Gateaux Piments

Moniques Gateaux Piments
1 pnd split peas, soak 4 hours and drain
Grind in Food Processor, keep some texture.
3 onions chopped
15 little red chillies
Salt
Fresh Coriander
Mix this well and scoop out lrg T into hot oil & fry till crisp golden brown!

Moniques Chicken Curry!

Moniques Chicken Curry- large amount-Excellent
1/4 c Oil in pan:
Saute:
1 onion (saute first as it takes longer)
fresh ginger-2" crushed or chopped
gresh garlic- half a head or more

Add & quick fry:
1 1/2 c reg. curry
3/4 c Bassar Curry Masala
2 T Garam Masala
1 T Cumin
1 T Coriander
1 T Turmeric

Add:
2 Qts Tomato Sauce
Cook for 1/2 hour till the red is coming through!
Add water if needed!

Cook 3 to 4 pounds chicken separately and then put chicken in Curry Sauce!  Serve over Rice!

Simple Curry!

Simple Chicken Curry!

Building your curry!
In a large skillet or dutch oven with 3 T oil saute 1 onion for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile....
With your mortar & pestle - crush 2" piece Ginger & 1 whole Garlic head  (or....chop it up!)
... stir into the onions and saute another 5 minutes.
Add:
1 can tomato paste
3 T curry seasoning
Saute & push around another 5 minutes.

Add:
2 to 3 lbs Chicken of any kind:  breast, legs, thighs.
4-6 Cups of at least 2 Veggies of any sort.... eggplant, green beans,  carrots, cauliflower, bell peppers, peas, mushrooms, sweet potatoes  (any frozen mix will work great too)  I like at least 3 different veggies!
1 can diced or crushed tomatoes
Water to cover.
Cook/bake till chicken & veggies are done, sauce should be thick like spaghetti sauce!

Try other Curries by adding these additional ingredients ... all delicious!!
Add all spices during sauteing.  Add creams at the end to avoid curdling.

Spicy Curry add 1/2 tsp ground red pepper and 3 hot peppers w/seeds!
North India Curry 1 c yoghurt.
South India Curry 1 c heavy cream.
Thai Curry 1 can 'Thai Kitchen' coconut milk.
Moroccan Curry  Sweet potatoes, eggplant, 1/4 c raisin or dates,1/4 c dried apricots,  1/4 c nuts (cashews, sliced almonds or walnuts), nutmeg, cinnamon, juice & zest of 1/2 lemon & cardamom. Serve with couscous!
Lentil Curry add 2 c uncooked red or 2 c cooked brown lentils (red is very mild in flavor, tiny in size and cooks quickly). 
Chickpea Curry add 2 cans chick peas!
Fancy Curry  1/2 tsp coriander, 1 tsp black mustard seed, 1 T tamarind, 1 tsp cumin seed, grated fresh nutmeg, cinnamon stick, fenugreek, cardamom, 1/4 tsp hing, 1/2 tsp garam masala, 2 bay leaves.  Any Meat, Vegetarian Meat or No Meat works for any curry!

Fast Curry use precooked & veggies.



Serve Curries with rice!

Sweet Potatoe & Plantains!

This recipe is from a gal who grew up eating this as a common dish on the island Saychell.  Plantains, bananas, nutmeg and coconuts grew in abundance!!
Sweet Potatoes & Plantains
On stove or in oven!!
Use a large pan (dutch oven) or cassarole dish....

4 Sw Potatoes-cut in quarters or smaller
2 Plantains or 4 Bananas-cut length wise-place these on top of sw. potatoes.
Pour over top...
2 cans coconut milk (can use 1/2 milk)
Freshly grated nutmeg
1 to 2 T br sugar
1 T real butter

Cook or Bake without stiring till Sweet Potaotes are done and sauce has thickened some.  I covered mine for the first while 20 minutes.
Its quite tasty, next time I will throw in some walnuts!

Mom's Peanut Butter Balls

They look pretty big don't they? They're about an inch in diameter I would estimate. Although this is Mom's recipe I actually made them this time. I've loved them all my life but have never thought to make them for myself... until now, weird, I know! They're Truly Scrumptious! That's someone's name, she's a character in a movie called Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, if you haven't seen it, I'd recommend it today!

