Lunch & Dinner

Lunch & Dinner Recipes

Chicken Burgers with Radishes

These burgers are a family favorite. You can use any type of radish, or any other vegetable, in the marinade.

Ingredients: 5 oz ground dark meat chicken; 1/3 cup almond meal; 1/2 tbsp. onion (minced); 1/2 tbsp. garlic (minced); 1 1/2 tbsp. coconut oil; salt and pepper to taste

Spicy tomatoes: 1/3 cup cherry tomatoes; 2 dried chillies; 1/2 tbsp. coconut oil; salt and pepper to taste

Making the burgers:

1. In a saute pan over medium heat, toast onion and garlic in 1/2 tbsp. coconut oil until dark brown, then let cool.
2. Combine with remaining ingredients in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Shape into two burgers. In a saute pan over medium-high heat, sear burgers in 1 tbsp. coconut oil for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, until dark brown and cooked through.
4. Serve with spicy tomatoes.

Making the spicy tomatoes:

1. In a small saute pan over high heat, bring coconut oil to the sizzling point.
2. Add tomatoes and chillies, turn off heat, and cover. Let sit for 2 minutes.
3. Remove when ready to serve and season with salt.

Roasted Veggie Pasta

This colorful pasta dish is loaded with tender roasted vegetables and tossed together in a light tomato sauce that leaves everything moist and flavorful. It's a great dish to serve when gathered around the table with friends and family, even those who may not eat the same way.

Ingredients: 3 cups cherry or grape tomatoes; 1 cup sliced red onion; 1 cup diced zucchini; 1 cup diced carrot; 1 cup diced asparagus; 10 garlic cloves, skin on; 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice; 1/4 teaspoon sea salt; 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional); 12 ounces gluten-free pasta (chick pea, brown rice, whole wheat); 4 cups arugula (optional); additional sea salt, dulse, and/or black pepper to taste

Steps:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Spread out the tomatoes, red onion, zucchini, carrot, asparagus, and garlic on two baking trays lined with parchment paper and roast the vegetables for 15 to 20 minutes until tender.
2. Peel all the roasted garlic cloves (being careful not to burn your fingers) and place 4 of them in the blender along with 1 cup of the roasted tomatoes, the lemon juice, sea salt, and the optional red pepper flakes. Blend until a light, smooth tomato sauce forms.
3. Prepare the pasta according to the directions on the packaging. Drain and transfer to a mixing bowl. Toss the pasta in the tomato sauce. There should be just enough sauce to lightly coat the noodles.
4. Add the remaining roasted tomatoes, red onion, zucchini, asparagus, and garlic cloves. Toss gently to combine. Serve over a bed of arugula if desired, with an optional extra sprinkle of sea salt, dulse, and/or black pepper.

Roast Chicken with Pumpkin and Brussels Sprouts

This meal is not only delectable, but it's really healthy, warming and perfect for the autumn season.

Ingredients: 1 whole chicken (2 to 2.5 pounds), preferably organic; 4 garlic cloves; 1/2 lemon (cut into two pieces); 1 sprig of rosemary; 1/2 tbsp. coconut oil; 4 quarts of water; salt and pepper to taste

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 475 F. Rinse chicken and pat dry. Stuff garlic, lemon, and rosemary into the cavity, then seal the cavity (truss the chicken or fold back the wings and put a wooden skewer through the ankles).
2. Rub coconut oil over the chicken and season with salt and pepper. Place the chicken on a rack in a roasting pan and place in the oven. Brown for 16 to 20 minutes, then decrease heat to 300 F.
3. Finish cooking to an internal temperature of 160 F, then remove and let rest for 30 minutes.
4. Unseal the cavity and discard the lemon. Remove legs and thighs, then breasts and wings, leaving a meatless carcass. Cut into pieces and place in a saucepan over medium heat.
5. Sear the bones for 15 minutes, until deep golden brown. Add the garlic and rosemary from the cavity and 4 quarts of water, and bring to a simmer.
6. Reduce to a thick sauce. This takes about 45 minutes and yields about 3/4 cup of flavorful sauce.
7. Skim off fat and impurities and strain through a fine mesh strainer. Add salt only if needed.

