©2012 Nicole Wiese

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Servings: 4-6

1 tbsp peanut oil

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 tsp salt-free seasoning for chicken

10 ounces mushrooms, chopped

½ cup julienned carrots

½ fresh pineapple, chopped into bite-sized pieces

¼ cup minced fresh ginger

¼ cup minced fresh garlic

1 tsp crushed red pepper (optional if you don’t like it spicy)

¼ cup sake

2 tablespoons mirin (Japanese sweet wine)

¼ cup dark soy sauce or Tamari

1 tbsp rice vinegar

1 tsp honey

1 cup chicken stock

½ head cabbage or bok choy, roughly chopped (or 2-3 cups broccoli florets, use whatever vegetables you have in the house)

1 tbsp corn starch

¼ cup cold water

Fresh ground black pepper

1 cup chopped fresh spinach

½ tsp sesame seeds

½ tsp sesame oil

1. Season chicken with salt-free seasoning and lightly brown in hot oil over medium heat in a very large saucepan.
2. Add ginger, garlic and crushed red pepper and cook for a few minutes.
3. Add carrots and mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms release their liquid.  Add pineapple.
4. Add sake, mirin, soy sauce, rice vinegar and honey and cook until bubbly.
5. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil.
6. Add cabbage (or broccoli) and cook for a few minutes
7. Stir corn starch into cold water until smooth and stir slowly into bubby mixture.
8. Season to taste with black pepper.
9. Cook until sauce is thickened a bit, maybe five minutes.
10. Add spinach and toss mixture until spinach is wilted, then remove from heat and add sesame seeds and oil.
11. Serve with brown rice (if you want a starch) and warm sake.

1 quart chicken stock (preferably organic or homemade)

¼ cup dried shitake mushrooms, roughly chopped

1 cup water

¾ cup frozen peas

¾ cup fresh baby spinach, sliced into strips

1½ teaspoons corn starch

2 eggs

Black pepper

Tamari (or soy sauce)

Sriracha (Asian hot sauce)

Reserve ½ cup chicken stock.  Pour rest of stock into pan & bring to a boil.

Meanwhile, microwave mushrooms in water for two minutes, stirring every 30 seconds.  Stir corn starch into reserved (cold) chicken stock until dissolved. 

Add peas and spinach to broth and bring to a boil again.

Once broth is boiling again, slowly add corn starch mixture while stirring soup.  Bring soup to a boil again.

Scramble eggs lightly in a mug.  Turn heat off and immediately drizzle the eggs in a very thin stream into the soup while stirring the soup.  Let eggs cook for a minute or two.

Season to taste with plenty of black pepper and serve with Tamari and Sriracha as condiments.  I like a few drops of Sriracha and a bit more Tamari in each bowl of soup.

Makes two large or four regular servings.

This banana bread is absolutely fantastic sliced and toasted and slathered with butter!

½ cup (1 stick) sweet cream butter, slightly softened

1 cup sugar

2 eggs, well beaten

1 cup very ripe bananas, mashed (about three bananas)

2 - 2¼ cups flour, all-purpose or whole grain flours (I usually use a mixture of whole wheat, whole oat, brown rice and soy flours)

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

1¼ cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cream butter and sugar in medium bowl until fluffy.  Add eggs and bananas and mix well.  Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in large bowl.  Stir in chopped nuts.  Add banana mixture to flour mixture and stir until just mixed and somewhat lumpy.  Do not overmix.  Turn into greased and floured loaf pan, mini loaf pans or 12 lined muffin cups.  Bake at 350 degrees for 60-75 minutes for full-sized loaf, 25-30 minutes for muffins, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Remove from oven and let settle for 5-10 minutes before removing from pan.

©2012 Nicole Wiese 

©2012 Nicole Wiese

1 large sweet onion, very thinly sliced

1 cup pineapple juice

3/4 cup low-sodium teriyaki sauce (I use Kikkoman)

2 tbsp salt-free chicken seasoning

2 tbsp minced ginger (from a jar or fresh)

1 2-pound pork tenderloin, butterflied to about 3/4 inch thick

1 fresh pineapple, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch thick slices

Mix all ingredients except pork in a gallon freezer bag.  Seal bag and shake until mixed well.  Add pork and turn bag to coat.  Let meat rest on counter for 30-60 minutes.  If you want to marinate it longer, put it in the fridge and remove from fridge 30 minutes before grilling.

Preheat grill to hot.  Grill the meat over medium high heat, turning once, until a meat thermometer reads 170 and the both sides are nice and caramelized.  Discard marinade.

