Mediterranean Yellow Rice

Recipe taken from The Mediterranean Dish and What a Girl Eats

Ingredients:
-2 cups long grain rice (uncooked)
-3 Tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
-1 medium yellow onion, diced
-1 garlic clove, minced (I used 3 garlic cloves and could have used more)
-2 lemons + zest (I just used 1 lemon)
-2 cups of low sodium chicken broth
-1 tsp turmeric (sprinkled)
-1/2 cup of toasted pine nuts or slivered almonds
-pinch of salt and pepper (didn't do, but should have)
(OMITTED - orzo and parsley garnish)

Directions:
1. Wash rice and soak for 15-20 min
2. Heat olive oil in pan (I used extra large pan) until oil shimmering.
3. Add onions and cook for 3 min until translucent
4. Add garlic
5. Add rice
6. Add turmeric + salt + pepper
7. Add lemon juice and broth
8. Bring liquid to a rolling boil (reduce a little)
9. Turn heat on low and cover for 20 minutes
10. Remove rice from heat, leave it covered, and sit for another 10 minutes
11. Add lemon zest + toasted nuts
12. Garnish with parsley - didn't do

Notes:

-could have used more salt as I forgot it

MODIFIED SIMPLIFIED VERSION - ALL IN THE RICE COOKERFOR SIMPLICITY

Ingredients:
-rice (basmati)
-onion flakes

-garlic flakes

-garlic powder

-turmeric (sprinkle)

-salt and pepper

-1 lemon + zest

-low sodium chicken broth (instead of water)

Directions:

Put all in rice cooker 

Served with toasted pine nuts 

Chicken Shawarma/Mediterranean Chicken

Recipe modified from Chef Savvy and The Little Pine - also looked at Skinnytaste.com and adjusted spices

Ingredients:
-Chicken - used 1.75 lbs of chicken strips (for 3 days, 6 servings)
-1 Tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
-Juice from 1 lemon + zest
-1 Tbsp balsalmic vinegar 
-4 cloves of garlic, minced
-2 tsp ground cumin (Skinnytaste 1 tsp cumin)
-2 tsp paprika (Skinnytaste 1 tsp smoked paprika)
-1 tsp turmeric (Skinnytaste 1/4 tsp turmeric + 1/4 tsp curry powder)
-1/2 tsp ground cinnamon (Skinnytaste 1/8 tsp cinnamon)
-1 tsp salt
-1 tsp pepper
-1 tsp dried oregano
-1/2 tsp onion powder
-Pinch red pepper flakes

Directions:
-Marinate for 3 hours or longer
-Bake in oven 375 degrees for 20 min

Notes:

Served with Mediterranean rice and broccoli.  I thought it was good.  It tasted similar to Jamaican jerk recipe probably because of the cinnamon?

-had some notes to add less paprika and cumin, but I didn't and tasted good 2nd time around

-I think key ingredient is lemon zest

*Mediterranean

Pineapple Jalapeno Salsa (served with Jamaican Jerk Chicken)

Taken from Unsophisticook

Ingredients:
-2 cups diced pineapples (1 small pineapple - I estimated when dicing because I added it last, but didn't use whole pineapple)
-2 cups diced Roma tomatoes (I saw this as 2 tomatoes, but in recipe, it calls for 5 Romas)
-1 cup diced orange bell pepper (1 medium pepper)
-1/2 cup finely diced red onion (1/2 small red onion)
-1/2 cup finely diced jalapeno pepper (I used just 1 jalapeno with seeds and all)
-1/2 cup chopped cilantro
-1 large lime, zest and juice
-salt to taste

Directions:
1. Mix together

Notes:
I served with Jamaican jerk chicken, jasmine rice, and broccoli.  I used the jerk seasoning from the front aisle at HEB.  Probably got too much (2 spoonfuls).  Eric said it would be good as a bowl. Next time, cube the chicken, and cook in pan with jerk seasoning (marinating before, of course).

Don't need broccoli either - just serve with chicken and rice and salsa (maybe use 4 tomatoes instead of 2).

*Other

*Pineapple

*Mexican (at least the salsa part)

Slow Cooker Thai Basil Chicken Curry

Recipe taken from Closet Cooking.

Ingredients:
-1 lb chicken breast
-1 can coconut milk (I used whole milk)
-1 Tbsp curry powder
-1 Tbsp fish sauce (or soy sauce)
-1 Tbsp lime juice (or rice vinegar - I used this)
-1 Tbsp coconut sugar (DOES NOT NEED, DO NOT ADD)
-1 onion, diced
-1 jalapeno, diced (seeds and all)
-4 cloves garlic, cuisinart-ed
-1 Tbsp ginger, cuisinart-ed
-1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
-1/3 cup basil, chopped

Directions:
1. Place all in slow cooker and cook on low for 4 hours
2. Shred chicken
3. Add in cilantro and basil before serving

Notes:
-Was spicy with the whole jalapeno, but would keep it that way
-I think my slow cooker cooks fast or too high on low, so it was fully cooked in 4 hrs (maybe even less)
-Was too sweet, so would not add sugar next time

*Thai

Turkey meatloaf

Recipe taken from Super Healthy Kids

Ingredients:
-1 1/4 lb turkey (I only had 1 lb, could use 1 lbs if Jasmine staying with us)
-1/2 medium onion (I used 1 whole onion)
-1/2 medium red bell pepper (I used 1 whole pepper)
-1 clove garlic
-1 large egg
-1 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
-1 TBSP Italian seasoning
-1/2 cup panko (used 1/4 cup)
-2 oz Swiss cheese (used grated fresh Parmesan)
-1/2 tsp salt
-1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and grease a loaf pan
2. Mix all ingredients together. Use hands to mix, but do NOT over-mix!
3. Dump into loaf pan
4. Bake for 40 min

Note:
Original recipe called for sauteing onion, bell pepper, and garlic before adding to ground turkey, but I didn't do this.

-Eric liked it, so will make again.  Was like meatballs basically with less work, maybe?

*Italian

*American

Garlic hummus

Taken from Food for Fought

Ingredients:
-1 large head of garlic (I used 1.5 heads)
-3 TBSP olive oil
-1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
-3 TBSP fresh lemon juice
-1/3 cup tahini
-3 TBSP water - I used a lot more to thin it out
-1 tsp ground cumin
-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper - had some good kick
-pinch of sea salt

Instructions:
1. Pre-heat oven at 400 degrees Cut head of garlic and drizzle with olive oil.  Wrap in aluminum foil and heat for 40-45 min.
2. Add rest of ingredients to food processor + add cooled garlic
3. Add more water for consistency
4. Serve with more olive oil and dash of paprika

Michael Paul's recipe - that I didn't use, but want to use next time
(halved)
-1 can of chickpeas
-100 mg of tahini sauce
-3 lemons - 100 mL
-1.5 garlic heads
-2-4 TBSP olive oil
-1-2 TBSP apple vinegar
-1/2 tsp cumin
-30 mL hamod al hosrom

-Add chickpea water to make mixture smooth

*Snack

Thai Chicken Meatballs with Peanut Sauce

Used a couple of different websites for this one.  May need to look up more to continue to tweak it.
My Sugar Free Kitchen, Beauty from Burnt Toast, and JoCooks

Meatballs:
~1 cup of breadcrumbs (toasted 2 slices of bread and Cuisinart-ed)
1 inch ginger (2 inches was Cuisinart-ed to use in sauce, too)
3 garlic (3 + 2 were Cuisinart-ed to use in sauce, too)
1 jalapeno pepper (I chopped with glove and kept seeds/insides, could have been spicier)
1/4 cup chopped white onion (I forgot to do)
1 tsp chili paste (didn't have - next time use more red pepper flakes on top of jalapenos)
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp fish sauce (may try without in future bc it was salty)
1 Tbsp red curry paste
Pepper for taste
1 lb ground chicken or turkey
*Didn't add - Thai basil/Basil

Peanut sauce (had doubled from original):
1 Tbsp sesame oil
2 garlic (see above, already Cuisinart-ed)
1 inch ginger (see above, already Cuisinart-ed)
1 can of lite coconut milk
5 Tbsp crunchy peanut butter (1/4 cup = 4 Tbsp, so use a little more than 1/4 cup)
2 tsp honey
2 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp lime juice
2 Tbsp red curry paste
Lots of red pepper flakes (didn't have 1 Tbsp chili paste)

Directions for meatballs:
1. Make Jasmine rice
2. Cuisinart the toast - set aside to dry
3. Cuisinart the garlic - set aside half for the sauce - add to bowl
4. Cuisinart the ginger - set aside half for the sauce - add to bowl
5. Chop jalapeno - keep the insides - add to bowl
6. Chop the onion - add to bowl
7. Add the red pepper flakes, soy sauce, fish sauce, red curry paste, pepper
8. Whisk egg - add to bowl
9. Add the chicken or turkey
10. Add the bread crumbs - Mix with hand
11. Use Tbsp spoon to put onto pan - put in oven for 400 degrees for 15-20 min

Directions for peanut sauce
(Cook veggies while making peanut sauce?)
1. Mix honey, soy sauce, lime juice, red curry paste, and red pepper flakes in bowl
2. Sauté garlic and ginger with sesame oil
3. Add coconut milk and stir for 1 min
4. Add peanut butter and stir for 1 min
5. Add rest of ingredients
6. Keep warm on stove

Veggies:
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
1 yellow onion
1 bag of snap peas
1 avocado on top

Notes: Original recipe called for 4 Tbsp peanut butter, but I added an extra while tasting it.  Tasted a bit watery.  Eric's recipe had 1 full cup of peanut butter.
It was a lot of work.  Eric mentioned just using chicken and peanut sauce without the meatball part.  Would try cooking one more time now that I know how to do the order of things.
There was a low level spice, but could have been spicier.

I like the ground chicken because HEB packaged more than 1 lb.  It was pretty mushy when using.

*Thai

*Asian