Sunday, January 30, 2011

Chicken Curry in a Hurry

This is from "Eat What You Love" by Marlene Koch. Adam loves to eat at Thai restaurants and this is one of his favorite things to eat at home. The author used nonfat half-and-half and coconut extract as a substitute one day when she was out of coconut milk, but I'm sure if you'd rather, you can use 1/2 cup of light coconut milk and it wouldn't change the nutritional composition too much.

Note: If you like your chicken curry served over rice, be sure to start the rice ahead of time, as this dish cooks quickly.

1 teaspoon canola oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic (2 cloves)
1 teaspoon minced ginger (freshed or canned), or 1/2 tsp ground (I used ground)
1 medium onion, sliced or wedged
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped into medium cubes
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1/2 cup nonfat half-and-half
1/4 tsp coconut extract
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon curry powder
2 teaspoons brown sugar
Dash of red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon peanut butter

1. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and ginger (if using ground, wait and add it with the broth) and cook for 30 seconds. Add the onion and the bell pepper and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until slightly softened. Add the chicken and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned.

2. While the chicken is cooking, whisk together the half-and-half, coconut extract, and cornstarch in a small bowl. Set aside.

3. Add the chicken broth, curry powder, brown sugar, red pepper flakes, salt, (ginger, if using powdered), and peanut butter directly into the skillet with the chicken and stir until combined.

4. Bring to a simmer and pour in the half-and-half mixture. Stir again and let simmer for an additional 1 to 2 minutes, or until the sauce thickens.

Makes 4 servings. Nutritional Info (without rice): Calories 200, Carbs 11g (Sugars 4g, Fiber 2g), Total Fat 6g (Sat Fat 1g), Protein 25g.

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Whole Wheat Pancakes

I found this recipe on myrecipes.com They turned out really, really good.

1 cup all-purpose flour (about 4 1/2 ounces)
2/3 cup whole wheat flour (about 3 ounces)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 2/3 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 large egg, lightly beaten


Lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Combine milk, butter, and egg; add milk mixture to flour mixture, stirring until smooth.

Pour about 1/4 cup batter per pancake onto a hot nonstick griddle or nonstick skillet. Cook 2 minutes or until tops are covered with bubbles and edges look cooked. Carefully turn pancakes over; cook 2 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned.

Nutritional Information
Calories:293 (20% from fat)
Fat:6.6g (sat 3.5g,mono 1.9g,poly 0.6g)
Protein:10.9g
Carbohydrate:47.8g
Fiber:3.3g
Cholesterol:68mg
Iron:2.6mg
Sodium:691mg
Calcium:146mg

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Bread demonstration videos

Here are some links to the video demonstrations for the bread I make. The recipe uses gluten along with vinegar and potato flakes (items you can put in your food storage if you don't already) instead of buying expensive dough enhancers. The bread turns out awesome and I always get wonderful complements when we've shared a loaf with others. The first video explains how dough enhancers work and how the gluten, vinegar and potato flakes work together to make bread with a wonderful texture. The second link is the actual bread demonstration. I am so glad I ran onto these and I wanted to share!

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Cover-and-forget-it beef and veggie stew

Cover-and-forget-it beef and vegetable stew

2 lbs. boneless beef chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes
4 large baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
6 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
2 parsnips, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1 med. onion, chopped
2 c. tomato sauce
1 c. water
1 tsp. sugar
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3 tbsp. quick cooking tapioca

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Coat a heavy 3-quart casserole dish with oil.   Put meat in casserole and top with the potatoes, carrots, parsnips, and onion.
In a small bowl, mix together the tomato sauce, water, sugar, salt, pepper and tapioca and pour over the meat and vegetables.
Cut a piece of parchment paper large enough to overhang the top of the casserole by 2 inches all around.  Press the paper onto the top of the beef and vegetable mixture and tuck it down around the sides of the contents.  cover the whole thing, using the cover of the casserole dish or aluminum foil.
Bake for 2 1/2 to 3 hours at 325 degrees or 4 to 5 hours at 300 degrees.

Fiesta Casserole

Fiesta Casserole

1 lb. extra-lean ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 c. chunky tomato salsa
1 c. (14 1/2  oz.) diced tomatoes with juice
2 c. fresh or frozen corn kernels
12- 6 inch flour tortillas
1 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
sour cream for serving
chopped avocado for serving
chopped fresh cilantro for serving

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Brown the meat in a large skillet on med-high heat. Add onion and peppers and saute until the meat is no longer pink (about 10 min.). Drain off excess fat.  Stir in the salsa, tomatoes with juice, and corn.  Bring to a boil, and remove from heat.
Spread out 1 cup of the meat mixture in the bottom of a shallow 9 x 13 in. baking dish.  Top with 6 tortillas, over lapping them.  Spoon half the remaining mixture over the tortillas.  Top with half of the cheese. layer with the remaining tortillas and then the rest of the meat mixture.  cover with lightly greased aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes or until heated through.
Uncover and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Let stand for 5 min. or until cheese is melted.  Serve with sour cream, chopped avocados, and cilantro.

