Hatch Chile Pepper Sauce - Version II

This is the second version of my Hatch chile pepper sauce recipe. The first version is here. The recipe below is thicker and contains no fat! It's simply vegetables blended together to make an ideal sauce for pasta or salsa. As the second version doesn't have as much liquid as the first version, the intensity of the spices and chile peppers is stronger. It packs a punch but isn't overwhelming.

Hatch Chile Pepper Sauce - Version II
Makes 4 servings
Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Ingredients:
- 160g / 5.5oz onion, chopped
- 1.5tbsp chili powder
- 2tsp cumin
- 1tsp cayenne pepper
- 110g / 4oz mushrooms, chopped
- 85g / 3oz tomato paste
- 411g / 14.5oz diced tomatoes, no added salt
- 900g / 32oz Hatch green chile peppers, roasted and peeled (see roasting instructions here)

Method:
In a pan sprayed with cooking spray, cook onion and mushrooms for approx. 5 minutes.
Add the spices and tomato paste, plus 60ml/4tbsp water.
In a food processor, blend together the diced tomatoes and roasted green chilies.

Add to the pan and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add all ingredients to the food processor and blend to form a smooth sauce.

Serve over pasta. ENJOY!

Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Nutritional Information:

Hatch Chile Pepper Sauce - Version I

It's Hatch chile pepper season again. Grown in the Hatch Valley of New Mexico, these peppers are a great way to add spice and flavour to many dishes, including pasta and meat sauces, salsa, hummus, enchiladas, mole and casseroles. They can even be used to bake into bread and cookies.

The Hatch Chile Festival website has some interesting facts (including the following:
One fresh medium-sized green chile pod has as much Vitamin C as six oranges) and recipes.

Most recipes featuring hatch chiles require the peppers to be roasted and the skins peeled. I used the oven to roast my peppers, but a grill or BBQ can also be used. I found out the hard way that gloves should be worn when roasting and peeling chile peppers. It's not advisable to rub your eyes - it stings! - and my fingertips feel like they are on fire!

Method:
Wash and dry the peppers. Place on a baking tray.

Roast at 230C / 450F for 10 mins or until skin is charred and blistered, but not blackened, turning halfway.

Place roasted peppers in paper or plastic bag or container. Seal the bag or cover the container and let the peppers steam for 10-15 mins to loosen the peel.
Pull the skin off the peppers, de-seed and chop.

The first version below (second version to follow) contains flour and butter, plus stock to make a more liquidy sauce, which is ideal for using with meat. It takes a little longer to cook as the liquid needs to reduce but this allows time for all the flavours to infuse.

Hatch Chile Pepper Sauce - Version I
Makes 5 servings
Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Ingredients:
- 42g / 3tbsp butter
- 30g / 4tbsp flour
- 160g / 5.5oz onion, chopped
- 1.5tbsp chili powder
- 2tsp cumin
- 1tsp cayenne pepper
- 960ml / 32oz vegetable OR chicken broth, reduced sodium
- 411g / 14.5oz diced tomatoes, no added salt
- 900g / 32oz Hatch green chile peppers, roasted and peeled

Method:
Make roux sauce by melting the butter and whisking in flour. Stir on a low heat for 10 minutes until the roux turns the colour of peanut butter.

In a pan sprayed with cooking spray, cook onion until lightly brown. Add the spices and stock. Bring to a light boil, reduce to simmer and slowly add roux, whisking to blend.

In a food processor, blend together the diced tomatoes and roasted green chilies.

Add to the pan and simmer for 15 minutes.

Serve with lean ground turkey or beef - simply stir the sauce into meat - quinoa or rice and fresh vegetables. ENJOY!

Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Nutritional Information:

Red Kidney Bean Hummus

This hummus/dip recipe is just like my original hummus - which uses chickpeas - but I used a can of red kidney beans instead.
Other varieties I've previously made use black beans, black-eyed peas and cannellini beans (aka white kidney beans).

Red Kidney Bean Hummus
Makes 5 (65g per serving)

Ingredients:
- 440g / 15.5oz / 1 can red kidney beans
- 15ml / 1tbsp bean juice
- 15ml / 1tbsp oil
- 45ml / 3tbsp lemon juice
- 1tsp paprika

Method:

Drain the can of kidney beans, retaining 1 tablespoon of juice.

Add all ingredients to a food processor and blend together.

Spoon into a container for storage.

Serve with chopped vegetables or baked corn tortillas. ENJOY!

Nutritional Information:

Mango Chicken

This mango chicken dish is quick and easy to make. It's different to the Margarita Chicken with Avocado and Mango Salsa I made in July as I cooked everything in one pan. I used canned chicken and added in green vegetables along with the canned tomatoes and fresh mango.

Mango Chicken
Makes 2
Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Ingredients:
- 110g / 4oz onion, chopped
- 2 clove garlic, chopped
- 420g / 15oz chopped tomatoes, no added salt
- 100g / 3.5oz, peas
- 140g / 5 oz pepper, chopped
- 225g / 8oz chicken, cooked (canned or grilled)
- 155g / 5.5oz mango, chopped

Method:
In a pan, cook the onion and garlic with the chopped tomatoes.

Add the peas and pepper and cook for 5 minutes.
Add the cooked chicken.

Add the mango. Stir to combine all ingredients. Serve with rice or blended cauliflower. ENJOY!
Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Nutritional Information:

Cauliflower Omelette

What do you do when you have an abundance of cauliflower? Answer: Blend it up, add some nutritional yeast, vegetables and eggs, and eat it for lunch and dinner!

It's reassuring to read on the internet that 'Cauliflower is the new kale'! According to food trends in 2014, from Canada and the US, everyone is buzzing about this nutritionally dense (high fiber, low fat, low carb) vegetable. Its versatility when cooking allows for some great creativity in the kitchen and some delicious dishes.

I've written several blog entries that feature cauliflower and I'm sure I'll do more in the future.

Cauliflower Omelette
Makes 4
Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Ingredients:
- 110g / 4oz onion, chopped
- 1 clove garlic
- 85g / 3oz mushrooms, chopped
- 100g / 3.5oz broccoli, chopped
- 200g / 7oz cauliflower, blended
- 4 eggs
- 2 egg whites
- 32g / 4tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2tbsp parsley, dried
- ground black pepper

Method:
In a pan, sprayed with cooking spray, cook the onion, garlic and mushrooms for approx. 5 minutes.
Add the broccoli and cauliflower, cover with a lid and steam for 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, beat the eggs and egg whites. Stir in the nutritional yeast, parsley and ground black pepper.

Add the egg mixture to the pan and stir to combine.

Let the omelette cook for several minutes before flipping it or grilling the top side. ENJOY!
Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Nutritional Information:

Tofu Chocolate Mousse

A great protein-packed, egg-free (cholesterol-free) chocolate dessert that provides a good source of calcium. Soft tofu is better than the firm tofu varieties as the water content is higher, giving it a smoother, mousse-like texture.

Soft tofu is great for using in desserts, salad dressings, smoothies, sauces and even as a scrambled egg substitute, in my Tofu Mushroom Tacos recipe.

Tofu Chocolate Mousse 

Makes 4

Ingredients:

- 450g / 16oz tofu, soft

- 80g / 4tbsp honey OR agave nectar

- 30g / 6tbsp cocoa powder, unsweetened

Method:

In a food processor, blend the tofu until smooth.

Add in the honey and cocoa powder and blend to combine.

Spoon into pots and chill in the fridge. 

Serve with chopped cherries or seasonal berries. 

ENJOY!

Nutritional Information:

Banana Walnut Bran Bread

A delicious and nutritious version of traditional banana bread, without any refined sugars or dairy. Unsweetened apple sauce is an excellent substitute for butter and I find the bananas are sweet enough so only 1-2 tablespoons honey is needed. The wheat bran makes a nice change from oats and is an excellent source of fiber. I used Hodgson Mill Unprocessed Wheat Bran. A 15g / 1/4cup serving has 7g fiber, no sugars or fat, no sodium or cholesterol, and only 30 calories. It's quite literally a spoonful of fiber.

Banana Walnut Bran Bread
Makes 8 slices
Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Ingredients:
- 2 ripe bananas, large
- 1tsp vanilla extract
- 40g / 2tbsp honey
- 120g / 4oz applesauce, unsweetened
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 100g / 3.6oz flour
- 80g / 3oz wheat bran, unprocessed
- 2tsp cinnamon
- 1tsp nutmeg (optional)
- 1tsp baking soda
- 1/4tsp salt
- 60ml / 4tbsp water
- 60g / 2oz walnuts

Method:
In a bowl, mash the bananas and add the vanilla extract. Add the honey, applesauce and beaten eggs. Stir to combine.

In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, bran, spices, baking soda and salt.

Chop the walnuts.

Then mix the wet ingredients with the dry. Add the water and walnuts. Stir to combine and pour into a loaf tin, lined with parchment paper.

Bake in the over at 175C / 350F for 60 minutes. Allow to cool on a wire rack before slicing. ENJOY!

Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Nutritional Information:

Cashew Queso

Quick Spanish lesson.
Queso = Cheese.
Chile con Queso = Chile with Cheese.

Chile con queso, also referred to simply as queso, is a popular Tex-Mex dish. It's a creamy cheese dip that also contains chili peppers. It's usually served with tortilla chips and eaten as an appetizer. Traditional cheeses used to make queso include Queso Oaxaca (asadero) and Monterey Jack.
An authentic recipe can be found here. Here are some images from Google.

My cashew queso is cheese-free! Hard to make a cheese dip with the 'queso' but this version is just as creamy and cheesy and perfect for people who don't eat dairy.

Cashew Queso
Makes 10 (50g per serving)
Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Ingredients:
- 112g / 4oz cashews
- 2 cloves garlic

- 60g / 2oz avocado
- 140g / 5oz red pepper, chopped

- 110g / 4oz green pepper, chopped

- 30g / 1oz / 1 jalapeño, chopped
- 30ml / 2tbsp lime juice
- 15ml / 1tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/2tsp cumin
- 64g / 8tbsp nutritional yeast

Method:
In a food processor blend the cashews and garlic.

Add the avocado, chopped red and green pepper, jalapeño, lime juice and apple cider vinegar.
Blend altogether.

Add the cumin and nutritional yeast.

Blend together until smooth and creamy. Serve with baked corn tortillas or chopped vegetables.
ENJOY!

Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Nutritional Information:

Mushroom Spinach Risotto with Peas

This recipe is taken from Gwyneth Paltrow's cookbook, 'It's All Good'. However, I've adapted it slightly, adding in mushrooms instead of leeks, and reducing the amount of oil and broth used to make the dish.

I used to make risotto all the time but haven't bought any arborio rice for ages. I regularly eat brown rice but as arborio is the classic choice for risotto, due to its higher amylopectin starch content and subsequent creaminess.

When making risotto dishes, there's no need to add butter, cream or cheese. By stirring the rice continuously, the dish becomes naturally creamy. I also use vegetable or chicken broth and water instead of white wine, preferring to drink the wine whilst cooking or with the meal!

The herbs used in the risotto, together with the zesty lemon give the dish great flavour and taste. A grilled chicken breast would go perfectly with this dish, adding protein and additional calories to make a full meal.

Mushroom Spinach Risotto with Peas

Makes 4

Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Ingredients: 

- 15ml / 1tbsp olive oil

- 110g / 4oz onions, chopped

- 110g / 4oz mushrooms, chopped

- 2 cloves garlic, crushed

- 2tsp thyme, dried OR 6sprigs fresh

- 1 lemon, zest and juice

- 180g / 6oz arborio rice

- 720ml / 24floz chicken or vegetable broth, reduced sodium

- 240ml / 8floz water

- 120g / 4oz peas

- 2tsp basil, dried OR 3tbsp fresh

- 170g / 6oz spinach

Method: 

In a large saucepan, heat the oil and cook the onions and mushrooms for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme and cook for another couple of minutes.

Turn the heat to high and add the lemon zest and juice along with the rice. Stir for a minute until the lemon juice has been absorbed.
Mix the broth with water and add a cup (240ml) to the saucepan, stirring continuously until all the liquid has been absorbed.

Repeat, adding a cup of liquid at a time and stirring continuously (it should take approx. 5 minutes per cup of liquid). With the last cup of liquid, add the peas to the pan.

Just before the last bit of liquid is absorbed, add the basil and spinach. ENJOY!
Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Nutritional Information: