Dr Smood: Smart Food for a Good Mood + Maca Pumpkin Couscous

I just discovered an amazing new cafe and store in NYC called Dr Smood – have you seen it? If not, you need to go. Based out of Miami, Dr Smood is a health company that makes “Smart Food for a Good Mood” – and oh how you’re gonna love this place!

They make all their own juices, smoothies, organic products and delicious healthy food based on 6 moodsPower, Beauty, Immunity, Detox, Energy and Health, which you can choose based on your mood and feeling and what you want to gain from the experience.

I had the opportunity to visit the Flatiron location in NYC and had a delicious Organic Detox Juice #9made with ginger, lemon, lime, raw honey, echinacea, and cayenne. Then for lunch I tried their Butternut Squash Soup, Turkey and Avocado sandwich on their homemade Performance Bread before browsing the beautiful cafe and store of amazing products including organic tea, coffee, chocolate, health and beauty supplements and organic dried foods.

 

dr smood mushroom powder

Dr Smood’s Organic Superfood Powders

Dr Smood’s Organic Superfood Powders would make a wonderful gift for the health and wellness-obsessed foodies on your list. They’re full of health-boosting goodness and are easy to use (they can be easily mixed into smoothies or juices, on yogurt or cereal or added to energy balls and no-bake treats).

There are a total of 13 beautifully packaged superfood powders, including Raw Cacao Powder, Spirulina Powder and Red Maca Powder. Each powder comes with an information packet, including a recipe and serving suggestions, and can be purchased at one of the five Dr Smood cafés in NYC.

Dr Smood Red Maca Superfood Powder

Dr Smood Red Maca Powder is an adaptogenic herb that helps the body to adjust to stress. Maca is an excellent source of phytochemicals and protein and helps to regulate the endocrine system and hormones, boost libido and increases energy, stamina and endurance. Enjoy maca in homemade granola or add it to tea, juice, smoothies, oatmeal or cereal. (SRP: $21.95)

Dr Smood Spirulina Powder

Dr Smood Spirulina Powder contains over 60% complete protein—almost 3x as much as beef—and is one of the few good sources of plant-based B12. This algae can also boost your immunity and promote a healthy digestive tract. Use it to make a semi-raw soup with sweet potatoes and carrots, spirulina cacao clusters or add it to your favorite juice or smoothie. (SRP: $14.95)

Dr Smood Cacao powder

Dr Smood Raw Cacao Powder contains approximately 40x more antioxidants than blueberries, which help the body to resist and repair damage from free radicals; plus it’s a natural mood booster and can promote beautiful skin, nails and hair. Use it to make hot cacao with coconut cream and almond milk this season and you will never want the standard version of hot chocolate again! You can also add it to coffee, yogurt, fresh fruits or smoothies. (SRP: $10.95)

Red Maca Pumpkin Couscous with Shallots, Bacon + Crispy Sage

I picked up a jar of the Red Maca powder at the store and created a new recipe for Maca Pumpkin Couscous w/ Shallots and Bacon and Crispy Sage that turned out absolutely delicious! Maca powder is a great supplement to add to sweet recipes like juices and smoothies and organic raw desserts, or savory recipes like soups, sauces, gravies, or to sprinkle on roasted veggies.

Maca Pumpkin Couscous w/ Shallots and Bacon and Crispy Sage

Maca Pumpkin Couscous w/ Shallots and Bacon and Crispy Sage

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Yield: Serves 4.

Serving Size: 1 cup

A delicious and healthy way to incorporate Red Maca powder into a lovely fall savory dish. Roasted pumpkin, sautéed garlic and shallots and bacon tossed into a basil and herb couscous topped with crispy sage and pumpkin seeds.

