Market Haul

My eyes were clearly bigger than my stomach at the market today. I brought home tons of colorful veggies: multi-colored radishes, beets, and carrots, snap and sugar peas, tomatoes, artichokes, fennel, lettuce, cucumbers, broccoli, cabbage, onions, leeks, and the long awaited garlic scrapes. Plus I bought a dozen multi-colored eggs and white mulberries. YUM!

Rapini in gingered soy sauce

Approx. 90 Calories per serving. Recipe makes 2 (large) servings.

When I started cooking this, I intended to make grilled chicken to go along with it. I got a little lazy and decided that if I ate half the pan, I would be full and didn't need to bother with the chicken. This recipe makes enough for 2 large servings (as main course) or 4 small side dishes.

Ingredients

• 16 oz rapini
• 2 Tbs soy sauce (low sodium)
• 4 Tbs grated ginger
• 1 clove grated garlic
• red pepper flakes, to taste
• 1 cup water

Directions

1. Wash rapini and cut stalks in half.
2. Add water, soy sauce, grated ginger and garlic, and red pepper flakes to a skillet; bring to a boil.
3. Add rapini and cook until tender but not mushy.

Beef with Pea Pods

Approx. 270 Calories per serving. Recipe makes 3 servings.

I had a piece of sirloin steak left, so I decided to make beef with pea pods. I was going to just remake the beef with snow peas recipe, but I didn't have quite enough peas for the amount of beef that I had. I did have some sugar/snap peas, so I decided to just blend the two types. I also decided to "cheat" and use ready-made Teriyaki sauce instead of making my own sauce.

Ingredients

• 8 oz sirloin steak
• 2 cups snap/sugar pea pods
• 2 cups snow pea pods
• 3/4 cup yellow onion
• 1/2 Tbs olive oil
• 2 Tbs spicy Teriyaki sauce (I used East-West brand, Spicy Ginger)

Directions

1. Slice beef into thin strips.
2. Add oil to a skillet and heat.
3. Stir fry beef until pink.
4. Add onion and stir fry until just slightly softened.
5. Add pea pods and cook until almost tender.
6. Add Teriyaki sauce and continue to cook until all vegetables are tender, but not mushy.

Grilled Fennel and Carrots w/ Sirloin Steak

I bought a few cute baby fennel and some baby carrots at the market this weekend.I wasn't sure what to do with them, and decided that I just wanted something really simple, so I tossed them in a grill pan along with a sirloin steak I bought with a Groupon. This really isn't a recipe, since all I did was season the beef with black pepper, and just tossed the fennel and carrots in the pan with it. I just "grilled" everything until the meat was done and the veggies tender, then plated everything and served with leftover carrot and radish salad.

Approx. 380 Calories for the entire meal as shown.

Ingredients

• 2 small baby fennel bulbs (approx 1 cup)
• 7 small baby carrots (approx 1 cup)
• 8 oz sirloin steak (I cut in half and only ate 4 oz)
• black pepper, to taste
• carrot and radish salad (approx 1 cup)

Directions

1. Heat grill pan until hot.
2. Season beef with black pepper and put on grill.
3. Wash fennel and carrots and place on grill.
4. Grill until everything is cooked and tender, turning as needed.
5. Plate and serve with carrot and radish salad

Carrot and Radish Salad

Approx. 50 Calories per serving. Recipe makes 4 servings.

At this week's farmer's market, I found an assortment of colored carrots and giant white sweet radishes. They were too pretty to pass up, so I added them to my shopping bag. When I got home, I wasn't sure what to do with them, so I just chopped them to make a quick and easy salad. I made the dressing with vinegar and an assortment of spices, but a bottled Italian dressing would probably work just as well.

Ingredients

• 1 huge sweet radish (approx. 2.5 cups)
• 4 large carrots of different colors: pale yellow, gold, orange, purple (approx. 2.5 cups)
• 9 Tbs red wine vinegar
• Sprinkle dried basil, oregano, and red pepper flakes, to taste.

Directions

1. Wash and chop vegetables.
2. Mix spices with vinegar.
3. Pour vinegar over chopped vegetables and let sit at least 30 minutes before serving.

Grapefruit and Nasturtium Salad

Approx. 120 Calories per serving. Recipe makes 1 (large) serving.

I love early spring at the downtown Phoenix farmer's market. One of my favorite vendors is the Roosevelt Grow Collective Garden. Right now, they have bags of mixed field greens with nasturtium flowers. I always buy the greens with the flowers. Seacat Gardens had a nice baby spinach, so I needed to get that too. I still had several grapefruits from a coworker, so I just decided to combine these simple ingredients into a beautiful, colorful, tasty salad. I decided that the peppery nasturtium plus the bitter/sweet taste of the grapefruit had enough flavor that I didn't need any additional dressing. I was quite happy with the way it turned out.

Ingredients

• 2 cups baby spinach
• 2 cups mixed greens
• 1 cup nasturtium flowers
• 1 medium grapefruit (w/ juice)

Directions

1. Peel and segment grapefruit.
2. Mound mixed greens and spinach on a plate.
3. Add flowers and grapefruit segments and juice.

Gingered bok choy and tomatoes

Approx. 100 Calories per serving. Recipe makes 2 servings.

It's Friday night and the fridge is pretty empty, since tomorrow is farmer's market day. I had bok choy leaves left over from the meal I made the other night, along with a few cherry tomatoes and some mushrooms. I decided that these would be good combined in a gingered soy sauce "stir fry". As it was cooking, it seemed to be lacking something, so I added a few toasted sesame seeds. They gave it a bit more texture and really enhanced the flavor.

This makes a great side dish. I didn't feel like making anything else, so I ate both servings as my full meal.

Ingredients

• 3 cups bok choy
• 1 1/2 cup mushrooms
• 1 cup grape/cherry tomatoes
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 Tbs grated ginger
• 2 Tbs soy sauce (low sodium)
• 1 1/2 Tbs toasted sesame seeds
• 1 cup water
• red pepper flakes, to taste

Directions

1. Wash and chop bok choy leaves.
2. Chop mushrooms and slice grape/cherry tomatoes in half.
3. Add water, soy sauce, grated garlic and ginger, and red pepper flakes to a skillet.
4. Heat until water boils.
5. Add bok choy leaves and mushrooms. Cook until tender and most water has evaporated.
6. Add tomatoes. Cook until warm and just barely tender (not mushy).
7. Add sesame seeds, mix well, and then serve.

Teriyaki Chicken and Broccoli

Approx. 215 Calories per serving. Recipe makes 2 servings.

I had some chicken left over and wanted to make something quick and easy. I decided to make a quick stir fry of Teriyaki chicken and broccoli. I really like the spicy ginger teriyaki sauce from East-West, so I used that instead of making my own.

Ingredients

• 5 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 4 cups broccoli
• 1/3 cup green onion (white bulb and a little bit of the green stem)
• 1/2 Tbs olive oil
• 2 Tbs spicy ginger Teriyaki sauce (I use East-West brand)
• 1 cup water

Directions

1. Slice broccoli and green onion.
2. Cut chicken into small pieces.
3. Add oil to a skillet and heat.
4. Add chicken. Cook until white (about 3-4 minutes).
5. Add green onion and cook for 1 minute.
6. Add water and broccoli. Cook until broccoli is tender and water has evaporated off.
7. Add teriyaki sauce. Mix well and heat until warm.

Chicken in Panang Curry

Approx. 180 Calories per serving. Recipe makes 3 servings

I was having a rough day and really needed some “comfort food”. I find the warmth of Thai curries combined with the creaminess of coconut milk to be very comforting. I really wanted to make a noodle dish, but didn’t want the calories that go with it, so reached a compromise with the bok choy. By cutting the stems into thin slices and cooking them until they were soft, they had the texture of noodles. I almost used a yellow onion, but decided the dish would be too monochromatic and decided to use a green onion to give it a splash of color.

