Chicken Tagine with a Twist!

Some days I have to work a very long 12 hours. A 12 hours in a busy O.R. that wipes me out. A 12 hours that isn't as easy to recover from as it used to be. These are the days that cooking is the very last thing I want to do at the end of the day. Eating a hot, home-made dinner however, is just what I do need. Dilemma.

Crock Pot to the rescue! I keep most of these ingredients stocked in my pantry and only had to pick up some chicken thighs as we have been really limiting chicken lately for various reasons (read more about this life changing decision in my post/rant here). Also, I have been trying to not eat meat for dinner since IMO it isn't good for your body to be digesting meat while you sleep. Meat takes several hours of hard work for your GI system to digest and disrupts sleep.

Chicken Tagine is a classic Moroccan dish made several in several yummy variations but usually with the spices ginger, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, paprika and turmeric.  Tajines are slow-cooked stews braised at low temperatures, resulting in tender meat with aromatic vegetables and sauce. The best thing about Chicken Tagine is that you can throw in any combination of your favorite ingredients such as dried fruits, nuts, olives, veggies, preserved lemon, honey ect. and as long as you use the classic base of spices and tomatoes you've got yourself a Moroccan Delight!

I love my veggies and so I threw in some diced eggplant along with my olives, dried apricots and fresh cranberries. *On a side note, I don't think I will use fresh cranberries next time as they were pretty tart, or maybe I'll just use less to compliment the other flavors without over powering them.

A pretty Tagine pot is on the top of my wish list. I use a 'crock pot' for now ;)

Image from Emily Avila

The traditional tajine pot is formed entirely of a heavy clay, which is sometimes painted or glazed. It consists of two parts: a base unit that is flat and circular with low sides, and a large cone or dome-shaped cover that rests inside the base during cooking. The cover is so designed to promote the return of all condensation to the bottom. With the cover removed, the base can be taken to the table for serving

Recently, European manufacturers have created tajines with heavy cast-iron bottoms that can be heated on a cooking stove to a high temperature. This permits the browning of meat and vegetables before cooking.



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Ingredients


2 tablespoons olive oil

8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 eggplant, cut into 1 inch cubes

2 large onions, thinly sliced

4 large carrots, thinly sliced

1/2 cup dried cranberries

3/4 cup chopped dried apricots

1/2 cup green olives, sliced

2 cups chicken broth

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons garlic salt

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 cup water

1 cup couscous



Directions:
* Searing the chicken before adding it to the crock pot is important to lock in flavour.

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Place the chicken pieces and eggplant in the heated oil; stir and cook until the chicken is browned on all sides but not cooked through. Remove the skillet from the heat.

Place the browned chicken and eggplant on the bottom of a slow cooker. Layer the onion, carrots, cranberries, and apricots over the chicken.

Whisk together the chicken broth, tomato paste, lemon juice, flour, garlic salt, cumin, ginger, cinnamon, and ground black pepper in a bowl. Pour the broth mixture into the slow cooker with the chicken and vegetables.

Cook on Low setting for 8 hours.

Bring water to boil in a saucepan. Stir in couscous, and remove from heat. Cover, and let stand about 5 minutes, until liquid has been absorbed. Fluff with a fork.

PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION

 
 
 
  I'm sending this over to Potluck Fridays at eKats Kitchen!
 

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Guest Post for Lazaro Cooks: Tahini Soba Noodles with Caramelized Jumbo Sea Scallops

I've been a fan of Lazaro Cooks since I started blogging a few years ago. His cooking style is what mine used  to be 3 or 4 kids ago. His take it or leave it  personality mimics mine and I love to read his blog while sipping a glass of red wine and longing for the day when I can cook amazing, grown up food with actual spices in it without having to clean it off of the walls afterwards.






I  love ethnic foods. Especially when it involves exotic spices and seafood. I also have a serious addiction to veggies and seafood. Even as a child I adored giant sea scallops and requested them for my birthday every single year along with Kahlua cake. My mom used to put cayenne in EVERYTHING from spaghetti, mixing it into peanut butter and sprinkling it on top of cottage cheese, so I grew up being accustomed to spicy foods. I have to hold back a bit on the spices with my little ones but am trying to build up a tolerance as we speak.

The kids loved this Tahini soba noodle dish slightly sweetened with honey and which I served to them with cubed chicken and saved the spicy-sweet jumbo sea scallops for my husband and myself. Tahini is a wonderfully mild paste made from toasted sesame seeds and commonly used in hummus. I've never been a big fan of peanut butter but love tahini's unique taste. Feel free to use peanut or almond butter in this if you wish.

Please head over to Lazaro Cooks for the recipe, it's simple, delicious and you'll  love  Laz's collection of recipes, I promise.

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Chinese Noodles with Sticky Orange Maple Sauce & Chicken { every day dinners }

As a food blogger (a title I'm still not quite o.k. with for some reason)  it would probably be wise to stick with one or maybe two types of cuisine that I'm familiar with and try perfecting and blogging about said cuisine. For instance, I am a native Zonie (From Arizona for those of you who don't speak Gwen). Meaning, I've lived here since I was an infant so I have self proclaimed myself a native, grandfathered in if you will.

Therefore, it would probably be wise of me to stick with the foods and flavors from the Southwest.  Yet, while Southwestern and Mexican foods happen to be one of my most favorite foods, how could they not be growing up in the midst of such a lavish and exuberant culture with spices and sauces that will set your very soul on fire? I find myself with a wondering palate. 

So, as much as I adore and often crave the flavors of the Southwest, I simply could not live on jalapenos and habeneros alone. Oddly enough, as a self proclaimed Native Zonie living in the middle of the desert,  my absolute favorite foods happen to stem from the sea. Sea Bass, Salmon, Smoked Swordfish, Grilled Crab, Barbecued Shrimp and even the occasional anchovy when it's involved in a lovingly made Puttenesca sauce.  Sushi?  Hell ya!  Breakfast is served!




Which brings us to Chinese food. Obviously.

As I mentioned, I have a wandering palate. I love that about me.

I also am not a huge fan of pasta, but I looooveeee noodles.

Stay with me.

It's all about the sauce. Correct me if I'm wrong please but a noodle is a noodle is a noodle (except, once I did have an amazingly wonderful, seriously fresh, home made linguine that would knock your socks off, another time.) and again, really, it's all about the sauce.  

Sticky sweet, orange maple balsamic sauce with an Oriental flare. 

Schazaaam! 

If you can find these twisty, curly "Ramen" style noodles I prefer them in this sticky sauce, kids and adults alike find them a fun noodle to slurp up with extra sauce. Otherwise, use regular soba noodles or even the cheap, packaged Ramen noodles will work though not as thick and yummy.

PREP TIME    15 MINUTES        COOK TIME     15 MINUTES      SERVES 4

Ingredients

1, 6 oz package oriental noodles, cooked according to package directions

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked

2 cups broccoli florets

1 small red bell pepper, julienned

2 cups cooked chicken, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon sesame oil

sesame seeds for garnish

for the sauce

2 teaspoons tamari (organic, gluten free, low sodium soy sauce)

2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar

4 teaspoons maple balsamic vinegar (or 3 teaspoons balsamic vinegar, 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup or honey)

1/4 cup fresh orange juice

1 teaspoon orange zest

4 teaspoons toasted sesame oil, whisked in

red pepper flakes, if you please

Cook chicken. I use my pressure cooker at 2nd ring for 8 minutes for very moist chicken breasts.

Whisk together ingredients for sauce, set aside.

Bring water to a boil, blanch broccoli florets for 3-4 minutes. Remove with a large, slotted spoon and place in colander and rinse with cool water to prevent from cooking further. Set aside. Return water to boil,  cook noodles according to package directions. Drain noodles.

In a large wok, preheated over medium high heat add sesame oil. Toss in red bell pepper, drained broccoli and garlic and toss a few times. Cook for just 2-3 minutes being careful not to burn garlic. 

Re-wisk sauce.

Combine noodles, sauce, broccoli, peppers and chicken in a large bowl. Toss to combine. 

Enjoy!

