Garlic Fried Cauliflower Rice with Bangus

 

I got a craving for bangus. This was one of my favorite childhood dishes that my grandmother would cook. The bangus I purchased came pre-marinated with a vinegar flavor.

Filipinos also love their garlic fried rice. So to veggie it up, I used cauliflower rice. It’s not the same, I know. But sometimes you gotta try to be healthy and accept that this is the “rice” you’re going to eat.

Here’s how I made the Cauliflower Garlic Fried Rice.

Ingredients:

• 1 bag frozen riced cauliflower (12 ounces)
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 10-12 cloves garlic, chopped 
• Dash of salt
• Scrunch of pepper (yes, I’m a fan of the pasta queen)

Instructions:

1. Empty contents of bag of cauliflower into large pan.
2. Stir for 5-7 minutes until defrosted and most moisture came out.
3. Add oil, garlic, salt, and pepper.
4. Stir until incorporated.
5. Serve and enjoy!

As for the bangus, it came boneless and pre-marinated and is commonly sold in this fashion. Fry in oil to your desired brownness and crispiness. Drain excess oil, serve, and enjoy!

IG: @abundanceofvegetables

YouTube short: https://youtube.com/shorts/Y5b5ZBx58UM

YouTube full video: https://youtu.be/-oWrwqcSO-Q

Steak Burrito

I got a request to make some steak burritos, found a chipotle copy cat recipe online, and followed that.

Some things I’d do differently from the first round of burritos I assembled:

• Smear avocado directly onto tortilla instead of on the side.
• Smear sour cream directly onto tortilla instead of on the side.
• Cut steak pieces much smaller so you can take nice bites and don’t have to tear it off with your mouth.
• Cut burritos in half diagonally instead of straight. It looks better and the eyes eat first. (Then the camera, lol.)
• Omit the rice because it’s just a filler.
• Serve with a vegetable side. I always try to add a veggie.

Enjoy!

 Here’s the link to the recipe I followed https://bellyfull.net/chipotle-steak-burrito/

IG: @abundanceofvegetables

Youtube short: April 13, 2024 https://youtube.com/shorts/3yqosPtxhlg?feature=share

YouTube full video: https://youtu.be/ptJF_LesLEE?si=-AWx7uxyh8ykmbcd

Zucchini Lasagna

 

This experiment turned out super watery.  I found an inspiration recipe and modified it a bit according to what I liked.  Perhaps that was the reason it turned watery, as I didn't follow the instructions exactly.  I drained whatever excess liquid I could and the flavor was still good.  I honestly would probably not make this again because of how watery it was.

Here is the link to the inspiration recipe. https://downshiftology.com/recipes/zucchini-lasagna/

Here's what I went with for my watery experiment. LOL!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb Italian sausage
• 1 lb ground beef
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
  
• 5 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 cans tomato sauce
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• dash of crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup water
  
• 1 Tablespoon butter
• 1 block cheese, shredded 
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
  
• 1 cup cottage cheese
• 1 egg
• 5 zucchini, sliced
  

Instructions:

1. Prepare ingredients - slice, chop, etc.
   
2. Brown italian sausage and ground beef.
3. In a separate pot, add olive oil, garlic, and onions. Stir until translucent.
4. Add tomato sauce, basil, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, water, and butter and heat through.
5. In a separate bowl, combine parmesan cheese, cottage cheese and egg.
6. Add tomato sauce to browned meat and mix.
7. Layer ingredients in pan - sauce, cottage cheese mix, zucchini, grated cheese and continue until you use everything up.
8. Cover with foil and cook at 400 degrees for 40-45 minutes.
9. This came out watery so scoop out as much excess liquid as you can, unless you like it that way.
   
10. Spoon out, serve and enjoy!
     

IG: @abundanceofvegetables

Youtube short: https://youtube.com/shorts/f3WzxcC0Y7M?feature=share

Youtube full video:  https://youtu.be/brbdoenhU5s

Lemon Garlic Butter Shrimp with Coconut Rice

 

This was my second attempt at coconut rice. The first time I made it I only put a little bit of coconut milk.  This time I put an entire can. It turned out so yummy along with the shrimp.

 

Coconut Rice Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 cups jasmine rice
• 1-1/4 cups water
• 1 can coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon sugar  
• dash of salt
  

Zucchini Ingredients:

• 1 zucchini, sliced
  
• olive oil 
• salt and pepper 
  

Butter Ingredients: 

• 1 stick butter
• 10 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 teaspoon paprika

Shrimp Ingredients:

• 2 lbs shrimp, peeled and de veined
• olive oil 
• salt and pepper  
  
• 2 teaspoons cilantro, chopped, for garnish (optional)
• Lemons
  

Coconut Rice Instructions:

1. Wash and drain rice a couple times. Add water, coconut milk, sugar, and a dash of salt.
2. Cover, bring to a boil, then turn down and simmer for about 15-20 minutes.
3. Fluff up rice.

Zucchini Instructions: 

1. Rinse and slice zucchini.
2. Season with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
3. Grill for 3-5 minutes.

Butter Instructions:

1. Melt butter on low in small saucepan.
2. Add chopped garlic and paprika and let heat until melted through.

Shrimp Instructions:

1. Defrost shrimp, peel shells off.
2. Season with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
3. Grill for 3-5 minutes.

Plate coconut rice, zucchini, and shrimp.  Spoon butter onto shrimp. Squeeze fresh lemon over shrimp and garnish with fresh, chopped cilantro. Enjoy!

IG: @abundanceofvegetables

Youtube short: Lemon Garlic Butter Shrimp with Coconut Rice https://youtube.com/shorts/nxmsYhVcPl0?feature=share

Youtube full video:  https://youtu.be/tkgDzCNamo0

Air Fried Brussels Sprouts and Brats

 

I made a quick dinner by air frying up some Brussels sprouts and bratwurst.

Ingredients:

• Brussel sprouts, rinsed, trimmed, and sliced in half
• olive oil
• balsamic vinegar
• Cloves garlic, chopped
• Slivered almonds

Instructions:

1. Prepare ingredients as listed (chop, rinse, slice, trim)
2. Add desired amount of remaining ingredients.
3. Toss well.
4. Airfry at 400 for 20 minutes.

IG: @abundanceofvegetables

YouTube short: Air Fried Brussels Sprouts and Brats https://youtube.com/shorts/-ehcCKO039s?feature=share

YouTube full video: Air Fried Brussels Sprouts and Brats https://youtu.be/KnJgVUELins

My other related Brussels sprouts videos:

Bratwurst with Brussels Sprouts and Brown Rice https://youtu.be/s8zViBAMbGw

Air Fried Brussels and Bacon https://youtu.be/pOJ382ft2Uk

Air Fried Brussels Sprouts with Cranberries and Pepitas https://youtu.be/4DKQFCjViYQ

Brussels Sprouts With Carmelized Onions And Parmesan Cheese (ASMR Cooking, No Talking) https://youtu.be/nZjzoG2uecE

Salt & Pepper slow cooker chicken with Parmesan Brussels sprouts (ASMR cooking, no talking) https://youtu.be/uoILyRMd_60

Air fried Brussels sprouts https://youtube.com/shorts/T6XBU98icIc?feature=share

Avocado Toast

 

I made a big breakfast that consisted of avocado toast with bacon and pickled onions, pork breakfast sausage, eggs, and a small tomato salad using the tomatoes from my container garden outside.

You can put whatever you want on your avocado toast and some people prefer it sliced rather than mashed. You can mix it up depending on your tastes.

The basics:

• Toast (I used Dave’s bread)
• Avocado 
• Salt
• Pepper 

Topping ideas:

• Bacon
• Eggs
• Pickled onions
• Tomatoes 
• Salsa
• Balsamic dressing
• Capers
• Fresh herbs
• Get creative!

Prepare ingredients and assemble as you wish. Enjoy!

IG: @abundanceofvegetables

YouTube short: Avocado Toast https://youtube.com/shorts/Von5uzqzJZ0?feature=share

YouTube full video: Avocado Toast https://youtu.be/0gxIPMIjFpM

Pickled Red Onions

 

Pickled Red Onions! Who knew they were so easy to make. Here’s the recipe.

Ingredients:

• Red onions
• Salt
• Sugar
• Apple cider vinegar
• Boiling water
• Glass jars

Instructions:

1. Slice onions and add to glass jars.
2. To each jar, add 1 Tablespoon salt, 1 Tablespoon sugar, 4 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar.
3. Top off each jar with boiling water.
4. Close and shake to dissolve and distribute the ingredients.
5. Let sit for at least a couple hours.
6. Enjoy!

IG: @abundanceofvegetables

YouTube short: Pickled Red Onions https://youtube.com/shorts/belz99zTPFs?feature=share

YouTube full video: Pickled Red Onions https://youtu.be/sKj8ckd2kvg

Thai Style Red Curry with Chicken & Veggies

 

I recently had lunch at a Thai restaurant and tried some coconut rice. It was so good, I had to try and make it on my own.

I tried adding a couple spoonfuls of coconut cream into the rice for this dish. But I think it needs way more. The coconut flavor didn’t really come through. I will try a full can next time.

Here’s the link to the recipe I used for the curry: https://thatsdeelicious.com/easy-thai-red-curry-chicken/

This us the red curry paste I used: https://a.co/d/6ZeDjJt

Watch me make it!

IG: @abundanceofvegetables

YouTube short: Thai Style Red Curry with Chicken & Veggies https://youtube.com/shorts/NECFlIXKxRg?feature=share

YouTube full video: Thai Style Red Curry with Chicken & Veggies https://youtu.be/PvCeEoQ7ZRo

Sun dried Tomato Chicken and Pasta

I made sun dried tomato chicken with a side of some fancy pasta from Italy called Pasta Ai Funghi Porcini, which translates to Pasta with Porcini mushrooms.

I made this chicken recipe before and it was fabulous. It calls for boneless skinless chicken. My chicken came with skin and bones this time and I was lazy to remove it so just cooked with them still intact. I’ll say it’s definitely not a as good. Stick to boneless, skinless.

As for the pasta, I was expecting it to be amazing since it came from Italy and was pre packaged with seasonings already in the bag with it. Unfortunately, I didn’t read it well and found out later that it didn’t include any salt. It was bland and we did not like it.

Here’s the recipe I used for the chicken. 

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon garlic powder
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup water

1 teaspoon chicken bouillon 

1/3 cup heavy cream
1 bag frozen spinach 
½ cup sun dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese

Instructions:

1) Season chicken thighs with salt, pepper, oregano, thyme, paprika, and garlic powder.

2) Add oil to heated pan, sear chicken thighs 5-6 minutes per side.
3) Add garlic and stir until fragrant.

4) Add water, chicken bouillon, heavy cream, spinach, tomatoes, and parmesan cheese.
5) Cook through, stirring occasionally, making sure the spinach is heated through and the cheese is melted, about 10 minutes.

6) Serve and enjoy!

IG: @abundanceofvegetables

YouTube short: Sun dried Tomato Chicken and Pasta https://youtube.com/shorts/W3Y3R1xFwhE?feature=share

YouTube full video: Sun dried Tomato Chicken and Pasta https://youtu.be/7ed3E2jN1pY

Creamy Cucumber Salad

 

I made this a while back and don’t remember which recipe I used. I looked around on the web and can’t find one that describes what I did here. I’m guessing that I may have did my own take on it.

So I wrote it out.  Here’s what I did.

Ingredients:
3 cucumbers, sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 large red onion, sliced
1/2 cup vanilla Greek yogurt
8 oz sour cream
1 Tablespoon dill weed
Dash of salt and pepper

Instructions:
1) Prepare ingredients as described above (slice, chop).
2) Combine Greek yogurt, sour cream, dill weed, salt and pepper, garlic, and onions.
3) Toss mixture with cucumbers.
4) Serve and enjoy!

IG: @abundanceofvegetables

YouTube short: Creamy Cucumber Salad https://youtube.com/shorts/oGBy83e_kwc?feature=share

YouTube full video: Creamy Cucumber Salad https://youtu.be/JcyNqJ-YLcM

Deviled Eggs

 

I found a new deviled eggs recipe that I wanted to try. This one included apple cider vinegar and mustard, which I had never included before. The flavor was different from what I’m used to. But deviled eggs are always tasty.

Here’s a link to the recipe I tried: https://downshiftology.com/recipes/deviled-eggs/

Watch me make it.

IG: @abundanceofvegetables

YouTube short: Deviled Eggs https://youtube.com/shorts/4euJuCbagjo?feature=share

YouTube full video: Deviled Eggs https://youtu.be/_PGIqF4mhCE

Miso Hamachi & Salmon Collars

My local supermarket had a special on hamachi fish collars from Japan.  I wanted to take advantage of this and also discovered that the salmon collars were on sale as well. I know it looks burnt, but it turned out delicious with just a slight char. Yum!

I also recently had some tasty miso salmon collars from a sushi restaurant and that's why I wanted to make this style of dish.

Here's the link to the recipe I used for the miso marinade: https://www.wellseasonedstudio.com/miso-salmon/

IG: @abundanceofvegetables

YouTube short: Miso Hamachi & Salmon Collars https://youtube.com/shorts/K18k0ze8Sy8?feature=share

YouTube full video:  https://youtu.be/1DZP0r6UWAg

Spinach and Beef Enchiladas

 

These were very tasty and very filling. I would mashed it again but would add more heat. I like my food spicy, on fire.

I used this recipe and added some dried tomatoes: https://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/spinach-and-beef-enchiladas/a5991a2c-f22e-4867-a65a-36aa1bef90db

IG: @abundanceofvegetables

YouTube short: Spinach and Beef Enchiladas https://youtube.com/shorts/Qg5jF5z8I9k?feature=share

YouTube full video: Spinach and Beef Enchiladas https://youtu.be/_ny2I-peoZg