Garlic Butter Baby Bok Choy

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Healthy Garlic Butter Bok Choy
Healthy Garlic Butter Bok Choy

The buttery garlic flavor really enhances the Bok Choy taste. This dish is light, healthy, satisfying and makes you feel really good when you eat it.

Ingredients

  • Baby Bok Choy about 4-5 heads cut in half lengthwise
  • Vegetable or Chicken broth, about 1 cup
  • 1 tbsp of butter
  • 4 – 5 cloves of garlic minced

Directions

Melt the butter in the pan and saute the garlic for about 3-4 minutes until it is softened, but not browned. Now add in the Bok Choy and then pour in the broth. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes. Flip each of the Bok Choy over, cover, and cook for about 5 more minutes. Check that a fork easily goes into the thickest part of the Bok Choy and if it does, it is done. Serve on a plate with some of the cooking liquid and garlic pieces spooned over it.

Vegan: Use a Vegan butter substitute.

Vietnamese Spring Rolls w/spicy dipping sauce

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Vietnamese Spring Roll
Vietnamese Spring Roll
Prepped Vegetables
Prepped Vegetables

Ingredients

Directions

After all the prep is done and the ingredients are ready. Fill a 9×13 cake pan with warm water and take a piece of the rice paper a soak it for about 20 – 40 seconds until it softens then lay the softened rice paper flat on a plate. Put 3-4 of the cooked shrimp across the rice paper, then put the lettuce leafs on top of the shrimp, then the carrot, cucumber, a few mint leaves then about 3 sprigs of cilantro. Pick up one side of the rice paper and gently stretch it over all the items you just stacked on it and try to get it a little tight and start to roll it up. When you have it about half way rolled fold over the sides, then finish rolling it up. It should end up looking like the picture. After you have all the spring rolls done, you can make the sauce. Put one part Hoisin sauce and 3 parts Siracha sauce into a small bowl and mix. Then put some of the sauce on the plate and serve with the spring rolls. For vegan or vegetarian versions just leave out the shrimp.

Crock Pot Layered Enchilada

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Delicious Crock Pot Enchilada
Delicious Crock Pot Enchilada

This is a great prep, cook in crock pot, eat later recipe. It has a different flavor than making it with enchilada sauce, the spicy pepper, tomato, garlic, and cheese flavors blend nicely. It is a good week night meal when you want to get home and have something ready to eat without picking up take out. It goes good with a side of corn.

Ingredients

  • 1 can (14 oz.) whole or diced tomatoes
  • 1/2 can (6 oz.) tomato paste
  • 1 small onion, cut into pieces
  • 1 lb. browned ground beef (Use Boca Burgers: Meatless Ground Crumbles for Vegetarian/Vegan)
  • 1 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 cups (8 oz.) shredded Cheddar cheese (Vegan: Use a cheese substitute or leave out)
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
  • 9 corn tortillas
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions
To prepare sauce, blend tomatoes and their liquid with onion and garlic in a blender or  food processor. Pour into medium-sized saucepan. Add red pepper, salt and tomato paste. Heat to a boil; then simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Place 3 tortillas in bottom of Crock-Pot. Layer on tortillas 1/3 of the ground beef, 1/3 of the tomato sauce and 1/3 of the Cheddar cheese. Repeat each layer two more times. Cover and cook on Low 6 to 8 hours.
4 servings

Zesty Healthy Black Bean Stew

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Zesty Healthy Black Bean Stew
Zesty Healthy Black Bean Stew

This is a great robust and filling dish that fives a lot of dimensions of flavors. It also ends up being very easy to make. The recipe below will make enough for two large  servings.

Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1/2 medium onion, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 can (4 1/2 ounces) chopped green chiles
  • 1 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) diced tomatoes in juice (Can use tomatoes w/Chilis)
  • Salt to taste
  • 1/2 package (10 ounces) frozen corn (optional)
  • 1/4 tube of Soyrizo (Optional for additional depth of flavor), If you prefer to have meat in the dish use Chorizo instead of Soyrizo.
  • Cheddar Cheese (optional for sprinkling on top)
  • Sour Cream (Optional for Dollop on top)

In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium. Add onion; cook until softened, 5 to 6 minutes. Add garlic and cumin; cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 2 minutes more. To the pan, add chiles, beans, tomatoes and their juice, 2 cups water, and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, partially covered, until slightly thickened, about 20 minutes
In a blender or food processor, puree 2 cups of the stew. Return the puree to the pan, and add corn; simmer until heated through, about 5 minutes. Serve hot.

Habenaro Hot Sauce

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habernaroPepper

Each type of pepper has a different kind of hotness. The habenero gives an in your face kind of hotness. If you like really spicy hot sauce, this is for you.

Ingredients

  • 5 cloves garlic
  • 1 carrot peeled sliced crosswise in about 1/2″ slices
  • 1/2 small brown or yellow onion
  • 5 – 8 orange habenero chiles (stem removed)
  • 1/2 cup white cider vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp sugar
  • 3 sprigs of cilantro

Directions

In a small pan boil garlic, onion, chiles, carrot, and celantro for about 20 minutes in just enough water to cover them. Use 8 habeneros for mouth scorching hot or 5 for just hot.   Add to food processor along with vinegar and about 1/2 cup of the boiling water. Process until ground into a smooth paste, then bottle. Will stay good in the refrigerator for about 2 months. The heat dissipates some as you store it.

Healthy Delicious Black Bean Enchilladas

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20160321_123431

This is very healthy, satisfying, filling and easy to make. Prep time is only about 20 minutes and it is great for vegetarians, vegans, and meat eaters (since you won’t miss the meat at all).

Ingredients (2 large servings)

  • 1 can of black beans (low sodium is best)
  • 1/2 of a 14 oz can of red enchilada sauce
  • 5 -6 cloves of garlic finely minced
  • 1/2 of an onion
  • 8 corn tortillas
  • Medium or Sharp Cheddar cheese (Can leave out or use a vegan substitute)
  • Chopped green onion for garnish (optional)

Directions

Open drain and rinse the can of black beans. Lightly spray the tortillas with vegetable oil and briefy fry tortillas the corn in a hot pan until it puffs up, fry both sides. Do not make them hard you want to do this so they hold together in the enchilada and you are able to roll them. Take each tortilla and put inside a heaping tbsp of black beans, 1/2 tbsp onions, sprinkle of the minced garlic, about 1 tsp of shredded cheddar cheese, and 1 tbsp of enchilada sauce inside and roll up and place in an oven or microwave safe dish (you can cook them in either). Do this until baking dish is full. Pour some enchilada sauce over the top of the rolled enchiladas and sprinkle some of the shredded cheese and some of the copped green onion. Cover the dish. You can either  microwave them for 4 minutes  (longer for larger dishes) or put them in an oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Enjoy!

Roasting Coffee, Way Easier Than You Thought

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Richly Roasted Coffee Beans
Richly Roasted Coffee Beans

Roasting Coffee is far easier and quicker than you would have thought and requires no special equipment. And when you try it, WOW it tastes great. Here is how you do it.

Equipment

It is a good idea to setup outside because chaff will fly off and it will produce a little smoke. Take about 1/4 to of the coffee beans and put them in the hot air popcorn popper put the top on the popper. If you have the type of popcorn popper with a screen on the bottom, you will have to hold the popcorn popper in your hands and shake gently while roasting the coffee and tilt it back slightly so the beans don’t fly out of the popper while you are roasting. If you have the type of popcorn popper that has holes in the bottom and swirls the beans, then you don’t need to hold the popper and shake it since they will be rotated around by the popper. Turn on the popcorn popper and gently shake the popper with the coffee beans in it so that you move them around such that the beans on the bottom do not set on the bottom for too long. You will need to do this for about until you hear a popping or crackling coming from the coffee beans. This is the first crack it will go on for  a little while then stop but you need to continue to the crackling stops. At this point the beans are roasted, but they are lightly roasted and will make a light coffee. You can continue to roast for a darker coffee and you will hear a second, more subtle crack. This is the second crack you can roast a little longer if you like dark espresso or french roast coffee. When the beans are roasted to the extent you want pour them into a strainer and toss them to separate the chaff from the beans and cool them. You can tell how long to roast by the color. The beans in the picture above are a medium roast. You should let the beans set overnight after roasting before grinding them and making coffee. The coffee will taste great. I find it has much less bitterness that the typical store bought coffee.

10 Variety Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

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20160321_154712

You can make incredible spaghetti sauce on your own and get it tailored to your taste. I will give the basic recipe and then tell you how to adjust it to your individual taste.

Ingredients

  • 1 28oz can of crushed tomatos (If you don’t have crushed you can use diced by putting tomatos and juice in a food processor and pulsing a few times)
  • 1 8oz can of tomato sauce (low salt)
  • 1/2 small onion finely chopped
  • 4 oz water
  • 5 cloves of garlic diced finely
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp of dried basil
  • 1 tsp of dried oragano
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice (to add a fresh taste to the sauce)
  • 1 1/2 tsp sugar
  • Salt as needed (This is a lower salt recipe. If you like it saltier, add salt to taste)

Directions

Put olive oil in a sauce pan and add 1/2 of the garlic,  1/2 of the onion, and red pepper flakes and fry the onion and garlic on medium heat for about 3-4 minutes till it softens, but no browned. Add in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, lemon juice, sugar, water, basil, oregano, and black pepper. Bring to a slight boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 hour. Add in rest of garlic and onion and simmer for 1 more hour.

Customization

  • Basic: Follow recipe above.
  • Spicy spaghetti sauce: add 1/2 tsp more red pepper flakes
  • Sweeter sauce: add up to 1 tsp more sugar.
  • Sauce with a stronger basil flavor: add 1/2 tsp more of the dried basil when you add in the rest of the garlic and onion.
  • Meat Sauce: Brown 1 lb of ground beef and add into sauce.
  • Vegan/Vegetarian Meat: Grind up 1/2 of a 14 oz can of chick peas slightly. Not too much or it will be a paste. Add in during the last 15 mins of cooking.
  • Chunky: Use diced tomatoes instead of crushed and pulse in food processor till right chunkiness.
  • Quick: Add all onion and garlic when frying and after adding tomato sauces and all other ingredients simmer 30 minutes.
  • Robust: Add 1 to 2 tbsp red wine with tomato sauces. Cabernet Sauvignon is a good red wine to add.
  • Garden: Follow Chunky version and add minced carrot while frying garlic and onion, then add chopped bell pepper and sliced mushroom when adding second half of garlic and onion. Also chop onion a little bigger.

Southwest Tofu Scramble

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Delicious Southwest Tofu Scramble
Delicious Southwest Tofu Scramble

Many times when I want to eat lighter and healthier and cut out meat. During these times when I try to eat more cleanly and this is one of the recipes I turn to. It is so good, and filling and best of all I don’t feel bogged down.

  •  Ingredients
    • 1 package of Extra Firm Tofu (Drained well and broken into pieces)
    • 1/2 of a large onion chopped
    • 1 potato cooked peeled and crumbled(I cooked it in the microwave for about 3.5 minutes)
    • 1/4 of a package of Soyrizo
    • 3 large cloves of Garlic chopped finely
    • 2 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
    • 1 tablespoon of ground Tumeric
    • 1 teaspoon of ground cumin
    • 1 teaspoon of Salt
    • 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
    • 1/2 of a Jalapeno pepper seeded and finely chopped (optional)
  • Directions

Put olive oil in pan with burner on high and add Onions, garlic, jalapeno, salt and fry for about 2 – 3 minutes. Add in cumin and fry additional 30 seconds Add in tofu and potato and stir around integrating it with the onions garlic and spice and add pepper. Cook for about 4-6 minutes with burner still on high until steaming. Add tumeric and stir around to color tofu. Add Soyrizo and cook until hot stirring around to mix with evenly for another 2 minutes. Serve in tortilla with cheese and salsa (for Vegan leave out the cheese)

Braised Beef Brisket

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Juicy Tender Braised Beef Brisket
Juicy Tender Braised Beef Brisket

This brisket really came out good. It was cooked in the oven, and when I took it out, WOW, it smelled great and I had to resist it for about 20 minutes while I let it rest which was torture. I sliced across the grain and it was fall apart tender and had a deep robust beef flavor. Here’s the recipe.

Ingredients

  • 3-4 pound beef brisket fully thawed.
  • 1 1/4 cups of soy sauce
  • 2 cups of beef broth (2 cups of water with 2 tsp bouillon powder will work also)
  • Juice of 1 large lemon, about 1/4 cup
  • 5-6 cloves of garlic finely minced
  • 1/2 tsp liquid smoke

Mix the last 4 ingredients together and add to a ziploc bag. Add in brisket and zip up bag with all the air squeezed out, or as much as you can get out. Put in the refrigerator and marinade for minimum of 45 minutes or up to overnight if you want. I marinaded for 45 minutes since it will cook in the marinade anyway. Put the brisket in a baking pan just large enough for the brisket and add the marinade in the bottom of the pan and cover with foil. Cook in a 300 degree oven for at least 40 minutes per pound. I did longer, I had a 4 pound brisket and cooked it for 4 hours. Let rest for about 20 minutes, then slice across the grain. Make sure and use a sharp knife so it doesn’t break apart while slicing since it will be really tender.