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Hot and Sour Soup with Shrimp

Nothing makes you feel better on a cold and crummy day than a bowl of piping hot soup. O.K. maybe a hug helps too, but soup is the best. Take this hot and sour soup for instance, tons of good for you veggies and a sweet and tangy broth you'll want to slurp up every last drop of. 

Sorry about the crummy pic's guys. I've been feeling icky and all I had in me was a handful of half hearted shots. I'll tell you though I'm SO glad I saw this thing coming and made this soup yesterday so I could have some today in between naps. O.K., my mommy made it for me. You're never too old for your mom to make you a bowl of home made soup right?

I almost always make home made chicken and veggies soup with tons of fresh herbs when I'm feeling  sick but something about this sweet and sour one I saw on Eats Well With Others really caught my eye. The broth is spot on with fresh ginger, a bit of tamari and a splash of rice vinegar and I love all of the healthy veggies in here. If this doesn't snap me out of my head cold, nothing will. 

For an extra kick in the head, sprinkle in a few drops of Sirachi Hot Sauce! That'll clear ya up!

recipe adapted from Eats Well With Others

TIME        20 MINUTES           SERVES       6

Ingredients

3 tbsp sesame or peanut oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and sliced very thinly
1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 cup diced carrots
½ savoy cabbage, coarsely chopped
1 lb medium size shrimp, peeled, deveined
2½ quarts water or vegetable broth
½ cup tamari sauce
⅓ cup Organic rice vinegar
2 tsp salt
2 tsp ground black pepper
½ cup cold water
¼ cup cornstarch
1 cup shitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced thinly
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
2 cups bok choy, chopped
14 oz canned diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
Hot Pepper Flakes to taste

Instructions

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add in the onions, ginger, and chiles and cook for a few minutes, stirring. Add in the sweet potato, carrots and cabbage and bok choy. Cover and cook for about 3 minutes, or until cabbage starts to wilt. Add in the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.

In the meantime, whisk together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, salt, pepper, cold water, and cornstarch in a separate bowl. Set aside.

Add the mushrooms and bell peppers to the pot. Simmer until the veggies are tender, about 8 minutes. Add in the soy sauce mixture and stir until the soup thickens, about 8 minutes. Add in the tomatoes and bring the soup back to a simmer. Remove from heat and stir in the sesame oil.

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Ethiopian Ground Nut Wat (Stew) #RecipeRedux

While I'm a big fan of Mexican food and the spices and flavors that go with it I also love trying new flavors and foods from all parts of the World. You definitely will get out of your 'comfort zone' of cooking with this very flavorful stew from Ethiopia. Roasted veggies are slowly simmered in a thick and creamy sauce of almond butter and 'exotic' yet not hard to find spices. In fact, you probably already have most of them somewhere in the back of your spice cabinet!

That's what this month's Recipe Redux challenge is all about, spooky spices. Have you ever bought a certain spice and used it once or not at all wondering what to do with it? I sure have. There's a 12 step program called "How to resist the urge to buy every single spice you see just because it looks or smells interesting." that I could probably benefit from. 

So, while the peanut butter was an important addition for the cultural flair of this dish, I felt it smothered the other wonderful spices going on. I've made this several times and I like to use Almond Butter instead of peanut butter in this dish because it is much milder and very creamy and complimenting to the other flavors. Make sure to whisk in a small amount of the hot liquid into the almond butter so it will incorporate into the dish better. You don't want to have big chunks of peanut butter in some bites........ or do you? 

I also have used canned, stewed tomatoes in lou of fresh when not in season which taste just as good. Who knew tomatoes and almond butter would go good together in a dish? Craziness!

What spices are hiding out in your spice cabinet that you rarely or have never used?

SERVES  6        TIME  60 MINUTES

Ingredients:
1/2 head of cauliflower, cut into bite-size pieces
1 t olive oil
salt
1 t olive oil
1 onion, minced
2 carrots, peeled, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium sweet potato, peeled, cubed
1/2 c red lentils
1/4 t chili pepper
2 cardamom pods, or 1/2 t ground
1 stick cinnamon
1/2 t fresh ground pepper
3 whole cloves
1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced
2 tomatoes, chopped
2 c chicken broth or water
1/4 c almond butter
salt to taste
1/4 c chopped peanuts
2 scallions, chopped

2 c arugula
lemon juice
salt



Putting it all together:

Toss the cauliflower in the olive oil, add salt and roast in a 350 oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the cauliflower is lightly browned turning once half way through.

