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Jackfruit Recipe Meatless Chicken Tikka Masala

04/07/202401/06/2018 by Chef Buck

Chicken tikka masala is one of the most popular Indian inspired dishes in the world, because it’s fantastic, but you can easily make a tasty and meatless version of a tikka masala using this canned jackfruit recipe. Young green jackfruit is versatile and very easy to use. Green jackfruit’s mild flavor and rich texture make young green jackfruit an excellent faux meat. It’s popular in mock BBQ pork dishes, and also a favorite of my own in a meatless breakfast hash. When seasoned and baked in the oven, jackfruit handily mimics the texture of baked chicken, and it makes an ideal substitute in this tikka masala recipe. I’m using as few ingredients as I can in order to make this jackfruit recipe super easy.

Ingredients for a Meatless Tikka Masala Jackfruit Recipe

1 20oz can JACKFRUIT (use only young green jackfruit! …don’t buy sweet ripe jackfruit in syrup!)
15oz can TOMATO SAUCE
15oz can CRUSHED TOMATO
½ cup PLAIN GREEK YOGURT
1 medium chopped ONION
6-8 cloves finely chopped GARLIC
1 tsp CUMIN SEEDS
2-3 Tbsp pre-mixed CURRY (or make your own!)
SALT to taste
½ tsp CHILI POWDER
1 tsp GARLIC POWDER
OIL for sauteing
CILANTRO or green onion

How to Make a Meatless Chicken Tikka Masala with Jackfruit

For this jackfruit recipe, rinse and drain the jackfruit and cut into smaller, bite-sizes. You can buy jackfruit online. Check current canned jackfruit prices on Amazon.
In a bowl, toss the jackfruit with chili and garlic powder.
Spread the seasoned jackfruit out on a lightly greased baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit
for about 20 minutes.
In a skillet, heat oil on medium high heat.
When the oil is heated, add the cumin seeds, stir and allow to simmer for just a few moments.
Once the seeds begin to crack, add the finely chopped garlic.
Saute for a few moments and add in the onion.
Reduce the heat to medium and stir for approx. 2-3 minutes and add the curry powder. Use a premixed curry, or your own mixture. Mix well and continue to saute for 1-2 more minutes.
Add in the canned tomatoes. Mix well, raise the temperature and allow the ingredients to come to a bubble.
Reduce the pot to a simmer, cover, and allow cooking for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, turn the heat off.
Blend the ingedients in the pot smooth with a hand blender; this step isn’t crucial, but it will help give the dish the creaminess of a restaurant style chicken tikka masala.
Stir in yogurt and mix well.
Add in the baked jackfruit and mix well.
Serve with rice or on its own.
Garnish with fresh coriander leaves or chopped green onion tops.

Give this easy meatless “chicken” tikka masala recipe a try and let me know what you think. If you’re a fan of chicken tikka masala, definitely try this jackfruit recipe version out.
The dish cooks up super quick with much less effort than you need to make a traditional chicken tikka masala, and I think you will be very happy with this meatless version. Cook it up and try it out on your friends and family–don’t tell them it’s jackfruit!–tell them it’s chicken tikka masala and see if they notice the difference.

For more easy Indian recipe ideas, check out my Complete Indian Meal Tutorial where I cook up an entire dinner.

Thanks for checking out the canned jackfruit recipe, and all of our recipes.

Be sure and sign up for our mailing list to never miss a new cooking video, and also click a button below and share the dishes with your friends, and follow Chef Buck on Youtube. We appreciate all the kind comments and support, and we’ll see you next time in the kitchen!

If you like what CG and I do, support us on Patreon, or throw a tip in our Paypal Tip Jar We’ll happily enjoy a coffee on the road, or maybe even pay a bill or two!–Thanks! We appreciate all the support, and we’ll see you next time in the kitchen!

We include affiliate links for products on our website, so if you make a purchase after clicking on our links, we may earn a commission which helps us produce more videos and drink more coffee :^) We participate in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, which is an affiliate advertising program providing a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites, so we can make more videos.

Easy Kale Recipe Idea — Mexican Kale

04/26/202106/06/2017 by Chef Buck

Here’s an easy kale recipe with a South of the border flair. We make a lot of dishes with fresh kale. Kale is a versatile, nutrient packed leafy green that we alternate often with spinach. Spinach and kale are interchangeable in most recipes. We call this recipe Mexican Kale since it has corn, beans, and cilantro, with spices that lend it a flavor you might find in a healthy restaurant featuring a Southwestern style menu.

Ingredients for Easy Kale Recipe

8-10 KALE leaves and stems
1 bunch CILANTRO chop and roughly divide leaves and stems
1 large ONION chopped
1 RED BELL PEPPER chopped
5 cloves GARLIC finely chopped
14oz can CORN rinsed and drained
15oz can BLACK BEANS rinsed and drained
1 tsp CHILI POWDER
2 tsp CUMIN POWDER
SALT and PEPPER to taste
OIL for sauteing

How to Make Mexican Kale

Wash kale thoroughly; kale leaves can hold a lot of dirt and grit in the leaves!
Separate the kale leaves from the stem.
Tear or chop the leaves into rough salad sizes, and chop the stems into ¼ inch pieces, or smaller.
Set stem pieces aside, and in a bowl, massage the kale leaves with about about a ¼ tsp of salt, or less.
Set kale aside.
Heat a skillet with oil on medium high heat.
When hot, add the onion, bell pepper, and kale stems and saute for 4-5 minutes.
Add in the corn, beans, cilantro stems, and garlic.
Add in the seasonings, but go lightly on the salt, since salt has already been added to the kale leaves.
Mix ingredients well, cover and continue cooking 3-4 minutes.
Remove the skillet lid and top the skillet mixture with the cilantro and kale leaves. Spread leaves evenly.
Replace the lid, turn off the heat, and let the leaves steam for 3-5 minutes.
Uncover, mix well, and serve hot as a healthy side dish or entree.

That’s it, hope you like it.

Give this Mexican kale recipe a try and let me know what you think. For more easy kale recipe ideas, check out KALE RECIPE PLAYLIST.

Thanks for watching. If this easy kale recipe was helpful, please click a button or two below and share it with your friends, I appreciate it!
— Chef Buck

Cook Spaghetti Squash for a Healthy, Low-fat Diet

06/13/201905/06/2016 by Chef Buck

Cook spaghetti squash for a healthy addition to a low-fat diet. It’s mild flavor and hardy texture makes spaghetti squash ideal for a variety of recipes.

How to cook Spaghetti Squash

This is a basic spaghetti squash recipe :
Slice squash into halves.
Place cut sides down in shallow water in a roasting pan.
Bake for about 45 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Remove squash from the oven and carefully turn halves over to check for doneness –the water will be hot and steam will be trapped under the squash, so be cautious.
Allow squash to sit 5-10 minutes to cool slightly for easier handling.
With a fork or spoon, remove the meat of the squash.
The squash will pull away into strands that resemble spaghetti, although this squash will taste nothing like spaghetti.

Here’s one of my favorite spaghetti squash recipes —

Mediterranean Spaghetti Squash Recipe

This dish is super tasty, and I can eat way too much without feeling too guilty. Watch the video and learn how to easily cook this squash. It’s a terrific ingredient; delicious and healthy. This Mediterranean style recipe is just one of many ways to use this versatile vegetable. Give it a try!

Spaghetti Squash Recipe Ingredients:

1 medium SPAGHETTI SQUASH

1 Tbsp OLIVE OIL

1 large ONION (chopped)

4-6 cloves GARLIC (finely chopped)

½ RED BELL PEPPER (sliced)

1 14 oz can ARTICHOKE HEARTS in water (chopped)

1 cup OLIVES, and olive juice to taste (chopped)

¾ to 1 cup PARMESAN CHEESE (shredded or grated)

1 tsp OREGANO

½ tsp THYME

1 tsp BASIL

SALT and PEPPER to taste

How to Make this Spaghetti Squash Recipe

Preheat oven to 350.

Cut spaghetti squash in half, lengthwise (a good, sharp knife will be nice). Place each side, cut side down, in a shallow pan with about ¾ c water. Cook spaghetti squash uncovered for 45 minutes. Set aside to cool squash halves–enough to handle without causing death to the handler–but not completely cool.

You have time to chop up all your ingredients while the squash cooks. For the artichoke, you may want to remove some of the outer, tougher leaves.

For each half, use a spoon to scrape out and discard the seeds and dark center strings. Use a fork to scrape out the squash into ‘spaghetti-like’ strands.

Heat oil over medium high heat. Saute onion and garlic 4-6 minutes. Add bell pepper. Turn heat to low, stir and cover for 2-4 minutes. Uncover, stir in spaghetti squash and remaining ingredients. Cover and cook til all ingredients are warm, about 7-10 minutes

Add 1 Tbsp of olive juice and any other seasonings to taste. Serve warm. And a little toasted bread on the side won’t hurt.

Give this spaghetti squash recipe a try and let me know what you think, and…

Bon appétit!

And for another great spaghetti squash recipe, try this Spanish-style Spaghetti Squash.

Thanks for watching, sharing, and subscribing to my videos, I appreciate it!

Crispy Salmon Recipe – How to Cook Salmon

11/18/202204/01/2016 by Chef Buck

This crispy salmon recipe is delicious. Cooking salmon with a crispy skin adds great texture and flavor. Keep it simple; all you need is a little oil, salt, and pepper to cook up this tasty fish dinner. Give this super easy crispy salmon dish a try…it’s a winner.

