Wild Rice Casserole with Chicken, Mushrooms and Broccoli

Nothing innovative about this casserole, but damn, is it good.

Wild Rice Casserole with Chicken, Mushrooms and Broccoli 
4 cups water 1 cup wild rice, rinsed
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 celery stalks, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
½ pound cremini mushrooms, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
½ cup nonfat milk
½ pound broccoli crowns, chopped
1 pound cooked, chopped chicken meat
Salt and pepper
1 cup grated sharp cheddar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium saucepan, bring rice and water to boil. Reduce heat, cover and cook rice until tender, about 40 minutes or so. Drain well.

While rice is cooking, warm olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add celery, carrots, onion and thyme and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables start to soften. Stir in the mushrooms, ground mustard and poultry seasoning and sauté for another 2-3 minutes. Add butter, flour and chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Cook mixture for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens a bit. Stir in milk and continue simmering for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper, and stir in broccoli, chicken and rice. Transfer mixture to a 9-by-13 glass baking dish, top with cheese, and bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and enjoy.

Frittata with Sausage, White Cheddar and Beet Greens

Ever buy a bunch of beets and can’t figure out what to do with the greens? Don’t toss them out -- cook and eat them! I recently chopped some up and tossed them in this frittata and loved how it turned out. Don’t have a bunch of beet greens lying around? Try using kale, swiss chard or spinach instead.

Frittata with Sausage, White Cheddar and Beet Greens 
8 eggs
1 tablespoon dried minced onion
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper
1 cup grated aged white cheddar
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 ounces Italian sausage, casings removed
2 cups chopped beet greens

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Beat the eggs, onion and garlic powder in a bowl with salt and pepper to taste. Mix in shredded cheese and set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, using your spoon or spatula to crumble the meat, until browned. Add beet greens to the skillet and cook for a minute or two. Add the eggs, give a quick stir to make sure everything is evenly mixed, turn off your burner and put skillet in the oven. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the eggs are set and golden.

Make-Fast Mondays: Skillet Sausage with Green Apples and Cabbage

What do I love about this meal? Lots of flavor, short shopping list and you only have to wash a couple dishes!

Skillet Sausage with Green Apples and Cabbage 
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small yellow onion, sliced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme (dried thyme will work, too)
12 ounces smoked turkey sausage, sliced
2 Granny Smith apples, cored and sliced
1 pound shredded green cabbage
¼ cup water
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Warm olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and thyme and sauté for 4-5 minutes, until onions start to soften. Add sausage and apples to pan and continue to cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add cabbage and water, cover and simmer until cabbage is tender, about 5 minutes. Remove skillet from heat, stir in the red wine vinegar, and enjoy.

Lamb Chili with White Beans and Oregano

I love a good bowl of chili (who doesn’t?) but when I make it at home I tend to use chicken or ground turkey. Time to shake things up with some lamb! This chili is packed with flavor and will keep you nice and toasty when it’s cold outside.

Lamb Chili with White Beans and Oregano 
1 pound ground lamb
1 yellow onion, diced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
4 cups cooked white beans*
2 cups beef broth
¼ cup fresh oregano, plus extra for garnish
1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Crumbled feta (optional)

*A note on the beans: I made my own pot of beans, but if you're going the canned route, two 15-ounce cans will work just fine. 

Brown lamb In a large pot over medium-high heat until meat is thoroughly cooked. Transfer meat to plate or bowl lined with a paper towel.

Add the onion, garlic, cumin, cinnamon, chili powder and coriander to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft, about 4 or 5 minutes. Return lamb to the pot and add beans, broth, oregano and tomatoes. Bring to a simmer and cook, covered, for 30 minutes. Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper, and stir in the lemon juice. Garnish with oregano and feta and enjoy.

Make-Fast Mondays: Garlic Chicken Stir Fry with Cashews

Stir-fry dishes are such a great meal when you want something fresh, fast and flavorful. Just chop up some chicken and veggies, whisk together a sauce, toss everything in the pan and a few minutes later you’ve got dinner on the table.

Garlic Chicken Stir Fry with Cashews 
For the sauce:
¼ cup low-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon agave syrup (honey will also work)
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon chili oil
1 teaspoon oyster sauce
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon white pepper

For the stir fry:
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 medium zucchini, diced
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, quartered
1 green bell pepper, cored and diced
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, plus extra for garnish
½ cup cashews

Combine broth, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, cornstarch, agave syrup, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, chili oil, oyster sauce, ginger and white pepper in a bowl. Whisk together and set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon sesame oil in large skillet (wok or pan will also work!) over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes or until chicken is completely cooked. Transfer chicken to a dish and set aside.

Add remaining 1 tablespoon sesame oil, garlic, zucchini, mushrooms, bell pepper and red pepper flakes to the skillet. Sauté for 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently, until vegetables are slightly softened. Add the chicken and cashews to the skillet. Stir in the sauce and let everything simmer for 1-2 minutes, until sauce thickens. Remove from heat. Garnish with additional red pepper flakes and serve with rice or enjoy as-is!

Adapted from Gimme Some Oven’s Kung Pao Chicken recipe. 

Scalloped Potatoes with Mushrooms and Thyme

I looooove rich, super-cheesy dish scalloped potatoes. What I don’t love is imagining how many miles I’ll need to run to burn off just one helping. The next time you get a hankering for scalloped potatoes, give this recipe a try. My version omits the cheese but is rich in flavor thanks to a low-fat sauce featuring plenty of fresh thyme and garlic. Working mushrooms into the mix also lightens things up a bit by making this dish a little less starchy.

Scalloped Potatoes with Mushrooms and Thyme 
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 ½ cups nonfat milk
¼ cup flour
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
8 ounces sliced cremini mushrooms
1 pound white potatoes, sliced thin
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté for a minute, until fragrant. Whisk in the milk, flour and thyme. Cook sauce, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper.

In an 8-by-8 square baking dish, arrange ⅓ of the potatoes in the dish, followed by ½ of the mushrooms, a little salt and pepper and a light drizzle of the sauce; repeat once more. Arrange remaining ⅓ potatoes on top and pour remaining sauce over potatoes. Bake covered for 30 minutes, then uncover for another 10-15 minutes for a total bake time of 40-45 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Remove from oven and let sit for 15 minutes before serving.

Cabbage Rolls with Sausage and Brown Rice

Have you ever made cabbage rolls? This is something I always wanted to try but kept putting off because I thought it might be messy and laborious. Yes, it does take a little time, but I’m glad I finally got around to it, because it’s a lot of fun and the end result is so tasty and comforting on a chilly fall night.

Cabbage Rolls with Sausage and Brown Rice
1 head savoy cabbage, 12 outer leaves removed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound sweet Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
½ cup cooked brown rice
1 large egg, beaten
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
⅓ cup grated Parmesan
1 cup chicken broth, heated
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Put the whole leaves in the pot and boil for 1 minute, then place under cold running water and dry.

Heat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add onion, thyme and pinch of salt and pepper. Saute until onion is tender, about 8-10 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and mix in the sausage, rice, egg and Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. 

Without cutting through the cabbage leaves, pare down the rib on the outside surface so it’s the same thickness as the leaf. Spoon ¼ cup of the mixture into the base of each leaf. Starting from the bottom, roll the leaf one turn, fold the sides in and finish rolling. Place the stuffed leaves, seam side down, in a glass baking dish. Add heated broth to the dish, pour tomatoes over the stuffed leaves and cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 40 minutes, remove from oven, and enjoy.

Recipe adapted from Cooking from the Farmers’ Market by Jodi Liano and Tasha DeSerio