In a large pot, heat the olive oil, add the onion, garlic, carrot, sweet potato, lentils, chili flakes, and the rest of the spices. Saute the vegetables until the onions are golden brown and translucent, stirring often.

Add the tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes are broken up.

Add the broth, cover and cook on medium-low  until the lentils and sweet potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Remove the whole cinnamon stick and whole cloves from the pot and discard.

When the cauliflower is ready add it and the almond butter (combined with a few tablespoons of hot broth to break it up) and stir well to combine. Add salt to taste.

Toss the arugula with the lemon juice and season with salt.
Serve garnished with scallions, peanuts and the arugula.

You may also put everything (except the almond butter) in a crock pot and cook for 6 hours on low. Add the peanut butter in the last half hour. Roasting the cauliflower will give it better flavor as well. 

An InLinkz Link-up

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Chinese Chicken Salad with Honey-Peanut Dressing

This absolutely falls into the "What to make when you don't feel like making dinner" category. 

I even used a store bought rotisserie chicken (gasp!) because, well, I really didn't feel like doing a damn thing involving the oven yesterday. I blame the crazy, unrelenting heat here in Phoenix. You're probably tired of my using that excuse and quite frankly I'm tired too. All of us Zonies deal with the triple scorching digits in our own way May through August but I gotta tell you, come mid September, I personally am spent. Done and down right cranky.

We didn't even get an honest to goodness Monsoon this year! This may not sound like a bad thing if you live in the mid-west or maybe in Japan.  Complaining about  not  getting 80+ mph winds and feet upon feet of rushing waters because the bone dry, compacted desert ground can't absorb it fast enough might sound crazy if you in fact did not live in the South Western deserts of Arizona. You must keep in mind that even the tall and mighty saguaro start looking parched and pathetic by the end of a summer were temperatures have been consistently averaging around 115F.  Every. Single. Day. 

This salad was a welcomed treat for a weeknight dinner. The kiddos thought it "looked pretty" with all of the colors and loved the honey-peanut sauce which made the veggies "taste yummier". 

This could very easily be made vegetarian by omitting the chicken. You would still have a lot of protein from the peanut sauce and the bean sprouts which are a wonderful source of protein. Also, you could use tahini (a sesame paste with a milder flavor than peanut) if you prefer.

The Crunch Factor in this salad makes it very filling. I used baby clementines instead of canned mandarin oranges this time because I had a big gab of them on the counter. I much preferred the fresh taste but the little seeds in them were annoying to pick out in each bite especially with all of the other crunchiness going on.



 juice from the mandarin oranges
tablespoon at a time of warm water to thin to desired consistency

PREP TIME  15 MINUTES        SERVES   6


INGREDIENTS

2 cups cooked chicken, chopped
1/2 head Napa cabbage, chopped
1 large handful fresh bean sprouts
1 red bell pepper cut in strips
1 bunch green onions, chopped
handful of packaged julienned carrots
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
small handful of chopped peanuts
1 can mandarin oranges, reserve juice

1 tablespoon (no added sugar) peanut butter (or tahini)
1tablespoon local, Organic honey
1tablespoon tamari


Putting it all together

In a large bowl combine all veggies and toss together.
Add chopped chicken and toss.
In a small bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, honey, soy sauce juice and water.
Drizzle the sauce over the salad and sprinkle with nuts.

Tamari Soy Sauce, Wheat Free, Organic

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Thai Garden Veggie Wraps with Peanut Sauce

This is my new favorite lunch! I ate a big whole grain wrap stuffed with fresh veggies and herbs and was satisfied but didn't feel heavy and stuffed . I love what living in the Arizona heat does to inspire me to come up with these quick, light meals. I suppose there's not much else to do other than sit around indoors and think about food since it's to stinking hot to go outside!