How to Cook A Crispy Salmon Recipe

SALMON FILET w/ skin on
OLIVE OIL
SALT and PEPPER to taste
OIL for frying

Wash the salmon filet and pat dry with a paper towel.
If your cut of fish has pin bones, remove them.
Coat the salmon with olive oil, skin side as well.
Generously season fish with salt and pepper.
Using an oven safe skillet, on medium high heat, heat a little oil on the stove top. Check current prices for a stove top and oven safe cast iron skillet on Amazon.
When the oil is hot, add the salmon fillet skin side down and cook for 2-4 minutes –adjust time depending on the size of the fillet.
Transfer the skillet to the oven and continue cooking the salmon under the broiler for 1-3 minutes.
Remove the skillet from the stove and transfer salmon fillet to a plate, skin-side up …resting the fish skin-side down will cause the skin to lose it’s crispiness!

Give this simple crispy salmon recipe a try and let me know what you think, and bon appétit!

And don’t just cook salmon this way! Any tasty fillet of fish with skin on can be prepared in this manner. To appreciate fresh fish, keep it simple.

And for another tasty fish dish, try this healthy baked cod recipe.

baked fish recipe — oven baked fish fillets

Thanks for Watching our Videos!

Thanks for checking out our crispy salmon recipe. Sign up for our mailing list so you’ll never miss a new recipe. Also click a button below and share the dishes with your friends. You can also follow Chef Buck on Youtube. We appreciate all the kind comments and support, and we’ll see you next time in the kitchen!

If you like what CG and I do, support us on Patreon, or throw us a tip in our Paypal Tip Jar. We’ll happily enjoy a coffee on the road – Thanks! We appreciate all the support, and we’ll see you next time in the kitchen!

We include affiliate links for products on our website. Making a purchase after clicking on our links and we may earn a commission which helps us produce more videos and drink more coffee :^) We participate in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, which is an affiliate advertising program. It provides a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites, so we can make more videos.

Best Southwestern Quinoa Salad Recipe

06/13/202403/25/2016 by Chef Buck

Everywhere you turn, there’s a Southwestern quinoa salad, and for good reason. It’s delicious, easy to make, and a great choice for a healthy meal. Since quinoa is a complete protein, this Southwestern inspired salad makes an ideal vegetarian recipe, doubly so since this quinoa is paired with black beans.

What you need to make a Southwestern Quinoa Salad

2 cups COOKED QUINOA (check current prices for QUINOA on Amazon)
1 15 oz can BLACK BEANS
10-15 sliced CHERRY TOMATOES
1 AVOCADO
½ diced YELLOW BELL PEPPER
3-5 chopped GREEN ONIONS
¼ cup chopped, pickled JALAPENO
½ cup chopped CILANTRO
1 LEMON …juice and zest
2 Tbsp OLIVE OIL
SALT and PEPPER to taste

How to make a Southwest Quinoa Salad

Cook up the quinoa just like rice: 1 part quinoa to 2 parts water, bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until the water is absorbed. Fluff the quinoa and then set aside uncovered to cool.

While the quinoa cools, prepare the veggies:

Dice ½ a yellow bell pepper, or any color pepper, but if you’re like me and you’re making a corn-free southwest quinoa salad, then using a yellow pepper will make your quinoa salad more lovely to look at. Slice some cherry tomatoes. Cherry tomatoes have a great flavor, and the hardiness of the tiny tomato makes it the perfect choice for a salad.

Remove and mince the zest from 1 small lemon, and then slice the lemon in half. Check current prices for a lemon zester on Amazon.

Chop up some green onions, and cilantro. If you like a little heat, chop up some pickled jalapeno, too, and reserve a Tbsp of the jalapeno pickling juice for added kick and flavor.

When the quinoa cools:

Add 2 cups of the cooked quinoa to a large mixing bowl.
Rinse and drain the black beans and add them to the bowl.
Add the yellow pepper, jalapeno pepper, onion, cilantro, lemon zest, olive oil, juice from half the lemon, and salt and pepper.
Mix ingredients thoroughly.
Add tomato.
Slice avocado and add to salad.
Take the remaining lemon half and squeeze its juice over the cut avocado, this will preserve the vibrancy of the avocado.

Gently mix the salad and serve.

This Southwestern quinoa tastes great on it’s own, as a healthy side dish, or served over a bed of fresh greens for a super salad topping.

Give healthy southwest quinoa salad recipe a try and let me know what you think, and bon appétit!

For another healthy option with a southwestern flair, check out out this meat-free Vegetarian Chili Recipe that even carnivores will love.

Thanks for Watching our Quinoa Recipe Video!

Click a button below and share the dishes with your friends. You can also follow Chef Buck on Youtube. We appreciate all the kind comments and support, and we’ll see you next time in the kitchen!

