Put A New Twist On Your Old Favorites-4 New Recipies to Try For Dinner Tonight

For those of you out there with food allergies, those of you looking for a lighter version of your favorite foods, or those of you who want to branch out and try something new in the kitchen, below are a few new recipes to try for dinner tonight or any time you feel like changing it up.

French Fries:

Alternative: Sweet Potato Fries with Sriracha Crème Fraîche 

Ingredients:

3 large sweet potatoes, cut into wedges or rounds

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup crème fraîche

1–2 teaspoons Sriracha

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400°. Place sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and drizzle with oil; season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat and spread out in a single layer. Roast until golden brown and slightly crispy, 25–35 minutes.

Mix crème fraîche and Sriracha in a small bowl. Serve sweet potato fries with Sriracha crème fraîche for dipping.

Pizza:

Alternative: Cauliflower Crust Pizza

Ingredients:  

1 cup cooked, riced cauliflower
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp crushed garlic
1/2 tsp garlic salt
olive oil (optional)

pizza sauce, shredded cheese and your choice of toppings*

Directions:

To "Rice" the Cauliflower:

Take 1 large head of fresh cauliflower, remove stems and leaves, and chop the florets into chunks. Add to food processor and pulse until it looks like grain. Do not over-do pulse or you will puree it. (If you don't have a food processor, you can grate the whole head with a cheese grater). Place the riced cauliflower into a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 8 minutes (some microwaves are more powerful than others, so you may need to reduce this cooking time). There is no need to add water, as the natural moisture in the cauliflower is enough to cook itself.

One large head should produce approximately 3 cups of riced cauliflower. The remainder can be used to make additional pizza crusts immediately, or can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week.

To Make the Pizza Crust:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup cauliflower, egg and mozzarella. Add oregano, crushed garlic and garlic salt, stir. Transfer to the cookie sheet, and using your hands, pat out into a 9" round. Optional: Brush olive oil over top of mixture to help with browning.

Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes.

Remove from oven. To the crust, add sauce, toppings and cheese. Place under a broiler at high heat just until cheese is melted (approximately 3-4 minutes).

Enjoy!

Note that toppings need to be precooked since you are only broiling for a few minutes.

 Note for those that don’t have a microwave:

You can steam the florets on the stove before ricing them. The texture/consistency won’t be the same (It will be more like a puree) but it still works fine once you mix all the ingredients together!

Hamburger:

Alternative: Tuna Burger

If you prefer hamburgers to any food, try this great tuna alternative with an Asian flair from the American Diabetes Association. It's as simple to make as any hamburger, but so much better for you.

Ingredients:

11/4 lbs. fresh tuna

2 tsp. minced garlic

1 T. Dijon mustard

1 tsp. light soy sauce

3 green onions, chopped

11/2 tsp. fresh grated ginger or 1/2 tsp. ground ginger

Salt and pepper to taste (optional)

1 tsp. sesame oil

1 recipe Mandarin sauce (optional; see recipe below)

Directions:

1. Remove any skin from the tuna and coarsely chop in a blender or food processor (or with a knife) until it is the consistency and texture of ground beef. 2. Transfer the tuna to a bowl and combine with the garlic, mustard, soy sauce, green onions, ginger, and salt and pepper (if using). Shape the tuna into four patties and refrigerate 30 minutes before cooking. 3. Heat the sesame oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat and cook the tuna burgers for 2-4 minutes on each side until done. Serve topped with Mandarin sauce (if using).

Mandarin Sauce:

1 T. teriyaki sauce

1 T. light soy sauce

1 tsp. minced fresh ginger

1/2 tsp. minced garlic

1 T. plus 1 tsp. honey

1 (8 oz.) can mandarin oranges, drained and chopped

1/3 c. mandarin juice, reserved from can

1. In a small saucepan, bring all ingredients to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes until the sauce thickens

Fried Chicken:

Alternative: Gluten Free Healthy Fried Chicken

Ingredients:

4 Large Chicken Breasts or 8-10 pieces

Marinade:

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup coconut water vinegar

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 cup water

1 whole cut chicken

1/2 cup coconut flour

1/2 cup tapioca flour or cornstarch

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 eggs

Coconut oil, for frying

Directions:

1 day or 1 hour in advance: Whisk all marinade ingredients together and pour into a large zip lock bag. Set aside.

Wash the chicken then pat dry. Place the chicken in the bag containing the marinade and refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

After the chicken has marinated combine the coconut flour, tapioca flour, garlic salt and ground black pepper in a small bowl. Beat the eggs and set aside.

Dip each piece of chicken in the eggs and dredge to coat in the flour mixture. Repeat until all pieces are coated.

In a large frying pan heat the needed amount of coconut oil at medium heat. Lightly fry the chicken for about 3 minutes on each side.

Transfer the chicken to a jelly roll pan or cookie sheet and bake it for 35-45 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked.