Spicy Garlic Green Beans

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Spicy Garlic Green beans
Spicy Garlic Green beans

When we go to the local Vietnamese Pho restaurant we always order the Spicy Garlic Green Beans ( Đậu Xanh Xào Tỏi ) as an appetizer. They taste great but cost about $5 and we always want more. I decided to see what I can make them at home and have come up with my own recipe that tastes remarkably similar.

Ingredients

  • 1-1.5 pounds of green beans
  • 3 tablespoons of soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons of crisp chili oil
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon fish sauce (For Vegan/Vegetarian use  either Vegan Fish sauce or about 1/4 teaspoon salt)
  • 1 large clove of garlic minced very finely
  • 1/2 teaspoon Chinese black vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon finely minced cilantro (Optional)
  • 1 tablespoon finely sliced green onion (Optional)

Directions

Mix all the ingredients but the green beans in a bowl and adjust with additional sugrar if needed. Cook the green beans by putting about 1/2 inch of water in the bottom of a sauce pan and bringing to a boil. Add the green beans and cover and let steam for about 10-15 minutes till tender. Pour the water off now add the sauce into the pan and mix the green beans in the sauce. Pour onto a plate and serve.

Mexican Chicken Rice bowls

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Mexican Grilled Burrito Bowl
Mexican Grilled Burrito Bowl

This is my own version of a Chipotle burrito bowl. You can make this vegetarian by leaving out the Chicken or vegan by leaving out the cheese also. One meat substitute that I have not tried is to marinate tofu and grill it instead of chicken, which might turn out to be good also, if you try it you can leave a comment on how it comes out. Also if you leave out the meat you will probably want to add in guacamole.

Ingredients

  • 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts Sliced thin (I slice each to make 3 filets)
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp salt for marinade + 1/2 tsp for black beans.
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 cup lime juice
  • 4 cloves of garlic minced
  • 1/3 cup of canola oil
  • 1 bunch of green onions sliced finely
  • 2 cups of black beans (1 can rinsed or two cups of cooked black beans)
  • 1 chipotle pepper (canned in adobo sauce) minced along with 1 – 2 tbsp of the adobo sauce
  • Sour cream
  • Shredded Cheddar Cheese
  • 6 -8 cups of cooked rice

Directions

Mix the first 9 ingredients in a bowl and let the chicken marinate for 1 – 4 hours. While marinating chicken mix the chipolte pepper and adobo sauce and 1/2 tsp of salt with the black beans. Remove chicken from marinade and grill on a very hot grill so it is slightly charred on the outside and done through. Dice chicken into pieces. Now put 1 cup of cooked rice in a bowl, add cooked diced chicken, a scoop of the black bean mixture, a spoonfull of sour cream and sprinkle cheese on top. You can also add your favorite hot sauce on top also. Enjoy.

6 Minute Steel Cut Oats (Cinnamon Roll Flavor)

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Delicious Cinnamon Roll Oats
Delicious Cinnamon Roll Oats

This is a great quick and inexpensive meal to make in the morning when getting ready for work and is very healthy. You get the health benefits of the oats and the cinnamon. If you use maple syrup, it is a little less refined than sugar also. You need to use the Coach Steel Cut Oats and not regular steel cut oats since they are cut differently and cook quickly.

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup of Coach Steel Cut Oats (I have found these at Costco also)
  • 1 cup of water
  • 1-2 tsp of maple syrup (Can use sugar instead)
  • 1/2 tsp of ground cinnamon

Directions add all ingredients to a bowl with about 1″ of space from the fill level to the lip of the bowl. Microwave for 6 minutes at 40% power (On a 1000 watt microwave). Any higher setting and it might boil over.

Chettinad Chicken Curry

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Healthy Indian Curry
Healthy Indian Curry

When you get cravings for Indian food and have about 45 minutes to make this, it really tastes great and is healthy too (Low in sodium and fat). Not too much saturated fat or salt and still has a lot of flavor.

  • 2 large boneless skinless Chicken Breast Chopped in 1 to 1/2 inch pieces
  • 1/2 tablespoon Ginger very finely minced
  • 1/2 tablespoon garlic very finely minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper powder
  • 1/2 onion chopped finely
  • 2 tomatoes chopped finely
  • 1 lemon juiced
  • 1 sprig curry leaves (if you have them)
  • 1 teaspoon Salt (more at the end to season to taste)
  • 1 teaspoon Mustard seeds
  • 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
  • 1 teaspoon of sugar
  • Chopped Cilantro for topping
  • 1 cup of water

