Before I dive into how I came up with this recipe or start describing what it tastes like I first need to address the obvious question: what is jackfruit? I did not know the answer to this until a couple months ago. Technically, jackfruit is a relative of figs and is indeed a fruit. However, the more relevant answer is that it has the texture of chicken and while the fruit is young it has a neutral taste letting it take on the flavor of whatever sauce you slather over it. For these two reasons, in the last year or so jackfruit has become increasingly popular as a meat alternative for vegans and vegetarians. Now, it is important to note that the flesh of the jackfruit does not have much protein at all so I would recommend serving it alongside something high in protein, such as this Three Bean and Roasted Cauliflower Salad.

Jackfruit is, however, low in calories, and I can definitely see why it is popular as a meat alternative. Once I shredded up this jackfruit and cooked it in some barbecue sauce, it looked exactly like pulled pork. Matt thought it was pulled pork when I served it and after he took a bite – and after me telling him it was jackfruit – he looked at me and said, “You’re sure this isn’t pork?” While it doesn’t have the richness of pork, the texture is almost identical to a pulled chicken or pork and smothered in barbecue sauce no one would ever be the wiser.

I had heard of jackfruit, but got the opportunity to try it a couple months ago at our Whole Foods. They had it in the burrito bar and let me try a sample. I loved the texture, but it was too spicy for me. I decided I needed to do more research and make my own version so I could enjoy it. Remember how the Elote Hot Dogs came to be? I think I’m noticing a pattern here with my inability to consume spicy foods…

Anyways, I discovered that you can buy jackfruit in a can. I got mine from Trader Joe’s. What you are looking for is green jackfruit. Make sure you do not buy the one that comes in syrup. The one from Trader Joe’s comes in a brine instead of water so I just made sure I rinsed them well before cutting. For cutting tips check out my little diagram below.

After it’s all cut up, the jackfruit gets cooked down with some onion, garlic and barbecue sauce before being shredded and loaded up onto tortillas. I made a quick and healthy slaw for the tacos with nonfat Greek yogurt to balance the flavors of the barbecue sauce. You can use any barbecue sauce you prefer, but I highly recommend my easy homemade barbecue sauce that is free of refined sugar.

Matt and I both really enjoyed these tacos and I’m looking forward to making them again soon! Have any of you tried jackfruit before?

Barbecue Jackfruit Tacos

 

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Yield: 6 servings, 12 mini tacos

Ingredients

for the tacos

• 2 20-ounce cans jackfruit
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• ½ small red onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• ¼ cup water
• 1 cup barbecue sauce
• 12 6-inch tortillas, warmed

for the slaw

• 2 cups shredded cabbage or slaw mix
• ¼ cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
• 1 teaspoon lime juice
• ½ teaspoon Worcestershire
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
• ⅛ teaspoon onion powder
• ⅛ teaspoon paprika
• Ground black pepper

Directions

for the tacos

1. Prepare the jackfruit. If your jackfruit is in brine instead of water make sure you rinse it well in a colander then dry completely before cutting. Cut following the diagram pictured above: place a wedge of the jackfruit on a cutting board so the narrow edge is closest to you. Slice from the wide curved edge down to the narrow edge so you have about 5 or so smaller wedges. This will make it easier for shredding later.
2. Heat the olive oil in a rimmed skillet or medium stock pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until the onions start to turn translucent, about 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium then add the jackfruit and the water. Stir and cook for a couple minutes. Add the barbecue sauce, stir, then turn down the heat to low, cover and let simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and serve over the warmed tortillas topped with the slaw.

for the slaw

1. Combine all the ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Season with ground black pepper to taste.

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Lauren Uncategorized 2 Comments

Thank you, Food Network Magazine, for bringing these outrageous Peanut Butter and Jelly Muffins into our lives! As you know from last week’s Peanut Butter and Strawberry Wrap, I am a big peanut butter and jelly fan. When I first saw these listed as the September muffins for the Food Network Magazine’s Muffin of the Month article, I wasn’t sure how my beloved sandwich would translate into muffin form. The answer is very, very, VERY well! Yes, three ‘very’s and some all-caps because these muffins deserve it.

The base is a peanut butter muffin that is made with half whole wheat flour and half all-purpose flour. If that wasn’t peanutty enough, the top of the muffin is dipped in melted peanut butter then coated in chopped honey-roasted peanuts. Pure peanut butter heaven.

