Tag Archives: #maindish

Recipe: Main Dish – Asian Inspired Lettuce Wraps

21 Friday Jul 2017

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This is a super easy and fast recipe that I like to make for a weeknight meal. This was the second time I made it and I tweaked it just right to the point that it was so very delicious I want to eat it again and again. Which means…it is so very tasty that I needed to share it!

Writing this all out…it looks complicated, but it is not! It is meat, carrot, rice, lettuce, and sauce. The whole meal only took me 30 minutes to make.

Tools:

  • Chopping Board
  • Knife
  • Large Skillet
  • Spatula or Spoon
  • Small Bowl
  • Whisk or Fork

The Meat:

  • 1 lb of Ground Meat of choice (grass-fed beef, bison, elk, venison, turkey, chicken)
  • Garlic Powder (sprinkle liberally)
  • 1 to 1 1/2 tsp of Five Spice (to your taste preference)
  • ½ – 1 tsp of Powdered Ginger (to your taste preference)
  • 1 – 2 Pinches of Red Pepper Flakes (to your heat preference)
  • 1 ½ Large Carrots or 2 Medium Chopped Finely

Optional Veggie Additions: Finely chopped onion (or the white part of green onions) or julienne red bell pepper

The Sauce:

1 Cup of Cooked Jasmine Rice (I like to cook my rice in broth for added flavor)

Optional Toppings:

  • Sesame Seeds
  • Green Onions (I used homemade dried chives)
  • Cilantro Leaves
  • Chopped Avocado

Directions:

Wash and dry lettuce leaves and place on a plate like tiny bowls. I usually double or triple the leaves to make a secure wrapping surface. Finely pre-chop carrots and set aside. If you are adding finely chopped onion or julienned red bell pepper, pre-chop those as well.

Side Note: You can not only pre-chop all your veggies, but you can pre-cook the rice, and pre mix the sauce. This can be much easier for folks…instead of multi-tasking during the cooking process, particularly if it is the first time you’ve made a dish. This is called Mise en Place (MEEZ ahn plahs) it “is a French term for having all your ingredients measured, cut, peeled, sliced, grated, etc. before you start cooking. Pans are prepared. Mixing bowls, tools and equipment set out.” (Google it).

Over a medium-high heat brown meat of choice in a large skillet (if you use a lean meat you may have to add cooking fat). While browning sprinkle liberally with garlic powder, add the ginger, five spice, and red pepper flakes. Cook through to the point of the meat getting a little crispy.

While the meat is cooking start cooking the rice. If using traditional stove-top rice it takes approximately 30 minutes total. Instructions for the rice I linked to above: bring rice to a boil, stir, cover and reduce heat to low simmer, cook for 15 minutes, turn off heat moving to another burner location, remaining covered…allow to sit for an additional 10 minutes, uncover and fluff with a fork. You can pre-cook rice the day before or you can use a pressure cooker or rice cooker to speed up the rice cooking time.

Once the meat is about ¾ the way cooked, add the finely chopped carrots (and other optional veggies) and continue to cook. Siring occasionally.

While the rice is cooking and meat is browning, assemble the sauce. In a small bowl whisk together the liquid aminos, pure maple syrup, sesame seed oil, lime juice, and chopped pickled ginger. Set aside.

Once the meat is starting to get a bit crispy (the rice should be around 7 minutes from being complete), reduce to a medium heat and pour the sauce over. Stir well. Once the rice is done, turn the heat off under the meat and mix the rice into the meat mixture. This is also the time I added a Tbs+ of homemade dried chives.

Spoon the meat and rice mixture into the lettuce cups/wraps and top with your preferred optional toppings.

Done. Eat. Enjoy.

Asian Lettuce Wraps

With the leftovers, I made a salad with avocado, warmed-up and dumped the meat mixture over the top, and used Bragg’s Ginger and Sesame salad dressing. It was sooooo good!

Leftover Asian Lettcue Wraps

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Thrive Market allows you to shop for all the healthy food items you know and love at discount prices, because they cut out the middle man, and it gets delivered to your door so it also saves you time. Not only to you save money, but for every paid membership Thrive Gives a membership to a family in need.

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Recipe: All-In-One-Meal – Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls

30 Thursday Mar 2017

Posted by in Food

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Tools:

  • Chopping Board
  • Knife
  • Large Deep Pan w/ Lid
  • Spatula and or Large Spoon

Ingredients:

Seasonings:

Directions:

Chop onion into small even sized pieces and saute in pan with butter or Ghee, season with salt, black pepper, and garlic powder over a medium-high-heat. While you onion is cooking, chop bell pepper into small even sized pieces and mince garlic cloves.

Once the onion is ½ way cooked, add the bell pepper with a little more salt and garlic powder. Once they are soft and have some color on them (de-glaze pan with broth or lemon juice) add the ground meat and season with salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes (if you desire). Add in any seasoning or herb to the meat you prefer, the more flavor the better.

While the meat is cooking, chop the cabbage into large long strips. (Cooking Tip: Because cabbage cooks down, if you cut the pieces too small they will dang near disappear in this dish.)

Once the meat is cooked through and is nice and brown, add in the minced garlic and cook for a few mins. Add the chopped cabbage, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, juice of two lemons (I used previously frozen lemon juice), and more of each seasoning. Place lid.

Reduce to medium-heat and cook for approximately 20 minutes; after this time the cabbage should be wilting and easier to mix/stir. Stir well and if more liquid is needed to continue the steaming of the cabbage add in bone broth or white wine and maybe a little more lemon juice and salt and place lid back on and continue to cook for 30 – 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.

