Broccoli Cashew Chicken Stirfry

So today I’m bringing you a nice light dish featuring the dynamic superfood duo of cashews and broccoli, accompanied by their yummy friend, chicken. The sauce is subtle but flavorful and cashews add a nice touch of sweetness to the overall taste.

Broccoli Cashew Chicken Stirfry

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
1/2 small white onion, large sliced
1 small head of broccoli, cut into florets
½ cup cashews, toasted
1 tbsp peanut oil
1 tsp chili oil
1 rounded tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsbp rice vinegar

Toss the cashews in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Stirring constantly, toast until you can smell the nuts as they cook, should only take about 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar, soy sauce, and rice vinegar. Whisk together until the brown sugar is dissolved. Set aside.

rounded tablespoon

Cut the chicken, onion and broccoli into the desired bite-size pieces.

Heat the oils in a large skillet then add chicken. Cook, stirring often, until the outside of the chicken is cooked then toss in the onions. Stir and cook until onions start to “transluce,” about 2-3 minutes.

Add in broccoli and continue to stir.

Cook together for 1-2 minutes then pour brown sugar mix in. Stir until well-coated then add in the cashews. Continue to stir and cook for another minute or two.

Serve immediately.  Makes 3-4 servings (depending on how hungry you are).

NOTES

You can serve BCC over white rice or brown rice or if you’re like me and occasionally try to cut back on your carbs, chop up some white cabbage and serve it over that. It works just as well by itself too.

If you don’t have chili oil, just increase the amount of peanut oil and throw a couple of crushed red pepper flakes in.

If you don’t have rice wine vinegar, you can substitute any light flavored vinegar like apple cider or white wine vinegar.  A white balsamic might work really well too.

To make this a vegetarian dish, substitute the chicken with thinly sliced carrots, button mushrooms, and/or zucchini.

You can also add bok choy or bean sprouts to the dish.

Good and Good for You -- Cashews

This week we’re going to get a little nuts and I’m going to talk to you about cashews. Not only are they a tasty delicious snacking item, but they are really really good for your health too!

CASHEWS

Like peanuts, cashews work well both as a savory or a sweet treat. And I’ve found that they work well as a substitute for pine nuts when you’re trying not to spend a fortune making homemade pesto (yes, cashews are not inexpensive, but still cheaper than pine nuts).

As far as the good for you part of cashews go:

Ÿ Cashews are energy rich, nutrient-filled and chocked full of minerals like magnesium (for strong bones and heart health), iron (for healthy blood), zinc (for giving your immune system a boost), and selenium (for antioxidizing).

Ÿ They are replete in monounsaturated fatty acids (like oleic and palmitoleic) which help to lower LDL (L bad cholesterol) and increase HDL (J good cholesterol) which makes them arterial-friendly.
Ÿ Cashews are packed with soluble dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals that help to protect against diseases and cancers.
Ÿ Cashews also rich in essential vitamins (B-1, B-5 and B-6 please take a bow) needed for metabolism of protein, fat and carbohydrates.
Ÿ They also containing a good amount of an important flavonoid antioxidant which is thought to provide protective light-filtering functions in the eye that help prevent age-related macular degeneration (ah, I see).

cashew apple with cashew seed pod (nut shell)

Cashews are a tree nut and grow on the tree as part of a pear-shaped cashew apple (why they didn’t just call them cashew pears is anyone’s guess). The cashew apple itself is a sweet edible fruit, but because skin of the apple is so VERY fragile and bruises quite easily, it can’t be exported. So the cashew apples are only enjoyed as a local treat in Brazil, Vietnam, Indian and some African countries where cashew trees are grown.

Cashew nuts are available year round. Although they may be labeled as raw, cashews are never completely so because heat is a necessity during the shelling and cleaning process. Cashews are highly perishable and because of their high oil content can turn rancid quickly. The best way to store them is in a cool dry place in an airtight container. At room temp, they won’t last long, but in the fridge they’ll be cool up to 6 months and up to a year if frozen.



White Fish with Fennel and Tomato

As promised, fun with fennel and here's a K2 original for you to try out.  For those who are like me and not big fish eaters, the nice thing about this recipe is that you can use a light, white, non-superfishy fish like flounder (used for this recipe), orange roughy or tilapia.  Any would work well, so pick your fav.

White Fish with Fennel and Tomato

1 lb white fish fillets (two decent-sized)
1 fennel bulb, sliced

Tomato topping
3 medium tomatoes, rough chopped
1/2 cup onion, minced (about 1/4 of a med onion)
1 tsp garlic, minced
2 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Heat about 1 tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat.  Saute the onion until light brown, about 3-4 minutes.  Add in the garlic, cook an additional 1-2 minutes.

