Green Beans Salad with Lovage Dressing

This is a super dressing, to find out what lovage is click on special ingredients on the side bar and you will see a picture of it and a description of what it is. Basically it's an herb that tastes great in soups, stews, dressings or salads.

Ingredients

Dressing Ingredients

2 oz. chopped Lovage

2 drops Rosewater

1 tsp. Dijon Mustard

1 Clove Garlic

1 oz. olive oil

2 oz. Apple Cider Vinegar

½ spy apple

Salt and Pepper

Mix all ingredients in blender and blend till smooth and creamy. Your dressing is ready to serve. In this picture we served it over blanched green beans, orange pepper, sliced apples and walnuts.

Ingredients

2 Veal Shanks (Vegans and Vegetarians omit)

1 cup cooked Mung Beans

1 cup cooked Lentils

1 cup cooked Adzuki Beans

2 Celery Stalks chopped

2 Carrots chopped

1 Onion Chopped

1 cup Quinoa, sweated in 1 oz. Coconut Oil

2 Bok Choy chopped

2 Garlic cloves diced

1 Tbsp. Ginger finely diced

1 Red Pepper Chopped

2 Tbsp. Thyme

Directions

Brown the shank on both sides in oil in stock pot then add water and bring to a boil, turn down to simmer and cook for about an hour till shank is fully cooked. Reserve stock and add about one oz. coconut oil and add Quinoa add your onion , garlic and ginger, thyme  and sweat. Return stock to the pot and add all other ingredients. Bring to a boil again then turn down and simmer till vegetables are fully cooked. Add salt and pepper to taste. 

Marinated Vegetables

Ingredients

Marinate

1 liter water

2 cups apple cider vinegar

1 cup olive oil

7 garlic cloves

1 tbsp. ginger

2 tbsp. salt

2 celery stalks rough chopped

½ bunch coriander

4 tbsp. dill

4 tbsp. basil leaves

1 tbsp. peppercorns

Vegetables

Carrot

Cabbage

Zucchini

Cauliflower

Onion

Celery

Directions

In a pot add all marinate ingredients and let boil approx. 20 mins.  Let the stand overnight to develop the flavor and strain. Bring back to the boil and add your choice of vegetables within reason, I would not add tomatoes or other soft vegetables.  Let cool and put in jars and refrigerate. 

Three Bean Salad

Ingredients

1 cup cooked Mung Beans

1 cup cooked Lentils

1 cup cooked Adzuki Beans

4 cloves fine diced garlic

1tsp ginger grated

Juice of 2 limes

2 tsp. chopped cilantro

4 oz. olive oil

1 red pepper diced

1 tbsp. honey

Directions

To the cooked beans and lentils add while still hot all the above ingredients mix well and let stand overnight in the refrigerator so that flavours can bloom.

Beet & Mango Salad

Ingredients

2 cups sliced beets

2 Green onions diced

1 mango peeled and diced

1 small tomatoe

1 sweet potatoe

2 tbsp. chopped cilantro

2 Tbsp. Coconut vinegar

2 Tbsp. Olive oil

2 oz. Ginger – finely diced

Juice of 1 lime

Salt and pepper

Directions

Boil sweet potatoe till cooked but still fairly firm and let cool. Do the same with the beets.  Chop potatoe in nice sized cubes and slice beets in ¼ inch slices. 

In a mixing bowl add all your vegetables, mango and cilantro.

Mix ginger, sesame seed oil, vinegar and lime, add to vegetables and mix gently. Salt and pepper to taste.

Stuffed Tomatoe Appetizer

Ingredients
1 cup cooked quinoa
1 cup dark chicken meat (vegetarians and vegans omit chicken)
1 small onion
1 oz. coconut oil
4 small tomatoes
1 1/2 coconut milk
1 mango diced
1 tbsp. curry powder

Directions
Simmer chicken legs in coconut milk till tender. Cool chicken and dice. In another pan sweat diced onion with coconut oil.
Add curry powder, take milk from pan used to cook chicken and add to pan with onions add quinoa and chicken and mix well. Salt and pepper to taste.
Cut top off tomatoes and core out. Fill the tomatoes with mixture and garnish with mango pieces on top and lid of tomatoe.

Kasha and Cremini Mushrooms

Raw Kasha

In the picture above is Kasha in the uncooked state. Kasha is also known as Buckwheat and is commonly used in Europe. It is generally used as a side dish, breakfast or in soups. It is gluten free so is perfect for celiacs. It is also a great source of iron.

The mushrooms we chose to use in this dish are Cremini. These mushrooms are similar to the button mushrooms but have a deeper richer flavour.

Ingredients
2 cups water
1 cup uncooked kasha
1 small onion
4-6 cremini mushrooms sliced (size dependent)
1 tbsp. olive oil
juice of 2 limes

Directions
In a saucepan place water and olive oil, bring to a boil.
When water is boiling add kasha, mushrooms and onion and cover.
Turn heat down and simmer about 15 minutes. Take off heat and let rest for about 10 mins.
The water should all be absorbed.
Mix in the lime juice and serve warm.

Fast Dinner

Ingredients

1 small tomato chopped

4 chopped mushrooms

1 small zucchini chopped

1 small onion chopped

1 small green pepper chopped

1 cup cooked orzo

1 cup chopped black forest ham (omit ham for vegetarian choice)

2 clove diced garlic

1 tsp toasted coconut

½ tsp coconut oil

Salt and pepper to taste

                                                                          Directions

Add olive oil and garlic to a pan plus half a tsp. of coconut oil, sweat the vegetables, add ham and continue cooking till ham is hot. Fold in orzo and sprinkle with shredded baked coconut. Top with parmesan cheese if desired. 

Coco Salad

Ingredients

1 Med Sized Coco
Julienne of Carrots and Cucumbers
1 oz. Thai Basil
3 oz. Olive Oil
1 oz. Cider Vinegar
1 oz. ackee


Method

Peel, dice and boil the Coco. You would do this in the same manner you would boil potatoes. Boil about 5 – 10 minutes until the desired consistency is reached, this vegetable is starchy so you do not want to overboil it or it will fall apart.

Put the olive oil, cider vinegar and thai basil in the blender and blend. We found that this recipe does not require any salt as the coco makes it taste salty enough.
Add your dressing to the coco, carrots and cucumber and mix well. Garnish with walnuts.

This salad must be served warm due to the high starch content.

Cranberry Reduction

Ingredients

1 Cup Cranberries
1 Onion diced
1 Tbsp Coconut Oil or Olive Oil
1 oz. Raisins
1 Tsp. Cinammon
2 oz. Tequila
¼ Tsp. Nutmeg
Zest of Lime
½ Cup Sugar
Juice of one lime
1 Tsp. Ginger
½ Cup Diced Pineapple

Put all ingredients in a pot. Sweat ingredients for a couple of minutes . Bring to the boil and then simmer until the cranberries are soft and the desired consistency is reached. This is lovely over meat. We had it over Italian Sausages and it brought them to life. It would also be nice with pork tenderloin. For vegetarians or vegans it works lovely with a medley of vegetables.

Napa Cabbage
With our meal we fried 1 Cup of Shredded Napa Cabbage with ½ tsp of Caraway seeds in Oilive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper.

Irish Moss Soup

Ingredients
1 Bunch of Coriander leaves
3 Qts. Water
3 oz. Ginger
4 Fingers of Krachai
2 oz. Ginseng root
1 Bunch of Thai Basil
1 oz. Re-hydrated Irish Moss (see directions)
2 Tbsp. Miso
1 Finely diced Carrot
1 Finely diced Onion
½ tsp. Sesame Oil
½ Cup Cooked Rice
1 Lime Leaf
2 oz. Soy Sauce
2 Cloves Garlic
Chiffonade of Napa Cabbage

Preparing Irish Moss

When you buy Irish Moss it comes dehydrated. It must be soaked for at least 24 hours in water which is changed regularly. Once it has finished soaking you will notice it has doubled or almost tripled in size. Put it in the blender with a bit of water and blend. It should have a creamy appearance. You can purchase Irish Moss at Caribbean Food Stores.

Directions

Rough Chop your Krachai, Ginger, Ginseng Root, Garlic, Lime Leaf, Coriander leaves and Thai Basil. Put in Sauce Pan and boil in your 3 qts. of water for about 20 minutes to create your stock. Strain your stock so that you are left with the liquid only. To your liquid add the Irish Moss, Cooked Rice, Sesame Oil, Soy Sauce, Miso, Onions and Carrots. Let simmer for about 15 minutes and serve hot with a garnish of Napa Cabbage.

Very Healthy Breakfast

Ingredients

1 tbsp. Coconut flakes
1 cup Cooked Quinoa
1 oz. Sunflower Seeds
1 tbsp. Chia Seeds
1 oz. raisins
4 oz. Coconut Milk
1 tbsp. Bran Flakes
1 tsp Cinnamon
2 oz. Diced Pineapple
1 tbsp. Grated Ginger
1 tsbp. Good molasses

Directions

Bake dry coconut flakes in oven at 350 degrees for about 15 mins till golden brown. Mix all ingredients and serve. In place of coconut milk you could use plain yogurt. It would be nice with nuts added such as almonds or walnuts. Garnish with pineapple pieces if you wish or blueberries.

Couscous Dessert

This is a two pot dessert but very easy to make and tastes delicious. It's a great alternative to rice pudding and when done should have the same consistency.

Ingredients

2 Cups Couscous
2 oz. Sugar
2 oz. Raisins
10 oz. Coconut Milk
1 Tbsp. Cinnamon
Lime Zest
2-3 Star Anise
1/2 Cups Cranberries
1 1/2 Cups Water
1 Cup Sugar

Directions

Add cranberries, water, 1 cup sugar and star anise to a pot and bring to the boil.
Once it is boiling turn it down to simmer and let cook until it reaches a thick consistency. Let cool

In another pot add couscous, 2 oz. sugar, lemon zest, raisins and coconut milk. Bring to a boil, turn down to simmer and let cook about 15 minutes until the couscous is cooked.

Put couscous mixture in a bowl and pour the cranberry dressing on top and it is ready to serve.

Mashed Potatoes with Turmeric and Garlic

Ingredients

8 Evenly sized potatoes peeled
1 tbsp. turmeric
4 cloves garlic pureed with oil
Salt
Olive Oil

Directions

Add potatoes and enough water to cover them in pot, also add the turmeric, salt and garlic to the pot.
Bring to a boil then turn down to medium and cook until for goes through the potatoes very easily.
Mash the potatoes with just enough Olive Oil to make creamy.

Note: When you mash these potatoes the turmeric will give them a nice almost orange hue to them.
Trevor and I use a lot of garlic in our cooking so we will usually cook a lot of cloves of garlic at one time
With olive oil, puree it and refrigerate it for future use.

Quinoa Dumplings

The Quinoa

Ingredients

1 ¾ cups Quinoa
3 Tbsps. Coconut Oil
Pinch of Salt
2 Cups Water (or stock in lieu of water)
1 oz. Onion Finely Diced
1 oz. Celery Finely Diced
1 Clove Finely Diced Garlic

Method

Melt the coconut oil, sweat vegetables, add quinoa at the same time.
Then add liquid (water or stock)
Bring to a boil, turn heat down and simmer for 20 minutes until the quinoa is cooked.
Let Quinoa cool.


The Dumplings

Ingredients

4 eggs (for vegans use egg replacement)
1 ½ cups bread crumbs
1tsp. diced rosemary
1 tsp. oregano
Salt and white pepper
The cooled quinoa
2 tbsp. olive oil

Directions

Mix all the ingredients, roll into desired sized balls.
Can be either baked or poached depending on how you wish to use them. If you are baking brush with oil and bake @ 350 degrees for about 15 – 20 mins till golden brown. If poaching about 15 mins in salt water.

Note
This is nice as a replacement for meatballs, an addition to stews, soups. With an egg replacement it can be used by vegans. For tonights dinner we had them with pasta instead of meatballs. A much healthier choice.

