Coconut Curry Chicken

 

Coconut Curry Chicken

I do love a good curry and this one is one of my favorites. I don’t even remember where I picked up the recipe from. I have it written down on a piece of notebook paper in my file of favorite recipes.

This dish is not only comfort food, it’s a meal in one dish so a definite win in my book.

I normally serve this one over Basmati rice, you can try other varieties of rice if you wish but the combination of the basmati with this particular curry is so good.

If you haven’t made any curry dishes at home before this is a nice easy one to try. This recipe calls for curry powder which most of the major spice brands have available. Each brand is a bit different so try a few to pick your favorite, or do like I do and make your own. I found several recipes online and came up with my favorite blend which I make a few times a year and keep in my spice cabinet so it is ready to use.

Start by cooking the rice, it is going to the longest and if it does finish before you are ready for it, it is very patient and will wait covered in the pan for a while.

As for the curry portion of the meal, start by cooking the kale, I know it looks like a lot of kale for 2 servings but like any green it is going to cook down a lot. Simply cook it in some oil over a medium to medium high heat until it is wilted down and has become tender. Then set it aside while you cook the chicken.

For the chicken I gave a range for the amount because firs this is a very forgiving recipe and I know that chicken breasts come in all sizes. Also you can vary the amount of chicken to suit appetite and or budget in this dish.

Do make sure you blot off as much moisture as possible with a paper towel before seasoning the chicken prior to cooking. This will speed up the browning of the meat.

Cook the chicken pieces over medium to medium-high heat until cooked through. The add the tomato paste and seasonings and allow them to heat up until you smell them. Add in some water to de-glaze the pan and bring everything together.

Then add the coconut milk, a little sugar and some butter and cook the sauce (simmering for about 5 minutes) to slightly thicken it.

Add the cooked kale and sour cream, stir everything together and cook until heated through.

Divide the rice between two large bowls. Top with the curry mixture and enjoy.

You can find a downloadable/printable version of this recipe here.

Coconut Curry Chicken

½ cup basmati rice

¾ cup water

4 oz (about ½ a bunch) Kale, stems   removed and leave cut in bite size pieces

8 to 12 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast cut in bite size pieces

3 Tablespoons tomato paste

1 Tablespoon curry powder

1 teaspoon paprika

chili flakes, to taste

¼ cup water

¾ cup coconut milk (about ½ a regular size can)

1 Tablespoon butter

2 teaspoons sugar

2 Tablespoon sour cream

Salt and pepper to taste

Vegetable oil for cooking

In a small saucepan bring the rice, a pinch of salt, and ¾ cup water to a boil. Cover the pan, turn to low and cook for 15 to 20 minutes until rice is cooked and water is absorbed.

Meanwhile-

In a large skillet heat some vegetable oil and add the cut up kale leaves, sprinkle with a bit of salt. Cook over medium to medium-high heat stirring occasionally until the leaves wilt down and are tender, about 5 to 10 minutes. Move the cooked kale to a bowl and set aside.

 

Pat the chicken pieces dry with a paper towel and season generously with salt and pepper.

 

 

 

Heat some more vegetable oil in the same skillet and add the chicken. Cook over medium to medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until cooked through about 5 or 6 minutes.

 

 

Stir in the tomato paste, curry powder, paprika and a pinch of the chili flakes (use as much or as little of the chili flakes as you desire). Cook for a minute of so until the spices become fragrant.

 

Add the ¼ cup water to de-glaze the pan and thin the tomato paste.

 

 

 

Stir in the coconut milk, butter and sugar and stir to combine with the rest of the mixture in the skillet. Bring to a simmer and cook at a simmer for about 5 minutes to slightly thicken the sauce.

 

 Add the Kale along with the sour cream, stir to combine, cook just long enough to bring everything up to temperature. Taste and season with salt and/or pepper as needed.

Divide the cooked rice between two large bowls and top with the curry mixture.

Sprinkle a few more chili flakes over the top if desired.

Lazy Lasagna

 

Today I wanted to share a really easy and quick casserole recipe that I’ve been playing with for a while now. It’s called Lazy Lasagna and with this recipe you can get dinner on the table in about 30 minutes. It has all the main parts of lasagna without all the fussy layering. Perfect for a busy day.

