Lighten Up After the Holidays

Papaya Time!

The big day of feasting is over and now you feel a bit, well, stuffed LOL Time to get back to the routine and lighten up your meals to start of the New Year right. Try this refreshing and simple salad for lunch or dinner. 

 

 



Ingredients for the Salad:

1/4 lb of Small Shrimp, cooked, deveined, cut in half and chilled
1 Green Papaya, peeled, seeded and shredded (use a mandolin or a food processor for this)
1 Carrot, peeled and shredded like the papaya
1/3 Cup Coriander, stems removed, washed well and patted dry
Mint and Thai Basil for garnishing (optional)
Crushed Peanuts (optional)

 

Ingredients for the Dressing:

1 Large Garlic Clove, crushed or minced finely
1 Lime, juiced
1-2 Tbsp Fish Sauce (check your local Asian grocery)
1/2 Tbsp Coconut Sugar
1 Small Red Thai Chili, seeded, and minced finely

 

1. In a large bowl, combine the dressing ingredients until the sugar is dissolved and is a balanced salty-sweet tasting dressing.
2. Add in the salad ingredients, minus the peanuts if you are using them, and toss thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes for the dressing to infuse, or up to 2 hours before serving.
3. When you are ready to serve, you can top with some crushed peanuts for some extra protein.

Beef Up for the Holidays

Beef Up Your Dinner Table!

The big day is almost here and some people are still deciding what to eat with family and friends on Christmas - is it Turkey...again? Why not switch it up and do an awesome (and simple!) roast. It's so easy - from start to finish! Prime Rib Roast is the choice of cut in this recipe below, you want to make sure it has good marbling (there is some fat on it - that's what helps make it juicy and flavourful), and dry-aged if possible.

 

 

 



Ingredients:

1 Prime Rib Roast (size depends on how many you are serving, go for approximately 1lb per person at the raw weight)
Kosher Salt or Sea Salt
Coarse Ground Black Pepper

1. The night before you want to cook your roast, unwrap it and place on a tray in your refrigerator. This will allow the surface to dry out a bit, which will help you the next day when you want to create the nice browning on it.
2. On the day of, about 2 hours before you want to cook your beef, remove it from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature. If the beef is too cold when it is cooked, you will not be able to get an even cooking of the roast.
3. Heat your oven to 450F - yes, this is high, but this will help you get the crusty coating on the outside and keep the juiciness on the inside. Season your beef all over with the salt and pepper.
4. Place your beef on a roasting rack then place in the roasting pan with the fat side up. Place in the 450F oven for about 20 minutes. You are now creating that crust that will hold in all the beef juices.
5. Reduce the oven heat to 325F and cook until the internal temperature is 120F for a beautiful medium-rare roast. This will take from 1 hours to 3 hours depending on the size of your roast. It is usually about 20 minutes for every pound, but always depend on your meat thermometer to help you out.
6. Once your roast is to the correct temperature, remove it from the oven and allow it to rest about 30 minutes with foil covering it. Right now, your meat is still cooking even though it is out of the oven. Therefore, you need to rest it for a bit so that all the juices stay inside and not dry out the meat, which happens if the roast is too hot when it is cut.
7. Serve with some hot horseradish, awesome veggies and some chunky mashed potatoes!

Holiday Dipping Fun!

Dip, Dip, Dip!

Holiday season and entertaining is in full swing with only a week and a bit to go before the big day. So here's a fun chunky salsa and guacamole that will be a hit at any holiday party! Plus they are both super fast and easy to make.

 

 

 

 



Salsa Ingredients:

6 Large Roma Tomatoes, seeds removed, and diced
1/2 Vidalia Onion, diced smaller than the tomato
1-2 Jalapeno Peppers (depending on how spicy you want this to be)
Juice of 1 Lime
1/4 Cup Freshly Chopped Cilantro
Sea Salt and Pepper

1. Combine the tomatoes, onion, and jalapenos together; then add in the lime and cilantro, continuing to mix thoroughly.
2. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

 



Holy Guacamole:

6 Ripe, but not too soft, Avocados
10 Cherry Tomatoes, finely chopped
4 Cloves Garlic, minced well
Juice of 2 Limes
1/4 Cup Freshly Chopped Cilantro
Sea Salt and Pepper
1 Jalapeno, diced (optional)

1. In a large bowl that fits all of the avocados, using a fork, mash the avocados until it is smooth, yet still chunky.
2. Add in the tomato, garlic, lime juice, and cilantro until combined well.
3. Season with salt and pepper and toss in jalapenos if desired - ready to serve!