As if they couldn’t get any better, a big dollop of strawberry jam, or your preferred jelly, is loaded into the middle of the muffin. I don’t know who the genius was at Food Network Magazine that developed this recipe, but it literally tastes like someone took a peanut butter and jelly sandwich – bread and all – and morphed it into a muffin for your breakfast and snacking pleasure.

The brown sugar and the honey-roasted peanuts allow for just the right amount of sweetness without them tipping over into the full-on dessert category. I think the combination of the flours really gives it that sandwich taste, in the best way possible.

If you don’t like jelly or jam you could always skip that part, but I will let you know that is what took the muffins to the next level of deliciousness for me. Everyone who tried these was a big fan and the recipe is definitely going in my make-again pile. If you like a classic PB&J you are going to go nuts for these muffins! See what I did there? 😄

Peanut Butter & Jelly Muffins

 

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Yield: 12 muffins

Ingredients

• ⅔ cup whole wheat flour
• ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter, divided
• 1 cup whole milk
• ½ cup packed light brown sugar
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• ¾ cup honey-roasted peanuts, finely chopped
• 1 cup strawberry jelly or jam

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F then line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners and set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, sift together both flours, baking powder and salt.
3. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together ⅓ cup of the peanut butter, milk, brown sugar, melted butter, vanilla and eggs until combined. Stir in the flour mixture until just combined.
4. Divide the batter between the prepared muffin cups. Fill them about ¾ of the way full. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the tops are lightly browned. Cool the muffins for 5 minutes in the pan then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
5. Once the muffins are cool, use a melon baller or a teaspoon to scoop out a small, shallow hole in the center of each muffin. Place the chopped peanuts on a small plate. In a small microwave-safe bowl, microwave the remaining ⅔ cup of peanut butter until melted. Start with 20 seconds and then microwave in additional 10 second increments if needed. Dip the top of the muffin in the melted peanut butter, let the excess drip off, then dip into the chopped peanuts. Repeat with the rest of the muffins. Spoon about 1 heaping teaspoon of strawberry jelly or jam into the shallow hole in each muffin. Repeat for the remaining muffins then let set for 5 minutes before serving.

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Recipe from January/February 2018 issue of Food Network Magazine.

Some of the links above are affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission for my referral. This does not affect the retail cost of the item. Thank you for supporting Lemon & Mocha!

Lauren Uncategorized 2 Comments

I always have endless ideas for dinner, but when it comes to lunch I am constantly in need of new recipes. Over the last year, I’ve found myself searching “healthy lunch recipes” on Google and Pinterest so many times that I figured other people might be searching for the same thing. Especially with school starting back up for a lot of families out there, now seemed like the perfect time to share some of my go-to lunches. So here we are! I’ve put together a list of my fifteen favorite healthy lunches that I meal prep for Matt and I. A lot of these can do double-duty as a light dinner. All the recipes below can be made ahead of time, which for me is a key criteria for a lunch meal. We have a set of glass meal prep containers from Amazon that we love and that you’ll see in a few of the photos below.

1. Sheet Pan Chicken Fajita Bowls
Is there anything better than meal-prepping all on the same sheet pan? These fajita bowls are loaded with chicken, peppers, onions, brown rice, black beans and a quick guacamole. No marinating required.

2. Strawberry Kale Salad with Goat Cheese & Pecans
Kale salads are a game-changer for making meals ahead of time since you toss the greens with the dressing well before eating. If you think you aren’t a kale fan, you probably haven’t had it properly prepared. My recipe has plenty of tips to make sure your kale is just right before loading it up with fresh strawberries, creamy goat cheese and crunchy pecans. Feel free to add some grilled chicken if you don’t want to go meatless.

3. Barbecue Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Ultimate healthy comfort food right here. In under 15 minutes you will have a healthy BBQ sauce that has no refined sugar and is much lower in sodium than any store-bought brand. Best served smothered over juicy shredded chicken, a tender sweet potato and the perfect amount of melted cheese.

4. Open-Faced Chicken Salad Sandwiches
I couldn’t write up a list of lunch ideas and not include a sandwich! Typically, I don’t think of sandwiches when I think of healthy, but I snuck a few tricks into this recipe to really lighten it up. The base of the chicken salad is nonfat Greek yogurt, but I promise you will not even notice the change since I’ve loaded so many crunchy and delicious goodies into the chicken salad as well.

5. Southwest Turkey Baked Egg Rolls with an Avocado Dipping Sauce
If you read my blog regularly or follow me on Instagram, you will know that I am obsessed with this dish. These flavor packed egg rolls are stuffed with ground turkey, spinach and corn before being baked to crispy perfection.

