BOOZY MANGO ORANGE RUM POPS!

Made these boozy rum popsicles the other day while up at the cottage and I’m so glad I did because lately, we have been experiencing a big heatwave! The combination of mango, orange, and coconut go great together, and there no need to add more sugar because they are definitely sweet enough. If you are looking for a tasty vegan treat to have on those sweltering hot summer days, I highly recommend making this recipe!

INGREDIENTS:

- Makes 8 Popsicles -

- Popsical Filling -
1 Large Ripe Mangos - remove skin and pit
3/4 CUP Coconut Water
1/4 CUP of Orange Juice
2 Oz of Rum

- Molds -

NorPro Frozen Ice Pop Maker - I ordered this one off Amazon and highly recommend it!

DIRECTIONS:

In a blender add in your fresh mango and coconut water. Belnd until liquified.

Next, add in your orange juice and rum, pulse for 2 sec to mix.

Pour mixture into popsical moulds and palce in freezer for a minimum of 12 hours before you serve!

Enjoy!

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BRAISED OXTAIL WITH COCONUT CAULIFLOWER RICE

A personal favorite of mine, Oxtail is a very tender, juicy, gelatin-rich meat. Usually found slow-cooked as a stew or braised, my version is packed full of amazing savory flavors and braised for 7 hours until it falls off the bone. Although, I didn’t cook the oxtail in the typical Jamaican style, I did pair mine with coconut cauliflower rice to give it a hint of sweetness while keeping it low in carbs. The results were amazing and had my family fighting over leftovers. If you like braised juicy meat, I highly recommend giving this recipe a try!

Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

- Serves 6 People -

- Braised Oxtail -

6LBS of Oxtail
Kosher Salt
3.5 TBSP of Curry
4 TBSP of Vegetable Oil
10 CUPS of Chicken Broth
8 Scallions - diced
2 Garlic Heads - cut in half
Pinch of Chilli Pepper Flakes
Pinch of Thyme
6” Piece of Giner - sliced in 1/8 slivers
4 TBSP of Soy
2 TBSP of Brown Sugar

- Coconut Cauliflower Rice -

1 TBSP of Butter
2 Cloves of Garlic - minced
2’ Piece of Ginger -Chopped
3 Scallions - diced
1/2 CUP of Unsweetened Coconut Milk
1/2 TSP of Brown Sugar
1000 Grams of Cauliflower Rice - I used from frozen

DIRECTIONS:

Heat oven to 250 degrees

In a large bowl, season oxtail generously with salt followed by the curry powder.

In a large deep skillet, or using a dutch oven heat up vegetable oil on the stove on medium-high and sear both sides of oxtail until browned. If you don’t have an oven-safe skillet or a large enough dutch oven to fit all the meat and liquid, first sear the oxtail in the skillet and then moved them to a roasting pan.

Once you have seared all the oxtail remove from skillet/dutch oven and add in chicken broth, scallions, garlic, chili pepper flakes, thyme, soy, ginger, and brown sugar. Allow this to come to a simmer and scrape the bits of oxtail that stuck to the bottom of the skillet to become loose before adding the mixture into your roasting pan, or placing the oxtail back in the dutch oven. The oxtail should be submerged in liquid.

Next, place the roasting pan or dutch oven with the oxtail in the oven to slow cook. Position lid partially off and allow to cook for 7 hours flipping pieces around halfway through. If at the halfway point the liquid has gone down a lot you can add in 1/2 cup of water.

30 minutes prior to Oxtail being ready its time to make the coconut cauliflower rice. Grab a large skillet, add in your butter and allow to heat up on medium. When hot add in your garlic, ginger, and scallions - saute for 3-4 minutes.

Next, add in your unsweetened coconut milk and brown sugar. Mix until well incorporated.

Finally, add in your cauliflower rice and allow it to steam and mix with sauce until fully coated.

Serve oxtail on rice when ready and garnish with more scallions.

Enjoy!

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CRISPY KOREAN BIBIMBAP CAULIFLOWER RICE BOWL WITH BBQ CHICKEN & SPRING VEGGIES

Traditionally cooked in a stone bowl, Bibimbap is a Korean rice dish that literally translates to ‘mixed rice with meat and assorted vegetables. Ever since I first discovered Korean rice bows I’ve been a huge fan and the hot Bibimbap sauce dressing really pulls the pickled veggies in perfectly with the crispy rice and fresh veggies. In the effort to make this recipe more low carb, I substituted the traditional use of sticky rice for cauliflower rice and although it didn’t crisp up quite the same way as normal sticky rice, it was still a beautiful substitute that maintained the integrity of the dish and still held the flavors together. To add a little extra protein Adam also cooked up these wonderful juicy chicken thighs on the BBQ which made for the perfect addition to this otherwise largely veggie based dish. If you are looking for something new, spicy, and wonderful to try, I highly recommend this Bibimbap recipe!

