Category Archives: Recipes
Easy Weeknight Skillet Lasagna
This is a recipe I saw from my homegirls Coyia’s instagram page and had to make it! Though this recipe calls for some beef and stuff i replaced the meat with mushrooms and chic pea blend. I’ll slide what I did in between here. The ingredients are below!
Soak Chic Peas overnight
Chop up onions and garlic then lightly sauté
Blend the Chic Peas with the garlic onions and seasoning that you would like (Salt & Pepper)
I’m not being paid to say this, but I really love Rao’s Homemade sauces so much. As a chef and home-cook, I’m pretty picky about pre-made things. I don’t want to buy a sauce I have to spend half the time doctoring up just to make it taste better. You are free to use any brand you prefer, but trust me — Rao’s Homemade Marinara Sauce is legit. They’re the reason my Cheesy meatball sub dip recipe is so amazing. It’s pretty pricey compared to its lesser counterparts, but it’s soooo worth it. You can often find it on sale at pretty much every retailer, but I’ve found it at Walmart consistently under $7/jar.
This recipe is insanely easy, and very customizable. You can use ground beef, or turkey, or chicken. Or, use Italian sausage instead. Although it’s a quick and easy weeknight lasagna, you aren’t forced to use lasagna noodles. You can use any pasta you want. The only thing I recommend you keep true to the recipe are the ingredient amounts — things can get funky otherwise. For example, you don’t want to add a whole pound of pasta to this because it will be too much. Whatever kind of pasta you end up using, just use half the box — which is roughly 8 ounces.
Keep it somewhat vegetarian and use mushrooms instead of ground meat. The choice is yours. Don’t have balsamic vinegar? Shame on you! Get some, please. But if you don’t have it, it won’t ruin the recipe. Just leave it out.
HOW TO MAKE SKILLET LASAGNA
Here’s most of the ingredients.
Drizzle in about 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat.
Break up the meat with a wooden spoon until it’s in small pieces.
While the meat is still pink, season it with crushed red pepper flakes, kosher salt and black pepper.
When it’s almost fully browned, add the diced onion. Cook that for about 3 minutes to distribute.
Season the browned meat with granulated garlic and onion powder.
Cook everything down until the onions are softened, about 5 to 6 minutes.
Pour in some balsamic vinegar, about 3 tablespoons. Stir it around good.
Let the balsamic cook down for about a minute or two, then add the garlic.
Cook the garlic for about a minute to take the raw edge off.
Pour in your favorite high quality marinara sauce. I’m using Rao’s. In my opinion, it’s the best on the market and needs no doctoring.
Add 1 cup of water to the jar and shake it up to loosen any leftover sauce, pour that water into the skillet. You need this extra moisture to help cook the pasta thru.
Stir everything around until it’s evenly combined.
Add the broken lasagna noodles.
Make sure the lasagna pieces are pushed into the meat sauce and submerged.
Cover it up and let it simmer over medium-low or low heat for about 20-25 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes to ensure the pasta isn’t sticking together or the moisture isn’t evaporating too quickly before the pasta is tender.
Almost ready, about 5 more minutes. If at any point you need to add more water, do so in 1/3 cup increments.
Pasta is perfectly al dente! The consistency is perfect, not too wet and not too dry.
Reduce the heat to LOW, and sprinkle the remaining 4 ounces of mozzarella in a single layer.
Dollop the ricotta mixture all over the surface of the dish. Cover this up and let the cheese melt and ooze into the nooks and crannies, about 8 to 10 minutes over low heat.
You could eat it like this, or if you want a little color, pop this under the broiler for about 5 minutes to get bubbly and slightly charred.
Source – Carnal Dish
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Trinidad Doubles Recipe
Doubles are two flat fritters with filling in the middle.
Photo by Matthew Benson
Photo by Matthew Benson
Caribbean Vegan (The Experiment, 2016) by Taymer Mason makes the colorful flavors of the Caribbean available to vegans, with over 200 authentic recipes straight from the islands. These recipes range from the classic Caribbean dishes to new and inventive recipes cooked up by Mason. The following excerpt is her recipe for Trinidadian doubles, or fritters.
