Roasted Broccoli

Growing up, I thought I hated most veggies.  Turns out, I only hate boiled veggies.  I have come to the conclusion that hubs and I will eat just about any veggie as long as it is roasted (we still won’t eat lima beans, though, YUCK!).

The process is so simple and does its thing in the oven while you are free to go about preparing the rest of the meal.

INGREDIENTS
1lb. Broccoli florets, washed and drained

To taste:
Olive oil
Granulated garlic
Salt
Pepper

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 425 degrees (if you have it set at another temp for your main dish, that is fine, just adjust the cooking time of the broccoli up or down).

Place broccoli on a foil-lined baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with granulated garlic, kosher salt and black pepper to taste.

Roast for 12-15 minutes, tossing halfway through.

Of course, there are many variations on this dish, but the above is very basic.  You could spice yours up with Parmesan cheese, crushed red pepper, fresh garlic, even some ginger would be nice.  Have fun with it!

Husband Rating – 5 out of 5 – “My favorite veggie!”

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Crunchy Honey Chicken

I’ve been a bad, bad blogger!  I’m SO sorry for the unintentional hiatus.  Ever since Thanksgiving life has been go-go-go and I haven’t had 2 seconds to myself to blog.

That changes today.

So, today we’re talking chicken.  I’m always looking for a new way to prepare chicken and was so excited when I saw this recipe on How Sweet It Is.  And, it definitely did not disappoint.  The chicken was nice and crunchy, but not too sweet and the veggies were nicely cooked.

Give this a try, I’m sure you won’t be disappointed either.

INGREDIENTS
1lb. Boneless, skinless chicken breast tenders
2 Egg whites
1/3C. Cornstarch (or flour – for dredging)
1C. Broccoli florets
1/2 Red pepper, thinly sliced
3/4C. Sugar snap peas
1 clove garlic, minced
3T. Olive oil
1T. Soy sauce
1/4C. Honey
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
Prepare and slice all veggies – feel free to add whatever you would like. In 2 separate bowls, add the egg whites (lightly beaten) and the cornstarch or flour. (The cornstarch will yield a “crispier” chicken). Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add veggies with a sprinkle of salt and pepper and saute for about 5 minutes, until softened. Add in soy sauce and garlic and stir so veggies are coated, about 60 seconds. Remove from skillet and set aside in a bowl.

Cut chicken into 1-inch pieces and season with salt and pepper. Heat the same skillet (or you can use a different one, I just use the same to make it easier) over medium-high heat and add remaining olive oil. Dip chicken pieces in egg whites and then lightly dredge in cornstarch. Add to the skillet and let brown for 2-3 minutes, then flip. Continue with remaining chicken pieces, and do so in batches if needed.

Once chicken is cooked, add veggies back in the skillet. Add honey and thoroughly mix to combine. Taste and season with salt, pepper, additional honey or soy sauce. Serve with rice.

Husband Rating – 4 out of 5 – “Delicious!”

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Garlic, Lemon and Basil Chicken

Another gem from LovesToEat!  This was super simple and deilsh!  Perfect for a weeknight meal.

(Edited 2/24/10 – New Photo)

INGREDIENTS
1lb. Thin-sliced chicken breasts
1/4C. Fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/4C.  Basil, chopped
2 Garlic cloves, crushed
3T.  Grated Parmesan cheese (I used soy parm.)
2T. Vegetable oil
S&P to taste
1.5C. Cooked broccoli
Angel hair pasta

DIRECTIONS
Mix together lemon juice, basil (reserve a small amount to stir into the cooked pasta), garlic and oil in a Ziploc bag.  Close and shake to incorporate everything.  Add chicken to the bag and let marinate for 45 minutes.

Heat grill (or indoor grill pan) to medium heat.

Boil water and cook pasta according to package directions.  During the last 4 minutes of cooking, add broccoli.  Drain (reserve a small amount of pasta water at the end in case the dish is too dry).

Cook chicken until completely cooked through.

Serve chicken on top of the pasta and broccoli mixture.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese before serving.

–

Husband Rating – 4.5 out of 5 – “I love basil!”

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Fettuccine ‘Soyfredo’

Here is yet another adventure into ‘soy-land’.  I figure, the mac and cheese came out well, so why not try alfredo sauce?  Hubs found this recipe on Vegan Dad – which is a really fabulous blog, by the way.  This recipe was easy to follow (my modifications are in italics) and turned out quite well.  We’ll be making this again.

INGREDIENTS:
1/2C Margarine (I only used 1/4C)
2 1/2C plain soymilk
2 Cloves garlic, crushed
1 pkg. Extra firm silken tofu (did not use)
2T. White wine
2T. Onion powder
2t. Garlic powder
2t. Sea salt
1t. Pepper (I used 2t.)
1/4t. Nutmeg (did not use)
2T. Arrowroot powder (I used cornstarch instead)

DIRECTIONS:
Melt margarine in a deep skillet.  Add garlic and saute 2 minutes.  Add the rest of the ingredients, except cornstarch.  (If using tofu, blend it with the milk in a blender before adding to the pan).

Heat over med-lo heat until just about bubbling.

Remove a few T. of the sauce and mix with cornstarch, then add back to the saucepan. Heat, but don’t boil.  Whisk smooth.

Serve over pasta with grilled chicken and steamed broccoli.  Top with dairy-free Parmesan cheese, if desired.

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