No Bake Peanut Butter Balls

I made these for my kids while they were growing up, I learned this recipe from a Vegetarian Daycare I worked at!

Peanut Butter - creamy or crunchy
Powdered Milk
Honey or Agave
Optional Add Ins:  Raisins, Nuts, Unsweetened Coconut Flakes, Carob Chips

I didn't use specific measurements, I mixed the peanut butter & honey to sweeten, added the powdered milk and rolled into balls.  I often added raisins!

Rice, Cranberries & Sprouted Lentils

Rice, Dried Cranberries & Sprouted Lentils

Prepare Ahead
2 c cooked Brown Rice 
I boil my rice like potatoes, drain and do a quick hot or cold water rinse.

On medium high heat, toss together for roughly 3 minutes in a skillet. 
2 T Coconut Oil, virgin
1/2 tsp Himalayen Salt
1/8 c shredded Carrot
1/4 c Cranberries
1/2 c sprouted Lentils

Fold rice into mixture and let sizzle for a couple more minutes.

Serve hot on a bed of Spinach leaves & chopped Walnuts!

Makes 2 servings.

Sprouting Lentils

Sprouting Lentils
I love these in Spaghetti! 
I dont cook them in the sauce, however, you can.  I add mine at the end when I turn the sauce off or throw them on the noodles and then pour sauce over the top!

1 Qt Jar, a Sprouting Lid and 1/4 c Lentils!
If you dont own a sprouting lid you can use cheese cloth over the mouth of the jar and secure with a canning ring.  I actually made a few inserts for the canning ring from plastic craft canvas grid used for making things like coasters, etc. (Walmart).


Rinse lentils.
Cover lentils with water for at least an hour.  Drain.
Rinse twice a day.  They wiill sprout within a couple of days. 
Lentil sprouts are ready when sprouts are a quarter inch long, you can let them grow longer.
I lay my jar on its side on top the fridge.

For larger batches of sprouted lentils use a gallon jar with 1 cup lentils!

Veganaise!

I've had a known system issue for about 10 or 11 years, it's an egg allergy. Is there any way to express how much I love eggs? No, I think not. I love eggs! Love. I love everything egg related or made with eggs. I love potato salad with eggs in it, I love chef salad with eggs in it, I love tuna salad and chicken salad and egg salad! Most of all though, I love mayonnaise! I love mayo in or on everything. I could eat it on crackers, on toast, on cereal even! Just kidding.
I've had to omit nearly all my egg habits. The toughest has been the mayo. Well tonight, ladies and gentlemen, I had tuna salad on crackers! There were no egg bits mixed in but there was mayonnaise! There was kind of mayonnaise, I mean. It's called Veganaise! It tastes more like a Miracle Whip (which I eat only as a last resort) but it's better than nothing at all. To tell you the truth it was down right delicious! I am so excited to have it in my life!

Peanut Butter & Fudge Pie

Peanut Butter & Fudge Pie
Pie Crust
8 oz Fudge Topping

Middle layer:
2 c whipping cream with 1/2 c powdered sugar (or use 1 lrg tub Cool Whip)
1 c peanut butter

Top Layer:
1 c whipping cream with 1/4 c powdered sugar (or use 1 sm tub Cool Whip)
4 Reeses Peanut Butter Cups

Bottom layer:
Pie Crust- baked
8oz Fudge topping- warm this up and pour on bottom of baked crust. Refrigerate while preparing next layer. Be careful if microwaving this stuff, you dont want to crystalize the sugar, it toughens the topping. Depending on the brand use you can spread it at room (even up the sides)!

Middle layer
2 c whipping cream
1/2 pwdrd sugar or stevia to taste
Whip cream & sugar to stiff peaks - be sure not to whip it into butter!   (or  Lrge tub of Cool Whip)
Mix in 1/2 c Peanut Butter (helps to warm it up first, place in a dish sitting in a dish of hot water, do not use hot peanut butter)
Chop up 3 of the Reeses Peanut Butter cups and fold in.
Spoon this into crust.

Top layer
Top with remaining whipped topping.
Chop up the last Reeses Peanut Butter Cup and sprinkle on top.

Refrigerate for 3 hours before serving. 

Options:

Middle layer: Fold chopped pecans in with the Pnt Btr cups!
Drizzle Peanut Butter on top.

