Healthy Family Recipes

healthy family recipes

  • Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Desserts
    • Entrees
    • Gluten Free
    • Side Dishes
    • Vegan Recipes
    • Vegetarian Entrees
  • Healthy Recipes
  • Apron Strings Cookbooks
  • About Apron Strings

Broccoli Stem “Rice”

May 26, 2017 By Donna Leave a Comment

Broccoli Stem Rice

So here is how broccoli “rice” happened.

I love using Cauliflower Rice for health, lower carbs and taste. But what about cauliflower’s cousin, broccoli? I wondered if I could turn broccoli into “rice.”

It turns out that broccoli stems are perfect for making a low cost, low carb “rice.” And, bonus: broccoli is one of the healthiest things you can put in your mouth.

All you do is spin chunks of broccoli stems in your food processor until they are in small bits the size of grains of rice.

I tried boiling them, but they turned out too wet and mushy. So, I found that tossing the broccoli bits with oil, salt and pepper, and then roasting the bits works perfectly. This “rice” is really, really yummy. And the cost? Pretty much ZERO if you normally throw broccoli stems away. Win. Win. Win, I say.

I tried a fried rice dish for my first use of broccoli rice, and it turns out great.

This recipe is low carb, Whole 30, vegan friendly, and is compatible with so many ways of eating.

ASIAN BROCCOLI  STEM RICE

6 large broccoli stems
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Pinch red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon sesame oil
3 green onions, thinly sliced, whites and green separated
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
4 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1/2 cup chopped cashews

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Peel broccoli stems to remove tough outer surface. Cut into 2 inch chunks and place in food processor. Pulse in food processor until very small bits the size of rice. Toss in 2 tablespoons of oil and spread on a baking sheet. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring once halfway through cooking time. Remove from oven when bits are tender but still firm.

Heat a large skillet to medium high heat. Add remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and sesame oil. Add red pepper flakes and green onion whites and cook for one minute. Add garlic and ginger and cook about another minute, until softened and fragrant.

Stir together the soy sauce and rice vinegar. Pour into skillet and then add broccoli bits.Stir and cook for about 3 minutes, until heated through. Turn off heat and stir in cashews. Serve immediately.

Broccoli Stem "Rice"
 
Print
Prep time
20 mins
Cook time
10 mins
Total time
30 mins
 
Author: Donna
Recipe type: Main Dish
Cuisine: Vegan, low carb, Whole 30
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 6 large broccoli stems
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • Pinch red pepper flakes
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 3 green onions, thinly sliced, whites and green separated
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
  • 4 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • ½ cup chopped cashews
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Peel broccoli stems to remove tough outer surface. Cut into 2 inch chunks and place in food processor. Pulse in food processor until very small bits the size of rice. Toss in 2 tablespoons of oil and spread on a baking sheet. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring once halfway through cooking time. Remove from oven when bits are tender but still firm.
  3. Heat a large skillet to medium high heat. Add remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and sesame oil. Add red pepper flakes and green onion whites and cook for one minute. Add garlic and ginger and cook about another minute, until softened and fragrant.
  4. Stir together the soy sauce and rice vinegar. Pour into skillet and then add broccoli bits.Stir and cook for about 3 minutes, until heated through. Turn off heat and stir in cashews. Serve immediately.
3.5.3226

Cauliflower “rice” dishes that could be done with broccoli “rice”

Best Easy Cauliflower Rice, Kalyn’s Kitchen
Cauliflower Rice Hash Browns, Iowa Girls Eats
Mexican Cauliflower Rice, La Cocina de Leslie

Filed Under: Healthy Fare, Salads, Vegan Recipes, Vegetarian Entrees Tagged With: broccoli stem, broccoli stem recipe, broccoli stem rice, broccoli stem use

Genius 20 Minute Portobellos Parmesan

January 6, 2017 By Donna Leave a Comment

Portobello Parmesan

Happy New year to Us ALL!

Healthy Cravings are here for me  – and these Portobellos Parmesan fit the bill perfectly. They come together in just a few minutes, and are fresh and light and healthy. With just about 3 minutes of prep and 20 minutes in the oven – these are on the table in no time.

You just stack the ingredients and bake in a hot oven. I don’t know why I never thought of a mushroom version of eggplant parmesan, but now that I have discovered this, I know it will be one of my weeknight go-to meals.

Portobello Parmesan

 

GENIUS 20 MINUTE PORTOBELLOS PARMESAN

20 minutes total time
Serves 4

4 portobello mushroom caps
1 cup marinara sauce
Fresh mozzarella cheese – in 1/3 inch slices
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup Panko bread crumbs
2 tablespoons dried parsley
Cooking oil spray

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Place mushroom caps on a baking sheet – smooth sides down. Spoon onto each cap 1/4 cup of marinara sauce. Place mozzarella cheese slices, covering each cap. Stir together the Parmesan, Panko and parsley and sprinkle on each cap 2 tablespoons. Spray a little cooking oil on top. Bake at top of oven for 20 minutes, until cheeses are melted and tops are lightly browned.

Genius 20 Minute Portobellos Parmesan
 
Print
Prep time
3 mins
Cook time
20 mins
Total time
23 mins
 
Author: Donna
Recipe type: Main dish
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 4 portobello mushroom caps
  • 1 cup marinara sauce
  • Fresh mozzarella cheese - in ⅓ inch slices
  • ¼ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
  • ¼ cup Panko bread crumbs
  • 2 tablespoons dried parsley
  • Cooking oil spray
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
  2. Place mushroom caps on a baking sheet - smooth sides down. Spoon onto each cap ¼ cup of marinara sauce. Place mozzarella cheese slices, covering each cap. Stir together the Parmesan, Panko and parsley and sprinkle on each cap 2 tablespoons. Spray a little cooking oil on top. Bake at top of oven for 20 minutes, until cheeses are melted and tops are lightly browned.
3.5.3208

Other Vegetarian Parmesan Creations:

Portobello Parmesan, For the Love of Cooking
Zucchini and Eggplant Parmesan, Cookin Canuck

Filed Under: Vegetarian Entrees Tagged With: easy vegetarian entrees, easy vegetarian recipe, portobello entree, portobello parmesan, vegetarian entree

Spicy Tofu Taco Filling (Vegan, Low-Carb, Gluten Free)

October 9, 2015 By Donna 2 Comments

Spicy Tofu Taco Filling

One of my favorite tofu creations is a spicy tofu taco filling that is similar to regular old school hamburger filling – but so much yummier, and without that gristle-y hamburger texture.

I have been wanting to do an update of this recipe for awhile now,  since my trip to Kenya a few months ago with fabulous food blogger Kalyn of Kalyn’s Kitchen fame. My daughter Kate and her hubby Neil were living in Kenya at the time and were lamenting the fact that good Mexican food is hard to get in Kenya. So, when Kalyn and I went, we made a Mexican food feast for them and their American ex-pat friends. One of the recipes we made was my Spicy Ground Tofu taco filling. I was thrilled to find that Kalyn loved this recipe  and she even tried the recipe recently and put a fabulous spin on it by making Spicy Tofu Lettuce Wraps.

When I saw that Nasoya just came out with a new product – Chipotle TofuBaked. I knew I had to use it in an update of this recipe. The Nasoya folks sent me some of their new product to try – and coupons to giveaway. Leave a comment to this post and I will send you a coupon so that you can discover Nasoya’s goodness for yourself!

I love, love, LOVE this baked tofu. The flavor is great – I even found myself nibbling on slices of it as I cooked. But it is the texture that won me over. The texture is smooth and firm and creamy. Using this Chipotle TofuBaked makes my Spicy Tofu Taco Filling recipe so much easier than before- no draining or pressing of the tofu is required.

If you’re a fan of old school ground beef taco filling, you will love this new vegan creation. Easy enough for a weeknight, especially on a Meatless Monday!

Spicy Tofu Taco Filling
 
Print
Prep time
20 mins
Cook time
40 mins
Total time
1 hour
 
Author: Donna
Recipe type: Main Dish
Cuisine: Vegan
Ingredients
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
  • 1 Anaheim pepper, seeded and diced
  • 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
  • 1 medium sweet white onion, diced
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon chile powder
  • 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter (or other nut butter of choice)
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper sauce (I use Frank’s)
  • 16 ounces Nasoya TofuBaked, chipotle flavor
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a large skillet over medium high heat, add one tablespoon of oil and then add peppers and onion and saute until softened. Add in cumin, garlic powder and chile powder and cook for another minute. Turn off heat.
  3. Mix together soy sauce, peanut butter and cayenne pepper sauce and stir into skillet mixture..
  4. Crumble tofu into small bits into skillet and stir to combine until all tofu is coated evenly with skillet mixture.
  5. Spread remaining 2 tablespoons of oil on a 12 by 18 inch baking sheet. Sprinkle tofu mixture on top of oil in a thin layer. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and stir tofu. Return to oven and cook for about 20 more minutes, until tofu is crispy.
3.3.3077

Turns out, other bloggers have made fabulous tofu tacos:

Kogi Tofu Tacos, Former Chef
Baked Tofu Tacos, Couple of Chefs
Crispy Tofu Tacos with Cherry Salsa, Mountain Mama Cooks
Tofu, Broccoli and Kale Tacos, East Well with Others
Mole Tofu Tacos, Cara’s Cravings

Filed Under: Entrees, Gluten Free, Vegan Recipes Tagged With: easy tacos, tofu recipe, tofu taco filling, vegetarian tacos

Persian Harissa Glazed Koftka Kebabs with Turkish Walnut Sauce

May 13, 2015 By Donna Leave a Comment

Turkish Kebabs

I set out to make a dish that would celebrate in advance my upcoming trip to Istanbul and Kenya. What took me by surprise was that this dish has amazing textures and flavors and will have a regular rotation spot on our summer barbecuing menu.

The true surprise was the walnut sauce – with just a little Harissa paste swirled in right before serving. It was truly astounding. It has a rich and roasted flavor but an almost fluffy texture from the blending. So light and yet so rich!

The ground turkey makes these kebabs light and the warm spices make them so flavorful. And then the Harissa glaze puts them over the top.

This is really an easy dish to put together but is very complex tasting because of the spices and Harissa. A truly remarkable and memorable dish for any summer barbecue.

I will be traveling to Istanbul, Turkey in just a few days – and I couldn’t be more thrilled to be traveling with a foodie and food blogger I have followed and admired for years- Kalyn of Kalyn’s Kitchen. She is such a warm and generous person – who lives and cooks with passion and zest, so I can’t think of a better traveling companion. You know you are well matched when you both are so excited about the food you will be soon eating!

We will be staying in Istanbul for a few days and then traveling on to Nairobi, Kenya. For Kenya, I am mostly excited about the culture and the sites, and to see my daughter Kate, but for Istanbul, I have to say that I am thrilled about the culinary journey!

And since Turkey is known as the Kebab Motherland, I decided to cook some Turkish kebabs this week as a pre-celebration for our trip.

Persian Harissa Glazed Koftka Kebabs with Walnut Dipping Sauce
 
Print
Prep time
20 mins
Cook time
20 mins
Total time
40 mins
 
Author: Donna
Recipe type: Main Dish
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • For the Kebabs:
  • 16 ounces ground turkey
  • ½ cup minced onion
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • ¼ cup minced parsley
  • 2 tablespoons bread crumbs
  • 2 teaspoons cumin
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon each allspice, paprika, coriander, chili powder
  • 6 tablespoons Harissa paste
  • For the walnut sauce:
  • 1 cup walnuts, toasted
  • 2 tablespoons plain yoghurt
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon or so of Harissa paste for garnish
Instructions
  1. Mix all ingredients except Harissa paste with hands. Form into oblong patties - about ½ cup each.
  2. Chill for at least one hour - up to 8 hours.
  3. Grill over medium high heat on skewers for easy turning. Brush with Harissa paste for the last few minutes, and cook for a minute or two on each side.
  4. Blend all sauce ingredients together and serve, with a little Harissa paste swirled in, as a dipping sauce for the kebabs.
3.3.3070

Check out some other Middle Eastern Kebabs:

Chicken Kebabs, Tartine and Apron Strings
Mint Minced Meat Kebabs, eCurry

Filed Under: Entrees Tagged With: easy kebabs, middle east kebabs, persion kebabs, turkey kebabs, turkish kebabs

Skinny Roasted Shrimp Chile Rellenos

April 29, 2015 By Donna 1 Comment

Shrimp Rellenos

Meet your new favorite chile relleno!

