Stir-fry Thai Chicken with Basil

From Atkins website: http://www.atkins.com/Recipes/ShowRecipe482/Stir-Fried-Thai-Chicken-with-Basil.aspx

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 2- by 1-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce, such as nam plaor nuoc mam
• 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons granular sugar substitute
• 2 tablespoons peanut oil
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 cup lightly packed small basil leaves, preferably Asian variety)

Directions:

Combine chicken, fish sauce, soy sauce, water and sugar substitute in a bowl and let stand 30 minutes. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add oil. Heat until hot but not smoking. Add green onion and stir-fry 2 minutes, until softened. Add garlic and pepper flakes and stir-fry 30 seconds. Remove chicken from marinade with a slotted spoon and add to onion mixture. Stir-fry until chicken is almost cooked through, about 3 minutes. Add the marinade and stir-fry mixture 30 seconds, until liquid boils. Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup basil. Transfer to serving bowl and sprinkle with remaining basil.

Nutritional Information
Per Serving:

Net Carbs: 1.5 grams

Fiber: 0.5 grams

Protein: 41.5 grams

Fat: 11.5 grams

Calories: 285

Butternut Squash and Mushroom Lasagna

From Epicurious/Bon Appetit: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Butternut-Squash-and-Mushroom-Lasagna-231091

Candace made this as a pot pie -- she covered the filling with pizza dough and omitted the pasta.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 2 1/2 cups chopped onions
• 1/2 pound crimini (baby bella) mushrooms, sliced (about 3 cups)

• 2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices (about 5 1/2 cups)
• 1 14-ounce can vegetable broth
• 4 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme, divided
• 4 tablespoons sliced fresh sage, divided

• 3 15-ounce containers whole-milk ricotta cheese
• 4 cups grated mozzarella cheese, divided
• 2 cups grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 4 large eggs

• Olive oil
• 1 9-ounce package no-boil lasagna noodles

PREPARATIONS

Melt butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions; sauté until soft, about 8 minutes. Increase heat to high; add mushrooms and cook until tender, stirring constantly, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer mushroom mixture to bowl; set aside.

Add squash, broth, 3 tablespoons thyme, and 3 tablespoons sage to same skillet. Cover and simmer over medium heat until squash is just tender, about 6 minutes. Uncover and cook until squash is very soft but still retains shape, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Mix ricotta, 2 cups mozzarella cheese, 1 1/2 cups Parmesan cheese, and remaining 1 tablespoon thyme and 1 tablespoon sage in large bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper; mix in eggs.

Brush 13x9x2-inch glass or ceramic baking dish with oil. Spread 1 cup ricotta mixture over bottom. Arrange 3 noodles on top. Spread 13/4 cups ricotta mixture over noodles. Arrange 1 1/3 cups squash mixture over. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup mushrooms and 1 cup mozzarella. Top with 3 noodles, then 1 3/4 cups ricotta mixture, half of remaining squash, 1/2 cup mushrooms, and remaining 1 cup mozzarella. Repeat with noodles, 1 3/4 cups ricotta mixture, remaining squash, and remaining mushrooms. Top with 3 noodles. Spread remaining ricotta mixture over; sprinkle with remaining Parmesan. Cover with oiled foil.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake lasagna, covered, 35 minutes. Uncover; bake until heated through, about 25 minutes longer. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. (The lasagna can be assembled one day ahead and refrigerated.)

Matthew's Peanut Pumpkin Curry

As annotated by both Matthew and Mom

Peanut Pumpkin Curry Sauce
(serving size of 4 – he’s kidding it is lots more!)
2 tbsp of peanut oil
2 cloves of garlic
1 finger length of ginger
1/3 yellow onion
1.5 tbsp of good peanut butter (he prefers the crunchy Trader Joes brand)
2 tbsp Sweet Soy Sauce (specifically sweet soy sauce)
1 16 oz can of pure pumpkin puree
3 tbsp of Coconut Curry Sauce (found at Asian Market)
1 tbsp of red curry paste (more or less depending on how spicy you like)
1 8oz (small size) Chao Koh coconut milk
2 tbsp of shaved palm sugar or 1.5 tbsp of brown sugar
1/3 cup chicken stock
1 med size red bell pepper
1 med size green pepper
1 carrot
1 handful of cilantro
2 cups Jasmine Rice
1 container of tofu or 1 large chicken breast or other preferred meat. If you use fish, recommend cooking the fish separately.

