Fried Rice

Photo from Epicurious

This isn't so much a recipe as a series of tips I've run across that have resulted in some seriously good fried rice.

Ingredients

• Rice (I usually do white although just made it with brown to increase the nutritional value)
• Veggies, all chopped to bite sized (whatever to have works, although I always try to have mushrooms and some kind of onion... green, white, whatever... frozen peas and carrots reduce the chopping time)
• Soy Sauce
• Fish Sauce (apparently it is the key ingredient)
• Sesame Oil
• Eggs
• Protein, if desired, anything works... chicken, beef, shrimp, scallops

Tips

1. Make the rice the day before, let it cool, then put it in the fridge overnight. This prevents the really sticky rice.
2. Fry up everything by itself. First the protein, then the egg, then the vegetables (I do mushrooms and white onions first because they need more time, then peas and carrots and red pepper separate) then the rice. Once it's cooked it can all go in the same bowl, but saute separate, adding a little sesame oil before each batch of stuff and a little soy sauce in each one.
3. When frying the rice, if you let it cool overnight it will be clumpy. Dump it in your wok or frying pan and break it up with a wooden spoon. Drizzle soy and fish sauce over the rice while you are breaking it up and stir.  Then spread the rice out as much as you can on the bottom of your pan or up the sides of the wok. DO NOT STIR IT. Let it sit there and fry for a few minutes. Flip it (or stir it) and do that again. Then add back your veggies, protein, and egg and stir to combine it all together adding soy sauce until your palate is satisfied.

Pink Lemonade Mousse and Berry Parfaits

This kind of blew that whole "eat healthy" thing out of the water but this is what I do... I try to cook my way out of feeling sad; the more impressive, the better. Happily, we went over to Amanda's for dinner and so did not consume all 6 of these by ourselves... because we would have. Super delicious! For a lighter version you could probably just use whipped cream alone for the "mousse" layers.


CAKE
Crisco® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray
1 package Pillsbury® Moist Supreme® Pink Lemonade Flavored Premium Cake Mix
1 cup water
1/3 cup Crisco® Pure Vegetable Oil
3 large eggs

MOUSSE FILLING
12 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 (16 oz.) container Pillsbury® Creamy Supreme® Pink Lemonade Flavored Frosting
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 cups whipped topping
1 pint blueberries
2 (6 oz.) containers raspberries

1. For Cake: HEAT oven to 350°F. Coat 13 x 9-inch baking pan with no-stick cooking spray.

2. COMBINE cake mix, water, oil and eggs in large mixing bowl using an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour batter into pan. Bake 34 to 38 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool cake completely.

3. For Mousse Filling: BEAT softened cream cheese in large bowl with electric mixer on medium until soft. Blend in frosting and lemon juice. Fold in whipped topping.

4. TRIM edges from cake. Cut cake into 1-inch cubes. Place filling in decorator bag or reseable plastic bag. Cut off corner of plastic bag. Combine berries in a medium bowl. Layer in each of ten 8-ounce parfait glasses: 1/2 cup mixed berries, 9 cake cubes and 1/2 cup mousse filling. Begin layering with 1/4 of the berries, 3 cake cubes and 1/3 of the filling. Repeat 2 more times ending with berries. Garnish with straw, if desired. Chill until ready to serve.

Recipe from Pillsbury (go figure!)

Pasta with Roasted Broccoli, Garlic, & Olive Oil

High Taste, Low Prep. Pairs well with your choice of beverage.

I would not have any fingers left if I tried to make this. Photo Credit: Jay Mug

It also reflects core tenets of the Nanner Cooking Club:

(1)  Lots of garlic

(2)  Amenable to extra cheese

INGREDIENTS

·      8 ounces tube-shaped pasta, such as penne

-            We have found that long, thin pasta (e.g., spaghetti) makes it more difficult to incorporate the broccoli. Buckwheat pasta spirals are our favorite (+ yay protein!).

·       3 (generous) cups broccoli florets

·      6-8 garlic cloves, minced

·      ½ cup Pecorino Romano or Asiago cheese

-            Softer cheeses, such as mozzarella, gave it a gummier texture, which was not as appealing to us.

·      olive oil

·      salt & pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1.    Preheat oven to 450 F.

2.    Combine broccoli and garlic in a large baking dish (e.g., 13 x 9). Drizzle with olive oil, and stir to coat. Roast for 20 min, stirring halfway.

3.    Cook pasta according to package instructions.

4.    Drain pasta, reserving ½ cup pasta water.

5.    Toss pasta with broccoli, adding in ½ cup water.

6.    Add cheese, salt, and pepper.

-            Although I’ve never had a problem reheating it, you can also add cheese to each portion right before consumption.

Recipe via Skinnytaste

Asian Salmon

Been reading a book called "YOU: On a Diet" as I have recently gotten very excited about working out and eating healthy (no, someone did not hack my account, I'm serious.) This is a recipe from that book that I plan to try next week.

