Thai Butternut Squash Lettuce Wraps

These lettuce wraps are super yummy. The dipping sauce is key. I simplified and bought pre-cubed butternut squash. It says to cook it for 10 minutes in a skillet but I really didn't believe squash could cook that quickly so I roasted mine in the oven for a bit first. 

Thai Butternut Squash Lettuce Wraps

YIELD: SERVES 4

TOTAL TIME: 35 MINUTES

ingredients:

2 cups cubed butternut squash
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 teaspoon honey
1 head of butter lettuce, leaves torn off
1 red pepper, thinly sliced
4 green onions, sliced
1/3 cup peanuts, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup of fresh cilantro, torn

thai dipping/drizzling sauce
4 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons canned coconut milk
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons creamy peanut butter (it mixes in easier if it's melted, FYI)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lime, juiced
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

directions:

Toss the squash with the salt, pepper and chili powder. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the coconut oil. Add the squash and cook until it is fork tender and slightly caramely in color, about 10 minutes. Half way through, drizzle in the honey to help the caramelization process.

Assemble the lettuce wraps by laying a few pieces of sliced red pepper in a butter lettuce leaf. Top it with the squash, then a hefty drizzle of the thai sauce. Add a sprinkling of the onions, peanuts and cilantro.

thai dipping/drizzling sauce
Combine all the ingredients together in a saucepan and heat over medium-low heat. Bring the mixture to a simmer and whisk until it is combined. Cook for 2 minutes, then remove from heat.

Source: www.howsweeteats.com

Indian Spiced Cauliflower and Potatoes with Cucumber Raita

I really liked the flavor in this dish. Oliver and Simon gobbled up the raita (I added more cucumber than it called for). The girls just gobbled up the naan. (The naan from Target's bakery section is pretty good.)

Indian Spiced Cauliflower and Potatoes
Gourmet, February 2004
1 (1 3/4-lb) head cauliflower, cut into 3/4-inch-wide florets
1 1/4 lb Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
5 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 teaspoons minced fresh jalapeño, including seeds
2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 cup water
Accompaniment: lemon wedges

Put oven rack in upper third of oven and place a shallow baking pan on rack. Preheat oven to 475°F.
Toss cauliflower and potatoes together in a bowl with 3 tablespoons oil, cumin seeds, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Spread in hot baking pan and roast, stirring occasionally, until cauliflower is tender and browned in spots and potatoes are just tender, about 20 minutes.

While vegetables are roasting, cook onion, garlic, jalapeño, and ginger in remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until very soft and beginning to turn golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Add ground cumin, coriander, turmeric, cayenne, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. Stir in water, scraping up any brown bits from bottom of skillet, then stir in roasted vegetables. Cook, covered, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes.

Makes 4 side-dish servings.

Cucumber Scallion Raita
1/4 cup finely chopped English (seedless cucumber)
1 thinly sliced scallion
3/4 cup yogurt
1/2 teaspoon salt
Mix!

Cream Cheese Penguins

Rated: Submitted By: Valerie Cuff Photo By: christapants Prep Time: 30 Minutes Ready In: 35 Minutes Servings: 18

"Just imagine a cute display of penguins, made with black olives, carrots and cream cheese! You can add scarves and hats by using fresh red pepper strips, or canned pimentos cut into different shapes. Use frilly toothpicks if you can."

Ingredients:

18 jumbo black olives, pitted 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

18 small black olives 1 carrot

Directions:

1.

Cut a slit from top to bottom, lengthwise, into the side of each jumbo olive. Carefully insert about 1 teaspoon of cream cheese into each olive. Slice the carrot into eighteen 1/4 inch thick rounds; cut a small notch out of each carrot slice to form feet. Save the cut out piece and press into center of small olive to form the beak. If necessary cut a small slit into each olive before inserting the beak.

2.

Set a big olive, large hole side down, onto a carrot slice. Then, set a small olive onto the large olive, adjusting so that the beak, cream cheese chest and notch in the carrot slice line up. Secure with a toothpick.

Tabouleh

This recipe was in the Ladies' Home Journal, March 2014.  The secret is to use a lot of parsley.

