Asian Sloppy Joes

We discovered this recipe from a sample they were handing out at Byerly’s.  Have you ever tried ground chicken?  It’s basically just like ground turkey, but replace the meat with chicken instead.  Ground chicken worked perfectly to lighten up the traditional sloppy joe recipe – and the cilantro and Thai peanut sauce took a new twist on a classic sandwich.

Servings:  6

Size:  1 Asian sloppy joe sandwich

Points Plus: 8pp

Level of Difficulty:  Easy

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time:  20 minutes

Rating: 3 stars – Good

Ingredient List:

1 Tbsp. olive oil

½ cup chopped onion

½ cup chopped celery

½ cup chopped bell pepper (red or green)

1 lb. ground chicken

5 oz. Thai peanut sauce

6 whole wheat hamburger buns

2-3 Tbsp. chopped cilantro, optional

Directions:

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add in the chopped onion, celery and pepper – sauté until the veggies are tender.  Add the chicken and cook until no longer pink, stir frequently to break up the chicken into smaller pieces.  Next, stir in the Thai peanut sauce making sure all the chicken and veggies are evenly coated.  Cover the skillet and simmer for 5 minutes.  Serve on hamburger buns and top each sloppy joe with chopped cilantro.

Tip:

Another way to cut out some pp value on this recipe is to turn this into a lettuce wrap instead of serving it on a hamburger bun - check it out!  The pp value would drop to only 5pp if you make lettuce wraps instead. 

XOXO Megan

Broccoli Slaw

Here is a yummy summer salad that comes together quick and is full of flavor.  I would call it Asian inspired, as it uses shelled edameme and a touch of sesame oil. This salad is great for parties or company because it is so pretty and full of color!

Servings: 8
Serving Size: 1 cup
Points Plus: 4pp
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: n/a
Rating: 4 - Very Good

Ingredients:
Dressing
1/8 cup sugar
1/2 T. salt
1/2 T. black pepper
1/8 cup canola oil
3 T. rice vinegar
2 T. toasted sesame oil

Salad:
4 cups brocolli slaw (can purchase at Trader Joes)
1 cup canned corn
1/2 cup red onion, chopped
1/2 cup red peppers, chopped
1/2 cup yellow peppers, chopped
1 cup soybeans

Directions:
Mix salad dressing ingredients in a bowl with a fork until combined. Mix salad ingredients in a pretty bowl until combined. Pour salad dressing over salad and mix to combine! haha Refrigerate for a few hours to allow flavors to mingle.  Taste and season with additional salt and pepper before serving.

Tip:
Du du duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu. Instead of mixing your salad dressing in a bowl use this Pampered Chef salad dressing thingy!  It is FUN to use and it has some delish salad dressing recipes right on the container!

XOXO - Katie

Fried Wild Rice

Have you ever thought about stir frying wild rice?? I haven't...until today!  This is a simple twist on traditional fried rice, and like many recipes you find on EAT ME, it can be customized based on what is in your fridge. I experimented with an interesting spice combo and I think the dish turned out great.

Servings: 2
Size: About 1 1/4 cup
Points Plus: 5pp
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooke Time: 25 minutes
Rating: 4 stars - Very Good

Ingredient List:
1 box wild rice
1 egg
1/2 cup peas
1 cup raw onion, cut in long stips
1 cup raw carrot, diced
1 garlic clove, chopped
Salt & Pepper to taste
Dash of red pepper flakes, curry powder, garlic powder & cinnamon
Low sodium soy sauce, optional

Directions:
Cook rice according to package directions.  Prep veggies. Spray a medium sized wok. Start with carrot and  sautee about five minutes.  Add onion and sautee for 3 minutes more.  Add peas, garlic and spices and sautee for about 2 more minutes.  Remove wok from heat and spray a small sautee pan.  Scramble egg and cook it until, well, it resembles a scrambled egg! Add scrambled egg to veggie mixture and return to stove. When rice is cooked add one cup to veggie mixture and sautee for about one more minute.

Tip:
A dash of cinnamon is an excellent addition to curry.

XOXO - Katie

Sweet & Sour Chicken

You will not believe this sweet and sour chicken is homemade!  It honestly is exactly the same as the breaded kind you would get in a restaurant  but waaaaaay more healthy.  There are several radical and unique things about this chicken.