Ingredients

  • 1 small sugar pumpkins, halved, seeds removed, skin on
  • 3 tablespoons olive or coconut oil, divided
  • Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon Dr Smood Red Maca Superfood Powder
  • Dash of cayenne pepper
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 2 shallots, sliced
  • 1 garlic clove, chopped
  • 6 slices of bacon, cooked, drained and crumbled
  • 1 package of Near East Basil and Herb couscous
  • 6-8 sage leaves
  • Roasted pepitas or pumpkin seeds, for garnish
  • Parmesan cheese, grated, for garnish

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Drizzle each pumpkin half with 1 tablespoon of oil. Season with salt and pepper, Red Maca powder and cayenne. Place the pumpkin halves cut side down onto a lightly greased baking sheet. Roast in oven for 1 hour, until fork tender and golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes.
  3. Remove skin from pumpkin, cut into 1-inch cubes and toss with maple syrup; set aside.
  4. Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Cook the couscous according to package directions and set aside.
  5. Cook bacon in oven on a large foil lined baking sheet for about 20 minutes until crispy and brown, drain and crumble; set aside.
  6. Heat another tablespoon of oil in a sauté pan over medium heat; cook shallots and garlic for approximately 5 minutes until soft and golden (be careful not to burn!). Add sage leaves and sauté until crispy and browned.
  7. Add the cooked pumpkin, bacon, garlic, shallots to the couscous and toss together.
  8. Transfer to individual serving bowls, garnish with crispy sage, roasted pumpkin seeds and grated parmesan cheese.

Notes

You can also substitute roasted butternut squash or any other hearty veggies like eggplant, zucchini, mushrooms and bell peppers. Omit the bacon and cheese to make it vegetarian and dairy free.

https://www.theartfulgourmet.com/2017/11/drsmood-smartfood-for-a-goodmood/

Here’s another fun easy recipe you can make when you have a sweet tooth:

Maca, Coconut and Cashew Granola (gluten-free, vegan)

1 1/2 cups gluten-free rolled oats
1 cup raw, unsalted cashews, coarsely chopped
1 cup coconut flakes
4 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 tablespoon Dr Smood Red Maca Superfood Powder
pinch Himalayan fine grain sea salt

Preheat your oven to 300° F. Line a medium-sized baking sheet with parchment. Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Spread all ingredients in an even layer on a pan. Bake for 15 – 20 minutes. Allow to fully cool on the pan. Granola will firm and turn crunchy once cooled. Store in a sealed container in the fridge.

Check out the gallery below to see more photos of their amazing store and food and products I discovered!

To find a Dr Smood cafe and retail store near you, please visit their website at http://drsmood.com

Dr Smood Facebook Page

Dr Smood Instagram Page

One Pot Chili Mac Soup {Gluten Free}

One Pot Chili Mac Soup {Gluten Free}

It’s a cold, rainy Fall day in NYC, and what better than to make a big pot of cozy comfort food for the soul?

One Pot Chili Mac Soup {Gluten Free / TresOmega Pasta}

I was invited to join the TresOmega Blogger Recipe Challenge and I thought my One Pot Chili Mac Soup recipe would be the perfect thing to make with their gluten free pasta incorporated. This recipe is a cross between chili, tacos, mac and cheese and soup – all mixed together into a delicious pot of goodness..trust me, you’re gonna love this!!!

TresOmega Gluten Free Pasta

TresOmega Gluten Free Quinoa Elbows Pasta is made with a unique blend of Organic Royal Bolivian Quinoa – a nutrient packed superfood, organic amaranth, an ancient grain rich is vitamins and minerals, and organic white rice. The pasta is gluten-free, corn-free and certified organic and GMO-free, and has 3 grams of fiber and 6 grams of protein in each serving.

Tresomega Pasta + Coconut Oil

First I cooked the pasta and tossed it in some TresOmega Virgin Coconut oil  to add to the soup later.

Brown beef, garlic and onions

Next I browned the ground beef, garlic and onions in a little more coconut oil and added some taco seasoning to the mixture in a large dutch oven.

