theredkitchen: five spice stir-fry

Stir-fries are so customizable and easy to enjoy while sticking to a healthy diet. This marinade idea worked well for both vegetarian and meat eaters alike, and these veggies are lower on the glycemic scale for people watching their carbs. Spices are a great way to add flavor with less fats, and the sesame oil has a rich flavor that makes the amount go further.

serves 2.

Marinade: whisk together the following:

• 1T balsamic
• 1t soy sauce
• 1t sesame oil
• 1/2t five spice
• 1/2t dried orange peel
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1-2T fresh ginger, finely chopped
• 2c water, vegetable broth, or chicken broth

Protein: use any combinations to equal 2 servings of the following:

• 1 fresh or frozen/defrosted chicken breast (to equal about 6oz cooked weight)
• 1 package firm tofu, pressed to remove moisture and cut into cubes
• 1 package extra firm sprouted tofu, cut into cubes or wedges

Place each type of protein in its own casserole dish. Add 1 cup of the marinade with each protein serving. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes to allow absorption.

Preheat oven to 350°. Bake for 45-60 minutes or until liquids around tofu are bubbling and reduced or until chicken has no pink in the center.

Vegetables: this combination is enough to go with 2 servings of protein.

• 1/3 head of cabbage, sliced thin
• 1 cup drained bean sprouts (or mung bean sprouts)
• 1 orange pepper, sliced in strips
• 1 stalk celery, cut in small pieces
• 1/2 onion, sliced thin (optional)
• 1/2 jicima, sliced thin
• 1 package shiritaki noodles (spaghetti style), rinsed and drained several times.

Heat a wok or large frying pan over medium heat. Add 2t sesame oil. Add vegetables, and toss/stir often. Add a small amount of water to help steam the veggies. Add the shiritaki towards the end of the cooking process. Add a dash of soy sauce and lemon pepper for flavor. Cook all until tender

To serve, put half of the veggies on each plate. Top with the protein serving. Optionally, add some sauce (teriyaki, peanut sauce, or hot sauce) and peanuts for flavor.

 

This recipe was inspired to find another use for polenta. I adapted a recipe from San Gennaro, the makers of the polenta in our local stores. Soyrizo is a type of vegetarian churizo - you can find it with the tofu in many grocery stores, or Trader Joes. When you fry it up, it gets a similar crispness to the bacon in the original recipe.

• 1 sm tube of polenta
• 1 red pepper
• 1/4 tube soyrizo or more
• 1c marscapone cheese
• 1T maple syrup
• Salt
• Olive oil
• Butter
• Craisins

Saute finely diced pepper in oil with a dash of salt. Add churizo and cook for 5 mins until almost crispy. Remove from pan. Put pats of butter in pan and add slices of polenta. Cook several minutes until butter is absorbed. Turn with little more butter. Put chorizo mixture on top and cook until bubbly.

Wisk marscapone with maple syrup. Serve with marscapone dollops and craisins sprinkled on top

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2T colored sugar or sprinkles

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Whip butter with an electric mixer until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Stir in the confectioners' sugar, cornstarch, and flour. Beat on low for one minute, then on high for several more minutes. Add the sprinkles and mix to combine.

Using a small cookie disher or a spoon, drop 1T round onto a cookie sheet. Cut these in quarters and rearrange them to allow space for them to grow. Tip: using a silpat or baking sheet on your cookie sheet allows for more even baking and they are easier to get off when they are cooked.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool on racks.

This is a great way to use sweet potatoes or yams during the fall because they are generally on sale. It's healthier because you are choosing what fat and how much, and tastier because they are all seasoned up!

3 large Sweet Potatoes or Yams, peeled and cut into pieces
1/4 cup Olive Oil, extra virgin preferred
1/4 cup Maple Syrup
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons paprika
dash of salt

Preheat the oven to 400°.

Note: when cutting up the sweet potatoes, the pieces will be rougher than a normal potato. This is okay! Just be careful with your fingers, and work to "crack" the sweet potato with your knife rather than trying to slice.

Put all ingredients in a large resealable bag. Toss to mix and coat. Put into a large baking dish - I use an 11 x 15 glass pan because it's easier to turn.

Bake for about 45 minutes, flipping the pieces every 15 minutes. Check for doneness with a fork, the pieces will start to fall apart as you flip them and you'll know they are ready.

This recipe was originally added to theredkitchen in April 2003. Since that time, I've made some modifications to be slightly healthier and to work better with the blending steps.

My dad had something similar to this at a restaurant and decided to try to recreate it. It makes the whole house smell of curry powder, and is delicious!

2 cans chicken broth (4 cups)
4 cups skim milk
1/2 cup flour (either whole wheat or all purpose)
1/2 cup butter + 1T for celery
5 sticks of celery, sliced into small pieces
curry powder to taste (1-4 Tablespoons)
3 chicken strips from the deli or baked chicken
frozen peas (garnish)

Melt 1T of butter in a frying pan. Add celery and and sprinkle on curry powder. Sautee the celery, periodically adding additional curry powder until the celery is crispy and full coated. The celery will decrease in size during this process.

At the same time as the celery is cooking, you can start the thickening roux. In a large soup pot, melt remaining 1/2 cup of butter. Add flour and cook to bubbling. Slowly add broth and then milk and cook over medium-low, stirring regularly, until boiling.

Remove from heat and add celery to the soup pot. Use your stick blender or a traditional blender (in batches) to cream the soup fully.

Return to heat and boil. Stir constantly until thick.

Chop chicken stripes or vegetarian meat into bite size pieces. Put soup in bowls and garnish with frozen peas and the meat pieces.

Serves nicely with a fresh baguette (long loaf of bread) torn off instead of cut.

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon finely chopped crystallized ginger
2 tablespoons finely chopped dried apricots
1 tablespoon cardamom

glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons water, or more as needed
1 drop yellow food coloring
1 drop red food coloring

Preheat oven to 375° F.

Cream butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla. Slowly add flour, baking soda, baking powder, and cardamom, and mix to combine. Add ginger and apricots.

Using a cookie scoop or lightly greased hands, make small scoops or balls of dough onto baking pans (non-stick or use silpat baking sheets).

Bake 8-10 minutes or until golden. Let stand on cooking sheet at least 5 minutes before moving to cooling racks.

For glaze, mix all ingredients, and add more water if needed to make a drizzly substance. Use a fork to quickly add a small amount of glaze to each cookie.