General Tso Veggies

If you like grabbing Chinese food for a quick meal, you can make these General Tso veggies-based and protein-rich dinner quickly! Also there are instructions on how to make General Tso Chicken in the Instant Pot.

General Tso Veggies

General Tso Veggies

Serves 4

Ingredients:

3 - 4 cups broccoli florets
1 cup sweet peppers, chopped
1 sweet onion, chopped
2 zucchini, sliced
8 ounces baked tofu, cubed
2 cups edamame, shelled
1 teaspoon sesame oil
6 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/4 cup Hoisin sauce
6 tablespoons light soy sauce
4 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ginger, minced

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

2. On a large sheet pan arrange the vegetables, tofu, and edamame.

3. In a small mixing bowl whisk together the remaining ingredients for the sauce. Optional: add 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes.

4. Pour the sauce over the vegetable mixture and bake for 20 - 25 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Stirring occasionally throughout cooking.

Serving suggestion - Serve over brown rice, farro, or soba noodles - pictured above, is with soba (buckwheat) noodles.

Note: This sauce works great with chicken in the Instant Pot too! Here’s a quick how-to: Cube chicken into 1-inch cubes. Saute the chicken in the Instant Pot, in 1 teaspoon sesame oil, until the chicken is lightly browned. Make the sauce as above and pour the prepared sauce (make a double batch of sauce if you are doing veggies and the chicken) to the chicken. Cook under pressure for 10 minutes. Carefully quick release the steam. Then whisk in 2 tablespoons of cornstarch to thicken the sauce. Serve the chicken with brown rice, veggies, or soba noodles.

Recipe adapted from: https://www.adventuresofanurse.com/better-take-instant-pot-general-tsos-chicken/

Whole Grain Cinnamon Buns

Delicious baked goods are fun to enjoy, especially around holiday times! One of my favorite baking tips is to swap out all-purpose flour and move in whole wheat pastry flour. It is an easy swap that works seamlessly in MOST recipes. Use it cup for cup to move it into any baking recipe.

I do typically serve the cinnamon buns topped with cream cheese frosting but to show off how great whole grain treats can be, I wanted to show them without the frosting! See the recipes below. Happy baking and enjoy!!

Whole Grain Cinnamon Buns

Whole Grain Cinnamon Buns

Serves 12

INGREDIENTS - DOUGH:
1 cup lukewarm milk
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened (not melted)
4 1/2 cups Bob’s Red Mill Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
1 3/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast, active dry yeast, or one 1/4-ounce packet of Platinum Yeast from Red Star

INGREDIENTS - FILLING:
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
3 tablespoons ground cinnamon

INGREDIENTS - ICING:
1/3 cup light cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened (not melted)
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine and knead all of the dough ingredients — by hand or use an electric mixer with a dough beater.

2. Prepare a large bowl with pan spray. Then transfer the dough to the large bowl and cover the bowl. Allow the dough to double (about 1 to 2 hours).

3. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured working surface and roll the dough into a large rectangle (about 16" x 21").

4. Evenly spread the butter on the dough. In a small bowl mix the brown sugar and cinnamon and then spread evenly over the dough.

5. Begin with the width of the dough and roll into a log, gently tugging at the dough as you go. Then cut it into 12 slices.

6. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Prepare a 9 x 13-inch pan with pan spray. Place the cut rolls into the pan and let them rise until they are doubled, about 30 minutes. Then bake for 15 - 17 minutes or until they are golden brown.

7. For the icing: combine all the icing ingredients in a bowl and mix until the frosting is soft and fluffy. Spread with the frosting while they are warm or keep on the side to serve later.

Recipe! Garlic Parmesan Spaghetti Squash

As you are getting ready for the holiday season, while it’s fun to go to the tried and true traditional recipes, here is a recipe that would go great with a holiday meal! Or this garlic Parmesan spaghetti squash recipe would make a delicious side dish with dinner too!

