Toasted Cauli-Rice

A number of years ago we started eating Cauli-rice in lieu of regular rice, in an attempt to cut down on carbs and be a bit healthier.  Now whenever "rice" is served in our home, it's almost always a delicious version of a cauli-rice.  This Toasted Cauli-Rice is rich, mild and somewhat creamy, because of the ghee.  Toasting the cauliflower a bit adds just another flavor dimension.  In the picture above, the Toasted Cauli-Rice is served with our Malaysian Chicken Curry, which is quickly made in the Instant Pot.  This is a fast, healthy and delicious meal which we hope you'll try.

Toasted Cauli-Rice

• 1 large head of cauliflower
• 1 TBS. ghee (or butter)
• 1 medium onion, small dice
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• salt & pepper to taste

Wash and dry the cauliflower completely.  Cut into workable size pieces and rice using either the shredding blade of a food processor or a box grater.  Heat a large skillet and add the ghee.  Once the ghee is melted, add the riced cauliflower, onion & garlic.  Cook over medium high heat, stirring once in a while.  Cook until the onions are tender and the cauliflower starts to toast in areas.  Add salt & pepper to taste.  

Enjoy!!

Creamy Tomato Soup ~ Instant Pot

It's a snowy day here in Georgia and nothing is better than a hot delicious bowl of soup.  Maisie put in her request for Creamy Tomato Soup.  As we had all the necessary ingredients in the house, her wish was granted.  This recipe was made in our 8-qt Instant Pot but could easily be made in any pressure cooker or even in just a pot on the stove.  We enjoy the soup with a bit of added heavy whipping cream, just for some extra creaminess, but even without the cream the soup is creamy delicious!

Creamy Tomato Soup ~ Instant Pot

• 4 Tbsp. ghee or butter
• 1 med. onion, large dice
• 2 small potatos, peeled and large dice
• 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper 
• 1/3 cup sundried tomatoes
• 1 - 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
• 1 - 14.5 oz. can tomato sauce
• 1 -  6 oz. can tomato paste
• 4 cups water
• 2 tsp. sea salt
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream (optional)

Heat pressure cooker and add the ghee.  Once metled, add the diced onion and sautee until tender.  Add the potato, garlic & black pepper.  Mix well and saute until the garlic is fragrant.  Add the sundried tomatoes, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, water, and salt.  Close the pressure cooker and steam release valve.  Set high pressure for 10 minutes.  When time is up, allow for 10 minutes of natural release and then release any remaining pressure with quick release.  Use an immersion blender to blend the soup smooth.  Add additional salt and pepper to taste.  If using the cream, stir in before serving.  

Enjoy

Dry Fried Eggplant

For people who love all sorts of food, we dine out very, very infrequently.  When we do go to a restaurant it’s generally to the local Szechuan restaurant where the food reminds us of our time in China. 
One of our favorite dishes, which we always order, is Dry Fried Eggplant.  This is our attempt to recreate the dish and honestly we are pretty darn close.  Though this dish is almost spot on, I will say that it’s often easier to just go out and enjoy someone else’s cooking and having them do the cleaning up too! 
Dry Fried Eggplant

• Coconut oil for frying
• 1/2 cup tapioca flour
• Himalayan salt, to taste
• 1 tsp. ground Szechuan peppercorns (dried prickly ash)
• 1 tsp. hot paprika 
• 1 1/2 lbs. Chinese eggplant, stem removed and cut lengthwise into 2-3 inch-long “steak” fries
• 1/2 bunch cilantro leaves, chopped
• 1 tsp. Szechuan peppercorns, flakes

Heat oil (deep enough to come halfway up the thickness of the eggplant fries) in a heavy bottomed cast iron pan and heat to approximately 350F.  Place a wire rack over several layers of paper towels for draining after frying.  Mix together the tapioca flour, salt, ground Szechuan peppercorns and paprika and place on a large rimmed baking sheet.  Lightly moisten the eggplant fries with water and then lightly coat the fries with the tapioca flour mixture, shaking off and discarding any excess.  Working in batches, carefully fry the eggplant, turning when necessary, until lightly golden brown and tender in the center.  Remove the fries to the prepared cooling rack.  Plate and sprinkle on the cilantro and Szechuan peppercorn flakes.
Enjoy!

