“Red Rules!” Stir-fry

"Red Rules" Stir-fry

After deciding on my ingredients for this vegan stir-fry, I found a “red” theme emerging. Quite appropriate during a month that’s all about Valentine’s and roses, don’t you think?  Red bell peppers, red potatoes, red kidney beans…and some Spanish paprika in the seasoning (red also!). To add some other colors to the plate, I tossed in cauliflower and spinach. too. Although my preference is to eat this tasty dish without any underlying grain, you might also enjoy it served over brown rice or quinoa. 

About this dish:
Vegetarian/vegan? Yes, it is!

Gluten Conscious? You’re in the clear!

Everyone: Dig in! 

What You’ll Need For the Stir-fry:

• Spinach – 6 cups
• Cauliflower – 3 cups, chopped
  

  Raw Materials

• Red bell peppers – 3 cups chopped
• Red potatoes – 3 medium-sized, chopped into small pieces
• Red kidney beans – 2 cups, cooked
• Olive oil – 1 Tbsp to prep pan
• Cilantro – 1 tsp
• Spanish paprika – 1 tsp
• Ginger – 1 tsp
• Sea salt – 1 tsp
• Black pepper – 1/2 tsp

 Get cooking…

1. In a small bowl, combine cilantro, papriak, salt, black pepper & ginger, then set aside.
2. Warm olive oil in an extra large deep frying pan or wok on medium heat.
3. When the pan is hot, add potatoes and cauliflower. Stir often & cook until slightly tender.
4. Decrease heat to low and spinach and red peppers. Stir often & cook until tender, but not overdone.
5. Add red kidney beans and spices.
6. Stir until well-mixed.
7. Serve (over rice or quinoa if you wish) and enjoy!

Makes 4  servings – Eat well!

Brussel Sprouts Stir-fry in Spanish Paprika Spice Medley

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Brussel Sprouts Stir-fry in Spanish Paprika Spice Medley

I just love when brussel sprouts make the  Produce Geek‘s picks of the week ! Although, they’re not a “traditional” stir-fry ingredient, they are absolutely one of my all time favorites. They’ve got substance, and they pair well with other veggies surprisingly well. This week, I combined them with sweet red bell peppers, onions, eggs & a combo of spices. I think you’ll enjoy the varied colors, tastes and textures . Serve it up with some rice if you like,  but it’s equally delightful on its own.

Vegetarian/vegan? Vegans, use your favorite beans instead of the eggs.

Gluten Conscious? You’re in the clear!

Everyone: Dig in! And subscribe to Eat This Now directly to get the Produce Geek’s expert buying advice every week.

What You’ll Need For the Stir-fry:

First the Produce Geek’s picks…

• Brussel Sprouts – 6 cups, halved
  

  Raw materials

   

Other ingredients…

• Sweet red bell pepper – 1 large pepper, cut into bite-sized chunks
• Sweet onion – 2 cups, chopped into large pieces
• Eggs – 8
• Brown rice (optional) – 2 cups
• Spanish paprika – 1 tsp
• Dill weed – 1 tsp
• Dry mustard – 1/4 tsp
• Sea salt – 1/4 tsp
• Black pepper – 1/4 tsp
• Olive oil – 1 Tbsp

 Get cooking…

1. Warm olive oil in an extra large deep frying pan or wok on medium heat.
2. When the pan is hot, add onions, peppers and brussel sprouts. Stir often until tender, but not overdone.
3. Decrease heat to low and add eggs.
4. Stir often until eggs are thoroughly cooked and distributed throughout.
5. Add spices and stir until well-mixed.
6. Serve (over rice if you wish) and enjoy!

Makes 4  servings – Eat well!

Pepper Perfect Stir-fry with Sweet Ginger Soy Sauce

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Pepper Perfect Stir-fry with Sweet Ginger Soy Sauce

Peppers, peppers, colorful peppers were on the  Produce Geek‘s picks of the week . With the weather forecast predicting that all will be white tomorrow morning, I was happy to cook up a dish that is bright and not even close to monochrome. Red peppers, yellow peppers and some Hungarian hot wax peppers with cabbage, kidney beans in a sweet ginger sauce. Beautiful for the eyes to behold – and quite delicious as well! Perfect over rice, or on its own (the way I like it!).

Vegetarian/vegan? You’re good to go – No meat or animal products here!

Gluten Conscious? You’re in the clear, too! Just be sure to check the label if you use soy sauce instead of Liquid Aminos.

Everyone: Dig in! And subscribe to Eat This Now directly to get the Produce Geek’s expert buying advice every week.

