Crispy, fluffy, garlicky goodness! Naan seemed so untouchable before - the Indian bread that you can never replicate at home. But today I tried making it & I was pleasantly surprised! Really easy and really delicious!
Time: 1.5 hours total
Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour (plus additional for rolling out the naan)
1/2 cup plain yogurt (I used Greek)
1/2 cup warm water
1 packet yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1.5 tablespoons granulated garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons salted butter (melted)
1 teaspoon parsley flakes
Recipe:
Put the warm water in a measuring cup with the packet of yeast & the sugar. Stir to combine, then set aside for the yeast to activate.
Use a small bowl to melt the butter & combine with the minced garlic. Add parsley flakes also.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, granulated garlic & some parsley flakes & mix to combine.
Once the yeast is bubbly (~10 minutes), add the olive oil & yogurt to it. Stir until the yogurt dissolves.
Pour the yeast mixture into the bowl with the flour & start kneading. Take more dry flour if you need to.
Once the dough is formed, cover the bowl with a paper towel & set it aside to rise. I put mine in a microwave (leave it off though). Leave it to rise for about an hour.
Take the dough out & break pieces off a little larger than golf balls.
Heat a large cast iron skillet on medium-high heat.
Roll out the naan using a rolling pin.
Pour a little vegetable oil in the skillet, then place the naan in the middle. Let it bubble up for about 30 seconds then flip.
Once you flip the naan, brush on the garlic butter mixture. Use tongs to remove the naan once it's cooked on the other side.
Crunchy spicy goodness without the oily unhealthiness! Dark meat brined in Guyanese pepper sauce and half & half, then coated in a seasoned flour - panko mixture that smells so divine, you almost don't want to wait for it to full cook! Almost.
Time: 1 hour (plus time for the meat to brine)
Ingredients:
4-6 pieces of chicken meat, skin on, bone in (I used thighs & drumsticks)
1 cup half & half (regular milk will do)
1 tablespoon hot sauce (I used my uncle's homemade pepper sauce)
1 cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoons corn starch
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1 tablespoon Italian season
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon granulated garlic
Salt & pepper to taste
PAM spray
Recipe:
Place the chicken in a freezer bag along with the half & half and the pepper sauce. Throw in a little salt if desired. Let brine for about 4-5 hours in the fridge.
Mix the dry ingredients together in a pie plate or deep dish (for easy dipping). Add salt & pepper at this time too.
Place a wire rack on a cookie sheet & spray with PAM so the chicken doesn't stick.
Preheat the oven to 400F.
Take each piece of chicken out one by one & dip it in the flour mixture, coating all sides. Place the chicken on the wire rack skin side DOWN.
Spray the floured chicken pieces with PAM, then place in the oven to bake for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, use tongs to flip the chicken over so the skin side is up. Bake for an additional 20 minutes. This allows the chicken to crisp on both sides, but most importantly the skin will be super crispy!
I broiled mine for 1 minute after the 20 minutes was up, just because I like it super crunchy. You can just take it out after 20 minutes since the meat will be fully cooked.
Sprinkle with cayenne pepper if you dare! And enjoy :)
Enjoy with my garlic smashed potatoes & homemade pickled mangoes!!
Stuffed with amazing habanero lime shrimp! This delicious carbless meal promises to be a crowd pleaser! Try it for a small meal for two or as an appetizer or main for a party! The list of filling options is endless! Go crazy.
Scoop out the middle of the squash with a spoon. Leave enough flesh on the bottom & sides so that it can hold up to the filling & grilling (hey that rhymed!)
Drizzle olive oil around the top of the squash, then flip them over on grill mats, or a cookie sheet if you're baking them, so the flesh is facing down.
Grill the squash on medium heat for about 5-10 minutes depending how large they are. You want them still crunchy, not too soft.
While the squash is grilling, sauté the shrimp in the lime juice, habanero & vegetable oil.
Add salt & pepper to taste, then turn off the heat.
Use tongs to flip the squash over on the grill mats. Fill them with the habanero shrimp, and drizzle with any leftover sauce.
Close the grill to allow the shrimp to cook into the squash for about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Remove the squash boats from the grill mats & serve on a platter. Enjoy!
It's gettin cold outside! Have no fear, my creamy vegetable soup will warm you right up! Soups are amazing because they're one-pot dishes that you can sort-of forget about after you throw the ingredients together!
