Rice Bowl (formerly Buddha bowl) with Fish

 Build-Your-Own Buddha Bowl - Cookie and Kate + baked cod + Dressing 

Very good!  Good on the macros.

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Rice and veggies

1.5 cups uncooked short-grain rice.

1 ½ cups frozen shelled edamame

1 ½ cups trimmed and roughly chopped snap peas or snow peas, or thinly sliced broccoli florets (we used snap peas).

4 cups chopped red cabbage or spinach or romaine lettuce or kale (ribs removed)

2 ripe avocados, halved, pitted and thinly sliced into long strip

1 small cucumber, very thinly sliced

Thinly sliced green onion (about ½ small bunch)

Sesame seeds

1).  Cook the rice

2).  Chop all the things.

3).  Let people assemble for themselves with the fish below and 2 Tbsp of the dressing.

Cod: 2 pound wild Alaskan Pacific cod (boneless, skinless, 5 to 8 ounces per piece)

Marinade Ingredinets

6 clove garlic minced or pressed

equivalent amount ginger (minced or paste)

2 scallions (white parts only)

3/4 tsp garlic powder

1.5 tsp salt

1 teaspoon sugar

0.25 teaspoon white pepper

2 teaspoon cornstarch

1 teaspoon chinese cooking wine

(0).  pre-heat oven to 425F

(1).  Mix marinade ingredients.

(2).  Marinate in bowl for some minutes

(3).  Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray (or foil)

(4).  Cook cod 15 min, move to top rack for 5 (we think this was maybe overcooked).

DRESSING:

Ingredients

▢ ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

▢ ¼ cup seasoned rice vinegar *see note

▢ 1 ½ tablespoons honey (or maple syrup)

▢ 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil

▢ 1 ½ teaspoons soy sauce (I use reduced sodium)

▢ 1 -2 cloves garlic

All shook together in a jar.

Winter minestrone soup with quesadilla

 This is a nice alternative to the simple tomato soup with the quesadilla.

Recipe here.

We just blended everything before adding the beans.

High protein bean and shrimp enchilada

Version 1

For the Enchiladas:

1 lb (450 g) raw shrimp, peeled and deveined, chopped into bite-sized pieces

1 can (15 oz/425 g) white beans (e.g., cannellini or navy beans), rinsed and drained

1 small onion, finely diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 tsp olive oil

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1/4 tsp chili powder (optional, for spice)

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 cup low-fat shredded cheese (e.g., reduced-fat Monterey Jack or mozzarella)

8 small whole wheat tortillas

For the Enchilada Sauce:

1 can (15 oz/425 g) tomato sauce

1 tsp olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1/4 tsp chili powder

1/4 cup low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth (or water)

Salt and pepper, to taste

For Garnish:

Fresh cilantro, chopped

Lime wedges

Greek yogurt (optional, as a sour cream substitute)

Instructions

1. Make the White Bean Puree:

Add the rinsed and drained white beans, 1 garlic clove (minced), 1 tsp olive oil, and a pinch of salt to a blender or food processor.

Blend until smooth, adding a tablespoon or two of water or broth if needed to achieve a spreadable consistency. Set aside.

2. Prepare the Shrimp Filling:

Heat 1 tsp olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion and red bell pepper, cooking until softened (about 4–5 minutes).

Add the minced garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, and chili powder, stirring until fragrant (about 30 seconds).

Stir in the chopped shrimp and cook until they turn pink and opaque (about 2–3 minutes). Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.

3. Make the Enchilada Sauce:

In a small saucepan, heat 1 tsp olive oil over medium heat. Add minced garlic and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds).

Stir in the tomato sauce, cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, and broth. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.

4. Assemble the Enchiladas:

Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).

Spread a thin layer of enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish.

Take one tortilla and spread a layer of the white bean puree down the center.

Add a spoonful of the shrimp filling on top of the bean puree, then sprinkle a little cheese.

Roll the tortilla tightly and place it seam-side down in the baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling.

Pour the enchilada sauce evenly over the rolled tortillas. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.

5. Bake the Enchiladas:

Cover the dish with foil and bake for 15 minutes.

Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Version 2:  Similar but with yellow mole sauce on top from here.

Golden potato and greens soup

 This was pretty good .... but not the best.  We'll maybe try it one more time.

Here it was in NYT:  https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1025880-golden-potato-and-greens-soup#notes_section

I'd use 1/2 tsp chli flakes next time instead of 1 tsp.  Adding a bit of apple cider vinegar also seems like a good idea at the end.  

Our thought for next time was maybe get some yellow dal in there as well.

* shrug *. Let's try it!

Crunchiest salad ever

 Very delicious!  Maybe a little TOO crunchy.

Toasted black lentils

Soak 1 cup lentils in cold water for 30-60 min.  Drain.

Cook in 3 cups water for 15-30 min or until cooked but al dente.  Don't overcook!

Rinse and spread out in single layer on cookie sheet to dry.  Meanwhile pre-heat oven to 400F.