Sausage Crumbles, Spinach & Mushroom Penne

Vegetarian Sausage Crumbles, Spinach & Mushroom Penne

16 oz pkg Penne Noodles cooked
10 oz bag Spinach chopped
8 0z fresh Mushrooms, halved
1 pkg Sausage Crumbles (Morningstar Farms)
1 8 oz pkg shredded Cheese

Toss together and bake in casserole dish for 45 mins or less at 350 degrees.

Complete Protein Foods!

Complete Protein Foods:
An Avacado has more usable protein than a large steak!
Vegetables, Nuts, &  whole Grains actually provide all the protein anyone needs!

It's simply not complicated!

Egg Replacement for baking cookies & muffins!

Egg Replacement for baking!
1/4 c Tofu per 1 Egg
or
1 T ground Flax Seed + 3T Water, whip together till fluffy per 1 Egg

http://www.egglesscooking.com/

Coconut Oil Chocolate

Coconut Oil Chocolate

1/2 c coconut oil

1/2 c cocoa  (I like Hersheys best and I most commonly use the Special Dark)

Pinch of stevia (flavors are great!)

1 tsp Agave or more to taste (flavors are great)

...it doesnt take much of either.

Add ins:  Pecans, Macadamias, Cashews, Cayenne pepper, unsweetened Coconut flakes, Cranberries,  or Peanut Butter.  (Realize these extras are not the same kind of fat as the coconut oil, they do count as fat!) 

Usually I stir this in a bowl that is setting in a sauce pan of hot water, if you stir very very well the agave won't settle to the bottom when hardened.

An icecube tray works great to pour the chocolate into, you can set this in the freezer or fridge to harden.

You can strictly use Stevia or strictly Agave or a combination of the two to sweeten your chocolate! In either case it is natural & low glycemic and a great way to get that Coconut oil in your system!  Its a great skin anti-aging system!!  Try to eat 2 to 4 T a day!

 

Lime Rice with Sr Cream & Mango Salsa

Lime Rice with Sr Cream & Mango Salsa

Mix together:

6 c cooked rice  (2 cups uncooked reg rice)(Instant rice is handy too!)

1/2 c olive oil

1/2 c lime juice

1/2 or 3/4 c chopped fresh cilantro

1 or 2 T salt (your taste)

Gently pat in bottom of large glass dish.

 

Spread on top the lime rice:

1 24oz tub of Sr Cream

 

Mix together & Spread on top of Sr Cream:

1 Qt Mango Salsa 

(Great alternative Salsa:  Mix 1 qt. chunky Salsa with 1 can Tropical fruit-drained & chopped with 1/2 tsp cayenne/red pepper.)

 

Sprinkle on top of Salsa:

2 cans black beans-drained.  (Beans from scratch would be 1 cup dry black beans)

 

Lastly place Cilantro for garnish!

 

Serve cold or hot!

Can cut this recipe in half for a small glass dish!

Spicey Peanut Coconut Chutney (not sweet!)

Peanut Coconut Chutney

1 c unsweetened coconut flakes

1/4 c peanut butter  (chunky or reg)

2 jalapenos w/seeds  (finely minced)

1 c plain yogurt or 1/2 c cream or 1/2 c sr cream

1/2 c water  (you may have to add water to adjust the consistency as it will thicken)

I mix this in my bullet. 

I mince my Jalopenos in the Bullet prior.
If you wish you may grind your coconut flakes to a finer grade before mixing, although not necessary.

I often double this recipe!  Quick to make!

This is a great side to serve with any spicy lentil dish!   ...with Dosa's! 
Dosa's are like a crepe but made with rice instead of flour!  So so good!
Pita Bread or Naan works great instead of Dosas and both can be purchased at the grocers!

Delicious Lentil Curry

Lentil Curry

1 bag lentils 

water necessary to cook (choose your consistency!)

1 tsp ginger powder or fresh ginger (I probably use 1 T pwdr and twice that fresh)

2 T curry (I probably use more like 3T)

1 1/2 tsp tumeric (if you dont have this one it doesnt seem to really alter the taste)

1/2 tsp nutmeg

3 to 6 fresh jalapenos w/seeds

1 can coconut milk (I use Thai Kitchen, often I use half a can & freeze the rest for 2nd batch)

Once your lentils are mostly or completely cooked add:

2 T salt

1 sm can tomatoe paste

1 lrg sweet potatoe ...diced but not too small 

....cook till potatoes are done.

