Larb (ish) Salad

This started with an attempt to make the standard weightlifters meal prep of chicken/brown rice/broccoli less boring, ran into my craving for this awesome meat salad from the thai place up the block, and somehow ended up here.  6 servings at 430 cals, 29g carb/17g fat/41g protein.  6g of fiber. nice chunk of potassium.  (Maybe a bit much sodium but, thankfully my blood pressure is low normal so....) More than a days worth of vit A and C, and 25ish% of both calcium and iron.  Not bad. Also, it tastes really freaking good. 

This recipe is 80% cutting things up, sorry not sorry, if you don't feel like chopping everything then don't make this this week.

Meat Component:

2 lbs ground turkey - could use chicken, but the salad this is based on uses pork and turkey gets closer to that, flavor wise.  I used 1 pkg 99% lean and 1 pkg 93% lean bc I was shopping in a post work fuge state.

1 pkg frozen steam in bag brown rice (thawed), or 2 servings leftover cooked brown rice

1 bag riced cauliflower - I used some that had broccoli and carrots in it also for variety

1 pkg white mushrooms - about 10 of them

1 long hot pepper, diced (seeded or not as you please)

1 handful basil leaves, chopped

 2 tbl coriander seeds

2-3 tbl chopped mint

2-3 green onions, yes also chopped

2 tbl sesame oil

3-4 tbl fish sauce 

Lemongrass - I used 1 tbl paste from a tube, if you have fresh avail use that

Juice of 1 lime

4 tbl peanutbutter (use the natural stuff that is just peanuts and salt) or a palmful or two of chopped peanuts

Put 1 tbl of the sesame oil in a wide bottomed pan over medium head and add the rice.  Stir infrequently and let the rice toast while  you start chopping up half the kitchen.  When you can really smell the rice/sesame oil then add the cali-rice and stir a bit more to incorporate it, then take that out of the pan and set it aside.  

Add 2nd tbl of sesame oil, the white mushrooms and hot pepper, and your fish sauce.  Saute until mushrooms start to reduce a bit then add your meat.  Put lemongrass, coriander seeds, and peanutbutter/peanuts in at this point.  When meat is cooked through, turn off head and add back in rice mixture.  Also add the green onion, mint, basil, and lime juice at this point and stir well to incorporate them while everything is still warm.  

Salad Component:

1 head napa cabbage, shredded

1 large english cucumber, quartered and chopped

1 bunch cilantro, chopped

1 bunch mint, chopped (minus the bit you put in the meat)

1-2 handfuls of basil, chopped

1 jalapeno - seeded or not as you wish

red pepper flakes to taste

juice of 3 limes

salt - you are sort of making quick pickles so you want some salt here, but use more or less to your taste/sodium requirements 

Just mix everything, you did enough work w all the chopping up.

Serve the meat on top of the salad, maybe don't mix them already in your meal prep containers.   You've got lunches for the whole week + one serving to taste test right now.  The salad component will get more pickle-ish as the week goes on. 

Sesame Squash Salad

Since I seem to be in a 'healthy cooking' frame of mind, I decided to remake spicy cold sesame/peanut noodle salad.  This makes 1 lunch sized serving or an app for 2-3 people and is best if you let it sit in the fridge at least overnight.

2 cups baked spaghetti squash, stringed
1 tbl sesame seeds
2 tbl natural peanut butter (I like crunchy but you can go with plain if you don't like discernible chunks of peanut)
1 tsp sesame oil
2+ tbl red pepper flakes depending on your heat tollerance
1 tbl ground ginger
3tbl to 1/4th cup stock (I used chicken, veggie or beef would work also.)
several green onions, chopped. a shallot works in a pinch as well
splash of rice wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Microwave your peanut butter 30 sec or so so it will mix well, and mix in your sesame seeds, oil, spices, stock, and vinegar.  Taste for heat and adjust accordingly.  Toss in your squash and green onions and mix well.  Let sit in the fridge and serve cold.  This makes a great lunch with a side of quick pickled cucumbers (let them sit overnight with rice wine vinegar, salt, and pepper).

Asian Sort of Salad Nicose

And this is what happens when I cannot decide what the heck I want for dinner and am standing in the grocery store torn between 2 ideas.