Time: 1 hour
Ingredients:
2 cans unsalted tomato sauce
1.5 cups water
1 large potato, diced into bite sized chunks
1 can mixed vegetables (green beans, peas, carrots, corn, etc)
1/2 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1/2 cup milk or lactaid
1 can beans of your choice
Salt & pepper to taste
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Recipe:
Heat the vegetable oil for 30 seconds in a large pot. Add the onions & sauté until translucent.
Add the garlic & the potatoes, stir to combine.
Add the tomato sauce quickly after (so the garlic doesn't have a chance to burn).
Then, pour in the water and raise the heat to high so the soup can start to boil. Feel free to add your cans of veggies at this time also.
Once the soup is boiling, add the seasoning and the beans then cover the pot. Lower to a simmer.
Let the soup simmer about 30-40 minutes for the ingredients to fully marry in their flavors, turning every so often so it doesn't burn.
Turn off the heat.
Allow about 2 mins off the stove before you add in the milk. Slowly pour it in as you stir.
Feel free to garnish with Parmesan or your favorite cheese & enjoy!
Sinfully delicious... without the sin! I keep seeing people use medjool dates as a natural, healthy sweetner in desserts, but I could never imagine those desserts tasting so delicious! This raw, vegan, glutenfree dessert will have you grabbing for more. A true guiltless pleasure!
Time: 15 mins
Ingredients:
1 pack medjool dates, pits removed
1 cup chopped pecans - raw
1 tablespoon salt
1 cup candied pecans (optional)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (vegan)
1 cup coconut oil, melted
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 cup shredded coconut flakes, unsweetened
Recipe:
In a large food processor, pulse the dates, salt, cinnamon, 1/2 cup of the coconut oil & the chopped raw pecans until a smooth mixture forms.
In a large Pyrex, spread a thin layer of the coconut flakes.
Press the date mixture into the Pyrex so it forms a sheet layer of "fudge" over the coconut flakes.
Mix the chocolate chips & the rest of the coconut oil together until smooth (melt in the microwave for ~15 seconds if needed).
Pour the chocolate mixture over the date mixture & spread to coat evenly.
Sprinkle candied pecans over the chocolate if desired.
Finally tried the beer-can chicken! It's a miracle recipe that really makes you want to eat chicken all day. Buh bye dry, boring chicken. This drunken chicken recipe will impress yourself & your guests with juicy, tender chicken using just a few simple ingredients.
Time: 1.5 hours
Ingredients:
1 whole chicken
1 tablespoon garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, & chili powder
salt & pepper to taste
1 whole lemon
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 can of beer (with only half the beer in it)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon olive oil
Recipe:
Remove all giblets from the center of the chicken. Pat it dry with a paper towel so all the water is removed.
Put the chicken in a large 13x9 Pyrex.
Pour the vegetable oil around the chicken, flipping it over so it coats in the oil.
Rub the rosemary around the chicken so that most of it sticks to the skin. Put any remaining rosemary leaves inside the cavity.
Make a spice rub with the spices, rub it all over the chicken. Add the salt & pepper at the same time.
Cut the lemon into slices, put some inside the skin if you can easily peel it away from the meat.
Open the butt of the chicken & place it on top of the beer can. Ensure there's only about 1/2 the beer left in the can!
Add any remaining lemons inside the chicken from the top, then pour the olive oil over it.
Bake on 400 for ~1 hour & 15 minutes or until golden brown.
Can't think of a better dish to post on the season finale of Game of Thrones!! A delicious lamb dinner honoring the head of the thrown, the crown! This Crown Roast is so easy & so fancy looking. Ready...set...eat!
Time: 1.5 hours or less depending on how long you marinate
Ingredients:
2 racks of lamb, frenched (ask your butcher to do this for you or check out simple YouTube videos on how to!)
2 tablespoons chopped mint, oregano, basil, cilantro (can sub a basic chimichuri sauce for a faster marinade!)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh garlic
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
salt/pepper to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil
Recipe:
Bend each rack into a semicircle with the meat side facing in & fat side out.
Use twine to tie them together like the picture above.
Rub on the olive oil, garlic, chimichuri mixture, salt, pepper, chili powder & cumin.
If you have one, put the crown in a bundt pan so that it holds its shape. You can let this marinate for 30 minutes if you have time. If not, it's fine to cook right away.
When ready, cook for 30 to 35 minutes on 375 degrees F depending on how rare you like your lamb.
Let it rest 15 minutes then cut the strong & the lamb chops & enjoy!
