Pea Soup

Starting off the year right with some green! Pea soup with fresh ginger, ​spinach & fresh herbs. It's an easy way to have your vegetables, without a cold salad! 

Time: 30 mins  

Ingredients:  

• 2 cups frozen peas (can use fresh/canned)
• 1 vegetable boullion cube
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup spinach  
• 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary  
• 1 large sage leaf, torn into smaller pieces
• 1 small white onion
• 1 teaspoon fresh garlic, minced
• 1 inch fresh ginger, minced
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil  

Recipe: 

1. Dice the onion & place it in a medium sauce pan with the vegetable oil. Use medium-low heat.
2. Add the garlic, ginger, rosemary, sage & boullion cube into the pot. Stir to combine & stir every couple minutes until the boullion cube is melted. 
3. Add the peas, sauté for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
4. Add the water, salt & pepper. Bring to a boil.
5. After about 10 minutes, turn the stove off & add in the spinach. Stir until the spinach is wilted. 
6. Pour the soup mixture into a food processor & pulse until the mixture is smooth.  

Serve warm, enjoy!  

Ginger Sage Butternut Squash Soup

What a delicious start to Fall soup meals!! There's nothing better than a creamy healthy bowl of Butternut squash soup infused with fresh ginger, chili powder & sage! 

Time: 1 hour  

Ingredients:  

• 1 medium sized butternut squash 
• 1/2 cup freshly chopped ginger
• 1/4 cup chopped onion  
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 2-3 Sage leaves (sage is pretty strong so you don't need a lot) 
• Salt & pepper to taste
• water as needed
• 1 tablesooon vegetable oil  

Recipe:  

1. Peel & chop the butternut squash into small cubes. 
2. Add the vegetable oil & onions to a large pot on medium heat. Let simmer until the onions are transparent, then add the ginger & garlic. Sauté for about 1-2 minutes. 
3. Add the butternut squash, sage, & the chili powder (can add the salt & pepper at this time too). Stir to combine.  
4. Once the squash is seasoned, add enough water to completely cover the top of the squash. You should raise the heat at this time to high so it boils.  
5. Cover & let the squash boil for about 15-20 minutes (stirring & adding water as needed occasionally).  
6. Once the squash is fork-tender, you can use an immersion blender to smooth it out. 
7. You can test for salt at this time. Add fresh sage to garnish & serve!  

Ginger Anise Chicken

Holy flavor explosion! If you just started getting sick of chicken, pump up the bland & give this recipe a try. ​

Time: 2.5 hours​

Ingredients: ​

• 1 whole young chicken ​
• 1/2 cup grated fresh ginger (I peeled the ginger first then used a cheese grater)​
• ​3-4 whole star anise
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temp​
• 1 habanero pepper, sliced thin (optional)​
• 5-6 cloves of garlic​
• Juice of 1/2 a lemon ​
• Veggies to roast under the chicken ​
• 1/4 cup olive oil ​
• Salt & pepper to taste ​

Recipe: ​

1. ​Grab a 13x9 Pyrex & start laying out your veggies for roasting. I used sliced potatoes, carrots, brussel sprouts, snap peas, & mushrooms. Sprinkle with salt & black pepper.
2. ​Place a rack over the vegetables & spray it with cooking spray.
3. Rub the lemon juice over the chicken & inside. Pat dry. ​
4. Use your fingers to peel the skin away from the flesh & fill it with the butter, habanero slices, & fresh ginger. Do this all around the chicken under the skin. ​
5. Fill the cavity with the garlic cloves & any remaining ginger pieces. ​
6. Pour the olive oil over the vegetables & chicken & bake uncovered on 375 for 2 hours or until the chicken is golden brown. ​

Ginger Spaghetti Squash Salad

How many of you are jumping on the spaghetti squash bandwagon? It's wonderful until you sadly realize that it's never really going to have the same flavor profile as spaghetti.  I started experimenting ways to make spaghetti squash pop on its own. Think fresh ginger slices, coriander & cumin, tossed with crunchy bites of zucchini... yes, you need this recipe!  

 Time: 15 mins + time to soften/bake the spaghetti squash 

Ingredients:  

• Filling from 1 spaghetti squash, seeds removed 
• 1 zucchini  
• 1 small piece fresh ginger (~ 2" length)  
• 1.5 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• Salt/pepper to taste 

Recipe: 

1. Peel & dice the zucchini into small cubes. 
2. ​Peel the outter skin off of the ginger & slice it into thin strips. 
3. In a medium frying pan, heat oil to medium heat & add the zucchini, ginger, cumin, & coriander. ​
4. Toss for a few minutes (~3) so the ginger infuses the zucchini. ​
5. Add spaghetti squash, salt & pepper. Toss to incorporate all ingredients. ​
6. Enjoy cool or warm, up to you! ​

Cabbage Dumplings

Ok so this is pretty much Asian-flavored stuffed cabbage... But calling them dumplings is way cuter! And makes me feel fuller somehow :) ​it's Glutenfree, low in fat, carbless & delicious! 

Time: 45 mins ​

Ingredients:​

• 6 whole leaves of cabbage, washed​ & boiled ~2 mins to soften 
• 1 pack ground turkey or ground meat of your choice ​
• 1 tablespoon ground chili powder​
• 1.5 teaspoons salt ​
• 1.5 teaspoons black pepper ​
• 2 tablespoons ginger soy sauce​
• 1 tablespoon chopped scallions ​
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil ​

Recipe:​

1. In a medium sauce pan, ​pan-sear the ground meat in the vegetable oil with the salt, chili powder, & black pepper. Turn off when browned (~15 minutes)
2. ​Let the meat cool for at least 15 minutes then stuff each cabbage leaf with 1.5 tablespoons of meat filling & about 2-3 pieces of chopped scallion.
3. Fold each leaf from the two sides in, then from top to bottom, over (so it forms a cute little dumpling.) 
4. Place the stuffed cabbage leaves with the seal-side down in a small Pyrex bowl. ​
5. Pour the soy sauce over the dumplings & place them in the oven on 350 for 10 minutes. ​
6. Serve alone (eat like tacos) or with your favorite side.​

Miso-Ginger Glazed Rainbow Trout

My miso-ginger glazed rainbow trout recipe is so easy & fast to prepare for dinner. What I love the most is the burst of flavor you get in every bite! No bland fish in this house! 

 Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:  

• 2 rainbow trout, cleaned (got mine from BJs for $10! 
• 4 tablespoons miso paste  
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice  
• 1 piece fresh ginger, peeled & chopped into bite-sized pieces (~1/2 cup) 
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar  

Recipe:  

1. Rinse the trout with cool water & drizzle 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice over & inside each piece. 
2. In a small pot, add remaining tablespoon of lemon juice & all other ingredients above. Keep the heat very low, stirring to combine.  
3. Get a frying pan ready on high heat.  Drizzle olive oil inside & pan-sear each trout for about 3-4 mins on each side or until cooked.  
4. Plate the trout with a side of your choice, scoop some of the miso glaze inside & drizzle the remaining glaze over the top of each trout.  
5. Enjoy!