Soups and Milkshakes – My Wisdom Teeth Diet

Tags

Apple soup, banana, fall soups, healing, mango, potato soup, recovery, soft diet, soups, squash soup, tomato soup, Wisdom teeth, wisdom teeth recipes

Three Fall Soups and Strawberry Honey Yogurt 

 

While I have been lounging on the couch in a haze of meds, recovering from having my wisdom teeth extracted (yes, this late in life), Joe has been making and handing me some amazing food I can still eat while recovering. His parents sent recently sent us a great supply of homegrown garlic, onions, squash, potatoes, and canned tomatoes and I’m pretty impressed by how he managed to make use of them in these soups.

 

Roasted Garlic and Potato Soup with Rosemary

 

This Roasted Garlic and Potato Soup with Rosemary is absolutely delicious. The garlic adds such a strong, beautiful flavor to the soup. I think I prefer this over the potato leek soup we have made before. It has a thick consistency and gravy like flavors. It’s also pretty simple and quick to make. Here is the recipe Joe used, minus the rosemary which can go in towards the end.

 

Golden Nugget Squash Soup with Apples and Sage

 

This Golden Nugget Squash Soup with Apple and Sage has all the fall flavors I love. I wasn’t sure if I would like it as much because it has cinnamon and apple in it but it is definitely some of the best squash soup I’ve had. Here is the recipe for it.

 

Creamy Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup and an English Muffin Bread Grilled Cheese Sandwich

 

My favourite of the three soups from this past week is this Creamy Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup. Probably because I had this the first day I could eat something solid and it was paired with an English Muffin Bread Grilled Cheese Sandwich. Here is the recipe for it.

Besides mashed potatoes, yogurt, and eggs, we have also been enjoying a lot of milkshakes – minus the ice cream. I love this concoction of fresh mangoes, cardamom, and milk:

 

Mango “Milkshake” – mangoes, cardamom, and milk

 

This works well with bananas too. Really refreshing and very helpful in taking away that feeling of nausea from the antibiotics and pain meds.

So, here it is – my wisdom teeth diet. I thought it was going to be bland and dreadful but I’ve really enjoyed it while healing. Fingers and toes crossed for a less stiff jaw and no dry sockets.

Haray Masalay Walay Koftay ( Pakistani Meatballs in Cilantro-Mint Yogurt Sauce)

Tags

Cilantro Mint Yogurt Sauce, Hara Masala, Koftay, Pakistani Dinners, Pakistani meatballs

Last night, I made Haray Masalay Walay Koftay — I don’t know how to translate that except Meat Balls in Green Sauce. It’s basically Pakistani meatballs, made with beef, roasted cumin, ginger, garlic, coriander, and cilantro amongst other things, in a Cilantro-Mint Yogurt Sauce. Excuse the picture quality — I didn’t think about posting this and was using just my phone.

A few notes about the recipe — I made it on the go and used spices we had on hand so feel free to use additional spices or play around with existing ones. You could use curry powder or rasl el hanout, ground cloves, etc. I also have a high tolerance for hot peppers so omit them or use less than the amounts I’ve listed, depending on your taste. I also saved some koftaa/meatballs to use in pita sandwiches with some jalapeño hummus — you can use them in variety of ways.

Here’s the recipe:

Haray Masalay Walay Koftay

Ingredients for the Meatballs

Ground Beef – 1 lb
Red onion, chopped finely – 1
Fresh Bread Crumbs – 2 cups (I took a few slices of white bread and pulsed them in the processor)
Garlic, minced – 2 TBSPN
Ginger, minced – 2 TBSPN
Roasted Cumin Seeds – 2 TSPN
Ground Cumin – 2 TSPN
Ground Red Chili Powder – 1 TSPN (or less if you want it less spicy)
Green chilies, minced – 2 (I used Thai green chilies — use less if you don’t want it to be spicy)
Ground coriander – 1.5 TSPN
Cilantro, chopped – 1 bunch
Roasted Fennel Seeds – 1 TSPN
Garam Masala – 1 TSPN
Lemon juice – 2 TSPN
Eggs, lightly beaten – 2
Salt and Pepper (to taste)
Oil for deep frying (I used Canola but you can use any with a high smoke point)