BIBIMBAP INGREDIENTS:

- Serves 4 People -

- BBQ Chicken Thighs and Marinade -
16 Chicken Thighs Boneless and Skinless (3-4 Per Person)
1 CUP of Low Sodium Soya Sauce
1 TBSP of Grated Ginger
4-6 Sprigs of Green Onion
4-6 cloves of Garlic - chopped or grated
Cracked Black Pepper
1-2 TSP of Cayenne Pepper - as per your spice level

- Crispy Cauliflower Rice Bowl -
Frozen Cauliflower Rice (you will want about 200grams per Person)
1.5 CUPS of Snow Peas - Chopped
6 Sprigs of Green Onion
3-4- slices of Ginger
3 Persian Cucumbers
1 TSP of Kosher Salt
3 TBSP of Rice Vinegar
4 TBSP of Vegetable Oil - split into 2 parts
2 TSP of Sesame Seed Oil
1 CUP of Frozen Peas
1 TBSP of Butter
4 Eggs
Bean Sprouts

- Korean Style Hot Bibimbap Sauce Recipe -
2 TBSP of Siracha
2.5 TBSP of Low Sodium Soya Sauce
2 TSP of Honey
4 TSP of Sesame Seed Oil
2 TSP of Rice Vinegar

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DIRECTIONS:

Throw the chicken along with all the marinade ingredients into a bowl and make sure the thighs are coated nicely. Allow chicken to marinate for min 30 minutes while chopping your veggies or overnight in the fridge.

Chop Persian cucumber in thin slices and place in a bowl. Add Kosher salt and massage into the cucumber. Dress with rice vinegar (make sure they are well coated and soaking in a little bath, and set aside allowing them to pickle while we move on to the other veggies.

Chop the snow peas on a diagonal in 1/4 inch pieces.

Chop the top (furthest from the stem) of the green onion on the diagonal until you have 1/4 CUP (set aside for garnish) and cut the remaining amount width-wise in thin slices as per normal.

In a large skillet, add in 3 TBSP of vegetable oil and 2 TSP of sesame oil and allow to heat up on medium. Once ready, add in your green onions (remember to save some for garnish) and ginger stirring constantly, and allow to fry for 3-4 minutes.

Once green onion and ginger are ready, add cauliflower rice into the skillet and mix until well incorporated before pressing the cauliflower down into the bottom of the skillet evenly and allowing it to cook on medium for the next 15 minutes.

During this time you can BBQ the chicken on medium-high heat, 10 minutes each side or until cooked through.

While the chicken and cauliflower are cooking make your Korean hot sauce by combining all the ingredients in a bowl and mixing thoroughly.

When cauliflower gets close to the 15-minute mark, give it a toss to allow crispy brown bits to mix and pat down again to form an even layer, allow to cook for an additional 5 -10 minutes until it is crispy. *Cauliflower rice will never get fully crispy because it holds a lot of water but it will get a little crispy

During these last few minutes fry up 4 eggs in a skillet using butter to coat the pan.

In a separate skillet, add 2 TBSP of vegetable oil and allow to heat up on medium heat. Add in the snow peas and frozen peas and allow them to fry ever so slightly before adding in 1/4 Cup of water, covering, and allowing to steam for 3-4 minutes.

When ready to plate, start with your cauliflower rice, add one friend egg to the middle, arrange bbq Chicken, bean sprouts, pickled Persian cucumber, and snow pea/pea mixture around the edge. Drizzle Korean hot sauce on top, garnish with extra green onion and serve!

Enjoy!

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FRIED EGGPLANT AND CHICKPEA MASALA - VEGAN, VEGETARIAN, SOY AND GLUTEN FREE

I have made this plant-based, Indian-inspired eggplant masala ( similar to brinjal masala) dish twice now and both times there have been no leftovers. Friends and family just can’t get enough of this curried eggplant recipe. Although frying the eggplant at the beginning does tack on quite a bit of time, once you get the hang of it this isn't that complicated of a dish. Best of all, it’s totally worth the effort in learning a new Indian eggplant recipe and is so healthy for you. If you are looking for an easy vegetarian, plant-based recipe to try, I highly recommend giving this curry eggplant dish a shot!

Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

- Serves 4 People with No Leftovers!