Tuna Steak
Bok choy
Green beans
Red bell pepper
Shallot
Garlic
Soy sauce
Sesame oil
Olive oil
Egg yolks
Lemon juice
salt, pepper, ground ginger, garlic powder, red pepper flakes (yes, there is both garlic and garlic powder. and salt and soy sauce.)
Hard boiled egg (can make hard boiled quail eggs if you want to be cute/are serving to guests)

Preheat your oven to 400.  Clean your green beans and chop up your red pepper in green bean sized bits, cut your bok choy into fourths or so  and toss them onto a cookie sheet.  Hit them with some soy sauce, sesame oil, chopped garlic, chopped shallot, pepper, and red pepper flakes.  Put it in the oven for 10-15 mins depending on how caramelized you like your roasted veggies.

Meanwhile, heat up a skillet with a tiny bit of sesame oil (a super tiny bit.  Pour a smidge in the pan and wipe it mostly away with a paper towel.).  Season one side of your tuna steak with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and ground ginger.  When your pan is hot place it seasoned side down and season the top, cooking for about 3-3.5 mins per side.  Do not poke at it.  You want it to get a nice sear and be rare/medium rare.

Get out a small food processor or your blender or a whisk and some elbow grease for this next bit.  Whip the egg yolks and slowly incorporate sesame oil and olive oil (if you use 100% sesame oil it will be wayyyy too strongly flavored)  until you have an aioli. Add some lemon juice and season with salt/pepper to taste.

Cut your tuna steak into nice pretty slices (after it has rested, of course!).  Arrange on a platter with your roasted veggies, garnish with quartered hard boiled eggs and dress with your sesame aioli.

Summer BBQ Gone Sideways

This is a relatively easy meal to put together for a summer bbq, with new versions of the old standbys just to keep people on their toes. It is a great menu to host with because 90% of the work is done ahead of time so you can enjoy your guests. Make all your salads and dipping sauces and start your meat marinading that morning (or even the day before) and all you have to do while you have company is cook your ribs and maybe grill some pineapple along side it (the glaze for the ribs would be lovely on that as well).

Start out with some Simple White Sangria Spritzers made with mango, peach, and blueberries, or Watermelon Mojitos - you can make the mojitos as watermelon smoothies/spritzers instead for kids or designated drivers, just leave out the booze and add extra soda. If you've got paper umbrellas lying around they would look at home in either of these drinks.

Serve up Garlic Herb Country Ribs with Summer Slaw or Spicy Thai Cucumber Salad. Add some Rosemary Garlic Potato Salad because what is a bbq without potato salad? A Herbaceous Fruit Salad or Awesome Avocado Salad or Watermellon Feta Salad instead of your basic tossed salad would be a refreshing addition.

Tell one of your guests to bring some desert or just serve ice cream with some grilled fruit and you've got a party that even you get to enjoy.

Garlic Herb Country Ribs

Ingredients listed per 2-3 ribs, scale up accordingly.
Marinade:
1 clove garlic
1/2 shallot 1 tsp kosher salt
1 tbl garlic powder
1 tsp fish sauce
3 tbl soy sauce
3 tbl oil
3 or so coriander seeds
Black pepper to taste

Smash the garlic, coriander seeds, and shallot up in the mortar and pestle with the kosher salt (the salt helps make a paste out of the garlic, this is the only reason there is both salt and soy sauce in the recipe, so if you are not using a mortar leave the salt out and add a splash more soy). If you are making a big batch you want to start with just a few cloves of garlic/bits of shallot in the mortar and add more as you go, otherwise they all just jump out and escape when you try to grind them up. Toss into a baggie with the pepper, garlic powder, and wet ingredients and swish it around to mix. Throw your ribs in there and refrigerate at least a few hours.

Honey Herb Glaze:
1/4th cup honey
2 tbl balsamic vinegar
5-6 basil leaves
10 or so cilantro leaves

Smash up the herbs in your mortar (or just chop very finely) and place in a small bowl with your honey. Microwave for 30 sec to 1 min to liquify the honey a bit more and mix well, adding your vinegar. Let stand at least 1 hour if not longer.

Chili Garlic Dipping Sauce:
2-3 cloves garlic
1 small shallot
palmful red pepper flakes or several dried chillies or some fresh hot pepper
1 tsp vinegar
Black pepper
1 tbl kosher salt
Mayo to taste

Smash your garlic, shallot, salt, and chili flakes/peppers up in the mortar and pestle. Put into a small bowl and add vinegar, then dilute with mayo until your sauce is the right level of spice for you and your guests.

