Salmon with Swiss Chard Cauliflower Rice

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Rainbow Swiss chard is such a beautiful vegetable that adds a delightful splash of color to your plate. I love this slightly sweet and mildly bitter leafy green, which tastes similar to beet greens and spinach. I have combined this with my favorite grilled fish for a meal that takes less than 30 minutes to make. Pair this with your favorite white wine for a romantic dinner.

Cauliflower rice is a brilliant idea for gluten-free rice, and I love how it is now available in the freezer section of most grocery stores. It’s also really easy to make with farm-fresh cauliflower, and I have included directions in the note below.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 bunch rainbow Swiss chard, ribs removed and chopped, leaves roughly chopped
1 pound cauliflower rice
1 tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary, divided
½ teaspoon salt, divided
½ teaspoon black pepper, divided
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 pound salmon filet

Directions:

  1. Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Sauté Swiss chard stems until tender, for three to four minutes.
  2. Add Swiss chard leaves, cauliflower rice, ½ tablespoon rosemary, and ¼ teaspoon salt and pepper. Stir to combine and cook until leaves are wilted and cauliflower is tender. Stir in grated parmesan cheese and cook for another minute, until melted.
  3. Preheat grill to medium-high heat and brush the grill grate lightly with oil. Season salmon with remaining rosemary, salt and pepper. Grill one side of salmon for 4 to 5 minutes, flip and cook the other side for an additional 4 to 5 minutes, until fish is cooked through. Serve on a large platter over Swiss chard cauliflower rice.

Note: To make your own cauliflower rice all you need is a head of cauliflower and a food processor. Simply wash and remove stems, cut into small florets and pulse until finely chopped and cauliflower resembles rice.

Servings: 4

Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps

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Lettuce wraps are a creative way to enjoy fresh lettuces and they are also fun to make, eat and serve. I love dishes that you can dive in and assemble at the table as you share a meal with family or friends. This one is super fast and easy to make and a light meal to enjoy with a hot cup of asian tea.

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons canola oil
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound ground chicken
4 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
1 medium bell pepper (any color), chopped
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce or coconut aminos
1 teaspoon sriracha
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1 head green leaf lettuce, leaves separated

Optional Ingredients:
Handful of fresh basil leaves, cut into thin ribbons
Peanuts, chopped
Brown rice, prepared

Directions:

  1. Add canola and sesame oils in a wok or large skillet and heat to medium-high temperature. Add garlic and cook for about a minute or until fragrant. Add chicken and break up with a spatula until it starts to brown.
  2. Add carrots and bell pepper to wok or skillet and cook stirring frequently until vegetables are tender and chicken is cooked through, about 7 to 10 minutes.
  3. In a small mason jar, combine hoisin sauce, soy sauce, siracha and ginger. Shake until evenly combined and pour sauce over chicken and vegetables. Stir to evenly coat and cook for another minute or two.
  4. Place chicken and vegetables on a serving platter along with lettuce leaves and sprinkle with peanuts and basil if using. Assemble wraps at the table and serve with brown rice if desired.

Servings: 4

15-Minute Pesto Spaghetti Squash with Shrimp

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Pesto makes a great sauce for this quick vegetable “pasta” dish, topped with sautéed fragrant garlic, lean shrimp, nutritious spinach and nutty Parmesan cheese. I love big batches of homemade pesto when I have an abundance of basil in my container garden or CSA share. I freeze 1 tablespoon portions in mini-muffin tins to set and store in freezer safe containers to enjoy year round. Simply toss frozen pesto with warm spaghetti squash strands or pasta and stir as it melts and evenly coats.

Ingredients:
1 medium spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
12 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
6 ounces or 2 cups tightly packed baby spinach leaves
2 tablespoons pesto
Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

Directions:

  1. Place a damp paper towel on the bottom of a microwavable dish and place squash cut side up. Microwave on high for 12 minutes, until tender.
  2. Meanwhile, heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Saute garlic until soft and fragrant, about a minute. Add shrimp and sauté for another minute, just until it they start turning pink. Add spinach, stirring to combine and continuing to cook for a couple of minutes until wilted.
  3. Remove from microwave and when cool enough to touch, use a fork to remove the spaghetti squash strands into the dish. Add pesto and toss to evenly coat. Plate pesto spaghetti squash and top with shrimp and spinach. Sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan cheese and serve.

Servings: 2

CABBAGE BOWL WITH THAI PEANUT SAUCE

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Tender cabbage coated in mildly spiced peanut sauce replaces noodles in this delicious Thai bowl. Carrots and bean sprouts add color and crunch to this veggie packed dish paired with your favorite protein. It is really quick to make and you can even turn this into a 10-minute meal if you grill your protein and make your sauce in advance. Leftovers are delicious the next day if you are lucky enough to have leftovers.

Ingredients:
½ cup light coconut milk
1 tablespoon red curry paste
¼ cup peanut butter
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce or coconut aminos
½ lime, juiced
3 to 4 dashes of Sriracha hot chili sauce
2 large or 3 medium carrots
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 medium head of cabbage, cored and finely shredded
2 green onions, thinly sliced
4 ounces bean sprouts
Grilled chicken, shrimp or tofu
Optional: chopped peanuts

Directions:

  1. In a blender or food processor, combine coconut milk, curry paste, peanut butter, soy sauce, juice from lime and Sriracha hot chili sauce. Process until smooth and creamy.
  2. Trim and peel carrots. Cut carrots into noodles using a spiralizer and set aside.
  3. In a wok or large skillet, heat sesame and canola oil over medium-high heat. Add cabbage and cook stirring frequently for 5 to 7 minutes, until tender and lightly browned.
  4. Pour ⅓ cup sauce over cabbage and cook for an additional minute. Serve cabbage in bowls topped with carrots, green onions, bean sprouts and grilled chicken, shrimp or tofu. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts and drizzle a little extra peanut sauce if desired.

