Red Curry Lentils and Veg

I love lentils.  I love curry.  I love veggies.  I love cheap dinners.

When I saw the recipe that inspired us to make the following recipe, I thought, "I love ginger, I love garlic, I love coconut milk, I love rice, I love lentils, I love that I can add anything I want to this recipe - Let's make it!"

We made it as follows, but you can do whatever you like to it to make it something special.
The recipe that inspired us can be found by clicking here.

Photo from the original recipe found on apinchofyum.com.

1 1/2 cups lentils, rinsed
1/2 large onion diced (we used vidalia)
1 yellow zucchini cut into bite size pieces
bamboo shoots (this was something we added and LOVED - used just 1/2 can of them)
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon red curry paste
1/2 tablespoon garam masala
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon sugar (I would have liked a teeny bit more of this)
1 teaspoon minced garlic (we used one clove)
1 tablespoon of minced ginger (Whenever we buy ginger, we shave the peel off and cut into inch size chunks and freeze them in a freezer bag.  It keeps well and is much easier to grate when frozen!)
1 14 oz can tomato puree
1/4 cup coconut milk or cream (we used coconut milk and I would definitely not be scared to use more than 1/4 cup next time)
Cilantro for garnishing
rice for serving

So you will want to prepare your lentils first and drain them and set to the side.
Get all of the rest of the ingredients lined up and begin to melt butter in large saucepan over medium high heat.
Add the onions and allow them to saute for a while until they just start to turn golden.
Add all the spices.  (red curry paste, garam masala, curry powder, turmeric, sugar, garlic, minced ginger)  Stir fry this together for a few minutes and then add tomato puree and coconut milk or cream.  Stir and allow to simmer for 15 minutes or more if you'd like.  I stuck to 15 minutes because I like it a little soupy so it will soak into my rice a little.
Serve over rice and garnish with cilantro.

A few other veggies that would be great in this would be peas or roasted red peppers. Even sauteed carrots!  Fun to experiment.  I will continue to update this entry as we make the recipe again and again.

Avocado Sorbet

A wedding gift from one of my very best friends was a beautiful cookbook that she created by asking all of the women in my life to contribute recipes to it.  It is filled with so very much love, photos, and yummy recipes.  Jack and I decided that we are now on a mission to make every single recipe in that book.  This is one of those recipes. 

Thank you Jennifer Dixon!

You will need a blender, and either a microplane or a tiny grater for zesting a lemon.

Ingredients:

1 ripe large avocado (I used 2 small ones)

2/3 cup powdered sugar

1 cup almond milk or soy milk (original recipe called for 1/2 and 1/2 - but it's too fatty)

2 tsp lemon zest 

1/3 cup of fresh squeezed lemon juice (which is roughly two lemons)

Throw it all in a blender and mix until smooth consistency.  You can either pour into an ice cube tray, a plastic tupperware or even popsicle molds!  

Great served with fresh raspberries, strawberries or any fruit of your choice!

This also makes a great smoothie as you can use yogurt instead of milk and drink without freezing.

Love it!

Asian Chicken Noodle Soup

This is a GREAT soup that makes a large portion that can be warmed up for a few days.  It's even better on day #2!  You can make your own egg noodles or simply buy them at the store.

*Gluten Free Option:  Use rice noodles and use gluten free soy sauce.

 Do you have both of these?

If you DO - then you can make the egg noodles for the soup yourself!  I love making my noodles fresh. I think it makes a big difference.  If you're looking for a great pasta roller that easily attaches to your counter-top when you need it CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE ONE.

Follow the recipe for making your egg noodles by CLICKING HERE.

If you DO NOT, you could also purchase your favorite egg noodles from your local grocery store and use them in the following recipe: (original recipe was found in the White Grass Flavor Cookbook)

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

1 large onion diced (about 2 cups)

1/2 medium cabbage, sliced very thin

2 stalks celery, diced  (or more because it's yummy)

3 carrots, diced (we used more than 3 because we love carrots)

3-4 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 red bell pepper, sliced thin (we used the whole thing)

1 tsp salt

2 lbs chicken thighs (boneless) rinsed

8 cups water (we did 10-12 cups for more broth)

1/2 lb fresh greens:  Kale, swiss chard, spinach or collards, cut into strips (we use spinach - so great!)

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 Tablespoons fresh ginger, grated

1 tsp sesame oil

8 oz. egg noodles (we used about 1 lb)

hot chili sauce, optional (Sriracha is the best)

Chop all vegetables and keep separate.

Heat a large soup pot over medium-high heat.  Add oil.

Cook onions 2 minutes then add cabbage.  Cook additional 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Then add celery, carrots, garlic and peppers, cook 5 minutes.

Add water, salt and chicken thighs.  Bring to a boil.  Simmer 30 minutes on low. 

Remove chicken with a slotted spoon and allow to cool.  Separate fatty parts of the chicken so you don't get any icky bites while eating your soup.  Break meat into bite size pieces and return to the soup.

Add greens to broth.  Then season soup with soy sauce, ginger and sesame oil.  

If you're using store-bought noodles, add them now and simmer until they are cooked, about ten minutes.

If you're using homemade noodles, boil them separately and strain.  Put noodles in your bowl and top with soup.

This is where you add the sriracha - to your bowl.  I also add a little salt to my bowl too.  

Spaghetti Squash Pizza

Spaghetti Squash Pizza

This is one of my favorite recipes of all time.  A go-to in this house.
You can use any ingredient you normally enjoy on pizza.

3 Cups of grated or raw zucchini
OR
3 Cups cooked spaghetti squash *this is what we always use
2 eggs beaten
2 1/2 Cups mozzarella cheese
1 1/2 Cups tomato sauce *we just use can of diced tomatoes sometimes -don't drain the juice!
1/2 small onion, thinly sliced
1 small green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup sliced black olives (we use whole black olives!)
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried  (or fresh!) basil
1 tablespoon olive oil
OPTIONAL:  1 lb browned Italian Sausage or other meat you enjoy on your pizza

1.  Cook spaghetti squash:  we cut it in half lengthwise, remove the seeds etc, place meat faced up in a glass 9 x 13 pan that has 1 inch of water in the bottom.  Microwave for 6 minutes. With a hot pad, turn them over to be face down for another 5 minutes.  Scrape the spaghetti squash strands out into a bowl and let cool.

 2.  Squeeze the excess moisture out of the grated zucchini or cooked spaghetti squash with cheese cloth or paper towels.  Mix the squash, eggs, and 1 1/2 Cups mozzarella together in a large bowl and press into the bottom of 9 x 13 baking dish.  Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.
3.  Remove the pan from the oven and spread the tomato sauce (or canned tomatoes), vegetables or other pizza toppings and the remaining cheeses over the crust.  Sprinkle with oregano and basil and drizzle the olive oil over the top.  Bake for 25 minutes (also at 350 degrees) or until cheese is lightly browned. Let cool 5 minutes.

Original recipe that we found:  Click Here

Lucky Stew in the slow-cooker

My wedding gift from one of my very best friends was a beautiful cookbook that she created by asking all of the women in my life to contribute recipes to it.  It is filled with so very much love, photos, and yummy recipes.  Jack and I decided that we are now on a mission to make every single recipe in that book.  This is one of those recipes.

This recipe is from our friend, Michelle. She notes in the cookbook that they stole this recipe from Rick Bayless. You can find the original recipe here. They say that it's their go-to recipe when they want to throw something in the crock pot. They usually double it since it is always better the next day.

I re-named this recipe Lucky Stew because I was offered a job the day I made it and now I get to work with Michelle who contributed this recipe! 

I can't believe how simple this was to prepare.  I cut up the onion, tomatillos, and potatoes the night before and threw it together in the morning before work.  It was so nice to have such a savory meal to come home to. Thanks Michelle and Jeff!

Morning photo:

1 Medium yellow or white onion, sliced into rounds about 1/4 inch thick

4 Medium (about 1 lb) of potatoes (we used red) sliced about 1/4 inch thick

8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs (1.5 lbs or 2 lb if bone-in)

1 cup cilantro leaves (yes, 1 cup - but it doesn't end up tasting too "cilantro-y" at all) we used a whole "bunch"

8 - 12 medium tomatillos, husked and rinsed and sliced 1/4 inch thick

1/4 cup sliced pickled jalapenos 

2 tablespoons pickling juice from the jalapenos

Spread layers of the ingredients in the slow cooker as follows, sprinkling generously with salt after each layer:  onion, potatoes, chicken thighs, cilantro, tomatillos.  Rick notes that this is the only salt in the dish, so be sure to add enough.  I sprinkled each layer as though I were just eating that.

Scatter the jalapenos over everything, then drizzle on the pickling juice.

