Rice Browns and Picadillo Chowder

Today was FREEZING in the Burg! So I made myself a spicy chowder and rice browns! I was a little skeptical about how brown rice fritter things were going to taste, but after tweaking the seasonings a little bit, MAN O MAN is this a healthy gluten-free treat!

Rice Browns:

Ingredients:

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp soy sauce

2 egg whites

3/4 cup cooked brown rice

1/2 tsp salt

1. Put egg whites, soy sauce, and salt into a bowl and mix with a fork. Heat the sesame oil in a pan over medium high heat.

2. Mix rice into the egg white mixture, using your fingers. When the oil heats up, use a spoon to place small dollops of the mixture into the pan, forming shapes like pancakes.

3. Let the rice browns cook for 4 minutes in the oil, then carefully flip, patting down with your spatula. Fry for another 4 minutes, and then put on a paper towel to drain. Repeat until the batch is gone.

Picadillo Chowder

Ingredients:

- 1 lb ground turkey sausage

- 1 cup cooked brown rice

-1 15 oz can black beans

- 32 oz chicken stock

- 1 medium onion, diced

- 4 cloves garlic, minced

- 1 tbsp cumin

- 1tbsp chili powder

- juice of 1 lime

-Franks wing sauce

- salt and pepper to taste

1. Saute onion in a stockpot, and add the sausage. Cook until brown. Add the garlic and cook for two minutes.

2. Add the stock, rice, beans, cumin, and chili powder to the pot. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat. Simmer for 20 minutes.

3. Add the lime juice and salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with Franks hot sauce!

Cheesy Collard Green Polenta Pie (Gluten Free!)

It's dinner time, and I'm on a Clean Eating magazine kick. Tonight's recipe was based on a Polenta Pie recipe I found. However, since I am a Southerner at heart, I tweaked it a little bit! Collard greens and baby spinach are FILLED with wonderful nutrients, and Polenta is made from whole grain corn. This means it has good amounts of fiber and iron, and is nice alternative to pasta for those who are gluten free!

Stephanie's Cheesy Collard Green Polenta Pie

Ingredients:

Crust-

olive oil

1 tube package of pre-cooked polenta (you can find this in the natural food section of Kroger!)

milk or heavy cream

1 tsp Italian seasoning

2 tsp Garlic powder

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

a Dash of Frank's red hot wing sauce

salt and pepper

Filling:

olive oil

1 bunch collard greens (rinsed and chopped)

1 cup fresh baby spinach (rough chop)

1 medium onion

salt n pepper

2 cups colby jack cheese blend, shredded (divided)

Instructions:

1) Grease a 9 inch springform pan with olive oil, and heat oven to 350 degrees.

2) Squeeze polenta out of package into a medium size bowl. Add a small amount of milk or cream to the bowl, and mash polenta with a fork. Heat in the microwave, and mash again. Repeat this process until polenta is the consistency is smooth and creamy. (Keep it a bit think so it stays together when it bakes)

2) Add spices and hot sauce to the polenta and mix well. Make sure you add salt and pepper to taste, so the polenta has lots of flavor. Set aside.

3) Add olive oil to a skillet, and add the chopped onion. Cook onions until translucent on medium heat. (about 5 minutes). Add the chopped collard greens. Make sure that you remove the hard middle stem! Add baby spinach, and saute for about 10 minutes, or until the green become darker and wilt down. Remove from heat.

4) Pour half of the polenta into the bottom of the springform pan, and spread to the edges, making a thin bottom layer. Sprinkle 1/3 of the cheese on top. Add the collard filling on top, and spread to the edges. Sprinkle 1/3 of the cheese on top of the filling.

5) Pour the rest of the polenta on top and spread to the edges of the pan. Top with remaining cheese.

6) Place in the oven and bake for 40 mins or until edges started to turn golden brown.

7) Let cool thoroughly before serving.

Sultry Salads

Hello all! Thank you so much for visiting my new blog. Those who know me, know that I'm a law student by day, and an amateur chef by night. So I figured I'd share some of my on the go recipes with you, so that you can share in my culinary adventures! Some with be healthy, some will be decadent, but all will taste good. Because I like good food! Stay tuned :)

Today's lunch: It may be cold, but spring is almost here! And spring means Spring Break and bikinis! Well to me, salads aren't so appetizing in cold weather. But they can be spiced up and filling with the right ingredients! Campari tomatoes are a delicious and healthy way to add juicy sweetness to your salad, and reduced fat feta cheese will keep you full and add a salty finish.

Stephanie's Mediterranean Steak Salad

Ingredients:

4 - 5 oz sliced flank steak (you grill this the night before, and store for lunch the next day)

1 romaine heart, chopped

4 Campari tomatoes, cut in quarters

2 oz. Reduced fat feta cheese, in chunks or crumbled

2 Tbsp. chopped red onion

Balsamic vinegarette , to taste

Salt and pepper

Preparation:

1. Liberally salt your steak with Kosher salt, on both sides (Kosher salt doesn't have as sharp a taste as regular table salt, and it's better for you.) Grind fresh pepper on both sides of the steak. In a grill or saute' pan, heat 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive on medium high heat. When the pan is hot, place the steak in the pan. After about 5 minutes, flip the steak, and keep sauteing until the steak is medium - medium rare. (You can leave on for longer if you prefer well done. Take steak out of the pan, and let the meat rest for 5-10 minutes, so the juices don't escape when you cut it. Then, slice into 1 inch thick strips. Set aside.

2. Place romaine, tomatoes, feta, and onion into a bowl. Top with the sliced steak. Drizzle with balsamic vinegarette, and sprinkle with cracked pepper and a little bit of salt before serving.

Enjoy a refreshing glass of sparkling lemon water with your lunch :)