Where can you find a vegan street food so widely available that if you miss one stall another is close by? Trinidad and Tobago, baby! You’re probably wondering, What are doubles, anyway? Doubles are made of two flat and fluffy fritters, called bara, that are stuffed with a hot chickpea stew and occasionally topped with chutney. This Trinidadian street food has made its way to Barbados and several other islands on a smaller scale. Doubles vendors don’t use split pea flour in their bara, but I do, as it adds more nutritional value and gives the fritter a hearty bite.
Ingredients:
Bara
• 1 1/2 cups (360 milliliters) warm water (110 degrees Fahrenheit to 115 degrees Fahrenheit/43 degrees Celsius to 46 degrees Celsius)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 1 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 3 cups (375 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup (60 grams) yellow split pea flour or an additional 1/2 cup (60 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon Madras curry powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 3/4 teaspoon pink or sea salt
• Canola oil, for frying
Filling
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped or sliced into thin crescents
• 6 garlic cloves, pressed
• Two 15.5-ounce (439 grams) cans chickpeas, drained or 3 1/2 cups (765 grams) cooked chickpeas
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pink or sea salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon Bajan Pepper Sauce, optional
• 1 tablespoon Madras curry powder
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 2 cups (480 milliliters) water
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chickpea flour
Instructions:
1. To make the bara, stir the yeast and sugar into the water and let stand for about 15 minutes, until the top is foamy. (If the yeast doesn’t foam, it’s dead or the water was too hot or too cool. You need to start over with fresh yeast.)
2. Put the all-purpose flour, split pea flour, baking powder, curry powder, cumin, and salt in a bowl. Add the yeast mixture and stir until the dough comes together. It should be very soft; don’t be tempted to add any additional flour. Put the dough in a bowl lightly greased with canola oil. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for about 2 hours, until doubled in size
3. Meanwhile, make the filling. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Stir in the chickpeas, salt, black pepper, optional pepper sauce, curry powder, cumin, cilantro, turmeric, and water. Turn the heat down to low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.
4. Add the chickpea flour and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 minutes, until the sauce thickens slightly.
5. Divide the dough into 24 pieces and form them into small balls; they will be very sticky so as you make them put them on a clean, greased flat surface.
6. Heat 1 1/2 inches (4 centimeters) of oil over medium-high heat and rest the oil after 5 minutes by dropping a piece of the dough into the oil. The oil is ready when the dough sizzles vigorously and browns quickly.
7. With oiled hands, stretch a dough ball. Some holes may form in the dough as you stretch, and that is okay. Gently lower the bara into the hot oil, and, the help ensure you don’t burn yourself, make sure that your two index fingers are the last fingers that leave the bara. Fry each bara using the 5-10-5 rule: 5 seconds on one side, 10 seconds on the other side, and 5 seconds more on the first side. Remove with tongs and drain on paper towels. Oil your hands again, and continue until all of the bara are fried.
8. To assemble the doubles, cut twelve 7-inch (18 centimeters) squares of waxed paper. Place two bara on a piece of waxed paper, overlapping. Top with 2 to 3 heaping tablespoons of filling. Bring the two sides of the paper together and wrap the double tightly, securing the wrapping by twisting the ends. To eat the doubles, peel back the paper.
Island Tip: I put my bara in a closed container when they are finished cooking. This makes them softer and more pliable.
Bajan Pepper Sauce
Makes 1 cup (240 milliliters)
This style of pepper sauce is what I grew up eating in Barbados, and this recipe is my personal go-to pepper sauce. The original recipe uses fresh turmeric, but that can be hard to come by. If you can’t find it, you can substitute ground turmeric. Red Scotch bonnet peppers give this sauce its characteristic orange color with red flecks. Pepper sauce is something that some people can handle and others cannot. Start with just a bit and increase the amount gradually until you learn your limit. Because of its flavor and heat, pepper sauce used to be called a meal saver; if people found a dish unappetizing, they would add a bit of pepper sauce to make it more edible. Pepper sauce is used in sandwiches as well as in most soups and stews in Barbados, and it’s almost always offered on the table at local restaurants. In a pinch, you can use Tabasco or another hot sauce in its place, but try to make this sauce. It will give your recipes authentic Caribbean flavor.
