Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry

This is great for a week night. Be sure to steam rice before the marinade process so it is finished in time for the stir-fry. Noodles are an option as well although rice is traditionally used. This is a great as a leftover for lunch the next day.

• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons apple juice or unsweetened apple sauce
  
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 3 cloves garlic , minced
• Ground pepper
• 1 1/4 pounds flank or flapp steak, cut diagonally across the grain into 1/2-inch-by-3-inch strips
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch or garbanzo bean flour if you have it
  
• 1 head broccoli, stems trimmed, peeled, and cut into 1/4-inch rounds, florets separated into bite-size pieces
• Coarse salt

Directions

1. In a large, shallow bowl, mix soy sauce, apple juice/sauce, vinegar, sugar, garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add meat; toss to coat. Let marinate 15 minutes. Transfer meat to a plate; reserve marinade.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat. In two batches, cook meat until lightly browned, turning once, about 2 minutes per batch. Remove meat. Add 1/2 cup water to pan; stir up browned bits with a wooden spoon. Pour into marinade; whisk in cornstarch/flour.
3. In same skillet, fry broccoli in remaining teaspoon oil over high heat until bright green and crisp, tossing often, 2 minutes. Add 1 cup water; cook until broccoli is tender, 6 to 8 minutes.
4. Stir marinade, add to pan, and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring, until thickened, 30 seconds. Return meat to pan; toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Serves 3.
Enjoy!

Red Potato, Egg, Cheddar Casserole

This is really yummy. Good for dinner or breakfast. The roasted poblano pepper is key to the zing of the flavor. You can use any pepper or even zucchini but the poblano makes this dish really special.

Enjoy. Serves 2 - 4.

1 tsp olive oil
4 medium red potatoes 1/2" dice
4 scallions diced
1 poblano roasted, seeded and peeled, diced
1 cup grated Australian cheddar cheese (or sharp)
4 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 Tspn Flour
1 tsp salt
fresh pepper
1/4 tsp paprika

Pre-heat over 350.
Oil 8" square baking dish. Add potatos, scallions, pepper and toss around a bit. Then cover with the cheese. Combine the eggs, milk, flour, salt, pepper and paprika - whisk until completely combined. Pour over the potatoes and veggies. Shake a bit to combine.

Bake uncovered for 40 - 45 minutes. The center should be baked through.

Peppermint Milkshake

This is a quick easy, single serving Peppermint Milkshake. Very satisfying.

1/2 cup vanilla frozen yogurt
1/4 cup lowfat milk
1/8 tspn peppermint extract

Put all ingredients in a blender. Blend until ready. Poor into glass and enjoy.

Farmers Market Pasta Salad

It's that time of the year when the farmer's market is brimming with all the vegetables. Creativity is key. And this is what this pasta salad is, a mix of delicious veggies and it stretches the budget with a pound of pasta. Feel free to substitute with what you have in the fridge. Anything goes!

Enjoy!

1 lb. elbow pasta or your favorite pasta, cooked, rinsed
1 large red pepper - roasted and peeled (directions below)
2 fresh peaches and cream ears of corn boiled 10 minutes
1/2 jalepeno minced
1/2 cup sliced black olives
3/4 cut black beans
1 large scallion diced
1 lime
1/4 cup olive oil
fresh ground black pepper
sea salt

Cook the corn for 10 minutes then cut the kernels with a sharp knife. Broil the red pepper turning occasionally until blackened on all sides, put into plastic bag for 15 mintues. Peel skin, discard seeds and stem and dice. Combine pasta, corn, beans, olives, scallions and peppers into large bowl until combined with pasta. Add half the olive oil and toss well. Squeeze in entire lime, add pepper and salt and combine. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary. The veggies drive the flavor of this dish so not too much olive oil is needed. Refrigerate for a few hours before serving to let flavors mesh.

Serves 8 as a side dish.

Super Ripe Fruit Smoothie

The super ripe plums really make this smoothie sweet. Must try!

Serves 2 - 8 ounce Smoothies

2 Super Ripe Plums
1 cup halved strawberries
1 super ripe black frozen banana
1 tsp flax seeds
1 tbsp Honey
1 cup nonfat plain yogurt
a few ice cubes for desired consistancy

Throw everything in the blender and combine. Enjoy!

Shrimp Diavelo

This is a great dish for the spice and white wine lover. Lots of red pepper flakes along with some tart, dry white wine make these little shrimps sing! Serve over pasta or just serve alone, either way, full of delicious, complex flavors.

Serves 4 as an appetizer or 2 as a meal with pasta. Enjoy!

• 1 pound large shrimp, peeled, deveined
• 1 teaspoon salt, plus just a pinch when serving
  
• 1 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, separated
  
• 1 medium onion, sliced (red or yellow, your choice)
  
• 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes (do not drain)
  
• 1 cup dry white wine (rec. Barbadillo)
  
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
• 3 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
• 3 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves

Directions

Toss the shrimp in a medium bowl with 1 teaspoon of salt and red pepper flakes. Heat the 3 tablespoons oil in a heavy large skillet over medium-high heat.

Add the shrimp and saute for about a minute, toss, and continue cooking until just cooked through, about 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the shrimp to a large plate; set aside.

Add the onion to the same skillet, adding 1 to 2 teaspoons of olive oil to the pan, if necessary, and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add the tomatoes with their juices, wine, garlic, and oregano. Simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, about 10 minutes. Return the shrimp and any accumulated juices to the tomato mixture; toss to coat, and cook for about a minute so the flavors meld together. Stir in the parsley and basil. Season with more salt, to taste, and serve.

Veggie Cream Cheese

I just realized that I need to create a new section on the blog that is specific to condiments, dressings and spreads. I make most of my condiments and dressings. Here's one I came up with last night. I had tons of radishes, big ones from the Farmer's Market so I'm looking for anyway to use them up. This was great on toast and with veggie crudite.
Makes about 1 cup.
Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1 (8 ounce) package light cream cheese, softened

• 2 tablespoons finely chopped carrots
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped scallion, white and green part
• 1 large radish, finely chopped
• 3 inches piece of celery, finely chopped
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon salt (optional)
• 1 dash hot pepper sauce or Worcestershire Sauce