#HungryHighlander #Mexican #Rice #Beans Mexican Rice and Beans

#Mexican #Rice #Beans This is my version of a staple in Mexico and Central America and some parts of the Caribbean. Based on a recipe by SOS Cuisine. Goes well with many Caribbean and Mexican Dishes in particular fish, chicken and meat.

Level of difficulty – Easy

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1 green pepper, cut into dices

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp dried oregano

1 cup (200g) basmati rice

1 tbsp tomato puree

1 400g tin red kidney beans (or Pinto Beans) drained and rinsed

2 cups Chicken stock

1 pinch salt [optional]

ground pepper to taste

Method

Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, pepper and garlic then sauté, stirring occasionally for 2-3 minutes. Add the cumin, paprika and oregano then cook for 1 minute continuing to stir.

Stir in the rice then cook 2 for minutes until the grains are completely coated in the oil mixture. Add the tomato puree and stir until well mixed, add the stock and the beans. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to ‘low’, cover and simmer until the rice is cooked al dente, about 15-20 minutes taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

Remove from the heat, keep covered, let the pot stand for 5-10 minutes. Fluff up with a fork then serve.

Preparation Time – 15 minutes

Cooking Time – Approx. 35 minutes

Nutritional Information

All Nutritional Information is estimated:

190 calories per serving

#HungryHighlander #Coconut #Caribbean #Beef #Stew Caribbean Coconut Stewed Beef

#HungryHighlander #Coconut #Caribbean #Beef #Stew This is my take on a recipe by Chris Le La Rosa of The Caribbean Pot. I love Caribbean Food and have tried to lower the carb count and make it Lower GI.

Level of difficulty – Not too tricky

Ingredients:

2 kg lean beef cut into 1 inch (2.5 cm) cubes

1 heaped tbsp Caribbean Green Seasoning
1 thumb sized piece of ginger grated

1 beef stock cube/stock pot

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
½ Habanero or Scotch Bonnet pepper (or any other spicy pepper of your choice)
2 400g tins of lite coconut milk

350 ml (1.5 cups) water
2 spring onions (scallions) (chopped)
4-6 sprigs thyme
1 tablespoon tomato puree
1 medium onion (finely chopped)
1 tablespoon Rapeseed Oil (or olive oil)

1 tablespoon brown sugar (golden)

Pinch of salt

Method

Season your washed/cubed pieces of beef with a pinch of the salt, habanero or Scotch Bonnet pepper, tomato puree, onion, Caribbean Green Seasoning, Worcestershire Sauce and grated ginger. Mix well and allow to marinate for a couple hours. Don’t use any of the seeds of the habanero pepper if you’re concerned about the raw heat and remember to wash your hands immediately after with soap and water.

Heat the rapeseed (or olive) oil on a high heat in a heavy pot (one with a lid). Then add the brown sugar and stir. The sugar will melt, go frothy, then amber in colour. Do NOT proceed if it goes darker or the finished dish will have a terrible burnt taste. This step is what we know as ‘stewing’ in the Caribbean. As it goes amber in colour, start adding the seasoned beef to the pot and stir well to coat.

As it comes up to the boil, reduce the heat to med/low, cover the pot and let it go for about 10 minutes. After which it’s time to burn off all the natural liquid which will have been created. Remove the lid and crank up the heat. This will give us that rich colour and flavour we’re looking for.

The goal is to make sure there’s no more liquid at the bottom of the pot (you should see the oil you started off with). Stir in the spring onions and thyme and give it a good stir. Now add the water (swish the water in the same bowl you marinated the beef in to pick up any remaining marinade), then add the coconut milk.

In my case it took about 1 hr and 30 mins for the pieces of beef to be tender and the gravy to reach the right consistency. Taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly. Garnish with chopped spring onions to brighten it up a bit. Delicious with Rice and Beans! Enjoy!

Preparation Time – 25 minutes

Cooking Time – Approx. 2 hours

Total Time – 4 hours 25 minutes (including 2 hours marinating time)

#Istrian #Chicken #Goulash #Žgvacet Istrian Chicken Goulash (Žgvacet)

#Istrian #Chicken #Goulash #Žgvacet This is my version of a recipe from the Palachinka Blog, I thought as we were about to embark on a trip to Croatia that it might be nice to try out some Croatian Food. Originally a Hungarian dish, goulash is today one of the most famous dishes in the world. Wherever it was adapted, people gave it a new note, and now almost any region in the countries surrounding Hungary has its very own version. It was delicious served with Chickpea Fusilli and Garlic Bread.

Level of difficulty – Not too tricky

Ingredients:

590g Chicken Breasts cut into bite sized cubes

2 large onions, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
ground black pepper
3 Tbsp Kucharek Seasoning (or Vegeta seasoning)

1 Tbsp dried parsley leaves
a pinch of dried oregano
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp tomato puree

1 tbsp sweet paprika

1 400g tin of chopped tomatoes with chilli

Olive Oil

Method

Fry the onions until softened and just beginning to turn golden then add the garlic and fry for 30 seconds more. Add the chicken, and season with black pepper and fry until the chicken begins to brown. Add the Kucharek Seasoning (or Vegeta), parsley, oregano and bay leaves. Stir for a few minutes more then add the tomato puree, continue frying for a minute or two then add the chopped tomatoes with chilli. Pour in enough water so that the level of liquid is about the thickness of one finger above the meat. Cover and cook on medium heat for about 40 minutes. Remove the lid for the last 15 minutes or so, so that the sauce thickens. If you find the sauce too runny then thicken by adding some cornflour to cold water and stir into the Goulash until the desired thickness is achieved then cook for another 10-15 minutes.