Honey Herb Dipping Sauce:
8-10 cilantro leaves
5-6 basil leaves
1 clove garlic
1 tbl kosher salt
2 tbl honey
1/4th cup mayo

Smash up your garlic, salt, and herbs and mix them with the honey and mayo so that people who do not like spicy things can't be crabby about not having a dip.

To cook:
Put the ribs either on a moderate grill or on top of a cooling rack placed on a cookie sheet in the oven at 350. Brush periodically with the honey glaze (reheating it to get it to a brush-able consistency if necessary). Serve with dipping sauces, plan on 2-3 ribs per guests if using country ribs, more if you are using a less meaty cut (although I don't know that this recipe would go well with beef ribs, stick to pork).

Honey Lime Salmon

Preheat your oven to 450 or so. Put your salmon filet (which you have checked for pin bones) skin side down into a pan or onto a piece of foil. Whisk together the juice and zest of 1 lime, a few tablespoons of honey, and about 1/4th a cup of soy sauce. Pour the dressing over the salmon. Pop into the oven until it reaches your desired done-ness (I like about 7-10 mins for medium well) and serve with some Spicy Thai Cucumber Salad. and maybe some couscous or rice.

Spicy Thai Cucumber Salad

(This is in no way an authentic Thai recipe.  I have been really enjoying laarb salads in my local Thai place recently and set about replicating the flavor profile in a simple cucumber salad at home.)

1/4th head red cabbage
2 cucumbers
1 big or 2 small shallots
large handful fresh mint leaves
1 or 2 serrano or jalapeno pepper (or several tablespoons red pepper flakes in a pinch)
Zest of 1 and juice of 2-3 limes
2 tbl kosher salt, pepper to taste
optional to serve: chopped iceberg lettuce, chopped roasted peanuts.

Shred the cabbage and chop the cucumber into very fine disks/half disks.  Dice shallot and pepper and roll up the mint leaves and cut them together to make gorgeous mint confetti. If using red pepper flakes, beat them up  a bit into smaller shards.  Throw all these veggies into a big ziplock type bag.  Add salt, pepper, lime zest, lime juice, shake it up and seal the bag. 

Let sit at least 30 mins up to several days.  If served immediately it will resemble more of a salad, in a few days it becomes a spicy sour pickled condiment.  It is great on its own but you can bulk it out/tone it down by serving it over chopped iceberg lettuce. Add chopped peanuts if you are not a peanut-hater like my father and you can serve it on its own as a great light lunch.

Roasted "Stirfry"

Toss your favorite stir-fry veggies (I like brocolli, water chestnuts, and mushrooms.  But carrots, onions, snap peas, bell peppers, onions, baby corn etc are also awesome for this) with:
1 part sesame oil
2 parts olive oil
1 part soy sauce
1/2 part chili oil if you like heat
1/2 part sesame seeds if you have them handy
about 1 clove of chopped garlic per cup veggies (or less, if you are not a garlic fiend like me)
black pepper and ground ginger to taste

You want enough of this sauce to coat the veggies lightly but not drench them.  Spread them out on a cookie sheet and cook at 400/450 for about 10-20 mins (depending upon how big the chunks of them were).  When they are browned on the top they are done.  You get a similar flavor profile to a stir fry without having to stand over the stove.  These are good with spare ribs (when you turn the spare ribs up at the end of their cooking, toss these in the oven with them).

Asian BBQ Spareribs

Marinate a large hunk (allow 3-5 rib sections per person) of pork spare ribs in:
2 parts soy sauce
1 part balsamic vinegar
1 part sesame oil
1 part palm sugar (or demetura sugar or brown sugar, in order of preference)
and about 1/2 a part each of ground ginger, black pepper, garlic powder, and 5 spice. 
add chili oil and/or chili flakes to taste

Let sit in the fridge for at least 12 hours, preferably longer.  Then cook at 250 for about 2 hours, covered.  Remove the lid and cook for an additional 20-30 mins at 400 to crisp it up a bit.  Swish the pork through the sauce at the bottom of the pan after  you butcher it into serving size bits.  Serve with rice and roasted or stir fried veggies.