Add veggies and beans and chiles to the pot

Then I added all the delicious veggies to the pot – corn, three types of beans, tomatoes, and chiles, and mixed it all together with the ranch seasoning. Just cover the pot and let simmer on low for about an hour, adding the cooked pasta in the last 5 minutes of cooking. Guys, this is so easy..and soooo good!

One Pot Chili Mac Soup {Gluten Free}

You can top this soup with whatever your heart desires – sour cream, jalapeños, shredded Mexican cheese, green onions, corn chips, maybe even a little parsley or cilantro for some extra green…go nuts!

One Pot Chili Mac Soup {Gluten Free}

This one-pot recipe is so simple to make and so delicious and best of all gluten free! So you can have a big pot of comfort food without all the guilt and feeling weighted down. Although on a cold rainy day like today, it might just warrant taking a nice nap afterwards. Enjoy 😉

One Pot Chili Mac Soup {Gluten Free}

One Pot Chili Mac Soup

One Pot Chili Mac Soup {Gluten Free}

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Yield: 1 bowl

Serving Size: 6-8

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons Tresomega Virgin Coconut oil, divided
  • 2 pounds ground beef or turkey
  • 2 onions, diced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • One 15 1/2-ounce can pinto beans
  • One 15 1/2-ounce can black beans
  • One 15 1/2-ounce can kidney beans
  • One 8.75-ounce can whole kernel corn, drained
  • One 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
  • One 14 1/2-ounce can tomatoes with chiles
  • Two 4 1/2-ounce cans diced green chiles
  • One 1 1/4-ounce package taco seasoning mix
  • One 1-ounce package ranch salad dressing mix
  • One package Tresomega Gluten Free Elbows
  • Corn chips, for garnish
  • Sour cream, for garnish
  • Shredded Mexican cheese blend, for garnish
  • Chopped green onions, for garnish
  • Pickled jalapenos, for garnish

Instructions

  1. Heat one tablespoon of Tresomega Coconut Oil over medium high heat in a large skillet. Add the ground beef, onions and garlic and brown for about 5-7 minutes; drain the excess fat. Transfer the mixture to a large stockpot or Dutch oven, stir in taco seasoning.
  2. Add the beans, corn, tomatoes, green chiles and ranch dressing mix, and simmer over low heat for about 1 hour in the pot on the stove.
  3. Meanwhile, cook Tresomega Elbows according to package directions, drain, toss with a tablespoon of Tresomega Coconut Oil and set aside.
  4. Add cooked pasta to the pot in the last 5 minutes of cooking.
  5. To serve, ladle soup into bowls. Top with corn chips, sour cream, shredded Mexican cheese, green onions and jalapenos.

Notes

Note - you can also cook the soup in a slow cooker over low heat for 6-8 hours.

https://www.theartfulgourmet.com/2017/11/one-pot-chili-mac-soup-gluten-free/

One Pot Chili Mac Soup {Gluten Free}

To find out more info and purchase Tresomega Nutrition products, visit their website or visit them on social media:

Pinterest

Twitter

Facebook

You can also purchase their products at: Sams.com, Amazon.com and Walmart.com”

#TookTheChallenge #Tresomega #OrganicsForLife

#glutenfree #HealthyFood

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post by TresOmega Nutrition as part of their Blogger Recipe Challenge. I did not receive compensation for this post but did receive products to develop this recipe and all opinions, recipes, photos and text are my own. Please do not use any images without my granted permission. Do feel free to share this post on social media with a link back to the original post and credit to Kristen Hess/The Artful Gourmet. 

One Pot Chili Mac Soup {Gluten Free}

Superfoods Recipes for a Healthy New Year

Once the holidays are over, it’s time for a break from all the super rich food and cocktails and detox with some healthy recipes made with some of my favorite superfoods for a fresh start to a healthy New Year!

What’s all the fuss over superfoods about? They help step up your immunity, boost energy, slow down aging, lift your spirits, improve circulation, detox, improve sleep, and they have healing benefits too. And they just make you feel better and healthier all around. Colorful fruits and vegetables possess tons of vitamins and minerals – start ‘eating the rainbow’, and you’re off to a healthy start, and you can complement it with supplements as thai kratom.

Veggie Bean Soup

The best way to get your fix of Superfoods is to make a big pot of veggie soup in the middle of winter, not only for it’s warming properties, but also because soup gives a big dose of healthy vegetables that boost the immune system, as well as detox and cleanse the body with its healthy ingredients, antibacterial properties, vitamins and minerals, also people use different kind of supplements to burn fat and be healthy just visit site and find out the best ones.

Simmer Soup KitchenAid Stockpot

I’ve created a super healthy soup recipe that I made with my KitchenAid 11-cup Food Processor, that is so convenient to chop, grate and shred all those lovely veggies. Then I just threw them all in my KitchenAid 8-Quart Stainless Steel Stockpot (part of the Stainless Steel 8-piece set that I just got!) to make a delicious and heartwarming Vegetable and Bean Soup. The Stockpot is great because it heats up fast on the stovetop to sauté all the veggies and seasonings and it has etched measurement markings inside the pot that make it easy to measure all the liquids for the soup.

Soup_Ingredients

My soup is full of onions, garlic and chicken stock, which all help build the immunity system and keep the colds away. It also has tons of fresh veggies including zucchini, kale, carrots, celery, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, and northern white beans topped with grated Parmesan cheese and extra virgin olive oil and some crusty whole wheat bread for dipping.

Kiwi Apple Berry Blast Smoothie

The New Year is also a great time to cleanse and detox by eating lots of healthy Superfood fruits! I love all berries that are full of antioxidants, with plenty of vitamins for a super boost in the morning.

Smoothie_Ingredients

I’ve created a delicious Kiwi Apple Berry Blast Smoothie recipe made with kiwi, apples, vanilla greek yogurt, almond milk, blueberries, acai berry puree, honey, lemon zest, flax seed and raw almonds.

Fruit and Almonds KitchenAid Diamond Blender

I simply threw all the ingredients into my powerhouse KitchenAid 5-Speed Diamond Blender with 5 different settings that does all the stirring, mixing, blending, pureeing and heavy lifting for me.And the smoothie is a healthy breakfast or snack, giving a big boost of protein and energy from the yogurt, almond milk, flax seeds and almonds; antioxidants from the berries and honey; and betacarotene, vitamin E and C from the kiwi fruit and lemon zest.

Click here to read the full post on the Kitchenthusiast blog by KitchenAid for more photos and recipes!

Beyond Sushi NYC: An Artful Approach to Vegan Sushi

Chef Guy Vaknin
Chef Guy Vaknin

On a recent visit to BeyondSushi,  a Japanese Vegan Sushi restaurant in the East Village in NYC, I had the opportunity to meet the Founder and Chef (and Hell’s Kitchen Finalist!) Guy Vaknin, to discuss his innovative and artful approach to traditional Sushi. Chef Guy came up with the idea for his vegan Sushi concept while he was the Executive Chef of Esprit Events, a Catering company in New York. Focusing on Kosher, healthy vegan and vegetarian food, they opened a Vegan Sushi station, and the idea grew from there when Chef Guy saw the potential and demand for healthy vegan food in the New York market. Two years later, BeyondSushi (The Green Roll) was born.

Sushi Artwork
Sushi Artwork

The Sushi is not only artfully crafted and colorful, but super healthy, fresh and totally vegan, while keeping the Asian flavors true to traditional Sushi by using natural ingredients such as sliced nori, red, black and six-grain rice, toasted sesame, chili flakes, and gourmet imported sea salts to punch up and balance the flavors and textures of their Sushi.

Rice Bed Salad
Rice Bed Salad

They have a variety of delicious and creative sushi rolls, sushi pieces, as well as Vegan wraps and salads, and they make all of their own custom sauces such as Carrot Ginger, Sweet Soy Mirin, Shiitake Teriyaki, White Miso, and more, using grapeseed oil and all natural, dairy free ingredients.

