Healthy Moo Shu Stir Fry

Update - 4/23/2017: I've been working on my photography, and since this is one of my most popular recipes, I wanted to give the images a revamp! These pictures are new, but the recipe is the same as it's always been. (Original image is at bottom of post for reference).

Usually, I enjoy riding my bike to work. As you pull around a corner and head down a hill, there's no better word than freedom. Do you remember biking around the block as a kid? Just free to roll? Why leave those moments to the kids? When it's Friday afternoon, and you roll out of the office parking lot, the wind in your face, you'll know what I mean. 

I'm writing this post because a few weeks ago I took a spill that landed me face first on the pavement. The asphalt ripped through my (brand new) down coat, my gloves, and scraped up my arms. My helmet saved my head, my sunglasses saved my face -- thank goodness (not to sound all "mom" on you, buuuut Wear your helmet!!). 

A lot of people offered me a ride home that day, and I almost took someone up on it when, after getting so many offers, I started to wonder if maybe I shouldn't ride home. The lazy little voice inside of me liked the sound of a warm car, and someone else at the wheel. The more I thought about it, the more my apprehension grew, until my lazy voice was coupled with my what-if voice, and suddenly I could hear nothing in my mind but whispers of "Warm caaaar..." "Nice and safe...." "Warm car....." "Don't you fall agaaaaain".

Here's the thing: they offered me a ride because I was flustered, and they care. And that was really nice. But what no one can know, unless they can hear your thoughts, is the power of getting up and starting again. When I was a gymnast, this was the golden rule: if you fall, you get right back and try again. Otherwise, that what-if voice will only gain power and become a tyrant you can't ignore.

At first, I rode terribly slow and cautiously. My eyes analyzed every bit of pavement in front of me: Is that the rock I hit? Oh! don't hit that rock. Go way over there, away from that sand pit.

And then, anxious to get through a green light before it turned red, I cautiously peddled a little faster. After a few blocks, I realized I was free again -- all of that negative energy leaving my body with each exhale. It's just my bike. I know how to bike. I love to bike. 

And hey, on the bright side, that crash motivated me to finally get a massage I've desperately been wanting. (Thanks, whiplash!) 

When you fall, get right back up. Find glory in that freedom. And then, find something delicious to eat -- something like this moo shu. 😉

Healthy Moo Shu Stir Fry

Paleo, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free    |   Caitlin Sherwood    

Serves: 4   |    Total Time: 30 minutes

---

Ingredients:

Pork:
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce or coconut aminos
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
• 1 pound boneless pork loin OR chicken thighs, cut into 1 x 1/4-inch strips (ask your butcher to do it for you!)
Stir Fry:
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1/2 cup (1-inch) sliced green onions
• 3 tablespoons garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons ginger, minced
• 4 cups shredded napa cabbage
• 1/2 cup shredded carrot
• 1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced
• 1 cup bean sprouts
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
Sauce:
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce or coconut aminos
• 1 teaspoon arrowroot powder
• 1/2 teaspoon maple syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

1. Mix the first three ingredients for the pork/chicken in a shallow pyrex or ziplock bag. Place the pork in the marinade, and either close the ziplock or cover the pyrex. Place in the fridge and allow to marinate for at least 4 hours.
2. When ready to prepare the stir fry, remove the pork/chicken from the fridge and set aside. Heat 1 tablespoon of coconut oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Once oil sizzles, add the pork/chicken the pan. Cook on pork pieces on one side for 5 minutes, stir and flip on the other side until the pork/chicken is cooked through. Remove pork/chicken from pan.
3. Heat the additional tablespoon of coconut oil. Add the garlic, ginger, green onions, and mushrooms to the pan. Allow to cook for 3 minutes. Add the cabbage, carrots and the bean sprouts. Stir, and cook for 3 more minutes.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs. Add to the pan, and use a wooden spoon to stir the eggs occasionally, just enough to scramble the eggs.
5. Add the pork/chicken back to the pan. In a small bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the sauce. Drizzle the sauce into the pan, and stir everything until it was well coated. Cook everything for 5 more minutes.

Prosciutto-Wrapped Mahi-Mahi

So I'm sitting on the couch right now, curled up next to Oliver while he watches his new favorite show. His show ends, and I ask him, "What ten foods would you pick if you could only have ten?" (Welcome to typical us). He starts his list right away, a couple of basics -- I do the same. We get about half way, and then our list building process slows down. We realize ten is not very many. We start to make more calculated selections. After we get to about seven items each, we stop all together. It's a good thing we don't live on a deserted island. 

What's on your Ten-Foods-On-A-Deserted-Island List? What about your top three? After a little more thought, I think I have my list. I'll probably look back at this a year from now (or maybe even next week?) and wonder what I was thinking, but for now, here it is:

1. White fish. Preferably Mahi-Mahi or Tilapia: they're both satisfying and when cooked they are perfectly flakey. They're also easy to cook (cod gets tough when cooked wrong, and if I'm on a deserted island I probably don't have a full kitchen). Not to mention, they're versatile! 

2. Broccoli. I've always adored broccoli. It was probably my second favorite vegetable when I was a kid, right after zucchini. It's good raw, it's delicious steamed, but it's best when it's roasted. Heck, you can turn it into soup! Maybe my love for the vegetable explains why this broccoli ad has a special place in my heart. 

3. Coconuts. All hail the coconut! Seriously, if I were stuck on an island, an everlasting supply of coconuts would be my savior: first, you get coconut water. Then, the milk -- glorious, glorious coconut milk! Finally, coconut meat and coconut oil. Four food items in one -- is that cheating? 

