food!

Here are some recipes from last week and this week, including my standard Asian meal for the week. :)

Broccoli and pork stir-fry (serves 4)
1 teaspoon grated orange zest, plus 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons vegetable oil, such as safflower
1 pork tenderloin (about 1 pound), quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 scallions, white and green parts separated and thinly sliced
1 head broccoli (about 1 pound), cut into bite-size florets, stalks peeled and thinly sliced

In a medium bowl, combine orange zest and juice, soy sauce, vinegar, and cornstarch; set stir-fry sauce aside.
In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 teaspoon oil over medium. Working in two batches, cook pork until browned on one side, 1 to 2 minutes (pork will cook more at the end). Transfer to a plate and set aside; reserve skillet.
Add remaining teaspoon oil, garlic, and scallion whites to skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until scallions wilt, 1 to 2 minutes. Add broccoli and 1/2 cup water; cover and cook until broccoli is crisp-tender and water has evaporated, 2 to 4 minutes.
Add pork (with any juices) and stir-fry sauce to skillet. Cook, stirring, until pork is cooked through and sauce has thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Top with scallion greens.

*Unless you really, really like orange, I would leave out the zest. I thought it was overpowering the first time, so the second time I left it out and it was perfect. I eat this meal with some YUMMY quinoa. (If you'd like to read up on my new favorite food, check out this little diddy: http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=142 )

Banana-oat smoothie
In a blender, combine 1/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats, 1/2 cup plain yogurt, 1 banana, cut into thirds, 1/2 cup milk, 2 teaspoons honey, and 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Puree until smooth.

*I have this along with a piece of Ezekiel toast with peanut butter and I'm set until lunch time. Sweet!

Turkey chili with black beans and squash
10 oz. extra-lean ground turkey breast
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cans (28 oz. each) diced tomatoes
2 cans (15 oz. each) beef broth
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
4 ribs celery, finely chopped
2 medium zucchini, finely chopped
2 medium yellow squash, finely chopped
2 green bell peppers, finely chopped
1 packet (1.25 oz) dry chili seasoning (I know, I know!! I didn't want to buy prepackaged seasoning (hello sodium!! and I'm sure some preservatives), but I am not a chili expert and therefore don't know the spices that make up the seasoning...maybe next time.)

Heat a large pot coated with oil or cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add the turkey and onions and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes or until the turkey is no longer pink. Add all other ingredients and reduce heat to medium. Simmer for 30 minutes, or until veggies are tender.

*This is pretty tasty, although next time I'd just use the whole package of turkey instead of half. I ended up tossing in a can of kidney beans about halfway through because I realized all those veggies and very little turkey meat would not stick with me much past lunch time.