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. 

"Caprese" Salad Pasta

This is a light, incidentally vegetarian, mealprep lunch for a busy week. 4 servings come out to 425ish cals, 60g carb, 20g protein, 12g fat.

4 cups bow tie pasta
8 oz fresh motz balls
8 plum or campari tomatoes
1 bag spring mux, baby arugula, or spinach
1 lemon for juice
Salt, pepper (if not using arugula!) oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, etc to taste

While pasta cooks, portion your motz and tomatoes and arugula into containers, and season/squeeze lemon over. Split pasta into containers while still warm to wilt greens a bit if not using spring mix. Done. This is barely a recipe but makes awesome lunchez.

Greek Pasta Salad for Days

This would be good either hot or cold.  It makes a nice substantial lunch at 665 cals with 44g protein and 46 carbs.  It is not low fat, but could be if you want to use low fat greek salad dressing instead of the olive oil/lemon.

8 servings (ie one box) bow tie pasta
3lbs chicken breast
2oz chopped black olives
5oz baby arugula, or baby spinach, or regular either...some green which is not iceburg or romaine
8oz feta cheese
1/4th cup lemon juice (or more to taste)
1 cup olive oil
1 pint cherry tomatoes
Oregano, salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste

Spread chicken breast out onto a cookie sheet, season liberally with lemon, oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper and throw in the oven at 350.  While that is cooking, put on water and boil pasta according to directions on the box.  When pasta is 1-2 mins from done, toss the greens into the pot right along with it.  Drain pasta/greens and toss back into pot.  Put feta, olives, and tomatoes into the pot and stir to mix everything.  Dress w olive oil, lemon, and more oregano (or your light greek dressing if using that) . Chicken should be done by now, so take that out and chop it up and add that in.

Portion into tupperwear for meal prep or just store it all in one if you don't like 1000000000 small containers in your fridge. Makes a week of lunches + today's lunch and a few extras for lazy dinners. 

Updated Macaroni Salad

I wanted pure unadulterated simple comfort for lunches this week.  Of course, I did not want quite all the calories that usually come along with this, or low protein macros. So... update, go!

This makes 6 servings, at 37 grams of protein, 55 of carbs, and 13 of fat... just under 500 calories.  Pretty much a pretty perfect lunch.

14 oz of elbow noodles (ie, a box w one serving used already)
24oz (6 cans) of tuna
6 eggs
3 cups of chopped celery
12tbl olive oil mayo (lighter then the standard but no strange ingredients/aftertaste of low fat)
salt, pepper, celery salt, etc to taste

Put the eggs into a pot and fill with water, set on the stove to boil.  When it starts boiling, add the noodles and time them according to the package directions. The eggs should be done at the same time this way.  Drain/rince pasta/eggs.

Open alllllll the tunas and put one can's worth into each container for your mealprep, add half a cup of chopped celery and 2 tbl  mayo to each.  Shell the eggs and cut one of them into each container.  Season to taste with salt/pepper/etc.  Add an equal amount of (now hopefully cool) pasta to each one, and stir.

This, nicely, makes 1 extra serving beyond your 5 lunches so that you can have it for lunch now to make sure it's not poison. 

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).

Pork Chops with Applesauce... Well, Not Really

I know I know I know, the classics are classics for a reason.  Really I do. I understand that some flavors were just meant for each other.  But... of course we know that I can never leave well enough alone.  Here is my take on this particular comfort food classic.

