Shiitake and Pea Shoot Salmon En Papillote by Heather

"En Papillote" is just a fancy French way to say that something was cooked within parchment paper.  The parchment paper is shaped into a little sealed bag to hold the salmon, which essentially steams it in the oven, so the end result is a flavored, juicy piece of salmon!  I served this dish with Rachel's bok choy recipe, which you can access here.



Serves 2

Ingredients:
2 6-8 oz. salmon filets
carton of fresh pea shoots (you only need about 8 shoots per fish)
1/2 cup chopped shiitake mushrooms
1 tbs. grated ginger
1 tsp. soy sauce
1 tbs. lemon juice
1 tsp. honey
2 dashes red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. rice vinegar
1 tsp. olive oil
parchment paper

Soy Ginger Scallion Fish by Rachel

One of the easiest things to make is steamed fish with soy sauce, ginger, and scallions.  Growing up, I used to watch my mom make this all the time, but for some reason, I never really took note of how she did it.  Well now I know and it couldn't be easier.  It's really just a few steps!

Ingredients

1 whole fish about 1lb, cleaned with head and tail on (make sure its scales are removed also)- I used branzino

2 tsp salt

2 tbsp fresh ginger, diced

2 tbsp fresh scallions, shredded

1/4 cup oil, canola or olive

1/4 tsp white pepper

4 tbsp soy sauce

Shiitake and Lentil Tacos by Heather

I love this recipe.  It's packed with flavor and comes together quickly. This recipe is from Sprouted Kitchen, and I don't change a thing because it's perfect the way it is.  You'll have leftover sauce and you can use it on a quinoa bowl with a fried egg in the morning or as a salad dressing.  This is a vegetarian recipe, but you could easily add chicken or salmon instead of the lentils if you wanted to add meat.

Ingredients:

Green sauce:
3 garlic cloves
2 Tbs. white miso
1 Tbs. honey
1 Tbs. soy sauce
pinch of red pepper flakes
3 Tbs. OJ
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 packed cups basil leaves
1 packed cup cilantro
3 Tbs. sesame oil

1 1/2 Tbs. olive oil
half yellow onion, diced
6 oz. (2 cartons) shiitake mushrooms
2 Tbs. apple cider vinegar
salt to taste

avocado, diced
1/2 carrot, shredded
micro greens or sprouts
corn tortillas or cabbage leaves
1 lime, quartered
Sriracha

Kale Crisps by Rachel

Kale is a deliciously hearty vegetable that can be used in juices, salads, as a side dish...the list goes on!  Something else that's great about kale is that it can be toasted to become the perfect thing to fulfill your craving for a crispy snack!

I'm totally guilty of wanting to snack all the time and, despite the efforts of the snack world to create healthy chips, they aren't always as "healthy" as they say they are.  Kale crisps, on the other hand, are a healthy snack that you can make at home and it takes very little time.

Ingredients:
As much kale as you want!
1 tbsp of olive oil per cup of kale
Salt, to taste

Optional: Parmesan cheese, Old Bay Seasoning, Paprika, etc

Chili Roasted Tofu with Minted Quinoa Relish by Heather

I wanted to share this easy weeknight dinner.  It's light and healthy, and only takes about 45 minutes from start to finish to make.  This recipe is from Sprouted Kitchen (one of my go to recipe sources) and this was actually the first time I've made this recipe.

Ingredients:

1 14 oz. pack extra firm tofu, drained and pressed in paper towel
1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
2 tsp. chili powder
pinch smoked paprika or chipotle
2 tsp. maple syrup or honey
1 tbs. orange juice
1 tbs. olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt

1 pomegranate (just buy the arils)
1 shallot, finely minced
zest of 1 orange
2 tbs. chopped mint leaves
salt and pepper to taste
1 avocado, diced
Sriracha to taste

Wrap tofu in paper towel and place between two plates.  Rest a couple heavy objects on the top plate to help remove any excess liquid from the tofu.  Keep the tofu pressed for at least 10 minutes.

Cook the quinoa according to package directions.  Typically, the instructions call for 1 cup of quinoa, 2 cups of water.  Bring the quinoa to a boil, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until quinoa is fluffy and all water is absorbed.

While the quinoa cooks, make the chili marinade.  Combine the chili powder, paprika or chipotle powder, maple syrup, orange juice, olive oil, and salt in a small bowl and whisk until combined.