Tag: quick dinners

Food

Veggie Stir Fry

meghanewhite

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If you want a simple, nutritious, inexpensive meal, look no further. Veggie stir fry is filled with flavor and nourishment. Use your favorite vegetables. I like to use onions, carrots, and broccoli as my base. Then I add whatever looks or sounds good, like snap peas.

The sauce is so delicious with fresh ginger and garlic. Red pepper flake gives it a nice little kick. Use more or less depending on how much spice you prefer. I like to double, or even triple the amount of sauce.

Veggie stir fry is so quick to throw together. The only time consuming part is chopping all of the vegetables. In a pinch you can use frozen, or any leftover veggies you’ve got in the fridge.

For a budget friendly, easy dinner make this tasty veggie stir fry. Add a protein like chicken, beef, or shrimp for even more flavor and nutrients. This no fuss dish will give your meals variety. Enjoy!

Happy Eating!

Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him. Proverbs 30:5

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Veggie Stir Fry

For the Sauce:

1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger

1 clove minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flake

Vegetables:

1 medium onion cut into wedges

3 to 4 carrots sliced into thin rounds

2 heads of broccoli cut into florets

sweet peppers sliced into strips

other vegetables to add: snap peas, baby corn, zucchini, asparagus, cauliflower, water chestnuts, or whatever you like

for cooking the veggies:

1/2 to 1 teaspoon of salt

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Instructions

  1. In a small bowl combine the soy sauce, sugar, cornstarch, ginger, garlic, and red pepper flake. Whisk until blended, set aside.
  2. In a large skillet or wok, heat vegetable oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onions and carrots and a pinch of salt. Raise the heat to medium high, stirring every 30 seconds or so until the onions have softened. This takes 4 to 5 minutes.
  3. Add the broccoli and the rest of the vegetables and another pinch of salt to the skillet, stirring every 30 seconds or so, until the carrots start to caramelize. This takes about 5 minutes. Cook the vegetables until the carrots are fork tender and the remaining vegetables are tender, yet crisp.
  4. Turn the heat down low. Pour the sauce over the vegetables, stirring constantly until the sauce is thickened. This takes less than a minute. Remove from heat and serve with rice.

Notes:

I recommend doubling the sauce.

Cook the vegetables to your liking. I prefer mine crisp yet tender.

Cover your skillet with a lid to help steam the vegetables.

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Food, mustard seed sentinel

Parmesan and Panko Crusted Flounder

meghanewhite

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Fish is a great lean protein. It’s high in omega-3 fatty acid which reduces inflammation, and helps protect your heart. Fish is also high in vitamin D which aids in calcium absorption that is necessary for bone health. Fish can boost your immune system, promote healthy brain function, and help your body produce new red blood cells. There are so many scientific studies showing the many benefits of regularly consuming fish.

You might appreciate the obvious health benefits of fish but you don’t enjoy eating it. This simple delicious recipe for white fish just might change your mind. I used wild caught flounder but you can use whatever white fish you like. Cod, tilapia or grouper would work well for this dish. 

This recipe comes together easily and cooks fast. It would make a great weeknight supper. Add some rice and vegetables, and you’ve got a nutritious dinner. Fish lovers will be pleased with this delightful dish, and new fish converts will be made, at least I hope. Make this moist, flaky, flavorful fish dish and add some variety to your cooking.

Happy Eating!

Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Matthew 4:19

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Parmesan and Panko Crusted Flounder

Ingredients

16 oz. wild caught flounder (5 fillets)

3 tablespoons salted butter (room temp)

2 crushed garlic cloves

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon of fresh ground black pepper

½ cup panko bread crumbs

½ cup grated parmesan cheese (powdered or fresh) 

zest of 1 lemon 

juice of 1 lemon

2 teaspoons of fresh chopped parsley

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 425°
  2. Line a baking sheet with parchment. If you use aluminum foil, spray with cooking spray.
  3. In a small bowl add panko, parmesan, and lemon zest. Stir to combine.
  4. In another small bowl mix softened butter and crushed garlic.
  5. Pat each fillet dry with a paper towel.
  6. Spread about a teaspoon of the garlic butter mixture evenly on top of each fillet. Sprinkle salt and pepper over all the fish.
  7. Place each buttered fillet in the panko/parmesan bowl one at a time, and press the bread crumb mixture evenly onto the top of each piece of fish. Then place the fillets on the baking sheet.
  8. Lightly spray the tops of the fish with cooking spray. This will help brown the panko.
  9. Bake for 20 minutes.
  10. Drizzle with lemon juice and fresh parsley before serving.

Go to Mustard Seed Sentinel for this recipe and all of my recipes at Meghan’s Corner.

https://www.mustardseedsentinel.com/post/meghan-s-corner-parmesan-and-panko-crusted-flounder

Faith, Food

Chicken Tortilla Soup

meghanewhite

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I love soup. It’s hearty, and can be loaded with all sorts of goodness. This one has shredded chicken, black beans, corn, cilantro, and a few other ingredients that make a filling meal. Some soups can be bland and mushy. Chicken tortilla soup is flavorful and scrumptious. No soggy soup here.

This lovely soup comes together pretty quick. You can easily make this on a busy weeknight. As long as your chicken is already cooked, you’re good to go. If you’ve got some leftover chicken on hand that would work too. 

One pot meals are some of my favorites. No cooking multiple things all at once. Juggling the oven, and the stove top can be a challenge. I cook like that quite often, and I don’t mind it. But, using the same pot for the entire meal is such a nice break from the norm. 

This particular version of chicken tortilla soup calls for hominy, which is dried corn kernels that are soaked in an alkaline solution. Basically, hominy is big puffy corn. I do not use hominy for this soup since it’s not at my local Aldi. Instead, I use white beans as a replacement. If you like hominy, or you’re just curious, give it a try. 

