I can’t stand winter! I do not like to be cold; the days are too short and shoveling just plain sucks. To top it all off I live on a snowmobile trail and am so sick of listening to them that I have come up with some very clever ways of eliminating them from my life. Anyway it’s no surprise that so many people get the winter blues and start looking for ways to perk up their mood. There are many things that you can do to pull yourself out of the dumps, take a vacation (there is a reason Spring Break falls in March), go out regularly with friends, start shopping for your spring wardrobe (my personal favorite), start a new exercise program or make some comforting food. Everyone has a favorite comforting meal, for me its Shepherd’s Pie; I like the fact that all aspects of my meal are in one dish but still retain their own textures and flavors. (I don’t like stews because everything tastes the same and the vegetables are mushy, yuck). After a little research I discovered that this dish originated in eighteenth century Britain after explorers returned from the new world with potatoes. (Contrary to popular belief potatoes are not originally from Ireland, they just really like them). Shepherd’s Pie was created by peasant women looking for creative ways to use leftover meats and incidentally Shepherd’s Pie was originally made with lamb, if beef was used it was called Cottage Pie.
In my family we call the dish “Potashema” which is a bastardized way of pronouncing Pâté Chinois. The French-Canadian version is made by topping browned ground beef with a can of creamed corn, mashed potatoes and a sprinkle of paprika. Not only does it sound bland, but also it tastes bland. My long-time friend KS still laughs about how when we were kids she would rather go home and eat a mustard and cheese sandwich than stay for my mother’s “Potashema”. I didn’t know any better at the time so I thought that it was good. I felt that way until my Scottish friend KB made her version for me; she mixed a can of British-style baked beans into her ground beef to add both moisture and flavor. Since then I have been on the hunt for great Shepherd’s Pie recipes; and what I have found is that you have to think outside the beef, gravy and potato box to get something truly tasty.
First I found a Rachael Ray (surprise surprise) recipe that used ground turkey and sweet potatoes; it looked interesting so I tried it and I loved it. Start by browning one and a half pounds of ground turkey with one diced onion and two stalks of celery diced, if so desired add some minced garlic. Once this is done, pour it into a baking dish then mix in a box of frozen mixed vegetables. In the same pan you browned the meat in make a quick gravy out of four tablespoons of butter melted with two tablespoons of flour (a roux), then whisk in one can of chicken stock, two teaspoons of poultry seasoning and a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce. Once the gravy has come to a boil and thickened mix it into the turkey mixture. Please try making your own gravy because it is so easy and better tasting then the store-bought ones. Now let us talk potatoes; by all means if you want to mash the sweet potatoes from scratch then knock your socks off. Me, I found out that the grocery stores carry many different flavors of instant mashed potatoes, including sweet potato, bon jour! I know that it’s kind of hypocritical of me to suggest using a box mix when I just chastised you for using canned gravy, but honestly I really like them and they are way easier to smooth over the top of your pie. Anyway, when the potatoes are done add a few dashes of hot sauce to them and smooth over the turkey mixture, top this with shredded sharp cheddar cheese and bake at 350 degrees for about fifteen minutes. This Shepherd’s Pie tastes like Thanksgiving dinner; actually I like it better.
After making this version of Shepherd’s Pie I started thinking about other ground meat and potato combinations, and more specifically what I could do with the ground pork taking up space in my freezer. What I came up with was barbequed pork Shepherd’s Pie. Once again brown the pork with onions, celery and garlic. I use frozen mixed vegetables again because they are more nutritious than just corn. (Which by the way is not considered a vegetable!) Now instead of making gravy, I pour about half a bottle of barbeque sauce over the mixture; you want enough mixed in to make the meat moist and saucy. This time I broke out a box of roasted garlic mashed potatoes and then topped it all with shredded sharp cheddar cheese. Once again, cook it at 350 degrees for fifteen minutes. This dish reminds me of barbequed ribs but without the mess.
Or if you want a more sophisticated version try Beef Bourguignon Shepherd’s Pie. Sauté your ground beef with a few cloves of garlic and fresh mushrooms; add some pearl onions, salt, pepper and a teaspoon of thyme. Then mix in gravy made from a roux to which you add a half-cup of each red wine and beef broth. Top this with frozen baby peas and garlic-mashed potatoes. This version has all the classic ingredients but with a grown-up twist due to the wine and herbs added, try it you will love it. I also played with making a pie with the flavors of Buffalo wings. To do this follow the basic recipe I gave you but substitute ground chicken, buffalo sauce and plain potatoes with bleu cheese mixed in. I don’t add vegetables because I don’t think that there is a vegetable that I would want to eat mixed with buffalo sauce; just serve a salad with this dinner.
If you really want to think outside the box, try Taco Shepherd’s Pie. Make your beef filling according to a taco-seasoning package’s directions with diced onions. Cover the bottom of your baking dish with a can of refried beans, your taco beef, and a bit of taco sauce just to add moisture. Now, make up a batch of quick cooking polenta and spread that over the taco mixture. Cover the polenta with Mexican style shredded cheese and bake until golden brown. Serve this topped with fresh-diced tomatoes and shredded lettuce. As you will learn in the future I am not a fan of tacos or Mexican food in most cases but this reincarnation is acceptable for consumption in my book.
There are an infinite amount of combinations you can use to jazz up your Shepherd’s Pie. (I didn’t even get to ground lamb and veal yet). A lot of dishes are easily enhanced once you master the basic recipe, macaroni and cheese and meatloaf are two examples I will write about in future columns. So lift yourself out of the winter doldrums and serve up a tasty plate of your favorite comfort food. Plus a satisfying meal like Shepherd’s Pie will fuel you for all of that shoveling. Ugh.
Thanksgiving Shepherd’s Pie
1½ lbs. ground turkey
1 small onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 box frozen mixed vegetables
4 Tblsp butter
2 Tblsp flour
1½ cups chicken stock
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 box instant mashed sweet potatoes
Dash hot sauce
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Sauté first 4 ingredients and pour into a baking dish, add vegetables. Melt butter and mix in flour, cook for a minute. Add stock and Worcestershire and bring to boil, once thickened mix into meat. Make potatoes according to package directions, add a few dashes of hot sauce and smooth over meat mixture. Top with cheese and bake at 350° for 15 minutes.
BBQ Pork Shepherd’s Pie
1½ lbs ground pork
1 small onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 box frozen mixed vegetables
1-cup BBQ sauce
1 box instant garlic mashed potatoes
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Brown first 4 ingredients, pour into a baking dish, add vegetables and mix in BBQ sauce. Make potato according to package directions and smooth over meat mixture. Top with cheese and bake at 350° for 15 minutes.
Beef Bourguignon Shepherd’s Pie
1½ lbs. ground beef
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-cup mushrooms, sliced
½ bag frozen pearl onions
1 tsp Thyme
½ cup red wine
½ cup beef broth
2 Tblsp butter
2 Tblsp flour
1 pkg frozen peas
1 box instant garlic mashed potatoes
Sauté first 5 ingredients and pour into a baking dish, top with peas. Make a roux and add wine and broth to make gravy. Make potatoes according to package directions and smooth over top of meat mixture. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes.
Taco Shepherd’s Pie
1½ lbs ground beef
1 small onion, diced
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 can refried beans
½ cup taco sauce
1 pkg quick cooking polenta
1-cup Mexican style shredded cheese
Sauté first 3 ingredients then mix in taco sauce. Spread refried beans into bottom of a baking dish, top with meat mixture. Make polenta according to package directions and smooth over the meat mixture, top with cheese and bake at 350° for 15 minutes. Serve topped with shredded lettuce and diced tomatoes.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Stretching Your Buck
I manage a small country store in a small town and have noticed a depressing trend in the past years; more and more of the full time residents are going on food stamps. Okay I am going to say it even though it will not make me any friends; I do not think that the food stamp program works and I believe that it should be abolished. We accept the food stamp cards and I can count on one finger how many times I have rung up actual food for one of the card’s recipients. Nine point nine times out of ten people are using the food stamps to buy snack foods, soda, frozen dinners and canned pasta; nothing that is in my opinion healthy. Seriously it really irritates me that my tax money is going to fund this program and these people are wasting that money on junk food.
So what do I think should be done, besides getting rid of the whole program? Well first of all the card recipients should get guidelines about proper nutrition and lessons in smart shopping; secondly there should be restrictions on what can be purchased with the food stamps. But since I am not in politics what I can do is offer up some economical recipes and tips. Seriously I cook dinner from scratch almost every night of the week and it does not take a ton of time to do so; plus the people I know of on food stamps don’t have jobs, so what else do they have to do all day?
The most important thing to remember when you go to the grocery store is to have a plan, do not go in hungry and if at all possible shop only the perimeter aisles. I find that I spend way less when I go to the store with a list because I usually stick to it. Also if you stay out of those middle aisles you avoid the prepackaged foods that cost much more and have higher fat and sodium contents. The perimeter aisles are the ones with the produce, deli, meat, fish, dairy, and bread. I will admit it I do not use coupons. Every time I look at them in the paper I never find them for products that I use; I do however take advantage of the store card sales as much as possible.
