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Meals/ RECIPES

Coconut And Chicken (Or Beef) Curry With Noodles

{photo does not show it, but this recipe makes a lot of delicious, creamy sauce for the noodles}
Wow-sa! This recipe was good! I loved that it was a recipe that my whole family liked.  My daughters do not like coconut, but that was no problem because this does not have a strong coconut flavor. It has coconut milk in it, which gives it a slightly sweet flavor and makes it creamy!  They also do not like red peppers, but they are necessary in this recipe for flavor, color and health! I made them each eat one pepper strip, and this had to be done before they could dig into the rest of their meal.  It is amazing how this simple rule can make eating certain veggies that are not their favorite, a fast and simple process.
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When cooking dinner, I try to pull at least on of my girls into the kitchen with me.  I want them all to be comfortable with cooking, and I love the quality time I get with each of them while doing it.  I rarely pull my oldest in, because she frets and complains about it.  She does not like to cook.  I made sure I had all the ingredients out and everything set before bringing my grumpy girl into the kitchen, and I was determined not to let her grump get to me:)

Didn’t she do a lovely job of slicing the red pepper?  She grumped about a cut on her finger that the pepper juice stung, but she got through it!

I cut up the raw chicken and the onion–I know to pick my battles wisely. I knew she would not come close to the raw chicken, but she did she did squeeze the lime and saute’ the chicken.  She also seasoned the chicken, made the noodles, opened the coconut milk, sauteed the veggies and did all the stirring.  
I was a proud mama.

Her frown eventually turned upside down.  
Funny how the smell of goodness cooking,
 and a mom who chooses to remain lighthearted can do just that.  
I give us both a pat on the back. 🙂
This recipe came from Everyday Food:Fresh Flavor Fast.  I am really loving this cookbook.  Every recipe has a full page photo, all of which are simple gorgeous.  The recipes are healthy, fresh and simple.
This recipe is actually Coconut And Beef Curry With Noodles in the book, but I had chicken on hand so that is what we used.
Coconut and Chicken (or Beef) Curry With Noodles

Salt & Pepper
8 Ounces vermicelli (rice noodles) or angel-hair pasta (I used whole wheat)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (I used coconut oil)
1 pound of chicken, cut into 2 inch strips (or beef sirloin)
1 red onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced lengthwise
1/4 cup water
1 can (14 ounces) unsweetened coconut milk
1 cup packed fresh basil leaves (I only used about 1/3 cup-all I had)
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
——————-
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add a generous amount of salt.  Cook noodles until tender according to package instructions; drain.

2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high.  Season chicken or beef with salt and pepper; add to skillet.  Cook, until chicken is no longer pink, or beef is to desired doneness.  Transfer to a plate.

3. Add onion, bell peppers, and the water to skillet; season with salt and pepper.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are crisp-tender, 3-4 minutes.  Add curry paste; cook, stirring and scraping bottom of skillet, until fragrant and combined, about 1 minute.

4. Return chicken or beef and any accumulated juices to skillet; add coconut milk.  Simmer until sauce thickens slightly, 4-5 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Stir in basil and lime juice, and season with salt and pepper.  

Serve meat mixture over noodles.

Enjoy!
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Meals/ RECIPES

Recipes I Want To Make This Week

{Chicken Gyros @ Annie’s Eats}
 The picture looks great, but to hear her talk about how much she loves the recipe sold me.
{Baked Hasselback Potatoes @ Chico’s Kitchen}
Just because plain ol’ baked potatoes get boring.
{Lasagna Cupcakes @ Framed Cooks}
These are so cute!  I would love to have a bunch stuck in my freezer to pull out for lunch or a quick snack.  Wonton wrappers in place of noodles = brilliant!
{Chocolate Fig Freezer Fudge @ The Chocolate Fig}
I don’t like figs, but her explanation of these made my mouth water so I’m gonna try it!
{Lemon Chicken Breasts @ The Sequined Lobster}
I started making this last week, but when I went to open my bottle of white wine, the spout broke and glass dropped into the wine.  Note to self…do not ever buy cheap wine bottle opener!  We had Toad In A Hole for dinner that night instead..:)  I will try again this week.
{Lentil Soup @ Mission B Fit}
This recipe is very similar to my French Lentil Soup.  Mine uses carrots, celery and balsamic vinegar.
I like the simplicity of hers, can’t wait to try it.  
{Banana Cookies @ Mission B Fit}
These are easy and nutritious, I think my kids will devour them!
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Meals/ RECIPES

Nourishing Crockpot Recipes

I participated in this Nourishing Crockpot Carnival back in November 2009.  I have bookmarked it and gone back a few times because of the great, nourishing crockpot recipes that were linked up.

 Today I am making #28-Cream Cheese Crockpot Chicken.  I needed something simple to just throw in the crockpot for dinner tonight.  My girls are on Spring Break and we are having a blast but boy, I am SO tired!!

I made #18 Double Chocolate Crockpot Cake W/ Hot Fudge Sauce for my youngest birthday a couple days ago. Yum!

 Posts about both coming up soon.

Got any favorite CrockPot recipes?

Would love for you to link ’em up in the comments if so!
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Meals/ RECIPES

Best Ever Classic Beef Pot Roast

We have been limiting red meat to just a couple times a week, so when we do have it, I want it to taste AMAZING!  This recipe is just that–amazing!  I have looked high and low for a good pot roast recipe.  When I was going through chemo and we had meals made and delivered from our church, this recipe was one that made a huge impression on me.  I HAD to have the recipe, and I can’t wait to make it!

The wine gave it such flavor, and the herbs seasoned it to perfection.  It was the perfect comfort food!

Thanks, Scott family!!
If you’re looking for a traditional pot roast recipe, try this 5-star, no-fail version. Cuts of beef that perform well for pot roasting go by many different names: Blade roast, cross-rib roast (or shoulder clod), seven-bone pot roast, arm pot roast, and boneless chuck roast are all acceptable cuts.
Yield: 10 servings (serving size: 3 ounces roast, about 3/4 cup vegetables, and about 3 tablespoons cooking liquid)

Ingredients

  • 1  teaspoon  olive oil
  • 1  (3-pound) boneless chuck roast, trimmed
  • 1  teaspoon  kosher salt
  • 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
  • 2  cups  coarsely chopped onion
  • 1  cup  dry red wine
  • 4  thyme sprigs
  • 3  garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1  (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium beef broth
  • 1  bay leaf
  • 4  large carrots, peeled and cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces
  • 2  pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
  • Fresh thyme leaves (optional)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350º.
Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chuck roast with salt and pepper. Add roast to pan; cook 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove roast from pan. Add onion to pan; sauté 8 minutes or until tender.
Return browned roast to pan. Add the red wine, thyme sprigs, chopped garlic, beef broth, and bay leaf to pan; bring to a simmer. Cover pan and bake at 350° for 1 1/2 hours or until the roast is almost tender.
Add carrots and potatoes to pan. Cover and bake an additional 1 hour or until vegetables are tender. Remove thyme sprigs and bay leaf from pan; discard. Shred meat with 2 forks. Serve roast with vegetable mixture and cooking liquid. Garnish with thyme leaves, if desired.

Nutritional Information

Calories:
307 (31% from fat)
Fat:
10.4g (sat 3.5g,mono 4.8g,poly 0.5g)
Protein:
28.6g
Carbohydrate:
23.7g
Fiber:
2.8g
Cholesterol:
85mg
Iron:
3.9mg
Sodium:
340mg
Calcium:
34mg

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Meals/ RECIPES

Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce and Cucumber Raita

My girlfriends and I went out for my birthday last night.  We were eating Indian food, and when the waiter forgot to bring us our Cucumber Raita, it reminded me of this recipe I made last summer.  I had taken photos but never posted it! It is fun to go back in time, this is a recipe we made late July, and it was A-MAZE-ING.  Seeing the photos makes me want to bust out the grill and make it again!!
A Guide to Easy-to-Make Dishes with Fresh Organic Fruits and Vegetables
This recipe comes from Everyday Cooking with Organic Produce.  I found this cookbook at the library, and it is GREAT.  It is not often I find a cookbook that I like well enough to buy, because it takes up storage space. I would rather keep my recipes online, but this one is definitely on my “to buy” list!  I’ve checked it out from the library 3 times!  There are so many times that I buy produce from the farmers market because it looks so fresh and pretty, then I bring it home and don’t know how to use it.  This cookbook solves that problem!
Chicken Satay is an Indonesian dish, chunks or strips of chicken, threaded on skewers, then grilled.  It is served with a peanut butter- based sauce.  This sauce is so flavorful, it would be great to have on hand just to serve over plain brown rice!  A bit of cucumber raita on the side just gives your taste buds a cooling break–not that this sauce is that spicy, at least ours was not.  You can make it spicy by adding the jalapeno seeds to the sauce.  I did not use the entire jalapeno, my girls have wimpy taste buds!
This recipe uses a marinade, a peanut sauce and cucumber raita.  It seems like a lot of sauces to make, but you can whip ’em up fast and the chicken is simply grilled in minutes (could broil it now that it is winter!)  The most time consuming part is cutting the chicken into chunks (I find this easier if the chicken has been frozen and is partially thawed) and threading them onto skewers.
Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce (Cucumber Raita recipe to follow)
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks or 2×3/4×1/4 inch strips
Marinade:
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
3 medium cloves garlic, minced (I pressed mine)
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup vegetable oil ( I used coconut oil)
3 tablespoons coconut milk
1 tablespoon sugar ( I used sucunat)
Sauce:
1 cup smooth peanut butter
2 lrg. cloves garlic, minced (I pressed)
2 tablespoons Asian sesame oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 fresh jalapeno chilies, seeded, minced (for even more spice, add seeds)
1 cup coconut milk, enough to thin out mixture
salt to taste
1. Prepare marinade.  Place all ingredients in a bowl and stir to dissolve sugar.  Add chicken and toss.  Marinate in refrigerator for 30 minutes
2. Meanwhile, prepare sauce: Combine all sauce ingredients except coconut milk and salt in food processor. (can use blender)  Pulse until mixture is smooth.  Add enough coconut milk to thin out sauce to dipping consistency, about 1 cup.  Taste and add salt if desired.
3. Heat grill or broiler.  Remove chicken from marinade and thread onto skewers.  Discard marinade.
Grill 3-5 minutes on each side until completely cooked through.
4. Make a puddle of sauce onto a serving platter.  Arrange skewers on top of sauce.  OR just serve sauce along side of chicken on each plate.
Calories 150, fat 11 grams, saturated fat 4 grams, protein 11 grams.
**see that tropical rice to the side?  Yum!  I will post the recipe soon**
Cucumber Raita
1 medium cucumber
2 cups unsweetened, plain whole-milk yogurt
1 teaspoon toasted cumin seeds (*toasting is key!  adds such great flavor. see note below)
21/2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint or fresh cilantro
1 medium clove garlic, minced
Peel cucumber and cut lengthwise into 1/4 inch thick slices; cut slices crosswise into thin slices.  Spread on double layer of paper towels and top with single layer.  Pat to remove excess moisture.  Stir yogurt and cumin seeds in medium bowl.  Add cucumber, mint or cilantro, and garlic; stir to combine.
*To toast cumin seeds, place in small skillet on medium-high heat.  Shake handle to redistribute seeds.  Cook until sees start to brown.  Remove from heat.  If you leave them on the heat too long, the will start to pop out of pan.  
I hope you enjoy this as much as our family did!  It truly is a wonderful, super flavorful dish!!



Meals/ RECIPES

Cincinnati Style Chili Recipe

We are in between meals being provided for our family, which is fine because I have felt pretty well the last few days.  Last night I decided to make a big pot of chili for dinner.  The weather has been a bit cooler, and I knew it would reheat well for the next couple days.
I looked at All Recipes for an authentic Cincinnati Style Chili Recipe and found one that sounded great! It had all kinds of great spices in it, and a square of baking chocolate!   I made it and really, really liked it.  It has a great depth of flavor and is a recipe I will for sure make again.  We served it over whole grain noodles and sprinkles some cheese on top.
For the original, authentic recipe, click here and it will take you to the All Recipe website.  I changed 3 things…I added beans, only used 1/8 cup chili powder, and browned the beef instead of boiling it.

Cincinnati Style Chili Recipe

2 pounds lean ground beef
1 quart water, **more or less depending on consistency you would like
2 tablespoons olive oil
1-2 cans chili beans (or kidney beans)
2 onions, finely chopped
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 (1 ounce) square unsweetened chocolate
1/4 cup chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
5 whole cloves
5 whole allspice berries
1 bay leaf

 

Directions

  1. Heat olive oil in a large pan, add onions.  Cook until translucent.  Add the garlic and ground beef.  Cook until browned.  Drain if needed. 
  2. Stir in water, tomato sauce, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, chocolate, chili powder, salt, cumin, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, cloves, allspice berries, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 hours. Add water if necessary to prevent the chili from burning.

 

My local health food store sells spices in bulk, so I was able to go buy 5 allspice berries for a quarter, and 5 cloves for pennies.  I highly recommend finding a store that allows you to buy spices in bulk.  It is amazing the difference in taste when spices are fresh!  Enjoy.

Sorry I don’t have an “after” picture.  I was pooped after dinner and spaced it!

Do you have a favorite chili recipe you want to share??

 

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Meals/ RECIPES

Sesame Chili Udon Noodles

I just made these noodles for lunch and the bowl is completely gone, thanks to me and my 3 girls.  I am so happy to have found this recipe, it is a perfect side to grilled chicken, great for packing in my girls lunch, and I’m sure it will be a great midnight snack for me if there are ever any leftovers!

I found the recipe on DinnerCakes, but added a few ingredients to the recipe to suit my taste (I wanted it a bit sweeter and thought it needed some acid) by adding peas, juice from 1 clementine, and just a bit of sugar.  I used Udon noodles instead of Soba–Udon is made from wheat, Soba is made from buckwheat.  The Soba noodles at my local health food store were insanely expensive (8 bucks a package!) so I went with Udon. I would like to try the Soba noodles, so next time I will shop at our local Asian food store.  You won’t believe how much money I have been saving by shopping there, I’m planning on posting about it one of these days.

 

My youngest (7 yr. old) had much fun helping me make these noodles.  It was her little fingers that helped squeeze the clementine. She kept an eye on the sesame seeds while they toasted in my fry pan, stirred the sauce ingredients, and helped grate the ginger with a micro plane.  She was delighted by the scent of ginger, she couldn’t believe that such an ugly root could smell so fresh and good!  She was not too into the scent of garlic, though..

See my new, big cutting board from IKEA?  I love it, and it was only 10 bucks!  

Sesame Chili Udon Noodles
~8 oz dried soba noodles (I used Udon)
~4 tablespoon tamari (it is a Japanese style soy sauce, sold in most grocery stores, San-J is my favorite)
~1 tablespoon sweet chili sauce (this one is my favorite, it is great for dipping egg rolls or even popcorn chicken! We keep running out of this stuff in our home.)
~1 teaspoon ginger, grated or chopped finely
~1 clove garlic; minced or pressed
~2 tablespoons sugar (I used rapadura)
~Juice of 1 clementine (or tangerine or orange)
~1/2 cup peas, cooked and cooled
~Toasted Sesame Seeds (heat in dry pan until golden, or buy them already toasted in ethnic foods section of the grocery store)

Boil noodles in salted water per the instructions; probably 6-8 minutes.  While the noodles are boiling, mix tamari, chili sauce, ginger, garlic and sugar together.  When the noodles are ready, strain, transfer to a bowl and mix together with the sauce one spoonful at a time until you get your desired sauciness.  Taste as you go, the mixture is quite salty and I did not use all of it.  Add clementine juice and peas.  Toss.  Serve (hot or cold), sprinkle with sesame seeds and enjoy!

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