Ingredients for the Hara Masala (Green Sauce)

Yogurt (plain, Greek or full fat) – 3 cups
Red Onion, chopped – 1
Cilantro – 2 bunches
Mint – 1 bunch
Green chilies (I used Thai) – 2 (or less if you don’t want it spicy)
Dried Mango Powder – 1 TBSPN
Garlic, minced – 1 TBSPN
Ginger, minced – 1 TBSPN
Cumin – 2 TSPN
Salt and Pepper – to taste
Olive oil – 2 TBSPN

Directions for the Meatballs

In a bowl, mix all ingredients except the oil — use your hands and mix them well. Form meatballs out of the mixture.

In a deep pan or a wok, heat up enough oil to deep fry the meatballs. Make sure the oil is very hot.

Deep fry the meatballs until golden brown on the outside and cooked through (I tested one first to see how long it took).

Directions for the Sauce

In a blender, add the cilantro, mint, green chilies, garlic, ginger, salt, pepper, and yogurt and blend until the cilantro and mint are completely integrated and the sauce is a beautiful green colour.

In a deep pan, heat the olive oil and sautée the onions till they are soft and golden. Add the yogurt mixture and the cumin, and cook on medium low heat for about 8 to 10 minutes till the sauce is thick enough to cover the back of the spatula.

Add the meatballs to the sauce and serve over rice or with naan.

Christmas Brunch 2015

Brunch might be one of my favourite meals to host because of how limitless your options are when preparing a menu. This past Sunday, we hosted Joe’s family for Christmas brunch and decided to make a few different items that we could enjoy as leftovers for the next few days. Together, we made:

1) White Chocolate Scones with Raspberry Sauce

2) Caramelized Shallots, Mushroom, and Thyme Quiche with Gruyere

3) Breakfast Burritos with Cheesy Potatoes (Pioneer Woman Recipe)

4) Rotisserie Chicken Salad Sandwiches

5) Smoked Salmon on Homemade Crostini with Creme Fraiche and Chives

6) Bloody Mary’s (thanks M!), Mimosas, and Coffee

White Chocolate Chip Scones (served with Raspberry Sauce)

Quiche in the works — chopped thyme and Cheddar-Gruyere

Filling for the Quiche

Smoked Salmon on Homemade Crostini with Creme Fraiche and Chives

Caramelized Shallots, Mushroom, and Thyme Quiche with Gruyere

Cheesy Potatoes for Breakfast Burritos

Breakfast Burrito Bar

Here are the recipes for the quiche, scones, and the chicken salad:

Caramelized Shallots, Mushroom, and Thyme Quiche with Gruyere

(inspired by this and this quiche recipes)

Ingredients 

2 pie crusts (Store bought is ok, or you can use this recipe I used for the raspberry tart. Mine were 9″)
10 shallots, sliced
3 tbspn butter
1 tbspn brown sugar
1.5 cup white mushrooms, sliced
8 extra-large eggs
1 cup heavy cream
1.5 cup gruyere-cheddar cheese (or simply gruere)
1 tspn salt
1 tspn black pepper
2 tbspn chopped fresh thyme

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Melt 2 tbspn butter in a deep frying pan over medium heat and add the shallots. Stir until the shallots are coated and add the brown sugar. Stir frequently until the shallots are caramelized and brown in colour – about 15 minutes. Set aside. In the same pan, melt 1 tbspn butter on medium heat and add the mushrooms. Stir frequently till the mushrooms are softened, about 5 minutes.

In a bowl, whisk the eggs and the heavy cream with the salt and black pepper. Add the thyme, cheese, mushrooms, and caramelized shallots. Stir well. Fill the pie crusts with the filling. Cover with foil and bake in the 400 degree oven for 25 minutes. Take the foil off and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until the filling is firm. Let cool for 20 minutes before cutting through.

Note: Yields two quiches which are even better as leftovers!

White Chocolate Scones with Raspberry Sauce

(inspired by this cheesecake recipe and this orange-cranberry scones recipe)

Ingredients for the scones

3 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsbpn baking powder
5 TBSPN cold butter, diced
2 eggs
1 tspn salt
1 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup white chocolate chips

Ingredients for the raspberry sauce

1.5 cup fresh raspberries
1 cup water
1.5 tbspn sugar
1.5 tspn cornstarch

Directions for the scones

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

In an electric mixer, add flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder and mix on low speed. Add the pieces of butter (while still mixing on low speed) and mix until it resembles coarse crumbs. In a bowl, whisk the eggs and heavy cream together and add it to the electric mixer on low speed. Mix until the dough is formed, then add the white chocolate chips. Mix until the chocolate chips are well blended (you can also melt the chips slightly before adding — if the mixture is becomes less firm, add a little more until it is firm enough to roll out). Roll out the dough until it is about 1 inch thick. Use a cookie cutter to cut out the scones. Spread the scones on a cookie sheet over parchment paper and bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Serve with the raspberry sauce.

Directions for the raspberry sauce

Mix the water, sugar, and cornstarch in a small saucepan. Add the raspberries and cook on medium heat until the mixture comes to a boil. Lower the heat and let simmer for 3 to 5 minutes until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Pour the mixture through a strainer to strain the seeds out. Let cool before serving.

Note: Don’t fret if the chocolate chips turn brown — they are just as delicious!

Rotisserie Chicken Salad Sandwiches

Ingredients

2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
1/4 a medium red onion, chopped
1.5 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 tbspn lemon juice
1/2 tspn salt
1/4 tspn black pepper
2 tspn fresh tarragon, chopped
8 slices of white bread or croissants
4 leaves of lettuce (optional)
2 tbspn butter, softened

Directions

Mix all ingredients except the butter, bread,and lettuce in a large bowl. Spread 1/4 tbspn of butter on each of the slices of bread. Spread the chicken salad spread on four pieces, and top with lettuce and another slice of bread. Cut into four squares and serve at room temperature.

Hope you all have had a great holiday season!

Weeknight Meals: (Pesto Chicken) and Arugula Pizza + Fettuccine with Asparagus and Goat Cheese

Tags

pesto chicken arugula, pesto chicken fettuccine, pesto chicken pizza, roisserie chicken meals, rotisserie chicken, simple weeknight dinners

Pesto Chicken and Arugula Pizza

Pesto Chicken Fettuccine with Asparagus and Goat Cheese

I made both these dishes a while ago (at separate times) — when basil and asparagus were still in season. I know I will be very tempted to make them again this winter. I’m a big fan of store bought rotisserie chicken for convenience. I can usually get three to four meals out of one (for the two of us) and use the bones for stock for soups. My favourite place to get rotisserie chicken from in the twin cities is Kowalski’s. I’m always looking for simple, quick meals that I can assemble with whatever I have on hand and these two recipes basically came about because I had the ingredients lying around. If you read my blog, you’ll know I am a little obsessed with goat cheese — I always have it on hand — and few things taste better than goat cheese and pesto. Hope this doesn’t make you too nostalgic for the summer. Here are the recipes:

Pesto Chicken and Arugula Pizza

Ingredients

1 Pizza Crust (I used store bought – with cheese)

Quarter of a Rotisserie Chicken – shredded

Pesto – 3 Tablespoons

Arugula – 1 cup

Eggs – 2

Salt and Pepper – to taste

Directions

Heat the oven at 375 and throw in the pizza crust for 7 minutes. Once warm, spread the pesto all over the crust and top with the chicken and arugula. Fry the eggs, sunny side up, and place on top. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve with a crisp salad.

 

Pesto Chicken Fettuccine with Asparagus and Goat Cheese

Ingredients

Half of a Rotisserie Chicken – shredded

Asparagus – 1 bunch, cut into one inch pieces

Pesto – 1/2 cup

Fettuccine – 1 box

Goat Cheese – 5 oz

Garlic – 1 TSPN

Olive Oil – 1 TBSPN

 

Directions

Prepare Fettuccine according to instructions on the box. Set aside. In a wok, heat olive oil and add garlic. Saute for a minute and add the asparagus. Cook until the asparagus is done and add the chicken and pesto and stir well. Mix in the fettuccine and top with goat cheese. Serve warm or cold.

 

Cumin Beef in Honey Yogurt Sauce

Tags

beef dinner recipes, beef yogurt sauce, cumin beef, gluten free, honey beef, honey yogurt

Cumin Beef in Honey Yogurt Sauce & Basmati Rice with Peas

It’s hard to believe my last post, written just a month and a half ago, talks about an upcoming heat wave and 90 degree days. The season’s first snow is falling tonight and it was a good night for me to create this dish that I have been thinking about for the past few days. A little while ago, I discovered Greek God’s line of yogurt. I am late to the game but seriously – BEST yogurt I have ever had. My favourite flavour is Honey (I may or may not be having it for lunch almost everyday) and I really wanted to cook with it.

Cumin Beef in Honey Yogurt Sauce

I decided to keep it simple and turn to my spice of choice: cumin. The Beef rubbed with ginger, cumin, turmeric, and cardamon, and then marinated in honey yogurt for a few hours. Add that to golden brown onions (with garlic) and add some more yogurt. You’ll know it’s done when your home smells incredible. I had it with basmati rice with peas which hit the spot.

Basmati Rice with Peas

 

Here’s the recipe:

Cumin Beef in Honey Yogurt Sauce

Ingredients

Beef (Stew Meat) – 1 lbs
Onion – 1 large, sliced
Greek God’s Honey Yogurt (or any honey yogurt) – 12 oz.
Ginger – 1 TBSPN
Garlic – 1 TBSPN
Salt – 1 TSPN
Black Pepper – 1/2 TSPN
Cumin – 3/4 TBSPN
Cardamon – 1/2 TSPN
Turmeric – 3/4 TSPN
Olive Oil – 3 TSPN

Directions

Add the ginger, salt, black pepper, cumin, cardamon, and turmeric to the beef. Rub the spices onto the beef (I used my hands to mix everything together. A spoon doesn’t have the same effect.). Set aside for an hour. After an hour, whip the Greek God’s Honey yogurt and add half of it to the beef mixture. Set aside for now. In a pan, heat the olive oil and add the sliced onions. Coat the onions with the oil and stir occasionally till the onions are soft and golden. Add the beef mixture and stir well. Let cook for 10 minutes on medium heat. Add the other half of the yogurt and stir it in slowly. Cover and cook until the meat is done and the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of your spoon. Enjoy warm over rice.

How pretty is this tagine? I use it for serving sometimes. Thanks Lalrin and Tap!

The meat, before marination.

Onions in Olive Oil

In case you missed it, this is Cumin Beef in Honey Yogurt Sauce

Four Grain and Gluten Free Meals

Tags

easy dinners, gluten free, Gluten Free Dinners, grain free, quick dinners

When I saw that the heat wave was supposed to hit us for a whole week two weeks ago, I made a few quick and easy meals on a Sunday to avoid cooking through the week and still be able to eat home cooked food for lunch. Here are a few of those recipes:

Avocado and Lime Chicken Spread

Ingredients

Half a rotisserie chicken
2 Avocados
Half a lime
Salt and Pepper

Recipe

Shred the pieces of chicken. Mash avocados and add shredded chicken, lime juice, salt and pepper. Mix well. Serve with cucumbers or over a bed of lettuce.

 

Chicken Salad Spread

Ingredients

Half a rotisserie chicken
3 hard boiled eggs
Celery
Mayo
Sriracha
Salt and Pepper

Recipe

Shred the pieces of chicken. Chop the boiled eggs. Add the eggs, celery, mayo, sriracha, salt and pepper to the shredded chicken. Mix well. Roll up in a lettuce leaf and enjoy a delicious wrap!

