Chicken Fried Rice

Ingredients

12 oz Chicken, cut into strips

1 ½ cup Brown Rice, cooked

1 ½ cup Carrots, shredded

1 cup Onion, chopped

1 cup Mushrooms, sliced

2 TBLspoon Soy Sauce

3 TBLspoon Sesame Seed Oil

Non-stick Spray Oil

Seasoning Mix

 1 TBLspoon fresh Ginger, peeled and chopped

 1 lg clove Garlic, lightly mashed and peeled

 1/8 teaspoon Fennel Seed

 1/8 teaspoon Cinnamon

 1/8 teaspoon dried Orange Rind

 Salt and Pepper as desired

Directions

Spray large skillet or wok with Non-stick Spray Oil and add Sesame Seed Oil.  Heat over a low flame until very hot.  Place Chicken strips in Oil with Seasoning mix and heat until almost done.  Add Onion, Carrots and Mushrooms, stirring frequently for 3 to 5 minutes. Add cooked Rice and mix well.  Sprinkle mixture with Soy Sauce and cook for about 10 minutes or until vegetables have softened. Measure 4 oz of chicken into each of 3 dishes.  Add 1 c of vegetable to each dish and serve.

Serves 3. 

Abstinent Measuring

Each serving = 1 protein, 1 vegetable, 1 grain and 1 teaspoon oil

*contribution from Area II Cookbook 2004

Roasted Chicken with Apple (or Carrot)

Ingredients

1 whole roasting chicken

2 apples

2 onions

2 heads of garlic

fresh rosemary and thyme

salt and pepper (amount per your preference)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Clean chicken and place in a pot.  Loosen skin over breast and place half of the garlic cloves, rosemary and thyme on breast under skin.  Rub the rest of the seasoning into the cavity.  Cut onions and apples into chunks and place around chicken.   Bake the chicken approximately 1 hour until done.  Remove skin and serve.

Abstinent Measuring

4 oz chicken = 1 protein, 1 cup apple/onion = 1 vegetable

Note:

If fruit is not on your meal plan for lunch or dinner, replace Apple with 8 oz diced Carrots.

*contribution from Area II Cookbook 2004

Carrot Soup

Ingredients

4 cup sliced Carrots

1 cup chopped Onion

2 teaspoon Olive Oil

4 cup Chicken broth

1 teaspoon Lemon Zest

2 teaspoon Curry

Salt and Pepper to preference

Directions

Sauté Onion in Olive Oil, but do not brown.  Add Carrots, Broth, Curry, Salt and Pepper.  Simmer 20 minutes.  Cool, puree in the blender or food processor and reheat to serve.

Makes 2 servings

Abstinent Measuring

Each serving = 2 vegetables

*contribution from Area II Cookbook 2004

Vegan Vegetable Skewers

Ingredients

2 cup of the following vegetables cut into 1-inch pieces, or any other roasting veggies:

Mushrooms - White, Golden, or Portabella

Bell Peppers of any or all colors

Onions - Yellow or Red (do not separate layers completely otherwise onions tend to burn), use at least 3 layers per Onion piece on skewer

Zucchini

Tomatoes, Regular or Cherry Tomatoes

Carrots - large (small Carrot pieces tend to break when skewering)

I teaspoon Olive Oil

Spice mixture:

Garlic Salt

Onion Salt

Paprika

Parsley

Dill or Rosemary

Ground Red Pepper (all according to your preference)

1 teaspoon Olive Oil

Other items

Large Bamboo Skewers,  soaked in water to prevent scorching

Directions

Skewer the chopped vegetables, making sure they are close together.  Mix spices with the olive oil in a small container and brush veggies with oil mixture using a small basting brush.  Cook skewers on grill until veggies are tender, turning often to ensure they don't burn. Use hickory or mesquite chips when grilling to add more flavor.

