Taylor Farms Thai Coconut Skillet Kit with Chicken, Onions & Garlic

I love the Taylor Farms Kits.  I have tried some of the salad kits and those were great.  This post is about me trying the Taylor Farms Thai Coconut Skillet Kit.

It comes with a mix of vegetables that consisted of broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, snap peas, yellow coconut curry sauce, and toasted crunchy coconut.  In my opinion, the toasted crunchy coconut didn't go well with it.  You can view more details about it on their website here.

You don't need to add anything else.  You can just use what's in the kit.  Or you can add whatever you'd like.  There are some suggestions in the back of the package.  I added chicken, onions, and garlic to the kit.  Here's my version with my additions.

Ingredients:

• Taylor Farms Thai Coconut Skillet Kit
• 5 chicken tenderloins
• 10 cloves of garlic
•  1/2 onion
• Olive oil for stir frying

Instructions:

1. Defrost chicken.
2. Slice garlic and lightly fry in olive oil.  Remove from oil and set aside.
3. Chop chicken into bite-sized pieces.
4. Stir fry chicken in garlic-infused oil until browned. Remove from oil and set aside.
5. Add a little olive oil to pan.
6. Chop half onion.
7. Add vegetables from kit and onion into pan and stir fry.
8. Add coconut sauce, chicken, and garlic and stir well.
9. Serve.

IG: @abundanceofvegetables
IG post of this video: Taylor Farms Thai Coconut Skillet Kit with Chicken, Onions, & Garlic (sped up for IG)
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Air Fried Garlic Parmesan Cauliflower

Okay, I was going to call this a fail.  But it really wasn't.  It depends on how you look at it.  It was an experiment and the flavors and textures did go well together.  I made it work.  That's what you do in life.  If something doesn't work, you pivot and change your plan.  After all, experimental is the theme of my cooking.

I had seen pictures of whole cooked cauliflower on Instagram and it looked kinda cool.  A quick internet search returned a recommendation for a cooking temperature of 350 degrees and cooking time of 15 minutes in the air fryer.  I don't have a regular oven, so I'm always looking for air fryer recipes.  I just needed to have an idea of how to cook it.

I made my own flavor combination and cooked it accordingly.  It looked appetizing, but was still hard when I tried to poke it with a fork.  So I cooked it for 10 more minutes, but when I cut it in half, the middle wasn't cooked through.  So I cut it up into florets to have it cook evenly.  My instructions below are for the way I made it.

Ingredients:

• 1 head cauliflower
• 8 cloves garlic
• olive oil for lightly cooking garlic
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise 
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• 2-3 Tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 Tablespoon ground black pepper
• 2-3 Tablespoons dried parsley

Instructions:

1. Lightly fry garlic cloves in olive oil.  Remove garlic and let cool.
2. Cut off excess leaves and as much of the stem as you can from the bottom of the cauliflower.
3. Spread mayonnaise evenly over cauliflower.
4. Chop garlic and pat onto cauliflower.
5. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, and ground pepper, and dried parsley onto cauliflower.
6. Air fry for 25 minutes at 350 degrees.
7. Cut into florets and air fry for 10 more minutes at 400 degrees. 
8. Serve.

IG: @abundanceofvegetables
IG post of this video: Air Fried Garlic Parmesan Cauliflower (sped up for IG)
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Air Fried Bell Peppers with Oil & Vinegar

Here's a simple recipe for Air Fried Bell Peppers with Olive Oil & Vinegar.  I don't have much else to say about it.

Ingredients:

• 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 orange bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1/2 red onion, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 head garlic, peeled
• 2 Tablespoons garlic infused olive oil
• 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Instructions:

1. Prepare ingredients as described above (seed, cut, peel).
2. Combine all ingredients and toss.
3. Air fry at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. 
4. Serve.

IG: @abundanceofvegetables
IG post of this video: Air Fried Bell Peppers with Oil & Vinegar (sped up for IG)
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Air Fried Spicy Pumpkin Salad

Smooth - Wrapped in foil and chopped after air frying

More Texture - Chopped prior to air frying

I have made this recipe before.  I was thinking it would be like a spicy potato salad, but with pumpkin instead of potatoes.  It turned out great and I love the bite of the raw onion and garlic.  If you love onions, garlic, and spice, you'll probably love this dish.

The last time I made this, I chopped the pumpkin prior to roasting it in the air fryer.  This gave more texture to the pumpkin pieces and more mouthfeel.

This time, I wrapped the pumpkin in foil and chopped it after air frying.  This way is smoother, more similar in texture to an actual potato salad.

Either way is delicious.  It just depends on your preference.  I like both.  Recipe and instructions below are fore the smoother version.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 kabocha pumpkin, seeded
• 1/2 c mayonnaise
• 1/4 c green onion, chopped  
• 1/2 c red onion, chopped 
• 7 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 dash dried parsley
• 1 dash cayenne pepper
• 1 dash black pepper
• 2 Tablespoons avocado oil 

Instructions:

1. Prepare ingredients as described above (seed, chop).
2. Rub avocado oil all over the pumpkin.
3. Wrap oiled pumpkin in foil and air fry for 30 minutes at 400 degrees.
4. Let pumpkin cool.
5. Combine remaining ingredients in bowl and mix well.
6. Cut cooled pumpkin into 1-inch cubes.
7. Add pumpkin to spicy mixture and mix well.
8. Serve. 

IG: @abundanceofvegetables
IG post of this video: Air Fried Spicy Pumpkin Salad (sped up for IG)
YouTube post of this video: Air Fried Spicy Pumpkin Salad (regular speed) 

Air Fried Eggplant Parmesan without Parmesan

I like to buy a variety of vegetables from my favorite farmer's market.  I don't always know what I'm going to make, but I do know that I want to eat different dishes.

This time I bought a beautiful eggplant then had no idea what to make with it.  So I made this Eggplant Parmesan dish.  I only realized afterwards that I didn't add any Parmesan at all.  It still turned out delicious.

Here's the recipe for what I created.

Ingredients:

• 1 eggplant
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
• 1 cup mozarella cheese
• 1 cup marinara sauce
• Avocado oil spray

Instructions:

1. Rinse eggplant and slice into 1/2 inch thick pieces.
2. Scramble eggs.  This will be used for dipping the eggplant.
3. In a separate container, spread out breadcrumbs.
4. Dip both sides of eggplant slices in egg, then in breadcrumbs.
5. Arrange in a single layer of air fryer.
6. Spray with avocado oil.
7. Air fry for 10 minutes at 400 degrees.
8. Cook the rest of the eggplant the same way.
9. In little air fryer pan, layer sauce, cooked eggplant, and cheese over and over until it reaches the top of the pan.
10. Air fry for 10 minutes at 400 degrees.
11. Serve. Yum!

IG: @abundanceofvegetables
IG post of this video: Air Fried Eggplant Parmesan without Parmesan (sped up to fit IG time)
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Air Fried Brussels Sprouts with Cranberries & Pepitas

My friend recently treated me to dinner at a restaurant called Eating House 1849 in the International Marketplace in Waikiki, Hawaii.  We ordered a variety of dishes to taste and share including the Pipikaula, Brussels and Cauliflower, Spicy Ramen, Farmer's salad, Seared Fish, and their signature Chocolate lava cake.

The Brussels and Cauliflower was my favorite dish of all.  It came dressed in a balsamic vinegar sauce with pine nuts and raisins.  There's a tangyness from the vinegar, a crunch from the nuts, and a little sweetness from the raisins.  It also tasted like there was some butter in there.  I don't know if it was fried or roasted.

At home, I had dried cranberries and pumpkin seeds.  So this recipe is an experimental spin on it.  It turned out tasty, but the Brussels and Cauliflower is soooo much better.  I don't go to Waikiki often, but if I do, I'd definitely order it again.  Yum!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups brussels sprouts (rinsed, trimmed, and cut in half)
• 1/2 cup olive oil infused with garlic (Don't remove garlic. You can use a lot less oil than this, but I knew that the excess would fall to the bottom of the air fryer pan.)
• 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 ounce dried cranberries (1 small snack box)
• 2 Tablespoons pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

Instructions:

1. Prepare ingredients as described above (rinse, trim, infuse, etc.)
2. Place brussels sprouts in bowl.
3. Add remaining ingredients and mix.
4. Put everything in airfryer pan.
5. Air fry for 20 minutes at 400 degrees.

IG: @abundanceofvegetables
IG post of this video: Air Fried Brussels Sprouts with Cranberries & Pepitas (sped up to fit IG video time limit)
YouTube post of this video: Air Fried Brussels Sprouts with Cranberries & Pepitas (Regular Speed)

Dinengdeng with Marungay

I always knew it as marungay and was raised calling it that.  The scientific name for this plant is moringa oleifera.  It is a tree that my parents and grandparents always had in the backyard.  The leaves and fruits are edible.  I love the idea of gathering food from your backyard. 

I saw my aunt at a family gathering for Thanksgiving and she mentioned that she recently had a conversation with her friend about marungay and bone broth being very popular for the health benefits that they deliver.

I have seen a lot of ads about bone broth and collagen, but I didn't know that marungay was also being advertised as a super food. Her friend said that it's become so popular that baby marungay plants can now be found at the local Home Depot.

You know what my aunt's response to that was?  She thought that the popularity of bone broth and marungay was absurd.  Filipinos have been cooking and eating lauya for years!  If you don't know what lauya is, it's a brothy soup made with beef bones and marungay leaves.  Anyway, I just wanted to share that story because I thought it was funny.

While I was home for Thanksgiving, my grandma did a harvest from her yard and prepared some marungay fruits for me.  What a treat!  I was afraid I didn't know the recipe and I'm also learning that some vegetable combinations work better than others and some don't even match. LOL!  So I have to say that my grandma did give me some suggestions, but I added some other extra vegetables and it didn't match! LOL!  That's what I get when I don't listen.

So here is the recipe for what I created.  I think I wouldn't put the winged beans and eggplant next time.  My grandma also suggested ebi (dried shrimp), not raw shrimp. But the following is what I did for this dish.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups water
• 1/4 cup patis (fish sauce)
• 3 cups marungay, trimmed and cut into 3-inch pieces
• 4 small tomatoes, chopped
• 1 cup raw shrimp, defrosted
• 2 eggplants, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 5 winged beans
• 1/4 cup onions, sliced

Instructions:

1. Prepare ingredients as described above (chop, defrost, cut, etc.)
2. Add water to pot.
3. Add patis to pot and bring to a simmer.
4. Add marungay. 
5. Cover and simmer until about halfway cooked (about 20 minutes).
6. Add tomatoes, shrimp, eggplant, winged beans, and onions. 
7. Cover and simmer until cooked through (15 -  20 minutes), stirring halfway through. (My parents and grandparents do the pan-toss thing to mix it up. But I don't know how to do that, so I have to stir it.)
8. Serve.  (Eat marungay fruit by splitting open and scraping the soft insides out.  You don't eat the firm, fibrous outside.
9. Enjoy.

IG: @abundanceofvegetables
IG post of this video: Dinengdeng with Marungay (sped up) 
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Cheesy Broccoli Bacon Bake

I had a bit of broccoli left from the bulk bag I bought and didn't know what to make with it, but didn't want it to go to waste.  I checked my freezer and found bacon and shredded cheese in the freezer.  So this was a perfect clean-up-the-fridge recipe.

If you watch my video(s), you'll see that it's obvious I had just taken the bacon and cheese out of the freezer.  I like to get certain things in bulk and freeze the rest.  It's cheaper in the long run if you use those items frequently.  Toilet paper, dish liquid, coffee and laundry detergent are some great examples.

But I have this problem with buying so much cheese.  I always think I'm going to just find a lot of recipes with cheese or eat a little cheese everyday.  Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way for me and I end up giving away my cheese because I have too much. I've bought cheese in bulk and gave away half at least five times already.  Lmao!

*Please note that I used a small toaster oven for this and you may need to adjust your cooking times and settings accordingly.

Ingredients:

• 3-4 cups broccoli
• 1/4 c olive oil
• 1 cup shredded cheese (I used mozarella and cheddar)
• 1/2 package bacon

Instructions:

1. Chop bacon and stir fry until crispy.
2. Drain bacon on paper towel to absorb excess fat.
3. Place broccoli on baking sheet and drizzle oil all over.
4. Bake for 30 minutes at 400 degrees (toast temp setting).
5. Remove broccoli from oven.
6. Sprinkle with cheese and bacon.
7. Bake for 10 minutes at 400 degrees (toast temp setting).
8. Serve.

IG: @abundanceofvegetables
IG post of this video: Cheesy Broccoli Bacon Bake (sped up to fit IG time limit)
YouTube post of this video: Cheesy Broccoli Bacon Bake (regular speed) 

Air Fried Panko Okra

I got a bunch of okra from my aunt.  I made it two different ways and this is one of them.  It's a spin off my most popular video recipe, which is the Air Fried Ranch Panko Chicken Tenders.

The okra turned out with a golden brown crispy outer layer, perfectly tender on the inside, with a hint of slime. Delicious!

I enjoyed these and like this breed of okra.  I have been growing some in my container garden and the breed I have is more fibrous.  Mine need to be picked super young and small so it doesn't get too fibrous.  Fiber sounds good for your health, but fiber isn't very palatable. 😛

Here's my recipe for Air Fried Panko Okra.  It tastes great alone, but is also neutral enough if you'd like to have it with your favorite dipping sauce.  I had it with ketchup and it was like fries. I wondered if I should call them Okra Fries instead.

Ingredients:

• 4-5 cups okra, rinsed, ends chopped off, sliced in halves lengthwise
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 dash salt
• 1 dash pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• Panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
• Avocado Oil Spray

Instructions:

1. Prepare okra as indicated above (rinse, chop, slice). Set aside.
2. Crack eggs into a bowl.
3. Add garlic powder, salt, pepper, and parsley to eggs and scramble.
4. Pour egg mixture over okra and toss well to coat. Set aside.
5. Pour half bag of panko into a resealable container.
6. Add egg-coated okra to panko.
7. Pour remaining panko over okra.
8. Seal container and shake vigorously.
9. Place panko-coated okra in a single layer of air fryer pan.
10. Spray with avocado oil.
11. Air fry for 15 minutes at 400 degrees.
12. Serve.

IG: @abundanceofvegetables
IG post of this video: Air Fried Panko Okra (sped up to fit IG time limit)
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Easy Garden Guacamole

I absolutely love the idea of gathering plants from the yard and turning it into a delicious dish.  I made this simple guacamole with an avocado from my parents' yard and tomatoes from my grandmother's yard.  The avocado and tomatoes were grown organically on the island of Kauai.

I know a lot of people don't have easy access to fresh, organic produce.  I don't regularly have that luxury where I live either.   But I love to take advantage of it when I visit home. 

Ingredients:

• 1 avocado
• 4 small tomatoes, chopped
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• Sprinkle of salt

Instructions:

1. Slice avocado open, remove pit, scoop out, and mash.
2. Chop tomatoes and add to mashed avocado.
3. Add lemon juice.
4. Sprinkle salt and mix.
5. Serve.

IG: @abundanceofvegetables

IG post of this video: Easy Garden Guacamole (sped up to fit IG time limit)

YouTube post of this video: Easy Garden Guacamole (regular speed)

Crab and Spinach Wontons

We made this at my sister's request.  This is one of those things that if you're going to make it, you'll make a big batch.  It's tedious, but worth it.

This recipe makes about 50 wontons.

Ingredients:

• 2 packages Okuhara imitation crab meat sticks (each package is 8 ounces)
• 1 can water chestnuts (8 ounces)
• 1 block chopped, frozen spinach (9-10 ounces)
• 1 block cream cheese (8 ounces)
• 4 packages wonton wrappers
• Water for sealing wontons
• Oil for cooking

Instructions:

1. Shred imitation crab meat sticks.
2. Chop water chestnuts.
3. Defrost spinach and squeeze excess liquid out.
4. Combine crab meat, water chestnuts, and spinach well.
5. Put about a Tablespoon of mixture onto a wonton wrapper.
6. Dip your finger in the water and trace two sides of the wrapper.
7. Fold the wrapper over to create a triangle shape and press to seal.
8. Fry in oil until golden brown.

IG: @abundanceofvegetables 

Newer IG post of this video: Crab and Spinach Wontons (Reel)
Newer YouTube post of this video: Crab and Spinach Wontons
Older IG post of this video: Crab and Spinach Wontons (sped up to fit IG time limit)
Older YouTube post of this video: Crab and Spinach Wontons (regular speed with captions)