Honey Sriracha Salmon Over Spiralized Broccoli Stems and Bell Pepper

So I have about a billion thoughts I want to get across in the post, and they're all a little jumbled in my head so bare with me. 

I'm a HUGE fan of spiralizing! And over the past year or so, I've come to realize how many different, amazing things you can spiralize. Two of these perhaps not-so-predictable things are bell peppers and broccoli stems. I've touched on broccoli stems with a couple other recipes and I think bell peppers once before, but I want to do a quick recap of how to spiralize each.

Broccoli stems are easy. Cut them off and shave off the side nub parts with a knife. The idea is to get the stem as cylindrical as possible, but don't go too crazy. It will be fine, trust me. Just try to get anything that's jutting out a ton off the sides. Cut the ends so they're flat, and spiralize as if it's a zucchini. 

Bell peppers seem complicated, but they really aren't. Cut off the top of the bell pepper, maybe about a centimeter below the stem, and remove the seeds from the inside. Have the open top part facing the blade when you spiralize, and the bottom of the pepper will attach the spiky end. Spiralize as you would any other vegetable. I've found that peppers tend to have a lot of juice, so just be aware you may want some paper towels nearby.

Okay, so now that we've covered how to spiralize them, I'm going to briefly touch on spiralizers. Every time I post a spiralized recipe, I get a lot of questions about which spiralizer I suggest. My major suggestion is to invest in a good one. I wouldn't settle for a small hand one, honestly, because you really won't use it that much because you just can't use it on as many things. My suggestion would be the Inspiralizer. It's comparable to some other, good quality spiralizers, but it reduces the amount of wasted vegetable which is actually a huge deal. For more information or to buy one, feel free to click the link below.

So onto the recipe. I've had the fortune of coming across Fix Hot Sauce lately, and it has literally be a game changer. It is by far the best sriracha I have ever had. They are not paying me to say this, I am not endorsed by them, it is JUST THAT GOOD. So I've pretty much been putting in on or in anything and everything. So I figured why not a nice, simple recipe with sriracha and throw in honey for a touch of sweetness.

Slight tangent here, I buy broccoli a lot. And if I buy broccoli, you pretty much know that there's some sort of broccoli stem concoction coming your way because they may be very high up there on my favorite vegetables to spiralize list. I also may or may not shop for broccoli by broccoli stem size now (insert embarrassed buldgey eyed emoji here).

So I had my broccoli stems laying around, and I thought they would be the perfect compliment to an Asian-ish salmon. Bell peppers came into my mind next, and the rest is history really.

Here's What You'll Need:

-3 red bell peppers, spiralized
-6 broccoli stems, spiralized (may need more or less depending on size)
-1 lb of salmon, cut into 3 equal pieces
-1/4 cup water
-1/4 cup Tamari (or low sodium soy sauce or liquid aminos)
-2 tbsp sriracha
-2 tbsp honey
-2 cloves garlic, minced
-1 tbsp coconut oil

Instructions:

1) Mix together the water, Tamari, sriracha, honey, and garlic in large bowl or container. Marinate the salmon pieces in the sauce for at least an hour covered in your fridge.
2) Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
3) Cook the marinated salmon for about 12 minutes. The rule of thumb is 4-6 minutes per half inch thickness, so times may vary. DO NOT THROW OUT THE REMAINING MARINADE. You'll be using it as a sauce. 
4) In the meantime, heat up the coconut oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Toss in the broccoli stems and cook for about a minute.
5) Add in the bell pepper and cook for another minute or so.
6) Add in the leftover marinade and let it cook for 3-5 minutes.
7) Once the salmon is cooked, remove it from the oven.
8) Plate the pepper and broccoli stem mixture and top each with a piece of salmon.
9) Enjoy!

Not a fan of spiralizing or not want wanting buy a spiralizer at the moment? Feel free to make the salmon alone. I served mine in a variety of ways over on my Instagram, and you can still save the marinade to use as a sauce.

Let me know what you think in the comments below!

Spiralized Broccoli Greek Yogurt Alfredo with Smoked Salmon and Mushrooms

If you haven't noticed, broccoli stem noodles are creeping up on my list of favorite spiralized vegetables. They taste like broccoli florets with an added crunchy texture, so basically they're perfect. Plus they go well with pretty much everything I've tried so far.