4. Cocoa powder. Did you think I was going to missing this one? Cocoa powder + coconut milk = 1 damn good glass of chocolate milk. I'd probably go crazy without my chocolate fix. 

5. Apples. I'm all about their sweet crunchy flesh. Evidence -- the many many apple recipe on this blog (like apple cinnamon roll porridge). 

6. Kabocha Squash. Even though Delicata Squash is my favorite squash, I think I would pick Kabocha. It has a satisfying, starchy quality that makes it taste rich. 

7. Salt. I'd like to take other seasonings with me too, but there are too many to choose from! Curry powder + coconut milk + fish could make a pretty good dinner, but I know that'd get old. I always love thyme, but that would get old too. So instead I'm keeping it simple: salt. 

8. Water. Do I have to say this? Can't this bee a free-be? Well, for anyone that thinks it must be included on your list if you want to consume it, I'm adding it to my list. Definitely wouldn't last long without water. 

9. Onions or Garlic. I'm not sure which one. Maybe onions? They add so much flavor to everything, but then, so does garlic. Which would you choose? 

10. Eggs. Ok, not only can eggs be cooked in so many different ways, they're also just the best breakfast food I can think of. If you have any doubts about this pick, just read Michael Ruhlman's book, Egg. 

Prosciutto-Wrapped Mahi-Mahi

Paleo, Primal, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free    |   Caitlin Sherwood    

Serves: 2   |    Total Time: 30 minutes

---

Ingredients:

• 2 5-ounce portions of Mahi-Mahi
• 3-ounces frozen spinach, thawed (about 1/3 of a typical package)
• 1/2 yellow onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• Salt & Pepper
• 2 slices prosciutto
• Mustard for seasoning
• 3 teaspoons coconut oil
• 1 pieces of baker’s twine, about 10 inches long each.

Directions:

1. Dice onion and mince garlic. Using your hands or a strainer, squeeze extra water out of the spinach. Heat 1 teaspoon of coconut oil in a medium sized skillet. Once oil is hot, add the onion to the pan, and sauté until transparent. Add garlic, and then spinach. Cook until the spinach is warmed through. Turn off the heat.
2. Assemble the fish: lay the slices of prosciutto out on a cutting board. Spread a thin layer of mustard over the middle section of the prosciutto (cover about 1/2 of the surface area— leaving 1/4 of the prosciutto untouched on each side). Place 1 fish filet on the top of the prosciutto, right where the mustard smear is. Season the fish lightly with salt & pepper. Finally, scoop a bit of spinach over the top of the fish, and spread into an even layer. Fold the ends of the prosciutto over the fish and tie closed using the bakers twine.
3. Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons of coconut oil in a medium sized skillet. Once sizzling, place fish in pan. Cook for 3 minutes, then flip. Cook for another 3-4 minutes, until fish is flakey and opaque. Serve immediately.

Maple Sriracha Barbecue Chicken Kabobs

Update: This is an older recipe from Foraged Dish but still a good one! I updated it on 1/1/2019 (happy new year!) to make it easier and more clear. Plus — new pictures, and a video!

One of the very first recipes on this blog was a homemade sriracha sauce. It — to my surprise - was it’s own small kind of hit. I was even asked if it could be included in a little magazine! It was the year of sriracha. The sauce was EVERYWHERE and I got lucky. You don’t, however, need to make your own sriracha to make these kabobs. In fact, the sauce here is as easy as adding 4 ingredients to a bowl. Sriracha, garlic, maple syrup, and coconut oil.

From there you can basically do whatever you like. I use chicken, bell peppers, red onion, and zucchini but you could easily swap in steak or shrimp, and replace the veggies for something else grill-friendly, like yellow squash, mushrooms (I LOVE grilled mushrooms!!), or even little cubes of pineapple. (If you like grilled pineapple, try these sweet and spicy barbeque shrimp & pineapple skewers).

Compared to other hot sauces, sriracha is not very spicy — it’s a little sweet, in fact. This, combined with some maple syrup, turns into an ultimate grilling glaze. It comes out as a sweet and spicy kabob. Make some extra sauce for dipping, sprinkle with cilantro, and serve with a lime wedge if you have it. Make a complete meal by serving over a bed of rice!

Most people would tell you that kabobs are a perfect BBQ, potluck, picnic, camping dinner. But I — crazy me - made these in January while it was snowing. 🤪❄️Watch for snow flake over the grill in the video below!

Maple Sriracha Barbecue Chicken Kabobs

Published January 3, 2016 by Caitlin Sherwood

Serves: 4-6   |    Active Time: 45 minutes

---

Ingredients:

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/3 cup sriracha sauce

3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

3 tablespoons maple syrup

1 pound chicken breast, cubed

1 red bell pepper, diced into bite-sized pieces

1 green bell pepper, diced into bite-sized pieces

1/2 red onion, diced into bite-sized pieces

1 zucchini, diced into bite-sized pieces

Directions:

1. Add garlic, sriracha, coconut oil, and maple syrup to a medium or large sized mixing bowl and stir to combine.
2. Add chicken, bell peppers, onion, and zucchini to bowl and stir to coat in sauce.
3. Assemble kabobs: put chicken and veggies on metal or wooden skewers, alternating ingredients (ex: chicken, bell pepper, onion, chicken, zucchini, etc).
4. Heat grill to high. Place kabobs on hot grill and cook for 12 minutes with lid closed, turning every 5 minutes and brushing with any extra sauce.
5. When juices run clear and chicken is cooked through, remove from heat. Garnish with cilantro and serve hot.