If you’re new to home cooking, get a bunch of spices, pots and pans, and start experimenting with different recipes. It’s a healthy hobby that can save a lot of money in the long run. Check out current prices for Complete Kitchenware Sets on Amazon as well as Complete Starter Spice Kits. Or try a thrift store! I’ve found some of my favorite kitchen gear at second-hand stores.

Popcorn : How To Cook Popcorn On The Stove Top

06/13/201905/29/2015 by Chef Buck

90% of all U.S. households have a microwave oven, but we don’t, so when we make popcorn, it’s on the stove top. Generally we buy the store brand, it’s considerably cheaper than name brand popcorn, and we find it offers the same result.
We cook popcorn in coconut oil. Coconut oil has a high heat point and retains it’s nutritional value when heated.
We like to add flavorings, too. My favorite is grated Parmesan cheese. Of course we always add butter and salt, but I’ve found that fresh ground black pepper is a great addition as well.

How to Cook Popcorn on the Stove top:

1) On Medium Heat, add 2 Tbsp of coconut oil in a heavy bottomed pot.

2) Add a couple of test corn kernels into the pot.

3) When the oil heats through, and the test kernels have popped, add ½ cup of popcorn kernels.

4) Shake the pan to distribute the kernels along the bottom of the pan. They should form a single layer.

5) Cover the pot with a lid, but don’t cover tightly, leave the lid slightly ajar to allow steam to escape; this will keep the popcorn from tasting stale.

6) Allow the kernels to pop until the popping sound almost completely subsides.

7) Once popped, removed pot from burner and pour popcorn into a bowl.

8) While hot, add melted butter and salt and whatever seasonings you desire.

and that’s it!

Below is a video we made experimenting with bacon, but I think I prefer basic popcorn, although the fresh ground black pepper tasted awesome.

Fun Facts:

–Two tablespoons of unpopped corn kernels produce a quart of popcorn for about 25 cents.
–In movie theaters, for every dollar spent on popcorn, about 90 cents is profit.
–A cup of plain popcorn contains about 31 calories.
–Americans eat more popcorn than any other country.
–About 70% of popcorn sold in America is eaten in the home.
–By volume, popcorn is America’s most popular snack food.

For another tasty snack idea, check out these Cashew Coconut Lemon Bites

energy snack — power snack in a yummy treat!

Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe for Cakes…and cupcakes

06/13/201903/06/2015 by Chef Buck

Need an easy, super tasty cake frosting? This cake frosting recipe is ready in minutes and makes the perfect icing for cake (and cupcake!) perfection! It’s an especially great balance for a chocolate cake. You can make this frosting as thick or thin as you like, just add more powdered sugar to thicken, and more milk to thin, but add the milk just a wee little at a time–it doesn’t take much.

Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe Ingredients:

8oz CREAM CHEESE, softened
¼ cup unsalted BUTTER, softened
2 cups POWDERED SUGAR
1 tsp VANILLA EXTRACT
1 Tbsp MILK

Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe Directions:

About an hour ahead of time, set out the cream cheese and butter to soften.
In a bowl, combine cream cheese, butter, and vanilla extract and blend with hand mixer.
Once ingredients begin to come together, add in the powdered sugar. Add the sugar a bit at a time to avoid a sugary blending mess.
Mix until the frosting is smooth. To thin the frosting add a small amount of milk–no more than a Tablespoon at a time! For a thicker frosting,
just add more powdered sugar.
And that’s it.
Spread on your dessert and eat away!

Give this cream cheese frosting recipe a go and let me know what you think, and bon appétit!

And for more tasty dessert ideas, check out these tasty treats:

baked pears — click the pic for more desserts!

“Life is uncertain. Eat dessert first.” ~Ernestine Ulmer
“If you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe.” ~Carl Sagan
“Seize the moment. Remember all those women on the Titanic who waved off the dessert cart.” ~Erma Bombeck

French Toast with Cream Cheese Filling

06/12/202301/23/2015 by Chef Buck

Why have Plain French Toast when you can have French Toast with a cream cheese filling? A little creamy cheese and cinnamon ginger apples can transform your breakfast into a 10-year old’s dream breakfast.

French Toast Ingredients:

BREAD (sliced, stale)
1½ cups MILK
4 EGGS
BUTTER for frying, and apples
APPLES (peeled, sliced)
CANDIED GINGER (sliced)
WALNUTS (toasted)
8 oz CREAM CHEESE (soft)
15 oz RICOTTA CHEESE
CINNAMON (to taste)
optional: sugar and vanilla

French Toast Directions:

Stale bread makes great French toast, so slicing bread ahead of time is a great idea; at least a few hours ahead of time, but ideally overnight. Stale bread will soak up the French toast batter without becoming overly soggy and falling apart, especially if you’re using thinner slices of bread, and the thinner or thicker the slices will depend on your particular tastes. This French toast recipe doesn’t need thicker slices, since you’re basically building a French toast sandwich; I’m using thicker slices of challa bread for this video, but I often use regular slices of Hawaiian sweet bread, which works great.

