Lamb Burgers

Ground lamb is very similar to taste as ground beef but just a little different, but you can use it for any ground beef recipe.  Lamb Burgers are very tasty and I think tend to be a little juicer than ground beef.  I was inspired by an Emeril Lagasse recipe for my take on lamb burgers, served on homemade buns of course.  The lamb was tender and juicy with nice flavor from the spices and the buns I made were ok, but a little bready; check out my other link for the buns!  The Feta spread is cheesy and thick with a little kick to help cut the cheesiness. I served the burgers with sweet potato cajun fries as a side dish.

Lamb Burgers with Feta Spread
adapted from Emeril at Food Network

2 1/4 pounds ground lamb
1 tbsp minced garlic

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp ground allspice

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, plus 1/8 teaspoon

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

4 ounces goat cheese , softened

2 tbsp plain greek yogurt

Juice from 1/2 lemon

1 tsp olive oil

6 hamburger buns

Thinly sliced tomatoes, for garnish, optional

Directions

In a mixing bowl, combine the lamb, garlic, salt, cumin, allspice, 1/4 teaspoon of the cayenne, and the cinnamon and mix gently but thoroughly to combine. Using your hands, shape the mixture into 6 wide patties about 1/2-inch thick and transfer to a large plate or a platter. *Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to overnight.

*I didn't refrigerate the patties and they turned out just fine.

Feta dip: Combine the remaining 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, feta cheese, cream cheese, greek yogurt, 1 teaspoon of the olive oil, and lemon juice in a mixing bowl and stir to blend well. *Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to overnight to allow flavors to blend.

*I didn't refrigerate for the specified amount of time and it came out fine.

When ready to cook the burgers, preheat a grill to medium-high. When the grill is hot, add the burgers and cook for about 4 minutes on each side for medium. Transfer the burgers to a platter and cover loosely with foil. Place the buns, cut sides down, and in batches if necessary, in the hot skillets and cook until warmed through and slightly toasted, about 2 minutes. Serve the buns with the cooked burgers and spoon some of the feta spread over each burger. Garnish with lettuce, tomatoes, if desired, and serve immediately.

Looking good with sweet potato fries!

Homemade Indian: Round 2

Indian Round 2 includes boneless, skinless chicken thighs marinated in buttermilk and spices all day, Chana Masala, Cauliflower Rice and Naan.  It was a lot better than my first round of Indian. The marinade made the chicken very moist and tender, the chana masala was perfectly spicy, the cauliflower rice is always good and I rolled the naan a bit thinner so it wasn't so doughy.

In sum, if a recipe doesn't work out the first time, regroup and do it again! Take note of what you learned and apply it and best of all, ask others for their thoughts and opinions.  

Spiced Buttermilk- Marinated Chicken

6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1/2 cup buttermilk, or enough to cover all the thighs,

2 tablespoons of garam masala OR *Ras El Hanout

1/2 tsp mustard powder

1/2 tsp cardamom,

Salt and Pepper

Put the buttermilk in a bowl and mix with the spices so everything is well combined.  Place the chicken in the bowl and cover with the marinade, cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge for at least 8 hours.

After the marinade time is over and you're ready to cook, preheat the oven to 450F, put the chicken in a baking dish and discard the marinade (If you cook buttermilk it separates and is really ugly). Bake for 40 minutes, turning the thighs once halfway through cooking.  Set to the side to cool and chop into bite sized pieces.  

*Ras El Hanout is a Morrocan spice blend, which to me, tastes very similar to indian spices, so I found that it works very well in my spin on Indian Food.  I've been unable to find Garam Masala in the local stores where I live, but was able to find the Ras El Hanout, go figure.  Try both and see which you like better!

Chana Masala

adapted from Kurry Leaves

1 tbsp oil
1 jalapeno

1/2 onion very finely chopped
2 cloves of minced garlic

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp turmeric

3/4 tsp Ras El Hanout

1 tsp cardamom

1/2 tsp ginger powder

1/2 tsp mustard powder
1 14.5oz can drained and rinsed chickpeas
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup water

Put the oil in a pot or pan over medium-low heat and saute the jalapeno and onion until soft (about 10 minutes).  Add the garlic and all of the spices and allow to cook for about 1 minute.  Add the chickpeas and cook for about 5 minutes.  Add the tomatoes and water and bring to a boil and allow to cook together for about 10 minutes.  Simmer on low until you're ready to eat.