If you so choose, this dish is served well over rice. This is the time to make rice, with approximately 30 – 35 minutes of cook time left. I personally like to cook rice in bone broth and a couple of dashes of salt instead of water to add in nutrients and flavor.

Rice & Broth

Cooking Tip: As you may have noticed, I season each layer as it goes in the pan, this allows for the flavor to build as the dish progresses through the cooking process, if you do not the dish may turn out bland.

Done. Eat. Enjoy.

Unstuffed Cabbage Over Rice

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The annual fee is less than Sams Club or CostCo at $59.95 per year. Since March 2015 and today, I have saved $1,222.28 purchasing through Thrive Market. The second best part, aside from saving money, is that it all gets delivered to my door and I do not have to go to stores thus saving me time and energy as well.

Thrive Market allows you to shop for all the healthy food items you know and love at discount prices, because they cut out the middle man, and it gets delivered to your door so it also saves you time. Not only to you save money, but for every paid membership Thrive Gives a membership to a family in need.

Recipe: All-In-One-Meal – Meat Lasagna

19 Wednesday Oct 2016

Posted by in Food

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I made this for dinner this past Saturday night and it was a big hit! It does take time to make, so only make this when you have plenty of time.

We were planning to eat dinner around 7:30p and I started cooking at 5:30p. I placed it in the oven around 6:30-ish and we ate around 7:30-ish.

Recipe: Main Dish – Meat Lasagna

Tools:

  • Chopping Board
  • Knife
  • Large/Deep Pan
  • Spatula
  • Large Plate
  • Medium Size Bowl
  • 2 Big Spoons
  • Lots of Paper Towels
  • Trash Can
  • Pot
  • Slotted Spoon
  • Colander
  • 9×13 baking dish

Sauce Ingredients:

  • Butter
  • Small or ½ Large Yellow or White Onion
  • 1 Organic Green Bell Pepper
  • Sliced Mushrooms (optional – my family doesn’t like them so I don’t use them)
  • 1 lb of Grass-fed Ground Beef or 1 lb of ground pork Italian sausage (or half and half of each)
  • 1 Tbs Fresh Minced Garlic
  • 1 15oz Can Petite Diced Tomatoes – Drained
  • 1 32oz Jar of Marinara Sauce
  • 1/4 – 1/2 tsp Dark Brown Sugar
  • 1/8 Lemon

Cheese Mixture Ingredients:

  • 16oz – 20oz of Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese
  • 1 8oz Pkg of Softened Cream Cheese
  • 1 – 2 tsp of homemade or jar Basil Pesto
  • ¼ Cup of Parmesan Cheese

Other:

  • Lasagna Noodles
  • Shredded Cheese of Choice (Mozzarella or Italian Cheese Blend)
  • Salt
  • Black Pepper
  • Powered Garlic
  • Italian Seasoning
  • Pinch Red Pepper Flakes

Directions:

Place 16 – 20 oz of ricotta cheese on a large place and press it flat. Cover with paper towels, as the paper towels get wet, remove and replace. I went through a lot of paper towels, but drawing the moisture out of the ricotta will prevent the lasagna from being watery. I did this process for approximately 1 hour prior to layering. Alternatively, you could use a cheese cloth and squeeze the moisture out of the cheese.

Chop onion and green bell pepper in small equal size pieces. Place onion in hot pan with butter to brown over a medium-high heat. Add salt, pepper, and garlic powder. When onions are brown add green bell pepper, add more salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Continue to sauté over a medium-heat until brown. At this time, add the mushrooms if you show choose (add butter, and more seasonings as before). The key is to add seasonings to each layer of ingredients.

sauted-onion-green-bell-pepper

Add the ground meat, salt, pepper, a pinch of red pepper flakes, and 1 Tbs of fresh minced garlic. Continue to cook over a medium-heat until meat is browned.

Add the drained can of tomatoes, salt, pepper, and stir – then cook over a medium-heat the rest of the liquid out of them. Then add the jar of marinara sauce, salt, Italian seasoning, and stir – cook to reduce/thicken on a low-medium heat until the rest of the components are ready to layer.

Pre-heat oven to 375°.

Bring a pot of water with salt to a boil. Add noodles, stir and cook according to package instructions.

cooking-noodles

While cooking noodles, mix your Ricotta cheese, cream cheese, basil pesto, and parmesan cheese together in a bowl and set aside.

Once noodles are done, drain and rinse with cold water, and return to a pot of cold water (this will keep them from sticking together and getting gummy). Pat noodles dry just before layering. I placed paper towels out on my counter top, put 3 noodles down, and placed paper towels on top to pat dry.

Turn off the stove under the sauce.

Line up your 9×13 pan, sauce, cheese mixture, noodles, and paper towels on the counter for easy access.

Time to build…..

  • Add a thin layer of meat sauce to bottom of pan
  • Dry and layer 3 noodles (length wise in pan)
  • Add more meat sauce
  • Generous layer of shredded cheese
  • Dry and layer 3 noodles (length wise in pan)
  • Add entire cheese blend mixture
  • Add more shredded cheese
  • Dry and layer 3 noodles (length wise in pan)
  • Add the remainder of the meat sauce

Cover with foil and puncture small vent holes with a knife. Bake for 30 minutes.

foil-with-vents

Remove from oven and remove the foil. Add a liberal amount of shredded cheese of choice and bake for another 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes.

image

Done. Eat. Enjoy.

I highly encourage you to Sign-up for Thrive Market

Thrive Market allows you to shop for all the healthy food items you know and love at discount prices, because they cut out the middle man, and it gets delivered to your door so it also saves you time. Not only to you save money, but for every paid membership Thrive Gives a membership to a family in need.