Mix the cream cheese and ricotta cheese together. Be sure to set your cream cheese out ahead of time to soften, this will make mixing it with the ricotta cheese much easier. I’ll often mix these ingredients ahead of time. If making a smaller amount, the cheese mix is about a 2 to 1 ratio of ricotta to cream cheese. I sometimes add a tsp. or two of sugar to the cheese mix, but this is optional; I prefer it without the added sugar, since the apple mix will be quite sweet.

Any leftover cream/ricotta mix can be used as dessert topping, and makes a tasty filling for omelets. I generally make too much apple mix, but that’s a good thing, too. I’m generous with the apple topping, and any leftover apple mix is a perfect topping for oatmeal or ice cream.

To make the apple mix, peel, slice, and remove the cores of the apples. Apples vary quite a bit in size, but I usually end up with about 4-6 cups of apple slices, and I generally use gala or Fuji apples, which take little time to cook down.

Melt about 2 Tbsp of butter in a pot and add apples. Mix with butter and cook over medium heat. Add candied ginger slices; I think ½ to 1 cup is a good amount of candied ginger, but there is no wrong amount, follow your gut. Add 1-2 Tbsp of sugar and cinnamon to taste, Mix and cover and cook about 20 minutes, until apples soften and get juicy. For extra liquidy goodness, stir in about ¼ cup water. You want the apples to be a little syrupy, that way you won’t have to use any maple syrup with the French toast. Once the apples are cooked to your liking, cover and set aside.

Mix the French toast batter. A basic batter is eggs and milk, and I’m also adding cinnamon, but often folks will add a little sugar or vanilla extract. I don’t add vanilla or sugar to the batter with this particular dish, because the creamy cheese center and apple-ginger topping will add more than enough flavor. In a bowl, combine the milk, eggs, and cinnamon to taste (½ tsp is a good amount). Whisk together well and then pour some into a shallow bowl–or all–it depend on the size of your shallow bowl; you don’t want the batter to be so deep that it runs into the cheesy part of your French toast sandwich.

To build the French toast sandwich, simply spread the cheese mixture onto a slice of bread and top with another slice, making a basic cheese sandwich.

You can also add toasted walnuts into the sandwich for a nice crunch, or simply top the toast later with toasted nuts, but definitely add nuts at some point, cause the crunchy contrast makes the dish perfect, and toasted walnuts are awesome.
To toast the walnuts: spread walnuts on a baking sheet and roast at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 5-7 minutes. It won’t take long. As soon as the nuts begin to color up, remove them from the oven; they will burn if ignored, so set a timer and watch them closely. Taking the time to toast the walnuts is well worth the effort…it’s a great taste.

Once you’ve constructed the cheesy French toast sandwich, heat a little butter in a non-stick skillet on medium heat. Check current prices for a Non-Stick Skillet on Amazon.
Place the sandwich in the batter and let soak a moment and then turn and batter the other side.
Place sandwich in the skillet and cook on medium heat until golden brown, turn and cook other side and remove from the heat.
Slice French toast and then top with apples and walnuts (a dusting of powdered sugar is optional). For a splash of color, add fresh berries or mint.

Serve this cheese stuffed French toast with maple syrup, or without–I find the cooked apples to be syrupy enough, and the warm cheesy center keeps the French toast from being too dry.

It’s a super delicious dish and a great treat for company.

Give this fancy pants Cream Cheese French Toast recipe a try and let me know what you think, and bon appétit!

And for another fancy pants breakfast dish, try this Pancake Recipe.

Fancy pancakes are easy to make. — Fancy pancakes are easy to make, and better looking, too.

Thanks for Watching our French Toast Recipe Video!

Click a button below and share the dishes with your friends. You can also follow Chef Buck on Youtube. We appreciate all the kind comments and support, and we’ll see you next time in the kitchen!

Fried Quinoa Recipe — Quinoa Fried “Rice”

06/13/201909/02/2014 by Chef Buck

This fried quinoa recipe is a quick and tasty take on Chinese fried rice. Quinoa makes a great substitute for rice in many recipes, especially quinoa fried “rice”. Quinoa is a complete protein, which makes this dish a complete meal, even if you leave out the egg–which is an easy way to make this a vegetarian recipe. Of course you can go the other route and throw in a little diced pork chop or ham if you like, but I’m quite happy with just a couple scrambled eggs thrown in.