2lbs Eggplant (Italian)
Olive oil
Sea Salt
1 large White Onion (halved and diced)
2 Garlic Cloves (minced)
1.5 teaspoons garam masala
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
2 Cups Tomato (diced)
1 15oz can of Chickpeas (drained and washed)

- Optional Base -

Basmati Rice

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DIRECTIONS:

Cut the eggplant into 1/4 inch pucks and salt on both sides.

Lightly cover a frying pan in olive oil and fry the eggplant pucks (medium heat) until they are soft and until both sides are browned. The eggplant will suck up the oil like no other and it will be tempting to add more olive oil but as the eggplant softens it will also release a bit of the oil back into the pan so don't overdo it. This step will take the longest time so you can prepare everything else as you do this. Once the eggplant is fried remove it from the frying pan and place it on a baking sheet.

Next, add some oil to the pan and fry up the onions.

When they become soft and golden (about 10 minutes) add the garlic and cook for another 4-5 minutes.

Next, add in your spices and mix it all up for a minute or two. CAN YOU SMELL THE GOODNESS??

Finally add the tomato, the chickpeas, and about 2 tablespoons of water. Turn the heat up a little to medium-hot, partly cover, and let simmer for 15 minutes.

If you are going to make basmati rice, start making it now so that both will be ready at the same time.

After 15 minutes I usually add a pinch more of garam masala, paprika, and cayenne (if you like it spicy) and mix it in.

After another five minutes, I add in the eggplant that we previously fried up and let that continue to cook for an additional 10 minutes. The eggplant should breakdown and really thicken up the dish.

Remove from heat and serve on a bed of basmati rice!

Enjoy!

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TRADITIONAL ITALIAN HOMEMADE FOCACCIA (SO EASY)

Is there anything better than the smell of fresh bread?

Especially when it’s covered in all your favorite focaccia toppings?

My Achilles heel, sun dried tomato focaccia is one of those traditional Italian appetizers that I can never turn down. As soon as I spot it (usually across the room), you know I’m right there, having a slice - okay 2, maybe 3….

While in self-isolation I had time to perfect this amazing homemade focaccia dough recipe I learned while in Italy and I must say, it stands the test of time! The dough always turns out perfect - fluffy and doughy with a crisp bottom and golden crust. Oh, and did I mention it’s also a vegan focaccia!

I can’t wait for you to enjoy it too!

FOCACCIA BREAD INGREDIENTS:

Serving: 8-10 Servings

-Focaccia Dough-
1 3/4 Warm water
1 Package of Yeast
1 TBSP of Sugar
5 CUPS of All-Purpose Flour
1 TBSP of Kosher Salt
1 CUP of Olive Oil - Spilt in two halves

-Optional Focaccia Toppings-
Coarse Sea Salt
Cherry Tomatoes
Kalamata Olives
Basil
Capers
Rosemary
Garlic

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FOCACCIA RECIPE DIRECTIONS:

The first thing you need to do is activate the yeast so you will need to combine the warm water, yeast and sugar in a bowl. Stir and let it sit for 10-15 minutes until it starts bubbling and becomes very aromatic.

When ready, in a mixer using the hook attachment, combine the flour, salt, half a cup of the olive oil, and the yeast mixture on the lowest speed. After it is well mixed, increase the speed to three (low/medium) until it becomes smooth.

Once smooth, remove the dough from the mixer and place on a floured surface. Kneed the dough by hand until the dough stops being sticky. If you need to sprinkle more flour to help it along, do so.

When ready, form a ball with the dough. Using the mixing bowl you used before, coat the sides of the bowl with some oil and place the dough once again inside. Coat the dough with a little bit of oil as well before covering it with a cloth or plastic wrap, and place somewhere warm for about an hour until it doubled in size.

Take your cooking sheet or jelly roll pan (pan with lip) and cover with parchment paper (including the sides). Put a heavy coat of olive oil on the parchment paper before putting the dough on top. Focaccia is a heavily oiled bread so be generous with the olive oil.

Place the dough on the pan and stretch out with your fingers, flipping the dough over to allow the olive oil on the tray to coat both sides. Use your fingers to stretch the dough the full length of the pan and create finger holes so as to give it an uneven texture. Place the stretched dough in a warm place until it once again doubles in size (approximately one hour).

When dough is close to ready, preheat oven to 450.

If you want to add toppings to your focaccia you can do so at this point. If you want it plain you should still liberally sprinkle it with coarse sea salt.

When ready, bake until the top is golden brown, about 25-30 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before serving to your guest.

Buon Appetito!

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