For peanut sauce:

• 14.5 oz fat free chicken broth (vegetarians use vegetable broth)
• 5 tbsp better’n peanut butter
• 2 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp soy sauce (use Tamari for gluten free)
• 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, minced 

For everything else:

• 16 oz chicken breast, cut into thin strips
• salt and pepper (to taste)
• juice of 1/2 lime
• 5 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
• 1 tbsp soy sauce (use Tamari for gluten free)
• 8 oz rice noodles
• 3/4 cup green onion, chopped
• 1 1/4 cups julienned carrots
• 1 large julienned zucchini
• 1 julienned red pepper 
• 2 tbsp chopped peanuts 
• 1 lime, sliced

For the peanut sauce: Combine 1 cup chicken broth, peanut butter, honey, 2 tbsp soy sauce, ginger, and 3 cloves crushed garlic in a small saucepan and simmer over medium-low heat stirring occasionally until sauce becomes smooth and well blended, about 5-10 minutes. Set aside.

Season chicken with salt and pepper, lime, garlic, ginger and soy sauce. Heat a large skillet or wok until hot. Add oil and sauté chicken on high heat until cooked through, about 2-3 minutes; remove from heat and set aside.

Add 2 cloves crushed garlic, scallions, carrots, zucchini, peppers and salt, sauté until tender crisp, about 1-2 minutes.

Combine vegetables, chicken and cooked noodles, top with peanut sauce. Garnish with lime slices.

Seriously heaven.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup Panko crumbs (I skipped this and was just as delicious)
1-1/4 lbs (20 ounces) 93% lean ground turkey
1 egg
1 tablespoon ginger, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 scallions, chopped
1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil

Lime Dipping Sauce Ingredients:
4 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons water
1 chopped fresh scallion

Directions:
Preheat oven to 500°F.

Mix ground turkey, panko, egg, salt, scallions, ginger, cilantro, 1 tbsp soy sauce, and 2 tsp oil and mix with your hands until combined well. Shape 1/4 cup meat mixture into a ball and transfer to a baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Repeat with remaining mixture. Bake until cooked through, about 15 minutes.

For the dipping sauce mix together lime juice, water, soy sauce, and remaining 1 teaspoon of oil in a bowl. Add scallions.

Makes 12 meatballs.

Ingredients:
Amy’s Italian Chicken Sausage
Brussel sprouts
garlic
Chili flakes
Olive oil
Parmesan cheese
Salt & pepper to taste
Brown rice pasta (just as delicious as normal pasta and much healthier)

Directions:
Clean and cut brussel sprouts in half. Sprinkle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast in oven at 425 degrees for 20 minutes, or until brown and soft. Cut chicken sausage and heat in a pan (no oil needed). Cook minced garlic in a pan with olive and chili flakes. Once pasta is cooked, chicken sausage is browned and brussel sprouts are done put in pan with garlic and olive oil mixture. Saute. Add salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

You will need:

1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 lb spinach, fresh or frozen, defrosted
1/2 lb of orzo pasta
1 quarts chicken or vegetable stock
1 quarts water
olive oil
1 can of garbanzo beans
1 large zucchini chopped in to bite size pieces
1 pesto (basil, pine nuts, garlic, parmesan cheese)
Salt
Pepper
1 tablespoon of oregano

Directions:
Preheat a large pan. Drizzle with olive oil. Add onions and saute until tender. Add garlic and saute for 2 – 3 minutes. Add zucchini, spinach, oregano, salt and pepper, chicken or vegetable stock and water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium. Add orzo cook for 12 – 15 minutes, or until orzo is tender. Add garbanzo beans at the end, cook until they are tender. They can become mushy easily.

When it is done, drizzle with pesto and a bit of parmesan cheese. I served with grilled cheese (goat cheese and fresh basil on ciabatta, its a favorite)

You will need:
* 1 cups of dry quinoa (this serves 4-6)
* Butternut squash
* Dried cranberries
* Toasted almonds
* Red wine vinegar
* Olive oil
* Sugar
* Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:
Dice up butternut squash into bite size pieces, sprinkle with olive oil and salt and pepper. Roast on a cookie sheet for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Cook quinoa according to instructions on bag/box. When quinoa and squash have completed cooking, combine with cranberries and almonds. To make dressing mix 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar and 1 teaspoon of sugar. This dress isnt strong, just enough to moisten (ew I hate that word) up the salad. Serve at room temperature.

• 1 (2 to 3 pound) butternut squash, peeled and seeded
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 6 cups chicken stock (or as little as you like)
• Cinnamon(or nutmeg)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Parmesan cheese 

Per the request of some readers, I am going to start sharing more recipes. If you get sick of me and hate it, let me know. K?

Last week I decided to try my hand at baking. I usually never bake. It just always seems like it needs to be so exact. There is so much more room for creativity for me in cooking. But… we had a large zucchini that was going to go to waste. I was hungry. And well this happened.

not my photo, oops.

Ingredients:

• 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 cups sugar
• 1 cup canola oil
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 1/3 cup water
• 2 cups grated zucchini

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, nutmeg, baking soda, cinnamon and sugar. In a separate bowl, combine oil, eggs, water, zucchini and lemon juice. Mix wet ingredients into dry, add nuts and fold in. Bake in 2 standard loaf pans, sprayed with nonstick spray, for about 55 minutes.

This is a variation of Paula Deen’s recipe and I realllllly enjoyed it. It restored my faith in baking. I ate it for 4 meals (yes FOUR) a day for the last week. ENJOY!

First use three lemons and squeeze out as much juice as you can. Then finely chop up 2 tablespoons of fresh mint.

Put two cartons of fresh strawberries and as much or as little sugar as you would like in a food processor. Add a half a cup of warm water and blend. Then add the lemon juice and finely chopped mint.

Pour the mixture into a Pyrex dish. Place in the freezer for 3 hours or more.

Take out of the freezer and scrape with a fork.

SERVE!