At first I was simply going to toss the veggies with lime juice and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and hot chile flakes for some kick, but then I started craving a peanuty sauce. It was so perfect and was my favorite part. It helped the little guys gobble them up too!

*Flavor with fresh herbs and citrus instead of mayo, salt or jarred marinades.

What you will need: 

2 carrots, julienned
1 seedless cucumber, peeled and juliened
1 red bell pepper, seeded and juliened
broccoli slaw
big handful of flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
handful of fresh basil, thinly sliced
whole grain wraps/tortillas
toasted sesame seeds
hot chile flakes ( optional) 

* mint or cilantro would be good too, I just used what I had on hand.

For the peanut sauce: 

2 big spoonfuls of All Natural peanut butter or Tahini paste
2 tablespoons Tamari (similar to soy sauce, minus the additives and less sodium)
2 limes, juiced
dried onion flakes

Whisk all ingredients together in large measuring cup. Fill the wraps with veggies and herbs and drizzle sauce over the top.

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Greek Yogurt Panna Cotta

Hi there, Honey We’re Healthy readers!  I’m back with a little something I haven’t done before here on Megan’s blog - dessert!  

I’m a big believer in moderation when it comes to food and usually indulge in desserts on the weekends.  This luscious panna cotta manages to be both an indulgence and a healthy choice - does it get much better than that??

My husband compared the taste to an orange creamsicle and as soon as he said it, I said, “Yes!  That’s exactly what it tastes like!”  But a more sophisticated creamsicle.  A creamsicle for refined adults, darling.

Traditional panna cotta is made with heavy cream while this lighter version uses 2% milk and Greek yogurt.  The orange zest adds the perfect little punch of flavor and the threads of orange mingled with vanilla bean specks is really quite pretty.  I loved it topped with kiwi slices, blackberries, and raspberries for some added color and a nice dose of antioxidant goodness.

And just a quick note - this recipe is not hard to prepare but it does have to sit in the fridge for a good 8 hours to set.  So be sure to think ahead if you plan to make it!

Greek Yogurt Panna Cotta

Ingredients

1 1-oz. package unflavored gelatin

1 1/2 c. 2% milk

1 tbsp. vanilla bean paste*

1/2 c. sugar

finely grated zest of one orange (I used a microplane to zest a blood orange)

2 c. plain 2% Greek yogurt

grapeseed oil

berries for topping

Pour 1/2 c. milk into a small bowl and sprinkle gelatin over the top to soften.  Let sit without stirring for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, pour the remaining 1 c. of milk into a small saucepan over medium heat.  Add vanilla bean paste, 1/2 c. sugar, and orange zest and stir until the sugar dissolves and the mixture starts to simmer.  Remove from the heat and add the gelatin mixture.  Whisk to fully dissolve gelatin.  Transfer to a large bowl and set aside about 10 minutes to cool, then whisk yogurt into mixture until smooth.

Drizzle a bit of grapeseed oil into each of six ramekins and spread on bottom and sides with fingers or a napkin.  Evenly divide yogurt mixture among the ramekins.  Cover and refrigerate until set, 8 hours or up to 2 days ahead of time.

When ready to serve, run a butter knife along the edge of the panna cotta, all the way around the inside of the ramekin.  Invert it onto a plate and give it a good shake or smack on top of a padded surface (I used an oven mitt!) and remove the ramekin.  Top with berries and serve.

*Vanilla extract can be substituted for the vanilla bean paste but you will lose the lovely little vanilla bean flecks in the panna cotta.  You can also substitute a whole vanilla bean - cut in half, scrape the seeds out, and add the seeds and pod to the milk mixture on the stove.  Remove the pod before whisking in the yogurt.

* * * * * 

Thank you for this post from contributing writer, Jennifer, of The Chronicles of Home.  You'll definitely want to check out her blog for more amazing recipes, beautiful home decor, and easy-to-follw DIY projects!

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Bok Choy Stir Fry with Asian Marinated, Grilled Tofu

" Give a Kid Some Chop Sticks!"

