Coconut Veggie Curry (Paleo)

Hello, all! It has been a very long time since my last post. But, to let everyone know, I am alive and well and have been living in Thailand now for the last month and a half. You can see my adventures on my other blog, Teach. Eat. Travel. Repeat.

I’ve been loving my time in Thailand, but the one thing I was really missing was cooking. So, I invested in an electrical skillet/wok to make some home-cooked meals some nights. Meaning… I can start up this food blog again! This time, it’ll be featuring fresh and in-season ingredients that I pick up from my local food stands and market.

To kick this blog back off, here’s a very Thai-ish meal (minus the spice) that I prepared with all of the ingredients literally down the block from me!

Coconut Veggie Curry (Paleo)

Ingredients:

1 tbsp coconut oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp freshly grated ginger

1 large carrot, peeled and cut into sticks

1 head of broccoli, chopped into florets

1/2 head of cauliflower, chopped into florets

1/4 head of cabbage, chopped

3/4 cup of water (broth would probably be better, but I can’t find any in Thailand!)

250g full-fat coconut milk

1/2 tbsp curry powder

Pinch of cayenne pepper (by all means, add more! I just needed a break from spicy foods)

125g shimeji mushrooms

2 tomatoes, diced

1 large handful of snow peas, ends removed

salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Heat oil over medium-low heat and add in your garlic and ginger. Cook until fragrant. Add in your carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage and cook for 10 minutes. Stir in the water, coconut milk, and spices. Higher the temperature to medium heat and place a lid on top. Let cook, stirring occasionally until veggies shrink in size (about 15 minutes). Stir in mushrooms, tomatoes, and snow peas and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Add salt and pepper and serve!

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Sweet Potato Tater Tots (Paleo)

For the last few weeks, I’ve got to experience what it’s like to be a “hockey (goalie) mom” while nannying for a family. And goodness gracious, let me tell you, there’s a lot of lugging around bulky gear to a different arena each day. And wondering which rink you’re supposed to be at. And sitting in cold seats. And eavesdropping into other people’s conversation. And intaking all the scents coming from the concession stand and wishing there was actually something healthy there that I could eat.

Thus, my desire to make tater tots was born! Honestly, I’m impressed how these turned out! I was expecting a total fail since I just added ingredients as I went. But the end product has a crisp outside and soft inside. Score! (Hockey reference intended).

After making these, I would highly suggest waiting for the tots to COMPLETELY cool. The flavor intensifies. In fact, eating these on the second day made them taste the best 🙂   

Sweet Potato Tater Tots (Paleo)

Ingredients:

1 medium sweet potato, peeled and chopped into thick coin slices

1/2 head of cauliflower, chopped into florets

1 tbsp hot sauce

2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp salt

1 egg

1/2 cup tapioca flour

1/4 cup coconut flour

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400°F and grease a baking pan with oil. Bring a pot of water to a boil and add in sweet potato. Let boil for 5 minutes. Afterwards, remove from the pot with a slotted spoon. Place into a food processor and pulse until the sweet potatoes are in small pieces and starting to turn into mash. Transfer potatoes into a bowl.

Place your cauliflower into the boiling water and also cook for 5 minutes. Afterwards, drain and transfer to a food processor. Pulse until you have cauliflower  rice. Measure out 1 cup of cauliflower rice and place in the bowl with the sweet potatoes (save the remaining cauliflower rice for another recipe!)

Stir in the hot sauce, garlic, salt, and egg to the bowl. Add in the flours and mix altogether. Let batter sit for 3 minutes to thicken. Using your hands, roll the batter into individual tater tots and place on the oiled baking sheet. Lightly salt your tater tots. Place in the oven for 10 minutes. Take out, flip over with a spatula, and bake for another 8 minutes. Let cool before eating (tastes best the longer you wait).

Cajun Vegetable Dip (Paleo)

I finally feel like I’ve reached the “fun” part of summer!

This past week I took my state test to become certified to teach middle school social studies. I’m not going to lie though, it was brutal. With the possibility to be tested on ANY event/person/civilization/land form/etc in the world, it was impossible for me to know everything that would be on the test. I’ve been studying for this exam for months and I still feel that there was so much I didn’t know.

On the bright side though, I love studying history, so it hasn’t been torture to prepare for this test. And I had the chance to brush up on government, geography, and economics- subjects I’ve always been slightly on the fence with. Anyway, results don’t come in until next month, so I’m forced to chill until then.

Which means I can guiltlessly begin to make stuff in the kitchen again! Such as on one of my favorite veggie dips! 

Cajun Vegetable Dip (Paleo)

Ingredients:

1/2 head of cauliflower, chopped into florets

3 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp tahini

1 tbsp minced garlic

1 tbsp paprika

1 tbsp dried thyme

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cayenne 

pepper

Juice from 1 lemon

Directions:

Fill a pot with water and add in the cauliflower. Bring water to a boil and cook the  cauliflower. Once tender, drain cauliflower, transfer to a food processor and blend until smooth. Add in the rest of the ingredients and blend until all combined. Cool in the fridge for at least 3 minutes to allow flavors to intensify.

Vegetable Casserole (Paleo)

This casserole definitely fits the bill as comfort food. It has a rich taste that you can (and will) keep piling into your mouth. Unlike most comfort food, however, this casserole is jammed packed with veggies and all-good-for-you ingredients. So feel free to go back for second, third, and forth helpings!

Vegetable Casserole (Paleo)

Ingredients:

1 cauliflower, chopped into florets 

2 tbsp ghee

1 lb green beans, chopped into bite-sized pieces

1 onion, chopped

1 cup raw carrots, coined

1/2 cup celery, chopped

1 cup fresh spinach, roughly chopped

3/4 cup canned coconut milk

2 eggs

2 tsp garlic powder

salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9×13 baking dish.

Place cauliflower into a pot with water and bring to a boil. Cook until tender. Drain and transfer cauliflower to a food processor. Add in ghee and blend until cauliflower is at a mashed potato-like consistency. Transfer cauliflower to a large bowl. Add in the rest of the ingredients and stir all together.

Spread the casserole ingredients into the baking dish. Place in the oven for 40 minutes. Let cool before serving.

“Zombie Brain” (AKA: Whole-Roasted and Spiced Cauliflower)

Everyone knows what tomorrow is! Valentines Day? Ummm, sure? But let’s set aside the fake holiday and talk Walking Dead!

This year we’re having a “Bloody Valentines Day” Party to kick off the start of Walking Dead again. My dad wasn’t too enthusiastic about this until I suggested we make ribs for dinner. Now he’s on board. And I’m making a cauliflower brain fit for zombie consumption. In case, anyone else is as crazy as I am, see the recipe below!

For all non-Walking Dead fans, feel free to make this and call it “whole-roasted and spiced cauliflower” 😉 

So yes, tomorrow will look more like a repeat of Halloween than Valentines Day at my house. Sorry, Walking Dead takes higher priority.

Ingredients:

1 cup plain, whole milk yogurt

2 tbsp avocado oil

1 and 1/2 tbsp paprika

1 tbsp garlic powder

2 tsp curry powder

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cayenne

1 cauliflower, leaves and protruding stem removed

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Set aside. Place cauliflower on top.

In a large bowl, combine the yogurt, oil, and spices. Mix together.

With a spoon, “paint” the cauliflower until entirely and thickly covered with the yogurt mixture. Reserve leftover yogurt mixture. Place in the oven to bake for 30 minutes. Afterward, allow to cool for 15 minutes before cutting. Use reserved leftover yogurt as a dipping sauce.