Easy Coconut Shrimp Curry

I am a huge fan of both Indian food and curry in general after living in Scotland for a couple of years.  We typically have some sort of curry at least once a week.  What I think is surprising though is that my husband and I both agree that we enjoy our homemade dishes almost more than ordering take out or going out to eat.  This dish is definitely feels more Thai than Indian, but if you enjoy curry and coconut, it is super easy to make and delish.  If you aren't a big shrimp fan, you can easily substitute chicken (which we have done many times). Another plus, this is a one pan dish (with the exception of the rice) so clean up is a cinch.  This was another one of our favorite dishes from the dearly departed Scratch DC meals we loved so much.  

What You'll Need:

Salt and Pepper 

pinch of Cayenne

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 cup Basmati rice

1 tbsp butter

Canola oil

1 cup of canned, diced tomatoes

1 cup coconut milk (canned - found in International aisle)

1 cup frozen peas (you can cook from frozen)

1 cup onion, diced

1 tbsp garlic, minced

2 tsp fresh grated ginger

1 tsp coriander

1/4 tsp tumeric

1 tsp curry powder

What You'll Do:

First you need to marinade your protein for about 20 minutes prior to cooking.  Put your shrimp or chicken in a ziplock bag, season with salt and pepper and pinch of cayenne, and lemon juice.  Set aside.

Cook the rice in a medium pot according to package directions.

In a large pan, add canola oil.  Add onion and cook for 3-5 minutes.  Add ginger, garlic, coriander, tumeric, and curry powder to onion mix and season with salt and pepper.  Add more canola oil if needed to avoid spices sticking to the pan.  Add tomatoes and coconut milk and bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer.  Add shrimp or chicken and heat until cooked through (this will obviously be a much shorter cooking period for the shrimp and I strongly encourage you NOT to overcook the shrimp).  Serve over Basmati rice.

Note: if I were making this, I'd have added chopped fresh cilantro at the end as the recipe originally called for but my husband hates cilantro so I didn't buy a whole bunch of it just for me to put on my plate.  But, garnishing with some chopped fresh cilantro would be delish if you are so inclined!

Herby Saucy Chicken with Shallot Sauteed Green Beans

It has admittedly been a while since I cooked dinner.  Ever since my son was born (3.5 years ago!), my husband has taken over most of the cooking responsibilities.  He's grown to really enjoy it; it's his way of relaxing when he is at home and not travelling for work.  He has recently started a new job where he doesn't have to travel nearly as much (woohoo!).  So, I figured I better start getting back into cooking since I can't very well be a stay at home mom who can't even pull her weight in the kitchen!!

I concocted this little number and it was extremely well received by my hubs so it'll probably be added to our weeknight rotation.  The chicken and sauce are cooked in the same pan so there isn't a huge mess to be made there.  The green beans can be fresh or frozen.  For a short cut, I used Trader Joe's frozen green beans and they are one of my favorite go-to veggies to have on hand when you don't have something fresh.  And they can be doctored up in so many ways.  

First, the green beans.  

Shallot Sauteed Green Beans (serves 4)

What You'll Need:

3 cups frozen green beans*

1 large shallot, sliced thinly

2 cloves of garlic, diced finely

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 cup chicken stock (approximate - add more if needed)

salt and pepper to taste

What You Do:

Heat olive oil in the pan and sautee shallots until tender (about 4-5 minutes).  Add in garlic and sautee that for about a minute.  Remove from the pan.  Add green beans into the same pan and add chicken stock.  Once the chicken stock is absorbed and the green beans are tender, you can add back in the shallots and garlic and add the butter.  Season generously with salt and pepper.  

*If you use fresh green beans, you will probably want to boil them and then blanch them in ice cold water first so that the cooking process starts and then they will stay green.  It adds a couple of steps but isn't difficult to do.  

Here are the green beans in process.  See last pic for the final look with the shallots and garlic mixed in.  They are so yummy!

Now it is time for the chicken!