Ingredients

• 6 oz boneless skinless chicken breast
• 3 cups bok choy stems
• 2 cups mushrooms
• 1 can (8 oz) sliced water chestnuts
• 1 can (8 oz) bamboo shoots
• 2 cups green onions
• 2 Tbs Panang curry paste (Maesri brand)
• 3 Tbs coconut milk
• 2 cups water

Directions

1. Thinly slice bok choy stems (save green tops for something else).
2. Chop mushrooms into small pieces.
3. Slice green onions (green part only).
4. Cut chicken into small pieces.
5. Add water, coconut milk, and curry paste to the skillet and bring to a boil.
6. Add chicken and cook until white (about 2 minutes).
7. Add bok choy, water chestnuts, and bamboo shoots. Cook until bok choy is almost soft (about 3-4 minutes).
8. Add mushrooms and cook until they are tender and water is evaporated off to desired consistency (about 2 minutes).
9. Add green onion slices and heat until warm.

Halibut with Grapefruit Salsa

Approx. 400 Calories per serving (excluding steamed asparagus). Recipe serves 1.

I enjoyed the grapefruit sauce I made the other night, so I decided to make another one to try with fish. I really liked the crunch of the red onion with this salsa. It would have been a little better if I had added cilantro, but I forgot to do that. I served this dish with steamed baby asparagus. I think it is something I will make again while I have an abundance of grapefruit!

Ingredients

• 5 oz halibut
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 green onion
• 1/4 cup red onion
• 1 medium grapefruit (approx. 1 cup sections plus juice)
• black pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Peel and segment the grapefruit.
2. Chop green part of green onion and dice red onion.
3. Add to grapefruit.
4. Add oil and fish to a skillet. Cover and cook on medium heat for approx. 4 minutes.
5. Season fish with pepper and flip.
6. Cook approx. 3 more minutes, or until fish is done.
7. Remove fish.
8. Add grapefruit salsa to the pan and heat just until it is warm.
9. Pour grapefruit salsa on top of fish to serve.

Halibut with Grapefruit and Orange Sauce

Approx. 440 Calories per serving. Recipe makes 1 serving.

A coworker has grapefruit trees and has brought in several huge baskets full of them. I have tried to be a good coworker to her, so I "forced" myself to take home several (20!!) grapefruits. Some of them were getting a bit soft, so I decided to cut them into segments so I wouldn't have to deal with the peel each time I wanted to eat one. If you don't know how to segment a grapefruit, there is a great video HERE.

Ingredients

• 6 oz. halibut
• 1/2 Tbs olive oil
• 1 oz white wine
• 1 small grapefruit (approx. 1 cup slices w/ juice)
• 1 small orange (approx. 1/4 cup slices w/ juice)
• 1 sprig cilantro
• 1 green onion
• black pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Peel, pith, and segment the grapefruit and orange, capturing juices.
2. Chop cilantro and green part of green onion.
3. Mix herbs with the fruit segments.
4. Add oil and fish to a skillet. Cover and heat on medium for about 4 minutes.
5. Season fish with black pepper and flip.
6. Add grapefruit mixture and a dash of white wine.
7. Uncover the skillet and heat on high, until fish is done and liquid has evaporated to desired consistency.
8. Remove fish and serve with grapefruit sauce.

Halibut with Asparagus Sauce

Approx. 325 Calories per serving. Recipe makes 1 Serving

I spent the past weekend in Las Vegas. One night I had dinner in my hotel's restaurant, the Tuscany Gardens. I ordered the halibut with asparagus sauce. It was 8 oz. of halibut covered in a spoonful of thinly sliced asparagus and diced tomatoes in a white wine herb sauce. I would have preferred more asparagus, so in my attempt to recreate the dish, I added a lot more veggies (but I totally forgot to add wine! oops)

Ingredients

• 6 oz halibut
• 1 plum tomato
• 1 green onion
• 1/2 cup asparagus stems (I saved the tops for another dish)
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 dash each of garlic powder, crushed red peppers, black pepper, and dried basil (add to taste)

Directions

1. Slice asparagus stems into small pieces.
2. Dice tomato and finely chop green onion.
3. Add oil and fish to a skillet. Cover and heat on medium for approx. 4 minutes.
4. Season fish with pepper and flip.
5. Add asparagus and herbs (and white wine if you remember) to the pan, cover, and cook until fish flakes (approx. 3 minutes).
6. Remove fish from pan.
7. Add tomato and green onion to the pan. Heat until tomato is warm and starts to soften.
8. Serve over/under the fish.

