Hummus with Artichokes & Basil

Recipe Title:  Hummus with Artichokes & Basil  (click here to go directly to my YouTube video of this recipe) 

By: Miriam Borys

Ingredients:

2 cans chick peas (well rinsed under cold water & drained) 540ml X2

1/4 cup Olive oil 

2 tbsp. Tahini 

8 artichoke hearts quarters  (marinated)

6 -8 fresh basil leaves

3 garlic cloves

2 tbsp. lime juice or lemon juice

3 spring onions (green onions) I used only the green parts of the onion

1 cup vegetable stock or water

cracked salt & pepper to taste

Drain chick peas well. Rinse with cold water in a wire mesh sieve and drain well.

Add all ingredients into the processor except vegetable stock.

Processes until large pieces are gone. Scrape the sides of the processor bowl down.

Continue to process and add vegetable stock until the hummus is at the desired consistency. This stage is up to you and your personal taste.

Store in the fridge.

Chef Miriam Little Borys, B.Ed., MA.
'Cooking Uncovered'
http://www.youtube.com/user/mlborys?feature=mhee
blog: www.cookinguncovered.blogspot.com
Website: www.miriamborys.com

Kale & Ginger Smoothie

Recipe Title: Kale & Ginger Smoothie (click here to go to my YouTube video of this recipe)

Recipe By: Miriam Borys
Ingredient suggestions by Devon Wolfe of Vernon, BC

Servings: 2 large smoothies

Ingredients:

2 cups almond milk or coconut milk

1 tsp. chia seeds

1 banana

1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1/4 cup frozen or fresh fruit of choice

1/2 apple (I use the old apples what have gone soft)

1/2 cup kale - washed first and leaves removed  from stem

1 tbsp. ginger - peeled & in a chunk or grated 

1/4 cup parsley - fresh

1 tsp. turmeric

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. flax seeds - ground

1 tsp. flax oil or omega 3 oil

Pour almond or coconut milk into a blender & add chia seeds to allow the chia seeds to soak for 5-10 minutes. (When you soak the seeds in the milk, they expand and become gelatinous, a property that is suppose to aid digestion and contributes to their low glycemic index)

 Add all remaining ingredients and blend until chunks are liquified.

Pour into 2 large glasses and enjoy.

Chef Miriam Borys, B.Ed., MA.
'Cooking Uncovered'
http://www.youtube.com/user/mlborys?feature=mhee
blog: www.cookinguncovered.blogspot.com
Website: www.miriamborys.com

Steamed Mussels with coconut thyme sauce

Recipe Title: Steamed Mussels with coconut thyme sauce

By: Miriam Borys

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

2 lb. Mussels
¼ cup olive oil
2 tbsp.  butter
1 can coconut milk (400ml)
2 cups onions - diced
2 – 4 cloves garlic
½ bunch cilantro - about 2 cups loosely packed
1 serrano pepper - diced
2 tsp. Madras curry
1/4 cup green onions
1 - 2 tsp. thyme - fresh
salt & pepper to taste

Fresh bread of choice

To prepare mussels, wash under cool running water. Tap mussels & if they do not close  DO NOT USE …THROW AWAY. If storing in plastic bag in fridge before cooking do not close the bag as the mussels have to breath.

Debeard the mussels and keep cool (Little brown threads may be sticking out from between the 2 shells. This is the beard. Grasp the beard with a dry cloth and pull it out completely and discard)

Heat a large soup pot over med high heat first. Melt butter and add oil.

Sauté diced onion, serrano pepper & garlic in oil & butter until tender but not too brown.

Add curry & fresh thyme leaves and continue to sauté to release the curry flavor

Add coconut milk and bring to a rapid boil.

Add mussels & cilantro all at once, cover and cook for 4 minutes until scallops open.
Just before serving add green onions and salt & pepper if desired.

Serve immediately.  The mussels & sauce taste great with fresh bread to soak coconut thyme sauce.

Chef Miriam Borys, B.Ed., MA.
'Cooking Uncovered'
http://www.youtube.com/user/mlborys?feature=mhee
blog: www.cookinguncovered.blogspot.com
Website: www.miriamborys.com

Marinated Prawn Salad With Fresh Ginger and Avocado

Recipe Title: Marinated Prawn Salad With Fresh Ginger and Avocado

By: Miriam Borys

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

3 avocados

Lemon juice

1 400 g bag Prawns - cooked & peeled  

1 juice of one lemon

¼ cup shallots or red onion - diced brunoise

½ cup fresh cilantro
½ cup celery - diced brunoise

10 grape tomatoes -diced small

2 tablespoon White balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoon Olive oil

2 tablespoon Freshly grated ginger -peeled first

Salt & pepper - dash of each

Dash hot sauce

½ box Arugula & spinach greens

Salad Dressing 

½ cup sour cream

½ cup mayo

¼ cup goats cheese

¼ cup sun dried tomatoes - diced fine

1 tsp. Hot sauce

3 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar

1 tsp. Italian herbs Salt & pepper

To prepare ahead, the prawn salad filling can be made in the morning to be served at dinner time. 

To get a head start I cut the avocado in half and scoop out the half in one piece with a large spoon. I

placed the halves of avocado in a bowl and drizzled with lemon juice. This prevents the avocado from turning brown.

Meanwhile, dice up cooked prawns into smaller

pieces (this helps when serving as the salad stays inside the ½ avocado). You can either buy the cooked prawns or buy them raw and sauté them yourself in butter and olive oil.

Wash celery & dice brunoise.
Wash and chop cilantro.
Dice shallot and tomatoes. Grate peeled ginger.

Add prawns, celery, cilantro, shallot, tomatoes & ginger into a mixing bowl.

Pour olive oil, hot sauce and white balsamic vinegar over prawn mixture. Squeeze lemon juice onto prawn mixture as well and add salt and pepper to taste and store in fridge until meal time.

Wash salad greens. 

To plate this salad place a layer of salad greens onto plate. Place an avocado half (or two) onto greens. Spoon a good portion of the marinated prawn mixture on to the avocado.

Place a dollop of salad dressing onto prawn mixture. 

Chef Miriam Borys, B.Ed., MA.
'Cooking Uncovered'
http://www.youtube.com/user/mlborys?feature=mhee
blog: www.cookinguncovered.blogspot.com
Website: www.miriamborys.com

Best Ever Hummus with Avocado, Serrano peppers, & fresh parsley

Recipe Title: Best Ever Hummus with Avocado, Serrano peppers, & fresh parsley

By: Miriam Borys

Ingredients:

1 can chick peas (well rinsed under 

cold water & drained) 540ml

1/4 cup Olive oil 

3 tbsp. Tahini 

2-3 garlic cloves

1 juice of one lemon OR ¼ cup lemon concentrate

1 tbsp. white balsamic vinegar

2 medium sized ripe avocado - cut in half, pitted and flesh scooped out

1-2 serrano pepper

cracked salt & pepper to taste

1. Drain chick peas well. Rinse with cold water in a wire mesh sieve and drain well.
2. Wash & de seed the peppers and add into processor.
3. Add remaining ingredients into the food processor.
4. Processes until large pieces are gone. Scrape the sides of the processor bowl down.
5. Continue to process until the hummus is at the desired consistency. You will find the avocado make the hummus very smooth. This stage is up to you and your personal taste. If too thick add a tablespoon of water or  broth (vegetable or chicken) at a time until the hummus is at the right consistency.
6. Store in the fridge in a covered container until serving.
7. Great with a vegetable tray or with crackers and cheese.

Chef Miriam Little Borys, B.Ed., MA.
'Cooking Uncovered'
http://www.youtube.com/user/mlborys?feature=mhee
blog: www.cookinguncovered.blogspot.com
Website: www.miriamborys.com

Easy (and spicy) Meat Sauce for Pasta

Recipe Title: Easy (and spicy) Meat Sauce for Pasta

By: Miriam Borys

Servings: 8

Ingredients:

2 tblsp. olive oil

6 hot italian sausages

½ bottle of red wine

2  X 28oz. cans diced tomatoes 

OR

1  640ml jar herb pasta sauce  & 1 can of diced tomatoes

Use what you have in your pantry at home. A jar of store bought pasta sauce adds alot of flavor, so if you don’t have diced tomatoes, use the pasta sauce. 

Heat frying pan over med heat prior to starting. Add oil. If your pan is hot before putting the sausage in, the sausages will not stick to the pan. For a complete and useful cooking lesson on how to heat a stainless steel pan properly before adding protein please go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CB-SCA1reqE.

Remove sausage meat from casing by squeezing the middle of each sausage. ( a hint for easy removal...leave the sausages at room temperature for 30 minutes and the sausage meat will easily squeeze out of the casing.

Add sausage meat to hot pan and immediately start to stir and chop to break up the sausage meat into smaller pieces. Cook the meat until lightly browned and evenly cooked.

Add ½ a bottle of red wine (don’t use your expensive wine for this recipe, table wine works well) to deglaze

 the pan. 

Bring up to the boil while stirring the caramelized bits off the bottom of the pan.

Add tomatoes and cook until the sauce comes up to the boil.

Pour hot sauce into a deeper sauce pot. Allow to simmer for 15 minutes.

Puree with an immersion blender to get a smooth consistency. Cook pasta as directed and use this delicious sauce over your pasta choice. If the sauce is too thick, add more red wine while simmering.

immersion blender

Chef Miriam Borys, B.Ed., MA.
'Cooking Uncovered'
http://www.youtube.com/user/mlborys?feature=mhee
blog: www.cookinguncovered.blogspot.com
Website: www.miriamborys.com

How to Cook Spaghetti Squash

How to Cook Spaghetti Squash (click here to go to my YouTube video)

1. wash the outside skin of the squash before cutting into it with cold water
2. cut in half, right through the core with a sharp knife
3. with a large spoon scrap out the seeds and the pulp
4. pour olive oil (3 tbsp) into the hollow of each half
5. with a pastry brush spread the oil over the entire flesh of the squash
6. season with salt & pepper
7. cook in a very hot oven (375-400 degrees) for approximately 60 minutes until flesh is tender.
8. Allow to cool slightly and then using a fork sprape out the spaghetti squash into a serving bowl.
9. Add a tablespoon of butter and a drop of olive oil and toss to melt the butter.
10. If needed, add salt and pepper before tossing.
    
    
    
    
    
    
11. 
    

Hummus with mint, serrano peppers & zucchini

Recipe Title: Hummus with mint, serrano peppers & zucchini

By: Miriam Borys

Ingredients:

540 ml can chick peas – well rinsed
⅓ cup olive oil
1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoon vegetable stock ( or water can be used to thin the hummus down)

3 tablespoon tahini
¼ cup cilantro with stems
¼ cup zucchini 

2 tablespoon serranno pepper (fresh) if you like more heat in the hummus, feel free to add more pepper
4-6 mint leaves (fresh)
Cracked pepper & salt to taste 

1. Drain chick peas well. Rinse under cold water in a wire mesh sieve and drain well.
2. Add all ingredients into the food processor. To help in the processing cut up pepper and zucchini into large chunks first.
3. Process until large pieces are gone. Scrape the sides of the processor bowl down.
4. Continue to process  until the hummus is at the desired consistency. This stage is up to you and your personal taste so add more liquid if you don’t want the hummus too thick.
5. Store in the fridge until needed. Goes very well with crackers or a vegetable tray.