Roasted Frozen Artichokes ****

 I made a recipe that called for 1 bag of frozen artichokes, and baking at 400 degrees for 25 minutes.  I tasted a couple and liked the ones that were more crunchy better than the ones that were soft.  I cooked them for another 10 minutes, followed by another 8 minutes.  Results were inconsistent, due to varying sizes of artichokes.  I'm going to try cooking them following this recipe next time.  They almost taste like cooked potatoes or fries, except that the softer ones had a weird artichokey after taste.  

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• 2 12-ounce bags frozen artichoke hearts
• ▢2 Tbsp olive oil
• ▢2 tsp sea salt 

1. Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, then top with a wire rack.
2. In a medium bowl, add frozen artichoke hearts. Drizzle on olive oil and toss to coat.  
3. Arrange frozen artichoke hearts in an even layer on the wire rack. Season with salt.
4. Roast for 40-50 minutes (if thawed) or 60-65 minutes (if frozen) until crispy and golden brown. No need to turn the artichokes while roasting.

https://www.tasteslovely.com/whole30-keto-roasted-artichoke-hearts-from-frozen/#recipe

First recipe I tried:

https://delightfulmomfood.com/roasted-artichoke-hearts-frozen-artichokes/#recipe

How to Cook Quail Eggs *****

 Took a long time to come to a boil.  These were good but were definitely hard-boiled.  I would have preferred the yolks a little less done.

Ingredients

  

• 30 quail eggs
• 1 tsp white vinegar

Instructions

 

• Place the quail eggs in a small saucepan.
• Cover them with cold water and add the vinegar and stir.
• Bring the water to a boil over low heat.
• When the water begins boiling, set a timer for 4 minutes.
• After 4 minutes, turn off the heat and let the eggs sit in the hot water another 2 minutes. (Set a timer!)
• In the meantime, add about 10 ice cubes to a bowl and cover them with cool water to prepare the ice water bath. Set it aside.
• After 2 minutes, remove the eggs from the hot water and shock them the ice water bath to stop the cooking process.
• Once cooled, peel gently.

Notes

How to peel: Roll the eggs on the countertop to crack the skin. Pinch the bottom of the cracked shell (there will be an air pocket here) under cold running water and gently remove the membrane and shell together.

How to store: Keep hard boiled quail eggs in the refrigerator for up to a week.

https://braziliankitchenabroad.com/how-to-cook-quail-eggs/#recipe

Chicken Thighs in the Instant Pot *****

11/16/23

Chicken Thighs

1 pkg frozen Chicken Thighs

Avocado Oil

Cumin

Garlic Powder

Onion Powder

Oregano

Smoked Paprika

Himalayan Pink Salt

Cook thighs in the Instant Pot with 1 cup of water for 8 minutes

Allow pressure to come down naturally

Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces

Heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Add oil and allow to get hot.

Add chicken thighs and season with herbs, spices, and sea salt.

Caramelized Shallots *****

 

8 large shallots

2 Tbsp avocado oil

2 Tbsp butter

Peel and slice shallots

Heat oil and butter in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat.

Add shallots and a pinch of salt to boost caramelization. Cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring frequently, until golden brown

Air Fryer Crispy Shallots ***

 Very good.  Remove from air fryer immediately when done so they don't burn.  The second time I made this, the shallots cooked unevenly.  Some were too dark and bitter, while others weren't browned at all.  I decided to just stick with regular caramelized shallots.

Ingredients

• ▢Shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
• ▢Avocado Oil 
• ▢Sea Salt to taste

Instructions

• Cut the ends off of the shallots and peel the papery skin. I sliced the shallots in half first, as it made the peeling much easier.
• Use a mandolin or sharp knife to make thin, uniform slices from the shallots. The mandolin is perfect for this, but a sharp knife works if you are careful. The key is to make sure they are sliced uniformly thin.
• Spray the shallots lightly with avocado oil. You don't need much at all.
• Lay the slices on the air fryer tray or basket. Set the air fryer to 250 degrees for 10 minute intervals. Mine were toasty brown at the end of 30 minutes.
• Store in an airtight container in your panty.

Notes

Safe Storage: Store these in an airtight container in your pantry.  If you see any purple left after you are done, please eat these the same day and don’t try to store them in the pantry. The fact that there is still purple says they they didn’t crisp up 100% which means there is still fluid left in there and it could spoil and become rancid. Look at the first picture of this blog post and you can see there is a little purple in the bigger pieces, don’t put them in an air tight container. Either eat them the same day or cook them longer.

Don’t Overcrowd: Don’t overcrowd the tray or the basket. These are so small and thin that it won’t cause major issues, but you don’t want to impede the airflow. If you think you overfilled it, just remove some and finish this in batches. No biggie!

Salt: Sprinkle the freshly cut shallots with a pinch of sea salt. I wrote the recipe without doing that, but sprinkle a little on a few. The sweet shallot flavor works insanely good with a little salt. 

Oil: Do not use much spray oil. These take just an extremely light spray. If you use more, they will turn out a bit greasy and soggy. 

Olive Oil Spray: You can substitute olive oil spray instead of avocado. 

Don’t Use Non Stick Spray: They can damage the inside of the air fryers so skip it. 

https://savorandsavvy.com/air-fryer-crispy-shallots/#recipe

Blueberry Chia Seed Pudding *****

 

Ingredients

• 1 cup coconut milk
• ½ cup blueberries 
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• 1/8 tsp powdered monk fruit
• A few drops liquid monk fruit, opt.
• 3 Tbsp chia seeds

Instructions

• Add coconut milk, blueberries, monk fruit, and vanilla to a blender and blend until smooth and combined.
• Add blueberry milk to a mason jar and stir in chia seeds. Let sit for 5 minutes then stir the mixture again to get out any clumps that may have formed. Place mixture in the fridge to set, at least 30 minutes but up to 12 hours.
• When ready to enjoy, top with fresh blueberries.

https://www.eatingbirdfood.com/blueberry-chia-pudding/#wprm-recipe-container-145618

Chia Hemp Seed Pudding

 

• 1 cup coconut milk
• 3 Tbsp chia seeds
• 1 Tbsp hulled hemp seeds
• Monk fruit or honey to taste
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, opt.
• Organic berries (avoid strawberries)

Instructions

• Add coconut milk to a blender cup, then add chia seeds, hemp seeds, sweetener and spice. Blend until combined.
• Pour the chia hemp mixture into a mason jar or other glass container, and refrigerate for 1-2 hours, stirring once after 30 minutes.
• Top with blueberries and/or other fruit before serving.

https://www.throughthefibrofog.com/chia-hemp-seed-pudding/