What's better than sautéed squash, mushrooms & carrots coated in melted gruyere? Not much. This vegetable raclette is wholesome, filling, and a little spicy. In other words, it's perfection.
Time: 1 hour
Ingredients:
2 large zuchini
2 summer squash
1 pack portobello mushrooms
1 serrano pepper
1 cup shredded carrots (or diced)
1/2 cup shredded gruyere cheese
salt & pepper to taste
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
Recipe:
Dice the zuchini & summer squash, roughly chop the mushrooms.
Slice the serrano pepper & set it aside.
Sauté the vegetables (including the carrots) in a bit of olive oil so they will cook through. I did mine one by one so that everything cooked evenly & didn't get too soggy. You want them crunchy.
Pour the cooked vegetables into an oven-safe Pyrex, add the serrano slices & season with salt & pepper.
Sprinkle the shredded gruyere on top of the vegetables & broil for 2-3 minutes or until the cheese is melted & bubbly.
Here you are, folks! Another Meatless Monday miracle. I first tried calabacitas in Colorado last week, from this awesome restaurant, Kachina. They offer it as a side dish. It's really spicy so adjust the recipe to your taste! Here's my take.
Time: 20 mins
Ingredients:
1 zucchini
1 summer squash
1 small onion
2 red chilis
1/4 cup corn (I used frozen)
1 tablespoon shredded Romano cheese (or whatever you have on hand that will melt well)
1 whole tomato
1 tablespoon butter
salt & black pepper to taste
Recipe:
Dice the zucchini, squash, tomatoes & onion.
In a medium skillet, heat the butter. Chop the chili peppers into little slices.
Then add the onion when the butter is slightly melted.
Sauté the onion for 1 min before adding in the chilis.
Once the onion is slightly golden, add in the corn, tomatoes, squash & zuchini. Sprinkle with salt & pepper.
Stir to combine then cover the pan, leaving the heat on low. You should check on it & stir every so often so nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan.
After about 10 mins, remove the cover & turn off the heat (the squash & zucchini should be cooked but not mushy).
With the heat off, sprinkle some cheese & stir it in while it melts. This will help offset the spiciness of the chilis & also give the calabacitas a creamy taste.
Serve as a side dish or in tacos as a veggie filling!
Here you go, folks! A healthy, crunchy, spicy (if you want) snack!! I don't know bout y'all but I feel so accomplished making my own snacks, especially when they are healthy. This one will take you ~40 mins. If you try this, tell me your spice combos, I'm dying to try new ones!
Time: 40 mins
Ingredients:
1 can chickpeas
1.5 tablespoons olive oil
ground cayenne pepper to taste
crushed red pepper to taste
salt to taste
Recipe:
Strain & rinse the canned chickpeas. You can boil them with 2 tablespoons baking soda before baking them, to remove the skins if you like.
Place the chickpeas in a medium bowl and toss them in the olive oil & cayenne. I used 1 teaspoon cayenne, this was perfect for me. Add more or less if you like. Or none at all!
On a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, bake on 400 F for 30 mins.
Toss again with salt & crushed red pepper.
Allow them to cool completely before storing them in a bottle or zip loc bag or they will lose their crunchiness. But have no fear, if they aren't crunchy anymore the next day, you can put them back in the oven for another 2-3 mins on 400F to freshen them up!
When we visited London a few months ago, this amazing Indian restaurant had black dhal. The restaurant is called Dishoom and it is well worth the trip to London :)! Anyway black dal one of my hubby's favorite Indian dishes to date & I had to try making it. Very excited with how it came out! Check it out below.
Time: 1 hour
Ingredients:
1 cup black dhal
1/2 cup half & half or cream
3.5 cups water
1 handful methi leaves (fenugreek)
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1/2 onion, diced
1 can tomato purée
1 tablespoon chopped ginger or ginger paste
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1.5 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon Garam masala
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3-4 cloves freshly chopped garlic
salt to taste
2-3 wiri wiri peppers (can use regular chili peppers as well)
Recipe:
Soak the dal overnight in water.