Something that I add to make this recipe even more delicious, is homemade tortilla strips. It’s worth the extra time to fry up your own tortillas. The flavor and richness that the fresh tortilla’s add is mouthwatering. If you are not up for that, just add store bought tortilla chips to the soup. Still very good and easy. 

Enjoy this fantastic soup.

Happy Eating!

Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. 

Matthew 4:4

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Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 cloves of minced garlic

1 diced onion

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 (28oz.) can crushed tomatoes

1 (32 oz.) container chicken broth 

1 cup water

3 to 4 boneless, skinless, cooked chicken breast (shredded)

1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained

1 cup whole kernel corn

1 cup hominy or 1 (15 oz.) can white beans

1 (4 oz.) can green chiles 

½ cup chopped fresh cilantro

homemade tortilla strips 

sliced avocado

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

  1. In a large pot heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add garlic and onion. Cook until soft.
  2. Add oregano, chili powder, tomatoes, chicken broth, and water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
  3. Add the shredded chicken, black beans, corn, hominy or white beans, green chiles, and cilantro to the pot. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
  4. While the soup is cooking make your tortilla strips.
  5. Serve up the soup into bowls and top with tortilla strips, sliced avocado, Jack cheese, and cilantro.

Notes:

  • Always taste while you are cooking. Check if salt is needed, especially if low-sodium broth is used.
  • Add onions, black olives, or sour cream for toppings.

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Homemade Tortilla Strips

4 to 6 6-inch corn tortillas

¼ cup (approximately) vegetable oil

salt

  1. Slice tortillas into ½ inch strips.
  2. Heat a large frying pan over medium high heat.
  3. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil. When the oil has a shimmer and coats the bottom of the pan it’s ready.
  4. Cook tortilla strips in small batches for a couple of minutes per side. Turn them once they stiffen up and are golden brown. 
  5. The tortilla strips cook quickly.
  6. Place cooked strips on a paper towel lined plate and sprinkle with salt.

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Check out my monthly column at Mustard Seed Sentinel.

https://www.mustardseedsentinel.com/post/meghan-s-corner-chicken-tortilla-soup

Faith, Food, Uncategorized

One Pot Lasagna

meghanewhite

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My mom made the best lasagna. As kids, we would request her famous lasagna for our birthday dinners. I attempted my mom’s lasagna once, when I was first married. She stayed on the phone, and talked me through each step. It turned out delicious. I made a second attempt on my own, and it wasn’t so great. I didn’t make it again.

Several years ago I came across one pot lasagna. It has everything I love. It’s Italian, simple, and my family will actually eat it. I cautiously gave it a try, and was surprised by the results. The lasagna turned out well. How could something so simple be so delicious? I didn’t stand at the stove cooking sauce for hours. There is no boiling of lasagna noodles, and then laying them out separately, before you even begin assembling your lasagna. Did I actually make a scrumptious, savory, edible lasagna? Yes! I did. And you can too. 

Just like the title says, it really only uses one pot. Honestly, this recipe holds up against traditional lasagna quite well. It may even be better. I can’t believe I just said that. I’ve had lasagna where the sauce cooked for twenty four hours, and it was very good. One pot lasagna is just as good, in my opinion, and way easier to make. 

Give your family a hearty satisfying meal with this fantastic lasagna.

 

Happy Eating!

 

Now these three remain:

faith, hope, and love.

But the greatest of these is love.

1 Corinthians 13:13

 

One Pot Lasagna

 

1 to 2 Tbsp Olive Oil

½ medium yellow onion, chopped

1 lb. ground beef

1 lb. mild Italian sausage

8 Oven Ready lasagna noodles (broken into pieces)

1 (28oz.) can crushed tomatoes

1 (8oz.) can tomato sauce

3 to 5 cloves of crushed garlic

½ cup water

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

½ tsp. sugar

1 tsp. basil

1 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

1 (7.5oz.) ricotta cheese

6 oz. shredded Mozzarella

 

  1. In a large skillet (at least 12”), saute onions over medium-high heat in olive oil until translucent.
  2. Add in ground beef and Italian sausage. Once the meat is cooked, drain off fat.
  3. While the meat is cooking, add the crushed tomatoes in a large bowl with the tomato sauce and the ½ cup water. Season the tomato mixture with sugar, basil, oregano, Italian seasoning, garlic, salt and pepper.
  4. Add lasagna noodles that have been broken into large pieces on top of the drained meat mixture. Do not stir. Just make an even layer of the noodles.
  5. Pour sauce mixture over the broken up noodles. Do not stir. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 10 minutes.
  6. After 10 minutes, remove the lid and gently stir. Separate any noodles that are stuck together.
  7. Replace the lid, and simmer an additional 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  8. After the second 10 minutes. Turn off heat, remove the lid, stir well and separate any stuck noodles.
  9. Put spoonfuls of ricotta cheese evenly over the top. Cover and let it sit, off heat, for 5 minutes.
  10. Sprinkle mozzarella on top and place under the broiler for 3 to 5 minutes until cheese is melted and browned.

 

Notes

* You can use plain ricotta cheese or you can add herbs for more flavor.

* Make sure to use a large oven safe pan.

* To save time, mix up your tomato sauce before you begin cooking.

* Adjust the spices to your taste.

* Break the dry lasagna noodles into approximately 2 inch sized pieces. 

 

 

Check out my monthly column at Mustard Seed Sentinel. You can get this recipe and more. Go to the “More” tab and scroll down to Meghan’s Corner.

https://www.mustardseedsentinel.com/post/meghan-s-corner-one-pot-lasagna