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Easy Citrus Vinaigrette

Posted on

Vegetarian

This quick and easy citrus vinaigrette recipe is made with fresh citrus juices for a zesty and crisp deliciousness.

Fresh Citrus Dressing

Homemade dressings and vinaigrettes are a breeze to make. They are fresher, healthier, and cheaper than the store-bought dressings and free of preservatives and additives. Not to mention, when you make it yourself, you know exactly what’s in it.

This citrus vinaigrette recipe is crisp, refreshing, light, and delicious. You can whip this up in less than 10 minutes and it’s the perfect pairing for any salad, like my Curried Barley Chickpea Salad, a beet salad or a fresh green salad.  It will also last up to a week in the refrigerator which makes it great to keep on hand for your dressing needs. You can also easily double this as well if you need more of it.

Pour the oil, apple cider vinegar, juices, and honey in a mason jar or a jar with a lid. Next, add the dijon mustard, lemon zest, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning as well as the finely minced garlic. A garlic press is great to use as it will mince the garlic very finely to prevent any chunks.

Close the lid, and shake the ingredients vigorously to incorporate the ingredients fully.

A couple of things to note when making dressings and vinaigrettes. Firstly, the quality of the ingredients you use will affect the final result as with any other dish. Therefore, I always advise using the best quality Extra Virgin olive oil you can afford. Additionally, use freshly squeezed lemon and orange juices over bottled or boxed juices.  It is also good to note that when making vinaigrettes or salad dressings, a general rule of thumb is a 3:1 ratio of oil to acid. That being said, you can adjust the recipe to suit your personal taste.

Drizzle your fresh and easy citrus vinaigrette on your salads for a light and delicious dressing.

Fresh Citrus Dressing

Citrus Vinaigrette

Healthy Meets Delicious
A quick, easy and simple vinaigrette recipe is made with freshcitrus juices for a zesty and crisp deliciousness.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Course Salad
Cuisine Caribbean
Servings 10
Calories 105 kcal

Equipment

  • mason jar

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 2 tbsp Orange Juice Freshly squeezed
  • 1 tbsp Lemon Juice Freshly Squeezed
  • 1 tbsp Honey
  • 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
  • 1 lemon Zest from 1 lemon
  • 1 clove Garlic Minced finely
  • 1/4 tsp Italian Seasoning
  • 1/4 tsp Black pepper Freshly cracked
  • 1/4 tsp Sea Salt

Instructions
 

  • Pour the oil, apple cider vinegar, juices and honey in a mason jar or a jar with alid.
  • Add the Dijon mustard, lemon zest, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning as well as the finely minced garlic. to the jar A garlic press is great for this as it will mince very finely.
  • Close the lid, and shake theingredients vigorously to incorporate.

Notes

You can choose to mix this in a blender or in a bowl with a whisk but I find a jar with a lid to be the fastest method.
Nutrition claims:
Low Carb, Low Sodium, Low Potassium, Kidney Friendly, Vegetarian, Pescatarian, Paleo, Specific Carbs, Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Wheat Free, Egg Free, Milk Free, Peanut Free, Tree Nut Free, Soy Free, Fish Free, Shellfish Free, Pork Free, Red Meat Free, Crustacean Free, Celery Free, Sesame Free, Lupine Free,
 
Nutrition Facts:
– 10 Servings
– 99 Calories/Serving
– Fat: 95 Cal
– Carbs: 4 Cal
– Protein: 0 Cal
– 5% Daily Value
Keyword easy, simple, zesty dressing

Roasted Garlic Cauliflower Mash

Posted on

Vegetarian

Cauliflower mash?

This roasted garlic cauliflower mash is an excellent replacement for mashed potatoes, it is lighter, low in carbs but just as delicious. This is easier and takes less time than mashed potatoes.

Cauliflower is a highly nutritious food which is has become a sought-after ingredient in vegan and gluten-free recipes. It is very versatile and I have been playing with it for a while trying to come up with new recipes and different ways to enjoy it. Many have not been very successful, but this recipe was an immediate hit.

What you’ll need

All you need are six ingredients. I used roasted garlic which is easy to make, just place 1 head of in foil and bake in a preheated oven for about 30 minutes, until they are tender. These will be become caramelized and adds wonderful flavour to any recipe. Alternatively, you may choose to use raw garlic for this recipe, in this case, use 2 minced cloves and sautee lightly rather than 3cloves of garlic and increase the amount of lemon juice to help neutralise the garlic flavour.

I chose to use oil olive for this recipe, but you can use butter if you prefer.

How to make it

Use one medium-sized cauliflower, about 1.25 lbs in size for this recipe. Cut the leaves and stem off the cauliflower and discard (or place in the compost bin).

chopped cauliflower, garlic, olive oil and nutritional yeast

Chop the flowerets, so that they steam easily. Place in a mixing bowl and add 1 tbs oil and toss to coat the florets with the oil. Add 1 tbs of the nutritional yeast and mix well.

Cauliflower florets tossed in olive oil, and nutritional yeast

For best results, place in a steamer basket and steam for approx. 12-15 minutes or until the florets are tender. If you don’t have a steamer basket, place the cauliflower in a pot with a little water and boil for about 10 minutes. Discard the water once cooked.

Cream it

Remove from the heat and place the steamed cauliflower in a food processor. You can also use a potato masher or a blender if you don’t have a food processor. Add the rest of the oil, garlic, nutritional yeast, salt, black pepper, and lemon juice to the food processor. Pulse until well combined and smooth but not mushy.

Transfer to a serving dish and serve the roasted cauliflower mash while hot. This tastes even better the following day as all of the ingredients have time to marry.

Roasted Garlic Cauliflower Mash

Fabianna
This delicious cauliflower mash an excellent low carb alternative to mashed potatoes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 27 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 1 medium cauliflower approx 1.25 pounds
  • 3 cloves roasted garlic
  • 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 3/4 tsp sea salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp lemon juice

Instructions
 

  • Cut off any stem and leaves from the cauliflower and chopthe florets into pieces
  • Placein a mixing bowl and drizzle with one teaspoon olive oil and combine well
  • Add 1 teaspoon of nutritional yeast and toss well to evenlycoat
  • Place in a steamer basket in a pot of water and steam forabout 12  minutes until tender but notmushy
  • Remove from heat and add to a food processor with the restof the ingredients.
  • Pulsegently until creamed but not over processed
  • Placein a serving bowl and serve hot.

Notes

NUTRITION CLAIMS   created with Edamam 
Sugar Conscious • Vegan • Vegetarian • Pescatarian • Paleo • Specific Carbs • Dairy Free • Gluten Free • Wheat Free • Egg Free • Milk Free • Peanut Free •
 
FAT 6g 9 %
CARBS                   13 g        4 %
PROTEIN              6 g          13 %
Sodium                336 mg 14 %
Calcium                53 mg    5 %
Fiber                     4 g          17 %
Vitamin C            61 mg    68 %
Thiamin (B1 )     4 mg      327 %
Riboflavin (B2)  4 mg      305 %
Niacin (B3)          23 mg    144 %
Vitamin B            64 mg    326 %
Folate (Equivalent           )68 µg17 %
Vitamin B            123 µg  130 %
Vitamin K            22 µg     18 %
Zinc        2 mg      15 %
Phosphorus74 mg11 %
Keyword cauliflower, cauliflower mash, mashed potatoes, roasted garlic, vegan dishes

Vegan Coconut Curried Barley

Posted on

Vegetarian
Jump to Recipe
Vegan Barley
Vegan coconut curry barley salad with chickpeas

This recipe came about after a visit to my family in St Lucia a couple of Christmases ago. During a discussion about grains, I realised that neither didn’t like barley or had no idea what to do with it.

I realized that I had only used it in soups once or twice before. That conversation inspired me to figure out how to cook barley and make it delicious. I created this recipe as a result of that conversation.

Nutrient dense, Nutty Barley

Barley is a whole grain and that it’s quite versatile. I did some research and wasn’t surprised to find out about all the health benefits of this nutty and chewy grain.

Pearl barley which I used for this recipe is a cereal grain that is readily available and affordable. It has a chewy pasta-like consistency and is high in fiber. It also has a glycemic index of 25 which is quite low and therefore doesn’t raise blood sugar levels rapidly. 

So, I came up with this coconut curried barley and was surprised by the outcome.  This simple and easy recipe works great as a side dish or as an ingredient in salads. One cup will yield approximately 3 cups when cooked. For this recipe, I used 2 cups of coconut cream water (leftover from another recipe that required coconut cream). With one cup of plain water. You may use 3 cups of plain water instead of coconut cream water.

Cooking with coconut milk can be tricky as it can sometimes boil over. It also has a tendancy to burn so be mindful of this.

How to cook

Place a pot on the stove and add the 2 cups coconut cream water and 1 cup plain water and bring to a boil. Once the liquid begins boiling, add the milk powder, coconut powder, and salt. Stir with a spoon to combine all of the ingredients.

Add the barley to the boiling curried water and stir. Cover the pot lightly leaving a small gap for steam to escape. This is important as it will prevent the liquid from boiling over. Cook on medium heat for approximately 30 mins. It’s ok if all of the liquid is not fully absorbed after 30 mins. Turn off the stove and cover the pot fully. Allow the curried barley to rest for approximately 10 to 15 minutes.

The barley will absorb the rest of the liquid and become nice and plump.

Once rested stir barley and serve hot as a side or main dish with your choice of protein and vegetables. Alternatively, allow it to cool, refrigerate and use for my Coconut Curried Barley Salad.

Vegan Barley

Coconut Curried Barley

Fabianna
Vegan Coconut Curried Barley
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Indian
Servings 6
Calories 111 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup barley
  • 2 cups coconut cream water reserved from canned coconut cream, or use plain water
  • 1 cup Plain water
  • 1 tbsp Curry Powder
  • 2 tbsp Coconut milk powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions
 

  • Place water in pot on stove and bring water to a boil.
  • Add milk powder, curry powder and salt and stir until well combined.
  • Add barley to boiling water and cover pot partially to ensure that thepot doesn’t boil over.  Cook barley overmedium heat for approximately 30 mins or until all of the water is absorbed.
  • If all of the water hasn’t absorbed by 30 mins. That’s absolutely fine.Turn off the heat and leave pot fully covered for approx. 10 minutes. Thebarley will absorb all of the remaining liquid, and will become plumper.
  • Serve hot as a main or let cool and use in a salad.

Notes

29 Cal Protein | 111 Cal Carbs   | 249 Cal Fat
 
High Fiber • Sugar Conscious • Vegetarian • Pescatarian • Wheat Free • Egg Free • Peanut Free • 
 
FAT                     29 g       45 %
Saturated          25 g   126 %
CARBS               29 g    10 %
Fiber                   8 g     30 %
 
PROTEIN            8 g    15 %
Cholesterol         3 mg     1 %
Sodium            213 mg     9 %
Calcium            50 mg      5 %
Magnesium      69 mg     16 %
Potassium        446 mg   9 %
Iron                    3 mg        17 %
Zinc                     2 mg      16 %
Phosphorus       203 mg  29 %
Keyword barley, healthy, savoury, vegan, vegetarian

Curried Barley & Chickpea Salad

Posted on

Vegetarian
Jump to Recipe

Welcome to my blog. It is great to have you here.

I am excited to share this blogging journey with you and to invite you into my kitchen and my culinary adventures!  As mentioned in my bio (here), my intention is to share with you quick, simple, easy and delicious recipes.

I have always enjoyed cooking and experimenting with ingredients but I don’t like spending hours in the kitchen. As a result, I prefer dishes that I can prepare in about 30 minutes. unless I’m entertaining.  

So full disclosure, I love salads!

A good salad can stand on its own with your choice of protein on the side or as a main, with your protein incorporated into the salad itself.  When one mentions salad, most people tend to immediately think greens, or lettuce. But this doesn’t have to be the case. You can turn almost anything into a salad and you can eat them either hot or cold.  

I created this recipe after a recent trip to visit family. More on that in my next post.  I am now in love with barley (yes that’s a strong word) and have added it to my pantry staples. It is nutrient-dense with a chewy and nutty flavour.   

Coconut Curried Barley

This was my second attempt at cooking barley and I came up with this salad recipe which received rave reviews. Yay!!!!

This lovely, flavourful salad is amazing and nutritious. It is packed with Vitamin C, lycopene from the tomatoes, fibre from the barley and protein from the chickpeas. 

To make the barley the star of this recipe, either add about 1/2 cup of the curried barley. Alternatively, you can halve the amount of the cucumbers, chickpeas and peppers. Note that this will affect the number of servings you will get.

Note that I didn’t pair a dressing with this salad given the ingredients. The curry and coconut barley, feta and olives are already flavourful. But feel free to add a dressing of your choice.

I’d recommend a light oil-based vinaigrette over a creamy dressing with this recipe.

Curried Barley & Chickpea Salad

This salad is aromatic, flavourful and easy to put together. 
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Salad
Cuisine Caribbean
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups coconut curried barley cooked
  • 2 cups cherry tomatoes sliced in half
  • 1 cup cucumbers sliced
  • ¼ cup red onions
  • 1 15 oz can chickpeas
  • 2 tbsp feta cheese crumbled
  • ¼ cup red, yellow, green and orange sweet peppers each
  • ¼ cup olives

Instructions
 

  • Slice tomatoes, chop onions, peppers and cucumbers.
  • Drain and rinse the chickpeas. 
  • In a large bowl, add the curried chickpeas, chopped vegetables, chickpeas, feta and feta cheese. 
  • Toss all ingredients to combine.
    Serve as a side or main dish.  Bon apetite!

Notes

Prep time: 20 minutes
Keyword barley, chickpea, coconut, curry, healthy, salad, savoury, vegetarian

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