Ingredients:
• 1/2 cup (120 milliliters) finely grated fresh turmeric, or 1 tablespoon ground turmeric
• 1/3 cup (80 milliliters) American-style prepared mustard
• 3 Scotch bonnet or habanero peppers (seeded if you prefer less spicy)
• 1 onion, coarsely chopped
• 2 large garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pink or sea salt
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
Instructions:
1. Put all of the ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth.
2. Transfer to a clean jar, seal, and refrigerate. This pepper sauce will keep for as long as 1 year in the fridge.
More from: Caribbean Vegan
• Caribbean Island “Burger” Recipe
• Authentic Caribbean Rum Cake Recipe
• Classic Barbadian Sweet Potato Pie Recipe
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Eat To Live: Recipe For Making Muslim Navy Bean Soup!
Nation of Islam member @Latasha Muhammad shows you how to make the famous Muslim Navy Bean Soup! In Book One of “How To Eat To Live”, the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad, who was taught by Master Fard Muhammad, writes, “No beans did He advise, except the small navy the small size and not the larger size – the little brown pink ones, and the white ones. This bean He valued to be very high in protein, fats and starches, and it is a safe food for prolonging life. As you will find, most of the Muslims like their bean soup. These beans are dry beans. He said that He could take one of our babies and start him off eating the dry small navy bean soup, and make that child live 240 years. He described no other bean. This dry bean, or pulse, is of ancient origin. It was this bean, according to certain historians, ·that Daniel preferred for himself and his followers in the prison of Nebuchadnezzar. Do not add rice and meats to these beans, because they contain proteins, fats and starches.” Order copies of “How to Eat To Live” Book I & II at: https://store.finalcall.com/collectio… Watch also:
How To Eat To Live: Why Elijah Muhammad Advised Us To Eat NAVY BEANS! https://youtu.be/X3wXuraSn8A
How To Eat To Live Cooking Show: The Navy Bean! (NFA Studios) https://youtu.be/g9Rd6i4B7jc
The Nation of Islam’s M.G.T. & G.C.C. presents Home Pressure Canning https://youtu.be/gLY6lDr17o4
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Lemon Balm 101
What Is Lemon Balm?
The lemon balm plant (Melissa officinalis), which is also referred to as apiatrum, balm mint, sweet balm, bee’s leaf, honey plant, and labiates, is a perennial herb in the mint family (Lamiaceae). The name “lemon balm” comes from the Greek word for “balsamon,” meaning a sweet smelling oil. Still to this day, lemon balm is a prominent ingredient in the kitchens of Greece.
This perennial is a popular garden herb, thanks to its pleasant lemon scent, light green leaves, and small yellow and white flowers that are attractive to beneficial insects like butterflies and honeybees. With sizes ranging from delicate microgreens to larger leaves, lemon balm is a fragrant herb that can be used for numerous culinary purposes.
What Does Lemon Balm Taste Like?
This aromatic member of the mint family has a bright, citrusy taste that brings together the acidity of lemon with subtle hints of mint. Both the stems and fresh leaves of lemon balm have a subtly sweet flavor and can be used in food preparation and medicine.
6 Culinary Uses for Lemon Balm
- Desserts: Given its sweet, citrusy flavor, fresh lemon balm and lemon balm extract are used most commonly in desserts like lemon tea cookies and lemon poppyseed loaf.
- Tea: Make a lemon balm tea with the recipe below, or infuse simple syrup with lemon balm and add to your next batch of iced tea.
- Salads: Lemon balm leaves are a great addition to fruit or vegetable salads.
- Vinaigrettes: Use lemon balm in a quick, lemony dressing made with olive oil and vinegar.
- Seafood: Garnish seafood dishes with freshly choppy lemon balm.
- Sauces and soups: Lemon balm can also act as a substitute for lemon peel in dishes like sauces and soups.
What Are the Health Benefits of Lemon Balm?