 

Thai Chicken, Mushroom, and Lemongrass Soup (Slow Cooker version)

Ingredients

4 boneless chicken thighs – cut into 1 inch pieces
1 green bell pepper – chopped
1 cup mushrooms
2 stalks of lemongrass – MINCED
Half a lime
1 1/2 tspn chili paste
2 tspn ginger paste
1 tbpn garlic paste
2 tbspn fish sauce
1 can of coconut milk
1/2 cup of water
1/2 tspn salt

Directions

Add the chicken pieces to the slow cooker. In a bowl, stir the bell pepper, mushrooms, lemongrass, chili paste, ginger paste, garlic paste, fish sauce, juice of half a lime, coconut milk, water, and salt. Pour the mixture over the chicken. Cook on LOW for 8 hours.

 

Chicken Tikka Masala over Cauliflower Rice

Ingredients

(Chicken Tikka Masala)
6 chicken thighs
2 tbspn garlic, minced
1 tbpn ginger, minced
1 1/2 tbspn chicken tikka masala (I used Shaan — easily available at any grocery store. You can also use this recipe for a homemade mix)
1/2 a Lemon
2 tbspn garam masala
1 onion – chopped
3 tomatoes – diced
1 1/2 cup greek yogurt
1 cup heavy cream

(Cauliflower Rice)
1 head of cauliflower
Salt and Pepper
2 tbspn coconut oil

Directions

In a bowl, mix the chicken, garlic, ginger, lemon juice, yogurt and chicken tikka masala. Let the mixture sit for at least 30 minutes and upto 24 hours. In a saucepan, add the onions and the tomatoes and fry for five to eight minutes. Add the garam masala and fry for another five minutes. Add the chicken and yogurt mixture. Stir well and cook for fifteen minutes. Add the cream and cook for another ten minutes or until the sauce thickens.

De-stem the cauliflower and cut the florets into pieces small enough to go into a food processor. Pulse until grainy. Heat a few drops of coconut oil in frying pan. Add the cauliflower and salt and pepper. Cook for seven to ten minutes, until the cauliflower is dry.

Skillet Steaks with Rosemary Mushroom Cream Sauce & Sweet Potato Skins with Truffle Olive Oil

Tags

mushroom cream sauce, skillet steaks, sweet potato skins, truffle olive oil

Skillet Steaks with Rosemary Mushroom Cream Sauce

Ingredients

For the steaks:

6 oz Sirloin Steaks (grassfed preferred. room temperature for an hour before cooking) – 2
Butter – 2 TBSPN
Salt – 1/2 TSPN
Pepper – 1/4 TSPN

For the Rosemary Mushroom Cream Sauce:

Mushrooms (We used the regular white mushrooms but you can use shiitake if you like) – 2 cups
Butter – 4 TBSPN
Heavy Whipping Cream: 1 cup
Salt – 1/2 TSPN
Pepper – 1/2 TSPN
Rosemary – to taste

Directions

For the skillet steaks:

1. Rub the salt and pepper on the steaks and leave on a plastic cutting board for a half hour.
2. Heat butter in a cast iron skillet. Make sure it is really hot. Add the steaks and cook between a minute and a half to three minutes on each side, based on how you like them.
3. Cut the steaks into smaller pieces and set on a platter.

For the Mushroom Cream Sauce:

1. In a saucepan, melt the better and add the mushrooms.
2. When the mushrooms reach a golden brown colour, add the cream, salt, pepper, and rosemary.
3. Reduce the heat to medium low and stir often until the sauce thickens and sticks to the back of the spoon (about 7 to 10 minutes).
4. Spread the sauce over the steaks and garnish with more rosemary.