I included links to the cauliflower rice and naan in my opening paragraph.

Jambalaya

Jambalaya is a delicious shrimp and sausage dinner that tastes even better the next day (perfect for lunch).  I had a lot of shrimp leftover from another recipe and thought about Jambalaya.  A really delicious jambalaya recipe comes from no other than Mr. Emeril Lagasse.  It's spicy, without being too hot, can be made relatively quickly and makes for great leftovers.  

I changed a few things because I did not have some of the ingredients on hand.  The recipe calls for celery, and I just added more pepper. I also didn't add any chicken this time because I had a lot of shrimp left over.  I changed the broth from 3 cups of chicken broth to 2 cups of chicken broth and 1 cup of tomato juice (I had the juice leftover from draining tomatoes.  Speaking of tomatoes, I also used a 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes, drained in place of the chopped tomatoes.  I made the spice mixture according to the recipe, but I added cardamom in place of the thyme.  Just a few changes, but I believe I kept the overall feel of the recipe.  Check it out!  

I served this with spicy garlic bread (1 tbsp softened butter, 1 tbsp of creole seasoning, 1 tbsp parmesan cheese, mix, spread, bake in 400F oven for 5 minutes)

Jambalaya
Adapted from Emeril at Food Network

Ingredients
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled, deveined and chopped
1 tablespoon Creole seasoning, recipe follows2 tablespoons olive oil1/2 onion chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped garlic1 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes, drained3 bay leaves1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce1 teaspoon hot sauce3/4 cup rice2 cups chicken stock1 cup of tomato juice3 Andouille sausages, slicedSalt and pepperDirectionsIn a bowl combine shrimp and Creole seasoning, and work in seasoning well. In a large saucepan heat oil over mediumheat with onion and peppers until soft. Add garlic, tomatoes, bay leaves, Worcestershire and hot sauces. Stir in rice and slowly add broth. Reduce heat to medium and cook until rice absorbs liquid and becomes tender, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. When rice is just tender add shrimp and sausage. Cook until shrimp is done, about 10 minutes more. Season to taste with salt, pepper and Creole seasoning.



Emeril's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast):
2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tsp cardamom
Combine all ingredients thoroughly.

Yield: 2/3 cup

Cannelini Mashed "Potatoes"

In an effort to keep using vegetables in an unexpected ways, I came across this recipe for mashed beans to replicate potatoes.  I'm down!  

I added potentially more cheese than was needed and I added a splash of lemon juice at the end.  The lemon juice really brought it together and made it taste a bit lighter and I highly recommend you do that.  

Here is my recipe adapted from Eating Well, Living Thin

Mashed Cannelini Potatoes

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 large cloves garlic, peeled, but left whole1 14-ounce cans Cannellini beans, drained, rinsed
1/4-1/3 cup chicken broth
4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1tsp nutmeg
Kosher salt & black pepper
Lemon Juice & Olive Oil

In a pan heat olive oil over medium-low heat. Add whole garlic cloves. Sauté until garlic is soft. Smash garlic with the back of a wooden spoon.  Add beans and heat through, stirring and roughly mashing with the spoon, adding chicken broth until desired consistency. Stir in Parmesan, salt, and black pepper. Place in a serving bowl and drizzle with additional olive oil and lemon juice. Serve hot. 

Here is a serving suggestion. Mashed beans and steak!

Cornmeal "Fried" Fish

This is a really simple way to prepare fish but with a huge impact! This recipe came as a way to use a bag of cornmeal I bought and to try a different way of preparing fish tacos without deep frying.  What I came up with was really delicious with the perfect amount of crispiness without being greasy.  I think this would be a great way to incorporate more fish into a diet!

Cornmeal "fried" fish.

1 tbsp oil (coconut, olive, whichever you'd like)
2 tilapia filets (any white fish would do)
2/3 cup egg whites (4 egg whites)
1/2 cup cornmeal
3 tbsp of old bay
1/2 tablespoon of Seasoned Salt

Cut the filets into smaller pieces (if desired).  Pat dry with paper towels.

Preheat a non-stick pan over medium heat and put the oil in the pan.

Pour the egg whites into a bowl.

Put the cornmeal, Old Bay and Seasoned Salt into another bowl and mix together.

Take a piece of fish, place in the egg whites, shake off the excess, place in the cornmeal, shake off the excess, place back in the egg whites, then the cornmeal and then place in the hot pan.  Do this to all the fish and cook, turning the fish halfway through cooking and cook until done (about ten minutes depending on your fish).  
There you have it, my version of healthier "fried" fish.  It was delicious and perfect in fish tacos. Just need a really good sauce to go with it!



