Recipe Tag: Entree

Soba Noodles with Tofu and Noodles

Preheat oven to 375° and place racks in upper and lower thirds of oven.

In a bowl, toss kale, coconut, squash, tofu, salt and pepper, and 4 tablespoons olive oil until coated. Evenly divide mixture between 2 lined rimmed baking sheets and roast, tossing and rotating baking sheets halfway through, until kale is crisp, coconut and tofu is browned, and butternut squash is tender, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling water over high heat, cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold running water. Shake off any residual water and place noodles in a clean large bowl.

In a small bowl, combine tahini, soy sauce, sesame oil, red pepper flakes, remaining 1/2 cup olive oil, and lime zest and juice. Whisk dressing until smooth. Pour half over noodles and toss to coat.

Add half of kale mixture to noodles and toss to incorporate. Drizzle in more dressing as needed, tossing until noodles are creamy; season with salt. Pile remaining kale on top. Drizzle with more sesame oil. Garnish with green onions.

Chicken Brochettes

Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil and a baking rack, set aside.

In a gallon resealable plastic bag, combine marinade ingredients. Add chicken, remove any air from container, and massage marinade into chicken pieces. Refrigerate for 30 minutes and up to overnight.

Preheat oven to broil.

Skewer chicken onto metal or wooden skewers (which have been soaked in water for 30 minutes).

Place skewers on the prepared sheet pan. Place pan on top rack of oven. Broil chicken until a meat thermometer registers 165°, turning once, 7-9 minutes total.

Caramelized Onion, Steak and Blue Cheese Pasta

In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, melt 4 tablespoons butter. Add onions and cook until beginning to brown, stirring often, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter and blue cheese over medium-high heat and stir until cheese melts. Add cream and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring, until sauce is thick and coats back of a spoon, about 3 minutes. Do not boil. Remove from heat and stir in caramelized onions, parmesan, and season with pepper.

Meanwhile, in a grill pan or frying pan over medium-high heat, add a drizzle of oil. Liberally season steaks with salt and pepper. When oil shimmers, add steak and cook on first side, 3-5 minutes. Turn over and cook on second sides until an instant-read thermometer reaches 128°, 3-5 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 5-7 minutes. Slice into thin strips.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to boil over high heat. Add pasta and cook until al dente according to the package directions. Return sauce to stove over medium heat and, using a slotted spoon, transfer pasta to sauce. Add steak and toss to combine. If needed, add pasta cooking water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until sauce is desired consistency.

Shrimp Boil in Foil Packet

Preheat grill to 400°.  Tear 6 large heavy duty aluminum foil sheets. Set aside.

Add 8 cups of water to a large pot and set over high heat and bring to a boil. Add potatoes and corn, reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain.

In a small mixing bowl combine butter, black pepper, and Old Bay seasoning.

In a large mixing bowl combine shrimp, sausages, onion, garlic, potatoes, and corn.

Divide shrimp mixture ingredients between the six aluminum foil sheets. Drizzle with butter mixture. Wrap foils tightly around ingredients and seal by folding at top and sides.

Place packets directly on grill and cook for 15 minutes, flipping once halfway through cooking. Remove from grill.

Carefully open up packets, garnish with lemon and parsley; serve and enjoy.

Adapted from seafoodnutrition.org

Nutrition Information:

Serving size: 1 packet: 310 Calories; 11g Total Fat (6g Saturated); 580mg Sodium; 27g Carbohydrates; 2g Dietary Fiber; 5g Sugar (0g Added Sugar); 23g Protein

Go-To Smoked Pork Butt

This recipe is courtesy of Christy Bouska with Vande Rose Farms.

What I love about this pork recipe is that I can make a wide variety of meals throughout the week including:

• Pork and potato hash •  pork tacos •  sweet and sour stir fry pork • Pork, strawberry, pecan, and goat cheese salad

Tip: I have found by using the coarse salt, sugar and freshly ground pepper, the meat has time to absorb the flavors during the smoking process.

Equipment needed: Thermometer, Heavy-duty foil, Heavy-duty oven mitts or gloves, Tongs to move meat, Large pan with sides to marinate in and another large pan to hold cooked pork after you take it off the smoker, Smoker with favorite wood/pellets

Pat pork butt dry with paper towels, then rub mustard all over pork. Sprinkle sugar, all-purpose seasoning, and salt and pepper generously on all sides of pork. Let rest while smoker reaches 275 degrees.

Place pork directly on center of smoker and close lid. After 4 hours, take pork temperature. There should be a beautiful ruby-brown color to meat. Close lid.

Tip: Sometimes wind and smoke can turn meat dark. If you think it is getting too dark, wrap entire shoulder in foil and return to smoker. Then it will keep that delicious bark without getting too dark or dried out.