1) You make your own sweet and sour sauce, which is actually very easy.

2) This chicken looks breaded.  This chicken TASTES breaded.  But this chicken isn't breaded!  The breaded effect is made by dipping the chicken cubes in cornstarch and egg, and then frying them slightly before baking them slowly with the sauce.  This slow bake + the sticky and sweat sauce + the egg is a truly amazing process to watch in the oven, so turn on the light! This will easily become a weekly favorite. I adapted the below recipe from here.

Servings: 4

Size: About 1 cup

Points Plus: 7pp

Level of Difficulty: Medium

Prep Time: 15 minutes if chicken is defrosted

Cook Time: 1 hour 5 minutes, this includes frying and baking

Rating: 4 stars - Very Good

Ingredients

Chicken

1 lb boneless chicken breasts

Salt and pepper to taste

1 cup cornstarch (you should have about 1/2 cup leftover)

2 eggs, beaten

Cooking spray or MISTO with EVOO

Sauce

1/3 cup sugar

2 T. ketchup

1/2 cup white vinegar

1/2 t. soy sauce

1/2 t. garlic salt

Instructions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Rinse chicken and cut into 1 inch cubes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Prepare one bowl of egg and one bowl of cornstarch. Dip chicken into the cornstarch to coat then dip into the egg.  Spray a non-stick skillet and cook chicken until browned but not cooked through. Place the chicken in a baking dish. Wisk together sauce and evenly pour over chicken. This would be especially helpful. Bake for one hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Don't feel like you have to serve with an Asian inspired side.  I have paired with any steamed veggie, TJ's Harvest Grains Blend or even on it's own!

Tip:

When sauteing the chicken don't crowd it.  Fry it in batches so that the chicken pieces don't touch, this will make the browning process a lot smoother!

XOXO Katie

Asian Lettuce Wraps

This recipe was a kitchen disaster SAVED at the last minute. I wanted to make some Asian lettuce wraps inspired by the popular PF Chang's app. When cutting the lettuce I got three 'cups', but everything else ripped. SO, I improvised and created three lettuce wraps and one lettuce salad.  Both were very good and nothing went to waste.  Also, sesame oil is like the best oil ever!

Servings: 4
Size: 1 cup meat mixture, unlimited lettuce cups
Points Plus: 6pp
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Rating: 3 stars - Good

Ingredients:
1.25 pounds ground turkey, 93% lean
1/4 cup water chestnuts, cubed
1/4 cup mushrooms, cubed
1/4 cub red onion
1/4 cup carrots
1 T + 1/2 t. reduced sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 t. sesame oil
1 T. rice vinegar
1/2 t. sugar
Kosher salt
Pepper
Iceberg lettuce, cut into cups or cubed (for salad)*
Siracha
Cooking spray

Directions:
Prepare lettuce.  Either rip into cups, or cube. Mix soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegar, sugar, a pinch of salt and a some ground pepper.  Whisk together and set aside. Add 1/2 t. to wok and saute ground turkey. As turkey cooks spray a skillet with a dash of cooking spray and saute the carrots and onion, about five minutes. Add the water chestnuts and mushrooms and cook 4 minutes longer.  Add veggie and sauce mixtures to ground turkey and saute until meat is cooked through. Add more salt and pepper to taste.  Remove from heat and divide into four, 1 cup servings. Put in cups or over lettuce and squeeze

 a little hot sauce over the top!

Tip:
After some internet research I found that Bibb or Butter* lettuce works well for lettuce wraps.  I cups may have turned out better if I would have had a little more patience when disassembling the head!

Toasted Almond, Orange and Pea Pod Salad

This is a salad I threw together a few weeks ago.  Given it is spring (despite the still winter-like weather here in MN); I was craving some spring flavors.  I made this salad again this week and it was just as good as the first time.  My fiancé claims I ‘hit it out of the park’ with this salad – pretty good for a made up recipe! 

Servings:  2

Size:  Main course salad
Points Plus: 7 pts (this includes 3 pts for the mustard vinaigrette dressing)
Level of Difficulty:  Easy

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time:  5 minutes

Rating: 3 – Good

Ingredient List:

Mixed greens

1 orange

1 c. snap pea pods

½  c. sliced almonds

Homemade Vinaigrette 

Directions:

Toast the sliced almonds in a small pan over the stove; about 5 minutes or until browned.  Wash your mixed greens and plate out two healthy servings. Peel and section the orange; split between the two servings.  Wash the pea pods and add to each salad. Your almonds should be toasted by now; add to the salad and serve immediately.


