Healthy Cooking

After hosting 2 shows I finally got my free SaladMaster Wok!! And it rocks! This is the first meal I cooked in it.  I used my free SaladMaster Machine to chop up the carrots and zucchini and just like promised, the vegetables did not shrink! I used fresh, organic veggies from my fruit and veggie co-op. Max said, "They are right...cooking in that type of pan really does fill you up with fiber." Yes, because you don't lose any vitamin or minerals in the pan!

Here is what I made:

(I had to improvise with what I had on hand.) 

Thai Chicken and Ginger Stir-fry

Utensil

Saladmaster Machine

Saladmaster Wok

Yield

6 servings

Ingredients

Boneless skinless chicken breast

1 tsp. Sesame Oil

1 lb. Boneless skinless chicken breast cut in strips

2 tsp. finely grated fresh ginger root

1 Fresh garlic clove minced

¼ tsp. Dried crushed chillies

1 tsp. Chinese 5 Spice

8 Fresh button mushrooms thinly sliced

2 Tbsp. cashews

1 medium carrot, thinly sliced

1 small onion cut in wedges

3-4 cups Bok Choy, sliced

1 tsp. Sesame seeds

Tangy Sauce:

¼ cup brown sugar

1 Tbsp. cornstarch

¼ cup cold water

2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 Tbsp. Soy sauce

Directions

1. Combine the last 6 ingredients for the Tangy Sauce in a small bowl and set a side.

2. Combine sesame oil, chicken, ginger, garlic, Chinese 5 spice and chilies and marinate for 15 minutes.

3. Heat Saladmaster Wok on medium-high. Fry the chicken for about 5 minutes until it begins to brown.

4. Add carrot, onion, bok Choy, mushrooms and stir-fry for another 5 minutes.

5. Push the mixture up the side of the Wok making a well in the centre. Add the Tangy Sauce and fold the mixture into the sauce. Cover with lid and cook on medium, cook on low for about 3-5 minutes or until mixture has thickened. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and cashews. Serve over rice.

Ok, on to the next healthy thing, Quinoa Meatballs. 

I've made these before, but not with my own herbs from our garden. It was fun making dinner with the kids because as Kellyn picked fresh basil from our garden Rhett was picking fresh rosemary. They helped crack the eggs and even rolled the meatballs. 

Our rosemary has taken hit from the extreme heat, but our basil is still hanging on.

My recipe for meatballs is from the Cooking Light Magazine with a combination of 

1/3 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs

1/4 cup (1 oz.) grated fresh parmesan cheese

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1 pound ground turkey

2 large egg whites

(I also add 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary and quinoa. 

I cook 1/2 cups of uncooked quinoa which makes a little more than a cup cooked) 

1 teaspoon olive oil

 3 cups tomato sauce

3 cups hot cooked spaghetti (about 6 oz. uncooked pasta) 

1. Cook 1/2 cup quinoa according to package directions.

2. Combine first 6 ingredients plus the quinoa and rosemary in a bowl; shape mixture into 1 1/2 inch sized meatballs.

3. Bake in oven at 350 degrees for 16 minutes, browning on all sides.

4. While meatballs are cooking boil water for pasta and heat tomato sauce. Then add meatballs to the sauce and serve over pasta.  

rolling the meatballs.



And last, dessert.
Peach smoothie, juice pops.
Every since we picked peaches last week Rhett has been asking for either a peach pie or a peach smoothie or peach juice pops. So hear ya go. I love this tricky way of getting my kids to eat raw kale.

1/2 cup greek yogurt
2 table spoons honey
1/2 orange juice
1/2 a bunch of kale
8 small peaches
Puree until kale pieces are tiny then freeze. The kids love them. If I had a mango on hand I would have put in 1 mango too, but I didn't have one at the time. Rhett's favorite is a mango juice pop. 

Rhett was so happy to have his peach juice pop!!