Green Papaya Salad

 

Here’s my take on a Thai green papaya salad. This is definitely not authentic, I know. I don’t have the proper ingredients nor do I have a proper giant mortar and pestle. So I had to make do.

Here’s how I made it.

Ingredients:

• 1 Green papaya, rinsed, seeded, peeled, grated
• 5 large cherry tomatoes, sliced
• 7 small dried shrimp, chopped
• 2 red Thai chilies, chopped 
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 3 tablespoons peanuts, smashed 

Instructions:

1. Prepare ingredients as listed above (rinse, chop, etc)
2. Toss together well.
3. Serve.
4. Enjoy!

It was okay, but the authentic one is definitely better, spicier and fishier. I love spicy!

Instagram: @abundanceofvegetables

YouTube: youtube.com/@abundanceofvegetables

YouTube full video: https://youtu.be/zQEK9bQrGd0?si=KUVQVGZvIEOEzwKP

Miso Salmon, Coconut rice, and Salad

This tasty, savory, umami miso salmon has been a dish in regular rotation at my house. There are many variations to the marinade with some adjustments like honey instead of sugar, addition of citrus zest, or ginger paste versus grated ginger.

Here’s a recipe closest to what I made. Add, subtract, or substitute ingredients according to your liking. https://www.wellseasonedstudio.com/miso-salmon/

Instagram: @abundanceofvegetables

YouTube: https://youtube.com/@abundanceofvegetables?si=4E1gundfWn8US6mM

YouTube full video: https://youtu.be/RcbkNx4Vn9Q?si=4rnJeduEd8Qqk_ll

Low Carb Pork Burrito Bowl

 

The burrito bowl is low carb but I had it with a side of tortilla chips. You eat it how you like it. I would've loved some cilantro in there, but I forgot to buy some. Basically, you gather up all your ingredients and put the desired amounts of everything in the bowl.

Ingredients I used:

• pulled pork
  
• riced Cauliflower
• chopped tomatoes
• chopped onions
• lime juice
• limes
  
• corn
• black beans
• guacamole
• sour cream

Other suggestions:

• jalapenos
• cheese
• side of tortillas
• side of tortilla chips
• Hot sauce
• cilantro
   

IG: @abundanceofvegetables

YouTube short: https://youtube.com/shorts/CbycS4CGQP8?feature=share

YouTube full video:  https://youtu.be/4GF6hN35zZQ

Panko Crusted Ranch Chicken

 

My preferred method of cooking this is in the air fryer.  However, I wanted to cook a bigger batch so tried baking it in the oven at 400 degrees for half an hour.  I was not pleased with the texture so finished them off in the air fryer at 400 degrees for 10 more minutes.

All you need for this is chicken, ranch dressing, panko, and spray oil.

See my previous post on this dish for the recipe. Note: Adjust and increase cooking time as needed. Thighs will need a little longer than tenderloins. https://www.abundanceofvegetables.com/2019/10/air-fried-ranch-panko-chicken-tenders.html

IG: @abundanceofvegetables

YouTube full video: https://youtu.be/k8VwN0qIFHQ

 

Cauliflower Shepherd’s Pie

 

This is my take on a low carb sheperd's pie.  Instead of the potatoes on top, I created a cheesy cauliflower mash. It turned out great and I would definitely make this again.

Here's how I made it.

Meat Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 t dried parsley leaves
• 1 t dried rosemary leaves
• 1dried thyme leaves
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/2 ground black pepper
• 1 T worcestershire sauce
• 5 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 T flour
• 2 T tomato sauce
• 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon
• 1 cup water
• 1.5 cup frozen mixed veggies

Cauliflower mash ingredients:

• 1 bag frozen riced cauliflower
• 4 T butter
• 5 T milk
• 1/2 t garlic powder
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/2 t black pepper
• 1/4 c cheese
  

Meat Instructions:

1. Prepare ingredients as described above (chop).
2. Brown ground beef.
3. Add parsley, rosemary, thyme, salt, pepper, worcestershire, garlic, flour, tomato sauce, chicken boullion, water. Mix and simmer to incorporate ingredients.
4. Add frozen mixed veggies and mix.
5. Set aside.

Cauliflower mash ingredients:

1. Steam riced cauliflower.
2. Drain cauliflower and put in blender.
3. Add butter and milk and blend.
4. Pour cauliflower blend into a bowl.
5. Add garlic powder, salt, black pepper, and cheese.
6. Mix.
   

 Pie instructions:

1. Pour meat mix into 9x13 inch pan lined with parchment paper.
2. Cook at 400 degrees F for 25-30 minutes.
3. Serve and enjoy!

IG: @abundanceofvegetables 

YouTube short: https://youtube.com/shorts/KqcPfhP2maU?feature=share

YouTube full video: https://youtu.be/gFD_5a_5crU

Cauliflower Buffalo Bites

 

These are baked. I needed a lot of space to spread all the cauliflower out so this was easier to do it all at once. If I have more time one day, I'll try this in an air fryer to make it crispier. This is yummy and I’ve made it a few times already.

Here’s how I made it.

Ingredients:

• 1 cauliflower, cut into bite size pieces 
• Extra oil for spraying
  

 Batter Ingredients:

• 1/2 c flour of choice (I used tapioca)
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder 
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup water

Buffalo sauce ingredients:

• 1/2 cup hot sauce (I used Frank’s)
• Dash of Worcestershire sauce
• 1 Tablespoon honey
• 5 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 Tablespoons salted butter
  

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees farenheit.
   
2. Prepare ingredients as listed above (cut, chop).
3. Make the batter.  Combine all dry ingredients (flour, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt) and whisk.  Add water and whisk in well.
4. Toss cauliflower in the batter, drain excess batter, and spread evenly on baking pan lined with parchment paper.
5. Spray with oil and bake for 20-25 minutes.
6. Make buffalo sauce. Combine buffalo sauce ingredients in small saucepan.  Heat through and mix.
7. Toss cauliflower in buffalo sauce and return to oven for another 20-35 minutes.
8. Serve with sides of your choice such as carrots, celery, and ranch dressing.
9. Enjoy!

IG: @abundanceofvegetables

 

YouTube short: https://youtube.com/shorts/7kZcBy2STP8

 

YouTube full video:  https://youtu.be/D6AY0N7OIlk

Green Mango with Shrimp Paste

 

This is a simple Filipino snack that consists of peeled and deseeded green mango with fermented shrimp paste. It’s a combination of contrasting flavors of sour and salty. The mango is crunchy like the texture of an apple and can differ in sour and tart levels depending on the type of mango variety.

For the fermented shrimp paste, I used the Kapuso brand, pictured below. I got this at my local Filipino market.

IG: @abundanceofvegetables

YouTube short: https://youtube.com/shorts/zPcaMis2X2Q?feature=share

 

YouTube full video: https://youtu.be/jDOSnsMeUCo?si=JbV45KYBqWe7G2IT

Creamy Lemon Butter Garlic Chicken

 

This chicken dish is so good! The original recipe calls for heavy cream but I didn’t have any on hand so decided to try making cashew milk. I ended up going with a paste instead of milk texture so that it wouldn’t be too watery.

I have tried this with different side dishes like spinach casserole, couscous, quinoa, and broccoli.  The pasta in this picture was inspired by a simple recipe my friend suggested, which was just pasta, butter, and feta cheese.  I decided to add some Italian seasoning, olive oil, and crushed red pepper to my version.  Yum!

Here’s how I made the chicken.

Crock Pot Creamy Lemon Garlic Butter Chicken

Ingredients:

• 4-6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 3 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder 
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 10 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon
• 1 cup water
  
• 4 Tablespoons butter, sliced into smaller pats
• 1 cup raw cashews
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 Tablespoon corn starch
  

Directions:

1. Soak cashews in water.
2. Put chicken in slow cooker. 
3. Combine lemon juice, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, pepper flakes, paprika, salt, pepper, garlic, chicken bouillon, and water. Mix well.
   
4. Pour mixture over chicken.
5. Cut butter into smaller pats and place on chicken.
6. Cook chicken on high for 3-4 hours.
7. When chicken is close to being done, make the cashew cream sauce. Pour the water out of the soaking cashews.
8. Add cashews and 1/2 cup of water to blender.  Blend for a few seconds.
9. Check the texture and adjust thickness to your liking. If you want it thinner, add more water and blend.
10. Remove chicken from slow cooker and set aside.
11. Add cashew blend and corn starch to the slow cooker and stir it in.
12. Add chicken back into the slow cooker.
13. Serve and enjoy!
    

IG: @abundanceofvegetables

YouTube short: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/QjXVD6g6OU0

YouTube full video: https://youtu.be/d8eOLO90-Yk

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