Preparation Time – 15 minutes

Cooking Time – Approx. 55 minutes

Total Time – 70 minutes

#Pasta #Spaghetti #Bolognese #LowGI Spaghetti Bolognese

#Pasta #Spaghetti #Bolognese #LowGI This is a very healthy version of a classic family favourite, diabetic friendly and Low GI.

Level of difficulty – Easy

Ingredients:

2 tsp rapeseed (or olive) oil

2 medium onions, finely chopped

500g lean minced beef

1 carrot, finely diced

1 yellow pepper, finely chopped

1 courgette, finely diced

4-6 cloves garlic, crushed

1 heaped tsp dried basil

2 heaped tsp dried oregano

small pinch chilli flakes

1 low-salt beef stock cube or (Knorr Beef Stock Pot)

400g tin chopped tomatoes with herbs

400g tin chopped tomatoes with basil

1 tbsp tomato puree

400g tin Puy (or green) lentils, drained

10g freshly chopped parsley

400g wholemeal spaghetti

good grind black pepper

6 freshly torn basil leaves, to garnish

Method

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and gently cook the onions until starting to brown, stirring regularly.

Add the beef and cook for 8-10 minutes, breaking up any clumps of beef with a wooden spoon.

Add the carrot, yellow pepper and courgette and continue cooking gently for 5 minutes more, still stirring regularly.

Add the garlic, herbs and chilli flakes and stir for a minute. Add the stock cube, followed by the tomatoes and tomato puree.

Bring to a gentle simmer, cover and cook for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding a little water if too much liquid evaporates and it starts to stick.

Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti according to pack instructions.

Stir the lentils and chopped parsley into the sauce then cook for 5 minutes.

Add a grind of black pepper, sprinkle with basil and serve with the wholemeal spaghetti.

Sprinkle with Parmesan shavings, if liked, to serve.

Preparation Time – 20 minutes

Cooking Time – Approx. 1 hour

Nutritional Information

All Nutritional Information is estimated:

Kcal – 459

Fat – 7g

Saturates – 2.20g

Carbs – 59.4g

Sugars – 12.6g

Fibre – 13.7g

Protein – 32.7g Salt – 0.30g

#Mediterranean #SeaBass Mediterranean Pan Seared Sea Bass with Garlic and Sweet Peppers

#Mediterranean #Seabass This is my take on a Mediterranean Dish Recipe by Suzy Karadsheh, this goes very well with Baby New Potatoes.

Level of difficulty – Easy

Ingredients:

4 Sea Bass fillets

Pinch of Salt

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Green Sweet (Bell) Pepper, cored and chopped

1 Red Sweet (Bell) Pepper, cored and chopped

3 Shallots, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

½ cup pitted Green Olives, halved or chopped (we used Lemon & Herb Olives from Lidl)

Juice of ½ a lemon

Serve with Baby New Potatoes, 2–3 cups cooked rice or pearl couscous or orzo pasta, prepared according to package (optional)

Spice Mixture

½ tbsp ground coriander

½ tbsp garlic powder

1 tsp Aleppo Pepper (or Sweet Paprika)

1 tsp ground cumin

½ tsp black pepper

Method

Take the fish out of the fridge about 20 minutes before cooking. Sprinkle with salt and pepper on both sides and set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the spices to make the spice mixture. Set aside for now.

In a medium-sized frying pan, heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat until hot and shimmering but not smoking.

Add the sweet peppers, shallots, and garlic. Season with salt and 1 tsp of the spice mixture you prepared earlier. Cook, stirring regularly, for 5-6 minutes or until the peppers have softened. Turn the heat to the lowest setting and stir in the chopped olives. Leave on low heat as you prepare the fish.

Pat the fish dry and season with the remaining spice mixture on both sides as well.

In another large frying pan, preferably cast iron or non-stick, heat ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil over a medium-high until shimmering but not smoking. Add the fish pieces (you can reduce heat to medium, if needed). Push down on the middle (thickest part) for 30 seconds or so. Cook fish on one side, undisturbed, until nicely browned, about 3 minutes (or more if the fish fillets are thicker). Using a spatula, carefully turn fish over and cook on other side for 3 minutes until nicely browned as well. (Important Note- look for browned edges before you turn it over. If parts of the fish are stuck, you should be able to carefully scrape it with the spatula and turn. But, if the fish is entirely stuck, it’s not ready to be turned over. Leave it for a little bit. It should release when ready.)

Remove fish from heat, immediately drizzle lemon juice. Serve hot with the sweet (bell) pepper medley spooned on top. Add a side of boiled baby new potatoes, cooked pearl couscous or Lebanese Rice, if you like. Or add a gluten-free side of your choice. Enjoy!

Preparation Time – 15 minutes

Cooking Time – Approx. 20 minutes

Nutritional Information

All Nutritional Information is estimated:

Fat – 25.9g

Saturates – 0g

Carbs – 11.6g

Sugars – 5.2g

Fibre – 0g

Protein – 10.9g Salt – 623.1 mg