Tilapia with Rice and Salad

Dill Rice

INGREDIENTS

-brown rice

-lots of fresh dill

-big handful of raw sunflower seeds

-S&P

-butter or olive oil

1. Cook rice until done, stir in a few teaspoons of butter, or a few gluts of olive oil.

Also stir in lots of finely chopped dill and a large pinch of S&P

Tilapia with Cilantro

INGREDIENTS

-tilapia fillets

-cilantro

-butter

-sesame oil

-S&P

-juice of 1 lime

1. First place fish fillets in a shallow bowl, cover in a few table spoons of sesame oil,

and the lime juice.

2. Finally chop a large handful of cilantro, and mash with some sesame oil, and S&P.

3. Heat non-stick pan and add a bit of a butter and bit of sesame oil. pan fry the fish about 4 min each side

until done through, and flakes of easily.

4. When you plate it up just spoon big scoops of the cilantro on top of each fillet!

Roasted Beet Salad

INGREDIENTS

-2-3 chopped, peeled beets

-spinach and arugula

-red pepper

-broccoli

-green onion

-goat cheese

-cashews

-olive oil

-balsamic

-1 clove garlic

-soy sauce

-1/2 tsp sugar

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel and chop beets, then place in a shallow baking dish, toss with a few splashes of balsamic, and olive oil.  Roast for 15-25 min until nicely browned and soft.

2. To make the dressing put in 2/3cup olive oil, 1/3 cup balsamic, then add a splash of soy sauce, 1 clove garlic crushed, and the sugar. I usually do this in a mason jar so I can give it a really good shake, and also store the leftover in the fridge easily!

3. Chop all the veggies and put in big salad bowl with spinach and arugula. Toss with a good amount of the dressing, top with beets once they have cooled a bit, then sprinkle goat cheese and cashews over top!

Fish Cakes

RECIPE TO FOLLOW

(It includes bacon and almonds)

raw zuchinni pasta, and almond cherry tom tartlet

the pasta

1 zucchini

1 large carrot

1 bunch asparagus

1 bunch fresh basil

big handful pine nuts

5-6 chopped sundried tomotoes

2 green onions

the sauce

1 cup soaked raw cashews

the juice from 1-2 lemons

6-7 fresh basil leaves

1 clove garlic

S&P

1tbsp miso paste

1. Soak the cashews for a couple hours before you start making this recipe. Put all sauce ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth, add a bit of water if its too thick.

2. Using a spriralizer turn the zucchini and the carrot into "pasta", chop up the rest of the veggies, and toss together in a large bowl. Toss with a spoonful of the sauce at a time until coated nicely.Top with pine nuts!

the filling

1 pack cherry toms

1 wheel goat brie

1 bunch fresh basil

a few tablespoons good balsamic 

the crust

1 1/2 cup almond meal

1 tbsp water

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup flaxseed oil

1 tbsp chopped rosemary

a few grinds black pepper

1. Start with the crust, preheat oven to 350. Mix together all ingredients until moist,

and push into tartlet dishes (i spray with something non-stick so the come out easier)

Get tomatoes into a roasting pan and drizzle with olive oil.

Place both tomatoes and tart shells in oven.

Take out tart shells after 15-20 min when golden brown.

Let cool for a few min while tomatoes finish off.

2. Slice up the brie, and the basil.

3. Lay slices of brie across the tart shells, top with roasted tomatoes, place back in oven for 2-3 min to melt cheese, then top with chopped basil and drizzle with balsamic.

Baby Clam Fried Rice

Recipe to Follow

Phad Thai

Phad Thai

Ingredients

for cooking

-snap peas

-red pepper

-green onions

-2-3 cloves garlic

-1 thai chili

-2-3 chicken breast/or 1 pack tofu

-1 pack rice wide rice noodles

for garnish

-bean sprouts

-cilantro

-thai basil

-raw peanuts(chopped)

-plain yoghurt

The Sauce

-1/4 cup soy sauce

-3-4 tbs tamarind concentrate

-1 tbsp brown sugar

-1/4 cup rice vinegar

-1/4 cup hoisin sauce

-2 tbsp fish sauce

-2 limes squeezed in

(all of these measurements are approximate

I always do this to taste)

1. I always start by putting all ingredients for sauce on low in a small saucepan,

and let simmer while I get everything else ready.  Also get out a big bowl and put the whole pack of rice noodles in with really hot water.

2. Then chop all the veggies and everything for garnish.

I always put each garnish in a small bowl and put in the middle of the table.

3. Then slice of chicken or tofu, and garlic and chillies. Heat up large wok

to medium high, pour in a little sesame oil and a little olive oil, toss in garlic and chlies,

toss for 20 sec, then throw in chicken or tofu.

Cook for 4-5 min, then toss and cook for 2-3 more min till cooked through.

4. While the chicken is cooking poor boiling water over the noodles, leave for a min or 2 then strain. 

5. Toss all veggies in with the chicken, pour over the sauce that had been simmering,

then pour in all of the rice noodles.

