Lentil Stir Fry

Pin It Lentils have always scared me.  They are ugly, flat beans.  I was just never tempted to cook them or eat them until my husband and I went out to dinner for our anniversary this year.  We went to a fancy restaurant with a fancy menu and extensive wine list.  It was absolutely amazing!  I really wanted to have the salmon as my dinner, but the side dish that it was served with was....lentils.  I probably could have substituted something else, but I decided that if this upscale place thought lentils were acceptable, I could at least try them.  I'm so glad I did!  They made them in a stir fry loaded with lots of fresh veggies and it was surprisingly delicious.  I liked it so much I actually went out and bought lentils so I could recreate it at home.  I'm looking for other ways to incorporate lentils into my meals, any suggestions would be appreciated.

Lentil Stir Fry
1 cup uncooked lentils
1/4 cup edamame
1/2 cup snow pea pods
1/4 cup shredded carrots
1/2 small onion, diced
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
2-3 Tbsp soy sauce or Island Soyaki sauce

1. Cook lentils according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile in a large skillet or wok heat oil.  Add garlic and stir until fragrant. (Don't let it burn)
3. Add edamame, carrots, peas and onion to the skillet.  Cook until starting to brown and get tender, about 3-5 minutes.
4. Carefully stir in cooked lentils.  Pour soy sauce/soyaki over veggies and toss to coat.

Hawaiian Sauce

Pin It I'm the queen of sauces.  I choose restaurants based on their condiment selection.  For example, I love Bandana's BBQ because they have about 8 different sauces just sitting on the table for me to enjoy.  I go to Red Lobster just because of their pina colada sauce and TGI Friday's because of their balsamic vinaigrette.  My husband makes fun of me all the time because of my obsession with smothering food in sauces because he is the complete opposite and hates adding sauce.  I was thrilled when I found a recipe for a sweet and sour type sauce while browsing Pinterest.  Silly me didn't pin the recipe and didn't bookmark the page so I can't give credit to the original inspiration.  If it is you please let me know!  Anyway, this sauce is fabulous.  Get excited for several yummy recipes coming later this week using this delicious sauce.

Hawaiian Sauce
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup Soyaki sauce
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
1/2 cup water
1 Tbsp cornstarch

1. Combine all ingredients in a saucepan.  Whisk to combine the cornstarch.
2. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5-10 minutes or until sauce thickens. 
3. Store in refrigerator until ready to use.  Sauce will thicken when cooled so I bring mine to room temperature before using.

Island Soyaki Stir Fry

Pin It I like meals that don't heat up my kitchen or require extensive amounts of preparation.  This gem is ready in about 20 minutes.  I love making stir fries in the summer because of all of the fresh veggies I can get at the farmer's market.  You can substitute any veggies that you want.  You could also play around with the protien.  This would be great with shrimp or pork.  I used Trader Joe's Island Soyaki sauce and Trader Joe's General Tsao Stir Fry Sauce to save time while providing excellent flavor.  Once you try these sauces you will always keep them around.  The possibilities are endless.  Enjoy!

Island Soyaki Stir Fry
4 cups vegetables/fruits, diced (or use frozen stir fry veggie mix)
I used pea pods, red and yellow bell peppers, broccoli,  pineapple, carrots, onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp minced ginger
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 chicken breasts, diced (about 2 cups)
1/2 cup Island Soyaki sauce
1/4 cup General Tsao's sauce
salt and pepper
2 cups cooked rice (I used brown rice)

1. Heat a large skillet over high heat.  Add olive oil, ginger and garlic.  Saute for 1 minute.  Add diced chicken.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cook completely.
2. Transfer chicken to a separate plate.  In the same skillet add all of your veggies.  Cook about 5 minutes or until tender.
3. Pour sauces over veggies and stir to coat.   Return chicken to the pan.  Cook about 3 minutes or until the sauce starts to bubble.
**Depending on how much water is released from the vegetables, you might have to thicken the sauce using 1 Tbsp of cornstarch mixed with 2 Tbsp water.
4. Serve over rice.

Island Soyaki Fried Rice

Pin It Happy New Year everyone!  One of my favorite stores is Trader Joe's.  They just have such unique foods and sauces.  I used a little help from their Island Soyaki Sauce.  This is a great side dish for Trader Joe's orange chicken or you can add some chicken or shrimp and make it a meal.

Island Soyaki Fried Rice
2 cups cooked rice
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped carrots
1/4 cup frozen peas
1 egg
1/2 cup Island Soyaki sauce ( or a mixture of 1/4 c soy sauce and 1/4 cup teriyaki sauce)
green onions
**feel free to add any other veggies or meats that you would like such as bean sprouts, chicken, shrimp, or even pineapple)

1. Heat up a skillet/wok over medium high heat on your stove.  Add onions, carrots and peas and cook until starting to brown.
2. Add egg to pan and quickly stir it to cook the egg (so it breaks into small pieces like scrambled eggs)
3. Add Soyaki Sauce and heat to a boil.
4. Reduce heat and stir in rice.  Allow to simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Top with chopped green onions before serving.