Chickpea Peanutbutter Curry

Fall is here!  It's finally time to start making soups and stews and curries are in the mix too!  If you read my blog a lot, you know that I try to include vegetarian or vegan meals several times a week into our diet.  I always want to make sure that the vegetarian and vegan recipes I pick are filling and not so so full of cheese.  This recipe is both!  The chickpeas and peanut butter add protein and it's vegan so no cheese!  

You can always use another nut butter if you're allergic to peanuts and vegetable stock instead of chicken stock to make to vegan or vegetarian; if you're not, feel free to use chicken stock.  Other great news is that this recipe is gluten free!

Chickpea Peanut Butter Curry

Chickpea Peanut Butter Curry

Ingredients:

1/2 medium onion, chopped

4 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 tsp coconut oil 

3/4 tsp. ground ginger

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

3/4 tsp. ground coriander

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. cayenne 

1/2 tsp. tumeric

1/2 tsp. curry powder

3 Tbsp. peanut butter or almond butter

1/2 cup coconut milk

3/4 cup chicken stock (or vegetable stock to make vegan)

1 red pepper, chopped

1 small zucchini, chopped

1 15 oz can chickpeas, drained

1 tsp. salt, or more to taste

1/2 tsp. sugar

1/2 lime, juiced 

Preparation:

Add oil to a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add garlic, onion, ginger, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, cayenne, turmeric, and curry.  

Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. 

Add in the nut butter, coconut milk and stir. Add broth. 

Add the veggies and chickpeas, salt, sugar. 

Mix, cover and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium low and continue to cook for 5 minutes. 

Stir in the lime juice. Taste and adjust salt.  

At this point, if you want a thinner curry, add more coconut milk or if you want it thicker, uncover and keep simmering. 

Serve over rice.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Vegan Richa

Chicken Tikka Masala

Now believe me when I say I was scared to try this recipe.  I think I can cook pretty well, but Indian food never turns out right.  With that being said, this recipe is awesome.  It actually worked and was delicious!  The key is that it uses heavy cream instead of yogurt as the base of the sauce; yogurt always curdles for me.  I was super pumped about this and plan on making it again very soon!

Chicken Tikka Masala 

Chicken Tikka Masala 

Ingredients:

For the chicken:
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/2 cup whole-milk yogurt
Juice from 1/2 lemon
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. coriander

For the sauce:
1/2 Tbsp. butter
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. ginger
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
2 Tbsp. garam masala
1 tsp. paprika
Pinch cayenne
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup roughly chopped cilantro, plus extra for garnish
For serving: basmati rice, naan

Preparation:
Combine yogurt, lemon, cumin, and coriander in a small bowl.  Place chicken in a greased oven-ready baking dish.  Spoon yogurt marinade over chicken.  Mix, making sure that chicken is coated all over.  Place in refrigerator for up to 6 hours.
Preheat oven to 375. Bake for 50 minutes. Set aside.
Warm a half-tablespoon of butter in a dutch oven. Add the onions and cook until the onions are soft and translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the ginger, tomato paste, garam masala, paprika, and cayenne, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Pour the tomatoes and their juices and reduce the heat to low. Simmer until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, dice the cooled chicken into bite-sized pieces.
Stir the cream and chopped chicken into the sauce, and simmer until the chicken is warmed through and the sauce is just starting to bubble, 1 to 2 minutes. Taste and add salt, pepper, or other seasonings to taste. Stir in the cilantro just before removing the sauce from heat.
Serve immediately with rice. Top each serving with another sprinkle of cilantro.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from The Kitchn

Thai Curry Butternut Squash Soup

This soup was delicious!  It's perfect for fall and had just the right amount of spice!  I was a bit surprised that it was so filling being vegan, but I got a thumbs up from Matthew, which is the true test of how good vegetarian/vegan meals are.  The best part is that the spiciness can be modified for people who are a little more sensitive.  I served this with homemade bread for a great fall meal.

Thai Curry Butternut Squash Soup

Thai Curry Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 medium butternut squash, cubed (you of course may cheat and buy pre-cubed butternut squash which will greatly cut down on the labor of the soup)
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, diced
1 Tbsp. Thai red curry paste (you can go more or less depending on your spice level, but this is very spicy)
1 (15 oz.) can coconut milk
3 cups vegetable broth
1 tsp. grated fresh ginger
1/2 lime, juiced
Salt
Pepper
Cilantro, for garnish

Preparation:
Place a large pot over medium-low heat.
Add vegetable oil.
Add onion and garlic and cook until translucent, about 4 minutes.
Add curry and ginger.  Stir until well-incorporated.
Raise the temperature to medium. Add vegetable stock and squash.  Cover and cook until squash is soft, about 20 minutes.
Take the pot off of heat.
Either use an immersion blender or carefully put into a blender and blend until a puree.
Add coconut milk, lime, salt, and pepper (to taste). Stir. Heat for another 5-10 minutes, until soup is hot.
Garnish with fresh cilantro.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from How Sweet It Is

Coconut Curry Halibut

Today I decided to make fish because Alyssa wasn't going to be home until after dinner.  I was looking through an issue of Cooking Light and landed on Coconut Curry Halibut.  It sounded good, and I had all the ingredients, so I decided to give it a try.  

It ended up being awesome!  Matt loved it, and had thirds!  He also told me that the sauce was so good that I should make it without the fish as a dipping sauce for everything.  Success!

Coconut Curry Halibut

Coconut Curry Halibut

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Tbsp. brown sugar

1 Tbsp. Thai red curry paste

1 Tbsp. low sodium soy sauce

1 Tbsp. rice vinegar

1 (14 oz.) can coconut milk

1 Tbsp. lime juice

1 /2 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil

4 halibut filets

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/8 tsp. salt

Preparation:

Combine first 5 ingredients in a medium saucepan over high heat, whisking until smooth.  Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until reduced to 3/4 cup (about 25 minutes).  Remove from heat. Stir in lime juice and cilantro; let stand 5 minutes.  Strain to remove solids. 

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add oil; swirl to coat the pan. 

Sprinkle fish evenly with salt and pepper. 

Add fish to pan; cook 4 minutes  on each side, or until done.  

Serve fish with sauce.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light

Herbed Chicken Meatballs with Coconut Sauce

I found this recipe in my favorite casserole cookbook last week and knew I had to make them.  I love Thai flavors, and to use them in meatballs?  I was sold.  They came out a little bland, so I added some red curry paste for some added umph. (Plus, I need to use that up!  I feel like I have been using it for years.)
Serve these over some jasmine rice and use that extra sauce for the rice.

Herbed Chicken Meatballs with Coconut Sauce

Herbed Chicken Meatballs with Coconut Sauce

Ingredients:

Meatballs
1 lb. ground chicken
3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, minced
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup milk
1 small onion, peeled
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. salt
Sauce
1 (14 oz.) can of coconut milk
2 tsp. cornstarch
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. chives
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. red curry paste
1 Tbsp. lemon juice

Preparation: 
Preheat the oven to 400 and lightly grease the baking dish with cooking spray.  Combine the milk and bread crumbs in a large bowl.
Use a box grater to finely grate the onion and garlic.  Add the grated onion and garlic to the large bowl. Mix in chicken, olive oil, egg, cilantro, and lemon juice.  Mix thoroughly with your hands.
Form into about 16 meatballs in the prepared baking dish. Cook for about 15 minutes, or until the meatballs are browned.
Meanwhile, heat the vegetable oil in a small saucepan and add the curry paste.  Cook for about one minute, then add coconut milk, cornstarch, chicken broth, salt, chives, and ginger.  Whisk and cook over low heat until the sauce has thickened slightly.  Stir in lemon juice.
Pour the sauce over the meatballs in their dish and turn down the oven to 325.  Bake for an additional 20 minutes.  Serve with extra cilantro.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Not Your Mother's Casseroles by Faith Durand

Thai Red Coconut Curry

I love Thai food.  It is delicious.  I tend not to cook it that much, but only because I usually don't have the ingredients.  That all changed last week though when coconut milk was on sale.  Boom.  Thai food.
Also, as a note, I made this with chicken, but this can be made easily into a vegetarian/vegan dish with the addition of tofu and/or more vegetables.