The first buck-stretching recipe that I want to share is for soup. Seriously this is the easiest thing you can make, a recipe is not even needed but I made one recently that was fantastic. Basically I just emptied out both my pantry and refrigerator and called it Tricia’s Minestrone. Start by sautéing one chopped onion, two diced stalks of celery, one diced carrot and three minced garlic cloves in olive oil until softened. Add about half a pound of Italian sausage and cook until this is crumbled and cooked through. Next add two cans of rinsed white beans, one can of diced tomatoes, and one of those paper boxes of chicken broth. You could get even more economical by melting three chicken bouillon cubes in three cups of hot water. Stir in half of a box of defrosted and drained frozen spinach, two teaspoons of Italian seasoning and half of a cup of orzo pasta. Cook this until the pasta is al dente, about ten minutes and serve with either a grilled cheese sandwich or crusty bread. I actually added about a quarter cup of store bought pesto that I had in the fridge and the rind from a wedge of parmesan cheese, but these items are not necessary if you do not have them on hand. This soup also freezes fabulously so do not be afraid to make a huge pot full.
Another economical meal is roasted chicken; this is so because you should be able to get at least two meals from one bird. Now there are a million ways to make chicken, and I have one million and one for you, Peruvian Chicken. In a small food processor combine five cloves of garlic, two tablespoons of salt, pepper, 2 teaspoons or oregano, a ½ inch piece of fresh ginger, one teaspoon of cumin, ½ teaspoon of paprika and ½ cup of white vinegar. Process this until it becomes a smooth paste. You can make this recipe with a whole four pound chicken or four pieces; I prefer the dark meat of the bird so I use leg and thigh pieces. Whichever you use rinse and dry them before loosening the skin from the meat with your fingers so that you can smear the herb paste both under and over the skin. Now throw the chicken in the fridge to marinate for at least four hour or overnight, depending on how ambitious you are. Cook the chicken at 400 degrees for at least an hour; you will know it is done when the juices run clear. You can serve this chicken with homemade French fries sprinkled with the same herbs used in the paste. The leftover chicken can be used to make a quick soup or chicken potpie the next night.
Finally probably the most buck-stretching thing you could ever make in pasta. Like chicken there are a ton of different pasta recipes out there and they can be made with almost any ingredient you can find in your house. I personally keep a fully stocked pantry and have on more than one occasion thrown something together on the fly. This next recipe is something that I have all of the ingredients for regularly and is not an expensive meal to make, Tuna Puttanesca. First bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook a pound of your choice of pasta until al dente. While the pasta is cooking sauté four minced cloves of garlic and a quarter teaspoon of red pepper flakes for a minute, add two tablespoons of caper and a half cup of sliced black olives and sauté another minute or so. Add a large can of diced tomatoes that have been drained (reserve the juices) and cook until almost all of the liquid is absorbed. Add the tomato juices and a teaspoon of basil, slat and pepper and cook until the sauce thickens. Finally add one can of tuna and heat through, serve the sauce over the cooked pasta. This dish is a nice change because of the tuna and the fact that it is not as heavy as most pasta dishes.
There are so many more meals that you can make that don’t cost an arm and a leg and also don’t come out of a can. I really think that people need to be educated on what is healthy for them and their children because as far as I can see they really just don’t get it. And I really don’t expect everyone to be a gourmet cook, but I also believe that anyone can put together a homemade meal. If someone gave me a handout like food stamps the last thing I would do would be to waste the money on junk food; but I guess that not everyone cares about where that money came from as me.
Tricia’s Minestrone
1 med Onion, diced
1 med Carrot, diced
2 Celery stalks, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
½ lb. Italian sausage
2 cans White beans, rinsed
1 can Diced tomatoes
3 cups Chicken broth
½ box Frozen spinach, defrosted & drained
2 tsp. Italian seasoning
½ cup Orzo
Sauté the onion, carrot, celery and garlic in olive oil until soft. Add sausage and cook until crumbled and cooked through. Add beans, tomatoes and broth and heat well. Stir in the remaining ingredients and cook on high for 10 minutes.