Fried Quinoa Recipe Ingredients:
1 cup QUINOA (before cooking)
1 cup PEAS
1 CARROT (diced)
4-6 GREEN ONIONS (chopped, tops separate)
3-5 cloves GARLIC (finely chopped)
2 Tbsp GINGER (finely chopped)
HOT PEPPERS (as desired, finely chopped)
2 EGGS (scrambled)
2-3 Tbsp OIL for sautéing
SOY SAUCE as desired
SESAME OIL 1-2 tsp
SALT and PEPPER to taste

Fried Quinoa Recipe Directions:
This is a great dish for leftover quinoa. The next time you’re making a pot of quinoa for another recipe, just make a little extra for this fried rice recipe knockoff! But if you don’t have any leftover
cooked quinoa handy, just prepare this quinoa a little ahead of time to give it time to cool down–this will keep the quinoa from easily overcooking and becoming mushy.

Quinoa is easy to prepare–just like rice, in fact! Rinse the quinoa if needed (many brands come pre-rinsed). In a pot, add 1 cup quinoa to 2 cups water. Bring the pot to a boil, reduce pot to a
simmer, and then cover and let cook 13 minutes (this will result in slightly al-dente quinoa, which is what you want for frying). Remove the quinoa from the heat and let sit for 10 minutes.
Then fluff with a fork and allow to cool completely (salt if desired).

For fried rice, I like to scramble my eggs first and then set aside. I Use two eggs for this recipe, but feel free to use 1, or 3, or none if you want a vegetarian fried quinoa. Whisk the eggs (add a
splash of milk if desired–makes scrambled eggs smoother). Heat oil in a skillet and quickly scramble eggs on med-high heat and then set aside for later.

In a large skillet, heat 2-3 Tbsp oil on medium.

Add raw, diced carrots (should be about pea size). Add chopped hot peppers, too–if desired. I like adding a little fresh red chili peppers for taste, but jalapenos would work just as well, or red
pepper flakes, or even just a little sriracha later, if desired–or no heat at all–it’s up to your tastes; follow your heart, but spicy food is good for you, right?

Sauté the carrot and peppers for a minute and then add the ginger, garlic, and chopped green onion bottoms (reserve the chopped tops for a flavorful garnish).

Continue sautéing another minute and then add in the quinoa. Stir fry until heated through, this won’t take very long.

Add sesame oil and peas. I like to use frozen peas (thawed), because they hold their texture better than canned peas. Stir until mixed. Add soy sauce to taste. Add fish sauce if desired. The
sauces will provide plenty of salt, but if you want a little black pepper, go ahead and throw that in now.

Mix up and then add the scrambled egg. Mix and fry for another minute and then remove from the heat.

That’s it.

This dish is ready pretty quick. Top the fried quinoa with chopped green onion, crushed peanuts, or both. Serve fried quinoa it’s own or with a veggie side (broccoli or bok choy or Thai eggplant
are nice).

Give this Fried Quinoa recipe a try and let me know what you think, and bon appétit!
And for more tasty quinoa dishes, check out my Quinoa Video Playlist.

Boiled Peanut Recipe – A Southern Tradition

04/26/202108/28/2014 by Chef Buck

This boiled peanut recipe is a southern tradition and a delicious mess. You can readily find boiled peanuts sold along roadsides throughout the Southern USA. Boiled peanuts are a messy treat–and a little bit of work to eat–they’re kinda like eating pistachios in a soggy shell (not taste-wise, just work-wise). I love ’em–I don’t make them, ’cause I’m too lazy–but I’m always happy to eat them when CG boils up a batch, especially if she’s digging them out of the shells for me.

Boiled Peanut Recipe Ingredients

3 lbs RAW “green” PEANUTS
½ cup SALT
optional:
BAY LEAVES
CHILI POWDER
GARLIC fresh or dried
HOT PEPPERS fresh or dried
HOT SAUCE
flavored BOULLION (broth)
…pretty much any seasoning that you like!

southern boiled peanuts — southern style boiled peanuts

How to make a Boiled Peanut Recipe

Ideally you want to use raw “green” peanuts. Green peanuts are not green, that just means they’re minimally processed–pretty much just out of the ground. Use green peanuts quickly, because they will not keep long and are prone to mold. Green peanuts are ideal because they will more quickly and most readily absorb the seasonings during the boil. You can use peanuts that have been dried in the shell, but don’t use roasted peanuts.

Wash and rinse the peanuts thoroughly, and then place them in a large pot and cover with plenty of water.

Place on the stovetop, cover and bring the pot to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and allow the peanuts to cook for 2 hours. Add more water to the pot as needed. The peanuts should always be covered in plenty of water. At first the peanuts will float, but after time, the peanuts will sink.

After 2 hours, add seasonings (it’s in the latter part of the boil that the peanuts absorb the most flavor). Add salt, which is the primary ingredient–in fact salt is all you need; many folks JUST USE SALT–they’re plenty tasty that way, but we prefer to add other seasonings as well, which is generally called “cajun boiled peanuts”. For this batch we added several cloves of raw garlic, dried chili peppers, and ½ cup chili powder. But you can add whatever seasonings you like.