Herby Saucy Chicken (serves 4)

What You'll Need
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 cup half and half (or use heavy cream if you really want to go for it!)
1 tablespoon of cornstarch
1 cup and 3 tablespoons of chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1 -2 tablespoons olive oil (or other preferred oil to cook chicken)
salt and pepper to taste

What You'll Do
Dry the chicken thighs off with a paper towel and then season liberally with salt and pepper.  On a plate, mix together the fresh herbs (saving back 1 tablespoon of the parsley) and the onion powder and poultry seasoning.  Mix the ingredients together on a plate and then coat each chicken breast evenly on both sides with the herbs and spices mixture.

Heat the oil in a large skillet.  Once hot, add the chicken breasts and cook through, approximately 4-5 minutes per side.  Don't move them around a lot when they are in there so they get a nice brown, crispy sear on the outside.  Once they are cooked through, remove them from the pan and set aside under tented foil.  If you tent the foil instead of covering the chicken completely, it will keep the chicken crispy and also help keep it warm.

Deglaze the pan with 1 cup of chicken stock.  Once all of the yummy bits are picked up, add in the half and half and fresh parsley.  In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and remaining three tablespoons of chicken stock.  Pour that into the sauce mixture and stir together to thicken the sauce.  After about a minute, add back in the cooked chicken and let the sauce coat the chicken.  Serve a chicken thigh generously covered in sauce over rice, mashed potatoes, or polenta.  Serve with a side of shallot sauteed green beans.

Enjoy!  xo





#adornedaboderecipes #traderjoes #traderjoesgreenbeans #sauteedgreenbeans #cookingwithshallots #pansearedchicken #creamysauce #freshherbs #chickenandherbs #chickenandsauce #chickenrecipe #onedishrecipe #chickenandherbs #weeknightinspiration #quickandeasydinner

Tuesday Tip: Bacon on Parchment Paper

My aunt came to visit a few weeks ago and taught me about parchment paper.  I can honestly say I had never used it before and told her so.  Her response: "Every good southerner should know about parchment paper."  And yes, now I only cook my bacon on it but also used it for all of my holiday cookie baking and it worked like a charm...and clean up was a cinch! 

I'm sure you all know about baking your bacon in the oven which is now my preferred method of choice.  No grease splattering all over the stove top and it turns out perfectly every time (as long as I don't forget about it and set the fire alarm off!!).  My children love bacon so I cook it frequently since, let's be honest, there isn't a lot that they will eat in the way of meat (or anything for that matter).  Before, I was pouring the grease out into a jar.  Now, when I cook it on parchment paper, the grease stays on the paper and I can simply toss it out.  Voila!

Shopping Site for the Hard to Gift People in Your Life

Phew, things have been busy.  My husband still travels for work all week every week so I'm at home with a 3 year old and a 17 month old - I couldn't be happier but finding time to blog and do things for myself is a rare occurrence.  We are finally feeling a little more settled in our new house in Raleigh, NC and now that everyone is getting a little more sleep, the boxes are all unpacked and life has settled into a routine, I'm really starting to get my groove back.  I struggled for a while with the transition from working to stay at home mom, living in a new place and adjusting to life with a husband on the road and two VERY active children to care for.   But, in the end, I do think the big move was the right thing for our family.  I feel like my blood pressure has dropped significantly not having to fight traffic and rush hour every day and just having a slower, simpler pace of life.

I have so many things I want to blog about and so new ideas for things to come (if I can wrangle the time to get to it) but for now, I wanted to share a new-to-me website that I came across in case any of you are struggling for any hard-to-buy-for friends or family members.

I am so, so, so, SO excited that the holiday season is upon us and as usual, it is flying by much too quickly!  I don't even know how Halloween and Thanksgiving are already over.  I usually pride myself on starting Christmas shopping VERY early so that I am mostly done come December.  I do have a head start this year but the difference is that I am not out and about shopping as much as I used to be since I always have at least one kid in tow.  So, like many of us who are busy working, watching kids, or just want to avoid crowded places and too many people, I have become an avid online shopper.  I truly can't imagine what life was like prior to Amazon Prime.  I digress.

