Thursday 23 June 2016

Roasted Cauliflower with Spicy Peanut Satay Dipping Sauce

A quick and easy meal in less than a half hour!

ingredients

roasted cauliflower
1 head cauliflower, chopped into 12 large chunks
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced

sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 tbsp sweet chili sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp sriracha sauce
1/4 cup coconut milk
1/8 cup soya sauce
1 tsp honey (optional)

tools:
cookie sheet
aluminum foil

Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees F. Toss the cauliflower in the oil and garlic and then spread out on cookie sheet. Roast for 18 minutes or so, flipping once around the 13 minute mark. When starting to burn, remove from oven.

in a sauce pan heat up all the sauce ingredients, until lightly boiling. remove from heat and serve immediately.

Cheesy Kale Chips (Vegan)

 This tasty and wholesome crunch satisfying snack will have you going back for more all day long!


Ingredients:
3 bunches kale, de-stemmed
1 cup whole raw cashews
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1/2-3/4 cup Nutritional yeast "Nootch" (Save On, Nesters, Choices, Whole Foods, Health Food Stores)
Sea Salt to taste
2-3 tablespoon sriracha
1-2 small lemons
1 clove garlic minced
Water


Soak cashews and pumpkin seeds for 4 hours in water with the juice of one lemon and a teaspoon of sea salt. Drain.

Add enough new, fresh water to cover the cashews and seeds, the juice of another lemon, and the garlic and process, or blend with a hand blender until smooth like hummus. Add the nutritional yeast (the more you add the cheesier it will taste), half a teaspoon of salt, and 2-3 tablespoons of sriracha hot sauce (or to taste, I like lots).

Wash and thoroughly dry kale (I use a salad spinner).

Prepare two large cookie sheets and turn your oven on the lowest setting (mine stops at 170F) or prepare your large size food dehydrator.

Now prepare to get messy! Dip the kale into the sauce and massage it into the curly parts of the kale leaves. The coating should be about half as thick as the leaf itself on both sides. This is like a batter that coats the leaf.

Spread out the leaves on the cookie sheets. You'll find that by tearing the leaves in half or quarters, you will speed up the dehydration process. Place in oven & cook for 4-6 hours or until all pieces are crispy. Of course this means taste testing. Which also means they'll all probably be gone before they ever get out of the oven

Top Crust Mushroom and Spinach Vegan Pizza

I made something simple and incredible and VEGAN today - A top-crust mushroom and spinach pizza.

6 small mushrooms thinly sliced (1mm)
1 large clove garlic, diced small (1tsp)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 handfuls baby spinach
Couple grinds salt (1/4 tsp)
Couple grinds pepper (1/4 tsp)
1 tbsp juice (1/4 lemon)
3/4 cup nut hummus (RECIPE HERE)


Pre-heat oven to 450degF
Spray or coat with oil, an 8x8 pan (I use glass)
Sprinkle garlic on the bottom evenly
Line bottom of pan with mushrooms
Squeeze lemon over mushrooms
Grind of salt, grind of pepper
Layer of spinach, press down
Carefully spread the nut hummus evenly . About 2 mm thick.
Bake for 18 mins.
Broil at 500degF for 3 mins to crisp the crust

Remove and carefully cut into 4 pieces. Lift carefully out of pan with a flipper or a cake lifter. Enjoy! Nice little snack, under 250 calories for the whole thing- keto, paleo, vegan, gluten free, and SO DELICIOUS!

Homemade Teriyaki Chicken Thighs


Ingredients:
8 chicken thighs (or 3 breasts)
1/4 cup soya sauce
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch piece fresh grated ginger (approx 1 tbsp)
1 tsp honey
1/8 cup water (or pineapple juice)

tools:
6 x 6 or 8 x 8 inch baking pan
bowl

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Mix together all the ingredients except the chicken. Microwave for about 1-1.5 minutes in 30 second increments. Spread out chicken on pan. Spoon sauce over chicken. Bake for about 35 minutes, and broil at 500 degrees for about 5 minutes to brown the tops of the thighs.

Balsamic Kale Salad Dressing

I have a garden FULL of Kale, and I have to make use of it somehow. That's right I'm not really a fan, but I know it is good for me so here is a wonderful way I incorporate raw kale into my diet without having to chew it.

Ingredients:
6 leaves kale, de-stemmed (about 1 bunch)
2 cloves garlic
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp lemon juice
tiny squirt of honey 

spices
1 tsp italian seasoning (or fresh parsley/cilantro/basil)

tools:
 decent hand blender (Cuisinart Smart Stick again, FTW!)
OR food processor





Directions:
Thoroughly process all the ingredients and spices until smooth. Toss with salad.


How to make a simple Yellow Curry

Yellow curry is my delicious, albeit lazy, go-to meal when I have nothing else in mind. It is FULL of veggies, healthy fats, and is extremely simple and quick, and doesn't require a lot of attention when cooking.

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts, cubed
2 bell peppers (any colour), cubed
1 crown of brocolli, cut into medium size pieces
1 large zuchini. cubed
1 medium russet potato, cubed
1 yellow onion
3-5 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch cilantro (or mint), chopped fine (optional)
1 400mL can of coconut milk
2 cups water
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp sriracha sauce (optional)


spices:
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp tandoori masala
1/2 tsp pan masala

garnish:
sriracha chili sauce & cilantro or mint

Sautee the onions in oil over medium high heat until lightly browned. Add chicken, turn heat up to high. Sear chicken on all sides. Don't overcook, just sear. Add spices and salt, and sautee for about 5 more minutes. Add the water. Add the garlic and potato. Let boil until potato begins to become tender. Add the coconut milk. Add all the veggies. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Let simmer on low for 45 minutes, stirring every 10-15 minutes. DO NOT COVER. When veggies are tender, remove from heat. Add chopped cilantro and sriracha (if desired) and let stand about 10 minutes to allow gravy to thicken. This is an excellent, hearty low-carb dinner dish on its own or served with rice or naan if you're not watching your carbs. More nutritional info below:

CALORIES PER SERVING:

THIS RECIPE MAKES calories fat net carb sugar  fiber        protein
6 SERVINGS 295.5        13.9          8.1       4.7           4.6            20.3        








TIP: Take out the potato for even less carbs per serving.
TIP: Also great with mushrooms, ground turkey, meatless, with fake gluten meat and also tofu or paneer cheese!

Vegan Nut Hummus

Suzy's Nut Hummus


Ingredients
3/4 cup cashews (or pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds, or walnuts, or almonds)
3/4 cup pumpkin seeds (or cashews, or sunflower seeds, or walnuts, or almonds)
1 cup nutritional yeast (they sell this at choices, whole foods, save on foods)
3 garlic cloves
3 tbsp sriracha OR TO TASTE
juice of 1 whole lemon (or 3 tbsp ReaLemon) OR TO TASTE
1 tsp salt

Soak nuts and seeds for minimum of 4 hours, maximum of 10 hours in water (option: with a couple dashes/grinds of salt and a tbsp of lemon juice)
drain water
re-add fresh water to cover
pour into food processor
add the nutritional yeast, 3 tbsp lemon juice, salt, sriracha, and garlic and blend until smooth.

Use as a veggie dip, fry as pancake batter or smear on kale for kale chips.

How to Make Palak Paneer / Palak Tofu (Spinach & Cheese/Tofu Curry)

This irresistible (albeit non-traditional) recipe has become a weekly event in my household since I figured out a way to use 5 less pans, and began replacing the heavy cream in traditional Palak Paneer with coconut cream. This recipe is easily made vegan by replacing the paneer with firm tofu. My son and boyfriend are huge fans. And now that I know I won't be doing dishes all night afterwards, so am I!

