Poor Kevin is stuck on cooking duty while I've been having some pain-issues. I am such a lucky woman to have a wonderfully creative husband!
Sesame Lemon Broccoli
1 lb frozen broccoli cuts
1/4 - 1/2 tsp sesame oil
splash lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
Stir fry broccoli in very hot wok with a tsp or two of peanut oil. When it is finished, toss with sesame oil, lemon juice and salt and pepper.
Still playing with the experiment of Kevin trying orange squashes and sweet potatoes. This recipe was deemed "too sweet" by the husband, and "too sour" by the daughter. I personally loved it.
Balsamic Glazer Winter Vegetables
1 bag diced mixed winter vegetables (about 2 cups)
< >< >< >< >includes sweet potato, turnip, carrot, squash
1/4 c water
1 T butter
1 T light brown sugar
1/4 c water + 1/4 c balsamic vinegar
Heat wok to very hot. Coat with safflower or other high smoke point oil and stir fry small diced vegetables for about five minutes. Add water and let sizzle away until water is gone. Toss with butter and sugar until both are melted and vegetables are glazed. Add mixed water and balsamic. Let stew and sizzle for a minute or two, then slide vegetables up the side and let sauce reduce in the center. Once reduced to a glaze, toss it all back together again and serve.
Kevin and I have been going through a lot of stress lately, and the cooking has dropped to a near minimum. Add in that we've just about run out of meat in the freezer (and the new food order from Colorado Prime doesn't arrive until this coming Thursday -- they sort of lost us when we moved *sighs*)... well, we've been really lax on the cooking.
We're trying to pick back up and be better. Kevin's taken to stir-frying our vegetables, which adds a lot of flavor without adding a huge amount of fat. And tonight we needed something really quick (because we've done a LOT today and are exhausted) so we grabbed the 90% lean burgers from the freezer and a bag of French cut green beans and stared at them.
Less than 20 minutes later we were eating, and it was GOOD.
This meal depended on a lot of random things precooked in the freezer, or in the bread drawer. It was hearty and yummy, and wasn't just hamburgers and beans.
Burgers, with No Buns in the House
4 1/4 pound 90% lean burgers (frozen)
4 slices cheese
6 slices bacon (precooked, from the freezer)
8 slices whole wheat Italian bread (from the bakery)
condiments to taste
Place bacon slices between paper towels and put on plate in microwave. Heat for one minute and press grease away afterwards, while the burgers are grilling.
Fire up the grill and let get hot. Cook the burgers, 4 minutes per side for rare, 5 minutes for medium. Remove from grill, put cheese on top to melt. Drop bread onto grill and quickly toast both sides.
Butter bread (if desired) and make burger with burger, cheese, bacon, and add condiments as desired.
The crunchiness of the toasted whole wheat Italian adds a really hearty feel to the burger, and the bacon feels decadent. Truth to be told, I used fat-free cheese (I know, I know) and very little fat otherwise, so the bacon was a lovely treat. And I always take as much grease off before I freeze it, so I knew it wasn't that unhealthy.
Stir Fried Green Beans w/ Sesame and Almonds
1 bag French cut green beans
1/4 slivered almonds
1 tsp oil for stir fry (such as safflower or peanut)
1 tsp sesame oil
salt & pepper to taste
Heat the wok to hot. Add safflower and sesame oil. Add green beans and stir fry until crisp-tender. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Meanwhile, heat a small non-stick skillet to hot. Toast the slivered almonds. Add to green beans at the last minute.
Mm, yum!!!