Banana Dressing

This morning Trevor wanted to do something different with Bananas. He came up with this dressing; he certainly has a creative mind. It tastes amazing. A great mayonnaise alternative as well for vegans.

Ingredients

2 Ripe Bananas
1 Tsp. Chopped Dill
1 Tsp. Chopped Cilantro
1 Tbsp. Soy Sauce
¼ cup Coconut Vinegar
¾ cups Corn Oil
Salt to taste

Directions

Put all Ingredients in blender, blend and serve.

Green Onion Mustard Dressing

Today Trevor made my favourite dressing. It is a green onion dressing. You could drizzle this over mussels, shrimps or on a nice salad. Whatever you wish, just think outside the box. Today we drizzled it over tomatoes. If you don’t have coconut vinegar then apple cider vinegar or rice wine vinegar work just as nicely. The two dressings that we have listed here are a great alternative for mayonnaise, in particularly for vegans.


Ingredients
2 bunches of green onions cleaned and chopped
Juice of ½ lemon
1 tsp. of tarragon
1 oz. of prepared mustard
Dash of Rosewater
¼ coconut vinegar
½ cup olive oil

Directions
Put all ingredients in blender and its ready to use. If you find it’s a bit tart for you just add a bit more olive oil.

Asparagus Soup

Ingredients

1 oz. Olive Oil
1 oz. Coconut Oil
3 onions diced
1 cup diced celery
Small piece of ginger
1 lime leaf
8 cups of chicken stock (vegans can use a vegetable stock)
2 bundles of asparagus ends
¼ cup rice

Directions

Add all ingredients to the pot with the oils and sweat.
Once this is done add the stock
Bring to a boil and simmer until the asparagus stocks are soft
Let it cool down and process through the blender and strain with a fine strainer
Re-warm, do a final season with salt and pepper if desired and serve. For a garnish you could add frozen lime zest, a dollop of sour cream or yogurt.

Note:

Quite often when we make this soup we have just had the asparagus tips with a meal, we will reserve the water they were boiled in and use it for part of the stock as well to increase the asparagus flavour of the soup.

Beets with Coconut Sauce

Ingredients

1 tsp. coconut oil
1 onion sliced
2 oz. brown sugar
1 oz. Rice wine vinegar
4 drops Rosewater
1 oz. dill weed chopped
20 oz coconut milk
salt to taste
Lime juice from 1/2 lime


Directions

Melt the coconut oil on low heat
Add and Sweat the onions about 3 Min's
Add the Brown Sugar, Rice Wine and Rosewater

On low heat cook until the sugar has dissolved then add the coconut milk. Add dill and lime juice.

Pour the mixture over sliced freshly cooked and warm beets, mix gently. You can serve this right away or put in the fridge overnight and let marinade. The reason | say to use warm beets is that if your beets are room temp to warm the sauce will absorb better than it would on cold beets.

Vegetable Stock

Ingredients
1 Cup Celery
1 Cup Carrots
1 Cup Onions
1 oz Roasted Wakame (Seaweed)
1 oz Chopped Corriander
1 oz Basil Leaves
1 Small piece Ginger
10 Cups Water
Organic Salt to taste


Directions
Add all ingredients to stock pot, bring to a boil then turn down to simmer.
Cook until all vegetables are done. Let stand till cold and strain.

Notes
I don’t want to make this sound like you don’t know what you are doing but Trevor sometimes forgets to be a little bit more specific. So I ask him questions that me, being a regular housewife might ask. Of course the question I asked him here was “why am I removing the vegetables?” His answer is “it is a stock, you would let it cook, strain it and put it in the fridge and you can use it for a variety of dishes as the liquid. For example if you were making a sauce you might use it, for soup or for even boiling potatoes. It gives the food a nicer flavour.”
My next questions was “So what do I do with these vegetables now?” His answer to this one was “If you are going to make a soup right away you could use them in this soup or you could use them to make something else or just discard them.” So I get the idea, the purpose of making the stock in this case was for Trevor to keep it in the fridge for future use in other food preparations. How long can you keep it in the fridge? You only want to keep it in the fridge for a couple of days but you could freeze it.