Coconut Fried Plantains

Serves 4

4 TBSP Coconut Oil
2 Green Plantains
Salt, For Taste or Cinnamon Sugar

1. Melt coconut oil on high heat.

2. Cut plantains 1/4 inch thick slices.

3. Once the oil is at temperature, add the plantains and cook a minute and a half to two minutes each side.

4. Once golden brown on each side, put the plantains on top of a paper towel so the excess oil drains off.

5. Then salt lightly if it it part of the main course, or add some cinnamon sugar if you want to have them as a dessert, and enjoy!

Chicken Chimichurri

Serves 4-5

2 LBS of Chicken Breast, or a LB of Chicken and a LB of Shrimp, or Skirt Steak

1 C Flat Leaf Parsley
1 C Cilantro
4 Garlic Cloves
3 TBSP Red Onion, Chopped
2/3 C White Vinegar
1/3 C Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper, To Taste
A Dash or Two Red Pepper Flakes

1. Trim the ends of the parsley and cilantro and add it to the food processor/blender with the rest of the ingredients.

2. Add half of the marinade to the chicken and marinate for an hour to 2 hours.
* Skirt steak marinades about the same time. Shrimp marinades for only 30 minutes.

3. Preheat the grill on medium high heat for 5-10 minutes, then rub half an onion across the surface of the grill you are going to use. It will make the grill non stick.

 4. Once the meat is marinated, add the meat to non stick part of the grill. Grill both sides of the chicken evenly with brown grill marks which will take about 10 to 12 minutes.
* Rare skirt steak takes 5 to 10 minutes. Shrimp takes 4-6 minutes or until it is opaque.

5. Once meat is done, let it rest for a couple minutes, then cut, dress with some of the remaining chimichurri, and enjoy!

Pan Fried Orange Tofu and Rice

Serves 4

1 C Orange Juice

4 TBSP Rice Vinegar

3 TBSP Brown Sugar

2 TBSP Sweet Chili Sauce, I prefer Mae Ploy.

2 TBSP Soy Sauce, I use Low Sodium.

1/2 TSP Sesame Oil

1/2 TSP Red Pepper Flakes

Salt and Pepper, for taste

1/4 C Flour

1 Egg, Whisked

1 TBSP Water

3/4 C Panko

Dash of Garlic Powder and Cinnamon

1 Package of Firm Tofu, Drained, Dried, and Chopped into 1 to 2 INCH Cubes

1/4 C Canola Oil

In a small sauce pan, add all the sauce ingredients: orange juice, rice vinegar, brown sugar, sweet chili sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, pepper flakes and bring it to a boil on medium high heat. Once it starts to a boil turn down the heat and let it simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. (I preferred it a little runny unlike the Chinese restaurants, so I cooked it until it got to the consistency I wanted.) If you like it thick, I would suggest making a slurry of a tablespoon of flour and 2 tablespoon water and then added to the sauce.

To prepare the tofu, cut the tofu into cubes, and then between two clean towels or two or three sheets of paper towels on each side of the tofu press the tofu to dry it out. It will take two or three times, so before each time wring out the towel

To start the tofu, a dredge station of three plates/bowls will need to be create: first one will have flour, second one will be the whisked egg and water that you mix in, and then panko, garlic powder, and cinnamon in the other.

While you prep the tofu by covering each cube with each of the mixture, add the oil in a deep skillet and set the heat to medium high. The edge of the pan should be about 2 to 3 inches high, so it is less risk of the oil flying everywhere.

Once the tofu is ready, the oil should be ready, so you can then add the tofu. You will flip the tofu as the sides get golden brown, so the tofu is browned on each side. It should take about 10 to 15 minutes to cook.

Once the tofu is done, drain the excess oil and then add the sauce into the pan and incorporate it into the tofu.

Serve over rice and enjoy!

Strawberry Shortcake

Serves 8

Strawberry Mixture
2 LBS of Strawberries, Stemmed and Quartered
4 TBSP Powdered Sugar

Shortcake
2 C All Purpose Flour
5 TBSP Sugar
1 TBSP Baking Powder
1/2 TSP Salt
8 TBSP Butter, Cold and Cubed
1 Egg
1 Egg White
1/2 C and 1 TBSP Milk, Anything but Fat Free Milk

Extra Flour for Surface

1 Can or Tube of Whipped Cream

1. In a medium bowl, mix strawberries and powdered sugar, cover and put in refrigerator.

2. Preheat oven at 425 degree fahrenheit.

3. In a food processor, put all dry ingredients in: flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and then turn in processor and cut the butter in until in makes pea size pieces of dough.

If you do not have a food processor, shred the butter into the dry ingredients and mix dough with your hands until it is all mixed.