What You’ll Need For the Stir-fry:

First the Produce Geek’s picks…

• Red bell pepper – 1 1/2 cups, chopped into bite-sized pieces
  

  Raw materials

• Yellow bell pepper – 1 1/2 cups, chopped into bite-sized pieces

Other ingredients…

• Green cabbage – 6 cups, chopped
• Hungarian hot wax pepper – 1 large pepper (seeds removed), thinly sliced
• Red kidney beans – 2 cups, cooked
• Brown rice (optional) – 2 cups, cooked
• Long hot peppers – 1/2 cup, chopped into small pieces
• Olive oil – 1/4 cup (plus 2 Tbsp for prepping the pan/wok)
• Rice vinegar – 3 Tbsps
• Fresh Ginger – 3 Tbsps, minced
• Honey – 3 Tbsps
• Bragg’s Liquid Aminos (or soy sauce) – 2 tsps

 Get cooking…

1. Prepare the stir-fry sauce: Whisk together olive oil, rice vinegar, liquid aminos, ginger  & honey into a small bowl and set aside.
2. Warm 2 Tbsps olive oil in an extra large deep frying pan or wok on medium heat.
3. When the pan is hot, add peppers and cabbage. Stir often until tender, but not overdone.
4. Decrease heat to low and add sauce.
5. Stir until ingredients are warm and evenly distributed.
6. Serve (over rice if you wish) and enjoy!

Makes 4  servings – Eat well!

Vegetarian Bean and Berry Salad with Creamy Cucumber Dressing

Vegetarian Bean and Berry Salad with Creamy Cucumber Dressing

If you’re needing something light and bright to boost your mood on a chilly winter day, this vegetarian salad  will do the trick! Fresh, vitamin C-rich strawberries, crunchy cucumbers & hearty red kidney beans over greens with a Creamy Cucumber dressing – just looking at it (it’s so pretty!) will brighten your spirits!

Special thanks to the Produce Geek for his helpful buying advice this week!

Vegetarians/Vegans: Vegetarians, good to go! Vegans, you can substitute your favorite non-dairy dressing in place of the yogurt-based one that I used this week.

Gluten-conscious? You’re in business provided your yogurt is gluten-free – read the label!

What You’ll Need for the Salad:

First the Produce Geek’s picks…

Amounts are PER SERVING

• Strawberries – 6 berries, sliced
  

  Raw materials

• Cucumbers – 8 slices, 1/4 inch thick

Other ingredients…

Amounts are PER SERVING

• Green leaf lettuce – 1 cup, torn into bite-sized pieces
• Romaine lettuce – 1 cup, torn into bite-sized pieces
• Red leaf lettuce – 1 cup, torn into bite-sized pieces
• Red kidney beans – 1/2 cup, cooked

What You’ll Need for the Dressing:

Enough for about 4 servings

• Plain yogurt – 1 cup
• Cucumber – 4 slices, 1/4 inch each
• Garlic – 1 clove, minced
• Lemon juice – 1 tsp (freshly squeezed recommended)
• Sea Salt – 1/4 tsp
• Course ground black pepper – to taste

Get cooking…

1. Prepare the dressing: Combine the dressing ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth
2. Toss the green leaf, red leaf and romaine lettuces together and place on plate.
3. Arrange the cumber slices on top of the bed of greens.
4. Top with the strawberry slices.
5. Place the kidney beans on top in the center of the salad
6. Serve with the Creamy Cucumber dressing – and enjoy!

Make as many servings as you need to feed your family and friends! And don’t forget to subscribe to the Produce Geek’s Eat This Now blog to stay in-the-know about what to buy each week.

Sweet Potato and Split Pea Stir-fry in Honey Mustard Sauce with Whole Wheat Pasta

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Sweet Potato and Split pea Stir-fry in Honey Mustard Sauce

Yellow sweet potatoes, yellow split peas and a deliciously tangy sauce made with mustard (also yellow). I’m no psychologist, but my guess is that the past few days of gray skies have subliminally driven me to create a recipe that holds some resemblance to rays of sunshine. So, with the Produce Geek‘s picks of the week and some of my own favorites, I’ve created a non-traditional (but aren’t they all?) vegan stir-fry that will counter any degree of the winter doldrums .

Vegetarian/vegan? You’re good to go – No meat or animal products here!

Gluten Conscious? All will be well if you use gluten-free pasta, (Also, be sure to check your vinegar and mustard labels to make sure you’re in the clear.)

Everyone: Dig in! And subscribe to Eat This Now directly to get the Produce Geek’s expert buying advice every week.

What You’ll Need For the Stir-fry:

First the Produce Geek’s picks…

• Sweet potatoes – 2 cups, sliced into very thin bite-sized pieces
  

  Raw materials

Other ingredients…

• Broccoli florets – 4 cups
• Sweet onion – 2 cups, in thin wedges
• Yellow split peas – 2 cups, cooked
• Whole wheat linguine (or other pasta) – 2 cups, cooked
• Long hot peppers – 1/2 cup, chopped into small pieces
• Canola oil – 1/4 cup (plus 2 Tbsp for prepping the pan/wok)
• White wine vinegar – 3 Tbsps
• Brown mustard – 1/4 cup
• Honey – 3 Tbsps

 Get cooking…

1. Prepare the stir-fry sauce: Whisk together canola oil, white wine vinegar, mustard  & honey into a small bowl and set aside.
2. Warm 2 Tbsps Canola oil in an extra large deep frying pan or wok on medium heat.
3. When the pan is hot, add sweet potatoes, broccoli and onions. Stir often until tender, but not overdone.
4. Decrease heat to low and add long hot peppers, split peas, pasta and sauce.
5. Stir until ingredients are warm and evenly distributed.
6. Serve and enjoy!

Makes 4  servings – Eat well!

Mediterranean-inspired Bean and Potato Stir-fry

Mediterranean-inspired Bean and Potato Stir-fry

Snappy, sweet and tangy. this week’s recipe using the Produce Geek‘s picks of the week brings a flavorful combination of shapes, colors and textures together on a single plate. 

I was thrilled to find that green beans, red potatoes and cherry tomatoes made the cut this time around! All are fabulous veggies in their own right, but they’re even better when stir-fried in unison and seasoned with my Mediterranean-style sauce. I chose to also bring red kidney beans into the mix for a vegan-friendly protein boost.

Vegetarian/vegan? Enjoy – this dish is 100% both.

Gluten Conscious? No gluten here! (But be sure to check your vinegar label to make sure you’re in the clear.)

Everyone: Dig in! And subscribe to Eat This Now directly to get the Produce Geek’s expert buying advice every week.

What You’ll Need For the Stir-fry:

First the Produce Geek’s picks…

• Red potatoes – 2 cups, sliced very thin
  

  Raw materials

• Green beans – 6 cups, snapped in half if you like smaller pieces
• Cherry tomatoes (or substitute grape tomatoes) – 15, cut in half

Other ingredients…

• Red kidney beans – 2 cups, cooked
• Olive oil – 1/2 cup (plus 1 Tbsp for prepping the pan)
• Balsamic vinegar – 1/4 cup
• Natural apple juice – 1/4 cup
• Garlic – 2 cloves, minced
• Sea salt – 1/2 tsp
• Sweet basil – 1 tsp
• Course ground black pepper – 3 – 4 grinds from a pepper mill

 Get cooking…

1. Prepare the stir-fry sauce: Whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, apple juice, garlic, basil, sea salt & pepper into a small bowl and set aside.
2. Warm 1 Tbsp olive oil in an extra large deep frying pan or wok on medium heat.
3. When the pan is hot, add red potatoes and green beans. Stir often until tender (to expedite cooking, you can use a lid or aluminum foil intermittently).
4. Decrease heat to low and add tomatoes, kidney beans and sauce.
5. Stir until ingredients are warm and evenly distributed.
6. Serve and enjoy!

Makes 4  servings – Eat well!

Chicken, Apple & Avocado Salad with Honey Lemon Dressing

Chicken, Apple and Avocado Salad with Honey Lemon Dressing

It’s been an unseasonably warm past few days here in central PA, so this week’s fantastic fruit recommendations from the Produce Geek fit nicely into what I was hungry most for during this balmy weather pattern. 

Here’s what I’m talkin’ about: Hass Avocados and Pink Lady Apples on a salad full of greens and grilled chicken breast – and accented with my zingy honey lemon dressing A delightfully light, yet filling meal that makes a terrific “day after holiday party” dish to alleviate at least a tiny bit of guilt from overindulgence. 

Vegetarians/Vegans: Substitute your favorite beans for the chicken and omit the cheddar cheese.

Gluten-conscious? You’re good to go provided your vinegar and cheese is in the clear – read the label!

What You’ll Need for the Salad:

First the Produce Geek’s picks…

Amounts are PER SERVING

• Pink Lady apples – 1/2 medium apple, chopped
  

  Raw materials

• Hass Avocados – 1/2 avocado, sliced

Other ingredients…

Amounts are PER SERVING

• Green leaf lettuce – 1 cup, torn into bite-sized pieces
• Romaine lettuce – 1 cup, torn into bite-sized pieces
• Red leaf lettuce – 1 cup, torn into bite-sized pieces
• Grilled chicken breast – 4 oz  for each serving, chopped
• Shredded cheddar cheese (optional) – 1 oz.

What You’ll Need for the Dressing:

Enough for about 4 servings

• Canola oil – 1/4 cup
• Extra Virgin Olive oil – 1/4 cup
• White wine vinegar- 1/4 cup
• Lemon juice – 2 Tbsp (freshly squeezed recommended)
• Honey – 3 Tbsp
• Cilantro – 2 tsps
• Sea Salt – 1/4 tsp
• Course ground black pepper – to taste

Get cooking…

1. Toss the green leaf, red leaf and romaine lettuces together and place on plate.
2. In a medium bowl, combine chopped grilled chicken breast and apple pieces.
3. Add ground turkey and chives, and cook until the meat  is fully cooked.
4. Remove meat from pan/wok & set aside  in a large bowl.
5. Arrange the avocado slices around the perimeter of the bed of greens.
6. In a small bowl, whisk the following together to create the dressing: canola oil, olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, cilantro, honey,  sea salt & pepper.
7. Pour 2 Tbs[ dressing for each serving into the bowl with the chicken & apples. Stir thoroughly.
8. Add a serving of the chicken & apple mixture in the center of each salad plate (be sure to spoon up some of the dressing from the bottom of the bowl to drizzle on top!).
9. Sprinkle with shredded cheddar cheese (optional).
10. Serve and enjoy!

Make as many servings as you need to feed your family and friends! And don’t forget to subscribe to the Produce Geek’s Eat This Now blog to stay in-the-know about what to buy each week.