Sweet & Sour Un-Stuffed Cabbage Soup

We adore stuffed cabbage but making it can be awfully time consuming. Enter Un-Stuffed Cabbage Soup, tastes just as delicious and takes just a fraction of the work and time to make.  We make this for a quick hearty meal in the pressure cooker which cuts the time even more, but it’s just as easily made in a pot on the stovetop.
Sweet & Sour Un-Stuffed Cabbage Soup 

• olive oil
• 1/2 lb chuck steak, 1/2-inch dice, seasoned with salt & pepper
• 1 lg onion, diced
• 8-10 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 lb ground beef
• 2 medjool dates, chopped
• 1/4 cup raisins
• juice of one lemon
• 1 tsp. sour salt
• 28 oz. can whole plum tomatoes
• 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
• 4 c. chicken or beef stock
• 1 small head green cabbage, roughly chopped
• salt & pepper to taste

(I make this in a pressure cooker but you can use a soup pot.)
Heat the olive oil and then sear the chuck steak cubes on all sides until browned. Remove the steak from the pot and set aside.  To the same pot add the onions and sauté until they begin to caramelize.  Add the garlic and ground beef and cook until the beef is browned.  Return the steak to the pot and add all the remaining ingredients.  Cook until the cabbage is tender. (I use a pressure cooker, 15 minutes at high pressure and then I let it cool to reduce the pressure instead of just releasing the valve)  Salt and pepper to to taste.  This is good the first day but gets better after it sits a day or two.
Enjoy!

Baked Teriyaki Chicken Wings

We adore chicken wings!  Baked Buffalo Chicken Wings, Tandoori Chicken Wings, Chinese Five-Spice Wings and now, Baked Teriyaki Wings.  This month for Secret Recipe Club we were assigned Sarah’s blog, Things I Make for Dinner.  We immediately spied her recipe for Teriyaki wings and knowing that we had wings in the freezer which were purchased during a fabu sale, (wink, wink Sarah) it was a done deal!  These wings fit in perfectly with our ongoing theme this summer of foods to eat whilst relaxing on our dock sipping adult beverages.  In fact, next time we make these wings we’ll most likely also be making Sarah’s Pineapple Sangria to enjoy as well. 

We adapted Sarah’s recipe to make it Paleo & Whole30 by swapping out the soy sauce and using Coconut Aminos and in place of the honey, we used some Medjool dates.  The wings were a wonderful treat and Sarah’s recipe or ours, you won’t be disappointed.

Baked Teriyaki Chicken Wings (adapted from here)

• 12 whole chicken wings cut into drumettes & flats, tips discarded or saved for stock
• 3 TBS. seasoned rice wine vinegar
• 3 TBS. Coconut Aminos 
• 2 Medjool dates, pitted

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy cleanup and lightly grease foil with oil.  Preheat oven to 450F.  Place the vinegar, Coconut Aminos & dates in a blender and process until smooth.  Place the wings pieces in a large bowl and cover with the sauce from the blender.  Toss to coat the wings thoroughly.  Spread the wings in a single layer on foil, skin side up and bake for 20 minutes, until light golden in color.  Baste with pan juices before serving.

Enjoy!