Thai Red Coconut Curry

Thai Red Coconut Curry

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. oil
1 lb. chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 red pepper, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 bay leaf
1 15 oz. can coconut milk
*1 Tbsp. red curry paste (or more, depending on how spicy you want it)
**Other optional ingredients: tofu, eggplant, etc.

Preparation:
Heat oil in skillet over medium heat.  Add chicken.  Saute until almost cooked.  Add the rest of the ingredients.  Simmer over medium-low heat until desired spiciness.
Serve over jasmine rice.

Recipe Adapted from At the Corner of Happy and Harried

*Red Curry Paste can be found at Asian specialty stores

Chicken Stir Fry

So I probably should have decided what I wanted to cook for dinner with the chicken I pulled out sooner than 10 minutes before I decided to start cooking.  That way, I could have actually marinated my chicken, but a quick marinade had to do for today, whoops!  However, I was really excited to use my electric wok for the first time!  I felt super fancy!  I also should have read the directions a little better because it said to wipe off the chicken before throwing it into the wok, which I didn't do, but then it burned onto the wok.  Then, after I threw the water in to steam everything, the burnt part came off and came into the food flavor.  Oh well, now I know for next time!  All in all, the meal came out pretty good, plus the Quick Pickled Cucumbers I made were a lovely crisp bite in between.  Super easy for summer!

Chicken Stir Fry

Chicken Stir Fry

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons low sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon white wine
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup low sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, or as needed
1 frozen package broccoli florets
1 medium zucchini
2 tablespoons water
2 cloves minced garlic

Preparation:
Combines soy sauce, wine, and sugar in medium bowl.  Add chicken and refrigerate for approximately 30 minutes.  Remove chicken and pat dry.
Cook broccoli one minute less than directions on package.
Warm a wok (if you have one) or a deep frying pan over medium-high heat.  Add 2 teaspoons of oil and heat.  Add half of chicken, cook without stirring for 1 minute, then stir and cook until browned.  Transfer chicken to clean bowl. Heat 2 teaspoons oil and repeat with remaining chicken.
Add remaining 2 teaspoons oil and heat.  Add broccoli and zucchini.  Cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables begin to just soften, 2 to 4 minutes.  Add water and continue to cook vegetables until vegetables are crisp and tender, 1 to 2 minutes more.  Push vegetables to side of pan, add garlic to the center and cook for 15-30 seconds.  Return vegetables to center and combine.  Return chicken and any juices; stir to combine.  Pour in broth.  Cook, stirring constantly; until chicken is cooked through.

Slow Cooker Chicken and Edamame in Spicy Coconut Broth

Tonight I decided I was going to make dinner last minute, so I grabbed some ingredients and threw them into the crock pot.  I literally only put two chicken breasts, a frozen bag of edamame, half an onion, two apples, a can of coconut milk, and a teaspoon of chili powder into the crock pot and cooked it.  I had a minor problem in that since the edamame was frozen, I couldn't really shell them, so then We had to shell them while eating, and it was super annoying.  Oh well.  It still tasted good!

Slow Cooker Chicken and Edamame in Spicy Coconut Broth

Slow Cooker Chicken and Edamame in Spicy Coconut Broth

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts, cubed
1 bag frozen edamame, shelled
1 onion, diced
2 apples, diced
1 (14 oz.) can coconut milk
1 Tbsp. chili powder

Preparation:
Place everything in slow cooker.
Stir.
Cook on low for 8 hours.
Enjoy!