• 4 skinless salmon fillets (about 4 ounces each)
• 1 Tbs olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, pressed or minced
• 1 Tbs grated fresh ginger root
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp maple syrup
• 2 green onions, chopped

1. Place salmon in a pie plate or shallow dish. Combine remaining ingredients; mix well.
2. Pour marinade over salmon ; let stand 15-20 minutes.
3. Heat a ridged grill pan over medium heat until hot.
4. Add salmon, discarding marinade; cook 3-4 minutes per side or until salmon is opaque and firm to the touch.

The usual substitutions should be expected... pre-minced garlic in a much larger quantity than specified, pre-minced ginger... and I'll probably use the George Foreman grill as I don't own a ridged grill pan.

Pasta Salad

With a Memorial Day barbecue on the horizon I went in search of this recipe as I can remember enjoying this particular pasta salad immensely. Hopefully I remember to take a picture before I eat every last bite of this... 

• 1 box mini fusilli pasta (or whatever pasta salad shape floats your boat) 
• 2 large cucumber (cut into thick slices and then quartered) 
• 2 container grape tomatoes (cut in half or thirds) 
• 2 bunch asparagus (trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces) 
• pitted Kalamata olives (cut in half)
• 1 container crumbled goat cheese 
• some salad dressing, mine was called Tuscan-style Basil & Herb... again, whatever sounds good to you 

1. Cook the pasta, when there is 1 to 1.5 minutes left of cooking time, throw the asparagus into the pot with the noodles. When time is up, drain (don't rinse). Pour out the noodles & asparagus onto a cookie sheet with sides and let it cool. 
2. Chop the cucumber & tomatoes as needed then sprinkle (they say a little, I say generously) with salt. 
3. When pasta is cool, mix together with cucumber/tomatoes and goat cheese. The interwebs say don't put on dressing. I used a little bit to get the noodles unstuck to ease the mixing. 
4. Then, just before you eat it, add a little more dressing to taste. It came out really great! All veggies are crisp, I love the goat cheese (although feta would also work), and it feels very virtuous. 

Strawberry Rhubarb Baked Oatmeal

Don't eat the green stuff! (Photo credit: bitchingkitchen)

I remember the large patch of rhubarb that my grandfather grew in the back right corner of his garden. I wondered how these big leafy greens ended up looking red in the strawberry rhubarb pie my grandmother made --- and why someone would put a vegetable in a dessert. (I don't think I ever tried the pie, sadly.) 

This discrepancy was addressed in third grade during my "Supermarket Botany" class at summer enrichment camp. Turns out, rhubarb leaves are poisonous...which is probably why only the stalks are sold in the grocery stores.

A few weeks ago, I noticed rhubarb on display in the grocery store and stumbled on this recipe shortly thereafter. I've made it twice now and find it makes a tasty, filling breakfast and/or snack.

INGREDIENTS

Filling

• 1 medium ripe banana, sliced thinly
• 2 ½ cups of strawberries, chopped
• ¾ cup rhubarb, cut into small pieces
• 1 Tbsp cornstarch
• 1/3 cup honey

Topping

• 1 cup uncooked quick oats
• 1/3 cup slivered almonds (optional - I prefer to leave them out)
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
•  pinch of salt

• 1 Tbsp honey
• 3/4 cup fat free milk
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. 
2. Lightly spray an 8x8 baking dish with cooking spray. Line the bottom with banana slices.
3. Combine strawberries, rhubarb, honey, and cornstarch. Toss to coat. Pour over banana slices.
4.  Using two bowls:    
• Mix together the oats, ½ of the almonds, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. 
• Whisk together milk, egg, vanilla extract, and 1 Tbsp honey  
5. Combine the dry and wet mixes from step 4. Pour over fruit mixture, sprinkling remaining almonds on top.
6. Bake for approximately 35 minutes. Serve warm. (Add whipped cream for a healthy dessert.

Recipe via skinnytaste

Turkey, Mozzarella & Basil Wrap

I had to reach way back into the NCC history to find this one. First tried by Jenny she had these comments:

"I made the Turkey, Mozzarella and Basil Wraps for our lunches today.

The recipe doesn't say what kind of turkey to use, so I opted for the healthier version and roasted a turkey breast to bypass all the sodium. I also substituted whole milk mozzarella because that's what I keep on hand. Sensing the base recipe to be somewhat bland and dry, I added some garlic and my basil to a little bit of mayonnaise. Oh, and I also added a slice of avocado.

With what we now considered to be worthy wraps, Ted and I left for work feeling very excited for our lunches.

Ted reported back that it indeed was yummy, but lacked just a pinch of salt.

I, too, thought it lacked that pinch, but I also found it too dry for my taste. I remain happy with the amount of mayo used, but think a tomato slice might have solved the moisture problem.

This recipe is a good start, but think with a slight makeover it could make a great wrap and still be healthy. As I have a bountiful amount of basil in my garden, I will do this wrap again with my above noted additions along with a slice of red onions and that tomato."

I made this for dinner last night with some of Jenny's suggestions and LOVED it.

Ingredients

• 2 small(6-inch) whole-grain tortillas
• 3 ounces turkey
• 1 1-ounce slice part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 2 slices tomato
• 1/2 tsp garlic mixed with 1 Tbs mayonaisse and a dash of salt
• Optional additions: avocado, red onion

Preparation

1. Fill tortillas, wrap, and enjoy.

Modified from Recipes.com