3/4 cup dry bulgur wheat
1 small red onion, finely diced
2 scallions, white and green parts, finely sliced
1 1/2 cups minced flat-leaf parsley
1 plum tomato, finely diced
1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
Lettuce laves, for serving (optional)

Cook bulgur according to package directions to yield 2 cups.  In a large bowl combine cooked bulgur, onion, scallions, parsley and tomato.  In a second bowl whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, salt, lemon zest, and pepper.  Pour dressing over bulgur mixture and toss to coat.  Scoop onto lettuce laves, if desired to eat with hands.
Makes 4 cups.  80 cal., per 1/2 cup serving. 

Cuban Black Beans and Rice

Ingredients

1 onion diced
3 cloves garlic crushed
1 green pepper diced
1 tsp. rice vinegar
Juice of 3 limes
1 tsp. cumin
1 Tbsp. red pepper flakes
3 bay leaves
2 cans black beans
Salt and pepper to taste


Instructions

Heat olive oil in saucepan
Add onion and sauté
Add minced garlic cloves and sauté
Add diced green peppers and sauté as well
Add remaining ingredients
Let simmer on low for 15 minutes
Remove bay leaves

Serve over rice. Top with green onions.

Turkey Meatballs

These are from Bob Harper's "The Skinny Rules" book.  The way mine turn out, there are about 5 meatballs in each serving.  

Turkey Meatballs

Whether you have just a couple of meatballs as a snack or a larger serving for lunch or dinner, wrap them in lettuce instead of a bun.

Makes 4 servings.

Brown rice is a healthy substitute for the usual bread crumbs.

Ingredients

1 lb extra-lean ground turkey

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 c. finely chopped onion

1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1 large egg, beaten

1/2 c. cooked brown rice, cooled

olive oil spray

Directions

1. Combine all the ingredients except the olive oil in a large mixing bowl and shape into about 30 meatballs 1 inch across.

2.  Spray a large nonstick skillet generously with olive oil.

3. Cook the meatballs for 5-6 min, ,working in batches if your pan is not large enough to fit them all, occasionally moving them around to brown all sides.

Variation: Once all the meatballs are cooked, add a jar of low-sodium marinara sauce to the pan.  Simmer the meatballs in the sauce for 20 minutes.  These sauced meatballs are great by themselves or served over quinoa, farro, or whole-wheat pasta at lunch, or over spaghetti squash or other veggies for dinner.

Nutrition Information per serving:

213 calories, 24g protein, 8g carbs, 9.6g fat

Aji de Gallina: Traditional Peruvian Cuisine

PREP 

1 whole chicken, cooked with salt to taste

• SHRED and reserve broth (about 6 cups)
• Use the rest of the chicken broth to cook potatoes

18 slices (small loaf) of white bread

• Soak shredded bread in 1 cup of milk for at least 15 minutes (won’t hurt to soak longer)
• Add enough water to cover well and blend till smooth

10 red or golden red potatoes. Cooked whole

INGREDIENTS

• 1 large onion finely chopped
• 4 cloves of Garlic (pressed)
• ½ cup of parmesan cheese
• ¼ cup of vegetable oil
• 1 tsp. Turmeric
• 2 tsp. of Salt (or to taste)
• 1/4 tsp. Pepper
• 1/4 tsp. Cumin

PREPARATION

1. In a large pan heat oil and sauté onions for about 1 minute (med-high heat)
2. Add garlic and spices (turmeric, salt, pepper, and cumin) cook till onion is translucent (about 5 minutes).
3. Add shredded chicken and stir to coat chicken well and then add enough broth to cover the chicken; bring to a boil.
4. Add bread mixture and bring to a boil again.
5. Reduce heat (med-low) and stir constantly (it will stick if not stirred). Cook for 20 min. adding more broth as needed. Consistency should be thick, but loose.
6. Add parmesan cheese and cook 5 more minutes.

TIP: If you run out of broth and the mixture is too thick, heat some milk and add as needed. 

Serve over sliced potatoes or white rice (or in the Peruvian tradition, both). Garnish with a slice of boiled egg and an olive.