Apple and Sage Stuffed Pork Loin with a Rice and Snap Pea Salad

1 2lb or so pork loin (or 2 smaller ones)
3 small tart apples like mcintosh, or 2 larger ones like granny smith
small handful fresh sage leaves, chopped
2 shallots, chopped
1/4th cup chicken stock
1 tbl butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4th cup apple cider vinegar
2-3 tbl spicy mustard
2-3 tbl honey
1/4th cup mayo
2 cups cooked brown rice (or some mix of whole grains)
about 3 large handfuls of raw sugar snap peas, cut up into thin slices
1/4th a head of red cabbage, shredded
salt, pepper, garlic powder, dried thyme

Chop up one of your apples into bite sized bits. Toss it in a bowl with your cooked rice, cabbage, snap peas, and one of the shallots.  Mix the mayo with 1/2 of the apple cider vinegar, and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Dress your salad with this and put in the fridge, this is even better if you make it in the morning and let it sit all day.

Mix the mustard, honey, garlic powder, salt, pepper, remaining apple cider vinegar, and thyme, and set aside.  Chop up your remaining 2 apples and put them in a sautee pan over medium heat with the chicken stock and butter.  Add in the remaining shallot, minced garlic, and sage once it starts to simmer.  Season to taste with salt and pepper. 

Flatten out your pork loin(s) by cutting down the center and fanning them open. Salt and pepper both sides. Set your pork cut side up on the cutting board.  If you are using 1 larger loin you will be wrapping it around the stuffing, if you are using 2 you will make a sort of pork/stuffing sandwich.  Either way, you will want some kitchen twine or a few skewers or a lot of toothpicks to hold it together during cooking. 

When your apples start to get mushy and you can smell the sage cooking,  turn off the heat and drain most of the liquid out.  Stuff your pork and tie/truss it up.  Put it into a baking dish and cover it with your honey/mustard sauce. 

You can put it straight into the oven at this point, but if you have time try to let it marinade at least 30 mins or so.  Cook at 350 to your desired temperature, turning the heat up to 450 for about 10-15 mins at the end if you like to crisp up the outside.  (Personally I like pork medium/medium well but I know some people only eat it well done so cooking time is up to you.)

Let it rest a bit and slice carefully so it looks pretty on your plate next to your salad.  You can make a pan sauce by adding some white wine or chicken stock and a little butter to the drippings if you like.  This isn't really light, but it is at least a bit healthier then the standard pork chop with apple sauce and fried potato pancakes, but still manages to work as comfort food.

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.

Kale and Brown Rice Salad

2 cups cooked brown rice
4-5 cups torn up kale
3 avocados, diced
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 cucumber, chopped
Juice of 3 limes
salt and pepper to taste

Another assembly job.  Tumble it all together and beat it up a bit mixing it so that some of the avocado gets squished enough to create a dressing. Lazy summer lunch that looks fancy and even contains trendy super foods, go!

Greek Grain Salad

2 cups quinoa, cooked (or the frozen in a bag just microwave to reheat type, if you are lazy and making salads because it is too hot to cook in the summer time like I am.)
1  arugula or baby spinach
1/4th cup crumbled feta cheese
10-12 kalamata olives, pitted and chopped (can use black olives in a pinch)
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 cucumber, chopped
4 tbl fresh oregano
Juice of 2 lemons (3 if they are stingy)
few tbl olive oil
salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste

This is pure assembly.  Just toss everything together and dress with the oregano/oil/lemon juice and let it sit in the fridge for awhile (or even a day or three) and take to a picnic or serve as a nice light summer side.

Rosemary Garlic Potato Salad

4 yukon gold potatoes, quartered
3 eggs
Handful fresh rosemary
2-3 cloves garlic
2 tbl kosher salt + a bit more for potato water
1/2 cup mayo
3/4ths to 1 cup sour cream
Pepper to taste

Throw the potatoes in a pot of salted water to boil, never mind skinning them yet. Put the eggs in another pot and get them started as well. Beat the rosemary, garlic, and salt up in a mortar and pestle (or chop very finely, or put in a baggie and beat on it with a meat tenderizer if you don't have one) until they are a fine paste. Put into a serving bowl and add the mayo, sour cream, and pepper.

By now the eggs should be boiling, so turn off the heat and put a lid on them and set the timer for 10 mins. Work on the rest of dinner or just wander off for awhile till it dings. Run some cold water over your eggs and skin them, setting them aside.