Abstinent Measuring

1 recipe = 2 vegetables and 1 fat

Make-it-a-Meal

Great with 4 oz. of Vegan Meatless Hamburger-style Patties and a 1 cup Salad for dinner.

*contribution from Area II Cookbook 2004

Mel’s Slaw

Ingredients

1 small head Cauliflower- peel and cut stems, julienne core

1 head large Broccoli 6" across- peel and cut stems, julienne core

1 pkg Broccoli Slaw

1 pkg shredded Carrots

½ head finely shredded Cabbage (some red for color)

1 BIG sweet Onion (from chili or Vidalia), chopped fine

2 stalks finely chopped Celery

Dressing for 8 oz Slaw:

2 TBLspoon Mustard

2 TBLspoon sugar-free Maple Syrup

1 TBLspoon Balsamic Vinegar

Directions

Prepare and mix raw Cauliflower, Broccoli, Carrots, Cabbage, etc. Separate 8 oz of mixture and add dressing. 

Abstinent Measuring

one serving = 8 oz Veggie mix + dressing = 1 vegetable  

*contribution from Janann Y

Simple Meatloaf

My favorite, easiest meatloaf recipe

Ingredients

2 lbs lean ground Beef

1 TBLspoon Herb d’Provence

1 teaspoon Sea Salt
1 small can Rotel Tomatoes

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix all ingredients.  Put in 8” x 11” glass baking dish.  Bake for 1 hour.

Abstinent Measuring

4 oz = 1 protein  

Yummy Pot Roasted Carrots

Ingredients

1-12 oz can beef broth

1 package onion soup mix (check sugar content)

2 lbs baby carrots

salt and pepper (amount to your preference)

Directions

Place all ingredients in stovetop pot.

Bring to a boil and cook for approximately 30 minutes or until carrots are tender.  Serve.

Abstinent Measuring

1 cup = 1 vegetable

Note

Save left over broth for soup or to cook other vegetables.  Freeze for later use.

*contribution from Area II Cookbook 2004

Stir-Fry (Vegan)

Ingredients

4 oz. baked Tofu or Tempeh, cut into small strips or 8 oz. cooked Chickpeas

4 cups raw Veggies, cut into ½ to 1 inch pieces (cooks down to 3 cups), include Broccoli, Bok Choy (Chinese Cabbage), Bell Pepper, Onions, Mushrooms, Carrots, Celery, Bamboo Shoots, Water Chestnuts, etc.

2 cloves minced Garlic

1 teaspoon Sesame or blended Wok Oil

Spices

dash Ginger

dash Celery Seed

¼ teaspoon Curry

1/8  teaspoon Cardamom

1 – 2 Tblspoon Soy Sauce

Optional

I Tblspoon Arrowroot powder, use for thickening sauce, not necessary if using grain option in Note below.

1 Japanese Red Pepper (Red Jalapeno Pepper), finely diced, remove seeds and white fleshy placenta inside pepper to reduce spiciness

½ c Brown Rice –see Grain Option in Serving Suggestions

8 oz. Adzuki Beans – see Side Dish Option in Serving Suggestions

Directions

Coat a large preheated stir-fry pan or wok with Oil and add Veggies (except Bok Choy Greens), diced Red Pepper, Garlic, and Protein.

Cook over medium to medium-high heat, stirring often. When Veggies start to "sweat", add ½ the Soy Sauce, cover pan and let steam.

Stir Veggies every few minutes. Remove lid when Broccoli is almost tender.

Turn up heat to cook off excess water from Veggies, stirring continuously. Once Water is almost cooked off, reduce heat and add Greens from Bok Choy.

Add Spices, Arrowroot, and remaining Soy Sauce after Veggies are fully cooked (Bok Choy greens are wilted).

Abstinent Measuring

Meal counts as 1 protein, 3 veggies, and 1 tsp fat

Note

On the Bok Choy: remove green leafy part from white stalk. White stalk is chopped and cooked with the other veggies. The greens should be coarsely chopped and will be added later to the stir-fry.