Anyway, I am feeling okay about my Christmas shopping so far but there are a couple of people on my shopping list (namely my husband) who are extremely difficult to buy for.  If you ask my husband what he wants, he'll just tell you a BestBuy gift card.  I mean, fine, but how BORING is that to open on Christmas morning.  Not to mention, I want him to be a little surprised.  I pride myself on not just buying gifts for people just out of obligatory Christmas duty - I truly love giving the perfect gift and being excited about watching the recipient open it up.

I recently came across a foodie's paradise of a website, Food52.  As many of you know, my husband has become the chef around here these days and has really gotten into cooking.  But this site has so many beautiful and unique gifts that you don't need to be an avid food-lover to enjoy it.  Here are a few of my favorite picks:

Vintage French Decanters: So elegantly beautiful yet practical.  These would be lovely displayed empty or containing a tasty beverage.

Vintage French Ice Buckets: And if liquors aren't your thing, these Vintage French Ice Buckets are just as beautiful as the decanters (above) and would be a great gift to anyone who entertains on the regular.

Sculptural Throw Pillows: These handwoven pillows are so neutral so they are easy to give regardless of the color scheme the recipient may have.  The texture just works SO well.  And I love the shape which adds another element to spice up the neutrality of these.

Plant and Flower Cookbooks: Part cookbook, part coffee table book.  Two beautiful gifts in one.  Even someone who doesn't love to cook can appreciate the beauty of these.  Oh and did I mention they are signed copies?  Something even more special. 

Morrocan Wine Glasses: A little masculine and again very practical - no stems to break off in the dishwasher and very comfortable to hold.  I love entertaining with this type of glass.  It's also versatile enough to serve water or another cocktail.  Looks great on many different styles of table settings and a range of seasons.

Cast Iron Tomato Cocotte: Another practical and gorgeous gift.  This is a pot so beautiful that you can leave on your stove top year-round.  And what a stunner!

Gold Dipped Pink Pinch Bowls: Even non-cooks could find a practical purpose in these delicate little pinch bowls.  Would be perfect to hold jewelery or other trinkets as well as spices.  And if pink isn't your thing, there are some other beautiful colors available as well.

Animal Magnets and Card Holders: Super cute to hold up kids artwork or photos on the fridge but these also handily double as card holders for meal placecards, cheese trays or buffets.  And I'll bet the guests won't soon forget them!

Hope this might give you a little inspiration for those hard to gift people in your life.  Cheers! xo

#food52 #holidaygiftideas #foodiegiftideas #christmasshopping

Southwestern White Chicken Chili

This chicken chili is so easy and so tasty.  My husband is from New Mexico and so he is a huge fan of anything with green chiles in it.  I have really come to love the smoky, mild heat they give dishes and cook with them often now.  The weather has been in this wonky it is warm, wait - - just kidding, it's still winter phase and this dish fits the bill for even warmer weather because it is not too heavy.

What You'll Need:
1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken (I used chicken breasts)
2 cans white beans (I used Great Northern but you can use any that you prefer)
1 can corn
large handful of cilantro, chopped
1 can (4 ounces) of green chiles
1 onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 Tbsp butter
1 and 1/2 Tbsp cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne
4 cups chicken broth
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup Mozzarella cheese (plus more for topping if desired)
1 Tbsp cornstarch for thickening (optional)

What You'll Do:
Cook your chicken.  You can either dice it and cook it in a little olive oil with salt and pepper.  I actually took another short cut because my husband was grilling a steak the night before so I just threw the chicken seasoned with salt and pepper onto the grill the night before so it was already cooked.

Add olive oil and butter and cook onions and garlic with chicken until tender.  Add green chiles, corn and beans and cumin and cayenne.  Cook for about 1 minute before adding the broth.  Add the broth and let everything simmer for 15-20 minutes.  Mix in about 1 Tbsp of cornstarch or flour mixed with a little water to thicken, if desired.  Add mozzarella cheese and fresh cilantro (saving a little for garnish).  Stir and let simmer for another 5 minutes or so.  Serve and top with extra cheese and cilantro.

