Curried Vegetables with Yellow Daal & Coconut Rice

Curried Vegetables with Yellow Daal and Coconut Rice

For the Daal:
1 ½ c. either red lentils or yellow split peas
4-5 c. water

Use 4 c. water for lentils; 5 for split peas. Rinse legumes well. Place legumes and water in heavy pot, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes, until legumes are tender. Puree in batches in food processor with cooking water, adding more if necessary for smoothness. Daal will thicken upon standing.

Curried Vegetables:
Vegetable oil or ghee
1 chopped onion
2 red peppers, cored and diced
½ head cauliflower, broken into florets
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
5-6 oz. fresh spinach
2 T. fresh grated ginger root
1 T. mild curry powder
1 t. ground cumin
1 ½ c. water or vegetable broth
Juice of half a fresh lemon
Salt to taste

In a deep skillet, heat oil or ghee and add onions, cook until soft and translucent. Add peppers, cook until soft. Stir in cauliflower, curry powder and cumin. Stir to combine and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in sweet potatoes and grated ginger. Stir to combine. Pour in water, stir to incorporate and bring to a boil. Cover and cook until cauliflower and potato are fork tender but still firm. De-stem and coarse chop spinach. When vegetables are tender, stir in spinach and lemon juice. Simmer to wilt spinach then serve immediately with the Daal and Coconut Rice.

Coconut Rice
1 ½ c. water
1 c. basmati rice
½ c. coconut milk
½ t. turmeric
¼ t. kosher salt
1 cinnamon stick
¼ c. currants or golden raisins

In a saucepan with a tight fitting lid, bring water to a boil. Rinse rice well, and add to boiling water along with all the remaining ingredients. Stir to combine, reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork and remove cinnamon stick before serving

Read Full Post »

Pork and Vegetables in Peanut Sauce

Pork Strips with Peanut Sauce and Rice Noodles

½ c. boiling water
1/2 c. peanut butter
2 T. rice vinegar
2 T. soy sauce
1 t. garlic
1 t. ginger
2 t. fresh lime juice
1 t. sesame oil
1 t. chili garlic sauce
1 t. honey
½ t. cornstarch
1 # thick cut boneless pork chops, trimmed of fat and cut in thin strips across the grain
2 red or orange bell peppers, seeded and chopped
1 c. snow pea pods, cut in half
1 c. shredded carrot

Cooked rice, rice noodles or thin spaghetti to serve. Garnish with thin sliced green onions, fresh squeezed lime juice, cilantro and crushed peanuts.

Combine first 11 ingredients in bowl. Saute vegetables to desired tenderness; remove to bowl, add pork to pan and cook until no longer pink. Add sauce mix and stir to coat. Bring to a boil and boil one minute. Serve over cooked rice, rice noodles or spaghetti topped with garnishes.

Read Full Post »

Taco Pie

Spicy Taco Pie

1# boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
2 Poblano peppers, seeded and chopped
1 red pepper, seeded and chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium zucchini, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 c. frozen corn kernels
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. paprika
3/4 c. bottled salsa
1 c. chicken broth
1 c. shredded cheese
1-2 c. broken tortilla chips

Set oven to 350. Spray a 9×13 pan with cooking spray.
Heat saute pan over medium heat with a coating of oil. Add onion and saute, stirring occasionally, until opaque and softened, about 5-8 minutes. Add in both peppers and saute until soft. Stir in garlic and cook, stirring for a minute or two. Add in zucchini and corn, and cook for about 5 minutes more. Remove vegetables to a bowl. Heat a small amount of oil in pan. Toss chicken with all the seasonings, and add to pan. Cook, stirring occasionally until all pink is gone, maybe 10 minutes depending on the size of the pieces. Stir back in the vegetables, add in the salsa and chicken broth, stir to combine. Add in about half the cheese and chips and mix.  Pour into prepared pan, top with remaining cheese and chips, and bake until cheese is melted and is bubbly, about 20-25 minutes. Serve topped with fresh cilantro and guacamole.

We really loved this dish. The prep time for cutting up the veggies and chicken took more time than it did to cook it and put it together. It was a bit spicy, very flavorful and there was the nice crunch from the chips. This recipe could be modified dozens of ways, and it had gone into the oven before I thought that a can of black beans would have been a wonderful addition, so keep that in mind if you decide to try this. You could amp up the spice content with fresh anaheims, or jalapenos; you could make it smokier by roasting the peppers (the original recipe called for this step, but it was Friday and I wasn’t at all interested). Use a spicy or mild salsa, or a combination to get the right level of heat. You could vary the vegetables to taste, adding different colored peppers to make it even lovelier, you could make a spicy cheese sauce to stir into it instead of salsa, broth and cheese. You could vary the crunch flavor with any number of flavored chips, using them as a base and piling the ingredients on top to bake, or by mixing more in. Griffin even suggested that it could be eaten scooped up with chips if someone wanted, and I thought that it would make a great hot appetizer too if you diced and minced everything down to be smaller. It could be served in soft tortillas as an enchilada base, in crisp shells for a taco, on a bed of lettuces in taco salad, or as part of an open face tostada.

I loved the taste of the chicken sauteed with the spices on it, instead of adding them to the meat after it’s cooked. I have started doing that with meats for other dishes and it really jazzes up the taste. I had made up some fresh guacamole too, and a small scoop was a perfect addition, along with a few dollops of sour cream. It was nice and filling too. This one is definitely getting added to our rotation. It really is a winner.

Read Full Post »

Red Rice and Sausage

Red Rice and Sausage

2 T.  vegetable oil

1 medium onion, diced (i was out of onion and used shallot)

2 cloves garlic, minced

8-14-oz spicy sausage, diced (I used andouille)

1 1/2 c. long grain rice

1 1/2 c. crushed canned tomato

1 1/2 c. water or broth of choice

1 14-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

2 c. frozen corn

In a heavy skillet with tight fitting lid, saute onion in oil over medium high heat until tender, add garlic and saute until fragrant, about a minute. Add in sausage and cook until slightly browned. Add in rice and saute until slightly golden and fragrant. Stir in water and tomato product, add in black beans and corn. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer. Cover pan and cook until liquid is evaporated and rice is tender. Fluff before serving. Can be topped with cilantro.

I was slightly skeptical of this recipe but forged ahead because it just looked really good. I am often leery of using canned tomato products because they tend to taste….well, canned. Tinny. Y’know….not so great. But all the flavors came together in this dish and blended beautifully. It was well received by Griffin, who got up and helped himself to another bowl. That is a rarity when I try something new. Usually he will eat a helping without too much commentary, then disappear like a rocket from the table. Second helpings is two thumbs up in his book. It was warming and comforting and not too heavy, with a good tomato flavor, hearty with sausage and had a nice contrast with the beans.

This recipe can be varied widely. Use less sausage if you wish for a lighter taste, or try any one of the delicious artisan sausages on the market these days. Adjust the amount of rice according to your needs, but always remember that the liquid should be double the rice amount. I think this dish would also be wonderful with sauteed red or poblano peppers in it too. And of course, fresh pureed tomato would make it killer. I will be curious how it tastes after sitting a day in the fridge to meld together.

Read Full Post »

Poblano Rice with Vegetables

Poblano Rice with Vegetables

2 fresh poblano peppers
1 c. frozen corn
1 c. milk
2 c. long grain rice
2 t. cooking oil
2 c. chicken broth
1 large onion, chopped
1 medium zucchini, chopped
1/2 c. finely chopped carrot (or equiv. of shredded)
2 garlic clove, minced

Salt and pepper to taste
1 Bay leaf

Halve seed and core the poblano peppers, rub with oil and broil until skins are blistered. Place peppers in bowl and cover to steam. When cooled completely, remove skins and chop.

Rinse corn under cool water to thaw slightly, and then place corn and milk in blender and process until smooth, set aside. In a large skillet with a tight lid, sauté onion in oil over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add zucchini, carrot and peppers, sauté another 5 minutes, stirring regularly. Remove vegetables to bowl. Add rice to pan and cook, stirring occasionally until lightly browned and fragrant, about 5-7 minutes. Add in vegetables and stir to combine. Slowly pour in corn/milk mix, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, reduce and simmer, covered until liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Stir to fluff. Remove bay leaf before serving.

The original of this recipe came from AllRecipes.com but has undergone the Extreme Recipe Makeover edition in my kitchen, as most recipes do when they get in my eager little hands. There are a few critical steps to this recipe that really add to the final taste that shouldn’t be skipped, namely the pepper roasting and the corn and milk mixture. It may add a bit of extra time, but the final result is worth it. You can alter the amount of rice to suit your needs, but make sure as a rule that you double the liquid, using the corn/milk mix as part of that. The added veggies can be suited to your tastes as well. These are from the original recipe, I have subbed shredded carrot for the diced with good results.

Read Full Post »

Pesto Vegetable Pizza, Chicken Asparagus Stir Fry

Pesto Vegetable Pizza

1 pre-made pizza crust (Boboli)
2 garlic cloves, cut in half
1/2 c. prepared pesto sauce
1 yellow pepper, cored, trimmed and sliced thin
4 roma tomatoes, seeded and sliced
1 8oz pkg sliced potabella mushrooms
3/4 c. fresh spinach, chopped
1/2 c. shredded parmesan cheese
1 c. lo-fat mozzarella cheese

Rub cut garlic cloves over crust, discard. Spread crust with pesto. Top with peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms and spinach. Sprinkle with cheeses, Bake at 400 degrees until hot and bubbly, approx. 14-18 minutes.

Chicken with Asparagus Stir Fry

1 T. toasted sesame oil
1 1/2 # fresh asparagus, tough ends trimmed, cut into 1″ pieces
1 # chicken tenders or boneless breasts, cut into 1″ pieces
2 scallions, trimmed and cut to 1″
1 shallot, minced
1 red pepper, cored seeded and cut into 1″ pieces
1/2 c. snow peas, de-stringed and cut in half
2 T. minced fresh ginger
1/4 c. oyster sauce
2 T. garlic chili sauce
1/2 c. shelled salted pistachios, coarsely chopped

Heat oil in large skillet or wok over high heat. Add asparagus and red pepper, stir fry for about 4 minutes, then add snow peas and stir fry 2 minutes. Remove to bowl and keep warm. Swirl a scant 1/2 t. more of oil in pan and add chicken, allow to cook until browned on one side, then flip over and cook until you can’t see any pink. Add sauces, ginger, shallot and scallions, stir to combine. Add vegetables and stir to coat. Cook about 5 -8 minutes longer or until chicken is no longer pink. Serve over rice, if desired.

Read Full Post »

Thai Cashew Chicken & Beef Curry w/Peanuts & Fresh Basil

Thai Cashew Chicken

1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup fish sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons hot pepper sauce
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves – cut into thin strips
1 cup dry jasmine rice
2 cups water
1 tablespoon sesame oil
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 small onion, quartered then sliced
3/4 cup water
3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1 cup unsalted cashew nuts

In a resealable plastic bag, mix the soy sauce, fish sauce, hot pepper sauce, garlic, and ginger. Place the chicken in the bag, seal, and marinate at least 2 hours in the refrigerator. In a medium saucepan, bring the jasmine rice and 2 cups water to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 20 minutes. Heat the sesame oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the brown sugar until dissolved. Stir in the onion, and cook about 5 minutes, until tender. Reserving the marinade mixture, place the chicken into the skillet, and cook about 10 minutes, until browned. Stir the reserved marinade and 3/4 cup water into the skillet, and bring to a boil. Continue to cook and stir 10 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear. Thoroughly blend in the peanut butter. Serve over the jasmine rice with a sprinkling of cashews.

Beef Curry with Peanuts and Fresh Basil

3 T. vegetable oil
2 T. red curry paste
1 lb. thinly sliced beef (flank or sirloin works well)
1 14-oz can light coconut milk
2 T. fish sauce
1 T. brown sugar
1/4 t. salt
14 c. dry roasted peanuts, chopped fine
1/2 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
Fresh Basil Sprigs

In a large saute pan over medium heat, combine oil and curry paste, stirring to mix. Cook 3-4 minutes, adjusting heat to keep it sizzling gently without spattering, while mashing and scraping pan to soften and warm. Add beef and cook 2-3 minutes, separating pieces to coat with paste and brown evenly. Stir coconut milk well to mix, and add 1 c. to pan. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat and cook for about 10 minutes, adjusting heat to keep it simmering. Add remaining coconut milk, fish sauce, sugar, salt and peanuts. Cook gently about 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Add pepper strips and stir into curry. Taste and adjust seasonings. Transfer to small bowl and garnish with basil. Serve over rice if desired

Read Full Post »