Allison's Coconut Vegetable Curry

Another delicious curry recipe.  It also makes amazing leftovers!

Recipe and Image from Love and Lemons

 

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil

• 1 cup chopped yellow onion

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• ½ teaspoon grated fresh ginger

• ½ teaspoon cumin

• ¼ teaspoon coriander

• ¼ teaspoon turmeric

• ¼ teaspoon cardamom

• 1 teaspoon sea salt

• 2 cups cubed butternut squash (or sweet potatoes)

• 3 red Thai chiles, or 1 serrano, or ½ jalapeño, thinly sliced

• 2 cups cauliflower florets

• 1 can full-fat coconut milk

• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving

• 4 cups fresh spinach

• ½ cup fresh or frozen peas

• Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

• Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and well-browned, about 10 minutes, reducing the heat to low halfway through.
• In a small bowl, mix together the garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, turmeric, cardamom, and salt. Set aside.
• Add the butternut squash and chiles to the pot, stir, and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the cauliflower and then add the coconut milk and the spice mixture. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
• Add the lemon juice, lime juice, spinach, peas, and stir. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding additional lime juice, salt, and pepper, as desired.
• Serve the curry over the rice with fresh basil, naan bread, if desired, and lime wedges on the side.

For serving:

• 2 cups cooked basmati rice

• a few big handfuls of fresh basil or cilantro

• Naan bread, optional

Michelle's Slow Cooker (or Instant Pot) Beef Stew

Stew is a classic.  This is a simple and hearty meal that men particularly like.  Serve with warm biscuits if you want to have extra happy diners!  Note, when making stew, try to have all your vegetables/meat cut to the same size so they cook more similarly. Image from here. 

INGREDIENTS:
1-2 lbs beef stew meat (1 inch cubes)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp paprika (smoked paprika is good too!)
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups beef broth
3 potatoes, diced
4 carrots, sliced
2 stalks celery diced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
1 can petite diced tomatoes
*optional--can also add sweet potatoes, (mushrooms/peas--add these two at the very end before serving)

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Place all ingredients in the slow cooker.  Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-6 hours.  

2.  If using an instant pot, brown the meat first and cook about half-way through, then add the rest of the ingredients and pressure cook for 3-4 minutes.

3.  Serve warm in bowls (note this recipe does not have flour, so your stew will have a thinner broth).

Navratan (9 Vegetable) Korma

This is another great Indian dish.  I love how many vegetables it uses.  I'm not sure when I first had this dish...but I've tried many times to recreate it.  Here is a recipe that comes very close to what I remember eating at a restaurant.  Enjoy!

Image from Here.

In large soup pot over medium heat cook 7 minutes:
2 red onions, sliced
2 c chopped tomatoes
3 TBS butter or olive oil
1/2 c cashews
-Add the below spices and cook 1 more minute:
1 tsp chili powder
2 TBS honey
1 TBS Kasoori Methi 
1 TBS garam masala
1 tsp salt
2 TBS fresh ginger
4 cloves garlic
-Using a blender, blend onion, tomato, cashew, and spice mixture until smooth and cream.  Return sauce back to large soup pot and add:
1 can coconut milk
chopped vegetables: potatoes, peas, zucchini, cauliflower, carrots, water chestnuts, green beans
1/4 c. golden raisins (optional)
-Simmer until vegetables are soft.  Season with additional salt to taste.  
-Serve over basmati rice.  Garnish with additional cashews and chopped fresh cilantro.

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

This is a flexible recipe.  

Soups are a great way to utilize all of the 

random vegetables in your fridge/freezer!

(Image from two peas & their pod)

Carmelize over medium heat for 7 minutes:
1 onion
3 TBS olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced

Add and simmer 10 minutes until vegetables just tender:
1 TBS Thyme
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 c. celery, chopped
2 c. carrots, chopped
1 1/2 c. peas
2 c. zucchini
2 c. cooked chicken
2 quarts chicken broth (prefer Trader Joes brand)
*Optional add ins:  cooked rice, barley, quinoa, orzo, parsley, mushrooms
*Serve with rolls, biscuits, or soda crackers
*Trader Joes 21 Chicken Salute Seasoning works well with this recipe as well.