If you’re just getting into home cooking and don’t have a lot of seasoning choices, you can check out current pricing for a Complete Starter Spice Set on Amazon.

Cover, and allow the peanuts to continue bubbling on medium heat for 30 more minutes.

After thirty minutes, remove the peanuts from the heat and allow to sit in the seasoned water until they reach the desired flavor, anywhere from 2-5 hours. The longer they sit cooling in the pot, the more seasoned they will become. Give them a try every half hour until you’re happy with the flavor.

They are a mess to eat, but delicious and addictive. Once you start eating them, it’s hard to stop–they will go quickly! If you have leftovers, just drain them and store them in the fridge in ziplock bags. You can also freeze them in ziplocks for longer storage.

Give this Boiled Peanut Recipe a try and let me know what you think, and bon appétit!

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And for another tasty southern style treat, try this Country Fried Steak Recipe.

Home Fried Potatoes Crispy Breakfast Recipe

07/13/202111/21/2013 by Chef Buck

This crispy home fried potatoes recipe makes a tasty breakfast side. I use onion and hot pepper in this video/recipe, but a little added green bell pepper is nice, too.

Home Fried Potatoes Recipe Ingredients

1 large POTATO
2-3 Tbsp BACON FAT
1/3 cup ONION (finely chopped)
¼ cup GREEN BELL PEPPER (finely chopped, optional)
HOT PEPPER (to taste, finely chopped)
1 tsp SMOKED PAPRIKA
SALT and PEPPER to taste

How to Make Home Fried Potatoes

In a skillet, fry up 4-5 pieces of fatty bacon, this will give you enough grease to cook up your potatoes.
Peel your potato, which is something I hate to say, ’cause potato skin is so delicious, but the breakfast home fries I grew up with were peeled, so that’s how I gotta roll.
Dice your potato into dinky cubes; they don’t have to be exactly the same same, but mostly they do, so cut them as uniformly as possible.
Add your diced potato to the skillet of hot grease–and by hot, I mean that your potatoes start to sizzle and cook when they hit the pan–but not overly hot, ’cause it will take 20-25 minutes to cook these potatoes up just right. Medium-low heat is a good temp, keep the potatoes sizzling, they need to crisp on the outside, but they also need to cook through on the inside, otherwise you’ll end up with a bunch of crispy, raw potato; so go slow, amigo.
Mix your potatoes with the grease and spread them out in the skillet and let them brown for about 5 minutes.
Add finely chopped onion and hot peppers; if desired, also add a little finely chopped green bell pepper for taste and color…I usually do, but if I don’t have it on hand, it’s not the end of the world–it’s just breakfast, man.
Mix the ingredients well and spread out in the skillet and let cook another 5 minutes. If you don’t have a good pan, here are some current prices for cast iron skillets on Amazon.
Add paprika, stir and continue to cook for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are cooked through and done to the desired crispness.
The key is to not cook the potatoes too fast.

Give this home fried potatoes recipe a try and let me know what you think, and bon appétit!

And for a fancy pants breakfast dish, try this Baked Eggs Recipe.

Thanks for checking out the home fried potatoes recipe, and all of our recipes. Be sure and sign up for our mailing list to never miss a new cooking video, and also click a button below and share the dishes with your friends, and follow Chef Buck on Youtube. We appreciate all the kind comments and support, and we’ll see you next time in the kitchen!

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Spinach Salad Recipe with Pear and Cheese

04/07/202411/12/2013 by Chef Buck

This is the easiest, best spinach salad recipe in the world. We first had one of these spinach, pear, blue cheese, walnut, raspberry dressing salads years ago at a little tapas place in Key West, and we’ve been making them ever since–especially if we have a pear on the edge–the riper, softer, and juicier the pear, the better the salad is gonna taste.

What You need for the Best Spinach Salad

SPINACH
1 PEAR (ripe, diced)
WALNUTS (toasted) current WALNUT prices on Amazon
BLUE CHEESE (crumbled)
dressing:
2 Tbsp OLIVE OIL
1 Tbsp RASBERRY JAM
1 Tbsp VINEGAR
½ tsp ITALIAN SEASONING
SALT and PEPPER to taste

How to Make a Pear Spinach Salad

Crumble and spread your walnut pieces on a baking sheet and toast at 300 degrees F for 5-10 minutes until the nuts are toasted to your liking. Keep an eye on them–nuts are easy to over-toast and it’s usually worth setting a timer so they’re not forgotten.
While your nuts toast, throw together your salad dressing–basically and oil and vinegar dressing with a little jam added for flavor.

I make this dressing with all kinds of jams, but raspberry and strawberry are my favorites–although definitely give raspberry a try with this recipe. Combine your oil, vinegar, jam, salt, and Italian seasonings. Mix well. Taste and adjust as needed to your liking. A little sugar can be added if desired, but I usually find that the jam adds plenty of sweetness, plus the pear will add sweetness to the salad as well.