Serving Suggestions

Grain option - Subtract 1 c Veggies and add ½ c cooked short grain Brown Rice or short grain sticky (sweet) Brown Rice to stir-fry after spices.  Mix thoroughly.

Side Dish option - Subtract protein, slightly reduce amount of red pepper, garlic, spices, and soy sauce when cooking. Instead, serve with 8 oz. Adzuki Beans on the side.

*contribution from Area II Cookbook 2004

Okra & Mushrooms

I was not born or raised in the South.  To me Okra was cornbread battered and deep-fried with lots of salt.  I didn’t like the “slimy” texture of some cooked okra dishes…just looking at them caused me to turn up my nose.  BUT, I’ve experimented and asked the natives questions.  And I have come to appreciate and love fresh Okra…especially in the summer when it’s fresh at Farmers Market.  See Notes below for decreasing the “slimy factor.”

Ingredients

2 lbs fresh Okra, sliced into 1 ½ inch pieces

1 lbs fresh white Mushrooms, sliced

3 fresh Carrots, sliced diagonally into 14 inch ovals

1 large Red Bell Pepper

1 medium Yellow Onion

2 cloves to 2 TBLSpoon Garlic, minced, your taste

2-3 TBLspoons Olive Oil

1-28oz can diced Tomatoes or Rotel Tomatoes

1 teaspoon Sea Salt

Optional

1 TBLspoon Brown Mustard seed & 1 teaspoon Cumin seed

Or  1 teaspoon Mrs. Dash or other spice mix

3 stalks Celery, diced

1-2 Jalapeno Peppers, minced

Directions

Place Olive Oil, Carrots, Yellow Onions and Garlic in large covered pan on medium heat.  Sauté until Onions turn translucent.  Add Salt, other spices of your choice and the Okra.  Stir well and replace cover.  Stir occasionally and cook until Okra well heated and turning a little softer.  Add Mushrooms and Peppers, mix well, replace cover and cook (with occasional stirring) until Okra is just starting to turn a darker shade of green.  Add Tomatoes.  Cook another 5-10 minutes, until it’s had a chance to get bubbly hot and has melded together.  Serve Hot.

Abstinent Measuring

1 cup = 1 vegetable

Notes

1.       Spices: I think only Salt is necessary, especially if using Rotel Tomatoes.  But I’ve used either Brown Mustard/Cumin OR Mrs. Dash and the results were equally tasty

2.      Slimyness:  I’ve discovered that the smaller the Okra pieces and the more over-cooked the Okra the slimier the dish.  Also adding the Tomatoes at the end reduces the slimy-factor.  The acid in the Tomatoes does the trick… but can be defeated by prolonged cooking.

Minestrone Soup

Ingredients

2 cups onion chopped

1 clove garlic minced

2 cups celery sliced

2 cups zucchini chopped

1 cup carrots chopped

1 cup kohlrabi chopped or celery root

4 tsp. olive oil

2 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped (or use canned)

4 cubes beef bouillon (yes beef)

4 quarts chicken stock or broth

pepper to taste

1 (15.5 ounce) can kidney beans, washed

1 (15.5 ounce) can garbanzo beans, washed

1 (15.5 ounce) can green beans, washed

½ cup frozen peas (optional counted as 1 cup of vegetable)

¼ cup fresh basil (or tsp. dried, better with fresh)

¼ fresh parsley (or tsp. dried)

Parmesan cheese grated
Directions

All chopped vegetables are small chop. Sauté onion, garlic, celery, zucchini, carrots in olive oil until onions are transparent and vegetables soft. Do not brown. Add tomatoes and cook 10 minutes. Add bouillon, chicken stock, & pepper. Cover and simmer 30 minutes. Add beans and peas (if wanted) simmer 20 minutes, uncovered. Add basil and parsley and season to taste. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese if desired.