Chefs at Work
Chefs at Work

They take a variety of colorful, seasonal ingredients and combine them into gorgeous works of art – and the best part is, they really do taste like traditional sushi, but are pure Vegan. Crunch ‘n Munch, Pickle Me, La Fiesta, Green Machine and Mighty Mushroom are just a few of their catchy roll names – all made with tasty, healthy vegetables, rice and seasonings. They also do a custom roll of the month, which Chef Guy creates based on whatever he feels like dreaming up that day, using  local produce from vendors at the Union Square Farmers Market.

Vegan Baked Goods
Vegan Baked Goods

Their Pastry Chef, Tiffany Louie, has created a new line of Vegan pastries and baked goods available in the store – Parsnip Cakes with Orange Almond Creme, Seed and Dried Fruit Almond Bars, and Carrot Bars are a few of their sweet healthy treats. Their juices are squeezed fresh each day and made in house.

Nutty Buddy Vegan Wrap
Nutty Buddy Vegan Wrap

I sampled the Nutty Buddy wrap, made with Buckwheat noodles, crushed peanuts, cilantro, jalapeno, peanut butter, avocado, sesame oil, carrots, baked tofu and romaine – a delicious combination and explosion of Asian flavors!

Vegan Sushi Rolls
Vegan Sushi Rolls

For a sushi sampling, I devoured the Spicy Mang Roll, made with Black Rice, Avocado, Mango, Cucumber and spicy veggies with a delicious Toasted Cayenne sauce. I also had the Pickle Me, made with Six Grain rice, Gobo, Carrot, Pickled Daikon and Avocado with a Carrot Ginger Sauce. YUM!

Dining Area
Dining Area

Their space is casual, cozy and inviting, and in a great location on 14th Street near Union Square. Their prices are reasonable too, ranging from $5.00 to $8.50 for Rice Paper Wraps and Salads to $6.50 for an 8-piece roll, or $7.50 to $13 for a combination plate of rolls. They also do custom catering for private events, weddings and parties with a variety of sushi rolls, salads and wrap platters.

Beyond Sushi Sign
Beyond Sushi Sign

They’ve been written up by Oprah and the NY Times and have plans to open up a second location in the near future, so stay tuned for more. There definitely isn’t any other restaurant around like it, so kudos to Chef Guy for pioneering this healthy, delicious concept. With Vegan Sushi this good – who needs the fish?!

BeyondSushi
229 E 14th St
New York NY 10003
646.861.2889
www.BeyondSushiNYC.com

Check out their online video and Facebook Page for more info

Check out their menu online

Beyond Sushi NYC
Beyond Sushi NYC

Crazy Good Lobster Rolls & a July 4 Feast

Lobster Rolls & July 4 Feast
Lobster Rolls & July 4 Feast

#Summer is the time of year where all I want to do is flee to the ocean, bask in some sunshine and eat some really good seafood. With July 4th approaching us, my photographer friend and partner Maike Paul decided we wanted to do a test shoot together and make some crazy good Lobster Rolls and a July 4th Feast.

We picked up a fresh lobster at a local seafood market in Brooklyn (who we named Lobster Louie) and he accompanied us as we walked around Williamsburg searching for a big steam pot and some fresh ingredients and props to make our succulent Lobster Rolls. We picked up some fresh corn on the cob, scallions, chives, celery, and lemons, some crunchy Kettle chips, Corona and limes, heirloom tomatoes and lettuce to make a salad to accompany our feast.

Lobster Rolls are fairly easy to make – and if you’re squeamish like I am, you might want to get a helper to cook the lobster in the steam pot (we recruited Maike’s boyfriend). One tip I recommend is to put the whole lobster in the freezer for about 15 minutes before boiling it as it makes the lobster “sleepy” – it’s a more humane way to cook a live lobster and you’ll feel less guilty, I promise. You can also use frozen lobster if you just don’t want to deal with the complication and doom all together!

Lobster Rolls & July 4 Feast
Lobster Rolls & July 4 Feast

We brushed some light butter on the hot dog buns and put them in a grill pan for a few minutes to make them toasty and browned. New England-style buns are the best, but if you can’t find them, regular top-split buns are fine.

To make the corn on the cob, boil it first for about 10 minutes to soften it and then brush the corn with some butter and throw them in a grill pan or a charcoal grill to get some nice grill marks and then top it off with some sea salt and Old Bay Seasoning or paprika for some extra savory flavor. Make a fresh green salad with heirloom tomatoes and a light lemon vinaigrette to accompany along with some crunchy BBQ Kettle Chips and a cold, refreshing Corona with lime. Now that’s a July 4 feast to remember! Enjoy.

Crazy Good Lobster Rolls & a July 4 Feast

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 6

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup celery, finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup light mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/8 cup fresh chives, thinly sliced (plus more for garnish)
  • 1/4 cup fresh green onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning or paprika
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1-1/2 lb. (4 cups) cooked lobster meat
  • 6 hot dog rolls, New England-style or split-top rolls
  • 4-6 fresh corn on the cob, husked
  • butter, for basting corn and hot dog rolls
  • 4-6 small heirloom tomatoes, cut in half
  • 1/2 head green leaf lettuce
  • 2-3 tablespoons lemon vinaigrette dressing, for salad
  • 2-3 limes, for Corona

Instructions

  1. Bring a large steam pot full of water to a rolling boil and prep all fresh ingredients. Boil lobster for about 10-12 minutes and let cool for another 10 minutes.
  2. Remove the lobster claws and the tail and split open the shell to remove fresh cooked lobster, and cut up the lobster meat into large chunks and remove residue by rinsing under cold water.
  3. In a large bowl, add the lobster meat and stir in celery, mayonnaise, water, chives, green onions, lemon juice, zest, salt and pepper, Old Bay seasoning or paprika. Season to taste with more lemon, paprika, salt, and pepper if desired. Garnish with additional chopped chives.
  4. Boil the corn on the cob for about 10 minutes until soft. Brush with butter and grill in a grill pan for about 5 more minutes until grill marks appear. Sprinkle with sea salt and Old Bay seasoning or paprika.
  5. Brush the hot dog rolls lightly with butter, and grill in a grill pan over medium-high until they get browned and toasty. Serve the lobster salad in toasted buns with the corn on the cob and a fresh green salad with heirloom tomatoes and a light lemon vinaigrette dressing and fresh ground black pepper.
  6. Serve with a bowl of crunchy BBQ Kettle chips and a Corona with lime or crisp Sauvignon Blanc white wine.

Notes

If using a whole live lobster, put in the freezer for 15 minutes before boiling - this is a more humane way of cooking the lobster. You can also use frozen lobster tails if you desire equalling 4 cups to make this recipe. An alternative to the mayo-based lobster salad is to toss the fresh cooked lobster in some butter with fresh tarragon and salt and pepper (Connecticut-style)!

https://www.theartfulgourmet.com/2012/06/crazy-good-lobster-rolls-a-july-4-feast/

Watch the video from Fine Cooking on how to humanely cook a live lobster

Food Network Lobster Rolls by Sarah’s Secrets

Amateur Gourmet’s Lobster Rolls

Ellie Krieger’s Lobster Rolls

Connecticut-Style Lobster Rolls by Serious Eats

Lobsters with Laura Lobster Rolls

Thai Sea Bass in Banana Leaves

Thai Sea Bass in Banana Leaves
Thai Sea Bass in Banana Leaves

This is a lovely Thai dish, not only in taste but in presentation. I made this with some good friends of mine in Atlanta over Memorial Day weekend on their Big Green Egg grill. If you haven’t seen one of these things – its totally cool and easy to use. And it’s BIG. And GREEN. And looks like and EGG. It’s actually a ceramic grill and smoker that reaches temperatures up to 700 degrees F and has the ability to grill, smoke or steam everything on the planet in about 15-20 minutes. Very cool. Anyways, we decided to make this Thai Sea Bass in Banana Leaves recipe from their Big Green Egg Cookbook and took a trip over to the Dekalb Farmer’s Market (which is also totally awesome if you haven’t been there – you must!). We picked up some fresh Sea Bass steaks (you can also use fillets), herbs, red curry paste, and banana leaves (which actually come frozen and need to be defrosted and cut down to size first before using).