Directions
Prep (most important)
If you have a rice cooker, mix 4 cups of water into the 2 cups of rice and start. Always use a 2:1 water/rice mixture. Smash and cut garlic. Finely chop ginger. Cut onion into small pieces. Cut bell peppers into small pieces along with carrot. Cut tofu or meat into small pieces. Finely chop cilantro. Set veggies and meat aside so as you are ready to add when needed.

Cooking: If you have a wok, use it. If not a deep dish non-stick frying pan works well or a paella pan. Use a medium heat. Add peanut oil. Let warm. Then add, onion, garlic, ginger. Be sure to stir so as to prevent burning. Once the onions begin to cook and the garlic becomes fragrant, add the peanut butter. Pour the soy sauce into the peanut butter. This will cause the peanut butter to begin to separate. Quickly stir it all together then immediately add the pumpkin puree. Stir all together so that everything is infused. Should turn from bright orange to a darker orange. Let sit for 1 minute. Now add the curry sauce and curry paste. Stir together. Sauce should be very thick now. Add the coconut milk and stir in. Turn heat to medium and add tofu/chicken and carrots. As sauce thickens slowly add chicken stock in small increments to keep the sauce from getting too thick. Cook for 4-5 minutes. Now add the peppers. Stir in additional chicken stock and add the palm sugar. Stir all together. Let sit for another 1-2 minutes over low heat. Taste and determine whether you want more heat. If you like it. Turn off the heat. Sprinkle cilantro on top of sauce when serving. Serve with fresh rice or you can mix the sauce with rice noodle or pasta noodles to have a curry noodle dish.

Add a bit of sweet chile sauce to your bowl -- and sometimes a splash more soy sauce.

Kale and Quinoa Pilaf

From Cooking Light: http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=10000000226297

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• [1.5# chicken breast, cut into cubes]
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced carrot
• 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1 teaspoon chili paste with garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
• 6 cups torn kale
• 2 cups cooked brown rice
• 1 cup cooked quinoa
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained

Preparation

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. [cook chicken] Add onion, carrot, bell pepper, and garlic; sauté 2 minutes. Add curry, chili paste, and ginger; sauté 1 minute. Add remaining ingredients; cook 3 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring occasionally. Serve at room temperature.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

256 (15% from fat)

Fat:

4.2g (sat 0.6g,mono 1.1g,poly 1.8g)

Protein:

9g

Carbohydrate:

48g

Fiber:

8.2g

Cholesterol:

0.0mg

Iron:

4mg

Sodium:

422mg

Calcium:

137mg

Thai Cabbage Slaw

From Cooking Light: http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=10000000549968

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 3/4 cup)

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon chile paste with garlic
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 6 cups shredded napa (Chinese) cabbage
• 2 cups shredded red cabbage
• 1 cup red bell pepper strips
• 1 cup shredded carrot
• 2 tablespoons chopped dry-roasted peanuts
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint

Preparation

Combine first 7 ingredients in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk until blended. Add cabbages, bell pepper, and carrot, and toss gently to coat. Cover and marinate in refrigerator 1 hour. Stir in the peanuts, cilantro, and mint just before serving.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

66 (34% from fat)

Fat:

2.5g (sat 0.4g,mono 1.1g,poly 0.8g)

Protein:

2.9g

Carbohydrate:

10g

Fiber:

3.2g

Cholesterol:

0.0mg

Iron:

0.9mg

Sodium:

540mg

Calcium:

55mg

Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2003

Chipotle Pork Soft Tacos with Pineapple Salsa

From Cooking Light: http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=10000001611663

