Cabbage Rolls

 Ingredients

• Tbsp. canola oil
• 1 small (about 6 oz.) yellow onion, chopped (1 1/4 cups)
• 1 small (about 6 oz.) red bell pepper, finely chopped (1 cup)
• 1 large (about 2 oz.) celery stalk, finely chopped (1/2 cup)
• 1 Tbsp. minced garlic
• 2 cups beef stock
• 1 Tbsp. tomato paste
• 1 (15-oz.) can crushed tomatoes
• 3 tsp. Creole seasoning, divided
• Woozie to taste
• ACV
• 1 (2-lb.) head cabbage, cored
• 8 oz. ground pork sausage
• 8 oz. 90/10 lean ground beef
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 cup cooked long-grain white rice (or cauli rice)
• Finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high. Add onion, bell pepper, and celery; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in stock, tomato paste, tomatoes, and 2 teaspoons of the Creole seasoning; bring to a boil over medium-high. Reduce to a simmer over medium-low, and cook, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened slightly and flavors have melded, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove sauce from heat, and set aside.
2. Place cabbage in another large pot, cored side up, and fill with water to cover cabbage by 2 to 3 inches; bring to a boil over high. Reduce heat to medium to maintain a simmer, and cook until cabbage leaves are softened, about 5 minutes. Using tongs, transfer cabbage to a cutting board. Remove the 10 largest leaves; place on paper towels, and pat dry, reserving remaining leaves for another use. Cut out and discard ribs of leaves, leaving a “V” shape slit. Set cabbage leaves aside.
3. Place sausage, beef, egg, rice, 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce, and remaining 1 teaspoon Creole seasoning in a medium bowl; mix gently with clean hands or a fork until incorporated.
4. Evenly portion out filling into centers of cabbage leaves (about a heaping 1/4 cup per leaf). Shape each filling into a log (about 3 inches long and 1 inch wide). Starting at the base of each leaf where you cut the “V”, fold end of leaf over filling, then fold in sides. Roll each leaf like a burrito into a tight cylinder.
5. Place cabbage rolls in 2 side-by-side rows (5 rolls in each row) in a 13- x 9-inch baking dish.
6. Top cabbage rolls evenly with remaining 3 1/2 cups tomato sauce. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake in preheated oven until cabbage can be cut with a spoon, about 1 hour, 30 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes. Garnish with parsley before serving.

Garlic Butter Chicken and Mushrooms

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp butter, divided
• PINCH of salt, very small amount - but if using low sodium stock or unsalted butter, ok to use a little more salt
• 4 chicken thighs, bones removed (skinless or with skin OK)
• 6-10 cloves garlic, sliced in half or finely diced (I like big chunks of garlic but realize most don't)
• 8 oz cremini mushrooms, stems removed and wiped clean
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 pinch to 1 tsp red pepper flakes, depending on your desired spicy level
• 1/2 cup diced cilantro, optional
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Heat a heavy pan on medium high until very hot.
2. Add butter, swirl around pan, and let melt.
3. When butter is foamy and melted, add chicken thighs.
4. Very lightly salt chicken thighs (ONE pinch for all things - don't overdo it!)
5. Cook chicken thighs 5 minutes on each side, until lovely golden brown.
6. When chicken thighs are well browned, remove from pan - do not drain pan grease.
7. Add garlic to pan, stir well.
8. Add mushrooms to pan, stirring occasionally to keep mushrooms and garlic from burning.
9. Add second half of butter to pan, let melt.
10. Let garlic and mushrooms brown - about 4-6 minutes. Do not let garlic burn, reduce heat if needed.
11. Add red pepper flakes (add slowly according to your taste) and cilantro when chicken and mushrooms are lovely golden browned.
12. Add stock, lemon juice, and cheese.
13. Stir well, being sure to scrape up any browned bits from bottom of pan.
14. Bring to a boil, let reduce and thicken slightly for 2 minutes.
15. Add chicken thighs back to pan, let sauce reduce another 5-8 minutes, flipping chicken occasionally, until thick and chicken thighs are 165 internal temp.
16. Remove from pan and serve immediately!

Tuscan Salmon Skillet

Ingredients

• 1lb. (450g) salmon fillets
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon olive oil or unsalted butter
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika or more, to taste
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 Roma tomatoes, chopped
• 6 oz fresh spinach
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 1/2 cup (60ml) vegetable or chicken stock (or dry white wine)
• 2 tablespoons high-quality olive oil, optional

Instructions

1. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a large skillet, on medium-low heat. Add the salmon fillets, red pepper flakes, paprika, Italian seasoning, and salt in the skillet and cook salmon on medium heat on both sides, until salmon is cooked through – about 5 minutes. Remove salmon fillets from the skillet and set them aside on a plate.
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3. In the same skillet over medium heat, add tablespoon olive oil or melt 1 tablespoon butter. Add garlic and chopped onion and cook gently until fragrant and translucent. Add chopped tomatoes, chopped fresh basil leaves, fresh spinach, and vegetable or chicken stock (or white wine). Cook on medium heat for about 3 – 5 minutes until spinach wilts just a little and tomatoes release some of their juice. Adjust seasoning, if needed.
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5. Add cooked salmon back to the skillet to reheat quickly. Drizzle with good quality olive oil just before serving, for extra taste. Serve the Tuscan garlic salmon immediately, enjoy!

