Clean Eating for Dinner

A few clean eating recipes

Below are a few clean eating meals that I love. Last night I made the Thai Stir-Fry, and it was delish! It's hard to find one of the main ingredients, fresh pimentos, in the winter. Pimentos are a variety of larger-sized spicy pepper, also known as cherry peppers, that can be found fresh in the summer and early fall, and after searching around at a few stores, I finally some...in a jar of course, at this time of year. I was beginning to think it was spring, since we've had a few days where I only needed a light jacket, but then this morning it was winter again. I had to scrape the windshield for the first time in weeks!

Thai Stir-Fry with Pork and Green Beans
bigoven.com
4 Servings

Ingredients:

-1 lb green beans, trimmed (you can also use frozen)
-1 whole pimento (experiment with how much jarred to use, depending on the spice that you want)
-4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
-2 Tbsp. reduced sodium soy sauce
-1 Tbsp. fresh ginger (I keep mine in the freezer to make it last, then grate what I need)
-1 tsp. sugar (I don't like using sugar very often when clean eating, so you could substitute with 1/4 tsp. honey, instead)
-1 tsp. paprika
-1/4 tsp. salt
-1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
-3/4 lb pork tenderloin, thinly sliced
-3 Tbsp. vegetable oil (I went ahead and used olive oil, but you could substitute with coconut oil, peanut oil, etc.)
-1 Tbsp. fresh basil (I had some frozen from my garden, but you could also substitute with 1 tsp. dried)
-1 Tbsp. fresh mint
-1 Tbsp. fresh cilantro
-3 Tbsp. dry-roasted peanuts

Directions: 

Cook green beans in a large pot of boiling water for 1 minute. Drain; rinse beans under cold water to stop the cooking.
Combine pimento, garlic, soy sauce, ginger, sugar, paprika, salt, and red pepper flakes in a food processor/blender. Whirl until mixture is a smooth puree.
Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a very large non-stick wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork; stir-fry for 3 minutes, or until no longer pink. Remove pork from pan. Add remaining 1 Tbsp.oil to pan and heat. Add green beans to the pan, stir-fry for about 2 minutes. Add 2 Tbsp. water; cover and cook for 2 minutes or until beans are just tender.
Return pork to the skillet. Add pimento puree; stir to mix and stir-fry for 1 minute. Mix in the basil, mint, and cilantro. Sprinkle with peanuts.

I serve this dish with quinoa, but it's great with brown rice, as well!

Chicken Stew
Taste for Life
6 Servings

Ingredients:

-2 Tbsp. olive oil
-1 large onion, chopped
-3 carrots, peeled & chopped
-2 celery stalks, chopped
-2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
-Salt & pepper
-1 (14 1/2 oz.) can diced tomatoes, undrained
-1 Tbsp. tomato paste
-3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
-1 tsp. dried basil leaves
-1 bay leaf
-3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, chopped into bite-sized pieces
-1 (15-oz.) can white cannellini beans, rinsed & drained

Directions:

 Heat oil in large, heavy pot set over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrots, celery, & garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion starts to turn golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Season w/ salt & pepper to taste.
Stir in tomatoes w/ juices, tomato paste, broth, basil, & bay leaf. Add chicken.
Bring mixture to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low & simmer, uncovered, for 25 minutes.
Add beans & simmer until liquid has thickened, approx. 10 to 15 minutes. Discard bay leaf before serving.