Meals and Recipes

Ingredients:All-American Chilli

• 6 ounces hot turkey Italian sausage
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 8 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 pound ground sirloin
• 1 jalapeño pepper, chopped
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 1/4 cups Merlot or other fruity red wine
• 2 (28-ounce) cans whole tomatoes, undrained and coarsely chopped
• 2 (15-ounce) cans kidney beans, drained
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese

 

Preparation

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Remove casings from sausage. Add sausage, onion, and the next 4 ingredients (onion through jalapeño) to pan; cook 8 minutes or until sausage and beef are browned, stirring to crumble.
Add chili powder and the next 7 ingredients (chili powder through bay leaves), and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in wine, tomatoes, and kidney beans; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
Uncover and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Discard the bay leaves. Sprinkle each serving with cheddar cheese.
Note: Like most chilis, this version tastes even better the next day.

Hearty Pancakes

Ingredients

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup uncooked farina (such as Cream of Wheat)
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups vanilla soy milk
• 1/4 cup applesauce
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• Cooking spray
• 1/2 cup golden raisins, divided
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, divided
• 1/4 cup maple syrup

Preparation

Lightly spoon the flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flours, farina, and next 4 ingredients (through salt) in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Combine milk, applesauce, and egg in a medium bowl, stirring until well blended. Add milk mixture to flour mixture, stirring until well combined. Let batter stand 5 minutes.
Heat a nonstick griddle or skillet over medium heat; coat pan with cooking spray. Pour about 1/4 cup batter per pancake onto pan; sprinkle each with 2 teaspoons raisins and 2 teaspoons walnuts. Cook 1 minute or until tops are covered with bubbles and edges look cooked. Carefully turn pancakes over, and cook 1 minute or until bottoms are lightly browned. Repeat procedure with remaining batter, raisins, and walnuts. Serve with syrup.

Sesame Chicken With Asian Slaw

Ingredients

• Slaw:
• 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon chili oil
• 6 cups packaged coleslaw
• 1 cup orange slices
• 
  Chicken:
• 8 ounces soba noodles
• 3/4 cup panko (Japanese) breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 pound chicken breast tenders
• 1 large egg white, lightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons sesame oil, divided
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
• 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 4 teaspoons honey
• 1/4 cup chopped scallions

Preparation

1. To make slaw, combine rice vinegar, sugar, kosher salt, and chili oil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Toss with coleslaw and orange slices; let the mixture sit 10–15 minutes before serving.
2. Cook the soba noodles according to the package directions. Drain the noodles, and rinse them under cold water.
3. Combine the panko, sesame seeds, and salt on a plate.
4. Dip the chicken breast tenders into the egg white. Then dredge the chicken breast tenders in the panko–sesame seed mixture.
5. Heat 1 tablespoon of the sesame oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken breast tenders and cook 4–5 minutes per side, or until cooked through. Wipe out pan.
6. Add the remaining sesame oil to the pan. Stir in the garlic and ginger; cook, stirring, 30–45 seconds until soft. Remove from heat and stir in the soy sauce, rice vinegar, and honey. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the sauce and toss the remaining with the soba noodles and scallions.
7. Place chicken on top of the soba noodles and drizzle with reserved 2 tablespoons of sauce. Serve the Asian slaw alongside.

 Om Rice

Ingredients

• Pork:
• 1 teaspoon sambal oelek or Thai chile paste
• 1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil
• 8 ounces boneless center-cut loin pork chops, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• Cooking spray
• 
  Rice:
• 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon sambal oelek or Thai chile paste
• 2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup finely chopped carrot
• 1 cup sliced shiitake mushroom caps
• 1 cup chopped zucchini
• 3/4 cup chopped green onions
• 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 3 cups cold cooked short-grain rice
• 
  Crepes:
• 1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 4 large egg whites, lightly beaten

Preparation

To prepare pork, combine first 4 ingredients in a small zip-top plastic bag. Seal and marinate in refrigerator 30 minutes. Heat a large nonstick skillet or wok coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add pork mixture; stir-fry 2 minutes or until pork loses its pink color. Remove pork from pan. Cover and keep warm.
To prepare rice, combine 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 teaspoons sambal oelek, and 2 teaspoons sesame oil, stirring with a whisk; set aside.
Heat vegetable oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add ginger and garlic; stir-fry 30 seconds. Add carrot; stir-fry 1 minute. Add mushrooms, zucchini, onions, and bell pepper; stir-fry 3 minutes. Add rice; stir-fry 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Drizzle soy sauce mixture over rice mixture; stir well to combine. Cover and keep warm.
To prepare crepes, combine 1 teaspoon sesame oil, salt, eggs, and egg whites, stirring mixture with a whisk. Heat an 8-inch nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Pour about 1/4 cup egg mixture into pan; quickly tilt pan in all directions so the egg mixture covers pan with a thin film. Cook about 1 minute. Carefully lift the edge of crepe with a spatula to test for doneness. Turn crepe over when it can be shaken loose from the pan and the underside is lightly browned; cook 30 seconds on the other side. Place crepe on a towel. Repeat procedure until all of the egg mixture is used. Stack crepes between single layers of wax paper or paper towels to prevent sticking.
Spoon about 1 cup rice mixture down center of each of 5 plates. Top each serving with a crepe; tuck edges of crepe under rice mixture. (The dish will look like a burrito.)