Cauliflower Pizza Crust

Cauliflower pizza crust? ....it does sound a bit strange I must admit, but it tastes awesome. Trust me! 

The best part about it is that you can eat it pretty much guilt free :) 

Here is what you will need to make enough for about 3 - 4 adults. 

Crust 

1 large head of cauliflower (washed and separated into large florets)

1/2 cup of cheese (you can use mozzarella, goat cheese, or a mixture)

1 large egg (lightly beaten)

1 tsp of dried oregano or basil

1/4 tsp of red chilli flakes (optional)

pinch of salt

Toppings:

Your choice ;)

For the pizza above we used pesto sauce, mozzarella and cheddar cheese, crimini mushrooms and fresh basil

Directions

Preheat oven to 400F

In a food processor, process cauliflower until finely chopped.

 

 

In the microwave or on the stove top cook cauliflower for 5-7 min.

Place cauliflower in towel and squeeze out all the excess water until it's completely dry.
This step is very important, otherwise you will end up with a soggy crust.

 

 

 

Add remaining crust ingredients to the cauliflower until well mixed.

 

 

 

On a parchment lined cookie sheet spread out "pizza dough" until about 1/3" thick. Leave edges a bit thicker so they don't burn.

 

 

 

Bake for 35-40 min until edges are golden.

 

 

 

Top with your favourite toppings and put back in the oven at 450 F for about 7 minutes.

 

 

Now, try not to eat all of it yourself ;)

Healthy steak fajita salad

This salad is Amazing!  I want to eat it over and over again. If you are not a steak fan, try it with chicken or even shrimp if you'd like. I guarantee full satisfaction with this salad. 

What you will need:

Here, we used two six ounce striploin steaks for two servings.

2 six ounce striploin steaks

1 head of romaine lettuce, washed, dried and torn

1 avocado sliced

2 heirloom tomatoes (or roma tomatoes)

1 pablano pepper plus 2-3 bell peppers of various colours, stemmed, seeded, de-ribbed, sliced length wise  into strips

1 large yellow or white onion sliced length wise into strips

a handful (or more) of fresh cilantro, chopped

grated cheddar cheese (optional)

4 tbsp of olive oil, divided

 Marinade

Juice and zest of one large lime

2 tsp of chili powder

1 tsp of dried oregano

1 tsp of garlic powder 

1 tsp of cumin

1 tsp of sea salt

1/4 cup of olive oil

1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes

Dressing:

For this recipe I just drizzled some olive oil, freshly squeezed lime juice and salt and pepper, but you have to try it with my Creamy Cilantro Lme dressing

Creamy Cilantro, Lime dressing

1/2 cup of plain Greek yoghurt  (I like using 2% milk fat or more, but you can use fat free too)

1/4 cup of light olive oil

juice of two limes

1 1/2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar

1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded (optional)

1/2 cup of loosely packed cilantro, stems removed 

1 garlic clove

pinch of salt

 

Place all ingredients in your food processor for a minute or so. This makes a more runny dressing. 

If you prefer a  thicker/creamier dressing,  combine all the ingredients but the olive oil and vinegar. While the food processor is running, add the olive oil and vinegar in a slow, and I mean a very slow stream until emulsified.  This should take about 1-2 minutes.

 

How it's prepared:

Marinade directions:

In a small bowl combine together all the ingredients for the marinade. Add your steaks to a large

 re-sealable plastic bag and add in the marinade.  Seal bag and turn to coat well. 

Place in fridge for 15-25 min.

Heat a non-stick pan (I use cast iron) to medium-high heat, add your oil and cook your steaks to desired wellness (I like mine medium-rare to medium, so about 3-4 min a side). Take steaks out of the pan and rest on a cutting board/plate for 5-7 min.

While the steak is resting, in a non-stick pan (I used the one I cooked the steaks in) cook the peppers and onions in oil over medium-high head for about 5 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat.

To assemble the salad, place lettuce in  bowls, add your tomatoes and avocado. Season with some salt and pepper. Arrange pepper/onions and steak over top. Top with chopped cilantro and dressing. Voila!