Thai Green Curry Vegetables

Simple, Healthy, Delicious!  

I think this is my closest Thai restaurant copycat invention.  I've never had exactly this, but the sauce tastes very similar.  You could certainly alter the vegetables or add chicken if desired.

In large pan heat over medium for 15 minutes or until vegetables just tender:
2 TBS olive oil
1 yellow onion, sliced
1 head cauliflower, diced
4 medium carrots, cut on the diagonal

Add and heat until warm:
1 cup frozen peas
1/4 tsp salt
1 TBS sugar
1 can coconut milk
1/4 c. chicken broth
2 TBS green curry paste (I used Thai Kitchen brand)
1 TBS fresh ginger, minced
1/2 c. chopped FRESH basil
-Serve warm (with rice if desired)

Vegetable Fried Rice

This is a great one dish vegetarian meal.  It also makes great lunch leftovers.

Serves 5-6

5 cups brown or white rice (leftover rice works great!)

6 cups mixed vegetables (peas, carrots, celery, broccoli, peppers, green onions, etc).

2 large cloves garlic, minced

5 eggs, scrambled with a little salt/pepper

-Cook rice according to package directions.  While rice is cooking, cut and stir fry vegetables in 1 TBS olive oil and 2 cloves minced garlic for 5 minutes on high.  Add to cooked rice.  Then stir in scrambled eggs.

Stir in:

3 TBS toasted sesame oil

1/3 c. soy sauce (add more to taste)

-For KETOGENIC version, use Riced, cauliflower instead of regular rice.

-Note you can also add ham (I love to add about 1/4 cup honey baked ham--it is really yummy!)

Peas and Carrots

This is a repost...Apparently this is by far my most viewed page.  Apparently people eat a lot of peas and carrots!  I'm also reposting since my wonderul little sister has helped create a new logo for me (did you notice?) and also a monogram for my food pics!

We probably eat steamed broccoli with our meals 70% of the time. Steamed peas and carrots are probably the next most common steamed vegetable side dish.

Two Ways I season after steaming:
1. Simple but tasty: salt, pepper, and a little whipped butter these sweet veggies can stand on their own feet!  For a meal or great lunch take along...add a little rice sprinkled with lemon pepper.  YUM! 
2. or with Forrest's Lime Dressing (drizzle on after you steam veggies).

Chicken Pot Pie (or Chicken Cobbler)

This is a family favorite...especially with my husband. It is a great family casserole type dish, or you can spiff it up a bit by making individual servings in ramekins. I've used lots of different types of biscuit toppings and all have been good, so feel free to modify the recipe below depending on your ingredients on hand!

Preheat oven to 400
Saute 7 minutes:
2 TBS olive oil
3 carrots, diced
2-3 stalks celery, diced
1 small/medium onion, diced
Stir in:
1 1/2 cups frozen peas
1-2 cups cooked chicken, diced
-Layer cooked vegetables/chicken into bottom of 9x 13 casserole dish.

Sauce:
4 TBS butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 c. chicken broth
1 1/2 cups milk (regular soy milk works fine)
1 tsp thyme
1 TBS parsley
3/4 tsp salt
ground pepper
-Heat butter over medium heat in empty pan until melted. Add 1/2 cup flour; cook about 1 minute. Whisk in chicken broth, milk, and spices. Continue to whisk and simmer until sauce just begins to thicken.
-Pour sauce over vegetables/chicken in casserole dish.

Biscuit Topping:
2 cups flour (can do 1/2 wheat)
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup cream (or butter)
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
-Mix together all of the above in large bowl until just mixed. Drop by spoonfuls on top of sauce/vegetables. (Or you can roll out biscuits and make nice round circles or use a rolled out pie crust and put it on top)
-Bake on middle rack at 400 for 30 minutes (20 minutes for small dishes) until biscuits brown and golden. Note: You can make sauce and vegetables ahead of time, but you'll need to warm the mixture in the oven before adding biscuit topping, then add biscuits and bake the 30minutes. Serves 6-8

KETOGENIC version:  substitute almond flour in place of regular flour.