Use tongs to toss gently, rice noodles are delicate, if you stir to much they will turn a little mushy. Once everything seems coated with the sauce, turn heat off and serve up!

6. Top with all of the garnishes and enjoy!

DEEP FRIED ENOKI MUSHROOMS

this is what they look like without the crispy pants

Coconut and Cardamon Panna Cotta with Roasted Coconut and Strawberries

If you have never had Panna Cotta you are in for a whole new category of mouth feel.  It is a pudding that made babies with a jello, in an indian restaurant....in the summer.  That about explains it perfectly.  I had this yesterday and a couple of the poeple I was with didn't like it. the texture was too off for them.  I however stood up and yelled  "bingo".  It is easy, and cheap,...have a go.

I took this recipe from www.thefoodinmybeard.com 

1 cup cream
1 can coconut milk
½ cup sugar
About 20 pods of cardamom
3 tablespoons water
2 ½ teaspoons gelatin
Coconut Flakes

Heat the cream, coconut milk, sugar, and cardamom(open the pods and add the seeds inside only) until simmering. Allow to cook about 5 minutes stirring often. meanwhile mix the water and gelatin. Pour the cream mixture through a strainer over the water and gelatin. Stir to combine well. Pour into greased and sugared ramekins and refrigerate 2-3 hours. To unmold, run a knife around the edges and flip onto a plate. Top with toasted coconut flakes and serve.

Chicken Mole with Dirty Rice

Chicken Mole is a crazy Mexican taste sensation that is so unique.  It is like the first time you taste Curry and you say, were have you been all my life...were is t he washroom.  With Mole it blows your mind that you can eat chocolate with Chicken and call it Mexican.  It is super dark chocolate so it is rich and roasty not sweet.  Add some heat to it and it is an unbelievable flavour combination that in so unique.  I want to cook this for someone who has never had it and watch the look on their face when they taste it.  I will post that too.

This is a recipe in this months FOOD & DRINK from the LCBO, a must have, it is loaded with great recipes, and it is free.  Many of the recipes I'm trying form it are adaptations as I am always missing something.  This one is no exception, but it turned out incredible. So this is my version.


MOLE SAUCE
2 dried Ancho Chilies (I substituted good chill powder with some Chipotle peppers)
3 tbsp slivered Almonds ( roasted till light brown)
1 medium tomatoe, cored and chopped ( I used 6 Cherry tomatoes)
Oil
1 Small Onion
3 Cloves of Garlic
1/2 tblsp of Cumin and oregano (dried)
1 cup chicken stock
2 tbsn Raisins
1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest
1/4 cup good equality 90% dark chocolate (don't substitute this for anything but dark)
salt and Pepper


THE SEARED CHICKEN
2 breasts for the chicks and 6 thighs for the guys.
oil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 1/4 of chill powder, salt and pepper


DIRECTIONS


if you have the chillies fry in oil then add boiling water and soak for 30 minutes.
if you don't don't worry, I substituted later.


in dry skillet fry tomatoes till skin turn brown, careful not to burn
they should start smelling amazing, then remove
in same after tomatoes removed  cook onions till soft
add garlic, cumin and oregano cook till fragrant, 30 seconds.
return tomatoes and add stock raisins, and orange zest.  Bring it all to a boil and scrape up the bits from the bottom. 


Add the chocolate pieces and stir as it melts, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes till tomato is softened.


put in the blender with ground roasted almonds, and blend till fairly smooth,
This is were you would seed the chillies if you had them and add to blender.
what I did as I didn't have Ancho Chillies, I added 1.5 tblsn of chilli powder and 1/2 teaspoon of chipotle powder, you could add chipotle peppers or something really smoky to make taste amazing.  I also added a pinch of smoked pepper just in case it wasn't smoky enough




put in sauce pan and set aside till chicken is done


Lay the chicken out and cover with the oregano, chill, salt and pepper,
add oil to pan, get nice and hot and fry till they look amazing,
should only have to flip once.




when done, re heat the sauce and place it up.


I will add the recipe for the dirty rice in a bit.


amazing recipe, I will try it again with Ancho Chillies and tweak the recipe if I make any other changes.

GUMBO

CREAMY LEEKS

I see

 I see Leeks in the supermarket and they are beautiful, I just want to do something with them, I saw a similar recipe to this and thought I would try it. Definately a do again.

 

For the leeks

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped
• 3 leeks, washed and sliced
• 2 sprigs of thyme, leaves only
• half a cup lactose free sour cream
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
  Grainy mustard
  fresh dill

1. For the leeks, heat the oil and butter in a pan and sauté the garlic with the leek and thyme leaves for 3-4 minutes, to soften.
   
2. Stir in the sour cream and parsley, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for a further 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add 1 tablespoon grainy mustard
   
   For the croutons, I used Udi's Gluten Free bread, and covered it with garlic oil, fried it then chopped it up, It gives the creamed Leeks a wonderful crunch.