Pasta and Chicken Alfredo "Casserole"

3 Tbs. Butter, melted, plus extra for the dish
1 Jar (about 15 oz.) Alfred sauce
8 oz. fettuccine
2 c. diced cooked chicken
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced (optional. I hate onions so I left it out and it still tasted good)
2 c. frozen peas, thawed
1 tsp. poultry seasoning
1/2 c. seasoned fine dry breadcrumbs
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Butter a deep 3-quart casserole. Cook the pasta according to package instructions (the instructions say to boil them for 12 minutes or until tender but still firm to bite.  I don't really think it matters though.) Drain. Transfer to a large bowl. Mix in Alfredo sauce, chicken, green onions, peas, and poultry seasoning.
In a small bowl, mix the breadcrumbs, Parmesan, and 2 tablespoons of melted butter.
Transfer pasta mixture to the buttered baking dish.  sprinkle with crumb mixture. (at this point the casserole can be covered and refrigerated overnight if you want to make it the next day. Just add 10 min. to the baking time.) Bake, uncovered, until the pasta is hot and the topping is golden brown, about 25 minutes.  (Keep an eye on it though... it only took like 20 min. in our oven. Just don't let it go totally brown!)

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Navajo Taco Meat Sauce

(from Ashlee Raisor & Amy Watkins)

1 lb. hamburger
1 medium onion
1 packet of taco seasoning
1 can Italian or Mexican stewed tomatoes
1 can pinto beans

Brown hamburger with onion; drain. Add taco seasoning according to directions on the packet. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Simmer on low until fully heated. If it's too runny, add a little flour/water mixture to thicken. Serve over hot scones or frybread.

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Meatball Minestrone

I got this one from FamilyFun. It was really easy, and really good. I recommend using frozen meatballs. Also, I didn't have any orzo pasta on hand, so I just broke up spaghetti noodles instead. :)

Serves 6

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 carrots, thinly sliced
4 cups chicken broth
14-1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes in their juice
15-1/2-ounce can beans, rinsed and drained
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 cup orzo pasta
2 cups meatballs
Grated Parmesan


In a large pot, warm the olive oil over medium-high heat, then sauté the onion and garlic until softened, about 2 minutes.

Add the carrots, chicken broth, diced tomatoes in their juice, beans, Italian seasoning, and pasta. Bring the soup to a boil.

Reduce the heat and add the meatballs. Simmer for 15 minutes, or until the meatballs are heated through and the pasta is tender. Serve topped with grated Parmesan.

Nutritional Information
Per serving (1-1/3 cups): Calories 405 ● Total Fat 14 g (22% DV) ● Saturated Fat 5 g (24% DV) ● Cholesterol 95 mg (32% DV) ● Sodium 1489 mg (62% DV) ● Total Carbohydrate 42 g (14% DV) ● Fiber 6 g (24% DV) ● Sugars 6 g ● Protein 28 g (55% DV) ● Vitamin A (74% DV) ● Vitamin C (20% DV) ● Iron (20% DV)

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Bean Flour Hummus

3/4 c. garbanzo bean flour
2 1/2 c. water
2-3 large garlic cloves
1/4 c. chicken broth
1/4 c. sesame paste (tahini?)
1/4 c. lemon juice
1/8 t. tabasco sauce
1/2 5 ground cumin
1/4 c. olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste

Bring water to boil; whisk in bean flour. Stir and cook 1 min. Turn heat to med-low & cook 5 more min. Let cool. Add all but cumin, salt & pepper, and puree till smooth. Add the spices, then pour in oil slowly while continuing to blend. If too stiff, add more broth. Cover. Keep at room temperature at least 1 hour. If needed, add more lemon juice, salt & pepper to taste.

Cream of "Chicken" Soup

I've discovered making bean flour in my wheat grinder, and I tried this recipe. It takes 1-2 min. boiling time. You can also use it to thicken soups instead of using flour. No soaking overnight and cooking for an hour or more.

1 c. bean flour (white beans are mildest in flavor)
4 c. water or milk
1 T chicken bouillon
dash pepper
1/4 c. dried onion (I used fresh)

Mix dry ingredients. Stir 1/2 c. of liquid into dry mixture until mixed. Add remaining liquid. Heat in medium-sized pan, stirring as it heats (med. heat). As it reaches boiling point, it will thicken. Boil about 1 minute. If too thick, add more liquid.

background