Cabbage and Sausage Skillet

Ingredients

• 1 (12 ounce) package of smoked sausage
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 4 cups cabbage, chopped into bite size pieces
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Instructions

1. Heat a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Spray with cooking spray or add 1 teaspoon of olive oil.
2. Brown the sliced smoked sausage until lightly crisp.
3. Remove sausage from skillet and set aside.
4. Add butter, garlic, chopped cabbage, and spices and stir well.
5. Fry cabbage to your desired tenderness. If you would like more crunch this will take 3-4 minutes. If you like your cabbage very tender it will cook closer to 10 minutes.
6. When the cabbage reaches your desired texture, add the cooked sausage and stir until heated through.

Harissa Portabello Tacos

Ingredients

• 1 pound (450g) portobello mushrooms
• 1/4 cup (60g) spicy harissa, or use a mild harissa
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 6 collard green leaves

Guacamole

• 2 medium ripe avocados
• 2 tablespoons chopped tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons chopped red onion
• 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons lemon or lime juice
• pinch of salt
• 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

Optional Toppings

• cashew cream
• chopped tomatoes
• chopped cilantro

Instructions

1. Remove the stem of the portobellos. Rinse mushrooms and pat dry.
2. Mix harissa, 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, cumin, and onion powder in a bowl. Brush each mushroom with the harissa mixture, making sure to cover the edges of the mushroom as well. Let mushroom marinade for 15 minutes.
3. While the mushrooms are marinating, prepare guacamole. Halve and pit the avocados and scoop out the flesh. Mash avocados and mix in chopped tomatoes, red onion, lemon (or lime) juice, salt, and cilantro. Set aside.
4. Rinse collard greens. Chop off the tough stems and set aside.
5. When the mushrooms are done marinating, heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet or sauté pan over medium-high heat. Place the portobello mushrooms in the pan and cook for 3 minutes. Flip over and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Each side should be browned.
6. Turn off the heat and let the mushrooms rest for 2 to 3 minutes before slicing.
7. Take a collard green leaf and fill it with a few slices of portobello. Add guacamole, chopped tomatoes, cashew cream, and cilantro to your liking.

Verdict - TASTY!!! I also used chicken in this recipe (separate from the mushrooms) and it was phenomenal. My only addition would be salt, this needed salting.

Chahan (Pork Fried Rice)

 Ingredients

• 1/2 head of medium cauliflower
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cloves garlic chopped
• 100 g pork belly
• 2 mini green capsicums
• 2 spring onions
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
• 1 tsp black sesame seeds
• 1 tsp pickled ginger

Instructions

Prepare the caulirice

1. Chop the cauliflower into florets.
2. Place in a food processor and pulse until it forms rice sized granules. Don’t go too far or you’ll end up with cauliflower mash instead!
3. Heat some oil in a frying pan (or wok) add the cauliflower and saute over a medium heat for about 5 minutes, until cooked. Remove from pan and set aside.

Prepare the fried rice

1. Next, prepare your omelette by beating the eggs and adding to your frying pan. Swirl the mixture around to create a thin omelette. When cooked through, flip and cook an additional minute. Remove from pan and set aside.
2. Add your garlic to the frying pan and once fragrant, add the pork belly. While it’s cooking, slice your omelette into small cubes.
3. Once the pork belly is cooked through, add the capsicum, half the spring onion and cook for an additional minute.
4. Next, add the cauliflower and egg back into the pan. Add in the soy sauce and stir thoroughly.
5. Cook over a high heat, until well combined and serve steaming hot.
6. Garnish with the remaining spring onions, sesame seeds and pickled ginger. Enjoy!

"Quick" Butter Chicken

 Ingredients:

• 1.5 lbs chicken breast cubed
• 2 tablespoons garam masala
• 3 teaspoons fresh ginger grated
• 3 teaspoons minced garlic
• 4 oz whole milk plain Greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil

Sauce:

• 2 tablespoons ghee or butter
• 1 onion
• 2 teaspoons fresh ginger grated
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 
  
• 14.5 oz can crushed tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• ½ tablespoon garam masala
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• ½ cup heavy cream
• Salt to taste

Optional for serving:

• minced cilantro
• cauliflower rice
• sliced fresh jalapeños

Instructions

1. Cut chicken into 2-inch pieces and place in a large bowl with 2 tablespoons garam masala, 1 teaspoon grated ginger, and 1 teaspoon minced garlic. Add in the yogurt, stir to combine. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill at least 30 minutes.
2. For the sauce, place the onion, ginger, garlic, crushed tomatoes and spices in a blender, and blend until smooth. Set aside.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place the chicken along with the marinade in the skillet, browning 3 to 4 minutes per side. Once browned, pour in the sauce cook and 5 to 6 minutes longer.
4. Stir in the heavy cream and ghee, continue to cook another minute. Taste for salt and add additional if needed. Top with cilantro and serve with cauliflower rice if desired.

