Greek Yogurt Ham Salad

Ham salad is a but of a underdog, it seems. Everyone makes tuna salad and chicken salad, but I rarely see recipes for ham salad!

I started eating it in collage, because, oddly enough, my dining hall made the best ham salad in the world.

But why isn’t everyone making it? It’s easier than chicken salad, because you don’t have to cook anything. It’s a bit more universally appealing than tuna salad- most kids will eat ham well before they have a taste for funky tuna.

I literally just buy the diced ham in the blister pack and make a big batch. Because it’s salt-ridden ham, it lasts longer than a lot of proteins. Because I use Greek yogurt, it lasts longer than mayonnaise salads. This is meal-prep 101.

Oh, and the yogurt has way less calories than mayo and way more protein.

Serve it on bread, in lettuce cups, in hollowed out pickles, or on a plate! I love it with pineapple, too.

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 cups diced ham (cooked)
• 1/2 cup sweet pickle relish
• 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
• 2-3 tablespoons sandwich spread, if desire
• 2 tablespoons mustard (honey mustard is great here)
• salt & pepper, to taste
• Also: how about crushed pineapple, diced celery, boiled eggs, chopped gherkins, marshmallows… kidding

To prepare, mix together all of the ingredients in a large bowl. If you’re doing the optional add-ins, stir those in last so they don’t break up.

That’s it!

Zippy Roasted Broccoli

Broccoli is the quintessential American vegetable to me. We put in in warm, creamy broccoli cheese soup in the winter. We ate it raw with ranch in our childhood lunch boxes. We have it in a crunchy salad in the summer. Now, we even shred it and make pizza crusts, tots, slaw, etc.

Broccoli is a star. However, when it’s so easily available and easy to cook, I can get super sick of it. The flavor is lovely, but it’s the same flavor every time!

So, I’m always looking for ways to totally re-imagine broccoli. I don’t want to cover up the flavor, I just want to play with it in an unfamiliar way.

This recipe boasts a strong hit of lemon, the salty Parmesan cheese and some funky garlic. It’s great with fish and chicken (lemon, duh!) but I actually love it with any kind of Italian or BBQ entree. It’s very light and fresh, so it’s perfect to pair with a heavy, sweet, or cheesy protein.

INGREDIENTS:

• 6 cups of broccoli florets, cut to even sizes
• juice and zest of one large lemon
• 1/3 cup parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• plenty of salt a pepper- like, at least a teaspoon each
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Preheat the oven to 450

Toss the broccoli with the olive oil. Add the remaining ingredients and toss together.

Pour onto a large baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Don’t worry if it gets a little charred!

Enjoy!

Asian Spaghetti and Meatballs

C’mon, admit it, everyone goes straight to the “Chinese noodles” at the Asian Buffet. Don’t deny it. They’re the best part of a takeout box, the best midnight snack, and the best thing to satisfy a cheat day craving.

But, there’s no real protein. For a plate of noodles to feel like a meal, there has to be a meat. The natural pairing with spaghetti? Meatballs, of course.

So, these meatballs are spiked with ginger, garlic, green onion, sesame oil, and all things yummy. They bake in the oven while you prepare the pasta. The pasta is dressed with a soy sesame dressing, and they serve as the perfect bed for the meatballs. There are a few steps in this recipe, but none of them are hard, and it’s a lot easier than fighting traffic to get to a certain panda-themed takeout restaurant.

INGREDIENTS:

Meatballs:

• 1 pound ground beef or turkey
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 2 eggs
• 3 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1/2 cup thinly-sliced green onions
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper

Noodles:

• 1 package spaghetti
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon garlic
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 cup sugar snap peas
• 1/2 bell pepper, sliced
• 1/2 cup zucchini, sliced
• 1/2 cup green beans, trimmed (you can use any veggies you like!)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• salt&pepper to taste
• Garnishes (optional): sesame seeds, sliced jalapenos, extra green onions and hot sauce, a lime wedge.

To prepare:

Make the meatballs: Preheat the oven to 400. Gently combine the meatball ingredients in a large bowl. Do not over mix. Bake on a greased baking sheet for ten minutes, until cooked through.

Boil the spaghetti according to package directions

Make the sauce: Combine remaining ingredients- excluding olive oil- in a bowl and taste for seasoning.

Saute’ the veggies: Heat olive oil in a large pan. Add veggies and stir. Cook until tender.

When the pasta is done, throw it into the pan with the veggies. Pour sauce over the top and toss to combine.

Serve a pile of noodles and veggies with meatballs on top.