Celery Stew

Another favorite dish of mine. Fresh mint and parsley are the basis for this nutritious and tasty stew. The are few secrets to make this stew just perfect. First, use fresh ingredients. Second, use almost the same ratio of mint and parsley (you can go even a little bit higher with the mint. If you don't have enough fresh mint, substitute with some dried mint). Third, DON'T RUSH IT. Slow-cooking is the key.

Here is what you need:

350g of stew meat of your choice (beef, veal, or lamb), cut into 1" pieces

1 large onion, chopped

3-4 large cloves of garlic, minced

1 bunch celery, washed and chopped into 1" pieces (chop the leaves too but keep them separate than the chopped stalks)

1 bunch fresh parsley, washed and chopped into 0.5" pieces (about 3 cups packed)

2 bunches fresh mint, washed and chopped into 0.5" pieces (about 2 cups packed)

2 tbsp dried mint

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1 tbsp. tomato paste (optional, I haven't used here)

1/4 cups fresh lemon or lime juice

1/4 cups vegetable oil or olive oil, divided

Salt and pepper to taste

Here is how to make it:

In a medium pot over medium heat sauté onion with 2 tbsp of oil until starting to soften.

Add the stew meat, followed by turmeric powder, salt and pepper. Stir and brown all sides.

Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and let meat cook slowly in  its own juice. Note 1: Stir occasionally to make sure it does not run out of liquid.

When all the meat juices have evaporated, add 2 cups of water, cover pot and bring to boil. Once it has come to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until meat is almost done. Note 2: You don't want the meat to completely cook at this step because you will cook it further after adding the vegetables.

Meanwhile, saute your chopped veggies.

Add the remaining oil into a pan over medium heat. Add chopped celery (only the stalks) and start to cook until partially softened (about 20-25 minutes). Then add garlic (if you choose), chopped parsley, celery leaves, fresh and dried mint, stir and cook for 3-4 minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside.

When the meat is almost cooked, add the celery mixture and stir in. Cover the pot and simmer on low heat for about 30 minutes (depending on the type of the meat you use this time could vary) or until the meat is done. Add fresh lemon or lime juice. Mix well and give it a few more minutes to get fully incorporated (5 minutes or so). Note 3: If you wish, you can fry 1 tbsp. of tomato paste in some vegetable oil and add it to the stew as the meat and veggies cook. It will add some more color. I have not done it here.

 Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. The stew is now ready. Serve hot with basmati rice and enjoy!

Cheesy Broccoli Frittata

If you have broccoli sitting in your refrigerator shelf for a long time and  have no idea what to do with it, give this recipe a try. It is easy, yummy, and nutritious.

Here is what you need:

300g of broccoli  (of course it doesn't have to be exact :) )

200g of cheddar cheese (or your other favorite cheese), shredded

1 medium size onion, thinly sliced

3-4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced (or adjust to taste)
1/3 cup fresh basil, chopped

6 eggs

1 cup heavy cream (or milk)

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp of salt

Pepper to taste

 

Before you start:

1. Cut broccoli head (trim off the stems) into bite- sized pieces. Run them under water to wash away any grit.

2. Bring 3-4 cups of water to a rapid boil. Add a tbsp of salt.

3. Prepare a bowl of ice water and have it next to your stove.

4. Preheat the oven at 350F.

Now, lets get started:

Add the broccoli florets to the boiling water and cook for about 2 minutes. Remove and immediately plunge into ice water to stop the cooking process. Pour into a colander and let drain completely.

Meanwhile add about a tbsp of olive oil to a pan and sauté sliced onion and garlic.

Grease a baking pan. Line the bottom of the pan with 2/3 of shredded cheddar. Mix the rest of cheddar with the cooked broccoli and place over the cheese.

Add sautéed onion, garlic, and chopped basil.

 

In a separate bowl, beat the eggs lightly. Whisk in heavy cream and add salt and pepper. Pour the mixture over cheese and broccoli.

Place in the oven and bake for 45 minutes, or until the eggs are set and knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.

 

 

 

Serve hot and enjoy with a side salad and your favorite dressing.

Note: You can also make this frittata in a pan. Just mix all the ingredient together and pour into a non-stick pan  and fry until both sides are cooked.