Pineapple Slow Cooker Chicken

Whew.  What a week.  My husband travels for work now but this month he's had to be gone even more than usual so I've been single parenting 5-6 nights a week for the past five weeks.  With my husband gone a lot, I really don't enjoy cooking for one all that much.  Don't get me wrong, it was novel at first not having to worry about fixing dinner (cereal anyone? lean cuisine?).  But, after a while, that gets really old and you want something good and home cooked, not just out of the freezer, cold cereal or popcorn.  Problem is, by the time I get the kids to bed, I'm exhausted and don't have a lot of energy left for a full blown cooking session.  I've taken to doing some slow cooker meals that I put together when the kids are napping and then it is all cooked when I am ready to eat later in the evening.

Please tell me ya'll know about Damn Delicious?  Every recipe we have tried from there has been easy to follow and tastes phenomenal.  She's got a great archive that is super easy to search.  But warning - it WILL make you hungry.  And if her recipes weren't enough to get you to check out her site, her adorable corgi sure is!  I seriously want one.

Anyway, last night I tried her slow cooker Pineapple Chicken.  As usual, it didn't disappoint.  My pictures don't look anything like hers but whatevs, it still tasted good.  And the house smelled amazing as it simmered all afternoon.

Recipe here

If you hadn't already heard of Damn Delicious, you can thank me later.

Bacon, Gruyere and Butternut Squash Risotto

When we lived in DC we subscribed to this food delivery service called ScratchDC.  It was like a Blue Apron but the food was local, pre-chopped and you could order one meal at a time.  They'd leave it in a cooler outside your door.  And the food was DELISH.  They closed down business recently in pursuit of their Test Kitchen endeavor and we were so disappointed.  I kind of took it as a sign that moving to NC was the right decision for us given that Scratch was leaving us high and dry.  Kind of not kidding.

But, before they closed up shop, they created a cookbook of their top recipes (although, guys, if you are reading this - really?  You left out Banh Mi Tacos?!?!).  Anyway, this risotto dish was one of our faves (although I'll have to share our number one Scratch risotto recipe with you at a later date).   We always tweak things a little so here's our take on their recipe.  Also, this recipe serves two people (although if you weren't piggies like us you may be able to stretch it to three) so double if you invite friends to join you (and you'll want to - it's that good).

What You Need:
3-4 slices of bacon
1 cup arborio rice
1 cup gruyere cheese, shredded
1 small onion, diced
2 cups butternut squash (diced)*
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp fresh thyme
1 tsp butter
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup white wine
1 box vegetable stock (or get fancy and make yo own)

What You Do:
Cook bacon and remove from pan.  In the same pan (soak up that bacon grease!), add 2 Tbsp of olive oil, butternut squash, thyme and cinnamon and cook until browned and tender.  Meanwhile, heat up the vegetable stock in a separate pot so that when you add the liquid, it'll be warm.  Chop up your bacon.

Remove the squash mixture from pan and put into a bowl for later.  To the same pot, add butter and onion and cook until translucent.  Add the rice and toast it with the onion for about a minute.  Once toasted, add white wine and cook until absorbed.  Once the rice has absorbed the wine, add the stock, about 1/2 a cup at a time until the rice is cooked.  Add the cooked squash, bacon and cheese and season with salt and pepper.  Serve immediately.

Taylor's Pork Chops

My friend Taylor made the most amazing pork chops for dinner a few weeks ago.  I HAD to get the recipe...they couldn't be easier or tastier!  And I went straight home and made them.  And now, weeks, later, I'm finally getting around to getting the post up!

Here's Taylor's instructions:
Get bone-in pork chops about 1-1.5" thick

Brine them in 1/3 cup salt, 1/3 cup sugar and 2 cups of warm water in fridge for 30 min - 8 hours (whatever works; I think 2-3 hours is the sweet spot though).