When dry, drizzle with ~1 tsp olive oil, salt, and any flavors you want: smoke paprika or cumin or garlic powder.  (We did garlic powder).

Toast for 15-20 min, scrabbling halfway through.  They will be VERY crispy!

Crunchy Red Cabbage Salad with Smoky Nuts

Ingredients

• For the Salad:

  • 3 cups finely shredded red cabbage
  • 2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
  • 1 apple (Granny Smith or Honeycrisp), julienned or thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup smoky almonds or pecans, roughly chopped (see note below)
  • 1/2 cup toasted black lentils (see other note)
  • 1/4 cup shredded carrots (optional, for color and crunch)
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley or cilantro (optional)

• For the Dressing:  (we halved this)

  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp honey (or maple syrup for vegan)
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Prepare the Smoky Nuts:
   Toss 1/2 cup raw almonds or pecans some smoked paprika, a drizzle of olive oil, and a sprinkle of salt. Toast in a skillet over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant. Let cool.  (We did it for ~8 min @ 400F in the small toaster oven.

2. Make the Salad:
   Combine the shredded red cabbage, sliced celery, apple, carrots (if using), and parsley in a large mixing bowl.

3. Make the Dressing:
   Whisk together olive oil, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, salt, and pepper in a small bowl or shake in a jar.

4. Assemble:
   Pour the dressing over the salad ingredients and toss well to combine. Sprinkle the smoky nuts and toasted lentils on top just before serving to retain their crunch.

ChatGPT jambalaya-style pasta

 We had a bunch of extra boring (and extra-boring) red-sauce pasta and I asked chat gpt to help me re-cook it into something more interesting.  It was great!

Sure! Here’s a recipe for a Jambalaya-Style Pasta using your already-cooked red-sauce pasta. This dish combines the bold, spicy flavors of jambalaya with the convenience of repurposing pasta.

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Jambalaya-Style Pasta

Serves: 4-6
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 lb andouille sausage, sliced into coins (or substitute smoked sausage)
• 1/2 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/2 lb chicken breast or thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (adjust to taste)
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock
• 2 cups cooked pasta with red sauce
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 green onions, sliced (for garnish)
• Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)

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Instructions

1. Cook the Proteins:
   Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook until browned. Remove and set aside.
   In the same skillet, cook the chicken until golden and cooked through. Remove and set aside.
   Finally, add the shrimp, season lightly with salt and pepper, and cook just until pink. Remove and set aside.

2. Sauté the Vegetables:
   In the same skillet, add the onion, bell pepper, and celery. Cook for 3-4 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.

3. Add Seasoning:
   Sprinkle the smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, thyme, and oregano over the vegetables. Stir well to coat.

4. Deglaze the Pan:
   Pour in the chicken stock, scraping the bottom of the pan to release any flavorful bits. Let it simmer for 2-3 minutes to reduce slightly.

5. Incorporate the Pasta:
   Add the cooked red-sauce pasta to the skillet, stirring to combine with the vegetables and stock. If the pasta is too thick, add a splash more stock to loosen it.

6. Return Proteins:
   Stir the sausage, chicken, and shrimp back into the skillet. Toss everything together and cook for 2-3 minutes until heated through.

7. Season and Serve:
   Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, or more cayenne if desired. Garnish with green onions and fresh parsley.

Thai Cashew Chicken

 This was really really, restaurant quality good.

1.5 lbs thighs cut into 3/4"-1" long pieces.  Combine 1 B soy sauce, 2 T flour, 2 T water, 1/4 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper (I think I did 10-12 grinds); whisk until smooth.  Coat chicken and marinate.   (recipe doesn't give time; I did ~15 min).

Make sauce.  Combine 2T soy sauce, 1.5 T Thai chili paste (Nam Prik Pao), 1 T white sugar, 1 T oyster sauce, 3 T water, and whisk until sugar disolves.

Heated big pan on high (9?) with 1.5-2 T oil until nearly smoking.  Added chicken in one batch since pan is large enough.  Let sit for 1.5 min until nicely browned, then scrabbled around to brown other side.  ~2-3 min total.  Transferred chicken to other bowl.  (it's ok if they're a little underdone as they'll cook another 2-3 min in the sauce).

Toasted 1C cashews in toaster over while this was happening.  (original recipe calls for pan frying).

Chopped vegetables: green beans to 1" lengths, 3-4 celery stalks to 1" lengths and 1/4" width, carrot thinly sliced.  I blanched the green beans in boiling water for ~1-2 min until dark green and then rinsed in cold.

Large mince 6 cloves garlic.  Original recipe also calls for red onion, but I added the white parts of 4-5 scallions cut to 1" lengths and halved.

Heat 1-2 T oil med-high (7-8), toss in garlic and onion.  Recipe says to let garlic get golden.  I stir-fried everything before that could happen.  After 1-2 min stir frying vegetables, added chicken back in and poured sauce over.  Let everything simmer for 1-2 min.  At the end add green parts of scallion cut to 1" lengths and the cashews.

I left out chlies, but you can also add dried red chilies at the stir-frying step along with the other aromatics.

SO GOOD!