4. In a measuring cup, whisk the egg, egg white, and milk all together and then mix it evenly into the dough.

 

5. Depending on the temperature of the room, you may need 1/2 C to a cup of flour on the surface to knead the dough. Do not overwork the dough only fold the dough about 4 to 6 times. Then roll it out until it is about 3/4 inch thick.

6. Then flour the round cutter and make about 8 rounds of dough. I do not have a round cutter, so I used a cup with floured edges.

7. Then put on the baking sheet with a silo pad. If you do not have, lightly grease the pan then bake for 12-15 minutes.

** If it is a sticky dough and the butter is melted, you will need to chill the rounds before baking for 10-20 minutes.

8. Once they are lightly browned, you will remove them from the over and let cool on a wire rack.

9. Finally when the shortcakes are cool, you can break them in half, pour the strawberries over it and top with whipped cream.

Turkey Meatballs

Serves 3-4

1 1/2 LBS Ground Lean Turkey
1/4 C Bread Crumbs/Panko
1/4 C Parmesan Cheese
1 TSP Red Pepper Flakes
1 TBSP Italian Seasoning
1/2 TSP Salt
1/2 TSP Ground Pepper
1 Egg
1 TBSP Garlic (Optional/Recommended if it is not in the sauce.)
1 Small Onion, Diced (Optional/Recommended if it is not in the sauce.)


Marinara Sauce of your choice or homemade (optional)
Any vegetable you want to add zucchini, squash, mushrooms. (Optional)
Cooked Pasta (Optional)
French Bread and Mozzarella Cheese(Optional)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit.

2.Mix together ground turkey, bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and egg.

3. Next in greased 9x9 glass pan, form about 9 good sized meatballs, and add to pan.

4. Bake for 25-30 minutes until meatballs are brown.

5. Then serve with sauce on bread or pasta and enjoy!

Spam Fried Rice

Serves 6/8

5 C Cooked Sticky Rice, Cooled
2 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Large Yellow Onion, Diced
4 Cloves of Garlic, Minced
1 Can of Spam (I used the lite one.)
16 OZ of Frozen Peas and Carrots (I used peas, carrots, corn, and green beans since that was all I could find.)
2 Eggs, Scrambled
4/5 TBSP Soy Sauce, Depends how salty you want it.
2/3 TBSP Ground Pepper

1. Cook rice and then cool.

2. In wok on medium high heat, add oil, onion, garlic, and Spam. Cook for 10-15 minutes until onions and Spam are browned.

3. Next turn down heat to medium, add frozen vegetables, and cover so vegetable will steam and cook for about 10 minutes until all vegetables are cooked.

4. Then scoot meat and vegetables to the side of the wok and cook the scrambled eggs.

5. Once done, mix rice into wok with the vegetable, meat, and eggs and brown the rice. Finally mix in soy sauce and pepper until evenly distributed.

(Sorry I failed at taking a picture of the final product.)

Sausage and Vegetable Frittata

Serves 4

1/2 Sausage
1 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Medium Yellow Onion, Thinly Sliced
1 Red Bell Pepper, Seeded and Diced
1 Bunch of Kale, Stems Taken Off and Chopped
4 Eggs, Cage Free and Free-Range
1/2 C Milk, I used Organic Skim Milk.
1/2 Cheese
1 Tomato, Sliced

1. Preheat oven to 350 degree fahrenheit.

2. On medium heat, spray the pan with oil and cook sausage for about 10 minutes until it is no longer pink. Next set aside on a plate the a paper towel, so the fat can drain.

3. In same pan, add olive oil and cook onions until they are opaque. Next add the peppers and kale and cook until the kale is wilted. Then mix in the sausage into the mixture.

4. (If the pan is to small, then you can move to a glass pan.) If you have room in your pan, whip the eggs, milk, and cheese. Then pour the mixture over the sausage and vegetable and top with tomatoes.

5. Then put the pan in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until the egg mixture is cooked.

6. Finally once cooked, serve and enjoy!

Spinach and Mushroom Quinoa

Serves 4

2 C Water
1 C Quinoa
2 TSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 LB Crimini/Portobello Mushrooms, Thinly Sliced
5 Cloves of Garlic, Minced
2 C Baby Leaf Spinach
1/2 TSP Dried Thyme
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 TBSP Parmesan Cheese

1. Bring water and quinoa to a boil on medium high heat. Then cover turn down the heat to simmer for 15 minutes.

2. While quinoa is cooking, in a medium sized turn to medium high heat and add olive oil, mushrooms, garlic, spinach, thyme, salt, and pepper and cook for 5-6 minute. Then turn off heat once everything is cooked and the mushrooms are tender.

 

3. Once quinoa is cooked, add it to the pan of mushrooms and mixed in parmesan cheese. Serve with some protein and enjoy!