Sometimes I will add a lrg can of diced tomatoes. 

Sometimes I will throw in just a tiny bit of stevia for a sweeter taste.

Coconut Chicken

Today I made Coconut Chicken for lunch with Broccoli, Fried Apples, and Ezekiel bread. I'll tell you how it all went down.

Chicken Breast
Broccoli
Apples
Ezekiel Bread
2 or 3 Tablespoons of Coconut Oil (per skillet)
1 Tablespoon of coconut flakes per chicken serving
1/8 teaspoon apple pie spice (per apple)
Dash of Himalayan salt for bread and apples.
Just a smidgen of Stevia

For the stevia, I like the KAL brand but I hear the liquid stevia is pretty good too. Did I just say "I like" and "stevia" in the same sentence? I think we're making more than lunch here folks, smells like progress.

I started with a cast iron skillet that was hot with coconut oil. I fry broccoli, I like it well done and crispy. Let this cook a couple of minutes while you set up the next pan. It'll cook a lot longer while you're making the rest. Toss it around a couple of times, you'll know when it's done.

In another skillet, flash fry in coconut oil some coconut flakes, then add chicken medallions. I coat the chicken pieces with the coconut flakes while it cooks and let it cook thoroughly. Once the chicken is fully cooked remove it to a separate plate.

While the broccoli is cooking and after the chicken has been removed slice or dice an apple (per person) into the same pan, toss with a dash of stevia and some apple pie spice (or cinnamon) until the apple bits are browned. Just before removing the apples, drizzle them with a tablespoon or two of water. This will pull the flavors up from the bottom of the pan and make a type of reduction, or sauce, to be served with the apples. You can pour a bit of cream over the apples for added decadence.



Want to know how I make my Ezekiel Bread?
Oh, you do! Ok, pull your slices from the freezer and every good boy or girl keeps it there. "Butter" both sides of your frozen bread with coconut oil (or even real butter). It will, of course, freeze onto the bread, it's perfect. Now, toss the bread into the apple skillet and grill as if you're making a grilled cheese sandwhich. Let the bread get slightly browned and crunchy. I throw a little salt over mine, sometimes even cinnamon or apple pie spice and a dusting of stevia. It's better than cinnamon toast Ladies and Gents! Or you can fry it up with coconut oil, salt it, and call it super-groovy.



Because it is, no matter how you have it.

Brownies!

I just made some amazing brownies! I'm most impressed by how healthy they are!

I bought some coconut flour tonight at Mama Jean's thinking I might be able to do something good with it. Right on the back of the bag was a recipe for brownies. I changed the recipe because I didn't wan't to use some of the stuff they put in there (like sugar and butter). So here's what I did:

1/2 Cup Coconut Flour
1/2 Cup Cocoa Powder
2 Eggs
1/4 C Agave
1/3 C Coconut Oil
1/2 C Water

Combine the coconut flour with the cocoa powder and set aside. In a separate bowl mix the eggs, agave, oil, and water. Now put the wet and dry ingredients together. I used a loaf pan so mine would be thicker and I baked it for 25 - 30 mins. They weren't any thicker than anyone else's brownies so I'll do some tweaking and get back with you!

These are SUGAR FREE, GLUTEN FREE, and great for you!

Coconut Oil

Before I tell you much about it, let me defer to a couple of websites. They are so full of great information and are much more thorough than I could achieve.

The 1st website I have read is here. It lists the major benefits of eating or using coconut oil.

Another site that I feel has a lot of the same information, as well as some new, is here. You'll need to scroll past the advertisements to get to the good stuff.

Something else that has to do with coconut oil is called "Oil Pulling" or "OP". Here's a link to a site that describes that very well. Read the Introduction, the Instructions, and the Notes, then scroll to about 1/3 of the way down the page to Sandy's Oil Pulling Compilation for a list of oils and their benefits (as associated with oil pulling).