When you are done with the eggs, the potatoes should be done/almost done, so check them with a fork. When they are finished and drained let them cool until they are just cool enough to handle. The skins should come right off the quartered potatoes easily by hand at this point (much easier then messing with the peeler before you cook them, right?). Chop into bite-sized bits as you peel them and toss them in with the dressing.

Chop the eggs into 1/8ths or so and mix them in as well. Taste for salt/pepper and stick it in the fridge to cool. You can make this up to 2 days ahead. (Although I recommend making extra if so because it is very easy to just eat this out of the fridge till there is not enough for your guests!)

Herbaceous Fruit Salad

Listing the ingredients as if you are making 1 serving of this salad, scale up for the number of guests. (If you have an odd number of guests either just throw the extra peach in there or snack while chopping)

2 cups Arugula, baby arugula, baby spinach, or mixed greens
1/2 chopped up ripe peach (peeled if desired)
1/4th cup blueberries
3-4 large basil leaves (or 5-6 small ones)
8-10 mint leaves
2 tbl balsamic vinegar
4 tbl good olive oil
salt/pepper to taste

This is super simple. Roll the herbs up and slice them into nice confetti like pieces and put them in a plastic baggie or a small bowl with the oil and vinegar. Stir and let sit, you can make this way ahead. When ready to serve, toss the greens, fruit, dressing and some salt/pepper if desired.

I love this salad as part of my Summer BBQ Gone Sideways menu.

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.

Summer Slaw

1/2 a head of red cabbage
Handful of chives
Broccoli stems
1 carrot/handful baby carrots

for dressing:
1 part mayo
2 parts low/no fat buttermilk
splash apple cider vinegar
salt, pepper, garlic powder to taste

Shred up your veggies  (use a mandolin if you have it/can manage it w/out shredding your fingers) and toss them all together.  Whisk your dressing ingredients and check for taste, adjusting salt/pepper/garlic as needed.  Pour dressing over slaw and let sit at least 2 hours, preferably most of the day in the fridge. 

Spicy Quinoa Chickpea Salad

for quinoa-
Toast 2-3 tbl cumin seeds and some black pepper in a saucepan.  When fragrant, turn off heat and add 2 cups water, 2-3 tablespoons grated ginger, a few corriander seeds, a pinch of salt, and 2-3 cloves finely chopped garlic.  Turn heat back on, add 1 cup quinoa and put a lid on it.  When it comes to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer.  Stir occasionally and cook until almost all of the water is absorbed (about 12-15 mins).

for dressing:
Mix the juice of 2 (and the zest of one) lemons with 1/4th cup of mayo (can use vegan substitute if desired) and a few tablespoons of good olive oil.  Add 2 finely chopped shallots, and 1 finely chopped serrano pepper (can use less pepper if you like less heat).

 additional components:
Chop up 1 bunch of cilantro, a handful of any other hearty greens or or parsley that you happen to have around (I used some arugula and watercress, spinach or kale would be good also).  Also dice up a large tomato (or cut about 10 grape or cherry tomatoes into quarters) and let it sit with a bit of salt on it.  Drain a can of chickpeas (or get out some you have cooked ahead).

Add the greens/herbs and tomatoes to the dressing and toss.  Then pour in the warm quinoa and the chickpeas and toss it all together until everything is well coated in the dressing.  Can be served hot or cold, it gets spicy-er if you let it sit in the fridge for awhile before serving.

Watermelon Feta Salad

This is a great refreshing dish to take to a pot luck or bbq (yes, I know it is February atm, but the weather says otherwise so I have summer food on the brain).