My previous Secret Recipe Club Recipe Posts: 

Baked Jalapeno Popper Dip 
Chipotle Stuffed Mushrooms 
Sriracha Deviled Eggs
Grilled Pizza Sandwich
Roasted Tomato & Red Pepper Mascarpone Soup 
Hearty Bacon, Turkey & Vegetable Frittata
Chicken Satay with Sunbutter “Peanut” Sauce
Asian Pork Chops
Mango Salsa 
Pomegranate Molasses Salad Dressing
Beef Keema  
Roasted Grape Tomato, Garlic & Poblano Ragu
Mexican Feast: Cream of Ancho Chile Soup, Roasted Poblano Burger with Chile de Arbol Guacamole & Pork Crusted Baked Poblano Fries
Zesty Zucchini Skillet
Garlic Seafood in Coconut Milk
Lamb & Eggplant with Chiles
Fijian Ceviche
Carrot & Sweet Potato Pancakes   
Chicken Burgers with Spinach & Mushrooms 
Paradise Mango Curried Shrimp 
Laura Goodenough’s Apple Coffee Cake 
Loaded Potato Soup
Lemon Almond Biscotti 
Creamy Mints 
Thai Peanut Noodles with Chicken 
Baked Buffalo Chicken Wings 
Fried Green Tomatoes 
Chicken Satay Noodle Salad 
Double Chocolate Mousse Cake 
Candied Popcorn
Fruit, Nut & Poppy Seed Chicken Salad 
Broiled Sushi 
Health(ier) Peanut Brittle 
Crunchy Fudgy Heart Bites 
Texas Chicken with Lime Butter 
Pork Belly Soup with Collard Greens 
Thin Mint Irish Coffee 
Levain Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies 
Welsh Cakes 
Nutella Crêpes 
Cilantro Lime Chicken 
Holy Guacamole 
and
Home Style Chicken Curry

Check out the new SRC blog for more exciting recipes from past reveals

An InLinkz Link-up

Rendered Goose, Chicken, Duck or Turkey Fat & Crackling

We recently purchased a few Schiltz young American free-range geese and we went on a cooking spree!  We began by breaking down two of the geese, taking off the leg & thigh sections which we would confit.  We boned the breasts and those were set aside to make in different preparations.  The bones, wings and miscellaneous parts were roasted and then put in a stockpot for soup.  All the excess fat and skin was put into a pot so that the fat could be rendered and the skin made into delicious crackling.  Seriously, if you’re a fan of bacon fat and pork rinds, you ain't seen nothin’ till you’ve had goose fat and crackling…off the charts crazy delicious!

Making crackling and rendering the “liquid gold” fat is such a simple process.  It’s going to be wonderful having the fat in the freezer to use in making so many dishes.  Seriously, potatoes & vegetables roasted or sautéed in goose fat are the bomb!!  The cracking we enjoy snacking on and also using as a crunchy topping on salads and soup.  Any way that you’d enjoy pork rinds you can enjoy crackling.  This post shows us using goose, but the same process is used for chicken, duck and turkey fat.  All are wonderful and worth making.

Rendered Goose, Chicken, Duck or Turkey Fat & Crackling

• Fat and skin, cut into approximately 1-inch pieces, we used the excess skin & fat from 2 geese but you can use as much or as little as desired
• 1 cup water
• Himalayan sea salt 

Add the fat, skin & water to a heavy pot that is twice the depth of the amount of skin & fat.  The addition of the water will help the fat begin to render and more is not needed with the addition of more birds, but if using the skin and fat from 1 bird or less, reduce the amount to 1/4-1/2 cup.   Turn the heat to high, cover the pot and bring to a boil.  Once it reaches a full boil, remove the lid and reduce the temperature to bring the pot to a light boil.  As the fat renders and the water evaporates, the mixture may hiss or spatter.  Let the fat render out on the stove for about 2-3 hours depending on how low you have your flame. Be sure to give the fat a good stir with some tongs about every 1/2 hour  The fat will start out yellow and milky butt will turn clear and the skin and fat pieces with be golden brown. Now you’re ready.  Using a slotted spoon, remove the cracklings from the pot and drain on a paper towel lined plate, salt immediately.  Allow the liquid fat to cool slightly, then strain into clean, sealable containers using a fine mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth. Store the duck fat covered in the refrigerator for up to 6 months or in the freezer for a year or more.

Enjoy!!