This was so light, crisp and delicious. I love eating fresh, light meals when it's so hot outside.  My mom made this dinner for us last night and we all loved it. Every one of the kids gobbled it up. Give a kid some chop sticks and meal time, even with veggies and tofu becomes fun!

The trick with this dish is pressing the tofu so it's not soggy. You simply take a cooling rack (like one you put cookies on to cool) and line it with a single layer of paper towels, then set your tofu on that, cover with another sheet of paper towel and set a cast iron skillet or something heavy and flat on top of the tofu (even a bowl with a heavy can will work). Let it set over a sink being pressed for about 30 minutes.

"GIVE A KID SOME CHOP STICKS"

For the Tofu and Marinade You Yill Need:

2- 14 oz packages of organic, firm tofu

1/3 cup Tamari (fermented, light soy sauce)

1 tabelspoon grated gingeroot

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tabelspoons sesame oil

sesame seeds

Whisk ingredients together and put into a bag with sliced, pressed tofu. Marinate in refridgerator for 30 minutes.  

Place marinated tofu on a baking sheet and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Bake at 425° for 15 minutes, flip tofu over and bake another 15 minutes.   Drizzle with more marinade and bake another 15 minutes being careful not to let get to dry.

For the Stir Fry You Will Need:

2 Carrots, sliced 1/2 inch thick

2 stalks celery, sliced 1/2 inch thick

1 small onion

1 head bok choy, chopped

2 baby portabella mushroom, sliced

1 cup shitake mushroom, sliced

1- 5 oz. can baby corn

1- 5 oz. can  sliced water chestnuts

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tabelspoon ginger root, minced

Putting it all together:

Put white part of chopped bok choy, carrots, celery, onion in a bowl.

Put green part of chopped bok choy, mushrooms and garlic into another bowl.

Open cans of water chestnuts and corn, drain and set aside.

When tofu is in it's last 15 minutes of baking, put 2 tabelspoons of coconut oil ( c. oil has a very high smoke point and is ideal for stir fry's)  in a large Wok that has been preheated over med-high heat for several minutes. 

Add carrot mixture and stir fry for about 4-5 minutes. Take out of Wok and put back in bowl.  

Add another 2 tabelspoons coconut oil and add mushroom mixture. Stir fry about 2-3 minutes. Add corn and water chestnuts and Tamari and ginger. Stir fry another 1-2 minutes. Gently combine all veggies together and toss to coat.

Serve tofu on top of veggies

Serve with brown rice if desired. We like to eat this with pickled cucumber salad on the side. YUM!

 

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Pickled Cucumber Salad

Simple, Tangy, Healthy Goodness. So easy, a mom of 4 can do it..... ;-)
Goes great as a side with any Asian dish, or just as a simple snack. I swear to you, my 11 month old,  3, 5 and 15year olds ate this willingly!


Isn't it pretty?!

You Will Need:

4 medium (English) cucumbers (unwaxed is best)

1/2 to 3/4 cup shredded red cabbage

2 tsp sea salt

1 cup white vinegar or rice vinegar

1/2 cup raw sugar (demerara, turbinado, or other)

4 tsp minced gingerroot

4 tsp sesame seeds

Putting it all together:

Wash cucumbers & pare lengthwise in 1/2" strips, leaving every other strip of green skin on.  Cut into halves lengthwise and remove seeds, if any; slice thinly. I used the thin slicer attachment on my KitchenAid mixer. 

Put in bowl and add about 3/4 shredded red cabbage & salt.  Mix well and let stand 1 hour.  Squeeze out excess moisture.  Mix vinegar, sugar, & gingerroot in small bowl & bring to boil.  Let sit to come to room temp while cucumbers finish.  After 1 hour, strain out gingerroot and vinegar mixture and pour over cucumbers; add sesame seeds and chill in refrigerator in covered container.  Best made a day or two in advance so the flavors can intensify.

 

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Cauliflower Fried Rice with Spring Veggies and Chives

Weekday dinner just got exciting in a big way. If you like Chinese food you are going to love this healthy version of Fried Rice. It has all of the yummy components of traditional Fried Rice minus the rice. 