1/2 of a large watermelon, cut into approx 1 inch chunks
8-12 oz feta cheese, crumbled
1-2 cups kalamata olives, pitted and chopped roughly
juice of 2 limes
1/4th cup good olive oil
1 medium red onion, sliced thinly
a 1lb bag of baby spinach or arugula
salt and pepper to taste

Mix the olive oil, lime juice, olives, salt, and pepper in a small bowl and set aside.  Ideally you can mix these several hours ahead and let the olives marinate in the dressing, but this is still delicious if you don't have the time to do that.  Mix the greens, watermelon, red onion, and feta in a big salad bowl and add dressing.  Be careful whilst tossing it so that you don't crumble the feta so much that it turns to mush.  Serve chilled.  If you want to be fancy, you can plate this in the hollowed out remains of the watermelon, but it is equally adorable in a glass bowl so that people can see how colorful it is.

Greek Chicken Pasta Salad

1 lb chicken breast (can use more if serving as a main dish)
1 lb pasta (i like farfale but small shells or rotini would work well also)
1-2 lbs baby spinach or arugula
1 pint heavy cream
1 pint cherry tomatos
8 oz black or kalamata olives
juice of 1-2 lemons
1 yellow onion
3-4 cloves garlic
8 oz feta cheese
salt, pepper,chili flakes, and oregano to taste

Start water and salt for pasta in a large pot.  While it is coming to a boil, saute onions in a large pan.  When they start to caramelize, add chopped up chicken breast, lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper, and oregano.  While this is working, cut your cherry tomatoes in half and dice up your olives.  Add pasta to boiling water and place a strainer over the pot.  Put spinach/arugula into the pot to wilt.  add cream, olives, and feta to chicken when pasta has about 1 min left to cook.  Toss pasta and spinach into chicken, adding a few tablespoons of the pasta water if you want a saucier salad.  Can be served hot or cold.  This dish is best as a leftover, cold from the fridge, for lunch the next day so be sure to make enough and/or hide some from your family/guests before serving.

Awesome Avocado Salad

1 lb spinach or baby arugula
2-3 small avocados, cut into small pieces
1-2 grapefruits, cut into suprems (cut the sections out of the grapefruit with no membrane/pith on them at all)
2 firm pears, peeled and chopped
few tbl good olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Toss everything together in a bowl, allowing juice from grapefruits and the olive oil to combine to dress the salad.  Serve before it wilts.  If you are taking this to a party or want to make it ahead, I recommend cutting up the grapefruit and pears and keeping them in a baggie with the olive oil, salt and pepper.  Just pour the greens into a bowl and cut up the avocados and mix it all when you get there/when your guests arrive.  It can sit for an hour or so two but really starts to turn to mush if you let it sit much longer then that.

Can't Be Bothered to Make Dinner Salad

This recipe comes courtesy of waking up from another nap and realizing a) I did not want more chicken soup for dinner b)I was out of yogurt to make smoothies and c) Ordering thai soup would require putting on actual clothing instead of pjs.  ie, sick/tired/lazy. Lol.

Bowl of arugula or w/e your favorite green is. Not iceburg tho, that would not work well for this.
Maybe some chopped tomatoes if you have em
Ditto cumbers, carrots, w/e else you like in your basic green salads
Few tablespoons fresh grated parm
Handful croutons (or toast some bread and rip it up if you don't have any)
Salt and pepper to taste
2 soft boiled eggs (I like mine cooked to about 3.5 mins for this. Could do 4 if you like less runny yolk.)

Put veggies and parm and croutons in a bowl while your eggs boil. When they are done, run them under cold water till you can handle them. Carefully/quickly cut them in half w a really sharp knife. Separate over your bowl and let yolk drench things, then scoop out whites with your fork. Add salt and pepper. Toss. You now have dinner (with all 4 foodgroups, and under 400 cals unless you used a ton of croutons/cheese, even) in about 5 mins flat. (And now that I think of it, this is half way between a ceasar salad and the soft boiled egg/toast bits mush that dad used to make me when I was sick.  So horay for combining 2 comfort foods, lol.)