Peruvian Chicken
5 Garlic cloves
2 Tlbsp. Salt
Pepper
2 tsp. Oregano
½ inch Fresh ginger
1 tsp. Cumin
½ tsp. Paprika
½ cup White vinegar
4 lbs Chicken, either whole or pieces
Combine the first eight ingredients in a food processor until a smooth paste. Rinse and dry chicken, loosen skin from the meat with fingers and smear paste both under and over the skin. Marinate 4 hours to overnight. Cook at 400° for at least 1 hour, until juices run clear.
Tuna Puttanesca
1 lb. Pasta, cooked al dente
4 Garlic cloves, minced
¼ tsp. Red pepper flakes
2 Tlbsp. Capers
½ cup Black olives, sliced
1 28-oz. Can diced tomatoes, drained & juices reserved
1 tsp. Basil
1 5-oz Canned Tuna
Salt and pepper
Cook pasta until al dente. Sauté garlic and red pepper 1 minute, add capers and olives and sauté another minute or so. Add the drained tomatoes and cook until the liquid is absorbed, add the reserved liquid and cook until thickened. Season with basil, salt and pepper and add tuna, cook through and serve with pasta.
So what do I think should be done, besides getting rid of the whole program? Well first of all the card recipients should get guidelines about proper nutrition and lessons in smart shopping; secondly there should be restrictions on what can be purchased with the food stamps. But since I am not in politics what I can do is offer up some economical recipes and tips. Seriously I cook dinner from scratch almost every night of the week and it does not take a ton of time to do so; plus the people I know of on food stamps don’t have jobs, so what else do they have to do all day?
The most important thing to remember when you go to the grocery store is to have a plan, do not go in hungry and if at all possible shop only the perimeter aisles. I find that I spend way less when I go to the store with a list because I usually stick to it. Also if you stay out of those middle aisles you avoid the prepackaged foods that cost much more and have higher fat and sodium contents. The perimeter aisles are the ones with the produce, deli, meat, fish, dairy, and bread. I will admit it I do not use coupons. Every time I look at them in the paper I never find them for products that I use; I do however take advantage of the store card sales as much as possible.
The first buck-stretching recipe that I want to share is for soup. Seriously this is the easiest thing you can make, a recipe is not even needed but I made one recently that was fantastic. Basically I just emptied out both my pantry and refrigerator and called it Tricia’s Minestrone. Start by sautéing one chopped onion, two diced stalks of celery, one diced carrot and three minced garlic cloves in olive oil until softened. Add about half a pound of Italian sausage and cook until this is crumbled and cooked through. Next add two cans of rinsed white beans, one can of diced tomatoes, and one of those paper boxes of chicken broth. You could get even more economical by melting three chicken bouillon cubes in three cups of hot water. Stir in half of a box of defrosted and drained frozen spinach, two teaspoons of Italian seasoning and half of a cup of orzo pasta. Cook this until the pasta is al dente, about ten minutes and serve with either a grilled cheese sandwich or crusty bread. I actually added about a quarter cup of store bought pesto that I had in the fridge and the rind from a wedge of parmesan cheese, but these items are not necessary if you do not have them on hand. This soup also freezes fabulously so do not be afraid to make a huge pot full.
Another economical meal is roasted chicken; this is so because you should be able to get at least two meals from one bird. Now there are a million ways to make chicken, and I have one million and one for you, Peruvian Chicken. In a small food processor combine five cloves of garlic, two tablespoons of salt, pepper, 2 teaspoons or oregano, a ½ inch piece of fresh ginger, one teaspoon of cumin, ½ teaspoon of paprika and ½ cup of white vinegar. Process this until it becomes a smooth paste. You can make this recipe with a whole four pound chicken or four pieces; I prefer the dark meat of the bird so I use leg and thigh pieces. Whichever you use rinse and dry them before loosening the skin from the meat with your fingers so that you can smear the herb paste both under and over the skin. Now throw the chicken in the fridge to marinate for at least four hour or overnight, depending on how ambitious you are. Cook the chicken at 400 degrees for at least an hour; you will know it is done when the juices run clear. You can serve this chicken with homemade French fries sprinkled with the same herbs used in the paste. The leftover chicken can be used to make a quick soup or chicken potpie the next night.
Finally probably the most buck-stretching thing you could ever make in pasta. Like chicken there are a ton of different pasta recipes out there and they can be made with almost any ingredient you can find in your house. I personally keep a fully stocked pantry and have on more than one occasion thrown something together on the fly. This next recipe is something that I have all of the ingredients for regularly and is not an expensive meal to make, Tuna Puttanesca. First bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook a pound of your choice of pasta until al dente. While the pasta is cooking sauté four minced cloves of garlic and a quarter teaspoon of red pepper flakes for a minute, add two tablespoons of caper and a half cup of sliced black olives and sauté another minute or so. Add a large can of diced tomatoes that have been drained (reserve the juices) and cook until almost all of the liquid is absorbed. Add the tomato juices and a teaspoon of basil, slat and pepper and cook until the sauce thickens. Finally add one can of tuna and heat through, serve the sauce over the cooked pasta. This dish is a nice change because of the tuna and the fact that it is not as heavy as most pasta dishes.
There are so many more meals that you can make that don’t cost an arm and a leg and also don’t come out of a can. I really think that people need to be educated on what is healthy for them and their children because as far as I can see they really just don’t get it. And I really don’t expect everyone to be a gourmet cook, but I also believe that anyone can put together a homemade meal. If someone gave me a handout like food stamps the last thing I would do would be to waste the money on junk food; but I guess that not everyone cares about where that money came from as me.
Tricia’s Minestrone
1 med Onion, diced
1 med Carrot, diced
2 Celery stalks, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
½ lb. Italian sausage
2 cans White beans, rinsed
1 can Diced tomatoes
3 cups Chicken broth
½ box Frozen spinach, defrosted & drained
2 tsp. Italian seasoning
½ cup Orzo
Sauté the onion, carrot, celery and garlic in olive oil until soft. Add sausage and cook until crumbled and cooked through. Add beans, tomatoes and broth and heat well. Stir in the remaining ingredients and cook on high for 10 minutes.
Peruvian Chicken
5 Garlic cloves
2 Tlbsp. Salt
Pepper
2 tsp. Oregano
½ inch Fresh ginger
1 tsp. Cumin
½ tsp. Paprika
½ cup White vinegar
4 lbs Chicken, either whole or pieces
Combine the first eight ingredients in a food processor until a smooth paste. Rinse and dry chicken, loosen skin from the meat with fingers and smear paste both under and over the skin. Marinate 4 hours to overnight. Cook at 400° for at least 1 hour, until juices run clear.
Tuna Puttanesca
1 lb. Pasta, cooked al dente
4 Garlic cloves, minced
¼ tsp. Red pepper flakes
2 Tlbsp. Capers
½ cup Black olives, sliced
1 28-oz. Can diced tomatoes, drained & juices reserved
1 tsp. Basil
1 5-oz Canned Tuna
Salt and pepper
Cook pasta until al dente. Sauté garlic and red pepper 1 minute, add capers and olives and sauté another minute or so. Add the drained tomatoes and cook until the liquid is absorbed, add the reserved liquid and cook until thickened. Season with basil, salt and pepper and add tuna, cook through and serve with pasta.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
New Resolutions
Every January millions of people make New Year’s resolutions only to break them before spring arrives, and I was guilty of falling into that group year after year. Well last year I was able to hold true to my resolution. See I was not satisfied with the path my life was on, stifled socially and intellectually, and exhausted from censoring my beliefs just to fit in. So I resolved to live life on my own terms and get back to the real me, someone I could live with, not someone who let others control her. I changed almost everything, concentrated on tried and true friendships (they haven’t been in my life for thirty years for nothing), developed a new personal style (holy crap do I look good), picked up a new hobby (yes I bought a pole and learned to bellydance), and broaden my palette. I make an attempt to either try a new recipe or introduce one new ingredient into my diet each week, and you know what, so far I have liked everything. I even reintroduced foods that I had previously disliked, i.e. avocado and cilantro, into my diet only to discover that I like them now.
Everyone gets into a rut when it comes to their repertoire of meals; it’s difficult to be creative when you are so busy with jobs, kids and housework (blah, blah, blah if I have to keep hearing this excuse I just might have to break out the mace). That is why I am such a fan of Rachael Ray’s 30-Minute Meals. Okay, yes she is annoying as all hell and so bubbly that I just want to slap her silly; but damn that woman can put together a recipe. Nine times out of ten if you dine at my house you are eating a RR meal that I tweaked; and I have yet to go wrong with one of her recipes. So I am asking you to throw caution to the wind, open your mind and try something new.
Last year I found a recipe for Five Spice Coconut Chicken in RR’s magazine that intrigued me; I knew that I liked coconut, but I had no idea what Chinese Five Spice powder tasted like. But really, how bad could it be? Now in the past whenever I have said how bad could it be to myself it has turned out to be phenomenally bad, i.e. martinis, certain ex-boyfriends, gluten-free bread. Well let me tell you, it is out of this world and so is this meal.