Tuna Balsamic Salad

This is another salad favorite (with another salad to come with the same dressing), made a bit heartier with the tuna (sounds weird I know, but give it a try if you like canned tuna). You can add as many or as little additional toppings as you want depending on what's in your fridge!

Lettuce/Spinach
canned tuna, carrots, cucumber, avocado, green peas, kidney beans, bell peppers, slivered almonds, croutons, craisins (I like the hint of sweetness)

Dressing:
1 Italian Good Seasons salad dressing packet (.7 oz)
1/4 c. Balsamic Vinegar
3 TBS water
1/2 c. light olive oil

Cobb Salad

I always loved getting hard boiled eggs on my salad as a girl when our family went out to eat at a pizza restaurant with a delicious salad bar. I love cobb salad because of all the toppings! I think you can pretty much put anything in this salad, then serve with your favorite ranch or other desired dressing. The secret is just to have hard boiled eggs on hand so you can whip up the salad without waiting :-)

Ingredient options:
Romaine lettuce
tomatoes
hard boiled eggs, diced
bacon, chicken, or ham
cheese
kidney beans
peas
carrots
cucumbers
avocados

Easy Chicken Curry

This is easy and delicious--I promise! You only have to cut the onion :-) since you use peas and preshredded carrots. This is a recipe I like to make when I have friends coming over for dinner...

Serves 6-8

In large skillet saute 5minutes:

1 large yellow onion, diced

2 TBS olive oil

Add and saute 3 more minutes:

1 1/2 cups matchstick carrots (if you're store doesn't carry these, just dice up some carrots)
1-2cups peas

1/2 cup golden raisins

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 TBS curry

1/4 tsp cinnamon

Add and bring to simmer:

1/2-1 c. diced meat from rotisserie chicken

14 oz can coconut milk

1/4 cup soy or regular milk

salt/pepper to taste

-Serve warm over brown rice or couscous

-Garnish with raw almonds and/or diced green onions

KETOGENIC Version:  use cauliflower rice instead of regular rice (I buy the frozen riced cauliflower in the Trader Joes)

Couscous with Spring Vegetables

This recipe comes from the most recent Food Everyday publication. I made just a few slight changes like increasing the amount of peas and using less asparagus. This meal is done in 10 minutes!

2 TBS olive oil
4-5 green onions green and white parts thinly sliced
1 cup thin asparagus, diced into 1" pieces
1 cup frozen peas
1 1/2 TBS fresh lime juice
1/2-1 cup rotisserie chicken
1 5.6 oz box Near East Toasted Pine Nut Couscous
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

-Rinse frozen peas in warm water to begin defrosting.
-In medium saucepan, stir fry oil, onions, and asparagus 3 minutes. Set aside vegetables in a bowl. Cook couscous according to directions (takes about 5 minutes). Fluff couscous with fork and add cooked vegetables, peas, chicken, and lemon juice. Garnish with fresh parsley and 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts. Add salt if needed.

Chicken (or Vegetable) Coconut Kurma

Broil chicken:
3-4 chicken breasts sprinkled with the following spices:
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp turmeric
freshly ground pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne
-cool, then diced into small pieces

In Large Saucepan Carmelize (cook about 5 minutes until onions golden):
1 medium onion, diced
3 TBS olive oil
Add:
6 medium fresh cloves garlic, minced
2 TBS fresh ginger, finely diced
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp tumeric
2 medium tomatoes, finely diced
1 head cauliflower, chopped into small florets
1 1/2 cups frozen peas
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 1/2 cups water
cooked chicken pieces
1/2 cup golden raisins

-Simmer everything (but the coconut cream) for 20 minutes. then add 1/4 cup Coconut cream (not coconut milk) and serve over Basmati Rice.

-For vegetarian version, just take out chicken and roast cauliflower on cookie sheet with same ratio of chicken spices for about 10 minutes then add it to the rest of the ingredients.