 

Tip:

Serve with the homemade mustard vinaigrette featured earlier this week on our blog!  Or you can choose your favorite Asian inspired salad dressing.  I really like the low-fat Sesame-Ginger from Newman’s Own as another option that goes well with this salad.

XOXO - Megan

Egg Drop Soup

It is snowing in Minnesota.  Actually let me rephrase that, it is BLIZZARDING in Minnesota! (in mid-April) Anyways, to follow up on Megan’s Asian inspired post from yesterday, I wanted to share one of my favorite comfort food meals, egg drop soup.  This recipe is so easy, and in my opinion tastes just like the restaurant kind! (with less MSG)  

Servings:  2
Size:  Just over 4 cup
Points Plus: 3 pts
Level of Difficulty:  Easy
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time:  10 minutes
Rating: 4 stars – Very good

Recipe above modified from this one.

Ingredient List:
4 cups chicken broth (canned, boxed of bouillon cubes work)
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
2 tablespoons chopped green onions
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 eggs
A drizzle of soy sauce if desired

Directions:
Reserve 3/4 cup of chicken broth, and pour the rest into a large saucepan. Stir the ginger and chives into the saucepan, and bring to a rolling boil. In a cup or small bowl, wisk together the remaining broth and cornstarch until smooth. Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk the eggs together. Drizzle egg a little at a time from the fork into the boiling broth mixture. Egg should cook immediately. Once the eggs have been dropped, stir in the cornstarch mixture gradually until the soup is the desired consistency.

Tip:
Adding the cornstarch mixture at the end keeps the soup from boiling over.  After the mixture is added watch the soup very closely.  The longer it cooks the thicker it will get but I have had many overflow accidents with this one!

XOXO - Katie

Spring Stir Fry with Chicken, Sugar Snap Peas & Carrots

Stir-fry is such an easy weeknight dinner.  If you’re pressed for time, this is a great meal that can really come together quickly.  I saw this recipe on Skinnytaste and was anxious to try it out.  I LOVE Skinnytaste – she has some really great recipes.  This one did not disappoint!

Servings:  4

Size:  Just under 1 cup

Points Plus: 5 pts

Level of Difficulty:  Easy

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time:  15-20 minutes

Rating: 4 stars – Very good

Ingredient List:

Sauce –

1 Tbsp. low sodium soy sauce

1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

2 Tbps. Water

1 tsp. cornstarch

Stir Fry –

1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into small pieces

Salt to taste

1 Tbsp. canola oil

2 tsp. fresh garlic, minced

1 tsp. fresh ginger, grated

1 c. sugar snap peas

1 c. carrots, sliced diagonally

Scallions for garnish

Directions:

Combine the soy sauce, lime juice, water and cornstarch in a small bowl, set aside.  Cut the chicken into small pieces and season with salt.  Heat half the oil in a large frying pan or wok over high heat.  Add the chicken, stir-fry until the chicken is cooked through and browned (about 5 minutes).  Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside on a plate.  Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining oil, along with the garlic and ginger.  Add in the sugar snap peas and carrots, stirring until the veggies are tender, but still crisp (about 5 minutes).  Return the chicken to the pan, pour the soy-sauce/lime mixture over the chicken and mix well.  Cook for another minute.   Serve immediately – either alone or over a starch (my favorite is brown rice for stir-fry).  Top each serving with fresh scallions.

Tip:

It’s not worth struggling to get rice to turn out on the stove-top… just go buy yourself a rice cooker!  They aren’t that expensive.  The past few times I’ve made rice, it hasn’t turned out.  It’s pretty frustrating to start your brown rice cooking and 45+ minutes later open a pot filled with chicken broth and ½ cooked rice.  My rice didn’t turn out when I made this recipe earlier this week, so we ate our stir fry without a starch.  One way to make it healthier I suppose!  For our leftovers, I had a great solution!  I called in an order of brown rice to our local Asian take out place and we picked it up on our way home from work – so easy.

XOXO - Megan