Season them with Cavender's Greek seasoning (but no extra salt) and pour a little George's Eastern NC barbecue sauce (http://www.georgesbbqsauce.com/1pks.aspx) on them (you could probably sub any vinegar-based bbq sauce)

Grill them on high direct heat, dip them in George's again before you flip them and then sear the other side before moving them to indirect heat to finish up.

YUM.

Homemade Chicken Stock

Homemade chicken stock is my new favorite thing to make!  I use chicken stock all the time for the obvious when making soups and stews but also for flavoring rice, potatoes, sauces for meats, etc.  If you're roasting a chicken anyway, there's no reason to let the carcass go to waste.  And, you've likely got everything on hand that you need to make the stock from roasting the chicken - just make sure you have carrots, celery, garlic and onion and herbs on hand. 

What You Need:

1 chicken carcass
2 large onions, quartered (you don't even need to peel)
2 whole cloves of garlic, halved (again, you don't need to peel)
5 carrots, roughly chopped
3 stalks of celery, roughly chopped
large handful of parsley
large handful of time
2 large lemons, halved
salt and pepper to taste

What You Do:

Combine all of the above in a large pot.  Season generously with salt and pepper.  Cover with water and let simmer for several hours.  Strain out the liquid at the end and you have your stock.  Refrigerate for up to a week or freeze for safe keeping.  You can seriously taste the difference!

#homemadechickenstock #chickenstock #chickensoup

Roast Chicken with Bacon

I know I've been doing a lot of cooking with bacon lately but it seriously gives everything so much flavor!  I got this idea from none other than Ina Garten who I've been totally into on the Food Network lately.  She cooks her husband roast chicken every Friday night because it is his favorite dish.  I LOVE roast chicken  and frequently take a short cut by getting a rotisserie one from the store.  My husband hates them and complains every time I serve one for dinner.  But, for some reason, he really likes it when I roast a whole chicken.  Of course it is more work for me but if it means I get roast chicken, I'll take it!  Plus, there is the added bonus of getting to make homemade chicken stock from the carcass.

Ina kicked her roast chicken up a notch by crisping bacon on the skin while she roasted the chicken.  She pulled it off and used it in a salad that she served with the chicken and then the bacon was left giving the chicken great flavor.  Genius!  Ina's Perfect Roast Chicken recipe was my inspiration but I added lots of veggies in the roasting dish so that I had the sides (minus the salad) taken care of in one dish.

You can use any veggies you like - I chopped carrots, onions and Yukon gold potatoes for this.  Make sure you season them with salt and pepper.

For the chicken: get one whole chicken, remove giblets and wash and dry.  Season generously (both on the outside and in the inside) with salt and pepper.  Stuff chicken with an entire bulb of garlic (halved, no need to remove skin), 1 lemon (halved), 1 onion (halved or quartered - depending on what fits), a handful of fresh parsley and a handful of time. 

Set chicken on top of veggies and drizzle everything with olive oil.  Spread bacon on top of chicken.

 

Cook at 425 degrees for about an hour and fifteen minutes.  Remove the bacon and set aside.  Add some dollops of butter to the top of the chicken and return to the hot oven and cook for about 20 minutes until skin is browned and crispy and chicken is cooked through.  

 

Make a side salad and top with bacon.  I had spiced pecans and blue cheese in my salad as well with balsamic vinaigrette.

Enjoy chicken with veggies and salad and you've got a delicious dinner that will serve at least 4 people!  Don't forget to save the chicken carcass for homemade chicken broth...

 

Chicken Veronique

You know how when you learn a new word that you've never heard before and then once you learn it, you hear it every where?  That happens to me all the time and it was just the same with Veronique.  I'd never heard the word before but in all of my Food Network watching and magazine reading while on maternity leave, I have come across the word several times.  It is French and I don't know exactly what it translates to but I'm assuming it means that it has grapes in it because that's what all the dishes seem to have in common.  Regardless, it was delish and surprisingly easy to make.  It looks really elegant and would be great to entertain with.  It also would be a fun holiday dish  - the green of the tarragon and the red of the grapes reminded me of Christmas!

