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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CHICKEN PUTTANESCA - LOW CARB KETO FRIENDLY MEALS

Most often seen in its pasta form, puttanesca originated in Naples, Italy, and is said to be a sauce created by the ladies of pleasure. One story told is that the ladies would visit restaurants at the end of the night and they would ask for leftover ingredients. These ingredients would all go into one pot to create this salty, vibrant sauce. Today, the sauce is most often found made from tomatoes, black olives, capers, anchovies, onions, and garlic, and served commonly on pasta.

I, however, have been trying to stay low carb since starting Keto and decided to skip the pasta and use cauliflower rice instead. The results were fantastic and the saltiness of the sauce was perfect. Further, the chicken was tender and just fell off the bone.

If you are looking for a great, low carb meal this one is sure to be a hit!

Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

- Serves 2-3 people

3LBS of Chicken Thighs or Drumsticks
Salt
2 TBSP of Olive OIl
3 Cloves of Garlic - thinly sliced
4 Anchovy Fillets in Oil
1/2 TSP of Red Chilli Pepper Flakes
2 TBSP of Concentrated Tomato Paste
1 Cup of Olives - crushed and pitted
3/4 CUP of Dry White Wine - and a little extra for drinking
2 TBSP of Capers - drained
2 Bay Leaves
Lemon Peel - 3 x 2” stripes

- Optional Bases -

Pasta
Cauliflower Rice - low carb option

DIRECTIONS:

Clean and pat dry your chicken before seasoning with salt.

In a large skillet, heat 2 TBSP of olive oil and sear the chicken, turning it occasionally until the fat and skin is a golden brown color. Once done, transfer chicken to a baking dish.

As you near the end of searing all your chicken, preheat the oven to 350.

Once done searing the chicken you will have a lot of delicious chicken bits stuck to the bottom of your skillet along with a pool of fat, remove fat from skillet, reduce heat to medium and add in your anchovies and garlic. Once the garlic is soft (about 2-3 minutes) add in your red chili flakes and tomato paste, and mix until well incorporated.

Next add in your olives, wine, bay leaves, capers, and lemon peel to the skillet. Using your wooden spoon or spatula, scrape the bottom of the pan so as to lift up all the good bits stuck to the bottom. Allow this sauce to simmer for 4-5 minutes or until most of the liquid from the wine evaporates.

Next, add 1 cup of water to the baking dish with all the seared chicken (they should be snuggled together) and add in the sauce from the skillet. Place entire baking dish in oven uncovered and allow to bake in the sauce for another 20-30 minutes

Once ready, remove from oven and serve either alone or with pasta or on a bed of cauliflower rice.

Enjoy!

NOTE: The chicken should be plenty salty from the capers and anchovies but if it is not you can always taste the sauce when it comes out of the oven and add extra salt as desired.

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SPICY SHRIMP WITH CREAMY CAULIFLOWER AND SPINACH RICE - KETO & LOW CARB FRIENDLY

Since being on the Keto diet I have been experimenting a lot with carb substitutes like cauliflower rice as a way of getting the texture of carbs without the calories, and one recipe I came across that made cauliflower rice sound so delicious was a creamed version of it. Of course, being in lockdown still, I didn’t have all the ingredients the original recipe required so I remixed it my way and topped it with some spicy shrimp for a little extra kick! Needless to say, it turned out fantastic and so far I have made it twice for my family - we just can’t get enough! The creamed cauliflower made for a perfect replacement for carbs without compromising on taste at all not to mention the entire meal takes only 10 minutes to whip up! If you are looking for a delicious, low carb meal for dinner tonight, you got to try this one!

Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

- Serves 2-3 people

2 TBSP of Olive Oil
1 Pack of Frozen Riced Cauliflower (500grams)
1 TSP of Garlic Powder - Split into two portions
1 TBSP of Salted Butter
1 Packet of Shrimp - mine had about 20 raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 TSP of Paprika
1/4 TSP of Chilli Flakes
Salt and Pepper
2 Handfuls of Fresh Spinach
3 TBSP of Light Cream Cheese

- Optional Toppings -

Chilli Flakes
Green Onions

DIRECTIONS:

In a large skillet, heat up olive oil on medium/high heat. Once hot add in your cauliflower rice and garlic powder. Mix thoroughly, add salt and pepper to taste, and let cook for 4-5 minutes or until cauliflower becomes softer.

In the meantime, in another medium skillet add in butter and allow to heat up on medium/high heat. When butter is hot, drain any excess juices from shrimp before throwing them into the pan along with garlic powder, paprika, and hot chili flakes. Salt and pepper to taste. Mix spices and shrimp until the shrimp are well coated. Allow it to cook for 2-3 minutes.

Returning to the cauliflower skillet as you let the shrimp cook, add spinach and allow to wilt down by stirring it into the cauliflower rice. Once wilted, add in cream cheese and mix thoroughly.

By this time the shrimp should be ready. Plate creamed cauliflower rice adding shrimp on top and you are ready to serve!

Enjoy!

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