Banana leaves are often used in Thai cooking to wrap around fish and add subtle flavor to whatever food they surround. This recipe was surprisingly easy to make and had wonderful tasty Asian flavors from the fresh herbs (basil, mint, cilantro, ginger and garlic and Thai chile) and lime. The red curry sauce is also easy to make by adding some paste to coconut milk and chicken stock and letting it simmer down while you grill/steam the fish in the banana leaves on the Big Green Egg. You just lay down a strip of the herb mixture, top it with some fish and lime slices, drizzle a little bit of oil, salt and pepper and then wrap the fish up in the leaves into cute little packets and throw them on the Big Green Egg (or any covered grill will do). After about 15-20 minutes you just unwrap the little packets, and top the fish with the curry sauce and serve with a side of lemony buttered green beans and fresh corn on the cob to go with it. Fresh, healthy and delicious.

Ingredients

1 (15 ounce) can coconut milk
1 teaspoon red curry paste
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup firmly packed chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup firmly packed chopped fresh mint
1/2 cup firmly packed chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup grated fresh ginger
1/4 cup crushed garlic
1 thinly sliced red jalapeno or serrano pepper
4 banana leaves (cut to 12 inches square)
4 (6 to 7 ounce) sea bass fillets or steaks
1 lime, cut into 8 thin slices
2 tablespoons canola oil or spray
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Preparation

Big Green Egg
Big Green Egg

Preheat the EGG (or grill) to 350 degrees F.

Sea Bass and lime
Sea Bass and lime

Prep fish and lime and set aside to begin making coconut curry.

Red Curry Coconut Sauce
Red Curry Coconut Sauce

To make the sauce, combine the coconut milk, curry paste and chicken stock in a small saucepan. Simmer on the stovetop over medium heat for 10 minutes, then keep warm.

Chopped Herbs
Chopped Herbs

Combine all the herbs (basil, mint, cilantro, ginger, garlic and chile) in a medium bowl and mix well.

Banana Leaves
Banana Leaves

Lay the banana leaves out flat,

Sea Bass & Herbs on Leaves
Sea Bass & Herbs on Leaves

and place 3 to 4 tablespoons of the herb mixture on the center of each leaf and top each mound of herbs with fish.

Fish, Herbs and Lime on Leaves
Fish, Herbs and Lime on Leaves

Top each packet with 2 lime slices and 1/2 teaspoon canola oil (or some oil spray).

Folding Banana Leaf Packets
Folding Banana Leaf Packets

Season with salt and pepper and begin folding packets by folding the sides of the leaf inward, then fold the top and bottom over and tucking the ends under (kinda like making a banana leaf fish burrito!!).

Folded Leaves ready for the grill
Folded Leaves ready for the grill

Secure each packet with butcher’s twine and brush or spray more oil on the outside of the leaves.

Grilled Banana Leaves
Grilled Banana Leaves

Place the leaves directly on the EGG porcelain-coated grid (or regular grill if using) and close the lid. Grill for 7 to 8 minutes per side, until the interior of the fish is opaque (unwrap a package and insert a knife into the fish to test). Transfer the fish to individual plates, remove the twine, open the top, and spoon the curry sauce over the fish. Serve while hot and with a side of buttery lemon green beans and fresh corn on the cob. For wine pairing, serve with a Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay.

Serves 4.

—–

Get more great recipes for the Big Green Egg

Check out the Big Green Egg Cookbook