Pearl Couscous, Butternut Squash and Kale in a Creamy Red Pepper Sauce (Dairy Free )

Hey there everyone…….last night I made up something new for a recipe contest from godairyfree.org 

I had to use one of the So Delicious Products and I choose to use their Unsweetened Coconut Milk

The grand prize winner will get $500 to spend at William Sonoma which is one of my favorite foodie stores!  There are two specific requirements to follow with this submission: 

1.       Must be dairy-free

2.       Must me vegan

So here it is, my Dairy Free Vegan -Pearl Couscous, Butternut Squash and Kale in a Creamy Red Pepper Sauce

I am no stranger to dairy-free cooking due to the fact that my hubby is lactose intolerant. Im Not really sure what chemicals are in the milk these days, so I’m happy to join him in his “dairy-free” journey.  I used Israeli Pearl Couscous which contained no animal products, fresh veggies and finished it off with a creamy roasted red pepper sauce.  Unlike other couscous, pearl couscous has the consistence of pasta. I love pasta, but it’s not the best thing for you.  Israeli Couscous is high in fiber and contains a significant amount of vitamin C. 

Ingredients:

1 box Israeli Pearl Couscous

1 cup butternut squash-I baked my own and cut it up.  It’s much easier to buy it pre-cut and uncooked.

4 large pieces of Kale- make sure you remove the stems

1 small yellow onion

1 1/2 teaspoons garlic paste

6 larger pieces of jarred roasted red peppers

1/2 cup So Delicious Unsweetened Coconut milk

Dash of cayenne pepper

Drizzle of olive oil

Salt to taste

Serves 2 to 3

Prep Time 8 minutes

Cook time 15

Directions:

I used some already cooked cubed butternut squash I had handy in my freezer.  I would suggest cooking the squash alone a head of time for this recipe and then cut into cubes.  Be careful not to overcook the squash because it will get mushy.  I baked mine at 350 for 15 minutes, let it cool and cut it up.

First, follow the cooking instructions on the box of the couscous.  Drizzle a little olive oil in a small pot, add garlic and cook over medium heat for 1 minute.  Add the peppers and cook another 3 minutes.  Transfer to food processor and add in your coconut milk.  Puree until smooth and transfer back to pot, add cayenne, salt and simmer until couscous is done cooking.  At this point we are only about 10 minutes into our couscous cooking, which took about 12 to 15 minutes.  We can now sauté the onion, kale and butternut squash together with a little more olive oil and a pinch of salt.   Cover, and cook over medium low heat for 4 to 5 minutes.  Last step is to plate your food, couscous first, top with squash onions and kale, drizzle with your creamy roasted red pepper sauce.

Enjoy!

Kale, Spinach and Honey Mango Smoothie

I'm just getting over being sick and my immune system could use a boost.  This was super easy to make but you're going to need a decent blender.  I'm using a Cuisinart Smart Power Duet that was given to me as a wedding gift four years ago.   It makes great shakes and smoothies and has a second attachment food processor for sauces and chopping.

Ingredients:

1 small can Dole Pineapple juice

5 to 6 cubes of ice (omit if you use frozen fruit)

1 handful of kale-removed from stems

1 handful baby spinach

1 half of a honey mango

I didn't need to add sugar because the pineapple juice and the honey mango have just enough sweetness.  Add all ingredients to blender and blend until smooth.

Note-This makes 1 large cup.  Double the recipe for 2

Nutritional Bonus:

Kale has become quite popular these days and for good reason. It is packed with nutrients and has even been linked to aide in the prevention of certain cancers. It’s high in calcium, vitamin C and beta carotene. I’ve used it for smoothies, side dishes, salads and I’m excited to make my own kale chips soon.

Pearl Couscous with Chicken Sausage, Kale and Tomato Aioli

Lately, I haven’t had a lot of time to work on my blog.  Just last night I made split pea soup with cabbage and it turned out great.  I didn’t have the proper lighting or my camera though to capture it.  I’m working on getting better quality photos of my dishes and I haven’t been as motivated with what I’m currently using.  Any who, back to the blog……….

A few nights back I threw together a dish that I will definitely make over and over.   Pearl Couscous with Chicken Sausage, Kale and Tomato Aioli.  The combination of the roasted tomato aioli, smokiness of the chicken sausage and slightly bitterness of the kale, went perfectly over the soft pasta-liked couscous.

Ingredients: 

1 box Pearl Couscous

2 cups chopped kale

Half of a small sweet onion-chopped

I package pre-cooked chicken sausage-cut into ½ inch pieces

Drizzle of olive oil

Roasted Tomato Aioli:

2 plum tomatoes

1 teaspoon red chili paste

¾ cup tablespoons mayonnaise

2 garlic cloves

Drizzle of olive oil

Half of a small sweet onion-chopped

Dash of paprika

Splash of white wine vinegar

Dash of salt

For the Roasted Tomato Aioli:

Start by firing up the grill to medium heat.   Rinse tomatoes, cut in half and remove the seeds.  Place in tin foil with a little drizzle of olive oil and close tomatoes in foil.  Grill for about 10 to 12 minutes and let cool.  While your tomatoes are grilling, sauté onions and garlic with a little olive oil for about 4 minutes.  Transfer into food processor and add the tomatoes and remaining ingredients.  Puree until smooth.   

For the Couscous Mixture:

Follow cooking instructions from the couscous box.  As the couscous is cooking, sauté the chopped onion for 2 minutes with another drizzle of olive oil.   Add in the kale and chicken sausage and cook for about 4 more minutes.  When the couscous is done, add in the kale, sausage and onion mixture to it.  Plate your dish and drizzle the roasted tomato aioli over top.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nutritional Bonus:

Kale has become quite popular these days and for good reason.  It is packed with nutrients and has even been linked to aide in the prevention of certain cancers.  It’s high in calcium, vitamin C and beta carotene.  I’ve used it for smoothies, side dishes, salads and I’m excited to make my own kale chips soon.

 

 

 

 

 

Sweet Potato Bisque (with a kick)

What you will need :

1 ½ cups unsweetened almond milk

1 shallot-minced with a garlic press

3 sweet potatoes-peeled and steamed

1 cup chicken or vegetable broth

1 cup manchego cheese-shredded

¼ cup canned green chilies

1 teaspoon olive oil

Salt and pepper

Peel sweet potatoes, then steam in a pressure cooker or stove top  with 1 cup of water until soft.

  While the sweet potatoes are cooking, dice ingredients and add shallots and olive oil to a soup pot.  Saute shallots for 2 minutes, then remove from heat.  (if you are using fresh green chilies, saute them with the shallots)

 Once the sweet potatoes are cooled, dice and add to the pot.

Turn the heat up to medium and add the remaining ingredients.  Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, and then simmer for 15 minutes.  Transfer the contents to a blender or food processor until smooth and creamy.   You may need to add more almond milk if the soup is too thick.  Place the blended soup back in the pot if the soup temperature isn’t to your satisfaction. 

Garnish with dried cilantro and shredded manchego.

Pancetta Wrapped Scallops topped with Mint Pesto-served over a Mozzarella White Wine Risotto

 

 

Cook risotto according to packaging.  Remove lid and add white wine, cheese and herb-ed butter.

 Wrap scallops with pancetta and broil for 6 minutes.  Top risotto with carrots and fresh pesto.

 

Ingredients:

4 large sea scallops

1 cup risotto

2 slices of Parma ham   

½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 tablespoon herbed butter

¼ cup white wine

1 small julienned carrot

Salt and pepper to taste

For the pesto:

½ cup  fresh mint

1/3 cup pine nuts

2 garlic cloves

½ basil fresh basil

¼ cup Romano cheese

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

Squeeze of fresh lemon juice

Puree in food processor

 

 

 

 

Chicken and Swiss Roll-ups

Ingredients:

Boston lettuce

Swiss cheese

Salsa chicken cold cuts

Cucumber

Ranch

Pepper Jelly

Give it some spice and it’s twice as nice!  I recently visited an art festival where I sampled various jellies.  The one I ended up purchasing was called “Hot Damn” and it’s made with Trinidad Scorpion Peppers.  Guinness Book of World Records named it the “hottest pepper in the world” in March 2011.  I can’t get enough of this stuff.  I mix it with mayo, ranch, put it in my eggs and I’ve even glazed meatballs with it.  Today, I spiced up some chicken and swiss roll ups for lunch.  If you are interested in purchasing  this jelly visit their website at www.mypepperjelly.com

Assemble and roll up.  Use toothpick to hold each one in place.

Pierogi Eggs Benedict

Eggs Benedict is what I usually order when out for breakfast.  It can be rather time consuming at home and the timing and skill must be perfect.  I didn’t have any bread on hand this particular morning, so I had to improvise.  With a box of frozen pierogies in the freezer, I replaced the english muffin and created something even better. For the eggs and the sauce, I followed the advice and video demonstration of Fabio Viviani (top chef winner) (the link is below)   I had no idea how to properly make poached eggs or the hollandaise sauce, so I found this video quite helpful. 

Ingredients:

4 Pierogies- I used feta and spinach

4 large eggs

2tsp red wine vinegar

2tbsp salted butter, softened

Cook pierogies according to package, follow the recipe for traditional Eggs Benedict, garnish with green onions.

Enjoy!

http://screen.yahoo.com/easy-eggs-benedict-30920094.html

Eggs Benedict recipe was found above