Thai Noodles

I was craving Thai food, but sadly I can't have peppers and I am on a low sodium diet so I had to change up a recipe a bit. :)

Ingredients
6 oz bean thread noodles (sai fun)
4 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp sesame oil
3/4 lb boneless chicken breast halves (skinless, finely chopped)
18 shrimp (uncooked large, peeled deveined coarsely chopped)
- I would only add the shrimp if you don't plan to reheat this at all. Otherwise add more chicken or some other meat.
15 garlic cloves (minced)
1/2 cup green onion (chopped)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro (chopped)
3 tbsp shallots (chopped)
3 tbsp fresh lime juice
2 tbsp vinegar
1/2 tbsp molasses
1/2 tbs soy sauce (low sodium)
1/2 tsp fish sauce
1/2 tsp tamarind paste
seasonings (cloves, mustard, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger)

Directions
1) Place noodles in large bowl. Cover with cold water; let stand until noodles begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Drain. Transfer to large pot of boiling water; cook until just tender and pliable, about 3 minutes. Drain. Rinse with cold water; drain.
2) Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and shrimp; stir-fry until cooked, about 4 minutes. Transfer to large bowl. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp sesame oil in the same skillet over medium heat. Add garlic; cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add garlic-oil mix to bowl with chicken and shrimp; cool.
3)Mix vinegar, molasses, soy sauce, fish sauce, tamarind, and seasonings to create a sauce.
4)Add noodles, green onions, shallots, cilantro, lime juice and sauce to bowl. Toss to blend.

Tomato-free Chili

Yields: 16 servings

Ingredients:

meat mix
2 lbs extra lean ground meat (I used lamb and bison)
smoked bacon (I only used 3 slices thick sliced bacon)
1 finely grated zucchini

spices
2 tsp oregano
2 tsp ground white pepper
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp smoked black pepper
1/4 c fresh basil
1/2 tsp thyme
pinch of cinnamon and ginger

other ingredients
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup onion
1 cup chopped carrots (about 2 carrots)
1/2 cup dry red lentils, rinsed
1 cup water
2 cans 3 bean mix, drained and rinsed
1/2 tsp molasses
1/2 tsp maple syrup
1 package corn


Mix ground meat and zucchini in a large pot.
Cook on moderately low heat, stirring often to keep meat from cooking together.
Mix in spices.

Once meat looks cooked, mix in everything else until lentils and carrots seem tender. Be prepared to add more water to pan if there is a risk of burning.

Simmer with lid on for 5 minutes.

Keep on low till serving time.

Quinoa and Lentil Salad

A month or two ago I was in a little cafe and found a salad that I really enjoyed. I have tried to recreate that salad here.

Ingredients
1 cup cooked beluga lentils
1 cup cooked quinoa (whatever colour you prefer)
1/4 cup chopped green onion
1/4 cup cilantro
juice of 1 lime

In a bowl, combine all of the ingredients and mix well.

Baklava Nut Butter

This is a little more complicated than most nut butter, but still pretty simple. I have modified a recipe from Cuisine at Home. I am still not 100% satisfied, but it is pretty good!

Ingredients:
2/3 cup toasted slivered almonds (you can toast them in a dry pan)
1/3 cup roasted cashews (low sodium)
1/3 cup pistachios (low sodium)
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup (combination of rose water, water, a splash of lemon)
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground cardamom

Directions:
Pulse in a food processor, 20-30 pulses. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.