6. Roasted Veggie Hummus Wraps
If you have never had hummus with roasted vegetables you are missing out! This recipe includes my favorite combination of red bell peppers, zucchinis, eggplant and cremini mushrooms. Make sure you read my tips for grocery shopping for a healthy wrap.

7. Mini Eggplant Pizzas
Forget the cauliflower pizza craze – zesty sauce and melty mozzarella on a meaty roasted eggplant slice is where it’s at! This quick meal could not be more simple, which is great because you are going to want it again and again.

8. FitMiss Delight Protein Powder
I want to accurately share all our favorite go-to healthy lunches so I am including this FitMiss protein powder. I think eating whole foods is very important, but sometimes you just need a quick meal and don’t feel like prepping something to eat. I have tried a lot of shake mixes and the FitMiss Delight is my absolute favorite. It mixes super smooth and the taste is great. I mix mine into nonfat milk for some added calories, protein and calcium, but other people I know mix it into almond milk. The chocolate and the vanilla chai are both equally good in my opinion. I know a bunch of people that used to do the Shakeology brand shakes and switched over to FitMiss because the flavor and affordability was so much better. You can buy the powder on Amazon, although sometimes I see it in the pharmacy or supplement stores. Here is the blender bottle that I use. I see them at Marshalls and TjMaxx by the fitness equipment all the time.

9. Sesame Peanut Noodles with Chicken
Noodles – check. Juicy chicken – check. Loads of veggies – check. A creamy and addictive sesame peanut sauce to drizzle over the whole dish – definite check.

10. Chicken Cobb Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing
Cobb salad gets a bad rap as being unhealthy, but I’ve made a few adjustments so that you can enjoy it guilt free. The main swap is the homemade avocado dressing. It’s super creamy from the avocado and uses just 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil per serving.

11. Baked Pesto Turkey Meatballs over Lemon Cauliflower Rice
Pesto gets baked right into the turkey meatballs to pack a big punch of flavor and juiciness. Serve them with some green veggies over a quick lemon cauliflower rice and you will never notice your lunch is carb-free.

12. Three Bean & Roasted Cauliflower Salad
I love this salad in the summertime. It’s colorful, packed with protein and full of healthy veggies. Forget the weekend barbecue – keep this one all to yourself for healthy lunches all week long.

13. Greek Chicken Bowls
Greek chicken, cous cous, a quick cucumber salad and an easy yogurt sauce come together for a healthy lunch that will have your coworkers jealous.

14. Roasted Vegetable Quinoa Tahini Bowls
Yes, I have a thing for roasted veggies, but they are a great – and super easy – way to bring a lot of flavor to your vegetables. Matt and I had this lunch on repeat last winter mostly because the tahini dressing is out-of-this-world tasty. If you don’t want to go vegetarian, toss in some rotisserie chicken as well.

15. Peanut Butter Strawberry Wrap
Finally, I’m ending on a slight twist of a classic peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Load a healthy wrap up with your favorite nut butter and fresh berries – we prefer strawberries – and you will be one happy luncher. Don’t forget the carrot and celery sticks!

I hope these recipes provided plenty of inspiration to eat healthy all week long! Let me know if you try any of them in the comments below.

Lauren Uncategorized 0 Comments

Loco Moco Tacos! The name just sounds fun and I promise you it’s super tasty as well. Traditionally, loco moco is a Hawaiian comfort food dish composed of white rice, a ground beef patty, a fried egg and gravy. This version stays pretty true to the classic except we’re swapping out the brown gravy for a quick homemade teriyaki sauce.

In the fall of 2016, Matt and I went to California for our one year anniversary. On our way from Los Angeles to Anaheim we went to the Venice and Santa Monica beaches for the day. I scoped out all the food ahead of time so we went right to Komodo in Venice, which is an Asian fusion restaurant known for their tacos and burritos. I ordered a few different tacos and one of them was their loco moco taco – and of course I got a picture.

All of the tacos were really good, but there was something about the loco moco taco that had me thinking about it even two years later. I can definitely see why it’s considered comfort food; the combination is so simple, but it feels familiar and decadent.

The teriyaki sauce is salty, sweet and sticky, which goes really well over the mini beef burgers and steamed white rice.

The best part is when the runny yolk drips down and smothers everything with richness. Actually, the best part is that the whole thing is a taco! Comfort food wrapped up in a warm tortilla – perfect for Taco Tuesday!

