Coconut Chicken Curry

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch chunks or strips
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 1/2 T vegetable or canola oil
2 T curry powder
1 1/2 tsp paprika (substitute cayenne pepper if you like the heat)
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
4 red potatoes, cut into chunks
1 (14 oz) can coconut milk
1 (14.5 oz) can stewed tomatoes
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
3 T sugar
Jasmine rice (cooked)

Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper.  Heat oil, curry powder, and paprika in a large skillet over medium-low heat for two minutes until fragrant ( but don't let it burn).  Turn the heat up to medium and stir in onions and garlic and cook ten minutes more or until onions are very clear.  Add chicken, tossing lightly to coat with curry oil and cook for 7 to 20 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink and is cooked through.  Add potatoes, then add coconut milk, tomatoes (I lightly crushed the stewed tomatoes with my gingers before adding), tomato sauce, and sugar into the pan and stir to combine.  Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally for about 30-40 minutes or until sauce thickens.  The sauce thickens upon standing, but is great served piping hot (and a bit thinner) too.  Serve with Jasmine rice (or your favorite rice) and garnish with cilantro, if desired.

Bean & Butternut Tacos with Green Salsa

INGREDIENTS

SALSA

• 8 ounces tomatillos
• 2 cloves garlic, unpeeled
• 1 jalapeño pepper
• 1/4 cup sliced white onion
• 1/2 ripe avocado, diced
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground pepper to taste

TACOS

• 4 cups diced (1/2-inch) peeled butternut squash
• 3-4 small dried red chiles
• 2 cloves garlic, unpeeled, smashed and left whole
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds, plus 1/2 teaspoon ground toasted cumin seeds (see Tip), divided
• 2 cups cooked pinto beans, drained (see Tip)
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 8 6-inch corn tortillas
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/2 cup finely shredded and chopped red or green cabbage
• 8 teaspoons crumbled queso fresco (see Note), or feta cheese

• PREPARATION

  1. To prepare salsa: Bring a pot of water to a boil. Remove husks from tomatillos and rinse well. Cook the tomatillos in the boiling water until soft, 5 to 8 minutes. Drain and set aside.
  2. Toast garlic cloves, jalapeño and onion in a dry medium skillet over medium heat, turning occasionally, until browned, fragrant and soft, 5 to 7 minutes.
  3. When cool enough to handle, peel the garlic. Remove the jalapeño stem and remove seeds if desired. Combine the tomatillos, garlic, jalapeño, onion and avocado in a blender or food processor. Process until smooth. Stir in cilantro, salt and pepper. Set aside for topping the tacos.
  4. To prepare tacos: Preheat oven to 400°F.
  5. Put squash in a medium bowl and, using kitchen shears, finely snip chiles to taste into small pieces (seeds and all) into the bowl. Add garlic, oil, 1/2 teaspoon oregano, 1/4 teaspoon salt and whole cumin seeds; toss to coat. Arrange on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake until soft and beginning to brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Peel and finely chop the garlic when cool enough to handle; stir into the squash.
  6. Meanwhile, combine beans in a small saucepan with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon oregano and 1/4 teaspoon salt, ground cumin, chili powder and pepper. Heat over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes.
  7. Warm tortillas one at a time in a dry large cast-iron (or similar heavy) skillet over medium heat until soft and pliable. Wrap in a clean towel to keep warm as you go. Spoon 1/4 cup of the warm beans into each tortilla; divide the roasted squash evenly among the tacos and top each with cilantro, cabbage, 1/2 cup of the salsa and cheese. (Refrigerate the remaining 1/2 cup salsa for up to 2 days.)

  TIPS & NOTES

  • Make Ahead Tip: The salsa can be prepared ahead (Step 1-3). Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
• Tip: Toast cumin seeds in a small skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until very fragrant, 2 to 5 minutes. Let cool. Grind into a powder in a spice mill or blender.
• Ingredient Note: Queso fresco, also known as queso blanco, is a soft, slightly salty fresh Mexican cheese. You can find it in Latin markets and many supermarkets.
• Tip: How to Cook a Pot of Beans
• 1. Pick over 1 pound dry beans to remove any pebbles or broken beans and rinse well under cold water. Place in a large bowl, cover with 3 inches of cold water and soak for 4 to 24 hours.
• 2. When you’re ready to cook the beans, heat 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in a largesaucepan over medium heat. Add 1 small chopped onion, 2 to 3 chopped garlic cloves and 1 chopped celery stalk (optional). Cook, stirring, until the vegetables are beginning to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain the beans and add to the pan. Add enough cold water to cover the beans by 1 inch. Bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes. Lower the heat to a bare simmer, partially cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 20 minutes to 3 hours, depending on the freshness of the beans. If at any time the liquid level drops below the beans, add 1 cup hot water. When the beans are nearly soft, stir in 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. (Do not drain: beans are best stored in their cooking liquid and the liquid can be used in some recipes.)
• Makes about 6 cups.
• As posted on: http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/bean_squash_tacos.html

Curried Couscous

1 1/2 cups couscous
1 T. unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped carrots
1/2 cup minced fresh Italian parsley
1/2 cup dried currants or golden raisins
1/4 cup toasted sliced or chopped almonds
2 scallions thinly sliced
1/4 cup small-diced red onion

Place couscous in bowl.  Melt butter in water and pour over couscous.  cover and soak 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.