Lemon balm leaves and lemon balm essential oil are antiviral and rich in antioxidants, which is why they are both used in a variety of natural health medications and beauty products. Lemon balm is safe to consume in regular culinary amounts or small medicinal doses.
Homemade Lemon Balm Tea Recipe
PREP TIME
5 min
TOTAL TIME
12 min
COOK TIME
7 min
Ingredients
Makes 1 cup of tea
- Bring 2 cups water to a boil in a pot or kettle.
- Crush lemon balm leaves slightly between the fingers to release natural oil, and add to a tea infuser and place in a mug. Pour the boiling water over the leaves.
- Wait 5-10 minutes for the herbal tea to infuse then remove the infuser. Optionally add a touch of honey or another natural sweetener before drinking
Source – Masterclass
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Pizza of The GOAT
Another banger for your young tongues taste buddies. This is one of my favorite types of flat bread pizza. I’ll admit I didn’t intend this bread to be flat but I had this dough stashed in the fridge for a day or two. I plan on making some dough that shall rise in less than 7 days. I called this Pizza for the Goat (Greatest of All Time) because it holds my favorite cheese Goat cheese. Normally I stay away from pizza and cheese but every 3 months I indulge.
The recipe for this joint is quite easy to make. You will need Shiitake Mushrooms, Tomato sauce Habenro or Red peppers and Goat cheese. You can make your own dough or grab some from the store. Hopefully all the panic shoppers left you a little flour or pre made pizza dough.
Once you grab your ingredients. Make the dough, spread the sauce. Chop up piece of the goat cheese spread accordingly then add peppers and mushrooms. You can add some salt and pepper to top it off. Bake for about 10-15 minutes and walaaaa
Enjoy, I’ll take some more in depth photos in the future. Simple pizza simple pictures.
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Salmon x Wild Rice x Creamy Kale Sauces
Now that I have less people and more food to shoot I can eat 2 fish with one fork. Up first on the menu was Salmon. I like to keep it simple with fish, steam, salt and pepper is all you really need anything else is extra in my book. Rarely do I whip up cream type sauces for my meals but a can of coconut milk caught my eye and the idea sparked. This was a delicious meal, the spicy lentil blend and cabbage really brought it all together. Baked yam for sweet delicious vibrancy on the plate and walaaaa
Ingredients | Recipe
Salmon | Steam x Salt x Pepper
Creamy Kale: sautéed onions and garlic first with sesame seed oil. Once that is to your liking add the butter let that sizzle and melt then add on the coconut milk. I seasoned with curry, salt and pepper. Then add Kale and cook down until it’s the consistency you would like it to be.
Spicy Lentils: Boil a pot of lentils. I like putting seasoning (Berbere, Salt, Pepper) in the water and in the second process before blending. I sautee onions. garlic, habanero pepper in coconut oil. Sometimes I let the garlic and onion charr a little bit before adding the oil. Once the oil is added I will add in the lentils then season with more Berbere. The lentils are done already so at this point cut the heat and take all of what is in the pan and put it in the blender. You can eat this blend cold or hot. I prefer it cold.
Baked Sweet Potatoe | Butter, Coconut Sugar, honey drizzle
Wild Rice and Steamed Cabbage
Enjoy
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COCONUT CURRY BLACK LENTIL AND POTATO STEW
Reposted from @ betterfoodguru Do you like lentils?
I do, they are little nutritional powerhouses, they cook quickly and their flavor is very mild which makes them versatile as heck.
Today’s turmeric Tuesday post uses small black lentils which cook in a snap and have such a great texture!
👉COCONUT CURRY BLACK LENTIL AND POTATO STEW with rice, cilantro and mint
🤘Coconut Curry and Black Lentil and Potato Stew Recipe
Prep: 10 mins
Cook time: 30 mins
Yield: 5-7
How to:
1. Put 1/2 lb cleaned small black lentils in a big pot to boil with water about 3 inches above lentil level. Boil for about 20 mins while you prep and cook the other ingredients. You may add in 4 cubed small size potatoes I used russetts but any will do around the 15 min mark to boil as well
2. Sauté in a separate pan with 2tsp olive oil 4 cloves chopped garlic, 2 inches fresh ginger chopped, 1 onion chopped small and 1/4 inch fresh turmeric chopped until all are caramelized well about 5 mins. Add 3 peeled and chopped carrots and 3 baby red bell peppers chopped and salt lightly then cook 3-4 mins
3. Push carrot, onion mix to the side to toast the dry spices. Add 2tsp turmeric, 1T garam masala, 1tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp ground coriander, 1 pinch crushed red pepper and black pepper and cook for 2 mins stirring constantly then add 3T tomato paste and 1 can unsweetened coconut milk and bring to a quick boil then turn off and put aside.