Toss the dressing with your spinach leaves until all are well-coated. Divide spinach into serving bowls. Chop pear into nice chunks and add to salad. An overly-ripe pear works best. Sprinkle the toasted walnuts over the salad, then sprinkle with blue cheese crumbles. Lots of blue cheese. Or less. I like blue cheese. There are no ratios with this salad. Check prices for WALNUTS on amazon

And that’s it. This is the best spinach salad in the world. So it is written, so it shall be done.
Give this Spinach Salad recipe a try and let me know what you think, and bon appétit!

For another tasty salad idea, try this Kale and Beet Dish!

Thanks for Checking Out Our Spinach Salad

Click a button below and share the dishes with your friends. You can also follow Chef Buck on Youtube. We appreciate all the kind comments and support, and we’ll see you next time in the kitchen!

Broccoli Recipe – Best Blue Cheese Broccoli

06/13/201911/01/2013 by Chef Buck

Try this super-quick and awesome broccoli recipe. If you like blue cheese then you’ll love this dish, in fact, you’ll actually love broccoli if you only just liked it before …I know, kinda confusing, but trust me, this is a pretty damn tasty broccoli dish–and healthy, too. So make it.

Bad-ass Blue Cheese Broccoli Recipe Ingredients:
5 cups BROCCOLI FLORETS
¼ cup CARROT strings
2-3 oz BLUE CHEESE crumbled
¼ cup SUNFLOWER SEEDS (shelled and toasted)
SALT and PEPPER to taste

directions:
Toast the sunflower seeds (already shelled). This can be done quite quickly in a hot pan or skillet. Heat pan or skillet on medium/med-low heat; not too hot or seeds will burn. Add sunflower seeds and spread them into a single layer. Do not use any oil or spray in the pan. Stir the seeds in the skillet for a couple of minutes until they begin to brown, lightly browned is perfect; they’re easy to over-toast, so don’t leave them too long. It will only take 2 minutes on medium heat.
Remove seeds from heat and set aside.

Cover the bottom of a pot with about ¼ inch of water, just enough for steaming the broccoli and carrots. Add The broccoli florets to the pot and top with the carrot strings. Raise the heat, cover the pot, and allow the veggies to steam for approx. 5 minutes; ideally the florets will be cooked through, soft but not soggy!

Turn off the heat and drain any remaining water in the sink. Add salt, pepper, the toasted sunflower seeds, and 2-3 ounces of crumbled blue cheese.
Lightly toss ingredients together and serve while hot.
This dish is super-simple and amazingly delicious –as long as you like blue cheese.
Give this broccoli recipe a try and let me know what you think, and bon appétit!

And for another great veggie dish, try this tasty Beet Greens Recipe.

Pickled Daikon and Carrot Relish –Vietnamese Style

06/13/201910/22/2013 by Chef Buck

Vietnamese Pickled Daikon and Carrot Relish

Vietnamese-style pickled daikon and carrot make a handy relish than can be used with salads, sandwiches, and all kinds of recipes. It’s a must have for making a banh mi sandiwich and I use it quite often as a salad topper and also dice it up to add to tuna, chicken, and quinoa salads. Keep a jar of pickled daikon and carrot in your fridge and experiment adding it to some of your favorite dishes.

Pickled Daikon and Carrot Ingredients:
2 cups cut DAIKON
2 Cups Cut CARROT
1-2 tsp SALT
¼ SUGAR
½ cup WATER (hot from tap)
½ cup VINEGAR

directions:
Daikon is a BIG radish. When buying, choose one that is firm–if the daikon has green tops attached, choose one without wilted leaves, but often the tops are not attached. The skin is thin and can be peeled off with a simple vegetable peeler. The same is true for carrots, although I generally leave the skin on the carrots, but follow your heart. Slice and cut the daikon and carrot into matchstick sizes and place into a bowl. Add salt to the bowl and mix well with the daikon and carrot so that the veggies are coated. This will draw water out of the vegetables and soften them. Set bowl aside.
In a smaller bowl, prepare the pickling solution. Combine warm tap water and sugar. Stir until dissolved and then add the vinegar. And that’s it!
In the larger bowl, the salt will have started drawing moisture from the daikon and carrot matchsticks. When they have softened enough, cram them into a storage container and add the pickling solution.
This pickled combo will keep in your fridge for 2-3 weeks. It’s a must have topping for Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches and works well in all kinds of sandwiches. Use this relish as a topping for salads or chop it up to incorporate in whatever dish you desire (it’s great in a coleslaw or quinoa salad).
Give this pickled daikon and carrot relish a try and let me know what you think, and bon appetit!

And if you wanna see this relish in action, check out this deconstruction of a Banh Mi Sandwich.

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