Add in tomatoes, sugar and spices.  Stirring occasionally, leave the tomato mixture to cook over medium high heat until the excess liquid is cooked out of it (about 6-7 minutes).

crushed fennel seeds

de-moisturized tomato topping

Trim off the green fluffy tops of the fennel and cut into thick slices.  Doesn't need to be pretty.

On a sheet of foil lay out a layer of fennel and drizzle with oil.

Rinse the fish fillet and pat it dry before laying it on the fennel.

Cover the fish with tomato topping.

Close/fold the foil over the fish and cinch up the ends.  Put the packet(s) on a cookie sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes.

You'll know the fish is done because it will be white and not opaque.  Serve immediately, makes about 4 servings.

We served it with garlic mashed potatoes and steamed haricot vertes (the K2 green of choice), accompanied by a nice dry white white.  The WFFT is very flavorful and not to heavy on the stomach. 

NOTES

As I mentioned on Wednesday, I like my fennel with a little crunch to it, so I put the fennel on the foil raw. If you are like the PGPs (aka Parental Guinea Pigs) and prefer your fennel with a little less bite resistance, then I would recommend throwing the fennel slices into a skillet with a touch of oil and saute them about 3-4 minutes to soften them up first. There's no right or wrong way to do it, so whatever your preference is will work.

I used vine-ripened tomatoes because they are less fleshy than Roma tomatoes and less watery than standard tomatoes.  Plus, they are really pretty and bright red. 

Good and Good for You -- Fennel

As part of the eating better plan, starting this month I thought I’d bring you Superfood Wednesdays. Give you some tids and bits about foods with a good and good for you appeal. Then on Sundays, I’ll follow up with a recipe using that Superfood so we can all feel better about doing something nice for our bodies. This week in the spotlight:

FENNEL

I was first exposed to fennel when I lived in Italy while growing up. You can use all parts of the plant – bulb, leaves and seeds.

If you haven’t had it before, the bulb is celery-like in color and texture, but in flavor it tastes like anise (though not as intense). The bulb can be sautéed, grilled, stewed, braised, or just eaten raw. My favorite way to eat it is raw because it’s cool, crispity, and crunchity (and I’ve always had a thing for crunchy foods). It’s used a lot in Mediterranean cooking and is especially good in fresh salads, in egg dishes, and cooked with fish.

Fennel is punched-packed with lots of great things for your body:

• It’s a good source of fiber and very low in calories, so ideal for dieting.
• It’s very high in potassium which means it has diuretic properties (good for eliminating surplus body fluids).
• It’s an anti-inflammatory as well as an anti-flatulent (and who doesn’t appreciate that).
• It’s rich in antioxidant compounds.

Fennel seeds, on the other hand, have a couple of additional benefits in their wheelhouse:

• When consumed as a tea, the seeds have an appetite-suppressing quality. To make a tea, simply steep a spoonful of seeds in boiling water for 5 minutes and then strain before serving.
• They are good for fighting halitosis, just chew on a couple.
• They can also help relieve menopausal symptoms.

Fennel seeds are used most often with pork but also in fish dishes as well.

Fennel is available nearly year round though you’ll most likely find it in your more market-like grocery stores.  Fennel seeds are commonly found in the spice isle of any grocery store.

If you haven’t tried it before, you should definitely take a No Thank You bite, I think you might be pleasantly surprised.

A Happy Healthy New Year

Happy New Year everyone!  Hope you all had a fun and safe celebration.  As promised, will be bringing you some NY resolution friendly recipes.  Have been busy perusing my healthy eating cookbooks to find new and interesting things to share with you.  This recipe is a merger of three that I came across and thought I'd give it a whirl.

Sweet-n-Sour Cranberry Turkey Meatballs with Brown Rice

Meatballs

1 lb ground turkey
1/2 medium onion, minced
1/2 tsp ground sage (or 1 tbsp fresh)
1/2 tsp dried thyme
2/3 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 Egg Beaters (or other egg substitute)
4 tbsp cranberry relish

For the meatballs, mix all the ingredients together.

Roll mixture into balls, will make either 2 dozen regular-sized meatballs or 3 dozen cocktail meatballs.

Bake in oven at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes (time will vary depending on size).

Sauce

12 oz chili sauce
10 oz cranberry relish
2 tbsp lemon juice

Put ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat.  Stir occasionally with a whisk until they are well blended. 