4. Check your lentils. If they are soft add the sauté mixture into the lentils and let simmer for 10 mins. Taste for salt
5. Serve with your fave sides or just a giant bowl and top with copious cilantro and fresh mint.
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How to Make Mushroom Broth
Dashi, a flavorful, umami-packed broth, is a fundamental ingredient in many Japanese dishes. It’s usually made with a combination of kombu (dried kelp), dried bonito flakes and iriko (dried anchovies). Shiitake mushrooms can also be added to the mix, resulting in a stunningly clear, clean broth.
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Vegan Fluffy Pumpkin Pancakes
Fluffy Pumpkin Pancakes
What’s better than a hot stack of pumpkin pancakes on a cool fall morning? These guys are soft, fluffy & deliciously spiced. So easy, and so yummy!
Let’s make pumpkin pancakes!
I’ve been baking up a storm of pumpkin-ey things lately… mostly because when you open a can of pumpkin (or make your own pumpkin puree), there’s always some left over. I think that’s the true reason why people are so pumpkin-crazy in the fall. If you start with pumpkin pancakes, you might as well go ahead and make pumpkin cake… and then, well, maybe some pumpkin cookies. After all, you have to use it up! (She says while eating said cookie.)
Anyway, I’ve had so many requests for pumpkin pancakes, and this recipe is our favorite! They’re super simple to mix together, and they’re soft, fluffy, and deliciously spiced. What more could you want in a cozy fall breakfast? These are best the day they’re made, but I enjoyed the frozen leftovers as well 🙂
My Pumpkin Pancake Recipe Ingredients
Because this recipe is vegan, it’s totally egg-free. Pumpkin is the perfect natural egg-replacer, giving these pancakes moisture and lift, so they’re nice and fluffy! Here’s what else makes this pumpkin pancake recipe one of my fall favorites:
- A little flax helps them bind. You could use egg if you don’t have flax.
- A touch of cane sugar sweetens them up.
- Baking powder and baking soda make them thick and fluffy.
- Cinnamon gives them that essential warm “pumpkin spice” flavor.
- Coconut oil adds richness.
- Almond milk adds moisture and loosens the batter. While I use almond milk because it’s the type of milk that I keep on hand, regular milk will work just fine here too.
- And vanilla gives them a deep, complex flavor.
Combine the wet & dry ingredients separately, and fold them together – careful not to overmix! At this point, the batter is ready to cook, so you’re on your way to pumpkin pancake breakfast heaven.
Have Fun with This Pumpkin Pancake Recipe!
Want to mix up your pancake game? Play with the spices here by adding a dash of pumpkin pie spice, cardamom, ginger, nutmeg, or allspice – anything “pumpkin spice” goes, so feel free to get creative in the spice department. If you do mix up the spices, I recommend keeping the cinnamon and adding a smaller amount of the second spice. I’d start with no more than 1/4 teaspoon for cardamom and nutmeg especially.
You could also fold 1/2 cup chocolate chips, blueberries, or toasted pecans right into the batter for extra texture and pops of flavor.
What to Serve with Pumpkin Pancakes
I love these pancakes as they are, served simply with maple syrup. You could make them fancier by topping them with a dollop of nut butter or yogurt (Stonyfield’s double cream plain yogurt was insanely delicious here). Or if you’re vegan, coconut yogurt would be heavenly too. Sprinkle a few pecans on top and pour the coffee!
If you’re making these as part of a bigger brunch, a frittata would be a great savory accompaniment.
If you love these pumpkin pancakes…
You have to try these banana pancakes next!
INFOCUS247 