To start just boil some egg noodles then mix them with your favorite tomato based pasta sauce and some cheese. Put it all in a greased casserole dish top with more cheese and bake. It doesn’t get simpler than that.

You can find a downloadable/printable version of this recipe here.

Lazy Lasagna

2 cups dry egg noodles

1 cup tomato based pasta sauce

¾ cup shredded Mozzarella cheese

½ cup cottage cheese

2 Tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Cook the noodles according to directions on package.

Meanwhile put the pasta sauce to a microwave safe bowl and heat just until warmed a bit.

Add the shredded Mozzarella cheese and the cottage cheese to the sauce.

When noodles are cooked drain well and add to the sauce mixture. Stir to combine.

 

Transfer noodle mixture to a well greased 4 cup casserole dish.

 

 

Top with the shredded Parmesan cheese.

 

 

 

 

Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until hot and beginning to bubble.

Super Simple Pasta Alfredo

 

Super Simple Pasta Alfredo

This is such a simple and quick pasta dish and on that I make variations of all the time. Only a few ingredients are needed and in the time it takes to cook the pasta the sauce is ready. The version I am giving here is for an Alfredo style sauce but it can be changed up to go with any meal.

This can also be either a side dish or even a main dish. Think of it as homemade version of the pasta mixes that are on the shelves at the grocery store except it tastes way better. It is also really good with some cooked meat and veggies added for a one dish dinner.

The basic sauce it simply butter, milk, cream cheese and shredded cheese. In this rendition of it I used Parmesan cheese to make it very much like a simple Alfredo, but can change out that cheese and the personality of the dish changes with it.

For example one of my favorites is to add a bit of chopped onion and chopped jalapeno (just cook them in the butter then add the milk) Then I use either a shredded Mexican blend cheese or just some shredded cheddar. Perfect side dish for a Southwest meal.

You could make the recipe with an Italian blend of cheeses (or sub in some Mozzarella for part of the cheese) and add some herbs and you have another side.

You could add some finely chopped broccoli and use cheddar cheese for another option.

The possibilities are almost endless depending on what is on hand.

Since I use all the ingredients that are in this dish a lot they are almost always in my fridge. i almost always have variety of cheeses on hand so I can create a side dish to go with just about any meal with this simple formula.

As for the pasta I used linguine this time, I had wanted to use some fettuccine but my grocery store was completely out the day I shopped. But you could use any pasta shape you have on hand. This is also really good with stuffed pastas like tortellini or ravioli so again use what is on hand.

So let’s talk about the steps to make this.

Start a pan of water to boil for the pasta and cook it according to the instructions on the package. Most of the dry pasta I buy the cook time is right around 10 minutes.

While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter with the milk in a bowl in the microwave. You just need to get it warm enough to melt the butter. If you are adding chopped onion or other add-ins that need to cook go ahead and just melt the butter and cook them in the melted butter about a minute, then add the milk and heat them together.

 

 

 

 

Now stir in the cubed cream cheese and microwave 30 seconds at a time stirring each time until the cream cheese is melted.

 

 

 

 

Now add the shredded cheese and again microwave in 30 second bursts, stirring each time until the cheese melts.

 

 

 

 Add the drained, cooked pasta to the sauce and stir to combine.

 

 

 

You can find a downloadable/printable version of this recipe here.

Super Simple Pasta Alfredo

4 oz dry pasta

¼ cup milk

¼ cup butter

3 oz cream cheese, cubed

1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

 

Cook the pasta according to the package directions.

Pu the milk and butter in a medium size microwave safe bowl and heat until the butter melts.

Add the cubed cream cheese and microwave in 30 second bursts, stirring between each, until the cream cheese melts.

Add the shredded cheese and again microwave in 30 second bursts, stirring between each until cheese is mostly melted.

Add the drained, cooked pasta and stir to combine.

Makes 2 generous servings.

Grilled Broccoli and Cheese Sandwich

 

Today I decided to share with you all what has become one of my favorite comfort food meals. Now if you are watching your calories, you probably want to just skip this one because it probably has almost enough calories for the your entire day. But I am a firm believer that once in a while we need to indulge ourselves and this sandwich will do just that. All the while also sneaking in a full serving of veggies in the filling.

So let’s start with those veggies since we need to get them roasting for our first step. I have used fresh broccoli in this in the past and that was what was called for in the original recipe that this one descends from. However I have found that frozen broccoli works just as well and is a lot more convenient since I try to keep a bag of it in my freezer all the time. If you have some cut or chopped broccoli you will save yourself a step, my store was out so I am using frozen broccoli florets.

 

Cut up the larger pieces so they will fit into the sandwich better and toss with the chopped onion some olive oil and seasonings. This needs to be done immediately before putting them in the oven. If frozen veggies go into the oven completely frozen they roast much better and cook evenly. If they start to defrost they tend to burn a lot and not cook evenly. Roast at 425°F for about 15 minutes.

While the broccoli is roasting we can prepare the rest of the filling. For that mix the cream cheese with the shredded cheese. I am using pre-shredded 4 cheese Mexican blend cheese. This is another thing that is almost always in my fridge all the time so it tends to be my go-to. You could also use shredded cheddar for this step. The combination of the cream cheese with the shredded cheese is what makes this sandwich so decadent. It really adds to both the flavor and the texture of the filling.

 

 

Spread one side of both pieces of bread with some butter. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then coat the other side of one of them with the cheese filling.

 

 

 

 

Once the broccoli is roasted remove it from the pan and put the pan back in the oven while you finish assembling the sandwich.

To do this place the roasted veggies on top of the cheese filling then top with the second slice of bread butter side up.

 

 

Remove the baking pan just long enough to put the sandwich onto it and return it to the oven for 5 minutes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Remove the pan from the oven for only as much time as it takes to flip the sandwich and then back into the oven for another 5 minutes.

 

 

The secret to getting that wonderful brown outside to our sandwiches in the oven is to have the baking sheet as hot as possible. If it cools even for a few seconds your sandwich won’t get as brown as it should. It will still taste wonderful it just won’t be as pretty.

Remove the sandwich to a cutting board to cool for just a couple of minutes then cut as desired and serve.

As for the following recipe I decided to just give you the amounts for one sandwich so you can make as many or as few of them as needed. The only issue I can see with many a bunch of these would be being fast enough to keep the pan hot enough to get them all really browned.

You can find a downloadable/printable version of this recipe here.

Grilled Broccoli and Cheese Sandwich

8 oz frozen broccoli, cut up

1 green onion, cut up

olive oil

¼ teaspoon paprika (smoked paprika is really good in here)

¼ teaspoon onion powder

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

2 Tablespoons cream cheese, softened

½ cup shredded 4 cheese Mexican Blend Cheese (or shredded cheddar)

2 slices sourdough bread

1 Tablespoon butter, softened

Pre-heat the oven to 425°F.

Combine the cut up broccoli and onion in a bowl and toss with the seasonings and just enough olive oil to coat. Spread on a baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes or until brown and tender.

Meanwhile prepare the rest of the sandwich.

Combine the cream cheese and shredded cheese and set aside.

Spread one side of each slice of bread with the butter.

Spread the cheese mixture on the other side of one of the slices.

When the broccoli is finished remove it from the pan and return the pan to the oven immediately.

Spread the broccoli mixture over the cheese mixture and add the other slice of bread butter side out to the top of the sandwich.

Take the baking sheet out of the oven only long enough to transfer the sandwich onto it and put it back in the oven for 5 minutes.

Remove from the oven only long enough to flip the sandwich and return to the oven to bake for 5 more minutes.

Remove to a cutting board for a few minutes then cut as desired.

Makes 1 sandwich.

French Onion Grilled Cheese

 

Okay first things first I love grilled cheese sandwiches. They are among my favorite sandwiches especially when they have extra stuff in them. I also love caramelized onions so putting them into a grilled cheese was the logical step to take here.

 

One of the things I don't like about grilled cheese sandwiches is when the cheese and other fillings don't get hot/melted through in the time it takes the bread to get perfectly grilled. I found this oven method of cooking a grilled cheese a while back and it is a game changer, the sandwiches come out perfectly browned and melty all the way through. I don't think I'll ever go back to cooking them in a pan this just so much easier and better.