After another hour, check color and temperature again. Carefully sprinkle on additional 2 tablespoons of seasoning over pork then completely wrap in foil. Place immediately back into smoker for remainder of cooking time. You are looking for the “golden temperature” of 195 degrees, where pork is tender and bone can fall away from pork.

Note: Depending on your smoker and size of pork butt, you may have to shorten or lengthen your smoking time.

Scallops With Mushroom Brandy Cream Sauce

Liberally season both sides of scallops with salt and pepper.

In a frying pan over medium-high heat, add oil and 2 tablespoons butter. Add scallops and cook until no longer translucent and golden brown on first side, 2-3 minutes. Turn over and sear on second side until golden brown, 2-3 minutes. Transfer scallops to a plate and let rest.  

To same pan over medium-high heat, add remaining 4 tablespoons butter, shallots, and mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until shallots are translucent and mushrooms have no more moisture, about 5 minutes.

Add brandy and cook until alcohol has evaporated. Add cream, half of parsley and tarragon, season with salt and pepper, and cook until cream has big bubbles at the edges and has thickened. Add scallops back to pan, tossing to coat. Divide scallops and sauce among 4 plates and serve with vegetables. Garnish with remaining half of parsley and tarragon.

Pressure Cooker Ribs

In a bowl, combine brown sugar, chili powder, parsley, salt, pepper, paprika, cumin, garlic and onion powder. Add ribs and coat thoroughly with rub.

Place round rack in pressure cooker pot insert. Add chicken broth and ribs.

Secure lid, making sure the vent is closed. Press “High Pressure” button and set to 35 minutes. When cycle is complete, let naturally release for 10 minutes, then turn vent to quick release, being careful to not to get burned from steam.

Carefully remove ribs from pressure cooker and set on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet. Brush with barbecue sauce. Broil on high until bubbly on one side, 3-5 minutes. Remove from oven, turn over, brush with barbecue sauce and broil again, 3-5 minutes.

Chicken Tortilla Casserole

Preheat oven to 350°.

In a frying pan over medium-high heat, add oil. When oil shimmers, add onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add chicken, season with salt and pepper and cook until chicken is cooked through and is no longer pink, about 7 minutes. Add cumin, oregano, and taco seasoning and stir to combine.

Add beans, corn, and marinara sauce and cook, stirring occasionally, until warmed through, about 8 minutes.

In a 9”x13” baking dish, add 2 cups tortilla chips. Add chicken-bean mixture to dish, spreading out evenly. Sprinkle remaining 2 cups tortilla chips over chicken-bean mixture. Sprinkle cheese over tortilla chips. Bake until edges of casserole are bubbly, about 30 minutes. Place a tablespoonful of sour cream over each portion of casserole.

Plant-Based Egg Roll in a Bowl

This recipe is perfect for a fast and delicious dinner. If tofu isn’t your thing, skip the first step and substitute 4 scrambled eggs.

Cut tofu in half to get two slabs, and then slice into 1” wide strips. In a nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat, add half of sesame oil. Pan-fry tofu on one side until golden, about 5 minutes. Flip and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat and drizzle warm tofu with sriracha. Toss until evenly coated. Set aside.

Wipe out pan and heat remaining sesame oil over medium-high heat. Add onion to pan and cook until translucent, 3 minutes. Add garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add coleslaw and cook until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Season vegetables with tamari and rice vinegar and toss to evenly coat. Remove from heat.

Serve tofu over vegetables. Garnish with cashews and cilantro.

*Note that some sriracha sauces are not vegan. Be sure to choose a vegan option if needed.

Nutrition per serving: 370 calories; 22g total fat (3.5g saturated); 590mg sodium; 27g carbohydrates; 7g dietary fiber; 11g sugar (0g added sugar); 22g protein

Grilled Pork Chops With Cantaloupe Salad

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and rest a rack on top.

To make the pork, pat dry with paper towels.

In a small bowl, combine all spices and firmly press rub onto pork chops. Set aside for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 500° and preheat a cast iron skillet over high heat, brush with oil. Cook pork chops for 2 minutes on each side and transfer to prepared sheet pan. Roast in oven until pork chops reach an internal temperature of 145°. Remove from oven, loosely tent pork chops with foil, and let rest for 3 minutes.

To make the salad, coarsely grate 1/4 of cantaloupe with a cheese box grater to get about 1-1 1/2 cups. Slice remaining cantaloupe into thin pieces.

In a bowl, combine green onions, bell pepper, cantaloupe, cilantro, fish sauce, lime juice, and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange salad over pork chops and sprinkle with nuts.