This recipe calls for eight boneless chicken thighs, but I always use four leg quarters, because my store doesn’t carry the thighs. (If you prefer to you can use boneless breasts). Marinate the chicken in one third of a cup of coconut milk, two tablespoons each of honey and soy sauce, one tablespoon of lime juice, one finely chopped garlic clove and two and a half teaspoons of the aforementioned Chinese Five Spice powder. Let this marinate for at least fifteen minutes and then pour everything into a baking dish and bake at 350 degrees until done. I never set my oven timer because honestly I haven’t taken the time to figure it out; I just check the item after about a half an hour to forty-five minutes, when the juices run clear I know the chicken is done. This dish is sweet and nutty tasting and one of my favorites, I serve it with rice and steamed sugar snap peas.
Okay, so now you are left with a jar of Five Spice powder and more than half a can of coconut milk, so what do you do? Wait a few days and then make Coconut Curry Chicken. Curry is something that I recently rediscovered. A few years ago my good friend KB made it for me, being from Great Britain she is very familiar with curry dishes; well I ate what she served me but really didn’t care for it. But recently I decided to try it again and it what do know, I liked it. Its flavor is hard to describe, curry has some heat, but it’s not blow the top of your head off heat. All I can say is try it, it won’t kill you besides my brother-in-law liked this meal and he doesn’t like anything.
To make the Coconut Curry Chicken, which incidentally I also found in RR’s magazine, start by making a paste out of olive oil and two teaspoons of curry powder; cook this over medium heat for a minute or so, then add the rest of that can of coconut milk. By the way, don’t store that coconut milk in the can, if you do it will just taste like the can. You are going to want to cook this for a bit over low heat so that the sauce will reduce a bit. In the meantime cut up four boneless chicken thighs into strips and toss them with salt, pepper and two teaspoons of your Five Spice powder. The chicken is then stir fried over high heat and then combined with the coconut sauce. Serve this over rice and enjoy its sweet nutty heat.
So now you have a jar of curry powder sitting in your spice cabinet that you bought for the last recipe and you’re probably thinking, what the hell am I going to do with all this? Well my friend TW recently turned me on to a side salad that is fantabulous, Curry Couscous. To make this start by boiling one and a quarter cups of water, add one cup of couscous, turn off the heat, cover and let sit for five minutes. Once this is done transfer it into a large bowl to cool a bit and drizzle it with about a tablespoon of olive oil. Now comes the part where you transform into a human Cuisinart and dice up a medium onion, two stalks of celery, dried cranberries and a good handful of parsley. Throw all this into the bowl with the couscous, and mix in one can of rinsed chickpeas, a quarter teaspoon cumin, one teaspoon curry powder and salt and pepper to taste. If the salad seems a little dry just add a little more olive oil. I wasn’t completely sure if I would like this salad but it was great. The only problem is that couscous can be very messy; I am a very neat cook and I still have those little balls all over my counters, and seriously those are not the kind of balls I like running all over my house.
So there you have it, we just broadened our horizons by making meals from Southeast Asia, India, and the Middle East and tried three new ingredients: coconut milk, Chinese Five Spice powder and curry powder. None of which were difficult, time consuming or overly expensive; oh yeah and trying something new didn’t kill anyone.
Now believe me there are some things that I refuse to eat such as cauliflower, mushrooms and venison. A few years ago I choked down a venison burger just because I was being polite to the guy who served it to me, and even though I loaded it up with ketchup and mustard I still thought that it was disgusting. (Actually I told him a lot of things were good when they were not). Every one says that I just haven’t had it prepared correctly, in my opinion that is a load of bull; it’s just not a food that I will ever like. I understand that you are extremely proud of the fact that you sat in a tree stand all day and shot some poor unsuspecting animal that happened to stop below your perch, but really do I have to ingest it or hang it on my wall to think you are a manly man? Sorry honey but the answer is no.
I have tried a lot of new foods this past year but my to- try list is still full of items to sample, like Sushi. Every time I go out to dinner I consider trying it but inevitably I chicken out, usually literally. One of these days though I will eat Sushi, I promise you. To me life is not worth living if you stop trying new things, so just do it! Pick up a new hobby, buy and wear a new piece of clothing that is out of your comfort zone (just please consult Stacy and Clinton first), or make that recipe you have been hemming and hawing over. I’m not suggesting that you make drastic changes like I did, but even the smallest change can be liberating. Warning: you may get some extra attention if you make a noticeable change. I certainly have, sometimes I think if my town newspaper had a Page Six I would be its favorite subject. Hmm, does that mean that not only am I a princess but also a socialite?