Roasted Tomato & Red Pepper Mascarpone Soup

We truly can’t believe that it’s March already but on the other hand, we’re happy that spring is right around the corner as it’s been a cold winter for us southerners.  And on these cold winter nights there’s nothing more wonderful than a bowl of hot, creamy and comforting soup.  It was just one of those cold days when we perused Leigh’s blog, Chit Chat… Chomp, this month’s Secret Recipe Club assignment.  Leigh’s food choices are very similar to ours in that she leans towards fresh, gluten free, organic, fructose-free, healthy foods so when reading through her blog, we found so many offerings that fit in with our diets which we were tempted to make.  Her gorgeous photography skills had us wanting to jump right into the screen and devour every item she displayed.  In the end though, because it was a freezing cold day, we were tempted by the comfort of soup.  We actually debated between two soups, her Mushroom & Cashew Soup and her Roasted Tomato Mascarpone Soup and the tomato soup won out only because we had all the ingredients in the house.  I mean seriously, who wants to trek out to the store when it’s freezing outside!  We thought about also making her Zucchini Quiche to enjoy with the soup but that would have entailed a trip to the grocery, so that was going to be left for another day!  Can you tell that we don’t particularly care for freezing cold weather?  Thinking about it, while we’re here freezing, Leigh is on the other side of the world in Melbourne enjoying summer…maybe we should go visit her!  Hey Leigh, want some visitors????

Anyhow, back to the soup.  The soup was oh-so simple to make and the flavors were divine.  The soup wasn’t overly creamy, just enough to balance out the acidity of the tomato.  We changed the recipe only slightly, adding an extra red bell pepper and we chose to leave out the brown sugar.  When the soup was served, some of us chose to add an extra dollop of mascarpone and a sprinkle of chives which topped off the soup perfectly.  It’s still cold out there so make some delicious soup, our version or Leigh’s and while you’re enjoying your soup, check out Leigh’s blog, all her recipes, gorgeous photography and all of her travels to France, oh-so interesting to read.

  Roasted Tomato & Red Pepper Mascarpone Soup  (adapted from here)

• 2 1/4 lbs. plum tomatoes, halved
• 1 large sweet onion, peeled & quartered
• 2 large red bell peppers, deseeded & quartered
• 4 large cloves of garlic, peeled 
• Himalayan salt 
• fresh ground pepper
• olive oil
• 1 TBS. mascarpone cheese

Preheat oven to 375F.  Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and add a drizzle of olive oil.  Place the tomatoes, onion, bell peppers & garlic onto the pan and stir to coat everything with with oil.  Season with a little salt & pepper.  Roast for 45-60 minutes, until the the vegetables are soft and beginning to caramelize slightly.  Remove from the oven and carefully add all the contents of the pan, juices too, to a blender.  Secure the lid and hold it down with a towel as you process the ingredients until smooth.  Once smooth, add the tablespoon of mascarpone and blend until incorporated.  Serve immediately, adding an extra little drizzle of olive oil to each portion and if desired, a nice dollop of mascarpone.

Enjoy!

My previous Secret Recipe Club Recipe Posts: 

Hearty Bacon, Turkey & Vegetable Frittata 
Chicken Satay with Sunbutter “Peanut” Sauce 
Asian Pork Chops 
Mango Salsa 
Pomegranate Molasses Salad Dressing 
Beef Keema  
Roasted Grape Tomato, Garlic & Poblano Ragu
Mexican Feast: Cream of Ancho Chile Soup, Roasted Poblano Burger with Chile de Arbol Guacamole & Pork Crusted Baked Poblano Fries 
Zesty Zucchini Skillet 
Garlic Seafood in Coconut Milk 
Lamb & Eggplant with Chiles
Fijian Ceviche
Carrot & Sweet Potato Pancakes   
Chicken Burgers with Spinach & Mushrooms 
Paradise Mango Curried Shrimp 
Laura Goodenough’s Apple Coffee Cake 
Loaded Potato Soup
Lemon Almond Biscotti 
Creamy Mints 
Thai Peanut Noodles with Chicken 
Baked Buffalo Chicken Wings 
Fried Green Tomatoes 
Chicken Satay Noodle Salad 
Double Chocolate Mousse Cake 
Candied Popcorn
Fruit, Nut & Poppy Seed Chicken Salad 
Broiled Sushi 
Health(ier) Peanut Brittle 
Crunchy Fudgy Heart Bites 
Texas Chicken with Lime Butter 
Pork Belly Soup with Collard Greens 
Thin Mint Irish Coffee 
Levain Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies 
Welsh Cakes 
Nutella Crêpes 
Cilantro Lime Chicken 
Holy Guacamole 
and
Home Style Chicken Curry