I still want to try the original version of loco moco with the gravy, but for now I’m definitely into this teriyaki loaded taco. Have you ever had loco moco?

Loco Moco Tacos

 

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Yield: 4 servings, 8 mini tacos

Ingredients

for the teriyaki sauce

• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons water
• ½ cup water
• 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon ginger powder

for the tacos

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• ¼ cup minced onion
• 1 pound ground beef (80% or 85% lean)
• ½ tablespoon butter
• 8 eggs
• 8 6-inch flour or corn tortillas, warmed
• 1 cup cooked white rice
• 1 scallion, thinly sliced
• Salt and pepper

Directions

for the teriyaki sauce

1. In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of water until the cornstarch dissolves. Set aside.
2. Heat the ½ cup water, soy sauce, honey, rice wine vinegar, garlic powder and ginger powder in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk until combined. Whisk in the cornstarch mixture and continue to whisk and cook until the sauce has thickened. Remove from the heat.

for the tacos

1. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion until soft and translucent. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the sautéed onions and ground beef. Form the mixture into 8 mini same-sized patties. Press a small thumb impression into the center of each, this keeps the patties from bulging in the middle when you cook them, then season both sides of each patty with salt and pepper.
3. Heat your skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the patties for 3 minutes, flip, then cook for another 4 minutes, or longer based on desired doneness. Bobby Flay recommends an internal temperature of 145 degrees F for a perfect burger., which comes out medium, although the USDA recommends 160 degrees F for ground beef. We always follow Bobby Flay’s recommendation, but cook to whatever temperature you prefer or are comfortable with.
4. Time to make the sunny side up fried eggs. Heat the butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Crack the eggs into the pan when it’s hot; I would recommend doing no more than 4 at a time. Season with salt and pepper. Let cook just until the whites are set then remove from the pan. If desired, use a round biscuit cutter or cookie cutter to make the fried eggs into little rounds for your tacos.
5. Taco assembly time! Spoon some steamed white rice, about 2 tablespoons onto your warmed tortilla. Top with a cooked mini burger patty, followed by a drizzle of teriyaki sauce and some sliced scallions. Repeat, eat, enjoy!

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Lauren Uncategorized 4 Comments

Yes, this recipe literally is strawberries and peanut butter, or the nut butter of your choice, wrapped inside a tortilla. Yes, I realize you probably don’t need a recipe to create that. Yes, I did go ahead and post it anyways. The reason is that I’m always looking for new lunch ideas for Matt and I. I like switching up my meals a lot because a) there’s so many different meals out there to try and b) I get bored of having the same thing all the time. I figured other people on here might also be looking for some lunch or snack-time inspiration so here we are!

Peanut butter and jelly is such a good classic combination, but sometimes I’m a little hesitant to use jelly because of all the added sugar and ingredients. That’s where the fresh strawberries come in. You still get the taste of a peanut butter and strawberry jelly sandwich without all the additional ingredients. This simple Strawberry Peanut Butter Wrap is just a starting point – you can completely change yours up to whatever suits your preferences or mood. You all know I love a good recipe with the possibility for options!

I think it’s safe to say that I currently have a butter addiction. I’m not talking about actual butter though; I’m talking about nut and seed butters. Right now in our kitchen cabinets we have creamy peanut butter, peanut butter with flax and chia seeds, crunchy almond butter and dark chocolate sunflower seed butter (my favorite!). There’s also cookie butter, but that’s for special occasions. This wrap could be made with whichever nut or seed butter you want. You could even combine a couple! Okay, mind blown. Anyways, you can also switch up the fruit, but I think berries like raspberries or blackberries would taste best in this wrap. If you want to get a little extra you could always add in a little granola.

If you are a peanut butter and jelly fan then you are going to love the Food Network Magazine’s September muffins that I’ll be sharing next Friday!

Strawberry Peanut Butter Wraps

 

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Yield: 1 serving

Ingredients

• 1 whole wheat tortilla
• Nut or seed butter of choice
• 5 small-medium quartered strawberries

Directions

1. If your tortilla is going to be too stiff to roll without breaking, place it on a plate under a damp paper towel and microwave for 10 seconds.
2. Spread some nut or seed butter on the tortilla to completely cover one side. Place your cut strawberries on the bottom edge of the tortilla then roll it up.

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 Some of the links above are affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission for my referral. This does not affect the retail cost of the item. Thank you for supporting Lemon & Mocha!

Lauren Uncategorized 2 Comments