I have grown to love this new way of making chiles rellenos (stuffed chiles) – roasted. Not fried.

Oh sure, I love the traditional battered, deep fried classic Anaheim chiles stuffed with cheese. But. They are a huge mess to make and are loaded with calories and fat. I became a believer in this style when I had a roasted relleno at a restaurant, and I now make them all the time at home.

These have an easy, flavorful sauce of roasted red bell peppers and tomatoes underneath them while roasting. And the shrimp (and/or crab if you like) with a little cream cheese and Monterey Jack cheese make a perfect creamy stuffing.

We celebrate Cinco de Mayo fully at the Kelly casa – and food is front and center at our celebration, of course. Try our fabulous Vegan Nachos with Chipotle Lentil Sauce or our Corn Pudding Poblano Cups. !Arriba! !Arrrriiiiiiiiiiiba!

(( Fun Fact: Can you see The Hubs – my food photographer – in the photo? His reflection is in the spoon! ))

— posted by Donna

Baja Poblanos Rellenos Recipe
 
Print
Prep time
20 mins
Cook time
40 mins
Total time
1 hour
 
Seafood in a creamy sauce stuffed into fruity poblano peppers - all with the colors of the Mexican flag. A flavor fiesta for your mouth!
Author: Donna
Recipe type: Main Dish
Cuisine: Southwest
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 1 jar (12 ounces) roasted red bell peppers, drained
  • 1 can (15 ounces) fire-roasted diced tomatoes, UNdrained
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 6 large poblano peppers
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 jalapeno pepper, minced
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 pound medium peeled and deveined raw shrimp
  • 1 cup (1 ounce) Monterey jack cheese, grated
  • 2 ounces low fat cream cheese
  • ½ cup queso fresco, crumbled, for garnish
  • ½ cup diced cilantro for garnish
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Blend red peppers, diced tomatoes and salt in a blender until very smooth. Pour into a 9 by 13 baking pan, or in six oblong baking dishes.
  3. Cook poblano peppers in the microwave oven for about 2 minutes, just until softened.
  4. Cut a long slit in one side of the poblanos from stem to tip. Scoop out all seeds and pulp from inside poblanos.
  5. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion and cook 3 minutes. Add garlic, jalapeno and cumin and cook another 1 to 2 minutes, until fragrant. Dice the shrimp and add to skillet. Cook until shrimp is translucent. Stir in cream cheese and then Monterey Jack cheese until melted. Remove from heat.
  6. Stuff the poblanos with the shrimp mixture and then place in the pan(s) with the sauce.
  7. Bake at top of oven for about 40 minutes, until lightly browned and bubbly around edges. Serve warm.
3.2.2929

 

Other bloggers do chiles rellenos:

One of the best casserole-style chiles rellenos is made by South Beach Queen Kalyn at Kalyn’s Kitchen
Check out the Mexican classic version at Mexico in my Kitchen
And a Blog About Food has a fabulous version
Must try this Roasted Green Chile Relleno Casserole, Some the Wiser
How about Chiles Rellenos de Picadillo, Mexico in my Kitchen

Filed Under: Entrees Tagged With: chile relleno recipe, chile rellenos, cinco de mayo recipe, roasted chile rellenos, southwest shrimp recipe

BlogHer Ads

Shop and Support This Blog via Amazon Affiliates

Stay in touch with us on social media!

Boot Camp

We are Donna & Anne, a reunited birthmom and daughter. We share our love of cooking and eating good food with each other - and with you.

Sign up for email updates

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Anne competing on Food Network’s Ultimate Recipe Showdown

We are members of

BlogHer.com Logo


Apron Strings Blog

Promote Your Page Too

We Support

All Photos & Original Text © Copyright: 2009-2015 by Apron Strings Blog. All Rights reserved. We love sharing on sharing on social media. When sharing our posts, please provide link to original post and credit the blog by name. We also ask that you not copy and paste recipe text when sharing. Thank you!