Sweet Potato Skins with Truffle Olive Oil and Rosemary

Ingredients

Skins of Sweet Potatoes – 2 cups
Truffle Olive Oil – 2 TBSPN
Rosemary – to taste
Salt and Pepper – to taste

Directions

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Mix all the ingredients and lay them out on a baking tray.
3. Bake for 20 minutes or until the skins are crispy.

Mother’s Day Tea Time Brunch – Watts Tea Shop Sunshine Cake and Other Delights

Tags

brunch ideas, entertaining ideas, george watts sunshine cake, george watts tea shop, mother's day brunch ideas, quinoa dates goat cheese, smoked salmon crepes with creme fraiche

Summer is finally here and it is hard to believe that we had snow covering the ground just two weeks ago. I officially kicked off summer with a Mother’s Day brunch for this past Sunday for my friend Annemarie. When she was younger, Annemarie used to visit Watts Tea Shop in Milwaukee with her nana for tea and loved their world famous Sunshine Cake and Mixed Olive-Nut Spread Sandwiches. So I decided to recreate that at home and prepared a menu fit for a tea time brunch. Here is what we had:

Mixed Olive-Nut Spread Sandwiches
Chicken Salad Sandwiches
Smoked Salmon Crepes with Creme Fraiche and Chives
Quinoa and Date Salad with Goat Cheese
Vegetable Quiche
Fresh Fruit
Trader Joe’s Flourless Chocolate Torte (as a back up to the Sunshine Cake – I was convinced I couldn’t make it)
Watts Tea Shop Sunshine Cake
Prosecco Mimosas
George Watts’ Breakfast Tea
Coffee

Excuse the cellphone and point-and-shoot photos — my camera’s battery is dead and the charger is nowhere to be found.

the spread

sunshine cake with french custard filling and boiled frosting

smoked salmon crepes with creme fraiche and chives – i have finally found that 2 is the magic number of minutes that you should cook each side of the crepe for. i used a timer, they turned out perfect.

chicken salad sandwiches and mixed olive-nut sandwiches

It was an easy spread to put together, besides the Sunshine cake, and I prepared most things the night before. I am not a big baker but I had a lot of advice from my talented cousin, encouragement from Marie of Celebration Generation, and Chef Jeff at the Watts Tea Shop ran me through the making the cake and gave me some amazing tips. He even gave me his cellphone number in case I had a cake crisis and needed help! I am eternally grateful. I will be posting the recipe at the end of this post, but here are some tips:

1. For the boiled frosting, add sugar to the pasteurized egg-whites before you start beating them.
2. The recipe calls for an ungreased pan but I greased mine well. If you don’t have a tube pan, you can also use 9 inch round pans and just layer them.
3. For the boiled frosting, when you add the sugar syrup to it, don’t add it to the middle of the mixing bowl — drizzle it through the corners of the bowl.
4. Freeze your cake overnight before spreading the filling and frosting it. This will make sure you have have a moist cake that won’t crumble.
5. Follow the instructions. Follow the recipe. Do use a candy thermometer (unless you are an expert).
6. Yes, the frosting is basically like foam — that’s how it is supposed to be.

I was extremely nervous and intimidated but I admit making the cake was actually a lot of fun. My final presentation wasn’t perfect (as I said, I am not big into baking and hardly make cakes or frost them) but I was very happy with the results.

left to right: my adorable little measuring cups my sister-in-law gifted me that made baking so much more fun; preparing the batter; the batter post folding; one of the cake layers that i froze

I am realizing more and more that I love entertaining. That makes me even more excited for the summer with all its bounties. Even though the farmers market is yet to fill up with fresh vegetables and fruit, I am just happy I can open the windows, crank up the radio, and feel the lovely summer breeze.

Here are the recipes for two of my favourite items from Sunday’s menu — one extremely simple, and the other not so much. I am a huge fan of this quinoa salad — my friend Kristine made it for me in college and it has never failed me:

Quinoa and Date Salad with Goat Cheese

Ingredients

Mejdool Dates – 1 lbs, pitted and chopped
Quinoa – 3 cups cooked (I used white, you can use any kind you want)
Goat Cheese – 4 oz, crumbled

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, add dates to the quinoa and toss well.
2. Top with crumbled goat cheese.