Abstinent Measuring:

The beans are shy of 4 cups so I do grate a tsp. of Parmesan. You can measure and calculate if you want. Equals = 4 meals of 1 protein and 3 cups vegetables (raw measure on vegetables) and 1 fat in each

Carrot Soup

Ingredients

4 cup Carrots, chopped

1 cup Onion, chopped

2 teaspoon Oil

4 cups Chicken Broth

Zest of one Lemon or 1 teaspoon Lemon Zest

2 teaspoon Curry

Salt & Black Pepper -- to taste

2 Tblspoon Sherry—to taste

Directions

Sauté Onion in Oil until clear. Stop before they turn brown. Add Carrots, Chicken Broth, Curry, Salt, and Black Pepper. Simmer for 20 minutes. Cool, blender-ize and reheat, adding Sherry.

Abstinent Measuring

1 cup = 1 vegetable

Serving Suggestions: Top with dollop of Sour Cream (I do not, but some do.) if you add this, don’t forget to count the Fat in the Sour Cream.

Carrots and Parsnips

You say;”You can’t boil water?” Then this recipe is right up your ally!

I had never met a Parsnip until a couple months ago. I tried Parsnips as an addition to a stew and was un-impressed. Then I was told about this simple recipe and totally changed my mind about what Parsnip Possibilities. Try it…it will change your mind too.

Ingredients

Equal amounts of Parsnips and Carrots. Depends on how much you want to make.

1-2 lbs of Parsnips, sliced thin with mandolin slicer or using food processor.

1-2 lbs of Carrots, sliced thin with mandolin slicer or using food processor.

½ to 1 cup Fresh Water or Chicken Stock

Optional

1 lb Butternut Squash, chopped small is a nice addition

Directions

After slicing, mix Carrots and Parsnips in large skillet, with half the Water or Chicken Stock. Cover and heat medium-high until everything gets hot and cooking together. Don’t forget to stir occasionally and monitor the moisture amount in the pan. If the vegetables start to stick to the bottom, turn down the heat a little and add a little more Water or Chicken Stock. Once everything gets hot, turn down the heat to medium and continue to monitor and stir until vegetables are soft – about 10 minutes. Serve Hot.

Abstinent Measuring

1 cup = 1 vegetable

Notes

Serving Suggestions: I don’t even think this dish needs Sea Salt or Black Pepper, but I do know people that add it to everything. See what you like.

Take it to a Party: this is a very easy thing to make and take to any pot-luck. Surprise your friends with a Parsnip adventure.

Vegetable Cream Curry

This is an all-vegetable variation of the Chicken & Vegetable Curry with Sweet Potato recipe posted earlier. I’ve also replaced the cow’s milk(canned evaporated milk) with coconut cream(canned). And the results are great. Nice bright taste, but creamy, velvety texture.

Ingredients

1 TBLspoon Olive Oil

1 medium Yellow Onion, chopped

4 medium Carrots, chopped

2 lb fresh Green Beans, ends snipped and cut in half

1 small-medium Cauliflower, chopped to 1 ½-2 inch pieces

1 Red or Orange Sweet Bell Pepper, chopped

½ lb Mushroom, sliced or quartered

2 cup Chicken or Vegetable Broth

½ cup Coconut Cream

2 TBLspoon Curry Powder , heaping TBLspoons

Optional

Exchange: Coconut Cream for Evaporated Milk if desired

Directions

Sauté Onions with Olive Oil in large covered pan/skillet, on medium heat until they start to turn translucent (5 min). Add Carrots, re-cover and cook until they begin to soften (5 min). Next add Green Beans and Cauliflower, Chicken or Vegetable Broth, Coconut Cream and Curry Powder. Mix thoroughly, cover and bring to low boil. When Cauliflower is just starting to get tender(10 minutes), add Mushrooms and Bell Pepper. Serve hot.