Brown Rice

1 cup brown rice
2 1/2 cups water
1 tbsp butter or margarine (optional)
1/2 tsp salt (optional)

Bring water to a boil, then add in rice, butter and salt.  Once it starts to boil again, cover and drop temperature and allow to simmer for 45-50 minutes.

When the meatballs are finished baking, pour the sauce over them and coat well.  Serve over brown rice.  I like to serve my with a green of some sort like steamed haricot verdes, a nice leafy salad or for those who like them, some steamed broccoli on the side would do nicely too.

NOTES

In order to make sure everything is ready about the same time, I suggest starting the rice first, then make the meatballs while that is cooking. After the meatballs are in the over, start the sauce. That way everything should be done semi-simultaneously and you'll be ready to serve.

Cooking plain brown rice is a little different from cooking white rice. Brown rice has an extra bran coating around it that requires more liquid and a longer cooking temperature.

You could use ground beef for the meatballs, but ground turkey is lower in fat.  There was little to no run-off when the meatballs were cooking.

I used Ocean Spray Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce (found in the canned fruit section of the grocery store). It has no calories from fat and is low in sodium and sugar.

For those who don't like fruit "in" your meat, you can simply leave out the cranberry relish.  If you do leave it out, you may want to cut back on the breadcrumbs too so that the meatball mixture isn't too dry.

If you don't like cranberries, you can leave out the relish in the meatballs and substitute a grape jelly or currant jelly for the relish in the sauce.

Chinging in the New Year!

Yes, it's almost time for that special moment, when the ching of champagne glasses helps chime in the New Year.  Here are a couple of suggestions for filling those flutes.

Pink Pussycat Punch

1 part pink champagne
1 part cranberry juice

A drink made famous at K2's Pink Pussycat Lounge Swanky Soiree.  It goes down easy and, if you're not careful, quick.

One-Two Punch

1 part Cava (Spanish sparkling wine)
1 part pomegranate juice (Pom)

What makes this drink not only delicious but "healthy" for you too is that both liquids are big with the anti-oxidants. So enjoy your holiday sipping and fight those pesky free radicals while you're at it.

Ann’s Prosecco Punch

1 bottle Prosecco
1 cup pomegranate juice (Pom)
1 cup limeade
citrus slices or pomegranate seeds for garnish

This is one of the most popular items at Ann's birthday parties (besides the company of the birthday girl herself, of course).  If you find the cost of pomegranate juice a bit pricey, you can always substitute cranberry juice or just add in some liberal splashes of grenadine (which we all learned last week is a concentrated form of pomegranate juice).

Ann said it's best to experiment with the measures to find what works best for you.  For me and the Rents, we found that 1/2 cup of Pom and 1-1/2 cups of limeade to a bottle of Prosecco was the ticket.  Tangy and fantabulous.

I hope you get a chance to enjoy one (or all!) of these tasty libations.  Here's wishing you all a very Happy New Year and thank you again for your readership. 

Starting in January, will be bringing you some recipes to help while you're chiseling away at the holiday packing.  Looking forward to another year of fun and food in the kitchen!

Tis the Season...for Pie

For those who celebrate on December 25, hope you had a lovely Christmas yesterday.  I had the folks over for dinner and whipped up one of my favorite desserts made up from two of my favorite seasonal things, eggnog and pumpkin!  It's pretty easy to put together and SOOOO good, it makes you want to leave plenty of room for dessert.

Eggnog Pumpkin Pie

1 can (15 oz) solid pack pumpkin
1 1/4 cups eggnog (use your favorite brand)
2/3 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp salt
1 unbaked pie crust (9" deep dish)
nutmeg, to sprinkle

In a large bowl combine all the ingredients.

eggs and sugar

then eggnog and spice

Pour mixture into the pie crust and sprinkle with nutmeg.

Bake at 375 degree for 60-65 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.

Cool on a wire rack to room temperature and then store in the fridge until ready to serve.

NOTES

If you don't have pumpkin pie spice handy, you can mix your own.

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp ginger

1/4 tsp clove

This will make 2 3/4 tsp, more than you need for the recipe.  I usually double the mixture and then I have it on hand for when I make pies or you can halve the recipe and you'll only be a 1/8 of a tsp short of what the recipe calls for.

For this pie, I used soy nog instead of eggnog and it worked out just as well.

If you are feeling extremely domestic, you can always make the pie crust from scratch (http://theculinarycreative.blogspot.com/2010/05/pie-oh-pie.html).