For some reason when I go to make them, I keep being drawn to a creamy sauce. So I figured, why not a healthier alfredo made with non fat Greek yogurt. Throw in some mushrooms and smoked salmon (or shrimp works just as well if you aren't a fan), and voila! A delicious dinner or lunch!

Here's what you'll need:

-4 broccoli stems, spiralized
-3 cloves of garlic, minced
-1 tbsp and 1 tsp ghee, separated (I use Farm to Gold)
-1/4 cup water
-One 6 oz container of nonfat plain Greek yogurt (I use Wallaby)
-3 tbsp shredded parmesan
-1 tsp dried parsley
-Black pepper to taste
-3 oz smoked salmon
-3 baby Bella mushrooms, chopped

Instructions:

1) In a large pan, heat up the tsp of ghee over medium high heat and add in 1 clove of garlic once it's melted. Let cook for about a minute alone.
2) Add in the spiralized broccoli stems, and let them cook for a good 5-7 minutes alone.
3) In the meantime, add the tbsp of ghee to a saucepan over low to medium heat, and let it melt. Add in the two tbsp of garlic and let cook for about a minute.
4) Add the water to the saucepan and remove from heat.
5) Progressively add in the Greek yogurt, mixing regularly.
6) Progressively add in the parmesan, mixing regularly. If it doesn't melt in because the mixture is no longer hot, you can put it over very low heat.
7) Mix in the parsley and black pepper.
8) Over in the broccoli pan, add in the mushrooms and let them cook down (about 3 minutes).
9) Add in the smoked salmon to the broccoli mixture and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.
10) Split the broccoli pan mixture between two bowls, and top each with half of the sauce. Mix together the sauce and veggie-salmon mixture within each bowl.
11) Serve and enjoy!

Let me know what you think in the comments below! I'd love to hear from you.

Shrimp and Veggie Stir Fry in a Spicy Ginger Garlic Sauce

So this is one of those "I swear it tastes better than it looks" kind of meals! Winter is a killer when I want to share dinner recipes because non-natural light is, well, ugly. But what can ya do? 

It's Sunday which has commonly been a Chinese takeout night in my family. It's an easy and tasty way to finish up the weekend. So I figured why not save on the money and greasy food and make my own, healthier version?

I started this meal out thinking that I was going to make a stir fry over broccoli stem noodles. But my smaller noodle blade for my spiralizer was in the dishwasher, so I figured I'd just switch it out for the next size, no biggie. WRONG. It literally turned the broccoli stems into something I'd liken to the looks of shaved parmesan cheese. Not really the most aesthetically appealing, and they didn't really pan out to be a good base for the meal. Oh well, again what can ya do? So I just decided to throw them into the stir fry, and put it all over some brown rice instead. 

I think this must have been one of those weird twist of fate mistakes because the shaved broccoli stem pieces were a perfect addition consistency-wise and added a nice crunch like that of a water chestnut. All in all, everything turned out delicious, and the sauce, although spicy, is AMAZING. I might need to put it on everything, just saying.

Here's What You'll Need:

-5 oz cooked shrimp
-1 red bell pepper, cut into small pieces
-2 bundles of baby bok choy, removed from stem and cleaned
-4 broccoli stems, spiralized with second blade or just sliced very thinly
-1 tbsp olive oil
-3 cloves garlic, minced and separated
-2 tsp sesame oil
-4 tbsp low sodium soy sauce or Tamari
-2 tbsp fresh ginger, minced (NOT shaved - if you use shaved ginger it will be significantly less than 2 tbsp)
-2 tbsp sriracha (I use Fix Hot Sauce)
-2 tbsp pure cane sugar

Instructions:

1) In a pan over medium high heat, heat up the olive oil. Once hot, add in one clove of garlic, and cook for 1-2 minutes.
2) Add in the broccoli stem pieces and cook alone for about 2 minutes.
3) Mix around the broccoli stem pieces, and add in the bell pepper and bok choy. Cover and cook for about 5-7 minutes until the boy choy is wilted and bell pepper is cooked through.
4) In the meantime, mix together the soy sauce, sesame oil, remaining garlic, ginger, sriracha, and sugar in a bowl. 
5) Add the shrimp to the pan and top the whole thing with the sauce. Let cook for another 2- 3 minutes, mixing regularly.
6) Split the stir fry between two bowls, and enjoy!

I served mine over about 1/2 cup of brown rice, and it was perfect. Let me know what you think in the comments below! 

 

Spiralized Potato Breakfast Bowl

I feel like potatoes get such a bad rap these days. I don't know if it's because people are scared of carbs or what, but potatoes are actually really nutrient-dense and packed with a number of vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals that not only boost your immune system (and help you from getting sick) but also improve your every day health.

So that being said, I love potatoes. They're just such a good base for, well, everything. Yeah sure, if you eat them fried in oil or covered in pounds of cheese, not so healthy. But I wanted to show you a nutritious and delicious way to get those potatoes back into your life. And what better way than a tasty breakfast bowl?

Here's what you'll need:

-1 large potato, peeled and spiralized
-3 tbsp olive oil, separated
-2 cloves garlic, minced
-1 /4 cup red onion
-1 cup baby arugula
-1/2 cup tomatoes, diced
-3/4 cup shiitake mushrooms, sliced
-2 eggs
-salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1) Heat up 2 tbsp of olive oil over medium high heat. Once the oil is hot, add in the spiralized potato and cook for about 7-10 minutes until cooked through, mixing regularly. Add salt and pepper to taste.
2) In a separate pan, heat up the remaining tbsp of olive oil over medium heat. Once hot, add in the garlic and onion and cook for about 1-2 minutes.
3) Add in the mushroom and arugula, and let them cook down for about 2-3 minutes.
4) Add in the tomato and desired salt and pepper and let cook for an additional minute. Remove from heat.
5) Quickly soft fry two eggs - cook over medium heat while covered until whites are no longer runny.
5) Split the spiralized potato between two bowls. Top each with the veggie mixture and a soft fried egg.
6) Enjoy!

This bowl will seriously make your weekend (or week day) morning, and is nice and easy to throw together. You have to let the yolk run all over the potatoes and other veggies. It is TO DIE FOR. Let me know what you think in the comments below!

Parmesan Lemon Tilapia over Garlic Broccoli Noodles

For all of you broccoli lovers out there, how many of you feel wasteful when you just chop off the stems? The florets are the part everyone eats, so don't feel badly. We're pretty much taught to toss those stems. The florets are served on everything from pasta to pizzas, as side dishes, you name it. You might even wonder, can I even eat the stem? The answer is YES!!!!, and I will show you a great (and delicious) way to do so!

Broccoli stems pretty much taste like, well, broccoli. They have a similar taste the florets, maybe a little milder. So they are pretty much good with everything! I decided to toss them with some garlic and top with a little fish, and trust me the combination is spot on!

To spiralize the broccoli stem, you cut off the florets and try to smooth out the sides, cutting off any parts that jut out. Also cut off the bottom so that it is flat. Ideally you want it to look semi-close to a cylinder. If you see the picture below, it isn't perfect but still produces great broccoli noodles.

Once you have your broccoli noodles, you're ready to go!

Here's What You'll Need:

-3-4 broccoli stems, spiralized (amount depends on thickness and length, the thicker and/or longer, the fewer stems needed)
-1 tsp olive oil
-1 clove garlic
-6 mushrooms, sliced
-1 medium tomato, chopped
-red pepper flakes to taste
-2 tilapia fillets (about 6 oz each)
-1/2 lemon, juiced
-2 tbsp parmesan

Instructions:

1) Heat up the oil in a pan, and throw in the garlic, cooking for about a minute.
2) Add the broccoli noodles and let them cook for about 3 minutes alone.
3) Add in the mushrooms, tomato, and red pepper flakes and continue to cook for an additional 3-5 minutes.
4) Meanwhile, coat the tilapia fillets with lemon juice and toss each in parmesan.
5) In a separate pan, cook the tilapia for about 5 minutes on each side over medium high heat.
6) Once cooked, split the broccoli noodles between two plates, top each with a piece of tilapia, and enjoy!

Let me know what you think in the comments below, and feel free to subscribe for e-mail updates!