Abstinent Measuring

1 cup = 1 vegetable, 1 teaspoon Oil

Notes

Please note that this is Coconut CREAM not Coconut MILK, although CMilk would be a valid substitute. The Coconut Cream does add some Fat to the dish. But it is well worth the flavor it adds. If you are hyper-vigilant about fat, use fat-free Evaporated Milk. Coconut Cream has the same fat density as straight butter. So judge your own needs according.

Adapted from Chicken and Sweet Potato Curry-in-a-Hurry in 365:No Repeats Cookbook by Rachael Ray

Marinated Vegetable Salad

Great dish when you need something easy to bring to a picnic or party. Works fine unrefrigerated for extended periods. Double recipe for large batches.
Contributed by Joan J.

Ingredients

3 cups fresh Broccoli florets

2 cups fresh Cauliflower-etts

1-1/2 cups fresh Baby Carrots

2 Celery Ribs, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

2 cups fresh Mushrooms

Dressing

2/3 cup Balsamic Vinegar

1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

10 cloves Garlic

1 teaspoon Oregano, minced

1 teaspoon Basil, minced

1 large Shallot, minced

4 Green Onions, chopped

1/2 teaspoon Hot Red Pepper flakes

½-1 cup fresh Water

Optional

Finely chopped Red or Green Sweet Peppers

Directions

Brush off fresh mushrooms to clean and wash other veggies. Place all Dressing ingredients in medium sauce pan and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer (small bubbles) for 6 minutes. Add all veggies, EXCEPT mushrooms, stir; cover and simmer 1 minute. Turn off heat, add Mushrooms, stir and let rest for 1 minute. Remove pan from stove(and any residual heating source), uncover and allow to cool. Pour into clean jar and store in refrigerator. Mix occasionally to keep top veggies moist. Serve cold.

Keeps up to 1 month in refrigerator.

Abstinent Measuring

1 cup = 1 vegetable

Notes

1. Use fresh herbs when available. If using fresh basil and oregano double quantities

2. A good substitute for the large Shallot is 1/3-1/2 cup of the white end of Green Onions, chopped.

Serving Suggestions: Stir Salad to moisten all pieces and serve cold using using slotted spoon.

Moroccan Roasted Vegetable Stew

It’s a stew that is cooked in the oven, weird, but a delightful combination of spices and method. The vegetables all fit onto two trays, and you can roast everything at time, assuming your oven has two racks. All the work is in the chopping.

Ingredients

A little olive oil, Bottle or spray

I medium Garlic Bulb

6 medium Tomatoes, not too ripe,

4 large red and/or yellow Bell Peppers, cored (with seeds and stems removed,) but leave Pepper whole

1 medium onions, chopped into 1-inch chunks

4 medium carrots, chopped into 1 to 1 1/2-inch chunks

2 zucchini, chopped into 1 to 1 1/2-inch chunks

1 small-medium Cauliflower

Salt to taste

I Tbl spoon Cumin Seeds

I Tbl spoon Mustard Seeds

1 tsp ground Cinnamon or 1 Cinnamon stick

3 Tbl spoons Lemon Juice (to taste)

Freshly ground Black Pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease two large baking trays.

Tray 1: Place the Garlic bulb in one of the tray. Core the tomatoes, and arrange them on the tray with the bell peppers.

Place Tray 1 on bottom rack of oven, Set timer for 20 minutes. Turn Peppers with tongs about every 10 minutes, so they don’t blister. Don’t turn the tomatoes.

Tray 2 Scatter the onions, carrots, zucchini, cauliflower, drizzle or spray with Olive Oil m with extra oil, and sprinkle with Mustard Seeds Cumin Seeds and a little Salt.

When timer goes off, place Tray2 in upper rack of oven. Set the timer for 20 minutes. Turn Peppers with tongs about every 10 minutes, so they don’t blister. Don’t turn the tomatoes.

When the timer goes off, remove Tray 1 (tomatoes and peppers) which have now had a total bake time of 40-45 minutes. Set the timer for 15 minutes.

