Pan Roasted Fish
Pan roasted fish was the first stove-to-oven recipe I learned using cast iron cookware and it opened up a whole new world for me. You quickly sear the outside of the fish in the pan on the stove top, then move the pan into the oven for final cooking. The result is flakey, moist fish with a crunchy exterior. Tres bon!
1 lb Tilapia or other mild white fish
1 tbs sweet cream butter
2 tbs lemon juice
Sweet Paprika
Ground Pepper
Salt
Preheat your oven to 200 degrees. Pat the fish dry with a paper towel, cut into 2 portions and sprinkle salt, pepper and paprika over the fish. Pat the spices into the fish to assure adhesion. Place a seasoned cast iron (or other oven-proof) fry pan on the stove and heat to medium high. Pan should be hot but not smoking. Add
butter to fry pan and let it melt quickly. Add fish to pan, 1 tablespoon lemon juice and sear the outside of the fish for about 1 minute. Flip the fish over to the other side, add remaining lemon juice and sear for another minute. Immediatley transfer the fry pan into your pre-heated oven and bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until fish is cooked but not dry. Remove from the oven and serve. If you can not serve this immediatley, be sure to cover the pan with a tight fitting lid so that the fish does not dry out.
Serves 2
Chicken Fagioli
This recipe takes the traditional Northern Italian ‘pasta e fagioli’ (pasta with beans) and transforms it into a low-carb main dish bursting with flavor. We have replaced the pasta with sautéed chicken, added a few savory vegetables and updated the White Beans beans with the more commonly available Garbanzos instead. This recipe is a long way from it’s Italian homeland and it should find an instant home in your kitchen.
2 large chicken breasts with skin and bones removed
1/4 teaspoon oregano
Ground pepper
3 stalks organically grown celery (it has a much stronger, richer flavor)
3 large organic carrots
3 tablespoons virgin olive oil
1 can Garbanzo beans, drained
1 cubes low-sodium vegetable bullion
1 cube low-sodium chicken bullion
1/3 cup boiling water
(optional) 1 ripe Roma tomato
Grated Pecorino Romano for a topping
Prepare: Wash and chop both carrot and celery into ½ inch or smaller pieces. Put the vegetable and chicken bullion into a heat proof cup and add 1/3 cup boiling water. Stir to mix the bullion. Put an 11 inch skillet onto the stove, heat a skillet and add olive oil. Cut the chicken into bit size pieces and add into the skillet along with the Oregano and Pepper. Brown the chicken at a high heat, stirring often. The chicken will probably release a lot of moisture. Have a colander waiting in a sink and when the chicken is thoroughly cooked through, dump it into the colander to drain.
Cook: Return the skillet to the stove and add more olive oil. Add in the carrot and celery. Sear the carrot and celery at a high heat until the carrot browns around the edges and it becomes fragrant. Add in the garbanzo beans and sauté at a high heat for about 3 minutes. Add chicken and broth. Make sure you are working in a well ventilated space as the trick here is to boil off most of the broth. This will seep the broth flavors into the vegetables and the chicken. Working quickly let the broth boil down as you turn the mixture and work the broth all throughout the mix. When a very small amount of liquid is left in the bottom of the pan, turn off the heat and serve. It’s wonderful with grated Romano on top.
Serves 4
Eggplant Chili (meat eater approved)
1 1lb tub extra firm tofu (Chinese style)
1 large yellow onion
4 tbsp. olive oil
1 medium eggplant
1 16oz can kidney beans
1 small can tomato paste
4 red chilies
3 cloves fresh garlic, peeled
2 mild green chilies
2 tbsp. paprika
3 tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. coriander
3 cloves
pinch of mace
water
1/4 tsp. salt
4 quart crock pot
Prepare your ingredients.
Remove tofu from water and place on an angled cutting board to drain. Remove onion skin and ends, chop coarsely. Remove eggplant top and chop into 1/2 inch cubes. Drain kidney beans and set aside. Remove tops and all seeds from chilies, cut into toothpick style strips (wear gloves as the chili oil can burn your hands). Chop garlic thinly and set aside.
Cook
Place olive oil in a large fry pan and add chopped onions plus garlic. Cook for 5 or 10 minutes over medium high heat. As onion begin to become translucent, add in tofu. Be careful as the water may spatter. Chop the tofu with a spatula, stirring it in the fry pan until; it begins to look like scrabbled eggs. Continue frying over medium high heat, letting as much water escape as you can. After another 5 minutes or so, add paprika, coriander and chili powder. Fry for a minute more, then empty spiced onions and tofu into your crock pot. Add all remaining ingredients (expect salt) into crock pot and mix. Pat down ingredients in crock pot and then add water up to approximately 3/4 inch BELOW the top of the ingredients. This will cook down. Turn on crock pot with LOW setting for 6 to 8 hours.
Serve
Add salt to taste before serving. This chili is also superb with Sour Cream on top.
Chicken Peanut Stew West African Style
Our family loves this simple, mild stew with a rich peanut broth. I have modified the original west African style dish to leave out the onions and garlic, looking to pepper instead for a spicy tang. This recipe is also compatible with most low-carb and Candida diets. Be sure you make a little extra – this stew is even better for lunch the next day!