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 2 tortillas, 2/3 cup pork mixture, and 1/2 cup salsa)

Ingredients

• Salsa:
• 2 cups minced pineapple
• 1 cup minced apple
• 1/4 cup minced shallots
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Tacos:
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 cup thinly sliced yellow onion
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin, cut lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
• 1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 12 cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 2 chipotle chiles, canned in adobo sauce, chopped (about 2 tablespoons) -- this is the heat! 2 will keep your mouth burning!
• 12 (6-inch) corn tortillas, warmed

Preparation

To prepare salsa, combine the first 7 ingredients in a medium bowl; stir until well blended. Cover and chill.

To prepare tacos, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion to pan; cook 2 minutes or until tender. Add garlic; cook 30 seconds. Add pork to pan; cook 4 minutes or until pork loses its pink color, stirring occasionally. Stir in broth and next 7 ingredients (through chipotles). Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Uncover and simmer 10 minutes or until liquid is nearly evaporated. Warm tortillas according to package directions. Serve pork mixture with tortillas and salsa.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

391 (19% from fat)

Fat:

8.3g (sat 1.8g,mono 3.6g,poly 2g)

Protein:

29.3g

Carbohydrate:

50.8g

Fiber:

6.9g

Cholesterol:

74mg

Iron:

3.6mg

Sodium:

420mg

Calcium:

161mg

Red Beans and Rice

From Cooks Illustrated: http://www.cooksillustrated.com/recipes/detail.asp?docid=21350

Serves 6 to 8. Published January 1, 2010. From Cook's Illustrated.

If you are pressed for time you can “quick-brine” your beans. In step 1, combine the salt, water, and beans in a large Dutch oven and bring to a boil over high heat. Remove the pot from the heat, cover, and let stand 1 hour. Drain and rinse the beans and proceed with the recipe. If you can’t find andouille sausage, substitute kielbasa. Tasso can be difficult to find, but if you use it, omit the bacon and paprika in step 2 and cook 4 ounces finely chopped tasso in 2 teaspoons vegetable oil until lightly browned, 4 to 6 minutes, then proceed with the recipe. In order for the starch from the beans to thicken the cooking liquid, it is important to maintain a vigorous simmer in step 2. The beans can be cooled, covered tightly, and refrigerated for up to 2 days. To reheat, add enough water to the beans to thin them slightly.

INGREDIENTS

	Table salt
1	pound small red beans (about 2 cups), rinsed and picked over
4	slices bacon (about 4 ounces), chopped fine (see note)
1	medium onion , chopped fine (about 1 cup)
1	small green bell pepper , seeded and chopped fine (about 1/2 cup)
1	celery rib , chopped fine (about 1/2 cup)
3	medium garlic cloves , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
1	teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1	teaspoon sweet paprika (see note)
2	bay leaves
1/4	teaspoon cayenne pepper
	Ground black pepper
3	cups low-sodium chicken broth
6	cups water
8	ounces andouille sausage , halved lengthwise and cut into 1/4-inch slices (see note)
1	teaspoon red wine vinegar , plus extra for seasoning
	Basic White Rice (see related recipe)
3	scallions , white and green parts, sliced thin
	Hot sauce (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. 1. Dissolve 3 tablespoons salt in 4 quarts cold water in large bowl or container. Add beans and soak at room temperature for at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours. Drain and rinse well.

2. 2. Heat bacon in large Dutch oven over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until browned and almost fully rendered, 5 to 8 minutes. Add onion, green pepper, and celery; cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are softened, 6 to 7 minutes. Stir in garlic, thyme, paprika, bay leaves, cayenne pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in beans, broth, and water; bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat and vigorously simmer, stirring occasionally, until beans are just soft and liquid begins to thicken, 45 to 60 minutes.

3. 3. Stir in sausage and 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar and cook until liquid is thick and beans are fully tender and creamy, about 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt, black pepper, and additional red wine vinegar. Serve over rice, sprinkling with scallions and passing hot sauce separately, if desired.