Servings: 4

Bourbon Baked Apples with Creamy Peanut Butter

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Are you craving dessert, but you made a New Year’s resolution to eat healthy? Dessert does not have to be off limits. Instead of depriving yourself, select recipes made with nutritious ingredients like this dish with fresh apples, protein-packed peanut butter and non-fat Greek yogurt. Cheers to a healthy year filled with delicious and nutritious sweet treats.

Ingredients:
3 apples, such as Braeburn
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon bourbon
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 tablespoons peanut butter
½ cup non-fat Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon skim milk

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly oil a baking dish.
  2. Core and slice apples, leaving the skin on, and place in prepared baking dish. Drizzle apples with maple syrup and bourbon, and sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg. Toss with a spatula to evenly coat and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until apples are tender.
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer or medium bowl with a handheld mixer, combine peanut butter, Greek yogurt, honey, vanilla and milk. Mix until creamy and smooth.
  4. Serve apples with a dollop of creamy peanut butter.

Servings: 6

Fall Harvest Pancakes

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Start your Thanksgiving morning off with these scrumptious Fall Harvest Pancakes made with pureed butternut squash and pumpkin pie spice. Whether you are refueling after running a turkey trot race or kicking back and watching the Macy’s parade, this breakfast dish will satisfy your morning appetite and give you a new appreciation for fall squash. If you are eating light to save room for all the carbs to come, extra pancakes will freeze well for a quick reheat another day.

I am thankful for my blog readers today and every day. I hope you all have hearts full of gratitude and plates full of delicious food. Happy Thanksgiving!

Ingredients:
2 cups whole wheat flour
4 tablespoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
2 cups milk
1½ cups pureed butternut squash
1 tablespoon sorghum
1 tablespoon canola oil, plus more for greasing the griddle or skillet

Optional Toppings:
freshly grated whole nutmeg or ground nutmeg
walnut pieces, toasted
maple syrup for serving

Directions:

  1. Preheat a griddle or large skillet to medium heat. In a large bowl, mix flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice and salt. Add milk, squash, sorghum and canola oil and mix to combine.
  2. Working in batches, pour around ¼ cup of batter onto the griddle or into the skillet to create pancakes, keeping them evenly spaced apart. Cook until bubbles start to form on one side and the bottoms turn golden brown. Flip to cook the other side and repeat until you have 18 to 20 pancakes.
  3. If desired, sprinkle pancakes with a dash of nutmeg and top with walnuts and a drizzle of maple syrup.

Servings: 9 to 10

Bourbon Roasted Chicken and Apples

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Think beer can chicken only better, roasted with bourbon whiskey and seasonal apples. With the use of a pottery chicken baker from Sam Hitchman Ceramics, this meal is extremely easy to make and can be served from oven to table with this functional piece of art. Sam provides a general recipe guide when folks purchase a pottery dish, which I used to craft my version that is perfect for fall entertaining. This dish pairs well with mashed butternut squash or sweet potatoes.

I love the hands-free time you get with a slow roasted meal. While your oven is doing all the work, enjoy a delicious cheese plate and sip on a glass of wine or bourbon.

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
1 (3 to 4 pound) whole roasting chicken, giblets removed
bourbon whiskey
3 medium apples, cored and chopped
1 large onion, peeled and diced
½ cup dried cranberries
1 cinnamon stick

Directions:

  1. In a small bowl, combine nutmeg, chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper and ginger. On a workable surface, pat the chicken dry and rub half the spice blend under the skin and the rest over the top of the chicken. Set aside.
  2. Fill the center cup of your pottery chicken baker ¾ full with bourbon and add apples, onions, cranberries and a cinnamon stick in the ring of the dish. Set chicken in the dish, bottom down, over the center cup. Maneuver legs to help stable the chicken over the produce. Cover the top opening of the chicken with a small piece of foil to prevent steam from escaping.
  3. Place chicken in a cold oven. Then, set the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, allowing the pottery to heat with the oven. Cook for 1½ to 2 hours, until the internal temperature in the breast area of the chicken reaches 165 degrees. Slice chicken and serve with a big spoonful or two of apple mixture on top.

Servings: 4

Farm-Fresh Vegetable Beef Stew

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My Farm-Fresh Vegetable Beef Stew is a bowl of comfort food that is good for your heart, body and soul. Use rainbow Swiss chard or substitute any dark leafy green. You can’t go wrong with any of these nutrient-dense choices. Dark leafy greens are low in calorie while high in several vitamins and minerals that support healthy blood pressure, vision and immune system.

This colorful bowl of vegetables may even brighten your mood on a grey and chilly day. Leftovers are delicious, so make this meal on the weekend for a quick weeknight supper, and grab a book to read by the fire while your stew simmers.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 pound beef stew meat
1 medium onion, peeled and diced
2 large carrots, peeled and sliced
4 celery ribs, sliced
1 bunch rainbow Swiss chard, ribs removed and chopped, leaves roughly chopped
2 medium Yukon gold potatoes, diced
1½ cups frozen corn
32 ounces low-sodium vegetable broth
2 cups water
1 tablespoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions:

  1. Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large stock pot and add stew meat. Cook until brown on all sides, stirring occasionally. Remove beef and set aside.
  2. Add onion, carrots, celery and swiss chard ribs to the stock pot. Sauté until vegetables are tender, about five minutes.
  3. Return the beef to the pot and add potatoes, corn, vegetable broth and seasonings. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low. Add swiss chard leaves and simmer for 40 to 45 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

Servings: 6