2 large chicken breasts, boneless and skinless, cut to bite size
chunks
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 large carrots, washed and cut to bite size pieces
2 large sweet potatoes, skinned and cut to bit size chunks.
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cup concentrated, low sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter, preferably Adams or other natural
brand with no sugar added
1 small 6 0z can tomato paste
Salt to taste
Brown rice
Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in the bottom of medium sized soup pot. Heat to high, add in chicken and sauté, covered, for about 5 minutes or until chicken chunks are cooked through. Place a colander in the sink and dump hot chicken into colander to drain away all moisture and fat. Return soup pot to stove and add remaining 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Heat again to high and drop in cut carrots. As carrots sear, stir in cayenne pepper and black pepper. Fry carrots on high for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add drained chicken in to pot and stir into mix, browning both carrots and chicken. In a separate bowl, place 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth and whisk together the broth with the peanut butter. It should form a smooth broth. Add remaining chicken broth into the soup pot with the chicken and carrot mix. Stir together the mix and then fold in the tomato paste. Be sure to stir the tomato paste thoroughly to distribute it. Cook for 3 minutes and then mix in the chicken broth /
peanut butter blend. Add in the sweet potatoes, mix and reduce heat. Cover pot and cook for about 15 minutes until Sweet Potatoes are soft. Salt to taste and serve over brown rice.
Serves 4
Southwestern Style Low Carb Chili
This chili adapts the traditional kidney bean style into a lighter, spicier brew that tastes of the southwestern United States. Most low-impact carb and Candida prevention diets will accept this recipe too.
INGREDIENTS
2 vegetable bullion cubes
1 tablespoon virgin olive oil
2 large sweet yellow onions
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
3 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons ground cumin
3/4 pound lean ground beef
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cans roasted, diced green chilies, drained
2 8oz cans black beans, drained
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
salt to taste
Peel and chop onions. In a large, heavy skillet add olive oil and onions. Saute over high heat until clear and slightly caramlized. Add spices and stir in for one minute or until fragrant. Add ground beef to skillet and brown. Once the beef is browned, transfer everything to a 4 quart crock pot. Add bullion cubes to crock pot. Pour about 2 cups of water into the pan used for browning the beef and swirl it around to pick up the beef fond. Then pour this water into the crock pot and add water up to one inch below the rim. Please leave room in the crock pot because you will be adding the canned black beans later. Add in canned chilies and cook for 6 to 8 hours on Low setting. I do not recommend using the high setting on your crock pot for this meal.
About 10 minutes before serving, stir in the drained black beans and then salt to taste.
When serving, try adding some sour cream and fresh chopped leaf coriander too for an interesting twist.
Serves 8
Spicey French Lentils with Sausage Soup
One rainy winter evening our family got so cold that our toes were aching. We needed something tangy and warm to heat us up on the inside. Here is what came out:
1 tablespoon sweet cream butter
2 large carrots chopped
2 large stalks celery chopped
Teaspoon cumin
Dash black pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
Dash cayenne pepper
1 lb sweet Italian pork sausage
3 cups low salt chicken broth
1 1/2 cups dry French Lentils
Grated Parmesan Reggiano for a topping
This is a simple sauté-and-broth soup that is ready in less than 30 minutes. In a good heavy-bottom stockpot melt the butter and add carrots, celery and dry spices. Sauté over high heat for about 5 minutes until the vegetables begin to cook and the spices become fragrant. Chop the sausage on a cutting board and then add it into the sauté. Cook the sausage over high heat with the vegetable mix for another 5 minutes until it has browned well. The sausage, however, does not have to be fully cooked, as the broth will finish cooking it. Add in chicken broth and French lentils. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium low. Cover with a lid and cook for another 15 to 20 minutes until lentils are softened but not mushy. Serve immediately and top with grated Parmesan or pecorino Romano cheese for extra flavor.
Serves 4
Mexican Jihad Crock Pot Chili
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Medium yellow onions
2 Teaspoons chili powder
2 Pounds Chorizo Sausage
1 Red Bell Pepper
1 Yellow Bell Pepper
3 Jalepeno Peppers
1 16oz can kidney beans, drained
1 20 oz can chopped tomatoes
2 teaspoons white flour
1 Lb. cooked and shelled shrimp
Sauté onions in olive oil until clear and fragrant. Add in chili powder to onions. Sauté for 2 minutes and put into crock pot. Place Chorizo sausage in fry pan and sauté. Break sausage casings (if needed) and chop sausage with the edge of a spatula into small pieces. When cooked, drain off the oil and place the sausage into the crock pot. Remove stema and seeds from peppers. Chop Bell Peppers to bite size pieces. Chop Jalepenos finely. Add in all remaining ingredients except flour and shrimp. Stir and cook on ‘low’ setting 6 to 8 hours or ‘high’ setting 3 to 4 hours. Approximately 15 minutes before serving, sift flour into crock pot and stir. Add shrimp and let cook 15 minutes. Serve immediately.
Serves 6