I prepare the fish to eat as fish tacos!

The sauce in the background is yogurt based (yogurt, lime juice, spices).

Cauliflower "Rice"

Cauliflower "Rice" is one of these healthy discoveries that has changed the way I prepare healthy food.  It's amazing to think that such a vegetable can turn into something so similar to a starch! The "rice" ends up with a texture and taste more to cous cous, but that's perfectly all right.  The beauty of this is you can change the seasonings to accomodate whatever meal you serve it with.  

Inspiration comes from this delicious recipe found at  Nom Nom Paleo.

The basics of this recipe are:

1) chop cauliflower into small pieces and pulse in a food processor. Put aside in a bowl
2) chop some onion and pulse in a food processor. Put aside in the same bowl as the cauliflower
3) Add whichever spices you want to go with whatever meal you're eating!
4) Sautee the cauliflower and onion in a preheated pan with a little bit of your fat of choice.
5) Cook for about 10-15 minutes and enjoy!

This is not so much a recipe as it is a technique. Once you start chopping and pulsing the cauliflower you can be as creative as you want! This is really a great way to sneak in and incorporate more vegetables into your diet.  Enjoy!

Jamaican Beef Balls and Red Beans and "Rice"

I wanted to do a slow carb version of jamaican beef patties and use this recipe for cauliflower rice that I had see on the internet.  After googling various search terms, I discovered a recipe for Jamaican Beef Balls that looked really tasty, but not spicy. 
The Jamaican Balls I made were incredibly tender, moist and flavorful.  They were to be served with a "gravy" but instead it became a sort of bell pepper chutney almost.  I served these balls with red kidney beans and cauliflower "rice" and it was all quite tasty together and not as spicy as you might think. This is a great little introduction to Jamaican cuisine and it's a weeknight meal! The entire meal was ready in less than an hour. 


Jamaican Beef Balls
(adapted from Cook Like a Jamaican)
1 pound ground beef. (I used 80/20)
1/2 cup breadcrumbs (I used homemade)
3 cloves Garlic, chopped
1 medium Onion, chopped finely (I chopped it in my food processor)
1/2 tsp Black Pepper
1 tsp Salt
2 tsp Worcester Sauce
2 tsp Steak Sauce
1 Tbsp BBQ Sauce in
2 Tbsp Ketchup
1 egg
Cooking Oil for frying
1. Place all ingredients into a large bowl and mix all of the ingredients together with clean hands.
2. Form beef balls out of the mixture into the size ball you desire.
3. Heat some cooking oil on Medium-High heat in oven-safe pan.
4. Turn on oven and pre-heat to 350 degrees; In the meantime, sear beef balls in pan turning until all sides are browned. Place into preheated oven and cook for about 15 minutes.
6. Once the balls have finished cooking take them out of the pan and move to another plate or holding area and make the gravy out of the remaining oil in the pan.
Gravy
1 large Onion, chopped
1/4 each, red and green Bell Pepper, chopped
1 tsp Hot Sauce (I used Tapatio)
2 Tbsp Tomato Ketchup
1/2 to 1 tsp Salt (to taste)

1. Add the chopped onion and peppers to the hot pan over medium heat.  Allow the vegetables to cook until soften (about 10 minutes)
2. Add hot sauce and ketchup to the pan and stir; taste gravy and add salt to taste and cook until everything comes together.  

Cauliflower "Rice"
1/2 head of cauliflower
1/2 onion
1/2 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp curry powder
Salt and Pepper

1.  Chop the cauliflower into small pieces and pulse in a processor.  Set aside in a bowl
2.  Chop the onion into small pieces and pulse in a processor. Set aside in a bowl
3. Add the spices to the cauliflower and onion in the bowl and mix together.
4. Sautee the cauliflower and onion in preheated pan with a tablespoon of coconut oil.  Cook for about 10 minutes and enjoy!

To serve
Take some balls, take some gravy and take some "rice" and dig in! 

Homemade Slow Carb Indian-Inspired Feast

As I wrote about on my naan post here, I wanted to make green lentils taste better and found that Indian would be a great way to try and accomplish that mission.  I did quite a lot of google searching to find the perfect recipe that I could create at home with my basic array of spices.  

