Ingredients:

1 cup water
15 ounce can light coconut milk, divided
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1 cup dry whole wheat couscous
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 tablespoon curry powder
1/2 tablespoon hot madras curry powder
16 ounces boneless/skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 cup julienned carrot
1/3 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Procedure:

In a medium saucepan, stir together water, 3/4 cup coconut milk and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil and gradually stir in couscous. Remove from heat, cover and let stand 5 minutes. Use a fork to fluff couscous. In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, flour, and curry powders. Add the strips of chicken and gently toss to coat. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining coconut milk, carrots and raisins. Reduce heat and let mixture simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 7 minutes. Serve mixture over couscous and sprinkle with cilantro. Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients:

1 large red apple, cored and diced
1 large Granny Smith apple, cored and diced
6 dried black mission figs, chopped
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup lemon yogurt
2 tablespoons sliced almonds, toasted
2 carrots, peeled and grated

Procedure:

In a small bowl, toss together apples, figs and celery. Add yogurt and gently toss to coat well. Serve with toasted almonds and grated carrots on top of each serving. Makes 3 servings.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
16 ounces boneless/skinless chicken breasts (I used 4 average sized)
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
12 ounces baby spinach
1 cup of your favorite marinara sauce
1 ounce fresh grated Parmesan cheese
2 ounces shredded mozzarella
4 hamburger/sandwich rolls, toasted

Procedure:

Preheat broiler. In a shallow dish, mix together flour, salt, pepper, garlic and cayenne. Flatten each chicken breast to an even 1/4″ thickness. Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture and turn to coat. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Stir in spinach - cook until wilted, about 2 to 3 minutes. Move to a plate and set aside. Add 1 teaspoon oil to the pan. Add half the chicken and cook until golden, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a large baking sheet. Repeat process with the remaining 1 teaspoon oil and chicken. Evenly divide the spinach mixture, marinara and parmesan on top of each chicken piece. Scatter the tops with mozzarella. Broil until the cheese is melted and the chicken is cooked through, about 3 minutes. Place each breast on a toasted roll to serve. Makes 4 sandwiches.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 tablespoons roasted peanut oil
1 medium head cauliflower - trimmed and cut into florets
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions

Procedure:

In a small bowl, whisk together hoisin, soy sauce, vinegar and water until well combined. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add the cauliflower florets - cook until the florets are lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic, ginger and green onions - cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the hoisin mixture into the skillet, cover the pan and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer until the florets are tender, but still hold their shape, about 6 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper to taste. If there is any liquid left in the pan, continue cooking, uncovered, until it evaporates. Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients:

2 tangelos
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil, divided
16 ounces trimmed pork tenderloin, cut into strips
2 medium shallots, sliced thin
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 medium red bell peppers, sliced
2 stalks of celery, sliced thin
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 teaspoons cornstarch

Procedure:

Carefully remove just the zest from the tangelos using a peeler and cut into long thin strips. You can simplify this if you have one of those fun citrus zesters. Squeeze enough juice from the tangelos to get 1/2 cup of liquid. Let a large skillet warm up over medium-high heat. Add 2 teaspoons oil. Add in pork and cook, stirring all the time, until the strips are just cooked - about 2-4 minutes. Remove pork to a plate. Add remaining oil and stir in shallots, garlic, ginger, crushed red pepper and the strips of zest. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Mix in bell peppers and celery - cook, stirring, until the vegetables are crisp tender. Add tangelo juice and soy sauce - let mixture come to a simmer to cook for 1 minute. In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar and cornstarch. Pour vinegar mixture into the pan along with the pork and any juices on the plate. Continue cooking and stirring until the mixture has thickened and the pork warms back up - about 1 or 2 minutes. Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup thinly sliced onion
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups cooked shredded chicken breast
15 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup chicken broth
1 - 7 3/4 ounce can salsa de chile fresco
15 small (6″) white corn tortillas, cut into strips
4 ounces shredded queso blanco

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until lightly golden - about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in chicken and cook for 30 seconds. Scoop mixture into a medium bowl - stir in beans. Pour broth and salsa into the pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for 5 minutes - be sure to stir occasionally. Remove from the heat and set aside. Lightly coat a 7″ x 11″ baking dish with nonstick spray. Arrange half of tortilla strips over the bottom. Layer half of bean/chicken mixture over the top. Arrange the remaining tortillas over that layer and scatter the rest of the bean/chicken mixture on top. Pour broth mixture evenly over chicken mixture. Scatter the shredded cheese on top. Bake until the cheese has melted and the tortillas have a light golden color - about 10 to 15 minutes. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon salt
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 tablespoons butter
20 medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup amber ale
2 tablespoons minced parsley
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Procedure:

In a spice grinder, add rosemary, oregano, red pepper, paprika, peppercorns and salt - grind until thoroughly mixed together. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in ground spice mixture and garlic - cook for 2 minutes, stirring often. Add shrimp - cook 3-5 minutes, turning once, until shrimp are almost cooked. Remove shrimp to a bowl and set aside. Add chicken broth and beer to the pan juices - bring to a boil and cook for about 2 minutes over high heat. Remove from heat and add in shrimp, parsley and lemon juice to heat through. Makes 2 servings.

Ingredients:

For the sauce:

1 1/2 cups plain yogurt
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the fritters:

4 cups thinly sliced leek
6 tablespoons water, divided
1 teaspoon salt, divided
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
20 ounce package shredded hash brown potatoes (I used the refrigerated kind)
2 large eggs
2 large egg whites
3 tablespoons canola oil, divided

Procedure:

To make the sauce: To thicken the yogurt, place yogurt onto several layers of paper towels - spread to 1/2″ thickness. Cover with additional paper towels and let stand 5 minutes in a colander in case any liquid drips out. Use a spoon to gently scrape yogurt into a small bowl. Add garlic, lemon, cumin, salt and pepper - whisk until combined. Cover and place in the refrigerator.

To make the fritters: Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and coat with nonstick spray. Add chopped leek, 2 tablespoons water, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Sauté until they begin to turn golden, about 10 minutes - add enough of the remaining 1/4 cup water as necessary to prevent sticking. Place leeks and potatoes in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, egg whites, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add egg mixture to potato mixture and gently toss to combine. In a large skillet, heat 1 1/2 tablespoons oil over medium-high. Scoop about 3 tablespoons worth of the potato mixture for each of 8 fritters into pan. Cook until each side turn sgolden brown, about 3 minutes on each side. Remove from the skillet and keep warm. Repeat procedure with the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons oil and potato mixture. Season fritters with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper right before serving. Serve with yogurt sauce. Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped roasted red bell pepper
16 ounces boneless/skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup strong brewed coffee
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 15 ounce cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained
28 ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon masa harina
3 tablespoons water

Procedure:

In a Dutch oven, heat oil over medium. Add onion, bell pepper, and garlic - cook until the onions begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add chicken and cook about 6 minutes. Stir in cilantro, coffee, chili powder, brown sugar, red pepper, kidney beans and tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. In a small bowl, whisk together masa harina and 3 tablespoons water. Stir into the chili and simmer, uncovered, an additional 10 minutes. Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons canola oil
16 ounces boneless/skinless turkey breast, cut into 1″ chunks
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups frozen corn kernels
1 1/2 cups dry whole wheat couscous
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper sauce
1 cup diced plum tomato
1/2 cup roasted red bell peppers
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Procedure:

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Season turkey breast with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Add turkey to pan and cook until done - about 6 minutes. In a medium saucepan, add broth and bring to a boil. Add corn and cook 3 minutes. Stir in couscous in a steady stream. Remove from heat, cover and let sit 5 minutes. Uncover and fluff with a fork. In a large bowl, whisk together the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper, lime juice, oil, cumin, and cayenne pepper sauce. Mix in tomato, peppers and cilantro. Add turkey and couscous mixture to the bowl and gently toss to mix together. Makes 4 servings.