In a large, deep pan, heat 1.5 tablespoons oil & cumin seeds. Wait about 30 seconds before adding in the diced onion. Add the tablespoon chopped garlic as well.
Add all of the spices & sauté for another 30 seconds.
Pour in the tomato purée & the peppers. Let the mixture come to a boil then add in the black dal & the methi leaves. Add in 3 cups of water. Add the cream or half & half. Add salt.
At this step you can cover it & let it simmer so the dal softens. This will most likely take 2-3 hours depending on how high you set the heat. I kept mine on medium low. Alternatively, you can put all of the ingredients in a pressure cooker for 18-20 minutes! Super quick way to make it.
Once the dal softens, test for salt, etc. Add spices as needed.
If you have a gas stove: In a metal (don't use plastic!) ladle, add 1/2 teaspoon oil, the freshly chopped garlic cloves, & another pinch of cumin seeds. Hold the bottom of the ladle over one of the burners & allow the garlic to brown.
Next, carefully move the ladle & submerge it into the dal. When you do this, have the lid for the pan handy so you can use it as a shield as the dal might splatter & it will be hot. This step isn't necessary but it adds a burst of flavor to the dish!
An incredibly easy wing sauce that will make you never default to Buffalo again! Most of the work is done in the food processor (don't you just love those kinds of recipes?) and then slow simmered in a sauce pan. Enjoy!
Time: 30 mins
Ingredients:
2 green mangoes, chopped
1 Habanero pepper, sliced with seeds removed
3 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup apple cider vinegar
Recipe:
Place the mango, Habanero & garlic cloves in a food processor & pulse until finely ground
Pour the mixture in a small sauce pan on low heat, stirring to avoid burning.
After about 1 minute, add the brown sugar.
Once the brown sugar melts, keep stirring the mixture occasionally for 10 minutes so the garlic cooks.
Add the apple cider vinegar & salt. Let the sauce simmer for another 10 minutes, stir if needed.
Toss hot wings in the sauce using a large bowl, enjoy!
Ok it's been getting cold fast here in the tri-state area & to me that means give your food a little heat! Chicken thighs simmered in a creamy sauce of pulsed jalapeño peppers & coconut milk. Creamy with a kick!
Time: 1 hour
Ingredients:
1 pack chicken thighs, skinless (doesn't matter if it's boneless or not)
3-4 jalapeño peppers
1 can coconut milk
1/2 yellow onion
2-3 cloves garlic
salt & pepper to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil
Recipe:
In a large skillet, brown the chicken thighs in the olive oil for ~2-3 mins before adding the onion & garlic. Lower the heat so it stays warm but doesn't burn.
Slice open each jalapeño pepper, remove seeds.
Use a blender or food processor to grind the jalapeño, coconut milk, salt & pepper unless smooth.
If you'd like, dice a zucchini or any other type of vegetable & add it to the chicken, sauté for a minute.
Pour the sauce over the chicken thighs & raise the heat to medium, cover the pan.
Let simmer for about 10-15 minutes or until the chicken is tender. Garnish with fresh jalapeño slices if you like it spicy!
I know I know.. it's not red like normal kimchi. But guess what? It's really yummy. And you have a version of kimchi in 20 minutes. So try it.
Time: 20 mins
Ingredients:
1/2 head of cabbage, chopped
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspon sugar
1 teaspoon fresh chopped ginger
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (I used Guyanese pepper sauce made with scotch bonnets)
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon minced garlic
Recipe:
In a small pot, cook the cabbage & minced garlic in the water. It may seem like too little water for the cabbage, but remember cabbage already has a high water content so don't add more than 1/4 cup! Let it cook for ~4-5 minutes.
Take the heat off & move the pot off the burner. You can also transfer the cabbage at this time to a large bowl.
Add all of the remaining ingredients to the cabbage & mix to combine.
Refrigerate the kimchi & enjoy later or add to fried rice, fries, anything you want!
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!!