Creamy Tuscan Chicken

 INGREDIENTS

• 1½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts thinly sliced
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon italian seasoning
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
• 1 cup spinach chopped
• 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a large skillet add olive oil and cook the chicken on medium high heat for 3-5 minutes on each side or until brown on each side and cooked until no longer pink in center. Remove chicken and set aside on a plate.
2. Add the heavy cream, chicken broth, garlic powder, italian seasoning, and parmesan cheese. Whisk over medium high heat until it starts to thicken. Add the spinach and sundried tomatoes and let it simmer until the spinach starts to wilt. Add the chicken back to the pan and serve over pasta if desired.

Verdict - not bad. I need to play with this a bit. It was wet and even though I used dried sun dried tomatoes, they released a ton of grease in the recipe (as they do). I opted for plant cream instead of heavy cream because we're lactose intolerant and it was a good sub, but the sauce never really thickened and just got greasy because of the tomatoes. Not bad overall but I did triple the spinach (probably contributed to the wetness). I may play around and try pounded chicken breasts instead of strips.

Chicken Tikka Masala

Ingredients

Chicken Marinade

• 300 grams Chicken , cut into small size pieces
• 1/2 cup Curd (Dahi / Yogurt)
• 1 teaspoon Cumin powder (Jeera)
• 1-1/2 teaspoon Coriander Powder (Dhania)
• 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric powder (Haldi)
• 1 inch Ginger , finely chopped
• 6 cloves Garlic , finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon Red Chilli powder
• 1 tablespoon Kasuri Methi (Dried Fenugreek Leaves)
• Salt , as required

Tikka masala gravy

• 1 Onion
• 1 Tomato
• 5 Cashew nuts
• 1 teaspoon Cumin powder (Jeera)
• 1 teaspoon Coriander Powder (Dhania)
• 1 Cloves (Laung)
• 1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon Powder (Dalchini)
• 1/4 teaspoon Cardamom Powder (Elaichi)
• 1/2 cup Fresh cream
• 1 tablespoon Butter (Unsalted)
• Oil , as required
• Salt , to taste

Instructions

1. Make the marinade: in a mixing bowl, combine yogurt, cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, ginger, garlic, chili powder, kasuri methi and salt along with the chicken. Allow the chicken to marinate for a minimum of 30 minutes. 
2. Once the chicken is marinated, in a pan, add a teaspoon of oil and cook marinated chicken pieces until they are cooked well for about 8 minutes. The chicken pieces should be juicy and tender.
3. Cooking chicken for an extended time will make them hard and rubbery. Do not add water.
4. The next step is to make the tikka masala gravy. 
5. Heat a teaspoon of oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook until they become translucent. 
6. Add tomatoes and cook them for about two minutes. Add cashews and toss them for a minute. Allow the onion tomato masala to cool down.
7. Once it cools down, grind onion, tomato, and cashew into a fine paste.
8. Heat a kadai/wok with a tablespoon of butter. Once the butter melts, add cloves, cinnamon powder, and cardamom powder and saute until aroma comes out.
9. Add cumin powder and coriander powder and combine them well.
10. Add the onion-tomato-cashew puree to the pan, combine them well and saute for few minutes.
11. Crush kasuri methi with your hand and add to the tikka masala gravy. Add the marinated chicken pieces, required amount of salt and cream. Toss the chicken tikka masala well so that they are combined well.
12. Simmer the chicken tikka masala for about 5 minutes. If the tikka masala is of thicker consistency, adjust addition of water according to your requirements.
13. Switch off heat and garnish the chicken tikka masala with coriander leaves and it is ready to be served.
14. Serve Chicken Tikka Masala with Dhaba Style Spicy Ghee Rice Recipe Made From Whole Spices or Butter Garlic Naan Recipe (Garlic Flavoured Flat Bread) and Pickled onions for a complete Weekend dinner.

Jamaican Rice and Peas

 

Ingredients

• 50g / 3 tbsp unsalted butter (or 2 tbsp canola or veg oil)
• 2 garlic cloves , finely minced
• 1 small onion , finely chopped
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp all spice powder (sub mixed spice)
• 2 bay leaves , preferably fresh
• 1 scotch bonnet or habanero chilli - any colour (optional), keep whole (Note 1)
• 2 x 400g / 14oz cans red kidney beans , drained (Note 2)
• 1 x 400 ml / 14oz coconut milk , full fat (Note 3)
• 1 cup water
• 1 tsp cooking salt
• 2 cups long grain white rice (Note 4)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F (180°C fan).
• Sauté aromatics - Melt butter over medium-high heat in a medium or large ovenproof pot (Note 5). Cook garlic, onion, thyme, all spice, bay leaves, scotch bonnet until onion is translucent (~ 3 minutes).
• Add coconut milk, water, beans and salt. Once it comes to a simmer, add rice then give it a quick stir. Once you see bubbles breaking the surface, immediately cover then transfer to oven.
• Bake for 40 minutes. All liquid should be absorbed (tilt to check) though you will have some coconut cream on the surface.
• Rest - Leave the pot on the counter with the lid on for 15 minutes. Then fluff and serve!