Crockpot Ginger coconut chicken with veggies

I found this recipe here: http://www.simplebites.net/coconut-ginger-chicken-vegetables-slow-cooker-challenge/?doing_wp_cron=1326720131

Recipe Type: Main

Author: Aimee

Prep time: 30 mins

Cook time: 5 hours

Total time: 5 hours 30 mins

Yield: 6-8 servings

Serve this creamy and fragrant stew over Jasmine or brown rice. You can top  with a few chopped scallions. (I also used some coconut sprinkled on top) good with peanuts too

Ingredients

• 4 cloves garlic, peeled
• 2 inch cube of ginger (about 30 grams), roughly chopped
• 1 small sweet onion, peeled, quartered
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 2 Tablespoons butter (omitted)
• 2.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into four (used 3 breasts--thighs would be nicer, probably)
• 2 cans coconut milk, not shaken (I only had one, so used about a half can of chicken broth with it and I think I would prefer it this way)
• 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 can of baby corn cobs (I used corn--didn't have the kind here)
• 1 cup peas or frozen vegetables of your choice (I used garden peas, fresh cauliflower and zucchini and yellow squashed--the last 3 were already cooked)
• For the spice blend
• 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground tumeric (I think I would prefer less of this spice).
• 1 teaspoon salt
• (I added yellow raisins--about 1/2 cup)
• (I had some coconut for sprinkling and some mango sauce)

Instructions

1. Combine ingredients from the spice blend together and set aside.
2. In a mini food processor, combine garlic, ginger and onion and pulse until it forms a paste.
3. In the bottom of a slow-cooker placed on a burner, heat olive oil . Add pureed aromatics and stir well. Cook for a few minutes, then add spice blend. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly.
4. Move aromatics to one side of the pot and add chicken pieces to the pot. The recipe calls for cooking chicken slightly--I don't like doing this as it seems to toughen the chicken. (Cook chicken slightly on all sides,--me nope) using a sturdy wooden spoon to move it around the pot. It should get thoroughly coated with the spice mixture.
5. Open the cans of coconut milk and remove the cream from the top using a soup spoon. You should have about 1 cup. Pour the coconut milk over the chicken and with both cans, it should just barely cover the chicken.
6. Drain the corn cobs and chop in half. Add to the slow-cooker.
7. Place the slow cooker in the base and cook on low for 4 hours. (perhaps because I used breasts--but to get them tender and really falling apart I cooked it more like 6 hours--and part of the time on high--about an hour on high)
8. Whisk cornstarch with coconut cream until smooth and add to the chicken. Stir well. Add frozen peas or other vegetables of your choice. Cook for another half an hour or until you deem the chicken cooked and the vegetables hot.

sweet potato black bean burrito

Not the best picture--this was before adding the salsa and olives.  It is really tasty because of the roasted sweet potatoes. I found this on Pinterest and here is the link  http://www.laurelstaples.com/newwp/2011/11/09/sweet-potato-black-bean-tacos/

Here is the recipe

Yields: 2 servings

Ingredients:

1/2 cup brown rice
2-3 medium to large sweet potatoes
1 tbs olive oil
salt
dash of cumin, chili powder, garlic powder (all optional)
1 can black beans
6 small corn or whole wheat tortillas
1 avocado, cut into cubes
your favorite salsa
optional: diced tomatoes, grated cheese, lettuce, peppers

Directions:

Cook brown rice according to package directions.

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Spray large baking sheet with non-stick vegetable oil spray. Peel and cut sweet potatoes into 3/4-inch cubes. Toss in large bowl with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and any other desired spices. Spread in one layer on baking sheet and roast for 25-30 minutes, turning once, until soft and crispy on the edges. Meanwhile, heat black beans in pan over low heat. Heat a small skillet over medium heat and use to warm up tortilla.

Arrange warm tortilla on a plate and top with brown rice, black beans, roasted sweet potatoes, avocado, your favorite salsa (mine is peach salsa) and any other toppings you enjoy.

Owl cupcakes

    Corwin had these for his first birthday---the whole owl theme.

chicken soup with quinoa

My hubby wasn't feeling the greatest so I decided to make chicken soup. I got the idea here: http://blogs.babble.com/family-kitchen/2010/09/01/chicken-soup-quinoa/  But I added to it. 

