Recipe: Beef & Broccoli Stir Fry With Orange Sauce

Broccoli lends itself very well to stir fry dishes, with it's fresh green color and crunch, and the fact that its health benefits are most potent when it is not cooked for long periods of time. The light citrusy sauce gives this a nice Asian flavor, and it's very quick to throw together!

Try this classic beef & broccoli stir fry dish and add a fresh green salad for a quick, tasty, and healthy dinner packed with flavor and nutrients.

Beef & Broccoli Stir-Fry With Orange Sauce

Ingredients:

1 cup long grain white rice
1/4 cup orange juice
1 Tbsp. rice vinegar
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. light brown sugar
1 pound top round steak, cut into strips
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
salt and black pepper to taste
1 pound broccoli, florettes broken into small pieces
2 Tbsp. peanut oil, divided
1 red bell pepper, cut into very thin strips

Directions:

• Cook the rice using directions on box; set aside.
• In a bowl, whisk together the orange juice, vinegar, soy sauce, and brown sugar; set aside.
• In a large bowl, toss the beef with the cornstarch, season with salt and pepper; set aside. 
• In a wok or large skillet over high heat, put broccoli pieces with 1 cup of water, sprinkle in a little salt. Bring to a boil, then turn heat down to medium-high and cook until broccoli is just crisp-tender (about 2 minutes). Remove broccoli to a plate, pour out and discard any remaining water in the wok, wiping to dry with a paper towel. 
• Put wok over high heat, add 1 tablespoon oil and heat until sizzling hot. 
• Add half of the beef and cook, stirring, until browned; remove the beef using a slotted spoon, and put on plate with the broccoli.
• Put remaining oil in wok, add remaining uncooked beef, stir and cook until browned.
• Now add back into the wok the beef and broccoli that was set aside, then pour in the orange juice mixture and the cut bell pepper. Stir gently to combine, then allow to cook on high heat for a couple minutes until the sauce thickens. 
• Serve over rice.

Recipe: Piccolini Mediterranean Broccoli Salad

Here's a great way to incorporate more of that superfood - broccoli - into your diet! This tasty pasta salad recipe is made with the fresh flavors of Italy - olives, lemon, garlic, and oregano. Capers add an extra bite to the zesty dressing, while fresh, lightly cooked broccoli adds an extra boost to your health. Makes a great lunch, side dish, or potluck addition.

This one will definitely be a repeat in your recipe book!

Piccolini Mediterranean Broccoli Salad

Ingredients:

Image Source: Whole Foods Market

1 lb. piccolini (tiny penne) pasta (or other small pasta like mini shells)
1 bunch fresh broccoli florets, broken into small pieces
2/3 cup Greek olives, pitted and sliced
1/4 cup capers, drained
3/4 cup olive oil
3/4 cup lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, minced or grated
1 tsp dried oregano

Directions:

• Fill large pot with cold water, making sure you have enough room for both the pasta and the broccoli florets.
• Bring to a boil and add pasta only.
• Cook for 6 minutes, then add the florets and cook for 1 minute longer, until the pasta is tender and the broccoli is just blanched.
• Drain well.
• In a large salad bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and whisk until blended well and slightly thickened.
• Add the drained pasta and broccoli into the big bowl with the oil mixture, and toss to coat evenly.
• Taste and add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
• May be served warm or at room temperature.

Recipe: Broccoli Ricotta Over Spinach Noodles

This is a great spring or summer meal - lovely green broccoli and spinach noodles are set off with creamy white ricotta, and with mild flavors and milk and cheese, even the kids may like this broccoli dish.

Broccoli Ricotta Over Spinach Noodles
Ingredients:

4 cups fresh broccoli florets, cut small
2 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup onion, diced fine
1 garlic clove, minced
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp parsley, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp oregano leaves, crushed
3/4 cup milk
1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
8 oz spinach noodles, any shape, cooked
Optional: Parmesan for sprinkling on top

Directions:

1. In large saucepan over medium-low heat, melt butter and add broccoli florets. Cook stirring for 5 minutes or until broccoli softens a bit.
2. Add onion and garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
3. While stirring, sprinkle in flour, stir to combine, then add parsley, salt, and oregano.
4. Turn heat down to low, and slowly pour in milk, stirring constantly; continue stirring until milk thickens.
5. Gently stir in ricotta cheese, stirring until melted.
6. Serve broccoli ricotta sauce over hot cooked spinach noodles.
7. Sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan cheese if desired.

Recipe: Sweet Creamy Broccoli Bacon Salad

This tasty recipe combines the nutritional benefits of raw broccoli with sweet raisins and nutty sunflower seeds for extra nutrients and energy. Add crispy bacon, and tangy apple cider vinegar and you have a flavor combination that will tantalize your tastebuds too!

Sweet Creamy Broccoli Bacon Salad

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Ingredients:

2 lbs. fresh broccoli, cut into small florets
8 slices bacon, diced, fried crisp, and drained
1 small sweet onion, chopped fine
1 cup golden raisins
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup white sugar
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

Directions:

• Toss together in a large bowl the first 5 ingredients.
• In separate bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sugar, and vinegar.
• Add dressing to salad and toss gently to combine.
• Taste for salt, and adjust seasoning.
• Cover lightly with plastic wrap and chill for at least several hours to let flavors combine (best if chilled overnight).

Recipe: Easy Walnut Cookie Squares

Mmmm-mmm-mmmm! Nothing like using superfoods as an excuse to eat cookies, right?  :-)  This recipe incorporates lots of heart-healthy walnuts, and fresh eggs full of Omega 3's - and it's fast and easy, and really tasty! Try this one to satisfy your sweet tooth without feeling too bad about it.

Easy Walnut Cookie Squares

Walnuts (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Ingredients:

1 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups brown sugar, packed
2 cups shelled walnuts, chopped
2 eggs (from pasture-raised hens)
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

•  Preheat oven to 325 degrees and line baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In large bowl, stir together the flour, salt, and baking soda.
• Add the brown sugar and walnuts and mix until blended well.
• In separate bowl, whisk eggs together with vanilla extract.
• Stir egg mixture into dry mixture and stir until combined.
• Press dough onto bottom of baking sheet.
• Bake in preheated oven at 325 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes or until browned lightly.
• Remove and let cool on rack, then cut into squares.

Superfood Recipe: Buttery Peanut Soup

While this one may sound a bit strange at first, if your kids are fans of peanut butter, it may quickly become a family favorite! This is also a good option for those looking to include more Omega 3s in your diet - especially if you don't like fish. Both peanuts and milk and butter from grass-fed cows contain high levels of this important fatty acid. Try this simple soup, and add some good fats back into your diet! (Be sure to use only natural peanut butter for this recipe - the kind with only peanuts and salt in it - not the fake kind full of sugar and hydrogenated oils - these are awful for your health, and they won't dissolve well in this recipe either.)

Buttery Peanut Soup
 
Ingredients:

2 Tbsp organic butter (from grass-fed cows if you can find it)
1/4 cup onion, finely diced
1/3 cup celery, finely diced
1 Tbsp flour
2 cups whole milk (from grass-fed cows; preferably organic and non-homogenized)
3/4 cup organic chicken or vegetable stock
1/2 cup natural peanut butter
1/4 tsp salt

Directions:

• In large saucepan over medium heat, add butter, onion, and celery, and cook, stirring, until vegetables soften, about 4 minutes.
• Sprinkle in flour and stir to combine.
• Slowly add milk, stirring constantly.
• Slowly add stock, stirring constantly.
• Keep stirring until mixture thickens, then remove from heat.
• Scoop about 1/2 cup of soup from saucepan and put into bowl; add peanut butter and mix until combined.
• Pour peanut butter mixture back into saucepan, stirring to combine.
• Salt to taste, adjust as needed for flavor.
• Serve warm with a sprinkling of crisp fried bacon, crunchy sprouts, or chopped peanuts.

Superfood Recipe: Salmon Timbale

This superfood recipe is super easy! It's a great use for leftover grilled salmon (which never seems as good by itself the next day), and incorporating fresh eggs from pasture-raised poultry, and butter from grass-fed cows will add even more healthy Omega-3's into this simple but company-ready recipe.

Salmon Timbale

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp butter (from grass-fed cows if possible)
1/4 cup fine bread crumbs
1/3 cup fish stock (or chicken stock)
1/3 cup milk
1 cup cooked salmon, chopped
1/2 tsp parsley, chopped fine
2 eggs, lightly beaten

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and butter a small casserole dish.
• In saucepan, melt butter over low heat, then stir in bread crumbs and fish stock.
• Add remaining ingredients one at a time, slowly stirring constantly until creamy and hot.
• Remove from heat and pour into casserole.
• Set casserole in roasting pan filled with hot water and put into preheated oven.
• Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until firm and eggs are completely set.

Recipe - Pumpkin Dip

Pumpkin may be a fall vegetable, but this dip is delicious any time of year! Creamy pumpkin blended with garlic, chilis, and cool yogurt, and offset with the tang of lime juice, makes this a treat for the taste buds. Great with pita bread or chips.

Pumpkin Dip

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups pumpkin, peeled and cut into chunks
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 red chili, seeded and finely chopped
2 tbsp natural yogurt
Dash of fresh lime juice
Olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 400° Fahrenheit.
• Arrange the pumpkin chunks in a baking dish and drizzle with olive oil. Season well with black pepper and a pinch of salt and mix well. Bake in the oven for about 15-20 minutes or until the pumpkin pieces are tender. 
• Place the pumpkin, garlic and chilli in a food processor, add the yogurt and lime juice, adjust seasoning and process until smooth. 
• Serve at room temperature with tortilla chips or toasted pita bread.

Recipe - Curried Pumpkin Harvest Skillet

With its mild, creamy flesh, pumpkin lends itself well to soups and curries. Not having much flavor of its own, other than a faint nutty hint of sweetness, pumpkin will take on the flavor of whatever you season it with, and carry it off to perfection. This recipe incorporates a variety of healthy vegetables together with rich spices, to offer a palate-pleasing dish perfect for cool fall evenings! This one also makes a unique offering for an autumn potluck.

Curried Pumpkin Harvest Skillet

Organic Curry Powder (Photo credit: artizone)

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp butter
1 medium sweet onion, sliced into thin wedges
1 garlic clove, minced
2 1/2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 small pumpkin (about 3 lbs) seeds cleaned out, cut into wedges, peeled, then cut into 1 inch pieces
3 medium red potatoes, scrubbed, then cut into 1 inch pieces
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup golden raisins
1 cup frozen sweet green petite peas, or young green beans, cut in 1" lengths

Directions:

• In a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter, then add onion slices, and cook until starting to soften and brown, about 5 minutes.
• Add garlic to skillet and cook 1 minute, stirring regularly.
• Stir in the curry powder, kosher salt, and black pepper.
• Now add pumpkin and potatoes and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes.
• Reduce the heat to low and add the broth and raisins, stirring to combine, then cover and simmer slowly for 15 to 20 minutes or until veggies are tender.
• Uncover the skillet and stir in the frozen peas; remove from heat, cover, and let stand for 1 minute. Serve hot out of the skillet.

Recipe - Salmon Patties with Cool Dill Sauce

Here's another great salmon recipe. Canned salmon is easy and convenient (and cheap) for this recipe, but for a fresher taste, you can also use leftover grilled, broiled, or poached salmon - just flake it finely, or process in a food processor until well chopped. The oats make the patties more substantial and help them hold together, and this simple and healthy recipe gets it's kick from the fresh, summery sauce made with fresh garden veggies and dill - a great combo with the salmon!

Salmon Patties with Dill Sauce

Ingredients:

1 can (14 oz) salmon, drained
3/4 cup old fashioned oats, uncooked
1/3 cup milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 Tbsp finely chopped onion
1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh dill
1/8 tsp salt

Sauce:
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/3 cup finely chopped tomato
1/3 cup finely chopped cucumber
1 Tbsp finely chopped onion
1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh dill

Directions:

• Put yogurt, tomato, cucumber, onion, and dill in a small bowl and whisk together. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
• In a separate bowl, put salmon, oats, egg, onion, and dill and mix together well. 
• Shape salmon mixture into patties.
• Drizzle a little olive oil into heavy skillet over medium heat.
• Cook salmon patties until golden brown on each side, about 3 or 4 minutes.
• Drizzle cool sauce over salmon patties and serve hot.

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