Market Haul

It's been a while since I've posted my weekly haul from the Downtown Phoenix Public Market, so here it this week's shopping haul. My eyes were bigger than my stomach once again.

I came home loaded with carrots, onions, leeks, potatoes, sweet potatoes, daikon radish, kohlrabi, fennel, winter squash, lettuce, mixed greens, snow peas, sugar peas, cucumbers, tomatoes, grapefruit, tangerines, a lime, and apples. I also bought tortillas, hummus, smoked mozzarella cheese, and - thanks to a Groupon - some beef for stew.

Bok choy and pomegranates in masaman curry

Approx. 145 Calories per serving. Recipe makes 2 servings.

I was still on my Masaman curry kick. I just tossed in what veggies I had around the house, and added some pomegranate seeds. I really liked the sweetness, juiciness, and crunch that they added.


Ingredients

• 4 cups bok choy (stalks and leaves)
• 3 cups Brussels sprouts
• 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
• 2 Tbs Masaman curry paste
• 2-3 cups water

Directions

1. Cut ends and "ugly" leaves off the Brussels sprouts. Cut in half lengthwise
2. Wash and chop bok choy.
3. Add water and curry paste to a skillet. Bring to a boil.
4. Add Brussels sprouts and bok choy stems.
5. Simmer until Brussels sprouts are tender but not soggy, and then add bok choy leaves.
6. Simmer until bok choy leaves are tender.
7. Evaporate off as much water as you want.
8. Add pomegranate seeds and cook until warm.

Tomato, Artichoke, and Avocado Salad

Approx. 175 Calories per serving. Recipe makes 2 servings.

I love the flavor of tomato and avocado together. I contemplated eating them on a lettuce salad, but I really wanted something a little different for lunch. I found a can of artichoke hearts and thought this would go well together. It was a tasty salad, but could have used something a little crunchy to improve the texture .... maybe cucumbers or even red onions.

You could also use marinated artichoke hearts or toss it with Italian or Greek dressing if you don't like the flavor of just vinegar.

Ingredients

• 1 can artichoke hearts
• 1 medium tomato
• 1 small avocado
• 2 Tbs red wine vinegar
• black pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Drain, rinse, and quarter artichoke hearts.
2. Cut tomato into chunks.
3. Add tomato, black pepper, and vinegar to the artichoke hearts and mix.
4. Remove pit from avocado and cut into chunks.
5. Lightly mix with remaining ingredients.
6. For optimum flavor, allow to sit at least 15 minutes prior to serving.

Chicken and Broccoli in Masaman Curry

Approx 170 Calories per serving. Recipe makes 2 servings.

I had some Masaman curry paste left over, so instead of making the chicken and broccoli stir fry with teriyaki or soy sauce like I usually do, I decided to make it with the Masaman curry paste instead. It was pretty good, but the curry flavor was pretty weak. If I make it again, I would double the amount of curry paste. I evaporated off almost all the liquid, but if you serve it with rice, you might want to leave more of the liquid as sauce.

Ingredients

• 4 oz. boneless skinless chicken breast
• 5 cups broccoli
• 1 cup mushrooms
• 1 Tbs Masaman curry paste
• 2 cups water

Directions

1. Chop vegetables and cut chicken into chunks.
2. Add water and curry paste to the skillet and bring to a boil.
3. Add chicken and cook until it is white (and cooked through).
4. Add broccoli and mushrooms.
5. Cook until broccoli is tender, but not mushy.
6. Evaporate off water until desired liquid level is reached.