Chicken Soup with Quinoa

1 tab olive oil
1/2 onion, diced
6 carrots, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1/4 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
6 cups good chicken stock
salt and pepper to taste
1  boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut up in bite sized pieces
1 14 ounce can petite diced tomatoes, drained

cup or 2 of water for cooking chicken in---adds more both to the soup

3 inch piece of fresh rosemary

1/2 teas dried thyme

1/2 teas crushed sage

1/4-1/2 teas celery seed

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

1 potato

handful of spaghetti noodles chopped

1. In a small pot set over low heat, cook the onions and carrots in about a tablespoon of olive oil. Cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and quinoa, and cook for about a minute.Meanwhile cook the chicken with the water and the seasonings (adding the potato).  Pour in chicken stock, add the tomatoes and the vegetables, and noodles-- raise the heat to medium, and simmer for about 15 minutes. Add salt and pepper to achieve the taste you want.

chickpea potato fritters or pancakes

We really like these and had ketchup with them--yum. You definitely need a non-stick pan. I have a ceramic pan which is shown in this picture.  I found this recipe online and their fritters were a bit more formed--I may have put a hair too much liquid,, but they were marvelous.  I changed mine up a bit. This makes 4

1 can of chickpeas, drained
2 large potatoes (save cooking water)
1-2 rounded tablespoons of hummus (I used the red pepper, garlic hummus)
salt and pepper
1/2 teaspoon of paprika
few pinches of fresh parsley
olive oil

Cook the potatoes and save the liquid. In a food processor place the the chickpeas, adding some of the potato water to enable it to blend nicely. Add the rest of the ingredients to the processor. Blend till smooth--adding more of the potato water as needed---don't add too much or they will be harder to cook.

I just spread it out into the hot pan which had pam and about a teaspoon of  olive oil. I cooked it at the medium high temperature on the top of the  stove .  Then I turned it down a bit.  After one side browns, I separated the mass into four parts and flipped, returning the temp to the higher setting. After a few minutes,  I covered the pan, lowered the temp to about medium and continued the cooking until nice and brown. I flipped it another time too.

Roasted cabbage and carrots with garlic, caraway, and rosemary

I really liked this. I love it with sliced fresh garlic and rosemary.

Slices of cabbage (as much as you want) (cut at about 1/2 inch sections
Carrots--cut up in lengths
Olive oil (2 tab or so)
fresh sliced garlic (I like about 2 cloves slice for 3-4 servings)
a 4 inch sprig of Rosemary
a bit of caraway seeds
salt and pepper

Spray the baking sheet with Pam. Place veggies on the sheet and brush with olive oil. Sprinkle with rosemary (cut up) and sliced garlic. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and caraway seeds.  Bake at 375 or 400F for about 40 minutes or until tender and browned.

5 minute chili--vegan

This serves 4 (forgot to take a picture!). It is fast, full flavored and I love it.

1 can of corn with green and red peppers in it, drained
1 can of red beans, drained
1 can of pinto beans, drained
1 can of diced tomatoes, drained
1-2 tablespoons of Paul Newman's Black Bean and Corn Salsa (this is what seasons the dish)

Mix all in a pot and heat and serve. Depending on how spicy you like it, you can add more or less of the Newman's.

low fat tuna recipe

I love this for a low fat snack or lunch.

Tuna
sweet gherkin pickles (sliced_
sliced olives with pimentos (walmart carries them already sliced)
Taco chips

Combine the top three and serve with or on chips or on toast

sweet potato lentil soup for crock pot (Indian type)

I found this recipe here: http://millefiorifavoriti.blogspot.com/2011/11/slow-cooker-sweet-potato-and-lentil.html

I love crock pot recipes and this one has some nice flavors with the ginger and curry! I love this because I usually have these ingredients on hand.  The only change we added to the original recipe is that we added 3 cups of cooked rice at the end.

Cook time 4 hours on high or 7-8 on low. I am copying it from her blog (except for my parenthesis)--she has other recipes and interesting things about New York.

 The recipe as it appears in the Food Network Magazine:except for my parenthesis. 

Slow-Cooker Sweet Potato and Lentil Soup

Total Time: 8 hr 25 min.

Prep: 25 min.

Cook:  8 hr 0 min.

Yield:4 servings

Ingredients

1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced

3 medium carrots, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

3 stalks celery, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

2 leeks, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (white and light green parts only) I used green onions and a tad of purple onion

3/4 cup dried yellow or red lentils (I used red--and could have used more!)

1 4-inch piece ginger, peeled and finely grated

1 teaspoon curry powder

Kosher salt

1 tablespoon unsalted butter (I used olive oil )

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

Juice of 1/2 lemon, plus lemon wedges for serving (optional)

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (i only had dried cilantro)


(me--I added 3 cups of cooked rice at the end just before serving)

Directions

Combine the sweet potato, carrots, celery, leeks, lentils, ginger, 3/4 teaspoon curry powder and 1 teaspoon salt in a 4-to-6-quart slow cooker. Add 6 cups water and stir, then cover and cook on low, undisturbed, 8 hours.

Stir the soup vigorously with a whisk to make a rough puree. Thin with hot water, if desired.

Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium-high heat. (I just used a bit of olive oil) Add the garlic and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon curry powder and cook until the curry powder is slightly toasted, about 1 minute. Stir the curry mixture into the soup and add the lemon juice, cilantro, and salt to taste. Serve with lemon wedges. (me--I added 3 cups of cooked rice--we wanted a thicker more hearty soup---It also would have been good with more lentils as these dissolve to make the broth)

Per serving: Calories 257; Fat 4 g (Saturated 2 g); Cholesterol 8 mg; Sodium 580 mg; Carbohydrate 45 g; Fiber 10 g; Protein 12 g

Robyn's Garlic Chicken Spahetti

This is a yummy dish. Not vegan , but it is nice to have a light chicken dish every now and then. I loved the mix of flavors in this dish. I found this here:  http://simpleme1970.blogspot.com/2012/01/ready-set-cook.html

1 pound of spaghetti (I used Gluten Free)
1/2 cup of sun-dried tomatoes (not in oil)
1 cup of boiling water (to soak the sun-dried tomatoes in)
1/4 cup flour (I used a gluten free all purpose baking flour by Bob)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 pound of chicken breast (skinless, boneless) cut in 1 inch pieces (we used less --just one big breast)
1/4 cup olive oil divided
2 & 3/4 cup sliced mushrooms (we used an 8 ounce package and sliced them -I didn't measure)
5 garlic cloves minced (I had large ones , so used 4)
1/4 cup low salt Chicken broth
1/4 cup or more fresh parsley (we used quite a bit more)
1/2 tsp dried basil (I was out -so I used quite a bit of fresh leaves cut up)
1/4 ts salt--or to taste
1/4 ts pepper or to taste
1/2 cup Parmesan (we used less just because we are cutting back on dairy)

1.Place tomatoes in the boiling water while cooking the other ingredients.
Get your water boiling for the pasta. Cook the noodles at some point while cooking the other ingredients.

2.In plastic bag combine the flour and the garlic powder--add the chicken to coat.
Saute the chicken in a bit of oil until no longer pink. Remove from pan and keep warm.
3. Saute mushrooms in oil adding 4-5 minced garlic cloves near the end so you don't burn the garlic. When the mushrooms and garlic are done add the broth, parsley, basil, and salt and pepper. Stir in the tomatoes that you have drained and the  chicken . Heat through.
4. Drain the noodles and add the chicken mixture and cheese. Toss to coat and serve.

Josh wine--- love it!

We tried this wine tonight and it is wonderful. It is 2009 and is blended and bottled by Joseph Carr. If you can't read the label it is Cabernet Sauvignon.  This is what it says about it and it is true: "This Cabernet Sauvignon, created in a Bordeaux style blend, offers ripe black currant flavors, and deep dark fruit nuances, accented by spice and smoke, matched with a long soft finish.  A wine that is bold and expressive, but unassuming and approachable.   Love it!!

how to peel a head of garlic in ten seconds

Great tip

How to Peel a Head of Garlic in Less Than 10 Seconds from SAVEUR.com on Vimeo.

Penguin Appetizer --veggies

Found this at all recipes and it was too cute not to share. VEGANS would have to use a substitute cream cheese For penguins--From all recipes---vegans substitute a vegan cream cheese: Ingredients 18 jumbo black olives, pitted 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened 18 small black olives 1 carrot Directions Cut a slit from top to bottom, lengthwise, into the side of each jumbo olive. Carefully insert about 1 teaspoon of cream cheese into each olive. Slice the carrot into eighteen 1/4 inch thick rounds; cut a small notch out of each carrot slice to form feet. Save the cut out piece and press into center of small olive to form the beak. If necessary cut a small slit into each olive before inserting the beak. Set a big olive, large hole side down, onto a carrot slice. Then, set a small olive onto the large olive, adjusting so that the beak, cream cheese chest and notch in the carrot slice line up. Secure with a toothpick. Note--THESE photos are not mine--found them at ALLRecipes.com I think!

Indian potato cabbage stir fry

This is a great Indian dish. It can be found at the link below and is good served on rice or by itself. This is also great with sweet potatoes added and if you eat meat a bit of pork is good too.
http://www.sailusfood.com/2011/07/25/aloo-patta-gobhi-sabzi-potato-cabbage-stir-fry/

Aloo Patta Gobhi Sabzi Recipe

Prep & Cooking: 35-40 mts

Serves 4 persons

Andhra

.

Ingredients:

4 cups chopped cabbage, tightly packed

2 potatoes, peeled and cubed

paste of 2 green chilies and a small piece of ginger

1/2 tsp turmeric pwd

1/2 tsp red chili powder

1 tsp coriander powder

salt to taste

1 tsp grated jaggery or brown sugar

1 tbsp lemon juice

chopped coriander leaves for garnish

1 1/2 tbsps oil

For tempering/poppu/tadka:

1 tsp mustard seeds/ria/aavalu

1/2 tsp cumin seeds/jeera/jeelakara

1/4 tsp asafoetida/hing/inguva

few fresh curry leaves (good also with some sweet potatoes and pork if you aren't vegan)

1 Heat oil in a cooking vessel, add the mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add the cumin seeds and curry leaves and saute for a few seconds. Add asafoetida, saute for a few seconds.
2 Add the ginger-green chillies paste, saute for half a minute. Add the cubed potatoes and turmeric powder and mix. Place lid and cook over low flame for 12-15 mts. Mix in between so that it does not stick to the vessel or burn.
3 Add the chopped cabbage and mix. Place lid and cook over low flame for 12-15 mts. Mix in between so that it does not stick to the vessel or burn.
4 Remove lid once the cabbage is three fourth cooked. Continue to cook over low flame. Add red chili powder, coriander powder, jaggery or brown sugar and salt to taste and stir fry for a few more mts till the flavors blend and the cabbage retains a bit of crunch. Turn off heat, add lemon juice and mix.
5 Sprinkle fresh coriander leaves and serve with rice and rasam OR rotis.

Fun Veggie plate for Christmas or winter time/thanksgiving too

This is a fun veggie plate. You simply get a tree shaped plate. Line it with celery--add cauliflower and decorate with red pepper. You can set the tree on a large round plate and place carrots around the tree too. Below are more ideas-- another idea--this I found on line it it not my photo, but I did one like it for Thanksgiving.



Found the ones below online

For penguins--From all recipes---vegans substitute a vegan cream cheese: Ingredients 18 jumbo black olives, pitted 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened 18 small black olives 1 carrot Directions Cut a slit from top to bottom, lengthwise, into the side of each jumbo olive. Carefully insert about 1 teaspoon of cream cheese into each olive. Slice the carrot into eighteen 1/4 inch thick rounds; cut a small notch out of each carrot slice to form feet. Save the cut out piece and press into center of small olive to form the beak. If necessary cut a small slit into each olive before inserting the beak. Set a big olive, large hole side down, onto a carrot slice. Then, set a small olive onto the large olive, adjusting so that the beak, cream cheese chest and notch in the carrot slice line up. Secure with a toothpick.

Maple-Bourbon Roast Turkey with Gravy--country living

This is a great recipe! I forgot to take a picture the first time,but it was fab. I now have my photo below.. I will make this again.NOTE --this takes sometimeslonger to cook then it says--it takes about as long as a stuffed turkey because of the orange and lime and onion filling the cavity.  Here is a picture from this year , 2012.   However in 2013 the cooking times worked perfectly for me I had a 11 and 1/2 pound turkey and it did only take the time the recipe called for.

1 (14 pound) turkey, rinsed and patted dry with neck and giblets reserved (I used a Butterball)

1/4 cup coarse salt

1 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons of chile powder

1 orange

1 lime

1 small yellow onion, halved

2 bay leaves (I didn't see this and I didn't use it)

3 unpeeled garlic cloves

3/4 cup maple syrup
2 tab molasses

2 tab light brown sugar

1 tab GF Worcestershire sauce

2 cups Bourbon

Butter for foil optional

1/3 cup of flour or if GF use some cornstarch (not as much)

Chicken broth 2 cups to add to gravy makings

1. Preheat oven 325 F. Tuck wind tips under turkey by bending them back and pushing them under wings. In a small bowl combine, salt, sugar, chili powder. Carefully run your fingers under breast and thigh skin to loosen, then rub meat with about 1/3 of seasoning. Rub remaining seasoning in cavity of turkey and all over skin. Next pierce orange and lime with a fork and stuff citrus in cavity, along with onion , bay leaves and garlic. Using a kitchen string , tie legs together (with the butterball I didn't have to tie since there was skin looped over them holding them together).(To make this fit better I have used just a 1/2 orange and 1/2 lemon--but it makes the gravy more citrus like).

2. In a small skillet, stir maple syrup, molasses, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a simmer; let cook 5 minutes.

3. Set turkey breast side up in a large roasting pan fitted with a rack. Put turkey neck and giblets in bottom of pan under rack in the pan and add bourbon. Pour all but 1/3 cup of maple-syrup mixture over turkey. Cover pan with lid or buttered aluminum foil. Roast turkey, covered, for 1 hour and thirty minutes.

4. Uncover pan and brush turkey with reserved maple-syrup mixture. Return turkey to oven and continue to roast, uncovered, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thigh meat registers 165 F, 40- 50 minutes NOTE--It sometimes takes longer than this !! Actually the butterball turkey instructions say breast meat should be 180 F and thigh 175F. I have had it occasionally take an extra hour longer than this when I cook it! It may depend on the coldness of the turkey to start etc. Lift turkey from pan, allowing any juices in cavity to drain into pan (we failed to let the juices inside run into pan so it may taste different if you do this--it was great just with the pan juices). Transfer turkey to a platter or cutting board. Tent turkey with foil and let rest for 30 minutes.

5. Discard neck and giblets and pour juices from pan into a gravy separator or large measuring cup. Remove fat, reserving 3 tab of fat. If needed add enough water to pan juices to measure 4 cups (I added some chicken broth to the pan juices along with water).

6. Place reserved turkey fat in a large saucepan over low heat. Gradually whisk in flour or corn starch and cook, whisking constantly, until flour has browned, about 5 minutes. Gradually whisk in pan juices (and broth if using and water )and cook whisking constantly, until gravy is creamy and slightly thickened, about ten minutes.

2013 turkey pictured below--it cooked exactly as directions had stated with no added time:

found the recipe in 2011

NOTE: I n 2021 I cooked a turkey a little over 16 lbs for 4 hours and it was perfect.Nice and moist. I had it covered for the first hour and forty-five minutes and then uncovered for the rest. it did measure temperatures at the higher amounts— around 180 for breast and 170 or maybe a bit higher for thighs.

Corn Bread Pudding

This is easy and fast because it takes only a couple of ingredients. It is gluten free too. I found this on line. NOTE: it is sweet (I think I will try it with less sugar next time, but I still liked it)

Recipe submitted by Bizobiff, 11/08/07

Corn Pudding/Bread

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

1 (15 ounce) can creamed corn
1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained and rinsed
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup corn meal (I used a gluten free cornbread mix)
2 tablespoons margarine (I used olive oil)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Put all the ingredients into a baking dish (I use a deep pie dish). Mix well.

2. Bake in oven for 25-30 minutes or until the top begins to crack.

3. Let it cool for a few minutes before serving.

This is halfway between a pudding and a bread. It's sweet and goes great with savory dishes and is especially awesome under hoppin' john and chili.

Serves: 8, Preparation time: 5 minutes
'

Lentil Pumpkin Soup with Kale

This is a nice change and I got the idea from a fatfreevegan recipe.

1 large onion

1/2 Tab minced garlic

1 pound of lentils

1 15 ounce can chicken or vegetable broth

1 15 ounce can diced tomatoes

6-8 cups water

Kale (as much as you want)

2 large carrots

1/2 cup butter peas (optional)

1 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2-1 tsp cumin

1/8 cup quinoa

1/2 cup pumpkin

garum masala (to taste-optional)

salt and pepper to taste

lime juice

In large pot brown onions using pam spray (or whatever ). When about browned add the garlic cooking for another minute. Place rinsed lentils in the pot with the butter peas and the water and a pinch of salt. Cook covered for about 45 minutes or until the lentils and peas are tender.

Add broth, tomatoes, chopped kale, chopped carrots, quinoa and seasoning and cook 20 to 25 more minutes until tender. Add the pumpkin and cook for another 5 minutes stirring to blend. Squeeze lime juice over all when serving.

Roasted Vegetables and chickpeas (better home)

I found this in Better Homes and Gardens. Nice for a different kind of dish. Prep 30 min. Roast 45 oven 425. (I don't think my prep took as long!)

1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces

1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

1 large red onion-Me--I want more next time (I used a regular onion), cut into 1 inch wedges (I cut smaller)

1 pound red or russet potatoes, cut into cubes (I did larger chunks)

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 16 oz can chickpeas (garbanzos) rinsed and drained

2-3 tab olive oil

1 tsp dried rosemary , crushed

1 tsp. brown sugar or granulated

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1. Move oven rack to center of oven. Preheat 425. Place all vegetables, garlic, and chickpeas in large shallow roasting pan. In small bowl combine oil, rosemary, sugar, salt and pepper. Drizzle over vegetables; toss well to coat.

2. Roast , uncovered, about 45 minutes or until lightly browned and tender , stirring at least 2 times. Makes 8 side dish servings. (I cooked mine longer)