Rice is most likely a pantry staple in most homes used as a starchy side next to or with veggies and meat of some sort or as a 'filler' for a vegetarian meal. Debatably, rice, especially processed white rice really isn't a healthy food to eat and has several downfalls to it's few qualities. For instance, and I'll keep it super short so I don't bore you (more than I already am?) white rice has been waaaay over processed and completely stripped of any nutritional value, enough so that the FDA requires that it be "enriched" or "fortified" with vitamins and minerals.






Brown rice while a healthier option for it's vitamin content and fiber still has a few concerning negative qualities so I eat it vary rarely if at all any more.  Why?  Brown rice is very good at naturally 'leeching' non organic arsenic, found in pesticides and insecticides from the soil and water and is absorbed by rice as it grows. The inorganic form of arsenic, a toxin known to cause liver, lung, kidney and bladder cancer. I found this out when I tried substituting brown rice syrup for sugar several years ago and did some research. A lot of research. 

All rice, grains and nuts have large amounts of phytic acid in them. 

Phytic acid, the storage form of phosphorus,  is one of those pesky “anti-nutrients” the Paleo community keeps telling you to avoid. It’s often considered an anti-nutrient because it  binds minerals in the digestive tract, making them less available to our bodies. 

The process that produces brown rice removes only the outermost layer, the hull, of the rice kernel and is the least damaging to its nutritional value. The complete milling and polishing that converts brown rice into white rice destroys 67% of the vitamin B3, 80% of the vitamin B1, 90% of the vitamin B6, half of the manganese, half of the phosphorus, 60% of the iron, and all of the dietary fiber and essential fatty acids. Fully milled and polished white rice is required to be "enriched" with vitamins B1, B3 and iron. 

Buuttt......... 


White rice doesn't contain the phytate and trypsin inhibitor content of the less-milled brown rice and if you cook it properly (which neutralizes the haemagglutinin-lectin) you don’t have much to worry about as far as an anti-nutrient perspective. 

The debate goes on.... if you're interested in that sort of thing. 


Listen, eating rice is not going to kill you, quickly...... just kidding. However, I for one have decided that it's pretty much a super bland, super starchy (yeah, your body does need some starch to survive but there's starch in healthier foods out there) not so healthy food/filler to eat therefore, not worth it. 

Decide for yourself, I'm no expert. 

What I DO know for a fact is that eating more vegetables is a good thing. I for one can not get enough of them. Cauliflower is one of my favorite veggies although if you told me I would say that when I was 10 I would have thought you were craze-E! I've been using cauliflower in lots of dishes like these Chipotle Cheddar Poppers,  Buffalo Cauliflower 'wings' and even as a healthy, gluten free pizza crust!

It's really hard to tell that this is not rice, especially with a little bit of Tamari sprinkled on top but you can taste cauliflower so if your a hater this dish might not be for you. However, my kids never raised a skeptical eyebrow and happily gobbled this Cauliflower Fried Rice up.

TIME     30 MINUTES        SERVES    6

1 medium head of cauliflower, leaves removed and chopped

1 cup mixed frozen vegetables, rinsed and drained

1 small red bell pepper, diced into small pieces

2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon sesame oil (for frying the cauliflower and egg)

4 large Organic, free range brown eggs, whisked

1 tablespoon Kevala Organic Toasted Sesame Oil

Organic, Wheat free Tamari sauce (optional)

Fresh chives, chopped

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. 

In a large food processor or powerful blender, place half of the cauliflower florets. Pulse several times until you have a rice like consistency. Be careful not to over process or you will have mush! Scoop cauliflower 'rice' into a bowl and set aside. Do this to the remaining cauliflower. 

Pour sesame oil (not the toasted kind) into the hot skillet. Dump the cauliflower carefully into the skillet and spread it out evenly over the pan tossing to cover with the oil. Let it sit for a few minutes to brown and release some moisture. Add the red bell pepper toss once or twice and let it continue to 'fry'.  

Add the rinsed and drained veggies, stir to combine. 

Meanwhile,  heat a non stick pan over medium-high heat. Add sesame oil (not toasted) to pan and swirl to coat. Pour in the eggs. Using a silicone spatula push the eggs towards the center of the pan working your way around. Let them sit for 1 minute then repeat, pushing them towards the center of the pan working your way around. Do not overcook the eggs! You want them to be undercooked and slightly runny.  