Meat and Potato Patties

These patties are very simple to make. They look fab, taste yum, and very well loved by kids.

Here is what you need:

350g lean ground meat (veal or beef preferably)

600g potato, cooked and grated

1 medium onion, grated and drained

2 eggs

1 1/2 (or more) cups bread crumbs, divided

1 cup vegetable oil

1/2 tsp. turmeric powder

1/2 tsp. ground paprika

Salt, pepper to taste

Here is how to make it:

In a large bowl, add meat, grated potato, grated onion (make sure you squeeze it well to get ride of excess water before adding), eggs, and you spices. Wash your hands carefully and start mixing until well combined.

Add 1/2 cup or so of your bread crumbs and mix again. Note: If you think that the mixture is to wobbly add more bread crumbs until thick enough to form into a ball shape. let it sit for 1 hour in the fridge or if you don't have time get started with the next step.

Sprinkle some bread crumbs onto a flat surface. Take a scoop of your mixture and shape into flat patties, about 1/4 inch thick and lay them down on top of the bread crumbs. Flip and coat the other side as well.

Meanwhile, heat up 1/4 of the vegetable oil in a large non-stick pan. Once the oil is hot, take the patties, remove excess bread crumbs, and brown on both sides. Note: It is important to cook them over a low heat on each side to cook thoroughly.

Remove patties to a serving platter. Serve either warm or cold with salad and home-made fries .

Enjoy!!

Tagliatelle in brown butter and crispy sage sauce

  Butter is great on its own but browning it elevates its flavour to a whole new level.  It adds depth richness and a wonderful nutty flavour.  The crispy sage leave are my favourite part. 

I like to serve this dish along side chicken piccata. If you like some spice, feel free to add some chilli flakes as the butter is browning.  You can also try it with cheese ravioli, or your favourite pasta or roasted butternut squash.

What you will need:

Makes sauce for 4 servings

Tagliatelle noodles (or pasta of choice)

1/2 cup of butter, cut in cubes

8-10 fresh sage leaves

1/2 lemon, juiced

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions:

 Cook pasta according to package directions.

While pasta is cooking, in a large heavy bottom sauce pan melt butter stirring constantly over medium-low to medium heat. Once you start seeing it foam up add your sage leaves. 

 Continue cooking, stirring constantly until golden brown (approx. 5-7 min). Immediately remove from heat. Add lemon juice.

 Drain pasta add to browned butter.

  Serve right away and top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese if desired.

 

Chicken piccata

Piccata is a way to prepare meat where the meat is tenderized, dredged in flour, sautéed and then served with a sauce. In this case the sauce is a tangy lemon-caper butter sauce. It is quite easy to prepare and a great dish to serve for company.  This recipe also works well with veal.

I like to serve it with brown butter sage tagliatelle noodles (recipe can be found here).

I butterfly the chicken breasts and pound them between two pieces of wax paper using a meat tenderizer until about 1/2 inch thin.

What you will need: 

Serves 4-6

3 large boneless skinless chicken breasts (butterflied and tenderized)

Salt and fresh ground black pepper

All purpose flour for dredging 

6 tbsp of unsalted butter 

4 tbsp of olive oil

1/3-1/2 cup of lemon juice

1/2 cup of chicken stock

1/4 cup brined capers, rinsed

Directions:

 Season tenderized chicken with salt and pepper on both sides.

Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess flour.

In a large sauce pan over medium-high heat melt 2 tbsp of butter with 2 tbsp of olive oil. Once the oil and butter is hot add 2-3 pieces of chicken and brown on each side (3 min a side).  Transfer chicken on to a place. Add 2 more tbsp of olive oil and butter and repeat process with remaining chicken.

Transfer chicken onto a plate.

In the pan add lemon juice, chicken stock and capers. Bring to a boil and make sure to scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add one tbsp of butter.

Return chicken to pan and let simmer for 5-7 min until chicken is done.

Place your chicken on a platter and melt the remaining tbsp of butter into the sauce. Pour sauce over the chicken. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley if you wish.

Recipe courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis.