Tex-mex feastin’ time y’all ! + recipe for pulled cabbage tostadas !
Tex-mex feast has arrived. It was such a fun thing to cook. I admit being a bit scared of Mexican because it has such a high carb load I wondered how I was going to do it. But, anyway, it’s done and I’m very pleased with the results. The table is now bare after hubby & baby dug in.
Please don’t think we eat this way every night. We just don’t ! Use these recipes are to be used as you will, be it one a week, a few in combo, there is no need to cook up a big feast (unless you want to). However, it was so bloody yummy with them all there in combination with each other, just simply, yum !
There are some recipes with complex-ish processes. You may not get them right first time (by this I mean the tortillas and the cheese mostly). As you probably know by now, I am truly passionate about using the intensive stage to re-learn what goes on the table. The strictness and discipline involved means, I hope, that I can keep these practical, good healthy patterns going rather than return to the junk and crap I was shovelling in before! Hope you enjoy the pics & recipes, keep cooking !
So, for this little feast, in no particular order:
1.Tortillas, fully under 40 BMI intensive friendly, no egg or whites
2. Re-fried beans (using Mung beans sprouts – recipe held back until approval given by Optifast health science team)
3. Taco meat (mushrooms)
4. Cheesey carrot skins including vegan cheese slices
6. Mexican Rice
&
7. Cauliflower Mayonnaise
Please check www.opticook.org for all of the recipes from tonight’s feast as I have done them as separate posts to make it easier to mix’n’match. It was YUM YUM YUM !
All of this was served with a basic seasoned coleslaw and mixed salad of tomatoes, cucumber, red onion and coriander.
Hope you find something you want to try out ! Joni xx
- 1 medium-large head of cauliflower (approx. 6 cups when riced)
- 1 cup of stock
- 1 tsp favourite dry herbs (oregano, basil, cumin, paprika etc.)
- 3 tbs agar-agar
- 1/2 cup cold water + 2 tbs extra
- Spray oil
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 3/4 cup Fountain Good Choice barbecue sauce
- 1/2 cup Fountain Good Choice tomato sauce
- 1 tbs Stevia powder
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar (or other white vinegar)
- 1 long red chilli, finely chopped
- 1/4 of a green cabbage
- Olive oil spray
- 1 cup cauliflower, chopped
- 1 tbs Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp Stevia granules/powder
- 3 tbs lemon juice
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley or dill (optional)
- Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
- In a small blender or bowl using a stick blender, mix together 1/2 cup COLD water and 3 tbs agar-agar. Blend for five minutes. The aim is for them to have an egg white consistency. Place bowl in fridge to let them chill. After five minutes, get them out again, and blend for a further five minutes and place back in the fridge to settle.
- In the meantime, trim the cauliflower, cut it into small pieces and pulse in a food processor in batches until you get a couscous-like consistency. The finer the better.
- Place the cauliflower in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 2 minutes, then stir and microwave again for another 2 minutes. Place the cauliflower in a fine cheesecloth or thin tea towel and squeeze out as much liquid as possible, being careful not to burn yourself. Dishwashing gloves are suggested as it is VERY HOT. This will leave you with approx. 2 1/2 cups of the cauli rice once the water has all been drained.
- To the cauliflower "dough" add your herbs/spices/seasonings and 5 tbs of the agar-agar. Mix thoroughly. Use your hands to shape 6 small "tortillas" on the baking paper.
- Bake for 10 minutes, carefully flip each tortilla, and return to the oven for an additional 10 minutes, or until completely set. Place tortillas in the fridge on a flat tray to activate the agar-agar. The baking process activates the agar-agar.
- Heat a medium-sized frypan on medium. Place a baked tortilla in the pan, pressing down slightly, and brown for 1 to 2 minutes on each side. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
- Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 200°C. Line a large baking tray with baking paper and place in oven to warm.
- Combine barbecue sauce, tomato sauce, vinegar, Stevia, chilli, garlic and paprika in a large bowl to make the smokey marinade. Stir until well mixed. Let it sit out of fridge to combine and settle.
- Meanwhile, slice the cabbage very thinly to resemble the long strands of pulled pork using a sharp knife or a food processor.
- Heat a frypan to medium-high. Spray with some olive oil spray. Stir fry cabbage until well browned and well done. Turn off heat. Add the marinade. Stir until well combined. Tip onto the baking tray and spread thinly, single layer if possible.
- Bake for 15 mins, checking to ensure it isn't burning, although you do want some char to replicate the pork and get the smoky flavour. Take it out, flip it over and mix around, cook for a further 5-10 minutes until it is browned with some burned bits.
- Season and eat with coleslaw or another tex-mex inspired side dish.
- In a saucepan, add cauliflower, cover with water and bring to the boil. Once boiling reduce heat to a simmer, let cook for appox. 15 mins until very soft. Drain well.
- In a mini blender or using a stick blender, blitz until creamy. Add the mustard, Stevia, lemon juice and herbs. Blitz again. Add the oil, a little at a time, blending after each addition until all is used.
- Let cool completely in the fridge, season and enjoy.
- Place a tortilla on the plate,top with the pulled cabbage, then a dribble of the mayonnaise. I added a few strands of cabbage to the top or you could do a few sprigs of fresh coriander.
- Tortillas: If you can eat grain or seeds, these can also be made with flax seeds, soaked for 10 minutes then added to the mix to replace the agar-agar.