Cover the slow cooker on high for 6 hours.  If your slow cooker is awesome like Michelle's and automatically turns to low after the timer goes off, know that it can sit on warm for another 4 hours or so before the chicken starts to overcook. 

Also: When serving, make sure to get a bunch of the awesome juice/sauce that accumulates on the bottom of the slow cooker.  If you want, you can boil this down a bit to make it even richer and thicken it a bit.  Serve as is, or on top of rice, tortilla chips, or with tortilla shells.

Evening photo:

Quinoa & Black Beans

Primarily Vegan - this is my new addiction.  It's great hot or cold.  It's great with a fried egg on top.  It's great with some chopped tomatoes and mixed greens.  It's just great... and hearty!

I got this recipe by doing a google search for quinoa side dishes and then added and subtracted ingredients until I made it my own.

Before beginning to cook this dish prepare the following:
chop the garlic and onion
roast red peppers and dice (really easy in a toaster oven- For instructions click here.)
rinse 2 cans of black beans
wash and chop kale

What you will need:
3 Cloves of garlic; minced
1 Onion chopped - I used a Vidalia onion
1 tsp vegetable oil
2 Cup Quinoa
3 1/2 Cup vegetable or chicken broth (I used water since I didn't have this - and it is still great!)
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
salt and black pepper
a bunch of kale chopped and cleaned
1-2 red peppers roasted and diced (sauteed is fine too - but the peppers seem sweeter when roasted)
2 15 oz cans of black beans rinsed and drained
1/2 Cup of chopped up cilantro

Heat vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Add onions and garlic and cook until they are slightly browned.  While they are cooking, rinse the quinoa.  Add quinoa to the pan and stir together with garlic and onions.  Cover with vegetable broth and add cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper.  Bring this to a boil.  Cover and reduce to a simmer.  Allow to simmer for 20 minutes.  Top with kale and put a lid on in order for the kale to wilt down.  Add rinsed black beans and diced roasted red peppers.  Stir and allow to heat up for a few minutes.  Remove from the heat.  Toss with cilantro!

I made this for dinner as a side dish to our Roasted Red Pepper Soup that you can find below as the last recipe added to the blog.  We served both of these with shrimp we grilled on skewers with a Jamaican spice blend.  A great summer dinner!  In the morning I warmed some up and served it with a fried egg on top and a dash of Chalula.  So much you can do with this.  I hope you enjoy.

Pasta Nicoise

Pasta Nicoise

Found in Martha Stewarts Everyday FOOD magazine

Serves 4 or more!

517 calories per serving

*You can make this recipe gluten free by using gluten-free pasta noodles.

2 large eggs, *wash shells like you would fruits and veggies before putting in pot to boil

salt and pepper

½ lb short, twisted pasta *like cavatapi, fusilli, rotini,

¾ lb small red potatoes, thinly sliced

½ lb green beans, trimmed and halved crosswise (length)

2 cans (5 oz. each) of tuna packed in olive oil, drained *but reserve the oil!

1/3 cup pitted olives lightly chopped (kalamata are good) – or capers if you prefer!

2 large tomatoes, diced medium

2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar

1. In a large pot, bring eggs and 6 quarts water to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer 6 minutes.  With a slotted spoon, remove eggs and run under cold water.  Peel eggs when cool enough to handle. 
2. Salt water and return to boil over high.  Add pasta and potatoes and cook 3 minutes less than package instructions, then add green beans and cook until crisp-tender, 3 minutes.  Reserve ½ cup pasta water (or a little more in case you need it); drain the pot.  Return pasta, potatoes and green beans to the pot and add tuna, 1/3 cup reserved oil, tomatoes, olives, and vinegar.  If necessary, add enough pasta water to create a light sauce that coats pasta.  Season with salt and pepper.  Slice eggs and scatter over pasta.

This is great warm and it is even better cold for lunch the next day.  I added more salt on top of mine and it made all the wonderful flavors come out more.  So summery and fresh and light.  I love this one!  ENJOY!

Braised Chicken with Fennel and White Beans

This recipe came from eatbetteramerica.com and is said to have 400 calories per serving.  This recipe makes 6 servings.  You can find a link directly to the original recipe below.
Be sure to chop up your onion, garlic, fennel and bell pepper before beginning.  I was curious about fennel since I had never used it in cooking before.
                                    
