This is from the More with Less cookbook...but I'll put my changes in parentheses. It's a favourite, especially with vanilla mashed potatoes.
3 lbs chicken pieces (we like legs and thighs), arranged in a shallow baking dish, skin side up
Mix together the following and pour over the chicken:
1/3 cup margarine or butter, melted (I use about half of that. I suspect it could be omitted completely, but I haven't tried that.)
1/3 cup honey
2 Tbsp yellow mustard
1 tsp salt
1 tsp curry powder (or more, to taste)
Bake 60-75 minutes, basting every 15 minutes, until chicken is tender. (I bake it covered for about half of the time and then uncover it.)
Vanilla Mashed Potatoes: Make mashed potatoes as you normally do, but when mashing them, add the scraped out seeds of one or two vanilla pods OR 1 tsp vanilla powder. Don't try vanilla extract! It must be seeds or powder. Don't skimp on the butter and salt. :)
Saturday, April 20, 2013
Curried Lentils and Spinach
This is comfort food, especially when served with fresh naan from this recipe. Even my girls who don't care for the lentils willingly eat it so they can use the naan as scoops. :) I've scaled the recipe up so it uses a whole package of lentils and also that I'll always have leftovers the next day.
1 lb package dried lentils, rinsed (the original recipe called for black-eyed peas, but I'm not familiar with those and I was craving curried lentils)
3-4 Tbsp coconut oil (or whatever you use)
1 large yellow onion, finely diced
2 carrots, diced (my addition, therefore optional)
1 Tbsp ground coriander
2 (or more) tsp finely minced garlic (about 2 large cloves)
2 tsp minced fresh ginger
1 1/2 tsp turmeric
1 1/2 tsp curry powder
1 1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp cayenne (or more, as you like it)
1 1/2 tsp cumin
2 -4 tomatoes, diced (I go for 4 small ones, so base the number on their size)
4 cups hot water
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 - 2 tsp sugar
1 can coconut milk
2 tbsp chopped cilantro (i never have this, never use it)
1 Tbsp lemon juice (i've never actually remembered to use it...)
2-3 cups chopped fresh spinach (don't pack it down.)
In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium-low heat and saute the onion (and carrots, if using) for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, combine all ingredients from coriander to cumin and mix in a small bowl. When onion is soft and browning, add spice mixture and cook and stir for 1-2 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes and stir over low heat until tomatoes disintegrates.
Add the rinsed lentils and the hot water. Mix well. Add the sugar and salt and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to low, cover and simmer until the lentils are cooked and soft. Add water if needed, as the lentils absorb it. When the lentils are cooked, you want almost all of the water to be gone.
Stir in the coconut milk and simmer uncovered for another 8-10 minutes. Add salt to taste.
Just before serving, stir in the lemon juice, cilantro and chopped spinach. As soon as the spinach wilts, remove from heat. Serve with naan and/or rice. This amount would make two meals for my family of 6.
1 lb package dried lentils, rinsed (the original recipe called for black-eyed peas, but I'm not familiar with those and I was craving curried lentils)
3-4 Tbsp coconut oil (or whatever you use)
1 large yellow onion, finely diced
2 carrots, diced (my addition, therefore optional)
1 Tbsp ground coriander
2 (or more) tsp finely minced garlic (about 2 large cloves)
2 tsp minced fresh ginger
1 1/2 tsp turmeric
1 1/2 tsp curry powder
1 1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp cayenne (or more, as you like it)
1 1/2 tsp cumin
2 -4 tomatoes, diced (I go for 4 small ones, so base the number on their size)
4 cups hot water
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 - 2 tsp sugar
1 can coconut milk
2 tbsp chopped cilantro (i never have this, never use it)
1 Tbsp lemon juice (i've never actually remembered to use it...)
2-3 cups chopped fresh spinach (don't pack it down.)
In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium-low heat and saute the onion (and carrots, if using) for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, combine all ingredients from coriander to cumin and mix in a small bowl. When onion is soft and browning, add spice mixture and cook and stir for 1-2 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes and stir over low heat until tomatoes disintegrates.
Add the rinsed lentils and the hot water. Mix well. Add the sugar and salt and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to low, cover and simmer until the lentils are cooked and soft. Add water if needed, as the lentils absorb it. When the lentils are cooked, you want almost all of the water to be gone.
Stir in the coconut milk and simmer uncovered for another 8-10 minutes. Add salt to taste.
Just before serving, stir in the lemon juice, cilantro and chopped spinach. As soon as the spinach wilts, remove from heat. Serve with naan and/or rice. This amount would make two meals for my family of 6.
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Red Curry Fishcakes and Coconut Rice
I'm really bad at remembering to take photos of my food. Since I'm not a real food blogger, it's usually not until I'm done devouring my food that I think, "Hey, that was really good. I should post that on the blog. Too bad there's none left to take a picture of".
This is from a Thai book I picked up second-hand. It's called "Step-by-step Thai".
Fishcakes:
2 lb raw fish (I use any inexpensive frozen fish)
1 egg
2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro (always add more!)
1-3 Tbsp red curry paste, or more, depending on how spicy you want it
1 bunch green onions
oil for frying
Place fish, egg, cilantro and curry paste in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth and well blended. Turn the mixture into a bowl, add the green onions and mix well.
Take about 2 Tbsp of the fish mixture at a time, and shape into small balls with your hands. Flatten slightly. Fry in oil (original recipe says to deep-fry, which I'm sure would be tasty, but you don't need to). Keep warm in oven while making the rest.
*PLAN THIS AHEAD AS RICE NEEDS TO SOAK
Coconut Rice:
2 Tbsp
2 1/4 C jasmine rice, soaked for 1 hour, rinsed and drained
3 C coconut milk (I usually use 1 can of good quality milk and add water to fill to 3 C)
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp chopped cilantro
2 Tbsp chopped fresh mint
2 fresh green chiles, deseeded and chopped finely
Heat the oil in a pan, add the rice, and stir until it becomes translucent.
Add the coconut milk and salt. Bring to a boil and cook until all the liquid is absorbed.
Lower the heat as much as possible, cover the pan tightly, and cook for 10 minutes.
Stir in the cilantro, mint and chiles. Fork through the rice gently and serve.
This is the best rice ever!
This is from a Thai book I picked up second-hand. It's called "Step-by-step Thai".
Fishcakes:
2 lb raw fish (I use any inexpensive frozen fish)
1 egg
2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro (always add more!)
1-3 Tbsp red curry paste, or more, depending on how spicy you want it
1 bunch green onions
oil for frying
Place fish, egg, cilantro and curry paste in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth and well blended. Turn the mixture into a bowl, add the green onions and mix well.
Take about 2 Tbsp of the fish mixture at a time, and shape into small balls with your hands. Flatten slightly. Fry in oil (original recipe says to deep-fry, which I'm sure would be tasty, but you don't need to). Keep warm in oven while making the rest.
*PLAN THIS AHEAD AS RICE NEEDS TO SOAK
Coconut Rice:
2 Tbsp
2 1/4 C jasmine rice, soaked for 1 hour, rinsed and drained
3 C coconut milk (I usually use 1 can of good quality milk and add water to fill to 3 C)
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp chopped cilantro
2 Tbsp chopped fresh mint
2 fresh green chiles, deseeded and chopped finely
Heat the oil in a pan, add the rice, and stir until it becomes translucent.
Add the coconut milk and salt. Bring to a boil and cook until all the liquid is absorbed.
Lower the heat as much as possible, cover the pan tightly, and cook for 10 minutes.
Stir in the cilantro, mint and chiles. Fork through the rice gently and serve.
This is the best rice ever!
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