I found a recipe, and made it but it still needs a little help so here's the recipe from the Jewish Week and below are my changes and additions.  Let me know what you think!

Chana Masala with Lentils and Chicken

Feeds 4-6 (or two and lots of lunches for the week)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced or finely diced
1 teaspoons ground ginger
½ teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
½ teaspoon cayenne powder
1 tsp mustard powder
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon curry powder
Salt and Pepper
1 pound chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces.15-ounce can petite diced tomatoes1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained1/2 cup green lentils, cooked
1 1/2 cups of frozen vegetable medley (carrots, cauliflower, broccoli)

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-low  heat. Add the diced onion and garlic and sautee until soft  for about 8 to 10 minutes.

Add the ginger, chili powder, cumin, cayenne, turmeric, paprika and curry powder and stir until combined. Cook for about a minute and then add the chopped chicken and cook until all pieces are browned.  

Add the chopped tomatoes and chickpeas and stir to combine.  Make sure you scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to pick up any spices that have accumulated. 

Add the lentils and frozen vegetables and mix until combined.

Bring the mixture to a boil, then let simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.  Add a splash of lemon juice and stir together and enjoy with naan if desired.

Homemade Naan in less than an hour

I wanted a way to make lentils taste better and after google searching for ideas, it seemed that going Indian was the way to go.  Sounds like a great idea, but when you think of Indian, you think of Naan!

I decided to make some Naan to go along with my homemade Indian Inspired feast, but learned that making Naan could take quite a long time! I didn't have quite a long time so after google, "quick naan" I found this recipe found here.

I changed just a few things, but overall kept the integrity of this recipe.  Here's my version!

Naan in Less Than an Hour

1 cup of all-purpose flour
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
4 tbsp buttermilk
2 tbsp water
Garlic (optional, if you don't want garlic naan just omit it)

In a large bowl, mix dry ingredients together. Add 4 tbsp buttermilk and 2 tbsp water if needed.

Knead in the bowl until smooth and cover for 30 minutes.

Preheat the heavy skillet or griddle on medium high heat. Divide your dough in two and roll into balls.

Roll on a lightly floured surface to approximately 1/4" thick. Dust off any excess flour and place on the hot skillet.  

Brush the top side with butter and toss onto the hot griddle.  Brush the now top side with butter.

When bubbles begin to form (10 to 20 seconds), flip it and brush the 2nd side. Leave it on for about a minute and take it off the heat. Enjoy the warm and fluffly naan or with my slow carb spin on chana masala!

Slow Carb Breakfast Bake

Slow Carb is honestly a great eating lifestyle, but breakfast is hard if you're going for make ahead meals.  After searching the internet it seems as though there aren't a lot of options out there.  There are dozens of clean eating and paleo and low carb, but nothing "slow carb".

I wanted to create a tasty casserole that incorporated all of the slow carb features and that could be made ahead.  I was inspired by the breakfast casseroles seen on the internet and came up with this adaptation, loosely based on this recipe at Paleo OMG.

This dish has the perfect amount of creaminess to the eggs, spice from the chorizo and other added yummies and of course is healthy! This is a great way to incorporate all of the slow carb principles without having to have anything green for breakfast.  This is a great way to start the day.

Here's what I came up with!

Slow Carb Breakfast Casserole

Ingredients

5 eggs

4 egg whites

1/4 lb chorizo

1 onion diced

1/4 lb Jimmy Dean turkey breakfast sausage crumbles

14.5 oz can petite diced tomatoes with juices drained

1 can reduced sodium dark kidney beans

Pinch Cayenne

Pinch Cinnamon

Salt and Pepper

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

Add the chorizo and sausage and onion to a preheated, large non-stick skillet.  Allow the onion and chorizo to mingle and cook together until the chorizo is cooked through and crumbly (about 15 minutes).

Add the kidney beans and spices and allow to cook together for about 5 minutes.  Add the drained tomatoes and an extra layer of salt and pepper and allow to cook for another 5 or so minutes.

While the meat, bean and tomato mixture is cooking whisk the eggs, egg whites and salt and pepper together in a large bowl.

Turn the heat off of the pan and little by little add the mixture to the eggs to gently warm the eggs so they don't cook.

Place the egg mixture into a greased 8x8 pan and toss in the oven for 30 minutes or until the mixture doesn't jiggle any longer.

Let it cool, slice into individual pieces and toss in the fridge! Microwave for a minute or so the next day and enjoy!

Cross Section photos!