Whisk together yogurt, olive oil, vinegar, curry, turmeric, salt and pepper.

Pour over couscous and add other ingredients.  Mix well, check seasonings, serve at room temp.

Vanessa's Naan

.25 oz (2 1/4 tsp) yeast (1 pkg)
1 C warm water
1/4 C sugar
3 T milk
1 egg, beaten
2 tsp salt
4 1/2 C bread flour
2 t minced garlic
1/4 C melted butter

1. Dissolve yeast in warm water.  Let stand 10 min, until frothy.  stir in sugar, milk, egg, salt and flour to make a soft dough.  Place in a well oiled bowl, cover w/ damp cloth, rise for 1 hour.
2. Punch down and knead in garlic.  Roll into golf ball sizes, place on tray and rise for 30 min (covered w/ damp towel) or until doubled.
3. Brush with butter and grill 4-6 min. (Roll out first)

Jo's Thai Noodles

1 or 2 chicken breasts, still slightly frozen
1/2 cup chicken broth
3 T creamy peanut butter
2-3 tsp hot sauce
1 1/2 tsp honey
3 T soy sauce
2-3 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp ground ginger
some noodles-you can get legit asian noodles at a regular grocery, but they're way cheaper if you just go to an asian market, or just use linguine or something.
bean sprouts, broccoli, snap peas, grean beans
optional toppings:
chopped green onions
chopped cilantro
chopped plain peanuts
limes

1. Put the noodles on
2. In the meantime, combine broth, PB, hot sauce, honey, soy sauce, ginger and garlic in a saucepan over medium-low.  Whisk until smooth, let simmer for a minute, and remove from heat. (I added some water because it was real salty and also a little more hot sauce)
3. Slice the chicken into thin little scraps and cook it up with some splashes of EVOO, soy sauce, hot sauce, and some garlic.
4. Steam the bean sprouts or whatever other veggies you're using.
5. Combine everything in a big bowl and sprinkle with toppings.

Blackened Chicken and Cilantro Lime Quinoa

Ingredients

• 2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
• ½ Teaspoon of Paprika
• ¼ Teaspoon of Salt
• ¼ Teaspoon of Pepper
• ¼ Teaspoon of Cayenne Pepper
• ¼ Teaspoon of Onion Powder
• ¼ Teaspoon of Cumin
• 1 Teaspoon of Olive Oil
• 2 Cups of Low Sodium Chicken Stock
• 1 Cup of Quinoa
• Juice and Zest from One Lime
• A Dash of Salt and Pepper
• 2 Tablespoons of Cilantro, chopped

Instructions

1. Combine all the dry seasonings in a small bowl. Mix them together and then season both sides of each chicken breast.
2. Add the teaspoon of olive oil to a large pan or skillet. Heat the olive oil for a minute over medium/high heat. Add the chicken breasts to the pan. Cook for seven minutes on each side with the lid on.
3. Add the chicken stock and quinoa to a medium sauce pan. Bring to a simmer over medium/low heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for ten to fifteen minutes with the lid on, until all the stock has been absorbed.
4. After the chicken breasts have cooked all the way through, remove them from the pan and let them rest for seven minutes before slicing them.
5. Add the warm quinoa to a large bowl. Toss in the lime zest, lime juice, salt and pepper, and chopped cilantro. Mix to combine.
6. Serve the sliced chicken breast on top of the quinoa. If you find the blackened seasoning too spicy, you can add a quick and easy avocado cream sauce to cool it down.
7. Just place the flesh from an avocado along with two tablespoons of Greek yogurt in a food processor and puree until smooth.

Grilled Tandoori Chicken Skewers

Chicken: 
1/4       cup cilantro
1/4       cup flat leaf parsley
2         cloves garlic
3         teaspoons paprika
2         teaspoons ground cumin
2         teaspoons garam masala
2         teaspoons salt 
1          teaspoon turmeric
1/4       teaspoon cayenne
2         tablespoons olive oil
1/2       cup yogurt
2         tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2         pounds chicken breasts, cut into 2-inch square pieces
6-8      wooden skewers, soaked 

Sauce: 
1 1/2    cups yogurt
1/2      teaspoon ground cumin
1/4      teaspoon turmeric
1/4      teaspoon garam marsala 
1/4      teaspoon salt

1. Combine cilantro and next 11 ingredients in a the container of a blender or food processor. Blend until well-combined. Place chicken pieces in a gallon-size zip-lock bag; pour cilantro mixture over chicken. Massage to combine and coat chicken; chill for 4 hours or overnight.

2. Meanwhile, combine yogurt, cumin, turmeric, garam marsala and salt. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

3. Heat grill. Skewer chicken pieces onto wooden skewers; discard marinade. Grill 5-6 minutes on each side or until cooked through.

4. Serve chicken with yogurt sauce.
Yield: 4 servings.

Found on:http://www.kumquatblog.com/2011/06/recipe-redux-grilled-tandoori-chicken.html