I have been meaning to post a link to this recipe for weeks now. We are big muffin lovers in my house. As soon as the thermometer hit below 90, it felt like a good time to make some pumpkin muffins. The BEST recipe I've found is this one. Seriously, even my dairy and egg loving husband has been scarfing these vegan muffins down. I've made two batches of them now, and they've both turned out amazing. Last weekend, C and I had a blast baking them together. I let her put the baking cups in the muffin tin, scoop the dry ingredients (with plenty of help), dump in the wet ingredients and stir everything together. I think she loved the muffins even more because she made them herself. :)
I made a few substitutions to the original recipe, and the muffins still turned out amazing. Here are the changes I made: (1) I used King Arthur's White Whole Wheat Flour instead of white flour; (2) I cut down the sugar to 1 cup (but I think I will try to reduce it to just 3/4 cup next time); (3) I used organic full-fat coconut milk instead of soy milk; and (4) I used maple syrup instead of molasses (I didn't have any molasses on hand). They turned out really light and moist, and the spices are perfect.
You should definitely try these soon!
Showing posts with label Recipes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Recipes. Show all posts
Monday, October 28, 2013
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Everyday Food Roasted Salmon with Kale and Cabbage
My dear friend Amanda (of From the Desk of Amanda Zika fame) gave me a subscription to Martha Stewart Living a few years back, and lucky for me, she keeps renewing it for me. :) Lately, there's been included with that subscription a little Everyday Food booklet filled with lots of yummy and fast recipes. The other day, Publix happened to have some fresh Coho salmon, which is vastly superior to the farmed stuff they usually have. I picked some up, along with a big bag of organic kale. I planned to just bake the salmon (we typically sprinkle some of Chef Paul Prudhommes Magic Salmon Seasoning on the salmon and bake on foil - I just can't quit you - for about 12-15 minutes at 400 degrees) and sauté the kale with some olive oil and garlic, when I vaguely recalled reading a recipe in Everyday Food that looked like it would work with other ingredients I already had on hand. I didn't have any cabbage, but it didn't matter, this recipe turned out great with just the salmon and kale, and we only had ONE pan to clean at the end of this. Of course, when I say "we" had a pan to clean, I of course mean D. In our house, the cook doesn't clean . :)
The only tweak I would make to the recipe is to cook the salmon for less time, or maybe keep your salmon piece whole, instead of cutting it into portions. I found that 10 minutes was a little too long and the salmon ended up a little over-cooked. Maybe check it after about 7 minutes.
Here is the recipe: Roasted Salmon with Kale and Cabbage, and here are some pictures of our dinner:
The only tweak I would make to the recipe is to cook the salmon for less time, or maybe keep your salmon piece whole, instead of cutting it into portions. I found that 10 minutes was a little too long and the salmon ended up a little over-cooked. Maybe check it after about 7 minutes.
Here is the recipe: Roasted Salmon with Kale and Cabbage, and here are some pictures of our dinner:
Before going into the oven
All finished and ready to eat.
(I left the sauce off C's portion in case she wasn't a fan. I needn't have worried. It was really, really good).
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Slow cooker pot roast and lots of fun activities
Whelp, it's been a while since I've posted anything...sorry to my two dedicated readers. :) Things have been pretty busy in our neck of the woods. Since I last posted, I took a trip to DC for a dear friend's wedding:
Packed up C and the hub and visited the Golisano Children's Museum of Naples:
Went to a family friend's wedding in St. Pete with D, my parents and brothers:
And took a trip to the Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa. C was SO excited to see the elephants. It was like she spotted the Beatles. She was a little more timid when it came to feeding the giraffes (clinging to her Daddy for dear life):
But she liked hanging out with the zebras.
With all these fun activities, I haven't had much time (or desire) to cook. For that reason, I'm really glad that I took the time a few weeks ago to prep a pot roast for the slow cooker.
The art of slow cooking has been a work in progress for me. We never had a slow cooker when I grew up. My Mom thought it just made everything taste like mush, and so it wasn't worth the waste of food to make something that no one enjoyed eating. I have tried my fair share of slow cooker recipes that left me with bland mush, so I know where she's coming from.
I have learned the key, for me anyway, is to sear my meat in advance. It adds so much flavor and structure to the dish that it doesn't taste like you slow-cooked it; it tastes like you braised it, which is essentially what you're doing. Of course, if you have the time to sear meat in the morning, you probably don't need a slow cooker because you have all the time in the world to cook and relax and drink wine and play jazz and luxuriate in a bubble bath while watching the Today Show. This is what I imagine retirement will be.
I know, however, that the chances of me waking up early to sauté meat and chop veggies to throw in the slow cooker are about as good as the chances of me waking up early to work out (ha!), so I need to find another way. So, one Saturday when I didn't have a lot going on and Greenwise roasts were on sale, I decided to experiment with pre-searing and sautéing my ingredients, then freezing them all to use in my slow cooker on a less-relaxed day.
So I seasoned the meat, added some olive oil to a pan, and seared it on both sides.
Then I added a little more oil, and added some chopped onion, celery and carrots.
Once those were done, I figured I'd throw in some sweet potatoes, just because I had some and I like them.
Then I rinsed and tied up some fresh rosemary and thyme:
Then I let everything cool down, stuffed it all into a freezer bag, and stuck it in my freezer until I was ready for it. Then, one frantic morning, I dumped the entire frozen contents into my slow cooker (note - I did NOT thaw first), added about a cup of beef broth and maybe another one-half to one cup of red wine, set it on low for 8 hours, and came home to perfectly braised, perfectly delicious pot roast.
I know the lighting is weird and makes the sauce look really greasy, but I promise, it was not. The whole family scarfed it down, and I was a hero. I usually like to eat my pot roast with mashed potatoes, but because I had thrown in the sweet potatoes, we didn't need them. Since this recipe was so successful, I think that I'm going to try the pre-searing then freezing then slow-cooking technique with some other recipes. I'm sure beef stew would turn out great, and probably plenty of chicken dishes would too. You could also skip the freezing step if you make this early and want to eat it right away. I usually make pot roasts on a winter weekend day, and I don't really use a recipe anymore. I think my recipe is based on this one from The Pioneer Woman though.
Slow-Cooker Pot Roast
Ingredients
1 3-4 lb chuck roast
1/2 to 1 onion, chopped
1-2 cloves garlic (or, if you really like garlic like me, 4-5 cloves), minced
3-4 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
3-4 stalks celery, roughly chopped
1-2 sweet potatoes, well scrubbed and chopped (optional)
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 bunch fresh thyme
1 bunch fresh rosemary
salt
pepper
1 cup beef broth
1/2 to 1 cup dry red wine (I typically use cabernet)
Directions
Prep
1. Heat a pan on medium-high heat. While the pan is heating, season the chuck roast with salt and pepper. Once the pan is hot, add about 2 tablespoons olive oil.
2. Wait for the olive oil to get really hot, then add the roast and let it sear, undisturbed for maybe 3 -5 minutes on each side. The length of time it takes to sear will really depend on how hot your pan is. You want it really hot, but you also don't want your roast to turn completely black and burnt. Just check it and use your best judgment.
3. While the roast is searing, I chop up my veggies. Once the roast is done, remove it to a plate and let it cool down. Then add another 2 tablespoons or so of oil to the pan, and add the onion, carrots and celery. Let them cook down for a few minutes, and add the garlic. I probably sauté them all for a total of about 7 minutes, but again, just watch them and don't overcook. They're going to spend a lot of time cooking in the slow-cooker, so you just want them to develop a good flavor.
4. Once the carrots, celery, onion and garlic are done cooking, remove them to a plate and set aside. Then add another 2 tablespoons or so of oil, and sauté the sweet potatoes. You could probably even skip this step altogether...I don't know if it really added much or helped the potatoes stay together any better.
5. Rinse and dry the thyme and rosemary, then tie them together into one big bunch.
6. Once your meat and veggies have cooled down, dump the herbs, veggies, and meat (in that order)all together into a big freezer bag. If the bag is still pretty warm, stick it in the fridge for a few hours to cool down, then flatten everything out as best you can, and stick it in the freezer.
Day of
1. Dump contents of bag into a slow cooker. If it's frozen too solid to get the lid closed, leave it alone for 15-30 minutes and go blow dry your hair. Then take a wooden spoon and bang the frozen mass into submission.
2. Add the broth and wine. You want it to come up about half way in the pot. If it's too low, add some more broth.
3. Cover and cook on low 8 hours (or longer), or high for 4 hours. Remove the bunch of herbs, and enjoy!
Went to a family friend's wedding in St. Pete with D, my parents and brothers:
But she liked hanging out with the zebras.
The art of slow cooking has been a work in progress for me. We never had a slow cooker when I grew up. My Mom thought it just made everything taste like mush, and so it wasn't worth the waste of food to make something that no one enjoyed eating. I have tried my fair share of slow cooker recipes that left me with bland mush, so I know where she's coming from.
I have learned the key, for me anyway, is to sear my meat in advance. It adds so much flavor and structure to the dish that it doesn't taste like you slow-cooked it; it tastes like you braised it, which is essentially what you're doing. Of course, if you have the time to sear meat in the morning, you probably don't need a slow cooker because you have all the time in the world to cook and relax and drink wine and play jazz and luxuriate in a bubble bath while watching the Today Show. This is what I imagine retirement will be.
I know, however, that the chances of me waking up early to sauté meat and chop veggies to throw in the slow cooker are about as good as the chances of me waking up early to work out (ha!), so I need to find another way. So, one Saturday when I didn't have a lot going on and Greenwise roasts were on sale, I decided to experiment with pre-searing and sautéing my ingredients, then freezing them all to use in my slow cooker on a less-relaxed day.
So I seasoned the meat, added some olive oil to a pan, and seared it on both sides.
Then I added a little more oil, and added some chopped onion, celery and carrots.
Once those were done, I figured I'd throw in some sweet potatoes, just because I had some and I like them.
Then I rinsed and tied up some fresh rosemary and thyme:
Then I let everything cool down, stuffed it all into a freezer bag, and stuck it in my freezer until I was ready for it. Then, one frantic morning, I dumped the entire frozen contents into my slow cooker (note - I did NOT thaw first), added about a cup of beef broth and maybe another one-half to one cup of red wine, set it on low for 8 hours, and came home to perfectly braised, perfectly delicious pot roast.
I know the lighting is weird and makes the sauce look really greasy, but I promise, it was not. The whole family scarfed it down, and I was a hero. I usually like to eat my pot roast with mashed potatoes, but because I had thrown in the sweet potatoes, we didn't need them. Since this recipe was so successful, I think that I'm going to try the pre-searing then freezing then slow-cooking technique with some other recipes. I'm sure beef stew would turn out great, and probably plenty of chicken dishes would too. You could also skip the freezing step if you make this early and want to eat it right away. I usually make pot roasts on a winter weekend day, and I don't really use a recipe anymore. I think my recipe is based on this one from The Pioneer Woman though.
Slow-Cooker Pot Roast
Ingredients
1 3-4 lb chuck roast
1/2 to 1 onion, chopped
1-2 cloves garlic (or, if you really like garlic like me, 4-5 cloves), minced
3-4 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
3-4 stalks celery, roughly chopped
1-2 sweet potatoes, well scrubbed and chopped (optional)
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 bunch fresh thyme
1 bunch fresh rosemary
salt
pepper
1 cup beef broth
1/2 to 1 cup dry red wine (I typically use cabernet)
Directions
Prep
1. Heat a pan on medium-high heat. While the pan is heating, season the chuck roast with salt and pepper. Once the pan is hot, add about 2 tablespoons olive oil.
2. Wait for the olive oil to get really hot, then add the roast and let it sear, undisturbed for maybe 3 -5 minutes on each side. The length of time it takes to sear will really depend on how hot your pan is. You want it really hot, but you also don't want your roast to turn completely black and burnt. Just check it and use your best judgment.
3. While the roast is searing, I chop up my veggies. Once the roast is done, remove it to a plate and let it cool down. Then add another 2 tablespoons or so of oil to the pan, and add the onion, carrots and celery. Let them cook down for a few minutes, and add the garlic. I probably sauté them all for a total of about 7 minutes, but again, just watch them and don't overcook. They're going to spend a lot of time cooking in the slow-cooker, so you just want them to develop a good flavor.
4. Once the carrots, celery, onion and garlic are done cooking, remove them to a plate and set aside. Then add another 2 tablespoons or so of oil, and sauté the sweet potatoes. You could probably even skip this step altogether...I don't know if it really added much or helped the potatoes stay together any better.
5. Rinse and dry the thyme and rosemary, then tie them together into one big bunch.
6. Once your meat and veggies have cooled down, dump the herbs, veggies, and meat (in that order)all together into a big freezer bag. If the bag is still pretty warm, stick it in the fridge for a few hours to cool down, then flatten everything out as best you can, and stick it in the freezer.
Day of
1. Dump contents of bag into a slow cooker. If it's frozen too solid to get the lid closed, leave it alone for 15-30 minutes and go blow dry your hair. Then take a wooden spoon and bang the frozen mass into submission.
2. Add the broth and wine. You want it to come up about half way in the pot. If it's too low, add some more broth.
3. Cover and cook on low 8 hours (or longer), or high for 4 hours. Remove the bunch of herbs, and enjoy!
Thursday, August 22, 2013
(Almost) a full week of recipes
This week has seemed busier than usual, which is why I'm especially glad that I took the time to do a little meal planning this weekend. It doesn't often happen in my house, and we usually end up at Publix at least 4 times per week, scrambling and starving after a long day of work and daycare, but this week we've only been once (so far)! The key was to cook two roast chickens on Sunday, so I could use the leftover chicken in recipes all week, or at least the first part of the week. It's now Thursday and we have used all the chicken within the 3-4 day window for leftovers, so I think we made just the right about.