This salad is good whether served at room temperature or chilled.

Watts Tea Shop Sunshine Cake
(recipe from their website)

Makes: 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients

9 eggs, separated
¼ cup water
1 cup sugar (divided)
1 cup cake flour (sifted three times)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
¼ teaspoon salt
Grated rind of 2 large oranges for garnish

For French custard filling:

4 egg yolks, beaten
¾ cup sifted powdered sugar
¾ cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup (2 sticks) butter

For boiled frosting:

1 1/3 cups sugar
½ cup water
Pinch of salt
3 egg whites (from pasteurized eggs)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation:

To make cake, in large bowl, combine egg yolks, water and ½ cup of the sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add flour gradually, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In large metal bowl, whip egg whites with cream of tartar and salt until whites are stiff. Add remaining ½ cup sugar and beat just until peaks begin to form. Fold into batter.

Pour batter into ungreased 10-inch tube pan. Bake in preheated oven 45 minutes or until light brown. When done, remove from oven and cool completely on a wire rack.

Meanwhile, prepare French custard filling and boiled frosting.

To assemble, carefully cut cooled cake into three layers. Fill between layers with French custard, then frost top and side with boiled frosting. Grate orange rind over top of cake.

French custard filling:

In top of double boiler, combine egg yolks, powdered sugar and milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and coats back of spoon. This should take 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Add vanilla.

In medium bowl, cream butter thoroughly. Slowly add cooled custard mixture to butter, beating well.

Boiled frosting:

Combine sugar and water in saucepan and boil just until syrup spins a thread (220 degrees on a candy thermometer).

Add salt to egg whites in a bowl. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form. (It will take longer to whip the whites of pasteurized eggs than those of regular eggs.)

Very slowly drizzle hot sugar syrup into beaten egg whites with electric mixer going at medium speed. Beat constantly until frosting stands in stiff peaks and is of spreading consistency. Add vanilla and beat well.

Cauliflower “Rice” & Coconut Lime Curry

Tags

Cauliflower Rice, Coconut Lime Curry, Gluten Free Dinners, Grain Free Dinners, Low Carb Dinners, Paleo Curry, Paleo Dinners, Paleo Rice

Cauliflower Rice and Coconut Lime Curry with Chicken

For the past few days, I have been eating meals free of gluten, grains, and legumes and most dairy products except eggs and butter. It’s an experiment to see how long I can last without that turkey and cheese sandwich for lunch at work and how creative I can get with my meals. This week I had Rosemary Lemon Salmon with skin-on Mashed Potatoes, Steak and Avocado Salad, Cucumber and Avocado Salad, Scrambled Eggs with Peppers, Onions, Spinach with Jalapeno Chicken Sausages and Roasted Asparagus. I have been snacking on mandarins, apples, and mangoes.

Rosemary Lemon Salmon with Mashed Potatoes

Scrambled Eggs with Peppers, Onions, Spinach served with Jalapeno Chicken Sausages, Roasted Asparagus, and Avocado

I had been very excited about trying cauliflower rice and I wasn’t disappointed. The texture is very much like couscous and it is very easy to make. What I made is the most basic version of cauliflower rice. You can add herbs and vegetables to make variations of it. I am going to be making it with peas and potatoes soon (a deconstructed version of aloo gobi, almost).

Cauliflower Rice

Coconut Lime Curry with Chicken

Here are the recipes for both the ‘rice’ and the curry:

Cauliflower Rice
serves 4

Ingredients

2 Heads Cauliflower
Olive Oil – 1 TSPN
Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions

1. After washing the cauliflower and removing its leaves and stem, chop it into pieces small enough to fit into a food processor. (If you do not have a food processor, cut the head into four to five pieces and grate it instead of pulsing it in the food processor.)