Chicken Get Well Soon Soup

All of this is 'get off the couch/bed for 10 mins and look at pot, go back to bed' sort of directions.  For something to do in those few mins when you are awake and bored, before you nod back off again.

soup base/stock (makes 2 big batches.  make it double then freeze half, it freezes well)
2 chicken breasts
4 chicken thighs
(all chicken with bones/skin)
2 big boxes of chicken stock + some water. Or water + bullion (be careful of salt, if so)  can use veggie stock also if you want, or just plain water, but starting with pre made stock gives you a stronger flavor for when your tastebuds are all dulled and you cant taste anything unless it hits you over the head.
several handfuls arugula
one onion
4-5 carrots
bunch of celery
zest of one lemon
one full bulb garlic
kosher salt to taste
palmful of peppercorns
3 or so bay leaves.
notice - no strong herbs/spices. just neutral stuff. Making a very basic tasting broth here, just trying to get some veggies in for nutrients etc.

Throw everything in a pot.  Don't worry about carefully cutting the veggies, these will be picked out later.  Just toss it all in, make it boil, reduce to simmer, and go back to bed for an hr or 2.
Qhen you wake up, pull out the chicken and leave it to cool. Skim off all the other stuff. Turn off heat. Go back to bed.
Again in awhile when things have cooled, reskim soup and pick/shread meat off of chicken.  Put chicken back in pot.  Put half of the stock/chicken into baggies or w/e to freeze. (Can do this all at once or in between naps, rly.)

This will make a bright but neutral flavored broth that freezes really well.   I make it into 2 batches bc I rly like soup and I assume my husband will eat at least a bowl, but you can split it up smaller and freeze more if you just want a bowl or 2.

Throw one of the following combinations into the remaining soup, depending on what you want, and simmer 30 mins or so to let flavers get into broth. Try a different combo when you take the rest out of the freezer next time you are ill:

• Simple classic: rice or pasta, carrots, celery, onion, rosemary/sage/thyme/parsley.
• Asian: ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, hot oil/pepper flakes if you like, boc choy or brocoli, mushrooms, carrots, onion, ramen or rice
• Tortilla: cilantro, corn, beans, cumin, tomatoes, onion, green pepper, salsa/pepper flakes. Garnish w chips/avocado/cheese for healthier members of the family.
• Matzo: matzo balls, carrots and celery and onions cut up really really tiny
• Italian wedding: meat balls, pastina or bow ties, spinach or some other hearty green
• Plain: strain out the chicken and just drink broth with crackers if  your stomach is really off kilter.  Add some ginger if you like it.
• Kitchen sink: whatever you have in your fridge/cupboard that you like. Any veggie is good in this, really. Add some herbs to complement.

Asian Salmon and Green Beans

This is a lazy, lite, post holiday indulgence meal that I came up with the day after thanksgiving.  It would also be good for a new years day post resolution meal.


1) Trudge in the door from work.  Stop to fuss over the pets before cleaning up a 5-6 oz portion of salmon (or be less cheap then i am and simply buy it already prettied up)
2) Mix 1/4th cup soy sauce, few tbl mustard, 1 tbl honey, 1-2 tbl chilli oil salt, pepper, ground/chopped ginger and black pepper in a baggie and seal the salmon up in it.  Put in the fridge.
3) Spend 20-30 mins doing something else.  I recommend playing with your wiifit or taking a short brisk walk/jog to counteract yesterday, maybe cleaning up a bit if you hosted,but feel free to be one with your couch instead.
4) Put a few cups of cleaned fresh green beans (I like the french haricot-verts) onto a small cookie sheet.  toss with 1-2tbl sesame oil, 2-3 cloves chopped garlic, salt, pepper.
5) Rescue fish from fridge.  put it and most of its marinade onto a piece of foil and add it to the cookie sheet (or just use 2 pans. the foil is to keep the sauce off the beans, do close it over the top of your fish.)
6) Turn oven on to 450 and put the cookie sheet(s) in
7) Go do something else for 10-15 mins.  Maybe a quick shower if you took me up on the jogging idea
8) Pull everything out of the oven.  Let fish a few mins and plate it all up.  Add a splash of lime juice for good measure.
9) So, in 5 mins of effort and 45 mins of doing the other stuff you needed to do after work you've made a super flavorful dinner for all of 400-500 cals depending on the size of your fish/how much sesame/chilli oil you used.