Garlic Parmesan Spaghetti Squash - Image Source: iStock

Garlic Parmesan Spaghetti Squash
Serves 6 - 8

Ingredients:
1 spaghetti squash (about 3 pounds)
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil plus more for brushing
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 small shallot, finely chopped
¾ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400º F.
2. With a knife, carefully score squash and poke holes lengthwise where you’re going to cut it in half. Microwave the squash for 5 minutes. Allow to cool. Carefully cut the squash in a half. Scoop out the seeds.
3. Brush the inside of both halves of the squash with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Place the two halves cut side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Roast the squash until tender, about 30 minutes. Allow several minutes to cool. Using a fork, scrape the insides to create spaghetti like texture. Set aside.
5. Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and shallots. Cook until soft and slightly browned, about 2 - 3 minutes.
6. Add the spaghetti squash and sauté for about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and then stir in the Parmesan cheese. To finish, season with salt and pepper to taste.

Snack Picks for Busy Days

Snacks can help to fuel the body on even the busiest of days! What you eat and do not eat, will make a difference in helping you power through the day. Here are some practical snack ideas to keep on hand.

Trail mix - a quick handful of trail mix can deliver a mix of healthy fats, some protein, and quality carbs. Opt for those that have mostly dried fruit and nuts.

Apple and Peanut Butter

Pair up apple slices with peanut butter or your favorite nut butter like almond butter for a perfect mix of energy.

On the go tip: Bring along single serve peanut butter cups (e.g. JIF Natural) or nut butter packs (e.g. RX Nut Butter or Justin’s Nut Butter) to go with apple slices.

Carrots and Hummus

Crunchy baby carrots and your favorite hummus is a delicious savory snack! There are so many great types of hummus now, mix up which one you choose to keep your taste buds interested.

On the go tip: Opt for single serving cups (e.g. Sabra) of hummus to go with the carrots!

Pistachios

Perhaps the best thing about pistachios is that 49 pistachios is a serving, which is more than compared to other nuts. Plus cracking pistachios takes a bit of time, which helps to make a serving of this snack last a little longer.

On the go tip: Buy single serving packs of pistachios (e.g. Wonderful Pistachios) that are already portioned out for you! Even switch it up with flavored pistachios like salt and pepper or sweet chili.

Popcorn

This whole grain snack is so tasty! Plus a serving of popcorn is adding in whole grains and fiber to your day. And for an added bonus, 3 cups of popcorn is a serving, which is much larger than a portion size of other crunchy snack foods (a serving of chips is only one handful). Opt for air popped popcorn at home or choose light versions of microwave popcorn or bags of popcorn.

On the go tip: Opt for individual serving bags of popcorn (e.g. Angie’s Boom ChickaPop or similar)!

Roasted Beet + Cauliflower Fall Salad

Fall Salads are the best!

Roasted Beet + Cauliflower Fall Salad

Serves 2

Ingredients:

4 cups romaine lettuce, chopped

2 medium beets beets, peeled and chopped (1/2-inch pieces)*

2 cups cauliflower, chopped into florets

1 tablespoon olive oil, divided

1/4 cup Biena Snacks Sea Salt Chickpeas

2 tablespoons sunflower seeds (shells removed)

Salad dressing of choice

*Short on time? Try Love Beets - all you will have to do is cube them up! They will be ready to go. Look for them in the produce section of the grocery store.

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

2. Place the cubed beets on a piece of aluminum foil, drizzle with 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil. Wrap up the beets into a packet and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 45 minutes, until the beets are tender.

3. Place the cauliflower florets on a baking sheet, drizzle with 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil. Bake for 25 minutes, until the cauliflower is tender and lightly browned.

4. To assemble the salads - divide the lettuce among two serving bowls. Divide the toppings evenly among the salad: roasted beets, roasted cauliflower, roasted chickpeas, and sunflower seeds. Finish with your salad dressing of choice (my go to is balsamic vinaigrette!)!

Back to School Lunch Favorites

Packing lunches is back on the to do list of many people! Here are some tips and products to help keep school lunches interesting! 

Opt for Fun Lunch Boxes

Lunch boxes like Yumbox (pictured here) are perfect, especially for little guys and girls. These would be best for ages K - 5 as far as portioning and the amount of food you can fit into the box. 

One of the best parts of this design is there is just one easy to use flap that they need to open to get into their meal! And the Yumbox is truly is leak proof; we have been using this style lunch box for two years without any leaking issue.

Check out the Yumbox site for different styles, colors, and designs, visit: https://www.yumboxlunch.com/

Wrap it Up!

Wraps for lunch are a great way to use up leftovers and have a lot of variation in a lunch. For example, grill extra chicken the night before, then cube that up for lunch the next day.