Five Spice Coconut Chicken
1/3 Cup Coconut Milk
2 Tblsp Honey
2 Tblsp Soy Sauce
1 Tblsp Lime Juice
2-½ tsp Chinese Five Spice powder
1 clove Garlic, minced
4 Pieces Chicken (bone-in or boneless)
Combine the first 6 ingredients in a bowl. Place chicken in a baking dish and pour the sauce over it, let marinade for at least 15 minutes. Bake at 350° for 30-45 minutes. (Check for clear juices). Serve with the sauce poured over the chicken.
Coconut Curry Chicken
1 Tblsp Olive Oil
2 tsp Curry Powder
1 13.5 oz can Coconut Milk
4 Pieces Boneless Chicken Thighs cut in strips
2 tsp Chinese Five Spice powder
Combine curry powder and olive oil over medium heat to form a paste, cook 1 minute. Add coconut milk and cook about 7 minutes, should be reduced by half. Season chicken with salt, pepper, and Chinese Five Spice powder. Cook chicken over medium-high heat until browned, about 6 minutes. Once done combine with coconut curry sauce and serve over rice.
Curry Couscous
1 cup couscous
1-¼ cup water
1 Tblsp Olive Oil
1 Medium onions, diced
2 Stalks celery, diced
¼ cup dried cranberries, chopped
1 handful fresh parsley, chopped
1 can chickpeas, rinsed
¼ tsp Cumin
1 tsp Curry powder
Salt & Pepper
Boil water and add couscous, cover and remove from heat, let sit 5 minutes. Transfer couscous to bowl and drizzle with olive oil, let cool. Mix in rest of ingredients and add more oil if needed. To increase the heat levels add more curry powder.
Everyone gets into a rut when it comes to their repertoire of meals; it’s difficult to be creative when you are so busy with jobs, kids and housework (blah, blah, blah if I have to keep hearing this excuse I just might have to break out the mace). That is why I am such a fan of Rachael Ray’s 30-Minute Meals. Okay, yes she is annoying as all hell and so bubbly that I just want to slap her silly; but damn that woman can put together a recipe. Nine times out of ten if you dine at my house you are eating a RR meal that I tweaked; and I have yet to go wrong with one of her recipes. So I am asking you to throw caution to the wind, open your mind and try something new.
Last year I found a recipe for Five Spice Coconut Chicken in RR’s magazine that intrigued me; I knew that I liked coconut, but I had no idea what Chinese Five Spice powder tasted like. But really, how bad could it be? Now in the past whenever I have said how bad could it be to myself it has turned out to be phenomenally bad, i.e. martinis, certain ex-boyfriends, gluten-free bread. Well let me tell you, it is out of this world and so is this meal.
This recipe calls for eight boneless chicken thighs, but I always use four leg quarters, because my store doesn’t carry the thighs. (If you prefer to you can use boneless breasts). Marinate the chicken in one third of a cup of coconut milk, two tablespoons each of honey and soy sauce, one tablespoon of lime juice, one finely chopped garlic clove and two and a half teaspoons of the aforementioned Chinese Five Spice powder. Let this marinate for at least fifteen minutes and then pour everything into a baking dish and bake at 350 degrees until done. I never set my oven timer because honestly I haven’t taken the time to figure it out; I just check the item after about a half an hour to forty-five minutes, when the juices run clear I know the chicken is done. This dish is sweet and nutty tasting and one of my favorites, I serve it with rice and steamed sugar snap peas.
Okay, so now you are left with a jar of Five Spice powder and more than half a can of coconut milk, so what do you do? Wait a few days and then make Coconut Curry Chicken. Curry is something that I recently rediscovered. A few years ago my good friend KB made it for me, being from Great Britain she is very familiar with curry dishes; well I ate what she served me but really didn’t care for it. But recently I decided to try it again and it what do know, I liked it. Its flavor is hard to describe, curry has some heat, but it’s not blow the top of your head off heat. All I can say is try it, it won’t kill you besides my brother-in-law liked this meal and he doesn’t like anything.
To make the Coconut Curry Chicken, which incidentally I also found in RR’s magazine, start by making a paste out of olive oil and two teaspoons of curry powder; cook this over medium heat for a minute or so, then add the rest of that can of coconut milk. By the way, don’t store that coconut milk in the can, if you do it will just taste like the can. You are going to want to cook this for a bit over low heat so that the sauce will reduce a bit. In the meantime cut up four boneless chicken thighs into strips and toss them with salt, pepper and two teaspoons of your Five Spice powder. The chicken is then stir fried over high heat and then combined with the coconut sauce. Serve this over rice and enjoy its sweet nutty heat.