Add the toasted sesame oil to the cauliflower, store to combine. Pour the eggs into the cauliflower and quickly fold them into the mixture cooking just 1-2 minutes more until eggs are just done. Remove from heat, serve in bowls piping hot. Garnish with tamari and chives.

resources 

Precision Nutrition

Fit Bomb

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Wines of South Africa {What to Bring/Serve at Your Next Dinner Party} and Eating Ostrich for the First Time.

Let me start by saying that I am not a wine connoisseur by any means, not that I wouldn't give most anything to have the title of a distinguished Sommelier, preferably somewhere in Italy. However, my palate for distinctive, unique and quality wine is a gift I'm willing to accept, title or not.

I'm happy to test my underrated ability to distinguish the good from the bad when it comes to fermented grapes whether it be savoring a chilled glass of Pinot Grigio solo on the porch, savoring an oaky Chardonnay with hints of apple with a plate of assorted cheeses and fresh fruits in front of me or contently sipping a full bodied Cabernet with a lingering of chocolate still on my tongue.





We all have our favorites when it comes to wine, myself included. Whether it simply be red or white, from a certain region or more specifically defined. For example, Chilean red's and Argentinean Malbec's are my idea of pure and up most perfection when it comes to wine, although they sadly are are not the most popular variety. The Fools.



This was definitely one of the most interesting food and wine events that I have been invited to. The Scottsdale Culinary Festival is a World renowned event and certainly a favorite of mine for obvious reasons. I jumped at the opportunity to experience a wine and food pairing from a "less popular" region of our World, South Africa.



In their words:

WOSA is trying to break down cultural barriers with their "From BBQ to Braai" tour, which was created to promote a better understanding of South African culture through wine and food. The stage for a 

southwestern

 

culinary

 exchange in the form of a South African-inspired BBQ has been set. 

I respectfully agree.

Dried fruits, nuts and ostrich jerky paired oddly well with these South African wines. 

These light and crisp whites were and will be my favorites this spring and summer. If you bring a wine to or host a dinner party during the hotter months, I implore you to choose one of these. Off the beaten path and bursting with South Africa's unique grape flavors from the rich soil, you will fall in love with these wines too.

Anything with the name Chocolate Block has my vote. Yes, it was delicious.

Have you ever had ostrich before? I sure haven't. For the sake of culinary curiosity I bit the bullet and had a bite. And liked it. In an oddly barbaric sort of way.  There are no words that come to mind to compare it's flavor. Honestly, but I did like it despite my reservations on meat eating. Then again, I loved elk and that surprised the hell out of me!

Don't you just want to pinch his cheeks? This guy has been standing over  12 feet of  flaming hot coals with ostrich sausages as thick as my arm for hours and had the cutest smile on his face. I had to snap a pic.

More favorites:


This 2012 Pinotage is from one of the oldest vineyards in South Africa, Val de Vie. Wine Maker Bertus Fourie has focused on drawing out the coffee notes of South Africa's signature grape. With compellingly intense to the nose with coffee, chocolate and cherry notes. It lingers deep and rich on the tongue with ripe tannins and an aftertaste of fall fruits such as plums.

On a side note, I did some research and the 2014 vintage had some less than stellar reviews, stating the wine was markedly heavier on the alcohol percentage than stated which compromise any flavor of the grape. I however, found this particular vintage pictured below to be full bodied with medium tannins.

The bottom line, 

when a new variety of wines from across the Globe is introduced in such an aggressive market with such extraordinary quality and competitive prices you shouldn't ignore them.

This,

Roasted Garlic and Date Chutney with Rib Shack Red Wine. 

Is it wrong to stay at a sample table for 20 minutes?

I hope you have either read or saved this post to read later. The wines and foods of South Africa have inspired me to continue my adventure for underrated cuisine and try new things. 

Please, what types of foods from which area of the World are you most longing to try? What about making them for yourself?

Some pictures provided by Scottsdale Culinary Festival

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