Once meat is done, remove from grill and let rest covered with aluminum foil for 5-10 minutes.  Meanwhile, reduce heat to medium low and place pineapple slices on grill.  Keep a close watch on it and turn after five minutes, being careful not to burn pineapple.  Slice pork and serve over grilled pineapple with steamed broccoli and a small cup of warmed fresh teriyaki sauce (don’t reuse the marinade) for dipping.

1 16-ounce package low-carb or whole-grain penne rigate or ziti

1 40-ounce jar Victoria White Linen Collection All-Natural Marinara Sauce (you can get this at Costco)

1 package bulk mild Italian sausage

1 package bulk hot Italian sausage

1 package white button or cremini mushrooms

¼ tsp fresh ground black pepper

1 16-ounce container ricotta cheese

½ cup fresh grated parmesan or Romano cheese

1 unce package shredded mozzarella cheese

Bring salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions, until soft but very al dente.  Reserve some of the cooking water from the pasta.

While pasta is cooking, pour marinara sauce into large deep-dish lasagna pan.  Brown sausage in large saucepan and transfer cooked sausage into lasagna pan using a slotted spoon, leaving fat from sausage in pan.  Wash mushrooms and slice into pan with sausage fat.  Sauté mushrooms until they give off liquid and are soft.  Drain and transfer mushrooms to lasagna pan.  Grind black pepper over mushrooms and sausage.  Lightly stir ricotta into ingredients in lasagna pan.  Mix remaining cheeses and add 1/3 of cheese into lasagna pan, reserving the remainder.

Add pasta to lasagna dish and stir.  Top with remaining cheese and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Remove from oven and let rest for ten minutes.  Serve with a robust red wine.

©2011 Nicole Wiese

This fresh fall salad makes two large servings for a meal, or four smaller servings for a starter course.

Dressing:
1/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
1/3 cup cranberry raspberry juice (100% juice)
1 small mandarin orange (Satsuma or clementine), juiced
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
1/4 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Salad:
1/3 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
1 head romaine lettuce
1 red pear
1 Fuji apple
1/4 cup coarsely shredded or shaved Parmesan or Romano cheese

Combine vinegar, juices, sugar, salt, pepper and parsley in a small bowl.  Blend with hand blender for a few seconds, then drizzle in olive oil while blending.  Let dressing rest while preparing salad.

Toast walnuts in a dry pan (don’t use a non-stick pan for this) over medium heat until fragrant, stirring frequently.  Be very careful and watch them, as they can burn very quickly.

Wash and dry and coarsely chop romaine.  Put lettuce into a large bowl.  Cut meat from apple and pear and chop into ½ inch slices or chunks.  Add to bowl, toss with dressing, and top with cheese and toasted walnuts.  Serve immediately.

Try to get a bit of lettuce, fruit, cheese and walnut in each bite.  We had a nice glass of red wine with this salad for lunch.

Makes 4 servings, 4 pieces per serving

¼ cup all-purpose flour

¼ tsp fresh ground black pepper

¼ tsp fine salt

1 egg

1½ tbsp half and half

1 cup panko bread crumbs

1 tbsp dried parsley flakes

¼ tsp paprika

¼ tsp onion powder

¼ tsp garlic powder

8 pieces string cheese, wrappers removed

1 cup marinara sauce

2-3 cups peanut oil

Mix flour, salt and pepper in a small bowl.  In a separate bowl, whisk eggs with half and half.  In another bowl, combine panko bread crumbs with parsley, paprika, onion and garlic powder.

Slice string cheese pieces in half crosswise, for a total of 16 pieces.

One piece at a time, roll mozzarella sticks in flour with one hand (dry hand) and shake off excess, then dunk in egg/milk mixture with the other hand (wet hand), then place in panko crumbs (dry hand again).  Scoop crumbs all over the mozzarella stick with your dry hand and press firmly to adhere.  Gently grasp the ends and place in a single layer on a plate. Repeat until all mozzarella sticks are coated, leaving space in between pieces on the plate.  Place the plate on a flat surface in the freezer for 20 to 30 minutes if you can wait that long.

Preheat oven to 250 degrees and line a plate with three or more layers of paper towels.  Put marinara sauce on the stove in a small covered pan to heat.  Heat 1½ inches peanut oil in a Dutch oven over medium to medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add mozzarella sticks four at a time. Watch closely and roll over gently once lightly browned.  Total cooking time should take less than two minutes.  If cheese bubbles and leaks, they’ve been in too long!

Remove from oil with slotted utensil to paper towel-lined plate, keeping earlier batches warm in the oven.

Serve immediately with hot marinara sauce in a ramekin for dipping, being careful not to burn your tongue like I did!