Following ingredients will be pan roasted

  • 1/3 cup ground roasted unsalted cashew nuts (grind in food chopper or processor)
  • 3 Dried red chillies
  • 1/2 teaspoon Coriander seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon Fennel seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon Cumin seeds
  • 3 Green cardamom
  • 1 inch Cinnamon stick (or 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, don’t roast if ground just add in)
  • 2 Cloves 1 Star anise

Directions

Add the turmeric to the lemon pour over the chicken pieces in a bowl, mix and let set while you prepare the other ingredients. Put ingredients for pan roasting in a dry pan, heat on high and roast briefly till fragrant.  Then transfer to a spice grinder (or coffee grinder) and grind to a powder and set aside. Add oil and mustard seed to pan and heat till starting to pop, then add in curry leaves and onion. Fry till the onion is starting to brown then add in the tomato and cook for about 10 minutes on high till starting to disintegrate then add the ground cashew and cook cook for another 3 minutes. Now add in the ground roasted spices and cayenne pepper and stir, now add the chicken and stir again and add in water. Cover and cook for about 15 minutes till chicken is cooked through. Taste and add salt, sugar, or more cayenne pepper to your taste. Serve with rice and enjoy.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

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Delicious Chicken Cordon Blue
Delicious Chicken Cordon Blue

This is a great quick tasty meal that is great to make on a weeknight when you don’t have a lot of time. Definitely healthier than take out.

Ingredients

  • 3 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
  • 6  Slices of Ham lunch meat one each (not really thin sliced)
  • 6 slices of Swiss Cheese
  • Dijon Mustard
  • Bread crumbs
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Toothpicks to secure rolled up Chicken Breast.
  • Cooking spray for baking dish

Directions

Slice the Chicken breasts to make them thinner so that you can roll them. You can slice them down into thirds if the are really thick or you can pound them out flatter. After they are all sliced, sprinkle them with salt and pepper on both sides. Then put the flat side up and lay a slice of ham and a slice of Swiss cheese on top and then put a thick stripe of Dijon mustard on the cheese and roll up and secure with toothpicks, cheese side in. Now roll in bread crumbs lay in greased baking pan and put into a pre-heated 350 degree oven for about 25 minutes, until you can see the cheese is melted and just starting to ooze out. Serve and enjoy.

Smokey Spicy Refried Black Beans

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Smokey Black Refried Beans
Smokey Black Refried Beans

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups of dried back beans (or 1 can of black beans)
  • 4 cloves of garlic finely diced
  • 1 jalapeno pepper finely diced
  • 2 tablespoons of olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon of ground cumin
  • 1 chipolte pepper finely diced
  • 1 cup of vegetable or chicken broth
  • 1/2 teaspoon of salt (less if canned beans used)

Directions

If using a can of black beans skip ahead to frying the garlic and peppers, otherwise soak beans overnight then drain and put into a pan and cover with 1 inch of water and simmer covered for about 1-2 hour till tender. Now drain and pour into a bowl and put aside. Now rinse pan and add the olive oil on medium high heat and add in garlic and jalapeno and fry for about 3 minutes till tender. Add in cumin and chipolte and fry for another 30 seconds, then add in beans and chicken broth. Cook for 30 minutes to 1 hour till beans are falling apart. Now add in salt (you can add additional salt to  taste). With a stick blender, blend till it becomes a paste, but not all the beans need to be completely. If you don’t have a stick blender, put about 1/2 or all of the beans in a food processor and process, then add back into rest of beans and stir. Serve with rice and tacos, or scoop some into a flour tortilla add cheese roll up and you have a bean burrito.

Best Steak Quesadillas

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Delicious Steak Quesadillas
Delicious Steak Quesadillas

This taste incredible and take 20 minutes to make. I can’t say they are the healthiest food to eat, they do have steak, cheese and flour tortillas, but you can use whole wheat tortillas and use a little less cheese to reduce the fat if you want.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 lb sirloin steak, cut into strips
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp ground oregano
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon of canola oil
  • 12 soft taco size flour tortillas
  • 1 16 oz package of shredded medium or mild cheddar cheese

Directions

Spread steak strips on a plate and sprinkle the cumin, pepper flakes, salt, oregano, and garlic powder on the meat and mix around with you hands to coat the meat. Heat pan till hot, add oil and steak and fry over high heat till browned and cooked. Set aside and clean the frying pan and heat pan again on medium high heat till the pan is hot. Now place one tortilla in the pan spread a thin layer of the cheese, then some of the steak, and a little more cheese over the meat and put a tortilla on the top. Heat till the bottom tortilla is lightly browned and then flip over and brown the other side. The cheese should be melted. Remove from then pan and cut into quarters on a cutting board. Plate and serve with some hot sauce, salsa, or guacamole.

