Tofu Peanut Stir-Fry

Here is another tested and tasted recipe from allrecipes.com! Enjoy with your favorite long grain rice or pilaf! As a first timer when it comes to using cornstarch with my tofu, this can me a messy production for the novice. I made a mess with the cornstarch stage when coating the tofu. Nothing a good clean-up cannot fix (lol). The time and mess is worth it! This is a delicious dish-Enjoy!

Serving Size: 8

Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 1 (16 ounce) package frozen stir-fry vegetables
- 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 cup cornstarch
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 (14 ounce) package firm tofu, drained and cubed
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup peanut sauce
- 1/4 cup chopped peanuts

Instructions:

1. Heat the vegetable oil in wok over medium heat, and cook the vegetables until tender. Mix in the ginger, and season with salt and pepper.
   
2. Remove vegetables from skillet, and set aside.
3. Place the eggs in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix the cornstarch, salt, and pepper. Dip tofu cubes first in the egg, then the cornstarch mixture to coat.
4. Heat the remaining oil in the skillet or wok over medium heat, and cook the coated tofu 5 minutes, or until golden brown.
   
5. Stir in the peanut sauce and peanuts. Continue to cook and stir until sauce has thickened and tofu is well-coated. Serve with the vegetables.

Lemon Cilantro Chicken

It's time to combine some delicious flavors together to create a healthy, flavorful marinade for your next chicken dish. This dish includes fresh squeezed lemons and fresh organic cilantro. Enjoy!

Tip: I picked up my chicken breasts at Whole Foods and received meat that was vegetarian fed, free range chickens.

Serving Size: 4-6
Ingredients:
- 6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into bite size pieces
- 3 large potatoes, peeled and sliced
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 cup lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons lemon pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions:
1. Marinate the chicken in a mixture of 1/2 cup lemon juice and 1/2 of the chopped cilantro for one hour
2. Mix the rest of the cilantro with the remaining lemon juice. Add the lemon pepper seasoning and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Set aside.
3. Spread 1 tablespoon of olive oil on the bottom of a 9x12 inch glass baking pan or Pyrex baking dish. Layer the potatoes and the chicken in the dish. Pour lemon pepper mixture over and cover.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 10 minutes more.

Homemade Turkey Meatballs

I was shopping in our new local Trader Joes and instead of buying frozen meatballs for a dinner, I decided to be brave and buy ground meat. I did not choose red meat, but instead picked up a package of lean ground turkey, free of nitrates, additives and added chemicals. Turkey is a lean, high protein source and has lower levels of saturated fat compared to red meat.

So being the brave vegetarian that at I am (sarcasm!) I decided to be a sweet wifey and make homemade meatballs for my husband. Thankfully when it came down to the stage where you add the turkey meat and mix with your hands the rest of the ingredients, my husband gave a helping hand (literally!).

He said this was a great meatball too. I made fresh spaghetti with his favorite sauce...Traditional Ragu. I know! Not homemade sauce like I would have wanted to, but he loves this sauce.

Ingredients:
- 1 pound ground turkey breast
- 1/3 cup Italian breadcrumbs (I have Panko all natural)
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 4 tabelspoons fresh minced parsley

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Put olive oil evenly on a 9x13 baking dish
3. In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Mix well (best done with your hands)
4. Form golf size meatballs and place in the baking dish 1 inch apart
5. Cook for 15-20 minutes in the oven. Than flip and cook for another 5-8 minutes or until cooked through.
6. Serve over your favorite pasta and add hearty vegetables for a complete meal. Enjoy!