Here is how we did it:
On Sunday, rather than roasting just one chicken like I normally do, I roasted two. I always follow Ina's perfect roast chicken recipe, and it, as the name implies, turns out perfectly every time. The only difference is that I rub my birds with olive oil instead of butter, and this time I sliced sweet potatoes and onions to put in the bottom of the pan. I drizzled the veggies with olive oil, salt and pepper. My sweet husband wanted mashed potatoes, so he made a bunch and set aside half to make dairy-free. For the dairy-free version, he just added some almond milk, salt & pepper and olive oil. That night we feasted on roast chicken, veggies, mashed potatoes and lots of gravy. I carved the remainder of the chickens and cubed the meat, and set aside for the rest of the week. Also, while the chicken was cooking, I chopped up all the veggies for Monday night's dinner so that it would be ready to go.
On Monday, we made a dairy-free cottage pie based on this recipe. We modified the filling a bit and used the leftover (dairy-free) mashed potatoes as the topping rather than a crust. Here is what we did:
Dairy-Free Cottage Pie
Ingredients
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
3 ribs of celery, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbsp. fresh thyme
1 tsp dried sage
1 tsp poultry seasoning
salt & pepper, to taste
2 tbsp. flour (we use white-wheat)
1.5 cups chicken broth
2 tbsp. almond milk
1-2 cups frozen peas
approx. 2 cups cooked chicken, diced
2-3 cups leftover mashed potatoes
Directions
Pre-heat the oven to 350 and heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the olive oil to the saucepan, and once hot, sauté the onion, carrots, celery and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Allow to cook about 5-10 minutes until the onion is translucent and the vegetables are mostly cooked, but still a little crunchy (they will keep cooking in the oven). Add the thyme, sage, poultry seasoning and flour. Allow the flour to cook 1-2 minutes, then add the chicken broth, almond milk, frozen peas, and leftover chicken. Transfer the mixture to a baking dish, and top with mashed potatoes. Bake for approximately 20-30 minutes until cooked through.
On Tuesday, I had high hopes of making a basil pesto to serve over pasta, leftover chicken, and broccoli, but I ended up not having the energy for all that. Instead, I cooked some pasta and sautéed a package of white mushrooms in some olive oil, dumped a jar of pasta sauce on top, and added a package of spinach and a cup or two of leftover chicken. It was simple, tasty, and required very little work from me.
On Wednesday, we ate rice bowls topped with a yummy cilantro avocado tahini sauce (note - I added a clove of garlic and 1-2 tbsp. olive oil). After I made the sauce, I threw a bag of our trusty Trader Joe's organic brown rice into the microwave, then prepped the broccoli. I chopped a head of broccoli up and put it in a microwave-safe dish, added 1 tbsp. water, drizzled with olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper. I cooked it covered in the microwave for 3 minutes on high. To assemble, I divided the rice among three bowls, added the remainder of our leftover chicken (I didn't bother to heat it up, and just added it straight from the fridge), and topped with the broccoli and sauce. Delish, and ready in about 15 minutes.
Tonight, rather than go to the store to buy more meat, I plan to make falafel from ingredients I already have in my pantry. I would love to try the quinoa version of the falafel, but I don't feel like making quinoa tonight, don't have any of that egg-replacer stuff and I just so happen to have some organic bread crumbs in my pantry. I'll serve them in pitas with lettuce, tomato and leftover cilantro avocado tahini sauce. I've never made falafel before, so wish me luck!
Tomorrow is Friday, which means it is steak night in my household. I'll head over to B&G at lunch, grab a couple steaks, then pick up some kale and sweet potatoes at the store. We'll bake the sweet potatoes in the oven (400 degrees for about an hour). Then, while my husband grills the steaks, I'll sauté the kale with a couple cloves of garlic, olive oil and salt. Can't wait!
What is everyone else cooking for dinner this week? I need inspiration!
Here is how we did it:
On Sunday, rather than roasting just one chicken like I normally do, I roasted two. I always follow Ina's perfect roast chicken recipe, and it, as the name implies, turns out perfectly every time. The only difference is that I rub my birds with olive oil instead of butter, and this time I sliced sweet potatoes and onions to put in the bottom of the pan. I drizzled the veggies with olive oil, salt and pepper. My sweet husband wanted mashed potatoes, so he made a bunch and set aside half to make dairy-free. For the dairy-free version, he just added some almond milk, salt & pepper and olive oil. That night we feasted on roast chicken, veggies, mashed potatoes and lots of gravy. I carved the remainder of the chickens and cubed the meat, and set aside for the rest of the week. Also, while the chicken was cooking, I chopped up all the veggies for Monday night's dinner so that it would be ready to go.
On Monday, we made a dairy-free cottage pie based on this recipe. We modified the filling a bit and used the leftover (dairy-free) mashed potatoes as the topping rather than a crust. Here is what we did:
Dairy-Free Cottage Pie
Ingredients
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
3 ribs of celery, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbsp. fresh thyme
1 tsp dried sage
1 tsp poultry seasoning
salt & pepper, to taste
2 tbsp. flour (we use white-wheat)
1.5 cups chicken broth
2 tbsp. almond milk
1-2 cups frozen peas
approx. 2 cups cooked chicken, diced
2-3 cups leftover mashed potatoes
Directions
Pre-heat the oven to 350 and heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the olive oil to the saucepan, and once hot, sauté the onion, carrots, celery and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Allow to cook about 5-10 minutes until the onion is translucent and the vegetables are mostly cooked, but still a little crunchy (they will keep cooking in the oven). Add the thyme, sage, poultry seasoning and flour. Allow the flour to cook 1-2 minutes, then add the chicken broth, almond milk, frozen peas, and leftover chicken. Transfer the mixture to a baking dish, and top with mashed potatoes. Bake for approximately 20-30 minutes until cooked through.
On Tuesday, I had high hopes of making a basil pesto to serve over pasta, leftover chicken, and broccoli, but I ended up not having the energy for all that. Instead, I cooked some pasta and sautéed a package of white mushrooms in some olive oil, dumped a jar of pasta sauce on top, and added a package of spinach and a cup or two of leftover chicken. It was simple, tasty, and required very little work from me.
On Wednesday, we ate rice bowls topped with a yummy cilantro avocado tahini sauce (note - I added a clove of garlic and 1-2 tbsp. olive oil). After I made the sauce, I threw a bag of our trusty Trader Joe's organic brown rice into the microwave, then prepped the broccoli. I chopped a head of broccoli up and put it in a microwave-safe dish, added 1 tbsp. water, drizzled with olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper. I cooked it covered in the microwave for 3 minutes on high. To assemble, I divided the rice among three bowls, added the remainder of our leftover chicken (I didn't bother to heat it up, and just added it straight from the fridge), and topped with the broccoli and sauce. Delish, and ready in about 15 minutes.
Tonight, rather than go to the store to buy more meat, I plan to make falafel from ingredients I already have in my pantry. I would love to try the quinoa version of the falafel, but I don't feel like making quinoa tonight, don't have any of that egg-replacer stuff and I just so happen to have some organic bread crumbs in my pantry. I'll serve them in pitas with lettuce, tomato and leftover cilantro avocado tahini sauce. I've never made falafel before, so wish me luck!
Tomorrow is Friday, which means it is steak night in my household. I'll head over to B&G at lunch, grab a couple steaks, then pick up some kale and sweet potatoes at the store. We'll bake the sweet potatoes in the oven (400 degrees for about an hour). Then, while my husband grills the steaks, I'll sauté the kale with a couple cloves of garlic, olive oil and salt. Can't wait!
What is everyone else cooking for dinner this week? I need inspiration!
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
Productive lunch and lazy woman's slow cooker chicken picadillo
Yesterday I had one of those days where I was ready to go back to bed by 7:30 a.m. I woke up late, got ready late, realized too late that all of Sunny's shorts were dirty, and got to work late. I barely had time for breakfast, didn't pack a lunch, and basically left the house a disaster. I was having a major Tired Girl kind of day. (For those of you who don't read The Tired Girl's Guide to the Good Life, I highly recommend you head over there right now to learn time-saving tips to navigate your day, and look awake, refreshed and put together - even when you're none of those things.
So I decided to head back home at lunch to hopefully pick up some of the pieces from my frazzled morning. I started by throwing in a load of wash so Sunny might have some clean clothes for this morning and not look like a unloved street rat. On a completely unrelated note, pre-baby my laundry used to consist mainly of whites, darks, and towels. Now I find myself doing loads that I label "bright pinks," "pastels" and "pooped-on." What has happened?
Next, I reheated some of Ina's Roasted Tomato Basil Soup. I'd made a batch a few weeks ago and frozen the leftovers. This is one of my favorite soups in the world, and perfect for this time of year when tomatoes are cheap and plentiful. While it was heating in the microwave, I fixed myself a sandwich of whole wheat bread from my diet-busting trip to Oltimes German Bakery, mayo, mozzarella, avocado and tomato (from my trip to the Punta Gorda Farmers Market last Saturday). I watched an episode of New Girl on Netflix while I ate and felt better about myself.
Then, because I still didn't have the energy to face the grocery store, I decided to take stock of what I could throw together for dinner. I remembered that I had some chicken breasts in the freezer, and knew I had some leftover tomato sauce in the fridge. Rather than leave the chicken on the counter to thaw (ewwwww), I decided to throw it in my hand slow-cooker...completely frozen.
Then, I took inspiration from one of our family's favorite meals, Skinnytaste's Cuban Picadillo. I threw in some tomato sauce, pre-minced roasted garlic, olives (and some of their juices), bay leaf, cumin, salt, pepper and chili powder, and turned it to high. I didn't feel like chopping anything, so I didn't add any bell peppers or onions. Also, I think adding onions to slow cooker recipes can kind of ruin the meal. I don't know what it is, but I find slow cooked onions to be disgusting.
I threw my load of bright pinks into the dryer and headed back to work, hoping that my crock pot creation wouldn't turn to disgusting mush. I needn't have worried. By the time I came home, dinner was basically ready and smelled yummy, clothes were dry (if wrinkled), and I felt like I almost had it all together. All I had to do was heat up some water for brown rice (I searched my freezer high and low hoping I had some Trader Joe's organic frozen brown rice packages left, but alas, it wasn't to be), put on some yoga pants, and play with Sunny until the husband got home. Then, it was dinner time!
As you can see, I shredded the chicken and piled it on top of the brown rice. I also added some sautéed kale (which I had in the fridge and didn't want to go bad), and avocado (because I love avocado). Honestly, it probably would have been better with a side salad instead of the kale, but the rest of the meal was juicy and tasty. Plus, it took virtually no effort from me, which is always a bonus. *Note* I like my food with a little spice, but to save my sweet daughter's taste buds, I don't add too much heat to my base recipes. To serve, I topped my chicken with some of my favorite Mexican hot sauce (Salsa Valentina). It adds a nice smoky flavor as well.
Do any of you have serious lazy-day, Ican'tgotoPublixonemoretimethisweek meals in your repertoire? If so, send them my way!
LAZY WOMAN'S SLOW COOKER CHICKEN PICADILLO
Serves 2 adults and one toddler
Ingredients
2 frozen (or thawed) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Approximately 4 oz (1/2 can) of tomato sauce
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 cup sliced green olives
1/2 tsp minced garlic (I used the minced roasted garlic that comes in a jar)
Cilantro (optional)
Avocado (optional, for serving)
Brown rice (optional, for serving)
Directions
Dump all ingredients in a slow cooker. Cook on high 4 hours or low 8 hours. Shred chicken and serve over brown rice, and top with cilantro, hot sauce and avocado if you have or want them.
Instead of serving over brown rice, you could also scoop into tortillas and have a slightly different take on chicken tacos.
So I decided to head back home at lunch to hopefully pick up some of the pieces from my frazzled morning. I started by throwing in a load of wash so Sunny might have some clean clothes for this morning and not look like a unloved street rat. On a completely unrelated note, pre-baby my laundry used to consist mainly of whites, darks, and towels. Now I find myself doing loads that I label "bright pinks," "pastels" and "pooped-on." What has happened?
Next, I reheated some of Ina's Roasted Tomato Basil Soup. I'd made a batch a few weeks ago and frozen the leftovers. This is one of my favorite soups in the world, and perfect for this time of year when tomatoes are cheap and plentiful. While it was heating in the microwave, I fixed myself a sandwich of whole wheat bread from my diet-busting trip to Oltimes German Bakery, mayo, mozzarella, avocado and tomato (from my trip to the Punta Gorda Farmers Market last Saturday). I watched an episode of New Girl on Netflix while I ate and felt better about myself.
Then, because I still didn't have the energy to face the grocery store, I decided to take stock of what I could throw together for dinner. I remembered that I had some chicken breasts in the freezer, and knew I had some leftover tomato sauce in the fridge. Rather than leave the chicken on the counter to thaw (ewwwww), I decided to throw it in my hand slow-cooker...completely frozen.
Then, I took inspiration from one of our family's favorite meals, Skinnytaste's Cuban Picadillo. I threw in some tomato sauce, pre-minced roasted garlic, olives (and some of their juices), bay leaf, cumin, salt, pepper and chili powder, and turned it to high. I didn't feel like chopping anything, so I didn't add any bell peppers or onions. Also, I think adding onions to slow cooker recipes can kind of ruin the meal. I don't know what it is, but I find slow cooked onions to be disgusting.
I threw my load of bright pinks into the dryer and headed back to work, hoping that my crock pot creation wouldn't turn to disgusting mush. I needn't have worried. By the time I came home, dinner was basically ready and smelled yummy, clothes were dry (if wrinkled), and I felt like I almost had it all together. All I had to do was heat up some water for brown rice (I searched my freezer high and low hoping I had some Trader Joe's organic frozen brown rice packages left, but alas, it wasn't to be), put on some yoga pants, and play with Sunny until the husband got home. Then, it was dinner time!
As you can see, I shredded the chicken and piled it on top of the brown rice. I also added some sautéed kale (which I had in the fridge and didn't want to go bad), and avocado (because I love avocado). Honestly, it probably would have been better with a side salad instead of the kale, but the rest of the meal was juicy and tasty. Plus, it took virtually no effort from me, which is always a bonus. *Note* I like my food with a little spice, but to save my sweet daughter's taste buds, I don't add too much heat to my base recipes. To serve, I topped my chicken with some of my favorite Mexican hot sauce (Salsa Valentina). It adds a nice smoky flavor as well.
Do any of you have serious lazy-day, Ican'tgotoPublixonemoretimethisweek meals in your repertoire? If so, send them my way!
LAZY WOMAN'S SLOW COOKER CHICKEN PICADILLO
Serves 2 adults and one toddler
Ingredients
2 frozen (or thawed) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Approximately 4 oz (1/2 can) of tomato sauce
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 cup sliced green olives
1/2 tsp minced garlic (I used the minced roasted garlic that comes in a jar)
Cilantro (optional)
Avocado (optional, for serving)
Brown rice (optional, for serving)
Directions
Dump all ingredients in a slow cooker. Cook on high 4 hours or low 8 hours. Shred chicken and serve over brown rice, and top with cilantro, hot sauce and avocado if you have or want them.
Instead of serving over brown rice, you could also scoop into tortillas and have a slightly different take on chicken tacos.
Friday, August 9, 2013
Chicken Curry
When I was about 13 years old, I decided to become a vegetarian. I was really only planning to try it for a week or so, but then no one thought I would stick with it, so I got stubborn and (much to my family's annoyance) didn't eat meat for seven years.
When I was in high school, both my parents worked, so one or two nights per week, I was in charge of dinner. One of the first meals I learned to cook was chicken curry. Yes, I had to cook chicken, even though I didn't eat it. My family was not about to go vegetarian just because I had. I would cook two pans of curry, one with just veggies for me, and one with chicken and veggies for the family. It was always a hit, and I loved making it because it was so easy. I would brown the chicken, throw in some veggies, add some water, and then add this little box of amazingness:
It looked gross and came in large brown chunks (kind of like a chocolate bar), but it tasted so, so good. But, alas, now that I am grown, have a child with allergies and have been making a concerted effort to feed my family "real foods," gone are the days where I can make sauce from a box, particularly when it contains sneaky ingredients like this:
I see you, monosodium glutamate (MSG). You are so delicious, but make my poor daughter break out into hives. Some sources claim you are harmless, while others claim you cause brain damage (I'd take that last one with a big heaping spoonful of MSG-free salt). Either way, I've got to keep you out of my kitchen.
So tonight, I decided to make a chicken curry meal inspired by my delicious golden curry, only made from real foods and without any dairy, eggs, MSG, or other ingredients that get Sunny's hives a-flaring. I was also inspired by this recipe. From my pantry, I grabbed what I had on hand (cumin, turmeric, Italian peeled tomatoes, organic full-fat coconut milk, ground ginger and curry powder):
Then I chopped half a large red onion, four cloves of garlic (we really like garlic), a few carrots, a red bell pepper, a green bell pepper, and a few stalks of celery. I added a few swirls of olive oil to the bottom of a large skilled, and cooked the garlic and onion for a few minutes. Meanwhile, I chopped up a package of chicken breast (I used Publix's Greenwise chicken...on sale!) into bite-sized cubes, and sprinkled them liberally with salt and pepper. After the onion began to get translucent, I added the chicken.
Once the chicken was nicely browned, I added the rest of my veggies:
Then dumped in the tomatoes and coconut milk, one tablespoon of curry powder (I would have used two, but ran out), then added about one-half a tablespoon each of the turmeric and cumin, then sprinkled on some ginger. Finally, I added some salt and pepper, covered it, and turned the heat to low. I let it simmer for about 10-15 minutes (until the carrots were soft), then added some leftover cooked broccoli, and served over brown rice. You certainly don't have to add the broccoli, but if you have some uncooked lying around, just add it with the carrots and other veggies.
Yummy, nutritious, and took the exact same amount of time as my box mix did. I couldn't ask for much more.
Ingredients
2 TB olive oil
1 package boneless, skinless chicken breasts, chopped into bite sized pieces
1/2 large onion, chopped
4 clove garlic, minced
3 carrots, chopped
3 stalks of celery, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1-2 TB curry powder
1/2 TB cumin
1/2 TB turmeric
dash of ginger
1 can peeled tomatoes (stewed or diced tomatoes would work great too)
1 can coconut milk (full fat)
salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil, then, once the oil is heated, add garlic and onion and sauté until onion is translucent (above 5 minutes). Be careful not to let the garlic burn! Meanwhile, trim the chicken of fat, and cut the chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Once onions are translucent, add the chicken and cook until nice browned and mostly cooked through. There should be no pink spots remaining.
Once chicken is cooked, add the remaining vegetables and the rest of the ingredients. Cover, turn heat to low, and simmer until vegetables are cooked through, about 10-15 minutes. Serve over brown rice and enjoy!
When I was in high school, both my parents worked, so one or two nights per week, I was in charge of dinner. One of the first meals I learned to cook was chicken curry. Yes, I had to cook chicken, even though I didn't eat it. My family was not about to go vegetarian just because I had. I would cook two pans of curry, one with just veggies for me, and one with chicken and veggies for the family. It was always a hit, and I loved making it because it was so easy. I would brown the chicken, throw in some veggies, add some water, and then add this little box of amazingness:
It looked gross and came in large brown chunks (kind of like a chocolate bar), but it tasted so, so good. But, alas, now that I am grown, have a child with allergies and have been making a concerted effort to feed my family "real foods," gone are the days where I can make sauce from a box, particularly when it contains sneaky ingredients like this:
I see you, monosodium glutamate (MSG). You are so delicious, but make my poor daughter break out into hives. Some sources claim you are harmless, while others claim you cause brain damage (I'd take that last one with a big heaping spoonful of MSG-free salt). Either way, I've got to keep you out of my kitchen.
So tonight, I decided to make a chicken curry meal inspired by my delicious golden curry, only made from real foods and without any dairy, eggs, MSG, or other ingredients that get Sunny's hives a-flaring. I was also inspired by this recipe. From my pantry, I grabbed what I had on hand (cumin, turmeric, Italian peeled tomatoes, organic full-fat coconut milk, ground ginger and curry powder):
Then I chopped half a large red onion, four cloves of garlic (we really like garlic), a few carrots, a red bell pepper, a green bell pepper, and a few stalks of celery. I added a few swirls of olive oil to the bottom of a large skilled, and cooked the garlic and onion for a few minutes. Meanwhile, I chopped up a package of chicken breast (I used Publix's Greenwise chicken...on sale!) into bite-sized cubes, and sprinkled them liberally with salt and pepper. After the onion began to get translucent, I added the chicken.
Once the chicken was nicely browned, I added the rest of my veggies:
Then dumped in the tomatoes and coconut milk, one tablespoon of curry powder (I would have used two, but ran out), then added about one-half a tablespoon each of the turmeric and cumin, then sprinkled on some ginger. Finally, I added some salt and pepper, covered it, and turned the heat to low. I let it simmer for about 10-15 minutes (until the carrots were soft), then added some leftover cooked broccoli, and served over brown rice. You certainly don't have to add the broccoli, but if you have some uncooked lying around, just add it with the carrots and other veggies.
Yummy, nutritious, and took the exact same amount of time as my box mix did. I couldn't ask for much more.
Ingredients
2 TB olive oil
1 package boneless, skinless chicken breasts, chopped into bite sized pieces
1/2 large onion, chopped
4 clove garlic, minced
3 carrots, chopped
3 stalks of celery, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1-2 TB curry powder
1/2 TB cumin
1/2 TB turmeric
dash of ginger
1 can peeled tomatoes (stewed or diced tomatoes would work great too)
1 can coconut milk (full fat)
salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil, then, once the oil is heated, add garlic and onion and sauté until onion is translucent (above 5 minutes). Be careful not to let the garlic burn! Meanwhile, trim the chicken of fat, and cut the chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Once onions are translucent, add the chicken and cook until nice browned and mostly cooked through. There should be no pink spots remaining.
Once chicken is cooked, add the remaining vegetables and the rest of the ingredients. Cover, turn heat to low, and simmer until vegetables are cooked through, about 10-15 minutes. Serve over brown rice and enjoy!
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