Opt for whole grain wraps and also load the wrap up with plenty of veggies for filling!

To make lunch preparation easier in the morning, start the week with a container of chopped wrap fillings like cucumbers, carrots, peppers, onion, and spinach. This will help lunch come together quickly in the morning. 

Pack a Parfait

A fruit and yogurt parfait can make a filling lunch or addition to a lunch! Fill reusable containers with layers of Greek or Icelandic yogurt (e.g. Chobani, Siggis), fruit, and granola (e.g. KIND Snacks Healthy Grain Clusters).  Even consider a drizzle of Barlean's Omega Swirl Oil for a boost of healthy fats. 

Try parfait combinations like:

Vanilla yogurt + blueberries + oats & honey granola
Vanilla yogurt + banana + peanut butter granola
Mango yogurt + diced mango + maple granola

Fueling the Athlete

Creating a winning combination for lunch to fill and fuel up an athlete can be a challenge! Check out the Fuel2Win for On the Go lunch ideas! Click here to download the handout. 

Also check out delicious recipe ideas like PB Chip Energy Bites which could be a great addition to a lunch! 

Dinner Idea: Mango Ginger Chicken

Are you in need of quick dinner ideas? Grab this delicious Mango Ginger Chicken recipe from my Olum's Cooking project. Click here for the recipe video and recipe. 

Mango Ginger Chicken - Quick and Easy! 

Quick Salad: Mexican Quinoa Salad

This salad recipe has a homemade jalapeno vinaigrette dressing that is absolutely delicious and not too spicy! Plus it is really beautiful and colorful. 

Grab this recipe and watch the recipe video from Molly's cooking project with Olums: https://youtu.be/oJPCQnuarBQ

Mexican Quinoa Salad with Jalapeno Vinaigrette

Game Day Snack: Red Hot Chicken Fingers

Looking for an appetizer that is perfect for game day snacking? Try this Red Hot Chicken Finger Recipe with Greek Yogurt Blue Cheese Dip from Molly's cooking project with Olum's. 

Meatless Monday Recipe: Falafel with Homemade Tzatziki Sauce

Eating meatless at least one day a week can help the environment and better your health. If you have never tried falafel, it is worth a try! Falafel is a Mediterranean dish that is chickpea-based or sometimes made with fava beans. 

Serving up falafel with whole grain pita bread, veggies (e.g. lettuce, tomato, kalamata olives, cucumber), feta cheese, and tzatziki sauce! 

Making your own tzatziki sauce is easy and tastes even better if you can make it up ahead of time, at least the night before! It will allow the flavors to come together better, although if you are short on time you can make it with the falafel, the flavors will just be a little less intense. 

Falfel (Photo Source: iStock)

Falafel with Homemade Tzatzki Sauce

Serves 6

Ingredients - Falafal:
1 can (15-ounces) chickpeas (rinsed and drained)
1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
4 teaspoons garlic, minced (about 4 cloves)
2 tablespoons tahini (sesame seed paste)
2 medium shallots
2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper (plus more to taste)
1/4 teaspoon coriander
1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup olive oil (for cooking) 

Ingredients - Tzatziki Sauce
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/2 cup shredded cucumber (pressed to remove water)
1 teaspoon garlic, minced (about 1 clove)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
 

Directions: 
1. In a food processor add: chickpeas, parsley, shallot, garlic, tahini, cumin, salt, pepper, and coriander. Pulse to blend and scrape down the mixture as needed. The dough should be crumbly.

2. Add flour 1 tablespoon at a time (you may not need the full 1/4 cup), until the mixture is somewhat firm and you can shape into a ball. 

3. Transfer the dough to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or more). 

4. After the falafel dough is chilled, scoop about 2 tablespoons worth of the mixture and gently form into patties (makes about 12).

5. In a skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Working in batches, add 3 - 4 of the patties cook for about 2 - 3 minutes on each side until lightly browned and crispy. Remove from skillet and then repeat for the remaining falafel patties. 

6. In a small mixing bowl, combine all of the tzatziki sauce ingredients. Stir to combine, cover, and refrigerate.. 

Serving suggestion: Serve falafel with pita bread, chopped veggies, kalamata olives, and homemade tzatzki sauce.