Spicy Kale and Coconut Stir Fry

Or, and ode to Cookie + Kate...my new amazing recipe reservoir. (Recipe here)

This is a really interesting, spicy, healthy dish. It involves kale, coconut, brown rice, other veggies, and lots of sriracha. My suggestion: If you want it to taste really fresh later on, keep the browned coconut separate and add in later as crispy coconut really makes the dish.

• 2 cloves garlic (I've been using lots of leeks instead, because my mom is allergic to garlic)
• 1 bunch green onions
• 2 cups thinly sliced veggies (bell pepper, carrot, brussels sprouts, etc)
• 1 bunch kale
• 2 eggs - scrambled
• 3/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
• 2 cups (or as desired) cooked brown rice (day old is good)
• Soy Sauce
• Sriracha
• 1 lime
• Fresh cilantro

1. In a large saucepan sauté in vegetable oil, adding in this order: garlic/leeks, green onions, sliced veggies, kale. Then remove from pan to a large bowl.

2. Add ~2 tsps oil to pan and lightly brown coconut flakes. Add rice and cook until hot.

3. Add back in veggie mixture and stir. Add salt, pepper, soy sauce, and sriracha to taste.

4. Remove from heat, sprinkle with lime and cilantro & serve.

Irish Lamb Stew

Slow Cooker Irish Lamb Stew

Ingredients:

• Lamb, cubed, about 400 g. (neck is best, but any cut is fine, look for a bits that are a little fatty)
• Bacon (thick cut)
• Beef broth, 1 liter (can cut with water)
• Splash of red wine
• 1 large leek, sliced (can substitute small white onion or shallots)
• 5 small potatoes, sliced/cubed
• 5 large carrots, sliced
• 1 heaping tablespoon thyme
• 1 modest tablespoon rosemary
• Salt and pepper

Steps

1. Cook the bacon a bit, doesn't have to be cooked fully
2. Sear the lamb cubes in the bacon fat to lock in the flavor
3. Cut up the bacon int small chunks
4. Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker
5. Cook on low for 8-10 hours
6. If it's a little soupier than you want after cooking (and you want it a bit more gloppy stew-like), mix corn flour with water to create a paste and then add to pot
7. Serve with a little fresh parsley sprinkled on top

This works totally fine if you skip the bacon. You can just combine everything in the slow cooker

Coconut rice pudding!

Nom nom nom

Ingredients:

• Coconut milk: 1 can (400 ml)
• Water: 1.5 cans (refill the coconut milk can and pour from there, 600ml)
• Rice: 1.5 cups dry white rice
• Vanilla extract: 1/8 teaspoon
• Honey: 3 tablespoon (more to taste-- substitute sugar if you don't want a honey taste/ to make it vegan)
• Cinnamon: 1/2 teaspoon
• Coconut flakes, toasted: 1.5 tablespoons
•  Optional: 
• Almond extract: 1/8 teaspoon
• Almond flakes
• Golden raisins
• Apricots
• Nutmeg
• Cardamon

Steps:

1. Bring water and coconut milk to a boil
2. Add rice
3. Cook for approximately 15 minutes (depending on rice) at a low simmer. Stir occasionally.
4. While rice is cooking, toast coconut and almond flakes on a dry sauce pan until fragrant
5. Add vanilla extract (and almond extract, if desired) and spices, and cook for another 5 minutes
6. Turn off heat but keep on burner, and add the honey. Keep on for another couple minutes.
7. Taste and adjust spices and sweetener
8. Remove from heat entirely and toss in any fruit you want. 
9. Let sit in the fridge for a few hours until cool. 
10. Serve in adorable little bowls with the reserved coconut and almonds sprinkled on top, maybe even a touch more cinnamon if you're feeling crazy.

Great for dinner parties: Fairly healthy a far as desserts go, completely vegan, able to be made in bulk, lasts up to a week in the fridge so it can be made beforehand

Easy Meal: Poached Eggs and Toast +

My roommate turned me on to this amazing and easy meal with infinite variations. The basics are poached eggs and toast and then you make it interesting.

Poached eggs
Boil water in a deep pan (about 3 inches deep) and add some vinegar. Turn down the heat until just before boiling. Break an egg into a cup. Swirl the water to create a vortex and pour in the egg from the cup. Cook about 5 minutes and then pull out with a slotted spoon and leave on a piece of paper towel to dry.

What goes between the bread and the eggs (and on top!)
- Sautéed spinach
- Butter
- Goat cheese
- Hot sauce
- Mashed avocado with salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper
- Cheddar cheese
- Roasted red peppers (broil until mostly black/crispy, run under cold water and remove skin)

Chicken in Milk

Wanting to feel like a grown-up, I scoured the internet for a recipe for a whole roast chicken. Also not wanting to do too much work, I sought a low-effort dish. Here is the seemingly strange but actually delicious and interesting recipe I found (original recipe), and my suggested variations.

Ingredients
1. Whole chicken
2. Butter
3. Seasonings (salt, pepper, paprika, fresh sage leaves, zest of 2 lemons)
4. 0.5 to 1 onion (I used a red onion)
5. 1 pint (~500mL) milk
6. Optional: garlic, small potatoes, carrots

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. Wash and clean chicken (no yuckies on the inside!) and brown in butter on all sides, using an oven-safe pot that has a lid. As you turn the chicken you can season each side with salt, pepper, and paprika.
3. Before putting it in the oven add fresh sage leaves, lemon zest, coarsely chopped onion, and milk and optional extras (whole garlic cloves still in skins, half a lemon inside the chicken, small whole potatoes and/or chunks of carrot).
4. Cook for 45 minutes with lid on and 45 minutes without lid, basting occasionally.
5. Serve over rice and/or with delicious crusty bread and butter.

Note: The milk will separate into some delicious cheesy curds. It is supposed to do that and the gravy is really good!