Garnish with additional green onions, hot sauce, sliced jalapenos, sesame seeds.

Greek-ish Brown Rice Salad

My love for brown rice is a recent development. I’ve never been much of a rice eater, so growing up, I usually just kind of picked at the pile of rice pilaf hanging out on my plate.

However, when I started college, I suddenly found the tastiness that is brown rice. I love the earthy flavor, hearty texture, chewiness… it’s so much more complex than white rice. It reminds me almost of an oat.

Where did I make this discovery? At the build-your-own burrito place in the student union. They offer two rice varieties: brown and cilantro-lime. Well, anyone that’s read my blog regularly knows that I am one of those people born without a taste for cilantro. I won’t go into what it tastes like because this is a food blog, but I’ll leave it up to your imagination.

So, brown rice entered my life by default. I am obsessed. I am always looking for ways to use it.

This salad was born out of a love for brown rice, a garden full of mint, and a need for a side dish. We were having ribs and honeyed carrots, so I needed something bright and acidic. With mint, feta cheese, and red wine vinegar, the flavors in this salad remind me of a Greek restaurant. However, it’s not exactly authentic Greek cooking, so I’m calling it Greek-ish. It reminds me most of the filling in a stuffed grape leaf!

It’s also good cold, warm, or at room temperature, so it’s perfect for a potluck. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 shallot, chopped finely
• 1 1/2 cups instant brown rice
• 3 cups low sodium chicken stock
• Salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup walnuts, toasted in a dry pan for a few minutes until smelly
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 2 tablespoons fresh mint, thinly sliced
• 3 ounces feta cheese chunks

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a medium sauce pan. Add shallot and saute’ over medium-high heat until transparent. Add the rice and stir for 2-3 minutes until toasted. Pour in the chicken stock.

Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer for 10 minutes (or according to package directions). Let sit, COVERED, for ten minutes so the rice can absorb the the liquid.

Combine vinegar, oil, and salt/pepper to taste. Pour over the hot rice. Let rice cool to desired temperature (can be hot, warm, or even chilled).

Toss rice with walnuts, raisins, mint, and feta. Serve!

Skinny Springfield Cashew Chicken

How many of my readers out there know that Cashew Chicken was not invented in any Asian country? It was, in fact, invented by a Chinese-American chef in Springfield, Missouri. Don’t worry- I didn’t know either.

So, when I moved to Springfield, I was surprised to see that cashew chicken was a real part of the culture. Every Chinese/Japanese-style restaurant has their own version. Even American-style restaurants feature it on the menu. The local food magazine does a “Best Cashew Chicken” category every year. Tourism magazines feature the Chef that invented the stuff (whose son is now serving it up in their own diner). I’m not kidding here- if you google the history of this deep-fried deliciousness, you’ll find it traced back to Springy.

I have probably seen the words “Cashew Chicken” more often in the past two years than I had in my entire life.

That’s not to say I’d never eaten it. My parents made a version at home using chicken thighs and jarred chicken gravy. Not exactly authentic, though perfectly yummy.

The real version in Springfield is deep-fried chicken chunks in a sticky sauce with cashews and some veggies, usually served over rice. Not exactly the kind of thing I can eat every day if I like my jeans to fit!

So, I made it a mission to invent a skinnier version of the classic that would make even the most discerning Missourian happy. I use powdered peanut butter to cut back on fat and calories in the sauce. I cook the chicken in very little oil without any breading. I eliminate the rice and load it up with all of these fresh vegetables. It’s nutritious, filling, and full of flavor.

It also just happens to be a one-skillet meal, so like, why wouldn’t you make this??

Here goes!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2-inch pieces
• Salt and pepper,
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 2 cups broccoli florets- cut them pretty small
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced
• 1 cup sugar snap peas
• ½ cup shredded carrots
• 1 zucchini, thinly sliced
• 3/4 cup unsalted cashews
• 4 green onions, thinly sliced
• 4 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
• 4 tablespoons powdered peanut butter, such as PB2
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon grated ginger
• 2 tablespoons water

To prepare:

Make the sauce: whisk together the soy sauce, peanut butter, honey, sesame oil, ginger, and water. Taste and add salt or pepper to your preference.

Heat olive oil in a very large skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Add chicken to pan and cook until browned on the outside, but not fully cooked in the middle.

Add the garlic, broccoli, bell pepper, peas, carrots, and zucchini. Cook, stirring, until veggies are tender and chicken is fully cooked. Add the cashews and stir to toast.

Pour the sauce over the top and garnish with green onions.

Serve and enjoy!