WEEK ONE: 4-Weeks of Wholesome Dinners

As part of our 'series' entitled 4-Weeks of Wholesome Dinners, we will be posting six recipes per week.

Because, many people plan their recipes & grocery shop on the weekends, I will try to post the recipes for the upcoming week on either Wednesday night or during day on Thursday. So without further ado... on to this week's recipes! Happy cooking... and, remember to have fun!

Week One:

Creamy Indian Lentils & Rice

Vegetarian Rice Tacos

Vegetarian Black Bean Chili

Zucchini Casserole

Venison Stir-Fry

Vegetable Pad-Thai

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~ Creamy Indian Lentils & Rice ~ Click HERE for this recipe

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~ Vegetarian Rice Tacos ~

Ingredients

1-cup cooked Sprouted Rice

1 can Black Beans [or dried black beans, soaked]

1 bunch fresh Cilantro

1 Avocado

1 can Chick Peas [Garbanzo beans]

Fresh salsa [make your own, or try the coolers in the produce department], or a jar of chunky organic salsa

Salad greens [ie: Spring mix]

Garlic, minced

Blue corn taco shells

Directions

• Warm black beans. Cook rice.

• Drain and rinse the can of chickpeas. Mash avocado with a fork. Chop approximately 3 tablespoons of cilantro. Add chickpeas, cilantro, 1 teaspoon minced garlic and 4 teaspoons of lemon juice to mashed avocado. Salt/pepper to taste.

• Spoon rice into taco shells. Top with black beans, avocado-chickpea mixture, salad greens and salsa!

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~ Vegetarian Black Bean Chili ~

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

salt/pepper

2 zucchini (about 1 pound total), halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise

2 carrots, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin

2 cans black beans, rinsed & drained

1 jar (25-28 oz) crushed tomatoes

1 package (10 oz) frozen corn kernels, thawed

Directions

• In large pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion & garlic, season with salt & pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally until beginning to soften, about 4 minutes.

• Add zucchini, carrots, chili powder & cumin. Cook, stirring occasionally, until carrots are crisp-tender, about 6 to 8 minutes.

• Add beans, tomatoes, corn and 1-cup of water. Simmer until slightly thickened and carrots are soft, about 8 to 10-minutes more.

• Option chili toppings: halved cherry tomatoes, diced avocado , shredded cheese

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~ Zucchini Casserole ~

Ingredients

4 large zucchini, about 2 pounds total, sliced

4 medium tomatoes, chopped

1 large onion, sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

dried basil, oregano or other italian seasoning

salt/pepper to taste

Dried whole-wheat bread crumbs

Parmesan cheese

Directions

• Saute sliced zucchini in olive oil until soft. Drain and set aside. Saute sliced onion, garlic and chopped tomato until soft.

• Add dried seasonings (as much or as little as you would like), salt and pepper to taste.

• Add in zucchini. Place in a baking dish. Lightly top with dried bread crumbs. Sprinkle lightly with parmesan cheese and bake at 350 degrees for approximately 15-20 minutes.

• Optional: Add shredded mozzarella after initial cooking time, and bake again until bubbly and browned.

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~ Venison Stir-Fry ~

Ingredients

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon cornstarch

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 pound of venison steaks, cut into thin strips [can substitute with organic, grass-fed beef round steak]

10-ounce package of frozen vegetable stir-fry [your choice of vegetables]

Cooked brown rice for serving

Directions

• In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, brown sugar and cornstarch. Set aside.

• Heal oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Stir-fry ginger and garlic for 30 seconds. Add the steak and stir-fry for 3-5 minutes or until evenly browned. Add the frozen vegetable mix and stir--fry for an additional 5-minutes or until completely heated. Add the soy sauce mixture, bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Lower heat and simmer until sauce is thick and smooth. Serve over rice immediately.

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~ Vegetable Pad-Thai ~

Ingredients

8 ounces dried, wide and flat rice noodles (find them in the Asian foods section)

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

3 tablespoons soy sauce

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 small onion, diced

1 garlic clove, minced

1 head broccoli, chopped

1 carrot, shredded

2 large eggs (optional), lightly beaten

1/2 cup fresh cilantro

1/4 cup chopped roasted peanuts

Directions

• Soak noodles according to package directions (this could take up to 45-minutes depending on the brand of noodles you purchase so plan accordingly!). Drain noodles after soaking time.

• In a small bowl, whisk together brown sugar, lime juice and soy sauce.

• In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic and cook, stirring constantly until fragrant and onions are softened. Add eggs (if using) and cook, scraping skillet with a rubber spatula, until eggs are almost set; about 1-minute. Transfer egg mixture to a plate.

• Add broccoli and carrots with a little bit of water. Cover. Steam for approximately 5-minutes until broccoli is bright green and tender. Drain water. Transfer to plate with egg mixture and set aside.

• Add noodles and soy-sauce mixture to skillet; cook, tossing constantly until noodles are soft and coated with sauce, about 1 minute. Add egg mixture with vegetables and toss to coat & warm, breaking eggs up gently.

• Serve topped with cilantro and peanuts.