Here are the ingredients:
3 Tablespoons olive oil
2 1/2 to 3 lb cut-up whole chicken, skin removed.  *we used chicken we had on hand which was all chicken breast and I think I will always make it that way so we don't have to pick around the bones.  The choice is yours!
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt (kosher or sea salt)
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 small onion, cut into thin wedges
2 large cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 fennel bulb, quartered, cored, thinly sliced *see video above
1 medium yellow (or orange) bell pepper cut into bite-size strips
1 28 oz can of organic whole peeled tomatoes, undrained, cut up
1/2 cup of dry white wine
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 can (15 or 19 oz) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
chopped parsley for garnish - if you would like...


1.  In a deep 12-inch skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat.  Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.  Add chicken pieces to skillet; cook 5 to 6 minutes, turning occasionally, until chicken is light golden brown.  Remove chicken from the pan.
2. Add onion, garlic, fennel and bell pepper.  Cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until vegetables are crisp-tender.  Add chicken, tomatoes, wine and rosemary.  Heat to boiling.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer 20-25 minutes or until chicken is tender, turning chicken once.
3.  Uncover; stir in beans.  Cook about 5 minutes longer or until sauce is slightly thickened and juice of chicken is clear when thickest piece is cut to bone.  Serve in shallow bowls; sprinkle with parsley.


High altitude (3500 - 6500 ft):  In step 2, cover and simmer 25 - 30 minutes.


This is really great with some crusty bread to dip in that flavorful sauce!


Click here for original recipe

Roast Salmon Provencal

This was a GREAT recipe that we found on eatbetteramerica.com - which is a great resource for healthy and yummy recipes!

Apparently this one only has 260 Calories per serving.

4 Salmon filets or steaks, 1/2 inch thick (1 to 1.25 lb total)

3 cups of unpeeled potato wedges *we got the little sack of multicolored potatoes and just cut them into chunks

1.5 Cups small whole fresh mushrooms

1 medium red bell pepper cut into 1-inch pieces

1 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1/2 cup fat-free Italian dressing

1/2 teaspoon dried basil leaves

1/4 cup pitted kalamata or ripe olives

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees.  Spray your largest cookie sheet with cooking spray.  Place salmon, potatoes, mushrooms, bell pepper and zucchini in the pan.  Brush with half of the dressing (both veggies and salmon); sprinkle with basil.

2. Bake 20 minutes

3. Add olives to the pan and stir vegetables slightly.  Drizzle remaining dressing over salmon and vegetables.

4.  Bake 5 to 10 minutes longer or until fish flakes easily with fork and potatoes are tender.

YUM!

Black Bean Kale Soup

This recipe is delicious, quick, and healthy - even gluten free (if you leave out the tortilla chips, cheese, and ham).  It only takes 30 minutes!
*This can be adjusted to be a vegetarian dish by omitting the ham.

2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
1 Medium onion - diced
4 Cloves of garlic - minced
1/2 lb of ham - cubed (we just used 4 or 5 slices of deli ham sliced up)
3 - 14 ounce cans of black beans, drained
1 Large bunch of Kale, rinsed, stemmed, and ripped into bite size chunks
3 *quarts of liquid (*4 Cups are in a Quart) - you can use water for all of it or do some of it with broth.  I used 4 bouillon cubes with 3 quarts of water.
3 Tablespoons of Cajun Seasoning or you can use 2 1/2 Tablespoons of Italian Seasoning mix plus 1/2 Tablespoon of Cayenne Pepper
1/2 pound pasta - we used angel hair that we had left over from a previous meal.
Once our soup was prepared, we topped it with broken up tortilla chips and some shredded cheddar cheese.  It was amazing!

1. Bring cooking oil up to medium heat in a large soup pot.  Saute the onion and garlic until tender.  When the onion and garlic start to get tender, add the ham (if you're using it).  Let it cook for just a few minutes.
2. Add the kale that has been rinsed, peeled from the hard stems, and ripped into chunks.  Stir with tongs, it will cook down pretty quickly.  Once the kale has cooked down a bit, add the beans, seasonings, and broth/water.
3. Turn heat up to high, and bring the soup to a low boil.  If possible, let simmer for about 10 minutes.  If you don't have time, it's ok.
4.  Add the pasta to the boiling water, and cook for the amount of time on the packaging.  Serve in bowls with broken up tortilla chips and shredded cheddar cheese for best results... or don't.  :)

*This recipe is from www.ourgaggleofgirls.com