Faux Wok-Style Chinese Green Beans

This is probably my favorite thing to make these days. This recipe is my own, and is inspired by those amazing Szechuan wok-fried string beans you can get at chinese restaurants!

Level: Medium
Taste: SO GOOD

Ingredients

• However many green beans you would like to make.
• Crushed garlic
• Low-sodium soy sauce
• Crushed chili flakes
• Cayenne

1) Cut your green beans while you heat some olive oil on high heat. 

3) Throw the beans in the pan and stir around until everything is nicely coated in olive oil. 

4) Add a couple dashes of cayenne and chili flakes (to taste), and 1/2 tsp of crushed garlic for every 1 cup or handful of green beans (mix thoroughly). 

5) While the pan is on medium-high heat, pour in a couple of splashes of water and immediately put the lid on. This will help steam-cook the beans. 

6) After a few minutes, add 1tbsp of soy sauce for every 1 1/2 cups of green beens. Put the lid immediately back on. 

7) Cook everything until the water and soy-sauce has reduced into a carmelized-like thick sauce and the beans are cooked. I almost like to cook the beans until they are slightly blackened, but, that's up to you! 

Spicy Roasted Beets with Paprika Tzatziki

My first time making beets! *proudly pats back*  Beets have such a unique, sweet flavor that seasonings aren't even really necessary. But, being the indian I am, I had to season them into submission (didn't really make a big difference in the end). Ok, but really, my favorite part of this recipe was the paprika tzatziki (yoghurt dip).

Level: Sups easy.
Taste: I love it; you have to like beets to love this.

Ingredients:

• 5 small to medium sized beets
• 1/3 tsp Garlic Salt
• 1 tsp Paprika
• 1 tsp Cumin powder
• 1 tsp Cayenne powder
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• 2-4 tablespoons of olive oil

Paprika Yoghurt Dip

• 1/2 cup yoghurt
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp olive oil

1) Set the oven to 350 degree. Cut up the beets into small cubes and spread out onto a foil-covered baking sheet. Cover in olive oil and all of the seasonings. Use your hands to mix the beets with the oil and seasonings until all pieces are generously coated in oil.

2) Put the beets on the baking sheet into the oven for 30-40 min. When they feel tender and look "roasted", they're done!

3) Mix the yoghurt with the paprika, salt, pepper, and olive oil and use as a dip for the beets. So good!

Roasted Garlic with Wilted Spinach

Not sure how I feel about this one. It's really good with the honey garlic asian chicken. 

Level: Beyond simple

Taste: Good, but I wasn't able to get it to taste as garlicky as what you would get at an asian restaurant. SOMEONE TELL ME THE SECRET?!

Ingredients: 

• 1 bag of spinach or greens (I used a bag of spinach and baby bok choy) 
• Chili powder and/or chili flakes
• Garlic salt to taste
• 1 whole head of garlic
• Olive oil

1) Cut the top off of the head of garlic. Coat in olive oil, cover with tin foil, and bake in the oven for 45 minutes at 400 degrees. 

2) Mash up the roasted garlic in a pan with a bit of olive oil. Place the entire bag of spinach/greens in the pan and cover with a lid. 

3) Let the greens wilt all the way down and sprinkle with garlic salt and chili powder/flakes as needed! 

Honey Garlic Asian Chicken

Ok, I devoured this immediately after I made it. The smell was.so.good. I wish I had some extra veggies laying around to throw into the mix. I would suggest celery and zucchini. 

Level: Easy

Taste: Delicious, obviously.

Ingredients: 

• Strips of sliced chicken breast
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp crushed garlic
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp chicken or vegetable broth (if you have it) 
• Chili flakes and/or chili powder to taste
• Salte & Pepper to taste

1) Mix the honey, soy sauce, crushed garlic, garlic powder, broth and chili together in a small bowl. Pour over the chicken and let marinate (if you have time) for 30 min - 1 hour in the fridge. 

2) Heat some olive oil on medium high heat on a pan. Throw in the marinated chicken and cook until finished! Serve with rice or some greens. 

Lemon-Scented Arugula Shrimp Salad

Warning: Unless you use pre-cooked shrimp...don't even consider making this...just SUBSTITUTE CHICKEN.

OK, originally, I was going to make this with pre-cooked shrimp...but no...I decided to be bold. I bought fresh "deveined" shrimp from the store. Little did I know then that I would end up having to re-degut 1 pound of these vile little creatures. P.S., please purchase wild shrimp; farm raised shrimp are raised on their own poop. True story.

I have a whole new outlook on shrimp. Thanks, blog.

Level: Annoying
Taste: Unfortunately, really good.
Learnings: The Salad dressing is delectable.

Ingredients:

Dressing

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 2 tbsp dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 finely chopped garlic cloves
• 1 Tbsp honey

Shrimp

• 1 Pound of Shrimp (pre-cooked)
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• A litte less than 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• Chili flakes to taste
• 1 chopped shallot
• 2 finely chopped garlic cloves
• 1 package of Arugula

1) Mix together all of the dressing ingredients in a bowl...and there you have it...dressing. It's sooooo good.

2) On medium heat, sauté the chopped garlic and shallot. Add the shrimp (toss first with lemon juice, salt & pepper). Let it cook on one side for a few minutes and then flip all the shrimp. Once all the shrimp have turned from translucent to opaque, I put the lid on the pan and let it all cook on low for a few minutes.

3) On a plate, portion out some arugula, mix with some shrimp and then drizzle with the dressing. I also crushed up some whole wheat rosemary crackers to add some crunch.

I am definitely making this salad dressing again. In regards to the shrimp...bon voyage.

Garlic Mustard Glazed Chicken

UMM YUMM. 

Level: Stupid Easy

Taste: Magnificent

Learnings: Go easy on the rosemary. 

Feeds 2 people. 

Ingredients: 

• 1/2 - 3/4 Tbsp Finely Chopped Rosemary  (original recipe called for 2 tbsp but I found it overpowering) 
• 1 Tbsp Honey
• 2 Tbsp Paprika 
• 1/4 Tsp Salt
• 1/4 Tsp Pepper
• 1/4 Cup Stone Ground Mustard
• 2 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
• 1 Tbsp Soy Sauce
• 2 Tbsp White Wine Vinegar 
• 4 Finely chopped Garlic Cloves
• 2 Pound of Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast (BSCB)

1) Before you start, make sure to follow my guidelines for how to cook tender chicken!! Worthhh ittt. Besides the chicken, mix all of the above ingredients together in a bowl. Glaze the chicken and let it all marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes (at the most 4 hours). 

2) Cook the chicken on a pan and serve with a salad! Or in my case, I was starving and ate the chicken without any flowery salad (I'm sorry but Salads are NOT filling...did I mention I'm making a salad tonight? *Face Palm*) 

3) That's it? Yes, that's it. 

Bon appetit! 

*Note, this recipe would be best if the chicken is grilled...