Coconut Chicken Curry Soup- Courtesy of Eats and Beats

There is not one recipe of my bestie's that I've tried that hasn't been awesome. This was no exception. As I've said before, she is a food goddess, and IMHO, her taste in food is flawless. I meant to try this recipe that she recommended to me a long while back, but I waited until a few weeks ago to finally give it a shot. It was worth it. And, as you might have guessed from the number of recipes I post that include curry, I'm a big curry fan. I love coconut, too. A lot. 

For the original post, check my bestie's blog out here: http://www.jannapatterson.com/2012/02/coconut-chicken-curry-soup-and-my.html

 

Coconut Chicken Curry Soup- Courtesy of Eats and Beats (originally from Katie Goodman of GoodLife Eats)

 

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

Olive Oil

1/2 of a medium yellow onion, sliced thin

2 1/2 cups chicken broth

14 ounces unsweetened coconut milk

1 1/2 teaspoon curry powder

1 jalapeño, seeded, minced

3 chicken breasts, cut into bite sized chunks

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 small red bell pepper, sliced thin

1/2 cup chopped green onion

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus extra for garnish

1/2 cup shredded coconut

2 cups freshly cooked jasmine rice (*we used a brown jasmine)

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a medium sized soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the chicken to the oil, season lightly with salt and pepper. Sauté until cooked through and golden. Remove chicken and set aside. Sauté the onion, adding more oil if necessary, until tender.
Return the chicken to the pot with the onions. Add chicken broth, coconut milk, curry powder and jalapeno. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add bell pepper, green onion, and cilantro and simmer an additional 3 minutes. Stir in lime juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Spoon rice into 4 bowls and top with a ladle or two of soup. Garnish with additional cilantro and a sprinkling of shredded coconut. Serve.

Notes from Janna Patterson of Eats and Beats:

 The leftovers are very good, so I always double the recipe. Also, this is one of those recipes where you can cut back on the meat if you're trying to limit your consumption for environmental, financial, ethical, or any other reasons. When I double the recipe I still only use 3 chicken breasts and it's still incredibly delicious! (*I followed Janna's suggestion to double and do just 3 chicken breasts. Next time, I plan on doubling again but probably using 4 breasts, as I like the dish a bit meatier).

Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas- Courtesy of Weelicious

There has been a lot on my plate of late (haha, I'm a poet and I didn't know it), and as it always seems with my life, when I pick up a new ball, I inevitably have to drop another. I appears that I'm not a great juggler (and, frankly, I don't care for juggling) so I make choices and set priorities, and in this case, it meant my cooking blog had to take a backseat for a bit.

While I've been preoccupied with other things, all have been good and positive, the most exciting of which is that I have decided to get certified as a personal trainer and am currently working toward that goal. I hope to be certified within the next few months, at which point, I plan on starting up a little business (including another blog, which I have already started working on) focusing on helping people work toward their health goals in a holistic way (including work on mental, physical, and spiritual dimensions of health).

My own journey has taught me so much, and while I certainly have far, far more to learn and lots of room to grow, I have found tremendous pride, joy and satisfaction in focusing on my well-being in a holistic, healthy, and balanced way (something I struggled with almost my entire life). With my social work/therapist background and my newly-gained knowledge and experience, I hope to be able to offer at least a little that is worthwhile to other people seeking to improve their overall well-being. For me, seeking health in a holistic way has involved a complete shift of paradigm, and as I've made that shift, it's been life-changing for the better, transforming my feelings about my body and myself in miraculous and wonderful ways. I can't wait to share my enthusiasm for and knowledge of the journey toward better health with others!

As I work on some of my personal goals, I still intend on posting recipes here, as I do still cook and eat :), though posts may be a little less frequent. I'm going to see how things go, and I'll adjust the frequency as needed. I hope you will bear with me as I figure things out!

In the meantime, I do have a couple new recipes worth posting, and tonight I had a few extra minutes to post. So, here I am!

Tonight's dinner recipe comes courtesy of Weelicious.com, as a number of my favorite recipes do. This was my first attempt at it, and while it took some time to make (a lot of the time was inactive cooking time), it was still super easy and it came out really, really well. I will ABSOLUTELY be putting this recipe into my regular rotation. It got the baby, preschooler, and husband stamps of approval, and I thoroughly enjoyed it, also. There are a few tweaks I'll make next time (I've noted them in the recipe), but it really doesn't require many changes.

Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas- Courtesy of Weelicious

Serves: 6

Cook time: 1 hr 30 minutes

Ingredients:
2 large sweet potatoes (about 2 cups mashed)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder (you could add a little extra)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin (I plan on adding a little extra of this next time, too)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups shredded mexican blend cheese (I used the reduced fat kind)
12-ounces enchilada sauce (a little extra would be better, in my opinion)
6 large tortillas, or 12 small tortillas (I used 6 of Joseph's Flax, Oat Bran, and Whole Wheat tortillas)
***I would add shredded lettuce, sliced black olives, and a dollop of Greek yogurt (or sour cream, if you prefer) for a topping when serving

Preparation:
1. Preheat the oven to 400F. 
2. Poke the sweet potatoes all over with a fork and place on a foil lined baking sheet in the oven until fork tender, about 1 hour. Turn the oven down to 350F. 
3. Remove from the oven, allow to cool slightly, then slice down the middle and scoop out all the pulp into a bowl. 
4. To the sweet potato pulp, add the garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, salt, black beans, and 1 cup of cheese. Stir to thoroughly combine. 
5. Pour half of the enchilada sauce into a 9x11 baking dish. 
6. Place about 1/2 cup mixture into the middle of each tortilla and roll up. 
7. Place the enchiladas, seam side down, into the baking dish. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce on top. 
8. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes. 
9. Remove foil and sprinkle with cheese and bake uncovered for an additional 15 minutes until cheese is melted and browned slightly
Note: The sweet potatoes can be baked up to 2 days ahead of time and the pulp removed and stored in the fridge.

Original recipe here: http://weelicious.com/2014/06/08/sweet-potato-black-bean-enchiladas-recipe/

Hearty Chicken Stew with Butternut Squash & Quinoa Recipe- Courtesy of Cookin Canuck

This healthy, hearty stew comes courtesy of Cookin Canuck (original recipe here: http://www.cookincanuck.com/2011/11/hearty-chicken-stew-with-butternut-squash-quinoa-recipe/)

It is great for a Fall or Winter day, as it is warm, comforting, and filling. Though it feels like comfort food, eating it involves much less guilt as each serving is just 329 calories, and it packs in some great nutrition with the quinoa and butternut squash. The kalamata olives are a great addition and give the stew's flavor an interesting twist. I did feel like I wanted a little something more flavor-wise, though... Some more sweetness? Some red wine, perhaps? I'm not totally sure. I did like this recipe, though, and would probably make it again, though not likely on a regular basis (it took more cooking time than I prefer on a weeknight). It would definitely make a good make ahead meal, though it would most likely require the addition of a little extra broth upon serving. This recipe is certainly worth trying, and I'd recommend it. If you do try it and modify, let me know what worked for you or what didn't! 

Calories 329 / Total Fat 14.1g / Saturated Fat 1.0 / Cholesterol 15.2mg / Sodium 1209mg / Total Carbohydrates 32.8g / Fiber 5.4g / Sugars 3.0g / Protein 19.4g
 
Ingredients: 1 1/2 lb. butternut squash, peeled, seeded & chopped into 1/2-inch pieces 3 1/2 cups chicken broth 1 1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs 1 tbsp olive oil 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped 1/2 tsp kosher salt 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano 1 can (14 oz) petite diced tomatoes 2/3 cup uncooked quinoa 3/4 cup pitted and quartered kalamata olives Freshly ground black pepper, to taste 1/4 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
 
Instructions:
  1. Steam the butternut squash until barely tender, about 10 minutes. Remove half of the squash pieces and set aside.

2. Steam the remaining squash until very tender, an additional 4 to 6 minutes. Mash this squash with the back of a fork. Set aside.

3. In a large saucepan set over medium-high heat, bring the chicken broth to a simmer.

4. Add chicken thighs, cover, and cook until chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes.

5. Transfer the chicken thighs to a plate and allow to cool. Pour broth into a medium-sized bowl.

6. Return the saucepan to the stovetop and lower heat to medium. Add olive oil.
 
7. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is starting to turn brown, 8 to 10 minutes.
 
8. Add the salt, minced garlic and oregano. Cook, stirring, for 1 additional minute.
 
9. To the saucepan, add tomatoes, butternut squash pieces, mashed butternut squash. Stir to combine.
 
10. Stir in reserved chicken broth and quinoa. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook until the quinoa turns translucent, about 15 minutes.
 
11. Shred the chicken with your fingers or a fork.
 
12. Stir the chicken, olives and pepper into the stew and simmer, uncovered, to heat, about 5 minutes.
 
13. Stir in parsley and serve.

Baked Artichoke Chicken- Courtesy of Staceysnacksonline.com

Tonight's recipe comes from staceysnacksonline.com. It's adapted from Donna Giblin's recipe, which won first prize on ABC's show The Chew. 
(Donnna's original recipe here: http://abc.go.com/shows/the-chew/recipes/artichoke-chicken-donna-giblin)

While it takes an hour for this meal to bake, the prep is SO quick and easy and the result is so satisfying, it really makes a perfect, family-friendly meal, wait and all. It even got my toddler's stamp of approval, which is really saying something (when the chicken started baking, she said, "Ooooh! Mommy! I smell something really good." She was pleased when I told her it was her dinner). 

This is definitely one I'll be making again and would recommend to friends. It would go nicely with a side salad and/or your favorite rice (I didn't get my act together enough to make a side- grumpy, whining, screaming, and crying children kept me from it. Oh, well. There's always next time).

I used red wine for my first time making this, though I'd be interested to try this recipe with white and see whether I like that better. I'd also love to experiment with different kinds of mustard (I used brown, as instructed, but Stacey used French tarragon mustard, which sounds amazing). There's a lot of fun you could have tweaking this recipe, which is good for keeping things interesting.

Baked Artichoke Chicken:
 

4 lbs. chicken legs and thighs, w/ skin (I used just thighs)  
1 cup artichoke hearts, halved (I used canned)  
1 medium onion, cut into pieces same size as the artichokes  
1 pound white button mushrooms (halved or quartered)  
2 tablespoons brown mustard 
2-3 cloves garlic, minced  
1/4 cup olive oil  
1/4 cup red wine vinegar  
1/4 cup red or white wine (you could also sub in chicken stock)  
1/4 teaspoon dried basil  
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme  
1/4 teaspoon dried tarragon  
1 bay leaf  
kosher salt and pepper (to taste)

1. Preheat oven to 350F-375F, depending if you like crispy skin or not (I like crispy and did 375).
2. Place artichokes, onions and mushrooms on the bottom of a large oven-safe pan or baking dish.  
3. Place chicken pieces on top of the vegetables.  
4. Mix the mustard with the rest of the ingredients and pour over chicken. 
5. Season w/ kosher salt & pepper. 
6. Bake about 1 hour, basting the pieces once or twice.  
Voila! Eat up!

Ribolitta- Courtesy of Janna Patterson of Eats and Beats

Holy, Hannah! This recipe was DELICIOUS!!! Even my toddler, who eats like a little bird no matter what I make, ate a big bowl and then asked for and ate seconds! I will absolutely, positively be making this again. Today was a hot day, so hot soup probably wasn't really a weather-appropriate choice, but I DON'T CARE! It was totally worth it. And come Fall and Winter, I'll be making this regularly. It would be perfection on a cold, crisp day.

This recipe comes courtesy of my best friend, Janna Patterson (as many of my favorite recipes do), and tonight was my first time attempting it (original recipe here: http://www.jannapatterson.com/2011/12/menu-ribollita-and-pizzas-with.html). I've actually wanted to make it for a while but just hadn't gotten around to it. I didn't have all the ingredients and had to do a couple substitutions, but it still came out so great that I didn't notice anything lacking. The recipe calls for 4 oz of pancetta, which I didn't feel like hunting down (our local stores don't have it), so I used 4 oz of thick cut bacon instead, which infused the soup with incredible flavor. I'm also currently avoiding white flour, so I substituted good whole wheat bread for the sourdough (which I don't doubt would also be good). New recipes often take me longer to cook than ones I've done before. This one was no exception. I did all the prep work this morning, though, so when the dinner hour rolled around, I didn't have to be in the kitchen quite so long (and risk incurring the wrath of my children).

Please do yourself a favor and make this soup. Mmmmmmmmmmmmm!

Ribolitta
Serves 8
Total Time: 35-45 min (I took more time than this with the prep)

Ingredients
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 ounces pancetta (I used thick cut bacon)
2 medium yellow onions, chopped
5 large cloves of garlic, minced
3 large carrots, peeled and chopped
4 ribs celery, chopped
1 dried bay leaf
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 15-ounce cans white beans, such as cannellini, Great Northern, or navy beans, drained and rinsed (my bestie usse a combo of G.N. and navy. I used cannellini)
8 cups chicken stock or broth
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
3 tablespoons tomato paste
4 cups day-old sourdough bread cubes, without crusts (I used good whole wheat bread)
freshly grated Parmesan, for serving (I skipped the cheese since I'm avoiding dairy other than Greek yogurt at the moment- I didn't miss it at all)

Directions
1. Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium-medium low heat.
2. Add the pancetta and onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 7-10 minutes, or until the onions are translucent.
3. Add the garlic, carrots, celery, and bayleaf, and season with salt and pepper. Cook for another 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Add beans, broth, tomatoes, and tomato paste, stir, cover, and bring to a boil over medium heat.
5. Remove lid and stir in bread. Let it simmer for about 10-20 minutes, allowing the bread to break down and soup to thicken. (It's meant to be a thick soup, but you can adjust the thickness to your liking, adding more bread or broth as desired.)
6. Season to taste.
7. Dish into bowls and top with Parmesan.

Vegetarian Panang Curry- Courtesy of Pri at Recipris.com

Made a new recipe tonight. It was delicious and very easy. The prep took a fair amount of time, but cooking time was very fast. I recommend getting everything completely ready before starting to cook this particular dish because things do cook so quickly that there’s really no time between steps to be chopping or prepping anything. There were a few ingredients that I didn’t have on hand, so I had to improvise a bit, but the result was not disappointing. It was spicier than I generally like, however, and I’m certain that next time I cook this, I’ll cut back on the curry paste by at least half (I like a kick but not much more spice than that). I loved how full of veggies this dish was, and I love pretty much anything curried that I’ve ever eaten, so I definitely will be making this again. We served this over brown rice (that helped me tolerate the spiciness better, and it gave the dish some more bulk).

Vegetarian Panang Curry- Courtesy of Pri at Recipris.com-

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:
2 tbsp. oil (I used coconut oil)
2 tbsp. chopped garlic
1 tsp. grated ginger
2 tbsp. Aroy-D or Mae Anong Panang Curry Paste (I didn’t have this, so I had to improvise by using red curry paste with a little peanut butter thrown in- I will likely cut this in half next time)
2 cans coconut milk (13.5 oz. each) *Trader Joe’s carries light coconut milk with has 50% less fat than regular coconut milk
1 tbsp. palm sugar or brown sugar (I used Truvia as a sugar substitute)
1 tbsp. reduced sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 tbsp. lime juice
1/4 cup roasted and unsalted cashews, crushed
1 cup chopped white mushrooms
1 cup chopped white/yellow onion
4 Thai basil leaves (I used regular basil and I chopped it)
4 oz. cubed extra firm tofu
5 broccoli florets, chopped
1 cup red bellpepper, chopped
10 snap peas, ends cut off

Directions:
In a seasoned wok, heat oil on medium heat.
Once hot, add ginger and garlic and let cook until light brown.
Stir in curry paste.
Whisk in coconut milk, sugar, soy sauce, and lime juice and turn heat up to medium-high. *Add the lime juice little by little until it’s just how you like it. I used the entire 1 1/2 tbsp. of lime juice.
Add veggies, tofu, and basil leaves and cook until tofu is cooked completely (you can test this by cutting the tofu in half and trying a bite; if it is not cooked completely, you can taste the rawness).
Top with crushed cashews and garnish with Thai basil leaves.

Green Chickpea & Chicken Curry with Swiss Chard- Courtesy of The Crepes of Wrath (originally posted August 24, 2014)

Tonight’s dinner was a new recipe, a rich, coconut-based green curry made with chicken, chickpeas, and Swiss chard. It was extremely satisfying and a definite repeater. I ate mine alone, but my husband and toddler ate theirs over rice. It has a slight kick to it, but not so much that my toddler refused it (though I wouldn’t say she was 100% cooperative, either…). Recipe below.
Green Chickpea & Chicken Curry with Swiss Chard

Author: The Crepes of Wrath

Prep time:  15 mins
Cook time:  1 hour
Total time:  1 hour 15 mins

Serves: 6
 
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 shallots, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons green curry paste
2 tablespoons chili paste
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground ginger
1 14-ounce can coconut milk
2 cups water
1 14-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 bunch Swiss chard, cleaned, trimmed and thinly sliced

Instructions:
Heat your olive oil in a large, heavy bottomed pot.
Add in your cubed chicken and cook over medium heat until almost fully cooked, about 6-7 minutes.
Add in your shallots and continue to cook until the shallots are softened, about another 5-6 minutes.
Add in the curry paste, chili paste, kosher salt, ginger, coconut milk, and 1 cup of water.
Stir to combine, then bring to a boil.
Add in the additional cup of water.
Bring back up to a boil, then add in the drained and rinsed chickpeas and simmer for 20 minutes.
After simmering, add in the trimmed and sliced Swiss chard (***When you’re trimming the chard, the thicker, whiter parts are generally too tough to eat, but the smaller, more tender colored stalks and all of the leafy greens will soften as they cook).
Simmer for an additional 10-15 minutes.
Taste and adjust seasonings as desired.
Serve alone, with rice, some naan, or pita bread.

*original post at: http://www.thecrepesofwrath.com/2014/02/14/green-chickpea-chicken-coconut-curry/#sthash.PACxMv8v.dpuf