsp italian seasoning (optional)
  • 2 28 oz bags red potatoes or potato medley
  • 1/3 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
  • 2 green onions, chopped
  • 1/2 cup chopped celery
  • 1/4 cup chopped red onion
  • green beans, chopped into thirds
  • 1/2 cup feta cheese (or to taste)
Instructions
  1. Prepare the dressing by whisking all ingredients (up to the potatoes) in a bowl.
  2. Meanwhile, half the potatoes and place in a large, microwaveable bowl. Microwave on high for 8-12 minutes, until soft (I found that the purple and red ones took slightly longer to cook than the yellow!)
  3. While potatoes are still warm, pour dressing on top of them and mix to combine.
  4. Chop parsley, green onion, celery, red onion, and green beans and toss with cooked potatoes.
  5. Top with feta cheese and refrigerate at least 2 hours to allow flavors to set. (Can also be made a day in advance!)

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