BROCCOLI, RICE AND CHEESE CASSEROLE

Serves 6

We love the classic and comforting broccoli casserole. Our version ditches heavy condiments and relies on a generous helping of fresh broccoli and real cheese for ultimate flavor. Substitute other soups or favorite vegetables, as needed.

Ingredients: 

• Olive oil cooking spray
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 cup uncooked jasmine rice
• Salt to taste
• 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 1/2 cups small broccoli florets
• 1 (15 ounce) can regular or gluten-free ready-to-eat (not condensed) cream of mushroom soup
• 1 cup finely shredded cheddar cheese, divided
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method: 

Grease a 7- x 11-inch baking dish with olive oil cooking spray; set aside.

Heat 1/2 tablespoon of the oil in a small pot over medium-high heat. Add rice and cook, stirring often, until translucent and toasted, 1 to 2 minutes. Add 1 1/2 cups water and salt and bring to a boil. Cover pot, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until water is absorbed and rice is almost tender, about 15 minutes. Set pot aside off of the heat for 5 minutes, then uncover, fluff with a fork and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add broccoli and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes. Add cooked rice, then stir in soup, 1/2 cup of the cheese, salt and pepper. 

Transfer rice mixture to prepared baking dish and sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup cheese evenly over the top. Bake until golden brown and bubbly, about 30 minutes.

Nutritional Info: 

PER SERVING:230 calories (120 from fat), 13g total fat, 5g saturated fat, 20mg cholesterol, 680mg sodium, 20g carbohydrate (1g dietary fiber, 2g sugar), 8g protein

Cold Noodle Salad

This is the perfect lunch to bring to work after having stir fry for dinner. 

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoon peanut butter
• 1 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 scallions, sliced1 tablespoons cilantro chopped
• 8oz leftover cooked lo mein noodles from BBQ Beef Stir Fry
• 2 cups leftover stir fry vegetables from BBQ Beef Stir Fry

Directions

In a small bowl whisk together peanut butter, lime juice, soy sauce, and cider vinegar.In a large bowl toss together cooked lo mein noodles, leftover stir fry vegetables, scallions and cilantro. Toss with dressing until all the noodles are well coated.

BBQ Beef Stir Fry

My husband made this for dinner the other day. What a treat! I'm always excited when Doug takes on a project because he always does so well. 

I've modified it slightly to improve it with a more balance veggie to meet and sauce ratio. Make extra so you can bring this salad to work for lunch. 

http://sageandsalt.blogspot.com/2013/11/cold-noodle-salad.html

Ingredients

• 1 (1 1/2-pound) beef chuck steak, sliced into thin strips
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 3 carrots, sliced about 1/4-inch thick
• 3 stalks celery, sliced about 1/4-inch thick
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, sliced
• 8 ounces white button mushrooms, sliced
• 1 tablespoon freshly minced ginger root
• 1 tablespoon freshly minced garlic
• 3 head broccoli, cut into florets
• 1 (16-ounce) package lo mein noodles, cooked according to package directions

Hoisin Sauce:

• 1/4 soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon chopped ginger
• 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper

Directions

Stir-Fry: In a wok or large skillet over high heat add the canola oil. Add the beef and cook until browned, about 3 minutes. Set aside on a plate.
To the same pan the beef was cooked in, add the carrots, celery, onions, mushrooms, ginger, garlic, and broccoli and stir-fry until slightly tender but not soft, about 3 minutes. Remove half the vegetables and reserve for the online round 2 recipe: Cold Noodle Salad. Add the beef back to the skillet along with half of the hoisin sauce, and toss to coat the beef. Reserve half of the lo mein noodles for the round 2 recipe: Cold Noodle Salad. Arrange the remaining half of the lo mein noodles on a serving platter and top with the beef stir-fry.
Hoisin Sauce: In a medium bowl, whisk all the sauce ingredients until well blended. Add half to the stir-fry and save the remaining half for the next time you make a stir-fry. The extra hoisin sauce will last up to 2 weeks in a sealed container stored in the refrigerator.

Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Sausage and Kale

I love spaghetti squash and I'm always looking for new dishes to make with it. This is a simple, easy and healthy dinner.

Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Sausage and Kale Recipe

• Prep time: 15 minutes
• Cook time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
• Yield: Serves 4.

INGREDIENTS

• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• One 3-pound (1.4 kg) spaghetti squash
• 3/4 pound (340 g) turkey sausage (or any favorite sausage)
• 1/2 cup minced red onion
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 to 2 cups thinly sliced kale
• 1 cup (100 g) coarsely grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh oregano
• Kosher or sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

METHOD

1 Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Oil a sheet pan with one tablespoon of the oil, or line the sheet pan with Silpat.

 

2 With a sharp chef's knife, slice off 1/2-inch from the ends of the spaghetti squash. Then stand the squash up on one of the ends to stabilize it, and cut the squash in half, top to bottom. Scoop out any seeds and stringy bits inside, and place the squash halves cut-side down on the oiled or lined sheet pan. Poke the tops of the halves with the tip of a sharp knife.

  

3 Bake for 35 to 45 minutes until you can easily poke the sides of the squash with a fork. Remove from oven and let sit until cool enough to handle. Then using the tines of a fork, scrape out the "spaghetti"-like strands of the squash to a bowl.

4 Pinch and remove small chunks of sausage from the sausage casings to a plate.

  

5 In a large sauté pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil on medium heat. Add the onions and cook until soft, 2 to 3 minutes. Then add the garlic and cook for a minute more. Add the sliced kale and cook for a minute or two. Add the sausage, and cook without stirring, until the sausage starts to brown, then stir and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the sausage bits are cooked through, about 2 to 3 minutes.

6 Add the spaghetti squash strands to the sausage mixture and stir to combine, cook until the squash is heated through, about a minute.

 

7 Remove from heat and add the grated Parmesan cheese and oregano. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.