So now you have a jar of curry powder sitting in your spice cabinet that you bought for the last recipe and you’re probably thinking, what the hell am I going to do with all this? Well my friend TW recently turned me on to a side salad that is fantabulous, Curry Couscous. To make this start by boiling one and a quarter cups of water, add one cup of couscous, turn off the heat, cover and let sit for five minutes. Once this is done transfer it into a large bowl to cool a bit and drizzle it with about a tablespoon of olive oil. Now comes the part where you transform into a human Cuisinart and dice up a medium onion, two stalks of celery, dried cranberries and a good handful of parsley. Throw all this into the bowl with the couscous, and mix in one can of rinsed chickpeas, a quarter teaspoon cumin, one teaspoon curry powder and salt and pepper to taste. If the salad seems a little dry just add a little more olive oil. I wasn’t completely sure if I would like this salad but it was great. The only problem is that couscous can be very messy; I am a very neat cook and I still have those little balls all over my counters, and seriously those are not the kind of balls I like running all over my house.
So there you have it, we just broadened our horizons by making meals from Southeast Asia, India, and the Middle East and tried three new ingredients: coconut milk, Chinese Five Spice powder and curry powder. None of which were difficult, time consuming or overly expensive; oh yeah and trying something new didn’t kill anyone.
Now believe me there are some things that I refuse to eat such as cauliflower, mushrooms and venison. A few years ago I choked down a venison burger just because I was being polite to the guy who served it to me, and even though I loaded it up with ketchup and mustard I still thought that it was disgusting. (Actually I told him a lot of things were good when they were not). Every one says that I just haven’t had it prepared correctly, in my opinion that is a load of bull; it’s just not a food that I will ever like. I understand that you are extremely proud of the fact that you sat in a tree stand all day and shot some poor unsuspecting animal that happened to stop below your perch, but really do I have to ingest it or hang it on my wall to think you are a manly man? Sorry honey but the answer is no.
I have tried a lot of new foods this past year but my to- try list is still full of items to sample, like Sushi. Every time I go out to dinner I consider trying it but inevitably I chicken out, usually literally. One of these days though I will eat Sushi, I promise you. To me life is not worth living if you stop trying new things, so just do it! Pick up a new hobby, buy and wear a new piece of clothing that is out of your comfort zone (just please consult Stacy and Clinton first), or make that recipe you have been hemming and hawing over. I’m not suggesting that you make drastic changes like I did, but even the smallest change can be liberating. Warning: you may get some extra attention if you make a noticeable change. I certainly have, sometimes I think if my town newspaper had a Page Six I would be its favorite subject. Hmm, does that mean that not only am I a princess but also a socialite?
Five Spice Coconut Chicken
1/3 Cup Coconut Milk
2 Tblsp Honey
2 Tblsp Soy Sauce
1 Tblsp Lime Juice
2-½ tsp Chinese Five Spice powder
1 clove Garlic, minced
4 Pieces Chicken (bone-in or boneless)
Combine the first 6 ingredients in a bowl. Place chicken in a baking dish and pour the sauce over it, let marinade for at least 15 minutes. Bake at 350° for 30-45 minutes. (Check for clear juices). Serve with the sauce poured over the chicken.
Coconut Curry Chicken
1 Tblsp Olive Oil
2 tsp Curry Powder
1 13.5 oz can Coconut Milk
4 Pieces Boneless Chicken Thighs cut in strips
2 tsp Chinese Five Spice powder
Combine curry powder and olive oil over medium heat to form a paste, cook 1 minute. Add coconut milk and cook about 7 minutes, should be reduced by half. Season chicken with salt, pepper, and Chinese Five Spice powder. Cook chicken over medium-high heat until browned, about 6 minutes. Once done combine with coconut curry sauce and serve over rice.
Curry Couscous
1 cup couscous
1-¼ cup water
1 Tblsp Olive Oil
1 Medium onions, diced
2 Stalks celery, diced
¼ cup dried cranberries, chopped
1 handful fresh parsley, chopped
1 can chickpeas, rinsed
¼ tsp Cumin
1 tsp Curry powder
Salt & Pepper
Boil water and add couscous, cover and remove from heat, let sit 5 minutes. Transfer couscous to bowl and drizzle with olive oil, let cool. Mix in rest of ingredients and add more oil if needed. To increase the heat levels add more curry powder.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