What You Need:

3 chicken breasts, cut in half and seasoned generously with salt and pepper
3 tablespoons of butter
1 large shallot, finely chopped
1 cup of red grapes, halved
1 cup of white wine
1/2 cup of heavy cream
2 tablespoons of fresh tarragon, chopped

What You Do:

Melt the butter in a large sautee pan and cook the seasoned chicken through letting the outsides brown up.  Remove the chicken and cook the shallots in the butter and chicken drippings.

Add the grapes and cook until warmed through, just about a minute or two.  Add the wine and scrape up all of the brown bits from the bottom of the pan.  Add the cream and tarragon and let simmer for another couple of minutes.  Taste it and season with additional salt and pepper if needed.

Enjoy this deliciousness!

Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve with rice.

Weeknight Inspiration: Easy Potato Soup

A few days ago I made this yummy chicken wrapped in bacon.  The recipe used both bacon and scallions but I had quite a few left over.  So, in an effort not to let it go to waste, I started thinking about what I could make that would use up both of those items before they went bad.  What better to make than potato soup?!

This dish is super easy and very flavorful.  And, it is certainly an affordable dish if you already have the bacon and scallions as you don't need many other ingredients other than potatoes, stock and a few veggies.  You can use whatever kind of potato you like but I like to use Yukon Gold - I think they are creamy and delicious.

What You'll Need:
6 large or 8 medium Yukon Gold Potatoes
8 cups of chicken broth
3 large carrots, peeled and diced
3 celery stalks, chopped
1 large yellow onion, diced
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 chopped scallions
6 slices of bacon
cheddar cheese
2 Tbsp flour
1 cup milk or half and half
1 cup heavy cream (optional)

What You'll Do:
Chop bacon into small pieces and cook in a large pot. 

When crisp, remove bacon and drain most of the fat from the pot.  Leave a little remaining to cook veggies and add flavor.  Add in the onion, carrots and celery and cook until softened slightly.  Add potatoes and season generously with salt and pepper.

Cook the potatoes with the veggies for about 4-5 minutes and then add the broth. 

Simmer on low for about 30 minutes or until potatoes and veggies are tender. 

In a separate bowl, pour in the milk or half and half and mix with the flour. 

As an aside, this was just one of the times I got to use my favorite kitchen tool the mini whisk.  Not only is it absolutely adorable but it comes in so handy especially when I make vinaigrettes.  Anyway - back to the soup...

Pour the milk/flour/thickening agent mixture into the soup and let cook for about five more minutes.  Use a blender, food process or a stick blender (that's what I use and I LOVE it for making soups) to get a creamy consistency.  Stir in cream and cook for five minutes more. 

Top with scallions, cheese and crispy bacon.

How simple and delicious is that?!

Apple Picking and Warm Apple Cobbler

We went apple picking recently with some friends at Stribling Orchard.  It was a beautiful fall day to spend with friends and my little family:

We only picked one bag full of apples but I'm still trying to use them all up!

I've already made an apple pie (I used this same recipe that I blogged about a while ago) so today I tried my hand at a cobbler.  Warm apple cobbler topped with vanilla ice cream?  Yes, please! 

Original recipe from All Recipes here.

What You Need:

Apple Filling

• 5 cups tart apples, such as Granny Smith, peeled and sliced
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tablespoon butter, cut into small pieces

 

Topping (I doubled the following to have a more cakey cobbler - up to you!)

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 egg, beaten
• cinnamon sugar for topping, optional

What You Do:

 

Heat the oven to 375°. Butter a 9-inch square baking pan.

Combine the sliced apples, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon salt, vanilla and water. Turn into the prepared baking pan. Dot apples with the pieces of butter.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the (or more if you doubled like I did) 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the beaten egg and softened butter and beat until blended. Using a tablespoon, drop batter evenly over the apple mixture. If desired, sprinkle the batter with a cinnamon sugar mixture.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the apples are tender and crust is golden brown. Serve warm with cream or a scoop of ice cream.
Serves 6 to 8.