The process is simple (and by the way on the occasions when you have to cook a bunch of sandwiches at one time this is a lifesaver) The most important step is to preheat your baking sheet in the oven while the oven is preheating. I neglected to do this step the first time I tried this and the first side of the sandwich just didn't get brown and crispy.

Most of the time I do like to line my baking sheet with aluminum foil mainly because clean up is even easier that way.

You can find a downloadable/printable version of this recipe here.

French Onion Grilled Cheese

1 medium onion, sliced

butter

4 slices of bread of your choice

4 slices Swiss cheese

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. 

 

 -note I am only making one sandwich in the pictures but the directions are for two-

Preheat your oven to 450° F and place your prepared baking sheet in the oven to preheat with the oven. It needs to be really hot for this sandwich to really work.

Meanwhile melt about 1 Tablespoon butter in a small skillet over med heat. Add the sliced onion and cook slowly until the onions are caramelized, if they start to look crispy turn the heat down. This needs to be a very slow process, it usually takes at least 20 minutes to get my onion the way I like it.

When the onions are cooked butter one side of each slice of bread. 

 

 

 

 

The add a slice of cheese to the un-buttered sides of the slices.

Divide the onions between two to these slices then top with the other two slices. (just like a normal grilled cheese)

Remove the hot baking sheet from the oven and quickly add the sandwiches to the pan and return to the oven.

Cook 5 minutes.

Remove from oven just long enough to flip both sandwiches over. Return to the oven and cook 5 more minutes.

Remove from oven and allow the sandwiches to sit on a cutting board for a couple of minutes before cutting in half. 

Makes 2 wonderful grilled cheese sandwiches.

Pumpkin Cupcakes

 

For the my cupcake of the month for October this year I decided to go with something so simple but absolutely delicious, pumpkin. In my mind you really can't get any more on point for the month of October than pumpkin so they are perfect. I paired them with a divine cream cheese frosting to make the perfect way to finish off dinner time this month. 

 

 

As always we are starting with a partial box of cake mix. In the blog post you can find here I gave directions on how I divide a standard box of cake mix from the grocery store to make it perfect for small batch baking. If you haven't read that blog post I recommend you go over and read it first then come back and read this one. It will help you get all set to make this recipe.

I find that I normally get 6 cupcakes from these recipes but I have friends that always get 8. You can expect to get 6 to 8 depending on your pan and how full you fill it.

I love this recipe because while it has a bit of pumpkin spice in it, it is much more pumpkin than pumpkin spice. If you want more of a spice twist to your cupcakes make exactly the same recipe using a spice cake mix and leaving out the pumpkin spice that I use today.

I do have to warn you these smell so yummy while baking they are going to have you ready to dig in immediately when they come out of the oven. Please hold off and wait until they are cooled and you have frosted them to get the complete experience.

Speaking of frosting the recipe makes enough to cover 8 cupcakes but if you have some leftover this is excellent spread between a couple of graham crackers for a wonder treat for the cook.

You can find a downloadable/printable version of this recipe here.

Pumpkin Cupcakes

⅓ of a box of yellow cake mix

⅓ cup pumpkin puree

1 egg

3 Tablespoons milk

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Start by preheating your oven to the temperature your box of cake mix calls for, mine was 350°F. Line your cupcake pan with paper liners or grease really well.

Combine the pumpkin, egg, milk, oil, spice, and vanilla in a mixing bowl and combine well.

Add the cake mix and beat for up to 90 seconds.

Portion into cupcake pan and bake according to instructions on your cake mix.

 

 Mine was baked at 350°F for about 20 minutes.

Cool in pan for 10 minutes then move to a cooling rack and cool completely.

Small Batch Cream Cheese Frosting

¼ cup butter, softened

4 oz cream cheese, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups powdered sugar

Seasonal sprinkles if desired

Beat the softened butter, cream cheese, and vanilla extract until combined and starting to get fluffy.

Slowly add the powdered sugar beating until well combined and creamy.

Move frosting to a decorating bag equipped with a large decorating tip. Decorate your cupcakes as desired.