Bavarian Point Restaurant (Mesa, AZ) – Like a brief trip to Germany

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Dining Room
Dining Room
Salad Bar
Salad Bar

Recently I heard about a German restaurant in Mesa Arizona that I wanted to try, and I am happy I did. It is an unassuming restaurant in a strip mall, but when you walk in, it isn’t what you would expect. The decor is definitely makes me think of Germany, although I have never been there. We didn’t have to wait to be seated, although we were there a little early for lunch (around 11:15 am). We were seated at a booth with a cloth tablecloth and a chandelier over it. The menu was quite extensive with about 20 – 25 German entrees plus appetizers and desserts.  I choose the Sauerbraten (roast beef).  It came with dumplings, a red cabbage (sweet) slaw and cranberry sauce. The salad bar came with all the entrees so after I ordered, I loaded up on the salad bar. They had lettuce and a number or different uniquely German items, I made a salad and tried a few of the German salad bar selections. Overall I would say the salad bar is good. All the selections were fresh and the German selections added a nice touch. The order took about 25 minutes for the entrees to arrive, but we also ordered the Gebackenen Camembert as an appetizer which came after about 15 minutes, which is a breaded baked cheese served with lingonberry sauce. It was hot when it was brought to the table and was rich and creamy and did go well with the lingonberry sauce. We had four people eating it and we it was enough for all of us as an appetizer  due to it’s richness.  Shortly after we had finished the appetizer the entrees arrived. The taste of the Sauerbraten had a deep and rich flavor which I really liked. The dumplings were cooked well and had a pleasant texture and flavor. I did not care for the slaw that came with it since I would have preferred a more vinegar flavor as opposed to the sweet flavor the slaw they served. I ended up eating about 1/4 or the slaw, but finished all the rest of the meal. We were too full for dessert, but they did have some tempting desserts. You will end up spending $20-$25 per person, not including tip.  Overall I enjoyed the meal and experience and am looking forward to going back again.

Link to Bavarian Point Website w/Menu

Google Map Link

Address:

4815 E Main Street
Suite #32
Mesa, Arizona

Roasted Jalapeno Hot Sauce

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Jalapeno Hot Sauce
Jalapeno Hot Sauce

This is a spicy jalapeno hot sauce, but not nearly as hot as a habanero sauce. You can kick up the spiciness by using serrano peppers instead of jalapenos. You can also make it less hot by removing the seeds and pith from the inside of the peppers. Goes great on mexican food, eggs, or whatever else you want to kick up a bit.

Ingredients

  • 6 jalapeños med to large Stems cut off
  • 3 Seranno  peppers stems cut off
  • 1/2 onion sliced
  • 6 cloves of garlic minced
  • 5 sprigs of cilantro
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp cornstarch
  • 1/8 cup of white vinegar
  • 1/4 cup of water
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp canola

Directions

Take the jalapenos and blacken the skins. You can do this by holding them over a gas burner with a pair of tongs, use a culinary torch, or put then under an oven broiler.

Roasted Jalapeno
Roasted Jalapeno

The torch is the easiest. Now slice them and add them to a frying pan with the oil, the onion, and the garlic. Fry them on high heat till there is some brown color on the onion, but do not burn the garlic. Add the fried mixture to a food processor along with cilantro, vinegar, water and salt and grind to a paste. Pour the paste into a strainer over a bowl and press out all the liquid from the paste into the bowl.  Pour this back into the frying pan and add 1/4 teaspoon of cornstarch mixed with 1 teaspoon of water, stir,  and bring to a boil. Boil for about 2-3 mins and let cool. Pour the sauce into a jar and your hot sauce is ready. It will be hottest the first day but will mellow in the fridge. It will keep in the fridge for at least a month or two. (Makes 4 – 6 oz).

Spicy Satisfying Cajun Shrimp

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Spicy Satisfying Cajun Shrimp
Spicy Satisfying Cajun Shrimp

You are craving something spicy and want something that will satisfy your craving, but healthy. Well this is it. Easy and quick to make, and beats buying take out. Cook, Enjoy!

Ingredients

  • Approx 1 lb of shrimp steamed (best deveined and shelled)
  • 1/4 onion finely minced
  • 2 large cloves of garlic minced
  • 1/4 stick of butter
  • 1/8 cup of olive oil
  • 1 to 1 1/2 tsp cajun seasoning

Directions

In a sauce pan add butter into a pan over medium heat and melt. Then add the olive oil, onion and garlic and fry over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Now add in the cajun seasoning and cook an additional 5 minutes. While cooking sauce, put about 1/2 inch of water in a pan and bring to a boil. Add shrimp and steam just until they are pink all over with no grey spots left, then remove immediately from heat. If you cook them too long they will become rubbery. Now add the cooked shrimp to the sauce and stir till coated and serve with rice.