Pasta with Creamy Sauce and Asparagus on the Side

Using a pasta that is 100 percent brown rice flour and rice bran is a great way to turn a guilty pleasure into a nutritious meal.

Ingredients: 6 oz brown rice pasta (cooked); 1/3 cup roasted red peppers; dab of coconut oil; 1/4 cup raw cashews; 1 tbsp. lemon juice; 1/2 cup water; 1 tsp. thyme (picked); pinch of red pepper flakes (optional); salt and pepper to taste

Asparagus: 1/4 pound asparagus; 1 tsp. garlic (minced); 1/2 tbsp. coconut oil; salt and pepper to taste

Making the pasta and cream:

1. Place roasted red peppers in a mixing bowl.
2. Place peppers in a high-powered blender with cashews, water, lemon, and red pepper flakes (if desired) and blend until smooth.
3. Season with salt and pepper. Fold sauce into cooked pasta. Sprinkle thyme on top.

Making the asparagus:

1. In a saute pan over medium heat, toast garlic lightly in coconut oil.
2. Turn heat to medium-low, add asparagus, and cover for 4 to 6 minutes, until asparagus is slightly tender.
3. Season with salt and pepper.

Salmon Burger with Avocado Salad

Ingredients: 4 oz salmon (skinless), wild; 1/2 tbsp. shallots (minced); 1 tbsp. scallions (sliced thin); 1 tbsp. dill (chopped); 1 tsp. paprika; pinch of cayenne (optional); 1 tbsp. coconut oil; salt to taste

Avocado salad: 1 cup kale (chopped); 1/2 avocado (cut into chunks); 2 tsp. lime juice; 1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil; 1 tsp. raw pumpkin seeds; 1 tsp. hemp seeds; salt and pepper to taste

Making the burger:

1. Cut salmon into chunks. Put into a food processor and pulse until ground.
2. Transfer ground salmon to a mixing bowl and combine with remaining ingredients. Season with salt. Shape into a burger.
3. In a saute pan over medium heat, sear the burger on both sides until golden brown and cooked through (or cooked to your liking).

Preparing the avocado salad:

1. In a small mixing bowl, gently combine all ingredients except the kale. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Make a bed of kale on half of a plate and serve the avocado mixture on top, with the burger on the side.

Baked Shrimp with Tomatoes and Parmesan Cheese

This traditional Greek recipe disregards the notion that seafood and cheese don't mix, and it works beautifully, resulting in a harmonious balance of flavors.

Ingredients: 1 tbsp. olive oil; 1 clove garlic (minced); 1 to 2 cups chopped plum tomatoes; 2 to 4 tbsp. chopped fresh basil; 1 tsp. fine sea salt; freshly ground black pepper; 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined; 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese; 1 tsp. chopped fresh parsley

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Heat oil in an ovenproof skillet large enough to hold all the shrimp over high heat until hot. Reduce heat to medium and add the garlic. Cook and stir until tender. Add the tomatoes and basil. Cook and stir until the tomatoes are soft and much of the liquid has evaporated. Stir in salt and season to taste with pepper.
3. Remove skillet from heat. Stir shrimp into skillet, then lay them out flat and neat in the skillet.
4. Transfer skillet to oven. Bake until shrimp turn pink and opaque, about 10 minutes.
5. Remove from oven and sprinkle with parsley.

Balsamic Marinated Skirt Steak

A balsamic vinaigrette doubles as a marinade here, giving the steak enormous flavor while it marinates.

Ingredients: 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar; 1/4 cup olive oil; 3 rosemary sprigs; coarse salt and freshly ground pepper; 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced or minced; 1 1/2 pounds skirt steak (preferably grass fed)

Steps:

1. Combine balsamic vinegar, olive oil, rosemary, and garlic in a glass or plastic dish, and stir to combine. Add skirt steak, and coat well with marinade. Cover, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, and up to 2 hours.
2. Preheat broiler or grill. Remove steak from marinade, and transfer to a rimmed baking sheet. Season meat generously with salt and pepper on both sides, place under broiler or on grill, and cook about 3 minutes, turn over, and cook for 3 minutes more for medium rare.
3. Transfer to a cutting board to rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Slice thinly across the grain, and serve.

Note: marinades made with antioxidant-rich spices and herbs can reduce the levels of harmful compounds that result from grilling.