2. Transfer the cauliflower to a food processor and pulse until the pieces are completely shredded.

3. In a skillet, heat the olive oil and add the processed cauliflower. Cook on medium-low heat, stirring until the “rice” feels dry — about 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste and mix well. Serve warm.

Coconut Lime Curry with Chicken
serves 4

Ingredients

3 Skinless Chicken Breasts, cut into one inch pieces
Coconut Oil – 1 TSPN
Yellow Onion – 1 medium sized, chopped
Garlic – minced, 1/2 TBSPN
Salt – 1 TSPN
Black Pepper – 1/2 TSPN
Hot Sauce — to taste (we used Holy Jolokia – so, yes,  just a few dashes for us)
Curry Powder – 1 1/2 TSPN
Ground Cumin – 1 1/2 TSPN
Ground Coriander – 1 TSPN
White Pepper – 1/2 TSPN (optional)
Lime Juice – 2 TBSPN
Coconut Milk – 1 can
Cilantro for garnish (optional)

Directions

1. Heat the coconut oil in a wok. Add the garlic, salt, black pepper, yellow onion, and the chicken. Stir on high heat for two minutes.
2. Turn the heat down to medium and add the hot sauce, dry spices and lime juice. Stir well to incorporate the spices and then stir occasionally for the next seven minutes.
3. Add the coconut milk, stir, and cover the wok. Once the curry thickens, lower the heat to medium-low and stir well. Garnish with cilantro and serve with (cauliflower) rice!

Spiced Ground Beef with Caramelized Onions

Tags

ground beef caramelized onions, pakistani dinner recipe, qeema masala, qeema pyaaz

Last weekend I had friends over for dinner. The morning of the dinner, I ventured out to my local farmers market and bought some smoked trout and a spice mix from the Star Prairie Trout Farm vendor. I mixed the trout with some cream cheese, sour cream, and the spice mix that came with it and it turned into a pretty fantastic dip.

The menu for the night consisted of the following:

Smoked Trout Dip with Honey Wheat Crackers
Mixed Greens Salad with a Spicy Peanut Vinaigrette
Spiced Ground Beef with Caramelized Onions
Sweet Potato and Beef Coconut Curry
Mango, Tamarind, and Green Chili Chutney
Basmati Rice with Peas
Lemon Tart

                 

Here is the recipe for the star of the night:

Spiced Ground Beef with Caramelized Onions
(serves 4)

Ingredients

Lean Ground Beef – 1 1/2 lbs
Minced Garlic – 2 1/2 TBSPN
Minched Ginger – 1 TBSPN
Full Fat Yogurt – 1 Cup, whipped
Red Onions – 3 medium sized, sliced lengthwise
Ground Coriander – 1 1/2 TSPN
Ground Cumin – 2 TSPN
Garam Masala – 1 TSPN
Ground Cloves – 1/4 TSPN
Salt – 1 TSPN
Black Pepper – 1/2 TSPN
Jalapeno Pepper – 1, medium sized, chopped
Olive Oil – 4 TBSPN
Butter – 2 TBSPN
Balsamic Vinegar – 1 1/2 TBSPN
Sugar – 3/4 TSPN

Recipe

1. Heat the olive oil and butter in a deep pan and add the sliced onions. Stir to coat the onions evenly with the olive oil and butter mixture. On medium low heat, let cook for twenty, stirring occasionally. Add the sugar and lower the heat. Stir it to distribute it evenly and then let the onions cook for at least ten minutes before you stir again. Transfer the caramelized onions to a bowl.

2. Add some balsamic vinegar to the pan and deglaze it. Add the ground beef to the pan, along with the garlic, ginger, and salt. Stir well for two to three minutes.

3. Add the dry spices and the jalapeno pepper. Stir well. Add the yogurt and stir it into the ground beef. Cover the pan with a lid and let cook on medium low heat until there is no liquid left in the pan – about twenty minutes.

4. Turn the heat to low and add the caramelized onions to the pan and stir. Let cook for about five minutes and then turn the heat off. Garnish with peppers and cilantro and serve with basmati rice and/or naan.