Ingredients:
20 oz spinach (about 2 bunches, stems removed or diced,  20oz baby spinach)
6-8 oz paneer cheese or tofu (see: how to make paneer cheese) cut into 1/2 inch cubes
http://ketocafewithsuzy.blogspot.ca/2016/06/how-to-make-fresh-paneer-cheese-simple.html

1 x 400mL can coconut milk (Aroy-D is my fave)
3 roma tomatoes, de-seeded & diced (chop off top and squeeze the juicy liquid out with the seeds)
1 small onion (3 inches) diced
3-5 cloves garlic (peeled)
1 inch piece fresh ginger, grated or minced (approx 1 tbsp)
1 cup water
juice of 1 lemon. 
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp salt (more to taste)

spices:
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp tandoori masala
1/2 tsp pan masala
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
TIP: put all spices into one easy to add container, they will be added all at once. 
http://www.cuisinart.ca/cuisinart_product.php?item_id=414&product_id=449&cat_id=8
Tools:
Wok or medium sized pot WITH LID
Decent hand blender (Cuisinart smart stick - best $70 I ever spent) or food processor.
medium size frying pan
grater (for ginger)

Directions:
Begin by salting and pan frying the cubes of PANEER CHEESE (or TOFU) on a lightly oiled pan until golden brown. Flip a few times. Set aside.

In the WOK or POT, sautee the ONION in t tbsp olive oil. When they begin to brown add the TOMATOES and cook until tomatoes become tender and mushy. Add all the spices, plus 1 cup of water. Bring to a light boil. Add the SPINACH, cover, and turn to LOW heat. The idea is to only lightly wilt the spinach, retaining its nutrients. It will need maybe 5 minutes. If it's fresh bunches it may need a little longer if you kept on the stems. Turn off the heat. Add lemon juice, garlic, ginger and SALT, then Hand blend until it is smooth.  Slowly add coconut milk.Blend a little more. Turn heat back on, to medium low, add the paneer cheese and bring to a soft boil, then remove from heat. You may choose to add a bit more salt at this point, but allow the curry to sit and stew for 10 minutes and let the flavors develop a little bit and let some of that rich green gravy saturate the paneer.

Remove Bay Leaves, and reserve them to use as garnish or other garnish ideas like: serve with lemon or lime wedges, or coconut cream and chili sauce. Serve with rice, naan, or on its own if you're going keto. This hearty recipe has less than 5g total carbs per serving (more nutritional info below).


     NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION PER SERVING
This recipe makes           6 servings calories   fat net  carbs       sugar  fiber protein

216         16.9                     4.9g                    2.6          1.6           16.2        


How to Make Fresh Paneer Cheese (simple recipe)

I have become a fanatic of Indian food, and love making vegetarian dishes featuring paneer cheese. I find that prepared paneer cheese, besides being way overpriced, just doesn't have the same rich flavour as when you make it yourself. And is it ever easy to make! Plus, you can freeze it for up to a month!



Ingredients:
2L Whole / Homo Milk
3/4 cup lemon juice (fresh or bottled) or vinegar
1/2 tsp salt

Tools:
pan/pot to boil the milk
bowl for curdling
cheese cloth

Slowly bring the milk to a rolling boil over medium heat. Make sure not to burn the milk or have it boil over as it can affect the flavour of the cheese. In the bowl, pour the lemon juice, then the milk. Let stand for 5-10 minutes (or longer). Put cheese cloth in the pot (wrap it around the edges if possible) and pour the milk carefully into the cheese bag. Lift carefully out of the pot and dump the whey (liquid). Allow to sit and cool for about 15 minutes until you can handle the bag filled with curds. When it's cool, begin twisting the bag slowly to strain out the liquid. Do it slowly but firmly, making sure not to rip open the bag. When you are sure that all the why is removed, carefully take out the curd ball, and cut into desired sizes. I usually do 1/2 inch cubes.(The curd will crumble a bit, but if it crumbles a lot it's because there is still moisture. Put back in bag and twist a bit more)