Check out the new SRC blog for more exciting recipes from past reveals

An InLinkz Link-up

Silky Gingered Zucchini Soup

We could eat this soup every.single.day and sometimes we go for weeks at a time doing just that!  Such a simple, healthy soup and it’s beyond delicious!  We found the recipe originally on Melissa Joulwan’s blog, The Clothes Make the Girl and in her cookbook, Well Fed 2.  Melissa labels this soup as “a healthy hug in a bowl” which is such a fitting description for this soup.  We make this soup when we gather up enough leftover pieces of zucchini after spiralizing it when making another of Melissa’s recipes, Zucchini Noodles Aglio et Olio (freeze the extra pieces until you have enough.)  We also make this soup when we have an abundance of fresh zucchini.  When we have an abundance of zucchini, we make a huge pot and freeze the soup in 4-6 cup containers.  If you do freeze the soup, you’ll need to puree it again once thawed, either by placing it in the blender or using an immersion blender.  So, if you have an abundance of zucchini or need a warm hug, make this soup!!

Silky Gingered Zucchini Soup (adapted from here)

• 2 TBS. coconut oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 10 large fresh garlic cloves
• 2 TBS. ground ginger
• 2 TBS. ground coriander
• 1 TBS. Himalayan salt
• 1 TBS. fresh ground pepper
• 6 lbs. zucchini, cut in 1/2 moons or leftover pieces
• 12 cups chicken bone broth or Cheaters Chicken Soup (can also use beef,vegetable or any mix of broth you choose)

Heat the coconut oil in a large soup pot.  Add the onions and sauté low and slow, until caramelized.  Add the garlic, ginger, coriander, salt & pepper.  Cook stirring continuously until toasted and fragrant, about 2 minutes.  Add the chicken broth and zucchini.  Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.  Allow the soup to cook for 45-60 minutes, until the zucchini is very soft.  Once the zucchini is soft, use an immersion blender to puree the soup, or use a blender to carefully puree (use a towel to hold the lid on the blender on whilst pureeing.)  Serve hot.

Enjoy!

Chile Relleno Casserole

We adore Chile Rellenos but they are an absolute pain in the bottom to stuff and fry,  so we enjoy them as a once in a while treat when we happen to go to a Mexican restaurant…which trust me, isn’t all that often. 

This though is an easy casserole and it has all the wonderful flavor of the real thing, without all the work and also without any of the gluten that is used for the typical fry coating.  There are many recipes for similar casseroles on the internet, but this version, of no recipe in particular, is our favorite.  It’s not overly spicy hot, just tingly so.  The balance of flavors is spot on and the casserole reheats perfectly, who could ask for more?  Make and enjoy!

Chile Relleno Casserole

• 4 large fresh poblanos
• 1 TBS. olive oil 
• 1/4 medium onion, diced
• 1 lb.  ground beef (or ground turkey or chicken)
• 1 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
• 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1/2 tsp. Himalayan salt
• 1/2 tsp. fresh ground pepper

Preheat oven to 375F.  Char the skin of the peppers, either on an outdoor grill, over the burner of a gas stove or under the broiler.  Once the skin is charred on all sides, put the peppers in a bag to allow them to sweat.  While the peppers are sweating, heat the olive oil in a skillet and sauté the onions until golden.  Add the beef to the onions and brown until fully cooked. Once the peppers have cooled enough to be handled, remove the stem and seeds and the skin.  Grease an 8x10-inch pan with olive oil and arrange three of the peppers to cover the bottom of the pan.  Cover the peppers with the beef & onion mix.  Spread the cheese on top of the beef.  Lice the remaining poblano into strips and arrange over the cheese.  In a bowl, whisk together the heavy whipping cream, eggs, cumin, salt & pepper.  Pour the cream mixture over the cheese.  Bake for 35-40 minutes uncovered, until golden and bubbly.  Serve hot, room temperature or cold, all ways are delicious.  Top with sour cream if desired.  To reheat, place desired portion on a plate and heat in microwave.

Enjoy!!

Mango Salsa

This summer the mangoes have been huge, sweet, juicy and delicious!  We’ve enjoyed them in so many ways, cut–up fresh plain or mixed into a fruit salad, in Mango Melon Banana & Chia Smoothies, as a refreshing Mango Gazpacho, as part of our main meal in Mango Thai Chicken and Eammon’s favorite, in a Mango Lassi.  So, when we received this month’s assignment for Secret Recipe Club (check out the new SRC blog) and started scrolling through recipes on Heather’s blog, The Tasty Gardener, we stopped dead in our tracks at her Mango Salsa and knew what we’d be making.  Trust me, there were plenty of other wonderful looking recipes like her Sesame Green Beans, Guacamole, and Green Bean Salad, but Mango Salsa just had to be made.

We stayed pretty true to Heather’s recipe, only making two small changes.  One because of a mistake as I thought we had red onions in the house but only had Vidalia and the other was, we chose to use cilantro in place of her parsley.  We really enjoy the flavor of cilantro but I’ll bet that this salsa would be just as delicious with the parsley.  The sweet of the mango, the heat of the pepper, the sweet-sharpness of the onion and the tang of the lime juice all blended in perfect harmony to make one delicious salsa.  Oh and don’t leave out the salt and pepper as they really make the flavors pop!  We enjoyed the salsa with some chips, over some fish and just as a little side on our plate so it’s one very versatile dish.  If you don’t know how to cube up a fresh mango, Heather provides a nice visual tutorial on her blog so check it and the recipe out.  Also gardening tips and instruction as that’s her field of expertise so spend some time reading Heather’s blog, it’s an enjoyable way find some new recipes and learn some new things about plants and the garden. 

Mango Salsa (adapted from here)

• 2 mangoes, cubed
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• 2 TBS. minced Vidalia onion
• 1 Thai red chili, seeded and minced
• 3 TBS. chopped cilantro
• 2 limes, juiced
• Himalayan Salt & fresh ground pepper, to taste

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and chill before serving.

Enjoy!!

My previous Secret Recipe Club Recipe Posts: 

Pomegranate Molasses Salad Dressing 
Beef Keema  
Roasted Grape Tomato, Garlic & Poblano Ragu
Mexican Feast: Cream of Ancho Chile Soup, Roasted Poblano Burger with Chile de Arbol Guacamole & Pork Crusted Baked Poblano Fries 
Zesty Zucchini Skillet 
Garlic Seafood in Coconut Milk 
Lamb & Eggplant with Chiles
Fijian Ceviche
Carrot & Sweet Potato Pancakes   
Chicken Burgers with Spinach & Mushrooms 
Paradise Mango Curried Shrimp 
Laura Goodenough’s Apple Coffee Cake 
Loaded Potato Soup
Lemon Almond Biscotti 
Creamy Mints 
Thai Peanut Noodles with Chicken 
Baked Buffalo Chicken Wings 
Fried Green Tomatoes 
Chicken Satay Noodle Salad 
Double Chocolate Mousse Cake 
Candied Popcorn
Fruit, Nut & Poppy Seed Chicken Salad 
Broiled Sushi 
Health(ier) Peanut Brittle 
Crunchy Fudgy Heart Bites 
Texas Chicken with Lime Butter 
Pork Belly Soup with Collard Greens 
Thin Mint Irish Coffee 
Levain Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies 
Welsh Cakes 
Nutella Crêpes 
Cilantro Lime Chicken 
Holy Guacamole 
and
Home Style Chicken Curry

 

An InLinkz Link-up

Plantian Wraps

Maisie, because of her allergies has been gluten, egg and dairy free for a couple of years.  I have never been a huge bread lover so I haven’t missed not having bread in the house and it’s done us no harm not having all the baked goods either.  Then about a year ago I cut all gluten/grains from my diet so gluten-free breads and corn tortillas were no longer on my plate, though Maisie continues to eat them.  Not eating grains I have come to love plain burgers on a plate and chicken and various other “sandwich” salads served in lettuce wraps.  Then I saw a number of recipes for plantain tortillas/wraps/bread and they captured my attention.  Some of the recipes were very plain, plantains, water, salt & pepper and then others included the addition of coconut or tapioca flour.  Some of the recipes called for green plantains while others wanted partially ripe yellow ones.  In the end I put together my own version and we’ve been happily enjoying them, warm or cold, wrapping a whole variety of foods. 

We enjoy the slight banana taste of the ripe plantain so yellow with a few dark spots works perfect for us.

 This recipe is beyond simple as all the ingredients are added to a blender and then once smooth, dollops are spread into rounds on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and baked until golden.  Easy-peasy!!

Oh and don’t judge but my favorite filling for these Plantain Wraps is a slightly rare, cold, broiled chicken liver…Even if you hate liver, give these Plantain Wraps a try, they’re really quite amazing. 

Plantain Wraps

• 3 large yellow plantains
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup water
• 2 large cloves of garlic
• 1 tsp. Himalayan salt 
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. apple cider vinegar

Preheat oven to 400F.  Line three baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.  Cut each plantain into a few pieces and then score and pry off the peel.   Place the peeled plantain pieces and all the other ingredients into a blender and process until smooth and about the consistency of yogurt.  Add additional water if necessary.  Using a large cookie scoop (approx 3 TBS) portion out the plantain mixture for 6 wraps per sheet (will only have 3-5 on the third baking sheet) and then using a small offset spatula smooth the batter for each wrap to an approximate 5-inch round.  Bake for 10 minutes and then rotate the pans to different shelves and turn each pan for even cooking, and bake for approximately 5 minutes longer until the wraps are golden and puffed.  Remove from the oven and allow the wraps to cool on the baking sheets.  Then easily peel the wraps off the parchment paper and enjoy.  Store the wraps in either a Ziplock bag or sealed container in the refrigerator.  There is no need to layer parchment between the wraps, they can just be stacked. 

Enjoy!

Zucchini Hummus

Our neighbor and cruise planner extraordinaire Anne, recently brought some Zucchini Hummus to a neighbor’s gathering and I was beyond delighted as it not only fit in perfectly with my diet but it was crazy delicious!  I couldn’t stop eating the hummus and those who tasted it side-by-side with traditional hummus made with chickpeas, preferred the Zucchini Hummus.  This Zucchini Hummus is wheat, egg, dairy & legume free so healthy, delicious and safe for all in the Cook Lisa Cook house.  We changed Ann’s recipe a bit, increasing the amount of zucchini and garlic in relation to the tahini & olive oil, really just to cut the calories somewhat.  Ann’s recipe was a bit more rich but this version has all the wonderful flavor of hummus but extra oil and tahini can be added if you choose.

Zucchini Hummus

• 1 3/4 lbs. zucchini
• 3/4 cup tahini
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• juice of 2 lemons
• 4 lg. cloves of garlic
• 1 TBS. ground cumin
• fresh ground pepper, to taste
• Himalayan salt, to taste
• extra olive oil for serving
• paprika 

Peel and slice the zucchini into half rounds.  Place into a colander and salt well coating all pieces.  Allow the zucchini to sweat for 20-30 minutes.  Discard the accumulated liquid and rinse the zucchini well then quickly pat dry and add to the bowl of a food processor.  Process until smooth.  Add the tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and cumin and puree until creamy smooth.  Season to taste with fresh ground pepper and salt.  Place in serving dish and sprinkle with paprika and drizzle with olive oil.

Serve with sliced veggies for dipping.

Enjoy!!