To summarize the information that's listed on the benefits sites I'll tell you this: coconut oil is comprised of Medium Chain Fatty Acids (MCFA) as opposed to the Long Chain Fatty Acids (LCFA) found in almost every other fat or oil, so our bodies process coconut oil in a way that is much different from almost every other fat or oil. This has many benefits for weight and cholesterol management because our bodies process it as energy rather than fat to be stored.

Coconut oil is also known to be anti-viral, anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, it works as an anti-inflammatory, and is also high in anti-oxidants. This is not to be taken as a cure for anything, but can help your body prevent much sickness and disease.

You can use this oil on your hair, on your skin, and I even use it on my face. I put it on a blister that had formed on the back of my heal while I was mowing the grass, and it healed right up. There is no limit to what you can do with this wonder food.

Coconut oil is also used in cooking. I use nothing but coconut oil when cooking because it has a high heat tolerance therefore, when heated, it does not become carcinogenic. Other than real butter, all other fats/oils become toxic when heated. When you smoke a cigarette, you are inhaling carcinogens, these are cancerous, and any oil other than coconut oil or real butter has these same properties. I encourage you to use every other kind of healthful oil you can find, but do not heat it.
Coconut oil can be eaten in place of butter, with a little added salt (My mom and I both like Himalayan) it will taste no different. I love butter and have not missed it a bit. If I didn't have coconut oil, then I would miss it, everyday...

Chocolate

Tonight I made more chocolate, because I had some macadamia nuts to use up, or did I get the nuts so I could use up my chocolate? Hmmm
Anyway, I like to add a little cream to my chocolate. It makes it a slightly fluffy and thick, almost a pudding. Since the cream tends to clot and get a little weird when one makes this "out of order", I usually mix the cream with the cocoa before adding the oil. Tonight I didn't pay attention though and I added the oil with the cocoa before it was warmed. "Oops, I was going to add cream!" Then I thought "Hmmm, not enough cocoa anyway, better go to the store before I finish this." Then I thought again (I did a lot of thinking tonight) "Hmmm, just take a little of the oil/cocoa on the side and mix in a smidge of cream and see if it works, can't be that bad, right?" Right! I hadn't warmed the oil so the cream didn't clot, brilliant!

Click the link for the delicious Chocolate recipe !

A Vegan Way!

The differences between vegetarian and vegan are animal products. Some animal products are dairy items such as cheese, butter, yogurt, cream, sour cream, ice cream, or in simpler terms, all milk products. Other animal products would include chicken broth, beef broth, eggs, imitations eggs (eggs with yolk removed), gelatin, mayonnaise, that covers most of it.

Vegan alternatives to the animal products listed above are: almond milk, soy milks, rice milk, oils, soy yogurt, vegetable broth, vegan imitation eggs, even vegan mayo. Egg replacers can be flax seed or tofu, and they work great in chocolate chip cookies!
Major benefits to choosing alternatives (even just now and then) to animal products is no growth hormone, no steroids, and no anti-biotics!

Any of the above mentioned milks work great in your morning cereal, with a warm cookie, or mixed with chocolate. Your next salad could easily be vegan! Hold the ham and cheese, and pile on some avocado, salsa or tomatoes for a south of the boarder spin or nuts and cranberries for a Mediterranean twist. We do lots of combinations that include olives, chick peas, nuts, berries, seeds, just use your imagination. There's a whole world of choices that span way beyond our usual mid-western options.

The Chocolate of Life

So, you've heard of the bread of life, you know about the tree of life, but did you know you've been missing out on the chocolate of life? That's it! That's the secret to life!
This is not just any chocolate, this chocolate will change your life! The life changing aspect of this chocolate is that it's made with real coconut oil. A few of the benefits of eating coconut oil daily include lowered cholesterol, weight loss, and a boosted immune system. We'll tell you more about that in another post. In the mean time, get started!

1/4 c Coconut Oil
1/4 c Cocoa Powder
Stevia (as with all stevia, start out with very little and add more as you prefer)
or Agave (about a teaspoon)

To warm the oil, we place our dish of combined ingredients in a pan or bowl of hot water. Stir well. Stir extra well if you opt for agave (since it tends to settle at the bottom).
You can put your dish right into the fridge or freezer or, as we prefer, or pour the chocolate into an ice cube tray (or candy mold).

Optional add-ins:
Nuts, nut, nuts!
Peanut or almond butter
Coconut flakes
Pretzels

Another delicious addition!