Move the Peppers and Tomatoes to a large glass Oven-proof bowl or casserole dish. Sprinkle the Cinnamon around this hot mixture and toss as best you can. They may mush and fall apart and that just fine. Cover and let sit until the timer goes off.

In the meantime, when the garlic has cooled enough to handle, remove roasted Garlic cloves. This can be accomplished by cutting off one end of the clove and squeezing out the pulp. When complete, add all garlic pulp to the glass bowl and re-cover.

When the timer goes off, remove Tray 2 from the oven (total cook time 35 min) and set aside.

Carefully lift out the peppers, leaving as much of their liquid in the howl as possible. Cut the peppers into strips and return them to the bowl. Then lift out the tomatoes, .chop, and return it to the bowl. Fish out and discard the cinnamon stick if you used one instead of the powder.. Scrape the vegetables and seeds on Tray2 in the glass bowl. Add Lemon Juice and Black Pepper. Mix well.

Cover the bowl, and heat the stew in a 350°F oven for about 20-30 minutes. Serve hot, over or next to Brown Rice or Quinoa, and garnished with minced parsley and lemon wedges.

Optional Garnishes: Minced fresh parsley Squeezable wedges of lemon.

NOTE: This IS an easy recipe. But there are a few steps, each of which take time. I’ve written this for the minimum amount of time in the kitchen and a minimum vegetable cooling in between. If you don’t want to shuffle the trays, resetting the timer in between, prepare both trays and start at some time. Put Tray1 on bottom oven rack for 40-45 minutes and Tray2 on top oven rack for 35 minutes. Just let Tray 2 and vegetables sit aside until it is ready to go into the casserole dish and back into oven. Allow a little more time for the complete stew in the oven, since they cooled some before the final combining.

Abstinent Measuring

1 cup Stew = 1 vegetable

adapted from Mollie Katzen's Vegetable Heaven cookbook

Roasted Vegetables

Sounds boring and yet roasting brings out the most amazing flavors. Try it once and get hooked. Try it with just the vegetables that are in season and the freshest. Try different combinations of vegetables every time. It's a dynamic, living recipe.

Ingredients

2 -3 lbs of vegetables, chopped into 1 1/2 to 3 inch pieces -- see Advise below.

combo1: 1 eggplant, 2 zucchini, 2 yellow squash, 1 red bell pepper, 1/2 red onion

combo2: 1 cauliflower

combo3: 2 crown broccoli, 1 ear sweet corn, 1/2 lb mushroom, 1 red bell pepper,

combo4: 4 turnips, 4 red beets, 3-5 carrots, 3-5 parsnips, 2 fennel

combo5: combo4 plus 1 butternut squash

combo6: 1 butternut squash

Sea Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions

Toss the chopped vegetables with sea salt and pepper. Place on grease baking pan, one layer deep. it may be necessary to go to two pans if you get too happy with the chopping.

Bake in 350 degree F oven for 30-45 minutes or until tender.

Abstinent Measuring

1 cup Roasted Vegetables = 1 vegetable

if corn is used, it must be separated out and measured as a starch

Optional Spices

Red Pepper flakes

Lemon-Pepper

Any seasoned salt you can imagine is great substitute for the sea salt

Rosemary - be careful not to over do. Rosemary is strong spice and gets over-powering fast.

Dill - again, be careful not to get carried away

Notes

DO NOT TURN the veggies halfway. it just makes them burn faster.

Corn - just cut the cob into 2 inch rounds and toss in with other veggies.

Root Vegetables take more time to cook because of their density. Chop into 1 1/2 - 2 inch cubes.

Take it to a Party: Remove the veggies about 10 minutes before they are done, cover with foil and a towel. Take to party and put on pretty plate when you get there. The veggies will finish cooking on the way and they will have that awesome, straight-from-the-oven quality when you serve this dish.