Quick Coconut Curry Chicken

I just overheard a gal talking about how cold she was. She was wearing a winter coat, scarf, gloves, and a beanie. It’s 65 degrees outside… While people all over the country struggle with record low temperatures, I’m walking around in a T-shirt, and I feel incredibly fortunate. But hearing someone complain about the cold, and thinking to myself that it is unusually cold, fills me with guilt.

I haven’t always lived in Southern California. When I lived in Denver, (which is an awesome city, by the way.) I had many mornings where I’d wake up, throw on the thickest robe I could find and my house slippers, shuffle out to my living room, and all I could see out my back door was white. White sky, white roofs, white streets, white everything. All I wanted to do at that point was make a warm beverage and go back to bed.

As fortunate as I am to be far away from this epic winter storm, I understand the value of anything warm, creamy, smoky, and comforting on a dreadfully cold day. For me, coconut curry is the perfect answer. Curry may not be the first thing everyone thinks of when they think comfort…but maybe it should be. It’s like spicy gravy, and spice and gravy are two of my favorite things!

The best thing about this dish, though, it’s that it takes 30 minutes to make including prep time. You can cut and prep your veggies by hand if that’s more up your alley, but when I want something quick, and homey, I buy pre-cut stir fry veggies, and pre-packaged curry mix, and my prep time for curry is almost zero!

INGREDIENTS

Coconut Curry Sauce:

1(13.5-ounce) can light coconut milk
1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
1 package Thai red curry seasoning mix (see photo below)
1 can Geisha stir fry vegetables
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
3 cloves garlic, minced
dash cayenne pepper (this will make it very spicy. Use cayenne and chili garlic sauce to taste.)
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Chicken:

8 ounces whole wheat pasta or brown rice
olive oil cooking spray
1 onion, chopped
1/2 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, fat removed, cut into small pieces (You may want 1 lb. I go light on the chicken.)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
chopped fresh mint and cilantro leaves, for garnish
lime wedges, for serving

DIRECTIONS

For the sauce: In a medium bowl, combine all of the sauce ingredients, whisk until thoroughly combined and set aside.

For the chicken: Cook the whole wheat pasta or brown rice according to box directions. Drain and rinse under cold water, and (for pasta) spray lightly with olive oil cooking spray so it does not stick and set aside.
Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and add onions. Cook until translucent and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken, along with more cooking spray, and season with salt and pepper. Saute chicken until lightly brown. Add the vegetables, along with more olive oil spray, and season with salt and pepper as you like. Saute for a few minutes just to release flavor.

Pour the coconut curry sauce over the chicken and vegetables, bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, as needed. Serve over rice or pasta, and garnish with chopped mint and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges, if desired.

Pasta with Sausage and Pumpkin

There’s something about using spices traditionally found in pumpkin desserts in this savery pasta that is incredibly comforting. I must admit, I was skeptical when I found Rachel Ray’s original recipe on foodnetwork.com, but it’s delicious. If you could bottle up and turn the feeling you get from sitting by a warm fire with a really good cup of hot cocoa, surrounded by loved ones into a meal — it would taste like this pasta. Think I’m exaggerating? Well, I guess you’ll have to make it and let me know.

I have a theory that a lot of people who claim they don’t like pumpkin, just don’t like the texture of pumpkin pie, and are missing out on a world of incredible recipes because of one little dessert. Think I’m wrong? Again, you’ll have to make the pasta, and let me know.

Ingredients

Zero calorie cooking spray
2 Aidells chicken apple sausages, sliced
4 cloves garlic, cracked and chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1.5 tablespoons sage
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken stock
1 lb precooked, cubed pumpkin if you don’t have fresh, roasted pumpkin, just buy a can of pureed pumpkin.)
1/2 cup fat free half and half
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
salt and black pepper to taste
1 pound whole wheat spaghetti
fresh basil for garnish

Directions

Heat a large, deep nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add as thick a layer of cooking spray to the pan as you can, and grill the sausage and pumpkin in it for 5-10 minutes. (If you’re using puree don’t add it to the pan just yet.) Both ingredients are fully cooked, so you’re just looking to brown them. Remove the sausage and pumpkin. Add more cooking spray, and then the garlic and onion. Saute 3 to 5 minutes until the onions are tender.
Add the sage, and wine to the pan. Reduce wine by half, about 2 minutes. Add stock and stir to combine, stirring sauce until it comes to a bubble. Return sausage and pumpkin to pan, reduce heat, and stir in half and half and pumpkin puree if not using roasted, cubed pumpkin. (this is where you add the pumpkin puree, if that’s what you’re using. It’s going to be part of the creamy sauce.) Season the sauce with the cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and pepper, to taste. Simmer mixture about 10 minutes to thicken sauce.
While simmering the sauce, cook pasta in salted water, as directed on packaging. Drain, and then return the pasta to the pot you cooked it in. Pour the sausage pumpkin sauce combination over pasta. Combine sauce and pasta and toss over low heat for 1 minute. Garnish with basil, and enjoy!

Italian Shrimp Fettuccine (Adapted From the Facebook Page, Slow Cooker Recipes)

One of my favorite things about cooking is that (unless you’re baking) ingredients and recipes are more like suggestions than black and white rules. The key is not being afraid of making mistakes. Some of the dishes you’re most excited about are going to be epic fails. Don’t worry about it. With a little practice (and a lot of mistakes) you’ll get a good feel for flavors that go well together, as well as what YOU like and dislike. That’s when the fun begins. I’ve colored outside the lines, questioned authority, and added my own twist on just about everything I’ve done since I was a teenager. I look at cooking as one more opportunity to question, “what if…” or suggest, “let’s try…” and see what comes of it.

A friend of mine shared the inspiration for this recipe on Facebook a couple of days ago, and I couldn’t wait to make it my own. (To see the original recipe, simply search for the Slow Cooker Recipes page on Facebook.) I made very minor changes to make the recipe healthier, and a few taste based changes. This is a fantastic example of a recipe that can be made with a wide variety of veggies and herbs, depending on what YOU like. In fact, I’ll probably swap out every ingredient except whole wheat pasta and shrimp, and make an entirely new dish each time I make it.

I’d love to hear what people are doing with and adding to the recipes I post. Please share.

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil

1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 red onion, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cans (14 1/2 oz)

1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1/3 cup white wine

8 oz fettuccine

3/4 lb raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 tbsp lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Heat the oil and cooking spray in a large skillet over medium heat until hot. Add mushrooms, onion, and garlic. Salt and pepper to taste.  Saute for 1-2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, parsley, wine, and liberal amounts of salt and pepper. (Tomatoes need a lot of salt and pepper. Taste and add more as needed.)  Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes.

While the sauce is simmering, cook fettuccine an a large pot of boiling, salted water, according to directions.

Add shrimp and lemon juice to tomato mixture. Cook for 1-2 minutes, until shrimp turn pink. Serve over the fettuccine. Enjoy!