Mr. Bijoy Writes

Here's the thing, brussel sprouts don't suck. However, if they are overcooked or mushy, they do suck. So, try this recipe to make healthy, happy brussel sprouts! And no, your mother did not tell me to post this. What ya need: 1 1/2 cups of fresh brussel sprouts 3 roughly chopped shallots 1/4 tablespoon of olive oil 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper 1/8 teaspoon of crushed red pepper Ok, so: Bring about 2 cups of lightly salted water to a boil in a large pot. Insert a steamer basket filled with the brussel sprouts. Cover and let steam for 7 minutes. Remove them from the pot and set aside in bowl. Now, in a heavy pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the sprouts, shallots, black pepper, and crushed red pepper. Cook until brown, being careful not to stir too often, as this might break the brussel sprouts apart. Serve immediately and enjoy!

I have a few friends that love fried pickle chips, but really don't like the "fried" part.  So I fixed it for them. And now you can enjoy the spoils of our fitness-minded pickle chips! Enjoy! What ya need: 12 slices of sweet pickle 3 ounces of Dijon mustard 1/2 cup of cooked Quinoa 1/2 cup of non-fat yogurt 3 tablespoons of Sriracha Ok, so: Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Now, in a smal bowl, mix together the yogurt and the Sriracha and put it in the fridge to chill. In another bowl, coat the pickle chips in the mustard and toss the coated chips in the quinoa. Pat the quinoa down on the chips to make sure that it sticks. Set the chips on a drying rack, that's been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray, on top of a cookie sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes. Serve hot with the chilled yogurt sauce made earlier and enjoy!

I was once asked if I could make a pesto that was cleaner and healthier than what's available in stores. Since pesto is based in oil, it's difficult to make it super-healthy, but if you add kale, you get the kick you need! So here's a recipe for some pesto that has better levels of potassium, vitamin A, and vitamin C. What ya need: 1/4 cup of roughly chopped Walnuts  1 teaspoon of fresh-ground black pepper  20 leaves of fresh basil  1 teaspoon of kosher salt  2 tablespoons of lemon juice  3 cloves of garlic  1 and 1/2 cups of chopped Kale  1/3 cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil Ok, so:  Throw everything into a food processor and blend until slightly chunky, but smooth. You can freeze this and store it for a month or two as well.

A friend asked me if making the lettuce wraps from P.F. Chang's would be a difficult endeavor. I thought about it and decided that I would answer her in a blog post so that everyone can benefit from this **super-easy** and quite tasty recipe! These are also fairly good for you! What ya need: 16 leaves of butter or bibb lettuce leaves 1 pound of ground chicken 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped 1 cup of sliced water chestnuts (canned is easiest) 1/4 cup of hoisin sauce 1/4 cup of thinly sliced scallions 2 tablespoons of minced garlic 1 tablespoon of low-sodium soy sauce 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar 2 teaspoons of grated or minced ginger 2 teaspoons of sesame oil 1/2 teaspoon of dried red pepper flakes Ok, so: Rinse the lettuce and set it aside. Be careful not to tear the leaves. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the chicken for 4 minutes, stirring often to keep the meat broken apart. Add the onion, hoisin sauce, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, vinegar an...